New Hua Hin-Suvarnabhumi bus schedule/Bangkok’s new train terminus renamed, to open Jan 19/Bt33M for new train station logo redesign and sign?/Property sector hopes for turnaround in 2023/ ‘New Year gifts’ for people in the Deep South/6,992 Drunk-Driving Cases Recorded in 6 Days/Road accidents kill 40 more people, holiday death toll climbs to 263/Devotees climb into coffins for Thailand’s strangest New Year ceremony/Embittered Thai craft beer brewers plead for justice/
Tourism: Post-Covid tourism plan gets green light/Health Minister Assures: No Lockdown when China Re-opens Borders/Chinese tourist surge unlikely this month/Thai hotels see positive growth as tourists start returning/Nearly 12 million foreign tourists visited Thailand last year/Indian tourists cancel Thailand trips after govt imposes Covid test/Cabinet to mull revised subsidy for domestic travel/Phuket focuses on foreigners causing motorbike accidents/New handbook on marijuana consumption for tourists in Thailand/Police arrest two Russians for begging on the streets of southern Thailand/
Covid: Beijing threatens response to ‘unacceptable’ virus measures/
International: Singapore explores underground space to protect nation against rising sea levels/Did a fourth-grader write this, or Chatbot?/
Links: Calendar of events/airport schedule/90-day online report/driver’s license/Market Village and Bluport cinemas

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New Hua Hin-Suvarnabhumi bus schedule

The VIP bus service schedule from Hua Hin to Suvarnabhumi Airport has been updated. In addition, a new Cha Am boarding location has been added in front of Government Savings Bank. The one-way fare in 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

The bus from Hua Hin to Pattaya departure time remains unchanged at 11am, at 473 baht.

Tickets

Bangkok’s new train terminus renamed, to open Jan 19

The Krung Thep Aphiwat Train Terminal, previously known as Bang Sue Grand Station, will be officially opened on Jan. 19, with the maiden Bangkok-Ayutthaya air-conditioned diesel train for tourists slated as the inaugural service.

According to the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), the first train will leave the station for Ayutthaya at 1.19pm, to be followed by another maiden service, the Bangkok-Sungai Kolok express train.

All 52 long-haul trains serving the southern, northern and north-eastern routes will be relocated from Hua Lamphong, Bangkok’s old main terminal, to Krung Thep Aphiwat Train Terminal. Continued …

Bt33M for new train station logo redesign and sign?

The Transport Ministry has ordered an investigation into a 33-million-baht contract for a nameplate and logo redesign of Bang Sue Grand Station after concerns were raised about the project’s cost.

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) signed the contract with Unique Engineering and Construction Plc (UNIQ) for the redesign project, which includes the installation of a new logo for the station and 24 three-meter-tall Thai letters.
The redesign follows His Majesty the King renaming the Grand Station “Krung Thep Abhiwat Central Terminal” in September. Continued …

Property sector hopes for turnaround in 2023

Thailand’s real estate sector did not fully recover in 2022, due mainly to the economic decline and the impacts of the Russia-Ukraine war, as well as higher inflation and interest rates. But while the expected recovery did not happen, the overall outlook gives new hope for 2023.

The improved CCI (Consumer Confidence Index), which has continued to rise for six consecutive years, currently stands at 47.9, the highest in 20 years, signaling that consumers’ spending confidence is back.

Another factor that has supported the property industry is the Bank of Thailand’s continued loan relaxation (loan-to-value: LTV), which is about to end. It has successfully encouraged customers with real demand to purchase property units. Continued …

‘New Year gifts’ for people in the Deep South

The Thai cabinet agreed yesterday to present “New Year gifts” to people in the Deep South. They include a free lunch program for children attending religious schools, nutritional food and vitamin supplements for mothers and their children, promotion of the learning of foreign languages, and development of language skills among students.

Another “gift” from the government is the promotion of the restive provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat and four districts in Songkhla as “the world’s Halal food and services hub.”

Deputy government spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek said the government intends to solve the nutrition problem among small children in the Deep South by providing nutritional food and vitamin supplements to about 46,000 mothers and young children. Continued …

6,992 Drunk-Driving Cases Recorded in 6 Days

There were 6,992 drunk-driving cases in six days and the country needed serious measures on the wrongdoers, according to the director-general of the Probation Department.

Weerakit Harnpariphan, director-general of the department, said courts ordered probation for 6,992 drunk-driving cases from Dec. 29 to Jan 3, 2023. They formed 96.1% of the 7,277 cases in which probation was ordered during the same period. Continued …

Road accidents kill 40 more people, holiday death toll climbs to 263

Road accidents on Monday claimed 40 lives, taking the total death toll in the first five of the so-called “7 dangerous days” to 263, the Road Safety Center said yesterday.

Boontham Lertsukhikasem, director-general of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department and secretary-general of the center, said 294 road accidents had occurred on Monday, which left 295 people injured and 40 dead.

The center has been monitoring road accidents since Dec. 29 and will keep a close eye on roads through today, when the New Year break wraps up. Continued …

Devotees climb into coffins for Thailand’s strangest New Year ceremony

Every New Year holiday, people pour into Wat Takian temple on the western outskirts of Bangkok to participate in a strange ceremony they believe will remove their bad luck and bring good fortune throughout the year.

Devotees of these spooky rites lie in open coffins with flowers and incense sticks clasped between their wai-ing hands, resembling corpses as they enter the crematorium.

Buddhist monks then chant prayers over the coffins while those inside devote the merit made to their deceased family members. Once the ceremony is completed, participants consider themselves reborn and freed from bad luck, ready to start their new year afresh. Continued …

Embittered Thai craft beer brewers plead for justice

With the onerous liquor laws that have let just a few large breweries dominate the market and have forbidden entry by small-scale newcomers for decades, Chiang Mai native Saksit Sanguanphon was forced to fulfill his dream to produce his own artisanal craft beer somewhere else. He went to Laos.

As it is for other Thai entrepreneurs, running a small-sized craft beer business is a struggle for Saksit. It all began with a long bus journey from Bangkok to Savannakhet almost a decade ago.

“I took a Nakhon Chai Air bus at 8pm from Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, slept over in Mukdahan and arrived in Savannakhet at six in the evening the day after,” Saksit recalls. Continued …

Post-Covid tourism plan gets green light

The cabinet yesterday approved a blueprint for tourism development over the course of the next five years, with a plan to push for Thailand to be among the world’s top wellness destinations among several ambitious goals.

Deputy government spokeswoman Traisulee Taisaranakul said the cabinet had approved its third national tourism development plan for 2023-2027.

The plan will serve as a guideline for relevant agencies at national and local levels to map out action plans for tourism development, Traisulee said. Continued …

Health Minister Assures: No Lockdown when China Re-opens Borders

The Thai Minister of Public Health announced yesterday Thailand will not implement lockdown or strict regulations in response to the easing of harsh travel restrictions that is soon to take effect in China next Sunday.

Anutin Charnvirakul told reporters that he has decided at a meeting with the Medical Affairs Committee that Thailand will not implement any specific measures against Chinese arrivals, as the country already has effective measures in place.

As for testing for the coronavirus, Anutin said it is “unnecessary,” adding if there is any medical issue, we leave it to the Department of Disease Control, which is responsible for disease prevention and surveillance, to determine the necessary measures without causing harm to the country’s economic system.” Continued …

Chinese tourist surge unlikely this month

An influx of Chinese tourists is unlikely during the coming Lunar New Year holiday, as not enough flights can be added in such a short time, while large tour groups are still awaiting an official announcement from the Chinese government, according to the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA).

ATTA President Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn said only small groups of friends and families are expected to travel when entry restrictions on the mainland are lifted on Jan. 8, as direct flights remain limited, with prices much higher than pre-pandemic rates of 10,000-20,000 baht.

“It is too soon to expect a massive Chinese flow in January, as seat capacity remains scarce,” said Sisdivachr. Continued …

Thai hotels see positive growth as tourists start returning

Hotels in Thailand expect occupancy rates to start picking up in the second half of this year, especially since travel has become easier and China will lift restrictions from Sunday.

The Hotel Business Operator Sentiment Study, conducted by the Thai Hotel Assn. and the Bank of Thailand last month, shows that most hotels expect their revenue to rise by 10%-30%.

The study, which covered 95 hotels, showed that most operators expect to welcome more guests this year. Continued …

Nearly 12 million foreign tourists visited Thailand last year

As many as 11.81 million foreign tourists visited Thailand last year, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said yesterday.

Thai and foreign travelers were expected to generate 1.5 trillion baht in tourism revenue for the country last year, TAT Gov. Yuthasak Supasorn said.

He said most foreign visitors last year came from Malaysia (1.95 million), followed by India (965,994), Laos (844,959), Cambodia (591,657) and Singapore (589,770). Continued …

Indian tourists cancel Thailand trips after govt imposes Covid test

The Thai Hotels Assn. last night reported that tourists from India are canceling trips to Thailand in droves after their government insisted that returning travelers produce a negative Covid-19 test before reentering the country.

The new mandate has come as a shock to Indian holidaymakers, as the rest of the world contemplates what to do with returning Chinese tourists. China announced last month it is reopening its borders to foreign travelers on Sunday, Jan. 8, and scrapping quarantine rules.

Thai Hotels Assn. Eastern Chapter President Sanphet Supbowornsathian revealed the Indian government’s decision to produce negative RT-PCR tests has left many travelers reconsidering holidays to Thailand. Continued …

Cabinet to mull revised subsidy for domestic travel

A revised subsidy scheme to stimulate domestic tourism is set to go before the cabinet meeting next Tuesday.

According to Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, the ministry is scheduled to propose a revised budget worth 4 billion baht, with half of the budget allotted to support the fifth phase of the “Rao Tiew Duay Kan” (We Travel Together) hotel subsidy campaign to promote domestic tourism.

Of the total budget, 2 billion baht would be allocated for the fifth phase of the We Travel Together campaign to promote domestic tourism for a total of 500,000 rooms, he said. Continued …

Phuket focuses on foreigners causing motorbike accidents

As Thailand sees the tail end of the dreaded “Seven Days of Danger”, where road accidents and death tend to spike over the new year holiday, officials in Phuket are focusing on the number of accidents involving foreigners on their roads.

At a briefing at the Phuket Provincial Hall, officials said that foreigners on holiday renting motorbikes and driving poorly or dangerously is a common denominator in the number of accidents reported on the island.

The briefing was delivered by the Chief of the Phuket Provincial Office of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation who went over the daily figures and discussed the issue with foreign motorbike drivers. Continued …

New handbook on marijuana consumption for tourists in Thailand

The Public Health Ministry has come up with a guide called “10 Things Tourists Need to Know about Cannabis in Thailand” to help clarify doubts over the newly decriminalized plant.

The English-language guide is necessary as Thailand is the first Asian country to legalize marijuana and will attract foreigners interested in consuming cannabis-related products, the ministry’s deputy permanent secretary Dr. Narong Apikulwanich said yesterday.

The guide has been published on www.moph.go.th, while authorities in tourist provinces have also been instructed to publish handbooks for tourists. The handbook will soon be translated into other languages, including Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Russian. Continued …

Police arrest two Russians for begging on the streets of southern Thailand

Thai police arrested two Russian men yesterday for begging on the streets of Surat Thani in southern Thailand. The men held signs saying they are fleeing war in Russia.

Surat Thani Immigration officers, tourist police officers, and officials from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security jointly arrested 36-year-old Evgenii Malakhov and 32-year-old Alexander Kulikov at the Glowing Garden Fair near the Naris Bridge. Continued …

Beijing threatens response to ‘unacceptable’ virus measures

The Chinese government sharply criticized COVID-19 testing requirements imposed on visitors from China and threatened countermeasures against countries involved, which include the U.S. and several European nations.

“We believe that the entry restrictions adopted by some countries targeting China lack scientific basis, and some excessive practices are even more unacceptable,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a daily briefing yesterday.

“We are firmly opposed to attempts to manipulate the COVID measures for political purposes and will take countermeasures based on the principle of reciprocity,” she said. Mao did not specify what steps China might take. Continued …

Singapore explores underground space to protect nation against rising sea levels

National water agency PUB will explore the use of underground space to defend Singapore against rising sea levels amid climate change and more intense rainfall. The agency said last Thursday that a study to assess the feasibility of using an underground drainage and reservoir system to combat inland and coastal flooding will start in 2023. Continued …

Did a fourth-grader write this, or Chatbot?

It’s hard to fully grasp the enormous potential of ChatGPT, a recently released artificial intelligence chatbot. The bot doesn’t just search and summarize information that already exists. It creates new content, tailored to your request, often with a startling degree of nuance, humor and creativity. Continued …