The BigChilli - The BigChilli Features

What about Immigration Law?

13/7/2020

Image by Jonny Belvedere from Pixabay

Some condo committees/managers are threatening condo owners that their daily/weekly rental businesses could run afoul of the Immigration Act and land them in jail or face hefty fines.

It’s based on a provision of immigration law that says any person who brings foreigners into Thailand unlawfully or does any act to help or facilitate their unlawful entry will face heavy punishment. This provision aims at battling human-trafficking rather than improper hotel operations and tourists in general entering Thailand lawfully.

However the condo management was right in saying that the condo owner is mandated by the Immigration Act to notify immigration police within 24 hours of the foreign tourist arrival in his room. But the violation of this provision carries only a modest B2,000 fine.

Still a long way to go - the Sukhumvit Skywalk isn't living up to its promise

13/7/2020

Left, the spacious SkyWalk linking Chidlom to Siam and right, the long stretch from Punnawithi past the True Digital Park and the exit on to Soi 101/1.

Clockwise from top left, Phrom Phong; the next Skywalk extension to Sofitel Hotel Soi between Soi 13 and 15; land cleared for a new shopping mall at Bangna; view of Sukhumvit; True Digital Park; and the crossing at the Bangna junction.

Attached to the underside of various sections of the BTS Sktrain Sukhumvit line, the SkyWalk offers a great way for pedestrians to get around Bangkok while avoiding the city’s notoriously bad sidewalks.

To date, only about 15% of the Sukhumvit Line boasts a SkyWalk. New sections are being added, albeit slowly, but the project still falls a long way short of the promises made by the former Bangkok Governor in an interview with the BigChilli back in 2010.
“Within a couple of years, you will be able to walk all the way from Siam to Bang Na,” said MR Sukhumbhand Paribatr. The promise of a pedestrian-only alternative to the cracked and busy sidewalks, motorcyclists and vendors below had great appeal to Bangkokians.
Well, that hasn’t happened, and it’s not unreasonable to believe it’s going to be a few more years to achieve that goal. To be fair to the former governor, shortly after that interview he had more pressing problems on his hands when Bangkok experienced one of its worst-ever floods.

A journey through the past: Thailand 1972-1976

7/7/2020

This is the second installment of a 10-part series of articles that describe important events in Thailand over the past 50 years. The first part, published in June, covered 1967-1971.

By Maxmilian Wechsler

1972 (May) USAF F4 Phantom

1972 (March) President Varahagiri Venkata Giri

1972 was the year when Chulabhorn Dam, named after Princess Chulabhorn Walailak, was opened in Chaiyaphun province. The year also saw the birth of Bangkok Hospital by top medical professionals and the founding of Thai Presidents Foods PCL, makers of the internationally recognized ‘MAMA” noodles brand. Other major news stories included:

January
• Taxi drivers, restaurant and bar owners, food vendors and others relying on revenue from Bangkok nightlife criticized new regulations that came into force imposing a midnight closing hour for entertainment venues, including nightclubs. The National Executive Council also announced restrictions on opening hours for restaurants, cinemas and other entertainment spots. Alcohol sales were banned between 2pm and 5pm.

February
• Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip and Princess Anne arrived on a six-day visit. They were met by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulaydej, Queen Sirikit and Princess Sirindhorn at the Chao Phraya River Rajvoradit landing. The visiting royals also met with Prime Minister Thanom Kittikachorn and other government officials, and made excursions to Chulalongkorn University, various Buddhist temples and Christ Church on Convent Road. They also travelled to Chiang Rai to observe and meet with Meo and Hmong hill tribes.

• Thai military assisted by US special forces killed 300 communist insurgents to gain control of the Phu Hin Long Kla area of Loei province. It was the biggest military operation against the insurgents up to that time. Thai First Army Division was dispatched from Bangkok assisted by more than 500 American military advisers and special forces. The operation was conducted in the wake of a rising threat to Thai sovereignty as Vietnamese and Laotian guerrillas had begun assisting and training the Thai insurgents.

1972 Queen Elizabeth II visit

1972 Chulabhorn Dam

March
• President of India Vaharagiri Venkata Giri and his wife Saraswati Bai arrived for an official visit of Thailand during which they met Their Majesties the King and Queen, PM Thanom and other officials.

May
• Takhli air base in Nakhon Sawan province was reopened in order to provide facilities for about 80 US F4 Phantom fighter-bombers there. The base was used by the US for the first time in 1961 and closed in 1970. The government announced that the planes would be used in bombing missions over North Vietnam. The re-opening of the base resulted in an increase of 3,000 US military personnel in
Thailand, bringing the total to 32,000.

June
• Doctors at Ramathibodi hospital in Bangkok performed the first sex change operation in Thailand. The patient, Lek Hokkam, threatened to commit suicide if doctors refused to perform the operation. Doctors proclaimed the operation a success after surgery.

• Hat Yai International Airport was opened, making it possible for international travelers to avoid Bangkok if they wished.

• The founder of Air Siam, Prince Varananda Dhavaj resigned as Chairman and CEO. The Prince founded what was then Varan
Air-Siam on Sep 15, 1965 and was said to be ‘dead broke’ in 1972. The problems arose the year before when Air Siam started a Bangkok-Los Angeles route. The Prince said: “People thought I was competing with the government-owned airline”, referring
to Thai Airways International which later bought Air Siam.

September
• New regulations were adopted to regulate foreign businesses and workers, with more restrictions applied on the type of industries in
which they were allowed involvement.

The government said the new regulations were designed to increase employment opportunities for Thai nationals and reduce foreign
influence over Thai companies. The new regulations stipulated, among other things, that legal and architectural firms had to be Thai majority-owned within two years.

November
• Anti-Japanese sentiment was running high in Thailand, with students leading activities against Japanese interests in the country. The National Student Council and Boy Scouts began pasting posters throughout Bangkok and Chiang Mai demanding a boycott of Japanese products. The National Student Centre accused Japan of using business tricks to cheat Thailand and make it an ‘economic slave’. Police seized machetes and other weapons from Nonthaburi Engineering School students who planned to demonstrate at the Japanese-owned Thai Daimaru department store.

1972 (December) Israeli embassy siege

December
• On December 28 Prince Vajiralongkorn was invested as Crown Prince in a ceremony attended by nobles, diplomats, religious leaders, politicians and military officers at Ananta Smakorn Throne Hall.
• Many foreign leaders sent gifts and messages of congratulations. After the formal declaration the King poured lustral water on the Prince as monks chanted.

• On the same day the investiture was in progress, four Arab gunmen armed with automatic weapons from the Black September terrorist group stormed the Israeli embassy in Bangkok and held six hostages. The terrorists demanded the release of 36 Arab and Palestinian hostages held in Israel and threatened to kill their hostages if their demands were not met. The terrorists set off explosives around the embassy complex, but after tense negotiations they agreed to end the siege. The hostages were released the next morning and the terrorists were allowed to depart for Egypt.

• Dr Chamnah Yuwaboon was appointed first mayor of Greater Bangkok. A few weeks later Bangkok and Thonburi joined under a new administrative structure designated Krungthep Mahanakhon. The title of Bangkok administrative chief has since been changed to governor.

FROM THE PAGES OF HISTORY

4/7/2020

On paper, as prime minister of a military government, Prayuth (Chan-o-cha) had as much dictatorial power and immunity under Section 44 of the interim constitution of 2014 as Sarit Thanarat had under Section 17 of the interim constitution of 1959, but he did not invoke Section 44 to execute anyone.

Sarit ordered the summary execution of five suspected arsonists, one suspected heroin producer, one suspected messianic leader and four suspected communists - eleven people in total, five of whom he adjudged guilty of political offences.

Under the preceding Phibun (Songkhram) regime, members of parliament were killed extra-judicially. In 1949 four pro-Pridi MPs from Isaan who had been arrested for alleged treason were assassinated by their police escort; in 1952 an anti-Phibun MP from Isaan was murdered in police custody; and in 1954 another MP was found murdered after he alleged the police chief was corrupt.

The post-coup government of 2006-07 and the military government since 2014 could not - and showed no signs of wanting to - deal with political opponents in the cavalier manner of Sarit or Phibun and their henchman.

Is Airbnb Legal In Thailand?

4/7/2020

Apparently not.
Short term rentals of less than 30 days are illegal in Thailand unless the owner has a license to operate a hotel. Airbnb owners in Thailand do not have licenses to operate hotels. Many large condominium developments have notices posted in the building as a reminder. The notices say people who violate this law will be prosecuted.

Owners of homes and villas may register with the Ministry of Tourism for this exception. If the unit or units pass inspection, the owner can offer them as short-term rentals via Airbnb and through other means. This exception does not apply to condominiums or other multi-unit dwellings. Under the law, a villa is defined as having four units or less.

One Airbnb host, who owns a three-bedroom house in Bangkok and rents it out for B4,600/night, said renters do not need to worry because they rent a house, not a condo. “I’m renting out an entire home, not a single room,” he said. “I’m the owner of the property and I’m not doing anything to cause trouble to society or anyone around me. But if there’s an actual law enforced, then I’m happy to abide by the law.”

'Pool Villa' partygoers upset residents with their non-stop noise

4/7/2020

Booked online via Airbnb and other websites, large groups make weekends unbearable for locals

With the easing of domestic travel restrictions in Thailand, popular beach and country resorts are experiencing a sudden boom in business after the lockdown lasting several months.

Hotels welcome this surge in visitors after the lockdown - but they’re not alone. So-called Pool Villas are also seeing a huge increase in bookings, especially at weekends.

Often advertised as ‘party houses’ or ‘homestays’, these villas have grown massively in number in recent years thanks to online booking forums like Airbnb and Facebook. Their owners see them as a good return on investment.

The end of ARTBOX?

4/7/2020

Condo may replace popular venue at Chuwit Gardens.

Lovers of ARTBOX Night Market on Sukhumvit 10 better get down there soon because this popular venue famous for its trendy food stalls, art booths, lifestyle shops and live music might be getting its marching orders.

Nearby residents and businesses have been sent plans for a new 51-storey condo to be built on the site known as Chuwit Gardens after the land’s owner, the charismatic former politician and ‘massage parlour king’ Chuwit Kamolvisit.

Launched in 2015, ARTBOX had several locations before settling in the park three years ago. Before becoming a park, the land was the venue of open-air beer bars – until K Chuwit ordered their destruction in an overnight raid which earned him a jail sentence.

YUMMY! Your new source of protein

3/7/2020

Thailand’s creepy crawly delicacies go upmarket.

Crispy roasted mini crickets and silkworms with different flavors are now being stocked in the country’s supermarkets.

Nutritious, crunchy and tasty, at least for some, edible insects may be the answer to feeding the world’s growing population with protein.

By Maxmilian Wechsler

New Motorway link to U Tapao opens

3/7/2020

The long-awaited Pattaya-Maptaphut motorway has opened, linking the existing Bangkok-Pattaya Motorway M7 to the international airport of U Tapao and nearby industrial estate while giving fresh impetus to the massive Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) project.

Entrance to the new route is at the Mabprachan Interchange between the Pattaya and Pong toll gates on the M7, some 20 kms south of Laem Chabang port.

Currently the motorway has only one exit point at Maptaphut in Rayong. Two others are expected to open in September. One is at Huay Yai, which will connect the motorway to to Sukhumvit Road opposite Ocean Marina; another is at Khao Chee Chan, which will exit on to the 331 highway.

The toll fees from Bangkok to U Tapao is 130 Baht for cars, 210 Baht for six-wheeled trucks and 305 Baht for larger trucks.

Constructed at a cost of 17 billion Baht, the M7 extension passes through some of the most beautiful countryside in the Eastern region.

Meanwhile, work on the 331 from Chachoengsao to Rayong continues at Bowin with road widening and construction of several flyovers.

We'll honor your refunds and mileage, says THAI

3/7/2020

Members of Thai International’s Royal Orchid Plus have been given assurances their membership status and outstanding mileage accounts will be honored, as will airfare refunds, though no dates for this “important” issue to be resolved have been given.

The airline, which has filed for bankruptcy, said in a recent statement: “During the period where the company undergoes the business reorganization, which plays a significant role to its survival, the company remains resolute to ensure our customers are provided with the best care within its current capability, especially for those whose airfare refunds are pending as well as honor certain benefits for our Royal Orchid Plus members, including membership status and miles being the most important.

“Please rest assured that the company shall overcome this crisis, albeit great magnitude, and be ‘Airline of Pride’ which offers the best on-flight services for our valued customers once again. Any update and progress will be further communicated to you via various channels.”

About | Emag | Subscribe (print) | Newsletter | Contact Us | Advertise

FOLLOW US

CURRENT ISSUE

2019 - 2020 so Far

The BigChilli July 2020

The BigChilli June 2020

July 2020

Copyright © 2018 The BigChilli Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
No. 8/2 FMA Group Bldg., 3rd Floor, Room 301
Convent Road, Silom, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500
Tel: 02 635 5085 Fax: 02 635 5086 email: thebigchillimagazine@gmail.com