Bus falls into ravine

PHITSANULOK, 9 April 2013: An Udon Thani-Chiang Mai bus plunged into a ravine in this northern province Monday, killing five and injuring 49  people, police reported.

The accident happened at 0200 on the Phitsanulok-Dan Sai Road in Tambon Bopho of Nakhon Thai district.

Police said the ravine is about 10-metre deep. Thirty-nine passengers were rushed to the Dan Sai district hospital and 10 others to Yupparaj Nakhon Thai district hospital.

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Bus ban at Angkor Wat

SIEM REAP, 3 April 2013: To help conserve the Angkor Wat world heritage site, buses carrying  24 people or more will not be allowed into the park area.

Siem Reap and Apsara Authority officials in charge of the Angkor temple conservation area that covers more than 400 hectares implemented the temporary ban on buses, despite objectives from bus owners who say the ban will lead to a loss of tourism revenue.

An unnamed source at Apsara was quoted by the Phnom Penh Post last month saying the decision was made last January, but the ban was only enforced 11 March and will continue until after the water festival, 13 to 15 April.

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Buses link Thai and Cambodian capitals

BANGKOK, 21 February 2013: The Transport Company said, Wednesday, it has launched a daily bus services between Bangkok and Phnom Penh and Siem Reap after delays that prevented the launch late last year.

TTR Weekly reported the company’s decision to start the service last October, but readers, who were keen to use the service, quickly pointed out that the company failed to roll out the service. Company officials at the time told TTR Weekly some legal approvals were lacking on the Cambodian side to ensure the cross-border service could operate.

Crossing the border between the Thai town of Aranyaprathet and Poipet in Cambodia, the bus will now operate twice daily to Siem Reap and daily to Phnom Penh.

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Bus services to Cambodia

BANGKOK, 11 December 2012: The Transport Company is scheduled to launch daily bus services between Bangkok and Phnom Penh and Siem Reap 29 December.

Crossing the border from Aranyaprathet on the Thailand side to Poipet in Cambodian, the bus will operate twice daily to Siem Reap and daily to Phnom Penh.

The bus to Siem Reap will depart the Bangkok Northern  Bus Terminal Chatuchak (Morchit) at 0600 and 1600. The service will depart from Siem Reap at 0600 and 1500. Travel time is roughly seven hours.

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UNWTO condemns bomb attack

MADRID, 20 July 2012: UNWTO said it was deeply shocked by the bombing of a tourist bus in Bulgaria and condemned the act in the strongest possible terms.

“We strongly condemn this horrific attack that has killed and injured Israeli tourists in Bulgaria,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.

“On behalf of UNWTO and the international tourism community, I wish to extend our sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims. I also wish a speedy recovery to those injured.”

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Bomb kills Israeli tourists

BURGAS, BULGARIA, 19 July 2012: Bulgaria began probing Thursday a blast at its Black Sea airport of Burgas that left six people dead and more than 30 injured in the deadliest attack on Israelis abroad since 2004.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately blamed arch foe Iran for the explosion that ripped through a bus picking up tourists arriving from Tel Aviv heading for the beaches and seaside resorts of the formerly communist European Union country.

Witnesses described how panicked passengers jumped from bus windows and bodies lay strewn on the ground with their clothes torn off as ambulance sirens wailed and black smoke rose over the airport.

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Casino sells bus tour package.

BANGKOK, 25 May 2012: NagaWorld, Cambodia’s casino and entertainment complex has launched a tour package using a bus service from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam to its property in Phnom Penh to attract Vietnamese gamblers.

Supported by Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism, a so-called ‘Luxury Bus Programme’ features a three-day/two-night package with a roundtrip bus service with snack and drink on board, two nights’ standard accommodation at NagaWorld, six meals (two breakfast, lunches and dinners) and a half-day city tour to Royal Palace, National Museum, Watphnom, Sisowath Way, Independence Monument, Monivong Street and Central Market.

The price is US$125 per person for double occupancy and US$180 for single stay.

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New bus service to Laos

BANGKOK, 2 March 2012: The Transport Co Ltd, under the Ministry of Transport, kicks off its ninth bus route, Friday, linking Thailand and Laos between Udon Thani province in the northeast and Vang Vieng, a resort town in Vientiane province, Laos.

A second-class air-conditioned bus with 46 seats will be used on the route until traffic warrants an upgrade in quality.

The service departs daily at 0700 from Udon Thani with a brief stop in Nong Khai to pick up passengers before heading to the First Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge to clear immigration. The seven-hour trip continue to to Vang Vieng a distance of 166 km from the Lao capital. It arrives at 1400. Read more

Bus links Mekong tourist towns

BANGKOK, 24 January 2012: Thailand’s Ministry of Transport started a new Mekong Region bus route 19 January linking two tourist towns, Chiang Mai and Luang Prabang .

It is the 8th bus route linking Thailand and Laos.

Transport ministry deputy permanent secretary, Silapachai Jarukasemrattana, presided over the opening ceremony at the Chiang Mai Arcade Bus Terminal, declaring the service would “promote tourism and investment between the two countries.” Read more