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Chula Hospital bans all visits to ward patients as new COVID-19 cases surge Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn Hospital is now banning visits to patients in all wards, as a precautionary measure following a new surge in new COVID-19 infections. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1264782-chula-hospital-bans-all-visits-to-ward-patients-as-new-covid-19-cases-surge/

Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn Hospital is now banning visits to patients in all wards, as a precautionary measure following a new surge in new COVID-19 infections. According to the hospital, only one person is allowed to tend to each patient and they must comply with the screening measures required by the hospital. All medical staff working on the wards are required to wear face masks at all times. Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/chula-hospital-bans-all-visits-to-ward-patients-as-new-covid-19-cases-surge/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-07-04 - 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. Easiest way to own or rent a car in Thailand - click here to find out more!

A mixed day for Nonthaburi man: He wins the lottery then falls to his death down an uncovered drain 77kaoded Thai Caption: He won the lottery - then fell down a hole to his death 77kaoded reported on a tragedy in Rathanathibet Soi 22 in Nonthaburi last night when a 56 year old man who had just won the lottery went home after celebrating his win with friends. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1264709-a-mixed-day-for-nonthaburi-man-he-wins-the-lottery-then-falls-to-his-death-down-an-uncovered-drain/

77kaoded Thai Caption: He won the lottery - then fell down a hole to his death 77kaoded reported on a tragedy in Rathanathibet Soi 22 in Nonthaburi last night when a 56 year old man who had just won the lottery went home after celebrating his win with friends. But he never got there. He fell down a drain at roadworks and was killed. When Pol Capt Niphon Phonsawat of the Rathanathibet constabulary and Poh Teck Tung rescue arrived Sangop Khakhao had already been fished out of the drain by a friend. Kanticha Khakhao, 65, his elder sister said that her brother suffered from gout but was able to look after himself. He had just won the lottery with the number 417 and had gone to a place opposite their address to celebrate with his mates. When it got late and he still hadn't retuned home she went out to try and find him and was told by his pals that he had already left a long while ago. A search was made of the immediate area where one flip-flop was found next to a drain. Inside was Sangop. A friend got him out but he was already deceased. Picture: 77kaoded Phanuwat Jampee, 41, said that he felt unwell so wasn't drinking himself but there a total of five at the booze party. It had been teeming with rain at 7pm and after the downpour around an hour later Sangop decided to go home. They all assumed he had reached home without incident until his sister came looking for him. Police said there was no evidence of any attack on the victim though Poh Teck Tung took the body away for an autopsy. The media said there have been many accidents in the soi especially during serious flooding. A woman on a bicycle had come off and pierced her leg on a piece of metal and a delivery rider had also driven down a hole in the road. The lottery was drawn yesterday, notes ASEAN NOW, with the numbers 417 and 61 coming up trumps. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-07-01 - 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. Easiest way to own or rent a car in Thailand - 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

Latest Reopening! Chiang Mai airport packed with international travellers, reports Thai media Picture: INN Thai media INN reported that Chiang Mai airport was packed with international travellers and tourists yesterday. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1264707-latest-reopening-chiang-mai-airport-packed-with-international-travellers-reports-thai-media/

Picture: INN Thai media INN reported that Chiang Mai airport was packed with international travellers and tourists yesterday. This as the kingdom scrapped the onerous Thailand Pass in the latest "reopening" of the country. Scoot Tiger Air flight TR 676 had just arrived from Singapore with 160 passengers aboard. They blamed some of the tourists for not realizing they had to have vax details or Covid test results ready for inspection for the slowness of the arrival and long queues. This needs to be addressed by the airlines before they get to the gate, they stated. Airport director Wijit Kaewsaithiam said that now Thailand is fully reopened he expected an ever increasing number of tourists to be coming to Chiang Mai. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-07-01 - 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. Easiest way to own or rent a car in Thailand - 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

Marijuana latest: Force descends into farce as RTP rep advises cops to buy weed and send it to the army Picture: INN A deputy at the Bangkok metropolitan police has advised Bang Rak police to buy marijuana in their jurisdiction and send it to the army for testing. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1264705-marijuana-latest-force-descends-into-farce-as-rtp-rep-advises-cops-to-buy-weed-and-send-it-to-the-army/

Picture: INN A deputy at the Bangkok metropolitan police has advised Bang Rak police to buy marijuana in their jurisdiction and send it to the army for testing. It is the latest story - this time from INN - that shows how the hamstrung Thai police are in a total shambles following the legalization of marijuana on June 9th. The force is a farce, though in their defence it is the politicians and an almost complete lack of foward planning that has left them carrying the can, notes ASEAN NOW. In the latest situation met deputy Pol Maj-gen Nitthithorn Jintakanon contacted the Bang Rak police (in the Silom area of the Thai capital) after a video on social media showed people smoking in the streets. He advised that the only thing to do was stop people causing annoyance by smoking in public and prevent minors and pregnant women accessing the drug. He advised that those in the video should be spoken to by Bang Rak officers. But it was concerns that marijuana is being laced with illegal drugs that caused the real interest in INN's report. Nitthithorn said that police should go and buy some weed, make sure it is sealed in a ziplock bag and then send it to the army testing lab to determine its precise composition. This would cost 3,000 baht a time and they would need to look into what budget should be used for such testing. The "illegal drug" that might be along with the legal marijuana was not stated in this report. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-07-01 - 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. Easiest way to own or rent a car in Thailand - 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

RTP chief admits Thai police are virtually powerless to stop weed use - no arrests at all so far Picture: Siam Rath Siam Rath reported on a high level RTP video conference to all 88 police stations in the Bangkok metropolitan area chaired by RTP chief Pol Gen Suwat Changyodsuk at met HQ yesterday. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1264703-rtp-chief-admits-thai-police-are-virtually-powerless-to-stop-weed-use-no-arrests-at-all-so-far/

Picture: Siam Rath Siam Rath reported on a high level RTP video conference to all 88 police stations in the Bangkok metropolitan area chaired by RTP chief Pol Gen Suwat Changyodsuk at met HQ yesterday. The story revealed once again how the Thai authorities have been caught completely off guard by legalization last month, notes ASEAN NOW. Also at the meeting was met chief Pol Lt-Gen Samran Nuanma, RTP deputy Samrongsak Kittipraphat and a host of other top brass and spokesmen. On the agenda was marijuana, street protests and Suwat's personal baby, the Smart Safety Zone project. But the press was only interested in marijuana that is the hot topic in Thailand right now since legalization on June 9th. A house committee is still grappling with the actual Cannabis Act so apart from limiting extracts with more than 0.2% THC, there really is no law in place specifically to stop the sale of weed. Picture: Siam Rath Only MoPH rules related to public annoyance from smoke and selling to minors and some people like pregnant women. Chief Suwat admitted that he was concerned about marijuana but his men were obliged to follow the law. And there simply wasn't grounds for them to stop the sale of weed. He urged calm in the circumstances as the house committee continues its deliberations and the police themselves get to grips with what they can and can't do. Regarding people smoking openly in Sathorn Soi 4 the police were looking at the law but no action had yet been taken. Regarding goings on in the Chana Songkram area - clearly a reference to Khao San Road - there were moves to stop people selling because they did not have permits to trade on the street from the local district (Phra Nakhon). Rounding up what the police have done since legalization on June 9th Pol Lt-Gen Sarayuth Sanguanphokhai said not a single arrest has happened. Picture: Siam Rath Maj-Gen Trairong Phiwphan, a legal expert on the force, said that people couldn't smoke bongs or joints in public because that would be forbidden by Ministry of Public Health rules on annoyance. ASEAN NOW suggests that this is also unclear when it comes to marijuana take-aways. Many places are selling rolled joints but some are not, citing that it is forbidden by law, according to our own investigations. In a nutshell, the legalization has been a complete farce with the RTP left between a rock and a hard place - that is between people wanting to smoke outside their homes (some cafes are allowing this in the capital) and those who want tighter control on the drug. The Bhumjaithai party list MP heading the Cannabis Act deliberations is being interviewed daily for his views by a Thai press obsessed by the issue. An almighty can of worms has been opened, suggests ASEAN NOW, revealing that politicians who favored legalization have been caught completely on the hop and are now expecting others to come with the mess they have created. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-07-01 - 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. Easiest way to own or rent a car in Thailand - 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

Inflation poses biggest challenge to economic recovery By Thai PBS World’s Business Desk Low-income groups and small businesses are now getting squeezed by high inflation and potential interest rate hikes. The situation may make it necessary for the government to continue its support for vulnerable groups. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1264701-inflation-poses-biggest-challenge-to-economic-recovery/

By Thai PBS World’s Business Desk Low-income groups and small businesses are now getting squeezed by high inflation and potential interest rate hikes. The situation may make it necessary for the government to continue its support for vulnerable groups. People are complaining that banks have tightened mortgages ahead of an impending central bank rate hike. Many banks have abandoned fixed-rate mortgages, while others are preparing to hike their rate if the Bank of Thailand (BOT) raises its benchmark rate in August. The BOT recently signaled that the risk of an economic downturn has been substantially reduced but the risk of high inflation has increased steadily. Therefore, the BOT was likely to slow down its monetary expansion, which had resulted in the interest rate being pegged at the current historic low of 0.5 percent. Inflation measured by the consumer price index rose 7.1 percent in May, a 13-year high. High inflation will have a more severe impact on people’s welfare than a one percentage point rate hike, according to senior officials at the BOT, who recently met with market analysts for a policy dialogue aiming to ensure the market understands what the central bank is doing and what it intends to do. Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/inflation-poses-biggest-challenge-to-economic-recovery/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-07-02 - 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. Easiest way to own or rent a car in Thailand - click here to find out more!

Prayut, Air Force Chief To Be Summoned For House Testimony Over Myanmar MiG-29 Intrusion By Thai Newsroom Reporters Myanmar’s MiG-29 fighter jet flying over Thai territory yesterday. Photo: Stringer/BBC THAI PRIME MINISTER-CUM-DEFENCE Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and air force chief ACM Napadej Dhupatemiya will be obliged to testify before the House Armed Services Committee over June 30 crossborder intrusion into Thai airspace by a Myanmar MiG-29 jet, an opposition MP said yesterday (July 1). Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1264700-prayut-air-force-chief-to-be-summoned-for-house-testimony-over-myanmar-mig-29-intrusion/

Myanmar’s MiG-29 fighter jet flying over Thai territory yesterday. Photo: Stringer/BBC THAI By Thai Newsroom Reporters PRIME MINISTER-CUM-DEFENCE Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and air force chief ACM Napadej Dhupatemiya will be obliged to testify before the House Armed Services Committee over June 30 crossborder intrusion into Thai airspace by a Myanmar MiG-29 jet, an opposition MP said yesterday (July 1). Thai Civilized party leader/MP Mongkolkit Suksintharanon who currently sits on the House Armed Services Committee confirmed both Prayut and ACM Napadej will be shortly summoned for testimony before the House panel over the surprise event in which the Myanmar MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter flew across the Thai-Myanmar border into Thai airspace over Popphra district of Tak to attack Karen rebel bases along the border in Myawaddy township with missiles and bombs. A couple of Thai F-16 Fighting Falcon jets took to the sky from Wing 4 in Takhli moments after the Myanmar MiG-29 had returned into Myanmar airspace, thus negating the possibility of a mid-air dogfight. Full story: https://thainewsroom.com/2022/07/01/prayut-air-force-chief-to-be-summoned-for-house-testimony-over-myanmar-mig-29-intrusion/ -- © Copyright THAI NEWSROOM 2022-07-02 - 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. Easiest way to own or rent a car in Thailand - click here to find out more!

New Omicron Subvariants Will Spread Across Thailand Shortly TNR Staff WHILE the new Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 are expected to spread across the country from end of August to early September infection rate will not increase significantly as is currently occurring in European countries, TV Channel 7 quoted the head of Ramathibodi Hospital’s Centre for Medical Genomics as saying yesterday (July 1). Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1264699-new-omicron-subvariants-will-spread-across-thailand-shortly/

TNR Staff WHILE the new Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 are expected to spread across the country from end of August to early September infection rate will not increase significantly as is currently occurring in European countries, TV Channel 7 quoted the head of Ramathibodi Hospital’s Centre for Medical Genomics as saying yesterday (July 1). Prof. Emeritus Dr. Wasan Chantrathit said data from Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) showed that while the number of Europeans infected with BA.4 and BA.5 strains had climbed but not very steeply so, the mortality rate remained comparable to the early stages of BA.1 and BA. 2 outbreaks. “Looking at Portugal, previously there was an alarming increase in the number of BA.4 and BA.5 cases but now the graph is starting to slide. Full story: https://thainewsroom.com/2022/07/01/new-omicron-subvariants-will-spread-across-thailand-shortly/ -- © Copyright THAI NEWSROOM 2022-07-02 - 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. Easiest way to own or rent a car in Thailand - click here to find out more!

Sickening story of drugs and abuse: Thai monk beats nine year old novice to death with religious stick Picture: Siam Rath Siam Rath reported on the latest serious crime committed by a monk. This one at a temple in Ratchaburi beggared belief. A monk who should have been caring for a nine year old novice instead beat him to death with a "talapat stick" after taking Ya Ba. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1264697-sickening-story-of-drugs-and-abuse-thai-monk-beats-nine-year-old-novice-to-death-with-religious-stick/

Picture: Siam Rath Siam Rath reported on the latest serious crime committed by a monk. This one at a temple in Ratchaburi beggared belief. A monk who should have been caring for a nine year old novice instead beat him to death with a "talapat stick" after taking Ya Ba. The father of the child thought he could trust his "friend" the monk and knew nothing of his history selling crystal meth. ASEAN NOW cautions readers about the graphic nature of this story translated from the Thai media. At 5 am yesterday police captain Chukree Paduka of the Khao Din constabulary was called to the temple of Wat Khao Chong Pran in Taopoon sub-district. There the captain and medical teams found the pitiful sight of nine year old Phuphakan, a novice monk. He was dead. He had horrendous wounds to his bottom, body, and head including two severe indentations to his forehead and right side of his head. He was covered in bruises and had been dead for at least six hours. The man responsible was Attaphol, 30, who was supposed to be in charge of the care of the novices, a "phra phee liang". He was in tears and was taken away with the abbot to be defrocked ahead of his prosecution. He used a stick from a religious item called a "talapat". This is a kind of screen used by monks when chanting prayers to symbolically shield them from the laity. Attaphol told investigators that he had been in charge of the novices since April and admitted using the stick to hit them when they stepped out of line or were naughty or stubborn. He admitted taking Ya Ba on Wednesday then on Thursday evening he was teaching the novice but he couldn't get the hang of the prayers. So he had the little boy grasp his chest and hit his bottom ten times then made him sit down on his by now bruised backside. He then proceeded to hit his body and head with the stick and his bare hands a further ten times. The boy didn't fight back. He then took him for a shower and put him to bed before finding him dead in the monk's quarters where he also slept at 5 am. He told the deputy abbot immediately. He never thought he would kill the boy - he was just teaching him, he claimed. Picture: Siam Rath Police discovered that Attaphol had been jailed for selling 2 grams of crystal meth in Nakhon Pathom in 2011. On release he ordained into the monkhood and went to the temple. He had wounds to his right hand and left thumb consistent with using them as weapons to hit the child. The father of the little boy said that he never thought such a thing would happen. His child had always wanted to become a novice and he knew Attaphol and considered him a friend and trusted him with his son. This despite the fact that on a video call with his son he had seen wounds. This the boy explained as cuts from a cat and an accident with boiling water. The father said he had no idea about the monk's drug history. No charges were mentioned in the Siam Rath story. A monk would need to be formally defrocked first before they can be laid. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-07-01 - 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. Easiest way to own or rent a car in Thailand - 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

Poh Teck Tung staffer reports medical equipment and radios stolen from parked ambulance Daily News Thai Caption: (Ambulance) broken into A staffer from one of the main foundations that provide rescue services in the Thai capital Bangkok - Poh Teck Tung - went to the police in Thonburi yesterday to report a theft from a van used as an ambulance. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1264694-poh-teck-tung-staffer-reports-medical-equipment-and-radios-stolen-from-parked-ambulance/

Daily News Thai Caption: (Ambulance) broken into A staffer from one of the main foundations that provide rescue services in the Thai capital Bangkok - Poh Teck Tung - went to the police in Thonburi yesterday to report a theft from a van used as an ambulance. Siwadol Sae-lim, 28, told Bang Yi Ruea police that he had parked his ambulance under a bridge at the Taksin intersection last week. It is near his home and means that he can quickly swing into action if the need arises. When he checked yesterday he found that the ambulance had been broken into and two radios and an arm and leg splint set were missing. He said that if the thief returns the items he will say no more about it. But if not he promised the full weight of the law will fall upon the miscreant, reported Daily News. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-07-01 - 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. Easiest way to own or rent a car in Thailand - 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

Youth reps urge online sales ban and no advertising of weed to protect young people Picture: Thai Rath Representatives from two youth groups went to see the MP heading the committee formulating new laws to be known as the Cannabis Act yesterday. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1264692-youth-reps-urge-online-sales-ban-and-no-advertising-of-weed-to-protect-young-people/

Picture: Thai Rath Representatives from two youth groups went to see the MP heading the committee formulating new laws to be known as the Cannabis Act yesterday. They were Thicha Na Nakhon of the Child and Youth Training Center (for boys) Ban Kanchanaphisek and Natthapong Samphaokaew of the Child and Youth Center. Young people held up placards asking for tough penalties for law breakers and protection for the nation's youth. One in a white face mask had a big marijuana leaf. Thicha presented their demands in a letter to Bhumjaithai MP Suphachai Jaisamut who has promised that his commitee will come up with recommendations for the Cannabis Act in the coming months. The main demands are mostly things that have already been addressed such as not selling weed and hemp products to under 20s, not selling in schools, government areas and religious grounds. But one demand that Thicha said she wanted to be introduced to protect the nation's youth was not to allow the selling of ganja products via "automatic means" - she meant online. She also wanted a ban on advertising. Many companies are offering online sales including here on ASEAN NOW. Home delivery is promised. Other companies are advertising openly on Thai internet platforms. Some dispensaries have "pick-up arrangements" in their shops after online orders. ASEAN NOW witnessed this in action at a dispensary in the Saladaeng area of Bangkok yesterday. Such places and cafes in the Thai capital have signage up forbidding entry to young people. Thicha thinks allowing online sales and advertising for weed would make it easy for young people to access the drug. She said she was not against medical marijuana but recreational use should be banned. Suphachai assured the delegation that everything was being done to make the law fair and in the best interests of Thailand and the Thai people. In a Thai Rath story he reiterated other comments he has made in other news stories through this week about protecting youth and other at risk groups. He did not specifically address the idea of an online sales ban, just that youth should be protected. Thailand took marijuana and hemp products off the narcotics list from June 9th. The country is now in what has been described as a "limbo period" before more precise laws regulating the business are decided. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-07-01 - 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. Easiest way to own or rent a car in Thailand - 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 liberal ganja attitude tears up SE Asian rulebook - kingdom set to kick tourism butt! OPINION | by Rooster Thailand’s extraordinary decision to, if I may update The Bard, “legalize ganja in one fell swoop” has stolen a march on the country’s stuffy neighbors in SE Asia and the rest of the continent. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1264688-thailand’s-liberal-ganja-attitude-tears-up-se-asian-rulebook-kingdom-set-to-kick-tourism-butt/

OPINION | by Rooster Thailand’s extraordinary decision to, if I may update The Bard, “legalize ganja in one fell swoop” has stolen a march on the country’s stuffy neighbors in SE Asia and the rest of the continent. This could, in the fullness of time when pandemic angst is a thing of the past, drive tourism upwards at the expense of boring places like Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Burma; most of these are little more than police states or run by armies or religious fanatics. Even more liberal democracies like Japan and South Korea are languishing in Thailand’s wake now that the Land of Smiles is back on the tourism track, ready to reclaim its rightful number one ranking and maybe even be called the Land of the Munchies, thanks to delicious food that knocks the competition for six. This columnist is very proud to once again say, I’m an honorary Thai in the best country on earth. Now, I’m not saying that every tourist will be coming to Thailand to get stoned or even care about the news. But the full legalization that came in on June 9th has reignited the feelgood factor about Thailand, rekindled that feeling from the 70s, 80s and 90s when travellers came here for the laissez-faire attitude to sex, drugs and rock and roll inspiring legions of the well-heeled to follow suit and ultimately rather spoil things. Thailand needs to get back to its roots, reclaim the name of “Land of the Free” that guidebook phrase of note. The kingdom doesn’t have to ditch its upmarket feel, just remarket its Amazing Thailand image. Nudge nudge, wink wink. After all, doesn't Elon Musk enjoy a good spliff? Wouldn’t 60 somethings with a wedge in their back pockets not be encouraged by having a pre-rolled joint on their Banyan Tree balcony? I’m betting they would and the Thais don’t even need to shout about it - let social media be the driver. It’s driven Thailand down, now it can take her up again like a phoenix rising from the ashes, as it were. Or maybe just encourage vaping of weed - a far better and less annoying way to consume the greatest herb known to man. This week on ASEAN NOW most every Thai embassy in the region was warning travellers from Thailand not to carry cannabis or even hemp products in their carry-on to the neighbors. Singapore could put a noose around your neck - two if you put chewing gum on the sidewalk - and Indonesia’s mullahs will have you swabbing out the Denpasar Hilton for the rest of your natural span. Seoul said welcome to a five year stay then deportation and Japan will throw away the key for a decade! Konnichiwa! Meanwhile, lots of warning signs have gone up at Aranyaprathet to stop weed smuggling to Cambodia. Expect expats who live there to be beating a path to Thailand’s peaceful and pleasant climes where every June 9th should be a national holiday. Call it “Freedom Day”. Myanmar? Well I won’t even use that name - it’s Burma until the junta stop killing everyone and as for Malaysia…. take a good book because it closes at 8.30 pm and wakes you up at 5.30 with some moaning from a minaret. No thanks. Epitomizing this new optimism was a charming story about “Dave” a Thai weed seller in Khao San Road. The authorities who bumped him off the street - including the chief of Chana Songkran nick - were at pains to point out the only reason he couldn’t roll tourists a joint was because he didn’t have a permit to sell anything. He promised to get one and was saluted on his way to the district office to apply. In Samut Prakan a taxi driver was found with Korean soju in his cab and a bong. Naughty, naughty. But while such mischief should be frowned upon by what the Thai press call “chauffeurs”, doesn’t it also make one smile, reminding us of that bygone era when the Thais stuck two fingers up to the world and said “whatever, we’re free you’re not”. Certainly there were a huge amount of amusing stories this week that pointed to the fun that Thailand represents - Thai Rath even noted that tourists were dribbling back to Chiang Mai again. Brilliant. Lottery fever was rife with a viper “crawling into a Thai man’s Yaris” - ooh er missus! Snakes in Surin were making out outside without the need for a curtain hotel, those wonderful establishments that abound throughout Thailand, cheap and thankfully very well insulated. Nat - Thailand’s foremost porn star - is now planning on being a knockout in the Muay Thai ring. Remember her on again, off again relationship with ageing yankee Harold, such a staple in Thai Visa days? Pattayans were drooling at the prospect of a cougar catfight, possibly featuring mud dredged up from the pipes leading to the ocean. The dead were also playing their part in making Thailand happy. A Khon Kaen temple was offering free coffins and joss-sticks with a white sheet to wrap gran thrown in. A foundation worker in Chiang Rai went one better, kindly delivering a corpse strapped to his back while he rode a motorcycle out of the woods. Even in death Thailand knows how to appreciate people and go the extra mile to alleviate suffering. Even the political news was touched with a Thai titter. Chuwit - the go to person for all that is scurrilous in the Thai press - called a casino bust in Rachada “window dressing” ahead of the no confidence debate. The debate may have to do without Anutin. He tested positive for Covid despite having enough jabs to turn his arms into pin cushions. The vax trolls came out of the woodwork and unpleasant forum curmudgeons thought it was funny and “reminded” us about the health minister's “dirty farang” comment way back when. Move on people, Lord Anutin has outdone Prayut in returning happiness to the people via his weed policy! I won’t hear a word said against him unless he changes course. Anutin for PM! Then we were told that Thailand has at least three long weekends next month. Time off, schools out, only the odd day booze free.. What’s not to love in magical Thailand! (They will be inviting positive Rooster to TAT events with Richard Barrow soon…) In international news UK socialite and filthy madam Ghislaine Maxwell was jailed for 20 years for peddling minors to Jeffrey Epstein. Well done to the US court. In London, SW 19, no one was surprised when it started raining on Monday for the start of Wimbledon. Local hopes Murray and Raducanu were dumped out early. As a kid brought up in nearby Beckenham I invariably went to the tennis but ever since Cliff Richard started singing in the rain - as well as other jingoistic excesses - you need a sickbag if you’re British. In the Philippines “Bongbong” Marcos was sworn in as president. Expect this reincarnation of the dictator to bangbang your head in if you so much as think about getting your bongbong out in Manila. In France the only surviving member of the terror cell that committed the atrocities that killed 130 in 2015 received a rare full-life sentence. Please also tattoo his forehead with “In Memory of Charlie Hebdo” and tie him next to a mirror. In Ukraine the war rumbled on with the US still believing that Putin wants to capture most of the country and the UK reportedly providing an extra billion quid in military aid and even training Ukrainian soldiers with the help of New Zealand troops on Salisbury Plain. With Ukraine's EU membership being fast-tracked and Sweden and Finland wanting to join NATO, the political landscape is more worrying than the fighting. Remember the Cuban missile crisis, anyone? Back in Thailand Rooster finally had a screw. Not that one was loose or that Mrs R was accommodating, no, this was an implant wedged into my jawbone in a one and a half hour operation in the dentist’s chair. Only two more visits before I’m done and the total bill for a forward molar will be 40,000 baht after a few charges were added. Posters asked me for a recommendation and I have no hesitation in saying go to Lisa. A reminder that Thailand has top notch dental care even in the suburbs. In Jomtien things got serious at the Sattahip end of Pattaya (now fenced off!) where the authorities cleared the sands of the pesky vendors. This brought out dozens of curmudgeons who will moan about anything. I know it’s mostly at night but I can’t stand those ghastly deckchairs and pestering sellers on Thai beaches. It’s enough to put me off going to the beach at all and staying by the hotel pool. Hua Hin is just as bad with ponies dropping their pooh on the sand. Clear ‘em all out and allow vaping. The same also goes for the thieving ladyboys on the main drag in Pattaya. While probably not all Indian tourists are as pure as the driven snow when it comes to reports about theft of necklaces, many don’t deserve the racist press they get in comments on the site. Rooster was also not sure about ASEAN NOW’s post of a man from the sub-continent dripping in gold, though many including Indians saw the funny side. Another welcome sight in Thailand after a long Covid hiatus was the sight of prison chain gangs back clearing the drains. It was one of the first things I even noticed in Thailand in my early days - that and people standing up for children on public transport. Lovely and most apposite. Finally, the delightful festival of Phi Ta Khon is taking place in Dan Sai district of Loei this weekend. Locals dress up as colorful ghosts and parade through the town in one of Thailand’s one-of-a-kind and unmissable events. Make a trip if you can, you won’t regret it. Yet another reason why Meuang Thai is Number 1. Rooster -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-07-02 - 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. Easiest way to own or rent a car in Thailand - 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

28-year-old woman jumps from third floor apartment in Naklua, claims boyfriend held her against her will in room for a year By Adam Judd Naklua-A 28-year-old woman leapt from a third floor balcony to the ground at a Naklua area apartment at 10:30 P.M. last night, July 1st, 2022. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1264686-28-year-old-woman-jumps-from-third-floor-apartment-in-naklua-claims-boyfriend-held-her-against-her-will-in-room-for-a-year/