rajanee sripaipan -

Food Carnival at Market Village through April 16/
Old Days Festival at Bluport this weekend/
Hua Hin Red Cross Fair starts Friday/
Choking Chiang Rai locals protest as PM2.5 soars to 11 times safe level/
Return of Russian, Chinese buyers sparks Phuket real estate boom/
Report: People in Thailand spend too much time on their backsides/
Thai beer crusader faces 750K baht fine for posts about craft brewing/
PTT Oil and Retail plans 500 new EV charging stations/
Amcham scholarship applications open/
Rajanee Sripaipan: Physician treats children — and their children/
Tourism: TAT raises expectations for Chinese visitors this year/Bangkok governor bans alcohol, water guns, powder during Songkran/Improved language skills needed to boost medical hub goals/Foreign tourists attack restaurant staff in Payong/Police in Bangkok Warn of Pickpockets at Popular Markets/Foreign thieves preying on tourists at Suvarnabhumi Airport arrested/Indian man overstays visa in Thailand by 2,048 days/
International: In inflation-hit Germany, massive strike over pay to cripple transport/Ukraine gets new heavy tanks, Russia doubles down on nuke plans/Europe’s biggest economy moves closer to weed legalization/
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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Hua Hin Red Cross Fair starts Friday

The Red Cross Festival returns March 31-April 9 on Soi 102 behind BluPort Hua Hin. The event features numerous food booths, OTOP shops, entertainment, games and entertainment.

Proceeds go to helping the poor, the handicapped and the underprivileged.

Choking Chiang Rai locals protest as PM2.5 soars to 11 times safe level

Northern Thailand once again topped the world pollution rankings on Monday, with Chiang Mai registering a high of 287 micrograms of PM2.5 dust per cubic meter (μg/m3) but Chiang Rai hitting 542 μg/m3.

Chiang Mai retained its No 1 spot as the world’s most polluted city on the IQAir global index, which does not feature Chiang Rai. Thailand’s safe limit for PM2.5 – fine-dust pollution linked with early death from heart and/or lung conditions – is 50μg/m3. Continued …

Return of Russian, Chinese buyers sparks Phuket real estate boom

Independent real estate agent and consultancy Knight Frank sees strong demand for property in Phuket, due to the return of Russian and Chinese buyers, driving prices up by 15%-20% in some areas.

Nattha Kahapana, managing director of Knight Frank Thailand, said at a press briefing on Monday titled “Knight Frank Foresight 2023: It’s time to look beyond the crisis” that the return of demand was clearly seen during the fourth quarter of last year. Continued …

Report: People in Thailand spend too much time on their backsides

People in Thailand spend too much time sitting on their backsides, a new study reveals.

The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) revealed that 76% of Thai people spend seven hours or more sitting down, underlining the need for the nation’s population to get off their arses and engage in more physical activity to improve their health and well-being. Continued …

Thai beer crusader faces 750K baht fine for posts about craft brewing

A Thai advocate for reforming alcohol laws faces prosecution and hefty fines for posting photos of craft beer in recent years.

One week after Thanakorn “Benz” Tuamsa-ngiam hosted a large gathering of like-minded beer fans, the activist has been charged with illegally promoting alcohol via his online community for Prachachon Beer (“Beer People”). He now faces a fine of at least THB750,000 (US$22,000). Continued …

PTT Oil and Retail plans 500 new EV charging stations

Oil and gas retailer PTT Oil and Retail Business Plc on Monday said it plans to invest $900 million this year to expand its local and overseas business.

PTT Oil and Retail, a unit of the state-owned energy giant PTT Plc, said 22% of the budget would be used to expand its network of gas and electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. Continued …

Amcham scholarship applications open

The American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand Foundation (ATF) is now accepting applications for its 2023 scholarship program.

Each year, the ATF selects deserving Thai university students to complete their studies through targeted scholarships. This year, the foundation aims to provide 85 scholarships to deserving students and expand the program to include vocational colleges. Continued …

Rajanee Sripaipan: Physician treats children — and their children

Dr. Rajanee Sripaipan has been a pediatrician in the Copper Country for nearly 50 years. She treats sniffles, saves little lives, and everything in between.

Sripaipan hails originally from Bangkok, Thailand. After receiving her medical degree from Mahidol University Faculty of Medicine there, she came to the United States to do an internship at Highland Park General Hospital in suburban Detroit and a residency in pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Michigan. Continued …

TAT raises expectations for Chinese visitors this year

The target for inbound Chinese tourists this year has been upgraded to 6-7 million from 5 million, with more than 250,000 of them scheduled to visit Thailand in April, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

Tanes Petsuwan, TAT deputy governor for Asia and the South Pacific, said the Chinese market has grown every month since the mainland lifted travel restrictions in January. Continued …

Bangkok governor bans alcohol, water guns, powder during Songkran

Bangkok Gov. Chadchart Sittipunt said preparations are underway to celebrate Songkran next month, but a quadruple ban is being imposed, including no sale and consumption of alcohol, using high-pressure water guns, smearing powder and wearing revealing clothes.

Speaking after chairing the executive board meeting on the upcoming traditional Thai New Year festival, Chadchart said events are being held at the City Hall square during April 12-14. Continued …

Improved language skills needed to boost medical hub goals

Thailand’s wellness and medical sector is already at a phenomenon level; all it needs is to develop skilled medical professionals with language capabilities, said Timothy Lertsmitivanta, the chief executive officer of Thonburi Wellbeing Co.

“Thailand is very well known for hospitality, and it has established a medical hub in Asia and is leading the way in Southeast Asia,” he said. “We already have strength in hospitality tourism and wellness.” Continued …

Foreign tourists attack restaurant staff in Payong

A group of foreign tourists is being sought by the police after they assaulted staff at a restaurant in Soi San Sabai around 1am this morning. According to reports, the tourists, who are believed to be Jordanians and at least one Egyptian, were drunk, agitated and unruly when they were asked to queue properly.

They started throwing water bottles and attacked Thai staff before fleeing the scene. Continued …

Police in Bangkok Warn of Pickpockets at Popular Markets

Police in Bangkok visited the Chatuchak Market this past weekend to ensure tourist safety after many tourists reported that items were stolen from their bags by clever pickpockets.

The Bangsue Police led by Police Chief Col. Puwadon Ounpoe said the inspection came after recently there had been many reports of thieves stealing from tourists’ bags by cutting them loose or pickpocketing while the tourists were shopping in the market and nearby, especially foreign tourists. Continued …

Foreign thieves preying on tourists at Suvarnabhumi Airport arrested

The director of Suvarnabhumi Airport, along with airport and tourist police, have announced the arrest of three members of a Mongolian gang preying on foreign and Thai tourists at the airport. There are many victims of the gang and several gang members are still at large.

The traveling public has been warned about taking care with their possessions as security is stepped up at Thailand’s largest airport. Continued …

Indian man overstays visa in Thailand by 2,048 days

Immigration police arrested an Indian national in Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand, found to have overstayed his visa by 2,048 days (more than five and a half years). Police believe he is part of a call center gang.

The police stopped 38-year-old Jatinder Singh – who resides in the Na Jomtien area of Sattahip district – outside of the Ocean Marina Yacht Club and asked to see his passport, but Singh said he had lost it. Continued …

In inflation-hit Germany, massive strike over pay to cripple transport

A massive strike in Germany was set to begin early Monday, crippling mass transport and airports in one of the biggest walkouts in decades, as Europe’s largest economy reels from soaring inflation. Continued …

Ukraine gets new heavy tanks, Russia doubles down on nuke plans

Germany and Britain have delivered Western heavy tanks to Ukraine, officials said Monday, providing a key infusion of armored firepower that will aid Kyiv’s battle against invading Russian troops. Continued …

Europe’s biggest economyps://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2537335/ukraine-gets-new-heavy-tanks-russia-doubles-down-on-nuke-plans moves closer to weed legalization

Germany could be weeks away from introducing a bill to legalize cannabis under sweeping reforms that would greenlight the consumption and sale of the drug in Europe’s largest economy. 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