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to continue: Thailand Live Wednesday 1 June 2022 https://aseannow.com/topic/1261338-thailand-live-wednesday-1-june-2022/

Is there light at the end of the tunnel for Thailand? ANALYSIS | by ASEAN NOW We all know that government departments like to announce predictions, however last week’s announcement that the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has decided to readjust its figures for an estimate for foreign arrivals this year could be achievable. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1261337-is-there-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel-for-thailand/

ANALYSIS | by ASEAN NOW We all know that government departments like to announce predictions, however last week’s announcement that the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has decided to readjust its figures for an estimate for foreign arrivals this year could be achievable. The official number of tourists visiting Thailand had reached 1,016,103 people from January to May 2022. TAT said that June bookings had already reached one million by mid-May, attributed to the end of compulsory RT-PCR testing announced on May 1. Having originally hoped that Thailand would have one million travellers per month from October to December this year, these latest results have been encouraging. TAT is now hopeful that the overall number of international tourists this year could surpass at least eight million. Who knows but it would be good for the battered hospitality industry for sure? Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe Where are they coming from? By mid-May the country had seen 1.1 million tourists. The most travellers, 86,420 came from India. This was followed by the UK (85,926), Germany (71,173), the US (61,788) and surprisingly Russia (59,591). Currently, the number of Thailand Pass registrations stood at 2.75 million. Pattaya is busier Living in Pattaya it is plain to see many Indian tourists wandering around town and even the buses are starting to return as well. That said it would seem that many of these tourists are staying in 2–3-star hotels and maybe on limited budgets, so not sure if the town’s nightlife establishments will benefit. Busy Weekends With many Thais still reluctant to wade through paperwork to travel overseas, the domestic travel market has increased especially at weekends when Thais leave Bangkok for some r&r. The number of domestic Thai tourists taking at least one trip had also increased to as high as 71,210,525 people during January-May, accountable for a 69 percent increase, stimulating income for the tourism industry. The government expected that domestic tourists will be encouraged to travel within the country by at least 160 million people (trips) by 2022, generating an income of at least 656 billion baht. Back in 2012 China had been taking the top spot as far as providing tourists to Thailand, ahead of Malaysia in second place. By 2019 over eleven million Chinese visitors arrived in the country, which amounted to 27.6 % of the total visitors. Then Covid struck and all predictions went out of the window. Therefore, estimating eight million total visitors in 2022 may not seem a lot, but it is a significant improvement on the past couple of years. The TAT thinks the Land of the Smiles will bounce back, meanwhile, it is down to domestic tourism to help take up some of the slack. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 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. 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

Construction of Hua Hin Sky Walk at Khao Hin Lek Fai viewpoint moves closer to reality By Online Reporter Major plans to build a Sky Walk at the Khao Hin Lek Fai viewpoint have moved a step closer to reality after municipal officials approved the next phase of the planning process. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1261284-construction-of-hua-hin-sky-walk-at-khao-hin-lek-fai-viewpoint-moves-closer-to-reality/

Thai government urged to reduce defence budget to fund welfare projects A lecturer in economics at Thammasat University is urging the government to scale down its defence spending and increase budgets to improve the livelihoods of the poor and pensioners and to stimulate the grass-root economy, in order to restore public trust and confidence, as the debate on the 3.18 trillion baht budget bill for the 2023 fiscal year begins today (Tuesday) in the Lower House. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1261278-thai-government-urged-to-reduce-defence-budget-to-fund-welfare-projects/

A lecturer in economics at Thammasat University is urging the government to scale down its defence spending and increase budgets to improve the livelihoods of the poor and pensioners and to stimulate the grass-root economy, in order to restore public trust and confidence, as the debate on the 3.18 trillion baht budget bill for the 2023 fiscal year begins today (Tuesday) in the Lower House. Dr. Theepakorn Jithitikulchai, of the Faculty of Economics, said that the government still has the conventional mindset when preparing the national budget, which gives priority to permanent expenditure and defence spending, with scant attention paid to issues such as welfare for the vulnerable, students and the poor as well as investment. The public welfare budget, he said, accounts for just 2.6% of gross domestic product (GDP) compared to at least 8% in developed countries, while the investment budget amounts to just 15% of all public spending. Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thai-government-urged-to-reduce-defence-budget-to-fund-welfare-projects/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-05-31 - 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.

Khon Kaen: "Kind" railway police offering free haircuts every Monday INN reported that local volunteers, state railway staff and "kind" railway police were offering free haircuts to males. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1261277-khon-kaen-kind-railway-police-offering-free-haircuts-every-monday/

INN reported that local volunteers, state railway staff and "kind" railway police were offering free haircuts to males. A tent has been set up in the parking lot of Khon Kaen station. It says the haircuts are free. Haircutting expert Professor Michael Isaan said the joint collaboration was to help ease people's economic hardship. The railway authorities were chipping in with the location and free electricity. Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe All Covid-19 protocols were being followed. He said that haircuts could cost up to 100 baht for children and 150 for adults but that 70 people each Monday had been turning up for the free service. Sometimes people were arriving on motorcycles with sidecars with up to five family members wanting a free cut. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-05-31 - 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

Thai government to sell ฿80 lottery tickets online to prevent overpricing To prevent unscrupulous lottery vendors from taking advantage of consumers by overcharging for lottery tickets, sometimes by as much as 50 baht per ticket, Thailand’s Government Lottery Office (GLO) will launch the online sale to the public of five million lottery tickets at the approved price of 80 baht each, through the “Pao Tang” application, on June 2nd. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1261273-thai-government-to-sell-฿80-lottery-tickets-online-to-prevent-overpricing/

To prevent unscrupulous lottery vendors from taking advantage of consumers by overcharging for lottery tickets, sometimes by as much as 50 baht per ticket, Thailand’s Government Lottery Office (GLO) will launch the online sale to the public of five million lottery tickets at the approved price of 80 baht each, through the “Pao Tang” application, on June 2nd. According to Chairman of the Government Lottery Committee Lawaron Saengsanit, the June 2nd launch comes after the GLO has successfully tested the online sales system in the past two lottery prize drawings. Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe The five million lottery tickets are those from the lottery quotas withdrawn by the GLO from 10,000 vendors, after it was discovered that they were not selling the tickets to the public as required, but to unauthorised online lottery dealers instead. Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thai-government-to-sell-80-lottery-tickets-online-to-prevent-overpricing/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-05-31 - 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.

Size matters! Illegal "Bang Fai" rockets under investigation by north eastern governor Picture: INN Authorities in Sisaket in Thailand's north east are investigating after villagers were found with oversized Bang Fai. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1261272-size-matters-illegal-bang-fai-rockets-under-investigation-by-north-eastern-governor/

Picture: INN Authorities in Sisaket in Thailand's north east are investigating after villagers were found with oversized Bang Fai. These are rockets - usually comprising PVC pipes with bamboo tails packed with home made explosive - used in rocket festivals, traditional events held mostly in Isaan, notes ASEAN NOW. Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe The illegal rockets were found in the village of Jansaenchai when officials surrounded the area, reported INN. Provincial governor Wattana Phuthichart said that the size of rockets is regulated and permission must be sought before rocket festival events can be held. The events were stopped during the pandemic but are now back with a bang. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-05-31 - 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

UPDATE: Pepsi Price Hike Delayed by 1 Month by Na-ark Rojanasuvan BANGKOK (NNT) - Suntory Pepsico Beverage Thailand has assured that the price of Pepsi will remain unchanged for the month of June. Its planned price hike for all sizes and packages by 1-2 baht will instead commence in July. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1261259-dept-of-internal-trade-puts-brake-on-pepsi-price-rise/?do=findComment&comment=17390308

Tooled up and ready to rumble: Teams take part in SWAT Challenge Picture: Siam Rath Pol Lt-Gen Thanayuth Wutthijarasthamrong inspected the teams at the start of a five day long event called SWAT Challenge 2022. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1261269-tooled-up-and-ready-to-rumble-teams-take-part-in-swat-challenge/

Pepsi Price Hike Delayed by 1 Month by Na-ark Rojanasuvan BANGKOK (NNT) - Suntory Pepsico Beverage Thailand has assured that the price of Pepsi will remain unchanged for the month of June. Its planned price hike for all sizes and packages by 1-2 baht will instead commence in July. Wattanasak Sur-iam, Director-General of the Department of Internal Trade (DIT), made the announcement after discussing the matter with Suntory. The company previously planned to make the price hike official on June 1 to keep pace with rising production costs, citing higher fuel prices that have made plastic and transportation more expensive. Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe Suntory nevertheless decided to postpone the price hike for another month, to officially commence on July 1. Wattanasak said his agency is closely monitoring the prices of consumer products. He also stressed that all price hikes must be thoroughly reviewed in line with actual costs and must not overly burden consumers. Vendors found guilty of price gouging, hoarding or refusal to sell goods can face up to 7 years in prison or a fine of up to 140,000 baht, or both. Members of the public are encouraged to report unfair traders by calling the DIT’s hotline number 1569. -- © Copyright NNT 2022-05-31 - 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: Siam Rath Pol Lt-Gen Thanayuth Wutthijarasthamrong inspected the teams at the start of a five day long event called SWAT Challenge 2022. It is being held at the Naresuan Fort in Cha-Am, Phetchaburi province. Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe Twelve teams are being put through their paces in tackling serious crime. There are five sections including movement, attack, sniper fire, joint action and an obstacle course. The event ends Friday reported Siam Rath who had pictures of heavily armed SWAT teams ready for action. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-05-31 - 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 Picture: Siam Rath Picture: Siam Rath Picture: Siam Rath Picture: Siam Rath

UPDATE: 70,000+ Daily Travelers Expected Amid Relaxed Entry Restrictions by Na-ark Rojanasuvan BANGKOK (NNT) - Airports of Thailand (AOT) expects more than 70,000 travelers to fly in daily after the kingdom further relaxed travel restrictions from June 1 onwards. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1261254-transport-minister-saksayam-at-suvarnabhumi-ahead-of-thailands-latest-reopening/?do=findComment&comment=17390271

70,000+ Daily Travelers Expected Amid Relaxed Entry Restrictions by Na-ark Rojanasuvan BANGKOK (NNT) - Airports of Thailand (AOT) expects more than 70,000 travelers to fly in daily after the kingdom further relaxed travel restrictions from June 1 onwards. Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob presented the projection during a recent inspection of Suvarnabhumi Airport. The government earlier approved moves to better facilitate inbound travelers by fast-tracking the documentation process and dropping vaccination requirements. Although the Thailand Pass system remains in place, much of its procedures have been streamlined. Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe Given these developments, AOT expects the number of daily air passengers in the kingdom to climb to 70,000 in June from 64,000 currently. AOT expects 57% of passengers to be international travelers and hopes average daily flights will bump to 480 from 440 currently. Minister Saksayam also said he was optimistic about tourism activity, noting that air traffic is continuing to rise in the lead up to Q4 - Thailand’s high tourism season. Additionally, the minister reported a dramatic increase in flight bookings. He also noted that tourism projections would be even higher if China relaxes its travel restrictions and the situation in Ukraine improves later this year. -- © Copyright NNT 2022-05-31 - 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.

Massage lady attacks "unfaithful' husband with axe - she tries to get his phone in the ambulance as "evidence" Daily News Thai Caption: Husband attacked with axe! Daily News reported that a traditional Thai massage lady who suspected her husband of having an affair attacked him with an axe. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1261266-massage-lady-attacks-unfaithful-husband-with-axe-she-tries-to-get-his-phone-in-the-ambulance-as-evidence/

Daily News Thai Caption: Husband attacked with axe! Daily News reported that a traditional Thai massage lady who suspected her husband of having an affair attacked him with an axe. "Num", 45, was covered in blood when rescue services arrived at a house in downtown Trang, southern Thailand. A friend had intervened to save him. But after the husband was loaded into the ambulance a furious "A", 40, attacked him again and tried to grab his phone shouting: "The evidence is all on his phone". Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe Picture: Daily News Num was taken to Trang hospital and A was taken to calm down in the house. A close friend of Num said that he is an aircon technician while his wife is a traditional Thai massage lady. They have lived together for 4-5 years. Picture: Daily News But they are always having jealous arguments that have increased in ferocity recently culminating in this attack. The media made no mention of any police involvement as yet in their report, notes ASEAN NOW. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-05-31 - 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

Consuming Pork Sashimi Can Lead to Lethal Illness by Na-ark Rojanasuvan BANGKOK (NNT) - Members of the public are being warned about the potentially fatal risks associated with consuming raw pork, including blood infection and sepsis. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1261264-consuming-pork-sashimi-can-lead-to-lethal-illness/

by Na-ark Rojanasuvan BANGKOK (NNT) - Members of the public are being warned about the potentially fatal risks associated with consuming raw pork, including blood infection and sepsis. The warning was issued by Dr Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai, director-general of the Department of Health (DOH), amid an emerging trend on social media of people eating and recommending pork sashimi. Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe The director-general reiterated that his department strongly recommends freshly cooked food, as raw pork may contain harmful pathogens. These include Streptococcus suis, which can cause fever, headache, nausea and vomiting, skin rashes, and diarrhea. In more serious cases, the bacteria can cause temporary or permanent hearing loss due to brain infection, Pericarditis, and severe sepsis, which can lead to death. Dr Suwannachai said pork should be processed with high temperature heat of 70 degrees Celsius or higher for over 5 minutes. He added that people should avoid handling raw meat with their bare hands and should wash their hands before and after every meal. -- © Copyright NNT 2022-05-31 - 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.

Thailand Aims to Welcome 500,000 Indian Tourists This Year by Paul Rujopakarn BANGKOK (NNT) - Authorities are anticipating that the number of Indian tourists to Thailand will reach 500,000 by the end of 2022, after surpassing 100,000 since January. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1261263-thailand-aims-to-welcome-500000-indian-tourists-this-year/

by Paul Rujopakarn BANGKOK (NNT) - Authorities are anticipating that the number of Indian tourists to Thailand will reach 500,000 by the end of 2022, after surpassing 100,000 since January. Government Spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said Indian travelers could generate as much as 22.5 billion baht in revenue. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) also aims to attract 3,000 daily Indian visitors to the kingdom through various promotional campaigns and special travel incentives. The TAT further noted that wedding tourism has been exceedingly popular to the Indian market, having since set a goal of holding 400 such events in the kingdom this year. Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe In addition to India, TAT is focusing on the Middle East and Thailand’s neighbors until the end of September, when the peak season resumes. At least 500,000 international tourists are anticipated each month, a significant rise from the authority’s initial forecast of 300,000 and a sign of increased optimism for the sector’s revival. Thanakorn added that Thailand now plans to welcome 7-10 million international tourists and produce 1.5 trillion baht in revenue from the industry by the end of 2022, which is roughly half the amount generated in the previous full year preceding the pandemic. -- © Copyright NNT 2022-05-31 - 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.

Tragedy in NE: Four eleven year olds from same school drown in Roi-Et - relative warns parents Picture: Thai Rath Tragedy struck in Nam Om sub-district of Roi-Et province in Thailand's north east yesterday afternoon when four eleven year olds drowned in a two meter deep body of water called Phon Lom Com. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1261262-tragedy-in-ne-four-eleven-year-olds-from-same-school-drown-in-roi-et-relative-warns-parents/