Tuesday’s News-July 11 -

Pak Nam Pran to host Allianz Ayudhya World Run Nov 26/
Outgoing Thai PM found guilty of neglect of duty over PM2.5 pollution/
Expect heavy rain in 42 provinces including Bangkok/
El Nino will expose Thailand’s lack of defense against climate change/
Thailand braces for 150,000 dengue fever cases/
Missing German Businessman Hans Peter Mack Found Dismembered in Freezer/
Overpass Bridge in Bangkok Collapses, Multiple Fatalities and Injuries Reported/
Survey shows progress in adolescent births, worrying trends in education, child development/
University sets its sights on tackling Thailand’s food waste problem/
Economy: Thailand’s foreign direct investment skyrockets with focus on EV industry/Fitch affirms Thailand’s sovereign credit rating at BBB+/PTT puts renewable strategy into overdrive/How small businesses in Thailand can thrive with the rise of Web3 technologies/Thai rice exports poised to hit 9 million tons amid climate anxieties/
International: Myanmar crisis to dominate ASEAN meeting/Turkey gives green light to Swedish NATO membership bid/Germany sends troops to Australia as Berlin shifts focus to Indo-Pacific/
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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Pak Nam Pran to host Allianz Ayudhya World Run Thailand Series Nov 26

The Allianz Ayudhya World Run Thailand Series 2023 will be held near Hua Hin in November and registration is now open.

The event takes place over two days, with a mini-concert and bib collection taking place on Nov. 25 ahead of the actual race on Nov. 26. The run will see participants compete over distances of 10km or 21.1km. Continued …

Outgoing Thai PM found guilty of neglect of duty over PM2.5 pollution

The Chiang Mai Administrative Court ruled against the prime minister and the National Environmental Board yesterday for neglecting their duty to deal with the annual dense smog in Chiang Mai.

Both defendants were found to have ignored their duties as stipulated in the Enhancement and Conservation of National Environmental Quality Act, B.E. 2535 (1992). Continued …

Expect heavy rain in 42 provinces including Bangkok

The Thai Department of Meteorology has alerted residents in 42 provinces to expect heavy rainfalls, including in the capital, Bangkok, with 70% of the southern region particularly affected. Citizens are cautioned to take necessary precautions to avoid potential hazards.

This 24-hour forecast, valid from 6am today to 6am tomorrow, is due to a southwest monsoon prevailing across the Andaman Sea, Thailand, and the Gulf of Thailand. Continued …

El Nino will expose Thailand’s lack of defense against climate change

Although the rainy season has begun in Thailand, the threat of prolonged drought and water shortages is hovering on the horizon because of El Nino.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which monitors sea temperatures at over 200 locations, forecasts that El Nino – a change in the weather system that increases global temperatures – will drag on from now until at least February next year. Continued …

Thailand braces for 150,000 dengue fever cases

Health authorities in Thailand issued a warning about a potentially significant outbreak of dengue fever in the country. Predicted figures from the Department of Disease Control (DDC) suggest that up to 150,000 instances of infection may occur by year-end.

Opas Karnkawinpong, the permanent secretary for public health, yesterday confirmed that this year has already seen a significant rise in dengue cases, with numbers exceeding 30,000 and resulting in 33 fatalities. Dr. Opas was speaking at a seminar titled “Dengue: Effective Action for Treatment and Prevention,” held at Rajavithi Hospital. Continued …

Missing German Businessman Hans Peter Mack Found Dismembered in Freezer

The body of missing German businessman Hans Peter Mack, 62, was found in a rental home in Pattaya last evening and was confirmed early this morning, around 12:30 AM by Banglamung officials.

Mack’s body was found in a large freezer in a rental home in the Chokchai Garden Home 1 Village in Pattaya, which police targeted following reviewing leads they had been investigating throughout the last 24 hours and CCTV that showed the freezer being transported in a black pickup truck by what appeared to be foreign nationals. Continued …

Overpass Bridge in Bangkok Collapses, Multiple Fatalities and Injuries Reported

An under-construction overpass bridge located at the On Nut-Lat Krabang Road in Bangkok collapsed near dusk yesterday evening, killing at least two people and injuring eight more.

Wisanu Subsompol, deputy governor of Bangkok, said the under-construction bridge appeared to have flipped over while significant traffic was in the area under the bridge construction. Continued …

Survey shows progress in adolescent births, worrying trends in education, child development

The largest national survey on the situation of children and women in Thailand, released on Monday by the National Statistical Office (NSO) and UNICEF, shows improvement in many areas, such as breastfeeding, adolescent birth rates and less violent discipline used against children at home.

However, it also reveals worrying trends in early childhood development, education, nutrition, and child marriage. Continued …

University sets its sights on tackling Thailand’s food waste problem

With food waste in Thailand continuing to increase due to excessive sales and over-purchasing, Thammasat University has stepped in with a plan to counter the climate-damaging methane gases polluting the atmosphere from decomposing organic matter in landfills.

According to Dr. Racha Thepsorn, lecturer at the university’s Department of Science and Technology, the food waste situation is becoming more severe, with Thailand generating 17 million tons of food waste in 2022 alone. Continued …

Thailand’s foreign direct investment skyrockets with focus on EV industry

Investment attraction to Thailand has seen a remarkable surge in the first half of this year. The nation registered a 70% year-on-year increase to an impressive 364 billion baht, according to the Board of Investment (BoI).

This boost, particularly contributed by an astonishing 141% soar in foreign direct investment, serves as a testament to Thailand’s status as a preferred manufacturing hub for international firms. Continued …

Fitch affirms Thailand’s sovereign credit rating at BBB+

Fitch Ratings has affirmed Thailand’s sovereign credit rating at BBB+ with a stable outlook, citing external strengths, GDP growth and recovery of the tourism sector as the key rating factors, while also pointing out structural constraints.

Thailand’s ratings balance its strong external finances and sound macroeconomic policy framework against weaker structural features, such as lower per capita income and World Bank governance scores, compared with its BBB category peers, the report noted. While ongoing political uncertainty weighs on Thailand’s credit profile, this may be partially alleviated in the near term after the Thai parliament agrees on a new prime minister. Continued …

PTT puts renewable strategy into overdrive

National oil and gas conglomerate PTT Plc is stepping up efforts to use more renewable power and further develop its hydrogen fuel business, part of a move to grow the company in a sustainable manner.

PTT’s current plan is to produce 12 gigawatts of electricity from renewable sources and limit power generation from fossil fuels to 8GW by 2030, but this target will be upgraded to better reflect the company’s clean energy campaign, said Cherdchai Boonchoochauy, senior executive vice-president for innovation and new ventures. Continued …

How small businesses in Thailand can thrive with the rise of Web3 technologies

The Internet has radically changed over the past 30 years, becoming increasingly visual and massive. As we approach the next generation of the Internet, known as Web3, iStock a leading ecommerce platform, revealed new research to help SMBs and SMEs in Thailand navigate the impact new technologies are having on people across the globe, especially as consumers continue to prioritize their personal well-being.

According to iStock’s visual research platform, VisualGPS, over the past year, people in Thailand and the rest of Southeast Asia are placing greater focus on regaining more balance and control in their lives, with 64% (versus 54% globally) expressing that a successful life is one which my physical, mental and emotional needs are being met. Continued …

Thai rice exports poised to hit 9 million tons amid climate anxieties

Thailand stands on the cusp of a hugely promising year in terms of rice exportation, which, forecasts suggest, could reach up to 9 million tons. Making the most of a climate-induced market fervor, the Thai industry anticipates shipping masses of what is an integral commodity to many.

The increase in demand is believed to be rooted in anxieties about the potential fallout of the El Niño weather phenomenon. Continued …

Myanmar crisis to dominate ASEAN meeting

Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met in Indonesia today, with Myanmar’s deadlocked political crisis expected to dominate discussions. Continued …

Turkey gives green light to Swedish NATO membership bid

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday agreed to forward to parliament Sweden’s bid to join the NATO military alliance, appearing to end months of drama over an issue that had strained the bloc as war has raged in Ukraine. Continued …

Germany sends troops to Australia as Berlin shifts focus to Indo-Pacific

Germany will, for the first time, send troops to Australia for joint drills with some 30,000 service members from 12 other nations, underlining Berlin’s increased focus on the Indo-Pacific amid rising tensions with China in the region. 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