Hotels in Phuket, Krabi stop accepting credit cards from Russian banks following SWIFT exclusion

13 Sept 12:11 Key points summarised by AI

Hotels in Phuket and Krabi have ceased accepting credit cards from Russian banks, impacting Russian tourists' ability to pay.
This action follows the exclusion of major Russian banks from the SWIFT system and Visa/Mastercard's suspension of operations in Russia.
Russian tourists are now primarily resorting to cash payments, and advance bookings have seen a 15% cancellation rate.
The number of Russian tourist arrivals in Thailand has significantly dropped, impacting the country's tourism revenue, particularly in popular coastal provinces.

Queen Suthida completes first solo flight in Gripen fighter jet

Yesterday 15:19 Key points summarised by AI

Queen Suthida successfully completed her inaugural solo flight in a JAS 39C Gripen fighter jet at Wing 7 of the Royal Thai Air Force in Surat Thani.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn watched the flight and honored her achievement with a bouquet and a gold “Gripen Order” patch, an insignia for pilots of the aircraft.
The historic flight followed extensive training, including simulator practice and accumulating over 10 flight hours in a two-seat Gripen, contributing to her total of 1,188 flight hours across various aircraft types.