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File photo for reference only OPINION | by Michael Bridge Suvarnabhumi airport these past few days has experienced a big increase in traffic both inbound and outbound due to the relaxing of Covid regulations. “Travel will see a strong resurgence because conditions [for entry] will return to almost pre-Covid normality’ said a CAAT director. Well, his predictions seem to be coming true, as the urge to travel by a global population coming out of the pandemic and lockdowns is gaining momentum. We at AseanNow.com have received just under 11,000 views on the topic of surging airfares and to date nearly one hundred of you have posted a reply. Certainly, traveling overseas to say Europe is expensive as the route from Thailand is that much longer due to the additional miles flown to avoid Russian airspace. Also, that old chestnut of school holidays tends to put up airfares too. In the old days one could pick up a bargain by leaving it to the last minute, but this has all changed so people are having to grab a seat straight away to avoid even higher rates. This coupled with the fuel hikes have made airlines look at the budgets and schedules and inevitably we the passengers must pay more. As an example, on Wednesday, I went of Qatar’s website and got the lowest return fare offered in July was THB56,340. Now four days later the same fare had gone up to THB57.545. Here are a cross-section of some of your replies here. If you booked two months in advance tickets were still cheap up until about a month or two ago. $600 for a ticket from Bangkok to Toronto up until May but now it’s $4000. I booked a return flight to my home country back in April for October, it cost me 18,260 baht on sale, today it's on sale again at 22,595 baht, that's a 23.74% increase and on sale, WOW. There have been over two intervening years, and the price of oil and related fuels has gone up from about $50 to double that. The rise you see in flight costs doesn't seem so bad. Cashing in on school holidays. it’s a joke even I'm looking at flights for August one way £500 ish mark now ... I was looking this morning at quite a few reputable airlines. THB50k + for economy return to LHR and back THB150k + for business to LHR and back Yes, but be careful who you book with if in a desperate search. Meaning that there are some bad agents out there who will show attractive priced tickets but when the time to fly gets close you will get an email to say the flight price has changed etc. That is when the harm begins. Always better to book directly with the airline although it will be a bit more expensive. Sorry to say that some of these foreign agencies with agents calling themselves name such as Jimmy or David are to be avoided at all costs. Finally, the current expensive flights are caused by 1 / Fuel costs 2 / Reduced flights because of lack of check in staff and baggage handlers 3 / High season and school holidays. If a one-way airfare from Bangkok to Phuket is cheaper than a taxi ride from Phuket airport to a destination within the island, then there must be something definitely wrong. I just booked with Aegean Airlines / Saudi Airlines Business Class £1200.The wife got 6 weeks off plus it's her birthday. And I haven't seen her in over 2 years due to covid I leave on the 18th of July ... I'm so pleased right now actually I'm buzzing with the outcome. Recently booked direct return flights for BKK-LHR for Sept with Eva. Under 30K. Quite happy with that as I think not far off from pre-Covid price? Just booked Qatar BKK/LGW return....33,500 baht...so did quite well by the looks of it. I will not be booking air travel out of Thailand for at least the next 2 years. It’s just good luck and planning that I live in a tropical location anyway and have no real need or desire to spend the money or endure the hassle of aircraft and airports. Just crack another beer, stay by my pool, and watch the mayhem that is air travel at the moment, from as long a distance as possible. The bottom line is unless you must travel soon, try looking at the cheaper days to fly. Weekends are often busier and national holidays as well. Kayak the online booking website shows the cheapest days of the month to travel which could save you a few dollars or baht. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 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! 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

By Goongnang Suksawat Patong – Six taxi drivers have been arrested yesterday (June 21st) after a video clip of motorbike taxi drivers fighting has gone viral in social media this week. Lieutenant Colonel Prasert Thongplew of the Patong Police told the Phuket Express, “The fighting was between Tuk Tuk taxi drivers and a private motorbike driver after they argued about taking customers and parking spots.” “Six people have been arrested yesterday as we have finished collecting all the details about the operators in Patong. Full story: https://thephuketexpress.com/2022/06/22/update-six-taxi-drivers-arrested-who-were-involved-in-a-street-fight-in-patong-says-it-was-a-misunderstanding/ -- © Copyright The Phuket Express 2022-06-23 - 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!

Picture: Thai Rath Thai media continued to find every angle imaginable in the ongoing furor surrounding the removal of marijuana from the Class 5 narcotics list last Thursday. Now Thai Rath reported on a "warning post" online about a woman who said she had an allergic reaction to a ganja leaf she found in her Tom Jeut Mara - a kind of boiled soup with bitter gourd. She only found out after she had ordered it that it contained a marijuana leaf. But she went ahead and ate it and claimed she had a severe reaction. The shop has apologized and given her her money back. The story started to play out on Facebook in a post by Sirijan Teerawan who advised traders that not everyone can tolerate ganja in their food. She said she ate the dish in the evening and was feeling terrible in the night. She claimed she had a headache, dry throat, throat swelling, great thirst, difficulty swallowing, tiredness and stomach pains. She realised this was an allergic reaction. She treated herself with paracetamol and mineral salts. She claimed she was "tortured for three days". She was advising all her friends to watch out and check before they eat. She posted a picture of the leaf and her going to get treatment at Phanat Nikhom Hospital. The media caught up with the 27 year old at her home; she who showed all the evidence associated with her claims. She said the trader who sold her the item was in touch and had refunded the 280 baht she paid. She was happy at that and the concern showed by the trader for her well-being. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-06-15 - 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

Dismissed former superintendent of Nakhon Sawan police, Thitisan “Joe Ferrari” Uttanaphon and five former subordinates were sentenced to life in prison today (Wednesday), in connection with the death by torture of a drug suspect in their custody at the Muang district police station in August last year. A seventh police officer was given five years and four months, because he was not involved in the fatal torture of the victim. All seven former officers were found guilty of multiple offences by the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases this morning, including murder by torture, malfeasance in office and coercion. Thitisanm who confessed to all charges except murder by torture, and the five former subordinates were initially sentenced to death, but this was commuted to life imprisonment, with the court citing their attempts to try to resuscitate the victim, having him taken to hospital, their useful testimonies and their contribution towards the funeral costs and compensation for the victim’s family in mitigation. Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/former-thai-police-officer-joe-ferrari-his-former-subordinates-get-life/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-06-08 - 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!

by ASEAN NOW The Thailand Department of Disease Control (DDC), has been warning that this year’s seasonal dengue outbreak could be more severe than usual, following three early deaths in 2022. This is already half the total for all of 2021. Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, director-general of the DDC, said that as summer approaches, cases of dengue fever, as well as other diseases such as diarrhea and heatstroke, increase dramatically. According to Dr Opas, only six people died from dengue last year, but three dengue fatalities have already been reported in the first three months of 2022. All three deaths involved patients who were either recovering from or actively being treated for COVID-19. Other countries have been affected Thailand is not alone as the Philippines have reported this week that in Zamboanga City their City Health Office (CHO) said Tuesday that it has recorded a total of 2,223 dengue cases with nineteen deaths in the city since January. Over in Singapore, the number of cases reported so far this year has already exceeded the whole of 2021 and is already climbing towards the levels in 2020 when Singapore saw its worst dengue outbreak. To borrow terms, officials there said that we’ve become familiar with over the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the effective reproductive number – the number of people infected by the mosquitoes infected by one dengue carrier – needs to be kept below 1 to curb transmission. Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe And that isn’t currently happening. Experts there know some circumstantial factors that may be responsible for the current outbreak. The recent warm weather is conducive to mosquito population growth. DENV3, the current dominant serotype behind most cases now, has not circulated at such levels before 2021. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reported that in 2022, and as of 5 May, 785 736 cases and 588 deaths have been reported. The majority of cases have been reported from Brazil (607,546) and most deaths are from Indonesia (229). Since the previous CDTR published on week 14, 492 404 new cases and 181 new deaths have been reported. According to their figures in 2022 up to April 25th Thailand had 889 cases and no deaths have been reported. This is an increase of 276 cases and no deaths since 5 April 2022. What is Dengue? Dengue is a viral infection transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes called Aedes aegypti, which usually bite between two hours after sunrise and two hours before sunset. The most common symptoms are fever with any of the following: nausea, vomiting, rashes, aches, and pains, like eye pain or typically behind the eyes, muscle, joints, or bones. Dengue and COVID-19 share some early clinical symptoms, like fever, body ache and fatigue, so more may have sought medical attention in the past two years or so. The availability of rapid diagnostics in GP clinics is another factor. Of course, there are small steps most of us are already familiar with, such as removing stagnant water, using the myENV app to get alerts about clusters, as well as the increased use of sprays, long-sleeved and legged clothing, and residual indoor spraying around the home. Fortunately, there are long-term technological solutions around the corner, the two most likely over the years ahead of being the use of Wolbachia mosquitoes and dengue vaccination. Singapore has been leading the way internationally in using Wolbachia mosquitoes since 2016 in a suppression strategy – where male mosquitoes infected with the Wolbachia bacteria are released to mate but the resultant eggs cannot produce offspring, thus making the wild population crash. The data from the pilot field sites in Tampines and Yishun over the last few years suggest the approach is remarkably successful in cutting mosquito populations there. We can live in hope, meanwhile during the hot rainy season be alert for those pesky mosquitoes. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-06-02 - 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. 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

By Editor Yesterday (31st May) the Kanchanaburi Provincial Court sentenced former Hua Hin resident Shane Kenneth Looker to 8 years imprisonment for murdering a 31 year old Thai woman, Laxami “Look” Manochat, in 2014. The court ordered Looker to pay a total of 12.5 million baht to Look’s family. The court initially sentenced the 51 year old British man from Stoke-on-Trent to 16 years imprisonment but cut the sentence in half because he confessed to the crime. Initially he had said he “categorically had absolutely nothing to do with this woman’s murder.” Looker was not present in court but listened to his sentence via video call from Kanchanaburi prison. Look’s mother and daughter were present at the court to hear the sentence, along with representatives from the British embassy. Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe The court heard that several witnesses had seen Looker and Look together on the night she was last seen in Bangkok and clear CCTV footage allowed police to quickly identify the murderer. In addition, DNA traces of were found in samples taken from Look’s fingernails. The pair were seen walking through a hotel together on Sukhumvit Soi 5 on November 1st 2014, after Looker picked her from a bar in the Nana area of Bangkok. Look was not seen again after that night. Police later discovered the body cut into pieces, still wearing black stilettos, a black dress and underwear. It is not clear how Look’s body ended up in Kanchanaburi. Police believe the murder took place on the night of November 1st, before Looker left Bangkok for Hua Hin where he owned a property. It is believed he spent weeks lying low in Hua Hin before crossing over into Malaysia by train. He then flew to Ibiza in Spain where he owned another holiday home. Kanchanaburi Provincial Court approved an arrest warrant on January 28th 2015, on charges of “murdering and hiding, moving or destroying a body in order to conceal the death or cause of death.” Looker was arrested in Spain in June 2017 and remanded in custody. After years of appeals, he was extradited from Spain and sent back to Thailand in July last year. Police met him at Suvarnabhumi Airport, handcuffed him and detained him. Thai authorities had reportedly offered assurances under EU law that he wouldn’t face the death penalty if found guilty. Source: https://royalcoastreview.com/2022/05/former-british-hua-hin-resident-sentenced-for-murder/ -- © Copyright Royal Coast Review 2022-06-01 - 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.

By Online Reporter With so many brilliant restaurants in Hua Hin, we’re spoiled for choice. There really is something for everyone. Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe It goes without saying that delicious Thai food can be found all over the city. Whether you’re in the mood for a good burger, Sunday lunch or authentic Italian food, you will likely find it and much more in Hua Hin. Full story: https://www.huahintoday.com/food-wine/the-10-best-restaurants-in-hua-hin-according-to-tripadvisor/ -- © Copyright Hua Hin Today 2022-05-17 - 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.

Picture: Thai Rath Thai Rath reported on the surprise closure of a major shopping center in Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand. Promenada Chiang Mai in Muang district - home to a hundred outlets and hundreds of employees - has temporarily shut down from May 5th until further notice. A Filipino senior executive at Promenada said that the 42 employees had not lost their jobs, they were working from home for now. Employees in the 100 outlets were mostly from big chains that could absorb staff in other branches. Cashflow and the effect of the pandemic over the last two years has been blamed. Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe Deputy governor Weeraphan Dee-orn was meeting with officials from the Labour Ministry to work out how to help staff affected by the temporary closure. He didn't deny suggestions from sources that the shopping center had had their utilities cut off due to non-payment. He said it was incumbent on everyone to make sure they paid their bills on time. But he added that talks with the firm and its investors indicated that there would soon be good news on the way regarding the reopening of the shopping center. The center was built with a huge investment from abroad, said the media. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-05-07 - 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. - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates 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: Daily News Daily News reported that a 48 year old Thai wife arranged to have her 63 year old Danish husband murdered in Thailand for 500,000 baht. Via an older friend it was arranged that a relative would drive into the foreigner as he rode his motorcycle by a field. But despite a serious collision that left a hole in a windshield - a picture in Thai Rath was published - Mr. Larsen survived with serious injuries. Picture: Thai Rath The plot to get 10 million baht in life insurance soon unravelled and three people are in custody. Mr Larsen remains in Srisawan Hospital in the central/northern province of Nakhon Sawan. Yesterday Pol Maj-Gen Attasit Sutsanguan, Region 6 deputy, gave details of the case. Now in custody after warrants were issued on charges of arranging murder are Mr Larsen's wife Pratheep Fang Larsen, 48, and Jemjan Khamkaew, 60. On Thursday of last week, 21st April, the small sub-police station of Nong Krot received a report of a collision between a car and a motorcycle in Beung Pla Thu sub-district of Ban Photphisai district. A grey Toyota with Lampang plates had collided with the bike ridden by Mr Larsen propelling him into a field. Driving the Toyota was Ekkasit Wichajan, 24. Ekkasit claimed it was an accident and it appeared that way at first, said Attasit. But soon there appeared inconsistencies and it became obvious this had been deliberate and was a staged accident. Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe Picture: Daily News Under intense interrogation Ekkasit broke down and admitted that he was hired by his relative Jemjan to kill Mr Larsen but failed. It emerged that Pratheep Larsen had paid her friend 500,000 baht to arrange her husband's death so she could claim 10 million baht in life insurance. The Larsen's have two children and had been living in Denmark for many years. But they came back to Thailand and couldn't return because of the pandemic. They had purchased tens of rai of land for 20 million baht but a dispute arose. The wife wanted a divorce but the husband opposed this. They could not get back to Denmark because of the pandemic. It was also reported that ten years ago Jemjan was charged with organising someone's murder but was acquitted. Ekkasit was promised a new car for killing Mr Larsen but after he failed he was given just 10,000 baht for his trouble. All three are now in custody as Mr Larsen recovers in hospital. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-04-30 - 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. - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates 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

By Erich Parpart The Ministry of Finance’s Fiscal Policy Office (FPO) slashed its economic growth projection for 2022 down to 3.5 per cent on Wednesday, citing consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has affected consumer confidence and prices of products in the country,” said Pornchai Thiraveja, FPO’s director-general. Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe The FPO said the invasion is leading to inflation in Thailand, caused by higher global energy prices. The war is also leading to a slowdown in economies of major trading partner countries, especially in Europe and the United States. Full story: https://www.thaienquirer.com/39737/russia-ukraine-war-continues-to-impact-thai-economy-ministry-of-finance-says/ -- © Copyright Thai Enquirer 2022-04-28 - 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. - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Image credit: Spencer Davis/Unsplash BY CHAYANIN THAIJONGRAK Despite some concern regarding the Covid-19 situation after the Songkran holiday, the Public Health Ministry’s plan to declare Covid-19 endemic by July still persists. Thailand’s Public Health Ministry is still looking forward to declaring the prolonged Covid-19 as an endemic by July 1, 2022. Although it has been predicted that we could see a spike in cases and death rates after the Songkran festival, Dr Chakkarat Pitayowonganon from the Department of Disease Control states that it will take roughly two to four weeks to conclude. As of today’s prediction, the worst-case scenario can reach over 100,000 cases per day, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe Fortunately, we’re now seeing a decline in the number of infections, from about 30,000 PCR tests per day before Songkran to 16,000 cases at the time of writing. Dr Chakkarat mentions that he is not much worried about the after-festival situation, for the risk group is mostly working people who already received booster vaccines and are likely to develop only mild symptoms. Full story: https://www.prestigeonline.com/th/travel/destinations/thailand-covid-endemic-july/ -- © Copyright PRESTIGE 2022-04-20 - 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. - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Picture: Siam Rath A helicopter carrying the Region 3 deputy commander crashed in Surin, NE, Thailand the RTP spokesman has admitted. Maj-Gen Yingyot Thepjamnong said yesterday that Maj-Gen Khirisak Tantinwachai was one of several policemen in his entourage slightly hurt, reported Siam Rath. Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe The helicopter was taking the group from Nakhon Ratchasima to Surin. On arrival as it prepared to land it experienced gusts that caused a crash landing. The helicopter damaged in the incident is a Bell 429. Long Stay Visa Health Insurance Plans -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-03-26 - Aetna 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. - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates 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

Sanook caption:"We've split up" Controversial US YouTuber and content creator Nathan Bartling - who has 11 million followers on his "My Mate Nate" channel - appeared on a teary-eyed video with his Thai wife yesterday to announce they are splitting up. Utah born Nate and his wife, Look Mee Wannabe Mee, or Mee spoke in Thai with their fans after Mee said a few words in English. According to Sanook they said the decision wasn't easy, it was complicated, but this was the best way forward. So why the split? That was a private matter within their families, they said. They felt that their direction and destination were diverging. They had not intended to say anything but out of respect for their fan base they had decided to go public. Nate has reportedly made a lot of money on YouTube, notes ASEAN NOW, but has courted controversy. Back in 2017 when aged 24 a petition for his deportation was started after he put coins on a railtrack and was interview by the authorities and apologized. He appeared at a police station in a suit and along with a friend was fined 5,000 baht. On another occasion he was accused of animal cruelty after what some saw as a particularly crass video. Picture: Thai Rath It featured a cat and a scorpion though Nate claimed the scorpion's stinger had been removed. Others criticized him for making videos with Thai teenagers that humiliated their lack of English though Nate said it was all a jolly good laugh. Long Stay Visa Health Insurance Plans -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-01-19 - Aetna 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. - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates 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

Thai tourism in trouble: And competitor Vietnam is "scary" for Pattaya File photo Reports from the government that Thai tourism is up were disputed today. By the government themselves! As one ministry appears to disagree with another a business leader says that tourism on the ground in Pattaya is much worse than the figures suggest. Whatever those figures are. In fact the outlook is terrible - with Vietnam presenting a "scary" proposition as a competitor for the tourism dollar. Earlier the Ministry of Tourism and Sports had said that tourism was up 0.89% in June year on year. Now the National Economics and Social Development Council - a ministerial body - has said that first quarter results in Thailand showed an across the board slowdown in tourism. From an increase of 4.3% in the last quarter this plummeted to 1.8%. Tourists from Oceania, Europe and the middle east were not coming as expected. Tourism from China was faring better but was still in decline from 10.5% down to 1.7%. Pattaya business and tourism leader Ekkasit Ngamphichet - who two weeks ago said that tourism in Pattaya was going down the pan - has not changed his mind in a new interview with the Thai media. If anything he is even more pessimistic than before. He said that from his analysis of local businesses it was hard to find any reason to be positive. He said there were few Europeans. Yes, the Russians had returned in some numbers but it was not a great deal. The Chinese tourism market was "rather quiet". Chinese New Year back in February had been a mere shadow of previous years and by April and May there were less and less Chinese - far fewer than could be expected on previous year's results. He suggested that the figures coming out of government spin doctors were not being shown on the ground. He described Vietnam as "naa glua" - meaning scary. He said that Vietnam was increasingly a rival of Thailand for tourist cash. Vietnam has lots of unexplored and new tourism locations and many people are choosing to go there instead of Pattaya in particular and Thailand in general. -- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-07-23 Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

High-rise buildings in Bangkok resistant to earthquake BANGKOK: -- High-rise buildings built after 2007 in Bangkok can withstand shaking from earthquake of 6.3 magnitude, according to the Building Control Division of the Department of Public Works of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. Assurance from the Building Control Division came as there is rising concern among people living in high-rise buildings after the devastating 7.8 earthquake hit Nepal last week. It said that it had collected information from over 70 high-rise buildings of which occupants reported feeling the shaking after the 6.3 earthquake struck Phan district of Chiang Rai on May 5, 2014. These tall buildings are not pronged to risk from earthquake but merely could feel shaking from the quake, It said after the 6.3 quake that hit Chiang Rai and high-rise buildings in Bangkok felt the shaking, preventive regulations were issued requiring all high-rise buildings must be designed to be earthquake resistant to such magnitude. This was to ensure that all high-rise buildings built after 2007 will meet international safety standard to cope with the quake. Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/high-rise-buildings-in-bangkok-resistant-to-earthquake -- Thai PBS 2015-04-30

Aussie expat found hanged in Phuket Phuket Gazette An outside view of the Phuket home where the body of Australian Daniel Cruwys was found this morning. Photo: Thawit Bilabdullar PHUKET: -- An Australian expat took his life by hanging in a luxury home under construction in Phuket, it was discovered this morning. Thalang Police were notified of the apparent suicide at 10:30am by the wife of the victim, 38-year-old Australian Daniel Cruwys. When police and Kusoldharm Foundation workers arrived at the scene, an upscale home in Pa Khlok, they found the late Mr Cruwys hanged by the neck from a nylon rope tied to a ceiling fixture in the home’s CCTV monitoring room. A note written to the wife of the deceased indicated that they had a daughter together. A review of CCTV images showed Mr Cruwys entering the home at about 5pm yesterday and fashioning the noose he used to hang himself at about 6pm. Police believe he took his life at about 7pm When he failed to return home last night, his wife drove up from their other home in Chalong to investigate and found that he had taken his life. Mr Cruwys was employed by a well-known legal assistance firm and lived in Phuket for many years. In a handwritten note left at the scene, he professed his love for his wife and apologized for “being the one who lets the team down” and leaving their daughter without a father. Source: http://www.phuketgaz...ticle16485.html -- Phuket Gazette 2012-07-24