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file photo. Credit: Wikipedia by Michael Bridge Now the world seems to want to fly again to visit relatives or just to get out of the home, airports are finding they are unable to cope. The return to plane travel has been a very, very rough ride. From hours-long queues at security and passport control to thousands of cancelled flights and countless lost bags, the aviation industry is still struggling to get back in the swing of things. Recently we reported five-hour queues just to check in at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport. Now the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) are suggesting that unskilled pilots are also to blame for delays. Vietnam Vietnamese pilots have occupied runways longer than needed while airplanes were not parked in order, causing thousands of delays in June, aviation authorities said. In the latest survey conducted at their HCMC airport, a Singapore airline's plane left the runway in just 60 seconds after landing, while Vietnamese pilots needed nearly 70 seconds. Over in the UK ground staff have been the main reason for the delays as baggage piles up. However, we keep reading about airlines canceling hundreds of flights and this is due to a critical shortage of pilots. A pilot shortage had been forecasted since 2018 and 2019, but the pandemic expedited the issue since thousands of older pilots took buyouts when airlines shrunk their workforces in 2020. According to travel data firm Mabrian, the worst airline for cancellations is… Turkish Airlines! (That's right, shockingly, it's not British Airways or EasyJet.) Turkish Airlines has canceled 399 flights over two weeks in June – nearly seven percent of all its scheduled departures. The chaos is evenly the fault of both airlines and airports, but some airlines have certainly been worse than others. A new study from travel data form Mabrian has totted up the numbers of cancelled flights and – more importantly – the percentage of cancellations by each airline to find out which is the absolute worst. Below is Mabrian’s full top ten least reliable airlines, along with the percentage of cancelled flights. 1. Turkish Airlines, 6.66 percent 2. EasyJet, 5.46 percent 3. Wizz UK, 3.14 percent 4. Tui, 2.64 percent 5. Saudia, 2.5 percent 6. Scandinavian Airlines, 2.47 percent 7. United Airlines, 1.29 percent 8. Wizz, 0.76 percent 9. Vueling, 0.64 percent 10. AirEuropa, 0.62 percent Pilots need to save time In Vietnam during takeoff, air traffic controllers must calculate to save every second though Vietnamese pilots still spend 10-15 seconds on average to start running. "It is clear that our pilots do not have an awareness of saving time," said an official. At Hanoi's Noi Bai airport, pilots must make sure they leave the runway within 60 seconds after landing and take-off within 30 seconds. "It is very hard to accept the fact that a flight from HCMC to Cam Ranh airport in Khanh Hoa took only 45 minutes, but passengers have to wait several hours," an official stated. Staff Shortages As a result, airlines are having to combine routes or discontinuing services when necessary to offset staffing shortages. This move is similar to the height of the pandemic when carriers reduced to minimal service as travel demand plummeted. However, consolidating flights to conserve pilots and reduce operating expenses isn’t as simple as waving a magic wand. Pilots can only fly planes they are certified to operate. For example, a pilot certified for small commuter jets won’t be able to fly a long-haul “Big Bird” aircraft which is larger and holds more passengers. Former employees have changed occupations or don’t want to risk another layoff, so are not willing to return to the aviation sector again. Training typically takes six to 12 months with a minimum of 40 logged flying hours. You must get certified as a private pilot before getting your commercial pilot certificate. Private pilots learn to maneuver a single-engine airplane without assistance from a copilot. The shortest possible time it takes to train and qualify as a commercial airline pilot is around 18 months. This assumes the trainee has no previous flying experience and performs to a high standard throughout their training. Realistically for most people, it is likely to take around 24 months (2 years). So even if the airlines can recruit pilots today, they still need to train, and simulators can be booked ahead for months. So, we will need to get used to less flights available at higher prices for the next couple of years. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-07-18 - 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. 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to continue: Thailand Live Monday 18 July 2022 https://aseannow.com/topic/1266176-thailand-live-monday-18-july-2022/

Prayut Earns Hefty Allowances For Chairing 52 Govt Panels By Thai Newsroom Reporters Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. CNN PRIME MINISTER PRAYUT Chan-o-cha has been earning handsome allowances for meetings of dozens of government committees which he concurrently chairs in addition to his monthly salary, according to Somchai Srisuthiyakorn, Thai Liberal Party’s head of policy-steering campaign. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1266174-prayut-earns-hefty-allowances-for-chairing-52-govt-panels/

An off-campus orientation ceremony held by senior students of Southeast Asia University. Photo: Matichon Freshmen Forced To Dance Naked In Front Of Women During Varsity Hazing Ritual TNR Staff GOING viral on Thai social media July 16 are photos and a video clip of an orientation ceremony outside a private university campus where freshmen were forced to dance naked as women looked on, Matichon newspaper said. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1266175-freshmen-forced-to-dance-naked-in-front-of-women-during-varsity-hazing-ritual/

An off-campus orientation ceremony held by senior students of Southeast Asia University. Photo: Matichon TNR Staff GOING viral on Thai social media (July 16) are photos and a video clip of an orientation ceremony outside a private university campus where freshmen were forced to dance naked as women looked on, Matichon newspaper said. Twitter user Red Skull (@RedSkullxxx) who on July 13 shared photos from this hazing ritual said the following: “Southeast Asia University, electrical engineering, fourth year. This month there were orientation ceremonies both on campus and off it. Within the campus it was all normal but outside the university there were some freshmen who striped fully even though there were women there. But photos were not taken. There were those who had not completed their studies also joining in.” Today this same account posted a video clip showing three men dancing naked to music amid cheers with the rear of women seated on chairs looking on. Full story: https://thainewsroom.com/2022/07/16/freshmen-forced-to-dance-naked-in-front-of-women-during-varsity-hazing-ritual/ -- © Copyright THAI NEWSROOM 2022-07-18 - 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!

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. CNN By Thai Newsroom Reporters PRIME MINISTER PRAYUT Chan-o-cha has been earning handsome allowances for meetings of dozens of government committees which he concurrently chairs in addition to his monthly salary, according to Somchai Srisuthiyakorn, Thai Liberal Party’s head of policy-steering campaign. Somchai today (July 16) posted on his Facebook to disclose that Prayut was reported to concurrently chair as many as 52 government committees each of which pays him 10,000 baht in allowance per meeting. But the premier could practically attend and chair no more than two meetings of each of those government committees in a year, given so many panels which he concurrently chairs in addition to his routine duties at Government House, the former election commissioner commented. Full story: https://thainewsroom.com/2022/07/16/prayut-earns-hefty-allowances-for-chairing-52-govt-panels/ -- © Copyright THAI NEWSROOM 2022-07-18 - 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!

HANDOUT By Emily McGarvey BBC News Briton Paul Urey, who was captured by Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine, has died in detention, reports say. The 45-year-old's family, who was contacted by the UK Foreign Office about the reports, told the BBC they had "begged" him not to go abroad. The UK's Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Russia must bear full responsibility for his death. The UK is seeking urgent clarification from Ukraine and Russia about the reports. Full story: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-62178505 -- © Copyright BBC 2022-07-16

Amazing Thailand: Primary school kid goes to school on an elephant! Picture: Thai Rath Thai Rath reported that netizens were having a good laugh about a child in Buriram in the north east going to school on an elephant. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1266090-amazing-thailand-primary-school-kid-goes-to-school-on-an-elephant/

Picture: Thai Rath Thai Rath reported that netizens were having a good laugh about a child in Buriram in the north east going to school on an elephant. Poopay, 11, in the fifth year of primary school didn't need the school bus to get to class in Sateuk district that was featured on a TikTok post. A video posted by Sanook - that can be viewed here - showed her clamboring up onto the back of Ole, 22, a bull elephant. He then handed her a stick and opened the gate. In the next scene she was in her school uniform arriving for class then amazing her classmates on the parade grounds. Picture: Sanook Thai Rath caught up with the owner of Ole and Poopay's father Wisanchon Yongram, 38, in Tha Muang sub-district who explained that he has four elephants - a female 22 year old called Wassana, who has babies aged 4 (a son) and 2 (a daughter) as well as tusker Ole. He said that previously he took them to a show in Autthaya but the pandemic scuppered that so he was loooking after them at home. Poopay was very familiar with elephants being around them since she was very young and riding Ole since she was 6. Her dad explained that it was normally not considered good for females to climb up on elephants as mahouts especially using their tusks but he made an exception for his daughter so long as she "wai-ed" for permission and thanks every time. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-07-16 - 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: Thai Rath

Can Thammanat deliver death blow to teetering govt in censure debate? By Thai PBS World’s Political Desk “Anything can happen in Thai politics” was Thai Economic Party leader Thammanat Prompow’s reply when asked about the possibility of allying with the opposition Pheu Thai Party after the next general election. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1266087-can-thammanat-deliver-death-blow-to-teetering-govt-in-censure-debate/

By Thai PBS World’s Political Desk “Anything can happen in Thai politics” was Thai Economic Party leader Thammanat Prompow’s reply when asked about the possibility of allying with the opposition Pheu Thai Party after the next general election. His remark on Wednesday (July 13) came just a day after his party announced it was pulling out of the government coalition led by the Palang Pracharath Party. That sudden move followed by Thammanat’s statement could pave the way for a dramatic power play at the next poll. However, analysts do not expect Thai Economic’s withdrawal to have a significant impact on the upcoming censure debate against PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and 10 other Cabinet members. They expect the coalition to lobby smaller parties, and perhaps renegade opposition MPs, to vote in support of the targeted ministers. Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/can-thammanat-deliver-death-blow-to-teetering-govt-in-censure-debate/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-07-16 - 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!

Thailand's strays: "All animals deserve to live" - rescue called after dog muzzled by wire rope Daily News Thai Caption: Strays have feelings too Aghast locals at a sugar factory in Bang Bung, Chonburi, eastern Thailand, called rescue services after finding a very distressed male dog in a tight wire rope muzzle that was causing a nasty swelling. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1266085-thailands-strays-all-animals-deserve-to-live-rescue-called-after-dog-muzzled-by-wire-rope/

Daily News Thai Caption: Strays have feelings too Aghast locals at a sugar factory in Bang Bung, Chonburi, eastern Thailand, called rescue services after finding a very distressed male dog in a tight wire rope muzzle that was causing a nasty swelling. The stray had blood coming from its front paws, too, reported Daily News. Chomrom Phayak Burapha rescue arrived armed with a bamboo cage and a fishing net but catching the whimpering stray proved a tricky operation. First a piece of fried chicken was used as a lure but when the cage was utilized the frightened animal headed for the woods. Locals helped to flush him out and the fishing net was used to trap him. Then the rescue team were able to cut the wire off. It had created a terrible swelling around the mouth of the stricken animal. Wassana, 55, said they had taken pity on the dog as it appeared lost. But after they gave it food and water her son reported seeing it with the wire round its mouth. Rerngsak, 52, one of the rescue team said it looked like a snare used to catch dogs and cats. He called on people to stop using these inhumane devices saying: "All animals deserve to live". Daily News referred to "sin perpetrated by cruel people" in their headline. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-07-16 - 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

They say travel broadens the mind - they’ve obviously never met a tourist! OPINION | by Rooster My first flight was in October 1980 and I was 19. It scared me witless. After the initial ascent the plane seemed to drop and I was convinced I’d never see my 20th birthday. I made it to Paris but I’ve been terrified of flying my whole life. I just don’t understand how heavy objects without feathers remain airborne. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1266084-they-say-travel-broadens-the-mind-they’ve-obviously-never-met-a-tourist/

OPINION | by Rooster My first flight was in October 1980 and I was 19. It scared me witless. After the initial ascent the plane seemed to drop and I was convinced I’d never see my 20th birthday. I made it to Paris but I’ve been terrified of flying my whole life. I just don’t understand how heavy objects without feathers remain airborne. My first long haul flight on Philippines Air was in 1981. There were repeated lightning strikes on the end of the wing, or so I thought. I was about to call the stewardess when I realised it was a flashing light…. In 1982 I flew one way to wartorn Kabul on Ariana. It was one of my better experiences and only cost 140 quid. Far better than expensive school-paid-for benefits in the noughties on British Airways. On BA I once complained that the TV on the arm in the door row kept falling down. “Right, you are sir,” said the purser in that condescending tone the British have mastered to put the customer down. He emerged some time later with duct tape - rather worrying for such a nervous flyer. In the 90s I travelled many times to America on THAI. This included being allowed into the cockpit over Hawaii at night that was a serene and calming experience. Far better than the time I was flying in the States and my neighbor in the aisle seat was reading in Time about the recent crash of TWA 800. The cover picture on the front of the magazine was the tailfin in the Atlantic. It had exploded in midair after takeoff from New York because of ignited fuel vapor in the tanks. I nearly brought up my airline meal, which probably wouldn’t have been a bad thing. Turbulence lasting 3 hours from Bangkok flying over India to Europe was once so bad that I thought my white knuckles would have to be surgically removed from the armrest. (I was with my now grown-up kids who I love to wind-up that they were more scared than me). Once on Pakistan Airways after giving up smoking the day before I was aghast to discover that they still allowed lighting up. I exhausted the entire flight’s supply of chocolate as the passenger next to me blew smoke in my face. When YouTube came along I watched every single episode of Aircrash Investigation and Mayday becoming a bit of an expert. It proved strangely cathartic, maybe impressing on my logical (sometimes!) mind that it is “safer than being in a car” and “50% of people survive crashes”. I became a better flyer since 2005. Even so, you won’t find me complaining that I haven’t been on a flight since 2018, with the pandemic restrictions and all. And despite a new batch of children as yet unable to exert enough pressure on dad to give into travel requests. Maybe it’s age - I’m 61 next week - but I feel less and less that I want to travel anywhere. So unlike those early years of excitement at the prospect of another overseas adventure. I’m giving into what I’ve always believed - that the adage about travel broadening the mind is not true; you only have to ask a British or American tourist (or any other nationality…) about that to know it’s true. Short trips anywhere are just good for photos, not knowledge. If you want to know about a place you have to live there. Consequently the only places I truly know anything about are England, Thailand and Australia. The other thirty countries are only about the anecdotes. Whether I fly again remains to be seen. Having seen some of the prices lately I think I’ll stay with my feet firmly on the ground. And a bit like a Richard Barrow clone I’ll take the train if travelling in Thailand. Or my bike. That’s far safer than flying, as we all know….. As usual the week that was in Thai news in the kingdom was a mixed bag. My news editor reminded me most mornings that it was a slow news day. I felt a bit sorry for the posters who complained in a similar vein and had their comments removed amid threats to ban them for insulting the editorial staff! Things did however pick up on a manic Friday. No surprise then that Liverpool vs Manchester United got so many column inches. The match on Tuesday at the Rajamangala stadium attracted 50,000. The pitch had to be relaid at considerable cost to satisfy the picky stars of the EPL. Liverpool even brought their own groundsman to prod the turf, said the BBC. This and other scurrilous practices made the ticket cost for a glorified friendly absurd, a situation that descended into shambles when they started flogging seats at 50% off on the eve of the match. An organizer told the Beeb that Thailand would never be granted a full EPL match. (Mind you he probably hadn’t thought about how bad Wembley was for the Euros final last year and the cock-up that was the Champions’ League final in 2022. A report about the latter surprised no one this week). In the end the “Red” teams fielded 50 players, Utd won easily 4-0 because they had their first team on longer and I’m sure that the fans were happy seeing some of the best players in the world in the flesh. At the end of the day, they would have been over the moon, if I may delve into two of the sport’s most famous cliches. In shocking crime news a ghastly mother from Saraburi admitted taking her nine year old daughter to be molested. She even took a video. Her claims that poverty led her astray were patent nonsense, a fact confirmed by the stepdad who had a steady job and said he was unaware what had gone on. Lock this woman up for two decades and give custody of the kids to him. Another oxygen thief - as the forum curmudgeons like to refer to them - was a homeless drunk and ya ba addict who kicked a 76 year old gran just a few sois from Rooster’s Ratchayothin roost. Give him a home in Bang Kwang for the foreseeable future. Yes, I’m all heart. In Koh Chang two young tourists from France and Spain drowned after going swimming off Lonely Beach. I remember the days when the ferry to the island wouldn’t even go in July. Please, please, please exercise caution at the beach even if you think you’re a good swimmer and the waves don’t appear too bad. On Thursday Thai media reported a young doctor in Rayong drowned. He had just arrived at the beach in a Porsche. On that manic Friday for translators, came news that a Brit on honeymoon and a Thai who went to rescue him had both drowned in Phuket. They had both ignored a lifeguard and red flags. The same level of caution at beaches should be made when driving. Getting behind the wheel you should be mindful of being well rested. Once again the police blamed “lap nai” or microsleep for a trucker ending the life of a student and severely injuring another in the north east. Signs warning about dropping off are up all over Thailand though it's a bit unhelpful they are usually only in Thai. Straight stretches are the worst, so please be careful, recognise the signs of drowsiness and pull over. And don’t add to the appalling fatality statistics on the Thai roads for the want of a nap. In Pattaya a British soldier apparently committed suicide by shooting himself to death at a rifle range. He was only 35. Posters couldn’t help themselves after a warning was issued to be respectful and the thread was closed down as a result. Lightening the mood, the final thirty contestants for the unfortunately named MUT22 strutted their stuff in pink on the escalators at Icon Siam. MUT stands for Miss Universe Thailand…. In international news the James Webb Space Telescope sent back the clearest images yet of the early years of our universe more than 13 billion years ago. Omitting to mention that the Europeans and Canadians had a big hand in the project, Joe Biden said parrotriotcally : “These images are going to remind the world that America can do big things and remind the American people - especially our children - that there is nothing beyond our capacity.” This is in a country where 50% of the population, presumably including the president, believe a guy with a beard created everything 6,000 years ago and Darwin is a heretic. America does indeed do great things but they are held back by religious zealotry. Midweek Gotabaya Rajapaksa the president of Sri Lanka got on a military jet and fled the devastated country after his residence was stormed. Sri Lanka is a wonderful country with great people and deserves better. The disgraceful Uber company further had its nasty business practices undercutting taxi drivers revealed in massive leaks implicating politicians. Please don’t support this firm - or Grab come to that; their long term strategies are to shaft existing businesses and the general public. In Thailand take regular taxis that are reasonably priced and provide a generally excellent service, walk out to eat (and tip waiting staff) and eschew delivery services that pollute the environment and rip off riders. Uber and Grab have conned the world and they’re not conning me! In Delaware, Twitter sued Musk Melon over the aborted deal to buy the company. The world’s richest man once again has engaged in a flagrant version of insider trading. He thinks the human race can colonize Mars. He should be sent there on a one way ticket. In England Tory MPs cast their first votes in the contest to replace “lie-ability” Boris. Rishi Sunak (whose surname means dog in Thai) and Penny Mordaunt were the joint favorites midweek on Betfair but after Sunak won the first round of voting Mordaunt became the heavy odds-on favorite. This I guess is because several women are still in the race and MPs prepared to elect a female will likely switch to one when the field is whittled down and the vote goes to Tory members. Incidentally in the US Trump is 3-1 favorite to be the next president, Ron de Santis 4-1 and Biden 7-1. But a week is a long time in politics, never mind several years. Back in Thailand health minister and Mr Ganja, Anutin Charnvirakul, denied that he had benefited in any way from the decriminalization of hemp and maryjane. Whether his lips were actually moving behind his mask was uncertain. The government meanwhile thinks it can make 25 billion baht in revenue from hemp over the next five years. Anutin burbled something about not seeing his hemp businessman brother in yonks. The idea that Anutin and other politicians won’t personally benefit from this huge business is absurd. Also in weed news was a story about Thailand’s marijuana policy coming under fire. I liked a comment on the forum from “Bert got kinky” who quipped: “My cannabis comes under fire on a regular basis”. Also Sanook published a mini-investigation in Chiang Mai that introduced the idea of vaping marijuana to the Thai public. Rooster went into detail about the issue on “manic Friday” thanks to my own “research” on the issue…. Stories in English print media continued to propagate the myth that the baht is in dire trouble. The factors that have seen the dollar rise in value are myriad and outside Thailand’s control. One could equally say the baht is strong if compared against pound sterling. The pound's fall is clearly not to the liking of Blighty pensioners who inhabit AN in droves. Firebrand Chuwit Kamolwisit was also heavily in the news giving us the benefit of his knowledge about alleged police corruption and alleged dirty Chinese money being laundered in casinos, bars and clubs. He used a series of Thai letters to create suspense first on Facebook then revealed more at a press conference in Sukhumvit. How the Thai press hangs on his every word. Also reported on Friday, were an extraordinary hostage drama of a grenade carrying “homeless” man in Khon Kaen, a shootout at a gas station in Ayutthaya where a rapist was peppered with twenty bullets by police and the continuing saga over mask wearing - now referred to as The Great Mask Debate by Rooster. If you’ve missed any of the stories please follow the links. Finally, Bloomberg reported in a story spotted by Naew Na, that Thailand is short of half a million foreign workers post pandemic. They mean Cambodians and Burmese who do jobs that Thais won’t because they are nasty and badly paid. Apparently, 2,000 ‘neighbors’ a day will be coming to boost the construction and fisheries sectors. Soon Chatujak’s parks will be full of Burmese again at weekends and we won’t have to wait so long before our tanks are filled at the gas stations. Meanwhile, you may have noticed what all the Thais are doing due to a certain smell in the air most everywhere. Selling durian. Rooster -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-07-16 - 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

Thailand's meals: Yet more complaints about measly food portions - this time noodles Picture: Daily News Thai media continued their reporting of complaints about measly food portions. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1266083-thailands-meals-yet-more-complaints-about-measly-food-portions-this-time-noodles/

Picture: Daily News Thai media continued their reporting of complaints about measly food portions. Earlier this week it was all about rip-offs in childrens' school dinners at a kindergarten and a primary school. Now Daily News focused on a post by Facebook user "Ma'may mayy" who posted on a Pathum site after she ordered noodles from a shop via Lineman. She said she would normally go to the shop but was "khee kiat" (lazy) to go out. But when she poured her dinner into a bowl she said that "a hungry person would cry". There were just three "look chin" (meatballs) and a few strands of pork. This she said "cost 50 baht yes you read that correctly 50 bahtttttt". She demurred on mentioning the name of the shop. But added that she would have had a fuller belly if she'd just boiled up a plate of Mama instant noodles. Daily News went with the facetious headline that for "50 baht you could be full in this life until your next life". A reference to Thai belief in reincarnation. ASEAN NOW have as yet been unable to confirm what the price of noodles will be in the next life.... -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-07-16 - 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

Samui residents show opposition to proposed increase in ferry passenger charges Naew Na Thai Caption: Samui residents oppose ferry price increase Naew Na reported from the municipal offices on Koh Samui in southern Thailand where mayor Ramnet Jaikwang and a host of other local officials heard the opinions of Samui residents regarding increase in ferry charges from the mainland in line with the current economic situation. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1266080-samui-residents-show-opposition-to-proposed-increase-in-ferry-passenger-charges/

Naew Na Thai Caption: Samui residents oppose ferry price increase Naew Na reported from the municipal offices on Koh Samui in southern Thailand where mayor Ramnet Jaikwang and a host of other local officials heard the opinions of Samui residents regarding increase in ferry charges from the mainland in line with the current economic situation. Originally both ferry companies that run services to the island and Koh Phangan from Donsak on the mainland were given permission to raise prices in May. These were due to take effect on July 1st as reported elsewhere on ASEAN NOW. Picture: Naew Na In a latest move the governor of Surat Thani province issued an order on July 11th delaying the increases. This resulted in Seatran reducing their services and suspending their membership scheme that gave preferential treatment to card holders for the queue. It was decided to set up another committee to handle resident's complaints on the issue. One resident called Pathom complained that action to restrict the numer of ferries had a detrimental effect on the reemergence of tourism post pandemic. He called for a reasonable increase in price and if oil prices go down again for fares to drop too. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-07-16 - 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

Provincial councillor in "miracle escape" - lots of amulets around his neck, now for the lottery Picture: Naew Na Naew Na continued their fascination with accident survivors, amulets and the lottery. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1266079-provincial-councillor-in-miracle-escape-lots-of-amulets-around-his-neck-now-for-the-lottery/

Picture: Naew Na Naew Na continued their fascination with accident survivors, amulets and the lottery. They reported that yesterday evening rescue services and police from the Reuang station in Nan, northern Thailand, and provincial police attended an accident at a bend in which a Pajero sport had come off the road. A woman was treated for an arm injury. A male driver was treated for chest and leg pains at the scene and taken to Nan Hospital. Behind the wheel was Kitja Thongsuk a Muang district 4 provincial councillor who said he had been attending to business in Reuang sub-district. At a bend down from a hill he lost control and hit a power pole by the side of the road and overturned. How lucky it was, he claimed, that his survival was due to the three amulets around his next. Meanwhile locals who heard about what the media called a "miracle" survival were planning on playing the number of the Pajero - 9427 - in today's lottery draw. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-07-16 - 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

Issuing arrest warrants for persistent non-payers of traffic fines not OTT but a safety matter, says courts rep Picture: Siam Rath The spokesman for the courts of justice has essentially backed up plans that the Royal Thai Police have to ultimately arrest persistent traffic offenders who don't pay fines. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1266077-issuing-arrest-warrants-for-persistent-non-payers-of-traffic-fines-not-ott-but-a-safety-matter-says-courts-rep/

Picture: Siam Rath The spokesman for the courts of justice has essentially backed up plans that the Royal Thai Police have to ultimately arrest persistent traffic offenders who don't pay fines. ASEAN NOW reported in the last few days how the RTP will seek arrest warrants after summonses have been exhausted. Spokesman Sorawit Limprangsee told Siam Rath that the courts would normally only issue arrest warrants for crimes where the punishment is more than 3 years in prison. In the case of non-payment of fines he surmised that the RTP would use a clause of "fleeing from justice" so they could arrest people for persistent refusal to pay. Thus they would be able to seek a warrant for a crime which had a custodial sentence of less than 3 years. Sorawit stated that some see non-payment of fines as a trivial issue and not something the courts should issue arrest warrants for. But it is not just about the money it is about public safety too and some of the worst offenders on the roads could cause accidents and injury to others so it is understandable that the police should want to use every means possible to bring them to book. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-07-16 - 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

Kui Buri sponsorship benefitting wildlife and the community By Editor The population of elephants and other wildlife at the Kui Buri National Park are benefitting from the sponsorship of Siam Winery, operators of Hua Hin’s Monsoon Valley Vineyard, for the Protect Wildlife of Kui Buri project, an initiative funded every year since 2009. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1266076-kui-buri-sponsorship-benefitting-wildlife-and-the-community/

By Editor The population of elephants and other wildlife at the Kui Buri National Park are benefitting from the sponsorship of Siam Winery, operators of Hua Hin’s Monsoon Valley Vineyard, for the Protect Wildlife of Kui Buri project, an initiative funded every year since 2009. The intention of the project is to help restore forest food sources for the Park’s wildlife, which include the improvement of 200 rai of grass plots, improvement of two water pans and adding five artificial salt licks. This support goes a long way in creating additional supply of food and water for wildlife. In the past, animals have needed to venture outside the forest for food with nearby farmers suffering damage to their fruit and vegetable orchards. Indications are that the wildlife populations are bouncing back and increasing in the Park. Siam Winery says they hope that supporting this project will help to revive the wildlife population while maintaining a healthy balance between the wildlife and community that live in the area. World Elephant Day is an annual international event on August 12th, dedicated to the preservation and protection of the world’s elephants. Guido Campigotto from the Monsoon Valley Vineyard says there are plans to make some noise about this event in connection with Khun Lek at the Chiang Mai elephant sanctuary. This is likely to include providing a huge fruit buffet for the vineyard’s two elephants at the Baan Khok Chang Elephant Sanctuary which officially opened in April this year. Source: https://royalcoastreview.com/2022/07/kui-buri-sponsorship-benefitting-wildlife-and-the-community/ -- © Copyright Royal Coast Review 2022-07-16 - 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!