Thailand

Increased fines, better training – changes to motorbike use in Thailand

Published

8 months ago

August 18, 2018

Increased fines, better training – changes to motorbike use in Thailand | The Thaiger

In efforts to temper the world’s number one road toll, a specially-formed Thai committee are poised to recommend a series of new measures to curb, specifically, motorcycle deaths by up to 50% per year.

Some of these include raising fines for not having a license by as much as 1000%, introducing more bike lanes and targeting accident black spots.

Daily News is reporting that the death toll from motorbike accidents in 2017 was 8,900 people.

A committee was formed to investigate causes and remedies and is now ready to recommend measures to the government to slash this by half. The measures could be in place as early as this year’s New Year celebration.

Members of the committee examined riders, vehicles, roads, environmental conditions and laws. They are keen to promote better riding skills, make sure motorcyclists follow road rules and create better awareness of the responsibilities in riding motorcycles.

There are 21 million motorcycles on the roads but only 13 million people have licenses. They target is to make sure everyone has a license and is appropriately trained before they take to the roads. They are especially targeting 15 year olds who can legally ride to school. They often don’t know they can get a license and can get proper training.

Many roads will be getting bike lanes with wider areas reserved for motorcyclists so that there is greater safety on the roads.

Sarawuth Songsiwilai says that authorities had been too soft on bikers. He hopes that the government ministry will approve plans to fine motorcyclists who have no license 5,000 baht up from the present 500 baht. He believes better training and better awareness will help meet the target of 4,500 road deaths through the period of the next ten years.

The government will be considering the proposals through September and October.

SOURCE: The Nation

Thailand

Thai Cabinet extends waiver of Visa On Arrival fees

Published

1 hour ago

April 26, 2019

The Thaiger & The Nation

Thai Cabinet extends waiver of Visa On Arrival fees | The Thaiger

Thailand’s Cabinet has extended the waiver of the fees for ‘visa on arrival’ for some foreign tourists to Thailand. The waiver of the 2,000 baht VOA fee will be extended to at least October 31.

The fee had previously been waived until January 14 this year in a bid to boost tourism. It was then extended until April 30 and has now been extended again. According to the Ministry of Sports and Tourism, waiving the VOA fee had helped support the increase of foreign visitor numbers.

Between November 15, 2018 to March 31, 2019, 3.58 million foreigners visited Thailand, an increase of 83% compared to the 1.6 million visitors during the same period in the previous year.

Meanwhile, waiving the VOA fee resulted in the government losing 2.95 billion baht in revenue but the extra tourists generated an estimated 105 billion baht in tourism revenue.

The Visa On Arrival waiver is available to tourists from 21 countries and regions, including China and India.

Thailand

3.6 million coronation souvenir coins ordered

Published

16 hours ago

April 25, 2019

The Thaiger & The Nation

3.6 million coronation souvenir coins ordered | The Thaiger

The Treasury has reported that orders have been placed for more than 3.6 million souvenir coins of different models that are being especially minted to mark the May 4 coronation of His Majesty the King.

The orders include 200 for the highest value platinum coins worth 1 million baht apiece, and 10,000 for gold coins, department chief Amnuay Preemonwong said.

The department has also extended the booking deadline from April 4 to May 10, while the coins will be delivered from June 1 onwards, he said.

A large number of people have been showing up to place orders at the Treasury Department on Rama VI Road in Bangkok as well as at its related offices in provinces, including the pavilions set up in Chiang Mai and Songkhla.

The department will produce limited quantities of three types of souvenir coins without engraved values.

Only 1,000 platinum coins, worth 1 million baht apiece, will be minted; no more than 100,000 pieces of the blackened and sandblasted silver coins worth 5,000 baht apiece will be minted; and 100,000 pieces of the blackened and sandblasted copper coins, worth 3,000 baht apiece will be minted.

The department will also produce three types of commemorative coins with engraved values as follows: 50,000 gold coins with 19,000 baht denomination priced at 40,000 baht apiece; 100,000 silver coins with 1,000 baht denomination selling at 3,000 baht apiece; and 5 million cupronickel coins with 20 baht denomination going for 20 apiece.

The department will also produce 500,000 sets of commemorative medals priced at 1,600 baht each.

3.6 million coronation souvenir coins ordered | News by The Thaiger

SOURCE: The Nation

Thailand

Driver killed and 10 Burmese workers injured in Tak crash

Published

21 hours ago

April 25, 2019

The Thaiger & The Nation

Driver killed and 10 Burmese workers injured in Tak crash | The Thaiger

by Pipat Jongmeekwamsook

A van driver has been killed and 10 migrant workers injured after the passenger van careered into a roadside ditch and hit a tree in Khamphaeng Phet in Thailand’s central west today.

The 27 year old van driver was killed and 10 Burmese workers were injured when their vehicle crashed in Khamphaeng Phet’s Kosamphee Nakhon district early this morning (Thursday).

Police believe the driver, Thongpoon Chanachan, fell asleep at the wheel and died instantly in the collision. He was taking the migrant workers from Bangkok to renew their visa in Tak.

Rescue workers found the Toyota van with the wrecked front section stuck to the toppled tree when they arrived at the scene on Phaholyothin Highway at 4.30am.

They had to use heavy equipment to extract two of the injured passengers from the wreckage. The other slightly injured passengers told police that they left Bangkok at 10.30pm on Wednesday to renew their visa in Tak’s Mae Sot district, on the border with Myanmar. All the passengers were asleep when the crash happened.

Driver killed and 10 Burmese workers injured in Tak crash | News by The Thaiger