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Today’s news: New airline eyes Hua Hin/Keeping pets safe/I moved to Thailand/New mobile banking curbs/Expedites waterway upgrades/Can AI help Thailand’s overworked doctors?/48,000-Plus Running For Senator/Antiviral therapeutics ‘need bigger push’/Vice mayor gunned down/Foreigners behaving badly/Economy: Thailand’s real estate industry/Property sector likely to see uptick/Demand for condos, branded residences/Economic stimuli in the works/Toll on manufacturing index/Pride Month to generate billions/Thailand to ask Israel for higher labor quota/Tourism: High-speed rail link/Assessing Phuket’s Readiness/Phuket expects Bt400-billion bonanza/Thailand Experience: June festivals and events/International news/Climate Thailand: Today’s Thai environmental news https://climatethailand.com/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

New airline with prop planes eyes Hua Hin for domestic flights

Ezy Airlines has announced its plans to expand air travel to and from Hua Hin and across southern Thailand. The airline aims to begin operations in the third quarter of 2025.

The airline held a press conference at Centara Grand Beach Resort to unveil its first aircraft and outline its vision for enhancing connectivity in the region. Continued …

Keeping pets safe

Due to the unusually high temperatures this year, people are not the only ones suffering, as pets also have difficulty dealing with hot weather. Recently, a viral video of a French bulldog collapsing because of heat stroke raised concerns.

The owner of the dog told media over the phone that she had let the dog out to urinate. After the dog returned, it was panting and then collapsed and had seizures. She later took the dog to see a vet and it was said to have suffered from heat stroke. Continued …

I moved to Thailand, and can’t picture ever returning home to Scotland

A friend recently said that living in Southeast Asia was akin to winning one of Willy Wonka’s golden tickets. And it’s impossible to dismiss a long list of advantages that include the cuisine, cultural heritage, diverse landscapes, low cost of living, and generally friendly, laid-back hosts.

There are trade-offs, including terrible air quality, horrendous traffic congestion, and temperatures that veer toward the inhumane. But on the plus side, I get sun-kissed winters, palm-fringed beaches, and a less stringently regulated existence. Continued …

Mule accounts targeted with new mobile banking curbs

The telecom regulator says access to mobile banking accounts where the names of the account holders and phone subscribers are different will require case-by-case permission, as a clampdown begins on the use of mule accounts by fraudsters.

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission said on Monday the government had a policy to stop banking service access from mobile phones that were not registered in the name of the mobile bank account holder. Continued …

Government expedites waterway upgrades

The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives is moving to expedite the waterways improvement project, which it planned to honor His Majesty the King’s sixth cycle anniversary, which falls on July 28, government spokeswoman Kenika Ounjit said yesterday.

Under Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Thamanat Prompow, she said, the ministry is overseeing 72 projects to mark His Majesty’s 72nd birthday this year, which include dredging 24 irrigation canals and 21 reservoirs across the country, as well as the construction of 27 new water sources and irrigation systems. Continued …

Can AI alleviate the burden for Thailand’s overworked doctors?

Thailand’s universal free healthcare system may be the envy of many in the Asia-Pacific region, but it is overworking staff and doctors, and forcing medical workers to leave the industry as entrepreneurs turn to technology for solutions to ease the caseload burden.

With little triaging of illnesses or minimal health education for the public, hospitals and clinics are swamped with patients with minor illnesses who severely tax an under-resourced public medical system, according to the entrepreneurs. Continued …

48,000-Plus People Nationwide Running For Senator

A total of 48,117 people nationwide have applied to run for senator in next month’s unprecedented, complicated race to parliament, an official of the Election Commission said Saturday.

Against earlier predictions of as many as 200,000 people contesting the senatorial election next month, only 48,117 have applied since last Monday until yesterday, the polling agency’s official said. Continued …

Antiviral therapeutics ‘need bigger push’

Experts say antiviral therapeutics need to be an investment priority if another pandemic were to happen in the future, due to the possible length of time a vaccine takes to develop.

Sharon Lewin, infectious diseases expert and physician from the University of Melbourne, said that although the time it took to develop the Covid-19 vaccine was extraordinarily brief, the next pandemic may come with more difficulties and vaccines may not emerge in such a short time. Continued …

Vice mayor gunned down in ambush on Pattani highway

In a brazen attack on Phetkasem Road, the vice mayor of a tambon administrative organization (TAO) in Khok Pho district, Pattani province, was brutally murdered by suspected insurgents Friday evening.

Witnesses reported that 57-year-old Nan Kongsomboon was ambushed by two men on a motorcycle as he was returning home after tending to his cattle. The assailants, believed to be insurgents, lay in wait by the roadside before launching their deadly assault. They opened fire, killing Nan instantly, and made off with his handgun. Continued …

Email link – kenbrown@businessclassasia.com

Belgian National Arrested in Killing and Burning of Fellow Countryman – Continued …
Chinese fugitive running luxury scams in Thailand arrested – Continued …
Foreign nationals arrested after bike rampage on Koh Samui – Continued …
Belgian Expat’s Illegal Pawn Shop Busted in Phuket – Continued …
Physical Altercation Between Guards and Customers in Pattaya – Continued …

An overview of Thailand’s real estate industry

Thailand’s real estate industry is a significant sector, with diverse opportunities for investment and growth. The market is segmented into residential, office, retail, hospitality, and industrial properties, with major cities like Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, and Hua Hin being key locations.

The Q1 2024 Thailand property market presents a complex outlook with both positive and cautious indicators. Let’s take a closer look at the main factors affecting the current market and potential future scenarios: Continued …

Property sector likely to see uptick in Q2 or Q3

Thailand’s real-estate sector continued to languish during the first quarter of this year and expectations are that the second quarter is unlikely to see any major improvements amid continued tightening of the loan-to-value ratio by the Bank of Thailand and the more than 50% rejection rate of mortgage loans by the commercial banks in the country.

ThepProperty sector, which Patchara Klinchuanchun sector analyst at Krungsri Research estimates accounted for about 10% of Thailand’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2022, is a major driver for economic growth of the country, but subdued sentiments on the state of the economy going forward, coupled with over cautious banks, has all led to a slowdown in the economic activities in the sector. Continued …

Demand for condos, branded residences in Phuket and Pattaya surges

All roads are leading to Phuket and Pattaya for the real estate sector these days, driven by the purchasing power of tourists who have been pouring into Thailand since the Covid-19 situation eased.

Phuket’s rapid recovery in 2023 brought in 388.017 billion baht in tourism revenue from a total of 11,300,498 tourists. Its situation has been enhanced by the government’s plans to enhance Phuket’s potential, including infrastructure development for transportation along the Andaman coast. Continued …

Economic stimuli in the works

A number of short-term economic stimulus measures will be tabled at a meeting of ministers in charge of the economy called by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin today, in an effort to boost the country’s lackluster economic performance in the first quarter of the year.

Thailand’s economy grew only by 1.5% in Q1 of 2024, according to figures released by the National Economic and Social Development Council last week. Continued …

Low consumption, high household debt take toll on manufacturing index

Thailand’s Manufacturing Production Index (MPI) has dropped for 18 consecutive months due to a decline in consumption amid high household debt, the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) said on Sunday.

Federation Chairman Kriengkrai Thiennukul said the MPI in March this year was 104.06, down 5.13% year on year, with a capacity utilization rate of 62.39%. Continued …

Pride Month to attract thousands, generate billions of baht

Many events to celebrate this year’s Pride Month are expected to attract more than 860,000 people and generate more than 4.5 billion baht in revenue, government spokesman Chai Wacharonke said on Sunday.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand is working with private agencies on hosting events to celebrate Pride Month nationwide. Continued …

Thailand to ask Israel for higher labor quota

Labor Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn plans to ask Israel to raise its quota for Thai workers during his four-day official visit to the Middle Eastern nation.

Phiphat is scheduled to visit Israel from May 26 to 29 at the invitation of the Israeli government. He and other top officials at the ministry will meet Israel’s labor, agriculture and interior ministers to negotiate for an increase in the number of Thai workers allowed into Israel. Continued …

High-speed rail link between three airports to start this year

The high-speed rail project connecting Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi, and U-Tapao airports is set to kick off later this year, following a revised agreement between the state and project developers.

Anan Phonimdang, deputy governor of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), confirmed that the SRT’s board has acknowledged the agreement. The Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Policy Committee and the Cabinet will review the matter to ensure the state benefits from the project. The notice to proceed (NTP) is anticipated to be issued by the end of the year. Continued …

Assessing Phuket’s Readiness for the Tourism Boom

Phuket’s tourism boom is undeniably impressive, yet it raises important questions about whether the island is prepared to handle such a surge sustainably and effectively. Here are some key aspects that need to be considered:

Airport Capacity: With significant increases in daily arrivals, Phuket International Airport must manage the influx smoothly. Potential upgrades in terminals, baggage handling, and customs processing may be necessary. Continued …

Phuket expects Bt400-billion bonanza in 2024

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is confident that tourism revenue in Phuket this year will reach at least 400 billion baht, reporting that more than 3.6 million tourists visited the resort island in the first quarter.

Lerdchai Wangtrakoondee, director of the provincial TAT office, on Saturay told the media that the number of tourists coming to Phuket from January to March increased by 30% compared to the same period last year. Continued …

Severe turbulence leaves 12 injured on Qatar Airways flight

A Qatar Airways flight struck severe turbulence over Turkey, injuring 12 people on board, before landing as scheduled in Dublin on Sunday. One man recalled the plane dropping for several seconds, sending food flying around the cabin, while others described a sense of panic and fear on the plane. Continued …

UN estimates over 670 People Died in a Massive Papua New Guinea Landslide

The International Organization for Migration on Sunday increased its estimate of the death toll from a massive landslide in Papua New Guinea to more than 670, as emergency responders and traumatized relatives gave up hope that any survivors will now be found. Continued …

India Prepares For Severe Cyclonic Storm In Coastal Areas Near Bangladesh

India’s Kolkata airport will suspend flight operations from midnight Sunday (May 26) for 21 hours after a storm over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a severe cyclonic storm, airport authorities said. The cyclonic storm is expected to cross Bangladesh and India’s West Bengal coasts around midnight Sunday, the India Meteorological Department said in a statement. Continued …

Today’s Thai environmental news

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