Today’s news: Chinese New Year celebrations/Chinese New Year in Hua Hin/Charge for parking near Chatchai Market/Please welcome returning Sponsor IC Curtains/Thailand braces for severe weather/The New Expat Tax Landscape/Bridge to host 111 weddings/Canadian who opened plane door/Methamphetamine seizures double/Economy: Recovery still trailing behind/Modest 4.9% pay hike/First home blues/Bank rues cheap imports/World’s 3rd-largest chicken exporter/Cannabis industry threatened/Tourism: Bt4.4B for Suvarnabhumi expansion/Romanian Tourist Falls to Death/Alleged Hotel Booking Scam/Driver killed, 13 Danish tourists injured/AirJapan begins flights to Bangkok/Environment: The realities of PM2.5/Fires in western forest complex/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
Thai, Chinese governments jointly launch Chinese New Year celebrations
The governments of Thailand and China on Friday together held a ceremony to give New Year’s blessings to all Chinese nationals and descendants worldwide, and officially launched the Chinese New Year Festival in Thailand.
Chinese New Year in Hua Hin
The ceremony was held at the China Cultural Center in Bangkok, attended by Tourism and Sports Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol and Han Zhiqiang, ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Thailand. Continued …
Hua Hin to charge for street parking near Chatchai Market
The Hua Hin Municipal Council has initiated a pilot program to charge for parking on the streets surrounding Chatchai Market to improve parking availability for visitors.
The fees for parking near Chatchai Market, which is the main fresh market in the center of Hua Hua, will range from 5 baht to 20 baht per hour, depending on the vehicle type and the amount of time the vehicle has been parked. Continued …
Please welcome returning Sponsor IC Curtains
As Hua Hin’s expat business climate recovers from the Covid pandemic, Expat News welcomes back IC Curtains as a Sponsor.
IC Curtains and its sister companies, Just Sofas and Lucky Awnings, provide many complementary and interrelated products in a “one stop shop” experience. They simplify the process by enabling design, color and style choices for both indoor and outdoor soft furnishings and products in one place.
The founder and owner of IC Curtains, “Lucky”, is from Australia and has over 45 years curtain and fabrics industry experience, and over 60 years in service an retail industries, and so he really understands the level of customer service needed to keep clients happy.
Before opening IC Curtains here in Hua Hin, Lucky was already well established and respected in Phuket, having started the successful Island Curtains over 20 years ago. Island Curtains in Phuket has thousands of satisfied customers for hotels, villas, resorts, residential homes, restaurants and other commercial outlets.
“We really focus on taking the time to understand your own personal style and vision, and with offering advice on how to bring that together the aesthetics, purpose, budget and functionality of your environment,” Lucky emphasizes. “Our goal is to help you to create the mood, tone and ambiance that you envision for your space, with the best quality products within your budget.”
Call Lucky direct at 093-6294400 to make an appointment to drop-in and tell him about your unique requirements. IC Curtains is located at 70/171 Soi 112 Huana Tuptai Road, Hua Hin.
Thailand braces for severe weather as storms hit 17 provinces
A powerful weather front is currently affecting Thailand, with the Meteorological Department of Thailand (TMD) issuing a severe weather warning for 17 provinces. Eastern regions are expected to bear the brunt of the storm, with 30% of the area predicted to experience heavy thunderstorms, strong gusts of wind, and possible hail.
The warning comes as a new high-pressure system from China covers the upper part of Vietnam and is forecast to extend its influence over the northeastern part of Thailand today. Continued …
Navigating the New Expat Tax Landscape
A new reality is dawning for many expats in Thailand. A significant overhaul of the Thai tax system, effective Jan. 1, has thrown a curveball at many in the expat community, raising concerns and prompting a scramble for solutions.
This article delves into the intricacies of this new tax tango, offering a road map for expats to navigate the complexities and unlock potential strategies to secure their financial future in the Land of Smiles. Continued …
Bangkok’s Rama IX Bridge to host 111 weddings at Valentine’s party
A lucky 111 couples will be given the chance to consecrate their love in an historic marriage registration ceremony on Bangkok’s iconic Rama IX Bridge this Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14).
The ceremony is part of “Luck Lock Love”, an event being held by the Expressway Authority of Thailand on Feb. 14-18 and 23-25 to celebrate the month of love. The romantic backdrop is Thailand’s first cable-stayed bridge spanning the Chao Phraya River. Continued …
Canadian who opened plane door before take off self- harms in cell
The Canadian man in Chiang Mai who was arrested after opening the door of a Thai Airways aircraft as it was about to take off on Wednesday night has been taken to Chiang Mai Neurological Hospital for assessment after he hurt himself in his cell.
Chiang Mai police say that the suspect, 40-year-old Wong Sai Heung, bashed his head against the iron bars of the detention cell, in the Mueang district police station, and bit the back of his own hand. Continued …
Methamphetamine seizures double in Thailand
The second half of last year saw a significant spike in methamphetamine seizures in Thailand, with over 250 million pills intercepted, which is twice the quantity seized during the same period the prior year.
This rise in the illegal drug trade is reportedly due to increased smuggling activities across the borders from neighboring nations, as explained by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. Continued …
Thailand’s post-pandemic economic recovery still trailing behind
Unlike other ASEAN countries, Thailand’s real GDP and GDP per capita have yet to outpace pre-pandemic figures. The Thai economy was hit hard by COVID-19 and has experienced a relatively slow economic recovery. Thailand’s large informal economy and dependence on tourism made the economy particularly vulnerable to the pandemic.
Mild economic growth in 2023 was primarily driven by activities in the travel sector, but the manufacturing sector continued to contract. Merchandise exports, a backbone of the Thai economy, continued to decline. Continued …
Thai workers to see modest 4.9% pay hike in 2024
Employees in Thailand will see wages rise by an average 4.9% this year, lower than most regional rivals, according to management consultant Aon Plc’s latest survey.
Aeon forecast a slight rise from 4.7% in 2023 but lower than in Indonesia (6.5%), Philippines (5.5%) and Malaysia (5%). Singapore wages are expected to rise 4%. Continued …
First home blues: Why Thai millennials are caught in a housing crisis
A decade has passed since the minimum monthly wage for new graduates was set at 15,000 baht, but during that period the cost of living has soared.
Traditional markers of success like graduating from a prestigious university, securing a job, purchasing a car, buying a house, and starting a family, have become increasingly challenging for many millennials. Their hopes have been dampened further by the significant surge in property prices. Continued …
Bank of Thailand rues cheap imports
The Bank of Thailand is concerned about the weaker competitiveness of local small businesses amid an influx of cheap Chinese imports. Low-priced Chinese consumer goods have inundated the Thai market, hurting the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Manufacturing for the domestic market is struggling to compete with imported goods, said the central bank’s assistant governor for the monetary policy group. Continued …
Thailand is world’s 3rd-largest chicken exporter
Thailand exported over 100,000 tons of chicken, worth over 100 billion baht last year, making the kingdom the world’s third-largest exporter behind Brazil and the United States.
Thailand’s 2023 ranking was an improvement from 4th place in 2022, said Chaweewan Kampa, president of the Poultry Promotion Assn. of Thailand on Friday. Continued …
Thailand’s cannabis industry threatened by legalization rollback
The future of Thailand’s cannabis industry is uncertain due to the government’s deliberation on whether to re-regulate the plant solely for medical purposes.
The country legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes in June 2022, but without specific laws regulating its cultivation and sale, a recreational cannabis industry has developed. Continued …
Airports of Thailand to invest Bt4.4B in Suvarnabhumi expansion
Airports of Thailand (AoT) is to invest a total of 4.4 billion baht in the expansion of Suvarnabhumi Airport and the third phase development project of Don Mueang International Airport.
Kirati Kitmanawat, AoT deputy director, recently said that improvements in service and security are in place for Suvarnabhumi Airport, with a total of 65 million passengers expected to arrive this year. The number is close to that of the pre-pandemic year of 2019. Continued …
Another one? Romanian Tourist Falls to Death from Pattaya Hotel Balcony
A 63-year-old Romanian tourist lost his life in a fall from the balcony of a 7-story hotel in Soi 5, Pattaya, on Friday morning.
The incident was reported to Pattaya police around 9:30 am. Police officers and rescue workers arrived at an unidentified hotel to find the lifeless body of the deceased, a 63-year-old Romanian man, whose name was withheld pending family and embassy notification, in the garden area below the balcony. Continued …
Phuket Man Arrested for Alleged Hotel Booking Scam
A man from Phuket was arrested in Mae Hong Son after he allegedly scammed more than 40 victims, with damages costing approximately 800,000 baht in hotel bookings.
The Cyber Crime Police said that earlier this week they arrested a suspect identified only as Mr. Sunthorn, 37, from Phuket. He was arrested in Mae Hong Son, northern Thailand. He is being accused of fraud by importing distorted information into a computer system. Continued …
Driver killed, 13 Danish tourists injured as van plunges into ravine
Thirteen Danish nationals were injured late on Thursday night when their van plunged into a roadside ravine in Mae Hong Son province in northern Thailand.
The 50-year-old Thai driver of the vehicle, identified by police as Baramee Panjachaiya, was seriously injured in the accident and later died in hospital. Three of the tourists suffered severe injuries, according to police. Continued …
Budget carrier AirJapan begins flights to Bangkok
ANA Holdings on Friday launched its third airline brand, AirJapan, a medium-haul low-cost carrier targeting the growing number of tourists from other Asian countries, including Thailand.
The parent of All Nippon Airways said AirJapan would operate six round-trip flights per week between Narita airport near Tokyo and Bangkok using Boeing 787-8 aircraft. The first flight departed on Friday afternoon. Continued …
The realities of PM2.5 in Thailand revealed by ‘Check Dust’
Thailand is facing a grave environmental crisis, as PM 2.5 levels soar to dangerous heights, threatening the health of millions.
The Check Dust application, utilizing cutting-edge satellite technology and AI, revealed a disturbing reality, with PM 2.5 concentrations reaching hazardous levels in several provinces, posing severe health risks to the populace. Continued …
Hundreds of firefighters tackling fires in western forest complex
About 250 firefighters have been deployed by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation to prevent fires in the western forest complex from spreading.
So far, 1,600 hectares of forest have been damaged as the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) issues warnings of the threat of forest fires in nine provinces. Continued …
Hua Hin-Chiang Mai flight schedule
Hua Hin train schedule
Emergency hotline numbers:
- Emergency hotline – 191
- Emergency medical services – 1554
- Water accident – 1196
- Motorway hotline – 1586
- Emergency medical – 1669
- Highway police – 1193
- Tourist police – 1155
- Bus ticket – 1490
- Department of Highways – 1586
Tourist arrivals at Samui airport up 66.7%
