Tourists buoyprovince’s recovery
TRAT: The return of tourists has helped the tourism industry in the eastern province, especially on Koh Chang, which had been badly hit by the pandemic.
The head of Koh Chang’s tourism association, Saksit Mungkarn, said the number of tourists visiting Trat’s holiday destinations, which include Koh Chang, Khao Saming and Koh Kut, has been steadily increasing.
“This is important as this period is considered the province’s high season due to the cooler temperatures and fewer rainy days,” said Mr Saksit, adding that the focus this year remains on domestic tourists.
He said over 20,000 tourists visited Koh Chang during the Oct 13-16 long weekend, which marks an improvement but has yet to match pre-pandemic levels.
“Koh Chang is going to host more events at the end of this year. These include music festivals and the Koh Chang Bikini Run in November. Hotels are reportedly already 80% booked for the New Year Festival,” Mr Saksit said.
Foreign trawler seized, 6 nabbed
NARATHIWAT: Authorities have impounded a Vietnamese-registered trawler and arrested its six crew members after they were caught illegally fishing in Thai territorial waters off Muang district
Marine police spotted the trawler about 27 nautical miles (50 kilometres) from the mouth of the Bang Nara River on Wednesday evening, a senior marine official said yesterday.
Authorities intercepted the trawler after local fishermen sighted the boat. They found the crew had been fishing in Thai waters without proper documentation. The trawler was seized and its crew members were charged with operating an unlicenced trawler, illegal fishing, as well as illegal entry.
Officials in soup for trafficking
prostitution: Five labour officials are facing arrest warrants for allegedly turning a blind eye to Thai women travelling to Dubai for work but who later ended up being forced into prostitution there, according to Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn, assistant national police chief.
The women were accompanied by the trafficking gang on their flights bound for Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The women believed they would land legal jobs but were instead forced to work as prostitutes there.
They were required to have the necessary documents inspected by the labour office at the airport before departing. However, the inspection was allegedly skipped for the women by some officials accused of being bribed by the gang.
The five officials were identified only as Watchara, Piyawan, Sujitra, Thanthat, and Krithiran. They were charged with abuse and dereliction of authority, and demanding or accepting bribes, Pol Gen Surachate said.
BMA prepares as fine dust worsens
POLLUTION: The level of PM2.5 fine dust in the capital remains at an unhealthy level, with the Bangkok Air Quality Centre showing the daily average stands at 48 microgrammes per cubic metre (µg/m³) yesterday morning.
The Air Quality and Noise Management Division in Bangkok reported the dust level in 12 districts had reached or exceeded the government’s “safe” threshold of 50 µg/m³.
However, Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt said the situation was not yet “concerning”. The BMA plans to set up stations across the city to detect smog flowing in from nearby provinces, as well as develop easy-to-make air purifiers and distribute them to as many households as possible, he said.
BMA spokesman Ekwaranyu Amrapan added the BMA also aims to operate “pollution clinics” in five hospitals. The Meteorological Department said that a high-pressure front will see temperatures drop and PM2.5 levels rise in Bangkok until Tuesday.