A low pressure system has brought heavy rain to parts of the south including the islands of Samui and Phangan in the Gulf of Thailand, and floods have also severed the rail link to the south and Malaysia beyond.

Full story on Coconuts Bangkok here

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More from Channel News Asia.

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From 3 December 2016, Air Niugini is to launch twice weekly air services between Port Moresby, capital of Papua New Guinea, and Chuuk and Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). Chuuk (sometimes spelled Truk) is renowned for being home to the World’s largest sunken fleet of Japanese WWII ships.

To test the market, three special flights were planned to operate to FSM before the scheduled passenger services commence. The first of the three special flights operated last week on 1 September from Port Moresby to Chuuk and later Pohnpei before returning to POM. It took 2hrs and 40 minutes to reach Chuuk and an hour across to Pohnpei before coming back to POM.

Most passengers on board the flight were Australian divers; about 50 of them who got off in Chuuk, the rest were individuals attending the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and businessmen based in Solomon Islands.

The next special flight will operate this week on 7 September to uplift delegation for PIF.

Once the scheduled passenger service comes into effect from December, Air Niugini will be operating two return air services a week, every Wednesday and Saturday from Port Moresby to Chuuk and Pohnpei.

These flights enable passengers between the Pacific, Australia, Indonesia, Philippines and FSM to connect through Port Moresby, saving considerable time and airfares.

Start planning your Pacific dive holiday today by contacting Symbiosis Custom Travel.

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Mount Gamala on the eastern island of Ternate erupted early Wednesday after a moderate earthquake in the area, sending ash up to 600m into the air and closing the island’s airport.

The airport on Lombok was closed overnight from Monday to Tuesday due to a drifting ash cloud from erupting Mount Rinjani, causing the cancellation of 29 domestic and international flights to the resort island.

The airport on neighbouring Bali remained open but several flights between Lombok and Bali were cancelled while a handful of services between Australia and Bali were also axed.

Mount Sinabung, a volcano on the western island of Sumatra which has been rumbling for some time, also erupted violently on Tuesday although its ash clouds did not disrupt any flights.

Full story on Coconuts Jakarta.

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NAM Air, a subsidiary of Sriwijaya Air, has launched a new direct flight connecting Jakarta with Sorong, West Papua (Papua Barat). The baggage limit is 20 kg. NAM Air has attractive prices and is cheaper than Xpress Air.
  
Flight times with NAM Air:
Saturday early morning, departure Jakarta 00:05 h – arrival Sorong 06:10 h
Saturday, departure Sorong 11:25 h – Arrival Jakarta 13:15 h

Sorong is the jump off point for some of the best diving in the world at Raja Ampat. More about the diving at Raja Amat can be found here.

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Nationals of 45 countries now do not need to get a visa on arrival (VoA), nor will they have to pay the visa fee of US$35. Not only will it save people from these countries money but will also speed up the entry process. You will still get a stamp in your passport, your stay will still be limited to 30 days and, most important, you still need your passport to be valid for at least 6 months from the time of arrival but, all in all, great news.

Contact Symbiosis Custom Travel to start planning your next Indonesia visit.

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Lombok Airport has remained open since Saturday 11 July with international and domestic flights operating.

There is a possibility Mount Raung will erupt again in the coming days. Dependent on the wind direction, this could lead to some airports closing for safety reasons.

Passengers scheduled to fly are advised to contact their airline as many flights are currently subject to delay.

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Flights due to arrive yesterday evening were either cancelled or diverted to Jakarta or Surabaya where they are being held. Flights due to arrive today into Bali are either held at the departing destination or cancelled.

The ash cloud may clear over the next 24 hours as winds are forecast to turn – however, there is a possibility the volcano may erupt again coming weeks. There have been no reported casualties.

We are closely monitoring the situation and will provide further updates as required.

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Kalibo will be SilkAir’s third destination in the Philippines after Cebu and Davao, increasing the number of destinations in SilkAir’s route network to 46 destinations in 12 countries.

Flights to Kalibo will be operated on a thrice weekly basis, departing Singapore on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. The flights will be operated by Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft, featuring both Business and Economy Class cabins.

MI599 departs Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 2 at 10:00 to arrive in Kalibo at 13:45. The return flight departs at 15:00 to land in Singapore at 20:10.

Kalibo is the capital of Aklan province in the Philippines and is a gateway to the beautiful Boracay island where nature’s bounty of scenic attractions can be found, with fine sandy beaches and crystal clear waters. Boracay also offers a wide array of attractions, from cascading waterfalls, natural cold springs, and the chance to explore the five caves of Buruanga town.

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Flying direct to and from Edinburgh, the Dreamliner has a two-cabin configuration, comprising of 22 seats in Business Class and 232 in Economy Class seats.

Inflight amenities include individual 10.5 inch television screens on all Economy Class seats and a full complimentary food and beverage service.

Edinburgh will be the airline’s third port in the UK after London and Manchester.

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Checked-in baggage allowances will increase by 10kg for Business and Economy class travel. Passengers will be entitled to free baggage allowances of 40kg in Business Class and 30kg in Economy class, respectively.

Between Singapore & Silk you can get to most parts of South East Asia, including Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia & Philippines.

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The airline reported (in their original Thai wording) that upon touchdown the nose gear caused a disruption which resulted in the aircraft to veer off the runway, their English translation reports a failure of the nose gear as cause of the aircraft veering off the runway. The captain took control of the aircraft and brought it to a stop. The airline confirmed 8 people received minor injuries as a result of the evacuation and were taken to hospitals.

The airport authority reported that runway 01R/19L will not be available during entire Monday, September 9th. Emergency services attended to a right hand engine fire following the runway excursion. None of the gear struts has collapsed (contradicting media reports in Thailand reporting the nose gear had collapsed).

A passenger reported that the aircraft touched down normally with its main gear, but when the nose gear touched down the aircraft veered violently to the right, the aircraft appeared to roll left first then right. When the aircraft came to a stop there was fire visible from the right hand side, an evacuation through the left hand doors was immediately initiated.

Due to the disruption on the runways there could be flight delays over the next 24 hours until normal services resume.

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Flights are to be 3 times per week – Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays, departing Chiangi airport at just after 8am, arriving Makassar at 1115. The return flight departs at 1245 and arrives Singapore at 1540. Since most flights from Europe arrive earlier than that, a direct connection should be possible.

This will be a great option for anyone travelling to South East Asia on Singapore Airlines wanting to explore Tana Toraja in South Sulawesi, and also for divers going to Raja Ampat in West Papua. Up until now guests have had to overnight near to Jakarta airport and then take a very early morning flight to Sorong. This new route will allow guests to either overnight in Makassar instead where there is a great waterfront hotel and even some local diving, or even perhaps to connect straight through to Sorong.

Travel from Europe to Raja Ampat has just gotten much better – hurray!!

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