Floods in Thailand kill 14 and tourism sector badly hit

Floods in Thailand have killed 14 people and has also adversely affected southern holiday islands because the December-January period is high season for tourism who want to spend their Christmas and New Year in the exotic locations.
It seems a low pressure system has brought heavy rain to parts of the south that include the islands of Samui and Pha Ngan in the Gulf of Thailand. Floods have also severed the rail link to the south and Malaysia.
This has been reported in thehindu.com dated 6 December 2016.

Tourism has been a rare bright spot for the economy of the country that has struggled to gain traction since the army seized power in a bloodless coup in 2014 and put an end to months of political unrest. As per National Disaster Warning Centre, a total of 14 Thai people have lost their lives in various accidents that have been caused by the weather in different parts of the south.
Southbound trains have been halted in between because of flooding. Some areas have seen 447 mm of precipitation in the past 7 days - this is 380 mm more than the average for this time of year.
December is usually the beginning of the dry season when tourists arrive on palm fringed beaches to celebrate Christmas and New Year and the tourism ministry expects a record 32.4 million arrivals this year. But - the weather is playing truant. It may be recalled that widespread floods in 2011 had taken a heavy toll of more than 900 people and caused major disruption to industry.


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27th Travel & Tourism Fair takes off in Kolkata - Thailand is the Feature country

The 27th Travel & Tourism Fair, TTF Kolkata, has opened at Netaji Indoor Stadium and the adjacent Khudiram Anushilan Kendra. This kick starts the TTF Series, and the travel marketing season. TTF is India's oldest and largest travel trade show and is held in 9 cities every year and there are over 315 exhibitors from 9 countries and 26 states who have set up colorful pavilions and stalls at the three-day TTF Kolkata.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 8 July 2016.
First half of the show (i.e. from Friday to Saturday till 2 pm) is reserved for the travel trade. After that it will be opened to the public (i.e. from Saturday afternoon till Sunday evening). Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, Rajasthan, Goa, Jammu & Kashmir are the Partner States for the event whereas Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Punjab, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh are the Feature States. In addition, Bangladesh and Nepal are participating in a big way as the Partner Countries with Thailand as the Feature Country.
Kolkata is the third wealthiest city in India after Mumbai and Delhi and has a unique tradition of taking domestic and outbound trips in large numbers. This is especially true during Puja holidays in October which is usually an off-peak season for the rest of the country. TTF has been serving as a platform for this huge market in Eastern India, since 1989.


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Collision of two speedboats in Phuket leave 2 dead and more than 20 injured

It was a collision of two speedboats in Phuket, off the coast of southern Thailand, and nearly 62 people were involved in the two boats. At least two are feared dead in the collision with more than 20 injured. The dead have been as Chinese tourists.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 8 June 2016.

This crash mars the country's image as a tourist paradise because it is the third such incident in two weeks involving boats that shuttle vacationers to Thailand's resort islands. The collision was between a boat that was carrying 36 passengers and another with 26 near the popular island of Phuket. Most of the passengers were Chinese tourists. The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office is awaiting more details and have agreed to provide assistance to any British nationals who may be affected.
Tourism is a key source of revenue for Thailand. It had received nearly 30 million foreign visitors in 2015. However, crashes of boat and tour buses and other accidents involving tourists have become common. The country is known for lax enforcement of laws and safety regulations.


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Shocking discovery of carcasses of 40 tiger cubs in Tiger Temple of Thailand

Tiger Temple in Thailand is an important and well known tourist attraction because tigers here roan free and thurists can come near hem and enjoy their company. It came as a shock to learn that carcasses of 40 tiger cubs had been discovered there. These had been kept in freezers.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 1 June 2016.

Based on suspected trafficking and abuse of these animals, wildlife authorities swooped on the Buddhist temple in Kanchanaburi near Bangkok. There was international pressure. While the animals were being sedated and taken away from the center, the bodies of 40 cubs were discovered in a freezer which was located in a kitchen area.
Why so many cubs had been kept in the freezer is a mystery. The carcasses had limp wet fur and there were blood stains. Among the carcass there was one of a Binturong which is a protected species commonly known as a bearcat. The monks at the temple have not commented.
As per oficials, they have moved 52 live tigers from the temple and another 85 still remain. PETA has described the temple as a "hell for animals" and has urged tourists to stop visiting animal attractions at home and abroad.


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In order to preserve its corals, Thailand has taken a decision to ban tourism on three of its islands - accordingly, shops and restaurants on these islands have been dismantled so that the ban can be imposed effectively. These bans are for the islands of Koh Khai Nok, Koh Khai Nui and Koh Khai Nai. The country's Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) have issued the ban orders and it was enforced on May 24.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 25 May 2016.

As a result of the ban, all tourist activity has been banned around the coral reefs near the three islands located off the east coast of Phuket. Facilities and structures built for tourists have been removed, including beach chairs and parasols, and shops and restaurants on the islands have been shut down. Tour operators and guides have been given necessary instructions about the locations of the banned areas.
Moreover, around 40 buoys have been set up to mark these out in the waters and there is a proposal that the local government will police the waters to ensure the bans are fully enforced. Notices will also be posted in several languages to alert visitors of the ban.
On an average, there were at least 60 speedboats that visited the sites daily before the ban. Groups of tourists would spend at least three hours swimming, feeding fish and snorkeling in the water and these activities damages the marine ecosystem, especially on coral reefs.


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A deadly fire in a school in Thailand killed at least 17 girls who were sleeping in the dormitory. The fire swept through the school for girls from poor hill-tribe families. It was the Pitakiatwittaya School in the Wiang Pa Pao district of Chiang Rai. There were only charred remains metal bed frames and wooden school chairs left behind.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 23 May 2016.

The fire broke out late on Sunday night as the girls, aged five to 12, were sleeping at the Christian school in the northern province of Chiang Rai. The cause of fire is not known but it is believed to have been due to some electrical fault and the possibility of faulty lighting.
Forensic experts have examined the debris and ashes inside the concrete shell of the building and preliminary indications would tend to suggest a faulty fluorescent light on the ground floor. It broke up and a hot fragment might have fallen on to a pile of clothes that started the fire. The children most probably died from smoke inhalation.
A total of 36 children of the 142 that attend the school were in the dormitory when the fire started and the alarm was sounded by a school cleaner.


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Kolkattans have switched loyalties - they fly out during Christmas instead of Pujas

Kolkattans have switched loyalties. Instead of vacationing abroad during the Pujas, they are opting for Christmas which has taken over from the Pujas as the biggest holiday season of the year. This observation is based on the flight bookings in the run-up to New Year.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 28 December 2015.

While the Pujas is supposed to be a traditional tourist season, the general response over the past couple of years have been damp. Instead, the winter holiday season has taken the place of the Pujas. Previously, most of the outbound flights on all sectors had many empty seats in December - that has changed.
Right now, most international flights out of Calcutta have no seats left till December 30, including business class. Industry insiders have attributed this rush during the Christmas-New Year season to longer school holidays apart from a prolonged spell of political peace in Thailand which is a much sought-after holiday destination.
A Thai Airways flight has 39 business class and 254 economy class seats and, till December 30, there are no seats in both classes on Bangkok-bound flights.
In response to the rush, Qatar Airways is believed to be flying a bigger aircraft with 110 additional seats on the Calcutta-Doha route.
Incidentally, the Kolkata market continues to rely on seasonal and leisure traffic on international routes and round-the-year demand for premium seats still eludes the market.

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Bangkok is the capital of Thailand and fears have been expressed that in another 15-years, it could be submerged and a new capital would have to be identified.
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A committee that had been set up by the ruling National Reform Council has issued warning that due to rising sea levels and the weight of heavy buildings, the Thai capital may be submerged in water in less than 15 years. Obviously, urgent action would have to be taken to prevent such a situation.
As per the report of the NRC committee, Bangkok is only 0.5 to 2 metres above sea level and this could reduce because of the excessive use of underground pumping and an increase in construction. Right now, there are about 700 buildings with 20 floors or more and 4,000 buildings with 8 to 20 floors in Bangkok.
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The area is a hilly, jungle area located along a 50-Km stretch of the border and, the police have found 28 such camps. In one of the camps there was "a highly decomposed body". This would go for forensic checks as teams have started on the work of exhuming the bodies from the graves.
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Controversy regarding the 150 odd tigers of the Thailand Tiger Temple

#tigertemple #thailand #monk #microchip #Kanchanaburi Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua in Thailand`s western Kanchanaburi province is better known as "The Tiger Temple" and it has always drawn tourists who flock there to visit the monks and be photographed with the tigers who are pets of the monks.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 24 April 2015.

It seems the wildlife officials of Thailand has begun a headcount of nearly 150 tigers that are kept by monks at a temple – this has become the center of a dispute over the welfare of the animals. The authorities say that the tigers in the temple have been kept without the proper paperwork. The wildlife officials have threatened to seize the animals and this has led to standoffs in recent weeks between officials and the monks who are blocking their way.
Most of the tigers are microchipped, hence it is not difficult to confirm the number of animals that are in the sanctuary. The tigers were led out in groups of four and tied to a tree so that the officials could scan their microchips.
Incidentally, the headcount became necessary because there were allegations made by a vet of the temple to the police that three tigers had gone missing and that led to speculation that those tigers might have been sold.

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Big cats of Tiger Temple in Thailand live in harmony with Buddhist monks

#tigertemple #thailand #kanchanaburi The Tiger Temple in Thailand is a famous tourist attraction and, in this temple, over 100 tigers coexist with Buddhist monks and there have been accusations that the big cats are kept drugged as reported in foxnews.com dated 12 February 2015.
This has been denied by the monks and the veterinarian who looks after the animals. Both man and beast live in complete harmony in the premises.
A team of Thai wildlife protection officers have, therefore, visited the place and have indicated that they have not come across type of mistreatment of the animals. The team consisted of about 50 officials from the wildlife department and local religious affairs office, along with soldiers and they carried out a three-hour inspection of the Luangtamahabua Buddhist temple compound in the western province of Kanchanaburi.
They have given it a clean chit but there are charges that the temple keeps rare birds there. It seems a wildlife department raid last week had discovered that the temple was illegally keeping 38 hornbills and other protected bird species.