Fifth friendship bridge planned

The construction, according to Bung Kan Governor Pornsak Jearanai, should begin within the next three years. "The cabinet has approved the project and the government of both countries have agreed in principle to have the fifth bridge built," he said. The new bridge will be located about 12km east of downtown and will link Bung Kan to Bolikhamxay in Laos. The estimated cost of investment is about 2 billion baht. "The bridge will increase trade between the two countries from the present 5.4 billon baht to some 24 billion baht, which is at the same level of the trade value in Nong Khai (the first Thai-Lao friendship bridge)," he said. The main trade products from Thailand are energy drinks, construction materials, electronic equipment and machinery, while the main imported product from Laos is processed wood. The governor said if the bridge is built in Bung Kan, it will also shorten the travelling distance from Thailand to Vietnam as the distance from the border to Vietnam's Vinh town is 335km. "Bung Kan will be one of the closest access [points] to deliver products to Vietnam and China and will also benefit travellers," he added. Meanwhile, Bung Kan will host the 13th boat race between Thai and Lao teams from Sept 7 to Sept 9 aimed at improving relations between the two countries. Prizes include trophies from HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and cash awards from 50,000 to 300,000 baht depending on the type of boat. Well-known teams from Thailand's central and northeast regions are invited to enter the competition. In addition, there will be an exhibition of Otop products, concerts and performances. The governor expects to attract about 200,000 visitors during the three-day event. Call the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Udon Thani Office on 042-325-406. New visas for Thailand and Myanmar Visitors from Middle Eastern countries can now apply for 90-day visa on arrival to Thailand if the purpose of the visit is for medical treatment. The aim is to promote medical tourism among citizens of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The new rule is triple the length of a tourist visa, which allows a stay of just 30 days. According to the Department of Health Service Support, the numbers of visitors to Thailand for medical treatment is increasing. Last year, around 2.24 million foreign visitors paid a visit to Thailand for this purpose and spent around 97.8 billion baht while here, which includes cost of treatment, accommodation, travelling expenses, food and shopping. Meanwhile, Myanmar has introduced a visa on arrival service at Yangon International Airport to facilitate business people from 26 nations including from Thailand. The maximum duration of stay is 28 days for those attending meetings, workshops or events, and 70 days for business trips. A 24-hour transit visa is also available at the airport. Those eligible to apply for a visa on arrival must be passport holders from Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, New Zealand, Norway, the Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the UK the US and Vietnam. Visit www.mip.gov.mm/visaonarrival for more details. New routes for Thai Smile Thai Smile, the sub-brand airline of Thai Airways has taken over two domestic routes from its sister company. The routes are Bangkok-Krabi and Bangkok-Surat Thani. Positioning itself as premium low-cost airline, Thai Smile flies an Airbus A320 with economy and business class options. The flight to Krabi departs four times a day while the Surat Thani service flies twice daily. The fares remain the same as previously offered by Thai Airways. Thai Smile also plans to introduce Bangkok-Phuket and Phuket-Chiang Mai routes in October. All flights departing from Bangkok are operated from Suvarnabhumi International Airport. Hotels update - Absolute Hotel Services Group will open its second U hotel in Bangkok in 2014. Called U Sukhumvit Bangkok, the property will be located on Sukhumvit Soi 15. According to Group CEO Jonathan Wigley, U is an innovative deluxe hotel brand with modern design. It has a special operation concept including a "whenever, wherever" breakfast, free wi-fi, bikes and guides. U Sukhumvit Bangkok will offer 94 rooms ranging from 30-40m2, a restaurant, rooftop swimming pool, fitness center, library and business centre. U properties currently can be found in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Kanchanaburi and plans exist to open hotels in Hua Hin and Pattaya in the future. - Best Western has opened its seventh property in Thailand in Phra Khanong, which is close to On Nut BTS station. Called Best Western Klassique Sukhumvit, the hotel offers 42 guest rooms ranging from 23-46m2, a restaurant, a meeting room suitable for 10 people, a tuk-tuk shuttle service and free Wi-fi. Best Western operates 4,000 hotels in 100 countries. The addition of Best Western Klassique Sukhumvit expands the group's portfolio to about 900 rooms in Thailand. The company also plans to introduce new hotels in order to increase its capacity to serve around 1,300 rooms in the near future. - Accor has opened Novotel Saigon Centre in Ho Chi Minh City. The new mid-scale hotel features 247 guest rooms and suites, four food and beverage outlets, a swimming pool with a pool bar, a fitness centre, spa, five meeting rooms and free wi-fi. The hotel is about 20 minutes drive from the city's Tan Son Nhat International Airport and 1.5km from Saigon Railway Station. From bangkokpost