A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand

[Froggy]

Not far off. Here Caltex 95 is S$2.10 (thb53), 92 S$2.062 (thb52). You don't have 98 S$2.271 (thb57). Using your same roe 25.26.

Someone I know with new Honda Accord can use E25 (gasohol 75% gasoline + 25% ethanol). Cheaper, but not at all gas stations. Always trying to do BangChak, bias againts PTT (ironically owns part BangChak).

State monopoly?

- E25 is the new thing here. E10 sometimes I use
- reading international reports on oils and gas production you could find Thailand is not a small exporter yet they needed to import lots funny right? But then you should know why and who is controlling production from the ground.
- state? depends on how you look at it. I'm sure you know what I mean.

 

[yinyang]

Saw this ferris wheel last trip. Remember Uncle Ringo? What 'impressed' me was some1 had to both manually operate the mechanics and remember the rider to get off :p

 

[yinyang]

An LB slice of thai mango today :p. Heist in army camp by heshe gang

Ladyboy thieves leave their mark
Gang took advantage of ties to troopsin army base to rob their homes
Bangkok Post Published: 11/08/2014 at 06:00 AM

A gang of transgender women has been arrested for a series of thefts in the Lop Buri military camp.

Worryingly for the army, the four-member gang was able to gain access to the camp because some had boyfriends serving there. The gang committed more than 100 burglaries over the course of a year, with the proceeds going towards their methamphetamines habit.

They broke into soldiers' homes, and state premises elsewhere in the province and in neighbouring areas, at the rate of one or two times a week, according to accounts given to Crime Suppression Division (CSD) investigators.

Police arrested four transgender suspects on Aug 2 after contacting shops which they thought might have been selling the stolen goods. Soldiers went to the CSD after an earlier complaint to local police failed to make progress. The troops said they were upset about the delays, and also a nasty habit by the thieves of defecating in their victim's homes, supposedly in the belief that the smell of human faeces would help avert detection of other forensic evidence.

CSD investigators did not look for clues directly from the troops, but from outlets which they suspected were selling the stolen goods.

''This stage went slowly because we have to piece together the various connections," said Pol Lt Col Towong Phithakkoson, inspector of CSD sub-division 1, who led the investigation team.

His team worked closely with local police and forensic experts to examine all burglary cases in Lop Buri and take out those that were not relevant to incidents at military camps.

After two weeks developing and analysing the list, the investigators concluded that most of the burglaries at the soldiers' houses must have been committed by the same gang. The gangsters usually chose houses with no dogs. They often broke into buildings through windows. Once inside, they snatched only assets on the ground floor, such as Buddhist amulets, brand-name bags and laptop computers. They also left a small memento of their visit: excreting on the floor.

"I had my team looking for stolen assets at shops selling antique items, Buddhist amulets and second-hand products," Pol Lt Col Towong said. It was not long before his team found some of the stolen items.

The outlets cooperated with the CSD investigators, for fear they could be charged with receiving stolen goods. From their accounts the investigators were able to identify the burglars as transgender women. The gang had taken in stolen items to be sold through the outlets three times a week.
Investigators located the gang with the help of local police. The four suspects often gathered to take drugs at a house in tambon Khao Phra Ngam in Lop Buri's Muang district.

On Aug 2, investigators raided the house when they thought the gang might be preparing their next burglary. The suspects were named as Sattawat Kunthon, 23; Panya Buasingto, 31; Somphot Sueabua, 35; and a 17-year-old whose name was not released.

Police seized watches, mobile phones, cameras, amulets, gold jewellery, designer bags and computers. They estimated the value at several million baht.
The suspects allegedly admitted they burgled houses in military camps in Lop Buri and, to the surprise of the police, other state agencies and hospitals in the same province. They were also committing robberies in Nakhon Sawan and Saraburi. Ms Panya was the driver while the other three broke in and seized the goods.
Ms Sattawat was familiar with houses in military camps because her father is a military officer in Lop Buri. Some of the other gang members found it easy to enter the camps because their boyfriends are soldiers, Pol Lt Col Towong said.

The burglaries went smoothly because many houses were not locked and their owners failed to install barriers on windows to deter thieves, they said. "The soldiers believed their houses were safe, but this was far from the case,'' Pol Lt Col Towong said.

 

[yinyang]

You recall the tragic accident by Red Bull's scion. Slow justice, with MC king :p

Red Bull hit and run case drifts, two years on
Heir to drink empire waits for day in court
Bangkok Post Published: 11/08/2014 at 06:00 AM

The 2012 hit-and-run case in which the heir to the Red Bull energy-drink fortune crashed his Ferrari into a police motorbike on Sukhumvit Soi 47 has dragged on for more than two years, still with no sign of a court case in sight.

Pol Snr Sgt Maj Wichian Klanprasert was killed in the crash. The delays occurred despite the fact that prosecutors have indicted Vorayudh Yoovidhya over the incident, according to Ruecha Krairiksh, a senior prosecutor in charge.

Mr Vorayudh has failed to make several appointments in which he was called to report to prosecutors to acknowledge the charges.

Other delays occurred on the prosecution side. The result is that the prosecutions have yet to proceed to court, and the statute of limitations on a speeding charge which he faced has now run out. The suspect remains a free man.

The first indictment was postponed because prosecutors said they were still studying police files, and the second and third were delayed at Mr Vorayudh's request, he said. Mr Vorayudh submitted a request to Julasing Wasantasing, then attorney-general, to call four more witnesses, two of which were experts, he said.

The fourth appointment was cancelled by prosecutors who said they were processing Mr Vorayudh's request for additional witnesses.
They eventually approved the request, which led to more witness interrogations, he said.

Mr Ruecha said Mr Vorayudh's lawyer submitted another request to postpone the fifth appointment, pleading that his client was sick. He submitted a medical certificate to back the request.

The sixth appointment was set for Sept 2, 2013, three days before the one-year statute of limitations on the accused's speeding charge expired.
Again, Mr Vorayudh asked his lawyer request another postponement, claiming he still was sick.

Mr Ruecha said that after the six postponements, he decided to seek a warrant for the Red Bull heir's arrest because Mr Vorayudh had escaped prosecution in the past. Police have yet to submit a formal request for the court to issue a warrant for Mr Vorayudh's arrest, he said.
Thanit Buakhiew, a lawyer representing Mr Vorayudh, told the Bangkok Post his client is now in Thailand.
Mr Thanit refused to go into the details, saying Mr Vorayudh would continue to fight for justice.
Mr Vorayudh still faces charges of reckless driving causing death and failing to stop a vehicle to render assistance.
The statute of limitations of these charges are 15 years and five years respectively, said Mr Ruecha, who no longer oversees Mr Vorayudh's case. He works as a prosecutor at the Southern Bangkok Civil Court.
Mr Ruecha said he was convinced of the need for an arrest warrant for Mr Vorayudh, as he had a tendency to flee Thailand.
Recently, Mr Thanit reportedly submitted a request for more witnesses, one of whom is said to be a foreigner who saw the crash.
Warin Thiamjaras, a former senator and independent lawyer serving as a member of the Lawyers Council of Thailand's sub-committee providing legal advisory services to the public, has offered his opinion on the case.

Three more charges — driving without a licence, illegally modifying a car, and reckless driving causing death — should be brought against Mr Vorayudh, he said.
It would easy to check whether the suspect had driven the car without a licence, Mr Warin said, adding that it should take no more than a year to verify this charge.
The statute of limitations on the illegal vehicle modification charge is one year.

The charge of reckless driving causing death has a statute of limitations of 15 years, Mr Warin said. Proceedings in the lower court, meanwhile, should last between two and three years at most, he said. The suspect would face a maximum jail sentence of 10 years if found guilty on this charge, he said. Police investigations might stretch to over a year if the suspect is released on bail during the probe, Mr Warin said.

Normally, prosecutors have the authority to order police to re-investigate if they think police case files are incomplete. This has both advantages and disadvantages, he said. The case might take longer than usual if prosecutors return the case to police, and there is no guarantee that prosecutors will indict the suspect, even after police re-investigate the case, he said.

In most cases, the courts eventually give the plaintiff the benefit of the doubt when police wrap up their investigations too fast or prosecutors indict suspects prematurely, Mr Warin added.

 

[Froggy]

Had a simple but great Thai dinner last night

Somtam with small crabs


Cabbage with fish sauce


Fried seabass with thai herbs


Cockles


Tanghoon


Fried rice with salted fish


All these for only S$40

 

[Froggy]

Its mother's day today in Thailand so the restaurants are all very crowded. Nevertheless was still able to get a table at a seafood restaurant

Hormok (otah)


Big head river prawns


Pak kachat


Garoupa with soya sauce


My drink

 

[yinyang]

Judiciary shakeup. :p Got to give credit to thai press outspokeness on judiciary. Can't imagine this sort of editorial sees the light of day in sinkie mainstream media

COMMENTARY
Judge sackings send shockwaves across the benches
Published: 11/08/2014 at 06:00 AM Bangkok Post

It is being described as the biggest scandal in the history of the Thai judiciary. Four senior judges, including a former vice-president of the Supreme Court and a former president of the Appeals Court, have been sacked for gross disciplinary violations by the judicial committee.

Three other judges of the Appeals and Supreme courts were placed under probation and their salaries frozen without any chance of a raise for a certain period.
This story which is featured in Post Today Onlinehas run up more than 85,000 hits and 12,500 shares in just two days since it was posted on Friday. It ranks as one of the top 10 online news stories of the week. There have been no comments, however, which is predictable.

According to Isra news agency, the seven senior judges were found guilty by the judicial committee of breaching regulations regarding bailing of defendants charged with rape and drugs trafficking.

The judicial committee did not name the seven judges, but Isra news agency managed to find out who they are, particularly the four who were sacked. Two of them have been denied their pensions.

Isra news agency reported that Ong-art Rojanasupot, a senior judge of the Supreme Court and former vice-president of the Supreme Court, and Singpol La-ongmanee, a chief judge of the Supreme Court, were sacked with their pensions forfeited.

The other two judges are Adisak Timmart, a senior judge of the Supreme Court and former president of the Appeals Court, and Sitthichai Promsorn, chief judge of the Supreme Court. They are entitled to keep their pensions.

I was shocked when I learned the names of the four sacked judges because I personally know two of them as we were in the same class of a course organised by the Office of Judicial Affairs for senior judges to get to know executives of the private sector and senior government officials.

How could that be, I asked myself as I tried to figure out the motives for their wrongdoing. They are all respectable people, or they would not have made it to the Supreme Court. I felt sorry for them nevertheless.

Isra news agency reported that before the judicial committee made its decision, the president of the Supreme Court had suspended both Mr Ong-art and Mr Singpol from duty pending the committee's investigation.

The sacking of the four senior judges might boost public trust and confidence in the judiciary as it shows the bench is serious about combating corruption and will not spare any judges no matter how high their position if they are found guilty of corruption or misuse of their authority.

On the other side of the coin, the scandal is a blow to the credibility and image of the judiciary as a whole. Certain members of the public may wonder whether they can still trust the judicial system after having lost faith in the police and public prosecutors, although they have not made any public comments about this latest scandal for fear of risking contempt of court charges.

The fear of contempt of court has shielded the Thai judiciary from public criticism for decades, especially positive and constructive criticism that could be beneficial to the judicial institution in a way that it can keep abreast of social changes and allow judges to be more responsive to certain situations.
Judges are empowered to use their discretion in making judgements on court cases that even the president of the Supreme Court cannot meddle with. In meting out the judgements, they are their own bosses.

Only when the judgements are deemed as badly assessed can their superiors step in to mete out punitive actions against them — but not reverse or change their judgements. A number of court decisions in the past have been greeted with incredulity by the public who found them ridiculous. For instance, a woman who stole a mango to feed her hungry children was given 10 years imprisonment while a rich young person who kills several people and is charged with reckless driving causing death is given a suspended jail term because it is his first criminal offence and because he confessed.

Granting bail to a defendant is at the sitting judge's discretion. But the public often cannot understand the rationale of granting bail to a notorious drug trafficker no matter the size of the surety. In the real world of the judiciary, there have been many cases where drug traffickers have been allowed back onto the streets and have not shown up again to face trial.

Yes, money talks and the higher the amount, the louder the voice. This has been proven true too many times.

Many Thai judges feel they are performing their duty on behalf of the monarchy, and therefore their verdicts are above criticism. That is why the judiciary has been deprived of access to information about how strongly the public feels in regard to some of its decisions - which is regrettable.

The court should be more open to criticism and not feel offended every time the institution or a verdict is criticised.

(Veera Prateepchaikul is a former editor, Bangkok Post.)

 

[yinyang]

What a shame, foreigners abusing hospitality with surrogate parenting. Short of abusing poor ladies, ignorant of their rights. 22 year old Jap fathered 15 babies?! With plans for dozens? :( Think the junta has just plugged the legal loophole now.

Interpol 'warned' of serial surrogacy
Broker raised concerns about Japanese dad
Bangkok Post Published: 14/08/2014 at 06:00 AM

The founder of a multinational fertility centre says she warned Interpol and global media outlets last year about the Japanese man at the centre of a human trafficking probe, after learning he wanted to father dozens of children to surrogate mothers every year.

Mariam Kukunashvili, co-founder of New Life Global Network, admitted to providing two surrogate mothers at the same time to Mitsutoki Shigeta last year, but said suspicions about the then-22-year-old's motives arose soon after.

"We served Shigeta one time only and then he demanded he wanted more and more babies," she said.

Turning point: The discovery of a "surrogacy factory" with nine babies all with the same father - likely a Japanese - stirred the fertility expert into taking action.
"I immediately found it suspicious, especially for a man of his age, and we refused to further serve him and warned Interpol, the BBC, CNN, and the Japanese embassy."

One of the surrogate mothers provided by New Life's Thailand branch gave birth to twins, while the other had a single child. Ms Kukunashvili said she learned while the women were pregnant that Mr Shigeta had commissioned another three surrogate mothers from a separate agency.

Birth certificates have been found indicating the Japanese businessman has fathered 15 babies to surrogate mothers in Thailand. Nine of the children were discovered during a raid on a condominium in Lat Phrao last week. At least three others have already been taken out of the country.

Police are still investigating whether the children were part of a human-trafficking scheme. Documents obtained by the Bangkok Post appear to confirm that Ms Kukunashvili contacted Interpol on Aug 3 last year, warning that "something is very wrong here".

"He freezes sperm very frequently and says he is going to have 10 babies per year and wants to make sure he has sufficient frozen sperm [as he is going to make babies even when he is old]," Ms Kukunashvili wrote.

Military moves quickly: Ban on commercial surrogacy sought

"In spite of the fact he is already expecting six babies, he again requests from us to make more and more babies and to provide him with more and more surrogate mothers." She said no response had been received from Interpol.

Ms Kukunashvili said New Life Thailand had acted only as an intermediary in the surrogacy arrangement with Mr Shigeta, while the actual IVF procedures were performed by Pisit Tantiwattanakul, director of the All IVF Center in Bangkok.

"I phoned Dr Pisit and informed him that [Mr Shigeta's request] was suspicious, but he did not listen and continued serving Shigeta himself," she said.
The All IVF Center was shut down last week after an investigation by the Medical Council of Thailand linked it to the Japanese businessman's case.
Commercial surrogacy is a breach of the council's ethical guidelines.

Dr Pisit has been unavailable for comment for the past week and efforts by the Bangkok Post to contact him yesterday went unanswered.
Although stressing she had never met Mr Shigeta in person, Ms Kukunashvili suggested her staff had painted him as a man showing possible signs of mental imbalance.

When questioned about his motives for fathering so many children, she said Mr Shigeta's initial response was "so that he could have a big family for voting … [and] win an election in Japan". She said she also learned Mr Shigeta wanted to buy equipment to freeze his sperm at home, but Dr Pisit rejected the request due to the dangers of storing liquid nitrogen.

Ms Kukunashvili said her staff had been shown three separate passports which belong to Mr Shigeta — Japanese, Chinese and Cambodian.
Mr Shigeta fled Thailand on a flight to Macau. He is thought to be a resident of Hong Kong where he reportedly owns a luxury apartment and has minor business interests. His father is believed to be an influential businessman in Japan.

The New Life Thailand website was taken offline last week amid intense scrutiny on the commercial surrogacy trade in the wake of the case of baby Gammy, who was born with Down's syndrome, to a Thai surrogate mother and was allegedly abandoned by his Australian parents. Cached versions of the site, however, reveal the company was offering basic surrogacy arrangements starting from around US$30,000 (960,000 baht).

Ms Kukunashvili stressed the agency did not operate a clinic, and was acting only as a broker. The New Life Thailand web address now connects to a site advertising itself as New Life Asia, where no references to surrogacy can be found. New Life also has branches in Georgia, Ukraine, India, South Africa, Poland, Mexico and the US.

 

[Froggy]

When I got up the taxi this morning to Changi Airport at 5:38am the meter shows $3.80 and $9.60 surcharge because of booking charges so I wondered when will the meter catch up with the surcharge finally it did near the airport $16.18 meter and $16.10 surcharge, final cost of the ride is $37.55 not bad I was expecting $50 when I booked last night.



Not bad from boarding taxi at 5:38 to the lounge at 6:08 half hour, really not bad at all.

 

[johnny333]

When I got up the taxi this morning to Changi Airport at 5:38am the meter shows $3.80 and $9.60 surcharge because of booking charges so I wondered when will the meter catch up with the surcharge finally it did near the airport $16.18 meter and $16.10 surcharge, final cost of the ride is $37.55 not bad I was expecting $50 when I booked last night.


Not bad from boarding taxi at 5:38 to the lounge at 6:08 half hour, really not bad at all.

Nowadays when I have to take a flight LOS I'm more likely to take the bus & trains to Changi. Takes about an hour but it can be done. Costs about $5 dollars vs about $50 dollars by cab.

Obviously can't do that with the early flights. I usually take a 10ish morning flight because I will reach Thailand by 12 to 1pm which is when I can check in to the hotel.

When I do that I have a spare shirt ready because all that walking makes me sweaty & I don't like flying with a sweaty shirt.

 

[yinyang]

Some glimmer of hope on buz sentiments for building/construction sector?

infrastructure
Projects set to boost construction sector
Bangkok Post Published: 14/08/2014 at 07:00 AM

The military regime's infrastructure development plan worth 2.4 trillion baht is expected to give a push to new business registrations, particularly for construction.
Pongpun Gearaviriyapun, director-general of the Business Development Department, said the number of new registrations is expected to top 65,000 this year, with at least 7,000 expected for construction to cash in on the junta's economic stimulus and massive infrastructure development.

According to the department's latest report, 35,058 juristic persons sought registration in the first seven months of 2014, down 18% from the same period last year. Their total registered capital fell by 46% to 135.83 billion baht.

The drop was attributed mainly to the department's tighter controls on new registrations for lottery business. Last year, the number of new registrations reached 67,302 with a combined registered capital of 379 billion baht.

The National Council for Peace and Order last month approved an eight-year infrastructure scheme through 2022 that features the construction of two high-speed train routes and six dual-track routes as urgent projects starting this year.

The two high-speed rail routes, estimated to cost 741 billion baht, will link Thailand and southern China. The Nong Khai-Map Ta Phut route will cover 737 kilometres and cost 393 billion baht, while the Chiang Khong-Ban Phachi route will be 655 km and cost 349 billion. Construction of the routes should be completed by 2021.

The Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning has been tasked with conducting a feasibility study for the development of three additional dual-track rail routes using a 1.435-metre standard gauge at a top speed of 160 km/h.

The new routes are Ayutthaya (Ban Phachi)-Padang Besar, Nong Khai-Ubon Ratchathani and Tak (Mae Sot)-Phitsanulok-Khon Kaen (Ban Phai).
By 2020, there will be six dual-track projects covering 887 km — Nakhon Ratchasima-Khon Kaen, Prachuap Khiri Khan-Chumphon, Nakhon Pathom-Hua Hin, Saraburi-Nakhon Ratchasima, Lop Buri-Nakhon Sawan, and Hua Hin-Muang district in Prachuap Khiri Khan.

 

[rotikosong]

Nowadays when I have to take a flight LOS I'm more likely to take the bus & trains to Changi. Takes about an hour but it can be done. Costs about $5 dollars vs about $50 dollars by cab.

Obviously can't do that with the early flights. I usually take a 10ish morning flight because I will reach Thailand by 12 to 1pm which is when I can check in to the hotel.

When I do that I have a spare shirt ready because all that walking makes me sweaty & I don't like flying with a sweaty shirt.

As much as possible, I take public transport to Changi too. I can't believe how expensive taxis have become. Is uber any different?
When I get to BKK I try to take public transport as well: train, bus, minivan, etc

To clean up, I use disposable body wipes. You can find them in Watsons. They come in a resealable pack. Problem solved.

 

[tonychat]

As much as possible, I take public transport to Changi too. I can't believe how expensive taxis have become. Is uber any different?
When I get to BKK I try to take public transport as well: train, bus, minivan, etc

To clean up, I use disposable body wipes. You can find them in Watsons. They come in a resealable pack. Problem solved.

Take the MRT to changi airport to fly to bkk,

In bkk, Take a train to your apartment.. Get an apartment near the station..it will do you a lot of good.

If your apartment or hotel is not that near a mtr or bts station, the get to the nearest station and take a taxi from there. The idea is not to get a taxi at the airport.

 

[yinyang]

TG slashing costs, with fat cats perks cut. Allowances for doing fxxkcold? :p

Thai Airways to slash executive perks
State carrier grapples with financial woes
Bangkok Post Published: 13/08/2014

Thai Airways International (THAI) will sharply cut its executives' transport allowances as it moves to improve its business performance and tackle losses.

THAI acting president ACM Siwakiat Jayema said management had decided to cut up to 30% from its monthly transport allowance, as well as those of other executives, as part of measures to reduce 2014 expenses by 4 billion baht. Vice-presidents have received between 70,000 and 75,000 baht monthly.

"The plan also includes overtime payments for THAI technical staff and fuel costs," ACM Siwakiat said, adding cuts also will apply to human resources and staff numbers.

"Overtime payments for staff in the technical department will be reduced by 1 billion baht. A plan to cut the number of staff will help the company save another 1 billion baht. THAI also plans to reduce fuel costs by 800 million baht this year," ACM Siwakiat added.

THAI union chairman Damrong Waikhani backed cuts to executive allowances, but said a 50% cut was more fitting, as some executives use company cars while receiving the allowance. Nonetheless, he said the executives showed "spirit" with their decision.

THAI has 42 vice-presidents who receive 70,000 baht monthly, Mr Damrong said. "The 75,000 baht allowance is paid to nine others in the post of executive vice-president and executive president. THAI has to pay them a total of up to 3.6 million baht a month, or about 43.3 million baht per year," Mr Damrong said.
An allowance of free tickets for the board, which was recently revoked, was also welcome. But the union wanted the board to take action against alleged mismanagement in several projects.

In another move to improve its finances, THAI intends to expand its aircraft repair service at Don Mueang airport, a move expected to increase revenue by 10%, said Flg Off Chalermpon Intarawong, vice-president for aircraft maintenance.

The state carrier has also recently announced plans to join forces with sister airline Thai Smile and Nok Air in a bid to snatch a larger portion of domestic air passengers, including by selling tickets at 7-Eleven convenience stores.

The board approved the transport allowance cuts on Aug 5. They were considered by a sub-committee on state enterprises, led by Lt Gen Anantaphon Kanchanarat of the Army Comptroller Office, with the details sent to a "super board" for state enterprises policy, chaired by National Council for Peace and Order chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha, for a final decision.

The super board, created by the coup-makers to supervise the operations of state enterprises, particularly their boards of directors, meets tomorrow to discuss plans to resolve the financial problems of six state enterprises, THAI and the State Railway of Thailand among them.

Under the rehabilitation plan, THAI hopes to increase revenue by 3 billion baht while cutting costs by 4 billion baht.

THAI recorded a financial loss of 12 billion baht last year and was 2.63 billion baht in the red in the first quarter of this year. The company is expected to report more losses over the rest of this year.

 

[johnny333]

As much as possible, I take public transport to Changi too. I can't believe how expensive taxis have become. Is uber any different?
When I get to BKK I try to take public transport as well: train, bus, minivan, etc

To clean up, I use disposable body wipes. You can find them in Watsons. They come in a resealable pack. Problem solved.

I use a comfortable T-Shirt & treat the trip to the airport as a morning workout Changi airport has nice washrooms where one can do a wash ups & change of clothing. You don't have a shower but it is more than enough until you get to a hotel in LOS. No need for those wipes since I have all my stuff in my carry on knapsack, including my toiletries.

I use to take the late night flight back to Spore but I don't do it now because when you get in late at night, taxis are the only available transportation. When you add the late night surcharge it gets to be pricey. I rather save my $ for the next trip to LOS.

I find that taking a train from Suvarnabhumi is much easier than taking a train from Changi in Spore . You get to sit & watch the scenery & don't have to switch trains until you get to downtown Bangkok.

 

[nomorelisa]

TG slashing costs, with fat cats perks cut. Allowances for doing fxxkcold? :p

Watch it!!! Any airline that starts taking cost cutting measures and is bleeding will eventually cut corners in maintenance and aircraft safety.

BEWARE!!

 

[Froggy]

Watch it!!! Any airline that starts taking cost cutting measures and is bleeding will eventually cut corners in maintenance and aircraft safety.

BEWARE!!

Don't scare me leh!

 

[Froggy]

Just discovered this place in Jakarta today - Blackcat Jazz & Blues Bar

 

[Froggy]

In Molly Malones Irish Pub now, my first time. Great band here






located in Sanayan Arcadia

 

[yinyang]

tourism, food

Tempting tourists with dishing trips
Navatas Hospitality offers tours promising an authentic taste of Thai food and culture
Bangkok Post Published: 18/08/2014 at 04:47 AM

Italy has wine tours and Spain has tapas tours. What should Thailand have? Thai food tours?

Foreign tourists wait for their som tam (papaya salad) at a local stall in Bangkok during their food tour. Navatas food tours have been voted one of the top 10 activities for tourists in Bangkok.

That question led to the birth of a small company, Navatas Hospitality, that offers food tours in Bangkok. Navatas was set up in 2011 by three young men who shared a love of food and travel. They saw that no one was playing up food as a strength of Thai tourism.

"Thai food is very popular around the world. It's not only street food but also something more than that," says Chinawut Chinaprayoon, the company's founder and director. Many Thai restaurants abroad have adjusted their menus and flavours to suit Western palates, losing some of the original taste.

Navatas wanted to give foreigners an authentic experience of Thai cuisine and culture. After hatching their plan, the trio combined their passion for food and travel and created the Historic Bangrak Food Tasting & Culture Tour. Bang Rak Road has residential and commercial areas peopled by Thais, Chinese and Indians.

"It's a very good location with good, old restaurants serving tasty food," Mr Chinawut says. "We meet at the BTS Saphan Taksin station and visit restaurants that have been open for more than 50 years."

The Bang Rak route costs 1,050 baht per person for three and a half hours. Tourists can visit five eateries and taste at least 10 home-made dishes and drinks.
After three months of running the first route, Navatas introduced the Yaowarat Foodie Walk & Culture Tour.

Today the company offers a Midnight Food Tour by tuk-tuk, the full-day Offbeat Floating Markets Food Tour, the Ancient Ayutthaya Food & History Tour, the multi-day Central Thailand Rice & Spice Trail and the Kanchanaburi Food Safari & War Memorial Trail. Navatas manages food tours in Chiang Mai and Singapore as well.

"It's not easy for a small tour operator like us to survive in a blue ocean business," Mr Chinawut says. "We explained our concept to travel agents and restaurant owners. Many travel agents didn't understand and turned down our tour programmes."

Navatas has a limited budget to promote its tours, mainly relying on social networks and travel websites like TripAdvisor. At first the package tours were sold only on the company's own website (http://bangkokfoodtours.com). Now the tours have been voted one of the top 10 activities for tourists in Bangkok. Navatas was awarded a certificate of excellence for three straight years (2011-13) by TripAdvisor.

Word-of-mouth marketing is effective for now. Direct booking accounts for 70% of total sales, with the rest stemming from travel agents. The company hopes to bring the ratio closer to 50:50. Mr Chinawut says travel agents are big players.

"Many travel agents and destination management companies are interested in our programmes, especially private tours. They have to adjust to new tourism trends that are changing from attraction-based to activity-based. Our unique product can serve unique demand."

From fewer than 1,000 packages sold in the first year, sales grew by 50% in 2012 and 40% in 2013. "We faced big flooding problems in 2011 and political instability in 2012, but we survived and grew," Mr Chinawut says.

The hard times are not over yet, even as the prolonged political crisis eases under junta control. Navatas faces stiff competition from both Thai companies and foreigners. Some used to be Navatas food tour clients who copied the Bang Rak programme. Many do business without holding a guided tour licence. This creates a negative effect on tour business in Thailand, says Mr Chinawut.

To this point, the company wants to create new routes and products. It plans to debut non-food products but still maintain the concept of a unique experience in a niche market.