PHOTOS: The Nation

Eleven people have been killed and four others seriously injured after a chartered van carrying Lao workers collided with an 18 wheel truck in Sa Kaew province, east of Bangkok on the Cambodian border, early today (map below).

The Nation reports that they were travelling to the Chanthaburi immigration checkpoint to renew their visas.

Police suspect the Thai van driver, Sansern Sathongkhan, might have dozed off behind the wheel, and driven the passenger van into the opposite lane where it crashed head-on with the oncoming 18 wheel truck.

Police and rescue workers rushed to the scene at 4.15am on the Sakaew-Chanthaburi Road section of the highway near the entrance to the Wang Somboon District Office.

They found the dead bodies of the van driver and Lao passengers, many of whom were crushed in the wrecked van while others were flung out of the van with the force of the impact. Rescue workers were able to remove four seriously wounded people from the wreckage, including three Lao passengers and the truck driver, Subin Pengmoo, to rush them to the district hospital.

SOURCE: The Nation

The Tourism and Sports Minister says he’ll seek cabinet approval to offer visa exemptions to visitors from China and India for one year. Already Chinese tourists have a visa-on-arrival fees exemption. The current promotion is set to end on October 31 this year.

If the new visa exemption is approved by cabinet it will start on November 1 and run through to at least October 31, 2020.

The Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says the visa exemption will allow travel in Thailand for up to 15 days.

“Free visas is the ministry’s must urgent stimulus policy, without which tourism arrival growth might not reach our target,” the Minister told the Bangkok Post.

A slowing global economy and a strong Thai baht have put a small dent in the rise and rise of Thailand’s ‘teflon’ tourist industry this year. But the arrival numbers have mostly recovered after a sluggish April and May this year.

The numbers show that 19.76 million tourists arrived in Thailand for the first half of 2019, a small increase of just 1.48% compared to H1, 2018. But Chinese tourists declined by 4.73% over the same period with the nationalities taking up the slack – including India – up 24% compared to the first half of 2018.

The minister says he is confident the visa exemption will help boost the number of travellers from India to reach some 3 million next year and help to encourage Chinese tourists back as well.

Vichit Prakobgosol, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents says the visa exemption will bolster the number of inbound Indians and Chinese to Thailand and will be a significant boost in tough world economic conditions.

FILE PHOTO

Officials and emergency responders in 12 provinces have been instructed to be prepared, and put equipment on standby, to cope with possible floods and landslides until August 20 (Tuesday).

Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation director-general Chayaphol Thitisak says the alert was issued because of heavy downpours in the North, the Central and southeastern coastal areas.

Officials were told to monitor weather conditions, as well as rainfall and river levels around the clock while also preparing fast-moving teams and equipment to be stationed at disaster-prone areas, ready to aid residents. The locals have also been urged to follow weather reports closely, according to The Nation.

The 12 affected provinces include…

Mae Hong Son (Muang, Pang Mapha, Khun Yuam, Mae Sariang, Mae La Noi, Pai, Sop Moei districts), Chiang Rai (Mae Chan, Mae Suay , Mae Lao and Wiang Pa Pao districts), Phayao (Chiang Muan, Chiang Kham and Pong districts), Phrae (Song, Long, Wang Chin and Rong Kwang districts), Nan (Muang, Bo Klua, Chalerm Phrakiat, Wiang Sa, Chiang Klang, Tha Wang Pha, Na Noi, Na Mun, Pua, Thung Chang, Santisuk, Mae Jarim and Ban Luang districts), Uttaradit (Ban Khok, Tha Pla and Nam Pad districts), Tak (Tha Song Yang, Mae Ramat, Mae Sot and Pop Phra districts), Nakhon Nayok (Muang district), Trat (Bo Rai and Khlong Yai districts), Ranong (Muang, Kra Buri, La-un, and Kapoe dsitricts), Phang Nga (Muang, Kapong, Takua Pa and Tai Muang districts), and Trang (Na Yong district).

The department’s hotline is 1784 and monitored 24/7.

FORECASTS: weather.com

Meanwhile the forecast from weather.com for Phang Nga is for mostly dry conditions during the warning period.

…whilst Chiang Rai’s forecast includes a greater chance of rain.