- Here we go again: Thai PM Candidate Faces Disqualification Bid/
- More senators back Pita’s bid to be prime minister/
- Move Forward musters 8-party bloc/
- Business leaders want outdated laws scrapped, concerned over wage hikes/
- Projected slowdown in global economic growth could hurt Thai exports/
- Thailand aims for 80% global trade coverage with new FTAs by 2027/
- Thailand’s Scamdemic: how Covid-19 supercharged online crime/
- Thai snooker legend James Wattana loses 3.2 million baht to call center gang/
- Farmers Guarding Durian Orchards Day And Night After Big Price Hike/
- Thailand officially anointed as host of 2025 SEA Games/
- Tourism: Number of Chinese tourists continuing to increase/British family offers reward to ‘detain’ teenager missing in Pattaya/
- Thailand Experience: Hua Hin Offers Stunning Beaches, Waterfront Living and a ‘Hot’ Golf Game/Nakhon Ratchasima is world’s 4th city to be declared “Triple Crown” by UNESCO/
- International: High stakes for Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russian troops/New Covid-19 variant spreading swiftly/Colombian president says missing children in jungle still missing/Half world’s largest lakes and reservoirs drying up/The Noah’s Ark for plants beneath the English countryside/
- 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
Here we go again: Thai PM Candidate Faces Disqualification Bid
Thailand’s Election Commission is weighing a last-minute legal challenge to the pro-democracy front-runner in the country’s race for prime minister, in a case that could derail the political career of one of the military-backed government’s fiercest critics.
The complaint against Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat bears strong echoes of the case that brought down another rising star of Thailand’s gaining pro-democracy movement four years ago and set the stage for a wave of anti-government protests. Continued …
More senators back Pita’s bid to be prime minister
A growing number of senators are rallying behind Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat’s bid for prime minister, citing the people’s mandate shown in Sunday’s election and the MFP’s increased chance of forming a government.
Sen. Sathit Limpongpan has pledged support for a government coalition that manages to secure more than 250 House seats, or half of all the seats at stake. He joins at least 14 other senators reportedly gearing to back Pita’s bid to become prime minister. Continued …
Move Forward musters 8-party bloc
The Move Forward Party (MFP) has announced the formation of an eight-party alliance and the setting up of working groups to lobby senators for support and thrash out policy platforms, with a memorandum of understanding to be disclosed on Monday.
With the inclusion of the Pheu Thai Ruam Palang and Palang Sangkhom Mai parties, the MFP-led bloc has pulled in 313 House seats and requires 63 more votes to support MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat’s bid to become prime minister. Continued …
Business leaders want outdated laws scrapped, concerned over wage hikes
Industry leaders are looking forward to the removal of outdated laws to make it easier for them to do business, as promised by the Move Forward Party during its election campaign, but they are worried that implementation of wage hikes would hit small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) hard.
The business leaders said they welcomed the formation of a coalition government led by election winner Move Forward Party, and hoped the next administration would take office soon to start driving Thailand’s economy to stability and sustainability. Continued …
Projected slowdown in global economic growth could hurt Thai exports
The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDB) expects the global economy to grow 2.7% this year, with global trade volume falling to 2.1% due to low growth among key trading partners.
Thai export growth could therefore be negative this year, making it imperative that the new government seeks new export markets and pursues trade negotiations to support Thai exports. Continued …
Thailand aims for 80% global trade coverage with new FTAs by 2027
Thailand is aiming to expand its free trade agreements (FTAs) to cover 80% of its global trade with over 50 countries by 2027, according to Auramon Supthaweethum, director-general of the Trade Negotiations Department.
The department is exploring the feasibility of establishing new FTAs with various countries and trade blocs, including Israel, Bhutan, South Korea, the Pacific Alliance, the Southern African Customs Union, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The private sector has also expressed interest in forming an FTA between Thailand and the Mercosur trade bloc in South America, which comprises Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Continued …
Thailand’s Scamdemic: how Covid-19 supercharged online crime
Cyberscamming has become a trillion-dollar industry, with the numbers of both scammers and victims soaring over the past three years.
Many young Thais have been enticed by online job advertisements promising well-paid work in Cambodia and Myanmar. but once they cross the border into these “special economic zones” (SEZs), many wind up in the hands of Chinese gangs who confiscate their passports. They’ve been scammed, and now – on pain of death or torture – they’re scammers themselves. Continued …
Thai snooker legend James Wattana loses 3.2 million baht to call center gang
Thai snooker star James Wattana, who is better known locally as “Tong Sitchoi”, has fallen victim to a call center scam gang who allegedly cheated him out of about 3.2 million baht.
James, who has just won a gold medal in the doubles snooker competition at the SEA Games in Cambodia, said he received a phone call at about 11pm on Tuesday, informing about an allegation that he had been involved in illicit drug trafficking and money laundering and demanding that he wire them money to settle the case. Continued …
Farmers Guarding Durian Orchards Day And Night After Big Price Hike
Durian farmers in Tak province just across the border from Myanmar are guarding their orchards day and night to keep thieves at bay after a big price rise this year.
Chub Buasom, or Uncle Chub, a farmer in Ruam Thai Phatthana subdistrict, Phop Phra district, said previously durians were sold at 120 baht a kilogram at the orchards but the price has soared to 180 a kilogram this year. This is due to low output, with orchards affected by frequent temperature fluctuation, from hot to cold then hot again. Continued …
Thailand officially anointed as host of 2025 SEA Games
Bangkok Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt was in Phnom Penh on Wednesday where he was presented with the flag of the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games by Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Tea Banh as Thailand prepares to host the next Games in 2025.
The 33rd Games are scheduled for Dec. 9-20, 2025, with most of the events being held in Bangkok, while marine competitions will be held in the seaside provinces of Chonburi and Songkhla. Continued …
NOTICE: Avatar Garden has temporarily closed for renovations. We will reopen about July 1. Stay tuned!
Number of Chinese tourists continuing to increase
The number of flights between China and Thailand is continuing to increase but is still significantly lower than pre-Covid, according to Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Co. (Aerothai) President Nopasit Chakpitak.
A total of 12,805 flights landed in the country between October 2022 and April 2023, and with this increasing trend predicted to continue, preparations are being made to manage air traffic and ensure smooth operations. Continued …
British family offers reward to ‘detain’ teenager missing in Pattaya
A worried British family is offering a 10,000-baht reward to anyone who can locate and “detain on sight” a runaway 17-year-old believed to be missing in Pattaya.
The family has reason to believe that Ryan White, from Gateshead in England, traveled to Sin City after flying to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport one week ago on Friday, May 12. Continued …
Hua Hin Offers Stunning Beaches, Waterfront Living and a ‘Hot’ Golf Game
A summer climate year round, jungle scenery and a currency with a more than generous exchange rate make Thailand a prime option for passionate golfers looking for second homes or retirement estates.
Thailand meets the sea along its southern stretch, with its coast bending like a horseshoe around its titular gulf. Hua Hin resides along the beaches of that horseshoe’s western shore — almost directly across from another tourist enclave, Pattaya City on the gulf’s eastern seaboard. Continued …
Nakhon Ratchasima is world’s 4th city to be declared “Triple Crown” by UNESCO
Nakhon Ratchasima, in Thailand’s northeast, has become the world’s fourth place to gain UNESCO’s coveted “Triple Crown”, after the international organization declared the Khorat Geopark a Global Geopark on Wednesday.
The Khorat Geopark covers five districts in the province, including Mueang, Sikhio, Sung Noen, Kham Thale So and Chaloem Phra Kiat. Continued …
High stakes for Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russian troops
Ukraine’s highly anticipated counteroffensive will be an important test of its ability to make significant new gains against Russian forces, and of the effectiveness of the massive amount of military assistance provided by Kyiv’s international supporters. Continued …
New Covid-19 variant spreading swiftly
Doctors are warning that a new substrain of Omicron – FU.1 – is spreading worldwide at a 50% faster rate than the Omicron substrain XBB.1.16. The FU.1 substrain (also known as XBB.1.16.1.1) has infected 122 people worldwide, including one Thaiy. Continued …
Colombian president says missing children in jungle still missing
The fate of four children who were missing after a plane crash in southern Colombia was unclear on Thursday after President Gustavo Petro deleted a Tweet saying they had been found alive, adding in a new message that reports of their discovery was unconfirmed and the search still ongoing. Continued …
Half world’s largest lakes and reservoirs drying up
More than half of the world’s largest lakes and reservoirs are dwindling and placing humanity’s future water security at risk, with climate change and unsustainable consumption the main culprits, a study said yesterday. Continued …
The Noah’s Ark for plants beneath the English countryside
Inside bomb-proof frozen vaults underneath the English countryside hides a treasure trove of 40,000 species of wild plant seeds from around the world, many of which are in danger of disappearing. 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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