Thailand’s public rail operator has announced it plans to install x-ray bag scanners at stations in the far south of the country. The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) says it will initially set up the machines at four key stations before installing them at the other 23 stations in the region.
Colourful ceremonies at the weekend marked the start of the annual heritage festival at one of the best-known temples in Laos. Senior Lao government officials and local dignitaries presiding over the ceremonies and parades that kicked off the annual festival on Saturday.
Representatives from Thailand and Cambodian signed an agreement last Friday that will see the inauguration of a new border crossing. The location of the new checkpoint will be Stung Bot. This location is on the common border between the Thai province of Sa Kaeo and Banteay Meanchey Province in Cambodia.
Thailand’s Environment Ministry has established a committee with the remit of coordinating action to deal with the haze that is covering the country’s northern provinces. The national Natural Resources and Environment minister presided over the first meeting of the group over the weekend.
20 domestic Nok Air flights are canceled for Tuesday, February 23rd.
When travelling through Thailand and Southeast Asia, first-class train travel is the way to go. Private cabins and washbasins, super-efficient air-conditioning and spacious sleeping berths are among the features that ensure passengers arrive at their destinations fully refreshed and ready to tackle another day.
Thailand celebrates Makha Bucha Day on Monday. As it is marked by a public holiday all banks and government offices will be closed. The closure does not apply to exchange booths operated by the different banks in major tourist destinations or immigration checkpoints on the nation’s borders with Myanmar, Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos.
The Public Works Division in Laos says building work on a new river bridge to Thailand should begin in 2019. The division’s general manager, Vixay Phoumy, says the design and location details have already been given to the two national governments and the project just needs the green light for it to go ahead.
The Thai cabinet is expected to give the green light for the first part of a rail system that will eventually link Bangkok’s two airports to Pattaya. A proposal to build a new section of the current Airport Rail Link from Phaya Thai to Don Muang Airport will be given to the cabinet for final approval.
The Lao Athletic Federation is in the process of organising a debut marathon that will take place in the national capital of Vientiane. The federation says the event will take place on 5 March 2015 and will feature three different categories with runners divided into age groups.
Vendors at Bangkok’s iconic Flower Market are in the process of packing up their stalls as the facility is closing down. Bangkokians call the market Pak Khlong Talad and its last full day of operations is the 28 February with a clean up scheduled for the following day.
The US embassy in the Laos capital of Vientiane has issued a warning that advises travellers to avoid Xaisomboun Province. The statement said the embassy had temporarily banned its staff from travelling to the central province.
The Meteorological Centre responsible for southeast Thailand has warned residents and tourists in the region to brace themselves for high winds and waves. A warning just released by the bureau says strong winds are expected to hit the Gulf of Thailand coast today and will last until Friday.
Thailand’s Immigration Bureau is set to up the ante in its campaign to weed out foreigners who are staying in the country illegally. The assistant-commander of the kingdom’s Royal Thai Police (RTP) announced that the force had inaugurated an initiative entitled Tell a Friend, Let the Friend Help to this end.
In his weekly address to the Thai people last week, Thailand’s prime-minister confirmed the launch date for a new Bangkok railway line. Prayut Chan-ocha said the Purple Line will open to paying passengers on 12 August 2016.
Pop star Madonna’s two concerts in Bangkok this week proved a big hit with Thai fans. Fans took to social media to express their appreciation with comments such as ‘I was hypnotised’ and ‘her dancing was perfect’.
Fishing vessels rescued more than 60 tourists from a sinking tour boat close to the Andaman Sea’s Similan archipelago on Wednesday evening. The high-speed tourist boat had collided with a piece of floating timber as it was returning to port in Phang Nga at 17:00.
A popular market on the Thai side of the country’s border with Cambodia has been given two months to remove fake brand-name products from its stalls. The deadline for Rong Klua Market to end the sale of knock-off items was decided on at a meeting of government officials in Sa Kaeo Province.
The Cambodian government has ordered the demolition of fences alongside one of the resort town of Sihanoukville’s best-known beaches. Thong Khon is the nation’s tourism-minister and he told reporters that fences at locations on Independence Beach would be dismantled to give sunseekers unrestricted access.
The national tourism bureau has initiated a campaign to make taxi-drivers servicing Suvarnabhumi Airport friendlier and more amenable. The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s aptly entitled Friendly Taxi initiative kicked off yesterday at Bangkok’s main airport.