- Shoppers’ Rebates, Property Tax Cut as New Year Gifts/Hua Hin community turns to composting its food waste/Elephant rescued from smugglers in Prachuap Khiri Khan/’There weren’t enough life vests on board’/How much plastic is in your Christmas dinner?/Tomorrow brings shortest day of year with barely 11hrs daylight/Police raid Mae Sot factory after Tesco labor abuse allegations/Cabinet approves operational plan for trillion-baht EEC smart city project/Bangkok motorways toll-free over New Year holiday/Auto manufacturers likely to raise prices next year due to rising costs/2022: A roller-coaster ride for Thailand’s cannabis industry/
- Tourism: 4am Closing Time for Nightspots in Tourism Areas Postponed Indefinitely/The worsening trend of Brits unable to pay their bills in Thailand/Ferry services in Koh Samui reopen every half hour/Khao San Road runs short of staff to serve flood of festive tourists/Nothing like the North: 5 peak experiences in Thailand’s highlands/Thai AirAsia aims to lure 20M passengers next year/
- Covid: Health minister confident COVID infections over New Year are controllable/Waiting for new Covid vaccines? There’s no point, says doctor/
- International: Floods hit Malaysia hard, tens of thousands displaced/Taliban bans university education for Afghan girls/Putin says situation in annexed regions ‘extremely difficult’/
- Links: Airport schedule/90-day online report/driver’s license/Market Village and Bluport cinemas
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Shoppers’ Rebates, Property Tax Cut as New Year Gifts
The cabinet approved its “2023 New Year Gifts” as proposed by the Finance Ministry and they include rebates for shoppers and reduction in property tax and transfer fees.
Deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said that people who make purchases between Jan. 1 and Feb. 15, 2023, can receive personal income tax rebates worth up to 40,000 baht.
The rebate measure should have about 56 billion baht circulated in the economic system, the spokeswoman said. Continued …
Hua Hin community turns to composting its food waste
Residents of a community in Hua Hin are being encouraged to compost their food waste and cut down on disposing of it in their household trash.
If you’re unfamiliar, composting is the act of turning food scraps and other materials into a nutrient soil. It’s one of the easiest ways to help the environment.
In December, Pailin Kongpan, deputy mayor of Hua Hin city,Amorn Pattong, vice president of the Municipal Council, and Thongchai Petchsongkram, Municipal Council co-chair, formally launched the “Household Waste Management for Vegetable Fertilizer” project at an event held at Klai Kangwon Temple in Hua Hin. Continued …
Elephant rescued from smugglers in Prachuap Khiri Khan
Authorities on Sunday arrested two men who were seen taking a female elephant across the Myanmar-Thai border in Huay Yang District in Prachuap Khiri Khan province.
The two arrested men were identified as Phongsak Huakaew, a 28-year-old Thai national, and Muytuya, a 28-year-old Myanmar man.
Phongsak was found to be the owner of the truck used by the men. He is known to have transported timber and elephants in the past and has a criminal record. Continued …
‘There weren’t enough life vests on board’
An air and sea search for the 30 missing crew (some media report up to 33) of the HMS Sukhothai frigate continues. One crew member was found and rescued yesterday but fears remain for the welfare of the remainder of the missing crew.
It was also revealed this morning by a spokesperson for the Navy that there weren’t sufficient life vests available for all crew on the ill-fated vessel.
There were 106 crew on board HMS Sukhothai before the incident on Sunday evening around 11.30pm; 75 of the crew were rescued on the first day after life rafts were deployed. A nearby oil tanker responded to the vessels’ SOS alerts. Continued …
How much plastic is in your Christmas dinner?
The traditional roast Christmas dinner could have nearly a quarter of a million pieces of microplastic in it, according to researchers at the University of Portsmouth.
Do you know how much plastic is really in your Christmas dinner? Researchers in England tried to find out by cooking two different roast chicken dinners.
One with all the ingredients wrapped in plastic packaging and the other with no plastic packaging at all.
‘’We found seven times more microplastics in the wrapped dinner than the non-wrapped dinner.” Continued …
Tomorrow brings shortest day of year with barely 11hrs daylight
The shortest day of the year, known as winter solstice, will fall on Thursday (Dec. 22), the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (Narit) said.
The winter solstice occurs when either of the Earth’s poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the sun. This happens twice a year, once in the northern and once in the southern hemisphere.
Winter solstice sees the sun reach its lowest annual elevation in the sky. Continued …
Police raid Mae Sot factory after Tesco labor abuse allegations
Immigration police and labor officials investigated a clothing factory in Tak’s Mae Sot district on Tuesday following reports of slavery-like working conditions.
Tesco, Britain’s biggest retailer, is facing legal action from a group of Myanmar migrant workers, alleging dire working conditions at a Mae Sot factory that made clothes for the retailer’s F&F range.
A total of 146 workers, 140 Burmese and six Thai, allege they were made to work up to 99 hours per week on unlawful wages with forced labor conditions at the VK Garments (VKG) factory in Mae Sot between 2017 and 2020. Continued …
Cabinet approves operational plan for trillion-baht EEC smart city project
The Cabinet on Tuesday approved the operational plan for a 1.35-trillion-baht business hub and smart city project in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), government spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek said.
Under the plan, the city will be constructed by 2027 and developed as one of the world’s top 10 smart cities by 2037, said Ratchada.
“The city will also serve as a model for development of other smart cities throughout Thailand,” she added. Continued …
Bangkok motorways toll-free over New Year holiday
Toll fees on two motorways – No 7 (Bangkok-Chonburi-Pattaya) and No 9 (Bang Pa In-Bang Phli-Bang Khun Tian) – will be waived for seven days of the New Year holidays, from Dec. 29 to Jan. 4, the Department of Highways said on Tuesday.
The move aims to minimize queues at toll booths and reduce costs for people visiting their relatives over New Year, said Director-general Sarawut Songwilai.
The department will also waive toll fees on Motorway No 6 (Bang Pa-in-Nakhon Ratchasima) between the Pak Chong and Kham Thalay Sor checkpoints, which are a gateway to northeast provinces. Continued …
Auto manufacturers likely to raise prices next year due to rising costs
The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) on Tuesday predicted that auto manufacturers would raise the prices of vehicles next year because of rising costs.
FTI vice chairman and spokesman for the FTI’s Auto Industry Group Surapong Paisit-Pattanapong said rising labor and electricity costs would leave automakers with no choice but to raise their prices accordingly.
Surapong added, however, that the increase in auto retail prices would have no impact on the economic recovery. Continued …
2022: A roller-coaster ride for Thailand’s cannabis industry
Thailand started 2022 with the bright hope that cannabis would be made completely legal. However, as the year draws to a close, calls for cannabis to be returned to the country’s narcotics list are getting louder.
Over the past several months, both sides of the cannabis legalization argument have battled fiercely over whether Thailand’s policies related to the herb are moving in the right direction.
Critics suggest the government consider canceling the very concept before more damage is done, especially since there is no specific law that can comprehensively govern the use of cannabis. Continued …
4am Closing Time for Nightspots in Tourism Areas Postponed Indefinitely
The Cabinet has indefinitely postponed the proposed extension of nightlife venues’ legal closing time to 4 am from 2am, according to Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn.
He added that the Cabinet said this was not an appropriate time to do such a thing, given the current situation, without giving further details.
This not-so-shocking move came after Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul declared on Monday that his ministry was firmly opposed to the proposal. Continued …
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The worsening trend of Brits unable to pay their bills in Thailand
As UK vacationers return to Thailand in big numbers, an old problem has resurfaced with new urgency. What happens when you owe a lot of money and have run out of cash in the Land of Smiles?
The most recently publicized case is Wolverhampton social worker Jo Hoffman whose face was smashed after a horrible scooter accident. The estimated medical bill is 50,000 pounds, with only a third so far raised via gofundme, the best-known crowd cash-raising platform.
Her case is far from unique, as a cursory glance at Google will reveal. 2022 is the worst year in recent memory. There are currently at least seven British accident casualties awaiting collective cash to get back home, together with a mortuary corpse. Continued …
Ferry services in Koh Samui reopen every half hour
Ferries have resumed normal operations after a 2-day suspension due to strong winds and waves in the Gulf of Thailand, according to Surat Thani’s governor.
At 5:30am yesterday local media reported the ferry services in Koh Samui in the Ang Thong subdistrict have re-opened again after being suspended for two days. Continued …
Khao San Road runs short of staff to serve flood of festive tourists
Business is roaring again on Khao San Road as foreign tourists return to celebrate Christmas and New Year. However, business owners in the Bangkok backpacking haven are suffering staff shortages as visitor numbers soar.
Abandoned by foreign tourists for almost three years of Covid-19, Khao San hotels, bars and other businesses have rebounded to almost pre-pandemic levels as Thailand’s high season takes off.
Sanga Rueangwattnakun, president of the Khaosan Road Business Assn., said local business operators are still short-staffed after most workers were laid off or left their jobs during the pandemic. Continued …
Nothing like the North: 5 peak experiences in Thailand’s highlands
Tourists are once again heading north in Thailand as cold weather and seas of mist signal the start of high season.
Here are five unmissable northern tourist attractions for the New Year holiday.
Pang Ung, Mae Hong Son
Visitors to the “Switzerland of Thailand” are immersed in a chilly alpine atmosphere of lakes, mountains and pine forests. Swans gliding serenely by add to the romantic vibe. Villagers under the Pang Tong Royal Development Project protect this pristine environment with sustainable agriculture that bears delicious fruits. Check out the avocados. Continued …
Thai AirAsia aims to lure 20M passengers next year
Thai AirAsia is setting goals for next year in line with tourism growth and revenue from the international market increasing to 60%, up from 40%, aiming for total passengers of at least 20 million.
Santisuk Klongchaiya, chief executive of Thai AirAsia (TAA), said overall passengers this year should total 10 million, which is close to the number of foreign arrivals expected to arrive in Thailand in 2022. Continued …
Health minister confident COVID infections over New Year are controllable
Thailand’s Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is confident that COVID-19 infections during the New Year celebrations will be kept under control, as the Public Health Ministry is fully equipped with manpower and medical supplies to cope with the situation.
He did, however, express concern over those who are over 60, have kidney or heart diseases or cancer, saying that it is imperative that they get vaccinated or are fully vaccinated, to reduce the risk of severe symptoms.
He said that everyone should receive at least four doses of vaccine, which will enhance their ability to avoid serious illness if they become infected, adding that he has been informed that more people have recently been turning up for inoculation. Continued …
Waiting for new Covid vaccines? There’s no point, says doctor
A respiratory specialist has advised people to protect themselves against Covid-19 with currently available vaccines rather than waiting for next-generation vaccines.
Dr. Manoon Leechawengwongs of Vichaiyut Hospital explained on Tuesday that the Covid virus is mutating too quickly for next-gen vaccines to keep up.
The next-gen vaccines will target the current dominant strain in Thailand, but this will soon be replaced by new Omicron subvariants, such as BQ.1 and XBB, said Manoon. The new-gen vaccines will not be as effective against these new subvariants, he added. Continued …
Floods hit Malaysia hard, tens of thousands displaced
Floods are hitting Malaysia hard, leaving tens of thousands of people displaced. As of last night, 45,000 victims had been evacuated to relief centers in five states in Malaysia’s peninsula. Continued …
Taliban bans university education for Afghan girls
The Taliban authorities on Tuesday ordered a nationwide ban on university education for females, as the hardline Islamists continue to crush Afghan women’s right to education and freedom. Continued …
Putin says situation in annexed regions ‘extremely difficult’
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday the situation in four territories of Ukraine that Russia claims to have annexed but does not control militarily was “extremely difficult”. Continued …
