Latest news with #PhangNga
CNA
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
Jurassic World: Rebirth was filmed in Thailand. Here are the featured locations you can visit
If the sweeping landscapes in Jurassic World: Rebirth – the seventh and latest instalment in the Jurassic Park franchise – left you captivated, here's some good news: You can head to some of these places yourselves. Jurassic World: Rebirth was filmed at locations across three southern provinces in the country: Krabi, Phang Nga and Trang. Filming took place from Jun 13 to Jul 16, 2024, with a budget exceeding 650 million Thai baht (US$20 million), reported local newspaper The Nation. The making of the movie also involved over 500 Thai crew members and created jobs and income streams for 2,245 Thai individuals. Here are the key places you can visit to be transported right into the heart of the film: 1. HUAI TO WATERFALL AT KHAO PHANOM BENCHA NATIONAL PARK, KRABI The Khao Phanom Bencha National Park is a popular destination for its waterfalls, caves and trails through montane forests, according to the Thai National Parks website. Located in the park is Huai To Waterfall, a multi-tiered waterfall amidst the dense jungle. It is also one of the smallest parks in the country, covering around 50 sq km of area between Maung, Ao Luek and Khao Phanom districts of Krabi Province. 2. KO KRADAN, TRANG PROVINCE An island surrounded by white sandy beaches and crystal-clear water, Ko Kradan is situated to the west of Ko Muk and is the location of the Hat Chao Mai National Park Protection Unit, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand. It is also a must visit for snorkelling to see the coral reefs around its coast and a popular venue for wedding ceremonies. 3. PHANG-NGA BAY (AO PHANG NGA NATIONAL PARK), PHANG NGA Ao Phang Nga National Park is a 400 sq km marine national park that features long beaches and houses the biggest native mangrove forests in Thailand along the mainland and many islands. Its compound frames about 40 islands on the east of Phuket Island, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand. It is best known for the popular attraction, Khao Tapu, otherwise known as the James Bond Island, whose name stems from when it was used as a filming location for the 1974 Bond film The Man With the Golden Gun. There are also other limestone karst islands, a number of white sandy beaches and a few caves at the park, according to the Thai National Parks website. The turquoise waters surrounding the islands are also consistently calm, which makes it ideal for canoeing, especially to spots that are sea level caves, leading to inland lagoons. The nearest popular towns and tourist destinations are Phuket, Phi Phi Islands, Krabi, Khao Lak and Ko Lanta. 4. THAM MORAKOT (EMERALD CAVE), TRANG PROVINCE Located in the Hat Chao Mai National Park, Emerald Cave is a must visit in Thailand. From the cave mouth, tourists must float in groups passing through an 80m-long narrow tunnel. The name Emerald Cave is derived from when the sunlight reflects on the water of the cave, causing the water and the cave walls to appear emerald green. This can only be seen between 10am and 2pm. Jurassic World: Rebirth is out in cinemas from Thursday (Jul 3). The film follows Zora Bennett, played by Scarlett Johansson, who leads a team of skilled operatives to the dangerous island research facility for the original Jurassic Park to secure DNA from dinosaurs which can provide life-saving benefits to mankind. The movie also stars actors Jonathan Bailey, Mahershala Ali and Rupert Friend. It is a sequel to the 2022 movie Jurassic World Dominion.
South China Morning Post
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
James Bond museum in Thailand misfires, closing after only 1 day
The closure of a US$1.2 million James Bond museum aimed at wooing more tourists to southern Thailand after opening for only one day has prompted a lawmaker to call it a pointless project 'dressed up to impress' and demand accountability from officials. The state-funded attraction in Phang Nga, a tribute to The Man with the Golden Gun for showcasing the kingdom's multiple locations in the 1974 film, was built a year ago. But the museum has since become an eyesore, with its leaky roofs, broken exhibits and paint peeling off the walls. 'This was never a real plan. It was just a flashy idea with no follow-through,' said MP Phakamon Nunan, who revealed the museum's neglected condition after inspecting it on Monday. 'There has to be accountability. We can't just pour millions into vanity projects and walk away.' The administrators believed the decades-long appeal of nearby islands featured in the film would draw tourists to visit the museum, according to Phakamon.
ABC News
01-07-2025
- ABC News
Australia issues Thailand terrorism travel warning after explosives allegedly seized
The Australian government has warned travellers of an "ongoing risk of terrorism" across Thailand after police reported finding improvised explosives in tourist areas around Phuket and Krabi. "Popular tourist areas may be the target of terrorist attacks anywhere across Thailand, including Bangkok and Phuket," said a statement posted to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Smartraveller website. "Phuket International Airport has increased security measures and passengers should arrive early for their flight. This follows the recent discovery of an explosive device near the airport. "Thai authorities also defused devices in Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga and made arrests." Thai officials said on Friday they had arrested two suspects allegedly connected to the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), the leading group in a decades-long separatist movement which seeks independence for Thailand's southernmost provinces which are majority ethnic Malay and Muslim. In comments carried by Thai PBS, a spokesperson for the Thai military said two men in their 20s were alleged to have planted some 11 improvised explosive devices in Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga. Army commander Lieutenant General Paisal Nusang said the devices were not powerful enough to cause serious damage or kill, but rather appeared intended to disrupt economic activity in tourist-heavy areas. Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat last week sought to downplay the threat to tourists in his province. "Based on current evidence, none of the suspicious items found so far are explosive or destructive," he said as quoted by the Bangkok Post. BRN's attacks have historically been focused in Thailand's deep southern provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narthiwat — not tourist areas further north like Phuket. Greg Raymond, an expert on Thailand at the Australian National University Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, was sceptical that BRN would be behind an explosives plot so far north. "There hasn't been any real evidence of movement of the insurgency outside the three border provinces for quite some years," he said. "This looks like perhaps a couple of amateurs [who] don't seem to have the skills that the Barisan Revolusi Nasional, the main insurgency group, have down in those three border provinces." Deep South Watch, a non-profit organisation which monitors the conflict in Thailand's south, says more than 7,700 people have died as a result since 2004. DFAT has long warned against travel to the southern three provinces, which border Malaysia, "due to ongoing risks of low-level insurgent activity, including terrorism". The alleged bomb plot against tourism sites in Phuket and Krabi comes after BRN in May publicly disavowed violence against civilian targets. "We insist that we will conduct our activities under the framework of international human rights principles and laws," the militant group said a statement in Malay translated by Thai PBS. Human Rights Watch's Asia director Elaine Pearson said the public pledge not to target civilians was an "unprecedented step ... after terrorising people in Thailand's deep south for more than two decades". Deep South Watch reports at least 245 people have been injured in violent incidents involving insurgents this year. Thai Police did not respond to ABC questions on the nature of the devices or the ongoing risk posed to tourists. Pravit Rojanaphruk, a prominent Thai journalist with Khaosod English, said little was known about the devices or the suspects. "Since the case has yet to be brought up before a court of law, all we have at the moment is what the police said was a confession," he told the ABC. In its travel warning, DFAT added that the "security situation in Thailand can be unpredictable". "Large protests have occurred in Bangkok and other areas," they said. "In previous years, large political protests and government crowd control operations have resulted in violence." Thousands of protesters last weekend gathered in Bangkok to call for the resignation of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, whose government is at risk of collapse over a border dispute with Cambodia. Rojanaphruk said Australians who were worried could postpone their trip to Phuket by a week or two "just to see how things pan out." "I do not think that it's as dangerous as some countries in South-East Asia, but it's good to be vigilant," he said. "I would be more concerned about swimming on the beach and being sucked down by a rip curl, which has actually killed a few people over the past month or two in Phuket alone."
Free Malaysia Today
27-06-2025
- Free Malaysia Today
Thailand orders heightened vigilance after bomb scare in the south
Police found an improvised time bomb in a car being driven from Songkhla to Phuket earlier this week. (Phuket information centre pic) BANGKOK : All Thai government agencies have been placed on high alert and urged to heighten vigilance following recent bomb threats in the southern tourist provinces of Phuket and Phang Nga. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said reports from relevant agencies suggested that the incidents were attempts to create unrest in the region. The prime minister convened a meeting with the national police chief, the commander of the tourist police, and the permanent secretary of the tourism and sports ministry to assess the situation. 'Every precautionary measure has been implemented to ensure public safety and prevent harm. However, the government remains vigilant. The National Security Council will continue to oversee and intensify operations,' she said on social media. Earlier this week, Thai media reported that a car travelling from Songkhla to Phuket was stopped in Phang Nga, where police found a homemade time bomb and arrested two suspects. Suspicious devices were later found in Phuket and Krabi, including near the airport. Though the devices caused no injuries and lacked destructive capabilities, they raised security concerns in the region. Police bomb squads confirmed that the objects were designed to resemble explosive devices, likely intended to instil fear and disrupt normal activities.
