SOUTHEAST ASIA: Disasters Impact Tourism In Southeast Asia, 600,000 Chinese Tourists Cancelled Trips To Thailand In July

Summer 2018 has been an eventful one, not least for some of Southeast Asia’s top tourist destinations, which have endured more than their fair share of tragedy and turmoil.

On August 5, the Indonesian island of Lombok was hit by a second deadly earthquake in less than a week, this one killing at least 108 people, and sparking a desperate search for survivors and a mass exodus of tourists.

That followed the Phoenix boat disaster on July 5, in Phuket, in which 47 Chinese nationals lost their lives.

In the wake of the accident, as many as 600,000 Chinese tourists cancelled July trips to Thailand.

According to the country’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports, this represents a 37-billion-baht (US$1.1 billion) loss of revenue and a 26 per cent reduction in arrivals from China, compared with the same period last year.

Officials predict the downturn to continue throughout August, with as many as 930,000 Chinese visitors staying away, although many have suggested it could have been worse.

Coverage of the tragedy was largely eclipsed by the feel good story of the summer, the Tham Luang cave rescue.

Elsewhere in Thailand, the closure of Maya Bay on June led to a dramatic decline in tourism revenues at Nopparat Thara Beach-Phi Phi Islands National Park, in Krabi province.

The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) estimates a loss of almost 57 million baht from June to July.

DNP deputy chief Jongklai Worapongsathorn said, We are not too concerned as we have made it our priority to rehabilitate the bay’s ecosystem.

In an effort to alleviate the environmental pressures placed on the beach by the influx of tourist boats it received prior to closing, the DNP is building a jetty that is expected to be completed by the time the bay reopens on October 1, with the hope that tourists and the revenues they bring return.

Despite revising downwards its forecast number of Chinese tourist arrivals for the second half of 2018 by almost 670,000, to 5.1 million, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports is working hard to ensure that its top tourist market rebounds in time for China’s golden week holiday, from October 1 to 7.

Special immigration lanes for Chinese passport holders are being opened at airports serving Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Hat Yai. Authorities are also considering providing multiple-entry visas.

It is not all doom and gloom in the Philippines, where popular island destination Boracay has been closed since April 26.

According to Department of Trade and Industry figures, tourist arrivals rose by more than 10 per cent, to 3.2 million, from January to May.

Lance Gokongwei, president and chief executive of airline Cebu Pacific said: Even with the closure of Boracay, we’re seeing tremendous growth in tourism.

We saw an opportunity to redeploy the aircraft flying to Boracay to additional destinations, such as Busuanga, Siargao and Negros Oriental.

Those that are not quite in the limelight like Boracay, they suddenly sprouted. And I think it’s good because it’s creating opportunity to build more legs to our tourism strategy.

Not only Boracay and Cebu, said Gokongwei. Now there’s four or five jewels.

Earlier this year, Lombok was identified by Indonesian authorities as being one of 10 destinations that could replicate the success of its neighbour, the hugely popular Bali, which, let’s not forget, has its own worries, the highly active Mount Agung keeping volcano watchers and other local officials on their toes.

As it has transpired, the impact of both the quake and the mass evacuation of tourists on the lives and livelihoods of inhabitants of the increasingly popular Lombok are likely to be felt for some time.


Tourism Observer

TAIWAN: EVA Air To Feed North America Network

Regional Asia growth does not receive the attention that intercontinental long haul growth does, but regional expansion provides the foundation connections for an expanded range of long haul flights.

In Jul-2018 Eva Air inaugurated service to Chiang Mai, its 12th Southeast Asia destination. EVA Air disclosed that it is planning for its 13th and 14th destinations – Penang and Yangon. EVA Air may also fly to India.

Taiwan's Go South policy encourages the economy, transportation and tourism included to do more business in Southeast Asia in order to differentiate away from Northeast Asia and reduce reliance on mainland China.

The new destinations will also help fuel EVA's North America network, which accounts for approximately half of the airline's system-wide flying. Half of EVA's North American passengers connect beyond Taipei, mostly to Southeast Asia.

New destinations, especially those that few other competitors serve, add uniqueness. Rapid trans Pacific growth in recent years has necessitated a greater number of unique city pair combinations.

Cathay Pacific's regional arm Cathay Dragon is adding service to two Southeast Asian destinations not yet served by another Northeast Asian airline.

EVA Air is considering service to Penang and Yangon.

EVA Air studying India, dependent on aeropolitical instruments.

Taiwan is encouraging tourism and visitor growth in Southeast Asia in order to differentiate away from Northeast Asia, especially from mainland China.

Southeast Asian destination growth important for EVA Air to feed its North American network.

Taiwan is pursuing Southeast Asia tourism growth.

The new destinations, if launched, would further Taiwan's aim to grow tourism from Southeast Asia and reduce dependence on Northeast Asia.

Approximately two thirds of Taiwan's visitor arrivals are from Northeast Asia. This includes mainland China, with a 25% share of all arrivals, and Japan at 18%.

Taiwan's quest for Southeast Asia growth is partially out of opportunity, but also as a hedge should the uncertain mainland China market dip – which has occurred over the years, with significant impact on Taiwan tourism.

Taiwan visitor arrivals by market: 2017

Taiwan receives a larger share of visitors from the US before any Southeast Asia market. Taiwan's largest Southeast Asian source markets are Malaysia (5%), Singapore (4%), Philippines (3%) and Indonesia (2%).

Singapore has only a 1ppt difference from Malaysia, despite Singapore's much smaller size.

This is partially the result of LCC competition between Singapore and Taiwan with Scoot and Jetstar as well as ample full service airline capacity, as EVA Air and China Airlines use widebodies to feed their North American networks.

EVA Air has not served Penang. Penang would be a new passenger destination for EVA Air. The airline has freighter services to Penang, while China Airlines has freighter services as well as a daily 737-800 passenger service.

China Southern has twice daily Airbus narrowbody flights to Guangzhou, which connect with its North American network (albeit limited).

Penang International Airport international seat capacity by airline: week commencing 02-Jul-2018

The main competition is from Cathay Dragon, which has twice daily flights on narrowbody and widebody aircraft. Cathay Dragon's sister airline Cathay Pacific has a larger North America network but also links Penang to the rest of Northeast Asia.

No other Northeast Asian airline serves Penang with passenger service (Korean Air has freighter service). Cathay Dragon is the fourth largest international operator at Penang. 17% of Penang's international capacity is to Northeast Asia.

Penang International Airport international seat capacity by region: week commencing 02-Jul-2018

EVA Air briefly served Yangon. Yangon represents a service resumption for EVA Air, if launched. EVA Air was one of a number of airlines to launch service to Yangon after political change and an impending opening-up for business.

EVA Air entered Yangon with other Northeast Asian airlines, including ANA and what is today Cathay Dragon, both of which are able to link Yangon with their large North American networks.

EVA Air served Yangon for eight months from Oct-2012 to May-2013. Taiwan was initially a smaller business partner for Myanmar and EVA Air operated at lower frequency than Cathay Dragon. ANA also had low frequency, but operated a premium aircraft while Japan had larger business ties.

Yangon has far more Northeast Asian competition than Penang. Also, Gulf airlines are more present in Yangon. One-stop flights from Yangon to North America can be longer than transiting through a Northeast Asian hub, but fares can be low.

Gulf airlines tend to be more present in the Southeast Asia-East Coast North America market, which represents a smaller detour compared to Northeast Asia-West Coast North America.

Unlike service on Penang, the North American heavyweights ANA and Korean Air serve Yangon. Two mainland Chinese airlines – Air China and China Southern – link Yangon with their main hubs. China Eastern serves Yangon from Kunming and not Shanghai, the hub for its North American network.

Northeast Asia represents 19% of Yangon's international seats, which is a share not much higher than the 17% that Northeast Asia represents at Penang.

Yangon Mingaladon International Airport international seat capacity by region: week commencing 02-Jul-2018

India's high volumes but low yields are challenging. EVA Air has also said that it is considering service to India but would have to assess aeropolitical instruments.

Taiwan and India amended their air service agreement in 2016, with reports stating that each side was permitted 14 weekly passenger flights. The only passenger services are two weekly flights from China Airlines on the Taipei-Delhi route. This low frequency does not suggest a large unserved market.

Northeast Asian airlines have a number of challenges growing in India. Local demand is typically very small due to limited business, tourism and VFR markets – unlike in Southeast Asia.

Flights from Northeast Asian hubs to India can between five and nine hours – a long time to sustain a flight on mostly connecting traffic with little O&D traffic.

Gulf airlines do this across their network, but their market is connecting traffic, whereas Northeast Asian airlines are structured more towards a balance between O&D and connecting traffic.

The high cost of Northeast Asia-India flights is especially limiting to ANA and JAL, which are historically Northeast Asia-North America connecting airlines but have the highest cost bases in Asia.

The distance between India and Northeast Asian hubs requires a widebody aircraft to be used in most instances. Next generation narrowbodies (A321LR, 737 MAX) will only open so many markets in Northeast Asia-India.

This limits the opportunity to link thinner markets and offer high frequency, or trade three weekly widebody flights with a daily narrowbody traffic rights permitting; some are based on frequency and others on seats/units of capacity.

Southeast Asia growth fuels North America expansion. New Asian destinations will help EVA's North America network. North America accounts for 48% of EVA's ASKs, and more when the regional Asia capacity that exists largely to feed North American flying is taken into account.

An expanded Asia network can help EVA Air grow in North America while also improving the existing network.

As one-stop trans Pacific competition increases, EVA Air needs more differentiation.

EVA Air ASKs by region: Week commencing 02-Jul-2018

Should EVA Air add Penang and Yangon, it will have 14 destinations in Southeast Asia from its main hub.

In 2017, with 11 markets, EVA served the same number of Southeast Asian destinations as China Eastern did from its hub. This considers only destinations served, and not frequency, capacity or connectivity.

EVA will have much more differentiation than ANA, and come up to Korean Air. Penang and Yangon, besides being new destinations, bring more uniqueness to EVA's network.

In comparison, all of ANA's Southeast Asian destinations are served by three or more airlines in this benchmark study of leading trans Pacific operators with Southeast Asian connections.

EVA Air's additions of Penang and Yangon also reduce the dominance of competitors. Exceptions are Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon, which have added service to two destinations – Davao and Medan – not served by any other Northeast Asian airline.

Potential for the connectivity upside is still largely unrecognised. Yet for all the changes, there is still far more growth to be unlocked with improvements in narrowbody aircraft technology, slots, traffic rights and government transparency.

The inevitable focus on China market growth tends to disguise the great potential for growth of southeast and south Asian transfer markets over north Asia.

The large distances across the Pacific make direct services operationally difficult and often uneconomical, but as economies grow and trade links with north America expand, traffic flowing along the linkages made possible by connecting services will only increase.


Tourism Observer

THAILAND: Thailand Approves New Phuket Airport For 10 Million Additional Tourists

Phuket International Airport
Thailand’s Maya Bay, the beach made famous by Leonardo DiCaprio, officially closed to tourists for four months on June 1, becoming the latest addition to a growing list of destinations that have become victims of their own appeal.

Others include Boracay, in the Philippines, which is almost six weeks into its six-month hiatus, and Koh Tachai, another Thai island, which stopped receiving visitors in May 2016, although it has since reopened.

How, then, do officials in Thailand hope to combat the problem of overtourism led by a sharp increase in the number of Chinese travellers? By investing in infrastructure to facilitate yet more arrivals, of course.

Airports of Thailand, which became the world’s most valuable airport services company earlier this year, recently approved second airports for Chiang Mai and Phuket.

With a combined budget of 120 billion baht (US$3.7 billion), construction on both is expected to begin next year, with completion slated for no later than 2025.

Any one of the 3.5 million passengers who passed through immigration at Phuket International Airport in the first four months of this year might welcome the news.

That figure represented a not insignificant 19 per cent rise on the same period in 2017, according to a report by hospitality consulting firm C9 Hotelworks.

But Phi Phi Leh, home to Maya Bay, Koh Racha Yai and Koh Khai Nok – all favourite destinations for Chinese tour groups and individuals from Phuket – may be less accommodating to an additional 10 million visitors a year.

The economic rewards for such investments are obvious the tourism industry accounted for 9.2 per cent of Thailand’s GDP in 2016, a contribution that is expected to grow to 14.3 per cent by 2027, as detailed in a report by the World Travel & Tourism Council.

However, even high-ranking officials have expressed concerns over the country’s aggressive approach to tourism.

Science and technology minister Suvit Maesincee said: Our strategy was more for less, not less for more, so we invited a lot of tourists from China. I think in the near future we need to change from volume to value.

We are trying to push for CBT or community-based tourism to disperse tourists away from popular sites beyond Bangkok, Chiang Mai or the beaches to promote the unseen Thailand, said Jiraporn Prommaha from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, speaking to travel industry publication TTG Asia.

Building additional airports at two of the country’s most popular entry points might not seem an obvious strategy for the dispersal of tourists, but who are we to judge!


Tourism Observer

THAILAND: Crowded Maya Bay Closed To Tourists For Rejuvenation Because Of Overtourism, New Phuket Airport For 10m More Tourists

News of a second airport in the Thai hot spot might be welcomed by tourists.

However, environmentalists and overwrought destinations are likely to be less than enthusiastic.

Thailand’s Maya Bay, the beach made famous by Leonardo DiCaprio, officially closed to tourists for four months on June 1, becoming the latest addition to a growing list of destinations that have become victims of their own appeal.

Others include Boracay, in the Philippines, which is almost six weeks into its six-month hiatus, and Koh Tachai, another Thai island, which stopped receiving visitors in May 2016, although it has since reopened.

How, then, do officials in Thailand hope to combat the problem of overtourism led by a sharp increase in the number of Chinese travellers?

By investing in infrastructure to facilitate yet more arrivals, of course.

Airports of Thailand, which became the world’s most valuable airport services company earlier this year, recently approved second airports for Chiang Mai and Phuket.

With a combined budget of 120 billion baht (US$3.7 billion), construction on both is expected to begin next year, with completion slated for no later than 2025.

Any one of the 3.5 million passengers who passed through immigration at Phuket International Airport in the first four months of this year might welcome the news.

That figure represented a not insignificant 19 per cent rise on the same period in 2017, according to a report by hospitality consulting firm C9 Hotelworks.

But Phi Phi Leh, home to Maya Bay, Koh Racha Yai and Koh Khai Nok – all favourite destinations for Chinese tour groups and individuals from Phuket – may be less accommodating to an additional 10 million visitors a year.

The economic rewards for such investments are obvious, the tourism industry accounted for 9.2 per cent of Thailand’s GDP in 2016, a contribution that is expected to grow to 14.3 per cent by 2027, as detailed in a report by the World Travel & Tourism Council.

However, even high-ranking officials have expressed concerns over the country’s aggressive approach to tourism.

Science and technology minister Suvit Maesincee said: Our strategy was more for less, not less for more, so we invited a lot of tourists from China. I think in the near future we need to change from volume to value.

We are trying to push for CBT - community-based tourism to disperse tourists away from popular sites beyond Bangkok, Chiang Mai or the beaches to promote the unseen Thailand, said Jiraporn Prommaha from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, speaking to travel industry publication TTG Asia.

Building additional airports at two of the country’s most popular entry points might not seem an obvious strategy for the dispersal of tourists, but who are we to judge!

Thailand's Maya Bay is taking a break from tourists.

Starting this month, the world-famous tourist destination, part of the Phi Phi Islands in the Andaman Sea, will be closed for a much needed but unpredicted rejuvenation.

Thai authorities are giving the short strip of sand on the island of Ko Phi Phi a chance to recover from the strain of thousands of daily visitors.

Environmentalists say years of increasing tourism has caused damage to Maya Bay and its surroundings.

We are a beautiful country but we have to protect our natural resources, says Thon Thamrongnawasawat, an advisor to Thailand's national parks department.

We have significant information that all the boats that come in and out really impact the coral reef.

We won't close it to tourism forever but have to do something to save our sea, and we have to start at Maya Bay.

Even if you've never seen the 1998 film with Leonardo DiCaprio, Maya Bay has become a bucket list destination for travellers, gap year students and holiday makers.

Thailand has increased in popularity too with 467,000 visits by UK tourists in 2016.

Most of those who visit Maya Bay only stay for a couple of hours. They have a paddle, a stroll and a selfie - but it's not quite the paradise they'd imagined.

A tourist from Cologne thinks what you see and what you get are very different.

The beach in the film is very relaxing, there are no people to be seen, and you get this idea of a very lonely place in the middle of nowhere.

Then you come here and you think you're in Times Square in New York with lots of people or Tourists.

The beach is stunning but definitely not relaxing.

There's the constant sound of the speedboat engines, their propellers churn up the water and it's hard to get a patch of the sand to yourself.

The area is generally clean but there are still some pockets of litter which tourists leave behind.

Tourism is one of Thailand's biggest sources of income so Maya Bay is being shut during the relatively low season, until 30 September.

Its Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation issued a notice saying it realised the deterioration of the ecosystem in the area of Maya Bay.

When it reopens later this year, it's thought the number of people allowed to visit the beach will be reduced.

It is hectic though beautiful.

I didn't realise how busy the beach would be but shutting it temporarily is a great idea. It's crazy how many boats there are. I'm just glad I got to see it said a tourist at Maya Bay


Tourism Observer

PAKISTAN: Yaba Pills Seized In Trawler Driven By A Bus Engine

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) seized about 15 lakh yaba tablets worth an estimated Tk 75 crore on the street and arrested 12 people after intercepting a fishing trawler coming to the country from Myanmar early yesterday.

The arrestees, five of whom are Myanmar citizens, were bringing the haul to Chittagong, Rab said.

On information that a trawler was on its way, Rab intercepted it at the outer anchorage of Chittagong port, said Rab-7 Commanding Officer Lt Col Miftah Uddin Ahmed at a press conference at his office yesterday.

Searching the trawler, Rab personnel later uncovered the large haul, he said.

The trawler, named "Mayer Doa [mother's blessings]" was fitted with a bus engine to be able to go faster, he added.

The five arrested Myanmar citizens are Ismail, 20, Abdul Khalek, 20, Saddam Hossain, 19, Nur Alam, 25 and Selim , 20. The rest are Cox's Bazar's Nazir Ahmed, 55, Hashem, 19, Khairul Amin, 20, Zafor, 30, Khokan, 25 and Anisur Rahman, 18 of Bandarban's Chhadek.

In primary interrogation, the arrestees said the haul and the vessel were owned by one Faruque alias Baittya Faruque, 42, of Patiya upazila. Miftah said they were looking for him.

Rab-7 Senior Assistant Director Mimtanur Rahman, quoting the arrestees, said drug traffickers used the trawler to go to Myanmar at least five times and smuggled in about 30 lakh yaba tablets recently.

Miftah said drug traffickers recently started bringing consignments of yaba through unfrequented coastal areas in Chittagong such as Gohira, Potenga, Anwara, Khejurtola, Halishahar, Bhatiyari and Kumira at night.

Since January 2016, Rab-7 recovered over 1.18 crore yaba tablets, he added.

Yaba are tablets containing a mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine.

From ya khayan (energy pill) in its early days to ya maa (horse medicine), the drug was named ya ba (crazy pill) in 1996".It was given to horses when pulling carts up steep hills and for other strenuous work in Shan State.

Ya ba is sometimes called "bhul bhuliya" in India. The name commonly used for it in the Philippines and Indonesia is "shabú". In north Thailand it is often referred to as "chocalee" due to the somewhat sweet taste ya ba leaves in the mouth and its strong chocolate smell. The name commonly used for it in China is "ma-goo" or "ma-guo". In Bangladesh it's colloquially known as "baba".

Ya ba is typically produced in a round pill form. There are many different versions of ya ba, and the most common are red, orange, or lime green in color and carry logos such as "R" or "WY". They are small and round, roughly 6 millimetres (0.24 in) in diameter, which means they can be packed inside a plastic soda straw for easy transportation or in a reusable "mint" container.

Ya ba tablets typically are consumed orally. Another common method is called "chasing the dragon". Users place the ya ba tablet on aluminum foil and heat it from below. As the tablet melts, vapors rise and are inhaled. The drug also may be administered by crushing the tablets into powder, which is then snorted or mixed with a solvent and injected.

When swallowed in pill form the duration of the drug's effect is between 8–16 hours, as compared to 1–3 hours when smoked, while the intensity is considerably reduced. The peak of the drug's effect is followed by a come down period lasting 6–10 hours, during which the user may have difficulty sleeping or eating. Many users report that it takes them up to 24 hours after consumption to be able to fall asleep.

Ya ba is not commonly injected as many intravenous users favour the pure product instead (methamphetamine, called "ice" in Southeast Asia). This illegal drug is especially popular in Thailand, where it is imported from Burma or Laos even though it is sometimes manufactured locally in Thailand.

Typical ya ba users are working males, aged 16–40 years old, and its use is not uncommon among both female and male prostitutes in Thailand and Cambodia.

Myanmar is the largest producer of methamphetamine in the world, with the majority of ya ba found in Thailand being produced in Burma, particularly in the Golden Triangle and northeastern Shan State, which borders Thailand, Laos, and China. In 2010, Burma trafficked 1 billion tablets to neighboring Thailand.

Ethnic militias and rebel groups,in particular the United Wa State Army are responsible for much of this production; however, the Burmese military units are believed to be heavily involved in the trafficking of the drugs.

Ya ba tablets were formerly sold at gas stations and were commonly used by long-haul drivers to stay awake. After many horrific long-distance bus accidents, they were outlawed by the Thai government in 1970.

The deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's campaign from 2003 on to eliminate drug-trafficking further helped to curtail widespread use. In particular, use of the drug by bus drivers and truckers is not as widespread as it was in the 1980s.

As a result of the Thai government crackdown, restricted supply has had an effect on prices, further curtailing the popular use of ya ba. In 1999–2000, when buying a straw-full (around 20 pills) in Chiang Rai Province, north Thailand, ya ba was sold for around 10 baht per pill and commonly used on the go-go circuit and by young "MTV" clubbers.

Retail prices have risen from 100–150 baht (US$3–4) to 250–450 baht per pill as a result of the crackdown, though it remains a popular party drug.

In 2000, ya ba was smuggled across the porous border with Myanmar and from the neighbouring Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai Provinces of Thailand. Illegal traffickers often marketed or promoted their product by claiming that the pills contained up to six percent heroin. Rumour suggested it was produced by the corrupt personnel of Wa State Army in Burma.

In 2014, it was reported that Thailand's northeast provinces have seen a 700 percent increase in the number of people arrested for meth since 2008, according to data from the Narcotics Suppression Bureau.

In 2013, authorities counted more than 33,000 meth-related arrests in the northeast. The rapid growth of ya ba use in Isan mirrors that which is occurring across Asia, which now accounts for more than 50 percent of global amphetamine-type stimulant users.

On 16 June 2016, the National Council for Peace and Order, the military junta ruling Thailand, stated that it was planning to decriminalise ya ba in the country.

In 2006, ya ba ma consumption became fashionable for the well-to-do in Bangladesh. A series of highly publicized drug raids in 2007 by authorities implicated some well-known business people.Although the extent of ya ba abuse in Bangladesh is not precisely known, seizures of the drug by authorities are frequent.

It is also believed those who use it on a regular basis are frequently involved in the distribution of the drug, either directly or indirectly.It is commonly known in Bangladesh as "khaon", "pill", "BABA", "gari", "guti", and "bori", among other street names.

Many Rohingya refugees are hired to smuggle yaba from Myanmar into Bangladesh.In 2016, 359 Rohingyas were arrested on yaba-smuggling charges, and up to $29 million worth of yaba was seized by the Bangladeshi authorities.

In February 2010 it was reported that increasingly large quantities of ya ba were being smuggled into Israel by Thai migrant workers, leading to fears that its use would spread to the Israeli club scene, where ecstasy use is already common. In recent years, it has also been used by immigrant populations in the United States, and occasionally as a club drug replacing ecstasy.

The majority of long term effects associated with ya ba are analogous with those of methamphetamine, as ya ba mainly consists of caffeine and methamphetamine. Side effects include long-term decline of cognitive functions.[

THAILAND: Uber Drivers Conflicts With Traditional Taxi Driver

Conflicts between Uber drivers and traditional public-transport drivers continue as two more cases were recently reported in Chon Buri’s Pattaya City.

In the first case, a video clip on social media showed an Uber driver picking up a passenger near the Sanctuary of Truth attraction in Soi Na Klua 12. The driver allegedly threatened to shoot the Uber driver if he returned to the area.

In a second case, 20 Pattaya taxis chased after a Thai woman who picked up a foreigner in front of Central Marina mall. They wanted to confront her as they thought she was an Uber driver. However, she was a real-estate agent who was picking up a Chinese national to view a Pattaya condominium.

Muang Pattaya superintendent Pol Colonel Apichai Krobphetch said on Thursday that the taxi drivers could be punished for illegal detention if the plaintiff pressed charges, so people should be calm and alert police about Uber drivers instead.

A meeting will be held of agencies and business operators on Friday to find a solution to the issue, he said.

Thailand's transport authorities have begun a crackdown on drivers for ride-hailing services Uber and Grab and want the military government to ban them, a transport official said.

U.S.-based Uber has faced regulatory hurdles around the world and when it began operating in Thailand in 2014 the Department of Land Transport said its drivers were not properly registered or insured and its payment system did not meet regulations.

But authorities have previously done little to stop Uber or other ride-hailing services as they have grown in popularity among Thais and foreign visitors in the major tourist center.

Authorities had already fined 23 Uber drivers in Bangkok this week compared to only 83 others since Uber began operations, said Sugree Carupom, an official at the department, adding that Grab drivers too have been fined, though not as many.

Drivers who are caught will now also have licenses suspended for up to six months and be fined 2,000 baht ($57).

We're using stricter measures," Sugree said. The services are worrying because it is hard for the government to regulate.

The department's deputy director-general Nanthapong Cherdchu said it would ask the junta to use an emergency measure to shut down the app if need be because it was disrupting the traditional public transport system and encouraging Thais to break the law.

Uber, which has a website in Thai for drivers to sign up, said it would work with authorities to make clear the benefits of ride-sharing in the country.

Uber remains committed to creating reliable transportation for everyone,Uber spokeswoman Amy Kunrojpanya said in a statement.

Grab's representative was not immediately available for comment.

Ride booking services such as Uber and Grab's GrabCar have won popularity in the nation of 67 million for often being cheaper and less likely to refuse to take passengers to their destinations than regular taxis, but they have irked traditional taxi drivers.

Uber and GrabCar are being targeted by the authorities because they are the only two popular services in Thailand which private car owners can use to pick up passengers.

Taxi drivers in the tourist town of Chiang Mai were carrying out their own sting operations to turn Uber and GrabCar drivers in to authorities, said Chanchai Kilapaeng, the head of the local transport office.

But regular Uber client Putti Orungrochkul, a 24-year-old tech entrepreneur in Thai capital Bangkok, said banning Uber goes against Thailand's stated vision of becoming an innovative and digitally-driven society.

If the government really cares about the people, they will find a middle ground

THAILAND: Avista Hideaway Phuket Patong MGallery by Sofitel Overlooking The Andaman Sea

AccorHotels has expanded its portfolio in Phuket with the launch of a new luxury resort set back from the beach, in the hills overlooking the Andaman Sea.

The new Avista Hideaway Phuket Patong MGallery by Sofitel is located close to the Patong, the main tourist area of the island, providing an alternative to the company’s collection of beach resorts.

Designed in the style of a Thai village, the hotel features 150 rooms and suites, three themed swimming pools, a kids’ club, games room, mini-golf, a golf simulator, spa, fitness centre, library, business centre and three meeting rooms.

In terms of F&B there is an all-day restaurant and rooftop steakhouse and bar.

The new resort becomes the first MGallery property in Phuket and the brand’s seventh location in Thailand, following existing hotels in Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Hua Hin.

THAILAND: Conmen And Scams Tourists Come Across

Before even going through the scams, the best advice to avoid these scams in Thailand is to avoid engaging strangers.

And the better their English is, the more you should avoid them.

If you must engage, LIE. E.g. make it seem like you have been to the city many times even when you’ve been there for only 5 hours.

Also, if something sounds too good to be true, such as “if you don’t like, you don’t need to pay”, it is.

This scam is so common, because it is so easy to pull off on unwitting tourists. It can be perpetrated by random strangers around the vicinity of the Grand Palace/tourist areas, tuk tuk drivers and even taxi drivers!

One variation is that taxi drivers or tuk tuk drivers will tell you that the grand palace is closed today for some special/Buddhist ceremony while you are still on the cab/tuk tuk. They will then advise you an alternative location such as the Sitting Buddha/Lucky Buddha/Marble Temple and claim that it’s only open once a year today (sounds too good to be true eh?)!

Listen to them and you will end up at some jewellery or tailor shops where you might be coerced into buying overpriced crap. Some of them might lock you in the shop until you start buying.

Another variation is where you get approached by strangers near the temple. They can simply say that the temple is closed (e.g. could be for lunch), or lead you to an entrance which only Thais can enter. When the duty officer stops you, the strangers will help to translate and bluff you that the palace is closed now for some special ceremony and to come back only at 3pm.

In the meantime, they will advise some alternative locations which you can visit that sound really good. Should you agree, they will help you flag a tuk tuk (in cahoots with them) which will eventually bring you to some gem stores or tailor shops..

By the way, the temple operates from 8.30am to 3.30pm. By the time you make it back, the temple would be close to closing or closed by then.

Some of these strangers can look (wearing formal shirt with “tourist police” tags) and sound really convincing, so do not even engage if someone approaches you on the streets.

Note that these scammers even operate in the temple! So do not assume that you are safe even when in it.

Finally, the Grand Place is just an example and any place can be conveniently used in its place. Thus, it is safer to always check out the operating hours of the places you are visiting in Thailand.

This is a very painful scam as many have found out.

It is very simple, in that the company which you rented the jet ski from will claim that you have damaged the jet ski and demand a substantial repair fee. Should you refuse, there will be men in “uniform” who coincidentally passes by and threaten to arrest you (they can’t).

To protect yourself from this, the first thing you should do is never give your passport as collateral when renting the jet ski.

Next, examine the jet ski. Document/remember any scratches, dents or potential damaged parts. If they demand payment from you, call the local tourist police at 1155.

Don’t vex yourself up when trying to talk sense to these crooks, because it will not work.

This is pretty common in areas such as Pattaya and Phuket. To be really safe though, avoid all jet ski activities especially in Pattaya. Even the police will not be able to help. At best, they can only help you negotiate a lower fee, as they have a cut in the money as well.

It can happen anywhere, but is more likely at tourist locations and also at the locations where tuk tuk drivers send you to (if you have fallen for the tuk tuk scam).

For instance, the tuk tuk driver might have told you to wait for a while as he take a toilet break. Coincidentally, some stranger approaches you, claiming that he is a lawyer from the US and he is back in Thailand to visit his dad or some other nonsensical story..

He will then tell you about some bargain he found at a tailor shop which only Thai people know to make you feel privileged. Next, he will get more specific (persuasive) such as talking about Armani suits and how he use them for work everyday. Or he may have found out which country you are from and claim that some celebrities from your country have been a customer there.

These scammers are shrewd and they all have a template set of anecdotes for different countries. Having been on the receiving end before, it works pretty effectively in building trust.

As most unaware tourists will do, they will enquire about the location. If they don’t, by now the tuk tuk driver will be back and the stranger would have “helped” you tell the driver the location to send you there.

Over at the shop, you pay everything upfront as the prices seem like a good deal and high pressure sales tactics are used. They even promise you home country delivery!

However, what you get in return is poor fitting polyester crap, not cashmere or higher quality threads as initially promised.

To prevent yourself from being exploited by this scam, firstly never pay upfront. Come up with a story/excuse for wire transfer. Then search online for reviews of the shop you are at. Next, do not take advice from random strangers, this includes even the tourist police! Finally, if what the tailor says sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Gem Scam,this scam preys on your greed, which is a very powerful force.

The modus operandi is that the owner will tell you that gems in Thailand are abundant and so you can get them for cheap, wholesale prices. You can make a killing by reselling them back home. They might even throw in some “government sponsored sale” which is absolute nonsense.

There might even be other accomplices in the shop who pretend to be tourists, claim that today is indeed the Thai Tourism Day and claimed that they have just bought a beautiful piece of jewellery.

If something seems too good to be true, it is. The gems sold are worthless pieces of glass or synthetic materials so don’t waste your time. Legitimate traders would also not operate in such a way.

If you have fallen for the scam, contact the tourist police and file a report which you can try to submit for insurance claims. If you have used a credit card, also contact your credit company to either reverse those charges or to dispute them.

Bar/Café Scam, perpetrated by young, local girls, they target single male travellers by approaching them and getting them to go to a local bar or café.

They get you to buy drinks and by the time the bill comes, they will be gone. Now, you check the bill, and HOLY.

Very similar to the hotel scam mentioned earlier.

The Sombondee Seafood Market is a play on the Somboon Seafood Chain which is very popular in Thailand for good food at affordable prices.

However, the Sombondee Seafood Market serves crap at inflated prices. Widely perpetrated by errant tuk tuk and cab drivers in Bangkok.

At the red light district of Patpong, you will be approached with “The Menu”, a list of all the fun acrobatic prowesses you can see.

You will be led to some shady, nameless bar upstairs (ground level ones have fixed prices for drinks, those above are likely scams) and made to pay for a couple of “lady drinks” for the girls at your table.

Now, the show begins. A meek and simple trick is performed and you are asked to tipped generously. Should you suspect something amiss and request to leave, you will be smacked with a check of crazy sums. Pay you will or the bouncers standing around will give you a good lesson.

For those travelling alone, avoid such areas as you will be easily bullied and coerced.

Tuk Tuks in Thailand prey on your greed with super low offers of all day tours. They justify this by claiming that it is the Thai Tourism Day and that the government is sponsoring free gas. On this day, there happen to be some bargains somewhere that they know of..

And so it happens, on the tours, what they do is they send you to jewellery or tailor shops along the way where they earn commission should you make any purchase! In those shops, many tactics could be used to make you buy something, such as locking the shop or simply by wasting your time.

Of course, they do not just bring you there without you saying so, they do it in a smart way.

First, they will find out the purpose of your vacation, is it to shop? To sightsee? Then, they enquire about your itinerary and began making suggestions to “better places” or places with more “bargains”. They will even claim that this or that place is closed but there’s another which they can bring you to.

If they discover that you are new to the city, they may bring you to a travel agency and offer to help you plan the rest of the trip. A famous one is the TAT – Tourism Authority of Thailand. It’s bullshit, avoid at all costs unless you do not mind paying exorbitant sums for fake bus tickets, hotel bookings and even plane tickets.

The more scheming ones will bring you out of town/city/to somewhere secluded and then demand an exorbitant amount to send you back.

To top it off and make it even more authentic, sometimes the tuk tuk drivers don’t suggest the places. Rather, they send you to a location, go for a toilet break, and a well dressed stranger will approach you from nowhere, chat with you to build trust and then share “insider tips” for where next to visit.

Avoid them totally, unless you get a kick from exposing scams or from playing along.

At the train station, an “official” looking person will approach you and ask where you are going. He will then go to the counter, pretend to look through the computer and tell you that your train has been fully booked.

Surprise surprise, he then offers you a great deal in that he knows a taxi driver who can get you to your location for a minimal cost instead.

Of course, it is not minimal cost and when you reach your location, the driver will turn aggressive and demand more money. The more scheming ones will drive you to an out of reach location and then demand more money.

Another variation is that the “official” looking person will offer to help you book train seats outside the train station. They bring you to a nearby travel agent, pretend again to check with the train company via phone only to find that the train is fully booked. They will then tell you your only option is to use a cab as mentioned earlier, on or one of their buses.

Obviously, avoid taxis without meters, especially those with “broken” meters. If you are left with no choice, negotiate the price first.

For those taxis with meters and yet try to negotiate a flat rate price with you, never do so.

Beware of the taxis in airports as well, as they cost more than taxis outside.

Also be wary of the final location which you end up in, as they might send you to a wrong place with a similar sounding name to fleece you of your cash.

Also, do not reveal much info and definitely do NOT take up advice or offers from the driver.

The first variation is similar to the jet ski scam, but could be a whole lot more troublesome.

The second variation is much more treacherous. When you leave your motorbike parked and locked somewhere, the company will send someone with a spare key to unlock it and steal it back.

Then, you will be forced pay up for losing your motorbike.

Again, do not hand over your passport as collateral when renting the motorbike.

A simple turnaround to this problem is to use an OLD passport and also to use your own lock, no matter how troublesome it is. Better to be safe than sorry.

Bus Scams, this happens anywhere, be it in Europe or Asia.

Your belongings are at risk of going missing on overnight buses or trains unless you secure them with a lock. Some have been reported of being drugged and losing their wallet when they woke up.

Note that you can be a victim of theft even in the day, not just overnight!

Do not expose your valuables in the public unnecessarily. Beware of private bus companies with VIP buses. Theft is normal on these VIP buses and travel time takes longer than advertised.

Hotel Scams,check that the hotel you’ve arrived at IS the one that you intend to stay at.

There are hotels which trade on the names of popular ones and cab drivers which are in cahoots with them to send you to a wrong hotel which you think is right.

By the time you realise, you might have already paid in full for the hotel and also a number of tours that you have signed up for.

Somehow, even bird shit can be a scam.

This works surprisingly well, because when you get hit by bird shit, your emotions take over, logic fails and you become distracted.

How it works is very simple, you get hit by bird shit miraculously, some stranger appears out of nowhere, helps you clean up and in the confusion, clean up your valuables as well.

Note, it can be anything else besides bird shit! It could be a clumsy waiter who spills water on you, a random jogger who bumps into you, etc.

Fake Police,sometimes even real Police do this Scam

A scam as old as human history, it is still common and not easy to detect.

You will be approached by the police who then ask to see your passport. Something wrong will be found with your visa and you will be asked to pay a fine on the spot.

To solve this, first do NOT let emotions get the better of you (fear), stand your ground (I’m sure you would have done your visa properly) and then offer to accompany them to the police station.

This is a simple and effective solution but not easy to carry out if you are easily intimidated.

Again, ANOTHER stranger you should know by now to avoid strangers, approaches you with a FREE scratchie card (free is the most expensive!) or questionnaire.

Since there’s no harm done, or so you thought, you proceed to scratch the card or do the questionnaire and next you know you have won a prize!

But to claim that prize, you would have to head to a hotel which may or may not be nearby. Anyone sane would probably have said thanks but no thanks and rejected the offer. However, the stranger will play the sympathy card and claim that if you don’t go, he would not be paid for doing his job.

So you go.. And you end up in a room with other tourists, listening to a presentation on timeshare apartments. At the end of it, you are presented with a very special discounted price and pressured into buying it.

The timeshare scheme on offer probably does not exist by the way.

Wrong Change Given Scam, this scam can happen anywhere as tourists are usually not familiar with the local currency and some do not even bother checking their change.

There are also of course, honest mistakes, so the onus is on you to check.

Cards,Poker,Blackjack Scam, A stranger will approach you and try to befriend you.

For instance, he may ask where you are from. It does not matter what you say, as he will say that he has a relative who is going there soon (for any reason such as studying) or share some other anecdotes (they all have a template).

Then, he will ask if you are willing to come over to his house as his relative has some questions, or he might outright invite you for a game of cards.

Over there, somehow you will end up playing poker or blackjack with them.

They WILL let you win the first few rounds. Then, the real fun begins as the stakes get higher. Your losses start piling up and should you refuse to pay, gang members will appear and threaten your life.

Fake Baht Scam, This is how it usually goes.

When you pay for an item, the shopkeeper may claim that your note is counterfeit, bring it to the back/out of sight to swap with a counterfeit note!

He comes back, gives you the counterfeit note and demands for new payment.

This is a double or triple whammy as you had to pay more than the original plus you get a counterfeit note! The solution to this is to never let any note get out of your sight.

Also, be wary of the 1000 baht note as it is most commonly used. Take note of the serial numbers of the large notes as well.

Bird Food Scam, first, the stranger approaches you with a bag of bird seeds. He then forces you to take the bag and to scatter the seeds on the ground.

When you are done with a bag, the scammer might give you even more bags or demand 100 baht for that bag. Refuse and he will get aggressive.

Note: you must forcefully stand your ground as the scammer is likely to be rather aggressive.

Laundry Scam,your expensive items might just go missing and you get no recourse besides an apology. But that’s just the first part of the scam.

The second part is that the laundry company will assist you by bringing you to a shop to buy the set of clothes/pants that you lost, which they earn a commission from.

Pickpockets,What is a scam article without pickpockets?

Besides the bird shit scam as mentioned earlier, there are pickpocket pairs as well. One person will knock into you and the other will pickpocket you from behind.

I was scammed by taxis in Bangkok as well as in Phuket the first couple of times I went to Thailand.

When choosing a taxi:

1. Ask politely if s/he will use the meter. If s/he says no, find one that will. Or, if you know the price to where you are going, negotiate it before getting in.

2. Beware of highway charges. One taxi driver insisted on taking the highway with me one time despite my wishes to take the local roads. At every toll gate, he shouted at me “100BAHT!!” (the actual toll was 20BAHT as shown on the sign).

3. If you are backpacking and do not have a hotel reserved, NEVER tell the driver so. This happened to me in Phuket. I was taken off the highway (from the airport on the way to Patong beach) and into the jungle (seemed so at the time as it was night) to a tour agency. I was forced to take one of their expensive hotel packages in order to proceed.

4. At the airport, only take the taxis that are at the taxi rank and where you buy the taxi ticket from the girl at the desk. I made the mistake of being impatient and flagging a taxi who was sitting on the road just away from the taxi rank. Once on our way, he proceeded to try to charge me triple the charge to downtown BKK from the airport or else drop me and my wife in the middle of the highway. I had to negotiate only paying double the real fare of 300BAHT at the time. (But, I asked my wife for all the coins she had and paid him with a large handful of coins, which I dropped on the ground in front of him when we got to the hotel

THAILAND: Chiang Mai Welcomes ChineseTourists

Chiang Mai province is now launching citywide campaign to attract Chinese tourists with the erecting of signboards, posters at public places and stickers at shopping centres telling them that Chiang Mai people welcomed them wholeheartedly.

The campaign was jointly held by both the private sector and local government sector amid concern that the number of Chinese tourists to Thailand’s northern cities dropped significantly following strong criticism in the social media of the inappropriate behaviour of the Chinese tourists.

In Chiang Rai province, report said the number of Chinese visitors driving to Thailand via Chiang Rai border checkpoint dropped to almost zero following the imposition of stricter regulation for Chinese visitors who drive their own vehicles to the Thai northern cities.

The drop in Chinese visitors also followed the wave of negative feedback from the Chinese media towards tourism in Chiang Mai.

But now local administrators and private sector have assured everyone that they were happy to welcome Chinese tourists.

With signboards written in Chinese putting up all over Chiang Mai municipality, local people and authorities said they are part of a campaign that has been launched to reassure Chinese tourists that people in Chiang Mai were wholeheartedly welcoming Chinese visitors.

Also, stickers showing a Thai elephant shaking hands with a Chinese panda have been made to support the effort and are being widely distributed to all shops catering to tourists.

Effort by Chiang Mai authorities and residents was launched to counter the outcry raised by Chinese media over a number of negative comments that were posted online over the unseemly conduct of some Chinese tourists.

Chiang Mai deputy governor Mr Mongkol Suksai said people from different parts of the world have varying attitudes and behavioral practices.

Sometimes what they regard as normal is either unacceptable or considered ill-mannered for Thai people.

“But that doesn’t mean that they are wrong,’ he said.

“It is just a significant difference between cultures which on many occasions we as Thais are not accustomed to. That is why it is vital that we make them understand how Thai people are. It is our job to show them what is acceptable and more importantly what is inappropriate in Thai culture,” the deputy governor explained.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) stated that last year approximately 700,000 Chinese tourists visited Chiang Mai.

They represent the highest number of foreign tourists there and for the first 3 months of this year almost 250,000 Chinese tourists have already arrived in Chiang Mai.

Compared to the same period last year, this represents a 40% increase.

THAILAND: Thailand’s Difficult Dependance On Chinese Tourists Grows

A THAI friend of mine remarked the other night after to returning to Chiang Mai from her studies in New York that out of all the changes she had noticed in this fast growing city it was the pervasion of Chinese tourists that surprised her the most. We have seen over the last few years a statistical growth which has transformed the city and brought with it a new economy. The tourism demographics are a changing, and while a third language has started to adorn restaurant menus and public bathrooms around town, there has been a barrage of controversy concerning how Thailand’s rising star of tourism conducts itself.

In spite of what opinions we might hold about the influx of tourists from China and the purported traits they bring with them, Thailand has become heavily reliant on its new guests. As MasterCard chief economist Yuwa Hedrick-Wong put it recently, the many countries benefiting from Chinese tourism must “diversify”, and not become too dependent on one demographic in terms of tourism revenue.

At the same time, not focusing on Chinese tourists would suggest poor business acumen. While there has been an increase in Russian tourists to Thailand over the years – followed by a decrease due to the weakening of the ruble in 2014 – China is the only market that stands out. Diversification might be at the epicenter of all intelligent, sustainable business models, but with Chinese spending power and the will to spend overseas being what it is, one could hardly be blamed for focusing towards the Divine Land for your business growth.

In March this year Chinese tourists travelling into Thailand amounted 679,660 people, which was 26.84% all international tourists; 29% of tourists were Chinese in February, and 21% in January – almost as much as all European tourists put together, and a much higher number than all tourists travelling from the Americas. In 2014 Chinese tourists visiting Thailand was by far the highest nationality (4.6 million or 18.66% of 24.8 million tourists in total), followed by Malaysian and Russian nationals. Tourists from the UK amounted to 909,335 in 2014, a number that has been more or less steady for the last 10 years, but even back in 2006 was still below China’s 1,033,305 arrivals.

In 2014 China’s outbound tourists for the first time ever equaled 107 million of its citizens, a rise of 19.49% form 2013, according China’s National Tourism Administration. Compare that to 10 million outbound tourists in 2010. According to a report by Bank of America Merrill Lynch that number looks likely to increase to 174 million outbound tourists by 2019, with an expenditure of an estimated $264 billion. And it’s thought that only around 5% of the ‘world’s biggest spenders’ hold a passport.

John de Kreij, who owns the Sleep guesthouse in Chiang Mai with his Thai wife started his business at about the time of the Chinese tourist explosion. He told Asian Correspondent that during the low season 70% to 80% of his occupants are Chinese. “I think we wouldn’t survive without them,” said de Kreij, adding, “I just spoke to a lady who works for a zip line company and she was telling me the same thing; that 70% of their customers at the moment are Chinese.”

It’s good news for the Sleep guesthouse then that Thailand’s Tourist Authority (TAT) has projected that by the end of 2015 a record six million Chinese tourists will have visited Thailand. There have been 2.69 million Chinese arrivals in the first four months of the year, according to TAT, spending an average of 6,346 baht (US$188) each day compared to the average daily expenditure of foreign tourists of 4,950 baht.

While the initial spike in Chinese tourism numbers was partly due to the 2012 Chinese blockbuster movie, ‘Lost in Thailand’, the momentum doesn’t seem to be stopping. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has recently begun a marketing campaign directed at China’s largest micro-blogging website, Weibo, focusing on Thailand’s travel and tourism services and products. ‘Lost in Thailand’ may have been the catalyst to the Chinese influx, but the focus now is how to get the Chinese to stay in Thailand.

Jaffee Yee, a Malaysian born veteran publisher, turned his focus to the Chinese market in 2013 when he launched something of a novel idea at the time, his Chinese language magazine for Thailand, Nihao. Yee told Asian Correspondent, “I first conceived the idea to launch a Chinese travel mag for Thailand during 2011-12 when Chinese visitors to Thailand began to surge past the traditional #1 market source Malaysia. I realized there was no existing Chinese language magazine and there was a clear market niche.”

Yee is currently working on a property and travel magazine targeting the Chinese of Greater China and Southeast Asia to be launched in the last quarter of 2015. Speaking of the cash crop and the danger in putting all your eggs into one basket, Yee says, “It’s always dangerous to rely too heavily on one market; the risk of a crash is unpredictable as with any natural disaster. A good example is impact of the disappearance of the Russians in Pattaya, a town that has been heavily dependent on this single market source in the past.” What if MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome) affects the market, he asks, “The Chinese may simply stop travelling and stay home.” Coincidentally, Thailand confirmed its first case of MERS shortly after the interview.

It seems, as was reported by Reuters, that some people riding the wave of Chinese tourism are doing so with “gritted teeth”, with many people that accommodate Chinese tourism complaining of bad behavior. In view of the (mostly) innocuousness of these well-reported misdemeanors perhaps Thailand might appreciate this boom a little more and be careful not to lose a nose to spite its own often beguiling face.

At Sleep guesthouse in Chiang Mai they welcome what has been the main source of their economic survival, and are open-minded about what is perceived as unworldly or ungainly behavior. “I would say most of our Chinese customers are really nice and most of the incidents we had were based on cultural misunderstandings,” says de Kreij. “My wife and me talked about this the other night. That most people don’t realize that without them here the economic situation in Chiang Mai would be totally different.”

THAILAND: Thailand Tourism Ministry Probes Tourist Deaths

Thailand's tourism ministry reported a 54% increase in the number of foreign tourists who died while in Thailand last year, and is looking at ways to better address tourist safety.

A report from the Bureau of Prevention and Assistance in Tourist Fraud said 83 foreign tourists lost their lives last year according to data from the ministry's 10 regional offices.

It said 34 fatalities were caused by road accidents, nine from swimming or boating accidents, six from congenital disease, four suicides and 30 from a variety of other causes.

The report highlighted several coastal areas which are deemed dangerous for swimmers and highways which have become accident black spots.

A detailed study on water accidents will take place in the resort area of Krabi while research on road safety will be conducted in Chiang Mai.

Pongpanu Svetarundra, permanent secretary at the Sports and Tourism Ministry acknowledged a need to beef up tourist safety in some areas.

"In the past, we did not deal with the root causes of the tourist safety problem. From now on, we will look at the issue and address it seriously," he said.

While the death toll rose sharply, statistics showed the number of significant injuries sustained by tourists fell 160% last year to 166.

THAILAND: Tourist Deaths On The Rise, Main Cause Reckless Driving

NEW figures have been released concerning tourist deaths in Thailand and they are so worrying that the local government has finally promised to work on improving visitor safety.

There was a 54 per cent jump in the number of tourist deaths at Australia’s much-loved holiday destination last year, according to a report by Thailand’s Bureau of Prevention and Assistance in Tourist Fraud.

Data collected from the ministry’s 10 regional offices showed that while 83 foreign travellers died in 2015, another 166 were injured (a drop of 160 per cent year on year).

While the main cause of death was road accidents (34), swimming and boating accidents claimed nine lives, congenital disease six, suicides four, and other causes 30.

The statistics showed that in 2015, visitors had a 1 in 301,204 chance of dying in Thailand, including a 1 in 735,294 chance of being killed in a road crash.

However, figures from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) over a similar time frame suggest this is just the tip of the iceberg. Between July 2014, and June 2015, DFAT recorded 109 deaths of Australians in Thailand, that’s not even factoring in tourists from other countries.

Either way, they are numbers that authorities say cannot be ignored any longer.

Pongpanu Svetarundra, Sports and Tourism Ministry secretary, said “In the past, we did not deal with the root causes of the tourist safety problem. From now on, we will look at the issue and address it seriously.”

Meetings have been held between government officials to address the issue, with a study on water accidents set to be conducted in Krabi, and road accident data will be gathered in Chiang Mai.

The report also listed some of the riskiest places in the country for swimming, scuba diving and driving, including:
• Tawan Beach on Pattaya’s Koh Larn (Chon Buri)
• Chaweng Beach on Koh Samui (Surat Thani)
• Mu Koh Similan (Phangnga)
• Koh Hae (Phuket)
• Highway 1095 from Chiang Mai to Pai district in Mae Hong Son
• Highway 118 from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai
• Highways 2258 and 2296 to Khao Khor (Phetchabun)
• Highway 4233 to Karon mountain (Phuket)
Almost 30 million visitors flocked to Thailand last year, but it was ranked low on a recent list for safety and security in the Asia Pacific. It came in at 132nd place out of 141 countries in that category in the World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index 2015.

SINGAPORE: Death Of Passenger Forces Emergency Landing Of Tigerair Flight In Bangkok

It was a brilliant case of customer service when Singapore bound Tigerair Flight TR2177 made an emergency landing on Suvarnabhumi International Airport soon as it learnt the death of a passenger onboard.

The plane had taken off from Thailand’s Chiang Mai when the 58 year old passenger collapsed on board. He was travelling with his family. The crew members immediately took charge of the situation and diverted to Bangkok.

It was later confirmed by the family members that the passenger was suffering from chronic illness. Hs body was taken to the Police General Hospital for an autopsy.

The airline continued with its scheduled flight from Bangkok and landed safely in Singapore with the rest of the passengers.