Thailand’s cabinet has decided to waive tolls on the Bangkok-Pattaya and Bangkok-Bang Pa-in-Bang Phli motorways starting April 10 until midnight on April 18. This takes in the main Songkran break between April 12 – 14 and the annual ‘seven days of danger’.

A Cabinet spokesperson say that a large number of people are expected to leave Bangkok for the provinces during the annual Songkran festival, so the cabinet decided to waive the toll fees to make travel a bit easier and less expensive.

Official holidays for the Songkran festival are from April 12-16, but many families are expected to set out 1-2 days before to avoid heavy traffic on the three main arteries to the northern, northeastern and southern regions.

The Transport Company will be adding extra buses to cope with the increased volumes of travellers and airlines have added flights to the schedule, while more trains will be provided during the holiday period.

PHOTO: Sanook

A family have returned home to find the 75 year old Grandmother had been attacked and mauled by the family’s six pit bull terriers.

The woman, named Iat, was lying in a pool of blood outside the house in Bang Bua Thong, Nonthaburi, on the west side of the Chao Phraya, Bangkok.

Sanook reports that she had been bitten all over suffering dozens of bites was already deceased.

The family’s six pit bull terriers were put back in their cage and the police were called. The woman was home alone with the dogs while her daughter, son-in-law and child were out.

Police speculate the dogs were stressed in the heat or were affected by some strange smell. The report doesn’t mention what action is being taken against the dogs.

SOURCE: Sanook

Usually maligned, it’s great to post a good-news story about Bangkok’s taxi drivers. A capital city cabbie is being praised after returning a bag containing 400,000 baht to a Danish tourist.

T News reports that Somsri Ralat picked up the Danish tourist and his Thai wife at BKK airport and was taking them to their Hotel in Bang Yai yesterday afternoon.

But after they arrived, and the taxi had departed, they realized they left a bag containing cash and documents in the back seat of the taxi.

Back in the taxi, when he arrived back at Suvarnabhumi, the driver contacted staff to ask for help in tracking down the couple.

A couple of hours later the couple were re-united with their bag at the airport.

Managing Director of Suvarnabhumi Airport Suthirawat Suwannawat says Mr Somsri was a credit to Thailand and his actions would be good for the country’s image among foreign tourists.

Of course he was only doing the right thing but often taxi drivers get a bad rap for their behaviour. And the bad stories get most of the media space. So it’s nice to have a happy ending to this taxi story.

It wasn’t reported but one of the pictures indicate Somsri was rewarded for his honesty.

Passengers who leave personal belongings in the back of a taxi they have taken from Survanabhumbi can contact the Taxi Service Center, on 02 132 0360 or the AOT Contact Centre on 1722, 24 hours a day.

SOURCE: TNews