“Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.”
- Thailand and SE Asia ‘caught off guard’ by record heatwave/
- Hidden cameras at Monsoon Valley Vineyard showcase a wide variety of animals/
- Heavy rainfall to hit 54 provinces, Bangkok at risk of flash floods/
- Public healthcare system facing doctor shortage, workload concerns/
- Alleged cyanide serial killer faces highest number of charges in Thai history/
- Abandoned Dog Has Been Waiting for Her Owner for 2 Months/
- Economy: Sluggish commodity prices positive for core inflation/Government addresses agricultural sector climate risk/How climate-smart techniques are giving Thailand’s farms a boost/TPIPP to phase out coal-fired power generation by 2026/
- Tourism: Lisa puts Ayutthaya back on radar for TAT/Phuket: The Epicenter of Tourism Politics in Thailand/
- Thailand Experience: Expat News visits Phetchaburi wildlife rescue foundation/An exotic culinary journey featuring Thai rice/10 delicious Thai dishes you should try that aren’t pad Thai/
- International: World Bank revises global economic growth forecast/Wheat Prices Jump Following Bombing Of Major Dam In Southern Ukraine/10 billion global population unsustainable, says climate envoy Kerry/Arctic could be ice-free a decade earlier than thought/PGA Tour and LIV Golf merge to end golf’s ‘civil war’/
- 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
Thailand and SE Asia ‘caught off guard’ by record heatwave
Millions of Vietnamese workers, including drivers, street vendors, cleaners, builders, and farmers, who form the backbone of society, have been disproportionately impacted by the recent extreme heat wave in Southeast Asia. This region experienced its most severe heat wave on record, causing detrimental effects on the health and livelihoods of these individuals.
Typically, April and May are known as the hottest months in Southeast Asia, with temperatures rising before the monsoon rains provide some relief. However, this year witnessed unprecedented heat levels across the region, even in popular tourist destinations such as Thailand and Vietnam. Continued …
Hidden cameras at Monsoon Valley Vineyard showcase a wide variety of animals
A yellow-throated marten striking a pose. Click. A bird of prey spreading its wings. Click. A masked palm civet exploring under the cover of darkness. Click.
Hidden camera traps installed around Monsoon Valley vineyard near Hua Hin have revealed an abundance of wildlife. Continued …
Heavy rainfall to hit 54 provinces, Bangkok at risk of flash floods
Heavy rainfall and floods are expected to hit 54 provinces in Thailand, with a 70% chance of precipitation across the country, according to the Meteorological Department. Bangkok could face flash floods, while increased wave heights are predicted for the Andaman Sea today.
The Meteorological Department’s 24-hour forecast predicts heavy rainfall and thunderstorms due to a trough of a low-pressure area over the South China Sea, combined with a strong southwest monsoon covering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. Continued …
Public healthcare system facing doctor shortage, workload concerns
The Public Health Ministry has taken a close look at the reported shortage of physicians and the reasons behind the heavy workload of personnel in an attempt to improve conditions for all involved in the country’s healthcare system, including ensuring they enjoy a good work-life balance in the future.
Deputy Minister Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin noted that the shortage of personnel is across all healthcare professions, including physicians, nurses and radiologists. Continued …
Alleged cyanide serial killer faces highest number of charges in Thai history
The alleged Thai cyanide serial killer, Sararat “Am” Rangsiwuthaporn, faces 80 charges for the murders of 14 victims and the attempted murder of one surviving victim. This makes her the criminal with the highest number of charges in Thai history.
The deputy commissioner of the Royal Thai Police (RTP), Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn, today confirmed that the number of victims of the cyanide killer is 15, with 14 of them tragically losing their lives due to poisoning. Continued …
Abandoned Dog Has Been Waiting for Her Owner for 2 Months
An online social media account posted texts and pictures searching for the owner of a dog in Uthai Thani Province, 200 kilometers north of Bangkok.
The caption reads: “She has been waiting for 2 months for the owner to pick her up. The owner is her whole world. She’s been standing here all day for 2 months and not going anywhere. She is waiting. I am not sure if she was abandoned or fell out of the car. She is on the roadside of Ban Khao Pha Rad, Nam Rop subdistrict, Lan Sak district, Uthai Thani.” Continued …
Sluggish commodity prices positive for core inflation
The Ministry of Commerce said the domestic general inflation rate for May increased by only 0.53% year-on-year, the lowest level in the past 21 months, due to sluggish prices of petroleum, electricity, and food products. This figure is much lower than the 2.7% figure the financial market projected for May of this year.
According to Wichanun Niwatjinda, deputy director-general of the Trade Policy and Strategy Office (TPSO), the main reasons for this relatively low inflation rate are slow-moving prices of petroleum, electricity, and food products, combined with the low base price used for calculating the inflation rate in May. Continued …
Government addresses agricultural sector climate risk
The government has approved the draft of a financial instrument exchange program aimed at adapting to climate-change risks, particularly in the agricultural sector in the ASEAN region, as part of the moves toward environmental sustainability.
Resolutions related to environmental cooperation and adaptation to climate change, particularly in the agricultural sector, were approved at the Cabinet meeting on June 6, along with the exchange of a draft agreement concerning the implementation of the Innovative Climate-Risk Financing for the Agricultural Sector in the ASEAN Region (ICRFAAR) project. Continued …
How climate-smart techniques are giving Thailand’s farms a boost
Rain machines, water canals, and laser-leveling are some of the methods being adopted in Thailand in an effort to ensure the country has a more sustainable agricultural supply chain amid the global food crisis.
Triggered by climate change, conflict, and the COVID-19 pandemic, food agencies are warning that as many as 828 million people are now food insecure and that over 10 times more people are living in famine-like conditions compared to five years ago. Continued …
TPIPP to phase out coal-fired power generation by 2026
TPI Polene Power Plc (TPIPP), a leading waste-to-energy project developer and operator in Thailand, is set to continue its five-year capital expenditure plan of 14 billion baht. The plan, which began last year, aims to replace coal usage with renewable energy sources and increase the company’s power-generation capacity.
TPIPP has earmarked 3 billion baht for projects focused on reducing coal imports and eliminating coal-fired power generation by 2026, according to Worawit Lerdbussarakam, the company’s vice president. In 2021, coal accounted for half of the total electricity generation of 440 megawatts. By 2024, coal usage is projected to decrease by 30% to 150MW of the new total capacity of 502MW. Continued …
Lisa puts Ayutthaya back on radar for TAT
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has jumped at the chance to promote tourism in Ayutthaya after Lalisa “Lisa” Manoban from the South Korean girl group Blackpink, posted photos while visiting the old city of the World Heritage site on her Instagram account on Monday.
The starlet’s IG account (@lalalalisa_m) has 94.5 million followers. She visited several ruins and temples in Ayutthaya after the Blackpink World Tour Bangkok gigs on the last weekend of May. During her trip with close friends, they donned traditional dress, short-sleeve blouses and indigo tie-dyed, mud-fermented woven, a long fabric wrapped around the waist like a skirt. Continued …
Phuket: The Epicenter of Tourism Politics in Thailand
Tourism on Thailand’s most popular island has bounced back since the pandemic. Now, proposed visitor taxes and uncertainty around cannabis use are placing tourism high on the political agenda.
Almost two years have passed since Thailand’s then Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha personally greeted tourists arriving at Phuket International Airport. On July 1, 2021, during the dark days of Covid-19, he launched the Phuket Sandbox, the first coordinated attempt to rebirth tourism in Southeast Asia. Continued …
Expat News visits Phetchaburi wildlife rescue foundation
We had the opportunity to tour the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand facility in Phetchaburi recently. More about the foundation HERE.
WFFT currently houses more than 800 animals in 70 different species, including a cougar from Canada and a chimpanzee from Africa. The facility is huge, with concrete construction and metal cages prominent throughout, and extensive new construction underway.
They need the space, as they expect to add as many as 20 tigers and 20 leopards to the mix after a camp in northern Thailand closed. WFFT currently has 4 tigers and no leopards.
The tour provides excellent information on the animals and the facility; however, the tour does not use Thai translators, so Thais not knowing English gain zero knowledge from the visit. There also are no signs in Thai.
WFFT provides transport from Hua Hin for those interested. For tour information.
An exotic culinary journey featuring Thai rice
When one talks about Thai rice, the spotlight is not only on Hom Mali or Jasmine rice. Thailand’s fertile and abundant land has given the country’s rice a global reputation. Thailand is currently the second largest rice exporter, lending credence to its claims to be the “The kitchen of the world”.
Across the country, from the North down to the South, rice is a staple crop and plays an important role in the Thai cultural and gastronomical heritage. Continued …
10 delicious Thai dishes you should try that aren’t pad Thai
Thai food is known for its variety of signature ingredients, like lemongrass, ginger, lime, chili, garlic, pandan leaves, and coconut milk, which create distinctive combinations of sweet, salty, and spicy flavors.
While stir-fried noodle specialty pad Thai — undoubtedly delicious — is one of Thai cuisine’s most famous dishes, there’s so much more to try. In fact, did you know that Thailand is home to four distinct regional cuisines? Continued …
World Bank revises global economic growth forecast
A new World Bank report looking at global economic trends adjusts the projected expansion of the global economy this year to 2.1%, higher than the previously forecast figure of 1.7% in January but lower than the growth rate in 2022 of 3.1%. Continued …
Wheat Prices Jump Following Bombing Of Major Dam In Southern Ukraine
The bombing of a major dam in southern Ukraine sent global prices of wheat and corn higher early on Tuesday. Wheat prices gained 2.4% in early trading on Tuesday at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, to $6.39 a bushel. The cost of corn rose more than 1% (to $6.04 a bushel) and oats gained 0.73% ($3.46 per unit). Continued …
10 billion global population unsustainable, says climate envoy Kerry
U.S. special climate envoy John Kerry told AFP that the world’s population will not be tenable in 2050, when it is projected to hit nearly 10 billion, but refrained from asking Americans to give up steaks. Continued …
Arctic could be ice-free a decade earlier than thought
The Arctic Ocean’s ice cap will disappear in summer as soon as the 2030s and a decade earlier than thought, no matter how aggressively humanity draws down the carbon pollution that drives global warming, scientists said yesterday. Continued …
PGA Tour and LIV Golf merge to end golf’s ‘civil war’
The PGA Tour and DP World Tour announced on Tuesday that they have merged their commercial operations with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf and ended all litigation, bringing to a close the sport’s bitter two-year rift. Continued …
Hua Hin-Suvarnabhumi bus schedule
- Leaving Hua Hin: 6am, 8am, 10am, 11am, 12:00, 2pm, 4pm, 5:10pm, 6pm
- Leaving Suvarnabhumi: 7:30am, 9:30am, 10:30am, 12:00, 1pm, 2:30pm, 4pm, 5pm, 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 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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