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8 killed and a million meth pills seized at Chiang Rai border with Myanmar The Thai troops shot and killed eight suspected drug traffickers and seized about a million methamphetamine pills on Thai soil, close to the border with Myanmar, in Mae Fah Luang district of the northern province of Chiang Rai lFriday night. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1261101-8-killed-and-a-million-meth-pills-seized-at-chiang-rai-border-with-myanmar/

The Thai troops shot and killed eight suspected drug traffickers and seized about a million methamphetamine pills on Thai soil, close to the border with Myanmar, in Mae Fah Luang district of the northern province of Chiang Rai lFriday night. Troops from the Pha Muang task force were dispatched to the mountain village of Ban Liseh last night, after they received a tipoff that a drug caravan was about to cross the border from Myanmar into the Thai village. Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe About ten men, several wearing backpacks and others carrying firearms, who are believed to have been guarding the drugs, were spotted. A Thai trooper ordered the intruders to stop for a search, only to be shot at by the guards. Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/8-killed-and-a-million-meth-pills-seized-at-chiang-rai-border-with-myanmar/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-05-30 - 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.

Victoria’s Secret pays $8.3m settlement to sacked Thai workers Over a thousand sacked Thai garment workers who made bras for a factory supplying lingerie giant Victoria’s Secret have received a landmark $8.3 million settlement, labour rights activists said Saturday. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1261100-victoria’s-secret-pays-83m-settlement-to-sacked-thai-workers/

Over a thousand sacked Thai garment workers who made bras for a factory supplying lingerie giant Victoria’s Secret have received a landmark $8.3 million settlement, labour rights activists said Saturday. Brilliant Alliance Thai closed down its Samut Prakan factory in March 2021 after going bankrupt. Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe But the 1250 laid-off workers — many of whom had worked at the factory for over a decade — did not receive severance payouts mandated under Thai law. The factory also produced underwear for plus size American brands Lane Bryant and Torrid, owned by Sycamore Partners — but only Victoria’s Secret contributed to the settlement via a loan arrangement with the factory’s owners. Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/victoria/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-05-30 - 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.

Bangkok’s governor-elect says corruption is a hard nut to crack Bangkok Governor-elect Chadchart Sittipunt has admitted that the most difficult problem to address in Bangkok is corruption, but claimed that he is more confident that he is on the right track to solve the city’s myriad problems with his 200 plus policies. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1261099-bangkok’s-governor-elect-says-corruption-is-a-hard-nut-to-crack/

Bangkok Governor-elect Chadchart Sittipunt has admitted that the most difficult problem to address in Bangkok is corruption, but claimed that he is more confident that he is on the right track to solve the city’s myriad problems with his 200 plus policies. After five consecutive days of on-site visits, to meet various people and city officials after the May 22nd election, he told Thai PBS, in an exclusive interview, that he feels that more people have read his policies and have started talking about them. Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe He said that, if they have read his policies carefully, they will understand that they are not fantasies, but policies which can actually be implemented, with some of them being quite down to earth, such as the lunch program for students, free education or opening schools during weekends, for students to do extra-curricula activities. Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/bangkoks-governor-elect-says-corruption-is-a-hard-nut-to-crack/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-05-30 - 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.

to continue: Thailand Live Monday 30 May 2022 https://aseannow.com/topic/1261097-thailand-live-monday-30-may-2022/

Weak baht could be Thailand’s saviour for exports OPINION | by ASEAN NOW file photo A lower baht was recently welcomed by Minister of Finance, Arkhom Termpittayapaisithm, as he predicted that the kingdom would ease entry criteria to boost foreign tourism while achieving export growth of between 5% and 6% in 2022. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1261096-weak-baht-could-be-thailand’s-saviour-for-exports/

file photo OPINION | by ASEAN NOW A lower baht was recently welcomed by Minister of Finance, Arkhom Termpittayapaisithm, as he predicted that the kingdom would ease entry criteria to boost foreign tourism while achieving export growth of between 5% and 6% in 2022. A leading Thai university professor predicts that, technically, Thailand has already entered a period of 1970s stagflation as he lowered the economic growth projection for the country to between 2% and 3% for the year with inflation running at 5%. This weaker baht will naturally also increase Thailand's price competitiveness as exporters can sell their products at lower prices than competitors whose exchange rates are stronger. Combined with faster recovery in developed countries and China, the weaker baht will further boost exports and shore up the economy. Tourism will be another beneficiary as holidays in the land of smiles will cost less too. Protectionism On the export front, Thailand as a major exporter of rice, chicken, and sugar seems set to benefit as many other Asian neighbors are currently actually limiting shipments of agricultural commodities, to help their own consumers from surging prices. Recently Malaysia banned poultry exports and India has now implemented steps to keep more of its sugar at home. The rising food protectionism and price rallies are in fact good news for Thai producers that are enjoying strong harvests this year after back-to-back droughts. Now that the Thai baht is at a five-year low earlier this month, this is naturally also making the country’s shipments relatively cheaper. file photo World food prices have risen to multi-year highs, as the global economic recovery from the pandemic coincided with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has disrupted the availability of many agricultural commodities. Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe Thai food exports this year now look likely to surpass a forecast in January for a record 1.2 trillion baht ($35 billion) made by the Bangkok-based National Food Institute. “If the war and the food-supply crunch continue, food prices will remain high and that will benefit us,” said Sirivuthi Siamphakdee, a director of Kaset Thai International Sugar Corp. and former vice chairperson of the Thai Sugar Millers Corp., an industry association. “Thailand is unlikely to suffer from food shortages like other countries as it’s the kitchen of the world,” he added. Thai and Vietnam cooperation muted Thailand is the world’s No. 2 rice exporter and Vietnam is the third. Combined, they both account for a quarter of the world’s rice trade. India is the largest with a 40% market share. Currently China, the Philippines, and Nigeria are top importers. Thai premier Prayuth Chan-Ocha has even suggested that Thailand and Vietnam should consider jointly raising rice prices to boost their bargaining power in the global market. Thailand and Vietnam combined make up a quarter of the global rice trade According to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. Such a step will benefit millions of rice farmers in the two countries who have struggled with rising costs while prices of the grain have remained subdued, Prayuth’s spokesperson Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said in a statement. file photo Vietnam’s Deputy Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Tran Thanh Nam met with Thai officials last week to discuss a framework for cooperation. The threat to boost rice prices from the two major exporters comes amid growing food protectionism and run-away inflation. There’s concern that India may restrict rice exports after similar moves in wheat and sugar, upending global food markets already roiled by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While Thailand is not contemplating any curbs on shipments, it’s keen to milk the opportunity as import-dependent countries seek to lock in grain supplies. Thailand’s rice exports are benefiting from a rebound in global demand as the pandemic eases and a slump in its currency to a five-year low makes its supplies more competitive. Shipments may reach as high as eight million tons this year, up from 6.1 million tons last year, as Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit told reporters. According to industry officials, Thai sugar and chicken exports are also set to benefit from export curbs placed by India and Malaysia. At a time when Thailand has been concerned about its massive decline in income generated by tourism, perhaps the light at the end of the tunnel could come from the rice fields across the country. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-05-30 - 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. 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

Tragedy in Korat: Man claims his wife "grabbed the steering wheel" during an argument - she dies at scene Picture: Siam Rath Pho Klang police in Muang district of Nakhon Ratchasima were called after a four door Isuzu pick-up collided head on with a power pole on the local road of Mitraphap Highway. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1261011-tragedy-in-korat-man-claims-his-wife-grabbed-the-steering-wheel-during-an-argument-she-dies-at-scene/

Picture: Siam Rath Pho Klang police in Muang district of Nakhon Ratchasima were called after a four door Isuzu pick-up collided head on with a power pole on the local road of Mitraphap Highway. The accident happened yesterday evening between kilometer markers 133 and 134 in Khok Kruat sub-district outside a Mitsubishi showroom. Attaphol, 31, from Chokchai district suffered head and leg injuries to both legs and after first aid was taken to Debaratana Hospital Ratchasima. Deuan, 36, from Sung Nern, was given CPR but she died at the scene. Attaphol said that they were a couple who had a two month old child. Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe Picture: Siam Rath They both worked at Chert Chai Car Honda - he a mechanic and she in the accounts section. They were going home when an argument developed and he claimed that she grabbed the wheel propelling them into the power pole. ASEAN NOW would like to add a caveat to the story; Siam Rath did not make it 100% clear who was driving but we believe that it was the husband. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-05-28 - 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. Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

Thailand’s CCSA spokesman Taweesin catches COVID-19 Spokesman for the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) Taweesin Visanuyothin announced on Facebook Saturday that his rapid antigen test returned a positive result on Friday, indicating that he has caught the coronavirus. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1261008-thailand’s-ccsa-spokesman-taweesin-catches-covid-19/

Spokesman for the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) Taweesin Visanuyothin announced on Facebook Saturday that his rapid antigen test returned a positive result on Friday, indicating that he has caught the coronavirus. He said he will rest for 10 days in isolation and apologised to anyone with whom is has been in close contact in the past week. Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe A mild sore throat was his only symptom, Taweesin wrote. Other than that, he said he feels fine. Source: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thailands-ccsa-spokesman-taweesin-catches-covid-19/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-05-28 - 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.

Benzene and gasohol prices increase by about 4 baht per litre in May Retail prices of benzene and all types of gasohol have increased eight times during May, by a combined total of 4 baht per litre, with the only price drop being on May 12th. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1261006-benzene-and-gasohol-prices-increase-by-about-4-baht-per-litre-in-may/

Retail prices of benzene and all types of gasohol have increased eight times during May, by a combined total of 4 baht per litre, with the only price drop being on May 12th. The latest price increase came into effect this morning (Saturday), as prices of benzene and gasohol increased by 40 satang/litre to 51.26 baht/litre for benzene, 43.85 baht/litre for gasohol 95, 43.58 baht/litre for gasohol 91 and 42.74 baht/litre for gasohol E20. The diesel price remains unchanged at 31.94 baht/litre until Sunday. Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe According to the Ministry of Energy, it is likely that the price of diesel will increase next week, as the current price is still below the 35-baht/litre ceiling. Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/benzene-and-gasohol-prices-increase-by-about-4-baht-per-litre-in-may/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-05-28 - 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.

Four injured after plumber in pick-up collides with teachers in car in Krabi - police look after 500K found in car 77kaoded Thai Caption: Head on collision - terrible damage 77kaoded reported on yet another terrible head on collision in Krabi in the south of Thailand. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1261005-four-injured-after-plumber-in-pick-up-collides-with-teachers-in-car-in-krabi-police-look-after-500k-found-in-car/

77kaoded Thai Caption: Head on collision - terrible damage 77kaoded reported on yet another terrible head on collision in Krabi in the south of Thailand. Their pixellated pictures showed the actions of rescue workers at the scene of the carnage. Muang Krabi police had been alerted at 6 pm to the collision on the Tham Seua - Pho Riang Road in Krabi Noi sub-district. A seriously damaged white Toyota pick-up was on its side. Driver Chalermchai, 34, a local plumber was taken to Krabi Hospital with severe injuries. Nearby was a Toyota Yaris, also badly damaged with three occupants, all seriously injured. Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe Picture: 77kaoded The driver was a lady called Nanthanach, 30. Her passengers were two ladies called Atiporn, 26, and Kanjana, 25. All three are teachers at Phanom Bencha school in Khao Phanom district. They were also taken to Krabi Hospital. Police found more than 500,000 baht in the car and took it for safe keeping. Witnesses said the Yaris was coming from Khao Phanom heading to Muang Krabi while the pick-up was heading in the opposite direction. They collided head on. Investigations will continue when the injured have recovered. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-05-28 - 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. 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

Electrical worker grievously injured after being electrocuted and falling three meters from repair basket Picture: Thai Rath Thai Rath reported that an electrical engineer with the Betong electrical authority in the far south of Thailand was taken to hospital unconscious after falling three meters from a basket atop a crane. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1261002-electrical-worker-grievously-injured-after-being-electrocuted-and-falling-three-meters-from-repair-basket/

Picture: Thai Rath Thai Rath reported that an electrical engineer with the Betong electrical authority in the far south of Thailand was taken to hospital unconscious after falling three meters from a basket atop a crane. Rescue services were called to Rattanakit Road, Soi 4, in Muang Betong, Yala province, where Rusalan, 26, was unconscious and bloodied following the fall. Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe Colleagues said that he had been electrocuted while making repairs. He was taken to hospital after the incident at 7.30 pm last night. Thai Rath did not report on his latest condition. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-05-28 - 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. 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

"Kind" hawker shoots maintenance man dead after being told not to feed stray dogs - parents criticized too Daily News Thai Caption: Anger at criticism of parents Daily News reported on a murder in Surat Thani committed by a hawker who the media called "kind" (jai bun) because he liked to feed stray dogs. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1261000-kind-hawker-shoots-maintenance-man-dead-after-being-told-not-to-feed-stray-dogs-parents-criticized-too/

Daily News Thai Caption: Anger at criticism of parents Daily News reported on a murder in Surat Thani committed by a hawker who the media called "kind" (jai bun) because he liked to feed stray dogs. Pol Capt Chaowalit Atteng of the Muang district police in Surat Thani responded to reports of a shooting in Moo 3 of Wat Pradu sub-district. He found only bloodstains as the victim - a maintenance man at an old people's home called Saen - had already been taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. He had been shot in the arm with the bullet going into the chest. Evidence was found of two shots having been fired. CCTV showed that the person responsible was a man called Nott, a 26 year old food hawker. Thereafter Lamae police at a checkpoint in the neighboring southern province of Chumphon arrested him in a red Nissan. Nott told investigators that whenever he saw stray dogs he wanted to feed them. Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe This included strays outside the old people's home. He was told not to by the maintenace man there but he secretly continued to do so. This resulted in him being verbally abused by the maintenance man who went as far as to question the good character of his parents. Subsequently he took a gun with him and when the abuse happened again he shot the maintenance man. He then drove his motorcycle home and told his mother what had happened. He asked her to look after his dog then got in his car and headed to Bangkok to see his fiance. He intended to surrender there. But before that could happen he was stopped in Chumphon. He took police to where he had stashed the murder weapon in undergrowth in Surat Thani. He has been charged with premeditated murder and gun offences and detained. ASEAN NOW notes that stray dogs are a perennial problem in Thailand. While some people are praised for feeding them others think this only exacerbates the problem. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-05-28 - 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. 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

Highway police get award for work on road accidents - but reality of carnage on Thai roads continues Picture" Siam Rath The chief of the Highway police was basking in the praise after receiving the top prize at a Thailand Road Safety seminar. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1260996-highway-police-get-award-for-work-on-road-accidents-but-reality-of-carnage-on-thai-roads-continues/

Picture" Siam Rath The chief of the Highway police was basking in the praise after receiving the top prize at a Thailand Road Safety seminar. It was for road safety research, reported Siam Rath. But as always there were plenty of fatal accidents on the deadly Thai roads with Thai Rath showing an inverted Camry in Chonburi today. The country remains in the top ten in the world according to reports this week, an unwanted accolade that PM Prayuth Chan-ocha is keen to reverse, notes ASEAN NOW. Picture: Thai Rath Highways chief Ekkarat Limsangkat said that law enforcement on the Thai roads was resulting in a reduction of accidents and ever improving safety. ASEAN NOW notes that Ekkarat headed a commission that looked into the problems of safety on the roads and made recommendations as to how this might be improved and how changes in the law might be implemented and assist in this regard. Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe Now his focus was particularly on taking action against persistent road traffic violators who refuse to pay fines. Sometime ignoring up to 70 tickets, suggested Siam Rath. He intended to weed out these individuals for the benefit of all good drivers on the roads. Picture: Siam Rath He cited the situation in Chiang Rai province in the north of Thailand where there were 1,237 people who had ten tickets or more. He said this was good because there were 1.3 million people in the province and things were actually improving. Picture: Thai Rath He stated that the police care about road safety and enforcement. This came as Thai PM Prayuth instigated the latest moves to improve road safety over the next five years in particular so that by mid century Thailand could hold its head up with the best nations on earth in this regard, notes ASEAN NOW. But the present reality on the roads came in the form of a Thai Rath picture, showing that much still needed to be done. This was an upside down Toyota Camry that had hit a lamppost in Muang Chonburi. Driver Peerapong had been given CPR at the scene but died from his injuries around 12.30 am this morning. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-05-28 - 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. 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

Give me Thailand any day over the Philippines! It’s SLIGHTLY less mad… OPINION | by Rooster Speculation was rife this week after local and gubernatorial elections that the results might herald a major shift in the political landscape. Is the polarization in Thai politics coming to an end?, some wondered. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1260994-give-me-thailand-any-day-over-the-philippines-it’s-slightly-less-mad…/

OPINION | by Rooster Speculation was rife this week after local and gubernatorial elections that the results might herald a major shift in the political landscape. Is the polarization in Thai politics coming to an end?, some wondered. Political academics were unsure what independent candidate Chadchart Sittipunt’s landslide win in Krung Thep might mean for the next general election. Some thought it might even lead to a general not being elected…. Chadchart was the minister of transport in the Yingluck Shinawatra government before she was kicked out to join “phee Tony” in fugitive exile. Brother Thaksin went online to suggest that the results were a kick in the teeth for Prayut and his cronies and may lead to his triumphal return. He called it an “omen for democracy”. Whenever I read stuff like this I think of a different ‘omen’, namely what happened to former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino who lasted only a few seconds after arriving back at Manila airport in 1983. He was due to go to jail. The airport is now named after him and a bronze plaque is on the tarmac where he was shot. Who actually did it remains uncertain to this day. Many were jailed on trumped up charges. Aquino’s wife Corazon was elected president after the people’s uprising that removed dictator Marcos from the Philippines in 1986. I was at the Philippines' embassy in Bangkok then joining in the celebrations. Now Marcos’s son Bong Bong is back in charge. Sometimes what goes on in the Philippines makes Thailand look almost normal. Manila was Rooster’s first and only stop on my initial foray to Asia in 1982 - a stopover on the way to see a mate who worked on the P&O liner The Canberra that was moored in Sydney. I returned to London far more amazed by the Philippines than Down Under. Its corruption seemed incredible for an Asian novice; Pope John Paul II had visited in 1981 and they’d put up giant wooden screens so he didn’t see the slums! The Manila archbishop was Cardinal Sin. Not to mention all of Imelda’s shoes. I always thought I would go back one day though I never have. During a year in Australia in 1984/5 I spent a great deal of time in the company of naturalized Filipinos….okay Filipinas! I even learnt a smattering of Tagalog. I met a lady called Charity who had a twin sister called Faith…..but there was no Hope. Despite being still in her teens she told me that her mother had forced her to marry a relative to get him residency status in the land of milk and honey. He arrived from Luzon for the ceremony and rather than have a wedding reception afterwards he had his golf clubs with him and went for a round! When immigration came calling they found Charity sleeping alone in a single bed with no male clothes in the wardrobe and the husband was promptly deported. After this revelation I went behind the family’s back to consult a Justice of the Peace who I worked with checking ads at the Yellow Pages in Milson’s Point. Together we succeeded in getting her a divorce. When the family found out I was not on their Xmas present list. I thought I’d get married and we even had a son. But the timing was wrong and I was in love with Thailand. Eventually we split up. The mother once called my flat in Bangkok in 1987 and said I would be shot in the next few days. I sat facing the door in restaurants for a while remembering that Charity’s mother once held a gun to her father’s head in Manila before they emigrated to Sydney. I recall being interrogated on the family sofa in Toongabbie and was followed by an aunt whenever I met Charity. I always felt I made the right choice in plumping for the madness of Thailand! Keep up to date with all things Thailand - Join our daily ASEAN NOW Thailand Newsletter - Click to subscribe Most people who have been to both, though not all, have tended to agree with me over the years. So to other news…. In Pattaya the victory of Poramet in the election for mayor spoke more of the patronage system than the tactical voting in Bangkok. Then “irregularities” emerged. It was not nice seeing departing mayor Sontaya - part of the infamous Kamnan Poh family who treats Pattaya as his personal fiefdom - holding up the victor’s hands. Poramet is appropriately nicknamed “Beer” but will probably never have to singh for his supper…. In ASEAN NOW forum news, Rooster was glad to see the return of the international news section on Wednesday after a brief hiatus. This was accompanied by the return of the former CEO of Thaivisa George Anderssen, a Hua Hin resident, as business development manager. A major overhaul of forum rules was promised. We’ve never met though I was happy to discover that George is one of my fans! He left Thaivisa a few months before I joined as a translator. In international news Australia welcomed a Labor government for the first time in many years. Not seeing Scott Morrison’s face will be a godsend. Anthony Albanese is the new PM and there are hopes that he will up Australia's green-cum-climate agenda. Stateside, the FBI said they had foiled a plot to kill George W. For the war in Iraq rather than his memorable gaffe confusing Ukraine with the Arab state. Twenty one people including 19 young children and two teachers were shot at a Texas school. Senator Ted Cruz refused to countenance gun control and President Biden appeared toothless to act. I recommend they read “Dunblaine - Our Year of Tears” about the school shooting in Scotland that helped Brits do something about the menace of guns. In sporting news the English Premier League ended in sensational fashion with a triumph for Manchester City who pipped gallant Liverpool who play Real Madrid tonight in the Champions League final (2 am Sunday Thai time). In Ireland at Punchestown a horse called Sawbuck won at 300-1, the joint highest price in the history of UK and Irish racing. The horse was the maximum 999-1 on exchange site Betfair and won quite easily. Back in Thailand the end of the pandemic was on again off again faster than a Nana girl’s drawers. But it looked as though those horrible masks would be officially ditched come mid-June. That’s well overdue. I think I shall burn mine like feminists used to do with their bras - anything for Facebook likes! In Thonburi a wealth father and daughter double act were arrested by the Anti-Human Trafficking cops for selling women into sex slavery in Bahrain. They denied it. The couple have made a huge fortune selling “moo ping” (pork balls) - if proven guilty let’s hope the court sticks it to them. Again in Pattaya, yet another Indian was relieved of his gold necklace - the sixth in just a few weeks. When are they going to learn to leave their necklaces in Delhi and be cautious when called “hansum” by random ladyboys? Latest story going mad internationally as well as in Thailand concerns monkeypox. If it causes any more disruption to me and my kids’ lives I promise to go ape. I read that it is spread through contact with bodily fluids. Expect Anutin to start making money out of condoms very soon. Through the late 1980s and 90s HIV/AIDS was the fear though it never decimated the sex industry. At least half a million Thai people contracted the virus and NGOs still say there are a lot more. Please protect yourself when sleeping with strangers. Apropos Anutin, he was in Geneva hobnobbing with WHO chief Dr Tedros, thrilled that Thailand had been named a BioHub. The health minister is on the crest of a wave right now with some of the pandemic debacles well and truly behind him Expect a bold bid to be the next PM for Bhumjaithai; I’m sure he’ll do better than Boris because the British will not forget “partygate” at the polls. In lottery news the Thai media sank to new depths when they covered a tragic story of how a 64 year old fisherman died when he got entangled in his own net. His son-in-law found him under the water. 77kaoded reported that the Lopburi locals were banking on the victim’s age and the number of fish he caught for next week's draw. Words fail me, and that doesn't happen often! Less ghoulish but just as idiotic were people in Klaeng, Rayong who thought that Manop’s albino eel was the answer. They were pictured lighting joss-sticks and praying for luck by a black bucket. Finally the most amusing story of the week was the continuing obsession with Phra Bida - “christened” as the Holy Father by devout atheist Rooster. His “second coming” after his arrest for having his disciples eat his body fluids was to instruct a lawyer to sue the governor of Chaiyaphum for trespass and dereliction of duty. Fair play to governor Kraisorn who mocked the loony cultist on Facebook calling him “his holiness”. And saying that he regarded Phra Bida’s arrest as a badge of honor for him in his civil service career. It’s high time more of these charlatans were put behind bars. Rooster -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-05-28 - 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. 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