rainy season -

Move Forward MPs File Bill To Rid Senators Of PM-Picking Power/
General Prawit may emerge next week to clinch prime minister’s job/
Political experts see no path for Pita to become PM/
Business community hoping for a quick political resolution/
Bumrungrad International Hospital in Bangkok ranked among world’s best hospitals/
Tourism: Tourism sector anxious over possible protests in wake of failed PM vote/A beginner’s guide to the rainy season in Thailand/
Thailand Experience: The best things to do in Phrae/
International: Prolonged heatwaves grip US and Europe, raising health concerns/Israeli doctors reattach Palestinian boy’s head in pioneering surgery/Oil Prices Predicted to Recover Amidst Global Economic Rebound/
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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Move Forward MPs File Bill To Rid Senators Of PM-Picking Power

Move Forward MPs yesterday filed a renewed bill to put an end to the constitutional power of the military-appointed senators to pick a prime minister.

The Move Forward legislation was lodged in pursuit of amendment to Section 272 of the military-designed constitution to the extent that the senators be no longer empowered to vote for prime minister alongside the elected MPs. Continued …

General Prawit may emerge next week to clinch prime minister’s job

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, the leader of the Palang Pracharat Party, may emerge as a surprise new candidate for prime minister next Wednesday, with sources within the eight-party coalition increasingly concerned after Thursday’s polarized debate in parliament, that the avuncular party leader may gain the support of the 188 MPs in the House who voted against Pita and swing undecided senators to come in behind his bid, which could lead to him securing well over the 375 votes required under Section 272 to be legally confirmed as government leader.

On Friday, the day after the vote in Parliament which saw Pita Limjaroenrat fail to reach the minimum votes required, 375 in a joint session of Parliament to be elected Thailand’s 30th prime minister, the eight-party coalition behind him met to discuss its future strategy. Continued …

Political experts see no path for Pita to become PM

Many Thai experts and political analysts say that the Move Forward-led coalition may have to consider fielding a prime minister candidate other than Pita Limjaroenrat. They spoke on Friday, a day after Pita failed to win in the first round of parliament’s vote for prime minister.

Despite being the lone candidate, Pita was unable to secure majority support from parliamentarians, falling short of the 375 votes required. Continued …

Business community hoping for a quick political resolution

Whichever faction of parties comes together to form a new government, the business sector insists there is an urgent need to swiftly establish an administration.

Chookiat Ophaswongse, an honorary president of the Thai Rice Exporters Assn., said the likelihood Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat will become the next prime minister seems murky, and Thailand’s political situation could be tense for a while. Continued …

Bumrungrad International Hospital in Bangkok ranked among world’s best hospitals

Newsweek and Statista, a news magazine and a website for statistical information, recently published the World’s Best Hospitals list, ranking 250 of the top global hospitals. Bumrungrad International Hospital, in Bangkok, ranks 182nd overall, with a 93% score, while the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, is the top-ranked hospital.

The result is a good sign for Thailand’s plans to make the country into a global medical and wellness hub by 2026, which is expected to generate more employment, boost investment, and contribute to various related businesses, as well as promoting alternative medicine. – Pattaya Mail

Tourism sector anxious over possible protests in wake of failed PM vote

Yesterday’s political fiasco, where Pita Limjaroenrat failed to become PM despite his party winning the most votes in the general election, has left Thailand’s tourism sector on edge.

The risk of political protests if Pita Limjaroenrat fails to secure the votes needed to become PM in round 2 or 3 of voting (on July 19 and 20) is worrying tourism operators. Continued …

A beginner’s guide to the rainy season in Thailand

If you’re planning to pay a visit to Thailand when the rainy season is in full swing, these are the things you need to know.

Those of us who live in Thailand know that every year we alternate between enduring the scorching heat and the eventual torrential downpour and the floods that go along with it. Sure, there’s the extremely brief sweet spot where it’s cold (kinda), but other than that, it’s either hot or wet. Continued …

The best things to do in Phrae

Eat, Phrae, Love. It’s seems distracting, disrespectful almost, to admit to myself just how often the words slip through my mind on the sticky streets of Phrae.

Yes, the pronunciation of Phrae shimmies over the h and half notices the r. So it kind of sounds like pray. But that’s really where the similarity ends with the novel about a woman who sets out to travel the world to forget about her problems. Continued …

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Prolonged heatwaves grip US and Europe, raising health concerns

A prolonged heatwave prompted an urgent warning by the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) for over 115 million citizens. Notably, the city of Phoenix, Arizona, has endured consecutive high temperatures over 43 degrees Celsius for 13 days, with signs of breaking a record of over 18 days of consecutive heat, starting Tuesday, July 18. Continued …

Israeli doctors reattach Palestinian boy’s head in pioneering surgery

In a remarkable medical achievement, Israeli physicians have successfully performed a reattachment operation on a child’s head, following a collision with a vehicle while he was cycling that left him with an almost severed neck. The pioneering surgery was conducted at a hospital in Jerusalem. Continued …

Oil Prices Predicted to Recover Amidst Global Economic Rebound

The average price of ICE Brent crude oil in the second quarter of 2023 (April 1-June 30) remained stable at $77.75 per barrel, indicating tighter supply in the market compared to the previous quarter. Continued …

UPDATED! Hua Hin-Suvarnabhumi bus schedule

Leaving Hua Hin: 6am, 8am, 10am, 11am, 12:00, 2pm, 4pm, 5:10pm, and 6pm
Leaving Suvarnabhumi: 7:30am, 9:30am, 10:30am, 12:00, 1pm, 2:30pm, 4pm, 5pm, and 6:30pm

The one-way fare is 325 baht.

The VIP bus service from Hua Hin to Suvarnabhumi Airport has a new Cha Am boarding location in front of Government Savings Bank.

UPDATED! Hua Hin-Pattaya bus service twice a day

Hua Hin now has once-daily bus service to Pattaya, leaving Hua Hin at 9am and departing from Pattaya at 8am. 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