Pheu Thai's Paetongtarn says party with most votes will lead next govt
Pheu Thai Party's prime ministerial candidates Paetongtarn Shinawatra (left) and Srettha Thavisin monitor vote counting at Pheu Thai's head office in Bangkok on Sunday. (Photo: Chanat Katanyu)
The daughter of Thailand's former premier Thaksin Shinawatra said the biggest vote-winner in Sunday's election will get to lead the next government, after her Pheu Thai Party took a big lead alongside the progressive opposition Move Forward Party.
Speaking after 50% of eligible votes had been counted, Paetongtarn "Ung Ing" Shinawatra, a prime ministerial candidate for Pheu Thai, also said she was happy for Move Forward.
"The voice of the people is most important," she told reporters.
Ms Paetongtarn urged supporters to be patient, expressing "very high confidence in our victory."
Srettha Thavisin, another nominee for premier, said Pheu Thai "will prioritise talks with pro-democratic parties." His group has yet to speak with Move Forward, Mr Srettha said.
Pro-democracy parties widened their lead in Sunday's general election, withthe preliminary count showing them on course to wrest power from a military-backed government that has ruled for almost a decade.
THAI, Bangkok Airways earnings surge as tourists flock back
In this file photo taken on April 8, 2016 a Thai Airways Boeing 747 plane prepares to land at Changi International Airport in Singapore. (AFP)
Thai Airways International Plc and Bangkok Airways Plc reported a surge in first-quarter earnings as tourists flocked back to the nation.
Thai Air posted net income of 12.51 billion baht in the three months through March, rebounding from a net loss of 3.25 billion baht a year earlier. Bangkok Airways' net income was 875 million baht versus a net loss of 1.02 billion baht in the same quarter last year.
With visitors returning to Thailand's beaches and temples, the Finance Ministry expects international arrivals to reach almost 30 million in 2023, up from last year's tally of 11.2 million.
Thai Air's first-quarter total operating revenue more than tripled to 41.5 billion baht from 11.2 billion baht a year earlier, when borders were closed to control Covid-19. Bangkok Airways' total revenue jumped 238% to 5.74 billion baht.
Thai Air plans to exit court-supervised debt restructuring in late 2024. The airline filed for bankruptcy protection in 2020 before most creditors agreed to extend terms as part of a $5.3 billion rehabilitation plan.
The government expects the return of Chinese travellers to further spur the tourism boom. Monthly arrivals from China are on course to hit 1 million from October, a level not seen since the pandemic began, the Tourism Authority of Thailand said this week.
Thailand er hastigt på vej til normalisering af den vigtige turiststrøm fra udlandet. Sidste år var der 11,5 millioner udenlandske turister – i år håber man på 25 millioner. SAS genåbner på Bangkok.
Før pandemien havde Thailand omkring 40 millioner udenlandske turister og andre tilrejsende. Tallet er på vej op igen, sidste år blev det til 11,5 millioner udenlandske ankomster – en massiv vækst fra de blot 428.000 i 2021, hvor pandemien hærgede og også Thailand var delvist lukket som følge af rejserestriktioner.
Nyhedsbureauet Reuters skriver på baggrund af tal fra Thailands turistministerium, at landet sidste år havde 11,5 millioner ankomster af udlændinge, hvilket var over forventning.
Malaysia, Indien og Singapore var sidste år Thailands tre største incomingmarkeder, oplyser turistministeriet, der i år forventer at tallet af udenlandske turister når op på 25 millioner; herunder mindst fem millioner fra Kina, der normalt er Thailands største leverandør af turister.
Den thailandske regering har afsat over 800 millioner kroner, 120 millioner dollars, til at styrke Thailands budget til markedsføring for at tiltrække flere turister. Turismen giver Thailand cirka 12 procent af landets bruttonationalprodukt, skriver Reuters.
700.000 turister fra Norden I 2019 var Thailand det mest besøgte udenlandske rejsemål for kinesiske turister. Der var 11 millioner kinesiske ankomster til Thailand – cirka hver fjerde udenlandske turist. Herefter fulgte Japan, Vietnam, Sydkorea og Singapore.
Tilbage i 2019, året før coronakrisen, havde Thailand omkring 700.000 ankomster fra Norden og Baltikum. De skandinaviske turisters største rejsemål i Thailand er Phuket, Bangkok, Pattaya, Krabi og Hua Hin – Cha Am, har Tourism Authority of Thailand, TAT, tidligere oplyst til Standby.dk fra TAT's nordiske kontor i Stockholm.
Mens Thai Airways flyver dagligt mellem København og Bangkok, genåbner SAS til oktober ruten fra København til den thailandske hovedstad med tre ugentlige fly.
Tal fra TAT viser også, at 80 procent flyver fra Norden til Thailand med rutefly fra navnlig Thai Airways, Finnair, Qatar Airways, Emirates og Singapore Airlines – resten kommer med charterfly fra Norden, oplyser TAT, der fra sit nordiske kontor i Stockholm også assisterer rejsebureauer i Norden og Baltikum. De nordiske og baltiske turister er i snit 18 dage i Thailand, viser de officielle tal fra Tourism Authority of Thailand.
In Cambodia, 90 percent or so of expats use authorized travel-cum-visa agents and never set foot in an immigration police office.
Expectations that rich or talented foreigners would rush to take advantage of 10 year permissions of stay have failed to gain traction. Neither the Thai nor the Cambodian authorities have published meaningful data on completed applications and little has been heard of either scheme since the launchings last year.
In Thailand, the long term residence scheme is run by the Board of Investment with options for rich retirees, global travelers and executives. Most enquirers have found the bureaucracy most complex with the principal advantage being tax concessions via a digital work permit on income earned in Thailand. The Cambodian variant is actually run by the Khmer Home Charity Association and requires cash investment in an approved property complex. Neither scheme promises a second passport although the Cambodian visa holds out the maybe "five years down the line"
Mr Keo Song, a Phnom Penh travel agent and visa specialist who works closely with Cambodian immigration, said he had heard next to nothing about the golden visa. "It is straightforward for foreigners to obtain a variety of annual visas and extensions (retirement, work, study and family) for about US$300, so there isn't a market for the 10 year idea." He added that it was open to anyone to apply for Cambodian citizenship by investing around US$300,000, a process taking three months. Thailand, too, has no shortage of annually renewable visas. Indeed, a 10 year O/X option was introduced (without success) as early as 2017. But the main competitor is the Elite visa which grants a multiple entry stay of five years for 600,000 baht (less than US$20,000) with various other options for up to 20 years. Although the Elite visa does not offer income tax concessions and does not carry a digital work permit, it has been far and away the best long-term seller in recent years.
Golden Investments, which specializes in residency and citizenship by investment, said "The most successful schemes, for example in some Caribbean countries, offer clear advantages – notably a second passport – in return for a cash sum." But neither the Thai nor the Cambodian 10-year visas attract specific markets and both are blurry round the edges." The spokesman suggested that Thailand should expand the right to a digital work permit for self-employment without having Thai partners, whilst Cambodia should clarify its half-promise of a second passport and increase the options for investment.
THE REVENUE Department today (May 7) denied it is going to start collecting 1,000 baht air departure tax from Thais and foreign residents with the current online public hearings on this issue only being held to comply with a key law, Matichon newspaper said.
Mr. Winit Visetsuvarnabhumi, the department's deputy director-general, said public hearings on a departure tax of 1,000 baht for air travel and 500 baht by land and sea taking place during May 3-17, 2023 had to be held to evaluate the effectiveness of an emergency decree on the departure levy, based on a law passed in 1983.
This is necessary to comply with the 2017 Constitution and the Act on Legislative Drafting and Evaluation of Law B.E.2562 (2019) as well as a Cabinet resolution passed on January 19, 2021.
Although aforementioned law has not been enforced since July 1, 1991 (in keeping with the Ministerial Regulation on Outbound Travel Tax Exemption), the Act on Legislative Drafting and Evaluation of Law B.E.2562 (2019) requires that the Revenue Department assess the effectiveness of the law by listening to the opinions of those who are eligible to submit their views under Section 35 of this law, Winit said.
The department also has to hold public hearings on the effectiveness of two more laws, namely the Petroleum Income Tax Act and the Inheritance Tax Act, by next year.
CAPTION:
Top: An airplane flying away from Phuket after taking off from the island's airport. Photo: Phuket@photographer.net (CC BY 2.0)
Dangerous heat levels expected in five areas on Sunday
A construction worker endures scorching heat on the Bang Yai-Kanchanaburi motorway construction project in Nonthaburi province last month. (Photo: Apichart Jinakul)
The Meteorological Department expected heat indices to reach dangerous levels in five areas of the country on Sunday.
The highest "real feel" apparent regional temperatures expected on Sunday were:
• 51.2°C in Phetchabun in the North; • 46°C in Kosum Phisai district, Maha Sarakham province, in the Northeast; • 52.7°C in Bangkok's Bang Na area in the Central area; • 53°C in Sattahip district, Chon Buri province, in the East; and • 51.1°C in Phuket, in the South.
The heat index, also known as the apparent temperature, is what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature.
Sunday's soaring temperatures caused 14 people, including voters and officials manning polling stations, to faint at Ramkhamhaeng University in Hua Mak area of Bang Kapi district, a polling station for advance voting in Bangkok.
Pairat Kasetsin, the Bang Kapi district chief, said many voters reportedly felt unwell and fainted when they turned up at their polling stations for advance voting around noon or in the afternoon because of the heat. They were provided with first-aid treatment in an area nearby.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration sent water trucks to the venue. Water was sprayed into the air to reduce the heat. More electric fans were installed around the area.
Elsewhere, three people were also reported to have lost consciousness because of the heat at Chan Kasem Rajabhat University, another polling station for advance voting in Bangkok.
Travellers crowd the departures hall at Suvarnabhumi airport during the Songkran festival in 2023. The proposed departure tax aims to generate revenue for the government.
Thai outbound travellers and foreign permanent residents in Thailand have been asked for their opinion on a government departure tax of 1,000 baht in an attempt to prevent locals from spending excessively abroad, with the Revenue Department announcing online public hearings this week.
The department posted the public hearing questionnaire on its website (www.rd.go.th/64115.html), saying it wants to listen to public opinion about an emergency decree on a departure levy, based on a law passed in 1983, in order to assess its impact.
The hearings have been scheduled for May 3-17.
According to the questionnaire, Thai citizens and foreign permanent residents would be required to pay a departure tax of 1,000 baht for air travel and 500 baht for land and sea travel.
The information attached to the poll said the tax aimed to generate revenue for the government and prevent Thais from excessive overseas spending, with a focus on reducing the trade deficit.
Charoen Wangananont, president of the Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA), said the questionnaire came as a surprise when it was posted earlier this week, even though the public hearing process meant it was supposed to be shared as widely as possible to assess the impact on local residents and tour operators.
"The principle and the levy rate make no sense at all, as Thailand has never had a problem related to a trade deficit in tourism, with inbound income making up 70% of the total, compared with 30% outbound expenditure. In addition, 1,000 baht is too expensive amid current economic conditions," said Mr Charoen.
He said the levy collection should not happen and is unrealistic. If the government wanted to propose such a tax, it should carefully assess the consequences because it could have a major effect on tourism, exceeding whatever revenue the state estimates it could earn, said Mr Charoen.
"We thought this was fake news the first time we saw the poll because it is not the right time to do such a move. If the government really thinks it needs to collect a departure tax, it should have done so before the pandemic, when the tourism industry was on an upward trend. The levy rate should also be more appropriate," he said.
Chotechuang Soorangura, vice-president of TTAA, said a development plan should be included with any departure tax so the people who pay it are aware of how the government will spend the revenue.
He said while some countries apply a departure tax, such as Japan, the price is only ¥1,000 per person, or around 250 baht.
"In addition to being a very expensive tax rate, there is a lack of transparency as the government could not clarify how it will use that money, which would help prevent corruption. Another concern is the 300-baht tourist tax expected to be charged to foreigners in the near future," said Mr Chotechuang.
He said if this levy is implemented, the tourism industry would be affected as a number of outbound tourists would refrain from travel, resulting in imbalanced flows of people, causing difficulties for airlines planning flights to Thailand.
Tidligere SAS-chef i Bangkok jubler over rutenyhed
Niels Henrik Hansen var chef for SAS i Sydøstasien og var manden, der lukkede og slukkede i Bangkok i foråret 2014. "Jeg er helt sikker på, at der stadigvæk er et marked for SAS," vurderer han.
SAS har en meget lang historie som operatør mellem Skandinavien og Bangkok. Første flyvning fandt sted den 26. oktober 1949, og der blevet fløjet uafbrudt frem til den 8. april 2013, hvorefter ruten blev reduceret til sæsonrute fra vinteren 2013/14 for helt at...
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Datum: 2 maj 2023 16:01:14 GMT+7 Till:ola.jnsvd@gmail.com Ämne:SAS ÖPPNAR NY LINJE TILL BANGKOK Svara till:no-reply@cision.com
SAS ÖPPNAR NY LINJE TILL BANGKOK
SAS fortsätter att stärka sitt kunderbjudande och för attmöta en ökande efterfrågan på fritidsresor kommer SAS att öppna en ny linje till Bangkok, Thailand. Den nya linjen ger resenärer möjlighet att flyga direkt till Bangkok tre gånger i veckan med bekväma nattflygningar i båda riktningarna, med en Airbus A350.
Den första avgången planeras från Köpenhamnden 30 oktober 2023.
– Thailand och de skandinaviska länderna har en lång, vänskaplig historia av samarbete och det är väldigt glädjande att efter nio år återigen kunna erbjuda en direktlinje dit. Linjen till Bangkok blir en perfekt utgångspunkt för fortsatta resor inom Thailand och är en bra möjlighet för både affärs- och fritidsresenärer. Bangkok är en livlig mötesplats för internationella företag och landet toppar många listor som världens mest populära turistmål med sina vackra stränder, frodiga djungler och det extraordinära thailändska köket. Oavsett anledning att resa dit, är vi glada att återigen kunna erbjuda en direktförbindelse mellan Skandinavien och Leendets land, säger Anko van der Werff, VD och koncernchef för SAS.
Många väljer att njuta av landets skönhet och av de många möjligheterna till utomhusaktiviteter som vandring, bad och solbad, men Thailand är också känt för sin rika kultur och historia. Både i Bangkok och i andra delar av landet finns det många tempel, palats och andra historiska minnesmärken.
Utöver den nya linjen till Bangkok, innefattar vinterprogrammet också att SAS fortsätter att flyga tre gånger i veckan till Tokyo Haneda (HND) och Shanghai (PVG).
Tidtabell
Tidtabell: Måndagar, onsdagar och fredagar
Flight nr
Avgång
STD
Ankomst
STA
SK973
CPH
23:30
BKK
17:05(+1)
Tidtabell: Tisdagar, torsdagar och lördagar
Flight nr
Avgång
STD
Ankomst
STA
SK974
BKK
23:45
CPH
06:35(+1)
Linjen Köpenhamn-Bangkok trafikeras under vintersäsongen. Observera att den nya linjen förutsätter statligt godkännande.
SAS kommer att trafikera Bangkok-linjen med en Airbus A350 som erbjuder passagerarna en unik reseupplevelse. Flygplanet har en mycket lägre bränsleförbrukning och upp till 30 procent lägre koldioxidutsläpp än planet det ersätter. Airbus A350 har 300 platser och erbjuder tre reseklasser – SAS Business, SAS Plus och SAS Go.
För ytterligare information, vänligen kontakta: SAS pressjour, tel +46 8 797 29 44
SAS, Skandinaviens ledande flygbolag, med knutpunkter i Köpenhamn, Oslo och Stockholm, flyger till resmål i Europa, USA och Asien. Inspirerade av vårt skandinaviska arv och hållbarhet, är SAS en drivande kraft inom hållbart flyg och i omställningen till flyg med nettonollutsläpp. Vi ska minska de totala koldioxidutsläppen med 25 procent till år 2025, genom att använda mer hållbart flygbränsle och vår moderna flotta med bränsleeffektiva flygplan. Förutom flygverksamheten, erbjuder SAS marktjänster, tekniskt underhåll och frakttjänster. SAS är en av grundarna av Star Alliance™ och tillsammans med partnerbolagen erbjuds ett stort antal destinationer runt om i världen.
För att avsluta prenumerationen av SAS News och SAS Comments, var vänlig klicka på länken nedan (om du inte kan klicka på länken, kopiera länken och klistra in den i webbläsaren) : Avsluta din prenumeration
BANGKOK (NNT) - Thailand's unemployment rate dropped to a four-year low of below 1% in February, owing to government efforts to maintain job security and income generation for the public during the pandemic.
According to Deputy Government Spokesperson Traisuree Taisaranakul, only 360,000 people were without a job in February. The National Statistical Office of Thailand reported that the figure covers 58.81 million Thai citizens aged 15 and above, but excludes housewives, people with disabilities and students, among others.
The deputy spokesperson attributed the low unemployment rate to policies implemented by the administration of Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha.
The policies aimed to help the general public stay employed and generate income through various measures. Maintaining employment rates, particularly during the pandemic, is widely considered a positive development as it indicates that the nation's economy has remained relatively stable despite the challenges posed by the pandemic.
THREE HOURS of heavy rain this morning (Apr. 30) led to many areas of Chonburi's Si Racha district being damaged with cars seen floating away in floodwaters, Thai Rath newspaper said.
At around noon reporters in this district said the torrential rain had also toppled trees with some falling heavily on cars damaging them.
Rescuers of Sawang Prateep Sriracha Foundation were alerted of a man trapped in his car that had plunged into a canal in Surasak subdistrict and went there in a boat to help him.
The trapped man, later identified as Mr. Sarawut Phromsutra, 36, said he had followed GPS directions into this alley amid heavy rain. However he lost control of the vehicle with the floodwaters sweeping his vehicle into the canal.
He added that he tried but failed to get out of his car but luckily was not injured.
A team from Si Racha Municipality's Disaster Prevention Office then came with a chainsaw and cut the tree thus freeing him.
Meanwhile the Thai Meteorological Department issued a warning for people in the upper part of the country to beware of severe weather conditions brought on by summer storms from today to tomorrow (Apr. 30-May 1).
They were advised to stay away from open areas, big trees, flimsy billboards, not wear metal ornaments and avoid using a mobile phone during thunderstorms. Farmers should take steps to prevent crop and livestock damage.
These storms, which could be accompanied with gusty winds, hail and lightning, are being triggered by a high-pressure system covering upper Thailand and the South China Sea while stronger southeasterly winds are bringing humidity from the Gulf of Thailand.
Meanwhile easterly winds blowing through the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea will trigger thunderstorms to the South with waves being a metre high but during a storm higher than that. All ships should proceed with caution.
Bangkok and outlying provinces will also likely be hit by thunderstorms and isolated hail falls. Minimum temperature will be 26-28 °C. while maximum temperature 32-33 °C. Southeasterly winds are at 10-20 km/hr.
Mr. Praiphon Koomsub, former Dean of the Faculty of Economics at Thammasat University, explained an increase in the Thai power bills recently.
He said the increase actually started at the end of 2022, but people did not acknowledge it until March to April when the weather became significantly hotter, leading to an increase in electricity consumption and thereby a surge in power bills.
Moreover, at the beginning of this year, the government adjusted the fuel tariff rate, which further increased the price.
The war between Russia and Ukraine also plays a part, as it causes fuel prices, especially crude oil and natural gas, to skyrocket. Thailand relies on natural gas for 60% of its electricity production, even though it can produce some gas from the Gulf of Thailand. However, the country still needs to import a significant amount of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which has increased by 20% currently due to the war.
There is also an issue with the cost of paying for excess reserve electricity.
Praiphon also said even though excess reserve power is not sold into the system, electricity consumers still have to bear the burden of paying for it to private power companies. This is another factor that contributes to the high cost of electricity, although not as much as the first causes mentioned, he said.
The surplus of backup electricity production is due to a planning error, according to Praiphon. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, electricity usage was predicted to increase in line with Thailand's economic growth, so the government had decided to invest in more power plants through public-private partnerships (PPPs).
When private sector investors built more power plants according to the original plan, the COVID-19 pandemic occurred and the economy contracted for one year and barely grew for another year. As a result, actual electricity usage was lower than predicted before the pandemic. Therefore, the investment in power plants flopped, resulting in excess backup electricity production.
"It was a mistake that couldn't be avoided because the COVID-19 pandemic was unforeseeable," said Praiphon.
As for solutions, the government should find more money to subsidize electricity costs similar to when it launched a policy to control diesel prices. However, Praiphon said he did not want to see the authorities spend too much money on this issue, as the government budget is already in deficit.
Another way out is to adjust the way electricity prices are calculated, change the backup electricity production plan, and alter the fuel used in electricity production.
In the long term, the government should increase competition in the power industry and create an independent agency to oversee the country's electricity generation and purchases, said Praiphon.
In the short run, however, due to Thai elections any changes are unlikely to happen until a new government is elected and settled in, which could take a few months.
Lufthansa will fly the AirbusA380to Bangkok and Los Angeles.
This winter, Bangkok and Los Angeles are in, while JFK and Boston are out.
This winter, Lufthansa will operate flights on the Airbus A380 from Munich to Bangkok and Los Angeles. They can now be reserved. On June 1st, the carrier will resume utilizing the double-decker when it departs from Munich for Boston. On July 4th, it will depart for New York JFK. However, neither Boston nor JFK are prepared to see the type over the winter as on April 27th and susceptible to change.
to Los Angeles on a Lufthansa A380
From October 5 forward, Lufthansa will operate flights between Los Angeles and Munich, its second-largest hub. From March 2018 until October 2019, it last employed the double-decker on the 9,638-kilometer (5,989-mile) route. Funny enough, it was never used in the winter; always in the summer.more seats per flight by 74%
It will replace the non-first-class A350-900, which runs only during the summer, and operate daily. Of fact, Los Angeles is quite warm in the winter. By using the A380, each flight will have 509 seats instead of 293, a significant 216-seat increase (+74%). The A380s used by the carrier are set up as follows:
Eight first-class seats (arranged 1-2-1)
(2-2-2) 78 business class seats
(2-4-2) 52 premium economy seats
371 seats in the economy class (3-4-3)
For flights from Los Angeles to Munich, click here.
Eight first class seats are now available (new), along with 78 additional business, 52 additional premium economy, and 371 additional standard economy seats (all of which are up). Particularly noteworthy is the route's return of first class.
Bangkok via Lufthansa A380
Lufthansa will begin using the A380 on its flights between Munich and Bangkok on October 28, the final day of the northern aviation summer season (March 26–October 28). The inaugural flight from Thailand will therefore depart on the opening day of the winter season, which is the busiest travel season in Thailand. For flights from Munich to Bangkok, click here.
The A380 replaces the A350-900, much like Los Angeles. Although it did so from Frankfurt between 2017 and 2020, the German behemoth has never operated the A380between Munich and Bangkok.
Intriguingly, Lufthansa has never offered first class on flights from Munich to Bangkok, at least not in the previous 20 years.
A380's fourth flight to Bangkok
After ceasing service between Munich and Bangkok in 2006, Lufthansa resumed it in 2019. The following is the schedule for this winter, all timings are local:
LH773, 23:40-05:50+1 from Bangkok to Munich (12h 10m)
In addition to Asiana, Emirates, and Qatar Airways, Lufthansa will employ the double-decker to go to Bangkok starting on April 27. They will each have up to nine departures each day.
The latest Thailand Tourism Fee circular appears to contain ambiguities.
The latest notice from the Thai tourism ministry lists the exceptions to the rule that all foreigners must pay on arrival 300 baht at airports and 150 baht by land or sea. The fortunate ones are diplomats, infants under 2 years, those with work permits, single day and transit passengers and that famous expression: foreign residents in Thailand.
The latter phrase is optimistically being interpreted by some expats to include themselves as they see themselves as "residents" by virtue of their annual, renewable extensions of stay based on retirement or marriage or because they are learning Thai. But the contextual meaning of "resident" here is "permanent resident" or that category of foreigner who holds a red police residency book and has no visa expiry date in his or her passport. Needless to say, it is a much sought-after status with a complex application procedure which can take years.
The scheme has been delayed until September because of the publicized reluctance of airlines to include the tax in most airfares whilst skillfully excluding the 300 baht from the tickets of Thai nationals and the foreign exempt groups. It is not yet clear whether this dilemma will be resolved by taxing everybody and instituting a post-arrival refund policy, or by training travel agents what documentation to look for when deciding whether to include the tax. Of course, establishing a payment system on arrival at Thai airports would risk macro crowd control issues. Taxable foreigners arriving at land border crossings have their own issues such as needing change, paying in foreign currencies or offering online payments. How to avoid long queues of discontented travellers has not yet been resolved, according to the Tourist Authority of Thailand. The proposed solutions have included advance payment online, cash booths at immigration checkpoints and, latterly, the establishment of a private company to sort everything out.
The Thailand Tourism Fee (TTF), according to the latest publicity circular, is to develop and keep up tourist destinations – presumably renovations and improvements – and "to provide medical insurance for tourists". Without clarification, this seems to suggest that tourists – whoever they are – are automatically covered for medical emergencies and do not need their own insurance cover. But previous announcements suggested that government cover would be restricted to discretionary help in mass accidents such as cremation costs and compensation to family members. A spokesman at the tourist ministry said further information on TTF might be delayed until after the general election in mid May. Can't come soon enough.
Unless you want to land yourself a prison sentence and a hefty fine, there are three words you should avoid saying in Thai airports and during flights, warns Airports of Thailand (AOT).
AOT took to Facebookyesterday to remind passengers of their policy of what is unacceptable to say and do in an airport following the controversy caused by a Thai model on social media yesterday, who filmed herself intentionally repeating the word "bomb" (raberd) at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok.
Nisamanee "Nut" Lertvorapong drew criticism online for sneakily fitting the word "bomb" into her sentences around the airport – e.g., "I want to eat noodles with fish ball bombs," "your dress is the bomb."
Some netizens said the model was only making a joke which shouldn't be taken so seriously. Others said that such stunts can cause the flight to be delayed if heard by staff, who have to offload all luggage to be checked via machine and conduct extra security checks.
According to AOT, three words are categorically forbidden to say in the airport or during a flight – 1) "bomb/explode" (raberd), 2) "terrorist attack" (kankorkanrai), and 3) "hijack" (jee khruangbin or plon khruangbin).
AOT warned that making false claims at the airport or aircraft which is likely to cause panic is a crime punishable by no more than five years and/or a fine of no more than 200,000 baht.
If a false claim or action causes danger to the aircraft during a flight then the offender is liable to be punished with a prison sentence between five and 15 years and/or a fine between 200,000 – 600,000 baht.
AOT's policy also forbids passengers to cause panic by making statements such as, "the aeroplane is going to crash," writing the word "bomb" on an aircraft window, or throwing your bag at passengers/staff and running away.
There are no reports to suggest that Nisamanee was arrested or summoned regarding her stunts at Suvarnabhumi yesterday.
