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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Thai immigration launches new online 90 day reporting system

Thailand’s Immigration Bureau has announced the launch of a new online 90 day reporting system.

The new system, which went live on Dec 2, is available under the Online Services section of the Immigration Bureau’s website, and by selecting TM47, which is the official name of the form used for 90 day reporting.

To use the new online 90 day reporting system, foreigners must register here: https://tm47.immigration.go.th/tm47/#/register/add

Registration information must be submitted in English.

Once verified, a password will be sent to the registered email address (it took around 2 hours for us to receive the password - check your spam folder!)

Online 90 day reports can be used up to 15 days in advance of the date the 90 day report is due.

Immigration says confirmation of the 90 day report should be returned within 3 days of it being submitted.

Foreigners can also use the same system to login and check the status of their application.

It should also be noted that the online 90 day reporting system can not be used if a foreigner is completing their first 90 day report, nor can it be used to complete the first 90 day report after receiving a new passport.

In both instances, the foreigner needs to submit the 90 day report in person at their local immigration office. After that, they will be able to use the 90 day online system.

To coincide with the launch of the new online 90 day reporting system, the Immigration Bureau has also launched a new online appointment booking system, which allows foreigners to book an appointment at their local immigration office.

Once selected, the appointment button gives users an option to select the region of the country where their nearest immigration office is located.

At the time of writing, Bangkok Immigration (Division 1) was not listed in the online appointment system. It should also be noted the appointment system may not work if using a VPN.

 Source - ASIAN NOW

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Thailand must reopen soon if it wants to survive: FTI

 

The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) is concerned that tourists may not be interested in Thailand if the country takes too long to open its doors.

Also, he said, the number of daily cases has dropped, and Thailand has the facilities to treat Covid-19 patients. However, he said, the authorities should speed up the vaccination rate in the business sector before reopening the country.

Suphan predicted that Thailand’s gross domestic product will grow by less than 1 per cent as the number of tourists visiting under sandbox schemes was lower than expected.

He said that though the economy is showing signs of recovery and economic activities have resumed after the lifting of lockdown, the government still needs to lend a helping hand to small businesses. He said most SMEs cannot reopen due to liquidity problems.

Source - TheNation

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Thailand removed from the UK “red list”, list reduced to only seven countries

 

Thailand/UK-According to the UK government, only seven countries will remain on the so-called “red list” that requires mandatory quarantine at a government quarantine center upon return and is a major deterrent to travel

Thailand, a previous country on the list, has been REMOVED, despite rumors earlier in the day (which TPN media did NOT report on) that it wasn’t being removed. This means visitors from the UK can now travel to Thailand without a mandatory quarantine upon return, only having to take a Covid-19 test on the day after their arrival back into the country.

Only seven countries will remain on the UK red list from a previous list of 54.

The seven countries that will remain on the red list are Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Venezuela.

This will be effective from Monday, October 11th, 2021, according to the UK government.

Source - Asian Now

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Laos to Resume Domestic Flights, Schools, Other Restrictions Eased

Laos has announced it will resume domestic flights, begin to reopen schools, and ease other lockdown restrictions starting 18 May.

The National Taskforce for Covid-19 Prevention and Control announced at a press conference held today nine measures that will be eased, and four restrictions that will remain in place, effective from 18 May.

Measures eased:

Government and private sector offices may now open and resume operations as usual, but prevention measures and guidelines issued by the taskforce must be strictly implemented.

Interprovincial travel is now permitted for all people throughout the country but prevention measures and guidelines issued by the taskforce must be strictly followed.

Interprovincial transportation via land, water, or air is now permitted but prevention measures and guidelines issued by the taskforce must be followed

Meetings, seminars, and training sessions may be held within the country, however, parties or social events remain prohibited, and all gatherings must implement social distancing and other guidelines issued by the taskforce.

The Ministry of Education and Sports, the Ministry of Defence, and the Ministry of Public Security have been authorized to reopen schools on 18 May, but only grade levels primary 5, secondary 4, and secondary 7. All other levels including kindergarten, colleges, universities, and other educational institutions are authorized to reopen on 2 June. Social distancing and other measures must be strictly adhered to.

Certain indoor and outdoor sports or physical exercise activities are now permitted but prevention measures and guidelines issued by the taskforce must be followed.

Restaurants, cafes, supermarkets, massage parlors and spas, fresh markets, beauty salons, barbershops, shopping centers and malls, and tourism sites, are permitted to open but prevention measures and guidelines issued by the taskforce must be strictly implemented.

Construction projects, plants, and factories may resume operations but must follow the guidelines issued by the taskforce.

Lao nationals who are employed outside of Laos may now return to their place of work abroad, provided that the host country permits it, while foreign nationals who are employed in Laos may return to their home country.

Restrictions that remain in place:

Night markets, beer shops, nightclubs, online game shops, karaoke venues, cinemas, casinos, team sports tournaments are not yet authorized to reopen.

Unofficial or informal gatherings or other large events remain prohibited, while cultural festivals and weddings with more than 50 attendees are also prohibited. Gatherings must follow social distancing and other virus prevention measures.

Local, traditional, and international border checkpoints remain closed. People are forbidden from entering and exiting the country, except for drivers of cargo vehicles or those with prior authorization.

Entry visas will not be issued to visitors who come from or pass through countries that have experienced a Covid-19 outbreak, except for special cases whereby prior authorization has been issued.

The easing of restrictions remains temporary. If an infected case is confirmed in a particular province, then stricter measures will be enacted in that province. The provincial taskforce will announce all confirmed cases and measures. If a cluster of cases is found in two or more provinces, then the country may revert to stricter lockdown measures stipulated under Prime Ministerial Order No. 6/PM.

Source - Laotian Times

BREAKING: Thailand's HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej dies

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HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand passed away today at the age of 88 at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok.
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HM King Bhumibol ascended to the throne on June 9, 1946, and was the world’s longest-reigning monarch. He was also known as King Rama IX and was the ninth monarch in the Chakri Dynasty.
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The well-loved monarch is survived by his wife, Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kitiyakara and his children: Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya and her two daughters; Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn and five sons and two daughters; Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and Princess Chulabhorn Walailak and her two daughters as well as a large extended family.
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He will be succeeded on the throne by his son, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn.
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Among King Bhumibol’s most widely-praised accomplishments were the philosophy of Sufficiency Economy, a concept he taught citizens about living a moderate, self-dependent life without greed or exploitation and to survive on their own in the age of globalization.
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In his off-hours, he was a keen photographer, jazz saxophone player and composer, preferring Dixieland and New Orleans-style jazz. He composed nearly fifty songs, mostly in the genres of blues. He was also an accomplished painter. An avid animal lover, he published a book about one of his favorite dogs, a female ginger called Thong Daeng. The book is called “The Story of Thong Daeng.”
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King Bhumibol was born on December 5, 1927 in Cambridge, Massachusetts to Prince Mahidol Adulyadej, the Prince of Songkla, and Sangwan Srinagarindra (later recognized Somdet Ya or Princess Srinagarindra). He was the youngest son in the family, born while his father attended Harvard University.
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The King graduated with a political science degree from The University of Lausanne in Switzerland and got married on April 28, 1950.
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For the last decade, King Bhumibol has had health issues that have included bacterial infections, breathing difficulties, heart issues and fluid in the brain.
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Cource: Coconuts.co

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