Bangkok

New VIP lane at Suvarnabhumi, as long as you’re Chinese

Published

4 months ago

August 5, 2018

The Thaiger

PHOTOS: Thai Tourist Police

Arriving on an international flight at Suvarnabhumi airport? Long lines at Immigration? No problem – please use the new special VIP lane, as long as you’re Chinese.

As the Ministry of Touristm and Sport and the Tourist Police go on a charm offensive to restore confidence in the Thai travel market, a new special Chinese Immigration line has been established at the country’s five largest airports.

Mr Everywhere, Maj Gen “Big Joke” Surachet Hakpal (who has been photographed in four different parts of the country in the last two days) and Pol Maj Gen Pritthipong Prayoonsiri at Region 2 immigration did today’s photo-opportunity honours at the opening of the new fast-track lanes. How many lanes devoted to Chinese tourists?

18 – Suvarnabhumi
21 – Don Mueang
18 – Phuket
10 – Hat Yai
8 – Chiang Mai

The Tourist Police website says that Thailand did not want to be seen as taking advantage of the Chinese. They say VIP measures were already in place to give Chinese tourists every assistance from the plane to their waiting transport outside the airport.

They said they were looking at short term and long term ideas to help address particular problems faced by Chinese tourists. There was no specific mention of the recent drop in Chinese tourists and the many cancelled travel plans to Thailand, particularly Phuket.

There are no plans for special ‘VIP’ lanes for other nationalities at this stage.

SOURCE: Thai Tourist Police, ThaiVisa

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Bangkok

Chinese charged over test-taking scam

Published

7 hours ago

December 10, 2018

The Thaiger & The Nation

Chinese charged over test-taking scam | The Thaiger

by Khanathit Srihirundaj

A scam of a different kind has been uncovered today. In this case no one was being harmed but the system was being cheated.

The Nation reports that Thai police have arrested seven Chinese who were allegedly hired to take ACT (American College Testing) exams on behalf of other test-takers who wanted good results in order to apply to study in the United States.

The first batch of five suspects – Chinese nationals between the ages of 29 and 33 – were arrested on Friday afternoon at the ACT examination site at Mahidol University’s Salaya Campus in Nakhon Pathom.

The five suspects reportedly confessed to police that they had been hired to take the ACT exams on behalf of the real applicants for between 10,000 and 20,000 yuan (about 47,500-95,000 baht) per person.

They said a China-based agency had helped coordinate with the customers and arranged for their accommodation, travel expenses and fake passports – containing the real applicants’ details, but with the suspects’ photos – to undertake the task.

They were to get good results in the exam, discard the fake passports and travel back to their home countries, police quoted them as saying.

The second batch of two suspects – Chinese nationals 28 year old He Liu and 39 year old Huang Xiofan were arrested on Saturday at the ACT examination site at NIST International School in Bangkok’s Watthana district.

Police also found that Liu was carrying eight fake passports, and he reportedly confessed to having previously taken exams for hire in various countries, including the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam.

The seven suspects, whose Thai visas have been revoked, were all charged with using forged passports, while Liu faces the additional charge of having fake passports in his possession for the purpose of selling them, Surachate said.

STORY: The Nation

Bangkok

Top 10 most popular Asian cities 2018 – Agoda

Published

12 hours ago

December 10, 2018

The Thaiger

Bangkok ranks on top of the list of most-visited Asian city tourist destination for 2018. This is from Agoda, a fast-growing online travel booking platform. With millions of online bookings each year they have the data to back up their findings.

Other cities in the top 10 include Tokyo, Kuala Lumpor, Hong Kong, Osaka, Taipei, Seoul, Singapore, Bali and Pattaya.

Agoda says both Thai and foreign tourists would normally lodge in Bangkok for a night or more before continuing to the other destinations.

Agoda also reported that Thailand was placed second after Japan among Asian countries most visited by tourists because of the country’s rich cultural and historical tourist attractions, clean beaches and world-class cuisine.

The 10 most popular cities among Thai tourists are Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Phuket, Tokyo, Khao Yai, Chon Buri, Krabi and Chiang Rai.

The most-favoured country for sight-seeing among Thai tourists is Japan followed by Singapore.

Bangkok

Two foreigners arrested over cannabis oil raid in BKK

Published

15 hours ago

December 10, 2018

The Thaiger

PHOTO: The Nation

A Canadian, a Brit and two Thais were arrested last week following a drug raid in Bangkok.

67 year old David Kulik from Canada was arrested last Monday in Chon Buri alongside 64 year old Brit, Joseph Toole.

The Thai Narcotics Suppression Division raided the warehouse in the Bang Phli area of Samut Prakan, south of Bangkok, which they say they operated for over a year producing cannabis oil.

During the bust Police seized 70 kilograms of oil and 6.6 kilograms of cannabis resin.

The cannabis was smuggled from Laos to the warehouse in southern Bangkok, where after having been processed into oil, was then exported to Belgium and other European countries.

Police claim that it was Joseph Toole, a former doctor, who was in charge of the oil production while Kulik helped finance the operation. They also believe that it is a Japanese national who heads the operation.

SOURCE: ThaiVisa