Showing posts with label Business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Business. Show all posts

Monday 27 November 2023

Visa-free Travel policies boost global tourism and economy in #Thailand

 


Countries worldwide are recognising the importance of travel freedom in bolstering their economies and accelerating the recovery post-pandemic. As tourism and trade flourish without border restrictions, governments are implementing strategies to enhance their tourism competitiveness, such as visa-free travel policies and the digitalisation of pre-travel processes.

Prominent countries like China and India, with their vast populations, are primary targets for countries seeking to increase their visitor numbers. Last year, Kazakhstan introduced a visa-free scheme for Chinese, Indian and Iranian visitors, and China reciprocated for Kazakh visitors. Likewise, a mutual agreement was signed allowing Maldivian and Chinese tourists visa-free travel from this year. Additionally, Sri Lanka granted temporary visa-free travel to seven countries, including China and India.

Thailand’s government also offers a temporary visa exemption for visitors from China, India, Kazakhstan, and Taiwan, with a 30-day stay per entry. The visa-free travel policy resulted in a 26% increase in searches for Thailand among Indian and Taiwanese travellers, according to online travel agent Agoda. The country currently allows 61 countries and territories to visit without a visa.

Adith Chairattananon, honorary secretary-general of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, believes visa exemptions will contribute to tourism momentum into the next year. The exemptions, he says, will help dispel negative images about Thai tourism and convince potential tourists they are welcome.

Extending the period of stay can also spur tourism expenditure. For instance, Malaysia extended the stay period for Hong Kong nationals to 90 days, up from 30, while Vietnam revised its visa-free stays to 45 days from 15 for certain nations.

Source - The Thaiger

Friday 17 November 2023

Thailand's Immigration Launches Automated Passport Control


 Thailand’s Immigration Bureau responds to Prime Minister Setha Thavisin’s directive with the launch of an automated passport control system at Suvarnabhumi Airport. Learn how this initiative aims to enhance tourism convenience and expedite the departure process for outbound passengers.

Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi Airport is set to usher in a new era of convenience for travelers, with the Immigration Bureau unveiling plans for an automated passport control system. In response to Prime Minister Setha Thavisin‘s policy directive, this forward-looking initiative is poised to streamline departure processes, reduce congestion at departure gates, and enhance the overall experience for both inbound and outbound passengers.

On November 14th, Police Lieutenant General Chengron Rimphadee, head of Immigration Bureau 2, provided insights into the development progress of the Automated Channel at Suvarnabhumi Airport, as reported by Daily News. The strategic goal is to ensure smoother outbound passenger checks, optimizing the use of technology to expedite the departure process.

The primary objective of this endeavor is to significantly reduce waiting times at immigration counters while maintaining robust security measures. By automating outbound passenger checks, immigration staff will be able to reallocate their focus to inbound checks, further bolstering national security.

Under the guidance of Prime Minister Setha Thavisin, the Immigration Office has been entrusted with enhancing the existing system and introducing the Automated Channel at Suvarnabhumi Airport. This pivotal system upgrade is designed to benefit not only Thai passport holders but also foreign travelers, aligning with the government’s commitment to improving tourism convenience.

One of the notable highlights of this initiative is the accessibility of the Automated Channel to foreign nationals, marking a significant shift in convenience and efficiency. To meet the ambitious December 15th deadline, the Immigration Bureau is diligently working on system upgrades and procedural adjustments in preparation for the upcoming New Year festivities.

Lieutenant General Chengron Rimphadee emphasized that the expansion of the Automated Channel for foreign nationals will effectively double the airport’s capacity to handle outbound passengers. The anticipated capacity increase, from 5,000 to approximately 12,000 passengers per hour, is a testament to the transformative power of automation in the travel industry.

As part of the ongoing developments, the Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited (AOT) is set to procure new Automated Channel systems. These state-of-the-art systems will replace the aging 12-year-old machines at both Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang Airports. At Suvarnabhumi, the installation will feature 40 new machines for international departures, a significant upgrade from the current 16. Furthermore, Don Mueang Airport will also witness replacements for both inbound and outbound channels, promising modernity, accuracy, and efficiency.

Lieutenant General Chengron Rimphadee concluded by underscoring the importance of manual checks for international arrivals, ensuring robust national security measures. The planned installation of additional Automated Channel machines for departures will not only expedite the process but also allow for increased staffing at inbound passport control, catering to the surges in passenger traffic during peak travel periods.

The introduction of automated passport control at Suvarnabhumi Airport is a significant milestone in Thailand’s commitment to providing a seamless and secure travel experience. As the December 15th deadline approaches, travelers can look forward to quicker and more efficient departures, making Thailand an even more attractive destination for visitors from around the world. [Asean Now]

Friday 10 November 2023

Phuket tourism operators push for international convention centre


In a bid to elevate Phuket’s status as an exhibition hub, local tourism operators are urging for the rapid implementation of a long-stalled project for an international convention centre and a freeport city initiative. The urgency has arisen due to the impending enforcement of new environmental laws which may necessitate a redesign of the project.

The Health Ministry recently abandoned its plans for a traveller health centre on a 140-rai seaside plot in the Mai Khao subdistrict. This location was initially earmarked for Phuket’s first international convention and exhibition centre.

Thanet Tantipiriyakit, the president of the Phuket Tourist Association, disclosed that following objections to the traveller health centre, both public and private sectors prefer the land to be utilised for generating an economic impact for the entire province.

The tourism sector in Phuket has already tabled a proposal for the exhibition centre to the provincial Joint Public and Private Consultative Committee (JPPCC) and plans to present it to the Andaman JPPCC meeting in December.

Three alternatives are suggested in the proposal for the government’s consideration. These include a public-private partnership model enabling investment from a professional exhibition management company, delegating related authorities to oversee the project’s construction and management, or allowing the government to invest independently and granting operating rights to the private sector.

Imminent environmental laws, expected to restrict the construction of structures larger than 30,000 square metres in the area, could potentially influence the current exhibition hall’s conceptual design, which requires around 32,000 sq m of space. To adhere to the original plan, the project needs to be fast-tracked.

Freeport concept

Thanet lamented that despite Phuket being declared as one of Thailand’s 10 meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) cities, it remains the only province lacking an exhibition hall. He voiced support for the previous Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn’s suggestion to establish Phuket as a duty-free island to attract tourism expenditure.

Thanet proposed a slight modification to the idea, advocating for Phuket to become a free port province to bolster the island’s status as a marina hub. He reasoned that the concept of a duty-free town might not resonate with tourists as it did in the past. However, designating Phuket as a free port city could attract specific groups, especially the marina market, with four marinas already in existence and a fifth one slated to open soon, reported Bangkok Post.

The free port concept would encourage yacht manufacturers and owners to consider using the province as a hub. They can import vessels or machine parts to the province without the burden of taxes or complex customs procedures. This plan could be seamlessly integrated with the exhibition centre project, as Phuket could host large cruise and yacht trade shows.
The local industry stands to benefit from technology transfers from experts, and more job opportunities would be created if the province serves as a hub for yacht maintenance. Thanet asserted that the exhibition centre and free port policy could mutually enhance each other.

Event organisers and international vendors would choose Phuket if they could import products to showcase at trade shows without the hassle of taxes and complicated procedures.

Source: The Thaiger


 

Friday 27 October 2023

Five new Thai airlines to start flying next year



Thai nationals are launching five new airlines with a total investment of at least 3.85 billion baht, expecting to start commercial operations in 2024, eyeing a piece of Thailand’s growing aviation market which is estimated to reach 320 billion baht in value next year.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), the five new airlines that have been granted the Air Operating Licence (AOL) are: Really Cool Airlines, P80 Air, Pattaya Airways, Siam Seaplane and Landarch Airlines.

These airlines will have to wait for the CAAT to approve their Air Operator Certificate (AOC) before they can fly commercially in Thailand.

Patee Sarasin, chief executive officer of Really Cool Airlines, said that the airline expected to receive an AOC in January next year and start flying from the second quarter.

He said that in the first two years of operation, Really Cool Airlines would focus on Asian routes such as Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Shanghai with four Airbus A330-300 aircrafts.

With an initial crew of 130, the company will test the market with chartered flights during March to May next year, then switch to regular flights and later expand to European markets.

“We would not compete with Thai Airways International on their regular routes but would focus on flights to secondary cities, which would also help further promote Thailand’s tourism industry,” he said.

Patee added that Really Cool would also be the world first’s airline that delivers passenger luggage to their doors. “We are planning to invest some 1 billion baht in products and services under Rally Cool brands, such as Really Cool Taxi, Really Cool Medical, and Really Cool Cargo,” he said.

Meanwhile, P80 Air spokesman Sorakrit Wannala said that the company expected to get its AOC in the next 8-9 months and start commercial operation in the last quarter of next year.

In the first two years of operation, P80 Air would fly mostly to secondary cities in China using four Boeing B737-800 NG aircrafts, he said.

P80 Air is a subsidiary of Thoresen Thai Agencies Pcl, a maritime logistics arm of Mahagitsiri Group. The company reportedly has invested over 2 billion baht in the airline business, of which 500 million baht have been spent in establishing a new airline.

Thossaporn Usanee, president of Pattaya Group, said that Pattaya Airways planned to take to the skies in the fourth quarter of 2024, providing full-scale aviation transport on both domestic and Asean destinations.

Pattaya Airways will use an ATR72 aircraft for cargo delivery in the first three years before adding three more planes to serve the growing demand of cargo delivery from e-commerce operators, he added.

A news source reported that Siam Seaplane was looking to add amphibian planes of the Cessna Caravan 208 model to its fleet to serve high-end customers visiting seaside resorts and ports in Thailand. The airline’s first route will be the famous Ko Lipe in Satun province, where amphibian planes can shorten the commute time to the island to just 30-45 minutes.

Meanwhile, Landarch Airlines will operate short chartered flights between major cities in southern provinces, starting from April 2024, according to a source.

The airline’s centre would be in Hat Yai, Songkhla province, where it would procure five Cessna C208 B, 12-seaters aircraft within the first five years. Landarch Airlines will expand its fleet to 15 aircraft in following years, targeting destinations in other provinces as well.

Source - The Nation

Tuesday 28 February 2023

Thailand - BOI Seeks Private Businesses to Promote LTR Visa Program



The Board of Investment (BoI) is looking to enlist private firms to promote the Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa program aimed at wealthy pensioners and skilled foreign workers.


BoI Secretary-General Narit Therdsteerasukdi said these companies will work with government authorities to promote the initiative both locally and internationally to attract more prospective participants. He added that the move is part of efforts to draw more applications for the 10-year visas introduced in 2022.


The LTR visa program, which provides tax breaks and other financial incentives, is aimed at helping to attract one million applicants over the next five years. As of September 2022, about 2,800 foreigners have applied for visas. Pensioners accounted for 35% of applicants, followed by experienced professionals wishing to work remotely from Thailand and wealthy global individuals.


Collaborating with private firms to promote the program locally and globally also presents an opportunity for Thailand to increase its foreign investment and attract skilled professionals, along with high-net-worth individuals. The effectiveness of this campaign could represent a potential step towards strengthening the economy and making Thailand a more appealing destination for foreign investment.


Source - Thai News

Thursday 8 December 2022

Christmas present to Phuket motorists: Patong Hill road to reopen


 Good news for motorists in Phuket, Patong Hill road is expected to fully reopen to all traffic on Christmas Day.

The road between Kathu and Patong was closed after it was hit by a landslide during a deluge of heavy rain in October. The road is only partially open at the moment but the Mayor of Kathu, Chai-anan Sutthikul, reported today that repairs to the road were almost finished, said Bangkok Post.

“The road’s foundation has been filled and strengthened and repair work is almost done.

“When completed, the road’s width will be increased by 7 metres in that section, making it safer, stronger and more durable.”

The mayor revealed he expected the 21 million baht project to be finished before December 24 and within the 45-day timeframe set in the contract.

“If there is no rain, the work could even be finished on December 20.”

The Provincial Electricity Authority’s Phuket office announced it will install new power poles and CCTV to monitor the repaired section of the road.

A survey on November 7 revealed that about 70,000 round trips were made on the hill road each day, about 35,000 each way.

A landslide caused the Kathu-Patong Road to close on October 19 causing chaos to motorists and travellers trying to reach Phuket Airport. Road workers were able to clean up and stabilise the roadway to allow motorbikes to pass in both directions over Patong Hill a week later on October 26.

Then on November 4, small cars were permitted to travel over Patong Hill before the road was fully reopened to vans and pickup trucks with restrictions.

The mayor said the two alternative routes to Patong beach – Go-kart in Kathu district to Chao Phor Sue shrine in Patong, and Wat Bang Thong in Kathu to Chao Phor Sue shrine – were not far from Patong but the roads were rather steep and were best used in times of emergency.

Chai-anan added that he is still in talks with the provincial electricity office about installing lighting along the two routes.

Source - The Thaiiger

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Sunday 4 December 2022

Thai baht soars to six-month high against US dollar

The Thai baht opened at 34.78 against the US dollar today, strengthening from yesterday’s close of 35 to a six-month high.

The baht’s sudden rise is down to the Bank of Thailand’s (BOT) hiking the policy rate by a quarter point earlier this week.

The BOT remains committed to a gradual monetary tightening policy, raising the policy rate from 1% to 1.25% on Wednesday.

Economic growth this year is expected to be at 3.2%, lower than the prior projection of 3.3%, according to the central bank. The BOT also cut its 2023 growth forecast to 3.7% from 3.8%.

Thailand’s currency is facing pressure from the depreciating US dollar, gold sales, and foreign investors possibly buying more Thai bonds amid continuous drops in the US 10-Year bond yields.

Investors might want to sell the baht now as it edges near the support level of 34.75. Once it hits the support level, it could depreciate again.

Although, US labour data coming out this weak could impact the baht’s value. Low employment rates could help the baht but high levels of employment could weaken the baht, so it’s up to investors whether to hold out and see.

Krungthai market specialist Poon Panichpibool advised investors to use hedging tools in the highly-volatile currency market.

Economists have high hopes for the baht in the long run. Capital Market Research Specialist at Kasikorn Bank Kittika Boonsrang predicts…

“I expect the Thai baht to get a high that could be around 33.50 to 34.00 per US dollar by the end of next year.”

The forecast will only be achievable if Thailand pumps up exports and ramps up tourist arrivals, added Kittika.

Other regional currencies have also strengthened against the greenback amid hopes that China will ease up their Covid-19 restrictions.

Currencies have been highly sensitive to the Federal Reserve’s aggressive monetary tightening this year which was designed to fix high inflation rates in the US.


Source - The Thaiger

YOUR AFFILIATE / REFERRAL LINK HERE

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Sunday 27 November 2022

Russian invasion takes Thailand’s tourism forces by surprise

Russian invasion takes Thailand’s tourism forces by surprise
The Russians are coming! The recent mass Russian invasion of Thailand has taken the country’s tourism forces completely by surprise.

Unexpected numbers of tourists from the war-torn county have tourism operators scrambling to cope with an army of independent travellers, more than capable of looking after themselves, and left commentators scrambling to occupy the moral high ground.

Despite the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, the Russian tourism market has returned much quicker than expected, said Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) president Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn.

Tourism businesses and providers of guides and buses are remarkably poorly prepared for the influx, despite months or even years of doing very little.

ATTA more focused on assisting tour operators than actual tourists, is preoccupied with the dissemination of marketing information to a group that has their own ideas about what they want from their time in the kingdom.

Russia ranks only 13th this year in terms of Thailand’s source markets with 230,000 happy travellers besieging beaches, temples and the ever-popular red-light districts across the country. However, arrivals have increased significantly this month via Aeroflot flights from Novosibirsk and chartered flights. Pattaya and Phuket are the main destinations for chartered flights from Russia.

ATTA’s Adith Chairattananon said there are increasing inquiries from Russian agents when it comes to tour packages to Thailand, prodding idling cash-strapped tour operators back to life earlier than expected.

Bemoaning the independent thinking of Russian arrivals, Adith said…

“There are very few Thai operators who specialise in the Russian market — most of the players are native Russians.

“As those local specialists in the Russian market have yet to resume operations. Thai operators that are not fluent in this market are likely to face a few hiccups after being closed for a long time as they try to restart their businesses.”

Adith said it would take until the beginning of next year for his members to adjust to the new Russian flavour of visitors.

Sisdivachr claimed that numbers of visitors from India, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore have already fully returned, despite limited flight capacity and clear evidence to the contrary on the beaches and islands. Previously vital markets in northern Asia such as Taiwan and Japan remain flat, Sisdivachr said.

With no signs of China reopening during President Xi Jinping’s recent attendance at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Bangkok, Sisdivachr said it will take a while before overall performance improves.


Source - The Thaiger

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Friday 24 June 2022

Looking for staff and new Dancers


SOI COWBOY - Bangkok, Thailand - YouTube

We looking / searching for several Bars in Soi Cowboy and Nana Soi 7 good looking staff and

#Dancers.

 เรากำลังมองหา/ค้นหาบาร์หลายแห่งในซอยคาวบอยและนานาซอย7 สต๊าฟและแดนเซอร์หน้าตาดี

Contact by mail or prefer with your Line ID

Mobile only to use for Line ID = +66877348855 ask for Lamduan

Or Line ID peter.bangkok

 


Wednesday 30 March 2022

Tourism Council of #Thailand calls for PCR testing on arrival to be dropped asap

Tourism businesses in Thailand are struggling to survive and barriers to increasing the number of foreign visitors to the kingdom must be removed immediately. That’s the view of Chamnan Srisawat from the Tourism Council of Thailand, who says the Omicron variant, coupled with Russia’s war on Ukraine, has dealt a double blow to the sector.

“Tourism operators are still struggling to maintain business as the number of tourists has yet to fully rebound due to the current travel rules. This obstacle needs to be removed before more operators collapse.”

The Bangkok Post reports on the findings of a recent TCT poll that surveyed 200 overseas travellers in the period from February 20 to March 10. Of those questioned, 71% agreed the process around the PCR test on arrival is cumbersome.

Chamnan says if Thailand’s tourism industry is to survive, it needs to retain 40% of its 2019 level of business this year. That’s 1.2 trillion baht in revenue, from 16 million tourists and 75 million domestic trips. He adds that in order to achieve this, the onerous Thailand Pass registration process and PCR testing on arrival needs to go as soon as possible.

According to the Bangkok Post report, TCT’s tourism confidence index during the first quarter of 2022 stood at 44, which was a big improvement from 36 during the same period in 2021. However, it’s still down from 47 during the last quarter of 2021. Any reading below 100 indicates weak tourism confidence among those in the sector.

740 tourism operators participated in the survey and its findings show that confidence is lowest among nightlife operators, who have been the most severely affected by Covid restrictions. The confidence level among those businesses is at 20, down from 41 during the same period in 2021.

According to Chamnan, 78% of tourism operators are struggling to increase their revenue, with 45% reporting a decrease and 33% only just managing to maintain the same level of income as during the last quarter of 2021. Entertainment venues were the worst affected, with around 44% planning to lay off workers in the second quarter of this year. They were followed by spa businesses, massage parlours, and tour operators.


Source - Bangkok Post / The Thaiger

VISA AGENT  /  How to register for: THAI PASS - TEST & GO



Tuesday 29 March 2022

Lufthansa reopens Bangkok Munich route


Lufthansa is offering customers daily flights between Bangkok and the Bavarian capitol Munich beginning with this year’s summer schedule on 27 March. These flights replace service to Frankfurt during the winter.

The initial Lufthansa flight schedule is as follows:

* Bangkok – Munich / Flight LH773 / departure: 11 p.m. local time, arrival: 5.20 a.m. local time
* Munich – Bangkok / Flight LH772 / departure: 10:45 p.m. local time, arrival: 2:10 p.m. Bangkok local time

The aircraft operating these services is the most modern in the world: the Airbus A350-900 that has set high standards in fuel-efficiency and passenger comfort. It offers 48 lie flat seats in Business Class, 21 in Premium Economy and 224 Economy Class seats.

Munich – Bangkok, however, is not the only service Lufthansa Group, Europe’s largest airline group, will offer Thai customers. The Group’s other premium carriers, SWISS and Austrian Airlines, will also connect Thailand with the heart of Europe. In the summer schedule, SWISS will fly six times weekly between Bangkok and Zurich while Austrian Airlines will fly daily between Bangkok and Vienna.


READ MORE - Bangkok-Jack

VISA AGENT  /  How to register for: THAI PASS - TEST & GO

Sunday 6 March 2022

Travel in 2022 – how Russia is reshaping the world’s travel industry

Russians were the most visible travellers heading to Thailand post February 1, 2022, when the Thailand Pass Test & Go option was rebooted. Even with its 2 days of pre-booked SHA+ quarantine and PCR tests, along with US$50,000 Covid insurance (which has since been reduced to $20,000), the Russian travelers were delighted to jump on a plane and take the long trip to the much warmer Land of Smiles.

That situation has now radically changed and the world is reverberating to the full impact of Russia’s aggression and the invasion of Ukraine.

Now there’s a mere trickle of daily flights between Russia and either Suvarnabhumi or Phuket in Thailand. Whilst much of the rest of the world have said ’nyet’ to the arrival of any planes from Russia, Thailand is still allowing them to arrive. But even if the planes are still coming (albeit in vastly reduced numbers), the pressure of world sanctions, bans and the plunge of the Russian Ruble has already made the decision for any potential Russian travelers.

Now, the latest data from ForwardKeys, shows that the Russian invasion of Ukraine, now into its 9th day, has prompted an instant spike in flight cancellations to and from Russia, worldwide. On the day after the first tanks rolled into Ukraine, every booking that was made for travel to Russia was outweighed by six cancellations of existing bookings.

Russians escaping their bleak winter and heading to sunnier destinations were suddenly cancelling their trips. The cancellation rates between February 24 – 26 were Cyprus (300%), Egypt (234%), Turkey (153%), the UK (153%), Armenia (200%), and Maldives (165%).

Bookings for March, April and May were already reaching 32% of the pre-Covid levels of travel for outbound Russians. They were heading to Mexico, Seychelles, Eygpt and Maldives. And Thailand.

The outlook for Q3 this year was looking even stronger.

All that Russian travel enthusiasm has now collapsed and, given the harsh economic weapons thrown at Vladimir Putin, his banks, his ‘friends’ and his citizens, any recovery will be a long, long way down the track. Even if there was a swift and unexpected reversal of the Ukraine situation, Russia has already been dealt a fatal economic blow – in just one week the country been turned into a pariah state and much of the rest of the world seems happy to punish the entire country for Putin’s violence.

For countries like the Seychelles, Maldives and Cyprus, Russian arrivals represented a high percentage of their international arrivals. In Thailand that was about 8% of the total tourist mix. And, whilst the Chinese are still in China for at least the rest of this year, the loss of the Russian travel market probably represented an even higher percentage of tourists that won’t be coming to Thailand in 2022.


Sourse - The Thaiger

According to ForwardKeys, before Russia invaded Ukraine, the top twenty destinations most booked by Russian travelers in March, April and May were…. Number one, Turkey, then the UAE, the Maldives, Thailand, Greece, Egypt, Cyprus, Armenia, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Hungary, Bulgaria, Mexico, Spain, Azerbaijan, USA, UK, Qatar, Italy and Uzbekistan.

The world travel industry will be further hit by rising airfares (due to the sharp surge in oil prices), cancellations of routes (across Eastern Europe), a higher resistance to international travel (for perceived safety reasons) and a lingering instability in world politics.

While the Thailand Pass is still seen by many potential travelers as a significant barrier to their choice of Thailand as their next travel destination, and the Russian and Chinese traveler-tap turned off, Thailand’s immediate travel future looks bleak. And this follows nearly 2 years of border closures, false restarts, over-hyped TAT arrival projections and the former Thai tourism workforce heading home to find other work.

The loss of the Russian travelers underscores a critical need for the Thai government to quickly modify the Thailand Pass, or scrap it completely. With so many other factors now making international travel difficult, Thailand will have to rethink their short to medium term tourism strategies to retain its share of the international travel market.

Of course there is no comparison of the humanitarian tragedy underway inside the borders of Ukraine at this time, but Russia’s aggression will likely have much more long-term, and far-reaching, effects than the clear and present danger it poses on the Ukranian nation right now.

VISA AGENT  /  How to register for: THAI PASS - TEST & GO


Saturday 1 January 2022

Thai Covid Center’s general in charge of day to day operations says no national Covid-19 lockdown after New Year


 The National Security Council Secretary-General, who also heads the Center for Covid-19 Situation Center’s “Small Panel” that runs daily operations and advises all restrictions and Covid-19 response measures, said earlier today that there will be NO national lockdown no matter how the Covid -19 situation will be after New Year.

The National Security Council Secretary-General Supot Malaniyom said today (December 31st). “We are preparing very hard to handle the Covid -19 pandemic after the New Year festival. Many people are going back to their hometowns and traveling.”

“We are requesting businesses and government offices to work from home if they can and do ATK (Rapid antigen) test when they come back to work.” Supot continued.

“If there are more Covid-19 confirmed cases found after this New Year festival, we don’t need a national lockdown. However it is possible to do some “small-scale” lockdowns for villages, sub-districts or districts if their local authorities wish to handle the Covid-19 pandemic in all areas.” Supot concluded.

His statements come as concerns, rumors, and speculation rise on social media about people concerned about potential restrictions or business shutdowns in response to the rising number of cases of the “Omicron” Covid-19 variant.

Although his statement rules out a national lockdown, it doesn’t rule out regional or provincial measures, TPN media notes.


Source - Pattaya News

 

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Sunday 26 December 2021

Travel from Europe to Bangkok by TRAIN

The construction of a new train line in Laos means that it is now possible to travel from Portugal to Bangkok and on to Singapore by train.
The route is thought to be the longest train journey in the world spanning some 18,755km and would take an estimated 21 days to complete the journey.

Travelling from Lagos in southern Portugal to Singapore, the journey requires a number of changes to hop on and hop off trains in cities such as Paris, Moscow, Beijing, Vientiane, Bangkok, Hua Hin, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

Prior to the opening of the new train line in Laos, the route would have ended in Vietnam, before passengers would need to catch a connecting bus to Saigon and onto Cambodia and Vietnam.

However, as of 2nd December 2021, Laos’ new high speed rail network that connects Kunming in China to the capital Vientiane means that it is now possible to continue on to Bangkok and south to Hua Hin before continuing on to Padang Besar in Malaysia and finally, Singapore.

The whole trip would take in 13 different countries, according to rail expert Mark Smith from the train travel booking website Seat 61 who first publicised the epic trip.

There would of course be a few overnight stops required to allow for immigration and visa processing, as well as some short hops across cities to different train stations.

Currently two of the longest sections of the route – Paris to Moscow and Moscow to Beijing – are not operating due to the pandemic.

But if you are looking for a once in a life time experience, and particularly if you enjoy train travel, this could be the perfect trip and something worth trying as and when COVID-19 travel restrictions are eased.
– Hua Hin Today

Source - BangkokJack

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The new longest possible train journey in the world.

Saturday 18 December 2021

British Airways suspends all flights to Bangkok until Oct 2022

British Airways has suspended all direct flights from the UK to Bangkok until October 2022.

Reports of the cancellations first surfaced on social media earlier this week.

Travel site, The Points Guy, then received confirmation from BA that the flights have been canceled.

A spokesperson for BA said: “We apologise to customers whose travel plans are disrupted. Where a customer’s flight is cancelled, we always contact them to offer options including a full refund.  Customers who are unable to travel, or choose not to, can also continue to change their flights or request a voucher for future use as part of our Book with Confidence policy, which has been available since the beginning of the pandemic.”

Passengers have also posted on the FlyerTalk forum to say they had received confirmation from British Airways that their flights to Bangkok had been canceled.

As an alternative, passengers had been offered flights to Doha with Qatar with a connecting flight to Bangkok.

One passenger wrote: So I’m on the phone to BA now. We were booked on Avios outbound Mar 23 and return Apr 5, both cancelled of course. The slightly unhelpful Gold line agent lady says we can get you out on Qatar but the alternative carrier policy is only to Mar 31 so we can’t bring you back! I’m now talking with a supervisor who’s checking with the global team. Any advice appreciated…”

The news comes as British Airways announced earlier this month that it was scrapping more than 2,000 flights from its schedule between now and March next year.

The cancellation of flights was due to reduced demand for air travel during the ongoing pandemic.

Aviation website Simply Flying reported that data from Cirium revealed that BA had cut 2,144 flights from its winter schedule.

Flights have been canceled on domestic, short haul and long haul routes.

Passengers affected by the cancellations are advised to check the status of their bookings via the BA website. Passengers who were due to travel before 31 August 2022 can apply for a voucher that is valid until 30 September 2023.


Source - ASIAN NOW

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Saturday 20 November 2021

Pattaya tourism quiet until entry and booze rules are eased

According to the acting president of the Chon Buri Tourism Council, Pattaya is still quiet, and 95% of tourists there are Thai since the reopening to international tourists on November 1. Of the 200 to 300 people per day who do come, the majority are not tourists but businesspeople and expats. And many of the tourists who do come end up leaving quickly when they discover that everything is closed and that there is no entertainment or nightlife allowed.

The president estimates that, of the 1,000 to 2,000 international tourists the Tourism Authority of Thailand says enter Thailand each day, about 10% of travellers make a stop in Pattaya. The city is seeing what averages to about 6,000 to 7,000 visitors per month – a far cry from the pre-pandemic days when during the busy season from November to March, an average of 1 million people would visit Pattaya per month.

He says that the turnover rate is much faster now than it was earlier in the pandemic offsetting the increase in the number of bookings. People are booking one night and leaving afterwards whereas, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, a single booking would often stay 10 nights to 2 weeks.

A deeper dive into the people booking reveals the reason for so many short stays: the majority of international arrivals coming into Thailand are expats coming home. They arrive and take their RT-PCR test and check into the required hotel while awaiting their results. As soon at the test is returned negative, they head straight to their homes or condos or apartments.

The Tourism Council leader sees the lack of tourists in Pattaya as a direct result of the complicated hoops people have to pass through to arrive in Thailand, discouraging potential tourists. Other holiday countries require vaccination and a negative test before boarding a flight and… that’s it! No complicated document submission processes or quarantine or required hotel bookings. He suggested at least switching to antigen test kits that are exponentially cheaper and much faster so that arriving travellers can start their holiday right away.

But the other thing that has massively disenfranchised international travellers is the draconian restrictions on drinking and entertainment venues. The unnecessary confusion of opening 17 tourism Sandbox destinations but then allowing alcohol in only 4 of them just angers travellers and spreads negative reputations online for potential travellers.

Even when not catering to the wild partying demographic, a large percentage of foreigners want to have a drink with their meals and denying them that is enough to dissuade potential tourists from booking tickets. But speaking of the partiers, while it’s not everyone’s interest, the draw of nightlife and entertainment to Thailand and especially Pattaya is undeniable. And even for those who aren’t going clubbing, nightlife brings more tourists that allow more local businesses to open and thrive, creating a butterfly effect that benefits all areas of tourism in Pattaya.

The Tourism Council president said he fully supported all the efforts of hundreds of local bar and business owners and 8 major tourism associations that have petitioned the government to reopen nightlife and entertainment venues in Pattaya sooner rather than later. Under then, it looks like the holidays will be very quiet in Pattaya.


SOURCE: The Pattaya News


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Friday 19 November 2021

Emirates A380 to return to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi to meet increased demand

The A380 is to return to the skies over Bangkok as Emirates upgrades capacity on flights to the capital to meet increased demand. TTR Weekly reports that Thailand’s recent re-opening to vaccinated tourists from approved countries has led to strong demand, with around 10,000 arrivals registered at Suvarnabhumi every day.

In order to add capacity and frequency to its services, Emirates is bringing back the Airbus A380, which will operate daily from November 28. Flight EK372 will depart Dubai at 09.30, touching down in Bangkok at 18.40. The return flight, EK373, will depart Bangkok at 20.35, arriving in Dubai at 00.50 the following morning.

The A380 service is in addition to Emirates’ other daily service to Bangkok on a Boeing 777 aircraft, as well as 5 weekly flights to the capital via Phuket. It’s understood the carrier will increase the frequency of these flights from December. The increase in frequency and capacity is to meet demand from travellers in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The increase in services means Emirates will be offering over 8,600 additional seats a week, which could increase further, subject to demand.

On November 1, Thailand re-opened with minimal quarantine for vaccinated travellers from 63 approved countries. Passengers still need to take a PCR test within 72 hours of travel, and again on arrival, but only have to stay at a SHA-accredited hotel until they receive a negative test result.

As global travel tentatively resumes, Emirates is re-introducing its flagship A380 aircraft on an increasing number of routes. According to TTR Weekly, the aircraft currently serves 25 cities in 6 continents. That number is expected to increase to 28 cities by the end of the year, as travel demand continues to rise.


Sourse - The Thaiger

Tuesday 16 November 2021

Bangkok lifts more restrictions on booze sales

More restaurants and eateries will be allowed to serve alcoholic beverages from today(Tuesday), after the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) agreed to lift restrictions at venues certified by the Department of Health.
As of Tuesday, venues with “Thai Stop Covid Plus” certification will be allowed to serve alcoholic beverages in the same manner as businesses that have SHA (Safety and Health Administration) certification from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the BMA announced on Sunday.

While this means while more venues will be allowed to serve alcohol, the sale of such beverages will still be restricted after 9pm.

In the same announcement, the BMA said game shops and internet cafes will be allowed to reopen as long as they strictly enforce Covid-19 control measures, as most children in the capital have been fully vaccinated against the disease.

The relaxed restrictions will apply until Nov 30, when authorities will meet again to discuss the impact of the easing on infection numbers.

According to the director-general of the Department of Health, Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai, the move was intended to help more businesses reopen.

However, he said, the majority of these venues are actually capable of managing Covid-19 risks, as shown by their Thai Stop Covid Plus certification.

As such, Dr Suwanchai said, they should be allowed to serve alcohol again.

The Thai Stop Covid Plus certification was developed by the Department of Health to help businesses assess if their health and safety measures are up to standard amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Businesses, Dr Suwanchai said, must have a good ventilation system and regularly conduct testing using antigen test kits, the frequency of which should be determined by the risk of exposure to infection sources.

Restaurants and eateries must immediately clean tables and chairs after use, frequently disinfect physical contact points and restrooms, and provide separate cutlery for each customer. In addition, Covid-19 tests must be carried out periodically to ensure the safety of service providers and consumers.

“The [Thai Stop Covid Plus] focus is on the providers and recipients of services and the practices of the businesses,” said Sopon Iamsirithaworn, deputy director-general of the Department of Disease Control.

As of Nov 10, 6,579 businesses in Bangkok had obtained SHA certification, while 700 had received SHA Plus certification.

An SHA-certified venue has public health measures in place to prevent contagion, while SHA Plus certification means at least 70% of the staff are vaccinated.

The Thai Restaurant Association welcomed the latest announcement and urged business operators to strictly adhere to disease control measures to keep the virus at bay.

Thaniwan Kulmongkol, president of the association, said more than 30,000 restaurants and eateries are certified as Thai Stop Covid Plus venues, as they have been preparing for the reopening since May this year.

She said that personally she does not see a huge difference between Thai Stop Covid Plus and SHA/SHA Plus systems and urged the government to raise public awareness about the labels and what they mean.

She also called on the government to allow operators to serve alcohol until 11pm, after recent infection figures showed the easing of restrictions did not cause an uptick in new cases.

Currently, restaurants and eateries in Bangkok, Krabi, Phangnga and Phuket with SHA certificates are allowed to serve alcohol until 9pm.

Khao San Business Association president Sanga Ruangwattanakul said the most businesses have put in place Covid-19 control measures that are on par with Thai Stop Covid Plus, even before they were mandated by the government
. – Bangkok Post

Source - BangkokJack

Friday 12 November 2021

PayPal is cancelling personal accounts in Thailand from next year

PayPal will no longer be available to the vast majority of people in Thailand from February 2022.

PayPal recently announced that anyone in Thailand who set up a personal account before March 2021, will no longer be able to receive payments or even have a balance on their account from February 2022.

“PayPal is preparing to relaunch services in Thailand. If your account was opened prior to March 7, 2021, you will need to take some action to continue using your account in Thailand, the company says on its website.

The move essentially means that as of February next year, PayPal will no longer be available to customers with personal accounts in Thailand.

For people who rely on PayPal to receive payments from overseas, they will no longer be able to do so without a registered business account.

Online teachers, freelance workers, digital nomads or even people in Thailand who use PayPal to receive money from friends and family overseas will have to find an alternative.
In order to get a registered business account, people will need to be registered via the Thai government’s Know Your Business (KYB) scheme.

Registration for a business account requires applicants to submit their 13 digit registration number, as well as the identification documents of all company shareholders with more than 25% stake in the company. In addition, anyone who is authorised to use said business account is also required to submit their identification documents.

Furthermore, business accounts will then be charged 7% VAT on all transactions, while domestic transactions can only be made in Thai baht and must be linked to a Thai bank account.

Business customers will also no longer be able to transfer money bank accounts in the United States.

The move has come about after the Thai government overhauled regulation of the country’s fintech sector.

This means that PayPal has been forced to adhere to a new regulatory framework in order to be able to operate in Thailand.

However, speculation online says the move is to do with Thailand cracking down on money laundering.

Last year PayPal announced it was no longer accepting new registrations for accounts from people in Thailand.


Source - ASIAN NOW

 

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Monday 8 November 2021

Pattaya’s stupid rules are ruining tourism efforts

Ridiculous disease-control measures are undermining Pattaya’s efforts to rebuild tourism, the city’s top business representative said.
Boonanan Pattanasin, president of the Pattaya Business & Tourism Association, said there is virtually no point in organizing festivals and events like the Pattaya Music Festival if alcohol cannot be sold in the city and crowd sizes are unnecessarily limited.

Attendance at the weekend’s music festival and hotel bookings in Pattaya both disappointed and can be blamed directly on overly strict disease-control measures, he said.

Only 150 people were allowed into the gated stage area at each of the three music festival venues. City officials claimed this was to prevent the transmission of Covid-19 by limiting crowd size, spacing attendees a meter apart and prohibiting standing or dancing.

But Boonanan pointed out what everyone else saw and scoffed at: Right outside the fences, people packed in with no attempt at social distancing or crowd control.

The truly laughable thing, Boonanan said, was that current health regulations allow for crowds of up to 1,000 people.

While alcohol normally is prohibited at music festivals held on public land, Boonanan said the fact that restaurants and vendors near the festival sites are banned from selling alcohol also depressed interest in the concerts.

Even though Chonburi Province has once denied a PBTA appeal of the alcohol ban, Boonanan said the organization would try again, making its case in stronger terms.

If the association’s pleas are ignored, he said, Pattaya should save the money and not bother with staging festivals because few people will come.

The PBTA said it has met with Pattaya Mayor Sonthaya Kunplome about the music festival crowd size and he admitted that it was held under outdated rules, Boonanan said.

The PBTA said it wants next weekend’s festival to allow 1,000 people into the seating area and better organize the crowd outside. – Pattaya  Mail

Source - BangkokJack 


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