• News & article

  Keep virus guard up

  News, Editorial, Published on 24/01/2020

  » As the Lunar New Year begins on Friday, there is a fear the spread of a novel coronavirus could accelerate as people shop, eat and travel, especially as there will likely be a larger number of tourists coming here for the holidays from China where the outbreak began.

• News & article

  Fee waiver not the answer

  News, Editorial, Published on 22/08/2019

  » The Prayut Chan-o-cha cabinet appears to have made the right decision in turning down a visa fee waiver proposal for Chinese and Indian travellers suggested by the Tourism and Sports Ministry. But the decision will ultimately have no effect, as at the same time, the government announced it will continue to allow Chinese and Indian travellers -- and citizens of 16 other countries -- to get their visas on arrival, free of charge. This is a strange irony.

• News & article

  Diversify the duty-free ops

  News, Editorial, Published on 06/04/2019

  » Starting in September of next year, all duty-free shops at Suvarnabhumi airport will be owned and run by one company for a period of 10 years, if the Airports of Thailand (AoT) insists on going ahead with the monopolistic concession model that it has been using since 2006.

• News & article

  PAD protests went too far

  News, Editorial, Published on 14/02/2019

  » From what began as peaceful street protests against the powerful Thaksin Shinawatra government in 2006, the now-defunct yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) movement got out of control in the following years. It leaders then resorted to extremism and violence, sexed up by hate speech.

• News & article

  Opening up duty-free

  News, Editorial, Published on 01/11/2018

  » As the auction for the concession to operate the duty-free zone at Suvarnabhumi airport comes closer, the fate of an underachieving industry hangs in the balance. The state-run Airports of Thailand (AoT) has not yet revealed whether it will do away with the current monopolistic concession model that has allowed only the sole operator, King Power International, to grow richer -- at the cost of both the state and shoppers.

• News & article

  Woo tourists with safety

  News, Editorial, Published on 04/10/2018

  » While many Chinese travellers will be making overseas trips this week during China's long "Golden Week" holiday, fewer will be coming to Thailand.

• News & article

  Welcome the army pullout

  News, Editorial, Published on 11/09/2018

  » The army has revealed plans for its greatest change of strategy in public memory. Beginning in a year, it will close the bases and shift most Bangkok-based combat units to outlying provinces. The planned move includes most major units of infantry, cavalry and artillery -- troops, tanks and big guns -- as well as headquarters and support units needed to support them. Two well-known regiments are to be completely decommissioned and all their soldiers reassigned.

• News & article

  Pie in the sky?

  News, Editorial, Published on 15/06/2018

  » Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, and the Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) are aiming high. By 2021, three major airports, namely Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang and U-Tapao will have a collective capacity to handle up to 200 million passengers a year.

• News & article

  A failure to protect

  News, Editorial, Published on 10/05/2018

  » The past week has seen extremely troubling revelations about the huge trade in two harmful items. These are cosmetics made from sub-standard or even deadly materials, and so-called dietary and "health" tablets with shady origins. This issue grew out of a probe into celebrity endorsements of questionable products. It is now an important criminal case involving hundreds of possible felons and the four known deaths their products probably has caused.

• News & article

  Airport prices won't fall

  News, Editorial, Published on 18/01/2018

  » Another investigation of airport food and beverage prices is under way. Officials claim to be shocked at some of the price tags they have seen. Of course the inspecting officials, including cabinet ministers, do not have to mingle with common vendors when they fly.

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