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Thailand on Track to Adopt Post-Pandemic Approach by Paul Rujopakarn BANGKOK (NNT) - Thailand is now on track to adopting post-pandemic approaches from July 1 onwards. The Ministry of Public Health said vaccines and boosters remain crucial preventative tools, as case surges remain a possibility. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1264248-thailand-on-track-to-adopt-post-pandemic-approach/

by Paul Rujopakarn BANGKOK (NNT) - Thailand is now on track to adopting post-pandemic approaches from July 1 onwards. The Ministry of Public Health said vaccines and boosters remain crucial preventative tools, as case surges remain a possibility. Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit, permanent secretary for Public Health, said the widespread transmission of COVID-19 in Thailand is unlikely, adding that the disease itself has become less severe in nature. The permanent secretary also assured that the public health system is capable of handling future cases. He stressed, however, that this does not mean the disease has been fully eradicated, and surveillance and monitoring for serious cases will remain in place. Dr Kiattiphum also noted that COVID-19’s status as an endemic disease will ultimately depend on the World Health Organization. He further emphasized the importance of vaccinations, especially among the vulnerable population. Thailand has so far administered 140 million COVID vaccine doses, with some 60 million people having already received at least one jab. On concerns over the spread of the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sub-variants in Thailand, Dr Kiattiphum said the Department of Medical Sciences has been monitoring the development of the two coronavirus strains since April. It is also urging the general public to get their boosters as these sub-variants have been found to be better at escaping immune responses. -- © Copyright NNT 2022-06-28 - 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!

Commerce Ministry Denies Rumors on Paddy, Bagged Rice Prices BANGKOK, June 28 (TNA) – The chief of the Department of Internal Trade under the Ministry of Commerce insisted paddy rice prices did not plunge and the prices of bagged rice did not increase. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1264246-commerce-ministry-denies-rumors-on-paddy-bagged-rice-prices/

BANGKOK, June 28 (TNA) – The chief of the Department of Internal Trade under the Ministry of Commerce insisted paddy rice prices did not plunge and the prices of bagged rice did not increase. Wattanasak Sur-iam, director-general of the department, denied the reports that the prices of paddy rice were the lowest in a decade and the prices of bagged rice rose. The Department of Internal Trade monitored the prices of paddy rice closely every day, he said. On June 27, the prices of Hom Mali fragrant paddy rice were at 14,500-15,600 baht per ton, up from 10,862 baht per ton a year earlier. Full story: https://tna.mcot.net/english-news-968451 -- © Copyright Thai News Agency 2022-06-28 - 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!

UPDATE: Thai health minister catches COVID-19 after overseas trip despite 6 vaccine shots Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul tested positive for COVID-19, using a rapid antigen test, upon his return from abroad on Sunday, even though he has already received six doses of vaccine, with the last one being administered on June 13th. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1264243-anutin-diagnosed-with-covid-19-after-overseas-trip/?do=findComment&comment=17448076

Thai health minister catches COVID-19 after overseas trip despite 6 vaccine shots Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul tested positive for COVID-19, using a rapid antigen test, upon his return from abroad on Sunday, even though he has already received six doses of vaccine, with the last one being administered on June 13th. Public Health Permanent Secretary Dr. Kiattibhoom Vongrachit said today (Tuesday) that Anutin has developed muscle pains and a throat irritation and has been advised to self-isolate for a week. He said that the minister might have contracted the virus on his overseas trip, having met and talked with many people attending the meetings. Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thai-health-minister-catches-covid-19-after-overseas-trip-despite-6-vaccine-shots/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-06-28 - 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!

Thais warned not to take cannabis or hemp products to some countries The Thai embassies in Japan, Indonesia and Vietnam have advised the Foreign Ministry to warn Thai people not to bring cannabis, hemp or their extracts when they visit these countries, as they may face heavy fines, jail or even death. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1264244-thais-warned-not-to-take-cannabis-or-hemp-products-to-some-countries/

The Thai embassies in Japan, Indonesia and Vietnam have advised the Foreign Ministry to warn Thai people not to bring cannabis, hemp or their extracts when they visit these countries, as they may face heavy fines, jail or even death. The warning follows Thailand’s decriminalisation of cannabis and hemp, except for extracts with more than 0.2% of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) by weight, on June 9th, leading to a boom in cultivation, sales and use. Regulations have been issued to ban the smoking of cannabis in public, to bar the substances from schools and sales to people aged under 20 and pregnant or breastfeeding women. Recreational use has been popular, despite the authorities discouraging it. The Thai Foreign Ministry said on its Facebook page that, in Indonesia, the minimum fine of possessing illegal narcotics, such as cannabis, hemp or their extracts, is 1 billion rupiah, or about 2.3 million baht, and/or imprisonment from five years to life or death. -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-06-28 - 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!

Anutin Diagnosed with COVID-19 after Overseas Trip BANGKOK, June 28 (TNA) – Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from Europe and had mild symptoms. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1264243-anutin-diagnosed-with-covid-19-after-overseas-trip/

BANGKOK, June 28 (TNA) – Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from Europe and had mild symptoms. Mr Anutin, representatives of the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau and the governor of Phuket province attended the 170th General Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) in Paris on June 19-21. They presented Thailand’s readiness to host the Specialised Expo in Phuket in 2028. Full story: https://tna.mcot.net/english-news-968335 -- © Copyright Thai News Agency 2022-06-28 - 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!

PM Office Marks 90th Anniversary by Paul Rujopakarn BANGKOK (NNT) - The Prime Minister’s Office has marked its 90th anniversary with the prime minister providing moral support for office personnel and urging them to continue working for the public interest. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1264241-pm-office-marks-90th-anniversary/

by Paul Rujopakarn BANGKOK (NNT) - The Prime Minister’s Office has marked its 90th anniversary with the prime minister providing moral support for office personnel and urging them to continue working for the public interest. Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha presided over the ceremony to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the Prime Minister’s Office. Deputy prime ministers, Cabinet ministers and civil servants of the office also participated in the ceremony. On this occasion, Gen Prayut gave his best wishes to all executives and employees of the Prime Minister’s Office. He also said the agency has driven development in Thailand at various levels over the nine decades since its establishment. This was especially true for such initiatives as the 20-year national strategy, national reform, and economic and social development plans. The office also facilitated the coordination of civil services to effectively implement government policies. Gen. Prayut said its efforts contributed to Thailand’s progress towards becoming a developed nation while leaving no one behind. Additionally, the premier commended the efforts of personnel under all 27 sub-agencies of the Prime Minister’s Office, noting that these efforts benefited the nation and its people. He has asked all 27 agencies to drive innovation and public service management in ways that correspond with the New Normal conditions of Thai society. The agencies were also instructed to prepare for future challenges while prioritizing the interests of the public and the nation. -- © Copyright NNT 2022-06-28 - 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!

What's that sound? Americans whooping in joy at the exchange rate! File photo for reference only If you're wondering why your American expat neighbors are whooping in joy it's only because of the exchange rate. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1264238-whats-that-sound-americans-whooping-in-joy-at-the-exchange-rate/

File photo for reference only If you're wondering why your American expat neighbors are whooping in joy it's only because of the exchange rate. This week the $US has hit 35 baht in what the authorities have called a many year low (or high depending on your perspective). However, your expat neighbors from Britain may be crying into their warm beer as the pound sterling is languishing with a recent recovery stalling. The pound had dropped as low as 42.2 baht on Superrich in mid June then rose to 43.45 last Friday. Today's Superrich top rates: US Dollar : 35.25 baht Euro : 37.25 Pound : 43.20 $ Aus : 24.35 $ NZ : 22.10 $ Can : 27.35 -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-06-28 - 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

Two Indian tourists nabbed attempting to smuggle wildlife in their luggage Two Indian tourists were held in custody yesterday (Monday) after officials of Thailand’s Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation found 109 live animals in their luggage at Suvarnabhumi international airport. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1264236-two-indian-tourists-nabbed-attempting-to-smuggle-wildlife-in-their-luggage/

Two Indian tourists were held in custody yesterday (Monday) after officials of Thailand’s Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation found 109 live animals in their luggage at Suvarnabhumi international airport. The two Indian women were about to board a flight to Chennai in India when luggage inspection officials noticed something suspicious in their bags, as they passed through an X-ray machine, and alerted wildlife officials. The two bags were opened and officials found several species of live animals inside. Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/two-indian-tourists-nabbed-attempting-to-smuggle-wildlife-in-their-luggage/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-06-28 - 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 full belly of delicious Thai curry for just 25 baht - project by TRA and PT begins in July Picture: Daily News The Thai Restaurant Association have agreed with PT gas stations to run stalls offering Thai curry to the public at just 25 baht a sitting. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1264235-a-full-belly-of-delicious-thai-curry-for-just-25-baht-project-by-tra-and-pt-begins-in-july/

Picture: Daily News The Thai Restaurant Association have agreed with PT gas stations to run stalls offering Thai curry to the public at just 25 baht a sitting. There will be 80 such facilities called "Kamjang Jai Curry" at PT stations in and around Bangkok. TRA chief Thaniwan Kunmongkhol said that good quality ingredients had been sourced with the help of major suppliers at knockdown prices. Picture: Daily News With the help of PT they were able to do their bit to alleviate some of the economic hardship being faced by the Thai people. Previews of the great taste can be made at MBK center in Bangkok this week before the project starts in earnest through July, reported Daily News. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-06-28 - 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

Lottery fever as "viper crawls into Thai man's Yaris" Naew Na continued their almost daily fascination about the appearance of snakes where they shouldn't be and the connection to the lottery. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1264233-lottery-fever-as-viper-crawls-into-thai-mans-yaris/

Naew Na continued their almost daily fascination about the appearance of snakes where they shouldn't be and the connection to the lottery. In this case a large green snake or viper fell out of a Bo Tree and slithered into the engine compartment of a car in Ang Thong, central Thailand. Somchai, 37, said he saw the one meter long snake crawl up his Yaris (8 กก 4049). "I tried my best to get it out," said Somchai before he gave up and called the snake catchers. Meanwhile a large number of locals had gathered hopeful that the car's plate number would be the answer to the lottery, next drawn on Friday 1st July. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-06-28 - 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

500 kilos of marijuana from Laos seized on border - no arrests - now what happens to the weed? Picture: Naew Na Thai media Naew Na reported that the QRF (Surasak Montree) military forces on the Laos - Thai border in Mukdahan in the NE got a tip about an impending delivery of marijuana on Sunday night. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1264231-500-kilos-of-marijuana-from-laos-seized-on-border-no-arrests-now-what-happens-to-the-weed/

Picture: Naew Na Thai media Naew Na reported that the QRF (Surasak Montree) military forces on the Laos - Thai border in Mukdahan in the NE got a tip about an impending delivery of marijuana on Sunday night. At 11.40 pm in the area of Ban Phai Lom 7-8 men on a long tail boat offloaded 20 sacks of wrapped plastic. The media said that when the soldiers confronted the gang "they all managed to utilize the dark and their familiarity with the surroundings" and escape back across the Mekong to Laos. Picture: Naew Na This, ASEAN NOW notes, can be viewed as standard rhetoric that no one really wanted a bust, just the drugs. Which begs the question now that marijuana has been legalized in Thailand. What happens to the haul? Burned in a big show at a later date or...... -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-06-28 - 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

International headwinds offset Thai economy’s gains By Thai PBS World’s Business Desk Despite the fast-rising inflation driven largely by food and energy costs, some economic research houses have recently revised upward or at least maintained their economic growth projections for Thailand for the year. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1264228-international-headwinds-offset-thai-economy’s-gains/

By Thai PBS World’s Business Desk Despite the fast-rising inflation driven largely by food and energy costs, some economic research houses have recently revised upward or at least maintained their economic growth projections for Thailand for the year. Siam Commercial Bank’s Economic Intelligence Center (EIC) recently revised upward its economic growth forecast to 2.9 percent this year, up slightly from the previous projection of 2.7 percent, citing a recovery in tourism and services. Kasikorn Research Center maintains its economic growth projection of 2.5-2.9 percent, citing positive impact from the government fully reopening the country to foreign travelers from June 1. Tailwind: tourism The almost consensus view among economists is that the country is set to gain from reopening its doors to tourists. COVID-19 quarantine and related visa application rules have been scrapped. The number of tourist arrivals has so far risen faster than predicted by many observers. “We expect Thailand to welcome 7.4 million foreign tourists this year, up from the previous estimate of 5.7 million,” said Somprawin Manprasert, chief economist at EIC. Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/international-headwinds-offset-thai-economys-gains/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-06-28 - 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!