Thai authorities have captured a tribe of monkeys that have been making life miserable for residents of an outlying Bangkok suburb. The Department of National Parks (DNP) had spent several weeks training the 400 macaque monkeys to enter a cage to eat before slamming the doors shut last week.
A broken down train caused major disruption on Bangkok’s underground rail system this morning. A spokesperson for Bangkok’s Metropolitan Rapid Transit (MRT) said the engines on one of its trains failed at Bang Sue Station at 09:00.
Bus routes in Thailand cover every corner of the country. If there is a town, village or remote tourist sight you want to visit the chances are that it is on some kind of bus route. Bus options range from converted pick-up trucks with a roof on right through to luxury coaches that are full size yet fitted with just 24 seats.
Thailand’s transport minister has approved the purchase of new trains for Bangkok’s airport link by the national rail operator. The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) will now sign a contract with China’s Changchun Railway Vehicles (CRV) to supply seven four-carriage trains.
The boss of Bangkok’s Airport Rail Link says the company plans to axe passenger check-in services for Suvarnabhumi Airport at Makkasan Station. General Thawatchai Samutsakorn told media sources that the service costs THB7 million a month to run yet is only used by an average of 600 passengers a month currently.
The Thai Transport Ministry says it may opt to source new electric buses for Bangkok from local manufacturers. The deputy-minister said that the price for the total 200 buses might tip the balance in favour of Thai makers.
A proposal by the Royal Thai Police (RTP) may see biometric scanners installed at all entry and exit points to the country. The police say the technology would be better able to screen people entering Thailand and weed out any foreigners who are a risk to national security or criminals.
Thailand’s Transport Planning Division is looking into the feasibility of laying down a train line linking the southwestern coastal provinces. Division director Pheerapol Thawornsupacharoen said recently that the route was one of several possibilities that could improve transportation infrastructure in the south of the nation.
Vietnam’s fabled rice terraces have been labelled one of the planet’s most striking sights by a leading UK daily newspaper. The Telegraph says rice terraces on the sides of hills in locations such as Sapa and Mu Cang Chai are surreal and inimitable.
City authorities in Ho Chi Minh have announced plans which will see a new bus service launched linking its international airport and downtown district. The service will follow a 10km route from Tan Son Nhat Airport to the centrally located Ben Thanh Market.
Thailand’s information ministry this week leaked plans that may see all international internet traffic routed through a single gateway. This will enable the government to more easily control what information Thai citizens have access to and block any websites it deems are inappropriate.
Thailand’s transport-minister presided over ceremonies to welcome the first trains for a new Bangkok commuter line earlier this week. Arkhom Termpittayapaisith travelled to the Gulf of Thailand’s Laem Chabang Port for the official ceremony to accept the two new Purple Line trains.
The local director of the Phuket tourism office has confirmed that construction of the island’s film memorabilia museum will begin soon. Speaking to reporters earlier this week, Santi Pawai said ground-breaking ceremonies for the THB40 million facility will be held in November.
The Hong Kong administration reduced its travel alert for Thailand from red to amber earlier this week. The downgrade means that residents of Hong Kong only need to be careful in public places when visiting Thailand and not avoid it altogether.
Thailand’s Foreign Ministry has officially confirmed it will introduce a new category of tourist visa with six months validity. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted up the confirmation on its Facebook page earlier this week and noted the new visas would be valid for unlimited entries.
A leading Bangkok academic says research has shown that only 10 per cent of the bus stops in the city are equipped for disabled people. Thammasat University’s Choomket Sawangjaroen says that means another 700 bus stops do not comply with the Transport Ministry’s regulations.
In its annual awards for 2015, TripAdvisor has named Hellfire Pass Museum as the best such facility in Thailand. The Kanchanaburi museum is dedicated to the WWII Death Railway and the Allied and Asian prisoners who lost their lives building it.
Thailand’s Transport Ministry says it wants an explanation of how a contract to supply new trains for Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport Link was awarded. The board of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) endorsed a bid from China’s Changchun Railway Vehicles earlier this month to supply seven four-carriage trains.
A central Vietnamese province is preparing to open a unique cave and former hideout of Vietnam War soldiers for tourists. Nguyen Duc Chinh is the People’s Committee chairperson for Quang Tri and he says staff are drawing up a schedule which will see Brai Cave opened to the general public.
Thailand took one of the top awards at the introductory World Spa Awards ceremony recently held in Vietnam. The Southeast Asian nation scooped up the number one prize in the category for World's Best Spa Destination 2015.