- Interior Ministry issues urgent order for New Year celebrations/Price hikes to affect over 7,000 food, drink products/Thailand readies for turbulent economic ride/Environment was uppermost in the minds of many in 2022/Thai navy intensifies hunt for 8 missing HTMS Sukhothai crew/DDC allays brain-eating amoeba fears/The 5 S’s of Wine Tasting/Thailand’s Plastic Waste Conundrum/Manufacturing falls in November amid global economic slowdown/Thai exports exceed 2022 target despite end-of-year slump/Export sector outlook looks bleak as global economy heads into tailspin /Seven key trends expected to influence financial services in 2023/National Parks chief charged with massive corruption/Meet the food waste fighters/Indian man arrested in Patong for 1,322 days of overstay/Pakistani Man Arrested in Patong for 3,270 Days of Overstay/
- Tourism: Thai tourism industry waits expectantly as China scraps travel restrictions/Chinese tourism influx raises fears/No immediate surge of Chinese tourists expected after re-opening/Bangkok airport girds for New Year travelers/Phuket’s Russian Revolution/New Zealand Tourist Dies In Fall From Kanchanaburi Train/
- Thailand Experience: Chiang Mai is the trendy new travel spot: 7 things you must do when you go/Eastern Thailand: Why Travel to this Underrated Region/
- Covid: Current vaccines ‘will do’ for coming year: ministry/
- International: Massive flight cancellations leave thousands of suitcases stranded at US airports/Putin bans Russian oil exports to countries that impose price cap/
- Links: Calendar of events/airport schedule/90-day online report/driver’s license/Market Village and Bluport cinemas
Interior Ministry issues urgent order for New Year celebrations
The Interior Ministry has issued five rules for New Year celebrations in an urgent order sent to all provincial governors.
Issued on Monday, the ministry order explains that government agencies and the private sector can still organize celebrations, but organizers must strictly stick to the following five rules:
- Entertainment venues must close at specified hours and keep underage people, weapons, drugs and other illegal items out of their premises. Continued …
Price hikes to affect over 7,000 food, drink products
The price of many food and beverage products will rise early next year by an average of 18% between January and Apri, according to a survey of 105 major companies compiled by credit research firm Teikoku Databank, as of today.
Price hikes will affect 7,152 items, more than 1.5 times the number from the same period this year, with some products such as frozen and wheat-based foods seeing a further increase.
Original figures compiled as of the end of November showed that 4,425 items would be affected by price hikes. However, the last 20 days have seen the number of products rise by 1.6 times. Manufacturers are believed to have pushed forward with further price increases in the face of higher costs in areas such as materials, transportation and labor. Continued …
Thailand readies for turbulent economic ride
As global interest rates continued to rise in 2022 to tame persistently high inflation, the Bank of Thailand and its governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput are being scrutinized as the business sector watches the direction of Thai interest rates.
Aggressive monetary policy this year to curb inflation was led by the U.S. Federal Reserve. The Fed began to increase its policy benchmark rate from March and deployed a hawkish monetary policy throughout the year.
Despite the tight monetary policy of the Fed, the Bank of Thailand has maintained its normalization of policy rates on a gradual basis, in accordance with the slow recovery of the Thai economy compared with other countries. Continued …
Environment was uppermost in the minds of many in 2022
From floods and extreme weather, to climate change and the adoption of the bio-circular-green economy, the environment was uppermost in the minds of many in 2022.
For Thais, especially those who reside in low-lying areas and flood plains, 2022 was another year of floods and extreme weather.
Throughout the year, Thailand experienced a series of unseasonal weather events and unusually intense rainfall, which led to major floods in many parts of the country. Continued …
Thai navy intensifies hunt for 8 missing HTMS Sukhothai crew
The Royal Thai Navy announced that eight sailors of the doomed HTMS Sukhothai are still missing after two bodies were retrieved on Tuesday morning.
The navy said that 76 of the 105 crew members of the warship were rescued, 21 were confirmed dead and eight still missing.
Vice Admiral Pichai Lorchusakul, commander of the First Naval Area, said the navy’s drone had spotted a body near Koh Sak close to the coast of Chumphon’s Muang district at 8.36am. Continued …
DDC allays brain-eating amoeba fears
The Department of Disease Control (DDC) said a brain disease caused by Naegleria fowleri, commonly referred to as “brain-eating amoeba”, is not contagious between people.
The announcement came after The Korea Herald reported on Monday that a Korean national in his 50s died last Wednesday of the brain disease after returning from a four-month stay in Thailand.
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), his genetic tests for three types of pathogens causing Naegleria fowleri were 99.6% similar to those found in a meningitis patient reported abroad. Continued …
The 5 S’s of Wine Tasting
Thailand’s rapidly emerging wine culture is now centering on Hua Hin, with a growing number of sophisticated wine bars offering a huge range of wines from important wine growing regions across the world, but importantly an internationally awarded vineyard at the city’s doorsteps.
The Monsoon Valley Vineyard now also features a wine sampling cellar and on the 2022 Harvest Festival (Feb. 18-23), offers the ideal opportunity to discover what’s so special about Thailand’s best wines.
You may believe that a wine-tasting procedure is unnecessarily tedious; after all, why not just drink and enjoy it? In truth, there’s something mystical about wine tasting when you learn to use all of your senses, so let’s explore the 5 S’s in wine tasting. Continued …
Thailand’s Plastic Waste Conundrum
Despite the Thai government’s ban on four more types of single-use plastics in 2022, up to 250,000 tons of imported plastic waste from other nations continues to flow into the country annually through the international plastic waste trade.
Thailand is trying to stay the course with further efforts to mitigate plastic pollution, but there are still challenges in waste sorting and collection on the ground.
In 2019, the Thai Cabinet also approved the “Road Map on Plastic Waste Management” for the period 2020 to 2030 as the policy framework for related agencies to work on in pursuit of the targets. This includes a ban on seven types of single-use plastics and to completely recycle domestic plastic waste within the designated time frames in the road map. Continued …
Manufacturing falls in November amid global economic slowdown
Thailand’s Manufacturing Production Index (MPI) fell in November by 5.6% year-on-year to 95.11 points, the lowest in 15 months, as oil refineries were shut down for maintenance while a global economic slowdown began to affect exporters, says the Office of Industrial Economics (OIE).
Officials expect the MPI for the whole year to grow by 1%, down from an earlier prediction of 1.9%.
“A global economic slowdown could lead to a recession, which will affect the Thai export sector,” said Warawan Chitaroon, acting director-general of the OIE. Continued …
Thai exports exceed 2022 target despite end-of-year slump
Exports rose 7.6% in the first 11 months of 2022 to US$265.34 billion, or 9.16 trillion baht, exceeding the target of 9 trillion baht for the whole year, Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said on Tuesday.
Cross-border trade in the same period was worth 944 billion baht, down 0.51% from the previous year.
However, exports in November were down 6% on last year to $22.3 billion, while imports rose 5.6% to $23.65 billion. December’s export figures are also expected to drop from last year amid the ongoing global economic slowdown. Continued …
Export sector outlook looks bleak as global economy heads into tailspin
Thailand’s exports contracted by 6% in November due to a decline in external demand, but rising economic activities from tourism recovery allowed manufacturing outputs to expand 1.41% last month, government agencies said.
Export value contracted by 6% to US$ 22.31 billion in November due to the slowdown of the global economy, the Ministry of Commerce said.
This was the second consecutive month of decline in exports after a 4.4% dip seen during October. Continued …
Seven key trends expected to influence financial services in 2023
Cloud, real-time payments, and embedded finance are among seven key financial trends predicted for 2023, Mambu, a cloud banking platform, has revealed.
The prediction by the world’s leading financial services firms is included in Mambu’s annual “Partner Predictions” report, which highlights the top financial trends expected to influence the industry in 2023, as businesses try to survive and thrive in a volatile macroeconomic environment.
The report features insightful commentary from industry leaders from the fintech and financial services sectors, including executives from AWS, Backbase, Deloitte, Google Cloud, and others. Continued …
National Parks chief charged with massive corruption
The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry has launched an internal investigation of National Parks chief Rutchada Suriyakul na Ayutthaya after he was arrested and charged with malfeasance and bribery on Tuesday.
Anti-Corruption Division (ACD) police detained Rutchada during a bribery sting operation at his Chatuchak office in Bangkok on Tuesday morning.
After the shock arrest, ministry Permanent Secretary Jatuporn Buruspat issued an order to form a panel for a seven-day investigation. Continued …
Meet the food waste fighters
Thailand ranked 9th on the 2021 Global Climate Risk Index of countries most affected by “extreme weather events” between 2010 and 2019.
One of the factors contributing to climate change is food waste. When organic material decomposes in landfills, it emits the greenhouse gas methane, which is far more potent than CO2. Hence, the quickest way to save the planet is to reduce the amount of food waste.
“Food waste actually starts from the harvesting of the raw material up to consumption, to the food on the plate. All the way up from the harvest to consumption we consider the waste so, all in all, globally we have about 30% of the food produced and processed being wasted. This is remarkable and is a lot. Continued …
Indian man arrested in Patong for 1,322 days of overstay
A 44-year-old Indian man was arrested in Patong for 1,322 days of overstaying his legal visa conditions. The Phuket Immigration Office said they have arrested Anil Dutt, an Indian national, on Phra Baramee Road in Patong. Continued …
Pakistani Man Arrested in Patong for 3,270 Days of Overstay
A 35-year-old Pakistani man was arrested in Patong for 3,270 days of overstaying his legal visa conditions the Phuket Immigration Office reported Monday. They arrested Anjum Raza, a Pakistani national, on Phra Baramee Road in Patong. Continued …
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Thai tourism industry waits expectantly as China scraps travel restrictions
Thailand’s tourism industry can expect a boost from China’s move to scrap measures on overseas travel of its citizens from Jan. 8, the Tourism Council of Chiang Mai said on Tuesday.
China’s National Health Commission announced the move on Monday after nearly three years of strict pandemic border restrictions effectively prevented tourists from leaving the country.
Visitors from China were Thailand’s largest tourism market before the pandemic struck in 2020. Continued …
Chinese tourism influx raises fears
An overload of tourists and an overwhelmed Thai healthcare system are issues to monitor next year after China fully reopens, with up to 500,000 tourists projected to start traveling during Chinese New Year.
Even though the tourism sector applauded the announcement from Beijing that it is lifting most entry requirements from Jan. 8, except for a pre-arrival Covid-19 test, tourism operators were concerned about an imbalance between supply and demand.
Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Gov. Yuthasak Supasorn said China’s reopening would lead TAT to revise its target for foreign arrivals from 20 million to more than 25 million in 2023. Continued …
No immediate surge of Chinese tourists expected after re-opening
China’s relaxation of Covid-19 rules for international arrivals has raised hopes that its multi-billion dollar travel business will soon flourish again but countries longing for the return of Chinese tourists will likely face more of a wait.
China’s National Health Commission announced on Monday that inbound travelers would no longer have to go into quarantine from Jan. 8. There are no official restrictions on Chinese people going abroad but the new rule will make it much easier for them to return home.
China was the world’s largest outbound tourism market before Covid shut down global travel, with its overseas visitors spending US$27.5 billion on travel in 2019. Continued …
Bangkok airport girds for New Year travelers
The number of outbound and inbound travelers passing through Suvarnabhumi airport is expected to surge to an average of 145,000 per day during the New Year period.
Kittipong Kittikachorn, director of Suvarnabhumi airport, on Tuesday said the daily number would bring the total number of travelers coming through the airport to 1.01 million during Dec. 29–Jan. 4. Continued …
Phuket’s Russian Revolution
Phuket is busy again, for the first time since April 2020 when the government closed off the airports and passenger arrivals into Thailand, because of the Covid pandemic.
While the surge of tourists, principally from a couple of countries, is a very welcome return to business for many hotels, tour companies, restaurants and tourist-related businesses, the current arrival numbers could provide some stark warnings for the island’s sustainability as a tourism destination.
Without getting into the specific geo-politics, we should at least be completely transparent about how the current rush to repopulate Phuket with tourism customers may have some unforeseen consequences. Continued …
New Zealand Tourist Dies In Fall From Kanchanaburi Train
A tourist from New Zealand slipped and fell from the train that had slowed down for passengers to take photos at Kanchanaburi’s Krasae Cave, which was the camp of POWs in World War II.
At 12.10 p.m. Police Lt. Col. Kiattisak Kerdchok, an investigator at Sai Yok police station, was notified of a foreigner having died after falling off a train at Krasae Cave in Lum Sum subdistrict and quickly went there together with Pitakarn Kanchanaburi Foundation rescuers.
At the scene they found Patrick Ward, 45, lying on the ground after plunging seven to eight meters from the train. His body was taken to Sai Yok Hospital for an autopsy, with the New Zealand embassy also contacted. Continued …
Chiang Mai is the trendy new travel spot: 7 things you must do when you go
With its stunning array of temples, delicious food scene, hopping nightlife, gorgeous natural opportunities, and all-around laid-back atmosphere, there’s a lot to love about Chiang Mai. Beyond its abundance of awesome experiences, this moderate-size city also offers a high standard of living at a relatively low cost, along with a well-developed visitor infrastructure.
It’s no wonder that it’s become so popular with travelers over the past two years, particularly among the remote-working “digital nomad” crowd.
The best time to go is between October and April when temperatures cool off a bit (though it never really gets cold), but keep in mind that February tends to bring a few months of smoky air — sometimes uncomfortably so — as the country burns its dead crops. Continued …
Eastern Thailand: Why Travel to this Underrated Region
Eastern Thailand is a stunning region in The Land of Smiles that is often less explored than the rest of the country. It’s a shame, though, because this is one of the best regions of Thailand!
This area has everything from gorgeous, white sand beaches to lush, forested national parks!
If you are looking for ways to enhance your Thailand itinerary, check out our suggestions for having the best time in the region. Continued …
Current vaccines ‘will do’ for coming year: ministry
The second generation of Covid-19 vaccines is unlikely to be included in the Department of Medical Services’ procurement pipeline next year while current vaccines remain effective in reducing severe symptoms, says its deputy director-general.
Dr. Weerawut Iamsamran said on Tuesday that no evidence has emerged to back claims that bivalent vaccines offer better results than the monovalent platforms widely being used to prevent advanced infection and severe symptoms.
“Therefore, the current Covid-19 vaccines can still achieve the goal, especially in reducing severe symptoms of Covid-19,” he said. Continued …
Massive flight cancellations leave thousands of suitcases stranded at US airports
After a weekend of canceled flights and travel delays, storm-weary travelers in the U.S. found themselves facing yet another challenge – tracking down their lost luggage. In airports around the country, thousands of bags have piled up, waiting for their rightful owners to claim them. Continued …
Putin bans Russian oil exports to countries that impose price cap
President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday delivered Russia’s long-awaited response to a Western price cap, signing a decree that bans the supply of crude oil and oil products from Feb. 1 for five months to nations that impose the cap. Continued …
