- Thailand’s original beach resort is 100/
- Final weekend to see Phetchaburi salt piles/
- Temperatures soar, headaches rise/
- Thai Expert Explains High Electricity Bills in Thailand/
- Annual Covid-19 booster shots planned for Thailand this year/
- Chumphon beauty named this year’s Miss Grand Thailand/
- More than four-legged friends/
- Vote buying: The engine of corruption in Thailand/
- Police say 14 people are thought to have died in serial cyanide poisonings/
- Thai students recount dangerous escape from Sudan/
- Video: Station master praised for saving elderly woman’s life/
- Si Racha Badly Flooded With Some Cars Floating Away In Floodwaters/
- Gunfight erupts during wedding, 13-year-old boy injured in crossfire/
- Raid at a Pattaya hotel uncovers Indian gambling ring, 100 arrested/
- Karen villagers can return to Kaeng Krachan National Park/
- Thailand’s Economy: Thai Labor 2023 Survey: Increased Employment But Rising Debt/Wage hike pledges slammed/Thailand: Southeast Asia’s ‘weed wonderland’/All controls in place for cannabis use in Thailand: govt/From watermelon to weed: Thai farmers regret switching to cannabis as prices fall/
- Tourism: Asia Pacific’s tourism industry to surpass pre-pandemic peak in 2025/TAT offers half-a-million-baht holiday in travel blogging contest/Market report predicts boom in Phuket hotel industry in next decade/Thailand’s ‘Inspector Beagles’ can be a smuggler’s worst enemy/
- Thailand Experience: 15 Best Things to Do on Koh Tao/
- Links: Calendar of events/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
Thailand’s original beach resort is 100
All eyes were on the immaculately coiffed Cocoa as she slid from her lemon-colored sunlounger to strut beside the pool. Pausing to sniff the sea air, she unrolled a tiny pink tongue, and three more pomeranians bounded across, their owners trotting dutifully behind, waving treats and lining up photographs.
A lapdog pool party was probably the last thing I expected to see on a trip with my husband and two young daughters to Hua Hin. The original Thai beach resort is better known for attracting royalty and retirees, but as its oldest hotel turns 100, the resort town is out to prove that it’s still got it. And at the Standard, the newest luxury boutique hotel in Hua Hin, Instagramming is par for the course. Continued …
Final weekend to see Phetchaburi salt piles
Phetchaburi’s salt harvesting season comes to en end this weekend (May 6-8). The slat piles will be visible May 6-7, and the salt-carrying process starts May 8.
This is the last opportunity to witness the traditional salt harvesting for this season. Open from 7:30am to 5:30pm
Temperatures soar, headaches rise
Like other early birds, Dao Dul, 35, goes on duty at first light. For her, time is literally money. Her office is not a well-built weather-proof skyscraper. It is a makeshift cart that provides affordable dishes to hundreds of community residents from dawn to dusk.
It is not a long day, but the scorching summer is making her life unbearable. A couple of weeks ago, the city’s mercury peaked at 40°C. Continued ,,,
Thai Expert Explains High Electricity Bills in Thailand
Praiphon Koomsub, former dean of the Faculty of Economics at Thammasat University, explained an increase in the Thai power bills recently.
He said the increase actually started at the end of 2022, but people did not acknowledge it until March to April when the weather became significantly hotter, leading to an increase in electricity consumption and thereby a surge in power bills. Moreover, at the beginning of this year, the government adjusted the fuel tariff rate, which further increased the price. Continued …
Annual Covid-19 booster shots planned for Thailand this year
The Public Health Ministry in Thailand aims to make this year the first in which individuals receive annual Covid-19 booster shots, akin to the seasonal flu vaccine.
Deputy government spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek stated yesterday that Thailand must continue to monitor Covid infections, particularly after cases spiked twice last week due to the global spread of XBB.1.16, a substrain of the Omicron variant. Continued …
Chumphon beauty named this year’s Miss Grand Thailand
More than four-legged friends
Pets are often regarded as integral members of the family rather than merely animals. The pandemic led to a surge in pet ownership, resulting in unprecedented growth in the pet economy this year.
New independent companies have emerged offering a variety of products and services, with some adopting a collaborative approach by partnering with veterinarians to co-develop pet food and increase consumer confidence in their products. Continued …
Vote buying: The engine of corruption in Thailand
Vote buying can be a deciding factor in Thai elections at any level – whether for a village head, a local administrator, or a member of Parliament. And the upcoming general election on May 14 is no exception, according to analysts and even politicians themselves.
Many Thai election candidates have blamed their defeat on vote buying, while several election wins have been attributed to parties buying votes. Continued …
Police say 14 people are thought to have died in serial cyanide poisonings
Fourteen people are believed to have been fatally poisoned by a female Thai suspect being held in custody, 36-year-old “Srarat”, but police are currently only investigating 11 of the cases, according to Police Col. Anek Taosuparb, deputy commander of the Crime Suppression Division (CSD).
Arrest warrants have already been issued in three cases, including the case of a female victim named “Siriporn”, a police officer named “Nipa” and “Rotjarin”, a vegetable vendor. Continued …
Thai students recount dangerous escape from Sudan
A group of Thai nationals who arrived home this past weekend after escaping civil war in Sudan described their difficult journey out of the war-torn country that had them constantly on edge through sleepless nights as they passed through numerous checkpoints.
Speaking from Don Mueang Airport where they were welcomed by dignitaries, the president of the Thai Student Assn. in Sudan told reporters the fighting in Sudan was extremely intense, and it was challenging for them to travel without official permission. The student leader, named Yikasem, was among 78 Thai citizens who landed safely at the airport. Their flight was made possible by a 24-hour ceasefire. Continued …
Video: Station master praised for saving elderly woman’s life
Members of the public have heaped praise on the station master of Ban Song railway station in Wiang Sa district for saving the life of a 75-year-old woman with impaired hearing as she was about to be hit by a train on Sunday.
Security camera footage showed that at about 9.50am on Sunday, the woman was walking across a rail track while express train No 85 (Bangkok-Nakhon Si Thammarat) was entering the station. The woman was completely unaware that she was in danger. Continued …
Si Racha Badly Flooded With Some Cars Floating Away In Floodwaters
Three hours of heavy rain yesterday morning led to many areas of Chonburi’s Si Racha district being damaged, with cars seen floating away in floodwaters.
At around noon, reporters in this district said the torrential rain had also toppled trees, with some falling heavily on cars and damaging them. Continued …
Gunfight erupts during wedding, 13-year-old boy injured in crossfire
Yesterday, a confrontation between two groups of teenagers escalated into a gunfight at a wedding in Buriram Province. The incident left three villagers injured by stray bullets, including a 13-year-old boy in critical condition. Authorities are pursuing charges related to bodily harm and firearms law violations.
Police Lt. Col. Withisarn Aphornphong, superintendent of Prakhon Chai Police Station, led the arrest of a 21-year-old suspect known as “Bee”, along with a .38-caliber revolver, and an 18-year-old suspect known as “A” with a homemade shotgun. Continued …
Raid at a Pattaya hotel uncovers Indian gambling ring, 100 arrested
A combined police task force led by Major Gen. Kampon Leelaprapaporn, the Chonburi provincial police chief, executed a raid this morning on a prestigious 4-star hotel situated in Nong Prue dubdistrict, Bang Lamung District, Chonburi Province.
The operation was initiated after receiving intelligence regarding a substantial illicit gambling ring being operated within a hotel conference room. Continued …
Karen villagers can return to Kaeng Krachan National Park
An independent committee examining a land dispute between Karen villagers and authorities has granted approval for the villagers to return to Bang Kloy Bon if they wish.
The first solution suggested by the committee was to approve the desire of 732 Karen villagers to return to arable lands deep in the forest of Bang Kloy Bon in Kaeng Krachan National Park, their ancestral home. Continued …
Thai Labor 2023 Survey: Increased Employment But Rising Debt
On the occasion of National Labor Day today, Montri Mahaplerkpong, the vice chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), revealed the 28th FTI member survey (FTI poll) on the topic of “Industrial Sector Perspectives on Employment and Workforce Adaptation in the Future” in April 2023.
It was found that a majority of the FTI executives, 48.6%, believed that the current employment rate has returned to pre-COVID-19 levels. Meanwhile, 24.8% expected the employment rate to increase by 10%-20%, while 19.3% anticipated a decrease in the employment rate by 10%-20%. Continued …
Wage hike pledges slammed
As the country marks Labor Day today, activists have expressed concerns over campaign promises made by parties to abruptly raise the minimum daily wages to levels they believe are unrealistic. Continued …
Country’s labor challenges require a lot more than minimum wage pledges
Policies to improve the daily minimum wage for rural workers are hotly debated in the run-up to every election, with this year no exception ahead of the country’s first general election in four years on May 14.
The topic often creates some tension as the industrial sector sounds the alarm on unrealistic demands for wage hikes that hurt the entire consumption chain, while analysts urge the authorities to prioritize skills development. Continued …
Thailand: Southeast Asia’s ‘weed wonderland’
A new symbol has appeared in the kaleidoscopic jumble of neon signs that light up Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok’s most international street. The sudden ubiquity of the five-pointed marijuana leaf, in lurid green, announces the spectacular boom there has been in weed-related businesses in Thailand since cannabis was decriminalized last June.
Walk two kilometers east of the BBC office in Bangkok, and you pass more than 40 dispensaries, selling potent marijuana flower buds and all the paraphernalia needed to smoke them. Continued …
All controls in place for cannabis use in Thailand: govt
Thailand has clear laws governing the use of cannabis, government spokesperson Traisuree Taisaranakul said on Sunday. She made the remark in response to critics, who question the policy that was promoted by Bhumjaithai Party, which holds the public health portfolio.
She said the policy aims to offer cannabis as an alternative medical treatment and stimulate the economy. Continued …
From watermelon to weed: Thai farmers regret switching to cannabis as prices fall
When Thailand legalized cannabis for medical use in June 2022, thousands rushed to stake their claim, including small-time farmer Tukta Sinnin.
The 43-year-old pumped in nearly 500,000 baht (S$19,500) to grow more than 400 cannabis plants on her land in Nakhon Phanom, a northeast province by the Mekong River. Continued …
Asia Pacific’s tourism industry to surpass pre-pandemic peak in 2025
Travel experiences in Asia Pacific have returned to rapid growth since the region reopened borders for regional and long-haul travel. The industry – especially tour activities and attractions – is expected to surpass the pre-pandemic peak in 2025, according to research conducted by Arival Co.
The company released its new research findings ahead of its conference in Bangkok in June. Titled “The Outlook for Experiences 2019-2025”, the study forecasts that the industry will reach US$67 billion in 2024, and $75 billion in 2025. Continued …
TAT offers half-a-million-baht holiday in travel blogging contest
Ever wish you could holiday for a living – hopping from serene beaches to five-star city hotels? The Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT) is about to make that wish come true with its latest campaign to promote domestic tourism.
TAT is looking for 20 finalists to compete for the title of “Tourist of Thailand” by presenting their travel content, published on their own social media channels. Continued …
Market report predicts boom in Phuket hotel industry in next decade
Phuket should have 38 new hotels with 14,357 additional rooms on offer by 2032, the newly released Phuket Hotel Market Update 2023 report shows.
Phuket has been getting 260 flights daily and welcoming some 40,000 passengers per day since Thailand lifted all travel restrictions in October last year. This surge in arrivals has pushed the occupancy rate to 80% compared to 48% last year. Continued …
Thailand’s ‘Inspector Beagles’ can be a smuggler’s worst enemy
“Inspector Beagles” have been critical in efforts to deter the smuggling of meat into Thailand, the Livestock Development Department said.
In December of last year, Inspector Beagles foiled 17 attempts to smuggle meat into the county, leading to the seizure of 64.8 kilograms of illegal meat worth 32,995 baht, the department said. Continued …
15 Best Things to Do on Koh Tao
Koh Tao is one of the most beautiful islands in the Gulf of Thailand and a fantastic spot to get your beginner’s diving license. This tiny paradise is full of incredible things to do and see. Besides snorkeling and scuba diving, you can enjoy incredible viewpoints, sandy white beaches, and great party scenes – not to mention incredibly friendly locals! (Really? Three “incredibles” in one paragraph?)
Whether you plan to stay a few days or a few weeks, you’ll want to know all the best things to do on Koh Tao to make the most of your vacation. Start scrolling to plan your ultimate getaway! Continued …
Hua Hin-Suvarnabhumi bus schedule
- 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 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.
Hua Hin-Pattaya bus service twice a day
Hua Hin now has twice-daily bus service to Pattaya, leaving Hua Hin at 9am and 3pm, and departing 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
Hua Hin-Chaing Mai flight schedule through October
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