Welcome to Thailand, the land of smiles, where the hustle and bustle of vibrant marketplaces stand in stark contrast to the serene golden beaches that line its shores. It’s no secret that this Southeast Asian jewel has taken a hit like many others, with hotel occupancy dipping from a bountiful 75% in the pre-pandemic era down to a modest 60% in 2023. Yet, there’s an air of optimism sweeping through the city streets and along the beachfront properties; a revival is on the horizon, and experts are predicting a return to former glory. Marisa, with a twinkle of hope in her eye, remarked, “This past high season wasn’t just a fluke—it was a sign of better days to come for our beloved Thai tourism sector!” Imagine a Thailand connected by a spider’s web of flights from all corners of the world, a growing economy nurturing it back to health; that’s…
Posts published by “Editorial Team”
Imagine an entire month festooned with vibrant, colourful, and utterly mesmerizing festivals, each promising experiences as rich and diverse as Thailand itself! Well, my fellow globetrotters, that month is January, and it’s packed to the brim with celebrations that’ll whisk you off your feet. Let’s embark on a floral journey that leads us to the 20th Chiang Rai Flower Festival. Currently turning the Tung and Khom Park into a botanical paradise, the festival is a showcase of nature’s artistry, available for admiration until January 15. And for those who fancy a melody with their petals, the park is humming with music every Saturday until February 17. The tunes float in the balmy air from 8pm to 9pm, stirring the soul as much as the visual spectacle. For highland magic, the 10th Doi Tung Festival is upon us! This spectacular fest started in December and will sprinkle its enchantment till January…
Imagine standing amidst a flamboyant tapestry of crimson and gold as the forest floor of Mun Daeng becomes a living canvas, swept with the brushstrokes of autumn’s vibrant leaves. Nestled within the embrace of northern Thailand’s Nakhon Thai district, nature’s own masterpiece awaits in a comfortable symphony of cool, crisp air and kaleidoscopic foliage, making it an idyllic backdrop for that perfect selfie moment. Not one to keep its treasures hidden, park officials lay an inviting trail through this brilliant arboreal exhibit. A network of friendly signposts guides visitors from convenient parking bays to vistas worth every snap and memory. Here, ancient maple sentinels, resplendent with history, soar towards the heavens, draped in a festive garb that heralds winter’s frosty touch. Yet, station director Lamyong Srisawet plays the candid harbinger, reminding us that this blaze of autumnal beauty is a fleeting dance. The radiant theatre of foliage is set for…
As the stimulating hum of economic progress reverberates throughout the corridors of Thailand’s Parliament, a fiscal discourse of paramount importance ensues. The air is thick with anticipation as the esteemed members deliberate the initial chapters of a monumental, 3.48-trillion-baht budget proposal, a fiscal tapestry set to reach its thrilling conclusion come Friday. Amid this bustling activity sits a vigilant custodian of economic vitality, Finance Minister Lavaron Sangsnit—espousing the virtues of a tailor-made stimulus plan crafted to buoy the nation’s economic raft. “To keep the economy afloat,” states Lavaron, echoing throughout the marble halls, “is but one facet of our grand strategy.” For this stimulus plan is no mere life preserver; it is envisioned as a sturdy vessel, ensuring the swift and decisive disbursement of investments, propelling government agencies and state enterprises into a sea of actionable progress. Beyond the horizon, envisioned are the bidding calls of government projects—a ceremonious fanfare…
Imagine a world where majestic ships no longer queue up impatiently at the bustling Strait of Malacca, but instead glide effortlessly through a new maritime marvel—a land bridge merging the serene Gulf of Thailand with the mysterious Andaman Sea. This is the vision that Prime Minister Srettha cast before an eagerly listening parliament during a spirited debate on the fiscal 2024 budget bill—a vision of innovation, of untangling the current maritime maze that 60% of the world’s seaborne petrol transport navigates through. In a tone rich with foresight, PM Srettha was not merely answering questions from the opposition, but painting the picture of a transformed global trade landscape. “With the Strait of Malacca clogging up like an old drain, we have to swift-foot our way to a solution, and the land bridge project is a symphony of strategy and shrewdness,” he asserted with confidence. The prime minister went on to…
Welcome to the digital frontier of Thailand, where a thrilling initiative is set to raise the shields against cyber threats. The National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA), under the shrewd guidance of Amorn Chomchoey, has embarked upon an ambitious crusade to fortify the country’s cyber battlements. Imagine a scene where over 20 universities, a blend of ivy-draped halls and modern institutions, unite for a singular cause. This formidable alliance is the latest scoop in the tech realm, where academia and government agencies mesh gears to educate and arm a new breed of cyber guardians. Picture a ceremony where ink meets paper, binding the NCSA’s commitment with vibrant hubs of learning and leading cybersecurity firms. The air buzzes with potential as this memorandum of understanding signifies a new dawn for graduate students, a chance to plunge into the depths of online security. The mission: to tackle an alarming shortage of cyber savvy…
As the gavel struck the stand in Chiang Mai, signaling the unraveling of the budget bill debate, Move Forward’s very own MP, Phattarapong Leelaphat, was audibly flustered—and for good reason. He laid out, with palpable disappointment, how the current administration under Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin had hoisted the PM2.5 crisis onto the national stage, yet when the curtains were drawn back, the allocated budget was, to put it mildly, underwhelming. Let’s consider the facts: the Public Health Ministry seemed to have put forward a rather minuscule budget for combating respiratory diseases linked to the insidious PM2.5. Out of the 298.3 million baht floating in the pool for pollution and environmental efforts, a staggering 292 million baht was earmarked for polishing the green and clean image of public hospitals. I ask you, dear reader, where does that leave PM2.5? Well, it seems to be on the bench, watching as only a…
Amidst the tranquil beauty of Thailand’s southern vistas, a clandestine tale worthy of a thriller novel unfolds. What do you get when you mix the bustling byways of Bangladesh, ayearning for new horizons in Malaysia, and the intricate waterways of Thailand? The answer, dear readers, is far from a leisurely travel tale, as the grizzled Pol Lt Gen Ittipol Ittisarnronnachai—head of the revered Immigration Bureau—recently unveiled in a gripping press announcement. Picture this: a man whose identity seemed wrapped in shadows, known merely as Loh in whispers, stands captured amidst a crackdown that would send shivers down the spine of any crime syndicate. It was in the quaint district of Nong Chik, nestled within the sleepy province of Pattani, that Loh’s pretense crumbled, his facade of anonymity stripped away by the relentless pursuit of the Immigration Bureau’s finest. The man of the hour, Loh, age 56, found himself accused of…
Imagine stepping off the sleek carriage of a Red Line electric train, the heart of Bangkok buzzing with energy, as you arrive at the magnificent hub of urban travel, the Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal in Chatuchak district. This scene, captured beautifully in a recent photograph, heralds a new era for transit in this vibrant city. At the helm of transformation, The Ministry of Transport, led by the visionary Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit, is on the brink of catapulting the city’s infrastructure into the future. This month, the ministry is poised to set the ball rolling on an ambitious slate of seven cutting-edge transport development projects, representing a staggering investment of 133 billion baht—a testament to the government’s commitment to propelling the nation forward. The inaugural project ready to make a splash is the eagerly anticipated extension of the Red Line electric rail system. This expansion isn’t just any stretch…
Amidst the quietude of Ban Chang district lay a scene that could almost be mistaken for a poignant sculpture—a mother and daughter, forever entwined in an eternal embrace, yet tragically still, their lives cut short by their own hands. It was on a fateful Wednesday that their lifeless bodies were discovered, victims of an apparent self-induced cyanide tragedy within the walls of their own home. The mother, a revered veterinarian of 41 years, whose identity remains a tender secret, was the heart of a local pet clinic, well-known and fondly respected. It is a chilling thought that her caring hands, which once soothed innumerable creatures, would come to orchestrate such a somber finale to her own story and the story of her young daughter, a mere 12 years of life’s chapters written. The unsettling quiet was shattered when a colleague, sensing the void left by her unexplained absence at work,…