- Songkran: Songkran in full swing/Songkran festival to generate 18.5 billion baht, says tourism agency/It’s called ‘Water Festival’ just because April is hot/New year revelry returns to Thai streets as tourism rebounds/Road safety tightened after Songkran travel kills 63 in 2 days/Money talks: Russians are coming to Thailand/Police stop partygoers entering crowded Khao San on first day of Songkran/Domestic, regional tourists are the stars of Songkran, tourism executives say/
- More Thailand news: Protecting yourself from the harmful effects of haze/Thailand among most improved countries in which to do business/Beware of passport scam targeting British nationals in Thailand/No savings, huge debts: More and more Thai seniors struggling to survive/Air pollution increases in upper northeastern regions of Thailand/Forest fire in Chiang Rai prompts hospital to prepare to transfer patients/Despite all the water splashing, Thailand faces another drought/Banpu Next identifies 5 clean-energy trends to watch in 2023/Apo, the bartender in TV’s KinnPorsche: The Series? is from Hua Hin/
- Tourism: Measures sought to rein in airfares/China-Laos railway starts cross-border passenger services/Tong Chom markets key to aiding grassroots economy/
- Thailand Experience: Pad Thai: The history and myth behind Thailand’s most famous dish/
- Links: Calendar of events/Airport schedule/Bangkok airport bus schedule/Hua Hin-Pattaya bus schedule/90-day online report/driver’s license/Market Village and Bluport cinemas/Emergency numbers
Songkran in full swing
Thailand is celebrating Songkran this week with gaiety and color throughout the country, particularly in foreign visitors hotspots such as Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket. The festivities coincide with positive signs that the country’s foreign tourism industry is recovering, with good news regarding the return of valuable long-haul visitors from key western markets also in the pipeline, according to a senior Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) official, despite higher airfares since 2020.
Thailand’s 2023 annual Songkran festivities are in full swing across the kingdom with Bangkok’s Silom Road again becoming the center of activity, with holidaymakers armed with water guns and buckets splashing each other, having fun and soaking up the carefree atmosphere. Continued …
Songkran festival to generate 18.5 billion baht, says tourism agency
This week’s Songkran festival is expected to generate 18.5 billion baht and attract over 300,000 foreign tourists, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
Over 3.8 million Thais and about 305,000 foreign tourists are expected to travel in the country during the long holiday break, TAT Gov. Yuthasak Supasorn said on Thursday. Continued …
It’s called ‘Water Festival’ just because April is hot
Songkran is an elephant and everyone can be one of the blind men fumbling around for its shape. Road accidents make it a nightmare festival for related authorities or rescue workers. Old folks in rural areas count the days for the time when they can see their beloved youngsters again. Teenagers long to be extra-playful with the opposite sex. Foreigners yearn to let loose.
UNESCO has approved the inclusion of the Songkran festival in the tentative list of Intangible Cultural Heritages (ICH) for consideration in December this year. On the one hand, it can be understood why. On the other, it’s somewhat hard to pinpoint the cultural or artistic values that make Songkran deserve it more than, say, some other exotic shows in Thailand or abroad that wow foreign visitors. Continued …
New year revelry returns to Thai streets as tourism rebounds
Tens of thousands of revelers, including hordes of foreign tourists sporting floral shirts and plastic water guns, descended on the streets of Bangkok on Thursday for the biggest traditional new year gathering since the pandemic.
Festivities for Songkran, a much-loved Thai festival sometimes described as the world’s largest water fight, had been muted or barred for the past few years due mainly to COVID-19 restrictions. Continued …
Road safety tightened after Songkran travel kills 63 in 2 days
The total number of road deaths during the first two days of Songkran holiday travel rose to 63, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) reported on Thursday.
Road accident statistics were collected from the first two days of this year’s holiday on Thursday morning, DDPM Director-general Boontham Lertsukekasem said. Continued …
Money talks: Russians are coming to Thailand
The Russian tourism market in Thailand, driven by the fallout from the Ukraine war, is very strong this year, with over 1.5 million visitors already signed up or who have visited, with 591,002 Russian holidaymakers already received up to April 5.
Many are Russian nationals taking flight from their home country fearing conscription, while the majority are holidaymakers who face complications traveling to other markets because of tough international sanctions against Moscow over the conflict. – thaiexaminer.com
Police stop partygoers entering crowded Khao San on first day of Songkran
Police stopped Songkran revelers from entering Khao San Road at 8pm on Thursday after deciding the popular party street was at risk of dangerous overcrowding.
Asmany as 40,000 Thai and foreign revelers joined the water fight on Bangkok’s backpacking hub on the first day of the Songkran festival. As the crowd built up in the evening, police manning checkpoints were ordered to close off the street and prevent more visitors from entering to reduce congestion in the area. Continued …
Domestic, regional tourists are the stars of Songkran, tourism executives say
Domestic tourists will account for the lion’s share of tourists during Songkran, while most foreign tourists will be from countries in the region, tourism association leaders said.
Phuket Tourist Assn. President Thaneth Tantipiriyakij said most visitors to the island province during the festival will be either Thai or from countries in the region. Continued …
More Thailand news …
Protecting yourself from the harmful effects of haze
Fine air pollution particles are continuing to have adverse effects on the health of people around the country, as the air they are breathing has reached dangerous levels of pollution.
On April 7, the levels of particulate matter 2.5 or PM 2.5 in Bangkok and surrounding provinces ranged from 33 to 57 micrograms per cubic meter of air, according to the Pollution Control Department, with 18 areas classified as orange, reflecting levels at which they start to affect health. Continued …
Thailand among most improved countries in which to do business
Thailand, Vietnam and India are the Asian countries that have most improved their ranking over the past year in the list of the best countries in which to do business assessment by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
The business environment report measures the attractiveness of the business environment in 82 countries on a quarterly basis, using a standard analytical framework with 91 indicators. Continued …
Beware of passport scam targeting British nationals in Thailand
The British Foreign Office issued a warning to both UK residents and expats in Thailand about a passport scam that is currently targeting British nationals in the kingdom.
Fraudsters are attempting to capitalize on the recent strikes by government workers in the UK, which have caused delays in passport renewals, by promising to bypass the three-month waiting period for a fee. Continued …
No savings, huge debts: More and more Thai seniors struggling to survive
Thailand expresses gratitude and respect for the older generation every year on April 13, National Elderly Day. Yet, every year the number of senior Thais in dire straits, struggling to survive without support or a safety net, rises.
A 2021 survey revealed that half of Thais aged 60 to 69 were still working to support themselves. Most of them were working as farmers, vendors, taxi drivers, delivery staff or doing odd jobs. Continued …
Air pollution increases in upper northeastern regions of Thailand
According to the Pollution Control Department, 23 locations, primarily in the northern region of Thailand, have been found to contain high levels of particulate matter 2.5 micrometers or smaller in diameter (PM2.5). The most severe levels were identified in Chiang Mai. These concentrations are considered detrimental to human health.
As of 11am yesterday, PM2.5 dust levels in the north ranged between 98 to 277 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m³) of air over the past 24 hours. Continued …
Forest fire in Chiang Rai prompts hospital to prepare to transfer patients
Officials in Chiang Rai’s Mae Chan district are prepared to transfer patients from the district hospital to others in the northern province if a fire on Doi Jorakae Mountain becomes a health threat, officials at the provincial public health operations center said on Thursday.
“The fire ignited about 15 kilometers from Maechan Hospital,” officials said, saying they are monitoring the blaze around the clock. Continued …
Despite all the water splashing, Thailand faces another drought
The Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR) has warned people to prepare for a drought by saving water due to risks posed by the El Nino phenomenon since July, resulting in less rainfall than is commonly experienced at this time of year.
Speaking after meeting with representatives of water-related agencies such as the Department of Royal Irrigation, the Department of Water Resources, Thai Meteorological Department and the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat), ONWR Secretary-general Surasee Kittimonthon said the office has set up a plan to respond to any potential drought crisis that may occur, especially during a period of intermittent rain in August. Continued …
Banpu Next identifies 5 clean-energy trends to watch in 2023
Battery energy storage systems are among five clean energy trends to watch this year as Thailand moves toward its net-zero goal, according to a report released by Banpu Next, the smart-energy unit of Banpu, earlier this week.
The report identifies the trends as:
- battery energy storage systems,
- building integrated photovoltaics,
- offshore wind,
- power-to-X, and
- green hydrogen – Continued …
Apo, the bartender in TV’s KinnPorsche: The Series? Is from Hua hin
Nattawin Wattanagitiphat, better known by his adoring fans as Apo, is a Thai actor and model who became a sensation for starring in the hit series KinnPorsche: The Series, a raunchy and romantic love story between mafia boss Kinn and his newly hired bartender-slash-bodyguard Porsche, played by Apo.
Apo was born in the Hua Hin region of Thailand’s Prachuap Khiri Khan province in 1994. While he’s private about his personal life and his family, he seems to share a close bond with his parents, who once surprised him with cake on his birthday at a KinnPorsche concert. Continued …
Measures sought to rein in airfares
The Airlines Association of Thailand (AAT) is urging the government to lower the fuel tax and operational fees at airports amid concerns over a potential increase in oil prices following the announcement by OPEC+ that the group would reduce its output, saying the lower cost burden would eventually help to reduce airfares.
AAT President Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth said the government could help airlines by subsidizing a scheme that would assist them with their costs, including the jet fuel tax, as well as service fees required by Airports of Thailand and Aeronautical Radio of Thailand. Continued …
China-Laos railway starts cross-border passenger services
The China-Laos Railway started cross-border passenger services on Thursday, a move that is expected to boost regional people-to-people connectivity.
The first passenger train departed from Kunming, the capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province, at 8:08 am Beijing Time, heading for the Lao capital Vientiane. Continued …
Tong Chom markets key to aiding grassroots economy
The Commerce Ministry has vowed to ramp up Tong Chom (must-see) markets nationwide this year to stimulate the grassroots economy, with the aim of generating revenue of 1.9 billion baht this year.
According to Goranij Nonejuie, deputy director-general of the Internal Trade Department, his department is scheduled to hold year-round events nationwide to highlight local goods, music shows, folk songs, cultural performances, street art and other activities that showcase each community’s unique identity. Continued …
Pad Thai: The history and myth behind Thailand’s most famous dish
At the most renowned restaurants or in hidden corners of Bangkok’s alleyways, pad Thai became Thailand’s letter of introduction to the world. But despite its well-known fame, the iconic fried noodle dish’s concept is recent and confused with the country’s own history.
With its mixture of ingredients and textures, as well as the balance between sweetness, acidity, saltiness and spice, pad Thai conquered the hearts of foodies inside and outside the nation. Continued …
Hua Hin-Suvarnabhumi bus schedule
The VIP bus service from Hua Hin to Suvarnabhumi Airport has a new Cha Am boarding location in front of Government Savings Bank. The one-way fare is 325 baht.
- Leaving Hua Hin: 6am, 8am, 10am, 12:00, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm
- Leaving Suvarnabhumi: 7:30am, 9:30am, 10:30am, 12:00, 2:30pm, 4pm, 6pm
Hua Hin-Pattaya bus service twice a day
Hua Hin now has twice-daily bus service to Pattaya, starting Feb. 19. The bus leaves Hua Hin at 9am and 3pm, and departs from Pattaya at 8am and 4pm. Tickets are 473 THB.
Tickets can be bought in person at the Hua Hin bus station or online. Buses depart from the Hua Hin bus station and in front of Government Savings Bank, Cha Am.. Tickets
Hua Hin-Chaing Mai flight schedule through October
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