Astronomers in Thailand say Perseid shooting stars will illuminate the night sky over the country tonight. The National Astronomical Research Institute (NARI) says the optimum viewing time will be between 02:00 and 03:00 tomorrow morning.
The chief of Thailand’s tourist police says the department is about to double the number of its officers. Chief Surachet Hakpan stated that the department will recruit another 825 officers to increase the total to more than 1,700.
The tourism ministry in Myanmar has issued orders to in-country travel agents telling them to keep badly behaved visitors under control. Confirming the crackdown, Union of Myanmar Travel Association (UMTA) general-secretary Daw Thatoe Thuzar Aung stated laminated posters listing the dos and don’ts would be distributed.
The mayor of Phuket’s Patong Town says flood defences are being enhanced and should be adequate enough to handle monsoon rain runoff. Mayor Chalermluck Kebsup told reporters on the southern Thai holiday isle that municipal workers had been clearing obstructions from and dredging streams and canals.
Thailand’s Ministry for the Environment has banned people from playing Pokemon Go in the nation’s national parks. A natural resources permanent secretary said the directors of all the country’s parks and wildlife reserves had been instructed to stop gamers from playing the just released app in zones under their jurisdiction.
The management authority at Cambodia’s Angkor Archaeological Park has announced an increase in entry fees for visitors. The cost of a one-day pass is set to rise from US$20 to US$37 in six months time.
Saturday saw the inauguration of passenger services on Bangkok’s Metropolitan Rapid Transit (MRT) Purple Railway Line. HRH Princess Sirindhorn was on hand to officially launch the latest addition to Bangkok’s urban transport options.
Thailand and Japan have reached an agreement which will see a high-speed rail link built between Bangkok and Chiang Mai. The transport ministers of the two nations met in Bangkok on Friday and signed a memorandum of understanding.
Saturday saw the official launch of the Pokemon Go gaming app in Thailand and 14 other countries in the local region. Gaming aficionados are now able to find and train virtual creatures in real-life locations in Thailand.
A book just released by Lonely Planet has a whole section dedicated to enjoying the delights of Bangkok on the cheap. Entitled The Best Things in Life are Free, the book details 18 top Bangkok destinations which are either free or only cost the equivalent of cents and pennies.
The US embassy in Bangkok has issued an advisory telling its citizens in Thailand to be careful this weekend. The embassy notes in the advisory that 7 August is referendum day and the ruling Thai government has a ban on meetings, political or otherwise, in place.
The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand has approved the appointment of an operator for a new Bangkok train link. A spokesperson for the authority says it will sign a formal contract with the Bangkok Expressway and Metro Company next month.
Thailand’s telecommunications agency is in the process of finalising a scheme that may see the introduction of dedicated mobile telephone SIM cards for tourists. National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission boss Thakorn Tanthasit explained that a similar scheme enacted in Malaysia had worked well.
The Thai government endorsed a road map to build and use electric vehicles on Tuesday. A spokesperson told reporters the inner cabinet had given the green light for a proposal to manufacture battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in three sizes.
Chiang Mai University is laying on a treat for culture vultures this week with a trio of traditional Lanna dance performances. A cast of the university’s Fine Arts faculty members and local artistes are set to grace the stage at the campus’s arts museum.
Thailand’s union of travel agents says the north of the country is still a preferred destination for holidaymakers from China. The president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents said a recent study had revealed Chinese people were still visiting and arrival figures were expected to reach a new high in the current fiscal year.
The government of Thailand has given the go-ahead for the construction of two more train lines in Bangkok. Thai media sources quoted Ormsin Chivapruck, the deputy-transport-minister, as saying the contracts for the construction of the Light Red and Dark Red lines would probably be put out to tender next month.
Thailand’s national tourism agency has devised a plan to promote Khon Kaen as a hub for travel in the northeast region of the nation. Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Yuthasak Supasorn explained that the city is in a prime location in the region and has plenty of attractions to draw in visitors.
A senior Cambodian cabinet minister says the final stretch of a rail link to Thailand will be completed by the end of 2016. Public Works and Transport minister Sun Chanthol stated that the final 6.5kms to the border town of Poipet could even be ready for testing by October.
Monday sees the start of the month long 2016 Phuket Lobster Festival. Aficionados of fresh seafood can enjoy unique lobster specialities at any of the southern Thai island’s 35 participating restaurants with the added bonus of preferential prices.