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Patong Tuk Tuk Taxi Driver Surrenders After Hit and Run Injury of Saudi Arabian Pedestrian By Goongnang Suksawat Patong – A Tuk Tuk taxi driver surrendered to Phuket police after he hit and injured a Saudi Arabian pedestrian and left the scene of the accident. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1306858-patong-tuk-tuk-taxi-driver-surrenders-after-hit-and-run-injury-of-saudi-arabian-pedestrian/

Phuket Immigration Investigates Alleged Russian Vehicle Rental Shop By Goongnang Suksawat Phuket – Phuket Immigration inspected a vehicle rental shop in Mueang Phuket after they were notified by concerned citizens that the business was allegedly entirely Russian owned and employed Russian staff illegally, without involving any Thai nationals. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1306857-phuket-immigration-investigates-alleged-russian-vehicle-rental-shop/

New Tourism minister gung ho that 2019 records can be smashed in 2024 despite falling spends by James Morris and Son Nguyen The new Minister of Tourism and Sports Sudawan Wang-Suphakitkosol was speaking to reporters on Thursday after Wednesday’s cabinet meeting where the Prime Minister underlined the importance of foreign tourism to the economy and demanded that all ministries assist efforts to boost arrivals into the kingdom. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1306856-new-tourism-minister-gung-ho-that-2019-records-can-be-smashed-in-2024-despite-falling-spends/

The new Minister of Tourism and Sports Sudawan Wang-Suphakitkosol was speaking to reporters on Thursday after Wednesday’s cabinet meeting where the Prime Minister underlined the importance of foreign tourism to the economy and demanded that all ministries assist efforts to boost arrivals into the kingdom. Easier visa-free access for Chinese tourists is a risky move amid lower demand with a rising flight of criminal classes and the desire by certain elements in China to shift funds offshore. The move may backfire and lead to more damage to the kingdom’s reputation among genuine tourists from affluent Chinese population centres although the Royal Thai Police has assured the government in recent days that it was prepared to ensure the security of all visitors even under the new free visa regime. The new Tourism and Sports minister Sudawan Wang-Suphakitkosol, on Thursday, set out her stall to not only reach record levels of foreign tourist numbers next year but to exceed the income level earned that year by over 50%. This comes despite substantially lower income per capita income generation when compared to 2019, recorded in 2023 and what appears to be out-of-kilter official figures. It comes with visa-free access approved by the cabinet on Wednesday for both China and Kazakhstan in the face of strong security concerns and heightened links between criminality and undesirable elements from the Communist country. Following the first working cabinet meeting on Wednesday this week, the Thai government confirmed that it had granted permission for a free visa regime to be operated from the 25th of September 2023 to the 29th of February 2024 in respect of visitors from China and Kazakhstan. The proposal to offer visa-free facilities to Chinese visitors has already proved controversial, with security analysts pointing to the large spike in criminality which resulted at the start of the year in conjunction with a surge in the number of Chinese arrivals. by James Morris and Son Nguyen Full story: Thai Examiner 2023-09-18 - 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 our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

Pita Denies Playing Tricks To Secure 2 House Positions by TNR Staff Pita Limjaroenrat, left, and Padipat Santipada, right. Photo: Matichon ACTING MOVE Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat denied playing a political game to grab two key House positions for his camp pointing out that his resignation as party leader stemmed from the court having suspended him as an MP while the constitution says that opposition leader must be an MP and a party leader, Matichon newspaper said Saturday afternoon (Sep. 16). Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1306855-pita-denies-playing-tricks-to-secure-2-house-positions/

ACTING MOVE Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat denied playing a political game to grab two key House positions for his camp pointing out that his resignation as party leader stemmed from the court having suspended him as an MP while the constitution says that opposition leader must be an MP and a party leader, Matichon newspaper said Saturday afternoon (Sep. 16). His denial came after former election commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn said in a Facebook post that Move Forward will now have two House positions- while Deputy House Speaker Padipat Santipada will quit as Move Forward member in order to retained his post he will only move to the one-MP Fair Party even as the new Move Forward party leader becomes the opposition leader. The military-designed constitution prohibits an opposition leader from being attached to any party which may currently assume cabinet seats or House Speaker or Deputy House Speaker posts. by TNR Staff TOP: Pita Limjaroenrat, left, and Padipat Santipada, right. Photo: Matichon Full story: THAI NEWSROOM 2023-09-18 - 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 our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

Phuket marks another year without memorial for One-Two-Go flight crash victims by Mitch Connor Crash scene, Image by NTSB Phuket has seen another year pass without official memorial services to commemorate the 90 victims of the calamitous One-Two-Go flight crash that occurred 16 years ago on September 16, 2007. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1306854-phuket-marks-another-year-without-memorial-for-one-two-go-flight-crash-victims/

Over 140 youths found in raid on Phayao karaoke bar About 40 officials from the Provincial Administration Department (PAD) raided a karaoke bar in Mueang district of Thailand’s northern province of Phayao on Saturday night and found more than 140 underage youths on the premises. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1306853-over-140-youths-found-in-raid-on-phayao-karaoke-bar/

PM tells police of stationary car to turn engine off Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has been praised after he told a police who parked his police car with engine on to turn it off during his official visit in Chiang Mai province on Saturday. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1306852-pm-tells-police-of-stationary-car-to-turn-engine-off/

Thailand’s Phat Kraphao best stir-fry in the world – TasteAtlas.com Phat Kraphao is the most basic dish available at most street food stalls. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1306851-thailand’s-phat-kraphao-best-stir-fry-in-the-world-–-tasteatlascom/

Phat Kraphao is the most basic dish available at most street food stalls. It is sometimes called the “thoughtless” dish, for people who have no idea what to order and now it has topped the “Best Stir-Fries in the World 2023” list, released by TasteAtlas.com Saturday. Another favourite, Pad Thai, was placed 8th with a score of 4.4, while Phat Kraphao scored 4.8. South Korea’s Dak Galbi comes second with 4.7. Other Thai dishes which made it into the top 50 were Phat Si-io (4.3), Khua Kling (4.2) and stir-fried chicken with cashew nuts (3.7). The website features recipes and food reviews from critics around the world. It said that Phat Kraphao is the fourth most commonly ordered dish by foreigners in Thailand. Full story: Thai PBS 2023-09-18 - 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 our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

Police claim evidence found that Kamnan Nok ordered shootings Police claim to have circumstantial evidence that Praween Chanklai, aka “Kamnan Nok”, ordered the shooting of the two highway police officers at his house, because all his security guards were alerted in advance and armed. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1306850-police-claim-evidence-found-that-kamnan-nok-ordered-shootings/

Police claim to have circumstantial evidence that Praween Chanklai, aka “Kamnan Nok”, ordered the shooting of the two highway police officers at his house, because all his security guards were alerted in advance and armed. Additionally, other people and some cars were told to leave, allegedly to pave way for an escape, Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn, the deputy national police chief, said Friday. Images from the CCTV system, relating to the shooting on September 6th, have been released to the media by police. Pol Gen Surachate said that Praween is believed to be the one who disconnected two CCTV cameras in the room where a dinner was being hosted for a group of police officers, possibly because someone might have advised him that it would be highly inappropriate for armed officers to be seen shirtless and drinking alcohol. There were 15 surveillance cameras in the house. The servers connected to 13 of them were found to be functioning well, another was malfunctioning and the other stopped working on August 23rd, he said. Full story: Thai PBS 2023-09-18 - 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 our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

PM Srettha might move to live in Government House Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin says he is thinking about moving into the Government House living quarters, to ease the daily traffic congestion possibly caused by his motorcade. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1306849-pm-srettha-might-move-to-live-in-government-house/

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin says he is thinking about moving into the Government House living quarters, to ease the daily traffic congestion possibly caused by his motorcade. Srettha Thavisin told The Standard in an interview that his own residence is in the heart of Bangkok, travel to and from which in a motorcade could worsen the already heavy traffic. Moreover, moving to Government House would reduce the cost of motorcades and save on fuel. Chai Watcharong, the government spokesman, told the media after the cabinet meeting last week that Srettha had asked cabinet members to reduce the amount of taxpayers’ money spent on their travel and to reduce the number and size of motorcades, to limit their negative impacts. Full story: Thai PBS 2023-09-18 - 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 our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

Birth rate plunge triggers health minister’s urgent action plan by Neill Fronde Image by Rene Asmussen from Pexels. The national birth rate in Thailand is on a steep decline, prompting urgent action from the country’s Minister of Public Health Chonlanan Srikaew. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1306848-birth-rate-plunge-triggers-health-minister’s-urgent-action-plan/

The national birth rate in Thailand is on a steep decline, prompting urgent action from the country’s Minister of Public Health Chonlanan Srikaew. He plans to push fertility to the forefront of the country’s national agenda, aiming for swift implementation within 100 days as part of the ministry’s “quick win” policies. Chonlanan revealed after Friday’s executive meeting that the current birth rate is significantly lower than the ideal rate of 2.1 per 100,000 population. At present, Thailand is witnessing only 1.5 births per 100,000, resulting in a sizable deficit. Instead of the expected 2 million newborns each year, Thailand is seeing only about 500,000 births each year. This decline in fertility can potentially lead to a decrease in the working-age adult population and a 20% rise in the number of senior citizens. This demographic shift could classify Thailand as a “super-aged” society, Chonlanan cautioned. “The low birth rate will take time to solve and it will be proposed that premier list it as a national agenda item.” by Neill Fronde Image by Rene Asmussen from Pexels. Full story: The Thaiger 2023-09-18 - 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 our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

Phuket MP raises concerns over hastily built, damage-prone Patong Hill Road by Neill Fronde Picture courtesy of Chalermpong Saengdee An MP representing Phuket District 2 announced his intention to raise a critical issue in Parliament regarding the hastily built road over the hills from Chalong to Patong. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1306847-phuket-mp-raises-concerns-over-hastily-built-damage-prone-patong-hill-road/

BMA fast-track road returns to ease city’s traffic congestion by Neill Fronde Picture courtesy of Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) Facebook The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) issued a call to the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) for the swift restoration of roads surrounding various MRTA construction sites. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1306846-bma-fast-track-road-returns-to-ease-city’s-traffic-congestion/

Thailand urges US to restore GSP to give trade protection by Neill Fronde Picture courtesy of Bangkok Post Thailand is accelerating discussions with the United States, aiming to reinstate the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) and eliminate its place on the intellectual property assets watch list. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1306845-thailand-urges-us-to-restore-gsp-to-give-trade-protection/

Thailand is accelerating discussions with the United States, aiming to reinstate the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) and eliminate its place on the intellectual property assets watch list. The kingdom is urging the US to expedite the restoration of the GSP programme, which concluded in 2020, to safeguard the benefits of Thai exporters and US importers and give protection to international trade. Rachavitch Piyapramote, the deputy director-general of the Department of Trade Negotiations, spearheaded the Thai delegation for a meeting with senior officials at the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) in Washington. Sarah Bianchi, Deputy USTR, chaired the gathering. Rachavitch explained that the meeting presented a golden opportunity to reinvigorate the trade relations between both countries following a standstill of over four years due to the pandemic. The US office informed the Department of Trade Negotiations that they are in the process of proposing legislation to the US Congress to reintroduce the GSP programme. by Neill Fronde Picture courtesy of Bangkok Post Full story: The Thaiger 2023-09-18 - 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 our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

Thai citizens suspect state officials’ collusion with mafia-style figures, survey shows by Mitch Connor Image by pixelshot A significant proportion of Thai citizens suspect some state officials, including the police, of colluding with mafia-style influential figures, according to a recent survey conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA). Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1306844-thai-citizens-suspect-state-officials’-collusion-with-mafia-style-figures-survey-shows/

A significant proportion of Thai citizens suspect some state officials, including the police, of colluding with mafia-style influential figures, according to a recent survey conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA). The survey, carried out from September 12 to 14, involved telephone interviews with 1,310 participants over the age of 18, representing a diverse range of educational backgrounds, occupations, and income levels from across the country. The aim was to gather their views on the relationship between those wielding ‘dark influence’ and state officials within Thai society. When questioned about the presence of mafia-style influential figures within their provinces, nearly half, 49.54%, claimed there were no such individuals in their areas. However, 26.34% identified local politicians as these figures, with 15.95% pointing to tambon chiefs, village chiefs, and their assistants. A notable 15.80% implicated the police and 13.21% other state officials. Other figures included operators of ‘shady’ businesses (12.14%), general business operators (6.03%), national-level politicians (5.95%), hired gunmen and gangsters (5.04%), military figures (4.81%), community committee chairs and members (2.44%), and those in the mass media and entertainment industry (0.76%). A tiny 0.38% were either indifferent or uninformed on the matter. by Mitch Connor Image by pixelshot Full story: The Thaiger 2023-09-18 - 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 our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

to continue: Thailand Live Monday 18 September 2023 https://aseannow.com/topic/1306842-thailand-live-monday-18-september-2023/

Weighing passengers to become standard for Bangkok Airways by Neill Fronde Bangkok Airways plans to start weighing passengers before flights. (via iStock) Your chance to weigh in on airport and flight practices in Thailand may be coming, quite literally. Bangkok Airways is looking to join a number of international airlines that will be weighing passengers before boarding. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1306843-weighing-passengers-to-become-standard-for-bangkok-airways/