Transport News
Thailand transport news, infrastructure updates, public transit, and traffic reports—stay informed on groundbreaking developments and real-time travel updates. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted source for transport news in Thailand.
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Digital nomads are people who work remotely while travelling the world. This lifestyle has grown quickly, with more people choosing to work from places like Portugal, Mexico, and Thailand because of low living costs and good digital infrastructure. However, living...
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And they’re off! Hundreds of thousands leave Bangkok for New Year break
PHOTO: Eleven Media Group Hundreds of thousands of Bangkok residents have already started heading out of the capital, headed to various Thai provinces to welcome in 2020 in the company of friends and family. The long weekends starts from tonight with many Thais being granted a public holiday on Monday, in addition to the Tuesday and Wednesday public holidays. It…
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Following months of gridlock, Pattaya roadworks suspended, roads re-opened for ‘silly season’
PHOTO: Pattaya Mail Following concerns raised by the Pattaya Tourism Association, all roadworks in Pattaya, which have ground the city to a halt in recent months, will be paused for the holiday period, with roads re-opened to allow traffic to flow more freely. The Pattaya News reports that at a meeting held with city officials yesterday, the Pattaya Tourism Association…
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Don Mueang tollway fee increase opposed by consumer agency
PHOTO: YouTube Plans to slap a 10% increase on the fee to use the Don Mueang Toll Way have been opposed by the Consumer Protection Board. The CPB is tasked with defending consumer rights and instigating legal proceedings in the case of infringement. Thai PBS World reports that the board claims the toll hike, which is due to come into…
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Public hearings on Pattaya Tram Project start Monday
Whilst Phuket’s tram project has been shelved temporary, the much-discussed Pattaya tram project starts public hearings on Monday when the city hosts its first public sessions on the feasibility study. First proposed in 2016, the tram would make a circle around Beach Road and Second Road and then into Jomtien Beach. Finally however, with more funding now allocated and a…
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Ride-hailing service Grab to be legalised in Thailand
PHOTO: Investvine Grab Car and Grab Bike, the ride and taxi hailing apps, are likely to become legal in Thailand after the head of the Land Transport Department said public consultation was mostly positive. The DLT received around 1000 supportive comments and observations in a consultation, according to Thai news agency Sanook. The department will submit its findings to the Transport…
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Thai government looks to revive Pak Bara and Songkhla deep-sea port projects
The government is looking at reviving deep sea-port projects in the south of Thailand. They were shelved two years ago as the government bowed to public opposition at the time. The Transport Ministry is considering reviving the Pak Bara, Satun, and Songkhla deep-sea port projects. Both projects are in the south of the country. The projects have been shelved at…
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Second passenger terminal opens at U-Tapao International Airport
U-Tapao International Airport, serving the cities of Pattaya and Rayong in eastern Thailand, has officially opened a second passenger terminal, with ambitious plans for growth and an increase in passenger capacity from over 2 million a year to 5 million over the next five years. The Nation reports that airport officials are also waiting for the outcome of the bidding…
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New MRT stations in Bangkok take you to the city’s historic spots
Thailand’s Mass Rapid Transit Authority, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, and Bangkok Expressway and Metro Public Company Limited are inviting locals and tourists to visit attractions near four of Bangkok’s MRT stations. Attractions include China Town, temples, palaces and shopping areas. The new Wat Mangkon, Samyot, Sanam Chai and Itsaraphap MRT stations have been designed to include retro styling to…
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AoT green lights new terminal for Suvarnabhumi to double capacity
PHOTO: Artists impression of the original Suvarnabhumi terminal – Royal Thai Embassy The Airports of Thailand has approved a plan to establish a second terminal on the northern part of Suvarnabhumi Airport. The board has also agreed to discount landing fees for international charter flights at six airports under AoT control for the next five months. The AoT controlled airports are…
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Thailand’s high speed rail future “not the right fit”
After years of delays, negotiations and more negotiations, bullet trains (high-speed trans) are coming to Thailand. But with one project underway, another already approved and others being considered, many speculate if high speed rail is the right fit for the Kingdom. Critics say the existing contracts with the Chinese are more about a political jibe at the US over its criticism…
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Wedding bus burns, passengers unharmed in Chai Nat
A chartered bus from a wedding was gutted by fire on Sunday in central Chai Nat Province. All 46 bus passengers escaped unharmed, according to police. The bus caught fire on the highway in Chai Nat, forcing all the passengers and the driver to urgently evacuate. One passenger told Thai media the bus had taken the groom and guests to the…
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Truck causes buses to collide at BKK construction site, 11 injured
PHOTO: khaosod.com Eleven people have been injured when a ten-wheeler truck cut in front of a bus, causing to swerve into another bus. Bus #195 crashed into Bus #205 on Rama 3 Road, Klong Toey in Bangkok. The injured passengers are recovering in hospital and assisting police with their enquiries. Tungmahamek Police headed to the location of the incident with emergency…
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Thai Airways offers One Pass One Price Value Card
In a first of what will surely be a prolonged period of promotions, Thai Airways is offering a One Pass One Price Value Card Package which will cover four economy class fares from Bangkok to some destinations in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar. Tickets start at 8,060 baht and are valid for trips from Bangkok to Phnom Penh, Siem Reap,…
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Police tracking down Mercedes driver who wouldn’t give way to an ambulance – VIDEO
MONTAGE: Daily News Police are tracking down the driver of a Mercedes Benz who gave ambulance drivers ‘the finger’ after refusing to give way to the screeching sirens of the ambulance trying to get a patient to hospital. The ambulance travelling between Phyathai 2 and Phyathai Hospital (Sri Racha) in central Bangkok on Saturday. The relatives of the patient described the incident as…
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Thai Airways management ‘asked’, staff ‘told’, to cut expenses
PHOTO: Both management and staff likely to lose some entitlements under new policy to reduce costs In a move that will likely contribute little to the airline’s rehabilitation, Thai Airways is trying to reduce expenditures on staff travel. Meanwhile the airlines’ management is being ‘asked’ to reduce some of their expenses. The moves are part of a range of new…
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Transport Ministry succumbs to increase in luggage charges for airport taxis
Items of luggage that measure 26 inches (66 centimetres) or more in length will now incur a taxi ‘handling fee’ of an additional 20 baht in an agreement reached between airport taxi drivers and the Transport Ministry. It’s understood the Ministry approved the increase after caving in to a protest by taxi drivers on Thursday. Over 100 members of the…
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Thai transport minister backs down over mandatory GPS in private cars and motorbikes
Thailand’s Ministry of Transport is backing down over plans for all private cars and motorcycles to be equipped with GPS devices. He now says that the issue needs “further study on real-time connectivity” with the database of the Land Transport Department and will measure the cost of that connectivity. Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob says, initially, the installation of GPS systems…
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BMA adds pedestrian walkways and better disabled access
PHOTO: Bangkok Post The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has launched a program to improve flyovers in high-traffic areas with pedestrian crossings which will also include facilities to help the elderly safely cross Bangkok’s busy roads. The report says that road-crossing signals will be established along with flyovers with lifts for the elderly and disabled, particularly in high-traffic areas. Flyovers with ramps linking…
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“Three year ban is too long” – Bangkok ‘win’ riders complain about new penalties
Win riders, Bangkok’s ubiquitous and slightly notorious motorcycle taxi drivers, are claiming that proposed penalties for riding on the sidewalk are too severe. Currently the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority has laid down bans of up to three years for motorbike riders caught riding on the city’s pavements. But Win riders say losing their jackets for three years is unfair. The Bangkok…
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Bangkok airport taxi drivers protest over ride-sharing apps
With app-based ride services set to be legalised in Bangkok from March next year, taxi drivers at Suvarnabhumi airport are threatening to protest over what they see as the government’s failure to ensure fair competition. The Bangkok Post reports that the drivers are threatening to limit the number of bags they will accept from November 1, accusing both the Transport…
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Visa fee waiver extended
Thailand’s Cabinet has approved a 6 month extension of the Visa on Arrival fee waiver for visitors, designed to generate more tourism spending in Thailand. A deputy government spokesperson said yesterday (October 28) that the Cabinet has in principle approved the draft fee waiver extension for six months beyond the initial expiry date to April 30 2020. Under the campaign,…
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Commerce Ministry will appeal US GSP decision
Thailand will ask the United States to reconsider removal of trade preferences for Thai exports under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), according to the Ministry of Commerce. In the past, whenever trade benefits for Thai products exported to the US were suspended, Thailand has appealed to the US, according to the commerce minister, who added that it is ultimately…
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Thai exports will suffer from Trump labour rights decision
The Thai export sector will suffer another blow after the US President Donald Trump announced on Friday the suspension of 1.3 billion dollars worth of duty-free trade for certain Thai goods, claiming Thailand has not taken steps to protect the labor rights. In a letter to US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence, Trump said…
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Viral video of Pattaya bus driver arguing with suspected illegal tour guides sparks investigation
Pattaya Tourist Police have begun an investigation into suspected illegal tour guides after a video of a frustrated bus driver arguing with the guides went viral on social media. The Pattaya News reports that the bus was carrying Chinese tourists and the video shows the driver asking the tour guides where they wanted to go. The guides appear to be…
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Thai Airways not at risk of shutting down: president
Thai Airways is not at risk of shutting down and recent news reports about the airline’s situation were “misinterpreted”, the beleaguered carrier’s president insisted on Wednesday. The statement appeared to directly contradict remarks he made to high-ranking THAI staff in a speech on Tuesday. He said the remarks were to encourage staff to make an earnest effort to ensure the…
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Visa fee waiver to run until end of April
The government will extend the waiver of visa-on-arrival fees for another six months to boost the number of foreign tourists entering the Kingdom. A government spokesperson announced on Tuesday (October 22) that the Cabinet had approved a six-month extension to the exemption until the end of April next year. The visa fee waiver was implemented in November last year and…
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Biometric scanning system to be tested at five provincial airports
The Ministry of Transport is considering using biometric facial scanning of air passengers, initially at five provincial airports, as part of a pilot project to develop smart airports across the kingdom. The deputy transport minister said Tuesday that a working committee, comprising members of the Department of Airports, the Royal Thai Police Office and the Ministry of Interior, has been…
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Points deduction system for drivers to be introduced mid-December
The point deduction system, for traffic and road infringements, is tentatively scheduled for activation for motorists and motorcyclists in mid-December. It is hoped that the system will help reduce road fatalities and injuries on Thai roads. The deputy commander of Highways Police Command says that every licensed driver will be given an allocation of 12 points. Each time the driver…
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Thai state railway board members resign, effective immediately
Two days ago the story about the transport Minister pressuring board members of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT). Two days later, not some but ALL, board members of the SRT, including the board’s chairman Kulit Sombatsiri, tendered their resignations to Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob. Effective immediately. The Nation reports that Kulit denied reports that the mass resignation was due…
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Transport Minister pressures State Railway board to resign
PHOTO: The Nation Board members of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) are expected to tender their resignations to Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob ‘soon’, according to sources to The Nation. There has been speculation for some time that the members have been under pressure to resign, as the minister reportedly wants to reconstitute the board. Among many other issues, the…
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