Delightful flower festival at Bangkok's Rama IX Park

Delightful flower festival at Bangkok's Rama IX Park

Head for Rama IX Park in the eastern suburbs of Bangkok for one of the most delightful events of the year

One of the most delightful flower festivals in Thailand – the Suanluang Rama IX Flower Festival is taking place again this year from 1-10 December, 2017. As usual, there are many different flowers and blooms on display in all areas of Suanluang Rama IX Public Park.

Highlights also include an exhibition in remembrance of His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej and his royally initiated projects in all parts of the country. There are also booths selling flowers and plants as well as gardening tools.

In addition, there are cultural performances from four regions of Thailand, an ornamental plant contest, and a floating market selling food, arts and crafts, and souvenirs.Suanluang Rama IX Public Park was built in 1987 to commemorate the 60th birthday of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. 

Covering an area of 500 rai, the park is divided into six sections: ‘Garden of the Great King’ which is home to the Ratchamangkhala Pavilion; ‘Botanic Garden’, the ‘Reservoir’; ‘Romanee Garden’; ‘Water Garden’; and ‘Sanam Rasdara and Sport Center’.

In addition, there is an international garden featuring arrangements from different regions of the world. For more information, please visit: www.tourismthailand.org (in English) or suanluangrama9.or.th (in Thai)The Suanluang Rama IX Public Park is located deep inside Bangkok’s Sukhumvit Soi 103 (Udomsuk) Road. It opens daily from 08.00 – 19.00 Hrs. Admission is 10 Baht.

~News courtesy of The Nation~

Trang-Bangkok train service cancelled Thursday

Trang-Bangkok train service cancelled Thursday

Thursday evening’s Trang-Bangkok passenger train had to abandon its service and return to the station because the track was flooded in Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Officials said the train, which left the Trang railway station in Mueang district at 5.20pm, returned to the station at 9.15 pm after it found it could not continue after reaching the Huay Yod station in Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Huay Yod district.

Officials said that a section of the railway ahead was underwater and so it was decided to abort the service and return to the Trang station. The train was full with passengers, including foreign tourists.

The Trang station allowed those passengers, who could not return home or stay in hotels, to remain on the train for the night. The Trang-Bangkok train service is suspended indefinitely pending further notice.

~News courtesy of The Nation~

Central World Bangkok lights up for the holiday season

Central World Bangkok lights up for the holiday season

Festive season is (already) here once again, with decorations and lights going up in the areas around CentralWorld and Rajprasong

CentralWorld Shopping Complex in the heart of Bangkok is putting on its much-anticipated annual light displays for the holiday season, from now until 7 January, 2018.

Highlights for this year are more than 400 Christmas decorations, cartoon characters and art pieces, including the five-metre-tall sculptures of Santa Claus and friends, created by the famous Argentinian illustrator, Javier González Burgos, under the theme of “The Dazzling Celebration.”From 21 to 26 November, there’re daily light-and-sound shows at 19.00, 20.00 and 21.00 Hrs.

~News courtesy of The Nation~

Corn slides 切片玉米

ข้าวโพดสไลด์

ข้าวโพด khao pod 玉米 Corn

สไลด์ slide 切片

芭堤雅往返广东梅州 直飞航线开通

芭堤雅往返广东梅州 直飞航线开通



一架飞鸟航空公司涂装形似小鸟的飞机13日中午平稳降落在广东省梅州市梅县机场，标志着泰国芭堤雅往返广东梅州直飞新航线正式通航。

该国际航班由飞鸟航空公司采用B737-800机型执飞，每周2班，逢周一、三飞行，均于北京时间早上9时从芭堤雅起飞，中午12时到达梅州；返程则于下午1时从梅州起飞，下午4时到达芭提雅。

这也是广东梅州梅县机场继开通雅加达航线后开通的第2条东南亚航线。该新航线的开通，不仅对梅州连接东南亚地区侨胞具有重要意义，也将更好地服务国家「一带一路」倡议，进一步促进梅州乃至广东与世界的互通互联。目前，11月梅州飞往芭堤雅的机票已经售罄。

广东梅州被誉为「世界客都」，也是著名侨乡，泰国、印尼、新加坡等东南亚地区分布着众多祖籍梅州的侨胞。

《泰国世界日报》

Smoking ban on 20 popular tourist beaches

Thailand bans smoking on 20 popular tourist beaches



Tourists sunbathe at Phuket's Patong beach on Nov 30, 2014.

Thailand is to ban smoking on some of the country's most popular tourist beaches, with the prospect of up to a year in prison for those caught lighting up, according to reports by local media.

The move follows a recent survey of litter on Patong beach, Phuket - visited by millions of foreign tourists each year - which found an average of 0.76 cigarette butts per square metre in a sample area, which would amount to 101,058 butts on the 2.5km-long stretch of sand.

The survey was undertaken by the country's department of marine and coastal resources, which described it as a "serious problem". Discarded cigarette butts accounted for a third of rubbish collected by the department.

"Cigarettes have a direct effect on the natural environment," director-general Jatuporn Buruspat told the Phuket Gazette .

"The butts clog the drains contributing to floods. When the cigarettes stay under the beach sand for a long time, it also negatively affects the ecosystem. And then when the chemicals from the cigarette butts reach the water, it also releases cadmium, lead, arsenic and some acid from insecticide which are poison to the natural food chain."

The ban, which will come into play in November, will affect 20 beaches including Patong, Koh Khai Nok, Koh Khai Nai (Phuket); Hua Hin, Cha-Am, Khao Takiab (western province of Prachuap Khiri Khan); Pattaya, Jomtien, Bangsaen (eastern province of Chonburi) and Samila (Songkhla city).

After a trial period, the ban is expected to be enforced on all Thai beaches, as well as on passenger and tourist boats, to tackle the problem of butts damaging the underwater environment.

Anyone found to be breaking the law will face one year in jail or a maximum 100,000 baht (S$4,080) fine, or both.

The Bangkok Post also reported the news, adding that Thailand has the sixth most rubbish-strewn areas of sea in the world.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

Chiang Mai improves its connectivity in readiness for Asean Tourism Forum 2018

Chiang Mai improves its connectivity in readiness for Asean Tourism Forum 2018



The Wat Rajamontean Temple in Chiang Mai, which is home to more than 300 temples.

Chiang Mai continues to expand international direct flights to Thailand’s northern gateway city as it prepares to meet demand leading up to the Asean Tourism Forum 2018 (ATF 2018) in January next year.

Mr Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said: “The increase in international direct flights will support the ATF 2018 theme of 'Asean - Sustainable Connectivity, Boundless Prosperity.’

“Chiang Mai is a gateway to the north of Thailand. Delegates or tourists can enjoy their time in this northern city and then continue their journey to other parts of Thailand or within Asean via the many intra-regional and international connecting flights available.

“While flights are currently keeping up with demand, there is also available capacity to handle future growth as we expect hosting ATF 2018 will also result in more travellers wanting to visit Chiang Mai.”

He also noted that TAT has recently hosted several multi-country Asean familiarisation trips, linking Thailand with key commercial capitals around Asean to support intra-regional tourism growth.

In 2017, Chiang Mai is on track to welcome a total of 7,614 direct international flights and 567 indirect flights (via major destinations), with almost half coming from China (3,436 flights).

The top four cities of origin in China include Beijing and Shanghai (1,022 flights each), Guangzhou (664 flights), Kunming (450 flights) and Hangzhou (365 flights), with the remainder coming from Wuhan, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Haikou, Nanjing, Nanning, Qingdao, Xi’an and Chengdu.

Other international flights include from Hong Kong – 1,088 flights; Myanmar – 880 flights; Kuala Lumpur – 837 flights; Singapore – 489 flights; Macau – 365 flights; and Seoul with 242 flights (flight data from OAG).

The Bangkok to Chiang Mai domestic trunk route also continues to expand to meet the growing demand from Thai and international tourists.

Daily flight services from both airports are served by Thai Airways, Thai Smile Airways, Bangkok Airways, Thai AirAsia, Nok Air, Thai Lion Air and other Thailand-based carriers, in addition to international direct flights.

Chiang Mai is also linked domestically with other major Thai cities, including Phuket, Ko Samui, Krabi, Chiang Rai, Pattaya, Surat Thani, Hat Yai and Prachuap Khiri Khan (Hua Hin).

Domestic flight services are also available between Chiang Mai and other secondary Thai cities, including Phitsanulok, Tak (Mae Sot), Ubon Ratchathani, Mae Hong Son, Khon Kaen and Udon Thani.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

油价贵 苏梅岛计程车拟上调车资

油价贵 苏梅岛计程车拟上调车资



素叻他尼府苏梅岛计程车协会向当地相关部门承诺，在搭载乘客时司机愿意使用计程表，但希望将计费标准调整为前2公里100铢，之后每公里收20铢，堵车情况每分钟收5铢，因为苏梅岛上的油价比其他地方贵。

苏梅岛旅游警署署长比亚攀昨天（7日）透露，苏梅岛旅游警察指挥官命令苏梅岛旅游警署赶紧解决计程车司机载客不打表问题，因为曾多次接到游客投诉，称计程车司机收费过高，旅游警署展开调查后发现该情况属实，如果长期放任不管，会严重影响苏梅岛的旅游形象。旅游警署为解决该问题，与素叻他尼府运输办事处、苏梅岛警署以及计程车业者代表开会讨论解决办法。

苏梅岛计程车协会在会议上总结，苏梅岛地区比较特殊，投资成本比其他地区高，特别是油价每升高出2-3铢，如果用计程表计价一定会亏本。因此提议将计程车收费标准调整为前2公里收100铢，之后每公里收20铢，如果堵车计程车无法移动，则每分钟收5铢。

如果当地相关部门接受以上提议，苏梅岛计程车协会将组织计程车司机调整收费标准，尽快在本月23日完成并展开试行工作。如果各相关部门通过上述提议，则提交给政府部门审核。如果公布采用新收费标准后还有计程车司机不打表，则按照法律处理，避免影响当地旅游形象。

版权声明：本文版权属于《泰国世界日报》

A Scrumptious blend of street food and tourism

A Scrumptious blend of street food and tourism



Food stalls and menus are undergoing a makeover in Chinatown and on Khao San Road, as city hall and TAT come together to attract more foreign and thai visitors alike

Bangkok is one of the best cities in the world for mouth-watering street food – as one US news network proclaimed recently.

This goes a long way in helping tourism, and authorities here are spicing up the appeal of Thai food by incorporating gastronomy into the Kingdom’s national tourism policy starting this October.

Indeed, plans are brewing to lead countrywide tourism promotion activities with food. Chinatown and Khao San Road are the most popular foodie destinations among foreign visitors.

On the surface, street fare may look affordable and innocuous, just like somtam and pad thai. In reality, it’s a gritty world of questionable food hygiene and overpriced seafood that’s populated by not just sidewalk vendors but slick money-laundering mafia bosses as well. Of course, vendors do know how to cook clean street food, yet many just don’t.

But that is changing. Authorities reckon it’s time such food is given a complete image makeover. This comes amid a set of stricter regulations being introduced by the Bangkok Metropo-litan Administration (BMA) that will change the face of street fare. That means ensuring the presence of street food in Bangkok’s tourism drive but in a better, regulated way.

“I have mentioned to several media outlets that it’s virtually impossible to do away with street food in Bangkok,” Vallop Suwandee told The Nation during an exclusive interview.

Vallop, chairman of the advisers to the governor of Bangkok, sees such food as not only a source of livelihood for the poor but also a tourist attraction. “We care about the poor quite a lot. But by caring, please do not equate this with the inconvenience caused to pedestrians. They have to be concerned about the convenience to pedestrians too,” he says.

Enjoying the flavour

In terms of tourism, Vallop says it’s the BMA’s duty to untiringly promote street food among Thais and foreign visitors to Bangkok “so they can enjoy the flavour and charm of street food in Thailand. The prime minister and the Bangkok governor appreciate the fact that CNN recognises our street food. The PM himself has instructed the BMA to make the charm of street food in Bangkok sustainable. We will not limit street food just to Chinatown and Khao San Road,” he states.

Vallop believes street food needs to be more sanitary, tasty, affordable – and not obstructive to pedestrians or road traffic. He is consulting Bangkok’s administrative laws and colleagues at the Public Health Department to make the two strips – BMA’s pilot scheme – fair to sidewalk vendors, pedestrians, diners and motorists. But that comes with meticulous regulations.

The move to regulate street food is being taken as a direct result of the BMA’s existing administrative law and complaints (through postcards and BMA’s hotline 1555) about food sanitation, pricing and pavement “congestion”.



Sanitation

A lack of sanitation is a major worry.

Vendors who cook food with their bare hands, wearing no gloves, aprons, or hats, grab the money from customers, then get back to cooking again. Many wash the dishes on the pavement, throw the day’s food waste into open sewers, or dump waste on the street without second thoughts. Regarding cooking, cheap palm oil is commonly used for dishes from fish cakes to gaprao gai.

The health-conscious would be easily put off by the levels of saturated fats in cheap cooking oils. Inky, for example, often goes to Yaowarat and Phetchaburi Soi 5 for street food and is alarmed by the lack of sanitation. “I think I like street food in Bangkok because it’s cheap and tasty.

But sometimes it’s hard to find parking, and I would like street food more if they improved on sanitation,” she says. Vallop admits food hygiene is not so good among sidewalk food stalls.

“We have to admit that the BMA has limited personnel, what with Bangkok’s total area of 1,574 square kilometres. It’s so vast. Still, we cannot deny this responsibility though there’s not enough personnel to supervise the sanitation of street food. In my opinion, maybe in the future, the city needs to outsource supervising powers to compensate for the shortages.

We have received complaints from the public that vendors just disregard or throw food leftovers into the drainage system of Yaowarat,” he says. Vallop explains that the sanitation strategy – devised a long time ago – involves personnel from the Public Health Department supervising all types of vendors, from fresh-produce markets to sidewalk food stalls.

“For example, the ingredients have to meet our sanitation standards. Moreover, the food on sale must not be contaminated and needs to follow our standards of freshness and no contamination,” he asserts.



Overcharging

Overcharging is also among the BMA’s concerns. “We have to admit that some of the street food vendors – especially those running seafood stalls – particularly in Chinatown overcharge their customers. Yes, we have received complaints from foreign and Thai visitors alike. Overcharging exists in general, but Chinatown is a place many would like to visit. So we are also going to bring order there and make it fair to the customer,” he says.

Vallop adds that the BMA is working with the Commerce Ministry to regulate food prices by taking Or Tor Kor Market’s pricing system as a benchmark. Vendors have to come up with a menu and a price list that can be seen clearly, Vallop says.

The cost of pad thai, for example, varies in Chinatown. “It depends on whether pad thai comes with seafood, or without meat. Normally pad thai without any meat should cost around Bt50. That’s the best price for street food. If you have shrimp, seafood or squid, it could cost more.

“Seafood is sold by weight. This is a matter for the Commerce Ministry that will compare food prices at Chinatown with those of Or Tor Kor. They have references. Some vendors charge exorbitant prices for other dishes too.

That’s why the ministry will step in,” he promises.Mafia Another major issue to be tackled is the local mafia pulling the strings behind street food stalls and shophouses in Bangkok. Vallop admits that if the BMA doesn’t step in to regulate street food, influential people – in other words, the local mafia – will.

“They [the mafia] have already stepped in,” he says, adding, “we have the names of all vendors, and according to our intelligence, we know who they [the influential people] are.

Some are vendors, but most of them are not. I am not saying that it’s Yaowarat alone, it’s all over Bangkok. In the past, we had this at Siam Square, Klong Thom, Silom and even on Sukhumvit Road.

What they do is rent out their spaces to vendors for storage. Right now, our governor is trying to clean up the house. All those who stray from the rules will be punished. A lot of city police have been transferred, moved, or dismissed from their positions.

In Chinatown, all those influential people should sacrifice themselves for what they have already earned. “They occupy maybe 10 slots of the pavement. And you have three factories, that means you have 30 slots occupied by individual vendors who act like nominees of these factories.

These factories just use the slots of the vendors as outlets for their products without paying tax or rent, and also cause inconvenience to the public. The public should be kept informed about all this,” he says.

All said, is Vallop afraid of the mafia? “I think everyone at city hall is working in good faith, serving the public. We have requested all those behind the scenes to be aware that we are serving the public. Everyone should respect the law. They should sacrifice themselves for the sake and benefit of the public. I think they know this.

Some people in certain areas, especially in the centre of Bangkok, are being closely watched by the anti-money laundering commission right now.

They are looking into their accounts and some figures are unexplainable,” he reveals.



Training vendors

The strict regulations are already being implemented. Vallop says the BMA is organising an orientation course in cooking – from food preparation to food safety and hygiene targeting sidewalk vendors.

“The BMA calls upon all food vendors [in Chinatown] to take the two-day orientation course no matter how many years they have been in the food business. The orientation course being held in conjunction with the Public Health Ministry will provide instructions on food preparation and the proper condition of ingredients, among other things. What fish sauce can they use, for example.

They just can’t use any ingredients or condiments. We will also train them on how to clean their hands appropriately, clean dishes, or operate in case they get the flu. The training is necessary because we won’t allow dish washing on the pavement anymore,” he pledges.

The two-day orientation course consists of a pre-test and a final test. If they don’t pass the final test, they won’t be allowed to go back to their business. Those who have passed the test will be issued an ID card with their photo and a barcode.

Things are indeed changing on the ground. Vallop says the vendors are moving their stalls to the outer edge of the pavement in Yaowarat so that pedestrians can walk along the space near the shophouses.

The left lane of four-laned Yaowarat Road is also reserved for pedestrians after 6pm. The owner of a noodle stall in Chinatown confirms new regulations are now being implemented. She has to move her stall from the middle of the subsoil to the outer edge. “Yes, new regulations have come into effect. We can’t put chairs in the middle of the soi anymore.

Stalls can be set up from 6pm only. I have to pay Bt500 to municipal police and another Bt500 to city police for the space,” she says. Another vendor who sells tube noodles stuffed with cabbage, bamboo shoots, pork and chicken says she has to wear both an apron and a hat as part of the regulations.

“Previously I wore only an apron, but not a hat. I pay rent of Bt1,000 a month and for operating on the pavement. You get fined Bt2,000 if you set up chairs on the street. You can sell food on the pavement only,” she says.

Vallop declares regulations for street food will be fully enforced towards the end of the year. With improvements to the street food scene, the goal is not to restrict promotion of street food to just the two foodie neighbourhoods but to highlight street food in Bangkok in its entirety as part of the national tourism plan.

The BMA is working with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to maximise the impact of food on tourism. BMA and TAT officials are discussing ways to promote street food in Chinatown, Khao San and other areas. “We will go into details such as how to make Yaowarat food stalls remain free from uniformity of stall design.

TAT would like Yaowarat and Khao San to retain their own identity, not to make stalls look the same,” Vallop says. Vallop’s vision of Bangkok street food is influenced by his overseas travels.

To him, the countries in Asia that have the best street food management include Singapore and Japan. “I think people in Singapore are so disciplined and concerned about the public and not so ‘individualistic’. They don’t act according to their own whims. It all comes down to public awareness.

Everyone should be aware that it is their duty to respect the law.”



Gastronomy tourism

Eating is driving tourism these days, says Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, deputy governor for Marketing Communications at TAT. Food is part of TAT’s grand scheme of gastronomy tourism. Street food is a segment that won’t be promoted on its own but as part of Thailand’s gastronomy tourism.

“In Thailand you can dine at several places – from street food stalls to resorts and restaurants. Street food is an important dimension that helps tourists learn about Thainess,” Chattan points out.

Chattan insists Thailand is ready to tap into gastronomy tourism given the dramatic increase in food-related spending by foreign visitors.

“We have learned that over the past three years, the main reason for coming to Thailand has been food, then it’s shopping and Thai hospitality. Food has become the No 1 reason for three years in a row. It’s clear spending on food is on the increase every year. Thailand is ready to push gastronomy tourism.

We have lots of high-quality restaurants where our chefs’ skills are recognised widely,” says Chattan. “We will have marketing promotions using food as the main thrust. For example, in Phuket, they will have to try seafood.

If we are promoting Chiang Mai, food – for example khao soi – will be used to promote the destination. For Ayutthaya, you need to try grilled river prawns.

There are many ways that food can add up to tourism strategy,” he says.‘Wide choice’ As for the capital, Chattan says food is one of Bangkok’s enduring charms. It’s a city where one can eat around the clock with a wide choice of not just Thai food but Japanese, French, Italian, Indian cuisine and more.

“I agree with the BMA for starting with Chinatown and Khao San as a pilot project. Doing this across the board is difficult. Later, we can carry out the project in other places. Thai-land is well recognised by tourists. But there are ‘a million shades of Thailand’.

So, open up to the new shade!” Vallop reckons street food not only tastes good but should also be integrated with our renowned Thai hospitality and ‘Thai smile’. “Vendors need to keep in mind that they are not just presenting Thailand to visitors.

They need to be aware that visitors will go back to their countries and help us promote the charms and taste of street food and Thai food to their friends and families. “On behalf of my governor and city hall, we would like to express our appreciation to visitors for coming to taste street food in Bangkok.

I hope they will have lingering memories of their experiences here so they can convey these pleasant experiences to their friends. In this way, we can get more visitors coming to Bangkok. I would also like visitors to understand that city hall cares about cleanliness and food hygiene,” Vallop says.

~Courtesy of The Nation~