Thailand Forums - Thailand Guidebook http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/ Questions and answers about places to visit in Thailand. This forum is brought to you by www.ThailandGuidebook.com en-USA Sat, 25 May 2013 09:00:14 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/images/misc/rss.png Thailand Forums - Thailand Guidebook http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/ Toronto to Bangkok airlines? http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?43821-Toronto-to-Bangkok-airlines&goto=newpost Sun, 19 May 2013 16:56:02 GMT Taking the trip in Jan/14... Cathay seems to be the cheapest and most direct. Can anyone offer some info on how crazy it will be for a first time overseas traveler to make connections in Hong Kong? As opposed to Beijing or Frankfurt...seems they... Taking the trip in Jan/14...
Cathay seems to be the cheapest and most direct. Can anyone offer some info on how crazy it will be for a first time overseas traveler to make connections in Hong Kong? As opposed to Beijing or Frankfurt...seems they only offer one stop flights to alternating destinations for the lay overs..depends on what day I try to book. ]]> Thailand Guidebook toydajo http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?43821-Toronto-to-Bangkok-airlines Currency..to carry? http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?43819-Currency-to-carry&goto=newpost Sun, 19 May 2013 15:28:14 GMT Hi wondering if I should carry us/canadian $. or Thai?...and is it safe to carry it all or is it better to use a bank or ATM over there and get it exchanged as I need it? I am expecting to travel around a bit .. Hi wondering if I should carry us/canadian $. or Thai?...and is it safe to carry it all or is it better to use a bank or ATM over there and get it exchanged as I need it? I am expecting to travel around a bit .. ]]> Thailand Guidebook toydajo http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?43819-Currency-to-carry Use of forum--question on Thai map http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?43812-Use-of-forum-question-on-Thai-map&goto=newpost Thu, 16 May 2013 23:19:00 GMT I APOLOGIZE IF I AM USING THIS FORUM INCORRECTLY; I AM NOT PARTICULARLY TECH-SAVVY. IS THIS THE RIGHT PLACE TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THAILAND? - MY CURRENT QUESTION IS: WHERE CAN I FIND AN ONLINE MAP OF THAILAND WHICH GIVES PLACE NAMES IN THAI OR... I APOLOGIZE IF I AM USING THIS FORUM INCORRECTLY; I AM NOT PARTICULARLY TECH-SAVVY. IS THIS THE RIGHT PLACE TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THAILAND? - MY CURRENT QUESTION IS: WHERE CAN I FIND AN ONLINE MAP OF THAILAND WHICH GIVES PLACE NAMES IN THAI OR THAI/ENGLISH?

I ALSO POSTED THIS QUESTION IN THE CHAT ROOM. I AM JUST NOT SURE HOW TO PROPERLY USE THIS WONDERFUL FORUM TO ASK QUESTIONS OF ITS MEMBERS. :help:

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR ANY HELP ANYONE CAN OFFER RE: THE USE OF THIS FORUM, AND IN ANSWER TO MY QUESTION.

SID LEONARD ]]> Thailand Guidebook sidleonard http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?43812-Use-of-forum-question-on-Thai-map Visitor Warning: Public Health England Concerned so Many Travellers Returning Home with Dengue - Thail http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?43811-Public-Health-England-Concerned-so-Many-Travellers-Returning-Home-with-Dengue-Thail&goto=newpost Thu, 16 May 2013 14:19:18 GMT *Public Health England Concerned so Many Travellers Returning Home with Dengue - Thailand Enemy Number One* May 16, 2013 Lifestyle CityNews - Figures from the Public Health England (PHE) have shown an almost three-fold increase in the number of... Public Health England Concerned so Many Travellers Returning Home with Dengue - Thailand Enemy Number One
May 16, 2013
Lifestyle

CityNews - Figures from the Public Health England (PHE) have shown an almost three-fold increase in the number of dengue fever cases reported in returning travellers from England, Wales and Northern Ireland between January and April 2013 when compared to the same period last year.

To the end of April 2013, 141 confirmed and probable cases of dengue fever have been reported. In contrast there were 51 cases during the same period in 2012.

In 2011, the annual number of cases was 223 with 343 reported in 2012 – an increase of 54%.

Dengue fever is transmitted by mosquito bites and is common in tropical and subtropical parts of the world, affecting around 100 countries. The symptoms are typically a severe flu-like illness with severe headache, muscle pain and a rash. It cannot be spread from person-to-person and is rarely fatal.

There is no specific treatment for dengue fever, and in most people, symptoms can be managed by taking paracetamol, drinking plenty of fluids, and resting. A very small number of people can go on to develop more serious symptoms and need to be admitted to hospital.

Of the cases reported to PHE so far in 2013, 37 have reported travel to Thailand compared to 16 for the same period in 2012. The annual totals of cases who report travel to Thailand have also continued to increase year-on-year with 21 in 2011 and 58 in 2012.

on April 28th Thailand's Ministry of Health reported that 28 people had died and 24,000 had been infected with dengue fever in Thailand so far in 2013.

Of the other travel destinations reported so far in 2013, 13 had been to Sri Lanka, 11 to Barbados, 9 to Brazil and 6 to Jamaica. Other sporadic cases have been acquired from travel to Asia, Africa and the Americas.

Dr Jane Jones, a travel-associated infection expert at PHE, said:

The increase in the numbers of people returning with dengue fever is concerning so we want to remind people of the need to practise strict mosquito bite avoidance at all times to reduce their risk of becoming unwell.

Of those who became unwell the majority had been to South East Asia and the Far East with the next highest proportions visiting the Indian Subcontinent, followed by the Caribbean. Anyone who develops a fever or flu-like symptoms within two weeks of returning from these areas should seek medical advice from NHS 111 or their GP.

Dr Dipti Patel, joint director of the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC), which is commissioned by PHE, said:

There is no specific preventive medicine or vaccination against dengue fever and prevention relies on avoiding mosquito bites particularly around dusk and dawn when the day biting mosquitoes are most active.

To minimise the risk of being bitten use appropriate insect repellents and wear appropriate clothing - such as long sleeve tops and trousers to reduce the amount of skin being exposed.

CHIANG MAI CITY NEWS ]]> Thailand Guidebook Khun Don http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?43811-Public-Health-England-Concerned-so-Many-Travellers-Returning-Home-with-Dengue-Thail Visitor Warning: When is a tourist office not a tourist office? http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?43806-When-is-a-tourist-office-not-a-tourist-office&goto=newpost Tue, 14 May 2013 20:01:59 GMT When is a tourist office not a tourist office? (http://www.richardbarrow.com/2013/05/when-is-a-tourist-office-not-a-tourist-office/) When is a tourist office not a tourist office? ]]> Thailand Guidebook Khun Don http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?43806-When-is-a-tourist-office-not-a-tourist-office Visitor Warning: Bang Saen beach ruined by debris http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?43794-Bang-Saen-beach-ruined-by-debris&goto=newpost Sun, 12 May 2013 14:06:40 GMT *Bang Saen beach ruined by debris * Published: 12 May 2013 at 15.09 Online news: Local News Bang Saen beach in Chon Buri is rapidly losing its appeal to beach-goers and holiday-makers as it becomes increasingly filthy from rubbish and... Bang Saen beach ruined by debris

Published: 12 May 2013 at 15.09
Online news: Local News

Bang Saen beach in Chon Buri is rapidly losing its appeal to beach-goers and holiday-makers as it becomes increasingly filthy from rubbish and debris, and dead fish wash up on the shore, according to a Khao Sod report.

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Bang Saen beach

The report said a long strip of trash bags, empty bottles and small pieces of wood mars the beach and oil pollutes the water, creating a foul-smell.

A canvas deckchair operator at the beach said the wind and water at this time of the year continue to bring garbage in from Si Chang island.

The operator said he and other villagers had tried to gather up and dispose of trash and debris along the beach but more kept washing up.

According to the report, the situation had affected tourism in the area. The local municipality has prepared buoys and nets to prevent debris from reaching the beach.

BANGKOK POST
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]]> Thailand Guidebook Khun Don http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?43794-Bang-Saen-beach-ruined-by-debris Visitor Warning: Thailand’s Tiger Temple is a “Temple of Lies” According to Care for the Wild Internat http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?43792-Thailand’s-Tiger-Temple-is-a-“Temple-of-Lies”-According-to-Care-for-the-Wild-Internat&goto=newpost Sat, 11 May 2013 11:08:17 GMT *Thailand’s Tiger Temple is a “Temple of Lies” According to Care for the Wild International Report* Attachment 18901 (http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=18901) Some people are very defensive of the Temple, and perhaps... Thailand’s Tiger Temple is a “Temple of Lies” According to Care for the Wild International Report

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Some people are very defensive of the Temple, and perhaps feel that it is providing a place where people can see a wonderful animal.

KANCHANABURI – Thailand’s famous Tiger Temple, a popular tourist destination, is misleading tourists into believing that it is a tiger sanctuary when it is actually nothing more than a money-making petting zoo where the animals must suffer mistreatment on a daily basis, says a new report.

Temple of Lies, by Care for the Wild International, reports on the controversial Temple in Kanchanaburi. Aiming to discover if controversy about the establishment has merit, the charity can reveal the following concerns:

Animal welfare issues

Tigers are kept in bare enclosures well below international standards
Tigers are kept locked up for the majority of the day
Tigers are manhandled, hit, sat on and generally forced to perform for the public

Tourist Safety

Tourists must sign a disclaimer on entry removing the Temple of blame for injuries
There are no safety zones, visible panic buttons or equipment in case of emergency
The only safety briefing given to visitors is: ‘If at any time you run in front of the tigers, your day will end miserably’

False Marketing

The Temple is neither a sanctuary nor a recognized conservation NGO, but all charges are billed as ‘donations’. No tiger has ever been released.
The Temple claims to have 17 tigers, seven of which were orphans – but the reality is that, according to staff they have more than 100, most of which were bred on site for the sole purpose of making a profit
The Tiger Temple is making an estimated $1m+ profit a year, but with no evidence of this going into tiger conservation

Insurance Risk

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Disclaimer – one of many things that could void your travel insurance. It also states There are many animals on the temple grounds that have come from the wild.

Visitors are very unlikely to be covered by their travel insurance if they suffer injury or worse, at the Tiger Temple
Signing a disclaimer, and undergoing a high-risk activity – EG having your photograph taken with a tiger – is likely to void any claim.

Care for the Wild CEO Philip Mansbridge, who visited the Tiger Temple personally to assess the claims and risks, said: “If you think Tiger Temple is some kind of spiritual tiger sanctuary, it isn’t. If you think they rescue abused tigers, or that the tigers will be released into the wild, they won’t be. If you think that a tiger wants to live in a small bare cage, have a chain around its neck and have tourists sit on its back, I’m pretty sure it doesn’t. And if you think that, on the off-chance you might get injured, your insurance will cover you – it won’t.

Glorified petting zoo

“Tiger Temple is nothing but a glorified petting zoo where you are risking injury, or worse, while contributing to the suffering of once magnificent animals. That fact won’t stop some people going there to get their Facebook picture of a lifetime – and that’s their choice. But we don’t think this is the way that real animal lovers want to see tigers.”

‘Exploiting the tiger’

Temple of Lies follows a previous report on the Tiger Temple by Care for the Wild International called ‘Exploiting the Tiger‘, produced in 2008. The report used information gathered from a variety of sources between 2005 and 2008 and uncovered disturbing evidence of serious conservation and animal welfare concerns, including:

Illegal tiger trafficking
Systematic physical abuse of the tigers held at the temple
High risk interactions between tigers and tourists.

Philip Mansbridge added: “The 2008 report opened people’s eyes to what was going on at what was becoming an extremely popular tourist destination. It also provoked a lot of debate – some people are very defensive of the Temple, and perhaps feel that it is providing a place where people can see a wonderful animal.

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This shows the size of the cages that tigers spend almost all of their time in

“Because of our RIGHT-tourism.org website, which gives tourists factual advice on being animal-friendly, we felt it was time to go back, and see what the reality is now at the Temple. In essence, it’s not changed. It’s a zoo where you can pet tigers, so if that’s where you want to go, that’s fair enough. But please don’t go thinking that the tigers are living in some spiritual idyll, or that they will one day be released back into the wild – they aren’t, and they won’t.”

Travel insurance void?

In regards to the void-insurance angle, Mr Mansbridge added: “The many thousands of tourists who go to the Tiger Temple will probably be shocked to know that their travel insurance won’t cover them if they get hurt. We contacted several travel insurance companies to ask if they’d pay up if someone got injured – or worse – and the vast majority said no. The combination of the fact that even the simplest activity at the Temple – having your photograph taken with a tiger – is considered high-risk, plus the fact that people sign a Disclaimer when they go in, makes it a no-brainer. So people need to consider whether that photo really is worth the risk.”

For more information, please see the full report at www.careforthewild.com. For factual information on animal-related tourist attractions in every country of the world, see www.RIGHT-tourism.org.

Care for the Wild is a charity based in Sussex dedicated to the protection of wildlife in the UK and abroad. For more information see www.careforthewild.com.

CHIANG RAI TIMES
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]]> Thailand Guidebook Khun Don http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?43792-Thailand’s-Tiger-Temple-is-a-“Temple-of-Lies”-According-to-Care-for-the-Wild-Internat <![CDATA[More foreigners 'run tourism companies']]> http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?43771-More-foreigners-run-tourism-companies&goto=newpost Sun, 05 May 2013 15:07:28 GMT More foreigners 'run tourism companies'

Published: 5 May 2013 at 14.26
Online news: Local News

The Tourist Police Division has called on the Commerce Ministry and the Revenue Department to inspect tourism-related businesses run by foreigners in Thailand.

Pol Maj Gen Roy Inkapairoj, commander of the Tourist Police, said on Sunday foreigners were using Thai nominees to open businesses such as restaurants, hotels, massage shops and jewellery shops.

Relevant agencies such as the Commerce Ministry and the Revenue Department should check the stakeholders of these businesses and their tax records and see whether they are legitimate because they are "hurting the image of Thai tourism", he said.

"Tourists buy their products and services and the revenue goes to the foreign owners instead of the Thai economy," Pol Maj Gen Roy said.

He said changes to investment laws might be necessary to suppress the nominee companies.

"Many foreign investors who run nominee companies here are from Russia, India and China and the number is increasing," he said.

BANGKOK POST ]]> Thailand Guidebook Khun Don http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?43771-More-foreigners-run-tourism-companies Visitor Warning: The Dangers for Foreigners in Thailand http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?43763-The-Dangers-for-Foreigners-in-Thailand&goto=newpost Fri, 03 May 2013 16:40:55 GMT The Dangers for Foreigners in Thailand

It doesn't seem to matter how many foreigners get hurt or killed, there are always new tourists who get into trouble that don't know a thing about Thailand which fall victim to crime.

CHIANG RAI – There is no shortage of tourists who are clueless about the dangers which they could get themselves into at any time in Thailand and how a seemingly placid Thai person, who is smiling all the time, can just explode into a violent rage over the smallest things.

The violent attacks against tourists in Thailand are actually quite common and anyone who tells you otherwise is either clueless, or doing this because they are affiliated with the tourism industry and are afraid of a drop in tourist numbers.

There are literally violent attacks on tourists daily and the Thai authorities do their best to not report these incidents to other countries as they know it will ruin the tourism industry. The violent attacks are usually the result of a mugging gone wrong, or a tourist misbehaving or being disrespectful.

It doesn’t seem to matter how many foreigners get hurt or killed, there are always new tourists who get into trouble that don’t know a thing about Thailand which fall victim to crime.

Remember that life is cheap in Thailand and a death isn’t as big a thing as it is in most other countries and in particular – the death of a tourist, doesn’t mean much to them at all.

The areas in Thailand that tourists flock to the most are where the majority of crimes happen to foreigners. The most dangerous places for tourists to go to are the most popular places such as Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, Koh Samui and Koh Phangan and you really have to be careful when you are out and about in certain parts of these places, especially at night.

There is also a real danger on the roads especially when on a motorbike. The road toll in Thailand is quiet shocking and the worst time to be on the roads in Thailand is when the Songkran Festival is on. Any other time isn’t safe either, you really have to be careful of others on the road – especially drivers who cut corners and ride scooters on the wrong side of the road.

If you are staying in a high rise building in Pattaya, Bangkok or Patong, then make sure that you don’t get drunk on the balconies, as the railings on these buildings are not very high and it is easy to fall off them.

It is also a good idea to not stay in one of these buildings if you are mentally unstable, as there are far too many people who leap to their deaths whilst on holidays.

There are numerous reports of guys who come to Thailand and fall in love with bar girls and then they run out of money on their holiday and the fantastic times come to an end so they jump to their death.

If you are mentally unwell and you are staying in a high rise building and plan on getting drunk, then this could be a recipe for disaster. The extra depression of knowing that you are leaving Thailand and being drunk could make you do that crazy thing that too many tourists seem to do.

There is also rumors of foreigners getting thrown off buildings and there is no way to check to see if this is true or not, as the police often don’t even bother showing up at the scene of the falls anymore in Pattaya. – Phuket-fever.com

Below is a short list of Foreigners that have died and their deaths have actually been reported by the Newspapers in Thailand from Feb-April of 2103.

April 2013 Death Toll

Faetra Petillo, USA, 29 – Phuket, 30 April 2013
Male, Malta, 70 – Phuket, 30 April 2013
Dieu Yoann, France, 26 – Phuket, 30 April 2013
Paul Otto Norbert Richter, Germany, 70 – Bangkok, 30 April 2013
Mark Anthony Woodward, Australia, 45 – Pattaya 30 April 2013
Lane Raphael Woodren, Germany, 21 – Chumphon, 27 April 2013
Paul Ancell, UK, 33 – Phuket, 22 April 2013
Eino Olavi Ahlfors, Finland, 73 – Pattaya, 18 April 2013
Male, 40-50 – Pattaya, 17 April 2013
Peter Lutz Teubner, Germany, 57 – Phuket, 17 April 2013
Hans Peter Hermann Stamminger, Switzerland, 65 – Pattaya, 15 April 2013
Colin Callanan, Ireland, 29 – Koh Tao, 15 April 2013
Oyvind Holmen, Norway, 57 – Khon Kaen, 11 April 2013
Timothy Joseph Carr, USA, 57 – Pattaya, 10 April 2013
Sofia Marain, Belgium, 21 – Phitsanulok, 8 April 2013
Tor Per-Erik Hedberg, Sweden, 65 – Pattaya, 7 April 2013
Hans Kunne, Germany, 84 – Pattaya, 6 April 2013
Lief Anders Lonvik, Norway, 68 – Pattaya, 6 April 2013



March 2013

Male, Austria, 70 – Phuket, 29 March 2013
James ”Jimmy” Madigan, USA, 64 – Phuket, 29 March 2013
Christian Klasky, Germany, 34 - Pattaya, 27 March 2013
Michel Rooer Edmond Harnisch, France, 58 – Chiang Mai, 26 March 2013
Oleg Udaloi, Russia, 44 – Phuket, 22March 2013
John Pickin, UK, 52 – Koh Samui, 24 March 2013
Derek Rodney Gent, UK, 69 – Koh Samui, 23 March 2013
Michael Holmes, UK, 68 – Koh Samui, 23 March 2013
Jorg Frings, Germany, 44 – Pattaya, 9 March 2013
Wade Mckee, UK – Isaan, 8 March 2013
Aleksei Iasev, Russia, 34 – Pattaya, 7 March 2013
Dan Bubis, Israel, 56 – Pattaya, 7 March 2013
Theo Schitz, Germany, 56 – Pattaya, 6 March 2013
Martin, UK, – Ban Chang, 6 March 2013
Andrei Komarov, Russia, 39 – Pattaya, 6 March 2013
Ian Blackburn,UK, 61 – Pattaya, 6 March 2013
Male, Australia, 53 – Phuket, 5 March 2013
Male, Sweden, 30s – Koh Phangan, 5 March 2013
Mikko Ulevt Mantere, Finland, 41 – Phuket, 2 March 2013



February 2013

Marcel Spiess, Switzerland – Phuket, 23 February 2013
Henri Antonova, Russia – Koh Phangan, 22 February 2013
Unidentified male, 50s – Pattaya, 20 February 2013
Stefan Braunwalder, Switzerland – Phuket, February 16, 2013
Hans-Jurgen Umbreit, Germany, Phuket, 15 February 2013
Anthony J Scarrabelotti, Australia – Surin, 14 February 2013
Peter Root, UK – Chachoengsao, 13 February 2013
Mary Thompson, UK – Chachoengsao, 13 February 2013
Alexey Babenko, Russia – Phuket, 13 February 2013
George John Bishop, UK – Pattaya, 12 February 2013
Rustem Sadri, Turkey – Pattaya, 11 February 2013
Simon Ashley, USA – Phuket, 11 February 2013
Frank Robert Gulbensen, Norway – Phuket , 9 February 2013
Unidentified male, 23, USA – Phuket, 9 February 2013
Paul Porter, Canada – Chiang Mai, 8 February 2013
Delphine Jofette Raene Kiesser, France – Chumpon, 6 February 2013
Ivan Malyukov, Russia – Phuket, 6 February 2013
Evgenii Pozhitkov, Russia – Phuket, 4 February 2013
Rudolf Urbain, Belgium – Chiang Rai, 3 February 2013
Thomas Ohlson, UK – Chiang Mai, 1 February 2013

CHIANG RAI TIMES ]]> Thailand Guidebook Khun Don http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?43763-The-Dangers-for-Foreigners-in-Thailand <![CDATA[Tourism & Sports Minister Considers Opening Tourist Court to Speed up Justice]]> http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?43750-Tourism-amp-Sports-Minister-Considers-Opening-Tourist-Court-to-Speed-up-Justice&goto=newpost Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:38:58 GMT Tourism & Sports Minister Considers Opening Tourist Court to Speed up Justice for Foreign Visitors


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The sought-after Tourist Court might not only work in the daytime but in the night to ensure that justice will be served before the foreign plaintiffs return home

BANGKOK – Thailand may set up a Tourist Court to make fast delivery of justice to foreign tourists who would otherwise depart from this country before any lawsuits they have filed could be judged by an ordinary court.

According to Tourism & Sports Minister Somsak Purisrisak, the so-called Tourist Court will handle varied criminal and civil lawsuits lodged by foreign visitors against any accused persons in Thailand in relatively prompt fashion, compared to the existing courts of justice which may spend a longer period of time than the plaintiff tourists can wait.

“There are so many cases in which plaintiff tourists such as those who may have been robbed or physically assaulted have already departed from the country before they are eventually ruled in court. We’ve been concerned that such legal snags might inadvertently fail to serve justice or maintain the confidence of the tourists in the safety of their own lives and property while staying in our country,” Somsak said over the weekend.

The sought-after Tourist Court might not only work in the daytime but in the night to ensure that justice will be served before the foreign plaintiffs return home, commented the newly- appointed minister.

The government will discuss the idea with the judicial branch and, if it is finally approved, will see to it that legislation will be submitted to the legislative branch for the establishment of the Tourist Court in foreseeable future, he said.

Besides the criminal and civil courts of law, Thailand currently has such specific courts as the Labor Court, the Administrative Court and the Constitutional Court.

Meanwhile, he added that the police will be urged to speed up investigation into criminal and civil cases involving foreign tourists as plaintiffs and quickly forward the results of their probe to court.

“In order to achieve up to 2 trillion baht (690 billion U.S. dollars) in annual earnings from tourist industry, the crimes against the tourists must be effectually contained, if not reduced, ” he said.

CHIANG RAI TIMES
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]]> Thailand Guidebook Khun Don http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?43750-Tourism-amp-Sports-Minister-Considers-Opening-Tourist-Court-to-Speed-up-Justice Thai Travel Industry to Improve Handicapped Facilities - Chiang Mai International Air http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?43745-Thai-Travel-Industry-to-Improve-Handicapped-Facilities-Chiang-Mai-International-Air&goto=newpost Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:21:32 GMT *Thai Travel Industry to Improve Handicapped Facilities - Chiang Mai International Airport Welcomes 152 Handicapped People* Apr 29, 2013 Society CityNews – On 29th April, 12 p.m. at Chiang Mai International Airport, Ritthipong Techapan, the... Thai Travel Industry to Improve Handicapped Facilities - Chiang Mai International Airport Welcomes 152 Handicapped People
Apr 29, 2013
Society

CityNews – On 29th April, 12 p.m. at Chiang Mai International Airport, Ritthipong Techapan, the deputy governor of Chiang Mai, along with administrative officers welcomed 152 handicapped people. Also present were the members of The Convenience and Transport Service for Handicapped Project (rough translation), launched by the Ministry of Transport.

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The project, launched by the Ministry of Transport, is an initiative concerned about transport services for handicapped people. Six organisations under the authority of the Ministry of Transport are involved with the initiative: The State Railway of Thailand, Bangkok Mass Transit Authority, Marine Department, Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand, The Transport Company Limited and Airports of Thailand Public Limited Company.

Don Muang Airport has already improved its facilities and services for handicapped people following suggestions from the Ministry of Transport and The Redemptorist Foundation for People with Disabilities. Improvements include: a ramp at the entrance, a new parking area with handicapped signs, extra counters for handicapped people at information desks, sign language service, bathroom with handrails and emergency buttons.

The Airports of Thailand Public Limited Company will improve the facilities and services at six other airports in Thailand.


ท่าอากาศยาน ชม.ต้อนรับผู้พิการตามโครงการนำรองการจัดสิ่งอำนวยคว ามสะดวกและบริการสำหรับคนพิการ

เมื่อ 12.00 น. 29 เมษายน 56 ณ ท่าอากาศยานเชียงใหม่ นายฤทธิพงศ์ เตชะพันธุ์ รองผู้ว่าราชการจังหวัดเชียงใหม่ นำคณะผู้บริหารจังหวัดเชียงใหม่ให้การต้อนรับคณะผู้พ ิการ และผู้ร่วมโครงการจัดสิ่งอำนวยความสะดวกและให้บริการ ด้านการคมนาคมขนส่งสำหรับคนพิการของกระทรวงคมนาคม จำนวน 152 คน นำโดย นางฐิติมา ฉายแสง เลขานุการรัฐมนตรีว่าการกระทรวงคมนาคม ซึ่งเดินทางมาโดยสารบินแอร์เอเชีย โดยมีกำหนดการมาทัศนศึกษาในจังหวัดเชียงใหม่ด้วย

โครงการนำร่องการจัดสิ่งอำนวยความสะดวกและบริการสำหร ับคนพิการ เกิดขึ้นจากการที่กระทรวงคมนาคมได้ให้ความสำคัญในการ ดูแลและอำนวยความสะดวกแก่คนพิการ โดยได้กำหนดคำขวัญว่า “สะดวก ปลอดภัย คมนาคมยุคใหม่ ใส่ใจคนพิการ” รวมถึงได้มีโครงการนำร่องการจัดสิ่งอำนวยความสะดวกแล ะบริการสำหรับคนพิการ ซึ่งมีหน่วยงานในสังกัดกระทรวงคมนาคม 6 หน่วยงาน ได้แก่ การรถไฟแห่งประเทศไทย องค์การขนส่งมวลชนกรุงเทพ กรมเจ้าท่า การรถไฟขนส่งมวลชนแห่งประเทศไทย บริษัท ขนส่ง จำกัด และ บริษัทท่าอากาศยานไทย จำกัด (มหาชน) หรือ ทอท. เข้าร่วมโครงการนำร่องในการพัฒนาสิ่งอำนวยความสะดวกเ พื่อคนพิการ

ซึ่งในส่วนของ ทอท.ได้ดำเนินการที่ท่าอากาศยานดอนเมือง โดยได้ปรับปรุงสิ่งอำนวยความสะดวกและบริการสำหรับคนพ ิการตามข้อแนะนำการตรวจประเมินจากเลขานุการรัฐมนตรีว ่าการกระทรวงคมนาคมและมูลนิธิพระมหาไถ่เพื่อพัฒนาคนพ ิการ เช่น การปรับปรุงทางลาดสำหรับคนพิการหน้าอาคารผู้โดยสาร พร้อมทั้งเพิ่มพื้นที่จอดรถยนต์ และติดตั้งป้ายสัญลักษณ์ให้ชัดเจน การปรับปรุงเคาเตอร์ ประชาสัมพันธ์โดยมีช่องพิเศษสำหรับให้บริการคนพิการ การติดตั้งตู้ล่ามภาษามือ การปรับปรุงห้องสุขา คนพิการโดยติดตั้งราวจับแบบพับได้และติดตั้งปุ่มสัญญ าณขอความช่วยเหลือ รวมทั้งเปลี่ยนประตูบานเปิดให้เป็นประตูเลื่อนที่มีน ้ำหนักเบา เป็นต้น นอกจากนั้น ทอท.ยังได้รับความร่วมมือจากหน่วยงานราชการ และ สายการบินในการปรับปรุงสิ่งอำนวยความสะดวกเพื่อคนพิก าร โดยมีการปรับปรุงเคาน์เตอร์ตรวจหนังสือเดินทาง และเคาน์เตอร์เช็คอินอีกด้วย ทั้งนี้ ทอท.จะดำเนินการพัฒนาสิ่งอำนวยความสะดวกและบริการสำห รับคนพิการในท่าอากาศยานทั้ง 6 แห่งของ ทอท. เพื่อให้คนพิการสามารถเข้าถึงสิ่งอำนวยความสะดวกและ การบริการต่าง ๆ ได้อย่างสะดวกสบายและปลอดภัย

CHIANG MAI CITY NEWS
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]]> Thailand Guidebook Khun Don http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?43745-Thai-Travel-Industry-to-Improve-Handicapped-Facilities-Chiang-Mai-International-Air Ban Chuen Beach in Trat Province http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?43744-Ban-Chuen-Beach-in-Trat-Province&goto=newpost Mon, 29 Apr 2013 08:47:12 GMT Image: http://www.thaitravelblogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/IMG_3509.jpg To have a white tropical beach all to yourself in Thailand these days is still possible if you know where to go. When we arrived at this white sandy beach on a...


To have a white tropical beach all to yourself in Thailand these days is still possible if you know where to go. When we arrived at this white sandy beach on a Sunday lunchtime we only found a few Thai families eating seafood in shelters at the top of the beach. As it was too hot for Thais to go swimming in the gorgeously clear waters both the beach and sea were deserted. I am not sure if it is like this all the time but I do know that I was the only foreigner there.





The name of this place is Ban Chuen Beach and it can be found in Khlong Yai district of Trat Province (see map). This stretch of Sukhumwit Road is mainly used by people heading to the Thai-Cambodian border so it is quite possible to have the beach to yourself, particularly if you come during the week. Although you could ask a bus to drop you off on Sukhumwit road, you would then need to hike down to the beach. Which means this beach is only of interest to people who either own or have rented a vehicle of some sort.





At Ban Chuen Beach there are two places where you can stay. Nearest to the beach, and what looks like to be more comfortable, is Banchuen Beach Resort. Prices here start at 1,200 Baht for two people. Contact number is 081-8612944. The second place is further back and looks a bit shabby. This one is called Panan Resort and prices start from 800 Baht. Contact number for this one is 081-7616051. Neither of these place include breakfast in the prices though you can order from their restaurant.


]]> Thailand Guidebook Richard Barrow http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?43744-Ban-Chuen-Beach-in-Trat-Province <![CDATA[Myanmar possibly to revive their end of 'Death Railway']]> http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?43729-Myanmar-possibly-to-revive-their-end-of-Death-Railway&goto=newpost Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:09:07 GMT Myanmar to revive 'Death Railway'

Published: 25 Apr 2013 at 12.49
Online news: Transport

An elegant cemetery in strife-torn southeast Myanmar has long stood as a lonely testament to the fate of thousands of prisoners of war who died building Japan's "Death Railway".

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Visitors look at a tourist train as it crosses a railway bridge over the river Kwai, built during World War II, in Kanchanaburi. About 13,000 prisoners of war -- many captured in Singapore, the Malay Peninsula and what was then the Dutch East Indies -- died during construction of the railway, along with up to 100,000 civilians, mostly forced labour. (AFP Photo)

As the fast-changing nation now opens to the world, a reformist regime is considering rebuilding a stretch of the notorious World War II track to attract tourists and help develop border areas, where memories of the line have been eclipsed by conflict and poverty under decades of junta rule.

Local gardeners pluck weeds and tend flowers between neat lines of graves at the Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery in Mon state for some 3,000 Allied troops who died building the line between Myanmar and neighbouring Thailand.

"After seeing this cemetery people do not want to see war. There should not be war in the whole world," gardener Myat Soe told AFP.

"Because the soldiers died the way they did the world remembers them with sorrow. Dying fighting is honourable, but dying like this is very sad."

Many epitaphs at the site, funded by the Britain-based Commonwealth War Graves Commission, are a heart wrenching testament of how bewilderingly distant the country then called Burma was for the families of those killed.

"We were not there to clasp your hand, you passed away without a last good-bye," reads the epitaph for 26-year-old Lance Serjeant Harry Dawes, of the Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire), who died in September 1943.

Exhaustion, starvation, disease and torture were the chief causes of fatalities among those impelled by the invading Japanese to gouge a rail route through dense jungle and solid rock between October 1942 and December 1943.

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Children play at the railway station in Thanbyuzayat, in Myanmar's eastern Mon state. Weeds have swallowed much of the old railway track and a modest cemetery is a lonely testament to the thousands of prisoners of war and Asian workers forced to build the "Death Railway". But Myanmar's plan to reinvigorate the railway aims to transform the area. (AFP Photo)

About 13,000 prisoners of war -- many captured in Singapore, the Malay Peninsula and what was then the Dutch East Indies -- died during construction, along with up to 100,000 civilians, mostly forced labour from the region.

Robert Goodwin, an Australian veteran who worked on the infamous "Hellfire Pass" cutting on the Thai side of the border, said the men's relentless toil involved hacking through rock almost completely by hand.

"Every day that we worked, if anyone seemed to be slowing up they'd be belted with not just hands or pickaxes but with wire whips, with anything they could lay their hands on. The Japanese were cruel by anybody's standards."

On the Thai side, hordes of foreign visitors flock to see the track and bridge made famous by the film "The Bridge Over the River Kwai", and to ride on a stretch of the line still in operation.

The town of Kanchanaburi, a popular destination about three hours drive from the capital Bangkok, generated tourism revenue of over 2.4 billion baht last year, according to Thai officials.

That fact is not lost on Myanmar authorities keen to encourage development in the southeast of their country -- a region emerging from isolation after years of civil war.

Ceasefire deals were reached last year between local ethnic Karen and Mon rebels under a new quasi-civilian government which took power two years ago after decades of harsh military rule ended.

Surveys have now begun to trace the route from Thanbyuzayat to Three Pagodas Pass at the Thai border, according to an official from Myanmar Railways, who asked not to be named.

"This is primarily for tourism. If we can connect the railway track on the Thai side, it will help tourism develop," he said.

Phyoe Wai Yar Zar, of the Myanmar Tourism Board, said there is "huge potential" to develop tourism around the "Death Railway" in Myanmar.

But he said efforts should not only be "focused on the past" and should also showcase the heritage of the local ethnic minority population.

"I believe we shouldn't invent the wheel again. What has been done in another part of the region shouldn't be done again in Myanmar," he said.

There are, however, doubts about the feasibility of restoring the railway.

Rebuilding the track would make "little economic sense" because a hydropower dam on the Thai side blocks the original route, according to Rod Beattie, a historian who runs Kanchanaburi's Thailand-Burma Railway Centre.

The 420 kilometre (260 mile) line linking the Thai and Myanmar railway systems was aimed at resupplying the Japanese army as it fought British colonial forces and their allies.

It fell into disuse after the war ended in 1945 and much of the track was reclaimed by the jungle.

Myanmar was soon embroiled with its own internal strife as independence in 1948 heralded civil wars in ethnic areas.

In Thanbyuzayat there is little sign of remembrance beyond the gates of the cemetery.

An old locomotive and a last scrap of track on the outskirts of town acts as a memorial, but the rails have been swallowed by weeds and a huddle of statues depicting emaciated prisoners has been vandalised, smashed almost beyond recognition.

The railway has become a legend for local children, a group of whom eagerly led a visiting AFP journalist through the shady corridors of a rubber plantation to proudly display an anonymous mound of earth they were convinced marked the old route.

Gardener Myat Soe is encouraging local youths to understand the history behind the cemetery and said a planned museum would also help raise awareness.

"As long as the world exists, this cemetery will be a symbol of a tragic time," he said.

He recalled a 90-year-old Australian veteran who made the difficult journey to the cemetery two years ago to visit the grave of a friend.

"As soon as he arrived, he put down his bag beside the grave, saluted and burst into tears. It was the saddest thing I had seen in the nine years I have worked here. I cried beside him."

BANGKOK POST
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]]> Thailand Guidebook Khun Don http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?43729-Myanmar-possibly-to-revive-their-end-of-Death-Railway