Showing posts with label Phuket. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Phuket. Show all posts

Tuesday 7 November 2023

#THAILAND - Other provinces demand extended nightlife hours too

 


What about us?!

With nightlife venues in Phuket, Chon Buri, Bangkok and Chiang Mai being granted extended opening hours, other provinces want to do the same. From December 15, bars and clubs in 4 popular tourism provinces can remain open until 4am (previously 2am) for a trial period.

The move is one of several introduced by PM Srettha Thavisin, in a bid to boost Thailand’s economy and the tourism sector. It is not yet known how long the trial will last and if or when it will be extended nationwide.

Nightlife operator Pichanont Ingprasarn, who co-owns a number of venues in the eastern provinces of Trat, Chanthaburi and Rayong, says he’s hopeful the government will extend the later hours to other parts of the country, if it proves to be advantageous for tourism and the economy.

“If the extension boosts tourism and local economy in the four provinces, other provinces should also be allowed to add opening hours. The government should look at other provinces with the potential for tourism growth, such as Rayong and Trat, which have tourist attractions (such as Koh Chang in Trat). Nightlife venues there are also the targets of foreign tourists.”

The nightlife operator goes on to say that more venues on Koh Chang should be eligible to apply for operating licences, adding that stricter law enforcement is required to prevent underage drinking and other issues.

Meanwhile, tourism operators on Koh Samui want to know when the island’s nightlife venues will be allowed to open for longer. Ratchaporn Poonsawat from the Koh Samui Tourism Association says despite talks that stretch back to the previous administration, Koh Samui has been excluded from the latest trial, despite being a popular tourism destination.

Source - Phuket.Go

Saturday 12 November 2022

Russians the biggest tourist group in Phuket in November so far

Russians have made up Phuket’s biggest group of tourists so far in November. From November 1-10, Phuket saw 18,370 Russian tourists.

The total number of foreign tourists was 75,247, The Phuket Express reported. The next top four countries for tourism in Phuket were: India with 8,939 tourists, Australia with 5,275 tourists, the UK with 4,511 tourists, and Germany with  4,152 tourists.

In September, the TAT said that Malaysians made up Thailand’s biggest tourist group this year. The next three countries with the most tourists were India, Laos, and Cambodia.

But the number of Russian tourists appears to be growing in some areas of the kingdom. Last month, the first direct flights from Moscow to Phuket International Airport resumed.

Also last month, the island of Koh Samui expected to see a surge in Russian tourism, especially in December. Russian tourism has been a big revenue-producing staple of Koh Samui but was stymied by the Covid-19 pandemic and then the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The return of Russians is expected to bring a big boost to tourism on Koh Samui and the surrounding islands, Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Tao. Residents of Russia and other European countries that experience freezing cold winters are plotting their escape to the warm tropical weather in Thailand.

As of October 26, Thailand witnessed 7,349,843 international tourists arriving, surpassing the 7 million mark. It’s put the country within its goal range set by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) of 7 to 10 million visitors for 2022.


Source - The Thaiger 

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Wednesday 7 September 2022

Thousands STRANDED as Jetstar cancels flights

Jetstar is desperately working to get its planes back in the air after engineering issues forced the company to ground almost half of its fleet, leaving thousands of Australians stranded overseas.
The budget airline confirmed that, by the end of Tuesday, four of its 11 long haul Boeing 787 Dreamliners would be grounded to undergo emergency repairs.

One plane will return to service later this week with two more 787s to take to the skies next week, leaving only one plane out of operation.

A Jetstar spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the fleet had been impacted by ‘a number of issues’, including a lightning strike, a collision with a bird, damage from an item on the runway and issues sourcing a part from the US.

‘The team is working hard to return these aircraft to service as quickly as possible however, safety remains our first priority,’ they said.

It’s understood more than 4,000 passengers have spent extra time in Bali after seeing their return flights with Jetstar either cancelled or delayed.  For the latest stories follow Bangkok Jack News on Twitter.

Some of those passengers were forced to wait up to five days to be put on another flight while others paid thousands of dollars to travel home with a different airline.

One woman from Melbourne, Meagan Mulder, said she, her husband and their two kids had a seven-hour delay in getting home, but the situation was much worse for the friends they’d travelled with around the Indonesian country.

‘We had 12 friends who were on the midnight flight (on Sunday) night, they had their flight cancelled, they can’t get another flight anywhere for seven people until Friday this week, so they’ve had to get more accommodation and everything,’ she told NCA Newswire.

Other friends she knew ended up spending $10,000 to fly via Kuala Lumpur with another airline.

Similar issues have been seen in Thailand with one woman from Brisbane due to fly home with her husband and two kids from Phuket on Saturday night only to find out their flight had been cancelled.

The family was told the next available flight was on September 12 – nine days after their original return trip, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

For those stranded overseas, passengers will be given $150 per hotel room by Jetstar and $30 per person for food.

‘Our teams are working hard to get passengers on their way as soon as possible – we are putting on five special services to bring people home and booking seats on Qantas flights also,’ a Jetstar spokesperson said.

Flight credits or refunds have also been offered.


Source - BangkokJack

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Monday 27 December 2021

Thailand – the 17th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami

A powerful underwater earthquake rumbled off the coast of northern coast of Sumatra island, Indonesia, at 7:59am local time, setting off a series of underwater shockwaves that would eventually be felt right around the rim of the Indian Ocean.

It was the Boxing Day Tsunami (or Indian Ocean Tsunami, or Asian Tsunami) and it started affecting the shorelines around the Indian Ocean, first in the Indonesian region of Aceh, and then Thailand’s southern Andaman Sea shores not long after on Sunday morning, December 26, 2004.

The magnitude 9.1 quake ruptured a 1,500-kilometre stretch of fault line where the Indian and Australian tectonic plates meet. The heavier ocean plate slipped under a lighter continental plate. The effect, and location, proved deadly for anyone living along the shorelines of the Indian Ocean.

Within 20 minutes of the earthquake, the first of several 22 – 33 metre high waves hit the shoreline of Banda Aceh, killing 100,000+ people. Then, in succession, waves rolled over coastlines in Thailand, India and Sri Lanka, killing tens of thousands more. 8 hours later and 8,000 kilometres from its Asian epicentre, the tsunami claimed its final casualties on the coast of South Africa. In all, 230,000 – 250,000 people died, or were never found, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history.

The tsunami reached Phuket and coastal provinces nearby around 10am, causing uncountable losses, devastating the low-lying coastal towns of Patong, Kamala and Koh Phi Phi. Some of the other island beaches had less damage with steep shoreline breaks that took a lot of the initial energy out of the waves.

Just north of Phuket, in Khao Lak, they had a very gentle sloping coastline, so the waves travelled swiftly and reached into areas up to kilometre inshore. Poom Jensen, the grandson of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, and a nephew of the current Thai King, was killed whilst his family was holidaying at Khao Lak.

3 large waves that swept inland along parts of the Andaman Coast on that day.

Official Thai government statistics estimate 4,812 souls were lost to the waves on December 26, 2004, with another 8,457 injured and 4,499 missing, presumed dead.

While confirmed deaths in Phuket officially numbered only 259, another 700 remained listed as missing.

At the time the popular tourist communities were able to clean up and re-open some of their hotels within weeks. A year later much of the damage had been cleaned up and repaired. NGOs rushed to Thailand to assist in the clean up and identification process of the dead.

The tsunami and its aftermath were responsible for immense destruction and loss around the rim of the Indian Ocean. Some locations reported that the waves had reached a height of 20 metres, or more, when they hit the shoreline. In Aceh, up to 30 metres. Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Maldives and Thailand sustaining massive damage.

17 years after the Indian Ocean tsunami swept ashore, a container at the Takua Pa police station in Phang Nga, southern Thailand, still contains personal items from the hundreds of victims whose remains are unlikely to ever be given a name.

Wallets, documents, keys, electronic items, all labeled and catalogued as evidence, await positive identification. Nearby a graveyard contains 340 bodies buried in unmarked graves but police hope that, if people came forward to identify some of the items, there is still hope that some of the bodies could rest in peace with a name attached.


Source - The Thaiger

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Thursday 4 March 2021

Songkran in Thailand to go ahead next month - with some water splashing

Songkran festivities are set to go ahead next month, providing activities comply with measures put in place to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Yuthasak Supasorn, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand told Daily News that Songkran events will definitely be held in Thailand this year and that TAT plans to organize events to celebrate the Thai New Year.

The TAT chief said Songkran would take place between 10-15 April 2021.
Meanwhile, Sanook reported that the traditional water splashing activities will go ahead on Khaosan Road.  

Citing Culture Minister Itthiphol Kunplome, the event can go ahead providing strict disease control measures are in place.  

The government hopes the Songkran festival will boost domestic tourism and stimulate the beleaguered economy.

This is a developing news story.


Source - ThaiVisa

Friday 30 October 2020

Everything you need to know about Thailand re-opening

 
 

Here are all the latest updates on Thailand reopening for tourism and everything you need to know on how to visit one of the most popular countries in the world.

Travelers Allowed To Visit Thailand

Long Stay Tourists: STV Visa (Special Tourist Visa)

Thailand announced a 90-day visa for long-stay tourists on September 15th, 2020. The visa is called the ‘Special Tourist Visa’ (STV).

Entry Requirements:

Proof of payment for 90 day accommodation booking

14 day ‘state quarantine’ upon arrival

Preference given to low-risk countries according to the Public Health Ministry regulations (countries are not defined)

Proof of travel and medical insurance that covers COVID-19 with at least $100,000 USD in coverage for the entire duration of your stay How to Apply:

Travelers must apply at a Thai Consulate/Embassy in your home country.

Once approved, the traveler must pay the 2,000 baht, provide proof of paid accommodation, provide proof of travel insurance and flight information.

Length of Stay and Renewals

The Special Tourist Visa will allow approved travelers to stay in Thailand for 90 days. It can be renewed twice, for 90 days each time.

Other Travelers Permitted To Enter Thailand

All travelers in the below categories will face a mandatory 14 day quarantine upon arrival in Thailand.

Medical Tourists: Travelers seeking medical and wellness services may enter Thailand upon receiving a ‘International Flight Permit’ from the Thai Embassy/Consulate in their home country. A letter from a Thai doctor must be presented when applying.

Non-Thai nationals who are a spouse, parents, or children of a Thai national

Non-Thai nationals who hold a valid certificate of residence, or permission to take up residence in the Kingdom

Foreign workers from Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar for food and construction industries

Foreigners participating in trade fairs in Thailand

Non-Thai nationals who hold a valid work permit and their spouse or children

Travelers that fall into the above categories must also follow Thailand’s health protocols including:

Travel health insurance that also covers covid

A pre-screening health declaration card filled out before departure

The wearing of masks mandatory on in-bound flights and in the airport

Thermal scans and temperature checks upon arrival


Phuket Reopening For Tourism Plans

Phuket was originally scheduled to open for international tourism on October 1st, 2020 but the reopening has been delayed after Thailand confirmed its first case in 30 months of COVID-19 at the end of September.

The governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Yuthasak Supasorn originally announced that Phuket reopening for international tourists would act as a pilot program for the rest of the country.

The purpose was to test if Thailand could successfully reopen without a resurgence in cases. Unfortunately due to a confirmed case within its own borders and a second wave of the virus happening worldwide, the Thai government delayed the decision.

Once Phuket does reopen for international tourists, it will have strict entry requirements and protocols in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

While many travelers are excited about the prospect of Phuket reopening, the process of getting in will not be easy.

Entry Requirements For Phuket When Pilot Project Begins:

A new date has not been set for the reopening of Phuket.

Tourists will be required to stay a minimum of 30 days

14 day quarantine at hotel including common areas of the hotel’s property, and in some cases beach access.

2 Negative PCR tests will be required to be released from quarantine

After 3 weeks in Phuket, travelers may take a third PCR test and if the result is still negative they may leave to explore other parts of Thailand.

Last year, Thailand recorded the highest number of tourists entering the country, nearly smashing the 40 million mark. The government is hopeful the Phuket pilot project will safety allow them to restart claiming some of those foreign arrivals.

To date, Thailand has been one of the most successful countries in the world at containing the virus with strict lockdown measures.

However, Thailand’s economy is extremely dependent on tourism, and they’ve experienced a devastating 12.2% shrink in the 2nd quarter, the worst hit in the last 22 years.

Thailand has confirmed 3759 cases of COVID-19 and 59 deaths since the pandemic began.


Source - Pattaya News

Friday 5 June 2020

Thailand - Government wants to reopen bars, pubs, soapy massages and amusement parks


The government is considering measures that would allow the resumption of 12 types of businesses and activities -- including pubs and concerts, parlours offering soapy massages, and sports competitions.

Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman of the government's Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), said yesterday the CCSA's business resumption committee had invited operators and organizers to discuss measures needed to control the spread of the coronavirus.

The committee is headed by the secretary-general of the National Security Council, Somsak Roongsita.

"The government will hear from the operators what their plans are for preventing virus transmission and we will see how we can cooperate," Dr Taweesilp said.

Some of the 12 business/activity types were already allowed to resume partial services. Officials would discuss measures for the resumption of more services at these premises, he said.

He made reference to sports fields, where practice is now allowed. He said they were discussing disease-control measures for sports competitions.

The upcoming relaxation of restrictions would also apply to bigger film crews for large settings, the reopening of classrooms, daily visits to elderly care centres, and national parks.

Dr Taweesilp said measures were also being set for concerts and event halls of more than 20,000 square metres, education-oriented science centres, and beaches.

Other business categories include amusement parks, water parks, playgrounds and game shops; meeting rooms for more than 200 participants; pubs, bars and karaoke shops; and bath-sauna-massage parlours, he said.

Seventeen new Covid-19 infections were reported yesterday, all returnees from the Middle East and mostly asymptomatic.

"The two-digit figure is very high, but is from the daily arrival of returnees," Dr Taweesilp, said.

Meanwhile, Maj Gen Burin Thongprapai, director of the army's Office of the Judge Advocate who chairs a panel investigating the Covid-19 transmission at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, said army chief Apirat Kongsompong has sacked the management of the army-run stadium in line with the recommendation of the investigation panel.

Previously, Maj Gen Rachit Arunrangsi, head of the Army Welfare Department and manager of the stadium, who was among those infected by the virus at the stadium, was transferred to an inactive post after the incident.

He will retire at the end of September 2022.

A cluster of infections during a boxing event at the stadium on March 6 was blamed for a surge in the number of corona-virus cases in the following days.

Also yesterday, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said he was still concerned people may be at risk of infection at this stage of the unwinding process if they flock in large numbers to tourist spots and beaches, such as Bang Saen beach in Chon Buri province.

Source - The Bangkok Post

Wednesday 15 April 2020

Empty Asian beaches


Sun, sea, sand and space as coronavirus empties Asia's beaches

Just weeks ago, some visitors were complaining that Bali's famous sand and surf spot of Kuta Beach was way too busy.

Now it is deserted, with access banned as part of measures to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, which has killed nearly 100,000 people around the world and infected more than 1.5 million.

The picture in Bali is similar at other top Asia Pacific destinations such as Sydney's Bondi Beach and Thailand's Phuket.

"To stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, all the beaches in Kuta area closed for public," reads a sign in Bali, Indonesia, the country with the highest coronavirus death toll in Asia after China, where the virus emerged.

COVID-19 is the disease caused by the coronavirus, which emerged in central China late last year.

The virus has killed 306 people in Indonesia out of 3,512 cases, but more limited testing than in neighboring countries means the figures are widely believed to be higher.

The long Easter weekend would normally be a busy time in Bali, but not this year.

"Business is down almost 95 percent," said souvenir shop owner Ruju, who like many Indonesians uses only one name. "I have to borrow money just to buy food."

Not everyone agreed with the restrictions on the beaches.

Among them was Australian Daniel Baker, who said it would be better to just enforce social distancing of up to two meters to prevent the virus spreading.

"I should be able to swim or surf, it's important for mental health and exercise to stay healthy to fight COVID."

Bondi shut

Bans on public gatherings larger than two also forced Sydney's Bondi Beach to close over the Easter holiday. On Manly Beach, people were allowed to exercise but not swim.


Australians have been told to stay home or face dire consequences in the crackdown against the coronavirus, even as its spread slows. Australia had 6,152 infections by Friday with 53 virus-related deaths.

The co-owner of Bondi Surf Seafoods, George Dimitrios said 2020 was the worst year in his family's 47-year-old business and Good Friday sales had been disastrous.

"We've had the bushfires, we've had the rain and now we've got this," he said.

Bondi made headlines in March when thousands of people were seen ignoring social distancing rules at its world-famous beach. Authorities have since opened up a pop-up clinic.

On the Thai resort island of Phuket, coronavirus has largely eliminated the tourist industry on which it has survived. It is now on a partial lockdown to curb the spread of the virus, which has killed 33 people in Thailand and infected at least 2,473.

The usually busy Walking Street in the Old Phuket Town was almost empty.

"The impact is so severe because most of our customers are tourists," said Ittipat Klomkliang, owner of the Roast Coffee Cafe.

"From China and now Europe, a lot of the tourists have gone to zero."

Source - TheJakartaPost

Tuesday 17 December 2019

15 years on, over 300 tsunami victims from Thailand’s coast still unidentified


Fifteen years after the Indian Ocean tsunami killed upwards of 230,000 people on December 26, 2004, a container at the Takua Pa police station in Phang Nga, southern Thailand, still contains personal items from the hundreds of victims whose remains are unlikely to ever be given a name.

Wallets, documents, keys, electronic items, all labeled and catalogued as evidence, await positive identification. Nearby a graveyard contains 340 bodies buried in unmarked graves but police hope that, if people came forward to identify some of the items, there is still hope that some of the bodies could rest in peace with a name attached.

Colonel Khemmarin Hassini is the deputy police commander in Takua Pa district. The area, taking in the coastal tourist resort of Khao Lak, was one of the areas hardest hit by the Boxing Day tsunami. The shallow approach and low-rise of the beach landscape allowed the waves to hit with speed and continue up to a kilometre inland.

“There are still more relatives of the victims, both near and far, that have hopes of finding their lost loved ones.”

The tsunami was triggered by a 9.1-magnitude earthquake just before 8am (Thai time). But the killer waves didn’t reach the Thai coastline until about 2 hours later.

Around the Indian Ocean, the tsunami killed more than 230,000 people as waves as high as 17 metres crashed hit the shores of more than a dozen countries around the ocean’s perimeter.

More than 5,000 people died in Thailand. The Disaster Victim Identification unit involving police and an international force of forensic experts were able to identify more than 3,600 bodies. It took nearly two years but it was the largest and most successful project of identification of its kind.

Colonel Khemmarin hopes, even though nearly 15 years have past, there was still a hope they could re-activate many of the lead and put names to some of the identified bodies. The Colonel was part of the international forensics team and fears that many of the possible leads have gone cold in the time that has passed.

Speaking to Reuters in the Takua Pa place station he said… “If we are determined enough and reactivate our operations once again, I think some of the 340 unidentified bodies could be identified.”

In ten days it will be the fifteenth anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami, one of the deadliest natural disasters in the last 100 years. Poom Jensen, the grandson of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, and a nephew of the current Thai King, was killed whilst his family was holidaying at Khao Lak.

Source - Reuters / TheThaiger
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Thursday 24 October 2019

Shunned by Chinese, Thai tourism hotspot braces for rare slump


Hotels on Thailand's most popular holiday island have been forced to slash prices with rooms left vacant and beaches sparse as tourist chiefs struggle with a plunge in Chinese visitors caused by the US trade war and a stronger baht.

Located on the Andaman Sea and known for its beaches and nightlife, sun-drenched Phuket was the most visited destination in the country last year after Bangkok and a good gauge of the state of its crucial travel industry.

Tourism accounts for 18 percent of Thailand's gross domestic product and Chinese holidaymakers make up more than a quarter of total arrivals. 

But while 2.2 million people from the country visited in 2018, according to official figures, numbers for January-September were down almost a fifth on-year.

Claude de Crissey, Honorary Consul of France in Phuket and owner of about 40 rooms in the popular Patong Beach area, said Chinese tourists are usually present even during the current low season.

"That was not the case this year," he said, adding he had to lower his prices by as much as 50 percent. 

The problem is not just in Phuket, with hotels also struggling to fill rooms in the seaside resort of Pattaya on the mainland and Koh Samui island.

Trade tensions with the US have already made some Chinese reluctant to take holidays owing to uncertainty back home, while the Thai baht has risen around 10 percent against the yuan this year. 

A boating disaster off Phuket's coast that killed 47 Chinese holidaymakers has also scared some off.

"We are worried," an industry insider told AFP, declining to be named due to the sensitivity of the topic in a country where tourism provides tens of thousands of jobs. 

Adding to the headache is the fact that more than 3,000 new hotel rooms are being constructed on the island, raising the question of who will fill them.

"In terms of business, it's not good," said Kongsak Khoopongsakorn, vice president of the association of hotels in Thailand and director of Vijitt Resort.

"Because...we have more hotels, more rooms to sell, we have more restaurants, more coffee shops."

Still, tourism authority chairman Yuthasak Supasorn told AFP he remained "optimistic", adding: "We should reach our goal of 39.8 million foreign visitors" this year.

 However, that is only up from 38.2 million in 2018, much less than the jump seen from the previous year's total of 35.6 million.
 
Counting on India 

Now hoteliers and tour package operators are targeting visitors from elsewhere, particularly India, which experts see as a huge untapped market.

"We are counting on the Indians to revive the sector," Kongsak said.

A rapid expansion of the middle class in India, increased direct flights and visa-free travel have prompted Thailand to revise forecasts upwards.

It now expects two million Indian tourists this year, after an increase of nearly 25 percent on-year in the first seven months.

But for now, the lower arrivals is evident on the streets of Phuket.

"I've never seen anything as bad as what it is at the moment," said Paul Scott from Australia, who said he has been coming to Thailand for 15 years.

He mainly blamed the stronger baht for the drop-off but also the fact that Thailand wasn't the untouched vacation paradise it once was. "Now it's not so new...and it's not cheap," he said.

Source - JakartaPost

Monday 5 August 2019

Thai Dating Sites


DATING ONLINE

What you expect ? 

I did some research on several Dating sites and on small and big Facebook groups.

The girls / woman on the free dating sites and groups are not so serious.
You see also a lot of meat on the groups and sides.

Many works in a bar or massage parlours and be only hustlers to become customers.

When you do research on these girls you find out, that the most use fake names, lie about their age, and most pictures from when the are much younger.

Be careful You use only your time (money) 




Monday 26 November 2018

Chinese tourists skip Thailand after Phuket boat disaster


A ferry disaster that killed dozens of Chinese tourists in Thailand earlier this year has sent visitor numbers plunging from the kingdom's single largest market. 

The Chinese make up about a quarter of Thailand's 35 million annual visitors who are drawn by cheap beach vacations, renowned food and Bangkok nightlife.

But in July a ferry carrying mostly Chinese tourists back to the resort island of Phuket sank killing 47. 

August recorded an immediate dip of 12 percent and September brought 15 percent fewer Chinese tourists than the same months last year. 

October was the hardest hit, with the tourism ministry reporting Wednesday a same-period decrease of about 20 percent -- or 160,000 people -- from 2017.

About $476 million was lost in spending over the three-month period, statistics showed. 
Thailand has seen tourism slowdowns following a bombing in 2015 in central Bangkok and a military coup in 2014.

 But the prolonged slump of the past few months has been a "wake-up call" for Thailand's tourism operators, Paul Pruangkarn of the Pacific Asia Travel Association said, as it has pushed the sector to mull its overreliance on one country. 
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https://www.hotelscombined.com/?a_aid=145054

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"Too many people have always been focusing too much on getting Chinese tourists," said Pruangkarn, whose association represents hundreds of businesses around the region. 
He predicted tourist numbers will ultimately bounce back.

Since the Phuket tragedy the government has rolled out inducements aimed at regaining trust and making travel easier.

The immigration bureau exempted Chinese tourists from paying a $60 visa-on-arrival fee from November to mid-January. 

Last month four immigration officials were demoted from their position following a probe that found they were demanding "tips" from Chinese tourists to fast track their entry. 

Source - TheJakartaPost

Sunday 9 September 2018

#Phuket looks to build ties with Gold Coast sister city






Australia’s Gold Coast city and Phuket plan to sign a letter of intent to establish themselves as sister cities on September 10.

The intent of the agreement is to explore a stronger relationship between the two municipalities and create international business opportunities.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate will travel to Phuket to sign the agreement with his Phuket counterparts.

The mayor is half Thai, originally from Saraburi, and emigrated to Australia at a very young age. He said that Gold Coast and Phuket share similarities in economic success, year-round sunshine and a cosmopolitan lifestyle.

 
“I want this sister city partnership to work, because I know that Gold Coast and Phuket are a good match. The two cities share a significant beach culture and we could possibly exchange knowledge on lifeguard procedures and training. We will see what Phuket authorities and other business operators will be interested in, this is the first stage,” said the mayor.

He said Phuket has the potential to become a mid-way destination for European travellers to spend a few weeks before flying on to Gold Coast.

He says that for an interim period of one year, the Gold Coast government will send officials to Phuket to explore areas where they can exchange work ideas and knowledge.

“For instance, if Phuket is looking at developing a better waste management policy, or green energy utilisation, we will see how both parties can work together on the initial high-level studies,” he said. 

Gold Coast is a multicultural city and a hub for Australia’s tourism with its geography and economy similar to  Phuket. 
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For Gold Coast, international partnerships of this type are a source of economic growth; provide cultural, educational and professional opportunities, and boost international profiles. These relationships open doors to the world and create real outcomes for Gold Coast residents and businesses.

Traditionally, sister city relationships focus on cultural and education exchanges. It is now recognised that these relationships also have the ability to stimulate economic growth, increase tourism and assist in establishing reliable business contacts, which can create long-term benefits to the local communities in both cities.

They also enable communities to exchange ideas, gain an international perspective and increase their understanding of global issues.

Currently, Gold Coast has eight sister cities and one friendship agreement, all of which have helped shape Gold Coast as a city of global significance by fostering successful business and cultural ties. This is through initiatives that include two-way trade missions, hosting inbound delegations, and offering business and student exchanges.

As for the benefit to Phuket, Andrew Park, the Honorary Consul of Thailand for Queensland, Australia, says that the partnership is important at many levels. Apart from generating government-to-government links between the two cities, it also creates direct links at the people-to-people level. 


 “Prince Songkla University Hospitality and Tourism School in Phuket is well established and well regarded as one of the world best hospitality, hotel management and tourism schools while the Griffith University in the Gold Coast has the same high acclaim globally,” Park said.

“There is a possibility of academic exchanges between the two institutions for the benefit of both,” said Park. 

He also said that in terms of the business linkages, the agreement will be a driver for the government of Gold Coast to express an interest in developing stronger partnerships with Phuket at the business level. 

“Next year, Mayor Tate will be taking business delegations across to Phuket and I believe Phuket will be doing the same. The marine sector, with the wealthy high-end yachting industry, is something Phuket does very well and I believe that is something Gold Coast can learn and benefit from.” 

Park said that he is excited to be part of creating this inaugural relationship between the two cities to set a good example for further relationships between cities in the two countries in the future.

Source - TheNation

https://12go.asia/?z=581915
 

Saturday 25 August 2018

Nature tours reopen on #Phuket canal after clean-up


Water quality in the Mudong Canal in Wichit is starting to return to normal while tourists are back on sailing tours along the canal.

Residents along the Phuket waterway have been calling for officials to clean up the filthy canal after wastewater was found flowing into the canal and out to the sea. 
Dead animals were also found floating in the canal.


 The Phuket authorities reported that on Wednesday the dissolved oxygen (DO) index was very low at 0.03-0.5 milligrams per litre.

Yesterday (Thursday), officials from the Environment Office Region 15 Phuket inspected the canal again. They reported that water quality had improved.

“The water is clearer than before and the bad smell is not there anymore. No dead shrimp, crabs and fish have been found floating,” the office said. 

DO was measured along the canal.

Source - TheNation

https://12go.asia/?z=581915

Ps. Strange to hear it is safe after one day.

Friday 24 August 2018

Thailand - Wastewater poisoning #Phuket canal


Residents near Mudong canal in Wichit, Phuket, are calling for officials to stop wastewater flowing into the canal and out to sea. Dead animals have been found floating on the canal.

Yesterday (August 22) officials from the Environment Office Region 15 Phuket and others inspected the Mudong canal.


Residents said the water is black and has a bad smell all along the canal. Dead shrimps, crabs and fish have been found floating on it.


The environment office’s Kanchit Sunthornkarn said: “At this stage we have found that wastewater is coming from sewage produced by the community. There are housing estates, restaurants and houses. 


“We have to control the wastewater problem from the original sources. The law must be enforced by officers. We still don’t have the technology to solve wastewater in the canal once it has made its way into the canal system. If we add more microorganisms, it will be worse.

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 “For a short-term solution, we have to use natural treatment because the black water in the canal is caused by the drains. For a longer-term solution, we have to find the original sources. Wastewater has to be treated before being released into the canal.”


Source - TheNation 

Wednesday 22 August 2018

On Thai island #Phuket, hotel guests check out of plastic waste


For the millions of sun seekers who head to Thailand's resort island of Phuket each year in search of stunning beaches and clear waters, cutting down on waste may not be a top priority.


But the island's hotel association is hoping to change that with a series of initiatives aimed at reducing the use of plastic, tackling the garbage that washes up on its shores, and educating staff, local communities and tourists alike.


"Hotels unchecked are huge consumers and users of single-use plastics," said Anthony Lark, president of the Phuket Hotels Association and managing director of the Trisara resort.


"Every resort in Southeast Asia has a plastic problem. Until we all make a change, it's going to get worse and worse," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.


Established in 2016 and with about 70 members - including all Phuket's five-star hotels - the association has put tackling environmental issues high on its to-do list.


Last year the group surveyed members' plastics use and then began looking at ways to shrink their plastics footprint.


As part of this, three months ago the association's hotels committed to phase out, or put plans in place to stop using plastic water bottles and plastic drinking straws by 2019.


About five years ago, Lark's own resort with about 40 villas used to dump into landfill about 250,000 plastic water bottles annually. It has now switched to reusable glass bottles.


The hotel association also teamed up with the documentary makers of "A Plastic Ocean", and now show an edited version with Thai subtitles for staff training.


Meanwhile hotel employees and local school children take part in regular beach clean-ups.

"The association is involved in good and inclusive community-based action, rather than just hotel general managers getting together for a drink," Lark said.

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CREATORS AND VICTIMS


Phuket, like Bali in Indonesia and Boracay in the Philippines, has become a top holiday destination in Southeast Asia - and faces similar challenges.


Of a similar size to Singapore and at the geographical heart of Southeast Asia, Phuket is easily accessible to tourists from China, India, Malaysia and Australia.


With its white sandy beaches and infamous nightlife, Phuket attracts about 10 million visitors each year, media reports say, helping make the Thai tourism industry one of the few bright spots in an otherwise lacklustre economy.


Popular with holiday makers and retirees, Phuket - like many other Southeast Asian resorts - must contend with traffic congestion, poor water management and patchy waste collection services.


Despite these persistent problems, hotels in the region need to follow Phuket's lead and step up action to cut their dependence on plastics, said Susan Ruffo, a managing director at the U.S.-based non-profit group Ocean Conservancy.


Worldwide, between 8 million and 15 million tonnes of plastic are dumped in the ocean every year, killing marine life and entering the human food chain, UN Environment says.

Five Asian countries - China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand - account for up to 60 percent of plastic waste leaking into the seas, an Ocean Conservancy study found.


"As both creators and 'victims' of waste, the hotel industry has a lot to gain by making efforts to control their own waste and helping their guests do the same," Ruffo said.


"We are seeing more and more resorts and chains start to take action, but there is a lot more to be done, particularly in the area of ensuring that hotel waste is properly collected and recycled," she added.


CHANGING MINDS, CUTTING COSTS


Data on how much plastic is used by hotels and the hospitality industry is hard to find. But packaging accounts for up to 40 percent of an establishment's waste stream, according to a 2011 study by The Travel Foundation, a UK-based charity.


Water bottles, shampoo bottles, toothbrushes and even food delivered by room service all tend to use throw-away plastics.


In the past, the hospitality industry has looked at how to use less water and energy, said Von Hernandez, global coordinator at the "Break Free From Plastic" movement in Manila.


Now hotels are turning their attention to single-use plastics amid growing public awareness about damage to oceans.


"A lot of hotels are doing good work around plastics", adopting measures to eliminate or shrink their footprint, said Hernandez.


But hotels in Southeast Asia often have to contend with poor waste management and crumbling infrastructure.


"I've seen resorts in Bali that pay staff to rake the beach every morning to get rid of plastic, but then they either dig a hole, and bury it or burn it on the beach," said Ruffo. "Those are not effective solutions, and can lead to other issues."


Hotels should look at providing reusable water containers and refill stations, giving guests metal or bamboo drinking straws and bamboo toothbrushes, and replacing single-use soap and shampoo containers with refillable dispensers, experts said.


"Over time, this could actually lower their operational costs - it could give them savings," said Hernandez. "It could help change mindsets of people, so that when they go back to their usual lives, they have a little bit of education."


Back in Phuket, the hotel association is exploring ways to cut plastic waste further, and will host its first regional forum on environmental awareness next month.


The hope is that what the group has learned over the last two years can be implemented at other Southeast Asian resorts and across the wider community.


"If the 20,000 staff in our hotels go home and educate mum and dad about recycling or reusing, it's going to make a big difference," said Lark.

Source - TheNation

Wednesday 8 August 2018

#Thailand - Jet-skis, parasail rides banned until Thursday on Phuket’s west coast


The acting chief of the Phuket Marine Office has announced a ban on jet-ski and parasail ride operators using Phuket’s west-coast beaches, including today. 

 Wiwat Chitcherdwong said: “According to the Thai Meteorological Department Office, heavy rain and high waves of up to 3 metres are still affecting the Andaman Sea until Thursday, August 9.” 

“Jet-skis and parasails are now being banned until the order is changed.” he added.

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 Source - TheNation

Wednesday 18 July 2018

#Thailand not seen as safe tourist destination until it fixes problems


TOURISM and Sport Minister Weerasak Kowsurat yesterday urged agencies to sort out a series of problems before they can send a convincing message to the world that Thailand is still a safe destination for tourists.

Weerasak was responding to the Phoenix boat accident that killed 47 Chinese tourists earlier this month off the southern resort island of Phuket. 

There are many issues that authorities should review and rectify to help improve tourists’ confidence in Thailand as a safe destination, Weerasak told The Nation in an interview. 

He said authorities should complete the first phase of the process by paying all compensation that is due to the relatives of victims and return them to their country.
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Authorities should then try to figure out what happened to the boats by retrieving the wreckage for inspection. Concerned agencies should collect statistics nationwide about boat accidents and study international standards for tour boats that can be compared to Thailand. 

He also urged authorities to explain that the cause of the accident was not related to so-called zero-dollar tours or nominee ownership in tourism. “[People] should not generalise. We should be sympathetic to those who lost their loved ones. Money cannot bring them back,” he said. 

He also urged authorities to speed up the completion of a safety standards manual to improve confidence. 
“If we can manage all the issues we then can send a single, convincing message to the world, the Chinese, and local people and ask them to have confidence in us,” he said. The number of Chinese tourist visitors to Phuket has dropped sharply in the wake of the tragedy. 

Source TheNation 

 

Monday 16 July 2018

Phuket hit as Chinese cancel room bookings after boat disaster


Tourism industry seeks tough measures to protect reputation after boat tragedy

THAI TOURISM authorities are worried following the massive cancellations of hotel room bookings by Chinese tourists in the southern island resort of Phuket following the tragic July 5 boat accident.

So far, 7,300 Phuket hotel room bookings for July and August have been cancelled by Chinese tourists. Industry insiders say the numbers are likely to increase as more hotels report their booking status. Chinese account for as many as 3 million tourists in Phuket per year, while on average some 10 million Chinese tourists visit Thailand every year.

Kongsak Kupongsakorn, president of the Southern Hoteliers’ Association, said 19 member hotels had already reported their cancellations while another 160 hotels have yet to file their reports. The negative impacts of the July 5 accident in which nearly 50 were killed are widespread and more serious than previously thought, he said.

Chatchai Tipsunavee, permanent secretary at the Tourism and Sports Ministry, said a massive number of hotel booking cancellations had been reported despite remedial measures taken by the Thai government following the boat accident.
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 At this stage, hotel room cancellations are estimated to account for 10-15 per cent of the total business in the world-renowned resort province.

Chiaya Rapuepol, president of the Andaman Sea tourism business association, said the boat accident could cost as much as Bt42 billion in lost tourism and related revenues over the next two months. He called for the government to restore confidence in tourist safety as soon as possible to avoid even greater damage being caused to Phuket’s Bt350-billion-a-year tourism industry. News reports of the two boats capsizing received worldwide media coverage.

Phuket Governor Napat Prodthong wants the government to set up a command centre to regulate all Andaman Sea tourist activities in the nearby Phang Nga province. 

He suggested inspection points for all incoming and outgoing vessels so that authorities could more effectively enforce safety and |related laws on vessel operators, captains, passengers and crew.

The Phang Nga command centre could take responsibility for Phuket, Krabi, Trang and Phang Nga provinces, he said, adding that Phuket itself will have its own vessel command units at Ao Por, Ratchata Harbour and Ao Chalong Harbour, with closed-circuit and surveillance TV systems installed to record all incoming and outgoing tourists.

Overall, the Phang Nga command centre and other facilities would cost Bt500 million to Bt600 million to boost tourist safety in the Andaman Sea, he said.
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 Meanwhile, the Phuket governor and other provincial authorities have joined with Vice Admiral Somneuk Prempramoj, commander of the Third-Region Navy responsible for Phuket and other Andaman Sea provinces, to work with harbour operators and other businesses to ensure tourist safety in the wake of the disaster. The government has announced a revamping of safety rules and regulations to prevent future accidents. The large number of vessels, boat services and even harbours in Phuket alone present a challenge for properly regulating the industry.

The Navy has sent its personnel to help provincial authorities restore confidence and to help upgrade the safety system by issuing early warnings on bad weather. Tourism authorities and others must step up preventive safety measures, such as ensuring passengers are taught how to use safety vests.

Somnuek said the Navy would propose that the central government use Article 44 of the charter to empower Phuket authorities to fast-track enforcement of rules and regulations to boost safety.

Meanwhile, Woraluk Reukch-aikan, managing director of TC Blue Dream Co, owner of the ill-fated Pheonix tourist boat, surrendered on Saturday and will appear in court today to seek release on bail. 

Relatives of the 29 victims killed in the accident have been paid more than Bt60 million in combined compensation. Altogether, 46 bodies have been recovered from the sea, while authorities are still attempting to recover another body struck in the boat’s wreckage and another passenger is still missing.

Source - TheNation

 

Tuesday 10 April 2018

Southeast Asia's idyllic islands buckle under tourism strain


Airports have become chaotic, hotels are being thrown up with little regard for safety and sanitation, beaches are strewn with garbage and coral reefs are dying.

The six-month closure of the Philippine tourism island of Boracay for a revamp after the country's president branded it a "cesspool" reflects the growing pressures on beach resorts across Southeast Asia as visitor numbers surge.

Tourism experts say the region's infrastructure is buckling under record visitor numbers, especially as more Chinese holiday abroad, and expect more drastic measures to come.
Airports have become chaotic, hotels are being thrown up hastily with little regard for safety and sanitation, tropical beaches are strewn with garbage and coral reefs are dying.

Thailand already has plans to shut its famous Maya Bay in the Phi Phi islands for four months this summer, while an environmental group is calling for urgent government action to tackle a "crisis" on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali.
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 "Many out-of-control destinations across Asia will need clean-ups," said Brian King, associate dean of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. "These may come from government, or industry or from NGO-driven community action. The danger is that little happens until the crisis point is reached."

He added: "Boracay is not the first and won't be the last closure."

Airlines have already started to cut back flights to Boracay, which had 2 million visitors last year, with the largest foreign contingents coming from China and South Korea, ahead of its closure on April 26.

The Philippines, which had record visitor numbers last year after three years of double-digit growth, estimates the Boracay closure could reduce full-year GDP by 0.1 percent.

It is also planning to inspect the beach resort of Puerto Galera, on the island of Mindoro, and is already looking at the resorts of El Nido and Coron, in Palawan province, where an influx oftourism and rapid development has put infrastructure under strain.
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 But rival tourist hotspots around the region are not all rubbing their hands at the prospect of the extra revenue from the redirected tourist traffic.
 
Kanokkittika Kritwutikon, the head of the Tourism Authority of Thailand's Phuket office, said the island was at "stretching point", particularly its airport, which has undergone a number of upgrades in recent years to try to cope with overcapacity.

"Our policy is to try to spread tourism around" from Phuket to "secondary destinations that are less well-known," said Kanokkittika. "Apart from guests arriving by plane to Phuket we also have boats coming in, including cruises, so you can imagine how many tourists come through Phuket."

The shutdown of Maya Bay in an attempt to salvage the area's coral reefs - which have been damaged by crowds of tourists and warmer temperatures - follows the closure of 10 popular Thai diving sites in 2016 after a National Parks survey found bleaching on up to 80 percent of some reefs.

Pattaya, south of Bangkok, serves as another cautionary tale.
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 An influx of western tourists from as far back as the 1960s, when American soldiers came on leave from the Vietnam war, and a construction boom in the 1990s transformed it from a picturesque fishing village to a town known for its seedy nightlife and high crime rate.

Thailand's tourism ministry expects 37.55 million tourists this year, up from a record 35 million in 2017, of which 9.8 million were from China.

Shutdowns "too late" 

Benjamin Cassim, a tourism lecturer at Temasek Polytechnic School of Business in Singapore, said the closures of Boracay and Maya Beach could become "test cases" and will be closely monitored by other countries with popular beach resorts.

A non-profit group in Indonesia has been calling on the government to tackle what it calls an "environmental crisis" in Bali, the country's most popular tourist island, which saw more than 5.5 million visitors last year.

Source -  e.vnexpress.net/