This Popular Asian Country Is Slashing Visa-Free Stays for Americans

A Cathay Pacific flight traveling from Brisbane, Australia, to Hong Kong experienced severe turbulence that injured 10 people on board, including six cabin crew members and four passengers. Eight people were hospitalized.

A passenger on the flight said that it felt like the plane just dropped. Nicholas Stevenson told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the turbulence was sudden and sent phones, coffee, and food everywhere. People also hit the roof. “The first one caught everyone completely off guard, and then probably 15 or 20 seconds later it happened again.”

The flight crew got the worst of it. They had just started tea and coffee service, and they were thrown as food carts smashed into them too. Fortunately, there were four doctors on board who assisted the injured, and the flight continued to Hong Kong.

Stevenson also said the pilot apologized, and after they landed, the injured were deboarded first.

Thailand has finally had enough of tourists behaving poorly. The country, which relaxed entry rules in 2024 after COVID decimated tourism, is limiting visa-free stays to 30 days from 60 days. Visitors from the U.S., along with 53 other countries, will only be able to stay half as long as in previous years.

Travelers from France, Japan, Germany, and Singapore will also be impacted by this rule change. It is being reported that the government is concerned about unauthorized businesses being run by foreigners. The policy will go into effect 15 days after it is published in The Royal Gazette.

The country welcomed almost 33 million visitors last year. Authorities have also been dealing with poor behavior by foreigners, including bar fights and performing sexual acts publicly.

An Australian tourist fell into a ravine while hiking a difficult part of the Inca Trail in Peru and tragically died. Matthew Paton fell on Wednesday, and his body was found the next day. He was a sergeant with Victoria Police and was traveling with his wife when he fell about 1,000 feet through a broken railing while crossing a bridge. They had arrived in Cusco 12 days earlier and were on a four-day hike with a group and a guide.

Victoria Police said that Paton loved traveling and exploring historic sites. “His colleagues and the entire policing family are devastated at the tragic loss of a wonderful, caring person.”

His family said that he always wanted to go to Peru and even learned Spanish for it. Family members were also on their way to Peru.

An EasyJet flight from Hurghada, Egypt, to London diverted to Rome after a passenger informed flight crew that they had left a power bank charging a device in their checked luggage. As a precautionary measure, the pilot decided to divert the plane three hours into the flight.

Power banks pose a fire hazard on planes, and multiple airlines around the world have banned their usage in the air. They are not allowed in checked baggage.

EasyJet said in a statement that the captain “took the decision to divert as a precaution in line with safety regulations. The aircraft landed safely, passengers disembarked routinely, and we provided hotel accommodation and meals where available. As some customers remained in the airport, they were provided with refreshments.”

A United flight from Newark to Guatemala City was diverted after an unruly passenger tried to open a door mid-air. The flight had 145 passengers and six flight crew members, and it was diverted to Washington Dulles “after the crew reported a passenger disturbance,” the Federal Aviation Administration said.

An air traffic control officer is recorded asking, “Which door did the passenger try to open?” A crew member replies, “Door 2L at 36,000 feet, and then assaulted a fellow passenger.”

The flight landed safely, with law enforcement meeting the plane. The airline gave overnight accommodation to passengers, who flew to their destination the next morning.

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