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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40014439

Thai Airways International (THAI), Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and THAI Smile Airways (THAI Smile) on April 8 signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to promote Thai tourism in the Indian market.

Acting THAI CEO Suvadhana Sibunruang said following the reopening of international borders in various countries, air travel and tourism industry are showing positive signs of recovery.

He said the LOI aimed to enhance travel experience and develop marketing activities for the Indian market, to offer passengers with privileges and joint promotions, especially for leisure, golf, visiting friends and relatives and wedding travellers, and to exchange information on the tourism industry for sustainable development in the industry.

“In 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic, 1.9 million travellers from India generated more than 8.5 billion baht in revenue for Thailand,” he said.

“This collaboration is expected to boost the recovery of Thai tourism businesses and the Thai economy after the pandemic.”

THAI and THAI Smile currently operate the following flights to India:

1. Roundtrip Bangkok – Delhi: 14 flights per week

2. Roundtrip Bangkok – Mumbai: 7 flights per week

3. Roundtrip Bangkok – Chennai: 7 flights per week

4. Roundtrip Bangkok – Bengaluru: 7 flights per week

5. Roundtrip Bangkok – Kolkata: 7 flights per week by THAI Smile starting April 11

6. Roundtrip Bangkok – Phuket – Mumbai: 7 flights per week by THAI Smile starting April 10

“In addition to the collaboration in the Indian market, THAI operates flights in over 34 continental and intercontinental routes in its summer 2022 schedule,” he said.

Suvadhana added that passengers may travel further with THAI Smile and Star Alliance member airlines.

“Flight frequencies may increase in response to the growing travel demand and the government’s upcoming policy,” he added.

Vice Minister for Tourism and Sports Napintorn Srisunpang said the Indian market is significant in South Asia both in market size and tourist purchasing power.

This market is necessary for every country driven by the tourism economy, he pointed out.

“This collaboration is the opportunity to boost the recovery of the Indian market following the Air Travel Bubble agreement between Thailand and India,” he said.

Citing the Tourism and Sports Ministry’s Economics Tourism and Sports Division, he said Thailand welcomed 1.99 million inbound tourists from India in 2019, 24.85 per cent higher year on year, and earned THB86.37 billion, an increase of 27.45 per cent.

“This reflects the potential of the Indian market,” he added.

TAT deputy governor for international marketing Asia and South Pacific Tanes Petsuwan said that as part of the “Visit Thailand Year 2022” campaign, TAT will focus on quality inbound tourists from this particular market through celebrities and influencers marketing to the millennials target audience.

He said TAT Delhi and Mumbai offices will also notify local tour agents about Thailand’s immigration measures and new travel products and services to plan joint promotion activities for luxurious tourists.

He also confirmed that Amazing Thailand Wedding Expo 2022 will be held this month to boost wedding travellers later this year.

Meanwhile, TAT is joining the South Asia Travel and Tourism Exchange 2022 in Delhi from May 18 to 20 to promote Thailand on its readiness in tourism, he added.

“Based on THAI and THAI Smile load factor figures, up to 13,000 tourists from India are expected to visit Thailand every month from this April,” he said.

“The number is expected to rise to 80,000 as soon as the situation improves,” he added.

Published : April 11, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40014426

Police are still hunting for two men who hurled two ping pong bombs into the compound of the First Infantry Regiment where the prime minister’s residence is located.

Security camera footage showed two men riding a motorcycle to the front gate of the regiment and the pillion rider hurling two ping pong bombs into the compound at 7.50pm on Sunday, Government Spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said on Monday.

The two bombs landed on the lawn in front of the security booth of the regiment. No one was injured from the small explosions.

Thanakorn said the regiment has filed a complaint with police, who are still trying to identify the assailants whose faces were concealed by their crash helmets.

The spokesman said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had no comment about the incident and had not give any special orders. The prime minister only assigned police to investigate the incident in accordance with normal procedure, the spokesman said.

Thanakorn said Prayut would continue to work in his official residence in the compound of the regiment during the long Songkran holidays and would be on stand by to give orders to government agencies in case of emergency.

Following the incident, police of the Tha Rua Police Station arrested a man, identified as Thanayut, 20, after he injured himself with a ping pong bomb that fell from his pocket. Police have withheld his surname.

The man was walking home in the Rom Klao community in Klong Toei district when a ping pong bomb fell from the right pocket of his trousers and exploded on Sunday night. He was slightly injured.

Police searched his house and found 172 ping pong bombs and 23 smoke bombs.

Police interrogated the man and concluded that he was not the one who had hurled the bombs into the First Infantry Regiment compound, but they believe he might know the suspects.

Police are using information from Thanayut to try to locate the two suspects.

Published : April 11, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40014425

Miss Grand Thailand 2022 contestants sashayed down the runway at Suvarnabhumi on Sunday, touching down an hour later in Khon Kaen for the start of this year’s beauty pageant.

“We are thrilled to host and accompany the gorgeous Miss Grand Thailand 2022 contestants on the Thai Vietjet flight,” gushed the airline’s commercial director Pinyot Pibulsonggram.

The low-cost carrier, which was nicknamed the “Bikini Airline” for advertisements featuring scantily clad flight attendants, is sponsoring the swimsuit section of this year’s pageant.

The airline also sponsors Miss Grand International, ferrying beauty contestants from all over the world to promote various destinations in Thailand.

Among its passengers last year was Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien, the reigning Miss Grand International queen from Vietnam.

Other beauties to have graced the cabin of Vietjet since 2016 include Miss Grand Thailand winners Kantida Lungjareon (Phrae), Nicharee Boonsiri (Sakon Nakhon) and Unchaya Petchamanee (Songkhla).

Miss Grand Thailand has been held annually since 2013 to select national beauties to compete in global pageants – including its sister contest, Miss Grand International.

This year, the preliminary competition will be held in Khon Kaen while the grand final coronation night will take place in Bangkok on April 30.

Published : April 11, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40014422

Former Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang was seen at a local market in Bangkok’s Saphan Sung district on Sunday introducing himself to voters ahead of the upcoming elections.

He was accompanied by Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Council member Adul Sewiset, who is also part of the Raks Krungthep group.

Bangkok and Pattaya residents will be voting for a new governor and city council members on May 22.

When asked about his third place in a recent opinion poll conducted in Bangkok by the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA), Aswin said he actually considered himself to be in the second position.

“The top choice was Chadchart [Sittipunt], while the second most selected answer was ‘undecided’, while I came in third,” Aswin said. “This means that technically I’m in the second place among all candidates, which is understandable because I began campaigning a little later than others.

“Personally, I’m not too concerned about the poll results,” he said.

“I will continue campaigning as planned to introduce my projects and am confident that I will come out as the top choice for voters.”

Other candidates were also busy campaigning on Sunday.

Move Forward Party’s Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn visited Chulalongkorn University’s Centenary Park to introduce his green projects to voters, while Chadchart was greeting residents in the Minburi district and introducing them to his zoning initiative. His aim is to turn Minburi into a satellite town to help ease Bangkok’s traffic woes.

Published : April 11, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40014416

Suvarnabhumi Airport is offering free long-term parking for travellers flying back to their hometowns over the Songkran holiday.

Parking fees at Zone C will be waived from April 11-17, Suvarnabhumi’s operator Airports of Thailand (AOT) announced on Sunday.

Zone C is designated for long-term parking and has room for 718 vehicles.

The move is aimed to reduce financial burdens for travellers during Thailand’s biggest holiday of the year.

The airport will also provide a free shuttle bus service from the parking lot to passenger terminals. The bus leaves every 15 minutes and is available 24 hours a day until April 17.

AOT urged people to arrive at the airport at least three hours before departure time for international flights, and at least two hours for domestic flights, as they expect a high volume of passengers during the long holiday.

For more information, contact the call centre at 1722 or (02) 132 9511.

Published : April 11, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40014412

PM2.5 levels that have soared above the safe limit in Bangkok and adjacent provinces will fall during the Songkran holiday this week, the Pollution Control Department (PCD) predicts.

Air quality will improve as traffic heads out of the city for Songkran family reunions upcountry, it explained.

Greater Bangkok recorded levels of dangerous PM2.5 particles at 50-92 micrograms per cubic metre (μg/m3) on Sunday at noon. The government-set safe limit is 50μg/m3.

The PCD advised people to wear face masks and avoid outdoor activities for an extended period – especially among small children and the elderly.

“Please avoid burning garbage or weeds outdoor during this period, and use vehicles only when necessary to not add to the air pollution problem,” the department added.

PM 2.5 readings in other regions were as follows:

• North: 41 to 95μg/m3

• Northeast: 49 to 123

• Central region and West: 58 to 100

• East: 50 to 74

• South: 10 to 18

The PM2.5 situation can be followed at Air4Thai.com and bangkokairquality.com or the PCD’s Centre for Air Pollution Mitigation Facebook page. Smartphone users can download the AirVisual (worldwide) and Air4Thai (Thailand) apps for real-time updates or the new Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) app called “เช็คฝุ่น”.

Published : April 11, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40014411

Hot to very hot weather is forecast for the whole country during this Songkran week (April 10-16), with isolated thunderstorms in upper Thailand.

The Thailand Meteorological Department said a heat low-pressure cell will send temperatures soaring as high as 40 degrees centigrade by the end of the week.

People in parts of upper Thailand were warned to watch out for isolated thundershowers and gusty conditions brought by southerly and southeasterly winds.

The South will be drier thanks to a weak easterly wind across the Gulf of Thailand.

Weather forecast for the next 7 days:

North

April 10-14: Hot to very hot days with haze and isolated light rain. Temperature lows of 21-23C and highs of 33-39C.

April 15-16: Hot to very hot with haze, isolated thundershowers and gusty winds.

Lows of 24-26C and highs of 35-40C.

Northeast

April 10-14: Hot with haze and isolated thundershowers. Lows of 22-25C and highs of 32-36C.

April 15-16: Hot with haze with isolated thundershowers and gusty winds. Lows of 23-26C and highs of 34-38C.

Central

Hot and hazy throughout the week, with isolated thundershowers and gusty winds on April 15-16. Lows of 23-27C and highs of 34-39C.

East: Hot and hazy throughout the week, with isolated thundershowers on April 13-16. Lows of 23-27C and highs of 33-38C. Waves less than a metre high rising to a metre during thundershowers.

South (east coast)

Isolated thundershowers throughout the week. Lows of 21-26C, highs of 30-37C. Waves about a metre rising to over 1 metre during thundershowers.

South (west coast)

Isolated thundershowers throughout the week. Lows of 22-27C, highs of 30-37C. Waves about a metre rising to over 1 metre during thundershowers.

Bangkok and surrounding areas: Hot and hazy throughout the week. Isolated thundershowers with gusty winds from April 11-16. Lows of 23-27C and highs of 33-38C.

Published : April 11, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40014410

Ministry of Public Health reported on Monday (April 11) morning that in the past 24 hours there are 22,387 new patients who tested positive for Covid-19, 87 of whom have arrived in Thailand from abroad.

Death toll increased by 105, while 27,680 patients were cured and allowed to leave hospitals.

Cumulative cases in the country since January 1, 2022 are at 1,682,437.
 

Published : April 11, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40014403

Six of the 31 Bangkok governor candidates announced their visions for the capital at the “Battle for Bangkok Governor’s Post” event held by the Nation Group on Saturday.

The event was held at Siam Paragon in downtown Bangkok.

Move Forward Party’s Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn said Bangkok is changing and will face new challenges, so the biggest thing is to not repeat old mistakes. He also said that no special concessions should be granted to capitalists and networks because they only create burdens for Bangkok residents.

“If I can diversify the budget allocated to Bangkok, then capitalists and networks will not gain any benefits. City residents will get the maximum welfare,” he said.

Sakoltee Phattiyakul, who is expected to get the blessings of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party, said his aim is to ensure all Bangkokians are served equally. He also plans to apply the latest in technology to his administration and change people’s mindsets to generate revenue.

He said his policies take care of all generations – children, adults and the elderly – and will make Bangkok better than ever.

“We will have to allocate and diversify the budget for best results,” he said.

Former Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang pointed out that some problems in the city will take more than five to seven months to solve.

He said he would continue tackling those issues if elected, but if he loses, he hopes his successor would continue his work.

“Bangkok will be safe and offer people peace and a better quality of life,” he said.

Sita Dhivari from the Thai Sang Thai Party said Bangkokians should play a part in developing the city by creating equality and opportunities, as well as ensuring government officials serve them properly.

He added that he would make Bangkok a world street-food capital and amend more than 1,000 laws that obstruct the city’s growth.

“The aim is to bring both the old and new generations together despite their political differences. Also, the aim is to turn Thailand into a global digital hub and for Bangkok to become a unicorn city.”

Chadchart Sittipunt, who is the favourite so far, said turning Bangkok into a perfect city for each and every resident is not easy because everyone has a different demand.

However, he said, he hopes his policies covering safety, health, environment, education, management, travel and economy will help meet some demands.

“Good economy is a big issue. Bangkok should be able to stimulate the country’s economy to create a bright future for at least the next 10 years,” he said.

Democrat Party candidate Suchatvee Suwansawat said Bangkok should modernise further so everybody can access services digitally and tackle issues immediately.

“If I become Bangkok governor, I will tackle the Covid-19 crisis in the first month so the economy can start recovering. This way, tourists can return and medical staff can focus on patients suffering from other diseases. The budget can also be spent on other issues,” he said.

He added that updated knowledge and engineering are necessary to create changes.

Published : April 10, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40014402

The Public Health Ministry has instructed hospitals under its jurisdiction to amend the expiry date of Covid-19 vaccines in their stock based on the manufacturers’ new registration details.

Thongchai Lertwilairatanapong, deputy permanent secretary for Public Health, issued a circular dated April 7 to all provincial public health chiefs to reset the expiry dates of vaccine doses and amend their stocks accordingly.

Under the new amendment, the expiry date for Sinovac doses will be extended from six months to 12, while the expiry dates for AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines will be extended from six months to nine months.

The memo explained that when the three vaccine manufacturers sought to register with the Thai Food and Drug Administration, they registered their vaccines under the FDA’s Conditional Approval for Emergency Use of Medical Products directive on July 24, 2020. This directive restricted the expiry date of medical products to six months.

Now, however, the manufacturers have re-registered their vaccines for non-emergency usage, which allows them to set the products’ normal expiry dates, namely 12 months for Sinovac and nine months for AstraZeneca and Pfizer.

The order covers CoronaVac produced by Sinovac Life Science bought from the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation, Vaxzevria bought from AstraZeneca Thailand and Comirnaty vaccines bought from Pfizer Thailand.

All vaccines bought from these manufacturers will now carry their true expiry date, the circular added.

Published : April 10, 2022

By : THE NATION