The fabulous beaches at Ao Nang, Koh Lanta and Koh Phi Phi are just an overnight bus journey from Bangkok. The journey from Bangkok’s Southern Bus Terminal to the main bus station in Krabi only takes a little over 10 hours on a VIP service and 12 with a standard Class 1 air-conditioned bus.
Thailand’s Transport Bureau has warned errant bus drivers they face losing their licences to drive public service vehicles. The Department of Land Transport (DLT) says a surge in complaints by the travelling public has prompted the crackdown.
The Thai railway route from Bangkok to Ubon Ratchathani is to get a major upgrade that will allow it to handle 160kph trains. Last week, local dignitaries attended a public meeting in Surin where the draught plans for the line were unveiled.
Thailand’s national railway agency has resurrected a plan to relocate its Bangkok terminus station. The scheme to shift the terminus from Hua Lamphong Station to a new home at Bang Sue Station was originally proposed a decade ago with a scheduled completion date of 2012.
In an attempt to cut road accidents involving Chinese drivers, Thailand says it will put up road signs in Chinese in the northern regions of the country. The Thai Transport Ministry and the Tourism Bureau are collaborating on the project which will see the signs erected over the next 12 months.
The Thai government last week said the two resident pandas at Chiang Mai Zoo would be staying for another eight years. Cabinet spokesperson Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the national zoo organisation had agreed terms with China to lengthen the giant pandas’ stay in Thailand until 2023.
Thailand’s bureau for land transport has released news of a campaign to improve toilet facilities at bus stations throughout the country. The improvements are two-pronged and the first part will see toilets and washing facilities spruced up and standardised so that passengers are afforded the same experience no matter which station they are at.
The Vietnamese government announced this week it has shelved plans to install a cable car system at Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. Quang Binha provincial authorities had proposed installing the system as part of infrastructure improvements in the UNESCO designated park.
A senior Thai government minister says China has downgraded its plans for a rail link from Yunnan Province to Nong Khai. Deputy prime-minister Pridiyathorn Devakula told media sources in Hong Kong this week that China was now looking at a line that could accommodate medium speed trains.
The chairperson of Thailand’s state-owned long-distance bus company says a review of its operations is necessary to stop it losing money. Anusorn Saengnimnual says the numbers of passenger travelling on Transport Company buses has fallen significantly in the past few years.
Leading Indian sitarist Purbayan Chatterjee is due to arrive in Thailand this weekend and will stage concerts on Sunday and Monday. The two concerts will also feature singing by Joyeta Choudhury and percussionist Rupak Bhattacharjee on the tabla.
A district of Thailand’s Loei Province is making the final preparations for its annual three-day ghost festival. Mediums in Dan Sai District have ascertained this weekend is the most favourable time of 2015 to stage what is known locally as the Phi Ta Khon Festival.
Thailand’s four arterial train routes all offer the choice of travelling in a first class sleeping carriage. Without booking a trip on the Eastern and Oriental Express, a first class journey on a Thai train is the best way of experiencing the style of the golden age of travel.
Ubon Ratchathani is a pleasant town in the Isarn region of Thailand and the gateway to southern Laos. The town was a base for US bombers in the Vietnam War and little has changed in the meantime.
The organisers of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia racing championship have announced that the event will be returning to Thailand next month. Rounds seven and eight of the annual competition are set to be staged at Buriram’s Chang International Circuit between 31 July and 2 August.
The northeastern Thai city of Khon Kaen is today busy putting the final touches to an exhibition hall in preparation for the beginning of a Chinese culture extravaganza. The venue for the displays and shows is the Convention Centre at the city’s university campus.
Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry has posted a note on its website saying citizens of five European nations will be eligible for free visas next month. Effective 1 July 2015, people from the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain will be given 15-day visas when they arrive at a port of entry for the country.
Chanthaburi is the next province along Thailand’s gulf coast from Rayong and not much farther from the legendary seaside resort town of Pattaya. Despite this proximity, many travellers skip Chanthaburi’s beaches in favour of those on Koh Chang or pass by on their way to the Cambodian border.
Myanmar’s Transport Ministry has authorised tests to find out whether taxis in Yangon should be fitted with meters. The trials are due to take place some time this month and will see 100 taxis fitted with prototype meters.
Thailand’s prime-minister has ordered emergency services to prepare for heavy monsoon storms and rain expected over the next few days. The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department has been given the responsibility of coordinating relief operations in the event of flooding, landslips or hurricane-strength winds.
