Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Monday, September 23, 2019
Thomas Cook collapses as last-ditch rescue talks fail
Thomas Cook has collapsed after last-minute negotiations aimed at saving the 178-year-old holiday firm failed.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said the tour operator has "ceased trading with immediate effect".
It has also triggered the biggest ever peacetime repatriation aimed at bringing more than 150,000 British holidaymakers home.
Peter Fankhauser, Thomas Cook's chief executive, said the firm's collapse was a "matter of profound regret".
Commenting as the company entered compulsory liquidation, Mr Fankhauser also apologised to the firm's "millions of customers, and thousands of employees".
The tour operator's failure puts 22,000 jobs at risk worldwide, including 9,000 in the UK.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the company's collapse was "very sad news for staff and holidaymakers".
He urged holidaymakers to be "understanding with staff" amid the "enormous" task of bringing people home.
Mr Shapps has announced that the government and CAA has hired dozens of charter planes to fly customers home free of charge.
The emergency operation, codenamed Operation Matterhorn, is aiming to bring home Britons currently on holiday with the firm.
On Sunday, empty aircraft had already started to be flown overseas, ready to bring British tourists home on Monday.
One of the world's best known holiday brands, the business was founded in 1841 in Leicestershire by cabinet-maker Thomas Cook.
How will holidaymakers get home?
All
customers currently abroad with Thomas Cook who are booked to return to
the UK over the next two weeks will be brought home "as close as
possible" to their booked return date, the Department for Transport
(DfT) has said.
Customers will be brought home to the UK on special free flights or booked onto another scheduled airline at no extra cost.
Flights will start operating from Monday, with details of each flight to be posted on a dedicated website as soon as they are available.
The DfT added that a "small number" of passengers may need to book their own flight home and reclaim the costs.
Customers
have been urged not to cut short their holiday or go to the airport
without checking the website for more information about their return
journey.
The CAA is also contacting hotels accommodating Thomas
Cook customers, who have booked as part of a package, to tell them that
the cost of their accommodation will be covered by the government,
through the Air Travel Trust Fund and Air Travel Organiser's Licence
scheme (Atol).
The CAA said in a statement: "All Thomas Cook bookings, including flights and holidays, have now been cancelled.
"We know that a company with such long-standing history ceasing
trading will be very distressing for its customers and employees and our
thoughts are with everyone affected by this news."
Tim Johnson,
policy director of the CAA, told BBC News it has chartered "more than
40" aircraft, which are already in position, to bring passengers home.
He
urged customers in the UK who were due to travel not to go to the
airport "because very sadly your flight has been cancelled".
Mr
Johnson added: "For those who have not yet started their holiday, we
will be publishing details of how they can claim a refund on the
website, no later than next Monday."
Business Secretary Andrea
Leadsom has said she will write to the Insolvency Service urging them to
"fast-track" their investigation into the circumstances surrounding
Thomas Cook going into liquidation.
The DfT said the investigation will also consider the conduct of the directors.
Travel expert Simon Calder told BBC News that planes at Manchester
airport have already begun to be impounded following news of the
collapse.
"Shortly after midnight, we saw the airport putting a
notice of detention on some Thomas Cook aircraft because of unpaid
airport bills," he said.
What went wrong?
Thomas
Cook had secured a £900m rescue deal led by its largest shareholder
Chinese firm Fosun in August, but a recent demand from its lending banks
to raise a further £200m in contingency funding had put the deal in
doubt.
Fosun said in a statement it was "disappointed" following news of the collapse.
It
added: "Fosun confirms that its position remained unchanged throughout
the process, but unfortunately other factors have changed.
"We extend our deepest sympathy to all those affected by this outcome."
The
holiday company had spent all Sunday in talks with lenders trying to
secure the additional funding and salvage the deal, but to no avail.
It had also asked the government for financial aid, a solution also urged by Labour and union groups.
But on Sunday Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the BBC the government did not "systematically step in" when businesses went under unless there was "a good strategic national interest".
Customers
on a package holiday have Atol protection - a fund paid for through
industry levies - which will cover the cost of their holiday and
repatriation.
Thomas Cook has blamed a series of issues for its
problems including political unrest in holiday destinations such as
Turkey, last summer's prolonged heatwave and customers delaying booking
holidays because of Brexit.
But the firm has also faced fierce competition from online travel agents and low-cost airlines.
In addition, many holidaymakers are putting together their own holidays and not using travel agents.
What are your rights?
If you are on a package holiday you are covered by the Atol scheme.
The scheme will pay for your accommodation abroad, although you may have to move to a different hotel or apartment.
Atol will also pay to have you brought home if the airline is no longer operating.
If you have holiday booked in the future you will also be refunded by the scheme.
If
you have booked a flight-only deal you will need to apply to your
travel insurance company or credit card and debit card provider to seek a
refund.
When Monarch Airlines collapsed in 2017, the government
organised to bring home all the stranded passengers, whether they were
covered by Atol or not.
Are
you a Thomas Cook customer or member of staff? If you've been affected
by the issues raised here, you can get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:
- WhatsApp: +44 7756 165803
- Send pictures/video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk
- Upload your pictures / video here
- Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay
- Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (international)
- Source - BBC News
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Travel giant Thomas Cook teetering on financial collapse
Unable to adapt to the move online as smaller, nimbler travel
companies thrive, Thomas Cook, the household name in international
travel, is close to financial collapse. And the collapse could leave up
to 150,000 British tourists stranded overseas.
The iconic British
travel giant Thomas Cook say they’ve failed to find any further private
investment to stave off collapse and now relies on an unlikely
government bailout. The group is blaming “Brexit uncertainty” as the
major problem with their current malaise.
The operator announced
they needed £200 million (US$250 million) – in addition to the
£900-million rescue deal secured last month – or else face
administration, which could potentially trigger Britain’s largest
repatriation since World War II – customers who are currently overseas.
A source close to the negotiations told AFP the company had failed to
find the £200 million from private investors and would collapse unless
the government intervened. Without another bailout by its Chinese major
shareholder Fosun, the brand’s financial options are few.
But
ministers are unlikely to step in due to worries about the pioneering
operator’s longer-term viability leaving it teetering on the brink of
collapse and stranding up to 150,000 British holidaymakers abroad.
“We
will know by tomorrow if agreement is reached,” the source told AFP.
The firm’s shareholders and creditors are scheduled to meet from 9 am
(0800 GMT) on Sunday morning, followed by a meeting of the board of
directors in the afternoon.
The Transport Salaried Staffs Association, which represents workers at the company, called on the government to rescue the firm.
“It is incumbent upon the government to act if required and save this
iconic cornerstone of the British high street and the thousands of jobs
that go with it,” said TSSA General Secretary, Manuel Cortes.
“The company must be rescued no matter what.”
Two
years ago, the collapse of Monarch Airlines prompted the British
government to take emergency action to return 110,000 stranded
passengers, costing taxpayers some £60 million on hiring planes.
The government at the time described it as Britain’s “biggest-ever peacetime repatriation”.
Thousands
of workers could also lose their jobs, with the 178 year old company
employing about 22,000 staff worldwide, including 9,000 in Britain.
Chinese
peer Fosun, which was already the biggest shareholder in Thomas Cook,
agreed last month to inject £450 million into the business. In return,
the Hong Kong-listed conglomerate acquired a 75% stake in Thomas Cook’s
tour operating division and 25% of its airline unit.
Creditors and
banks agreed to inject another £450 million under the recapitalisation
plan announced in August, converting their debt in exchange for a 75%
stake in the airline and 25 percent of the tour operating unit.
Thomas
Cook in May revealed that first-half losses widened on a major
write-down, caused in part by Brexit uncertainty that delayed summer
holiday bookings. The group, which has around 600 stores across the UK,
has also come under pressure from fierce online competition.
Source - The Thaiger / AFP
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
EABC RECOMMENDS REMOVING TM.30 COMPLETELY
More industry and NGO groups are lining up with criticism or calls
for abolishment of the embattled TM30 and TM28 immigration forms. Most
of the criticisms focus on the draconian nature of the forms, confusion
around interpretation and the problems with inconsistent implementation.
Trade and commerce organisations are saying it flies in the face of the government’s wishes for Thailand to be a place to invest in and conduct business.
Now, the European Association of Business and Commerce is recommending to the Thai government to completely do away with the TM30.
“And, as an immediate step towards achieving that, remove from its scope many categories of foreigners.”
They say the same applies to the related TM28 form as well.
“The TM30 process has been in the news due to its inconvenience, questions about its value and usefulness, the questions it raises about commitment to ‘ease of doing business’ and the recent, almost inexplicable crackdown via an old law much of which has been dormant for decades.”
“The TM30 form and process in effect requires landlords to report on the location and movement of foreigners who are their tenants. Hotels have the same obligation but for foreign tourists staying in hotels, it is not noticed by those tourists as the hotel uses the TM6 arrival card information from their foreign guests.”
“Section 38 of the Immigration Act (which is the basis of TM30) has been around since 1979, but was not enforced until since late March 2019. It is being enforced inconsistently with various local interpretations. TM.28 (supported by s. 37 of the Immigration Act) is an often overlapping obligation on foreigners to report.”
The submission has been made to Dr. Kobsak Pootrakool, Deputy Secretary‐General to the Prime Minister for Political Affairs.
Source - EABC and The Thaiger
Trade and commerce organisations are saying it flies in the face of the government’s wishes for Thailand to be a place to invest in and conduct business.
Now, the European Association of Business and Commerce is recommending to the Thai government to completely do away with the TM30.
They say the same applies to the related TM28 form as well.
“The TM30 process has been in the news due to its inconvenience, questions about its value and usefulness, the questions it raises about commitment to ‘ease of doing business’ and the recent, almost inexplicable crackdown via an old law much of which has been dormant for decades.”
“The TM30 form and process in effect requires landlords to report on the location and movement of foreigners who are their tenants. Hotels have the same obligation but for foreign tourists staying in hotels, it is not noticed by those tourists as the hotel uses the TM6 arrival card information from their foreign guests.”
“Section 38 of the Immigration Act (which is the basis of TM30) has been around since 1979, but was not enforced until since late March 2019. It is being enforced inconsistently with various local interpretations. TM.28 (supported by s. 37 of the Immigration Act) is an often overlapping obligation on foreigners to report.”
The submission has been made to Dr. Kobsak Pootrakool, Deputy Secretary‐General to the Prime Minister for Political Affairs.
Source - EABC and The Thaiger
Thailand's sex-shy giant panda dies aged 19
A beloved male giant panda on loan to Thailand from China has died
aged 19 in Chiang Mai, leaving Thais on Tuesday to mourn the death of a
mammal whose sex life captivated the kingdom.
Chuang Chuang, a resident of the northern city's zoo since October
2003, arrived with female Lin Hui, where the pair lived in an
air-conditioned enclosure.
The pair's mating habits -- or lack of -- became a source of
relentless public intrigue, with Chuang Chuang put on a low-carb diet
and shown video clips of panda's coupling in an attempt to spice up
their sex drive.
After struggles to conceive, Lin Hui finally gave birth thanks to
artificial insemination to Linping in 2009, spurring a widely-watched
live 24-hour "Panda Channel".
"Rest in peace, little bear."
Chiang Mai zoo director Wutthichai Muangmun said before his death, Chuang Chuang was doing what he liked best -- eating bamboo.
"He was walking around, but staggered and fell to the ground," he told reporters.
Each panda was insured for up to 15 million baht ($490,000) under the agreement with China, he added.
On loan from Chengdu, the pair were a part of China's so-called "panda diplomacy", and were supposed to be returned in 2023.
Giant pandas are notorious for their low sex drive, and are among the world's most endangered animals.
Their average life expectancy ranges from 15 to 20 year in the wild,
but they can live up to 30 years in captivity, according to WWF.
Source Jakarta Post
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
#Cambodia - Kampot mangroves ‘cleared in land grabbing’
The Changhaon village community claims that many hectares of mangrove forest in the coastal area in a village in Teuk Chhou district’s Prek Tnort commune, in Kampot province, were being cut down to grab land for private ownership.
However, they claim that the authorities have not taken any measures to stop such activity.
A local who preferred to remain anonymous said five to 10 unidentified offenders had always cut down many hectares of natural mangrove forests at night along the beach. They had even secretly marked the boundary of the land recently without any officials’ knowledge.
Yun Phally, the provincial coordinator for rights group Adhoc, said: “Cutting down mangrove forests to grab coastal land in the Changhaon coastal area is illegal. The provincial authorities must immediately investigate the case to identify offenders and bring them to justice.”
However, Provincial environment department director Suy Thea told The Post on Monday that he had not yet received information about the case.
“I do not have officials on standby in the area. If there is any information, we will inspect the location because our environment department has only two officials.
“The Changhaon coastal area belongs to the state, which is managed jointly by the Kampot provincial administration,” he said.
Neither provincial Fisheries Administration chief Sar Sarin nor Nak Sovannary, the governor of Teuk Chhou district, could be reached for comment on Monday.
Kampot provincial governor Cheav Tay said on Sunday that he had already ordered a working group to inspect the location, and it had immediately dismantled cottages and fences encroaching into the land.
However, they claim that the authorities have not taken any measures to stop such activity.
A local who preferred to remain anonymous said five to 10 unidentified offenders had always cut down many hectares of natural mangrove forests at night along the beach. They had even secretly marked the boundary of the land recently without any officials’ knowledge.
Yun Phally, the provincial coordinator for rights group Adhoc, said: “Cutting down mangrove forests to grab coastal land in the Changhaon coastal area is illegal. The provincial authorities must immediately investigate the case to identify offenders and bring them to justice.”
However, Provincial environment department director Suy Thea told The Post on Monday that he had not yet received information about the case.
“I do not have officials on standby in the area. If there is any information, we will inspect the location because our environment department has only two officials.
“The Changhaon coastal area belongs to the state, which is managed jointly by the Kampot provincial administration,” he said.
Neither provincial Fisheries Administration chief Sar Sarin nor Nak Sovannary, the governor of Teuk Chhou district, could be reached for comment on Monday.
Kampot provincial governor Cheav Tay said on Sunday that he had already ordered a working group to inspect the location, and it had immediately dismantled cottages and fences encroaching into the land.
Changhaon village chief Chhuon Chhan said the mangrove forests in the Changhaon coastal area had always been grabbed, including by some village residents. However, he has not heard of people cutting down mangrove forests to grab many hectares of land.
Sok Chea, the leader of the Changhaon fishing community in Teuk Chhou district’s Prek Tnort commune said that about two months ago some residents had grabbed land to build their houses on the Changhaon coastal area. Since then, there have not been any new cases of land grabbing.
Sok Chea, the leader of the Changhaon fishing community in Teuk Chhou district’s Prek Tnort commune said that about two months ago some residents had grabbed land to build their houses on the Changhaon coastal area. Since then, there have not been any new cases of land grabbing.
Source - Phnom Penh Post
China's Terracotta Warriors exhibited in Thailand
China's renowned Terracotta Warriors have been brought to Thailand
for the first time for an three-month exhibition at National Museum
Bangkok that started from Sunday.
The opening ceremony of the exhibition "Qin Shi Huang, The First Emperor of China and Terracotta Warriors", was held on Sunday afternoon, after which many Thais flooded into the Siwamokkhaphiman Throne Hall to take a glimpse of the over 2,000-year old Terracotta Warriors, or funerary sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang.
Held jointly by Thailand's Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture and China's Shaanxi Provincial Administration of Cultural Heritage, the exhibition collected 86 items of artifacts from 14 leading museums around Shaanxi province, said Qian Jikui, deputy director of the Shaanxi Provincial Administration of Cultural Heritage, during the opening ceremony.
Qian told the audience that the exhibition is divided into four parts, Before the Qin Empire, Qin Empire: Unification and the Birth of China, Terracotta Army: Its Discovery and Mystery, The Prosperous Empire of Han with Terracotta Army being the core part.
"We are trying to show people the history and culture of Qin Empire, from its beginning to its impact on the later history of China," Qian said.
Wissanu Krea-ngam, deputy prime minister of Thailand, told the opening ceremony that it is a very rare chance to see Terracotta Warriors and other Chinese artifacts of great value in Bangkok and he encourages Thais to take the chance to learn more about China's history and culture.
China has a long history and Qin Shi Huang is a prominent figure, the deputy prime minister said, adding, "We called China Chin in Thai and it is assumed to derive from Qin, the name of Qin Shi Huang's empire, which reveals how influential Qin was."
He also hailed Thailand-China exchange and friendship for hundreds of years and said the exhibition came at a great year which marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 44th anniversary of the establishment of Thailand-China diplomatic relations.
.
.
Chinese Ambassador to Thailand Lyu Jian said during the opening ceremony that the exhibition marked that China-Thailand friendship have reached new height.
The Terracotta Army, discovered in 1974, reveals the sophistication of ancient Chinese civilization and its conservation demonstrates the development of Chinese technology, the Chinese ambassador noted, adding that the exhibition would further promote mutual understanding between Chinese and Thai peoples and their friendship.
Thai Minister of Culture Itthiphol Kunplome told Xinhua after the opening ceremony that the exhibition proves how close Thailand-China relations are and it would become a great chance for Thais to learn about history and also to attract tourists.
Itthiphol said it is expected that 200,000 visitors would come to the event during the 3-month long period until Dec 15 this year.
The exhibition attracted many Thais' attention on social media as many commented they would go to visit it for sure and thanked the efforts of both governments to make it happen.
Rakchaneewan, a Thai visitor told Xinhua that she was moved after seeing those artifacts as she can see and feel the ancient Chinese civilization just here, and she hopes the friendship between Thailand and China would last forever.
Source - TheJakartaPost
The opening ceremony of the exhibition "Qin Shi Huang, The First Emperor of China and Terracotta Warriors", was held on Sunday afternoon, after which many Thais flooded into the Siwamokkhaphiman Throne Hall to take a glimpse of the over 2,000-year old Terracotta Warriors, or funerary sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang.
Held jointly by Thailand's Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture and China's Shaanxi Provincial Administration of Cultural Heritage, the exhibition collected 86 items of artifacts from 14 leading museums around Shaanxi province, said Qian Jikui, deputy director of the Shaanxi Provincial Administration of Cultural Heritage, during the opening ceremony.
Qian told the audience that the exhibition is divided into four parts, Before the Qin Empire, Qin Empire: Unification and the Birth of China, Terracotta Army: Its Discovery and Mystery, The Prosperous Empire of Han with Terracotta Army being the core part.
"We are trying to show people the history and culture of Qin Empire, from its beginning to its impact on the later history of China," Qian said.
Wissanu Krea-ngam, deputy prime minister of Thailand, told the opening ceremony that it is a very rare chance to see Terracotta Warriors and other Chinese artifacts of great value in Bangkok and he encourages Thais to take the chance to learn more about China's history and culture.
China has a long history and Qin Shi Huang is a prominent figure, the deputy prime minister said, adding, "We called China Chin in Thai and it is assumed to derive from Qin, the name of Qin Shi Huang's empire, which reveals how influential Qin was."
He also hailed Thailand-China exchange and friendship for hundreds of years and said the exhibition came at a great year which marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 44th anniversary of the establishment of Thailand-China diplomatic relations.
.
.
Chinese Ambassador to Thailand Lyu Jian said during the opening ceremony that the exhibition marked that China-Thailand friendship have reached new height.
The Terracotta Army, discovered in 1974, reveals the sophistication of ancient Chinese civilization and its conservation demonstrates the development of Chinese technology, the Chinese ambassador noted, adding that the exhibition would further promote mutual understanding between Chinese and Thai peoples and their friendship.
Thai Minister of Culture Itthiphol Kunplome told Xinhua after the opening ceremony that the exhibition proves how close Thailand-China relations are and it would become a great chance for Thais to learn about history and also to attract tourists.
Itthiphol said it is expected that 200,000 visitors would come to the event during the 3-month long period until Dec 15 this year.
The exhibition attracted many Thais' attention on social media as many commented they would go to visit it for sure and thanked the efforts of both governments to make it happen.
Rakchaneewan, a Thai visitor told Xinhua that she was moved after seeing those artifacts as she can see and feel the ancient Chinese civilization just here, and she hopes the friendship between Thailand and China would last forever.
Source - TheJakartaPost
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