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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Gold and forex trading have long been favourites among investors in Thailand, but why are so many traders now turning to EC Markets? The answer lies in a combination of tight spreads, ultra-fast execution, Thai baht (THB) deposit support, and...
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Air passengers in the US may face random weigh-ins
Aviation authorities in the US say passengers may be selected for random weight checks as part of the check-in process. Flight passengers could be asked to step on the scales, as the Federal Aviation Authority updates obesity figures that can affect aircraft weight considerations prior to take-off. While this is routine practice with small commuter aircraft, it is not currently…
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Phuket may ditch light rail and build smart bus system instead
A proposal to drop the light rail planned for Phuket and replace it with a smart bus system is under an in-depth review as ordered by Phuket Transport Minister. Advocates for the smart bus – automated driverless buses on city streets – say that the project would bring mass transportation to Phuket Island for 15.2 billion baht cheaper than a…
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CAAT sets restrictions and guidelines for air travel to prevent the spread of Covid-19
With the new wave of Covid-19 infections hitting record highs, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand is tightening disease control measures for air travel and has requested that airlines abide by guidelines to help contain the outbreak. Those who test positive for Covid-19 are refrained from travelling and can face penalties for doing so under the Communicable Disease Act. CAAT…
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Thailand’s airlines getting airport fee waivers to help with rehabilitation
Thailand’s airlines are getting airport fee waivers to help with rehabilitation efforts until March 31 of next year. The latest aid is part of a slew of measures to boost the aviation industry after Covid-19 left it in shambles. The Civil Aviation Board is also letting the airlines claim refunds for airport fees previously paid before the new measures were…
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BTS Skytrain to take Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to court over 30 billion baht debt
With the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration unable to pay its 30 billion baht debt for the BTS Skytrain’s Green Line extension, the Bangkok Mass Transit System is preparing to take the issue to court. The 30 billion baht owed to the Skytrain operator includes costs incurred while operating the Green Line as well as other related expenses dating back to 2018,…
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Thailand aims for only electric vehicles by 2035
Thailand has announced an ambitious plan to move to only sell zero-emission electric vehicles by 2035 as it aims to be at the forefront of the electric car market. Right now in Thailand, less than 1% of the vehicles on the road are electric but an advisor to the Energy Ministry’s national policy committee said that it’s clear the world…
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Bangkok Airways suspends some flights due to ongoing Covid-19 situation
In the midst of another wave of Covid-19 infections, Bangkok Airways announced it is suspending some flight routes due to the ongoing spread of the virus. The airline is suspending the Phuket-Hat Yai route from April 23 to October 30 and its Bangkok-Sukhothai and Bangkok-Trat routes from May 1 to 31. Travellers can change their flights without an additional charge.…
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Thai airlines facing another setback
With more trouble on the horizon for Thailand’s airlines, they’re now pressuring the Government to step up the vaccination push. Adding to their recent woes, guidelines were released by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, where all domestic flights scheduled between 11 pm and 4 am are now suspended, in-flight services have been cancelled for now and, well, passenger bookings…
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New restrictions start from midnight tonight (Saturday), more could come later
The Thai government has resolved to ‘manage’ its way out of the current Covid outbreak. There won’t be lockdowns or curfews, but there will be earlier closing times and alcohol bans to help provinces stem the growth in new infections. The past 3 days of reporting new infections in Thailand are the highest numbers since the start of the Covid-19…
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Footbridges stop luxury yacht travelling from Phuket to Samui
Footbridges in Phuket stood in the way of a luxury yacht travelling from its home in Phuket to Koh Samui when the boat was too tall to pass. Police received a call around 8 pm last night from the truck driver after his trailer carrying the yacht had trouble getting under one of several bridges for walkers to pass over…
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Thailand provinces currently imposing travel restrictions
Here’s a list of Thai provinces current imposing restrictions on entry, by road or air, as you travel at this time. Today is the last day of the Songkran holiday, so there will be a return home for many people although it’s expected that many have also taken the Friday off to merge the Songkran break with the weekend. So…
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Travelling from the UK? Here’s some details on restrictions….
As the summer holiday is just around the corner, many in the UK are wondering if and how they will travel abroad during the Covid pandemic. Despite it being against the law to travel abroad for holiday and leisure in the UK, those who need to travel may want to know what requirements certain countries have in order to enter.…
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Thai Airways cuts another 4,250 staff, offering them early retirement
4,250 Thai Airways employees have been pushed into an early retirement after failing a screening process for remaining employees. The process was a necessary result of the national airlines’ dire financial situation and current debt restructuring program. Remaining staff are being forced into new, leaner contacts. The 13,554 remaining Thai Airways staff went through the screening program. 9,304 passed, according…
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Government helps direct refunds for cancelled holiday trips
For those who are cancelling their holiday trips due to Thailand’s recent Covid-19 outbreak, the government is issuing measures to help with refunds. The Transport Ministry says people who have booked bus and rail-services between the April 9-18 Songkran holiday, can claim full refunds if they want to cancel their trips. But the ministry says people should give at least…
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Phuket International Airport getting ready for reopening
Phuket International Airport is readying for the island’s reopening by beginning the vaccination process of all employees. The mandatory inoculations is hoped to increase confidence among foreign visitors, as many who have received a Covid vaccine, can now enter the island with relaxed quarantine measures. Just yesterday, officials confirmed that 2 flights from Germany will kick off the airport’s reopening,…
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Thai high-speed rail has 3 new contracts, projects estimated at 27.4 billion baht
A high-speed rail line between Bangkok and Nong Khai just got a boost with the signing of 3 civil engineering contracts yesterday. The total value of the 3 projects is estimated at 27.4 billion baht, with the projects being valued at 9.4 billion, 11.5 billion, and 6.5 billion respectively. The State Railway of Thailand inked the deal with private firms…
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Thai Airways challenging claims of over US$7 billion from leasing companies and Rolls Royce
Thai Airways is questioning claims from the lessors of some of its aircraft and Rolls-Royce, who service some of their aircraft engines. The airline is currently in the middle of lengthy bankruptcy proceedings as the court wades through thousands of creditor claims. The lessor and maintenance claims total over $US$7 billion. Thai Airways says that it’s not liable for the…
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Krabi airport to double passenger capacity with new terminal
Krabi airport is planning to double its passenger handling capacity with a third terminal expected to open by October. The move is planned alongside the reopening of Thailand to international tourists. A new runway is also being built, costing almost 942 million baht. The Department of Aviation says the runway is expected to be completed on time and will increase…
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Department of Land Transport calls on drivers to use its mobile app to pay car tax
Thailand’s Department of Land Transport says drivers should use the department’s dedicated app to make their annual car tax payments. Yongyut Nakdaeng from the DLT says paying via the app will help reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission. Motorists will receive a receipt and their tax disc in the post within 5 days. Thai-speaking drivers can call the DLT hotline…
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Civil Aviation Authority to consider airlines’ requests to ease some Covid measures
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand has singled out 8 Thai airlines it still has faith in and believes will stay afloat. The CAAT says that without the Covid-19 crisis, none of the carriers risked going bankrupt and the tough financial situation they find themselves in is solely due to the pandemic. The Bangkok Post reports that the 8 airlines,…
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Speed limit on Thailand’s highways increased to 120 kilometres an hour
It’s official – the maximum speed limit on 4-lane highways in Thailand has been increased to 120 kilometres per hour, with the new regulation published in the Royal Gazette yesterday. Previously 90 kilometres per hour, Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob says the increase in the maximum speed limit is aimed at improving the flow of traffic in line with conditions, while…
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Thai Air Asia urges government to re-open the country to foreign tourism
The low-cost carrier, Thai Air Asia, is calling on the government to accelerate the re-opening of the country to international tourism. TAA chief executive Santisuk Klongchaiya says Thailand risks losing its status as a regional hub if the country does not re-open soon in order to re-ignite tourism and airlines. According to a Bangkok Post report, he warns that Thailand…
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“Sealed route” set at Bangkok airport for international transfers
Thailand is now allowing international transits and transfers at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport by using a so-called “sealed route” arranged at the airport to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand has now set guidelines for passengers who have a layover at the Bangkok airport. Passengers will not be allowed to leave Concourse E. A “sealed route”…
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Thai Airways submits rehabilitation plan
Thai Airways has submitted a rehabilitation plan in accordance with a Central Bankruptcy Court order after the the receiver’s appointment last September. The airline’s acting president Chansin Treenuchagron says the rehabilitation plans aim to “fully restructure and help the national flag carrier to regain profits”. In a press release, the company revealed its planned recovery is expected to come from…
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Thai Vietjet resumes Phuket-Chiang Rai flights, launches promotion on air fare
The following is a press release from Thai Vietjet on its new promotion “Welcome Back to the Sky” and the resumption of Phuket-Chiang Rai flights. Thai Vietjet today announced the flight resumption of its domestic cross-regional service between Phuket – Chiang Rai, in response to the increasing travel demand after the government began relaxing travel measures in each province. The…
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Thailand aims for 30% electric vehicle production by 2030
By 2030, Thailand aims to have 30% of car production to be electric vehicles in an effort to minimise air pollution as the air quality in a number of provinces in Thailand, especially Bangkok and Chiang Mai, has been at levels classified as unhealthy and even hazardous in reports by IQAir. Electric vehicles would include cars, motorbikes and buses. Industry…
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BTS gives city officials an ultimatum: Pay its debt or Skytrain’s Green Line will shut down
The Bangkok Mass Transit System is giving city officials an ultimatum: Pay off its more than 30 billion baht debt or the Skytrain’s Green Line will shut down. They are giving the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration 60 days to get its finances in order. The administration owes more than 9.6 billion baht in wages related to operating the Green Line, adding up…
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Singapore Airlines to offer flights to Phuket next month
Singapore Airlines plans to offer flights to Phuket starting on March 4. Singapore-Phuket flights operated on the B737-800 aircraft which have 12 business class seats and 150 economy class seats. The new route follows a merger with the airline’s subsidiarity Silk Air. The Silk Air routes will progressively be transferred and 9 Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft will be reassigned to…
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Road sweeper finds an unexploded shell on Chon Buri highway
A 56 year old road sweeper did more than just clean a Chon Buri highway yesterday, he cleared the road completely. The man found a large piece of explosive ordnance on the main city motorway yesterday afternoon. Chon Buri city police were notified of the 45 centimetre long ‘shell’ found on the side of the road on the main motorway. The…
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Taxi and transport drivers calling for help from the Thai government
Unions of Thai Taxi workers and Thai automobile drivers have handed over an official request to a government labour committee to file a request to the government seeking financial support. Thai Taxi workers passed over their requests to Suthep Yoo-on, the chairman of the Labour Committee officially seeking industry support. Just about all sectors of the country’s transport infrastructure have…
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