The vibrant “Wan Lai Bang Saen 2023” festival, traditionally celebrated in the eastern seaboard provinces after Songkran, is in full swing and continues until Monday in Bang Saen. This unique festival brings together various activities, including paying homage to Buddha deities, constructing sand sculptures, and indulging in traditional games. Additionally, the two-day festivities showcase concerts, captivating performances, and an array of food and souvenir stalls for visitors to relish. On Monday, a reverent ceremony will take place, featuring offerings of alms to 37 Buddhist monks and expressions of respect towards the elderly. While the festival envelops its attendees in an enchanting atmosphere, visitors are reminded to comply with specific rules to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone. Here’s a summary of the guidelines: No trucks carrying water tanks or amplifiers are permitted at Hat Wonnapha, Tan Lom, and Bang Saen intersections. Trucks with water tanks should take Khao…
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Though he refrained from specifying a particular political party, it was widely assumed by journalists that the speaker was referring to the Pheu Thai Party’s campaign promise to deposit cash into the digital wallets of all Thai citizens aged 16 and older. With a 10,000-baht allocation per person, the pledge is predicted to incur a cost of 500 billion baht. The Pheu Thai Party claims this considerable sum is meant to boost the nation’s economy. “Implementing various cash handout policies could potentially increase the taxpayers’ burden and prompt the nation to borrow more, generating debt for the generations yet to come,” Chuan cautioned, as he campaigned in Bangkok. “It is essential for policies to strike a balance between revenue and expenditure. By law, parties are obliged to explicitly indicate how they will fund their policies and when they will implement them. Adhering to these rules is of utmost importance.” Chuan…
Authorities from the Royal Thai Police (RTP) are collaborating with the Interior Ministry to revoke the Thai citizenship of a Chinese woman, Navaporn Phakiatsakul, whose lengthy record includes alleged fraud, human trafficking, surrogacy, and document forgery. Navaporn, aged 53, was apprehended on April 8 in a building on Silom Road in the Bang Rak district during a crackdown on four locations in Bangkok, including her home in Yannawa district’s Sathon soi 10. Deputy national police chief, Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn, stated on Saturday that Navaporn provided false information to assist her compatriots in obtaining non-citizen identification cards or pink cards by claiming they were relatives who had relocated to her residence. An investigation revealed that Navaporn acquired her Thai citizenship after marrying a Thai man around 1988-1989. She divorced in 1991 and gained citizenship the following year. Pol Gen Surachate explained that Navaporn then became a surrogate mother for Chinese…
Narutchai Bunnag, a parliamentary candidate for Bangkok under the Thai Sang Thai (TST) Party, has a mission to showcase Thailand’s soft power by promoting its tattoo art culture. As the 32-year-old grandson of a late former House speaker and deputy Democrat Leader, Marut Bunnag, he is determined to challenge the negative stereotypes surrounding tattoos, which are often linked with criminal behavior. Showing off his own sleeve tattoos in his party’s promotional materials, Narutchai is passionate about body art. “Before I entered politics, I did not mind what people said about [tattoos] because it did not affect my work, but when I want to be a people’s representative, I listen to people’s concerns,” he explained. Narutchai believes that tattoos, especially Thai ones, can be promoted as an attractive art form rather than being judged only by their association with crime. “Many tattooed people work hard for their families and never cause…
Throughout the first five days of the Songkran festival period, a total of 197 people lost their lives in traffic accidents, while 1,738 others sustained injuries, according to the Interior Ministry. Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Interior Ministry, Chotenarin Kerdsom, announced that these accidents took place across the nation from April 11 to 15, accounting for 1,744 incidents. In the northern province of Nan, the highest number of accidents was recorded, with 59 occurrences. Meanwhile, Bangkok experienced the highest death toll at 15. The province of Nan also reported the highest number of individuals injured in traffic accidents, totaling 59 people, said Chotenarin. On April 15 alone, there were 311 traffic accidents, leading to 31 fatalities and 304 injured people. Speeding was found to be the primary cause of these incidents, accounting for 35.37% of the accidents. Drink driving came in second, contributing to 25.72% of accidents. Motorcycles were involved…
As the Songkran Festival comes to an end, thousands of people convened at Naris bridge in Surat Thani Municipality to celebrate, despite concerns from the Department of Disease Control (DDC) that Covid-19 cases may rise as a result. DDC director-general Thares Krasanairawiwong expressed that the number of cases after Songkran could surpass those seen after the New Year due to relaxed Covid-19 measures, with fewer people wearing masks outdoors and not needing tests to participate in activities. From April 9-15, 435 new infections were admitted to hospitals for treatment, averaging 62 cases per day or a 2.5 times increase from the previous week. Among these, 30 individuals suffered from lung inflammation and 19 required ventilation, marking a 58% and 36% increase, respectively. During this period, there were also two fatalities from those who had received their last booster shots more than three months ago. Dr.Krasanairawiwong urged those in high-risk groups,…
The Meteorological Department has revealed that this weekend, a moderate high-pressure system originating from upper Vietnam and extending to the Northeast and South China Sea will result in storms, gusty winds, hail, and thunder sweeping over numerous provinces. On the other hand, the rest of the country will experience a significant temperature increase, owing to dominant southerly and southeasterly winds. Regions in the North, Northeast, and Central areas are forecasted to face scorching temperatures ranging from 38-42 degrees Celsius. In contrast, the East and South are expected to see milder yet high heat, with recordings between 34-37 degrees Celsius. People residing in locations prone to storms are urged to stay indoors, avoid the vicinity of large trees and unstable billboards, and refrain from wearing metallic items or using mobile phones during thunderstorms. Furthermore, farmers should take precautions to protect their crops and livestock from potential damage. On Saturday, the following…
In an effort to promote artificial intelligence (AI) development in Thailand, Nectec executive director Chai Wutitiwatchai has revealed plans to provide affordable space and essential tools for local engineers and developers. Speaking to The Nation, Chai emphasized the significance of AI in transforming Thailand into a digital society and making existing technologies more intelligent in their interactions with humans. Chai acknowledged that while Thailand’s infrastructure, such as electricity systems, internet access, 5G networks, cloud services, and data centers are prepared for the country’s shift towards a digital economy, there are still some shortcomings. These areas of improvement include skilled AI engineers, integrated data sharing, and locally developed technologies. “We are now overly reliant on international technologies. This is extremely dangerous in terms of both economic stability and national security,” Chai warned. To address this situation, Nectec is collaborating with educational institutions and has established a platform called AI Thailand. This…
In response to criticisms claiming that six election commissioners had left the country while urgent matters needed addressing regarding the May 14 election, a rebuttal statement was issued to clarify the situation. Posts on social media had labeled these trips as “unnecessary,” “inappropriate,” and a “waste of money.” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kanchana Patarachoke explained that the officials who traveled to Australia and New Zealand were on a mission to inspect the system for transporting ballots back to Thailand. Their goal was to ensure timely ballot delivery, avoiding delays like those experienced in the 2019 election. Officials visiting South Africa, Kenya, and Morocco had a similar mission, as Africa is a vast continent where comprehensive transport is not available in all areas. In addition, these officials were examining solutions to the lack of direct flights from South Africa to Thailand, as mentioned by Kanchana. Regarding Europe and the United States, officials…
During the Songkran holidays, a significant number of Thai people traditionally travel back to their hometowns to visit relatives, which often results in heavily congested traffic and an increased number of road accidents. This year, the Songkran celebrations, also known as the Thai New Year, are scheduled from April 13th to 17th. In light of the holiday season, Transport Co has announced a special promotion for passengers traveling during the period of April 18th to 24th. Those who book their tickets using the e-ticketing application or through the company’s website, https://tcl99web.transport.co.th, will be eligible to receive a 10% discount on their fares. Sanyalux Panwattanalikit, the President of Transport Co, highlighted this promotional offer on Friday. Furthermore, Transport Co membership cardholders will receive twice the reward points for every booking made during this time frame. This promotion is aimed at encouraging more people to utilize public transportation during the busy holiday…