Transport
- Crime News
Bangkok motorbike taxi drivers attack Grab driver in broad daylight – VIDEO
Three motorbike taxi drivers (‘win’ drivers) have been fined after attacking a Grab bike driver carrying a passenger in Bangkok’s Khlong Tan district. The Grab driver reported to police that at 8:30am yesterday, he was picking up a customer at a condominium in Phra Khanong. He says a local taxi motorbike driver in front of the condo allegedly stopped him…
- Bangkok News
British tourist punches and shoves Thai traveller on Bangkok public transport – VIDEO
An angry British tourist has punched a young Thai MRT traveller in the face after the Thai man, apparently accidentally, knocked the British man’s iPhone 11 out of his hands. The ugly incident was captured by another passenger and has gone viral in Thai and British media. The incident occurred last Sunday in Bangkok, at the Wat Mangkorn station near…
- Transport News
Pollution Control Department officials roll out car-free day on Wednesdays
PHOTO: kenlwrites.com “She says the drive normally takes her an hour and a half but by using the bus and train on Wednesday, her journey time was reduced to 50 minutes.” Thailand’s Pollution Control Department in Bangkok is rolling out a “No Car Wednesday” initiative, with staff being encouraged to choose public transport over their cars for one day a…
- Transport News
Thai Airways offers One Pass One Price Value Card
In a first of what will surely be a prolonged period of promotions, Thai Airways is offering a One Pass One Price Value Card Package which will cover four economy class fares from Bangkok to some destinations in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar. Tickets start at 8,060 baht and are valid for trips from Bangkok to Phnom Penh, Siem Reap,…
- Expats
Visa fee waiver extended
Thailand’s Cabinet has approved a 6 month extension of the Visa on Arrival fee waiver for visitors, designed to generate more tourism spending in Thailand. A deputy government spokesperson said yesterday (October 28) that the Cabinet has in principle approved the draft fee waiver extension for six months beyond the initial expiry date to April 30 2020. Under the campaign,…
- Economy News
Commerce Ministry will appeal US GSP decision
Thailand will ask the United States to reconsider removal of trade preferences for Thai exports under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), according to the Ministry of Commerce. In the past, whenever trade benefits for Thai products exported to the US were suspended, Thailand has appealed to the US, according to the commerce minister, who added that it is ultimately…
- Tourism News
Viral video of Pattaya bus driver arguing with suspected illegal tour guides sparks investigation
Pattaya Tourist Police have begun an investigation into suspected illegal tour guides after a video of a frustrated bus driver arguing with the guides went viral on social media. The Pattaya News reports that the bus was carrying Chinese tourists and the video shows the driver asking the tour guides where they wanted to go. The guides appear to be…
- World News
Report into Lion Air crash blames variety of factors
Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee has released its report into the Lion Air crash of October 29 last year. Thai PBS World says the report blames a combination of aircraft design flaws, inadequate training and maintenance problems for the accident that killed 189 passengers and crew. The report states that Lion Air flight 610, which had taken off from Jakarta…
- World News
Indonesia safety committee to meet families of Lion Air crash victims
The Asean Post reports that the families of the passengers who died when a Lion Air flight from Jakarta crashed into the Java Sea, will meet Indonesian safety investigators next week. The Boeing 737 Max aircraft crashed shortly after take-off last October, killing all 189 passengers and crew. Now the families of those who died will receive a briefing on…
- Economy News
Thai Airways not at risk of shutting down: president
Thai Airways is not at risk of shutting down and recent news reports about the airline’s situation were “misinterpreted”, the beleaguered carrier’s president insisted on Wednesday. The statement appeared to directly contradict remarks he made to high-ranking THAI staff in a speech on Tuesday. He said the remarks were to encourage staff to make an earnest effort to ensure the…
- Tourism News
Visa fee waiver to run until end of April
The government will extend the waiver of visa-on-arrival fees for another six months to boost the number of foreign tourists entering the Kingdom. A government spokesperson announced on Tuesday (October 22) that the Cabinet had approved a six-month extension to the exemption until the end of April next year. The visa fee waiver was implemented in November last year and…
- World News
Thai Airways denies cancelling flights to 4 Asean destinations
Thai Airways has dismissed reports that it will stop flying to four Asean destinations, namely Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar. In a statement issued Tuesday October 22, Thai’s president insisted there is no truth to reports that the airline will stop flights to the four destinations. He said that the company is preparing its corporate strategy, and a thorough analysis…
- World News
Thai Airways announces cancellation of six routes to four ASEAN destinations
The President of Thai Airways International says the airline is set to cancel six flight routes to Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar. The Nation reports that Sumeth Damrongchaitham says the routes in question are all from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport to Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Phnom Penh, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh and Yangon. “These routes are all covered by a small number…
- Transport News
Shake-up at the top in Thai state enterprises – Transport Minister
PHOTO: BTS station – YouTube In a major management shakeup in Thai state enterprises, the transport minister has now appointed a new chairmen to the boards of the Port Authority of Thailand, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) and the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMA). The list of new chairmen has been…
- Northern Thailand News
Thai freight train derails near the Laos border
PHOTO: Prasit Tangprasert Trains running between Bangkok and Nong Khai (the north east province on the Laos border near Vientiane), had to be detoured this morning just after 6am after a freight train became derailed near Bua Yai junction station. According to the Bangkok Post, the train was carrying gravel for use on the construction and maintenance of rail tracks,…
- Road deaths
Thailand aims to reduce road accidents by 50% in 2020
A laudable aim but probably unachievable. Thai transport authorities and police are aiming to reduce the rate of road accidents by half in 2020. They are aiming to meet the goal set by an international benchmark, participants of a national road safety convention held at Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre. The aim has been set in previous years as…
- Transport News
15 baht flat fares for BTS Skytrain – Transport Minister
The government’s new Transport Minister, Saksayam Chidchob, has reiterated its intention to reign in the costs of the city’s Green Line trains, the BTS Skytrain, around Bangkok. They’re even mooting a capped flat fee of 15 baht per ride. The policy was proposed by the Democrats during the election campaign and accepted as party platform for the new coalition in…
- Technology News
Grab or Uber, or Red Buses? Tourist poll in Chiang Mai.
Thai tourists in Chiang Mai have been polled in the The Mae Jo survey checking on the popularity of public transport options around the northern city. There were 423 respondents to the poll carried out between January 9-23. So who did the Thai tourists prefer? Uber and Grab or local red buses (Rot Daeng)? 76% of Thai tourists want to see…
- Events
Public transport arrangements for people attending royal coronation
PHOTO: NNT For people attending the royal coronation ceremony, especially on May 5, 2019, the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) will provide air-conditioned shuttle buses for 11 routes while the Purple and Blue Line MRT and Airport Link will provide free service throughout the day. Pol. Lt. Gen. Kraibun Suadsong, the Commissioner of the Police Strategy Office, announced that the…
- Chiang Mai News
“Red buses are a rip-off. We’d rather use Grab or Uber” – Chiang Mai
A poll among Thai tourists in Chiang Mai is giving a big preference to local Uber and Grab services and the thumbs down to the northern city’s notorious ‘Rot Daeng’ or red buses. The Mae Jo poll shows that 76% of Thai tourists want to see the red vehicles reined in. While 78% say they’d rather use Grab or Uber for…