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The way to a Thai woman’s heart and putting a spell on the ladle - forget love, think money and food! The week got off to a particularly controversial start as Monday was Valentine’s Day. A day when newbies in Thailand think they can impress their Thai wives and girlfriends with flowers. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1250855-the-way-to-a-thai-woman’s-heart-and-putting-a-spell-on-the-ladle-forget-love-think-money-and-food/

The week got off to a particularly controversial start as Monday was Valentine’s Day. A day when newbies in Thailand think they can impress their Thai wives and girlfriends with flowers. That may wash in Farangistan but has little merit in Thailand. No, the only way to truly impress a Thai wife is with cash, gold or both. Love is also quite unnecessary especially when compared to what the British refer to as “a good old rogering”. To wit, Rooster is always reminded of a scene in the wartime movie The Great Escape when the commandant finds it amusing that the POWs are planting flowers. The Nazi is reminded that these are potatoes and that “you can’t eat flowers, colonel”. Yes, the way to a Thai woman’s heart is either via the ATM or through something she can eat. And it is said that the way to a Thai husband’s heart is through a woman who can cook - if the proverb about putting a spell on the ladle is to be believed! (เสน่ห์ปลายจวักผัวรักจนตาย - saneh plai jawak phua rak jon tai - Put magic on the end of the ladle and hubby will love you to the end). In Bang Khun Thian the district chief decided to pull a publicity stunt by offering cute, non-legal certificates of marriage to LGBTQ+ couples, many of whom were outraged and pointed out it was time that legally binding marriages were offered to their community in Thailand. Too true. The way that gays and transgenders are portrayed on the soaps must make them mince, I mean wince. If you think that attitudes are liberal then you haven’t been in Thailand long enough to appreciate the official and cultural undercurrents to the contrary. One activist called the certificates a “waste of time”; the same could also be said of marriage. Valentine’s - except for a fence at the Grand National steeplechase - always reminds me of my first wedding back in July 1990. I’d woken bleary eyed to a phone call from a woman 12 years my senior who reminded me we were meant to be getting hitched that day. We raced off to the local district office on my Honda Rebel only to be told that all my meticulously prepared paperwork was not in order, we should try Bang Rak. We argued in the car park about who was to blame - not an auspicious start to a married life but par for the course after the two year courtship that we’d both endured as much as enjoyed. Then we belted off to the District of Love registry office, handily located near Patpong. Here we were at each other's throats again after being made to wait all day then being told at 4 pm the office was shutting. This was remedied with the sweetening effect of what we all used to call “a purple” that ensured the office remained open till 6. As the national anthem played and we stood, well apart, we clutched our “tabian somrots” and went for a McDonald’s (or I did) followed by a couple of photos on a bar hopping tout’s Polaroid at Superstar. Yes, with Rooster it is all about the romance. Doubtless such stories will be doing the rounds today when my grown children, from the union of a mean, Scrabble playing Brit and a schizophrenic Thai who falls asleep if given chili, arrive in Thailand. The nippers, aged 29 and 27 and based in London and Liverpool, have not set foot in their Asian homeland for 3 years because of Covid. And they nearly didn’t this time. They both had the same Thailand Pass application but while my son’s was approved my daughter’s was turned down because the zillion baht Covid insurance was in pounds not dollars. How petty and pedantic can you get? (A rhetorical question). They should scrap the whole thing, not just tweak it as they suggested this week. For goodness sake just insist on vaccinated travelers for now. It’s not that there will be many tourists - “high” season (oxymoron alert) is done and dusted. Scrap the need to even be vaxxed come next October when more people might be thinking of long haul again. Wednesday was Makha Bucha Day. Thailand insists on having alcohol bans whenever possible for no reason that I have ever been able to fathom. Fortunately Mrs Rooster - Mark 2 or should that be Mach 2 - has a convenient relationship with Buddha meaning that we both got absolutely paralytic without a sliver of guilt (something that Christians and Muslims seem to be weighed down by). Phuket continued to feature heavily in the news. The two foreign men who dispatched Jimi “The Slice” Singh the other week were named as Thai plod pretended they were going to nab them with help from the Canadians. Predictably everyone online made comparisons with Red Bull Boss whose name may well be a ‘tonic’ for clickathons on news sites but who this columnist has had a bellyful of. Also on the “Pearl of the Andaman”, tourist plod was jumping up and down in glee after a bunch of Thais helped a Russian tourist find her heirloom necklace in the surf. They clearly couldn’t find an honest taxi driver to give back half a million baht he found on the back seat. Oh the humanity! Tourism was saved and the good name of the kingdom restored to all its glory by the finding of a bit of sentimental Rusky tat. Rooster went to town putting the gushing praise of Thai officialdom into appropriately flowery English. Cue the predictable backlash of the resident Thai bashers on the forum and Facebook who wait by their keyboard with nothing better to do than pounce when the opportunity arises. Smell the roses guys, just don’t buy them for the missus. Yes, I’m guilty too, but my excuse is I get paid for ranting. Top crime of the week featured a 17 year old Toraphee - the ungrateful buffalo child of Ramakien fame. This one found out that her dear gran who had looked after her since the cradle actually had 100K in her account, discovered when the granddaughter went to the ATM to withdraw a lottery win. Unfortunately for gran the lottery of life was to disappoint her as the teen and her new online lover decided that she was worth more dead than alive so they connived to strangle her. Then wrap her up, bind her in a blanket, shove her in a plastic trash drum with compost and drive all the way from Korat to Suphanburi to find a suitable burial site. News of the body being found spooked them and they were arrested doing what Thai criminals always seem to do - going home to mother, the boyfriend's in this case. The sentence for the teen should reflect her young age - just 100 years please. Main drama of the week started with a request by the Royal Society to officially call Bangkok by the name all Thais use Krung Thep plus the Maha Nakhon bit for good measure. A surprising number of posters had barely heard of Krung Thep that some of us have been using in our Thai language for decades. The Thai press largely got it all wrong - leading ASEAN NOW to follow suit. The name Krung Thep Maha Nakhon - used officially for 21 years - was of course nothing new. It was all about punctuation, said the society, after an excrement storm from Thais and foreigners online fearful that Bangkok would disappear before global warming and flood waters do the trick in 2050. The old name was Krung Thep Maha Nakhon; Bangkok. The new one Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (Bangkok). Brackets instead of a semi-colon. The society said that it didn’t really matter what name was used so long as people stopped calling them to complain. I really would encourage any non-Thai to learn the full name of the greatest city on earth that can stretch to 150 characters in English. Listen to the Asanee/Wasan song on YouTube a few dozen times to get the cadence and then enjoy how many free beers you get when performing your party-piece after a few beverages. Doing a party-piece at a restaurant was a Thai man out with his missus. CCTV showed him suddenly keel back and start gagging. I thought chicken bones and Heimlich maneuver until I read the headline. It was none other than that essential accompaniment to virtually any food - Wasabi. But as anyone should know, and the man involved now surely does, it should be consumed in moderation. Try having too much and compare it to a Covid nose swab and tell me which one is worse. In international news His Royal Horniness Andrew settled his civil underage sex case with a reported £12 million. No charities want to touch him with a barge-pole and tax payers are asking if their money was used in the settlement. The man formerly known as Prince should replace his name with some symbol. Might I humbly suggest an emoji pile of steaming plop….sir. Australia is opening up to fully vaxxed visitors next week, even if they play tennis. With all the negative stories coming out of Down Under over the last few years I think I’d prefer to go to North Korea, Victoria Bitter or no VB. In New Zealand the authorities came up with a novel idea to disperse crowds of protesters - Barry Manilow on loop on loudspeakers. This has given me an idea for the Thai police; time to get my Max Bygraves greatest hits album out. Just a few bars would have Penguin, Mike and Rung begging for mercy. In sports the Los Angeles Rams scored a late touchdown to beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in Super Bowl 56. Eminem took time off from making chocolates to perform at halftime controversially ‘taking the knee’ towards the end of his performance. Lord’s announced that the annual cricket matches between Oxford and Cambridge and Eton and Harrow would end from next year. Yet more damning evidence that elitist Britain is becoming more damn egalitarian. Back in Thailand elephants were in the news almost daily. Two got married on Valentine’s Day at a camp in Chiang Mai (food featured heavily) while a video of an anti-vax pachyderm who hid underwater from a vet’s needle went viral. Monks also continued to make all the bad headlines. One behind the wheel lost control and killed two students in Surin while another was defrocked in Sattahip after doing a runner on his restaurant and booze bill. Top gut wrenching photo of the week featured a Thai driver “graaping” the feet of a deaf 82 year old “tuat”. The ‘graaper’ with his head to the tarmac had just killed the old man’s daughter and sent his great grandson to hospital hitting them as they cycled home in Udon Thani. Incredibly Nonwat was on his way to another province to pay a speeding fine. This was one of many accidents in the last seven days blamed on the unseasonal rain that sent temperatures in the kingdom plummeting to below 30C. Next week it’ll be back to faulty brakes again. Down in Pattaya a two year old boy tragically died in the swimming pool at a villa. As someone who nearly lost their precious child last year, I would urge all parents to teach their children to swim from the earliest age and even then never take your eyes off them around water. Drowning reportedly takes as many young lives as motorcycle accidents in Thailand and neither activity should be taken lightly. Some good news came at last on the green baize from Sheffield, England, where Thai cueist Nutcharat Wongharuthai won the women’s world snooker crown beating Belgium’s Wendy Hans 6-5 in the final. Mink will now get a tour card and a chance to play the men next season. I hope to interview her - and maybe get a game - when she returns to Thailand. On Friday another talented young Thai woman - Pol Lt Patarasaya or Lieutenant Viking - went online to slam conservatives in Thai society after pictures of her in a sexy swimsuit were posted. The RTP stunner, who is a police spokeswoman, reminded her detractors that this is 2022 and it’s not how you look but how well you do your job that matters. Good luck with that in beauty obsessed Thailand! Earlier, the comely lass - as Bangkok Post legend Bernard Trink used to refer to Thai bar girls in his weekly columns - had appeared at the mike in the case against Ferrari Joe. He has had his assets seized and many on the forum would like to do that to Ms Viking, if comments were anything to go by. Another charismatic cop - Lt-Gen Surachate Big Joke Hakparn - then appeared in Surat Thani. BJ is going after not just the procurers and madams for underage sex but the men who sleep with the victims. This is a worthwhile crusade and hopefully one that with the help of the high profile cop will see the arrest of influential men who prey on teen children. In this case a politician’s son and a doctor, among others, are facing arrest. Finally ASEAN NOW had a feature story asking the question: Could it be Covid safer to take the train rather than the plane? Unfortunately the article didn’t answer the question as to whether you were more likely to catch the dreaded lurgy on the railway or in the air. But Rooster for one would recommend the train over domestic flying any time. Get a good book, enjoy the view and the far superior food! You may get to your destination the next day - maybe 12 hours late but you can always get a sleeper bunk and thoroughly enjoy the journey. Letting the train take the Covid strain. Rooster -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-02-19 - 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

Mystery human skull found in the jungles of Korat Picture: INN INN reported that forestry officials working in Wang Nam Khiaw, Nakhon Ratchasima, found a mysterious human skull. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1250853-mystery-human-skull-found-in-the-jungles-of-korat/

Picture: INN INN reported that forestry officials working in Wang Nam Khiaw, Nakhon Ratchasima, found a mysterious human skull. It was found in the Khao Phu Luang area of Marerng sub-district. Police said the skull was found fifty meters off a road and was full of soil having probably been there for 3-4 years. No other bones were found. It was thought that animals had brought the skull there from another location. Picture: INN The skull is being kept at the Wang Nam Khiaw police station ahead of an autopsy and forensic analysis to determine who it might have been. They plan to ask the locals if anyone went missing a few years ago though they said that up to now they had received no reports of a missing person. Long Stay Visa Health Insurance Plans -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-02-19 - 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

Thailand Tourism Festival 2022 opens in Bangkok’s Lumphini Park to great fanfare Taking place from 18 to 22 February, from 11:00 to 21:00 Hrs. Entrance is free. TAT Newsroom Bangkok, 18 February, 2022 – The 40th Thailand Tourism Festival (TTF), organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), officially opened and will run until Tuesday, 22 February, at Bangkok’s iconic Lumphini Park, which has been transformed into a mini-Thailand filled with outstanding landmarks, cultural heritage, and the best products from across the country, as well as the latest innovations in response to new normal travel style approach. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1250852-thailand-tourism-festival-2022-opens-in-bangkok’s-lumphini-park-to-great-fanfare/

Taking place from 18 to 22 February, from 11:00 to 21:00 Hrs. Entrance is free. TAT Newsroom Bangkok, 18 February, 2022 – The 40th Thailand Tourism Festival (TTF), organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), officially opened and will run until Tuesday, 22 February, at Bangkok’s iconic Lumphini Park, which has been transformed into a mini-Thailand filled with outstanding landmarks, cultural heritage, and the best products from across the country, as well as the latest innovations in response to new normal travel style approach. H.E. Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health Presiding over the opening ceremony, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health, H.E. Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, said, “This year Thailand Tourism Festival marks another significant step towards the Thai tourism recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic. The event plays pivotal roles in promoting the conservation of Thailand’s cultural and natural heritages, while introducing new normal tourism. I’d like to invite Thais, expatriates, and visiting tourists alike to join this event, to be inspired to once again to travel around Thailand in a safe and healthy way.” H.E. Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Minister of Tourism and Sports H.E. Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Minister of Tourism and Sports, said, “The Thailand Tourism Festival 2022 forms part of the unprecedented efforts by all involved in the public and private sectors to revive the Thai economy through tourism, and return happiness to the Thai people around the country.” The five-day TTF 2022 features five uniquely-designed Thailand tourism villages representing the Central Region, East, North, Northeast, and South of Thailand, and a dedicated Bangkok Street Food zone. Visitors will also be offered tips for travelling more responsibly at the ‘Travel in Style with the New Normal’ zone. Meanwhile, cultural shows and music performances will take place throughout the five days at the ‘Centre Stage’ zone. Moreover, at the ‘Visit Thailand Year 2022: Amazing New Chapters’ zone, TAT will offer insight into this year’s tourism marketing campaign, while introducing the latest in travel innovations and technology, including travel experiences in the Metaverse virtual world. The TTF 2022 is taking place in Lumphini Park, from 18 to 22 February, from 11:00 to 21:00 Hrs. Entrance is free. Visitors are encouraged to arrive via the BTS Sala Daeng Station or the Silom MRT underground station. Organised in accordance with health and safety measures stipulated by the Ministry of Public Health to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, all participants are asked to kindly abide by these measures at all times. Source: https://www.tatnews.org/2022/02/thailand-tourism-festival-2022-opens-in-bangkoks-lumphini-park-to-great-fanfare/ -- © Copyright TAT NEWS 2022-02-19 - 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

Motorcycle 'stuntman' faces jail for crazy bike riding antics in Chinatown Picture: Siam Rath Plapplachai 2 police in Bangkok took a dim view after a man was featured online "riding" a motorcycle in Yaowarat Road, the Thai capital's Chinatown. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1250849-motorcycle-stuntman-faces-jail-for-crazy-bike-riding-antics-in-chinatown/

Picture: Siam Rath Plapplachai 2 police in Bangkok took a dim view after a man was featured online "riding" a motorcycle in Yaowarat Road, the Thai capital's Chinatown. He was standing on the machine not holding onto anything. The only legal thing he was doing was wear a helmet! Krissadaporn, 27, was soon facing the law. He explained that his post was intended for the 50,000 people who follow him but the footage got out and was shared elsewhere. He said he'd taken it down now. He explained that he was a motorcycle stuntman who would appear at temple shows and the like. Police were unimpressed and charged him with five offences including negligent and scary driving, driving in an incorrect manner, having no thought for other road users and not having insurance or tax, reported Siam Rath. He faces 3 months in jail and/or a fine of between 2,000 and 10,000 baht. Long Stay Visa Health Insurance Plans -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-02-19 - 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

Buriram couple in lucky escape after "Tank" the elephant destroys their house looking for jackfruit Daily News Caption: "Tank" destroyed my house A married couple in the North East of Thailand told how they had a lucky escape after an elephant called Tank demolished their house. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1250848-buriram-couple-in-lucky-escape-after-tank-the-elephant-destroys-their-house-looking-for-jackfruit/

Daily News Caption: "Tank" destroyed my house A married couple in the North East of Thailand told how they had a lucky escape after an elephant called Tank demolished their house. Kanlaya, 55, related how she needed to relieve herself in the middle of the night so off she went to an outside toilet 10 meters from the house. There in the dark she encountered Tank. She dashed back to the house where her husband Prasit, 51, was still in the land of nod. "There's an elephant!" she said as she roused him from his slumbers. She crawled off leaving her husband to put on something decent and grab a few possessions. Too late. The elephant was bit by bit using its trunk to demolish the house and he seemed to be after Prasit. Luckily wood fell on Prasit covering him and protecting him from the pachyderm's advances. The pesky beast gave up after five minutes and fled the scene. The couple called it a miracle that they survived. It all went down in Ban Lam Nang Rong village in Non Din Daeng district of Buriram, as reported by Daily News. A local official confirmed the miscreant was Tank, a big 40 year old elephant that is one of 3 fitted with a GPS tracker. They think that Tank was attracted by the smell of ripe jackfruit. Long Stay Visa Health Insurance Plans -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-02-19 - 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 Picture: Daily News

Hospitals of the Future (Photo courtesy of Ramathibodi hospital) Despite the disruptions COVID-19 has caused in the way healthcare is delivered in many countries, there are reasons to be optimistic about the future. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1250845-hospitals-of-the-future/

(Photo courtesy of Ramathibodi hospital) Despite the disruptions COVID-19 has caused in the way healthcare is delivered in many countries, there are reasons to be optimistic about the future. We have learned a great deal from the recent pandemic but perhaps the most important lesson is the necessity to rethink how healthcare is delivered to the people. One interesting insight derived from the experience, according to Sharon Zaide, a medical doctor, is that when healthcare systems are challenged, the need to adopt and accept modern forms of technology becomes more prominent.” Facilities overwhelmed During the latest outbreak of the highly contagious Delta variant in the middle of 2021, Thailand’s health ministry sounded the alarm about Bangkok’s lack of hospital beds and isolation facilities. Even the Health Ministry’s Director General of the Department of Medical Services, Somsak Akkasip, was forced to admit in a news conference that “We do not have enough beds in hospitals. Even in big hospitals, intensive care units are filled.” Discover Cigna’s range of health insurance solutions created for expats and local nationals living in Thailand - click to view Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/hospitals-of-the-future/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-02-19 - 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

Another old lady cyclist killed - pick-up driver flees scene but later surrenders to police Picture: Thai Rath Thai Rath reported on yet another grim accident on Thailand's roads last night in which a 66 year old lady wheeling her bicycle home was killed. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1250843-another-old-lady-cyclist-killed-pick-up-driver-flees-scene-but-later-surrenders-to-police/

Picture: Thai Rath Thai Rath reported on yet another grim accident on Thailand's roads last night in which a 66 year old lady wheeling her bicycle home was killed. Witnesses reported seeing a Toyota pick-up hit a road sign on the Koh Riang to Nong Hua Ling Road in Muang district of Nakhon Nayok, central Thailand. The pick-up that had been travelling fast then slid into Janpee, 66, who was wheeling her bike home - she lived just 50 meters away. Police and rescue services found her with multiple injuries and the damaged bike in the undergrowth. The pick up fled the scene but a few hours later at 9.30 last night the driver and his damaged vehicle reported to Muang district police. Long Stay Visa Health Insurance Plans -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-02-19 - 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

Online crime in Thailand goes through the roof - RTP set up special reporting system Picture Thai Rath Thai Rath reported that online crime in Thailand was sky-rocketing with more than 10,000 cases since the start of last year. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1250842-online-crime-in-thailand-goes-through-the-roof-rtp-set-up-special-reporting-system/

Picture Thai Rath Thai Rath reported that online crime in Thailand was sky-rocketing with more than 10,000 cases since the start of last year. Thai PM Prayuth Chan-ocha - who oversees the police - has demanded action from the RTP and its leader Pol Gen Suwat Chaengyodsuk has made it a priority. Public awareness has been created about the dangers online, said the media, something that Suwat has mysteriously called "Cyber Vaccine". Yesterday Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittipraphat, RTP deputy and head of the PCT or Police Cyber Taskforce that tackles online crime spoke to the press. He said that since January 1st last year until now there had been 10,818 cases and 10,584 arrests with losses running into the billions of baht. He warned the public to beware and announced a new online reporting system at www.thaipoliceonline.com. Long Stay Visa Health Insurance Plans -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-02-19 - 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

Skytrain poses challenges to next Bangkok governor Anticipating challenging decisions ahead, the four candidates running in the election for governor of Bangkok are strongly opposing the extension of concession for the core Skytrain sections of the Green Line. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1250841-skytrain-poses-challenges-to-next-bangkok-governor/

Anticipating challenging decisions ahead, the four candidates running in the election for governor of Bangkok are strongly opposing the extension of concession for the core Skytrain sections of the Green Line. They were speaking on the controversial proposal in the course of a debate. The Interior Ministry and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) have proposed extending the concession of operator Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc (BTSC) for another 30 years after it expires in 2029. Chadchart Sittipunt, Rosana Tositrakul, Suchatvee Suwansawat, and Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, contesting for the top BMA job, proposed their ideas at an online debate hosted by the Thailand Consumers Council on February 14. Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/skytrain-poses-challenges-to-next-bangkok-governor/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-02-19 - 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

What a week for the monkhood! Now Ya Ba abbot is defrocked after breaking up his temple to sell Picture: Thai Rath It has been a decidedly rocky few weeks for Thailand's monks with seemingly one scandal after another featuring the men in saffron. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1250838-what-a-week-for-the-monkhood-now-ya-ba-abbot-is-defrocked-after-breaking-up-his-temple-to-sell/

Picture: Thai Rath It has been a decidedly rocky few weeks for Thailand's monks with seemingly one scandal after another featuring the men in saffron. Now comes a story out of Sukhothai that surely tops the lot. Phra Wirot Phuangkhajorn, 48, was left alone at his temple, Wat Nern Krachai in Kongkrailat district after all his monks fled. They were fed up that their abbot was just a criminal who had stepped off the righteous path. Among his misdemeanors was cutting up the Buddhist images to get the gold to sell, though he denied this claiming it was repairs. This looked a tad shallow when eight were found destroyed. The final straw for the locals came when he ripped off the temple door and sold it for scrap metal. Picture: Thai Rath After all he needed the cash to pay for his meth addition - Ya Ba taking equipment was found in his quarters. Phra Wirot is now plain old Mr Wirot and in police custody for his temple antics and Ya Ba taking activity. The change in name is because he was ceremonially "defrocked". Now the hundreds of angry parishioners have to decide what to do about the electricity bill - he left 40,000 baht due to be paid! Picture: Thai Rath Thailand likes to think that its monks are paragons of virtue - but the Thai press is always after stories when they slip up. Thai Rath went to town on this one. Long Stay Visa Health Insurance Plans -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-02-19 - 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

No lottery win and just a waste of Fanta! Thai man torches his shrine and promises to build another Sanook Thai Caption: It's been there for ages and I've never won the lottery Great interest was not surprisingly garnered when a Thai man decided to burn down the shrine in his house and accompany the flames with music, all done on TikTok. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1250833-no-lottery-win-and-just-a-waste-of-fanta-thai-man-torches-his-shrine-and-promises-to-build-another/

Sanook Thai Caption: It's been there for ages and I've never won the lottery Great interest was not surprisingly garnered when a Thai man decided to burn down the shrine in his house and accompany the flames with music, all done on TikTok. He'd been putting out the "naam daeng" (usually red Fanta) on all the holy days but he'd never once won the lottery. So what was the point. However, that was not the end of the story after Sanook reporters went to investigate at the house in Isaan sub-district of Muang Buriram in Thailand's north east. They found just the remains of the shrine. Benjo, 27, the poster and relative of the owner said that steps were taken to make sure that the trees and house didn't burn down too. She said that in the three years it had been there the owner had not won the lottery. He always lit joss-sticks and put out the Fanta but the final straw came with the latest drawing when they divined the number as 537 and 957 came up. Nikorn, 40, the man at the center of the drama, said he'd be building a bigger and better shrine in its place with a modern design. Long Stay Visa Health Insurance Plans -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-02-19 - 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 download.mp4

COVID-19: Thailand reports 18,885 new coronavirus cases, 29 deaths, 10,946 recoveries File photo Thailand on Saturday (February 19) reported 18,885 new COVID-19 cases, 10,946 recoveries and 29 additional deaths over the past 24 hours. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1250832-covid-19-thailand-reports-18885-new-coronavirus-cases-29-deaths-10946-recoveries/ //CLOSED// /Admin

COVID-19: Thailand reports 18,885 new coronavirus cases, 29 deaths, 10,946 recoveries File photo Thailand on Saturday (February 19) reported 18,885 new COVID-19 cases, 10,946 recoveries and 29 additional deaths over the past 24 hours. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1250832-covid-19-thailand-reports-18885-new-coronavirus-cases-29-deaths-10946-recoveries/

File photo Thailand on Saturday (February 19) reported 18,885 new COVID-19 cases, 10,946 recoveries and 29 additional deaths over the past 24 hours. ▶︎ Infections outside prisons: 18,661. Prisons: 224 ▶︎ Recoveries: 10,946 Saturday’s cases bring the total number of COVID-19 infections in Thailand to 2,693,362 with 22,594 deaths. The news comes as Thailand will consider a recommendation from an airline tycoon to reduce the steps required for international entry, by doing away the second COVID-19 test, currently required on the fifth day after arrival. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul met with AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes, who suggested measures to improve the “Test & Go” scheme, specifically the removal of the second test requirement. *Thai PBS contributes to this report Discover Cigna’s range of health insurance solutions created for expats and local nationals living in Thailand - click to view -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-02-19 - 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