Bangkok Airways and Vietnam Airlines have signed a preferred partners agreement. The alliance gives travellers the option of booking through journeys on international and domestic connecting flights operated by each of the airlines.
Myanma Railways has agreed terms with a domestic digital provider to offer wireless internet services on its trains. Under the terms of the memorandum of understanding signed recently, MySQUAR will set up a wifi network to cover stations and trains under the jurisdiction of the Myanmar national rail company.
The director of Chiang Mai International Airport says flights this weekend are being rescheduled to allow the annual Loy Krathong Festival to take place. Monthanik Rakngam told reporters a total of 20 international flights and 58 domestic ones had been cancelled.
Culture vultures and tourists in Hanoi have the rare chance of taking in an evening of flamenco next Monday. Famed flamenco dancer Ursula Lopez will be live on stage at the Vietnamese capital’s Academy of Music at 20:00.
Thailand’s prime-minister says the Royal Cremation site in Bangkok will be open to the general public until the end of next month. General Prayut Chan-o-cha made the announcement during a speech aired on national television yesterday.
An engineer with Myanmar’s national railway company says track improvements will reduce travel time between two of the nation’s biggest cities. Travelling between Yangon and Mawlamyine will take just six hours in two years’ time.
Thailand’s Meteorological Division says storms and heavy rain will lash the southern half of the Gulf of Thailand this week. The forecast released on Saturday stated that the bad weather would likely hit yesterday and continue through until Thursday at least.
A spokesperson for Thailand’s government has confirmed the official mourning period for King Bhumibol Adulyadej ends today. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, lieutenant-general Sansern Kaewkamnerd stated that the year-long mourning for the late king would be officially over today.
The sight of people walking on fire last night was a signal Phuket’s 2017 Vegetarian Festival was coming back to life. At Phuket shrines including Jui Tui, religious devotees known as Masong walked across the hot beds of embers in a time-honoured rite called goi hoi.
The new king of Thailand oversaw cremation rites for his father, the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, in Bangkok yesterday. The day began early with a merit-making ceremony at 07:00 in the Grand Palace’s Dusit Throne Hall. Afterwards, King Maha Vajiralongkorn led a parade from the palace’s Kamphaeng Kaeo Gate to a nearby temple.
Today is the Royal Cremation Day for Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Although the actual cremation will take place in Bangkok at 22:00 this evening, the day will see a number of rites take place.
A leading Vietnam tour operator recently inaugurated a city bus hopper service in Hanoi which takes in many of the key tourist sites. Hanoitourist’s hop-on, hop-off buses stop at 15 locations and these include the likes of Hoan Kiem Lake, Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and the Hanoi Hilton.
Several provinces in the central regions of Thailand have experienced severe flooding this week. Rising levels in Chai Nat Province reservoirs forced the national water irrigation authority to release water into the Chao Phraya River.
Thailand’s King Mahavajiralongkorn will be overseeing a merit-making rite at Bangkok’s Grand Palace later today. The ceremony is the first official one in the five-day-long Royal Cremation rites for his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Thai budget airline Nok Air is all set for the inauguration of a direct flight service from Mae Sot to Yangon. The maiden flight in what will be a thrice weekly service is scheduled for take off on Sunday 29 October.
Authorities in the Thai seaside town of Pranburi have posted up no swimming signs at local beaches. The measure is a response to smacks of jellyfish being washed inshore and to prevent more swimmers being stung.
Today is a national holiday in Thailand. The 23 October marks the death of one of the nation’s favourite monarchs, King Chulalongkorn, in 1910. Due to the upcoming funeral rites for King Bhumibol Adulyadej, today’s ceremonies will probably be very subdued.
City authorities in Bangkok are offering free travel on trains and buses for the Royal Cremation rites on Thursday. According to the official King Rama 9 website, services on the BRT bus, MRT underground and BTS Skytrain will offer free travel for all passengers.
A traditional ceremony held at Phuket’s Jui Tui Shrine yesterday evening ushered in the 2017 edition of the island’s vegetarian festival. The island’s governor, Norraphat Plodthong, oversaw a lantern-hoisting ceremony known as Seng Ko Teng Thiao at exactly 17:09.
Municipal authorities have staged a cleanup operation to remove rubbish from beaches at Pattaya and Jomtien. Piles of discarded bottles, plastic bags and other flotsam were washed up onto the beaches by the heavy monsoon rains sweeping across the Gulf of Thailand over the past couple of weeks.