Jump to content
All visa questions and fresh Immigration updates here ×

News_Editor

Advanced Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    18,904

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by News_Editor

    Chaos Looms At Lat Phrao Junction

    in Bangkok

    Posted

    Lat Phrao closures start tomorrow

    BANGKOK: -- The dates and times for the closure of traffic lanes on three major roads that meet at the Lat Phrao junction were announced yesterday, with the first closure scheduled for midnight on Saturday.

    Bangkok deputy governor Samart Ratchapolsitte gave details of the closures.

    Two inbound lanes on Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road in front of Saint John’s University will be closed – one lane will be closed all day, while the other will be shut between 9pm and 5am daily. Two outbound Phaholyothin lanes will be closed on July 6 also, with one lane shut for the entire day and the other between 9pm and 5am.

    Two outbound Vibhavadi lanes – in front of the Jitphotechana Restaurant – will be closed on July 14, as will another two inbound Vibhavadi lanes on July 31. An additional two inbound Vibhavadi lanes will be closed on August 23. The lanes will remain closed until three flyover routes are completed – by November 25, he said.

    Yesterday’s decision differs from an original agreement reached by government agencies responsible for traffic management – including the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the Traffic Police Division – in which all closures were set to begin at midnight on Saturday.

    Samart said the closures needed to be staggered because closing all the lanes on the same day would result in traffic chaos, as the junction is one of the city’s busiest.

    --The Nation 2005-06-17

    South-bound Tourists May Get Visa Break

    in Thailand News

    Posted

    Visa fee exemptions aimed at wooing tourists

    PHUKET CITY: -- Tourists from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan are being exempted from paying visa fees for Thailand as part of the ongoing attempt to revive tourism after the tsunami.

    In addition to the government waiving the 1,000-baht visa fee until October this year, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is working with Thai Airways to put together a 3,500-baht mid-week package including roundtrip flights from Bangkom to Phuket or Krabi, two nights’ accommodation and airport transfers.

    Hotels in Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi and Trang are being invited to join the promotion.

    Suwalai Pinpradab, Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s office in Phuket, told the Gazette it was hoped these initiatives would attract more mainland Chinese, Taiwanese and Hong Kong tourists to the Andaman provinces.

    She said, “Around 60 hotels have expressed an interest in taking part in the promotion, which we plan to market with the slogan ‘Beach basking, bargain shopping’.”

    Kalayapha Panich, Thai Airways’ Phuket-based District Sales Manager for Upper-Southern Thailand, said the promotion was currently being considered by senior managers. It is hoped that everything will be finalised by next month, so that TAT national head Juthamas Siriwan will be able to launch the package then in China.

    K. Kalayapha said, “I think these packages will increase the number of tourists who come here, especially if they are attractive and marketed well.”

    However, one hotel manager is not so confident that waiving visa fees and offering cut-price packages will be enough to tempt back large numbers of tourists.

    Claude Sauter, recently appointed Resident Manager of the Cape Panwa Hotel, said, “Promotions may help bring people back, but many hotels here – and Thai Airways too – did lots of promotions in Europe and Asia after the tsunami, and those don’t seem to have succe eded in attracting back the tourists so far.

    “That said, I do think this promotion is a good thing, but it has to be done in conjunction with reconstruction projects and restoring the infrastructure, and installing a tsunami warning system.

    “I really don’t think one promotion alone will make that much of a difference; other things have to be done too.”

    Mr Sauter added that his hotel had reduced its rates and is currently trying to market Phuket to the domestic market, for instance promoting weekend breaks in Phuket to Thais living in Bangkok, and trying to persuade Bangkok-based companies to hold conferences and seminars on the island.

    He said, “This is what we’re trying to do with the domestic market, as we know the overseas market will take some more time to come back, especially now that we’re in the low season.”

    --Phuket Gazette 2005-06-16

    Boi Eyes Up More Japanese Investors

    in Thailand News

    Posted

    BOI eyes up more Japanese investors

    BANGKOK: -- The Board of Investment of Thailand (BOI) has signed an agreement with the mayor of the Japanese city of Yokohama in a bid to boost trade and investment between Thai and Japanese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), BOI Secretary-General Sathit Sirirankhamanont revealed today.

    Mr. Sathit said that the memorandum of understanding, signed recently in Tokyo, was aimed at forging business partnerships between SMEs from the two countries.

    Japan's largest port city, Yokohama is known for its automobile, metal, machinery, electronics and electrical goods industries - all industries currently being targeted by the BOI.

    --TNA 2005-06-16

    Subway Services Resume After Glitch

    in Bangkok

    Posted

    Subway services resume after glitch

    BANGKOK: -- Underground train services have resumed at Hua Lamphong and Samyan stations after being shut down on Friday night due to mechanical malfunctions, MRTA officials said yesterday.

    “Train services resumed Saturday morning after the electrical control board that monitors the incoming and outgoing train traffic in the two stations had been fixed,” said Metropolitan Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand governor Prapat Chongsanguan.

    About 50 passengers were stranded at the two stations when the malfunction happened at 8.30pm.

    They were advised to board trains at either the Silom or the Klong Toei stations instead.

    Many complained that station officials were slow to announce the malfunction, keeping them waiting at the platform for almost an hour.

    MRTA officials said Siemens, the train supplier, was in charge of maintenance for the train and its operating system.

    They said it was unusual for the control board to malfunction, although it had happened before in other countries.

    “Because the control board failed to detect the train’s arrival, it refused to activate the platform doors to open and allow passengers to board the train,” a MRTA official said.

    The official added that the malfunction did not threaten the safety of passengers although it had caused them some inconvenience.

    A train passenger, Chaiwut Kalaket, said he was not discouraged by the incident.

    “The subway is a new thing. Some glitches at the start of service are understandable. But I hope the MRTA has full safety measures in place. I don’t want to be trapped inside a malfunctioning train in between stations deep underground,” he said.

    --The Nation 2004-07-18

    Foreign Police Volunteers In Pattaya

    in Pattaya

    Posted

    Here is a typical news story from Pattaya Mail. What surprises me is a sentence in the first section of the article that mentions: "Foreign police volunteers".

    Who are these people?

    Comments, please!

    /News Editor

    Police raid the Jade, charge service girls 500 baht

    PATTAYA: -- Special crime suppression units stormed the Jade Berlin House, in Jomtien Nivate Village, at around 8.30 p.m. on July 9. The sting operation was enabled when foreign police volunteers set up the sting by using marked banknotes to pay a bar fine.

    Once the transaction was made the undercover volunteer sent a signal to police outside to move in.

    Officers moved and visited the bar’s rooms where there were a number of people involved in sexual acts. They were ordered to get dressed while the remaining officers rounded up 33 other bar staff and the mamasan.

    All 33 service girls were piled into waiting police vehicles and hauled off to Soi 9 for questioning. The girls were each fined 500 baht before being released.

    The mamasan was charged with operating a business involved in procuring women to sell sexual services as well as operating an entertainment business without the relevant approvals. She was locked up in Soi 9 awaiting further judicial proceedings.

    --Pattaya Mail 2004-07-16

    Brit Charged With Visa Overstay

    in Pattaya

    Posted

    Brit charged with visa overstay

    Says he fell in love with Pattaya and couldn’t bear to leave

    PATTAYA: -- British tourist David Rodger, 28, allegedly threw a temper-tantrum at his hotel on Soi Bua Khao, and ended up bringing more attention to himself than he should have. Apparently he had overstayed his visa by 3 months.

    British tourist David Rodger learned the hard way that if you are going to bring police attention to yourself, make sure you’re not on overstay.

    Hotel staff called police to help quell the disturbance, and whilst questioning Rodger, police asked to see his passport. Police learned that the man’s visa had expired, and duly escorted him to the station for further questioning.

    Rodger admitted to his overstay, stating that he fell in love with Pattaya and did not want to return to the UK, and that his visa ran out 3 months prior.

    Unsympathetic police charged him with illegally residing in the kingdom and transferred him to the relevant department for further processing and deportation.

    --Pattaya Mail 2004-07-16

    German Detained After Failing To Pay Bar Bill

    in Pattaya

    Posted

    German tourist detained after failing to pay bar bill

    Attempted to use fake pornographic bank notes to pay

    PATTAYA: -- Shortly after midnight on July 10 volunteer tourist police officers were called in to detain a German tourist after he was unable to pay his 420 baht bar bill in a Walking Street bar.

    The man’s sanity came into question after he exhibited strange behavior. He produced a bag of tricks featuring a pig mask, fake US dollar bank notes with pornographic images, and other insipid memorabilia.

    German Willy Petkirt (seated center) was arrested after trying to pay his bar bill with fake banknotes festooned with pornographic images.

    Police questioned the bar’s cashier who told them that the foreigner had been drinking but was unable to pay his bill.

    Tourist police volunteers escorted the man, identified as Willy Petkirt, 55, to Soi 9 where he was promptly fined 500 baht for lascivious behavior, which he continued at the station.

    Police were not amused with the German’s attempts at humor and fined him a further 500 baht for possessing and showing inappropriate material in public. Since he had no real money, he was placed in a cell until the fine and the bill could be settled.

    --Pattaya Mail 2004-07-16

×
×
  • Create New...