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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023473

Thailand tops list of Southeast Asian travel destinations

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2022

Thailand is one of the most popular destinations in Southeast Asia among travellers from North America and Europe, a recent survey conducted by BBC News shows.

Citing the survey, government spokesman Anucha Buraphachaisri said on Monday that 57.4% of foreign travellers are likely to choose Thailand over other destinations in the region.

“Nearly four in five Europeans who plan to visit Southeast Asia say they will embark on the trip within the next six months,” he said.

The survey also shows that most foreign travellers are paying attention to cultural and sustainable travel.

“Up to 91% of the respondents said they are looking for unique culture and heritage in their chosen destination,” he said. “Meanwhile, 72% of travellers seek to protect the environment at the local level.”

Anucha added that the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) plans to promote the country as a destination where people can travel all year round.

“TAT expects more than 11.5 million foreigners to visit Thailand this year, generating 50% of tourism dollars earned in 2019,” he said. “TAT also expects tourism revenue to rise up to 80% of pre-pandemic levels by next year.”

According to the Tourism and Sports Ministry, the tourism industry generated 3.01 trillion baht in 2019, 1.93 trillion baht of which came from foreign tourists and 1.08 trillion baht from local travel.

“Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is pleased with the survey results,” he said, adding that the PM believes Thailand has a lot more to offer, including nature, food, culture, safety, innovation and health. He said the authorities have taken measures to maintain Thailand’s popularity.

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• Week of celebrations as Bangkok’s Wat Suthat marks 215 years
• Giant serpent sheds shimmering skin on Chao Phraya as 2023 beckons
• Pattaya is world’s second most popular beach on TikTok

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023472

Delivery trucks urged to stay off roads to keep Thai roads safe during New Year’s

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2022

Logistics companies have been asked to delay deliveries during the New Year break to reduce traffic congestion and road accidents.

The Department of Land Transport (DLT) said on Monday that trucks are advised to stay off the roads because many people will be travelling to their hometowns or other destinations from Thursday.

The New Year holidays run from Thursday to Monday (January 2).

“Hence we ask logistics companies to delay deliveries or avoid sending out empty trucks during this period, so traffic can keep moving,” DLT deputy director-general Seksom Akraphand said.

As for companies that have to continue using their delivery trucks during this period, he said drivers should be instructed to drive carefully, obey traffic rules, have their vehicles checked and follow the GPS.

He added that DLT has also sought cooperation from 30 agencies related to logistics, including the Land Transport Association of Thailand, the Federation of Thai Industries, the Board of Trade of Thailand and the Thai National Shippers’ Council.

Related stories:

• Bangkokians all for legalising motorcycle taxis, poll shows
• You can now renew your driver’s licence 6 months before it expires
• DLT unveils new rules on power, speed of electric vehicles

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023466

Korat’s century-old train station to be demolished to make way for new, modern version

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2022

Nakhon Ratchasima’s 122-year-old train station will be torn down next year to make way for one that supports the dual-track system of Thailand’s new high-speed railway network.

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) announced on Monday that the demolition will kick off in February before a more modern one is built. The new station will be fully compatible with the dual-track high-speed railway system that is currently in Phase 1 of construction.

The 179-billion-baht Phase 1 covers the 253-kilometre distance between Bangkok and Korat as the Northeast province is also known.

Though only 16% of the project has been completed due to the Covid pandemic, SRT expects the first phase to be up and running by 2026.

Phase 2 of the project, costing 300 billion baht, will cover the 356km between Nakhon Ratchasima and Nong Khai. SRT said this phase is under the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process.

SRT expects Phase 2 to be up for bidding before May 2023 and construction may start in the following year.

The high-speed rail route from Bangkok to Nong Khai should go into operation by 2029, linking Thailand to the China-Laos railway.

Before demolishing the Nakhon Ratchasima train station, which was built in 1900 during the reign of King Rama V, SRT has been holding activities, so locals and tourists can check out the site for the last time. Activities, so far, include an exhibition of model trains, railway equipment and souvenirs.

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Nakhon Ratchasima Airport to resume flights after three years of shutdown

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023462

Their Majesties ‘fully recovered’ from Covid-19

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2022

Their Majesties King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida have fully recovered from a recent bout of Covid-19, the Royal Household Bureau announced on Monday.

In its second update on Their Majesties’ condition, the bureau said the King and Queen tested negative for the SARS-CoV-2 virus in rapid antigen tests performed by doctors.

The doctors diagnosed that Their Majesties were free of the virus and can now resume their royal activities.

Their Majesties tested positive for Covid-19 during a routine rapid antigen test on December 17 but suffered only mild symptoms, according to the Royal Household Bureau. Doctors then prescribed treatment for the King and Queen and requested they refrain from duties for a while.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023460

AOT expects 2 million passengers at six airports during the year-end holidays

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2022

The Airports of Thailand (AOT) Plc has predicted that about 2 million passengers will use its six airports during the year-end holidays from December 29 to January 4.

AOT president Nitinai Sirismatthakarn said on Monday that the AOT has made preparations to make its six airports ready to cope with the surging number of passengers during the New Year holidays.

The AOT operates Suvarnabhumi Airport, Don Mueang International Airport, Chiang Mai International Airport, Mae Fah Luang – Chiang Rai International Airport, Phuket International Airport and Hat Yai International Airport.

He said the AOT expected the number of passengers at the six airports to rise by 171.28%, compared to December 29, 2021 to January 4, 2022.

The AOT expects one million international passengers, an increase of 832.51% compared to the same period last year, and one million domestic passengers, an increase of 57.05%.

The AOT also expects that there would be 12,190 flights using the six airports during the seven-day New Year holiday period, an increase of 87.01% from the same period last year.

The number of expected flights would break down to 5,340 international flights, an increase of 260.53%, and 6,850 domestic flights, an increase of 35.98%.

During the New Year holiday period, the AOT would strictly adhere to its Covid-19 universal preventive measures despite the expected increase of passengers, the president said.

He said the AOT has also developed new technologies to make it more convenient for passengers to use the six airports under the “new normal” practice.

One of such technologies is the Sawasdee by AOT app that will allow passengers to check flight data and status of their flights in real time. The app will also alert them when the deadline for checking in is coming up.

Passengers can use the app to check the status of their luggage or book taxis or parking space at the airports. The apps can also be used to locate available buses or trains linked to the airports or file any complaints.

A new function, called Queue Times, will assist passengers to plan their travel, the AOT president added.

He said check-in counters at the six airports are expected to be crowded so passengers are advised to use automatic check-in kiosks that have been installed at different spots in passenger terminals.

Moreover, during the long New Year holidays, the AOT would allow passengers to park their vehicles at the airports free of charge.

Passengers can park their vehicles at the Parking Zone C of Suvarnabhumi Airport from 12.01am on December 29 to midnight of January 3 and the airport will provide shuttle buses to pick them up at 15-minute intervals around the clock.

Passengers using the Phuket airport can also park at the X-Terminal Building’s carpark from 6pm on December 29 to midnight January 3 and the carpark in front of the AOT Phuket office from 6pm on December 29 to midnight January 2, Nitinai said.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023453

Eradicate chance of dying from Covid by getting 4th shot: Virologist

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2022

There is almost no chance of you dying from Covid-19 if you have had four shots of vaccine, leading virologist Dr Yong Poovorawan reported on Monday.

Dr Yong said data from Chiang Mai health authorities collected over the past two years showed that the more jabs a patient has received, the less likely they are to die from Covid.

“Most deaths and severe symptoms occurred in the unvaccinated and those who had received three jabs or fewer,” Yong said in a Facebook post. “This proves that at least three booster shots are important for those in risky groups, such as the elderly, chronically ill, and people on immunosuppressants.”

Healthy young people can get away with only three jabs as their immunity is already high, Yong said.

However, although Thailand has administered over 150 million doses of Covid vaccine, many people have yet to get their third jabs, he added.

“Scientific data proves conclusively that vaccination significantly reduces the chance of severe symptoms and death, although it cannot prevent the infection.”

The vaccine’s efficacy drops as time passes, so if your last jab was more than four months ago, it is time to get another booster shot to keep you safe from Covid-19, he added.

“People who are on immunosuppressants and can’t get vaccinated can use long-acting antibody (LAAB) treatment as an alternative. The Public Health Ministry is providing the drug for free despite the market price of 30,000 baht per vial,” he said.

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Infection is as good as vaccine against Covid-19: virologist

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023451

Mae Sot gold shop owners grab guns after armed robberies on border

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2022

Mae Sot police are providing firearms training to owners of gold shops in Tak after a spate of armed robberies in the western border province. Three gold shops in the province have been held up at gunpoint in recent months as conflict between the junta and resistance forces rages just over the border in Myanmar.

The defensive training is being conducted as part of the Royal Thai Police’s crime suppression policy to ensure safe firearm usage among both police officers and civilians, said Mae Sot police chief Col Monsak Kae-On.

Gold shop owners who attended the training on Sunday at Ban Khang Phibal Firing Range in Mae Sot received comprehensive lessons on shooting, including the correct stance, how to safely hold the gun, how to aim and control breathing, and more.

Monsak gave details of three armed robberies at gold shops in the province this year. In February one customer was killed when robbers attacked a shop in Phop Phra district. Armed robbers then struck at gold shops in Muang district in May and this month.

In the latest robbery, on December 8, four robbers shot up a gold shop’s window, but the owner returned fire, wounding one suspect. Police managed to nab the wounded man and another suspect, while two robbers are believed to have fled across the border to Myanmar.

Monsak said there are about 25 gold shops in Mae Sot. All are expected to see brisk business around New Year, a traditional time to make gold purchases.

“Although there had been no armed robberies in the district in recent years, firearm training could be beneficial to shop owners to protect their life and property in emergency, especially during the New Year holidays,” Monsak said.

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2 get away, 2 nabbed as police, gold shop owner foil robbery in Tak

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Tak’s Thai-Myanmar border checkpoint ready for reopening

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023450

Navy divers searching wreck of HTMS Sukhothai; 11 still missing

MONDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2022

The search for 11 crewmen still missing from the ill-fated HTMS Sukhothai resumed on Monday after three more bodies of dead sailors were fished from the sea on Sunday.

The three bodies were found near the wreckage of the sunken warship before the day’s search operation concluded at 5.30pm, the Royal Thai Navy said.

Navy spokesman Adm Pokkrong Monthatphalin confirmed on Sunday evening that the grim discovery brought the number of missing crew down to 11.

The three bodies in sailor uniforms were spotted by Navy ships and volunteer local fishermen who are searching the sea off Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Bang Saphan district, where the ship went down in a storm on December 18.

The newly found bodies had been in the water too long to be identified via fingerprints so will be sent for DNA testing which will take 3-4 days, Pokkrong said.

Of the 105 crew on board, 76 sailors were rescued, while 29 were declared missing. Six bodies were retrieved and identified in the first few days. One body was found on Friday and eight more were retrieved on Saturday.

As of press time, 11 were still missing. Navy divers began searching the wreck on Sunday.

The Navy held a funeral rite for an HTMS Sukhothai officer, Chief Petty Officer First Class Somkiat Maichob, at a temple in his home province of Surin on Sunday at 1.30pm.

On Monday, funeral rites for three more crewmen will be held at Sattahip Naval Crematorium in Chonburi province from 1pm. They are Lieutenant Samart Kaewphaleuk, Chief Petty Officer First Class Atcha Kaewsuphan, and Chief Petty Officer First Class Amnart Phimthee.

Related stories:

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6 bodies retrieved from HTMS Sukhothai wreckage site on Saturday

Search for 23 HTMS Sukhothai sailors resumes after 6 bodies found

Navy ship sinks, rescue mission underway

Bodies of 4 HTMS Sukhothai crew found, hunt on for remaining 25

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023441

2 more bodies of HTMS Sukhothai crew found on Sunday

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2022

Two more bodies were found near the wreckage of the doomed HTMS Sukhothai and retrieved on Sunday afternoon, the Royal Thai Navy said.

Vice Admiral Pichai Lorchusakul, commander of Naval Area 1, announced at 2.10pm that the retrieval of these two bodies brought the number of missing crew down to 12.

The new bodies were definitely those of HTMS crew as they were wearing sailors’ uniforms, he said.

One body was spotted by HTMS Naresuan and the other by a local fisherman near Koh Phai in Chumphon’s Pathiew district.

Pichai added that the two bodies would be sent to a foundation in Prachuap Khiri Khan for identification before they are handed over to relatives for funeral rites.

The ill-fated HTMS Sukhothai was carrying 105 crew when it was hit by giant waves and capsized off the coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Bang Saphan district on December 18.

Rescue operations managed to save 76 sailors, while 29 were initially declared missing. Six bodies were retrieved and identified in the first few days. One body was found on Friday and eight more were retrieved on Saturday. As of press time, 12 were still missing.

Related stories:

2 more bodies found near HTMS Sukhothai wreckage site, 16 still missing

6 bodies retrieved from HTMS Sukhothai wreckage site on Saturday

Search for 23 HTMS Sukhothai sailors resumes after 6 bodies found

Navy ship sinks, rescue mission underway

Bodies of 4 HTMS Sukhothai crew found, hunt on for remaining 25

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40023438

Japan’s naval chief expresses condolences over HTMS Sukhothai tragedy

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2022

The chief of staff of Japan’s Maritime Self-Defence Force has expressed condolences to his Thai counterpart over the tragic loss of lives in the sinking of the HTMS Sukhothai.

Adm Sakai Ryo, chief of staff of Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF), said he was deeply shocked by the tragedy.

“On behalf of the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force, I express my deepest sympathies to you and all those who are suffering from the incident,” he said in the December 20 letter to Adm Chernchai Chomcherngpat. The letter was released late yesterday.

Adm Saka said he wanted to express his “great respect [for] your Navy’s resilience and your people’s strength and courage”.

“Please remember the JMSDF’s thoughts and prayers are with you and your Navy during this time of difficulty.”

HTMS sank in the stormy sea off Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Bang Saphan district on December 18. It was carrying 105 crew. Seventy-six crew members were rescued and 17 bodies have been recovered. Twelve crew members remain missing.

The Royal Thai Navy also posted on its Facebook page that a Spanish naval officer had posted his condolences on the social network. The post expressed sympathy for the Thai navy and the families of the missing crew. It said similar accidents have happened several times after sea water seeped into ships and reached their electronic controlling systems, making them uncontrollable.

The National Office of Buddhism announced on Sunday that the supreme patriarch has told the Sangha Supreme Council, the ruling body of monks, to order Buddhist temples nationwide to hold a special prayer ceremony for the HTMS Sukhothai tragedy.

Inthaporn Jun-iam, acting director of the office, said the council issued a circular on Saturday to all temples telling them to hold a special prayer ceremony on Sunday for the Navy. The ceremony aims to boost the morale of sailors and their families following the tragedy.