About 160 kilometers or 100 miles south-southeast of central Bangkok (Thailand), you'll find an old Airbus A330 that's been converted into a coffee shop. Home of "331 Station Coffee War," the old Airbus widebody, located in Sattahip, was so popular last year that it was even ordered to close after going viral on social media. Let's look at the aircraft-turned-coffee shop in a series of photos.
The coffee shop-aircraft is located in Sattahip, which is a district in the south of Chon Buri province. Photo: Getty Images
Pattaya News notes that a Mr. Damri Sangtang, a former Royal Thai Navy officer, is the owner of the business. Sangtang's history as a member of the military may offer a clue as to part of the business' "Coffee War" name. The 331 portion of the name appears to come from the fact that it's located on Road No 331.
The coffee shop A330 is about a two-hours-drive from central Bangkok. Photo: Google Maps
The $333,000 Airbus A330
According to The Thaiger, the decommissioned Airbus A330 cost 10 million Thai baht – which roughly converts to just over $333,000. Stripped of its engines, most of its passenger seating (and likely much more), the aircraft sounds like a deal considering the $240 million list price for a new jet (even if that figure is typically overinflated).
Of course, the fact that the plane doesn't do what it's mean to do (fly) is probably the reason behind the steal of a deal. We're guessing that the previous owner simply wanted to be rid of it, not wanting to pay for the scrapping fees.
Whatever the circumstances might have been that led to the aircraft purchase- it looks like it turned out to be a worthwhile purchase, given how popular the shop has become.
With many unable to travel due to travel restrictions caused by the global health crisis, setting foot on an airplane – functioning or not – might be appealing. Photo: Getty Images
In fact, at the end of June last year, the coffee shop was ordered temporarily shut down after it became too popular. Apparently, the aircraft cafe went viral on social media and thus was drawing thousands of customers a day.
While it's not a crime for a business to be 'too popular,' it is a concern during a worldwide health crisis, where close human interaction in confined spaces can lead to the spread of disease. Thus, public health officials had to ask the coffee shop to close for a week, hoping that the pause would help to cool down enthusiasm and hype around the old jet.
Inside 331 Station-Coffee War
With coffee at the cafe costing as little as 60 baht ($2.00), the next-to-nothing cost of entry seems like a great deal. It's no wonder why it's become so popular.
In order to ensure the health and safety of customers, the cafe reportedly conducts temperature checks, requires the wearing of masks, and regularly disinfects surfaces. Only 60 customers are permitted "on board" at any one time, for a maximum of 40 minutes.
Much of the A330's regular passenger seating has been removed- mostly replaced by small coffee tables and wooden chairs. Photo: Getty ImagesOf course, a few old aircraft seats were retained. Photo: Getty ImagesSome economy class seats were even kept onboard. At least they were rearranged to provide more legroom. Photo: Getty ImagesThe aircraft once flew with Thai Airways. Photo: Getty Images
Before it was a coffee shop
The Airbus A330-300 once flew with Thai flag carrier, Thai Airways, registered as HS-TEA. The jet was delivered new to the airline in 1995 and was configured to seat 42 in business and 263 in economy class.
The jet was withdrawn from use in March of 2015 and then stored at U-Tapao–Rayong–Pattaya International Airport (UTP) airport in May of that year. UTP is a common storage airport for Thai's unused jets. Interested in other aircraft re-purposing stories like this? Check out the 727-turned-event-space, and the 737 converted into a cabin.
If you were in Thailand, would you go out of your way to see this coffee shop? Let us know in the comments.
About 160 kilometers or 100 miles south-southeast of central Bangkok (Thailand), you'll find an old Airbus A330 that's been converted into a coffee shop. Home of "331 Station Coffee War," the old Airbus widebody, located in Sattahip, was so popular last year that it was even ordered to close after going viral on social media. Let's look at the aircraft-turned-coffee shop in a series of photos.
The coffee shop-aircraft is located in Sattahip, which is a district in the south of Chon Buri province. Photo: Getty Images
Pattaya News notes that a Mr. Damri Sangtang, a former Royal Thai Navy officer, is the owner of the business. Sangtang's history as a member of the military may offer a clue as to part of the business' "Coffee War" name. The 331 portion of the name appears to come from the fact that it's located on Road No 331.
The coffee shop A330 is about a two-hours-drive from central Bangkok. Photo: Google Maps
The $333,000 Airbus A330
According to The Thaiger, the decommissioned Airbus A330 cost 10 million Thai baht – which roughly converts to just over $333,000. Stripped of its engines, most of its passenger seating (and likely much more), the aircraft sounds like a deal considering the $240 million list price for a new jet (even if that figure is typically overinflated).
Of course, the fact that the plane doesn't do what it's mean to do (fly) is probably the reason behind the steal of a deal. We're guessing that the previous owner simply wanted to be rid of it, not wanting to pay for the scrapping fees.
Whatever the circumstances might have been that led to the aircraft purchase- it looks like it turned out to be a worthwhile purchase, given how popular the shop has become.
With many unable to travel due to travel restrictions caused by the global health crisis, setting foot on an airplane – functioning or not – might be appealing. Photo: Getty Images
In fact, at the end of June last year, the coffee shop was ordered temporarily shut down after it became too popular. Apparently, the aircraft cafe went viral on social media and thus was drawing thousands of customers a day.
While it's not a crime for a business to be 'too popular,' it is a concern during a worldwide health crisis, where close human interaction in confined spaces can lead to the spread of disease. Thus, public health officials had to ask the coffee shop to close for a week, hoping that the pause would help to cool down enthusiasm and hype around the old jet.
Inside 331 Station-Coffee War
With coffee at the cafe costing as little as 60 baht ($2.00), the next-to-nothing cost of entry seems like a great deal. It's no wonder why it's become so popular.
In order to ensure the health and safety of customers, the cafe reportedly conducts temperature checks, requires the wearing of masks, and regularly disinfects surfaces. Only 60 customers are permitted "on board" at any one time, for a maximum of 40 minutes.
Much of the A330's regular passenger seating has been removed- mostly replaced by small coffee tables and wooden chairs. Photo: Getty ImagesOf course, a few old aircraft seats were retained. Photo: Getty ImagesSome economy class seats were even kept onboard. At least they were rearranged to provide more legroom. Photo: Getty ImagesThe aircraft once flew with Thai Airways. Photo: Getty Images
Before it was a coffee shop
The Airbus A330-300 once flew with Thai flag carrier, Thai Airways, registered as HS-TEA. The jet was delivered new to the airline in 1995 and was configured to seat 42 in business and 263 in economy class.
The jet was withdrawn from use in March of 2015 and then stored at U-Tapao–Rayong–Pattaya International Airport (UTP) airport in May of that year. UTP is a common storage airport for Thai's unused jets. Interested in other aircraft re-purposing stories like this? Check out the 727-turned-event-space, and the 737 converted into a cabin.
If you were in Thailand, would you go out of your way to see this coffee shop? Let us know in the comments.
Thai Airways says cuts about 240 executive positions
FILE PHOTO: Workers service a Thai Airways Airbus A380-800 aircraft at Bangkok International Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thailand September 3, 2019. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai Airways International Pcl on Friday said it had cut around 240 executive positions at the airline as part of its bankruptcy restructuring process.
The announcement comes as the company nears a deadline to submit its restructuring plan to a bankruptcy court for creditor approval and as the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic adds to the woes for an airline that has been struggling since 2012.
"The number of executive positions has been reduced from 740 to about 500," the airline said in a statement, adding that the move would increase efficiency by going from eight supervisory levels to five.
The court's deadline for the carrier to submit its restructuring plan is March 2, after which the airlines' creditors will consider if restructuring will proceed.
Thai Airways, which has around 21,000 employees, said it had introduced a number of voluntary resignation agreements, but did not specify how many staff had applied.
"A successful restructuring will require cooperation from all parties, including creditors and employees," the airline's acting president Chansin Treenuchagron said.
(Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng; Editing by Ed Davies)
Thai Airways staff FAKING THEIR DEATHS for the funeral allowance
Thai Airways employees are faking their deaths in order to take advantage of funeral allowances… but then they keep working at the airline.
"The cooperative has found that the number of members filing for funeral allowance has increased suspiciously over several years," said cooperative representative Weerayut Thuankong, who joined 20 other staff members in filing the complaint.
"We checked the evidence they submitted and found that the death certificates appeared to be fake, as the persons declared dead are still working for the company."
'The cooperative has found that the number of members filing for funeral allowance has increased suspiciously over several years. We checked the evidence they submitted and found that the death certificates appeared to be fake, as the persons declared dead are still working for the company.'
Looking at evidence dating back to 2013, it's being alleged that there have been at least 26 fraudulent cases, which have caused an estimated 14 million THB (467,000 USD) in damages to the company. That's an average of 18,000 USD per employee who filed.
Thai Airways is currently in the process of being reorganized, as the airline is in bankruptcy protection.
Corruption has run rampant at the airline for years, and a former Thai Airways chairman was even recently jailed over excess baggage fees.
Fourteen day quarantine for tourists set to end - two plans mulled forApril 1ststart, sources suggest
REUTERS FILE PHOTO for reference only
Sources in the Thai business media have suggested that plans are taking shape for an end to the 14 day quarantine for foreign tourists.
Behind the scenes the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Tourism Ministry, the Tourism Council, ATTA (the Association of Thai Travel Agents and the THA (Thai hoteliers' Association) have been pressing for an end to the two week quarantine that many see as a huge hurdle to the reintroduction of foreign tourism.
They want to see those who have been vaccinated being allowed to come under two plans that are about to be proposed.
The first is called "Quarantine At Home". Under this idea the tourist will be required to quarantine at their home where they are about to begin their journey before setting foot in Thailand.
Once in the kingdom they will have a Covid check but still have to be quarantined for two nights, three days.
The second plan is called Mobile Quarantine. This idea involves the health department and the TAT acting as chaperones for tour groups.
They may decide to allow a DMC (Thaivisa understands this to be a Destination Management Company) to fulfil this chaperone-cum-monitoring role.
So what is the timeline?
According to sources the final details are being ironed out over the coming week and will be presented to the TAT board for discussion among all relevant parties towards the end of February.
Then it will go to the cabinet where PM Prayuth Chan-ocha will be apprised of the plan and make the final decision.
If given the go ahead the sources suggest the plans - possibly both of them - will get the nod from April 1st.
Thaivisa notes that there appeared to have been a cooling of the "vaccination passport" idea but with these extra caveats in place there may be a way forward to opening up the country for those who have received Covid vaccinations abroad.
PM walks out of parliament chamber in apparent protest at not being listened to
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Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha abruptly cut short his explanation of the southern economic zone project and walked out of the parliament chamber on Thursday afternoon, apparently upset that a group of MPs were not paying attention to him.
"I think I will stop here because no one is listening, but laughing. That is enough, thank you," said a disappointed prime minister before he left the chamber during the censure debate this afternoon.
The prime minister took to the floor to make a clarification, after Deputy Interior Minister Nipon Boonyamanee defended an allegation, by Kao Klai MP Prasertpong Sornnuwat, that he abused his power in the interests of his people and himself, by forcing villagers in Jana district of the southern province of Songkhla to sell their land in areas covered by the southern economic zone project.
He claimed that the land conflict took place before he took on the responsibility for the project and dismissed the allegation as completely groundless. He insisted that the project is intended to improve the quality of life of the local people.
Speaking in his capacity as the supervisor of the police and the strategy for the southern development project, the prime minister said the problems in the south are complicated, but his government is determined to solve them, to bring about prosperity to the region and to improve the lives of the people there.
He dismissed the Kao Klai MP's allegation, that there has been no progress in the southern economic zone project, maintaining that the it is now in the preparatory stage and it will take time to progress, noting the importance of infrastructure development, which must be ready before investors make decisions on whether to invest in the zone.
He insisted that implementation of the project must be transparent and can always be checked.
Vaccine passports inject new hope for Thai tourism
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A "vaccine passport" has emerged as the best hope for Thai tourism businesses devastated by COVID-19. The passport, which could exempt inoculated tourists from the mandatory 14-day quarantine, might help the tourism industry slowly get back on its feet.
What is a vaccine passport?
In essence, a vaccine passport is documentation – very likely an e-document in this increasingly digitalised world – to prove the holder has already been inoculated against a disease. In the current context, vaccine passports will focus on COVID-19, which has so far infected 110 million people and killed 2.42 million since first emerging in December 2019.
Global agencies such as the International Air Transport Association are already busy developing vaccine passports or an equivalent.
The concept is not new. The World Health Organisation (WHO)'s International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, also known as the Yellow Card, has been around for decades. The Yellow Card records vaccination against diseases such as yellow fever and is required for entry to several countries around the world, including Nigeria.
Is it necessary?
The answer is an overwhelming "Yes" for Thai businesses such as hotels and airlines, many of which are on the verge of collapsing under the weight of the COVID-19 fallout. Social distancing and travel restrictions have left businesses across several industries teetering on the edge of failure.
Thailand, where tourism accounted for 16 per cent of gross domestic product in 2019, has been hit hard by the virus.
In response, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) recently proposed luring back foreign tourists with new measures – including an offer to waive mandatory 14-day quarantine for those who can produce a vaccine passport.
Faced with quarantine and other COVID-19 measures, only around 10,000 foreigners visited Thailand between October and December last year. The same period a year earlier saw more than 10 million foreign arrivals.
But Thai tourism and related industries are now threatened by talk of extending the quarantine period. The Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration recently suggested that it may be necessary to impose a 21-day quarantine on passengers arriving from Africa, where a fast-spreading variant of the virus is responsible for most COVID-19 cases.
Dr. Nakorn Premsri, the director of the NVI, said that AstraZeneca was the one who told Thailand that it would be better to reserve vaccines from them because they will be manufactured in Thailand. Dr. Nakorn added that the decision to transfer technology was made well before Thailand decided to procure vaccines from AstraZeneca.
Thailand still has doubts
So far, Disease Control Department director-general Opart Karnkawinpong has rejected the idea of a COVID-19 vaccine passport, citing a lack of proof that inoculation completely prevents transmission of the disease.
Although millions of people around the world have already been inoculated, research on the effectiveness of the vaccines is still in its early stages.
Other concerns
Health issues aside, some critics say vaccine passports are a bad idea because they would deepen inequalities across the world, since people in many countries will have to wait years for their jabs.
So far, only about 100 million of the world's 7.78 billion people have been vaccinated against COVID-19. In Thailand, no jabs have been offered yet. If a vaccine passport is required for entry to flights, hotels or big entertainment/sport events, millions of unvaccinated people would be left behind.
Others say that introducing vaccine passports risks exacerbating discrimination based on race, nationality, or wealth via access to smartphones. Privacy concerns have also been raised.
February 9, 2021 Thai health officials are not convinced about the "vaccine passport" idea, which would allow travellers, who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter Thailand without the need to endure 14-days of quarantine.
Who has embraced vaccine passports?
Despite concerns, several countries are keen to adopt COVID-19 vaccine passports. Denmark is planning to introduce a coronavirus vaccination passport before the end of this month, while neighbouring Sweden has announced plans to follow suit.
For air travel, Qantas, Emirates and Etihad airlines will require vaccine passports soon, while UK-based Saga Cruises has made COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for anyone boarding its ships.
Greece, too, is now encouraging the European Union to push ahead on a common vaccination certificate as part of a fast-track lane for travellers.
Dr Apisamai Srirangson, assistant spokeswoman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, speaks about Covid-19 vaccine's availability, at Government House on Thursday. (Screenshot)
Everyone in Thailand - Thais and foreigners, including migrant workers - will have access to quality and safe Covid-19 vaccines, a government spokesperson said on Thursday.
The assurance was given during the daily Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration briefing at Government House, by assistant spokeswoman Apisamai Srirangson.
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150 new Covid-19 cases
The government on Thursday reported 150 new Covid-19 cases, comprising 142 local infections and eight imported, raising the total to 25,111.
Everyone in the country, including foreigners, would have access to vaccines, she said.
"Vaccinations will include expatriates and migrant workers. The government intends to offer equal protection," she said.
According to Dr Apisamai, the government has three objectives for Covid-19 vaccination.
To reduce Covid-19 illness and deaths, vaccination will be for people older than 60 years and those with chronic diseases.
To protect the national health system, recipients will be medical personnel as well as workers and officials tasked with disease control or are in contact with patients.
To protect the national economy and society, recipients will be the general public and workers in the service, tourism and industrial sectors. Employers will co-pay for the vaccination of their migrant workers.
Vaccines will also be held in reserve for emergency use.
The first, limited delivery of vaccine would be on Feb 24. These doses would be used through into May to save lives and contain Covid-19 in the country, Dr Apisamai said.
Later deliveries of vaccines, which would arrive in larger amounts, would reach workers in the service and tourism sectors.
Vaccination certificates would be issued to inoculated people who need to travel abroad. This would include business people and students, Dr Apisamai said.
She also said that the government agreed that private organisations should be able to acquire Covid-19 vaccines themselves. However, they must be medical organisations with doctors and appropriate equipment available to save any recipients who may have an allergic reaction after the injection.
The vaccines they choose must be approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
"In other words, the private organisations that will directly procure vaccines are hospitals," Dr Apisamai said.
The government would announce details about Covid-19 vaccination later, she said.
Thai Airways International announced on Tuesday it would deliver the first 200,000 dosesof vaccine, supplied by China's Sinovac Biotech Co, to Thailandon Feb 24.
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