Thailand

Thailand to improve safety for ziplining and adventure tourism

Published

4 weeks ago

Monday, March 29, 2021

Thaiger

Photo via Flight of the Gibbon

Looking ahead to the return of foreign tourists, Thailand tourism officials are planning to improve safety standards for adventure activities like ziplining in an effort to prevent accidents from happening and to gain tourist confidence.

In 2019, a Canadian man died in a zipline incident in Chiang Mai. He was attached to the harness, ready for the 5 kilometre Flight of the Gibbon, when he stepped off the platform and fell 12 metres to the ground. He died from the impact.

Flight of the Gibbon said at the time there was a “metallurgical failure.” The man’s family said they believed the cable clamps were not fixed properly before he left the platform.

The man’s family have called for safety upgrades for ziplining in Thailand. In a previous report, they said…

“We are very happy to have the support of the Thai government and local authorities to implement change and accountability that will make safety in ziplining equal to other countries.”

To come up with new safety standards, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports has teamed up with Kasetsart University’s Faculty of Engineering. So far, they’ve created manuals for adventure tourism to help prevent accidents, according to the ministry’s deputy permanent secretary Taweesak Wanichcharoen. Not only would improved safety standards help gain trust from tourists, Taweesak says it will also help with the growth of tourism.

A report from the Bangkok Post on the new safety standards did not mention the 2019 fatal ziplining accident or details on what exactly the new safety standards will be. Taweesak says the improved standards will first be implemented in Chiang Mai, Phuket, Kanchananburi, Udon Thani, Chon Buri and Bangkok.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post

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8 Comments

Issan John

Monday, March 29, 2021 at 1:32 pm

Laughable. Even in the PR photo none of those on the platform, including the supervisor, are secured correctly.

Reply
toby andrews

Monday, March 29, 2021 at 6:20 pm

There is a zip line down from a 55 floor Pattaya tower.
We went down great fun.
B300 for foreigners to go up there B150 for Thais.
What a bargain – for Thais.

Reply
Issan John

Monday, March 29, 2021 at 8:51 pm

AFAIK it’s actually 400 and 200 baht for the zipline at Pattaya Park, Toby A, and 600 and 400 baht for the buffet 😂

Reply
toby andrews

Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at 9:47 am

Ah, I’m out of date.

Reply
Stu

Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at 10:49 am

This must be some of the thai 2 tier pricing that ij vigorously denied existing on our last comment spar….

Reply
Issan John

Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at 12:20 pm

No Stu, never “vigorously denied [it] existing” at all – another figment of your imagination.

I simply said that I’d seldom been affected by it and it didn’t really worry me.

Reply
Stu

Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at 4:13 pm

Oh no ij…. You wrote a diatribe of biblical proportions on how the 2 tier pricing barely existed and that it doesn’t affect visitors etc etc. I remember well as it was my first time realizing what a strange person you are. It was multiple comments even questioning the validity of my Thai residency.

Your a special man ij…..:) Perhaps now u can admit that actually thai dual pricing is really a thing and it’s even for a buffet….. Which incidently is outrageous.

Reply
Mr cynic

Wednesday, March 31, 2021 at 6:24 am

The duel pricing here may be justified to a degree.falangs generally are far larger than thais so the wear and tear on the zip line equipment may be greater.also as ij has kindly pointed out the buffet is dual priced also.prehaps that is on the basis the fat smelly falangs will take far larger portions than the lithe s*it smells of rose’s local thais.

Reply

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37 inmates at Chiang Mai prison test positive for Covid-19

Published

12 hours ago

Thursday, April 22, 2021

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Chiang Mai Central Prison/ Photo via Facebook/ เรือนจำกลางเชียงใหม่

At least 37 new inmates at Chiang Mai Central Prison have tested positive for Covid-19 in routine testing during the quarantine period for new inmates before they enter the general prison population. Provincial public health chief Jatchuchai Maeerat said the inmates who tested positive for the virus were sent to a field hospital at the prison in Chiang Mai’s Mae Taeng district.

The Chiang Mai public health office is now urging other prisons in the area, particularly the Chiang Mai Women Correctional Institution and the Fang District Prison, to follow similar protocols as the Central Prison to prevent the spread of the coronavirus among the general prison population and the staff, Jatchuchai says.

“We test new inmates after they have been monitored for symptoms during a 14-day quarantine and then sent to the inner zone… All infected prisoners are separated and sent to a field hospital within the prison.”

Since April 1, there have been 2,448 Covid-19 cases reported in Chiang Mai. So far, 134 patients have recovered and have been released from the hospital. The Chiang Mai public health department has 16,000 tablets of the antiviral medication Favipiravir. He says it’s enough to treat the patients in Chiang Mai.

Earlier this month, there was a Covid-19 outbreak at a prison in the southern province Narathawit. The outbreak prompted prison officials to cancel visits to contain the virus.

SOURCE: Nation Thailand

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Thailand provincial figures for Monday’s Covid cases

Published

4 days ago

Monday, April 19, 2021

Tim Newton

Thailand provincial figures for Monday’s Covid cases | Thaiger

The NBT has published an infographic including all the provincial data on new Covid infections over the past 24 hours in Thailand. Note that some of the data is released by the provinces one day but not reported by the CCSA as a national tally until the following day.

Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Chon Buri, again, lead the way with the latest report. The provinces around Bangkok also feature heavily with today’s numbers. 63 of the country’s 77 provinces have all reported additional cases in the past 24 hours.

The CCSA earlier reported a total of 1,390 new Covid infections today. The tally is a welcome drop in new case reports after the last 5 days’ record levels of new infections. Yesterday there were 1,767 new infections reported.

3 more people have died of Covid-related illnesses, 14,851 people remain under state supervision.

Thailand provincial figures for Monday's Covid cases | News by Thaiger

Chiang Mai

Officials in Chiang Mai and Hua Hin express concern amid rapid rise in infections

Published

1 week ago

Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Maya Taylor

Officials in Chiang Mai and Hua Hin express concern amid rapid rise in infections | Thaiger

PHOTO: Wikimedia

Health officials in the northern province of Chiang Mai and the western province of Prachuap Khiri Khan are on high alert amid a surge in Covid-19 cases. Prachuap Khiri Khan has now reported 334 cases, with infections rising by 141 yesterday. The outbreak is primarily centred around the Hua Hin district, with provincial health official Suriya Khuharat saying most people contracted the virus after attending a concert at the Maya Exclusive Pub on March 30.

Anyone who is concerned they may be infected can receive a free Covid-19 test at either Prachuap Khiri Khan or Hua Hin hospitals. The Bangkok Post reports that, in the last few days, around 500 people a day have visited Hua Hin Hospital for testing.

Hua Hin district and health officials have filed a police complaint against the owners of the Maya Pub, who are accused of violating the emergency decree and disease prevention measures. The March 30 concert is thought to be behind the surge in infections in the seaside district, with over 90% of cases linked to the pub. The chain of transmission is believed to have originated with 1 customer who attended the concert after travelling from Bangkok. The woman is an employee at the Krystal Club in Thong Lor, itself at the centre of a Covid cluster.

Meanwhile, in Chiang Mai, health officials say a surge in infections, now exceeding 200 a day, is causing great concern. Yesterday, the northern province reported 260 new cases, with public health chief Chatuchai Maneerat admitting the surge could lead to a shortage of hospital beds.

“Currently we have 1,000 beds in the province’s field hospital and that may not be sufficient. So, the province’s communicable disease control panel has decided to add another 1,000 beds.”

Despite the rise in infections, the Department of Disease Control says there are currently no plans for a national lockdown, given that other provinces are not as severely affected. Opas Karnkawinpong from the DDC says the most important thing is for people to work from home and avoid social gatherings until at least the end of April.

“People are asking if there will be a lockdown. I’d say that a lockdown is the last resort if virus transmissions show no signs of letting-up. Activities that draw large crowds pose the greatest risk and should be avoided until the end of this month at least.”

SOURCE: Bangkok Post