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Major food events to take place in Prachuap and Cha Am in September By Online Reporter File photo Foodies – you’ve got some serious eating to do over the next few weeks. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1270132-major-food-events-to-take-place-in-prachuap-and-cha-am-in-september/

File photo Foodies – you’ve got some serious eating to do over the next few weeks. Two major food events will take place in the region in September. On Thursday (Aug 26), the newly appointed Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Phetchaburi, Ms. Erblarp Sripirom announced the hosting of the annual “Eating Hoi, Fishing Squid @ Cha-am Year 2022″ event. The week-long event will take place at Cha Am viewpoint between September 10-17 and will feature more than 50 vendors, including from famous local restaurants and hotels. Visitors will be able to eat delicious seafood and shellfish dishes and there will be a walking street where various locally made items and goods will be on sale. Full story: https://www.huahintoday.com/hua-hin-news/major-food-events-to-take-place-in-prachuap-and-cha-am-in-september/ -- © Copyright Hua Hin Today 2022-08-27 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

Fire in downtown Bangkok destroys six houses - but no death or injury Picture: Siam Rath Siam Rath reported that the Lumpini police received a report of a fire in the Kulap Daeng community in Soi Plookjit 1, the so-called Bon Kai area off Rama 4 Road in downtown Bangkok last night. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1270131-fire-in-downtown-bangkok-destroys-six-houses-but-no-death-or-injury/

Picture: Siam Rath Siam Rath reported that the Lumpini police received a report of a fire in the Kulap Daeng community in Soi Plookjit 1, the so-called Bon Kai area off Rama 4 Road in downtown Bangkok last night. Fire and rescue services raced to the scene of the blaze that spread to many one story properties at a fast rate. Picture: Siam Rath Due to the narrow soi and a lack of natural water it was 40-45 minutes before the fire was brought under control, said the media. Six rental properties were destroyed but there were no reports of death or injury. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-08-27 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more! Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information Picture: Siam Rath

Huge python dangling from tree in downtown Bangkok - netizens comment in droves Daily News Thai caption: Appearing in downtown Bangkok Daily News credited a Facebook post by a woman called "Paeng Manrai Y." who posted pictures of a huge snake dangling from a tree in a soi leading up to the BMA offices in Din Daeng, downtown Bangkok. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1270130-huge-python-dangling-from-tree-in-downtown-bangkok-netizens-comment-in-droves/

Daily News Thai caption: Appearing in downtown Bangkok Daily News credited a Facebook post by a woman called "Paeng Manrai Y." who posted pictures of a huge snake dangling from a tree in a soi leading up to the BMA offices in Din Daeng, downtown Bangkok. Paeng said be careful especially to motorcyclists and went with a hashtag that translated as #hairstandingup. She then posted another picture saying that yesterday it was a mummy python, today was it's middle sized child. Needless to say Bangkokians were commenting in droves on the sight of a huge snake - or even two - in their midst. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-08-27 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more! Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

Lest we forget: Post-Covid there are still other serious viruses - like HIV - in Thailand OPINION | by Rooster Firstly, on behalf of ASEAN NOW Rooster would like to thank the many posters who dug deep in their pockets after we published a story about a 17 year old girl in Chainat who is living with HIV. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1270129-lest-we-forget-post-covid-there-are-still-other-serious-viruses-like-hiv-in-thailand/

OPINION | by Rooster Firstly, on behalf of ASEAN NOW Rooster would like to thank the many posters who dug deep in their pockets after we published a story about a 17 year old girl in Chainat who is living with HIV. Nong Jaa lives with her 79 year old granddad, her mum is dead and her dad in prison. She was infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus in her mother’s womb. Most seriously, she has suffered stigma and bullying from her so-called friends and peers. Despite being dirt-poor she still has a dream to go to university and make a success of her life. Thank you to those who posted about their donations and I’m sure many who hid their light under a bushel. It’s heartwarming that we have a forum that cares not just about foreigners but Thai people. Strangely, as far as HIV goes, Jaa is actually one of the lucky ones. She is clearly on ART(antiretroviral therapy that is widely available for free to Thai nationals in Thailand) which means she can look forward to a normal lifespan so long as she takes care of her health and persists with daily meds. HIV is a chronic but highly treatable condition these days. Her case is a timely reminder that despite daily cases of Covid still being 30,000 or so it is not very serious for the vast majority of people, and even less so for those who have been jabbed and received boosters. On the other hand, viruses like HIV, if left untreated, can in time be fatal for the majority. Latest UNAIDS figures in 2021 suggest that 520,000 people aged 15 and over have HIV in Thailand made up of 220,000 women and 300,000 men and just a couple of thousand children. The prevalence among the general population is about 1.2%, slightly lower in women and slightly higher in men. This means that at least one in a hundred people you see - next to you on the BTS, on the next table at the restaurant - are infected. The reality as NGOs point out is that many people do not know their HIV status. These, unlike Jaa, are the ones most at risk. They can lose their health and develop AIDS all because they are in denial or haven’t taken a test for free or 200 baht. People with HIV are everywhere, they are not only bar girls and gays, though their behavior if not protected can make them more vulnerable. Equally vulnerable are wives and girlfriends of men who frequent sex workers without condoms. However, it’s important to note that anyone who is sexually active can become infected with HIV. In the mid 1980s fear about AIDS was rife in Thailand and many believed that the country with its huge sex industry both for tourists but especially for Thai men, was a ticking time bomb. In those days there was no treatment and getting HIV was seen as a death sentence. Rooster’s doctor at the time - a famous guy affectionately called Dr Dick who had a clinic on Sukhumvit - was puzzled as to why he’d had no HIV cases. Bangkok Post columnist Bernard Trink even called it a hoax, something that was disgraceful and ultimately ended with him being sidelined at the paper. Anecdotal evidence suggested that bargirls who catered to foreigners were more likely to insist on condom wear, more likely to have customers who were better educated and who would comply with bargirl requests for safe sex. Indeed, many NGOs centered their campaigns on Patpong, Nana and Soi Cowboy handing out free condoms and believing they could make a difference there. As life saving drugs came in in the 1990s and were further developed after the turn of the century fears about the decimation of the sex industry subsided. Thailand’s health authorities also embarked on a public health plan that reached many with plenty of drugs produced locally by the GPO (Government Pharmaceutical Organisation). A key family planning and safe-sex advising minister even had his name associated with a Thai slang term for condom - the “Mechai”. Rooster, like many, was ignorant about HIV/AIDS. Young and carefree, I preferred not to think about it. What an idiot. Back in 2004 my international school was contacted by a lady who was just an ordinary middle class Thai woman. She wanted to talk to our older pupils in the sixth form to warn them about unprotected sex. She had HIV. Because she couldn't speak English I was chosen to talk to her and translate when she appeared in a theater for what was an unforgettable afternoon. I hope it changed lives because for me it did. I needed to do research because the things she told me meant little - like CD4 or t-cells that fight infection. A site called thebody.com in the US was fascinating. Her overriding message was that while HIV was becoming treatable it was far better to avoid it in the first place. Our students' lives and attitudes were enhanced, it was a moving and worthwhile experience though I never kept in touch with the lady. These days ART treatment with frontline drug cocktails means that most people who take the daily meds - on the hour once or twice a day - have what is called an undetectable viral load. This means that though it is known the person has the virus it is in such low quantities that their prognosis is, to quote a pun, very positive! Indeed in 2012 something called the “Swiss Declaration” by a group of doctors declared that people with an undetectable viral load were not even infectious. This is now completely accepted - you can’t get HIV from an infected person on successful treatment. Numbers infected in Thailand continue to drop but NGOs warn of dangerous behavior particularly among youth who were not around in the 1980s. The problem - and why Jaa who knows her status is luckier than many - is UNAIDS figures that suggest only 80% of HIV-ers in Thailand are on ART therapy despite it being free and available everywhere. The 20% that aren’t are in grave danger, not to mention the many more people in denial who have not even been tested. In my view everyone who is sexually active should get a test in Thailand. It is far better to know than remain in ignorance. One of my best friends I shall call Dr D. He has specialized in HIV treatment at top Bangkok hospitals for 30 years. He has 400 regular patients, many of them foreigners. He’s proud to say that most of his patients look after their health with regular checks and adhere to drug regimens. His message is to know your status, if testing positive do something about it immediately, if not look after your health and protect yourself against HIV anyway. He told me that foreigners who must pay for their treatment in Thailand could get drugs for as little as $400 a year at a place called the Anonymous Clinic run by the Red Cross near Chulalongkorn Hospital. Thailand has no restrictions on entry to HIV-ers, unlike several countries around the world. The US effectively barred entry until the enlightened Barack Obama struck down some Bush era nonsense. In Thailand there are laws in place to protect people’s anonymity and it is illegal to ask anyone to take a test for a job placement. Firms still do and should be reported. But while Thailand’s medical community and those aware of their HIV status can consider themselves enlightened, the kind of stigma, bullying and rejection felt not just by vulnerable children like Jaa but by many adults in Thailand, is deplorable. Although perhaps more prevalent in the villages than in a place like Bangkok, prejudice exists to this day and is often cited by NGOs in Thailand for stopping people getting tested or revealing their status if they actually catch HIV. My advice to my many readers whether you are sexually active or have seen better days, is to know your HIV status. It could be the best thing you’ve ever done. And also to spare a thought for people like Jaa who have been dealt a rough hand in Thailand for something that is far from their fault as is humanly possible. HIV-ers don’t need sympathy though Jaa’s poverty and struggles do. What HIV-ers need is understanding and acceptance. And a complete end to pathetic stigma and ignorance. Update: Thai Rath reported late Thursday after just a day of the appeal that 948,000 baht had been donated. What a great result for a hard working and deserving young lady. Also issues of how the donations would be managed (by a committee of trustees) and the question of bullying at the school were addressed by teachers and the school director. There was no doubt about the biggest story in the Thai news this week. After Rooster’s plea last week to removal firms, Thailand’s Constitutional Court stepped up to the plate and temporarily suspended Prayut Chan-ocha as PM. The court is still to decide later whether he has exceeded his eight year terms. Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan became caretaker. He took no time in settling in, mainly thanks to having accurate watches. Whether Prayut can continue will depend on the court ruling if his tenure started when he seized power in the 2014 coup or in 2017 when a new constitution came into force or even in 2019 after the general election. Whatever - Thailand has had enough of this belligerent bully though replacing him with Prawit is a bit like preferring Satan over Jack the Ripper. The constitutional court has been much criticized for ruling against opposition parties but at least it’s a start and Thailand may yet get back on some semblance of a track towards real democracy. Though “soi3eddie”’s comment that “This could be truly as bad as a Thai soap opera” appealed to many especially with the prospect of Prawit or DPM Anutin “waiting in the wings to take control”. Earlier there had been a protest at Government House - despite Prayuth believing in his own popularity I wonder why they needed to install huge containers and razor wire! Fortunately Thailand was still keeping its sense of humor amid the political shenanigans. The RTP reminded the public not to get children to stand by the side of the road asking for “three beeps” from truckers. This is clearly a reference to the three fingers gesture from the Hunger Games trilogy that has been adopted by the democracy protesters. It had Rooster wondering if other things that come in threes like interesting sexual encounters or darts that come three in a bed, buses, or even misfortune might be banned. In Buriram the monks were behaving badly in threes - one set had 129 Ya Ba pills they claimed they needed to help them cut the grass because all the monks at the temple were past it. One older monk in Udon Thani came up with an even better excuse for getting plastered on Lao Khao (white spirit). He was not having one for the road but one for the hermit. Apparent dead bodies caused huge stirs. One at a shrine that freaked the locals turned out to be a mannikin. But the best one washed up on Bang Saen beach according to The Daily Mail. It was a very realistic 20,000 baht sex doll that had the AN faithful go on an amusing “forum frolic” about blow up friends having gone AWOL on the eastern seaboard! In international news former Malaysian PM Najib Razak is now enjoying congee in clink after his final corruption appeal was rejected. He was sentenced to 12 years for his role in the 1MBD scandal and this could become many more years when other cases are considered. His wife too faces jail. In Texas a police chief accused of botching the response to the fatal shooting of 19 children in Uvalde was sacked. His lawyers called it an “unconstitutional public lynching” but parents begged to differ with some shouting “Coward!” in court. In sports news Manchester United sensationally beat Liverpool to go above their great rivals and Rangers qualified for the group stages of the Champions League (along with Celtic!). In golf the PGA tour upped prize money at a dozen events to help fight the threat from the Saudi backed LIV Golf. Back in Thailand print media reported that the so called Gen Y - 22 to 41 year olds - spend most time on the Internet and do most selling and buying on the web. I know the feeling, I sometimes feel as though I am surgically joined to WWW. Most grisly crime of the week concerned an appalling double stabbing murder of a couple in front of their young child outside a hairdresser’s at a Pathum Thani Lotus. It was over a woman getting a too short cut. Incredibly - though perhaps not for Thailand - the salon owner was granted 500K bail. This man went equipped with a knife and while Rooster is always opposed to the death penalty I would not be surprised if that is what he got. Rather alarmingly, the grown up daughter of one of his victims said she had faith in the Thai courts and the justice system. In Nakhon Pathom a man who had an argument with his wife said he felt safe at the police station and asked if he could hunker down for the night. He made the mistake of grabbing an officer’s gun and started shooting indiscriminately so it was no surprise that he became the latest in a line of “judicial killings”. Meanwhile a huge manhunt was underway in Khon Kaen for a drug dealer who shot a policeman from the ATPD. He’d better give himself up, I thought, or he’ll be the next. Finally, it was announced that Bill and Melinda Gates’ foundation would be holding an International Family Planning Conference in Pattaya. This may be an opportunity for Bill to move on from his “hanging wires” holiday snaps of 2016 that prompted Prayut to start burying the cables. Just so long as he doesn’t go after other things hanging in Pattaya. Such as stomachs or heaven forbid… Trouser snakes. Rooster -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-08-27 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more! 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Region 7 police chief praises RTP for "diligence, perseverance and sacrifice" after gold robber's arrest Picture: Siam Rath Pol Lt-Gen Thanayut Wuthijaratthamrong, the Region 7 police chief, didn't hold back in his praise for his men's quick arrest of an armed robber who hit a gold and diamond shop in Big C Ratchaburi, central Thailand, two weeks ago. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1270128-region-7-police-chief-praises-rtp-for-diligence-perseverance-and-sacrifice-after-gold-robbers-arrest/

Picture: Siam Rath Pol Lt-Gen Thanayut Wuthijaratthamrong, the Region 7 police chief, didn't hold back in his praise for his men's quick arrest of an armed robber who hit a gold and diamond shop in Big C Ratchaburi, central Thailand, two weeks ago. After he sat facing Chainarong Chulert, 50, flanked by many officers - some heavily armed - he waxed lyrical about the RTP. He said he abided by the maxim that "Good people should live in happiness while the bad should feel the heat of sorrow", reported Siam Rath. Not just that. His men had shown that they had "Got their teeth stuck in, had not let go and had not quit". For the much maligned RTP - sometimes called a mafia by critics in Thailand - they were words that were music to the cop's ears. Thanayut continued saying that Chainarong's arrest was fast and should give his "phee nong" (brothers and sisters) in Thai society confidence in their police. He praised his men for their "diligence, perseverance and sacrifice" for the good of Thai society. Picture: Siam Rath Chainarong had raided the Aurora shop in Big C Ban Pong on August 11th stealing nine two baht weight gold necklaces worth 540,000 baht. He was arrested in Tha Muang district of Kanchanaburi in western Thailand after work by the Ban Pong and Region 7 police. A warrant for the arrest of the suspect was granted by the court on August 22nd. Picture: Siam Rath Taken into evidence was a Honda Wave motorcycle, 6 necklaces, clothes and a phone. The suspect was charged with armed robbery using a conveyance as well as several weapons and gun related charges. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-08-27 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more! Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information Picture: Siam Rath

Elder brother fears for the life of his sister in Dubai - she went to do massage, but it was sex Picture: Siam Rath A man called Prasit, aged 43, went to the Damrongdhama office in Kalasin, NE Thailand, yesterday to appeal for help for his sister Apinya, 41. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1270124-elder-brother-fears-for-the-life-of-his-sister-in-dubai-she-went-to-do-massage-but-it-was-sex/

Picture: Siam Rath A man called Prasit, aged 43, went to the Damrongdhama office in Kalasin, NE Thailand, yesterday to appeal for help for his sister Apinya, 41. He wants the foreign affairs departments in Thailand to help her after she went to Dubai in the Middle East, reported Siam Rath. A friend acting as an agent had invited Apinya to go to Dubai to work in traditional Thai massage. But soon after her arrival on July 20th she contacted her brother to say that it was not massage she had to do but sex. Picture: Siam Rath Along with several other woman she had travelled to Dubai at a cost of 130,000 baht to the agent. This money would need to be paid back. Apinya told her brother over the Line app that she had refused to offer sex to customers and wanted to come home but had to pay the 130,000 baht. He sent the money on July 10th so she could return but since then he had been unable to contact her at all. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-08-27 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more! Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

Oops! Hapless thief picks the wrong person to steal from - Big Joke's father in law! Picture: INN A hapless thief in the south of Thailand picked the wrong person to steal from. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1270123-oops-hapless-thief-picks-the-wrong-person-to-steal-from-big-jokes-father-in-law/

Picture: INN A hapless thief in the south of Thailand picked the wrong person to steal from. It turned out to be the father-in-law of Thailand's most prominent and well know policeman Pol Lt-Gen Surachate "Big Joke" Hakpan, reported INN. Not surprisingly a large number of senior policemen including the provincial chief were named as having taken part in the arrest of the suspect who broke into the office of an NGV gas station in Muang district of Songkhla. The Lt-Gen hails from Songkhla. His father-in-law owns the gas station. Sitthichai, 22, was picked up in a room at a nearby resort. He admitted to stealing a gold ring, two amulets, 600 coins and 6 ten baht notes. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-08-27 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more! Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

Sixth monkeypox case in Thailand: Thai massage woman back from Qatar Thai health authorities announced the sixth case of monkeypox in the country. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1270122-sixth-monkeypox-case-in-thailand-thai-massage-woman-back-from-qatar/

Thai health authorities announced the sixth case of monkeypox in the country. Dr Opas Kankawinpong said that it was a 21 year old Thai masseuse who had arrived back in Thailand from Qatar. She contracted the virus abroad. The virus was found after a check at a hospital in Mahasarakham in the NE of the country on Wednesday. There was the following timeline: 10th August -pustules appeared on the woman's sexual organs 21st August - she arrived back in Thailand and went to the NE 22nd August - she went to see a doctor and became a suspected monkeypox case 24th August - tests confirmed the case A total of 28 people came into contact with the woman - four closely and 24 considered at low risk. All are being monitored. Sanook gave details of worldwide cases of monkeypox saying their had been 46,047 cases and 15 deaths. The top five countries with cases are the US (16,603), Spain (6,318), Brazil (4,144), Germany (3,350) and the UK with 3,207 cases. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-08-27 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more! Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

Ladyboy aerobics teacher at center of sexual molestation charges at school in NE - alleged victims aged 10 Picture: Thai Rath Thai Rath and other media reported on alarming allegations of sexual molestation and even rape against a 31 year old ladyboy who was employed by a school in Udon Thani to teach aerobics to young children. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1270121-ladyboy-aerobics-teacher-at-center-of-sexual-molestation-charges-at-school-in-ne-alleged-victims-aged-10/

Picture: Thai Rath Thai Rath and other media reported on alarming allegations of sexual molestation and even rape against a 31 year old ladyboy who was employed by a school in Udon Thani to teach aerobics to young children. There are many alleged victims in P4 and P5, aged just ten. Crime suppression police headed by Pol Col Panpetch Laokamnertpetch went to Nam Soam district after reports of indecent images of children and video clips on the internet. On the phone of a 31 year old man called Thanya Chaipanya they found 4,000 images of children and several video clips he had filmed of the sexual organs of 10 and 11 year old children. After a search warrant was enacted the apparent truth behind what Thanya had been doing began to emerge. An activities and PE teacher at a well known school called Prawech, 59, said that Thanya - also known as Art and Jane - was employed in 2021 to teach aerobics to children in P4 and P5 (primary grades). Picture: Thai Rath Thanya was an ex student at the school and well known as an exuberant ladybody with an ability to teach dance. The students were able to win a provincial competition under the ladyboy's tutelage. In 2022 in July and August Thanya was rehired and again nothing untoward surfaced. However after Thanya's arrest 12 children were interviewed and 7 said they had had pictures taken of their sexual organs and three had had video recorded. Three children named only as A, B and C are forming part of the case against Thanya that police said may constitute rape as well as sexual molestation and may be dealt with under human trafficking legislation. The grandmother of "A" , Lek 62, said that she thought there would be no problem with her granddaughter studying aerobics with "Art" because he was a ladyboy. Picture: Thai Rath But after his arrest it emerged that in mid-july he had taken A to his house and told her to undress and had touched her inappropriately. Her elder sister had arrived to take her home and Art had put his hand over the little girl's mouth telling her not to scream and warned her not to tell or worse things would happen. Lek intended to press charges to the limit now the truth has emerged. Noi, 32, said that she was a friend of Thanya and along with her 10 year old daughter "B" had enjoyed a meal at their house and all slept together. After Thanya's arrest B told her mum that during the night he had tried to rape her after he had stroked her sexual organs but she had resisted. "C"in P5 came up with even more disturbing allegations against Thanya. The ten year old said that at his house he had given her a drink and she had passed out. In the morning she suffered pain in her genitals and stomach. Investigations continue with the suspect initially being charged with profiting from pornographic images and now held by the police in the north east. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-08-27 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more! Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

Prayut Quietly Goes To Work At Defence Ministry TNR Staff His personal sedan, licence plate number 1881, parked at the ministry car park after his arrival. Photo: Naewna WITHOUT much ado Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, who is continuing in his role of defence minister after the Constitutional Court suspended him from premiership duties. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1270116-prayut-quietly-goes-to-work-at-defence-ministry/

His personal sedan, licence plate number 1881, parked at the ministry car park after his arrival. Photo: Naewna TNR Staff WITHOUT much ado Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, who is continuing in his role of defence minister after the Constitutional Court suspended him from premiership duties pending a ruling on his eight-year rule, went to work at this ministry in a private car without giving prior notice this morning (August 26), Naewna newspaper and INN News said this afternoon. However he did inform Deputy Defence Minister Gen. Chaichan Changmongkol and Permanent Secretary Gen. Worakiat Rattananont that he was on his way and reached the ministry at 9.30 a.m. Earlier Defence Ministry spokesperson Gen. Kongcheep Tantravanich said Gen. Prayut had not given any information in advance and they were looking at it on a day by day basis. Full story: https://thainewsroom.com/2022/08/26/prayut-quietly-goes-to-work-at-defence-ministry/ -- © Copyright THAI NEWSROOM 2022-08-27 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

At least 4 million foreign tourists have entered Thailand so far this year by Namo Vananupong All photos courtesy of Thailand's Ministry of Tourism and Sports BANGKOK (NNT) - Thailand’s tourism scene is continually being reinvigorated, with the tally of foreign arrivals having now exceeded 4 million for the year. Relevant agencies are now considering tourism promotion measures that would attract travelers to the Kingdom for the rest of the year. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1270115-at-least-4-million-foreign-tourists-have-entered-thailand-so-far-this-year/

All photos courtesy of Thailand's Ministry of Tourism and Sports by Namo Vananupong BANGKOK (NNT) - Thailand’s tourism scene is continually being reinvigorated, with the tally of foreign arrivals having now exceeded 4 million for the year. Relevant agencies are now considering tourism promotion measures that would attract travelers to the Kingdom for the rest of the year. The current target is to realize 10 million foreign tourist arrivals in 2022. Prime Minister’s Office Spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri said more than 4 million foreign tourists have entered Thailand this year. This figure is expected to rise to 4.5 million within this month. The top 5 origin countries of tourists entering Thailand are, in respective order, Malaysia, India, Laos, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. Mr. Anucha said the government has been employing various measures in keeping with global developments as well as the domestic situation. These efforts are aimed at stimulating and reviving the tourism industry and related industries. At the same time, public health measures have been carefully implemented. The spokesman said relevant agencies are rapidly considering tourism promotion measures for the rest of the year. This is so Thailand would be able to attract 10 million tourists for the whole of 2022, in accordance with the current target. Source: https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG220827020851696 -- © Copyright NNT 2022-08-27 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

Study backs efficacy of half-dosage mRNA booster by Namo Vananupong BANGKOK (NNT) - A new study from Chulalongkorn University indicates similarly immune responses between half and full dosage of mRNA vaccines, when given as boosters after inactivated jabs. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1270113-study-backs-efficacy-of-half-dosage-mrna-booster/

by Namo Vananupong BANGKOK (NNT) - A new study from Chulalongkorn University indicates similarly immune responses between half and full dosage of mRNA vaccines, when given as boosters after inactivated jabs. The study also finds a similar level of protection in people receiving different types of vaccines, compared to those receiving the same jabs. In a Facebook post, Dr. Yong Poovorawan, head of the Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology at the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, said the levels of immune response between people receiving half and full dosage of either Pfizer or Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine are similarly high. This study, which has been published in the Vaccine journal, specifically looks at the immune response between different dosages of mRNA vaccines as boosters for people who have received Sinovac jabs as their two primary doses. The vaccines used in this study are the original versions targeting the wild-type SARS-CoV-2 virus. According to Dr. Yong, people who have received inactivated vaccines can elicit a similar level of immune response when boosted with vaccines from other platforms compared to those who have received only one type of vaccine. The study also finds a similar trajectory of waning immunity, regardless of their mRNA booster dosage. The use of half dosage mRNA vaccine as a booster has been a standard practice around the world for Moderna’s jab, where the dosage is reduced from 100 to 50 micrograms when given after the second dose. Source: https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG220827015306693 -- © Copyright NNT 2022-08-27 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

Pattaya City to rearrange advertising signs on Walking Street for easier firefighter access By Tanakorn Panyadee PHOTO: PRPATTAYA Pattaya — Pattaya authorities are planning to rearrange advertising signs on Walking Street to provide better access to fire engines and their crews. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1270111-pattaya-city-to-rearrange-advertising-signs-on-walking-street-for-easier-firefighter-access/