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 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.

SOURCE: The Nation

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.

SOURCE: The Nation