This week: hotel dual-pricing, 'rich tourists only', Myanmar jet apology and a thief in underpants
Dual-pricing hotel plan
The creative minds of the Tourism and Sports Ministry announced a new plan to boost tourism - charging foreigners more than Thais for hotel rooms.
The ministry plans to ask hotel operators to implement dual-pricing, where foreign visitors may be charged rates similar to pre-pandemic days while locals continue to enjoy discounted stays.
A government spokeswoman said the discounts for Thais would sustain the momentum of domestic tourism.
Hoteliers called the plan impractical and said it could create a negative image of Thai tourism.
It was not made clear how the plan would impact foreigners living in the kingdom.
'Only rich tourists'
Thai hotels and hospitals should stop offering big discounts to attract tourists and focus instead on attracting the rich, so said Deputy Prime Minister and cannabis advocate Anutin Charnvirakul.
He compared the approach to that of luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton, and was quoted as saying
"Sell premium. The more expensive, the more customers. Otherwise Louis Vuitton wouldn't have any sales."
He also stated that the tourism industry cannot let people come to Thailand and stay just because it's cheap.
Myanmar jet 'no big deal'
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said that Myanmar has apologised to Thailand after one of its fighter jets crossed into Thai airspace.
The Thai air force scrambled two F-16 fighter jets to patrol along the border in Phop Phra district of Tak province after the Myanmar Mig-29 was noticed.
The Mig-29 launched airstrikes on ethnic rebels along the border and intruded 4-5 kilometres into Thai airspace before it disappeared from air force radar screens.
However, the prime minister said that this was not a serious issue, relations between the two countries remain healthy and the incursion was "no big deal."
Thief in underpants arrested
A male burglar who wore only underpants while stealing mobile phones from stores late at night was put through a crime scene re-enactment on Wednesday - but police made sure he was fully clothed.
Jeh-isma-ae Hama is accused of breaking in to Banana IT stores across the country and stealing a large number of mobile phones.
He allegedly told police that he handed out some of the phones and money to homeless people as he had also been homeless in the past.
The suspect told police he stole only from Banana IT shops because he liked bananas and the colour yellow, and he wore only underpants because dressing that way made him feel confident.
