Myanmar’s culture and heritage ministry says it plans to add a 900-year-old temple to its list of national historic sites. Tamote Shin Pin Shwe Gu Gyi Pagoda is located in the modern township of Kyaukse and was built in the middle years of the 11th century.
At 2,565 metres, Doi Inthanon is the loftiest mountain in Thailand. The region surrounding Inthanon and the surrounding Daen Lao peaks in the north part of the country was designated a national park in 1954. Doi Inthanon National Park is today one of the most visited tourism locations in Thailand.
Pedestrians and motorists in Bangkok witnessed the unearthly sight of a fireball streaking through the sky yesterday. Witnesses reported that the sudden burst of fire lit up the sky at 08:40 in the morning and was visible up to 100kms away in locations such as Kanchanaburi.
An international highway connecting India and Thailand came closer to reality last week. On Sunday, dignitaries from Thailand and Myanmar attended the dedication of the first 26km section of the route from Moreh to Maesot.
Services on Bangkok’s BTS Skytrain network were severely disrupted this morning after a passenger fell on the tracks. A commuter waiting for a train at Ratchathewi Station fainted and fell off the platform onto the track a little after 07:00 this morning.
Bangkok’s tourist police have announced the arrest of three people alleged to have pick-pocketed passengers on Suvarnabhumi airport trains. At a media briefing yesterday, assistant-superintendant Achayon Kraithong stated that the trio were Chinese nationals and they were arrested at the train station on the lower level of Bangkok’s main airport.
Thailand’s Culture Ministry has selected Sukhothai as the first attraction in the nation to be turned into a low-carbon location. The new designation will see all petrol and diesel powered vehicles banned from the grounds of the UNESCO listed historical park.
Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City has just launched its own version of Bangkok’s renowned canal boat tours. Ho Chi Minh’s Tourism Bureau has joined forces with Saigon Boat JSC in offering two different options for city visitors.
One of Thailand’s most unique tourist locations sits right beside the shores of the Gulf of Thailand. The village of Waghor is adjacent to the King Mongkut Memorial Park of Science in Prachuap Khiri Khan. Mongkut is said to be the father of modern Thai science as he correctly predicted the 1868 solar eclipse.
Thailand’s new transport-minister has given a speech detailing current progress on the nation’s transport infrastructure improvements. During a live television broadcast on Sunday, Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said that a total of 17 different projects were ongoing and they would improve transportation options for both Thais and international tourists.
A historic museum-hotel in the eastern Thai town of Chantaburi has scooped up a UNESCO Cultural Heritage Preservation award. The Baan Luang Rajamaitri Historic Inn was one of four recipients of the coveted Awards of Merit for a community based conservation project.
The architectural style and outer décor of Thailand’s signature temples does not vary too much over the length and breadth of the country. Typical features are whitewashed walls and sweeping, multi-tiered red roofs. The walls are inlaid with the likes of mosaic patterns and gaily painted window shutters.
Myanmar’s tourism bureau has lamented the fact there are not enough signposts in the nation to help foreign tourists find their way to the attractions. A senior official with the Union of Myanmar Tourism Association told media sources those visitors who travel independently without guides face significant difficulties when trying to find their way around.
One of Bangkok’s newest museums was officially inaugurated by Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn last week. The Pipit Banglamphu Museum opened to the general public last August. Its exhibits, displays and artefacts trace the lives of Bangkokians from the mid-19th century onwards.
The festivities and rites for Phuket’s Hungry Ghost Festival began late last week and will run through to 12 September. The festival is known as Por Tor and ethnic Chinese symbolically feed their ancestors and also ask the gods for good fortune during the coming 12 months.
Pattaya’s Walking Street entertainment area arguably offers the best nightlife in Thailand. This street is barely two kilometres long, yet is lined with nightclubs, bars, restaurants and muay Thai boxing rings. Venues such as Club Insomnia, Lucifer Disko and the Marine Disco are famous among night owls.
Work on restoring the Thai railway line from Aranyaprathet to the Cambodian border is due to be finished by the end of 2015. Prime-minister Prayut Chan-o-cha told a visiting delegation from Cambodia yesterday that work on the six kilometre stretch of track between the eastern town and the frontier at Ban Khlong Luek is progressing nicely.
The recent abolition of pre-arranged entry visas has paid dividends for Vietnam as it has recorded increasing numbers of visitors from overseas. On 1 July 2015, Vietnam added the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain to the list of countries whose nationals were granted free 15-day visas at its main international arrival points.
The municipal council in Vientiane has confirmed that it has given the green light for a port and recreation centre on the banks of the Mekong River. Local council chief Phokham Sayasone told media sources in the Vietnamese capital city the complex would be built in the southern district of Sisattanak.
Thailand’s telecommunications division has warned mobile telephone users they have until 30 September 2015 to ensure their SIM cards are registered. The head of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) says that any SIM cards still not logged on the national database by then will have their service cut forthwith.