Centara Grand Beach Resort Hua Hin celebrates 100th anniversary/Elephant Santas deliver presents at Thai school/Kindergarten students save up to buy blankets for the needy in northern Thailand/Foreigner in Thailand Cooks Christmas Feast for Street Dogs – video/January fuel tariff hike will raise product prices by 5%-12%, warns group/Why everyone is confused by khao soi being named the best soup in the world/Rescuers scouring Chumphon islands for missing HTMS Sukhothai sailors/Body found near spot where HTMS Sukhothai sank/Sunken Warship’s Life Jacket Found Near Koh Tao/Chula academics warn of challenges in shift to EVs/Thailand Legal Cannabis Market Size, Share and Trends Analysis/Weed’s next frontier is in Asia/
Tourism: Thailand welcomes nearly 11 million tourists this year/New Year celebrations not canceled yet, officials say/Khao San Road cancels Dec 31 ‘Countdown’ event/Bangkok 2023 countdown at Iconsiam still on/Foreigners donate blood after massive shortage due to foreigner mishaps/Outbound travelers surge to 3-year high/Could Thailand’s Southeast Coastal Gem Khanom Be the Next Koh Samui?/- Links: Airport schedule/90-day online report/driver’s license/Market Village and Bluport cinemas
Centara Grand Beach Resort Hua Hin celebrates 100th anniversary
Centara Hotels & Resorts is getting ready to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of its historic Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin, home of the original Raliway Hotel Hua Hin, with a month of spectacular events, exhibitions and entertainment lined up at the seaside retreat.
Festivities begin on Dec. 31 with the “Centenary Celebration: 100 Years of Memories”. The evening will feature retro tunes from the 1950’s–1980’s, entertainment, and midnight fireworks.
Events continue into January, highlights of which include the Silpakorn University String Orchestra, the return of the resort’s French buffet with a live performance by French tenor Yves Baron, and an art exhibition featuring the Railway Hotel throughout its history. – traveldailynews.asia
Elephant Santas deliver presents at Thai school
A group of mahouts, each dressed as Santa Claus, led a herd of elephants into a school in central Thailand on Friday to distribute Christmas gifts to students. Video https://www.nationthailand.com/world/40023384
Kindergarten students save up to buy blankets for the needy in northern Thailand
Kindergarten students in Chiang Rai province in northernmost Thailand saved up one baht every day for a year to buy blankets for people suffering in the cold weather this winter, especially those living at high altitudes in the province’s mountainous regions.
Teachers at Chiang Rai Kindergarten invited students to join a charitable project entitled “Doing 89 Million Good Deeds for the King” to develop their social skills and teach them the importance of sharing.
Each child, aged five to six years old, was encouraged to save up one baht per day for one year to buy blankets. The children were told the blankets would be donated to underprivileged people suffering from cold weather this winter. Continued …
Foreigner in Thailand Cooks Christmas Feast for Street Dogs – video
Over the next few days, people across the world will be tucking into their favorite food for Christmas – and why should our furry friends miss out on the fun?
A man in Thailand has gone viral online for celebrating Christmas with street dogs. Niall Harbison works to help stray dogs in the country, and posted videos online of him treating 100 to a real festive feast.
“Street dogs around the world have a hard life,” he began in the caption. “But this group of 100 here in Thailand today were made (to) feel very special. I was up at 4.30am to cook them the finest meal of their lives and people have been sending me toys from all over the world so I saved them up for today. Most of these dogs have never seen a toy in their lives. Continued …
January fuel tariff hike will raise product prices by 5%-12%, warns group
The fuel tariff (FT) increase in January will force manufacturers to raise product prices by 5%-12%, industry chiefs warned on Thursday.
The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) voiced concern after the government announced subsidies to soften the FT hike’s impact on household utility bills but prepared no such measures for business.
The January-April increase in FT will drive up the cost of electricity to 5.69 baht per unit, the JSCCIB said. Continued …
Why everyone is confused by khao soi being named the best soup in the world
TasteAtlas has named khao soi as the number one soup in the world, and the internet has so many questions. Us included. This is why many are confused by khao soi getting the #1 spot.
According to Cambridge Dictionary, a soup (n.) is a usually hot, liquid food made from vegetables, meat, or fish. What about Oxford? They describe it as “a liquid food made by boiling meat, vegetables, etc. in water, often eaten as the first course of a meal.”
That’s very understandable. When we think of soup, we think of liquid food. Most of the time it’s hot, but there are also cold soups, such as gazpacho and chilled soups. It can be sweet, sour, savory, salty, and made with vegetables, various kinds of meat, or sometimes even fruits. There are so many kinds of soups with different variations in every corner in the world, served in your homes or cafes, to fine dining. But one thing’s in common: they’re basically liquid food. Continued …
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Rescuers scouring Chumphon islands for missing HTMS Sukhothai sailors
The search for 23 HTMS Sukhothai sailors missing in the Gulf of Thailand resumed on Friday, as the Royal Thai Navy issued an update on their mission to probe the ship on the seabed.
The search mission for the sailors launched for a fifth day on Friday in the seas off Chumphon and Surat Thani provinces. The Navy also released the names of the missing personnel.
Rescuers are now checking islands and outcrops off Chumphon for any signs of the 23 sailors, who went missing when the Sukhothai sank in heavy seas about 20 nautical miles off Prachuap Khiri Khan on Sunday night. The vessel was knocked over and suffered an engine malfunction as it took on water. Continued …
Body found near spot where HTMS Sukhothai sank
Another body has been found floating near the spot where HTMS Sukhothai sank off Prachuap Khiri Khan, but the navy has yet to confirm whether it is one of its 23 missing sailors.
A search team on the HTMS Bang Rachan found the body around 4:15pm on Friday off the coast of Bang Saphan district, Royal Thai Navy spokesman Adm Pokkrong Monthatpalin said. Continued …
Sunken Warship’s Life Jacket Found Near Koh Tao
A life jacket from HTMS 442 Sukhothai that sank off Prachuab Khiri Khan on Sunday night was found floating near Koh Tao, almost a hundred nautical miles away, but no sailor seen nearby.
At 10.15 a.m., Surat Thani Gov. Wichawut Jinto was alerted about a life jacket not worn by a sailor being seen floating in the sea about 25 nautical miles from Koh Tao island.
Wichawut then instructed the officials to alert the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Center in Chumphon to instruct their officers based on this island to bring the item ashore and inspect it. Continued …
Chula academics warn of challenges in shift to EVs
The government and businesses must brace for new disruptions and challenges as Thailand shifts to the electric vehicle (EV) era, part of state efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, say Chulalongkorn University scholars.
At present, more than 60% of greenhouse gas emissions in Thailand come from the transport and power generation sectors, so businesses in these sectors need to adapt themselves as the government promotes more use of clean energy and zero-emission cars, according to the researchers.
Thailand’s consumption of fossil fuels is expected to peak in 2030, then decrease significantly as a result of the government’s renewable energy and EV development plans, said Weerin Wangjiraniran, a researcher at Chulalongkorn University’s Energy Research Institute (ERI) during a seminar on the impact of the carbon neutrality campaign yesterday. Continued …
Thailand Legal Cannabis Market Size, Share and Trends Analysis
The Thailand legal cannabis market size is expected to reach USD 9.6 billion by 2030 and is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 58.4% from 2022 to 2030
The growth is attributed to the rising usage of cannabis for recreational and medical purposes. Cannabis legalization has opened new revenue-generating opportunities for various industries in the country. The adoption of CBD oil and tinctures for treating various ailments like nausea, anxiety, and cancer, along with the rising prevalence of cancer are some of the significant factors boosting the industry’s growth.
The growing burden of chronic pain has also augmented the rise in the usage of CBD for treatments related to pain management, and thus, positively impacting the market growth. Various studies have shown positive outcomes of marijuana and its derivatives to treat symptoms of several chronic conditions.
For instance, it has been effectively used to treat patients dealing with chronic pain, nausea induced by chemotherapy, and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Hence, FDA and other government organizations are permitting marijuana derivatives for the prescription of several diseases. This is one of the key factors for the quick turnaround. Continued …
Weed’s next frontier is in Asia
Asia is beginning to warm up to the use of cannabis. Thailand legalized marijuana cultivation at home in 2022, while South Korea, Japan and Malaysia are paving the way for pharmaceutical applications. With the weed market estimated to be a $100 billion industry by 2026, according to research firm Prohibition Partners, regional businesses are preparing for demand from Asian consumers.
The Thai decision to remove cannabis from narcotics control lists is nominally to support its medical use, but this will naturally ease recreational consumption, which may boost international tourist inflows.
Renewable energy firm Gunkul Engineering committed 2 billion baht ($57.6 million) to building a new cannabis plantation and extraction facilities, local Thai media reported. Cannabis-leaf chicken leg snacks and cannabidiol-infused green teas made by Bangkok-listed Srinanaporn Marketingand Ichitan Group already line the shelves of local supermarkets. Continued …
Thailand welcomes nearly 11 million tourists this year
Tourist arrivals in Thailand could hit the 11 million mark before the year is through, according to the governor of the Tourism Author ity of Thailand (TAT), Yuthasak Supaporn.
Between Jan. 1 and Dec. 20, Thailand welcomed 10.9 million tourists from around the world, the governor said this morning.
With high season in full swing, Yuthasak said he expects tourist arrivals to reach 11.5 million before the year’s end. Continued …
New Year celebrations not canceled yet, officials say
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) backs New Year countdowns and celebrations going ahead as planned as long as the government does not order any cancellations.
TAT Gov. Yuthasak Supasorn said, at the moment, the TAT has not yet received any warning that an order of this nature is forthcoming after a number of provinces decided to downgrade their countdown events this year.
Neither the tourism minister nor Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had given any indication that events supported by private sector partnerships across 12 provinces were in jeopardy, he said. Continued …
Khao San Road cancels Dec 31 ‘Countdown’ event
Khao San Road in Bangkok became the latest high profile tourist venue to cancel their special “countdown” event on New Year’s Eve.
The street’s traders’ association chief Sagna Reuangwattanakun said he was responding to official requests to tone down celebrations. But he said businesses in the area would still be open on Dec. 31.
Instead of a big fuss, there would be a giant ball for tourists to take pictures with and live TV scenes from other places around the world celebrating New Year. – Sanook
Bangkok 2023 countdown at Iconsiam still on
Bangkok’s “Amazing Thailand Countdown 2023” at Iconsiam on New Year’s Eve has not been canceled, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) insisted.
TAT Gov. Yuthasak Supasorn said on Friday that no cancellation orders have arrived from the government or the Tourism and Sports Ministry.
“The ‘Amazing Thailand Countdown 2023’ focuses on happiness, hope and moving forward together to boost the country’s economy after it was hit by the pandemic for five years,” he said. – The Nation
Foreigners donate blood after massive shortage due to foreigner mishaps
Foreigners donated blood after a massive shortage of Rh Negative in Phuket due to increasing numbers of foreigners who have been involved in accidents.
The donations Thursday were held at the Central Floresta department store.
Dr. Weerasak Lorthongkam, the director of the Vachira Phuket Hospital, said, “In Thai people, there are only 0.3 percent who have special blood types. Continued …
Outbound travelers surge to 3-year high
The New Year holiday is expected to see 33,400 Thais traveling overseas every day, increasing from an average of 28,000, mainly driven by pent-up demand from years of the pandemic, says the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
TAT Gov. Yuthasak Supasorn said the number of Thai travelers was surging as many popular destinations have reopened with no restrictions.
Meanwhile, weaker foreign currencies against the baht were also helping the growing outbound market, he said. Continued …
Could Thailand’s Southeast Coastal Gem Khanom Be the Next Koh Samui?
The search for the next big resort destination in Thailand is an absolutely big ask. Thailand is an expansive country with 77 provinces and an amazing array of diverse geographical locations, Instagram-worthy aspects, and distinctly different nuances.
Out of this brazen travel chaos, the endearing term “same same, but different” was born and remains highly relevant.
Yet, one of the simple truths of emerging destinations remains the adage “you can’t stay there if you can’t get there”. Potential is one thing but reality bites when getting to it is just too painful for words.
Here in Thailand, one of my favorite places is Koh Samui. It marches to its own drum beat, and the vibe is undeniable. Still, access is never easy, the cost to get there is on the high side, and options for access are limited. Continued …
