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Today’s news: Paid parking at Chatchai starts/Banyan Golf Club changing name/Baht falls to three-month low/Higher temperatures this summer/Bangkok urges work from home/Thai woman seeks foreign couple/Update on COVID-19/Thailand faces surge in cancer cases/Fisheries shutdown begins/Thailand’s love-hate relationship with cannabis/Cannabis industry braces for earthquake/Economy: Clean energy development plan/Joint petroleum exploration in Gulf/To triple farm incomes/Mega aircraft deal/Minister threatens Thai Airways/Tourism: New Govt Tourist Insurance/Thailand and Australia visa waivers/British kayaker’s body recovered/2 million bookings predicted/International news/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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Re: New Hua Hin water rates

“The quality of the water supplied by the Tessaban is terrible…. and now they want to charge more for it!” – Paul

Paid parking at Chatchai Market starts today

Hua Hin has announced the implementation of parking fees in the Chatchai Market area, effective from today.

Dachanuchit Road, stretching from Phra Pok Klao Road to Phetkasem Road near Soi Hua Hin 72, adjacent to Chatchai Market and the site of Hua Hin’s night market, was inspected to establish designated parking zones as part of the municipality’s new ordinance to regulate parking and ensure the orderly collection of parking fees. Continued …

Banyan Golf Club to become Pineapple Valley

On March 1, Banyan Golf Club, chosen by golfers as the best golf club in Thailand, will unveil its new identity, Pineapple Valley Golf Club Hua Hin. This transformation reflects the club’s dedication to a distinct brand identity.

The new brand pays homage to the region’s rich heritage and the club’s history. Hua Hin is renowned for its pineapple farming, and prior to using it for the golf course, the land served as a pineapple plantation. This tropical fruit is synonymous with Hua Hin and Prachuap Kirikhan province and is still visible across the golf course. Continued …

Baht falls to three-month low as US inflation delays expected rate cut

The baht hit a three-month low against the U.S. dollar yesterday, slipping below 36 to the dollar. This was attributed to higher than anticipated U.S. inflation, which led the market to predict a delay in the Federal Reserve’s first interest rate cut, initially expected in May.

Quoting Kasikorn Research Center, the baht was valued at a low of 36.13 against the dollar before rising slightly to 36.07 to 36.09 baht. This is compared to Tuesday’s closing rate of 35.7 baht. Continued …

Meteorological department predicts higher temperatures this summer

Mae Hong Son, Uttaradit, Sukhothai, Tak and Udon Thani provinces will likely experience temperatures higher than 44 degrees Celsius during the upcoming summer, the Thai Meteorological Department said on Wednesday.

The department said this year’s summer will start in the last week of February and end by the end of May. Overall temperature throughout Thailand during the hot season will be higher than last year by 1-2 degrees Celsius, while the amount of rainfall will be lower than normal, it added. Continued …

Bangkok urges work from home amid rise in PM2.5

Levels of fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) soared in most Bangkok districts on Wednesday, prompting the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to call on state agencies and private organizations to allow their staff to work from home Thursday and Friday.

In an announcement signed by Bangkok Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt, the BMA encouraged 151 public and private organizations with 60,279 staff to work from home over those days. Continued …

Thai woman seeks foreign couple who rescued her mother from Chao Phraya River

A Thai woman took to social media to look for a foreign couple who saved her mother from drowning in the Chao Phraya River in the central province of Ayutthaya.

Recalling the event, Kornwipha Thongnoom explained that her 70-year-old mother went to a hospital for some follow-up treatment and waited for the boat at Chao Phrom Market Pier to return home. When her mother was boarding from a pier, she fell into the Chao Phraya River, which is very deep. Continued …

Update on COVID-19 in Thailand

We have now entered our fifth year since the first recognition of COVID-19. Overall, to date, 774 million cases and 7 million deaths due to this infection have been reported worldwide. Although we are past the worst phase of the pandemic, COVID-19 has not gone away.

Thailand is currently experiencing a significant surge in COVID-related hospital admissions, serious pneumonia cases, individuals needing support from a mechanical ventilator, and deaths. Continued …

Experts call for urgent action as Thailand faces surge in cancer cases

Despite making significant strides in medical technology enhancing diagnosis and treatment effectiveness, Thailand is still witnessing a concerning rise in new cancer cases.

Hence, experts are stressing an urgent need for proactive measures to combat the disease, focusing on early detection, access to high-quality treatment and palliative care. Cancer remains a leading cause of death in Thailand, with the National Cancer Institute’s 2022 report revealing approximately 140,000 new cases and some 84,000 deaths annually. Continued …

Fisheries shutdown begins in Gulf

The Department of Fisheries has announced the beginning of the annual rotational closing of the Gulf of Thailand to fishing until September.

The first part of the Gulf being closed to fishing is the Khao Mong Lai coast in Prachuab Khiri Khan to Don Sak district in Surat Thani from today until May 15. Then, from May 16 to June 14, Khao Ta Mong Lai to Hua Hin in Prachuab Khiri Khan province will be closed to fishing. Continued …

Is Thailand’s love-hate relationship with legal cannabis coming to an end?

Cannabis has soared in popularity among Thais since being removed from the narcotics list two years ago and launched into an almost unregulated market.

Estimates suggest the number of cannabis users in Thailand has rocketed 10 times to about 10 million – around one in seven people – since it became the first country in Asia to decriminalize the herb. However, the “ganja good times” could soon be over, with the Pheu Thai-led government pushing for a ban on recreational use. Continued …

Thailand’s ‘wild East’ cannabis industry braces for regulatory earthquake

Thousands of cannabis businesses in Thailand are bracing for major legal and regulatory changes as the country looks to curb adult-use sales and pivot the industry back to a medicinal market.

The government’s latest draft cannabis law looks to end a legal vacuum that unintentionally allowed the recreational marijuana industry to flourish after a 2022 decision to declassify the drug as a narcotic. Continued …

Clean energy development plan touted to lure foreign investment

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin reassured the business sector on Wednesday that his government was committed to developing sustainable clean energy to attract foreign investment.

However, during the transition from “brown” (polluting) energy to green energy, Srettha said the government would seek other energy sources – including gas from the overlapping claims area (OCA) in the Gulf of Thailand. Continued …

Thailand and Cambodia discuss joint petroleum exploration in Gulf

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin of Thailand and Cambodian counterpart Hun Manet have instigated discussions about the potential for joint petroleum exploration and production in the Gulf of Thailand.

The overlapping claims area (OCA), an area of 26,000 square kilometers that is believed to be rich in fossil fuels, is the focal point of these negotiations. The OCA is considered a high-potential petrol source due to its proximity to the Erawan and Bongkot gas blocks. Continued …

Agriculture ministry aims to triple farm incomes

The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has sought approval for next year’s fiscal budget of 411 billion baht, more than three times higher than the previous budget, based on the expectation it will triple farmers’ incomes within four years.

Chantanon Wannakejohn, secretary-general to the Office of Agricultural Economics, said on Wednesday that the ministry is seeking this amount for its short-medium and long-term plans to increase farmers’ incomes, as they are the largest group of workers in the country. Continued …

Thai Airways confirms mega aircraft deal with Boeing

Thai Airways International made headlines by sealing a monumental deal with Boeing, announcing an order for at least 45 aircraft.

The airline confirmed on Wednesday that the order, which includes options for additional jets, will see the new aircraft joining its fleet between 2027 and 2033. This strategic investment comes at a crucial time for Boeing, offering a much-needed boost following a recent accident on an Alaska Airlines flight that left the company under intense scrutiny. Continued …

Transport minister threatens Thai Airways Suvarnabhumi contract termination

Transport Minister Suriya Jungroongreangkit issued a warning to Thai Airways International (THAI) following a series of complaints about subpar ground services at Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

Speaking after a pivotal meeting with airport service operators, Suriya unveiled a roadmap for dramatic improvements or contractual consequences. “The ministry has been inundated with grievances regarding the dismal quality of ground services provided by several airlines and businesses.” Continued …

New Govt Tourist Insurance to Cover Deaths and Accidents

Thailand wants to make sure foreign tourists feel safe when they visit. The government has set aside money to help tourists who are hurt or who die in accidents while visiting the country.

Thailand gets a lot of money from tourists. The government wants to protect them so they keep coming back. In the past, there was a special fund to help tourists, but it ended. Continued …

Thailand and Australia to consider mutual visa waivers

Thailand and Australia have agreed to consider the possibility of introducing a mutual visa exemption scheme to facilitate travel and business activity between the people of both nations.

The proposal was raised during a meeting between Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and David Hurley, the governor-general of Australia, at Government House on Wednesday. Continued …

‘The Cave’ Diver Helps Recover body of British kayaker in Surat Reservoir

Yesterday, officials found the body of a British tourist who fell out of a kayak near Ratchaprapha Dam, Surat Thani Province, after spending more than three days, with the help of a diving teacher who had previously participated in the Tham Luang cave rescue operation.

Gowribalan Shanghaman, a 24-year-old British tourist, has been missing since the morning of Feb. 11, after falling from a kayak into the Ratchaprapha Reservoir (Cheow Lan Dam) in Khao Phang subdistrict, Ban Ta Khun District, around 500 meters from the pier. He wasn’t wearing a life jacket. Continued …

Thailand set to break records with 2 million bookings predicted

Thailand’s tourism industry is gearing up for a surge, with online travel platform Klook forecasting a staggering two million bookings for holiday packages in the Southeast Asian country this year.

Klook’s COO Eric Gnock Fah revealed that Thailand’s tourism sector is bouncing back ferociously, rivaling Japan’s impressive rebound on the platform, and outshining other Asian destinations. Continued …

Indonesia’s Prabowo claims victory in presidential election

Indonesia Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto declared victory in a presidential election on Wednesday after unofficial vote counts showed him with a huge lead that could see him win in a single round. Continued …

One dead, 8 kids among 22 shot at end of Super Bowl parade

In an unfortunate incident, eight children and 22 others were struck by gunfire during Wednesday’s parade celebrating the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory. Tragically, one person, identified as a DJ by her radio station, lost her life. Continued …