Super Poll: Most Thais welcome acting PM Prawit as the next PM | Thaiger

Super Poll: Most Thais welcome acting PM Prawit as the next PM

By 

Petch Petpailin

Monday, September 5, 2022 12:16

A Super Poll research centre survey has revealed that the majority of Thai people trust the judicial administration of Thailand and are willing to give a chance to caretaker Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan to serve as the kingdom's next PM.

Super Poll research centre director Noppadon Kannika yesterday announced the result of the survey titled Trust the Court, the Peaceful Country, which polled 1,156 participants between August 31 and September 3.

The research result was divided into three parts: people's opinions toward Thai politics after the Constitutional Court agreed to consider Prayut Chan-o-cha's PM term limits, people's opinions toward Thai laws, courts, and judicial administration, and opinions on giving the acting prime minister a chance to become the PM on a full time basis.

In the first section, 90.9% of respondents don't want to see any more big protests because they affect the image of the country, investment, tourism, economy, society, and the upcoming APEC meeting.

Some 89.7% said they are bored with Thai politics because of the jostle for benefits, 88.4% want politicians to stop interfering with Thai judicial administration, 87.9% are worried about the cost of living that is affected by political conflict, and 87.3% don't want a coup, saying it's a vicious circle and ruins the country's image on the international stage.

In the second section, regarding opinions toward Thai laws, courts, and judicial administration, 89% said they trusted the Thai judicial administration.

In the last section, about the acting prime minister becoming the next PM, 62.8% agree that caretaker PM Prawit should be the next PM. Those polled believe Prawit can create political and economic stability in Thailand.

Only 14.7% of the respondents don't want Prawit as PM while 22.5% don't have any opinions on the topic.

Last year, the Super Poll research centre was questioned about the transparency and accuracy of its results after a survey concluded that Prawit Wongsuwan was the man of the year.

In that poll, people were positive toward government politicians and negative against opposition parties.

SOURCE: Khaosod | Thairath



Charter Court to hold special meeting Thursday to consider Prayut's 8-year term | Thai PBS World

Charter Court to hold special meeting Thursday to consider Prayut's 8-year term

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Thailand's Constitutional Court has scheduled a special meeting of the judges this Thursday, to discuss suspended Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's eight-year term in the office.

A well-informed source close to the court said that president of the court, Worawit Kangsasitiam, had notified all the judges of the meeting, called to consider the written explanations about the case received from Prayut, former chairman of the constitution drafting committee Meechai Ruchupan and Pakorn Nilprapunt, secretary of the committee.

The source said that the judges will assess whether the written statements are sufficient to enable the charter court rule on Prayut's term in office or whether more evidence or witness accounts would be required.

Suspended Prime Minister Prayut, currently defence minister, submitted his 30-page explanation, prepared by a legal team atthe Prime Minister's Office, to the charter court last Thursday.

In the statement, Prayut contends that his eight years in office should not be counted from August 24th, 2014, when he assumed the premiership after the coup in May of that yearwhich toppled the then caretaker government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

On August 24th this year, the Constitutional Court suspended Prime Minister Prayut from active duty, after it had accepted a petition from the opposition Pheu Thai Party positing that his 8-year term in office was due to expire on August 24th, 2022.



Thailand heading for a bustling high season - Thai Newsroom

Thailand Heading For A Bustling High Season

September 3, 2022  TNR Staff

THE TOURISM Authority of Thailand (TAT) expects a busy high season this year with both Thais and foreigners travelling extensively after Covid control measures were relaxed from April onwards with the country fully opened to tourism in July, INN News said this evening (Sept. 3).

Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT's governor, said a large number of foreign tourists had started coming to Thailand with the weaker baht to US dollar exchange rate spurring tourism. The Bank of Thailand set this rate at 36.804 baht to the dollar yesterday.

TAT is also mounting promotional activities together with the private sector to ensure that foreigners holidaying in Thailand during the high season stay longer.

TAT projects a big improvement in the second half of this year with around 7.5 million foreign tourists expected to come to Thailand. If arrivals in the first half are added this year's total would be 9.62 million.

Even so, TAT is confident it will be able to push 2022's total to 10 million.

As tourism recovers all related businesses would benefit from increased sales particularly shops, restaurants and shopping centres.

Among them is Chatuchak weekend market which is usually teeming with foreign tourists who usually make up 80% of the shoppers. When this market comes back to life it is a clear sign of tourism having revived.

The price of jet fuel — which typically accounts for around a quarter of an airline’s total operating costs — is on a tear. The jump this year is more than double the gains in crude oil, reflecting both pent-up demand for air travel as well as dislocations in energy markets due to the war in Ukraine and the Covid-19 pandemic. Bangkok Post

High-season airfares soar on pricey fuel

A Singapore Airlines plane is refuelled on the tarmac at Changi Airport in Singapore in July this year. (ExxonMobil Asia Pacific/Handout Photo via Reuters)

Travellers alarmed at sky-high airfares for the year-end holidays can add soaring fuel prices, spurred in part by Russia's weaponisation of its energy resources, to the list of factors to blame.

The price of jet fuel — which typically accounts for around a quarter of an airline's total operating costs — is on a tear. The jump this year is more than double the gains in crude oil, reflecting both pent-up demand for air travel as well as dislocations in energy markets due to the war in Ukraine and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Russia's strategy of curbing supplies of natural gas to Europe has sparked a full-blown power crisis and spurred a rush for alternatives such as diesel that can be used for heating, industry and electricity generation. That is creating a shortage of jet fuel — which is made from the same type of oil as diesel — just as demand soars.

Airlines have been struggling to cope with what has been described as "revenge travel" after a prolonged period of lockdowns and closed borders. A shortage of staff has led to flight cancellations, huge check-in lines and eye-wateringly high ticket prices. Global seat capacity — the number of seats offered by airlines — is currently 14% below 2019 levels, according to OAG, an aviation analytics firm. 

"Airfares to Europe and the Americas from Asia have at least doubled from pre-pandemic levels on the back of limited capacity, as well as the jump in jet fuel prices," said Mayur Patel, head of Asia at OAG.

Prices aren't likely to get back to 2019 levels until at least early 2023, as it will take a while for "the frenzied travel demand that has built up in recent years" to taper off, he said.

The surge in aviation fuel is most pronounced in Europe, where the energy crisis is most acute. Prices there are up about 56% this year, with Asia and the US not far behind. By comparison, global oil benchmark Brent crude has risen around 21%.

Fitch Solutions raised its forecast for global jet fuel prices last month, and now expects them to average $141 a barrel this year. That compares with Brent crude, which is currently trading near $94 a barrel. Strong demand for diesel will continue to depress output of aviation fuel, Fitch said in a recent report. 

Refineries process crude into petroleum products through a distillation process. Fuels such as diesel, kerosene and jet fuel — known as middle-distillates — are derived from the same portion of the distilled oil. So when demand for one of those products is particularly high, output of the others can suffer.

Firmer year-end travel demand and increased consumption of kerosene for heating will boost jet fuel prices further, said Daphne Ho, a senior analyst at the energy industry consultancy Wood Mackenzie. Aviation fuel will continue to trade at a premium to diesel in the fourth quarter, she said. 

Stockpiles of diesel are already critically low at a time they typically build up ahead of peak demand during the Northern Hemisphere winter. That will in turn cause even more scarcity for jet fuel, which means only one thing for airfares.

"We expect surging demand for holiday travel and higher fuel prices to drive airfares up in November and December," said Hayley Berg, lead economist at the US travel booking app Hopper. Ticket prices could be around 20% higher than 2019 levels, she said.

Traffic fines see a hefty price spike on Monday. The following penalty increases for traffic violations are outlined below | Thaiger

Traffic fines see a hefty price spike on Monday

By 

Neill Fronde 

Saturday, September 3, 2022 14:55

Bad and disobedient drivers better get it out of their systems quickly over the weekend! On Monday, increased fines for traffic offences – some rather steep – will go into effect in Thailand after the Land Traffic Act is updated. Yesterday, the Director of the Traffic Management Center and Deputy National Police Chief laid out a list of hefty new fines for driving violations. The days of a quick 200 baht on the side of the road for driving without a helmet may be gone.

The new amendments to the traffic laws include fines increasing up to four-fold for infractions such as eschewing helmets and seatbelts, speeding and blowing through crosswalks and red lights, drag racing on the street, souping up motorbikes, reckless driving, and drink driving, with penalties for driving under the influence repeatedly increasing to up to six-figure fines and multiple years in jail.

The following penalty increases for traffic violations are outlined below:

TRAFFIC VIOLATION	PREVIOUS PENALTY	NEW PENALTY
Reckless driving without regard for others' lives	2,000 to 10,000 baht fine; up to three months in jail	5,000 to 20,000 baht fine; up to one year in jail
Drink driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.05 or more	5,000 to 20,000 baht fine; up to one year in jail	5,000 to 20,000 baht fine; up to one year in jail
Drink driving (second offence within two years)	5,000 to 20,000 baht fine; up to one year in jail	50,000 to 100,000 baht fine; up to two years in jail
Speeding above the legal limit	1,000 baht fine	4,000 baht fine
Running a red light	1,000 baht fine	4,000 baht fine
Failing to stop for pedestriansat a crosswalk	1,000 baht fine	4,000 baht fine
Driving a motorbike without a helmet	500 baht fine	2,000 baht fine
Driving a car without wearing a seatbelt	500 baht fine	2,000 baht fine
Driving backwards (unclear if that means the wrong way on a road)	500 baht fine	2,000 baht fine

SOURCE: The Phuket News



Creditors accept THAI’s revised rehab plan. Most of Thai Airways International (THAI)’s creditors have accepted the revised rehabilitation plan, which the airline says will be a key step towards its recovery. The Nation

The national carrier reported to the Stock Exchange of Thailand on Thursday that creditors who hold 78.59 per cent of the total debt had accepted its plan in a meeting conducted online by the Official Receiver. The plan had been submitted to them on July 1.

The result will next be reviewed by the Central Bankruptcy Court in a hearing on September 14, THAI said.

Thanking the creditors for their confidence in the plan, THAI said this will help the airline lay its foundation for sustainable growth and profit-making abilities in the future.

Under the revised plan, THAI aims to borrow 12.5 billion baht over six years and another 12.5 billion baht in the shorter term, the airline's chief of finance Chai Iamsiri said.

Previously, THAI expected to face a cash deficit of 50 billion baht and planned to match that by borrowing 25 billion baht from state agencies and the remainder from private institutions.

Chai said the airline had discussed the revised plan with stockholders and the Finance Ministry supported it.

He added that there were two ways of finding funds, one was seeking additional funding via debt-to-equity deals with current creditors or getting funds from stockholders and new investors, while the second was to find new lenders.

He said that if the airline manages to get enough funding from existing sources, it will not need to seek new ones.

Thanks to the recovery of the aviation industry and high booking rates, THAI said it is confident this rehabilitation plan will be successful and achieved within the deadline.

Thailand to make jet fuel from the nation's used cooking oil | The people of Thailand will soon be able to sell their used cooking oil to companies who will convert it into jet fuel. Thaiger

Thailand to make jet fuel from the nation's used cooking oil

By 

leah

Thursday, September 1, 2022 17:23

A project to make aviation fuel from used cooking oil in Thailand is receiving a 10 billion baht investment, according to petroleum company Bangchak Corporation Plc (BCP). If all goes to plan, the product could be available to buy as soon as Q4, 2024.

Yesterday, officials from three companies – BCP, BBGI Plc and Thanachok Oil Light Co – signed the paperwork to make their dream of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) a reality. BCP will hold a 51% stake in the venture, Thanachok Oil Light will hold 29% and BBGI will hold 20%.

For the venture to be successful, it will need used cooking oil from the people of Thailand. The public will be invited to bring their used cooking oil to 2,000 locations nationwide, where they can either sell it to Bangchak or exchange it for more oil.

Used cooking oil will also be collected from Thailand's food industry, including from the numerous fast food restaurants in the kingdom. The food industry produces around 17 million litres of used cooking oil every month, enough to produce 1,000 litres of bio-jet fuel per day.

The project, the first of its kind in Thailand, will receive an initial investment between eight and ten billion baht, said Chief Executive Officer and President of BCP Chaiwat Kovavisarat.

Chaiwat said the BCP is working with companies in Italy to develop the technology to convert used cooking oil into jet fuel. Chaiwat said Bangchak already has a head start…

"For this project, BCP has the advantage of hydrogen, which is a substance obtained during the distillation process. Hydrogen can be used to purify used vegetable oil and turn it into "Biojet" fuel. It makes the project more economical because we aren't starting from scratch."

Chaiwat said the global demand for sustainable aviation fuel is increasing…

"If any airline does not use biojet oil, they will have to buy 'carbon credits', which cost 3,000 times more. The EU will accelerate the use of biojet fuel by increasing the carbon tax from 80-100 euros per tonne up to 200 euros per tonne. By 2030, the demand will have increased significantly."

In April, an Airbus A380 flew for three hours with one engine powered entirely by sustainable aviation fuel made from used cooking oil and other fats.

SOURCE: Prachachat



Map of the route and stations of the 3-airport line scheduled to open in 2029. 🚅 Don Mueang to Suvarnabhumi via Bang Sue Grand and Makkasan has a top speed of 160km/hour 🚅 Suvarnabhumi to U-Tapao will be a high speed train with top speed of 250km/hour 📷 National Geographic. TNR



Taxi fares in Thailand to increase for the first time in 8 years | Thaiger

Taxi fares in Thailand to increase for the first time in 8 years

By 

Petch Petpailin

Thursday, September 1, 2022 11:24

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.

SOURCE: Khaosod



Covid19 August 31st. PBS World

 

A global-warming expert warned on Wednesday that Bangkok could face massive flooding similar to what happened in 2011 mainly because of possible 1,200-millimetre rainfall or the so-called “100-year-level rains”. The Nation

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 - TAT Newsroom

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.

Changes in our traffic plan for winter 2022-2023 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 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.  
• If we have cancelled all the flights in your booking, you can apply for a refund online.  
• 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. 

 You can see your passenger rights here.

UPDATE: Tested positive using ATK outside of hospital: 😷 21-27 Aug: 173,234 (24,747/day) 😷 14-20 Aug: 204,250 (29,178/day) 😷 7-13 Aug: 218,042 (31,148/day) 😷 31 Jul-6 Aug: 235,753 (33,679/day) 😷 24-30 July: 201,554 (28,793/day) 😷 17-23 July: 204,615 (29,230/day). TNR



Jag kan ha fel men jag tror att detta är första gången sedan pandemin började som den ”officiella” siffran för nya smittade är under 1000 enligt PBS World.

 

Thailand 'tourist tax' to come into effect next year. Starting next year, foreigners entering Thailand by plane will have to pay an “entry fee” of 300 baht. | Thaiger

Thailand 'tourist tax' to come into effect next year

By 

leah

Tuesday, August 30, 2022 10:28

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.

SOURCE: CH3