Bolt vs Win motorbike taxi gang violence continues in Pattaya | Thailand News Today
Pattaya prepares for return of Chinese tour groups
Cities across Thailand continue to prepare for the expected rise in the number of Chinese tourists to the kingdom.
Pattaya is preparing for Chinese tour groups to finally return to the renowned party city. On Tuesday, Pattaya Mayor kh. Poramase met with the Thai-Chinese Tourism Association to discuss how best to accommodate the influx of Chinese tourists to the city.
The association’s president, advised the Pattaya mayor to step up Pattaya’s security and sanitation to impress Chinese tourists.
Chanaphan said a tour company in the association would create a tour package for Chinese tourists. The package will be divided into three groups: luxury, medium, and normal. Chinese tourists would be guided to tourist spots around Pattaya that have been quality-assured by the association.
Pattaya is also looking to speed up construction work on Second Road since tour buses with Chinese tourists are expected to return. However, the work isn’t expected to be finished until around Songkran in April.
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Bolt vs Win motorbike taxi gang violence continues in Pattaya
Violence between rivalling motorbike taxi operators continues in Pattaya, eastern Thailand, where three ‘Win‘ drivers were injured after being beaten with a baseball bat and an iron bar, allegedly by Bolt drivers.
Win driver Anan said he was sitting on his motorbike waiting for customers in front of a convenience store about 50 metres away from the Win driver’s station.
Suddenly, three Bolt drivers parked up claiming to wait for customers. But the Bolt drivers entered the Win driver’s specified area, said Anan, which is not allowed.
After more conversation and threats were made, the win driver asked his 2 friends to join him as he was alone in front of 3 bolt drivers. Things turned violent and the Bolt drivers beat the three Win men with a baseball bat and an iron bar.
The assailants left their weapons at the scene, which the Win drivers took to the police station as evidence along with CCTV footage from the convenience store.
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Huge waves in the southern Thai sea destroys beach and 200 palm trees
Thap Sakae Beach and 200 palm trees in the southern province of Prachup Khiri Khan were devastated as huge waves battered its shoreline yesterday morning.
According to Thap Sakae sub-district chief Maria Phaopratarn, the waves and wind at Thap Sakae Beach in the southern province of Prachup Khiri Khan were unusually strong yesterday morning and began to subside around 4pm.
The chief reported that a series of large waves repeatedly struck the beach, causing significant damage. Approximately 500 meters of beach were destroyed and around 200 palm trees, some over 30 years old, were washed away.
The impact of the inclement weather on the lives and properties of residents is currently unclear, but according to social media posts, many temporary shelters built by fishermen in the area were also destroyed.
More strong winds and waves are expected to hit the resort by the end of January, according to the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD). The authorities have warned local fishermen to take care of their fishing boats and tools and keep them away from the shore.
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Thailand to spend US$250 million on private VIP jets
The Cabinet approved an 8.8-billion-baht (US$270 million) budget to procure private VIP jets for members of the Thai royal family, ministers and honoured guests.
Proposed by the prime minister’s secretariat and approved on Tuesday, the plan includes the procurement of new aircraft and components and the training of personnel. It’s just the latest of many curious budget decisions we can expect before the forthcoming general election as Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha seeks to establish his legacy.
The money will be spent over four years from the fiscal year 2024 – 1.75 billion baht in 2024, 2.19 billion baht in 2025, 2.20 billion baht in 2026 and 2.63 billion baht in 2027.
The main beneficiary of the private VIP jets appears to be the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) which wants to replace the old Airbus A340-500 procured from Thai Airways for VIP travel. The Airbus is currently used to transport VIPs but also for humanitarian missions, aiding victims of natural disasters and evacuation of Thai nationals abroad.