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Today’s news: PKK braces for drought/Illegal cannabis farm in Phetchaburi/Thailand is not an homogenous ethno-state/Thailand population plummets/Incense Burning for Chinese New Year/Elephant Tramples Owner/Details of new cannabis bill/Reduce, rehabilitate addicts/Dinosaur fossils discovered/Controlling urban macaques in Lop Buri/Economy: Not in a big enough crisis/Group worried over declining inflation/Soft or hard landing?/Thai rice exports/Upcoming gems fair/Kerry Express Thailand/Tourism: Planning for the big splash/21 Days of Songkran in April? Really?/Dragon Lights Up the Night/Travel in a post-pandemic world/Thailand Experience: Welcoming the Year of Golden Dragon/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

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Prachuap Khiri Khan braces for drought

Officials in Prachuap Khiri Khan are gearing up for a challenging dry season ahead, following a significant decrease in rainfall. The province, known for its lush landscapes and agricultural productivity, faces a critical situation with water resources dwindling to concerning levels.

Decha Rueangon, the head of the Prachuap Khiri Khan Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation office, highlighted the severity of the impending drought, stating that many areas could suffer serious consequences. Continued …

15 Vietnamese arrested at illegal cannabis farm in Phetchaburi

Law enforcement officers in Phetchaburi apprehended 15 illegal Vietnamese workers at a cannabis farm.

The raid, led by Jongruk Petchasen, Tha Yang district chief, in collaboration with high-ranking police officials, was the culmination of efforts to clamp down on illegal labor and cannabis cultivation in the region. Continued …

Thailand is not an homogenous ethno-state and that’s a good thing

The recent parliamentary debate in Thailand has brought to light the rich tapestry of ethnic diversity that constitutes the nation, challenging the claim that there is only one tribe in Thailand.

This nation’s identity is far from monolithic; it is a vibrant mosaic of cultures, languages, and traditions, each contributing to the collective identity of Thailand. Continued …

Thailand population plummets by 500k in 4 Years

It is officially happening. Thailand’s population looks like it declined by over half a million people in the last four years. After that, things are set to get a whole lot worse.

Certainly, this is a real crisis and the key factor behind the country’s lack of economic growth. In addition, it also leaves the government facing a plethora of new challenges. This crisis is not in the future, it is here and now as the kingdom presently loses 100,000 people each year. Continued …

People Asked to Reduce Incense Burning for Chinese New Year to Stop Air Pollution

Yesterday, Karom Phonphonklang, deputy government spokesperson, gave a statement for the Chinese New Year Celebration from February 8th to the 10, emphasizing monitoring the lighting of incense, candles, firecrackers, and burning of paper money.

He stated that the Thai government was concerned about the health problems from PM 2.5 smoke. To reduce small dust particles in the atmosphere and protect the environment, the Thai government asked to reduce the use of incense and to use electric incense instead. Continued …

Elephant Tramples Owner to Death

A mother elephant trampled its owner to death by the roadside in Nakhon Sawan province. Initial speculation suggests that the owner may have attempted to separate the mother and her calf, resulting in the mother elephant becoming agitated and harming the owner.

A shocking incident occurred when the mother elephant from Surin province, led by its owners to beg along a road, apparently became agitated, charging ahead and trampling the female mahout, resulting in her death in a pool of blood. Continued …

Details of new cannabis bill revealed

Dr. Cholnan Srikaew, the Thai minister of public health, stated that the new cannabis and hemp bill is ready to be presented at the Thai cabinet meeting next week. The bill was previously discussed among activists on content that needed clarity from the Thai government.

Dr. Cholnan publicly revealed the content of the new bill and said that it was amended to be in line with the main objective of the current government’s policy statement to Parliament, only allowing marijuana to be used for medical and health purposes. Continued …

Reduce, rehabilitate addicts: Thailand’s new mantra against drug trafficking

The government has shifted its focus on arresting drug pushers and rehabilitating drug addicts in a bid to effectively deal with Thailand’s drug problem, a government spokesperson said.

Kenikar Oonjit, deputy government spokesperson, said on Wednesday that Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin was determined to suppress drug trafficking and has instructed all government agencies to work together to protect Thai youth from the scourge of drugs. Continued …

Ancient dinosaur fossils discovered in Khon Kaen

Dinosaur fossils, estimated to be between 100 million to 110 million years old, have been unearthed in the Nam Phong district of Khon Kaen.

The fossils, thought to be from the sauropod and spinosaurid species, were discovered by a team from the Department of Mineral Resources, led by Sasa-On Khansubha, a paleontologist from the Sirindhorn Dinosaur Museum. Continued …

New move to control urban macaques in Lop Buri

The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation on Wednesday launched a joint attempt with local authorities to control urban macaques by disciplining, moving and sterilizing them.

The department, Lop Buri municipality and the provincial livestock development office signed a memorandum of understanding on macaque control at historical Phra Prang Sam Yot temple in Muang district yesterday. Continued …

Thailand said not in a big enough crisis to warrant huge loan for digital wallet

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has come up with an opinion on the government’s 10,000-baht digital wallet scheme, questioning its transparency and necessity in the current economic climate.

Apart from listing the pain points of the scheme, the watchdog also called on the Election Commission (EC) to look into the discrepancies between the Pheu Thai Party’s initial policy proposal and its eventual presentation before Parliament in September. NACC asked if this would set a precedent on whether political parties can change their policies after the election. Continued …

Commerce, industry and banking group worried over Thailand’s declining inflation

The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) on Wednesday maintained its gross domestic product growth prediction for the year at 2.8%-3.3%, but warned that continuous decline in inflation rates were a sign of a weak economy.

Thawee Piyapatana, vice president of the Federation of Thai Industries, said the JSCCIB agreed in its meeting to maintain its earlier prediction of 2024 GDP growth at between 2.8% to 3.3%. Continued …

Soft or hard landing for Thai economy?

Personally, I am sure the Thai economy will crash this year. I can even estimate the time when the crash will start. It is likely to be the month of May, as several big economic bombs will explode that month.

Confirmation of this belief came in December 2023’s economic data. The most disturbing part is industry’s capacity utilization rate of 56.2% (seasonally adjusted), which is the second lowest in the world. The world’s lowest is Nigeria! Continued …

Thai rice exports face fraught year ahead

Myriad risk factors still loom over rice exports this year, notably the volatility of exchange rates, the declining competitiveness of Thai rice, intense price competition, the impact of the El Niño weather phenomenon, and India’s restrictive export policy, according to the Thai Rice Exporters Assn.

Chookiat Ophaswongse, the association’s honorary president, said the latest data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture predicted global milled rice production would remain stable at 513 million tons this year, with China the largest producer at 144 million tons, followed by India at 132 million tons. Thailand is expected to produce quantities close to the previous year, totalling about 20 million tons. Continued …

Upcoming gems fair forecast to generate at least Bt3.3B

The 69th edition of the Bangkok Gems and Jewelry Fair (Bangkok Gems) is slated to take place from Feb. 21-25 at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center.

The event is organized by the Department of International Trade Promotion and the Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand (GIT), in collaboration with a joint committee comprising 13 government and private sector organizations. Continued …

Kerry Express Thailand Taken Over by Chinese S.F. Holding

Kerry Express (Thailand) Public Co. (KEX) is the most recent big Thai logistics business bought by a Chinese company. However, this will allow the Kerry company to continue operating under a parent corporation that has strong transportation capabilities in all “land, sea and air” modes” in the Asia-Pacific region and an e-commerce network.

KEX informed the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) on Feb. 6 that SF International Holding (Thailand) Co. (“SFTH”) performed a tender offer for all securities of the company. Continued …

Tourism authority starts planning for the big splash

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is to hold discussions next week with the Culture and Interior ministries, as well as the private sector, on the organization of this year’s Songkran festivities throughout the country, TAT Gov. Thapanee Kiatphaibool, said on Wednesday.

She said the meeting would explore the formats, venues, and suitable budget for the “Maha Songkran World Water Festival 2024” campaign, adding that the target is to secure more tourism income than during the Songkran Festival in 2019, before the pandemic. Continued …

Thailand to Celebrate 21 Days of Songkran in April? Really?

Over the past few days, announcements have come out that appear to have driven sheer terror in some Thai expats, with the Thai government saying this year’s Songkran will be the biggest one ever.

This announcement has to do with UNESCO officially recognizing the event as a cultural world heritage and Thailand hoping to further attract the event to tourists on a global scale. Continued …

A Dragon Lights Up the Night in Yaowarat

As the sun sets over Bangkok, the vibrant lights of Yaowarat Road in the heart of the city’s Chinatown illuminate the bustling streets, marking the beginning of the Chinese New Year celebrations.

In 2024, the Year of the Dragon promises an immersive experience in Bangkok’s Chinatown, inviting locals and tourists to indulge in a rich tapestry of cultural festivities and enchanting experiences. Continued …

The resilience and rise of travel in a post-pandemic world

In the ever-encouraging trajectory of post-pandemic travel resurgence, Asia emerges as a focal point. The travel industry, undeniably, propels forward with substantial momentum, as industry metrics vividly portray results on par with, if not surpassing, the pre-2019 benchmarks.

The realms of travel media echo with optimism, inundated with promising reports regarding the industry’s recovery. A noteworthy testament to this resurgence unfolds in the recent announcement by the International Air Transport Assn. (IATA). Their declaration underscores the persistent recuperation in air travel, as January 2024 witnessed a continuation of this upward trend, bringing total traffic for the year in close alignment with pre-pandemic demand levels. Continued …

Welcoming the Year of Golden Dragon with auspicious food

The belief in good fortune has been part of the human psyche for centuries. In Chinese culture, food plays a dominant role and shapes the way of life, often times reflected through traditions.

Since ancient times, Chinese people have chosen food with auspicious meaning or interpretation, while valuing its nutrition, especially for special occasions. For example, eating fish on the Lunar New Year will bring prosperity, wealth, and luck throughout the year. Dumplings are believed to enhance wealth because of their boat-shape representing Chinese gold and silver ingots. Continued …