Monday’s news-Aug 21 -

Heavy rain forecast for 45 provinces/
DDC warns of rise in influenza cases/
Thai-Danish beauty crowned Miss Universe Thailand 2023/
More Thais are installing their own solar panels to reduce costs/
Bangkok to Laos high-speed rail making progress/
Thailand’s ‘most beautiful’ road sweeper defies stereotypes/
Major Elite Card overhaul planned/
Thailand election: 14 parties coalesce to form new Thai government/Most Disagree With Pheu Thai Coalition Government, Poll Shows/
Economy: Climate change: Thailand beginning to figure it out/Revenues surge at restaurant chains as dining out is back in vogue/Q2 GDP growth below forecast, outlook trimmed/Institute predicts sales of 50,000 EVs/China eyes enhanced cooperation in various fields with Thailand/Revenue Dept pockets over 5 billion baht from e-service providers/
Tourism: Top 5 tourist arrivals to Thailand in first 7 months/Rough start for ‘new Chinatown’/Thais irked as Kuwaiti bikers living the fast life descend on Pattaya/
International: How Chinatown restaurants and food are evolving and redefining their place in the world/Korean Air to measure passengers’ weights for better safety, efficiency/Tens of thousands flee western Canada wildfires/Russian space agency says its Luna-25 spacecraft has crashed into the moon/
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

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Heavy rain forecast for 45 provinces

Heavy downpours are likely to soak 45 provinces across the country today, including Bangkok and the surrounding areas, the Meteorological Department announced.

The increased rainfall, which could cause flash flooding and forest runoff especially in hilly areas near waterways and low-lying areas, is due to a monsoon trough passing through the northern and upper northeastern regions and combining with a low-pressure system along the central coast of Vietnam. Continued …

DDC warns of rise in influenza cases

The number of people infected with seasonal influenza has surpassed 970,000 so far this year, three times more than for the same period last year, the Department of Disease Control (DDC) says.

Among those infected, one has died — a 39-year-old man with a history of alcoholism and liver disease, said Dr. Sopon Iamsirithaworn, deputy director-general of the DDC. Continued …

Thai-Danish beauty crowned Miss Universe Thailand 2023

Anntonia Porsild, 26, representing Nakhon Ratchasima, was crowned Miss Universe Thailand 2023 on Sunday. She will now represent Thailand in the Miss Universe beauty pageant to be held in El Salvador late this year. Porsild is a Thai-Danish beauty contestant with an undergraduate degree in marketing and public relations from Stamford International University. (The Nation)

More Thais are installing their own solar panels to reduce costs

Expensive electricity bills are leading more businesses and households to adopt rooftop solar power technology, despite costly installation fees.

Businesses view this type of renewable energy as a way to save on costs and help them cut carbon dioxide emissions. Homeowners are eager to save on electricity bills over the long term. Continued …

Bangkok to Laos high-speed rail making progress

Construction of the Thai-Chinese high-speed train between Bangkok and the northeastern border province of Nong Khai is progressing satisfactorily, with the construction of the 250.77km section between Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima province already almost 40% complete.

For the second section, between Nakhon Ratchasima and Nong Khai, State Railways of Thailand (SRT) has recently completed the study and design of the project and it is ready to be submitted to the cabinet for approval, according to Sorapong Paitoonphong, deputy permanent secretary of Transport Ministry, in his briefing to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Thursday during his field inspection of the project. Continued …

Thailand’s ‘most beautiful’ road sweeper defies stereotypes

Whether she is perched in the back of a water truck, gingerly plucking weeds with her manicured nails or staring down a stray dog on the streets, Pattaramon Thocharoen is always camera-ready with a full face of make-up and several poses.

Also known as “Bow”, the 27-year-old has an image to upkeep with over 300,000 TikTok followers, some of whom have dubbed her Thailand’s “most beautiful street sweeper”. Continued …

Major Elite Card overhaul planned

Thailand Privilege Card Co. (TPC), the operator of the Thailand Elite membership and benefits program for foreigners, is preparing for a major overhaul of its packages, which is expected to come with price increases.

The new packages are expected to be available in October, but applications will be accepted until Sept. 15 for the existing packages at the current posted rates, TPC has announced on its website. Continued …

14 parties coalesce to form new Thai government

Fourteen parties, led by Pheu Thai, will hold a press conference at parliament at 1pm today to announce their partnership in forming a new government.

Collectively, the coalition has 317 seats in the 500-seat House of Representatives. Continued …

Most Disagree With Pheu Thai Coalition Government, Poll Shows

Most respondents to a NIDA Poll disagree with the Pheu Thai party partnering with the two junta-linked parties, Palang Pracharath and United Thai Nation, to form a “government of reconciliation”, and most would prefer Paetongtarn Shinawatra as Thailand’s next prime minister.

The National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) conducted an opinion poll of 1,310 people aged over 18, and of various occupations and educational backgrounds across the country. Continued …

Climate change: Thailand beginning to figure it out

With household electricity bills surging in April as the temperature topped out at 44.6° Celsius in Thailand, followed by a record high average global temperature in July, businesses and governments are factoring in climate change when designing their forecasts.

The UN issued a striking warning regarding the arrival of an era of “global boiling”, as more people take steps to address the impact of climate change, as it is increasing costs for business operations and household living. Continued …

Revenues surge at restaurant chains as dining out is back in vogue

The restaurant business has bounced back from the pandemic, while food delivery services have seen a 32% decline since the pandemic, according to some estimates, as dining out is back in vogue, especially at large chains.

MK Restaurant Group’s revenue rose 10% year on year to 4.435 billion baht in the second quarter, while net profit reached 459 million baht, a 4.5% increase during the same period. In the first six months, the company’s revenue totaled 8.52 billion baht, up 13.5% year on year, and its net profit was 784 million baht, a 10.4% on-year increase. Continued …

Q2 GDP growth below forecast, outlook trimmed

Thailand’s economy expanded slower than expected in the second quarter, data showed on Monday, with strength in tourism helping to counter weaker exports amid a slowdown in global demand.

The government cut its 2023 gross domestic product growth forecast to 2.5% to 3.0% from a range of 2.7% to 3.7%, citing slower exports. Continued …

Institute predicts sales of 50,000 Evs

Electric vehicle (EV) sales are expected to reach a target of 50,000 units this year despite weak purchasing power, high household debt and banks’ stricter auto loan criteria, says the Thailand Automotive Institute TAI).

Last year, local EV sales tallied roughly 20,000 vehicles. EVs remain popular partially because of the government’s incentive package, part of efforts to make Thailand a regional EV hub. Continued …

China eyes enhanced cooperation in various fields with Thailand

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday met with the visiting Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai in Beijing.

Noting that the development of bilateral relations will not be affected by changes in the international situation or the domestic situation in Thailand, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said it is believed Thailand will maintain stability and sustained development. Continued …

Revenue Dept pockets over 5 billion baht from e-service providers

The Revenue Department of Thailand has reported the successful collection of over 5.01 billion baht in tax revenue from foreign platforms and e-service providers. This reflects a growth of 3.2% compared to last year.

The revenue was amassed over the first nine months of the current fiscal year, which began in October 2022. The overall tax collection during this period reached approximately 1.59 trillion baht. Continued …

Top 5 tourist arrivals to Thailand in first 7 months

According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Thailand has welcomed more than 15 million foreign tourists during the first seven months of this year (January-July).

Statistics for foreign tourists entering Thailand from January to July show that the cumulative number is 15,391,104 people. That made Thailand’s income from foreign tourists rise to 638,161 million baht. Continued …

Rough start for ‘new Chinatown’

A parallel Chinese society has grown up in Bangkok’s Huai Khwang district ,as the number of Chinese expats has increased, deepening the reputation of Huai Khwang as the second Yaowarat, or Bangkok’s new Chinatown.

The area temporarily emptied during the pandemic when Chinese vendors exited the country. But after the pandemic subsided and the Chinese government announced it would reopen its borders in January, investors returned to Huai Khwang. Continued …

Thais irked as Kuwaiti bikers living the fast life descend on Pattaya

Theatrically wobbling the handlebars as his cackling passenger covers his eyes from behind, a young Kuwaiti driver whips his motorbike around a bend of a narrow lane, blithe to the potential danger posed by a moped rushing toward him. It’s 9pm in Thailand’s Pattaya and the nightly show is just beginning.

“They go round and round like this until 3am or 4am,” says Ammy, a masseuse who has a free ringside seat to the motorized mayhem jump-started by Kuwaiti students visiting the country’s most popular resort city. Continued …

How Chinatown restaurants and food are evolving and redefining their place in the world

Take a walk down Gerrard Street in London’s Chinatown today and it looks, at first glance, as it did in decades past. The pagoda-topped gates still mark the entrance to the street, and red lanterns, the symbol of Chinatowns everywhere, criss-cross above, draped from second-story shopfronts. Continued …

Korean Air to measure passengers’ weights for better safety, efficiency

South Korean carrier Korean Air said Sunday it would be measuring the body weights of its passengers in a bid to strengthen aviation safety and minimize excessive fuel use. Passengers on domestic flights will be asked to weigh in from Aug. 28 through Sept. 6, while international flight passengers will be weighed from Sept. 8 to 19. Continued …

Tens of thousands flee western Canada wildfires

Residents of western Canada scrambled to evacuate Saturday as raging wildfires encroached on two metropolitan areas — separate blazes that have sent tens of thousands fleeing over the course of just days. Continued …

Russian space agency says its Luna-25 spacecraft has crashed into the moon

Russia’s robot lander the Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the moon after it had spun into uncontrolled orbit, the country’s space agency Roscosmos reported on Sunday. “The apparatus moved into an unpredictable orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the surface of the moon,” read a statement from the agency. Continued …

Hua Hin-Suvarnabhumi bus schedule

Leaving Hua Hin: 6am, 8am, 10am, 11am, 12:00, 2pm, 4pm, 5:10pm, and 6pm
Leaving Suvarnabhumi: 7:30am, 9:30am, 10:30am, 12:00, 1pm, 2:30pm, 4pm, 5pm, and 6:30pm

The one-way fare is 325 baht.

The VIP bus service from Hua Hin to Suvarnabhumi Airport has a new Cha Am boarding location in front of Government Savings Bank.

Hua Hin-Pattaya bus service twice a day

Hua Hin now has once-daily bus service to Pattaya, leaving Hua Hin at 9am and departing from Pattaya at 8am. 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