- Public holidays: immigration offices closed tomorrow, Friday/
- National park in Thap Sakai in PKK closes for ‘renewal’/
- Cabinet approves Bt10.4 billion to subsidize domestic electricity charges/
- Headline CPI up 2.67%, slowest in 16 months/
- Investment in factories creates 30,000 jobs in 6 months/
- COVID-19 infections on the rise with 1,811 cases and 10 deaths last week/
- ‘Policeman’ Faces Arrest Over Cyanide Killings/
- ‘Am Cyanide’: The story of Thailand’s female serial-murder suspect/
- Thousands of beetles invade homes in Prachinburi/
- Pattaya tourist gambling den ‘bribed officials with 2 million baht’/
- Tourism: Over 8.5 Million Foreign Tourists So Far, Spending Tops 355 Billion Baht/Thai Consulate Clarifies Chinese Visa: No Additional Measures/Thailand Launches “Premium Andaman” to Boost Tourism Revenue/No windfall for tourism with legal pot/SAS launches direct flights to Bangkok/
- International: Asian Regions Subject to Particularly High Levels of Environmental Pollution/Myanmar pardons 2,153 prisoners jailed for dissent/Fresh rout of US regional banks despite First Republic deal/Second Russian train hit by explosive near Ukraine border/Analyzing the push for sustainable jet fuel/Hollywood writers stage first strike since 2007/
- 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
Public holidays: immigration offices closed tomorrow, Friday
Thailand is gearing up for three upcoming public holidays that will temporarily shut down government offices, including immigration departments. The first of these holidays, Coronation Day, falls on Thursday, May 4, and will be followed by a “bridge” continuation day on Friday, May 5.
The Thai government announced these additional holidays last year as a means to boost domestic tourism as the country started recovering from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Continued …
National park in Thap Sakai in PKK closes for ‘renewal’
Namtok Huai Yang National Park in Thap Sakai will be closed until May 31 to allow nature to rehabilitate.
This annual step helps preserve the park’s natural resources, giving the park time to regenerate. – HHT
Cabinet approves Bt10.4 billion to subsidize domestic electricity charges
The Thai cabinet approved the allocation of 10.464 billion baht from the Central Fund yesterday to subsidize electricity charges for 18.32 million households from May through August, and for another 23.4 million households in May as an emergency measure.
The proposal to fund the program will be resubmitted to the Election Commission (EC) for reconsideration, after the commission rejected it last week due to the lack of Cabinet approval. Continued …
Headline CPI up 2.67%, slowest in 16 months
Thailand’s headline inflation dropped to its lowest in 16 months in April, coming in close to expectations owing to lower energy and food prices and a high base in 2022, the commerce ministry said on Wednesday.
The headline consumer price index (CPI) rose 2.67% in April from a year earlier, compared with a forecast rise of 2.7% in a Reuters poll, and against March’s 2.83% increase. Continued …
Investment in factories creates 30,000 jobs in 6 months
Thailand built or expanded 1,211 factories during the first half of fiscal 2023, with an investment value of 113 billion baht, generating more than 30,000 jobs, according to the Industry Ministry.
Part of the investment during October 2022 to March 2023 came from entrepreneurs in the bioplastic and electric vehicle (EV) industries, in line with the government policy to promote a green economy and eco-friendly cars, said acting Industry Minister Anucha Nakasai. Continued …
COVID-19 infections on the rise with 1,811 cases and 10 deaths last week
COVID-19 infections in Thailand between April 23-29 increased to 1,811, or an average of 258 cases a day, and 10 deaths, according to the Department of Disease Control.
So far this year, 8,382 people have been infected and treated at hospitals. Of these, 288 have died, 157 suffered lung infections and 79 were put on ventilators. Continued …
‘Policeman’ Faces Arrest Over Cyanide Killings
Deputy National Police Chief Surachate Hakparn said Tuesday afternoon that a policeman has been found to be linked to the cyanide serial killings, with a request for a warrant for his arrest being made soon, while a company in Bangkok is suspected to have imported the lethal poison.
Surachate, nicknamed Big Joke, added that a lot of progress had been made in this case, with a meeting held today to speed up investigation into all killings, totaling 14 so far, with one survivor. Continued …
‘Am Cyanide’: The story of Thailand’s female serial-murder suspect
Police have launched an investigation into what they suspect is Thailand’s first female serial killer. The number of her alleged victims rose over the past week as more people came forward to voice their suspicions.
Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn, 36, was arrested on April 25 after police were alerted to the death of her friend, 32-year-old Siriporn Khanwong. As of press time, the investigation had expanded to cover as many as 14 deaths and one suspected survivor of poisoning. Cyanide has been identified as the likely murder weapon, and money as the motive. Continued …
Thousands of beetles invade homes in Prachinburi
Villagers in Prachinburi Province are suffering from an invasion of tens of thousands of scarabs, which have entered their homes and forced them to sleep outside in tents.
These beetles are small, black, and have stiff wings. They tend to live in large groups in corners, clothing, and bedding. They usually appear at the beginning of the rainy season and remain in the area for one to two months before disappearing naturally. Continued …
Pattaya tourist gambling den ‘bribed officials with 2 million baht’
Police who raided illegal gambling at a luxury hotel in Pattaya on Monday are investigating claims that it was allowed to operate after bribing government officials with 2 million baht.
Police arrested 93 suspects, mainly Indian nationals, during the raid at Asia Pattaya Hotel in Chonburi’s Bang Lamung district in the early hours of Monday. Continued …
Over 8.5 Million Foreign Tourists So Far, Spending Tops 355 Billion Baht
thailand welcomed a total of 8,596,452 foreign tourists during the first four months this year, with total expenditure reaching 353.331 billion baht amid an increase in arrivals from ASEAN countries, East and South Asia plus Africa last week.
Statistics revealed by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports show 567,361 foreign tourists came to Thailand last week (April 24-30), or an average of 81,052 a day. This added up to 2,130,715 arrivals last month. Continued …
Thai Consulate Clarifies Chinese Visa: No Additional Measures
The Thai Consular Department, under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told the public that the department is aware of the increasing arrival of Chinese tourists and that the department has confirmed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that no additional visa measures have been introduced for those entering the country.
Tourists can apply for a visa to Thailand via the Internet and at travel agencies. The ministry has also instructed Thai embassies and consulates-general to inform the Chinese so that they understand the regulations properly, especially regarding travel agencies, which are already subject to strict rules. Continued …
Thailand Launches “Premium Andaman” to Boost Tourism Revenue
Thai Minister of Tourism and Sports Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said that the ministry is gradually taking measures to develop the coastal areas of the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Islands, which cover a total of 3,000 kilometers and generated 1.2 trillion baht (35,100 billion U.S. dollars) in tourism revenue in 2022. The project consists of five clusters as follows:
The first area is the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), which consists of Chonburi, Rayong and Chachoengsao. The project will cover 2 more provinces, namely Chanthaburi and Trad, making a total of five provinces. This cluster is expected to bring in 340 billion (9.94 billion U.S. dollars) in revenue, with an average expenditure of 3,081 baht (90 U.S. dollars) per person per day. Continued …
No windfall for tourism with legal pot
Since the government legalized cannabis on June 9, 2022, by removing the plant from the list of prohibited narcotics, the tourism sector was expected to reap a windfall as Thailand was the first country in Asia to allow hemp consumption for certain purposes, other than recreational use.
A month after decriminalization, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) published rules and regulations concerning cannabis and hemp use in the country in a bid to inform and warn tourists about prohibitions against smoking in public. Continued …
SAS launches direct flights to Bangkok
SAS will now open a new route to Bangkok. Following this route expansion, travelers will be able to fly direct to Bangkok three times weekly, with convenient overnight flights in both directions using the Airbus A350 aircraft.
First departure is planned from Copenhagen on Oct. 30. Continued …
Asian Regions Subject to Particularly High Levels of Environmental Pollution
Asia, the world’s largest continent, is grappling with an alarming extent of environmental pollution. According to a report by Verisk Maplecroft, 99 out of the 100 cities facing the biggest environmental risks are in Asia, with 37 in China and 43 in India. These environmental hazards include extreme heat, climate change, and natural disasters. Continued …
Myanmar pardons 2,153 prisoners jailed for dissent
Myanmar’s junta on Wednesday announced it had pardoned more than 2,000 prisoners jailed under a law used widely in its crackdown on dissent since seizing power more than two years ago. Continued …
Fresh rout of US regional banks despite First Republic deal
Shares of United States regional banks suffered deep losses on Wall Street Tuesday, dashing hopes that the resolution of First Republic’s woes would end the crisis. Continued …
Second Russian train hit by explosive near Ukraine border
An explosive device derailed a Russian freight train in a region bordering Ukraine for a second straight day Tuesday ahead of an expected counteroffensive by Kyiv. Continued …
Analyzing the push for sustainable jet fuel
Biodiesel, a mix of diesel and palm oil-derived methyl ester used by cars with internal combustion engines, as well as used cooking oil that previously was deemed useless, are now vying to change the aviation industry. The two oils can be processed to make sustainable jet fuel, or SAF, a biofuel for aircraft. Continued …
Hollywood writers stage first strike since 2007
Thousands of Hollywood television and movie writers have gone on strike for the first time in 16 years, their union said on Tuesday, after talks with studios and streamers over pay and working conditions ended without a deal. Continued …
Hua Hin-Suvarnabhumi bus schedule
- 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
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 twice-daily bus service to Pattaya, leaving Hua Hin at 9am and 3pm, and departing 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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