New tourist death riddle in Thailand

The mysterious deaths of two Canadian sisters on Phi Phi island in Thailand is baffling local officials.

Thailand's top toxicologists are attempting to determine what caused the mysterious deaths of Canadian sisters Audrey and Noemi Belanger at the Palms Residence on Phi Phi island - one of Thailand"s most popular destinations for young travellers.

''As for the cause of death, it's impossible to know at this stage. There just isn't enough information,'' said a doctor at Krabi hospital, where the sisters were taken.

Canadian Embassy officials have been at Krabi to talk to the authorities about the pathology tests.

Tourists on Phi Phi, quoted by local media, said there have been water and sewerage problems on Phi Phil following a recent monsoon.

The deaths in a small resort hotel last Friday has revived memories of the 2009 deaths on Phi Phi of two young female tourists - one from the United States and the other from Norway.

They were in adjoining hotel rooms and died in baffling circumstances. No cause of death has ever been established.

The island, 90 minutes by ferry from Phuket, has a reputation for tropical night life and binge drinking - and it was recently chosen as the world's top must-see island by TripAdvisor.

Last year in Thailand, there was yet another riddle - the mystery of what killed 23-year-old New Zealand woman Sarah Carter and several other tourists in Chiang Mai and the city's Downtown Inn.

By Ian Jarrett

Pilot killed in Thai plane crash

The pilot of a Thai plane has been killed and seven passengers injured as it skidded off the runway while landing on the tourist island of Koh Samui.

The Bangkok Airways flight, carrying 72 people, hit an old and unmanned control tower amid reports of heavy rain.

The plane had taken off from the southern Thai town of Krabi, another popular tourist destination.

Officials said the injured included the co-pilot, two Britons, an Italian and a Swiss national.

The four tourists all suffered broken legs, while the co-pilot also had leg injuries, said the managing director of Bangkok Airways, Puttipong Prasartthong-Osoth.

Map of plane's route

He said the other foreign passengers included nationals of Spain, France and Germany.

Several were treated for minor bruises or shock - including two other Britons - and were resting at local hotels before being transferred to Bangkok, officials said.

Bad weather


The plane hit an old control tower

Enlarge Image

"Sadly we have learnt that the pilot of the aircraft has died," said Kannikar Kemavuthanon, the director general of the Department of Civil Aviation.

Ms Kanikka said the Bangkok Airways Flight PG266 was an ATR-72 twin-turboprop with 68 passengers, two pilots and two crew members on board.

"The weather was very bad during landing with heavy rain and wind," she said.

The plane hit a building that had once been used as an air traffic control tower, but is now part of a fire-fighting station, a local police official said.

"The heavy damage was at the front of the plane where the pilot was. It looks like he suffered from the impact," police Maj Col Sayan Sartsri told AP news agency.

A resident of the island who saw the crash told the BBC that the nose of the plane smashed into the old control tower and the left wing hit the roof of a utility building.

"The nose… looks like [it was] opened by a can opener," said Charly Notter.

The crash happened at around 1415 local time (0715 GMT).

The resort island of Koh Samui lies some 300 miles (480km) south of Bangkok.

The airport runway was closed after the accident and at least one Thai Airways flight was cancelled.

Map of plane route

Bangkok – here I am. But where are the others?

During Thailand’s highest tourism season of the year, the lack of tourists makes Bangkok feel somewhat eerie. After arriving at the vast 563,000 square-meter Suvarnabhumi International Airport yesterday, we didn’t have to wait in long lines to clear customs.
The airport, which opened in 2006, is the second largest in the world and was slated by the government to be Southeast Asia’s major hub handing up to 45 million passengers per year.
But that’s not going to be the case this year because the airport was shut down by protestors. People were stranded in Bangkok and others were forced to bypass the country completely. Tourists have been blocked and diverted. Many people have canceled their travel plans to the region.
After the airport’s reopening, airlines flying in and out of the airport have cut flights and planes aren’t flying at capacity. But now that I’m here, there’s zero feeling of danger. Our itinerary was a victim of the airport’s closure and we were diverted to Singapore before continuing to Laos.
It seems safe to return and there’s lots of roomBangkok, “the City of Angels” is filled with upscale and architecturally dramatic and inviting hotels. It’s estimated room occupancy is down by approximately 70%.
The country’s lucrative tourist industry accounts for up to 12 percent of the country’s GNP. Tourism experts state that the long-term effect could be very damaging to Thailand’s economy.
As December is the country’s high season, the lack of tourists isn’t simply a blow to the hotels and hospitality industry but to retailers as well. Residents from this region traditionally come to Bangkok to do their Christmas shopping. Stores cater to all tastes and budgets.
Deep discounts aboundAlready there are deep-discounted sales in the toniest of shops. A walk through the Bangkok’s famed Night Market is distressing.
Contrasted with my last visit, there was a sense of depression visible on the faces of the vendors. One said that between the airport’s closing and the downturn in the economy, she wondered whether or not things would ever be the same.
Rather than negotiating for a pair of $10 pants, (and that’s always been a part of the give and take), it was easier on my conscience to pay the full asking amount.
Twenty-four boutique hotels and eleven travel agents have launched a “One Price for All Destinations” campaign to spur domestic tourism. The package features special room rates of 2,000 baht ($60) per night per person, including accommodations, breakfast and dinner plus airport transfers.
The participating hotels are in Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Pran Buri, Krabi, Chumpon, Chiang Rai, Sukhothai, Samui and Koh Phangan. Bookings are open both for Thai and foreign tourists booked now until Feb 28 allowing eligible stays until June 30th. Normally these boutique hotels would cost about 5,000 to 6,000 baht ($150-$180) per night.
Thailand’s resorts are quiet and now is the time to snag a deep-discounted luxury villa you could never have imagined affording.
Even medical tourism is sufferingMedical tourism has become a viable and growing industry in recent years. People from all over the world are checking into private hospitals and clinics for essential procedures as well as tummy tucks and other cosmetic procedures. But, even that side of tourism has suffered; at least in the short run. One plastic surgeon said his clinic’s business has taken a dramatic drop.
It’s sad to think that Travel & Leisure magazine conducted an online poll where Bangkok was picked as the best vacation destination city. And now, it’s begging for visitors. If only I could stay longer and enjoy what the city has to offer. But I have to be home for Christmas.
Karen Fawcett is president of BonjourParis and is sorry her trip to Asia is coming to an end.
Published on December 19, 2008 ·