Farangland News

Britain's biggest pub chain is charging drinkers more at the busiest times with dynamic surcharges that make a pint of beer more expensive on the weekend.

Stonegate Group, the largest pub company in the UK, is upping the price of a pint when its venues are busiest with claims that this will help cover the cost of washing glasses, extra staff, supplying plastic cups and putting bouncers on the door.

The chain has introduced so-called dynamic pricing at some 800 sites across the country, hitting drinkers with higher prices when footfall is high.

The firm, which operates over 4,500 licensed businesses, initially brought in additional charges during major sports tournaments like the Fifa World Cup in 2018 and 2022, but has since made them permanent during peak trading.

Prices were previously increased by as much as £1 at the time, according to reports. Stonegate did not disclose how much current prices can vary, but the manager of the Coach House in central London, a Stonegate pub, said its dynamic pricing system meant the cost of a pint of beer was 20p more expensive on weekends.

Australian gambling venues are planning to install facial recognition technology in all pubs and clubs in the state of New South Wales. The technology is supposedly aimed at keeping people with self-imposed gambling bans from gambling.

The ClubsNSW and the Australian Hotels Association NSW said a facial recognition surveillance system will be installed in all hotels and clubs in NSW next year. The system will scan the faces of everyone entering the gaming area and check them against a list of people who have registered in the self-exclusion system.

Close to 100 clubs are already using this technology and the feedback is that it works, said ClubsNSW CEO Josh Landis.

Greens MP Cate Faehrmann criticized the move:

The NSW government has lost its mind if it thinks people want pubs and clubs to have self-managed facial recognition tech. This is as terrifying as it is absurd.

News emerged on social media to the effect that British Airways would be extending its longstanding suspension of its London-Bangkok route until 2023.

Until now the official suspension date had been until October 2022. This seemed logical as the peak season for travel to Thailand is during the winter months.

The only direct option from London Heathrow is currently Thai Airways. Eva Air's fifth-freedom service remains suspended according to its website display.

The UK has removed Thailand from its red list of highly restricted countries. The red listing meant that returning British travellers had to quarantine in hotels on arrival and foreign travellers were banned totally.

In addition the UK has also announced that it will recognise Thai state issued vaccine certificates showing that people have been double vaccinated in Thailand. Only European and US vaccines brands will be allowable, with others, notably Chinese alternative will not being acceptable.

The relaxed entry laws apply from 11th October.