Showing 21-30 of 102 results
-
Warning about Thai tourism
Published on 03/09/2013
» The Thai Chamber of Commerce has warned that Thailand is in danger of losing out to Malaysia and Singapore in the battle to attract tourists. Aat Pisanwanich, a director, said that other ASEAN countries had improved their tourist and hospitality profiles while Thailand appeared to be standing still. “Foreign visitors are less satisfied than they once were with the Siamese Smile,” he said whilst adding that some front-line staff tended to look displeased. He suggested that the service industry in Thailand should concentrate on improving staff attitudes or risk losing many visitors in the future. Other suggestions were to improve the language skills of staff, not only in English but in Japanese and Chinese as well. If these improvements were made, the Chamber concluded, Thailand could well draw up to 34 million tourists a year by the end of this decade with their revenue of 1.65 trillion baht contributing over 11 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. Currently Malaysia attracts slightly more than the 22 million visitors to Thailand at 25 million with Singapore next at 14 million.
-
Too many foreign tramps
Published on 03/09/2013
» According to the Issarachon Foundation, there are now 200 or so foreigners roaming the streets and beaches in Thailand, unable to pay for their daily living costs or their airfare home. The main reason, according to the charity, is the increasing number of aliens who have registered property in the name of their Thai wife and then been ejected to fend for themselves. Natee Saravari, secretary-general of the Foundation, said that it was not uncommon to see Europeans sorting through the trash at fast food restaurants looking for something to eat or begging on beachfront areas. He added that whilst most Thai homeless people have some form of mental illness, most destitute farang are alcoholics. There are thought to be about 50 homeless foreign men in Pattaya, living mostly in beach areas and eating at one or two charitable institutions which don’t turn them away. Embassy sources say they mostly have expired visas or lost passports and can no longer receive cash handouts from diplomatic sources. Consular officers will contact relatives on request for financial assistance. If that fails, the general advice is to give themselves up for overstay. They will remain in prison pending often lengthy arrangements by their respective embassy to fly them home. Once returned, they will normally be deprived of their passport pending repayment of the airfare.
-
New attack on nominee loopholes
Published on 05/09/2013
» The office of the Ombudsman is seeking new legislation to prevent foreigners illegally owning land via Thai nominees. Under the proposed legislation, foreigners would face long terms of imprisonment or fines up to two million baht for trying to hide their purchase of land. Those found holding Thai papers illegally might be allowed up to a year to transfer the plots to legitimate entities. The current loopholes are said to be mainly setting up registered companies with a 51:49 Thai-foreign ownership or by marrying a Thai. There is a suspicion that many plots of land are illegally owned by Thais in mainland Thailand and on the islands of Phuket and Koh Samui. At the moment land ownership deals are not public information, leading to suspicious transactions by Thais and foreigners alike. Critics say that there is no reason for new laws. What’s needed is strict enforcement of existing legislation including the anti-money laundering rules and the notoriously lax tax laws on property transactions.
-
Drunken Russian breaks baht bus windscreen
Published on 05/09/2013
» Unable to name his destination, a Russian tourist flared up and broke the windshield of a baht bus. The driver, Surachai, said the Russian flagged down the songthaew on Second Road, and climbed in back. After riding for about a kilometer, Surachai stopped and asked where the passenger was going. The tourist appeared drunk and became angry enough to slam his elbow into the windscreen. When police arrived at the scene they were unable to communicate with the Russian. The Russian was taken to the police station, then left and went to sleep outside the Montien Hotel. He will be rearrested when the booze wears off and a translator is available.
-
ASEAN URGED TO BECOME CONNECTED HUA HIN ASEAN FOREIGN MINISTER’S RETREAT
Published on 05/09/2013
» Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said that attention should be paid to lift ASEAN internal connectivity to a new height while pursuing the essential principles of the group in outlining a post-2015 vision.
-
Mystery corpse floats in the sea
Published on 30/07/2013
» Marine police were quick off the mark after spotting a bobbing object in the sea off Wongamat Beach. It was discovered to be the dead body of an unknown man, aged about 30 and wearing only sweatpants. There were no injuries to the body and he had been dead a day or two. Local fishermen said it was likely that the man had been murdered or maybe had accidentally fallen into the water. It is hoped that an autopsy will shed light on the matter.
-
Gambling debtor is knived
Published on 31/07/2013
» A man stabbed twice in his torso and right arm was found by police groaning on the ground on Soi Wat Tai Hee. Covered in blood, 34-year-old Prawit Klao Kleamng was rushed to Memorial Hospital. Shortly afterwards, Weerapong Chomtawon calmly walked into the medical facility and announced that he was the knife wielder and was very annoyed that Prawit had not repaid a gambling debt of 1,200 baht. Weerapong said that during an argument in a bar, there had been a fight with broken bottles, after which he stabbed the debtor. Weerapong said he was giving himself up before influential friends of the injured man took their own revenge.
-
Police raids on niteries continue
Published on 31/07/2013
» Banglamung civic officials and police descended on entertainment venues on Walking Street and Soi Buakhao in search of illegal drug use, underage drinkers and licence irregularities as the crackdown on booze-driven crime continues apace. In some establishments Thai nationals were told to provide urine specimens for analysis. Some 15 men and women were escorted to the police station for an in-depth chat. One club owner had fled the scene before the police marched in and turned on the lights; he is being sought by investigators as the paperwork from the city authorities was found to be incomplete.
-
Oil spill threatens local beaches
Published on 06/08/2013
» Eastern Seaboard beaches are under threat from an oil spill stemming from a pipe leak in an offshore platform near Rayong. Using ships and helicopters, the Thai Navy and several agencies are working around the clock to contain the spread of the crude oil. The leak itself has been blocked, but not before more than 70 tons of oil had spilled into the Gulf of Thailand over an area of about 1.5 nautical miles. The primary objective of workers now is preventing the oil slick from reaching beaches, thereby threatening tourism and wild life. The offshore platform is operated by PTT Global Chemical, a subsidiary of national petroleum company PTT. Prasert Bunsumpun, company chairman, acknowledged that a crude transport pipe had begun leaking at a single-point mooring in Rayong Province. Barriers have been placed around the spill and an oil skimmer is collecting surface oil as quickly as possible, before the oil slick created an environmental catastrophe.
-
Sexual violation a dire problem
Published on 06/08/2013
» <p>Deputy mayor Weerawut Kharkai hosted a conference on sexual abuse and human trafficking with guest speakers from the Ministry of Justice. Speakers at Pattaya School Number 7 explained that many Thai boys and girls are naïve and easily tricked into sexual exploitation and disgrace which is a problem for all society. Attorney-at-law Kreangsak Sintaveepermpoon said that an increasing number of girls under the age of consent are becoming pregnant and seeking abortions. Both boys and girls are being led into selling drugs, offering prostitution and recording obscene video clips which can end up on the internet. The attorney concluded that a massive education program was urgently needed in local schools to offset the tide of scandal and cynicism.</p>
Your recent history
-
Recently searched
-
Recently viewed links
Did you find what you were looking for? Have you got some comments for us?
