Provincial authorities in Prachuap Khiri Khan have approved a multi-million baht budget to upgrade buildings at a border crossing with Myanmar. Planning Officer Somboon Nuancharoen says new buildings will be constructed to house immigration, customs, and health and quarantine offices at Singkhon Pass.
Lifeguard organisations say the sea at beaches on western Phuket is still too choppy and dangerous to swim in. They have asked all tourists and island residents to stay out of the sea on the Andaman Sea coast and warn that red flags mean it is too hazardous for swimming.
Thai marine specialists say bleaching has ruined most of the staghorn coral around Koh Talu Island. Paopipat Charoenpak is the Siam Marine Rehabilitation Foundation’s general-secretary and he says up to 90 per cent of the staghorn has been blighted in addition to a chunk of the coral planted by biologists.
Dignitaries from Thailand and Vietnam jointly presided over the inauguration of a memorial to Ho Chi Minh in a remote Thai town. Vietnam Central Committee leader Nguyen Van Nen headed up the party from Hanoi at the ceremony in Nakhon Phanom.
The operator of Bangkok’s Skytrain lines has just finalised an agreement on the purchase of new trains. Bangkok Mass Transit System Public Company Limited (BTS) says it is splitting the contract for the acquisition of 46 new trains between two manufacturers.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has just announced the dates for the second episode of its cycle rallies of Isan. The TAT director for this northeast region of the country said the agency had decided to run the events for a second year as they had proved popular in 2015 and had showcased local attractions.
Thailand’s national parks operator has barred tourists from an Andaman Sea island known locally as the Thai Maldives. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has placed Koh Tachai off limits to visitors for an unlimited time period.
Stallholders at Bangkok’s Silom Road Night Market say they do not want to move and have asked the Thai prime-minister for help. Vendors were given their marching orders by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) earlier this month and have until midnight on Tuesday to comply.
The city of Sisaket is getting ready for the launch of its annual Rocket Festival. The Bang Fai rockets will be taking to the skies above the eastern Thailand city during the two-day cultural extravaganza scheduled to begin on Friday.
India’s highways division says it is about to sign an accord that will see it gain a highway to Thailand. A Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways (MoRTH) spokesperson said negotiations between India, Myanmar and Thailand were at an advanced stage and a basic blueprint had already been agreed on.
Cambodians turned out in their thousands on Friday to join a procession returning looted holy artefacts to a temple near Phnom Penh. Relics said to belong to Buddha and contained in an urn were placed on a golden chariot for the 40km journey to Oudong Temple.
Phuket maritime officials have asked the captains of tour and fishing boats to keep their distance from dolphins at an Andaman Sea island. Regional Marine Conservation Division boss Suchat Rattanaruengsri said a pod of bottlenose dolphins had been spotted swimming close to Koh Mai Thon last week.
Passengers aboard a Thai express train were uninjured in a horrific accident at a level crossing yesterday. The Bangkok to Butterworth service was approaching a level crossing in Suratthani Province at 01:30 yesterday morning when a pickup drove onto the tracks.
Tourists quizzed by a division of the Laos Tourist Ministry have named Luang Prabang as their number one destination. The Tourism Development Department collated answers from 2,800 overseas visitors and found that 83 per cent were planning trips to the UNESCO listed town when in Laos.
The owners of Bangkok’s Siam Discovery Mall have scheduled a grand ceremony to mark its reopening following a major refurbishment. The ceremony is due to take place on 28 May and will celebrate the rebranding of the lifestyle mall as Thailand's biggest lifestyle specialism outlet.
Thai football fans turned out in force yesterday to welcome Leicester City at Bangkok’s main airport. The newly crowned English Premier League (EPL) champions are visiting the homeland of owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha as part of their Asian victory tour.
Thai Buddhists will celebrate the life and times of the Lord Buddha with Visakha Bucha Day this coming Friday. Buddhists will visit their local temples to listen to monks’ sermons and give alms to make merit.
Cambodia’s train operator is currently evaluating the feasibility of establishing a rail link to Phnom Penh International Airport. Royal Railways currently operates trains on the nation’s one-route network and its CEO says that if the project goes ahead it could use existing tracks.
Marine biologists say it is imperative to temporarily stop tourists from visiting one of Thailand’s best known tourist sites in the southern Phi Phi archipelago. Dr Thon Thamrongnawasawat explained that the latent sea temperature in the Andaman is high and is expected to peak at 33°C over the next few weeks.
Phuket’s Save Elephant Foundation has announced the forthcoming inauguration of a retirement camp for elephants. The soft opening for the Elephant Nature Park has been tentatively scheduled for this coming August at a site close to the wildlife sanctuary at Khao Phra Thaew.