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Today’s news: Rain brings end to water issues/Thailand Officially Enters Rainy Season/Preparing for both drought and floods/1% fee for credit card postponed/Schools told to be ready for Covid/2 passengers Die on Singapore Airlines/Singapore Airlines lands in Singapore/No more coups/Curcumin Effective Treatment for Dyspepsia/Durian-Flavored Kit Kats/Economy: PM to address economic woes/Songkhla wants casino/Securing Thailand’s energy future/Sports authority readies up to 15 billion baht/Red Lobster investigates Thai Union/Thai firms not embracing AI/Chinese mining giant to acquire stake in Thai potash mines/Tourism: Campaign highlights central Thailand/Home to 5 national parks/Strategy to Support 39M Tourists/Koh Samui’s new cruise terminal/Israeli Family Declines Legal Action/Thailand Experience: 2 Days in Bangkok for Street Food/Climate Thailand: Today’s Thai environmental news/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

Rain brings end to Hua Hin water issues

The recent water supply issues that have been affecting parts of Hua Hin have now been resolved, according to Atichat Chaisri, deputy mMayor.

During a meeting of the Coordinating, Monitoring, and Inspection Committee, held on May 20, Chaisri reported that the raw water volume in the Hua Na Reservoir has increased to over 90%. Continued …

Thailand Officially Enters Rainy Season

The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has announced that the rainy season officially began on Monday across the country. This year, meteorologists predict substantial rainfall due to the transition from El Niño to La Niña, bringing with it the potential for heavy downpours, flash floods, and mudslides.

Director-general of the Meteorological Department Kornravee Sitthichivapak stated that the cumulative conditions — over 60% of upper Thailand receiving continuous heavy rain for at least three days, southwesterly winds at 1.5 km altitude carrying Andaman Sea moisture, and easterly winds at 10 km altitude — have prompted the start of the rainy season. Continued …

Agriculture Ministry prepares for both drought and floods this year

The Agriculture Ministry is taking steps to deal with both drought and floods during this year’s rainy season, as the volume of rain is expected to be similar to that of last year.

Sedthakiat Krajangwongs, the ministry’s deputy permanent secretary, met the center for monitoring agricultural disasters at the ministry on Tuesday and announced the planned measures after the meeting. Continued …

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1% fee for credit card transactions abroad postponed indefinitely

The Bank of Thailand (BOT) has ordered credit card providers to postpone the collection of a 1% fee for foreign currency conversion indefinitely.

The fee was to be applied when holders of credit cards issued in Thailand made transactions and ATM withdrawals in baht from merchants and online shops registered outside the country. The fee’s implementation was previously scheduled to kick off on May 1 but was later postponed for three months. Continued …

Schools told to be ready for surge in Covid infections

An expert on preventive medicine from Chulalongkorn University warned schools to raise their guard, as Covid-19 infections in Thailand may have risen to more than 18,000 people per day.

Dr. Thira Woratanarat, a lecturer at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine, said in a post on Tuesday that he believes the virus that causes Covid may now be infecting between 13,443 and 18,671 people per day. Continued …

2 passengers Die After Singapore Airlines Makes Emergency Landing in Bangkok

A second passenger has died following the emergency landing of a Singapore Airlines flight in Bangkok on Tuesday. The aircraft appears to have suffered serious turbulence over Myanmar, causing it to rapidly drop altitude. This caused chaos and pandemonium in the passenger cabin.

The second passenger passed away in a Thai hospital over an hour after being transported in a fleet of ambulances from the damaged airplane, where the body of a 73-year-old British man, another passenger, was left after the flight was safely evacuated by authorities. Continued …

Singapore Airlines relief flight with passengers and crew lands in Singapore

Passengers who were on flight SQ321 arrived at Changi Airport Terminal 2 at about 5am today, with almost all briskly escorted out of the baggage collection area by SIA staff.

There were hugs and some tears as they reunited with worried family members and loved ones, and airport staff or personnel wearing Singapore Airline’s vests ushered them to the arrival pick-up point, bus bay or T2 car park. Continued …

No more coups, says Pheu Thai on 10th anniversary of 2014 putsch

Pheu Thai Party released a statement denouncing the coup staged by Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha 10 years ago and vowed to enact a law that would block any chance of a new coup.

“Ten years have passed since the May 22, 2014 coup, so cease the coup cycle with a people’s charter,” the Pheu Thai statement said on Tuesday. It added that such takeovers were illegal acts that destroyed democracy and caused the country to regress. Continued …

Curcumin as Effective Treatment for Dyspepsia as Modern Antacids

Many people may have experienced bloating, pain, tightness, nausea, and heartburn from dyspepsia, which is very common nowadays. The symptoms often come and go and interrupt daily life, especially among white-collar workers who have to sit at their desks all day long, and who have poor eating habits and eat rich and spicy food.

For treatment, in addition to adjusting lifestyle and habits, people with dyspepsia must take antacids continuously to relieve the symptoms. As a result, many Thai consumers turn to herbs such as “curcumin” (the active ingredient in turmeric) instead of modern antacids. Continued …

Durian-Flavored Kit Kats May Be Coming to Thailand

In a constant bid for attention, brands of every ilk have tried to wow the world with all sorts of crazy flavors and products. Whether it’s Oreo slowly attempting to release every flavor that could possibly be packed into a cookie or Burger King’s recent flare for bizarre food mashups, making a new item head-turning suddenly seems at least as important as making it something that people actually want to eat.

Add Kit Kat to the list of brands jumping on the bandwagon of eye-popping food ideas. In Thailand, the candy bar makers are looking to combine the sweet chocolaty taste of Kit Kats with the world’s most pungent fruit, the durian. Continued …

PM Srettha scrambles to address economic woes

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has called an urgent meeting with his economic ministers next Monday in a bid to tackle Thailand’s sluggish economic growth. This move comes after a dismal first-quarter GDP report, which has sent shockwaves through the government and the public alike.

In an online post last night, the Thai prime minister announced that he will chair an unofficial meeting of economic ministers next Monday upon his return to Bangkok. This emergency session was prompted by the National Economic and Development Council’s (NESDC) report that the economy grew by only 1.5% year-on-year in the first quarter. Continued …

Songkhla operators push for legal casino near the border

Tourism operators in Songkhla have called on the government to consider building an entertainment complex with a legal casino in their province to address sluggish tourism in border areas and avoid over-dependence on Malaysian tourists.

As the government studies an integrated entertainment complex development project, Songchai Mungprasithichai, president of the Songkhla Tourism Promotion Assn., said as the main entry point in the south, Ban Dan Nok and the area around Sadao checkpoint in Songkhla has the potential to attract tourists interested in gambling. Continued …

Securing Thailand’s energy future

Since the 2021 military coup in Myanmar, foreign governments – in particular the European Union and the United States – have issued travel bans and frozen the financial assets of corporate entities and individuals involved with the military regime.

The most recent U.S. financial sanction on the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE), a major source of foreign currency revenue for the military government, which took effect in November 2023, is a potential risk to Thailand as it is reliant on gas from Myanmar for electricity generation. Continued …

Sports authority readies up to 15 billion baht for two mega projects

The Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) on Tuesday unveiled plans for two mega projects: Upgrading the 50,000-seat Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkok into a “smart stadium”, and building a new sports complex in Chon Buri province to serve as the new national stadium.

SAT Gov. Kongsak Yodmanee said the overhaul of Rajamangala is estimated to cost up to 5 billion baht and involves upgrading the security system and smart facilities within the arena in Bangkok’s Hua Mak area. Continued …

Red Lobster investigates Thai Union, potential cause of bankruptcy filing

Red Lobster, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Florida on Sunday night, is investigating the role its majority owner Thai Union played in the restaurant chain’s “endless shrimp” promotion that caused $11 million in losses, court documents showed.

Red Lobster said the debacle was part of a pattern of mismanagement by the global seafood company that owns most of its equity and supplies shrimp to its restaurants. Continued …

Thai firms not embracing AI to enhance business, losing out benefits

Although Thailand ranked nearly top among 21 nations surveyed recently where “excitement” about artificial intelligence (AI) was rife, the adoption of the game-changing technology, especially among companies in the country, is lackluster.

A recent study by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has found that consumers in emerging markets, including Thailand, are generally among those who are particularly open to and excited about AI, particularly generative AI (GenAI), indicating a higher likelihood of consumers adopting AI more in their daily lives. Continued …

Chinese mining giant in deal to acquire 49% stake in Thai potash mines

After significant delays, the government is pushing forward with the Potash Mining Project in Thailand’s northeastern region. In the latest development, Italian-Thai Development PCL (ITD), which holds a 90% share in Asia Pacific Potash Corp., is understood to be negotiating with a Chinese company to sell shares in its project.

Asia Pacific Potash Corp. was granted mining licenses for underground potash mining in Udon Thani province on Sept. 23, 2022, by the Department of Primary Industries and Mines (DPIM). The company received licenses for four plots totaling 25,446 rai, with a validity period of 25 years. Continued …

Agency campaign highlights central Thailand attractions

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is preparing to promote the central region, with flights connecting to the south and the northeast, targeting tourism revenue for the region of 465 billion baht this year.

TAT Gov. Thapanee Kiatphaibool said following a mobile cabinet meeting in Phetchaburi province, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin ordered the agency to promote tourism in four cities – Suphan Buri, Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi and Phetchaburi – emphasizing connections in areas adjacent to central provinces, as well as cross-regional tourism. Continued …

Prachuap Khiri Khan is home to 5 national parks

Did you know the province of Prachuap Khiri Khan is home to five of Thailand’s national parks? And they are all within easy reach of Hua Hin.

This offers residents and visitors alike an unparalleled opportunity to connect with nature in some of the country’s most spectacular settings. Continued …

Thai Authority Unveils Strategy to Support 39M Tourists by 2024

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) plans to increase tourism revenue to 3.5 trillion baht in 2024, targeting 39 million international tourists. To achieve this, the TAT is seeking an increased budget for collaborations with airlines, new flight paths, and streamlined tourist influx.

This “Airline Focus strategy” is vital in a post-Covid-19 era to revive Thailand’s tourism industry. TAT’s Deputy Gov. Siripakorn Cheawsamoot stressed the importance of extra funding for joint ventures with airlines and stakeholders. Continued …

Koh Samui’s new cruise terminal project anchors big investors

Deputy Transport Minister Manaporn Charoensri announced that Koh Samui’s new cruise terminal project has drawn substantial interest from investors both locally and internationally.

The Ministry of Transport plans to review the outcomes of a feasibility study into the project’s public-private partnership (PPP) investment model before submitting it to the cabinet for approval. Manaporn provided an update on the project’s progress, emphasizing the involvement of the Marine Department in conducting the study and analysis report. Continued …

Israeli Family Declines Legal Action After Young Daughter’s Fatal Fall in Phuket

The parents of a five-year-old Israeli girl who died after falling from a tuk-tuk taxi have decided not to pursue legal action against the driver.

Lt. Col. Eakkachai Siri of the Phuket Tourist Police clarified that after reviewing CCTV footage, it was confirmed that no vehicle from behind was involved in the incident. Continued …

2 Days in Bangkok for Street Food Lovers

When you think of Bangkok, you think of street food. The Thai capital is one of the best places to eat on earth, full stop. But its culinary star shines brightest at shophouse restaurants and street stalls.

Make the most of the Big Mango with our two-day itinerary, introducing you to MICHELIN Guide restaurants and hotels that make it easy to venture out – and stumble back satisfied, sometimes without breaking a sweat. Continued …