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[halfway inn]

Police urge Phuket tourists to use Tourist Buddy app

PHUKET: -- The Phuket Tourist Police are urging visitors to the island to download and register the agency’s Tourist Buddy application, which is now available on Google Play for devices running the Android platform:
click here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vasinno.tourist.fragment&feature=search_result#t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS52YXNpbm5vLnRvdXJpc3QuZnJhZ21lbnQiXQ

The Tourist Police launched its Tourist Buddy app on Apple’s iTunes store last month, making it instantly available for iPhone and iPad users:
click here:https://itunes.apple.com/th/app/touristbuddy/id597308286?mt=8

Tourist Buddy, available in English and Thai, allows users to quickly access local maps, find out where tourist attractions are and even promotes local events and discounts at local restaurants and other local businesses.

“But more importantly, it also allows tourists to quickly contact the Tourist Police if they need to,” explained Phuket Tourist Police Inspector Urumporn Koondejsumrit.

When users first launch the Tourist Buddy app, they are asked whether or not they want Tourist Police to know their location, delivered through the phone’s GPS facility.

“If tourists in danger use the app to call the Tourist Police 24-hour national hotline 1155, we will know exactly where they are [within 10 meters] and we will be able to go immediately to the right location to help,” Maj Urumporn said.

Other important features include an “Email us” button, which allows users to send images and video directly to the Tourist Police headquarters in Bangkok.

“The officers in Bangkok will send the email directly to us here in Phuket,” Maj Urumporn said.

Not many tourists have downloaded the app, but so far all of the feedback we have received has been positive, Maj Urumporn explained.

“I would like more people in Phuket to use this app, because it will make it safer and more convenient for tourists to travel all across Thailand,” he explained.

“There are many millions of Android users now and we want to make sure they can use Tourist Buddy, too,” he added.

[halfway inn]

Police Warn Of Fake 500 Baht Banknotes Circulation





(3 July) Counterfeit 500 baht banknotes are circulating in Ang Thong province, police have warned, after they were alerted by the owner of a construction equipment company who was paid in fake bills.

Mr. Weera Tarmboon, 44, told police he discovered about the fake banknotes when he handed out changes to a customer earlier today. The customer told him the banknote felt stange, so Mr. Weera checked the bill, realized it was fake, and apologized profusely to the customer. He later called police to investigate.

Mr. Weera said he could not remember who gave him the banknote, but suggested that it was one of the customers who have visited his shop throughout the day, buying cements, bricks, stones, and metals.

Police officers told our correspondent the counterfeit money appears to be very convincing, and unsuspecting individuals might be easily duped.

However, they say, a closer inspection would reveal that the small Garuda on the fake bill isn′t covered by serial number and the back of the banknote will show stronger shade of violet color than genuine 500 baht bills.

Police say they reports from other shops and stores in Ang Thong province started to trickle in as well, and they have dispatched officers to inform many shop owners in the province about the matter.

Kaosod

[halfway inn]

Mo Chit 2 Bus Terminal to be relocated ahead of AEC

BANGKOK, 13 July 2013  - The Department of Land Transport is planning to move Mo Chit 2 Bus Terminal to a new location in a bid to accommodate more commuters ahead of the launch of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).

Director-General of the Department of Land Transport Somchai Siriwattnachoke said the relocation of Mo Chit will facilitate the tightening of security measures at the new bus terminal, given only ticket holders will be permitted to enter the terminal.

Two committees have been set up to study the relocation proposal, with the budget tentatively set at 3 billion baht.

Details of the project are scheduled to be finalized by the end of September.

Muang Thong Thani, Don Mueang and Rangsit areas are seen as possible locations for the new terminal complex.

The terminal is expected to cover an area of up to 150 rai of land.

Mr Somchai disclosed that once the AEC comes into effect in 2015, the total amount of passengers using the bus services will likely jump to 60 million a year, up from 30 million this year.


NNT

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Holiday Inn coming to Rayong



InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is to make its entry into Rayong with the construction of the Holiday Inn & Suites Rayong City Centre.

The hotel will be located at the heart of Rayong's City Centre adjacent to the Laemtong Shopping Mall, offering convenient access to 10 of Thailand's major industrial parks including the Eastern Seaboard Industrial Park and Map Ta Phut Industrial Park.

Holiday Inn & Suites Rayong City Centre will be the first international branded hotel in Rayong's City Centre and will offer a combination of 240 guest rooms and 60 suites tailored to guests staying for longer periods.

Other facilities are to include an all-day dining restaurant, a rooftop restaurant and bar, meeting facilities, swimming pool, pool bar and fitness centre.

[turmeric2u]

Προσοχή τα διαβατήρια σας.


Tourists:


Don't hand your passport to tour companies in Thailand
Jul 26, 2013

 

It's illegal for tour operators in Thailand to hold tourists Passport. Passports cannot be handed over to third parties.

Thai Tourism and Sports Minister Somsak Pureesrisak has blankly called for an end to the age-old Phuket practice of foreigners’ passports being held as a condition of renting motorbikes, cars and jet-skis

“Because passports are the properties of the governments that issue them, those who seize them – for any reason – are in fact seizing the property of a foreign government.

Minister Somsak suggested temporary drivers’ licenses be issued to visitors as a substitute. These would require the renter to prove that he or she already has a valid license in their own country.

“If the individual forgets to bring their home-country driver’s license, or they do not have one, they would have to contact the Land Transportation Office, which would be able to providing a temporary license within four hours of testing the person’s driving skills,” he said.

Minister Somsak did not elaborate on the practice of law-enforcement agencies confiscating passports of tourists while conducting investigations.

Department of Special Investigations (DSI) chief Tarit Pengdith, accompanying Minister Somsak on his visit to Phuket this week, offered a counter-suggestion.

“Vehicle-rental operators should accept a signed copy of the customer’s passport* instead. This means we could still coordinate with Immigration Police if the renter does not return the vehicle or seriously damages it, and then tries to escape from Thailand. Immigration might refuse them permission to leave until the case is settled,” he said.

But DSI Chief Tarit also issued a clear warning: “Regardless of whatever measures are taken to facilitate Phuket’s tourism industry being cleaned up, after we have established our Organized Crime Center for Tourism [story here], we will crack down on all illegal businesses – including dodgy vehicle-rental operators, illegal taxis and other law-breakers.”

“We know of 59 businesses – including 13 in Phuket – that have used nominees [so they could be legally registered as companies], and we are conducting special investigations into these. We have taken legal action against 14 businesses already and are working through the list,” he added.

“Concerning organized crime in Phuket, this is my last warning – you have 15 days to legalize your activities. After that, we will clean up the entire island,” Mr Tarit warned.

DSI chief Tarit also levelled his warning at corrupt officials in Phuket.

“If we learn that local government officials have been involved, they will not be exempt from the full force of the law,” he said.

eturbonews.com

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TOURISM

Thailand mulls compulsory travel insurance

BANGKOK: -- The Tourism and Sports Ministry is planning to make it compulsory for all foreign tourists to have travel insurance before entering the Kingdom because unpaid bills are putting a huge strain on cash-strapped public hospitals in major destinations, particularly Phuket.


 However, some tourism-business operators warn that this measure might keep away travelers as well as tarnish the country's image.

 In a telephone interview with The Nation, Tourism and Sports Minister Somsak Pureesrisak said the ministry was readying to implement the regulation to cut down on foreign tourists' unpaid medical bills that cost the country more than Bt200 million annually.

 Somsak is discussing the matter with Public Health Minister Pradit Sintavanarong and Deputy Prime Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong.

 Costing "Bt500"

 "They agree that foreign tourists should buy an insurance package, which would cost about Bt500," he said.

 This would first be applied to tourists who apply for visa at Thai diplomatic missions overseas.

The ministry has yet to decide whether this would apply to those who do not need a visa to enter the country.

 According to Yuthachai Soonthronrattnavate, president of the Association of Domestic Travel, tourists coming to Thailand on tour packages are already required to buy travel insurance, which allows them to claim Bt1 million for death and up to Bt500,000 for injuries.

 Based on the Tourism Ministry's data, up to 6.19 million tourists, or about 28 per cent of the total 22.35 visitors, came to as part of a tour package last year.

The Kingdom earned Bt984 billion in revenue from tourist spending in 2012, and expects to earn as much as Bt2.2 trillion from visitors in 2015.

 Meanwhile, Phuket - a top travel destination - has had to shoulder about Bt5 million a year in medical costs for foreigners who don't have insurance or are unable to pay for the services, said Dr Bancha Khakhon, chief of the Phuket provincial public health office.

 "Whether they can pay or not, it's our obligation to save their lives first," he said.

 Most of foreign patients in the province were suffering from motorcycle-related road accidents.

Some foreign patients who have health insurance are able to receive emergency treatment at private hospitals but for those who do not have are advised to seek treatment at public hospitals.

 On top of the unpaid bills, the Public Health Ministry had to cater a special service for foreign patients: through medical mediators, their problems at public and private hospitals would be resolved within 90 days.

In 2012, 59 per cent of foreign patients filed complaints to the ministry, mostly about service quality at clinics.

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Phuket Opinion: Health insurance for tourists at 7-Eleven


Dr Sirichai Silpa-archa says it’s time to stop sticking hospitals with the bill for tourists’ medical care.

Dr Sirichai Silpa-archa has been the Director of Patong Hospital for six months and was Deputy Director of Vachira Phuket Hospital for 26 years.
He has a medical degree from Chulalongkorn University with a specialty in Urology from Chiang Mai University, as well as an MBA.

Here, he discusses options for relieving the financial burden of uninsured foreign tourist and expat patients.

PHUKET: -- The cost of treating uninsured tourists at Patong Hospital totals about a million baht every year. At Vachira Phuket Hospital, the total is about 3 million baht.

In 2011, 15,000 tourists were treated at Patong Hospital. In 2012, the number increased to 17,000, and this year it is expected to hit the 20,000 mark.

Only 400 to 500 of these tourists each year hold health insurance. The rest of them pay the medical fees out of pocket if they can. If they can’t, we are left holding the bill.

The way to solve this problem is to make travel insurance a requirement for entering Thailand or make it a lot easier to get.

The Public Health Ministry is considering making it a requirement for uninsured tourists to get travel insurance on arrival.
In this case, the insurance would be available at the airport for the tourists to buy, according to the number of days they plan to stay.

However, this proposal is still under discussion with relevant organizations such as Immigration and the Ministry of Commerce.

In my opinion, insurance on arrival is probably not convenient for either tourists or officials because it would slow down the immigration process.

I think it would be more practical to require tourists to get insurance before they arrive. If they come on a tour, the cost of travel insurance could be included in the package.

Another idea is to make insurance available at stores such as 7-Eleven. Tourists could just buy it the same way they buy prepaid phone cards.

They would select a card based on the number of days they are staying here. That way they’d be covered while here.

The problem with this is that it’s impossible to make sure that every tourist would buy insurance. Once they’re in the country, what they do is out of our control.

The issue particularly affects Patong Hospital and Vachira Hospital since uninsured tourists are sent to us.

I’ll give you an extreme example. Two months ago we had a Filipino tourist who suffered a hip fracture. He had neither insurance nor the money to pay.
He stayed with us for two months and his medical bills reached 200,000 baht. He couldn’t pay any of it.

At Patong Hospital, we treat all tourists the same, whether they have insurance or money to pay or not.
In fact, until recently doctors weren’t aware until the day of discharge whether or not a patient could afford the medical fees.

Now we have a new system, and summarize the bill every two days. That way, if someone can’t pay, we know it sooner and have a chance to recuperate the costs.

The health of the patients comes first, of course, and if they are critical, we continue to treat them until they are better, regardless of their ability to pay.

But if, for example, we know on the second day that they are unable to pay, and they are recovering well and able to leave the hospital, we will discharge them.

In cases where they are not well enough to leave, we contact their embassy and report the problem.
The embassy tries to get in touch with the family of the patient in their own country and ask them to help get the patient home.

Health insurance for tourists is a problem that needs a collective effort to solve effectively. Hopefully we’ll find a solution soon.

phuket gazette

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Khao San Croc crooks arrested for swindling tourists



BANGKOK: -- Tourist police recently arrested two Khao San tour bus company owners who stole cash and goods from passengers, including Croc and New Balance brand shoes.

Trat police paraded the arrested married couple – Sarawut Saipanya, age 41, and Chanika Saipanya, age 35, who operated the Saipanya Tour Company bus from Khao San Road to Koh Chang – in a press conference yesterday.

Officers acting on complaints from tourists about missing items, found credit cards, 12 different kinds of currencies, clothes from the Gap, and a cornucopia of different brand-name shoes including Crocs, New Balances, and Fit-flops.

They estimated that the total value of the stolen contraband at THB700,000.

Following an investigation, police arrested the couple who made a full confession.

Sarawut said that he and his wife owned two buses that brought tourists from Khao San to Koh Chang that they had operated for one year.

The couple would hop into the bus storage compartment's and sift through suitcases for valuables and then exit when it stopped on the motorway.

The married couple had also used stolen credit cards for shopping sprees, the Daily news  reported.

[Oytopikos]

Two Italian tourists were allegedly captured and held for ransom by a group of corrupt Nana cops.

The victims said they were wandering around the Nana area on Monday when they stopped to use an ATM. While they were at the ATM, an Uzbeki man and 4 officers approached the men to “arrest” them for using “fake ATM cards.”

The tourists, who did not commit any crime, were held hostage and moved to the fifth floor of an empty building. After hours of negotiating the gang took the tourists to Sawasdee Hotel on Sukhumvit 57 and demanded THB2 million in cash.

The Italians talked their captors down to THB1 million, saying they would call their family in Italy to transfer the money. The gang did not realize the tourists were, in fact, calling for help.

Shortly thereafter the Italian police contacted the Lumpini Police Department who immediately called the hotel where the men were being held.

The gang seems to have gotten wise to the heat and they were captured on CCTV fleeing the scene.

One officer has since given himself up, but the other gang members are still on the run, the Daily News reported.


http://bangkok.coconuts.co

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TRAVEL

AirAsia to fly to Khon Kaen


BANGKOK: -- Thai AirAsia today launches the "Don Mueang-Khon Kaen" route under the plan to expand regional network, supported by the acquisition of 5 more aircraft in the fourth quarter.

By this year’s end, the airline’s fleet will cover 35 aircraft.

The new route, operated twice daily, will start on October 28.

 Tassapon Bijleveld, CEO of Thai AirAsia, said that the expanded fleet will strengthen the airline's capability to offer an extensive network of domestic and international routes, along with new and exciting destinations which will be launched in the near future.

 "The route was launched in direct response to the needs of a wide array of travelers from the public to the private sector who need convenient travel to attend training sessions in the province.

Having the flights depart from Don Mueang offers ease to travelers coming from the city and Thai AirAsia's high on time record in Thailand provides them with confidence.

Tourists will also benefit from the opening because they will be able to travel with the lowest fares and on the newest planes with AirAsia.

The route is sure to be well received," he said.


02-09-2013
The Nation













 
 

 

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ALCOHOL DRINKS

Alcohol excise taxes raised

Effective today on September 4, the excise taxes on liquor, beer and wine will go up by 7- 15 per cent.

BANGKOK: -- Somchai Poolsawasdi, director-general of the Excise Department, said that the increases will go into effect immediately to prevent traders from hoarding products to cash in on the higher rates.

The rise in the price of beer is expected to be only Bt2-Bt3 per can, but will be higher for liquor, especially imported whisky.

[halfway inn]

NANG LERNG MARKET



Officially launched on March 29, 1900 in Bangkok, this market has a long history and many time-tested food shops.

Jibkee, for example, has served Grilled Duck, Roasted Red Pork, and Crispy Pork for more than a century now.

Delicious dishes are also available at several less old eateries.

For over four decades, Bamee Rungruang is famous for its homemade noodle that is topped with crab, roasted red pork, Chinese mustard green and wonton.

Rungroj’s menu, meanwhile, offers more than 60 dishes including must-try Steamed Duck in Soy Sauce.

Selling aromatic coffee and Sri Lanka tea, Salon de Caf? has attracted local and foreign customers alike.
 
Visitors to this market can also stroll along rows of old-style shop houses and pay respect to Krom Luang Chumphon Khet Udomsak Shrine.

The Nang Lerng Market opens from 10am to 2pm, and from 5pm to 11pm every day.

However, there are usually fewer shops and stalls on Saturdays and Sundays.

[halfway inn]

TERRORISM

WASHINGTON: -- The US Department of State has issued a Worldwide Caution, alerting US citizens and others across the world of continuing threat of terrorist actions.

The department said in the statement, issued on September 25 after the bombing and kidnapping in Kenya, that it remains concerned about the continued threat of terrorist attacks, demonstrations, and other violent actions against US citizens and interests overseas.

"Current information suggests that al-Qa'ida, its affiliated organizations, and other terrorist groups continue to plan terrorist attacks against US interests in multiple regions, including Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

These attacks may employ a wide variety of tactics including suicide operations, assassinations, kidnappings, hijackings, and bombings," it said.

Extremists may elect to use conventional or non-conventional weapons, and target both official and private interests.

Examples of such targets include high-profile sporting events, residential areas, business offices, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, schools, public areas, shopping malls, and other tourist destinations both in the United States and abroad where U.S. citizens gather in large numbers, including during holidays.

In early August 2013, the Department of State instructed certain US embassies and consulates to remain closed or to suspend operations August 4 through August 10 because of security information received.

The US government took these precautionary steps out of an abundance of caution and care for our employees and others who may have planned to visit our installations.

US citizens are reminded of the potential for terrorists to attack public transportation systems and other tourist infrastructure.

Extremists have targeted and attempted attacks on subway and rail systems, aviation, and maritime services.

In the past, these types of attacks have occurred in cities such as Moscow, London, Madrid, Glasgow, and New York City.


the nation

[Oytopikos]

Swedish Tourist 'Scammed' Of 100,000 Baht

(16 October) A Swedish tourist has alleged that a Thai woman has stolen his wallet and withdrawn 100,000 baht from his bank accounts

Mr. Issa Barsoma, 60, told Udonthani Tourism police that his pocket was stolen by a Thai woman called Thidarat.

According to Mr.Barsoma, he and Ms. Thidarat met in Sweden when she travelled there as a tourist. Mr. Barsoma said Ms. Thidarat had promised to take him sightseeing if he ever visited Thailand.

When Mr. Barsoma arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday, he said, Ms. Thidarat had met him there and brought him straight to Udonthani province. They gone to Central shopping mall in the town center for shopping and dining, the tourist added.

Mr. Barsoma told police Ms. Thidarat took his wallet when he was unaware and disappeared. He said he had tried to reach her phones, but it was turned off.

Tracing the information on Mr. Barsoma’s cards, it appeared that THB 60,000 cash was taken off from the victim’s account at an ATM next to a KFC restaurant in UDTown Market and a further 40,000 baht had also been withdrawn.

Mr. Barsoma said Ms. Thidarat might have memorised the password when he was withdrawing cash earlier in the day.

Police investigation suggested that the suspect had been seen going out with many foreigners prior to the incident.

khaosod

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Public Health Ministry to ask govt to collect entry fees from foreigners

BANGKOK: -- Public Health Minister Pradit Sintavanarong said Thursday that the government plans to collect entry fees on foreign tourists.

Pradit said he had consulted with other government agencies concerned about the entry fees and a decision would have yet to be made on which agency would be in charge of collecting the fee.

He said foreigners, who stay in the kingdom for more than three days, would be charged Bt500 while those who stay no more than three days would be charged Bt30 a day.

Parts of the fees would be used to compensate medical service costs for foreign tourists, Pradit said.


17-10-2013
The Nation