phang nga turtles -

Hua Hin Old Days Festival March 31-April 2/
Credit Suisse’s trouble could trigger new global financial crisis, Thai experts warn/
SET allays concerns among investors over banking problems/
European stocks rebound as Credit Suisse grabs lifeline/
6 Bangkok eateries make Asia’s 50 best restaurants 51-100 list/
In Phang Nga, 165 baby sea turtles hatch and venture into the sea/
Don’t whiten teeth with nail polish’ Thai medical technologist warns/
Chiang Mai property market to soar/
Hunt for missing tube of radioactive cesium intensifies in Thailand/
Top conditions that can be treated with medical cannabis in Thailand/
Tourism: Risks, Questions, Advice When Traveling Internationally For Healthcare/Pattaya Mayor Says Songkran Is Fully On This Year/Koh Samui needs more direct flights to boost post-pandemic recovery/Thai AirAsia boosts flights from Chiang Mai to 6 international destinations/Swedish and Brazilian overstayers busted in Surat Thani/
International: Hyundai becomes world’s third-largest carmaker/Chilling past of world’s biggest brain collection/
Links: 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

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Credit Suisse’s trouble could trigger new global financial crisis, Thai experts warn

Thailand’s most powerful business lobby group – the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry, and Banking – on Thursday said it is confident the Thai banking sector will not be affected by recent bank failures in the United States and liquidity problems at Credit Suisse, but warned that the situation should be closely monitored, as it could be the start of a new financial crisis.

The impact on Thailand of Credit Suisse’s liquidity problems and the failures of America’s Silicon Valley and Signature banks is not currently a major concern, Kobsak Duangdee, secretary general of the Thai Bankers’ Assn., told a media briefing on Thursday. The association is a member of the joint standing committee.

The Bank of Thailand (BOT) regulates banks more strictly than it did before the Asian financial crisis of 1997, and most Thai banks have little exposure to the Swiss bank or the two U.S. banks that failed, Kobsak explained. Continued …

SET allays concerns among investors over banking problems

The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) yesterday rushed to ease concerns after a plunge in Credit Suisse shares, reigniting worries about a possible banking crisis.

The Thai bourse, following a significant rebound on Wednesday in line with other regional markets, was down by nearly 1% in the morning session and the losses deepened in early afternoon trade.

“We insist the plunge of the SET index is caused by external factors, not internal issues,” SET President Pakorn Peetathawatchai told a press briefing yesterday. Continued …

European stocks rebound as Credit Suisse grabs lifeline

European stock markets rebounded slightly on Thursday after troubled banking giant Credit Suisse secured a big financial lifeline and before a crucial interest-rate decision by the European Central Bank.

Frankfurt, London and Paris won modest gains, a day after plunging about 3.5% over fears about the health of Credit Suisse and the wider banking system following the implosions of two U.S. lenders.

The euro advanced against the dollar ahead of the ECB’s rate decision due on Thursday. Oil prices dipped slightly after plunging to their lowest levels in 15 months on Wednesday. Continued …

6 Bangkok eateries make Asia’s 50 best restaurants 51-100 list

Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants has announced the list of venues voted between positions 51-100, created from the votes of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, an influential gender-balanced group of over 300 leaders made up of food writers, critics, chefs, restaurateurs and regional culinary experts.

• Spanning the region, the 51-100 list includes restaurants from 17 cities
• Hong Kong leads with eight places, including three new entries
• Tokyo is represented by six restaurants, including three new entries
• August, Jakarta is the recipient of the American Express One To Watch Award, and enters the list at No.95
• Singapore and Bangkok both have six establishments each
• Shanghai claims four spots on the list
• Kuala Lumpur, Seoul and Mumbai are represented by three restaurants each Continued …

In Phang Nga, 165 baby sea turtles hatch and venture into the sea

In a heartwarming event, 165 baby hawksbill sea turtles hatched and ventured into the sea in Phang Nga on Tuesday. A mother hawksbill sea turtle had laid a total of 190 eggs on Jan. 15 this year. The successful hatching of the baby turtles took place at Chong Khao Kad Bay in the Mo Ko Surin National Park. (thethaiger.com)

Don’t whiten teeth with nail polish’ Thai medical technologist warns

A Thai medical technologist is warning people not to whiten their teeth with nail polish.

A popular Facebook page, Doctor Lab Panda, warned against using nail polish to whiten teeth due to the dire health risks associated with it. Medical technologist Pakphum Dejhassadin, who runs the page, cautioned the public against the practice.

He said that some make-up artists still use nail polish to whiten teeth, particularly in beauty contests. He explained that nail polish contains many harmful substances, including carcinogens, and should never be put in the mouth. Continued …

Chiang Mai property market to soar

The Chiang Mai property market is set for a major upswing, driven by the tourism resurgence and an influx of Chinese buyers after their country reopened its borders.

Predikorn Buranupakorn, chief executive of Ornsirin Holding, a property developer in Chiang Mai, said the company is confident the province’s real estate market will see a robust uptick this year. Continued …

Hunt for missing tube of radioactive cesium intensifies in Thailand

The hunt for a missing tube of dangerous radioactive material continued in Prachinburi, after the Thai province issued a Level 2 disaster alert.

The tube of cesium-137 was discovered missing from a coal-fired power plant in Sri Maha Pho district, 160km east of Bangkok, last Friday.

Management of the National Power Plant 5A Co. plant said the tube was taken from the facility three weeks ago, on Feb. 23. Continued …

Top conditions that can be treated with medical cannabis in Thailand

With the recent legalization of cannabis in Thailand, more and more people are becoming aware of the medical benefits of cannabis. Medical marijuana, or medical cannabis, derived from the cannabis sativa plant, has been found to provide relief from symptoms associated with a variety of medical conditions.

The plant contains several active compounds, including THC and CBD, both of which have been extensively studied for their potential health benefits. Let’s explore some of the medical conditions that medical cannabis can effectively treat.

1. Cancer-Related Symptoms

Cancer treatment can cause a range of symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite. Medical cannabis can help alleviate these symptoms and improve the patient’s quality of life. Research has demonstrated that CBD, a non-psychoactive compound found in cannabis, can reduce nausea and vomiting. Continued …

Risks, Questions, Advice When Traveling Internationally For Healthcare

Medical tourism is the term to describe international travel for the purpose of receiving medical care. It’s a worldwide, multibillion-dollar market that continues to grow.

Millions of people travel internationally for medical care each year. Some of the reasons are lower cost, recommendations from friends or family, the opportunities to combine medical care with a vacation, a preference for care from providers of the traveler’s culture, or to receive a procedure or treatment not available in the home country.

Negative reports of infections and other threatening complications and bad jobs in other countries demonstrate that medical tourism is  risky. Continued …

Pattaya Mayor Says Songkran Is Fully On This Year

It was already expected after several planning meetings recently, but the Pattaya Mayor’s social media accounts has confirmed the news that will please many bars and tourism businesses, as well as eager hordes of tourists, but likely frustrate some expat readers who despise the event.

After three years of Covid restrictions, and four years in total since the last non-traditional-only Songkran in 2019, the Thai New Year and the famous water fights return.

This means those wanting to avoid the water have a warning well in advance and those planning trips and holidays for Songkran have the reassurance that, unlike prior years, the famous, but polarizing, water fights will be allowed. Continued …

Koh Samui needs more direct flights to boost post-pandemic recovery

The Koh Samui Tourism Assn. chief is urging authorities to enhance the island’s tourist infrastructure and increase flight capacity to boost a full post-pandemic recovery of the popular holiday resort.

Association President Ratchaporn Poolsawadee revealed that only 70% of independent hotels with three- or four-star have resumed operations following the pandemic. This is due to slow cash flow in comparison to hotels operated by international chains. In some cases, resuming hotel operations can cost as much as starting a new business. Continued …

Thai AirAsia boosts flights from Chiang Mai to 6 international destinations

Low-cost carrier Thai AirAsia will soon boost flights daily from Chiang Mai Airport in northern Thailand to six international destinations, including Hanoi and Da Nang in Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

Flights will run to these Asian tourist hotspots every day starting Sunday, March 26.

The budget airline is celebrating the boost in flights with a Songkran (Thai New Year) promotion for tickets bought via the AirAsia Super App. Continued …

Swedish and Brazilian overstayers busted in surat Thani

A Swedish man and a Brazilian man were busted in south Thailand’s Surat Thani province for overstaying their visas in Thailand this week.

Surat Thani Immigration officers arrested the Swedish man in Koh Samui, on Chaweng Beach Road in front of Central Samui, in the Pho Phut subdistrict. The man, 34-year-old Christopher Tony Setfors, overstayed his visa by 75 days. The officers brought Setfors to Bo Phut Police Station to face overstaying charges and await further legal proceedings.

Officers arrested the Brazillian on Monday at Surat Thani Hospital in the Markham Tia subdistrict of the main city district. The man, 64-year-old Pinto Adilson Brasileiro, overstayed his visa by 10 days. Continued …

Hyundai becomes world’s third-largest carmaker

Hyundai Motor Group has become the world’s third-largest carmaker in terms of sales, an impressive feat after more than two decades when, in 2000, the South Korean auto giant made it to the global top 10 list. Continued …

Chilling past of world’s biggest brain collection

Countless shelves line the walls of a basement at Denmark’s University of Odense, holding what is thought to be the world’s largest collection of brains. There are 9,479 of the organs, all removed from the corpses of mental health patients over the course of four decades until the 1980s. Continued …

Hua Hin-Suvarnabhumi bus schedule

The VIP bus service from Hua Hin to Suvarnabhumi Airport has a new Cha Am boarding location in front of Government Savings Bank. The one-way fare is 325 baht.

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

Hua Hin-Pattaya bus service twice a day

Hua Hin now has twice-daily bus service to Pattaya, starting Feb. 19. The bus leaves Hua Hin at 9am and 3pm, and departs 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