Today’s news: Court orders plan to address PM2.5/New zoning areas for water sports in Hua Hin/Hua Hin Health Park opens/Split-second decision saved mother’s life/500kg of explosives at factory/Miss Grand Prachuap Khiri Khan/Bangkok braces for three diseases/Plan to tackle decline in Thai doctors/New lottery system/Phuket’s unique 7-color lobster/Vape usage surging/Cannabis bill called ‘knee-jerk reaction’/Economy: Ministry monitoring product prices/Minimum wage raise/Delayed launch of digital wallet/To attract THB3.06 trillion investment/5 emerging trends/Govt clarifies on lithium discovery/Thailand halts poultry imports/Tourism: Must-have Thailand travel application/Flights from Hyderabad to Bangkok/Thailand Experience: Rethink as elephant population boom/Links: Calendar of events/Airport schedule/Bangkok airport bus schedule/Hua Hin-Pattaya bus schedule/Air pollution index map/90-day online report/driver’s license/Market Village and Bluport cinemas/Emergency numbers
Court orders government to form urgent plan to address PM2.5
The Administrative Court in Chiang Mai yesterday ordered Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and the National Environment Board to draw up an emergency plan within 90 days to deal with the PM2.5 pollution problem in northern provinces and to develop short- and long-term plans to deal with it.
The court’s ruling marks a rare victory for civil society in the northern region, putting pressure on the government to take concrete action to deal with PM2.5 pollution, which has been a threat to the health of people in the region for many years. Continued …
New zoning areas for water sports set for Hua Hin beach
Hua Hin Mayor Nopporn Wutthikul presided over a meeting with local water sports operators as part of plans to enhance tourist safety and regulate water sports activities on Hua Hin beach.
The primary objective of the meeting was to communicate the latest regulations and legal requirements essential for conducting water sports activities, focusing on ensuring the safety of tourists and participants. Continued …
Hua Hin Health Park officially opens
In a boost for healthcare in Hua Hin, the Hua Hin Health Park held its official opening ceremony yesterday.
The ceremony was attended by Nopporn Wutthikul, the mayor of Hua Hin, Cheep Suksee, a member of the municipal council, and representatives from the Hua Hin/Cha Am Tourism Business Assn. and the Hua Hin Lions Club. Continued …
Split-second decision saved mother’s life at Suphan Buri fireworks plant
As Thailand and the province of Suphan Buri, just to the northwest of Bangkok, mourn the deaths of 23 people in a catastrophic firework explosion, it emerged that one fortunate woman survived. Namfon Bunkom, in a tizzy, just minutes before the explosion, hastily departed the building. Her son, who normally collected money from her, had failed to turn up and was at home instead.
Namfon’s flustered decision, a near-run thing because of her commitment to work, saved her life. However, any joy or relief for the Thai woman was subdued. Afterwards, she confirmed that her mother and many of the people she knew had perished. Continued …
500kg of explosives in storage at factory
Authorities estimate that the fireworks factory in Suphan Buri may have had at least 500 kilograms of explosive materials stored in its compound before the blast on Wednesday afternoon.
The explosion occurred at village Moo 3 in tambon Salakhao of Muang district at about 3.30pm, killing 23 workers instantly. The explosion also caused damage to four houses located about 300 meters from the factory. Continued …
Miss Grand Prachuap Khiri Khan 2024 final showdown at Bluport on Sunday
Bangkok braces for severe outbreak of three diseases
Bangkok’s health office predicts a severe outbreak of three diseases, with high infection rates, and plans to increase monitoring for an additional 12 diseases. Preparations are underway to care for patients, protect against infections, and secure treatment drugs and vaccines.
The Health Department of Bangkok predicted a significant outbreak of three diseases in 2024. The illnesses include the Omicron variant of Covid-19, influenza, and dengue fever. The influenza outbreak is typically expected to start in May, and vaccination once a year can prevent it. Continued …
Thonburi Healthcare Group unveils plan to tackle decline in Thai doctors
Thonburi Healthcare Group Plc (THG), which manages Thonburi Hospital, is teaming up with Assumption University to combat Thailand‘s chronic doctor shortage.
An international medicine program is set to launch in 2025, in collaboration with the prestigious St. Luke School of Medicine. Continued …
Government tests new lottery system with tickets as low as 20 baht
The Government Lottery Office (GLO) plans to experiment with the sale of three-digit and two-digit lotteries within a sandbox system mid-year this year.
The test will involve one million numbers, both direct and permutation, to combat underground lottery operations. The cost per ticket is expected to range between 20 to 50 baht. Continued …
Phuket’s unique 7-color lobster to soon get GI product status
Vape usage among young teens surging
A national committee on tobacco has ordered stricter enforcement of laws against e-cigarette sales after a survey revealed that vaping among younger teens has increased more than fivefold.
Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew said the committee has voiced strong concerns about the widespread use of e-cigarettes among young people in the kingdom. Continued …
New cannabis bill called ‘knee-jerk reaction’
The new cannabis control bill is a face-saving move in response to a public perception that marijuana usage has spiraled out of control, according to cannabis right activist and entrepreneur Chokwan Kitty Chopaka.
The bill, which envisages a 60,000 baht fine for recreational smoking inside one’s residence, as well as prison sentences and fines upward of 500,000 baht for other offenses, is “a knee jerk reaction to the general belief that there are no current rules controlling cannabis,” Chokwan said. Continued …
Ministry continues to monitor product prices
The Commerce Ministry is keeping a close watch on prices in 18 categories in the first quarter, with costs nudging up for animal feed raw materials, the minimum wage is adjusted, and transport costs rise as a result of the Red Sea attacks.
According to Wattanasak Sur-iam, director-general of the Internal Trade Department, the 18 categories being monitored are: instant noodles; fresh food; canned food; bagged rice; seasoning sauce; vegetable oil; carbonated drinks; milk and dairy products; electrical appliances; laundry products; fertilizers; insecticides; pet food; iron; cement; paper; medicine and medical services, and services through retail and wholesale channels. Continued …
Thai PM pushes for minimum wage raise
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin declared yesterday that Thailand must abandon its reliance on low labor costs to entice foreign investments, pushing for a raise in the country’s minimum wage.
“Low labor cost should not be the attracting point. The attractive point should be clean energy, good international schools, good public healthcare system, fair capital market, zero corruption, and ease of doing business,” he said. Continued …
PM confirms delayed launch of digital wallet scheme
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin confirmed yesterday a delay to the launch of the “digital wallet” scheme, but no cancellation, adding that he wants to receive official recommendations from the national anti-graft body first.
He was speaking at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, after returning from the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. Continued …
Industrial estates agency aims to attract THB3.06 trillion investment
The Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) has set itself the target of securing investment of 3.05 trillion baht in the next three years in industrial estates throughout the country, accounting for at least 27% of gross domestic product.
The ambitious goal is a 4% jump from the current 2.6 trillion baht annually, IEAT board Chairman Yuthasak Supasorn said during the first board meeting of the year on Friday. Continued …
5 emerging trends in 2024
Tech giant Meta has identified five emerging trends for businesses and marketers in Thailand to catch up with the “next wave of consumer growth” in the country and the region.
Those trends are the influence of Gen Z, the rapid growth of the “solo economy”, artificial intelligence (AI) technology, business messaging, and short videos. The study was conducted by Meta, and Bain & Company, a management consulting firm. Continued …
Govt clarifies on lithium discovery after experts debunk claims
The 14.8 million tons of mineral resources discovered recently in Phang Nga province may not be entirely lithium, a rare mineral that is a key component for making batteries for electric vehicles, a government official clarified today.
“The 14.8 million tons discovered are the total amount of mineral resources and not lithium resources,” deputy government spokeswoman Radklao Inthawong Suwankiri said. “Mineral resources could contain several kinds of minerals, including lithium.” Continued …
Thailand halts poultry imports from Belgium, France
Thailand has suspended poultry imports from Belgium and three provinces of France in a bid to prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The announcement by the Department of Livestock Development, published in the Royal Gazette on Thursday, will be in effect for nine days.
The move follows a World Organization for Animal Health report on the spread of HPAI in both countries. The announcement noted that the disease could spread widely due to transport of sick poultry or their carcasses, adding that it could affect Thailand’s poultry farming and people’s health. Continued …
TAGTHAi emerges as the must-have Thailand travel application
TAGTHAi, pronounced “Tak-Thaai”, means “greetings” in Thai. The all-in-one app will be further ed for tourism.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Thai Digital Platform Social Enterprise Co. signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to further raise awareness of TAGTHAi. Continued …
IndiGo launches flights from Hyderabad to Bangkok late February
Indian airline IndiGo announced the launch of daily nonstop flights between Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (HYD) and Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) starting Feb. 26.
IndiGo’s Airbus A320 family aircraft will be used for the journey. In a head-to-head battle, IndiGo goes wing-to-wing with Thai Airways. Continued …
Experts urge policy rethink as elephant population boom sparks escalating conflicts
Last year was a bloody 12 months in the ongoing saga of human-elephant conflicts in Thailand, marking the sixth consecutive year of escalating incidents. Records for 2023 show a disconcerting surge in encounters and casualties due to wild elephants across the country.
According to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), more than 13,000 incidents of wild elephant intrusion outside protected forest areas were reported during the 2023 fiscal year. These incidents resulted in 29 injuries, 21 deaths and extensive damage to crops and property belonging to local communities. Continued …
Japan’s lunar craft lands successfully but can’t generate solar power
Japan today became the fifth country to put a spacecraft on the moon, but the probe was not generating solar power, its space agency said, during a mission to prove a “precision” landing technology and revitalize a space program that has suffered setbacks. Continued …
Hua Hin-Chiang Mai flight schedule
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