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to continue: Thailand Live Monday 7 March 2022 https://aseannow.com/topic/1252505-thailand-live-monday-7-march-2022/

Russian invasion creates a multitude of problems for tourism file photo The latest data from ForwardKeys reveals that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine prompted an instant spike in flight cancellations to and from Russia. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1252503-russian-invasion-creates-a-multitude-of-problems-for-tourism/

file photo The latest data from ForwardKeys reveals that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine prompted an instant spike in flight cancellations to and from Russia. Before the outbreak of war, the top twenty destinations most booked by Russian travellers in March, April, and May were, in order of total bookings, Turkey, the UAE, the Maldives, Thailand, Greece, Egypt, Cyprus, Armenia, the Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Hungary, Bulgaria, Mexico, Spain, Azerbaijan, USA, UK, Qatar, Italy and Uzbekistan. Russian tourism has also suffered as on 25th February, the day after the start of the invasion, every booking that was made for travel into Russia was outweighed by six cancellations of pre-existing bookings. The source markets exhibiting the highest cancellation rates, in order of volume, were Germany 773%, France 472%, Italy 152%, the UK 254%, India 285% and Turkey 116%. The invasion also triggered a collapse in the market for Russian outbound travel. Destinations which suffered the highest immediate cancellation rates, in the period 24th – 26th February, were Cyprus (300%), Egypt (234%), Turkey (153%), the UK (153%), Armenia (200%), and Maldives (165%). Thailand’s hospitality industry is suffering Here in Thailand, it is unclear how many Russians and Ukrainians canceled holidays or how many are still in the country. As we are now starting to find out, many Ukrainian and Russian tourists in Thailand have also been facing problems with financial transactions and travel following measures launched by various countries banning and blocking services by Russian banks and close airspace to Russian aircraft. Having arrived in Thailand, in the thousands, during February, they have now found themselves stranded by both fallout from the international sanctions as well as a lack of flights back to Russia or Ukraine. For the Russians the government needs to allow Russian planes to come here to take these tourists back rather than just leave them to create more problems. Many Russian and Ukrainian tourists have not been able to use their credit cards. Meanwhile it is also reported that some Ukrainians have wanted to stay in Thailand until the situation in their home country improves, but have not been able to pay for accommodation or food with their credit cards, the tourism official says. Others who have wanted to travel back cannot due to canceled flights. From a humanitarian point of view, the Thai government needs to help them immediately with free accommodation and food. Prospects look bleak as March continues with both the sanctions and the invasion of Ukraine ongoing. However, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, we can now expect the resorts to eventually fill up again with visitors from India and Saudi Arabia. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-03-07 - Aetna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

Thai citizen found dead at Cambodia’s Poipet casino A 19-year-old Thai man was found dead on Thursday at a casino in Poipet, according to local media in Cambodia, who reported that the death may be linked to a housing scam. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1252405-thai-citizen-found-dead-at-cambodia’s-poipet-casino/

A 19-year-old Thai man was found dead on Thursday at a casino in Poipet, according to local media in Cambodia, who reported that the death may be linked to a housing scam. The man was working as a marketing assistant for the Crown Casino in Poipet and appears to have fallen from the 11th floor of a building in the Crown Casino compound. Investigators have already ruled out suicide, according to a police report. Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thai-citizen-found-dead-at-cambodias-poipet-casino/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-03-05 - 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

Government to Set Up National Shipping Lines by Natthaphon Sangpolsit BANGKOK (NNT) - The Ministry of Transport is considering setting up state-owned national shipping lines to help connect shipments between the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea, as part of the government’s Land Bridge campaign. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1252401-government-to-set-up-national-shipping-lines/

by Natthaphon Sangpolsit BANGKOK (NNT) - The Ministry of Transport is considering setting up state-owned national shipping lines to help connect shipments between the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea, as part of the government’s Land Bridge campaign. Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob said the proposed shipping lines would support the nation’s maritime logistics system. The lines can be operated by state enterprises or subsidiaries of the Port Authority of Thailand. Services will be overseen by three separate entities comprising a domestic shipping company, a company operating in the Gulf of Thailand and a firm operating in the Andaman Sea. The national shipping services would help provide logistics connectivity between ports in Chumphon and Ranong provinces, in tandem with the government’s Land Bridge campaign. Minister Saksayam said the proposal would be presented to the Cabinet this year, with completion set for 2029. He added that his ministry hopes the development effort will make Thailand one of the world’s top logistics players. -- © Copyright NNT 2022-03-05 - 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

Thailand Saw Six-Year High in FTA Requests Among Exporters in 2021 Natthaphon Sangpolsit BANGKOK (NNT) - The Department of Foreign Trade (DFT) is helping Thai exporters to minimize taxes and tariffs, after the Kingdom saw a surge in the number of free trade agreement (FTA) applications from local businesses in 2021. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1252399-thailand-saw-six-year-high-in-fta-requests-among-exporters-in-2021/

Natthaphon Sangpolsit BANGKOK (NNT) - The Department of Foreign Trade (DFT) is helping Thai exporters to minimize taxes and tariffs, after the Kingdom saw a surge in the number of free trade agreement (FTA) applications from local businesses in 2021. The Department of Foreign Trade reported a 6-year high growth in the number of applications from local companies to leverage FTAs and preferential tariffs on the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) in 2021. DFT Director-General Pitak Udomwichaiwat said the combined value of FTA leverages in the export sector was recorded at US$76.3 billion last year, a 31.4% growth year-on-year. Businesses leveraging FTA benefits mostly sell their products to Southeast Asian markets, followed by China, Australia, Japan and India. Automobiles, fruits, air conditioners and chicken meat were key products to those markets. The United States was the main market for GSP products with a 91.82% share. Key products included rubber gloves and air conditioners. The DFT said the U.S. Congress was reviewing new criteria for countries eligible for GSP benefits. The criteria will include the environmental aspect and labor welfare. The DFT chief said the value of international trade activities that leverage FTAs and GSP is expected to grow even further this year, thanks to the ratifying of existing FTAs among members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Pitak said his department now provides consultation services to businesses looking to take advantage of FTAs and other agreements Thailand has with its trading partners. -- © Copyright NNT 2022-03-05 - 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

Agriculture Ministry Commences This Year’s Rainmaking Operations by Natthaphon Sangpolsit NAKHON SAWAN (NNT) - The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives recently initiated its annual rainmaking operations to help combat drought and wildfires in Nakhon Sawan Province. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1252398-agriculture-ministry-commences-this-year’s-rainmaking-operations/

by Natthaphon Sangpolsit NAKHON SAWAN (NNT) - The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives recently initiated its annual rainmaking operations to help combat drought and wildfires in Nakhon Sawan Province. The commencement ceremony was chaired by Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Chalermchai Sri-on. Rainmaking or cloud-seeding procedures are handled by the Department of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation. The launch featured a fleet of flying airplanes from the rainmaking department and the Royal Thai Air Force. Minister Chalermchai said many areas in Thailand were facing water scarcity, with water levels in major dams and reservoirs reportedly seeing significant drops. There is a possibility of wildfires every summer that bring heavy smoke and dust particles to local communities. The cloud-seeding operations are intended to help prevent and mitigate these issues. This year, ten cloud-seeding operation centers will be set up in high-risk areas, equipped with 24 planes from both the rainmaking department and the air force. Samroeng Sangphuwong, director-general of the rainmaking department, said authorities have been working with local communities to identify hotspots and prevent wildfires. -- © Copyright NNT 2022-03-05 - 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

Show some humanity, support Ukraine and don't blame ordinary Russians Anyone who has spent some time in Thailand has met them, usually in bars nursing a drink for several hours and regaling anyone who'll listen to their bigoted views on Thailand, convinced that because you might be the same skin color - usually white - that makes you all part of the same "club". Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1252397-show-some-humanity-support-ukraine-and-dont-blame-ordinary-russians/

'This article is an independent opinion piece of the Rooster' Anyone who has spent some time in Thailand has met them, usually in bars nursing a drink for several hours and regaling anyone who'll listen to their bigoted views on Thailand, convinced that because you might be the same skin color - usually white - that makes you all part of the same "club". When asked about what they are doing in the kingdom, what they know about Asia, they mumble something about their experience in 'Nam. Then when asked to explain they use that wonderful, revealing cliche that explains all: "If I told you that I'd have to kill you". Such numpties - usually living in a cheap one room hovel with the occasional visit of some local, tattooed scrubber - have over the last two decades mostly moved online, especially during the pandemic. Here they are safer than ever from scrutiny, able to expound their ignorant nonsense with little censure notwithstanding the occasional moderator ban, that cows them into temporary scaredy-cat submission. Before they take to the internet afresh, too pathetic to troll intelligently, putting links to spurious websites that allegedly back up their absurd narratives. They are invariably Thai bashers who when challenged say their Buriram girlfriend told them some "secret" home truth backing up their pitiful, ill-informed, rhetoric and hyperbole. They belittle moderate, sensible people as naive. ASEAN NOW has many of them. They are thankfully drowned out by the majority of sensible posters. But their voices are shrill from behind their keyboards, like the loud western tourist holding court disturbing other diners at the next table in the pizza restaurant. They are the modern day, pathetic keyboard warriors whose closest encounter with a weapon is a bum gun, shooting skidmarks off their ample backsides. Armed with a second hand laptop or cheap phone perched on their thighs - not a moment to waste online as we're reminded of their hobbies, usually earning daily fortunes in Bitcoin trading, subjects us mortals are too stupid to understand. They were out in force on the forum this week, with the ongoing war in Ukraine acting as an ideal backdrop to frame their agenda expounding their "oh-so-well-informed" understanding of world events. This was never more clearly seen than the reaction to a story about a Thai man called Chanapong. The 27 year old had bravely gone to the Ukrainian embassy in Bangkok to offer his assistance to a country thousands of kilometers away - not because he wanted money, not because he had a specific political agenda, but because he was a human being; because he had humanity. The warriors strode manfully into action (they never read the stories - they don’t have time for that before sharing their vitriol!) Where were you when Thailand needed you on the streets Chanapong?, They demanded. Don’t you know that ping pong bombs are not mortars? Have you ever been anywhere near a real army? Why did Thailand roll over in World War II - just like you will in Kyiv after you get your mercenary check and slip across the border into Europe to claim benefits…blah, blah, blah. They have no knowledge of the bravery of Thais in their ‘Nam, the resistance in the face of terrible odds in the 1940s. And in this specific case no interest in Chanapong’s service with the RTAF, his involvement in the democracy protests and his sensible warnings that signing up for Ukraine’s defence would be no picnic and only those with military experience should apply. Chanapong, reportedly among many others, was interested in going to Ukraine’s aid. We should be praising such people not criticising them; celebrating their humanity in trying to help in a dire situation on a faraway continent. Elsewhere, the keyboard warriors demanded that Russians in Thailand be abused and deported. Had they missed the news of thousands of outraged ordinary Russians on the streets of their country - despite the appalling propaganda they are subjected to on their state television and media - risking their personal liberty to stand up to the maniacal Putin and a regime they would gladly nuke if they had THEIR fingers on the proverbial red button. My! How they revelled in the story about Russian - and incongruously even Ukrainian - tourists suffering financial and travel hardship in Thailand due to the swift and draconian sanctions affecting ordinary, peaceful people just on holiday in the kingdom. People should be focusing on who is responsible. It's Putin and his crazy dreams. And his wealthy and supportive oligarchs. Picking up on Putin’s alarming, biased, rhetoric, the warriors even referred to the Nazi collaborators of World War II Ukraine as if that issue - itself a highly complex, varied and unclear period of world history - somehow justified the abuse of Ukrainians in the 21st century. Some even pointedly observed how Russians on “baht buses” (they don’t know the Thai for these vehicles) deserved everything they got for their booriah behavior to and from Jomtien (where it’s nice) and Pattaya (where it’s horrible) and where they guzzle on borscht and abuse the waitresses. One such comment got seven "likes". This casual racism is part of their stock-in-trade; they switch to Indians sharing beers with straws or Chinese tourists pooping in the streets when that narrative better suits their cause. Confront them and you’re “woke”or a “virtue signaller” hoodwinked by the government, a victim of Western media, a lefty liberal puppet of Biden. Funny how they always seem to lament the passing of Trump, revelling in the prospect of that megalomaniac’s possible return to Washington. Not that some officials in Thailand were much better. The comments of foreign minister Don Pramudwinai were sadly understandable but thoroughly inappropriate and unwelcome as the international community - in business, public and sports as well as at state level - heaped appropriate pain on everything Russian through sanctions (in this regard individual Russians have to expect pain, hopefully severe enough to inspire them to force a regime change in time). Don - predictably for pocketbook conscious Thailand - refused to directly condemn Russia and Putin. I get the point about continuing to press for diplomacy, and understand how much worse things might get if the nutter in the Kremlin is backed further into a corner where the world may truly fear his unpredictability. I fear his stated view that 'if there is no Russia then there will be no world” madness. But the time for rapprochement is gone, a united front is the only way so grow up Thailand and stand strong with the rest of the world. Even China has - despite its role in cordial relations with Russia - is nervous, prepared to act as peace broker. India, too, used language to quietly condemn the invasion - they can’t go further due to their dependence on Russian missile systems in defence of their country against attack from Pakistan. Thailand is a small player in all this but people are watching; it’s well documented how pathetic their laughable “leadership” as part of the toothless and risible reaction of ASEAN to the ongoing situation in Myanmar has been. Cozying up to the generals there as well as the ghastly post-Blue Diamond money grab in getting into bed so swiftly with the regime in Saudi, a regime run by a human rights abusing alleged murderer desperate for public recognition and legitimacy. Does Thailand not realise that sucking up to these horrendous bedfellows reflects so badly on them in the international arena. Yes, not every tourist cares - but there are plenty that do and in a world where news is available 24/7 and there are huge numbers of other options for a holiday, many will vote with their feet if they are not satisfied with the stance of a foreign government. Then Thailand's UN rep voted with 140 countries apparently contradicting the government back in Bangkok. This, however, was to condemn violence not Russia itself. Prayut refused to do that at a cabinet meeting hiding behind neutrality showing a sickening lack of backbone. One poster got 50 likes for simply writing: $ The conflict in Ukraine is multi-faceted and Rooster does not profess to have any answers. Like many people I am following from afar, trying hard to fathom the present situation and the short, medium and long term consequences in a social media and news landscape rife with fake news and misdirection. But I’m determined to always call out keyboard warriors. Determined like Chanapong to show some human spirit albeit in a far lesser capacity than his obvious bravery and that of millions of Ukrainians and many Russians standing up to tyranny. With such a focus on the outside world, the last seven days of news in Thailand paled into insignificance. Rooster took time off translation duties for a few days in deserted but pleasant Pattaya! Hops still has great service and pizza! The beach and even the sea appeared clean. The “condo-hotel” was cheap even though they moved us in the middle of the night when the electricity failed! Pattaya Park was great value and quiet and a great day out for me and the four children, together at last after several years of pandemic partition. The road to and from Bangkok - Route 7 - was fast and safe and reasonably priced. A good time was had by all even if the wind on the beach blew all that expensive sand in our lunchtime som tam! Continuing stories in the Thai news included the disappearance and subsequent finding of the body of actress Taengmo in the Chao Phraya. Mystery still surrounded what happened to her as every Thai outlet from Amarin TV to Thai Rath speculated on the case. Another case, and finally this week, was the latest in the hunt for the two gunmen who killed gangland figure Jimi Sandhu in Phuket last month. One of the hitmen has been arrested in Canada and both him and his pal were reportedly 'suicidal'. The reason being, wait for it, the Thai police. The RTP were basking - for once - in the good press about their speedy work in establishing the identities, movements and DNA of the gunmen. The story even led to the words Royal Thai Police and efficacy in the same sentence. Now there's a first! Rooster -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-03-05 - 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

Thais told to beware of Russia’s sharp power, uphold principles rather than taking sides By Thai PBS World’s Regional Desk OPINION A father presses his palms against the window as he says goodbye to his daughter on a train to Lviv at the Kyiv station, Ukraine, Friday, March 4. 2022. The father has to stay behind to fight in the war while his family leaves the country to seek refuge in a neighboring country. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) Thailand, notably its divided society, must act on principles rather than taking sides or remaining neutral over a Russia-Ukraine conflict that is set to develop into a new cold war and reshape global geo-politics, scholars say. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1252396-thais-told-to-beware-of-russia’s-sharp-power-uphold-principles-rather-than-taking-sides/

A father presses his palms against the window as he says goodbye to his daughter on a train to Lviv at the Kyiv station, Ukraine, Friday, March 4. 2022. The father has to stay behind to fight in the war while his family leaves the country to seek refuge in a neighboring country. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) By Thai PBS World’s Regional Desk OPINION Thailand, notably its divided society, must act on principles rather than taking sides or remaining neutral over a Russia-Ukraine conflict that is set to develop into a new cold war and reshape global geo-politics, scholars say. The war, which broke out on Feb 24 when Russian troops invaded neighboring Ukraine, also involves the security of Western allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). For this reason, it signals the beginning of a new dynamic of the old cold war, they said. Speaking at a seminar hosted by Thammasat University’s Pridi Banomyong International College (PBIC) on Mar 4, eminent historian Thanet Apornsuwan said the war is Russian President Vladimir Putin’s move to restore the influence of the Russian Empire over Eurasia and Eastern Europe that dates back to the 18th century. He said Putin wants Russia to regain the territorial control it enjoyed before the 1917 Russian Revolution and the creation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). “Historically speaking, wars between empires in those areas never really ended. They have just changed their form,” he said, adding that this war between Moscow and Kyiv is part of this ongoing struggle. Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thais-told-to-beware-of-russias-sharp-power-uphold-principles-rather-than-taking-sides/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-03-05 - 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

Four injured as two "brazen shooters" fire on "rival's" house in Samut Prakan 77kaoded Thai Caption: Bullets sprayed at house (in Samut Prakan) 77kaoded reported that police in Samut Prakan south east of the Thai capital Bangkok were investigating after two gunmen sprayed bullets at a house. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1252393-four-injured-as-two-brazen-shooters-fire-on-rivals-house-in-samut-prakan/

77kaoded Thai Caption: Bullets sprayed at house (in Samut Prakan) 77kaoded reported that police in Samut Prakan south east of the Thai capital Bangkok were investigating after two gunmen sprayed bullets at a house. The men dressed in black with full face helmets fired indiscriminately leaving 4 people wounded. It is thought that the people in the house were rivals stemming from the time they were vocational students. Picture: 77kaoded It happened in Soi 4 at the Ban Piti Villa estate in Muang district around 10pm last night. Ponksathorn, aged 24, was seriously wounded after being hit in the neck. A lady called Saowalak, 25, and men named as Thoraphat, 22, and Pramet, 24, were hit in the arms, legs, torso and neck by guns of unknown caliber. All were taken to Samut Prakan Hospital after receiving first aid from rescue services at the scene. The media reported widespread damage to the two story house downstairs. Picture: 77kaoded There were bloodstains from the front to the back of the house in a kitchen area. Evidence of many shots having been fired was found in an area outside the main body of the house and within the property. An abandoned holster was found out in the street nearby. Phakkhawak, 24, said he'd been with the four injured people relaxing and playing games after work in a glass conservatory in front of the house. The two men arrived on a lady's motorcycle and parked nearby. They then fired two guns indiscriminately into the house as he and his friends dived for cover. He said that he and his friends had no problems with anyone - they are all delivery people working for a well known company. He suspected that the shootings stemmed from the days when they were students and some people in their group of friends had trouble with a rival faction. Neighbors reported thinking that the men - caught on CCTV - were debt collectors until the shooting started. Police were gathering forensic evidence and hoped that the study of CCTV and interviews with those who were injured would give them a lead in the case. Long Stay Visa Health Insurance Plans -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-03-05 - 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

340 kg US bomb from Vietnam War days successfully neutralized in NE Thailand Picture: Naew Na A huge bomb that first came to prominence in the Korean War in 1950 and was later widely used in the Vietnam War was discovered on land in Kalasin, NE Thailand. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1252392-340-kg-us-bomb-from-vietnam-war-days-successfully-neutralized-in-ne-thailand/

Picture: Naew Na A huge bomb that first came to prominence in the Korean War in 1950 and was later widely used in the Vietnam War was discovered on land in Kalasin, NE Thailand. The 340 kilo (750 lb) M117 was found on private land by a hill in Ban Dong Suan Pattana in the Kham Muang police jurisdiction, reported Naew Na. The owner of the land had employed some excavators to build a fire defence trench. It was found three meters below the surface. Picture: Naew Na Yesterday Kalasin governor Songphon Jaiklin coordinated with DOPA, local police, airmen from Udon Thani and EOD officials to collect and deal with the bomb. The M117 was an air-dropped demolition bomb used by the US military. According to Wikipedia its use was discontinued in 2015. Why it should have been in Kalasin was unclear. Long Stay Visa Health Insurance Plans -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-03-05 - 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

U.S. and Thailand Work Together in Search for Missing WWII Airman The U.S. government launched a joint U.S.-Thailand operation in search of an American pilot missing for more than 70 years. The airman, along with his P-38 aircraft, are believed to have gone down near Baan Mae Kua village, in Sop Prap district of Lampang province during World War II. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1252391-us-and-thailand-work-together-in-search-for-missing-wwii-airman/

The U.S. government launched a joint U.S.-Thailand operation in search of an American pilot missing for more than 70 years. The airman, along with his P-38 aircraft, are believed to have gone down near Baan Mae Kua village, in Sop Prap district of Lampang province during World War II. Nine specialists have arrived from the U.S. Defense Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency’s Hawaii headquarters to conduct the search mission, supported by the Baan Mae Kua community. Chargé d’Affaires Michael Heath, Consul General Sean O’Neill, and Colonel Alongkot Donmoon, representing the Governor of Lampang Province visited the site to meet with the team and learn about their specific duties, while assisting in the search. CDA Heath said: “After more than 70 years the United States is still working to bring home all of our service members. This humanitarian mission is a symbol of the great cooperation and friendship between the United States and Thailand. On behalf of the United States of America and the American people, I want to express gratitude to the local community, the local authorities, and the government of Thailand for helping us fulfill our sacred duty and promise to the nation.” Major Brian W. Smith, the mission commander, said: “Our goal here is to give the fullest possible accounting of the incident and maintain open communication with the families of the missing. A sincere thank you to our Thai hosts for helping us bring our service members home.” Approximately 81,600 American personnel are still unaccounted for from past conflicts. The U.S. government is committed to providing the fullest possible accounting of the missing to the nation and their families. This mission is the first significant recovery operation in Thailand since 2007. In July 2018, DPAA obtained new information regarding three missing U.S. World War II aircraft located in northern Thailand which led to further investigation of the missing aircraft reports in the area.  Each of these losses is associated with a U.S. service member who has yet to be accounted for. This mission has been made possible by extensive research conducted by both historians and volunteers from both Thailand and the United States, and incorporates information learned from eyewitness accounts. For further information on the missing American Service Member or DPAA and its mission please refer to DPAA’s website at www.DPAA.mil. Source: https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-and-thailand-work-together-in-search-for-missing-wwii-airman/ -- © Copyright U.S. Embassy 2022-03-05

Korat massage lady glad to be home after fleeing Ukraine - but she hasn't received promised 15,000 Baht INN reported on the return of the first batch of Thai workers from wartorn Ukraine. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1252389-korat-massage-lady-glad-to-be-home-after-fleeing-ukraine-but-she-hasnt-received-promised-15000-baht/

INN reported on the return of the first batch of Thai workers from wartorn Ukraine. Fleeing the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and arriving safely back at Suvarnabhumi airport yesterday evening on TG 923 were 38 Thais. Among them was 49 year old Jiraphat from Phimai, Korat, who is currently quarantining at a relative's place in Phrapradaeng, Samut Prakan. Reporters contacted her elder sister Lamphan, 54, and had a video call with the returnee. She spoke of the situation in Ukraine being scary and getting the help of Thais in the country and back home as well as the Thai embassy in Warsaw, Poland. She was happy to be back in Thailand. She had been working in traditional Thai massage in Ukraine for the last five years. INN didn't explain where exactly in the country. However, they reported that Jiraphat was yet to receive any of a promised 15,000 baht to help retunees and she called on the authorities to act fast to help her get back on her feet. Long Stay Visa Health Insurance Plans -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-03-05 - 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 naked body retrieved from Bangkok's Chao Phraya Bangkok's River of Kings is more like a river of dead bodies in recent days. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1252387-mystery-naked-body-retrieved-from-bangkoks-chao-phraya/

Bangkok's River of Kings is more like a river of dead bodies in recent days. Police in Bangkok were called after a naked corpse was found by boats moored at the Phra Pin Klao bridge in downtown Bangkok yesterday. Bang Yikhan police, rescue services and Sirirat Hospital medics responded. The male body was dark skinned and carried no means of identification. The body was taken to Sirirat while police began the process of trying to establish identity and contact relatives. Siam Rath reported that police had had a report on Thursday of a WOMAN jumping from Pin Klao bridge into the river. She had yet to be found. The Thai press is on high alert in Bangkok as they continue to follow the case of celebrity Tangmo who was also found dead in the river, known as the River of Kings. Long Stay Visa Health Insurance Plans -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2022-03-05 - 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