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Sanook Thai Caption: First picture of "Khru Ba Bun Chum" You'd have to have been living in a cave for a few years to have missed one of the biggest events in modern human history. The Covid pandemic. But that's just what a hermit called "Khru Ba Bin Chum" has been doing after he pledged to become a troglodyte for three years, three months and three days. Crowds of disciples of Thai Yai people - an ethnic group many of whom live in Thailand - were waiting for his emergence from the cave in Muang Ket district in Shan state, across the border in Myanmar. Sanook had no word as yet on any comments from the hermit and only had pictures of his back whilst praying. For anyone wondering what a troglodyte is, ASEAN NOW notes that it is a human cave dweller derived from the Greek "trogle" meaning "hole" and "dyein" meaning to enter. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-08-01 - 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. 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

Bus driver blames door that opened all by itself for accident that injured 11 - he's also tested for alcohol 77kaoded Thai Caption: 11 injured as bus slips off road 77kaoded reported on an accident in which 11 passengers including the conductress were injured when a #134 Bangkok bus from Mo Chit to Bang Bua Thong left the road at a bend in Bang Yai, Nonthaburi. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1267634-bus-driver-blames-door-that-opened-all-by-itself-for-accident-that-injured-11-hes-also-tested-for-alcohol/

77kaoded Thai Caption: 11 injured as bus slips off road 77kaoded reported on an accident in which 11 passengers including the conductress were injured when a #134 Bangkok bus from Mo Chit to Bang Bua Thong left the road at a bend in Bang Yai, Nonthaburi. The driver Athit, 50, claimed that the door next to his seat suddenly swung open in a rain storm and as he tried to grab and close it he lost control and veered off the road. He was breathalysed but had no alcohol in his system. Picture: 77kaoded The bus was taken to the Bang Yai police station where it is being examined. The driver was also being further questioned. Passengers had broken arms, head swellings and facial wounds and were taken to three area hospitals following the incident yesterday evening. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-08-01 - 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. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more! Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

Prayut’s chances of reviving fortunes set to get a boost with launch of 2 political parties this week set By Erich Parpart This week marks a milestone for the political changes in Thailand, as 2 political parties are set to be launched that are likely to be there to help 2014 coup leader Prayut Chan-ocha return to power. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1267633-prayut’s-chances-of-reviving-fortunes-set-to-get-a-boost-with-launch-of-2-political-parties-this-week-set/

By Erich Parpart This week marks a milestone for the political changes in Thailand, as 2 political parties are set to be launched that are likely to be there to help 2014 coup leader Prayut Chan-ocha return to power. The 1st party launched today was Ruam Phaen Din, which is the reincarnation of Palang Chart Thai Party, a party that has 1 Member in the parliament (MP) after it managed to secure 71,000 votes during the 2019 general elections. General Wit Devahastin na Ayudhya, a former leader of the Settakij Thai Party and a close aide of Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, is now set to be the leader of Ruam Phaen Din party. Full story: https://www.thaienquirer.com/42263/prayuts-chances-of-reviving-fortunes-set-to-get-a-boost-with-launch-of-2-political-parties-this-week-set/ -- © Copyright Thai Enquirer 2022-08-01 - 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. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

Shallow grave murder of couple: Fingerprints sent to immigration, cartridges found at scene INN continued to update the public on the case where an unidentified male and female were found shot and buried encased in cement in woods in Chokchai district, Nakhon Ratchasima. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1267632-shallow-grave-murder-of-couple-fingerprints-sent-to-immigration-cartridges-found-at-scene/

INN continued to update the public on the case where an unidentified male and female were found shot and buried encased in cement in woods in Chokchai district, Nakhon Ratchasima. It was earlier suggested that the woman was Thai and the man a foreigner. It was also suggested they were killed elsewhere. That might need to be revised after a further examination revealed new clues. The latest developments followed a two hour meeting held by Chokchai chief Pol Col Sukhon Sri-arun. Twenty officers are working on the case. The scene, some 400 meters off the road, is being further checked for additional bloodstains as well as an area 50 meters from the site where cement appeared to have been mixed. And now it was reported that 3 nine mm shell casings were found 1-2 meters from the shallow grave. These appeared to have been missed in the initial investigation at the end of last week. Also both immigration and the civil registry authorities in Thailand have been sent fingerprints from both the female and male victim in an attempt to discover who they were. With no evidence in their story, INN stated in their first line that forensic investigators expect to know the identity of the victims "rew rew nii" - very soon. Stay tuned to ASEAN NOW for the latest in this case. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-08-01 - 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. 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

Ranger Count Steady Despite Budget Cuts by Paul Rujopakarn NAKHON RATCHASIMA (NNT) - The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has assured that it will maintain the current number of forest rangers and their welfare amid increasing budget constraints. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1267629-ranger-count-steady-despite-budget-cuts/

by Paul Rujopakarn NAKHON RATCHASIMA (NNT) - The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has assured that it will maintain the current number of forest rangers and their welfare amid increasing budget constraints. Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa made the pledge in front of hundreds of rangers from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), the Department of Royal Forest (DRF) and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) at the Khao Yai National Park in Nakhon Ratchasima on Saturday (30 July) during an event celebrating Ranger Day. The minister said their hard work is greatly appreciated by the agency and that he will do his best to secure their employment with the agency. To offset the revenue loss caused by the closure of all national parks due to the pandemic, the ministry started reducing the number of DNP rangers by 33% in 2022. Others have experienced a wage reduction of up to 25%. At the time, the ministry also announced that additional budget cuts would be implemented in October, prompting many officials to express concerns about their careers. About 80% of some 20,000 rangers from all departments under the ministry’s jurisdiction are temporary staff members. -- © Copyright NNT 2022-08-01 - 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. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

Thai media continues promotion of Tourist Police/tourism recovery as Japanese lady reunited with iPhone Picture: Siam Rath It appears that the Thai media - and Siam Rath in particular - are actively engaged in promoting the activities of the Thai Tourist Police, suggests ASEAN NOW. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1267627-thai-media-continues-promotion-of-tourist-policetourism-recovery-as-japanese-lady-reunited-with-iphone/

Picture: Siam Rath It appears that the Thai media - and Siam Rath in particular - are actively engaged in promoting the activities of the Thai Tourist Police, suggests ASEAN NOW. There have been a plethora of stories recently in which forgetful tourists have lost items and been reunited with them. It's starting to rival honest cabby stories but these are all about tourists. And it's always the tourist police who come up trumps inspiring the eternal gratitude of the tourists and their intention to "come back again and again to the land of smiles". This as Thailand battles to restore tourism post pandemic and beat ASEAN rivals to the tourist dollar. In the latest story by Siam Rath - really nothing more than sucking up to the police by mentioning commanders and lesser ranking individuals swinging into action - a Japanese tourist who couldn't speak Thai went to the Ayutthaya police when she lost her iPhone. The cops who couldn't understand Ayano Yasuhara, 45, either called in the wondrous tourist police. They asked Ayano, the wife of a Bridgestone tire company executive in Thailand for a few days, where she'd been. Picture: Siam Rath She explained to a Japanese interpreter that she'd been to a temple and a Shell gas station. The cops took her back to the gas station where honest loo cleaner Wanphen said she'd found it and handed it in to the gas station counter, sure that the owner would return. The tourist cops ascertained that it was indeed Ayano's. Then followed a round of thank yous,khop khuns and domo arigatos while pictures were taken to promote the tourist police. Picture: Siam Rath One appeared to show the Bridgestone exec doing a "wai-cum- bow" to the toilet cleaner. While the last word was left to the Japanese lady: "We'll be back in Thailand for sure!" At least it would have been the last word. Those were reserved for tourist police spokesman and deputy commander Pol Maj-Gen Apichart Suribunya - to praise the tourist police, encourage the Thai public to follow the loo cleaner's public spiritedness and say this kind of thing just shows what a wonderful place Thailand is for tourism. He even managed to slip in the expression "quality tourism" for good measure and of course mentioned the 1155 hotline for tourists.

UPDATE: Quick Investigation Ordered into Fatal Bridge Collapse SAMUT SAKHON, Aug 1 (TNA) – The governor of Samut Sakhon province ordered quick investigation into the cause of the U-turn bridge collapse that killed two people and injured two others on Rama II Road in front of Vibharam Samutsakhon Hospital. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1267600-bangkok-area-five-ton-section-of-u-turn-bridge-under-construction-falls-on-inbound-traffic-killing-two/?do=findComment&comment=17515596

Quick Investigation Ordered into Fatal Bridge Collapse SAMUT SAKHON, Aug 1 (TNA) – The governor of Samut Sakhon province ordered quick investigation into the cause of the U-turn bridge collapse that killed two people and injured two others on Rama II Road in front of Vibharam Samutsakhon Hospital. The tragedy happened at the 34 th kilometer marker of the road in Muang district at about 8.30pm yesterday (July 31). The U-turn bridge had been closed for repair. Its beam fell on to vehicles that were using the Bangkok-bound express lanes of the road. The 10-meter-long concrete beam weighing about five tons hit and split a Bangkok-registered car. Its front passenger died instantly and its driver was injured. It took rescue workers about an hour to free the body from the car. Full story: https://tna.mcot.net/english-news-989242 -- © Copyright Thai News Agency 2022-08-01 - 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. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

UPDATE: Two killed as part of flyover collapses on Rama II Road in Samut Sakhon Two people were killed and two others injured when a support beam of a U-turn flyover bridge, undergoing maintenance, collapsed on Sunday night, forcing the Highways Department temporarily to close the road to in-bound traffic on the busy Rama II Road in Samut Sakhon province. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1267600-bangkok-area-five-ton-section-of-u-turn-bridge-under-construction-falls-on-inbound-traffic-killing-two/?do=findComment&comment=17515543

Two killed as part of flyover collapses on Rama II Road in Samut Sakhon Two people were killed and two others injured when a support beam of a U-turn flyover bridge, undergoing maintenance, collapsed on Sunday night, forcing the Highways Department temporarily to close the road to in-bound traffic on the busy Rama II Road in Samut Sakhon province. Maintenance of the bridge was suspended, pending an investigation into the cause of the cave-in, said Highways Department Director-General Sarawut Songsivilai last night. It is reported that workers were about to pour cement on the flyover bridge, in front of the Vibharam Hospital, when the beam suddenly collapsed onto a few cars on the in-bound lanes of Rama II Road, damaging three of them. One person was crushed to death in his car and an official of the Highways Department, who was supervising the maintenance work, was also killed. Two others were injured. Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/two-killed-as-part-of-flyover-collapses-on-rama-ii-road-in-samut-sakhon/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-08-01 - 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. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

Thai art teacher slammed for destroying kid's work "because it wasn't handed to me" Sanook Thai Caption: Why did a teacher do this? Sanook reported that Thai social media was going ballistic after yet another occasion when a a Thai teacher exhibited a heavy handed approach to a young child's learning and imagination. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1267623-thai-art-teacher-slammed-for-destroying-kids-work-because-it-wasnt-handed-to-me/

Sanook Thai Caption: Why did a teacher do this? Sanook reported that Thai social media was going ballistic after yet another occasion when a a Thai teacher exhibited a heavy handed approach to a young child's learning and imagination. A child had clearly taken a great deal of time to prepare what looked like a natural scene of a pond, an animal and vegetation is plasticine. But the kid left it outside the classroom and didn't give it to the art teacher by hand. Furious about this the teacher, according to the child and their parent, destroyed it and left it ruined. Before and after shots accompanied the Facebook post. ASEAN NOTES that teachers in Thai schools are often criticised for being fussy about rules rather than letting children express themselves and develop. In an education system where conformity rather than individuality is the norm. In this case the media said that the parent would be going to see the school director today to demand that the teacher concerned be reprimanded and it doesn't happen to another child ever again. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-08-01 - 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. 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

RTP chief tells some "lax and flabby" cops to buck up their ideas or face disciplinary and criminal charges Daily News Thai Caption: Responding to government policy Daily News reported on the next phase of the recovery from the pandemic and especially the role of the Royal Thai Police. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1267621-rtp-chief-tells-some-lax-and-flabby-cops-to-buck-up-their-ideas-or-face-disciplinary-and-criminal-charges/

Daily News Thai Caption: Responding to government policy Daily News reported on the next phase of the recovery from the pandemic and especially the role of the Royal Thai Police. They reported on the comments of deputy RTP spokesman Pol Col Krissana Pattanacharoen as the government extended the emergency decree from today and warned people not to let down their guard on Covid especially when it comes to large gatherings and being in close proximity in crowds. ASEAN NOW notes that this can be seen in two ways, reading between the lines. Firstly a genuine interest in ensuring that the country moves into the endemic phase and doesn't get pushed back. But secondly - and more insidiously - making sure that protests against the government are kept under wraps under the guise of stopping Covid getting worse again. And also a rebuke to the RTP about corruption related to things like illegal casino operation and back handers on matters related to illegal immigration as 750,000 workers are needed to return from neighboring countries to take up the slack of Thai workers unwilling to fill low paid jobs. The Daily News article contained the usual rhetoric about making sure that Covid rules are followed related to the government's policies and their implementation by the RTP. But the media picked up on Krissana's comments that are directly from RTP chief Pol Gen Suwat Changyodsuk regarding police who fail to do their duty. He referred to some police jurisdictions and individuals as "yon yan"; this word relates to English terms like laxity and being flabby and flaccid. Suwat is clearly ready to come down like a ton of bricks on officers under his command who take back handers and who don't uphold the law in the coming months. Krissana said this relates to direct involvement in criminal activity and involvement in a roundabout way. This provided ample scope for Suwat to warn his men that they are on watch by PM Prayuth Chan-ocha. At a time when the government is under pressure to deliver and will soon face a new election. Prayuth also heads the Police Commission that looks into RTP behavior. They have been busy recently trying to clean up the notoriously dirty state of Thai policing. Since the start of the year more than 130 officers have been thrown out for corruption. Now under the guise of ensuring post pandemic policies are followed there appears to be a new thrust to call the RTP to order, suggests ASEAN NOW. This could also explain RTP poster boy Pol Lt-Gen Surachate "Big Joke" Hakpan's scathing attack on the Pattaya force at the weekend. In many ways the RTP in Thailand are seen as a law unto themselves and critics suggest they are little more than a mafia organization. Attempts by politicians to rein them in are nothing new and rhetoric is rarely backed up with real action. But as Thailand moves towards a new phase of Covid restrictions being eased, yet some still enforced - and a tourism high season from November to February that should mark the beginning of the return to mass tourism - it will be interesting to see how the police as well as other public agencies react to political -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-08-01 - 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. 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 demands.

Vietnamese mother and daughter drown in sea off Phuket Two Vietnamese tourists drowned yesterday (Sunday) in the seas off Nai Thon beach in Thalang district of Phuket, despite a “red flag” warning posted on the beach. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1267618-vietnamese-mother-and-daughter-drown-in-sea-off-phuket/

Two Vietnamese tourists drowned yesterday (Sunday) in the seas off Nai Thon beach in Thalang district of Phuket, despite a “red flag” warning posted on the beach. An eyewitness said he saw three people swimming in the sea and shouted to them to come ashore due to the strong waves. His warning went unheeded, so he alerted hotel security guards in the area to come to their rescue. He also said that, when it became apparent that the security guards could not offer any help, he alerted his nephew, who tried to help but failed as two of the tourists were washed away by strong waves. He then called the 1669 emergency hotline. Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/vietnamese-mother-and-daughter-drown-in-sea-off-phuket/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-08-01 - 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. Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

Big Joke in Pattaya: Top cop slams "filthy police station" saying police in resort "must do better" Picture: Thai Rath Top cop Lt-Gen Surachate Hakpan - the poster boy of the RTP known universally as Big Joke - went to Pattaya at the weekend and found that it was completely filthy. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1267616-big-joke-in-pattaya-top-cop-slams-filthy-police-station-saying-police-in-resort-must-do-better/

Picture: Thai Rath Top cop Lt-Gen Surachate Hakpan - the poster boy of the RTP known universally as Big Joke - went to Pattaya at the weekend and found that it was completely filthy. At least the police station was and that was his main focus of attention.. The once sacked immigration chief now high ranking advisor usually visits local forces, says some nice things and goes back to Bangkok having praised local forces. Last week he did just that in Betong in the south where the police station was highly ranked for it's implementation of chief Gen Suwat Chaengyodsuk's much vaunted Smart Safety Zone 4.0 community policing and reporting system. But in Pattaya he had some stinging words at a meeting with all the local top brass and representatives from what influential media Thai Rath referred to as the Big 6 in English. In front of the regional deputy, provincial chief and the head of the Pattaya police station itself - Pol Col Kulachart Kulachai - Surachet delivered an attack on Pattaya's police. He said: "I've been coming to Pattaya for I don't know how many years. The police station here is just as filthy as it's ever been. "You really can do much better than this. You need to be more efficient in what you do". His remarks could be seen in a wider context as relating to the whole force's poor policing in Pattaya, notes ASEAN NOW. It is widely known that getting a police posting to Chonburi - and especially Pattaya - requires serious money to change hands as there are rich back hander pickings in the resort. The attack on Pattaya comes as the local force got a measly 23rd place in Smart Safety Zone rankings. Big Joke went further driving in the knife: "Look at Muang district of Chonburi police station," he said of the station miles away in Chonburi city. "They are less high profile than Pattaya and yet they are running things smoothly and efficiently and the police station looks professional". They are #1 in the safety zone rankings making Pattaya stand out like a proverbial sore thumb. He ordered the provincial chief to work with the Pattaya station chief to smarten up their ideas. Thai Rath said that in attendance at the meeting were Pol Maj-Gen Surajit Chingnawan, region 2 deputy, and provincial chief Pol Maj-Gen Attasit Kitjahan. The Big 6 referred to the state and private sectors, education chiefs, religious reps, politicians and the press. ASEAN NOW notes that Big Joke - named after his penchant for conjee the boiled rice breakfast with an egg - has been tasked by Suwat to check up on the smart safety zone phase 2 throughout the country following pilot projects. Few in Pattaya would have noticed any difference in the policing there and we would like to ask our many readers at the resort whether they have noticed an improvement. The safety zone plan - Suwat's baby since he rose to power - has been given an award in Dubai for community policing. But it seems Pattaya is lagging behind. Will the arrival of the poster boy of the RTP - rehabilitated now following a highly public fall from grace in which he was told to shuffle paper at the PM's office - have any effect on Pattaya? Or will everything return to "business as normal on the eastern seaboard" after Big Joke and his entourage leave town? Stay tuned. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-08-01 - 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. 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

Putting Yala back on track by turning it into a center of Malay fashion With the COVID crisis now receding, Yala City Municipality is working on getting quickly back on its feet with a series of events aimed at boosting the economy and people’s well-being. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1267605-putting-yala-back-on-track-by-turning-it-into-a-center-of-malay-fashion/