The Ministry of Transport plans to increase taxi fares in Thailand for the first time in eight years but insists drivers must improve their service and can't refuse to serve passengers no matter where they want to go.
Today, the Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, Sorapong Paithunpong, revealed that the taxi drivers lobbied the government to adjust taxi fares to meet the current economic situation. Drivers urged the government to increase the fare rate alongside fuel prices.
Sorapong explained that the ministry had set up a committee to study and consider a suitable fare in relation to the recent cost of living increases. The committee included officers from the Transport Ministry, Department of Land Transport, Thailand Development Research Institution (TDRI), and Office of the Consumer Protection Board.
According to TDRI, the number of taxi drivers decreased in Thailand from 80,000 cars per day to 60,000 cars per day. The income of taxi drivers also fell, while the cost of living increased by 7% during the past 8 years from 2014 to 2022.
Sorapong said…
"The committee is now considering a suitable fare rate that meets the needs of taxi drivers, passengers, and other relevant departments. We insisted on avoiding the impact on the passengers while also providing justice to all parties. The service quality will need to improve too."
The Director of the Land Transport Department, Jirut Wisarnjit, emphasised that taxi drivers had to follow these conditions if they wanted the fare to be increased. Sorapong said taxi drivers had to improve their service and couldn't refuse to serve customers.
Moreover, the Land Transport Department will introduce a points deduction system to control the quality of service.
Dr Seri Suprathit, director of Rangsit University's Climate Change and Disaster Centre, also urged the government to start preparing now or rising seas would swamp the capital in a mere 20 years.
Seri said Bangkok could be hit with 1,200mm rainfall during September, October and November.
He reiterated his centre's forecast that the country could be hit by 23 storms this year. Eight storms have passed but 15 more are to come.
Seri's apocalyptic view of possible storms earlier prompted the government to issue a "fake news warning" and urge the public to monitor and believe information only from the Meteorological Department.
Seri warned that the heaviest rainfall would be similar to heavy downpours in Seoul recently that caused massive flooding there. The Seoul situation was dubbed "80-year-level" rains.
"The chance is high that the situation here will be similar to the massive floods in 2011 because the amount of rainfall would be similar," Seri claimed.
"In 2011, the floodwaters came very fast from upstream and by water released from dams. But this year, the floods would be caused by rainfall and by the fact that the storm belt would move down to the central region, causing all rice fields to be flooded and spilling over to economic areas," he warned.
Seri forecast the heavy rains that could last for days would fall between September and November.
He said his centre would be able to predict coming storms about ten days in advance and the amount of rainfall.
He expressed concern whether farmers in the Chao Phraya basin, whose rice fields would become flood retention areas, would be able to harvest their rice within 15 days on being alerted that storms were coming.
Seri also called on the government to make models of possible weather scenarios to warn people in advance so that they would cooperate in mitigation measures.
Seri said Bangkok and suburban areas are at risk of being inundated and the capital might have to be moved out if nothing was done to avert a disaster.
He explained three major factors for likely flooding in greater Bangkok:
- Rainfall. Fifteen more storms would possibly hit Thailand and might unleash more than 1,200mm rainfall or the so-called "100-year rains".
- Runoffs and overflowing rivers, which would be caused by heavy rains in upper Thailand. Seri said the heaviest rainfalls there would happen in October.
- Rising sea water. Seri is "very worried" as it could be permanent.
"Rainfall and runoffs occur in the rainy season, but the phenomenon of permanent high sea levels is very worrying. Foreign research ranks Bangkok seventh highest at risk of flooding caused by constantly rising seas," the director pointed out.
He noted that earlier studies by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Japan and Nasa found that Bangkok's seashores would be under water because of a sea rise.
"Together with high amounts of rain and runoffs, Bangkok would be sandwiched with flood troubles and it would unavoidably go under water," he warned.
Seri said it required urgent measures from the national government to avert the effect of a sea rise as the Bangkok governor would not have enough power to carry out such megaprojects.
The climate-change expert said it would require the building of a comprehensive network of seashore embankments, similar to those constructed in South Korea, to prevent flooding from rising sea levels. He noted that embankments to prevent inundation at Changi took 30 years to complete.
Moreover, he said, the entire drainage system of Bangkok would have to be overhauled as the current one could no longer handle the flood situation.
Seri said comprehensive seashore embankments would prevent flooding in Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram and Chachoengsao.
However, the megaprojects would affect the way of life of local people like fishermen.
Seri was the one who came out to warn about massive flooding in Bangkok in 2011. At that time, his centre used scales of numbers of whales to illustrate the amount of massive floodwaters that would flow down to Bangkok because the Yingluck government miscalculated the water amount and had to release huge volumes of water from reservoirs after a series of big storms. His warning was dismissed by the government at that time.
Thailand grants visa extension for tourists to stimulate upcoming high season
Effective from 1 October, 2022, until 31 March, 2023, for tourists from countries/territories entitled for a visa exemption and visa on arrival to Thailand.
TAT Newsroom
Bangkok, 31 August, 2022 – Thailand's Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) approved the proposal by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to extend the period of stay to 45 days for tourists from countries/territories entitled for visa exemption, and to 30 days for those eligible for a Visa on Arrival (VOA). This will be in effect from 1 October, 2022, until 31 March, 2023.
TAT has proposed the extension to stimulate the upcoming high season, which normally runs from October until March.
During the specially granted 6-month period, the length of stay per time will be extended from 30 days to 45 days for passport holders of the following countries/territories who may enter Thailand under a tourist visa exemption scheme: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Monaco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, The Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovak, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the UAE, UK, Ukraine, and USA.
Also, during the same 6-month period, the length of stay per time will be extended from 15 days to 30 days for passport holders of the following countries/territories who may apply for a VOA: Bhutan, Bulgaria, China, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Fiji, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, Malta, Mexico, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, and Vanuatu.
In addition, passport holders of the following countries/ territories may enter Thailand without a visa under a bilateral agreement: Cambodia (14 days), Myanmar (14 days), Hong Kong (30 days), Lao PDR. (30 days, Macau (30 days), Mongolia (30 days), Russia (30 days and VOA), Vietnam (30 days), Argentina (90 days), Brazil (90 days), Chile (90 days), Korea (ROK) (90 days), and Peru (90 days).
Kindly note that nationals of certain countries/territories are required to apply for a visa only at the Royal Thai Embassy or the Royal Consulate-General in their country of residence or at the designated Royal Thai Embassy/Consulate-General. Therefore, travellers are advised to contact the nearest Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate-General to find out if they are eligible to lodge the application.
Information on the location and contact number of Royal Thai Embassies and Consulate-Generals is available at www.thaiembassy.org.
To apply online, visitors may check their eligibility to do so at the official website of the Thailand Electronic Visa at www.thaievisa.go.th.
Thailand warmly welcomes travellers from all countries/territories with proof of either a certificate of vaccination or, for unvaccinated individuals a negative RT-PCR or professional ATK test result within 72 hours of travel. These can be in a print or digital format. Random checks will be made on arrivals at Thailand's international airports or land border checkpoints (in 22 provinces).
While in Thailand, both vaccinated and unvaccinated/not fully vaccinated travellers are advised to strictly follow the health and safety standards. Travellers who are experiencing COVID-like symptoms should get tested. If testing positive, they must get the appropriate medical treatment.
Finnair has updated its traffic plan for 30 October 2022 – 25 March 2023. See the instructions here if your travel plans are affected due to changes.
Finnair has adjusted its traffic plan for 30 October 2022 – 25 March 2023, as our operating environment has changed drastically during this year with the war in Ukraine and the subsequent closure of Russian airspace. Our aim is to operate a traffic plan that is as economically viable as possible. The traffic plan update includes flight cancellations and schedule changes. We are sorry about the harm and inconvenience the changes may cause to your travel plans.
We cancel all our flights to Krabi and Chicago for the upcoming winter season, and discontinue the direct flights from Stockholm Arlanda to New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Bangkok and Phuket. In addition, on some routes we reduce weekly frequencies. In Japan, instead of Tokyo Narita, we fly daily to Tokyo Haneda, which offers excellent connections to our partner's Japan Airlines network out of Haneda.
If there would be any further changes to the traffic plan, we will communicate about them directly to affected customers. You can check available destinations and flights on our booking engine.
How do I know if my flight is cancelled or the schedule is changed?
If there are changes to your flight, we'll contact you personally via SMS and/or email. We are making changes gradually and will inform the affected customers within a couple of days. Please go to Manage booking and check that we have your current contact information.
Your options if your flight is cancelled
If you have received a message of a flight cancellation, these are your options:
We do our best to re-route you to your destination with other Finnair flights. Please note that the availability of alternative flights is currently limited. We'll send you your new flight information via SMS and/or email, and you can check it and other possible flight options also via Manage booking.
If you wish to travel but we are unable to offer you an alternative flight, you may contact our customer service for further assistance.
In case you don't want to use any of the flights in your booking and want to cancel your whole booking, you can apply for a refund online. If you want to use some of the flights in your booking and apply for a refund of a cancelled flight, please contact our customer service.
For flight tickets purchased through other service providers, such as a travel agent, please contact them directly to make changes to your booking or apply for a refund.
Please note that due to the schedule or/and flight change, unfortunately we might not be able to confirm some of the pre-purchased or pre-booked travel extras such as meals or pet transportation to your new flights. You can check your confirmed services in Manage Booking. If you do not receive travel extras purchased from Finnair, you can apply for a refund online. For travel extras purchased through other service providers, such as a travel agent, please contact them directly.
Changes to bookings for flights to be operated between November 2022 and February 2023
If we haven't cancelled your flight but you wish to cancel your reservation, the refund will be according to the ticket rule.
For bookings made latest on 31 May 2022, you can change your travel dates via Manage booking or our customer service without a change fee and travel within your ticket validity.
For bookings made from 1 June 2022 onwards, our normal ticket rules apply. Read more about the normal ticket rules here and our ticket types and their benefits here.
Check more detailed conditions and instructions for making changes here.
Contacting our customer service
If you booked your ticket through a travel agency or a tour operator, please contact them to make changes to your reservation or to apply for a refund. If you booked your ticket through Finnair, our customer service is working hard to help you. We are at your service also via chat on our website or Finnair app. We are sorry that our customer service may be congested. If you are not travelling within the next 60 days, we kindly ask you to contact us at a later date via chat or phone. If you need guidance on entry restrictions, please visit our interactive Travel requirements map.
Didn't find an answer to your question? Check also our QA here.
Starting next year, foreigners entering Thailand by plane will have to pay an "entry fee" of 300 baht. The "tourist tax" was originally intended to be imposed at the start of this year, but its implementation was delayed to give Thailand's tourism industry a chance to recover from the pandemic.
The fee will be introduced "next year" – presumably January 1, 2023 – according to Thailand's Minister of Tourism Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn.
Foreigners flying into Thailand are required to pay the entry fee, no matter their visa status. Any foreigners who are in the Kingdom of Thailand for less than 24 hours will be exempt from paying the fee, said the ministry. The fee equates to $US8.22.
Thai passport holders and Thai citizens will be exempt from the tourist tax. Foreigners who hold work permits, foreign diplomats, and infants under 2 years old will most likely be exempt from the tourist tax too, although this is yet to be confirmed by the ministry.
The Ministry of Tourism is still deciding whether the fee will apply to foreigners entering Thailand by land and sea but said it might not, or the fee might be reduced for land and sea arrivals.
How Thailand intends to use the collected "tourist tax" remains a bit of a mystery. The Ministry of Tourism says the tax will be spent on developing tourist attractions. However, the ministry also said the tax will act as accident insurance for tourists who get into trouble during their stay in the kingdom – but exact details about what kind of incidents are insured or how the insurance policy works have not been released yet.
The fee has been in the pipeline since 2020, but the idea has been met with some resistance from some parties, which could be another reason for its delayed implementation.
On Saturday, Hatyai Songkhla Hotels Association spoke out against the government-imposed tourist tax. Association President Sitthiphong Sitthiphatprapha said the fee will act as another obstacle for tourists, especially if the fee is applied to tourists entering Thailand from Malaysia via the land border.
The association is worried that tourists coming into southern Thailand via car, bus or train might only plan on staying in the kingdom for a few days and could be deterred by the cost.
The Ministry of Tourism appears to have considered this point and plans to impose the tax on foreigners arriving by plane only, although the exact details are not yet set in stone, said the ministry.
Finnair, Qatar Airways to offer daily Doha services from Nordic capitals
Finnair and Qatar Airways have entered into an agreement to offer daily services from Helsinki, Stockholm and Copenhagen to Doha, Qatar.
The airlines expect to launch these services between November and December 2022, according to a press statement released by Finnair on August 29, 2022.
The news of the new connections to the Middle East comes as Finnair continues to be hurt by the closure of Russian airspace, with the Finnish carrier also separately providing an update on its planned winter flying. Avoiding Russian airspace has affected Finnair more than other European carriers, due to its geographic location and the fact that much of its business came from connecting Europe and Asia via overflying Russia.
Along with the connections from the Nordic capital cities to Doha, Finnair said it and Qatar Airways were "exploring opening services also between another European destination and Doha."
Finnair's Airbus A330 aircraft will operate the services to Doha on three weekly schedules, which include:
7 weekly flights to and from Helsinki
7 weekly flights to and from Stockholm
7 weekly flights to and from Copenhagen
The agreement, which includes establishing a "long-term strategic cooperation" between the two airlines, will be supported by a comprehensive codeshare agreement with shared passenger and cargo capacity between the airlines, the statement explains.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker, commented on the partnership with Finnair and the Gulf carrier's ambition to develop Doha as a "oneworld hub."
"As a fellow oneworld member, we enjoy a close relationship with Finnair and these new services to Hamad International Airport are an example of Qatar Airways working with partners for the benefit of our joint customers," said Al Baker.
Al Baker added: "Soon, Doha will be the oneworldhub bringing more airline partners together than ever before. With this codeshare agreement, travellers from the Nordics will continue to have excellent connectivity to Doha with Finnair and onwards with Qatar Airways to attractive leisure and key business destinations across Asia, Africa, Australasia and the Middle East."
"We are delighted to expand our collaboration with ouroneworld partner Qatar Airways, offering new connections between Doha and the three Nordic capitals", says Finnair CEO Topi Manner. "The role of Doha as an international hub is growing, and Qatar Airways has extensive connections from Doha onwards to for example Australasia, the Middle East and Africa."
Member airlines of the oneworld alliance consists of Alaska Airlines, American Airlines (A1G) (AAL), British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian, SriLankan Airlines, Fiji Airways and Oman Air.
Finnair adjusts its winter 2022/2023 schedule
Finnair also announced a number of flight cancellations and schedule changes to its traffic plan for winter 2022–2023.
The airline attributed the change its operating environment, which has affected by the war in Ukraine and the subsequent closure of Russian airspace. The rerouting required has added almost five hours to some journeys between Finland and Asia. "Our aim is to operate a traffic plan that is as economically viable as possible," Finnair said in travel update statementon August 29, 2022.
Finnair canceled all of its flights to Krabi, Thailand and Chicago, the US, for the upcoming winter season and will discontinue direct flights from Stockholm Arlanda to New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Bangkok and Phuket.
The airline has also reduced its weekly frequencies on some routes. Finnair now flies daily to Tokyo Haneda, instead of Tokyo Narita.
Tomato flu not yet in Thailand, but being monitored
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While no cases have yet been reported in the country, Thailand is closely monitoring the tomato flu situation in India, but does not regard the disease as a matter of domestic concern.
According to Disease Control Department Director-General Dr. Opart Karnkawinpong, tomato flu in India is mostly found in children under 5, as the disease is readily transmissible through physical contact. Small children are most susceptible as they tend to put things in their mouths.
He said that about 100 cases have been found in India so far, but no deaths.
The symptoms of tomato flu are similar to those of ordinary flu and include a fever and muscle pain, followed by red rashes on the skin and blisters, which resemble a small tomato, said Dr. Opart.
He also said that they look like the symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease in children, adding that, if there is a case here, similar methods to those used for treating hand, foot and mouth disease can be applied.
He then urged parents to take good care of their small children, especially regarding cleanliness, by frequently cleaning their toys.
Thailand's Department of Disease Control announced yesterday the nation has its seventh monkeypox victim.
A 37 year old Thai woman in Bangkok became the kingdom's latest victim hot on the heels of the country's sixth case last week.
DDC Director General Dr Opas Karnkawinpong said the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute reported on Saturday that a woman had tested positive for the disease.
Dr Opas revealed the patient had intercourse with a foreigner but had not travelled abroad recently.
The patient developed a fever on August 20 and found blisters near her anus the following day. Two days later more blisters appeared in other parts of her body, making her seek treatment at a Nonthaburi province institute.
Doctors conducted RT-PCR tests and confirmed her infection on Friday.
Three people have come in close contact with the woman and will be closely monitored until September 11.
Dr Opas advised people to avoid touching the bodily fluids of anyone who has a fever, rash, or blisters, and avoid having sex with untested persons. Always wear a facemask in public, and wash your hands regularly with soap and water or alcohol sanitiser.
"If you find blisters, rashes, or pustules on your body along with symptoms like fever, headache, muscle ache, and swollen lymph nodes, get tested immediately or call the 1422 DDC hotline."
On Friday, a 21 year old woman in Thailand's northeast province of Maha Sarakham became the kingdom's sixth confirmed monkeypox patient. The woman says her symptoms started while she was in Qatar for work.
The woman had worked as a masseuse in Qatar and said that while she was there, she started getting blisters on her private parts on August 10.
Thailand's fifth case of monkeypox was confirmed earlier this month, in arather similar story. The patient was a 25 year old Thai woman who was thought to have started displaying symptoms in Dubai before travelling to Thailand.
Thailand's first monkeypox case was a 27 year old Nigerian man in Phuket, the secondcase was a Thai man in Bangkok, the thirdcase was found in a German tourist in Phuket, and the fourth in a Thai woman in Samut Prakan.
As of Saturday, 48,331 monkeypox cases have been identified worldwide with 15 deaths. The five countries with the most cases are the US, Spain, Brazil, France, and Germany.
A seriously-burned victim of the Mountain B pub inferno died today (Sunday) in a hospital in Chon Buri province, bringing the death toll since the August 5thblaze to 22.
Ronnarong Kaewpetch, an activist lawyer, identified the latest victim as 30-year-old Laddawan Katekorn, who leaves behind two children.
On August 23rd, a campaign was launched on social media seeking blood donations for the victims.
18 of those injured are still hospitalised, including six on ventilators.
A 28-year-old engineer, the 21st victim died yesterday in a Nonthaburi hospital.
The nature of the decision by the constitutional court last Wednesday might have been unexpected for many people, as it ordered Prayut Chan-o-cha to cease performing his duties as prime minister while the matter of his 8-years tenure is considered by the court.
A legal expert says that, although people may want the answer now, the earliest the country will get it from the court is in 30 days. There is a 15-day window of opportunity for Prayut to submit evidence and documentation to support his case and another 15 days or more for the court's deliberations.
"The constitutional court allows General Prayut 15 days to present whatever he has as," said Associate Professor Dr.Jade Donavanik of the Faculty of Law at the College of Asian Scholars, adding "So within 15 days, they might be taking on the legal issues relating to this particular aspect of General Prayut staying for 8 years, whether it is counted from 2014, 2017, or 2019. So, they can prepare. Once General Prayut submits the facts that he sees fit, then I think, in another 15 days, the Constitutional Court should be able to come up with the wording or the decision".
Prawit as a premier
As for the acting prime minister, Prawit Wongsuwan, how long he can stay in the position depends on the court's ruling. If the court says Prayut can stay on, then that's the end of his role as an acting prime minister but, if the verdict goes the other way, it's another story.
Dr.Jade said that, as long as the Constitutional Court rules that Prayut stays on, then Prawit will cease acting as prime minister but, if the Constitutional Court says that, today, the day that we are discussing this issue, was the day that Prayut should have been suspended from his office, then Prawit should get to stay on, as caretaker prime minister. The whole cabinet will be out and therefore, the whole cabinet will be a caretaker cabinet.
Political tension
Though the decision by the court has certainly fallen short of the expectations of the opposition parties and street demonstrators, who want to see Prayut's term ended right away, there are many people who believe that the interim decision is a way to reduce political tensions.
The suspension order is "very helpful" to Prayut, according to Dr. Jade. "It's only he himself now whether or not he will take the situation to be more positive to himself, working as only minister of defense or even not working for the minister of defence, and appointing General Chaicharn Changmongkol as the acting minister. Then, he is off the hook for all the positions in the cabinet. Then, that will leave pretty much no room for the demonstrators to continue demonstrate".
Next general election
What about the next general elections? How likely is this to happen in the near future? Dr. Jade said the near future will not be in a month or two. He thinks the next general election will happen in about May next year. That means the end of this parliament's term plus 45 days.
"So I don't think it's coming soon, at least after the APEC meeting. I think long after that. I think they will stay on until the end of the term".
Majority not worried by anti-Prayut protests over 8-year tenure: poll
FILE PHOTO: Protesters demonstrate after the Constitutional Court suspended Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha from official duties, after deciding to hear a petition to review his legally mandated eight-year term limit, in Bangkok on Aug 24, 2022. (Reuters)
A majority of people do not worry that protests against Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha over his 8-year tenure in the premiership might send the country into chaos, and believe the protests will not force him to resign or dissolve the House of Representatives, according to the result of an opinion survey by the National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll.
The poll was conducted on Aug 24-26 by telephone interviews with 1,312 people aged 18 and over of various levels of education, occupations and incomes throughout the country to compile their opinions about the controversy over the prime minister's 8-year tenure.
While the poll was being conducted, the Constitutional Court on Aug 24 issued an order to suspend Gen Prayut from performing the prime minister's duties, pending the court's ruling on when his 8-year tenure actually started.
Asked whether they were worried about possible chaos that could follow protests against Gen Prayut over the issue, 66.61% of the respondents said "no", with 47.48% not worried at all and 19.13% not particularly worried. On the other side, 21.19% were fairly worried and 10.90% very worried.
The rest, 1.30%, did not answer or were not interested.
Asked whether the protests would be able to pressure Gen Prayut to resign or dissolve the House of Representatives, 52.06% said "no" to both; 19.89% believed the protests would be able to force Gen Prayut to resign; 15.25% believed the protests would pressure him to dissolve the House of Representatives; and 12.80% had no answer or were not interested.
People were then asked which candidate they would support for the post of prime minister if Gen Prayut resigned or was ordered by the Constutional Court to step down from the position. They had to choose from among five candidates eligible for the post on the party-lists of political parties - none of whom were from Move Forward. The answers were as follows:
- 35.90% would not support any of the five candidates; - 22.79% were for Khunying Sudarat Keyurapan, current leader of the Thai Sang Thai Party; - 17.84% for Chadchart Sittipunt, current Bangkok governor; - 12.19% for Abhisit Vejjajiva of the Democrat Party; - 5.87% for Anutin Charnvirakul, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party; and - 1.68% for Chaikasem Nitisiri of the Pheu Thai Party.
The rest, 3.73%, had no answer or were not interested.
Snake encounter reported every 15 minutes in Bangkok
File photo: Nutthawat Wicheanbut
Snakes are a much bigger problem in Bangkok than many people think. Just ask the staff at the 199 emergency hotline. On average, they say, they get a call for assistance with snakes every 15 minutes, with about 60,000 snake removals taking place each year.
The figures were released after a Bangkok resident posted a picture online of a large boa constrictor hanging from a tree in Din Daeng district, spurring a strong response in the neighbourhood and beyond.
Rescuers at the emergency hotline said on Saturday that some 200 calls are made daily in Bangkok requesting assistance with pests such as snakes, water monitors and wasps. Snakes make up about half of the calls, according to the operators.
"On average, a report is made every 15 minutes throughout every 24-hour period" said an operator.
The hotline reports a success rate of over 90% when capturing snakes, elaborating that the animals are turned over to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation so that they may be released in appropriate natural settings.
Alongkorn Mahanop, an adviser to the Zoological Park Organization, says no official survey of the snake population has been conducted in Bangkok, so no definite statistics are available. However, he estimated that there are likely close to a thousand snakes in each district in the city, making encounters likely.
"The high population of snakes in Bangkok is due to its citizens not consuming snakes, meaning the reptiles have no direct predators in the city while having an abundance of prey such as dogs, cats and chickens," Dr Alongkorn said.
According to the veterinarian, 90% of snakes found in the capital are boas with the other 10% being pythons.
A large boa constrictor hangs from a tree in Din Daeng district of Bangkok on Thursday. (Photo: Pangrum Dindaeng Facebook page)
