Back again for Volume 46 baby. Have any of you have read every single edition? If so, shoot me an email and let me know what you like about the newsletter and/or what additions/changes you’d like to see. I’d be very curious to hear your feedback. Anyways, hope you all had an awesome weekend no matter where in the world you may be 🇹🇭
Khaosan Told To Stay Quiet 🤫
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has issued a warning to businesses operating in the backpacker haven of Khaosan Road to reduce noise pollution or face legal consequences. The warning came after a gathering of the Khaosan Road Business Operators Association, local residents, police officers, and government officials. The BMA has set a 15-day deadline for businesses to comply with noise regulation rules. On the heels of Thailand fully opening and backpackers returning by the tens of thousands, the number of complaints about loud noise in the area has been increasing, with some establishments being reported for playing excessively loud music that poses a threat to public health. The BMA has stated that they will take legal action against businesses that fail to comply with the following parameters:
Venues must have soundproof walls for music and live performances.
Average noise levels must not exceed 90 decibels.
Maximum noise must not exceed 110 decibels and must not disturb nearby communities
Volume of music must be turned down periodically during business hours
Loudspeakers must not be installed in front of business venues
Sound meters must be installed with results displayed for public knowledge
Our Take
Of course, being 24-years old, I’ve spent my fair share of time on Khaosan over the years and in all honesty, I’m kind of happy this is being addressed. The music on that street is RIDICULOUSLY loud… like to a point where it honestly takes away from the fun. Forget talking with friends. Forget thinking straight. It’s absolute madness. Booze and balloons. That’s it. Each of the 50+ bars blast different songs and you get this nauseating mix of music that takes away from the evening. This is gonna sound crazy, but I actually preferred Khaosan during COVID. It was a steady, reliable place to enjoy a night out and was full of cool Thai locals and Expats just looking to have a good time and let loose a little. On the heels of the country opening up, it’s become pretty aggressive with all sorts of fights and sweaty, shirtless backpackers rubbin’ up against each other. I don’t mean to sound like a hater. I still enjoy the odd night over there, but I think it’s more of a place to tick off the bucket list versus somewhere where you’d want to spend an entire night during your time in Bangkok.
Don’t Be These Tourists…
This past week, a group of French scooter drivers caused quite the headache in Phuket, which ultimately resulted in seven of them being arrested and fined. The group, comprised of fully grown adults, gathered at 11 PM and engaged in obnoxious behaviour, including honking their horns, causing traffic disruptions, revving their engines, and disturbing residents. Acting on complaints about the noise and emissions, police intervened and fined the group for public nuisance. The police stated that their actions were to maintain Phuket's good reputation. You can click here to see the full video. Ultimately, the Consul General of France got involved the following day and met with the Patong Police as well as the Tourist Police to determine how to better publicize the requirements of Thai traffic laws, including the necessity of possessing a valid motorbike licence.
Our Take
What a bunch of jerks. One of the things I love most about Thailand also happens to be one of the things that some people can’t seem to handle. The pure, wild freedom you get over here. Let me explain… I love the fact that if I’m going to Samui for a few days, I can send my buddy a WhatsApp message and have him deliver a motorbike to the airport in preparation for my arrival. No deposits. Nothing to sign. No pre-payment. He knows that I’ll treat his bike with respect, pay in full, and return to his shop on time with the bike fully gassed up. I love that freedom. Unfortunately, the video that sparked the story above is a classic case of that freedom getting abused in such a lame way.
Thailand Travel Tip - So You Wanna Get Local?
Thailand is an easy place to explore at surface level. The tourist areas are well-defined, the locals are friendly, and things are relatively straightforward. Having said that, as soon as you want to start pulling back the hundreds of layers that make this country extra special, it can get difficult. Local restaurants, activities, attractions, nightlife, etc. can be tough to navigate. Bangkok’s back-alley noodle shops. Koh Samui’s secret beaches. Chiang Mai’s speakeasy bars. They’re all special places, but can be almost impossible to find unless you have local friends. That’s why we created Teenee. It’s a handpicked list of some of the best things Thailand has to offer overlaid on an easy-to-navigate map interface. Every spot is recommended by Thais or Expats that live over here. With the ability to search, filter, and enjoy bite-sized videos across 375 recommendations in Bangkok, Samui, Chiang Mai, Phuket, the Andaman Coast, and more, it’s like having a local friend in your pocket at all times. You can also share and read comments from other users that have visited the pin you’re interested in to get food suggestions, extra tidbits, etc.
Here’s some user comments from pins inside the App to help paint the picture for ya…
Toddzilla (visited Basilicom Restaurant on Samui) - “Once again, Teenee didn't dissapoint with a great recommendation, I’m going to give the like button a little tickle for this place… awesome food and large portions.”
Tandi (visited Kawins Kitchen on Samui) - “Eat here! Just do it… best meal of our trip and they do classes to. Had Vietnamese spring rolls, chicken satay, and black pepper slow cooked beef stir fry!”
Rick (visited เสบียง C’est Bien Restaurant on Phuket) - “Another place on point by Teenee… just finished lunch here and it was excellent. Not the typical tourist restaurant. OG Thai food."
This is something that Chris and I created ourselves as a way to share our love of Thailand with the world. None of these pins are sponsored and the small subscription fee of 2 bucks a month or 10 bucks a year is what allows us to focus on just one thing... the Thailand traveller. Click here to check it out.
Government To Increase Airport Capacity To Facilitate 200 Million Arrivals
The Thai government is upgrading four of its international airports to prepare for an expected rise in foreign tourist traffic in the coming years. The country projects 80 million tourists annually by 2027, and the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand predicts pre-COVID arrival levels (40 million tourists per year) by 2024.
The four main airport expansion projects include:
Phuket International Airport Phase 2, which aims to raise passenger capacity to 18 million arrivals per year
Don Mueang International Airport Phase 3, set to increase capacity to 40 million arrivals per year by 2029
U-Tapao International Airport expansion, set to have a 60 million arrival capacity by 2055. The first phase will be completed in 2024 and will allow for 15.9 million passengers per year
Suvarnabhumi International Airport Phase 2, increasing capacity from 45 million to 60 million per year with the completion of a third runway by 2024
Our Take
Man, that’s a LOT of airport space to facilitate a growing number of arrivals… 200 million to be exact. In all honesty though, I’m really excited to see that U-Tapao is getting some love. For anyone looking to travel to that part of Thailand, it’ll be nice to have more routes in place by virtue of a much bigger airport. I’d imagine that will save many people an extra 1.5 hour drive because they’ll no longer need to fly into Bangkok to get to places like Pattaya or Jomtien.
Only In Thailand 🇹🇭
Well, it doesn't get any more 'Thailand’ than this! This past week, two longtail boat drivers hit a Chinese tour boat in Ratchaburi Province while racing each other, causing five tourists to sustain minor injuries. It’s got ALL the elements of Thai transportation here… speeding, wild drivers, a little bit of racing, and an accident… where else in the world would you read the headline ‘Racing Longtail Boats Collide With Chinese Tour Boat’? Only in Thailand… 🇹🇭