Waves of relief have washed over not just 934, but a whopping total of 114,307 souls caught in the treacherous undertow of informal debt. Thanks to the determined efforts of the Interior Ministry, these lucky individuals can now breathe easier, as they witness lifelines being thrown to them, one proactive day at a time. The sage Suttipong Juljarern, the ministry’s sagacious Permanent Secretary, spun a hopeful yarn of these endeavors that have seen the mortal chains of debt lightened, if not completely unshackled. It seems since the onset of December – a month synonymous with both giving and receiving – debts to the tune of an eye-watering 7.38 billion baht have been placed on the scales. Amongst this melange of monetary woe, a digital crusade took flight, with 99,038 tech-savvy debtors seizing the reins of their fate through the online system. The remainder, a steadfast 15,269, marched to the debt…
Posts published in “Thailand”
Under the soft glow of the national broadcast, His Majesty’s voice resonated with the comforting weight of tradition and the promise of sanctuary. With the soothing cadence of an ancient hymn, he invoked the mystical power of the Rattana Tri, the revered Triple Gems of Buddhism. He called forth the sanctity of sacred beliefs and the benevolent spirit of the late King Bhumibol to watch over the collective soul of Thailand, safeguarding its people from sorrow and ailment alike. His message, a tapestry of reverence and memory, began with a delicate recollection of two milestones from the year bygone. First, he spoke with a fondness of the King Rama IX Memorial Park, a bastion of tribute where the populace throngs, drawn as if by an invisible thread, to honor the legacy engraved in the monument of King Bhumibol. Then, with a voice swelling with pride, he conveyed the international commendation…
Welcome to the land of smiles – Thailand! That’s right; the sizzling hub of exotic cuisines, crystal-clear waters, and the ineffable charm of Southeast Asia is ready to burst through tourism records with a goal that’ll leave you astounded. Fasten your seatbelts, globetrotters, because Thailand is gearing up to welcome 40 million international jet-setters by 2024! That’s a leap from the still-impressive 27 million that set foot on this paradise in 2023. Talk about ambitious! In a dazzling comeback story, where the world once faced the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19, Thailand is now basking in newfound vivacity. Government officials are all smiles (and why wouldn’t they be?) as they share the news of relaxed travel shackles and doors flung wide open to the international community once again. But wait, there’s more! The skies above Thailand are about to get a tad more crowded – in the best way possible. Nine…
As Monday’s sun rose to illuminate the bustling streets of Thailand, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department buzzed with the fervent energy of an imminent press conference. The agenda? Revelations from a nationwide road monitoring initiative that started on the breathless precipice of the new year, December 29th. It wasn’t just numbers they were declaring; rather, these were stark tales scripted on tarmac across the country. Enter Deputy national police chief Pol General Surachate Hakparn, a man who reads the stark statistics with the gravity they warrant. “On the Sabbath day alone,” he declaimed, with a solemn nod to the third day of their vigilant surveillance, “our roads were the stage for 424 separate sonnets of misfortune.” Imagine: 51 lives snuffed out in the prime of existence, 416 others ensnared in the web of trauma and injury. And the villain in this modern-day tragedy? None other than the notorious fiend…
The morning was awash with the spirit of optimism as the Prime Minister, flanked by an entourage of high-ranking officials, made a ceremonious visit to the resplendent halls of the Palace. It was a day steeped in tradition and good tidings, with each member of the delegation inscribing heartfelt hopes and dreams into a book dedicated to the ushering in of the New Year—a tome that symbolized the collective aspirations of a nation poised on the cusp of another twelve months of possibilities. Amid the reverence and the grandeur of the New Year’s proceedings, Srettha, accompanied by his wife, embarked on a sacred journey to Wat Ratchabophit Sathitmahasimaram Ratchaworawihan. The hallowed grounds of the temple resonated with the solemnity of their mission—to seek blessings and offer their reverence and sustenance to the venerable Supreme Patriarch. It was an encounter that transcended the mere exchange of pleasantries, bridging the secular and…
In a twist of legal drama, the halls of justice reverberated with the clang of a gavel as a young soul found himself momentarily unfettered. The courtroom was abuzz on a fateful Monday when an order cascaded down, freeing a 14-year-old from the cold grasp of detention. The clock had struck a resounding peal; the Department of Juvenile Observation and Protection investigators had strolled past the Sunday night deadline without a case, and thus, unwittingly, dropped the bars that caged the adolescent. Now, this wasn’t just any boy. The one at the heart of this story had seen the wretched gloom of a once vibrant luxury mall turned into a tableau of horror, all unfolding in the bustling heart of downtown Bangkok. His was a tale wrapped in tragedy and perplexity, finding himself in the stern care of the Galya Rajanagarindra Institute’s psychiatric ward shortly after that unforgettable, ghastly mass…
Imagine strolling through the vibrant, bustling streets of Bangkok on a sun-drenched December morning, feeling a sense of history being crafted as you watch individuals line up to cast their votes, reshaping the Social Security landscape in a democratic flourish. On December 24th, 2023, that’s precisely the momentous occasion that played out as subscribers of the Thai Social Security Fund finally had the chance to select their champions to safeguard their welfare on the Social Security Board. It was an electoral debut, etching a new milestone into Thailand’s annals of social security progression. Now, let’s concoct a distillation of the most riveting and impactful labour and social narratives that captivated us throughout the year… Democracy in Action: The Inauguration of Voice The once elusive dream for the public to take the reins in managing the Social Security Fund turned tangible in 2023, with a heralded election ushering in an era…
As the year 2023 drew to a close, the echoes of both joy and discontentment could be felt across the nation, painting a picture more multifaceted than a Monet masterpiece. The National Institute of Development Administration, affectionately known as Nida Poll, put their finger on the pulse of the nation’s heart through a comprehensive survey. They dialed numbers and engaged in earnest conversation with 1,310 individuals from the lush highlands in the north to the balmy coasts of the south, cutting across a spectrum of ages, professions, and socio-economic backgrounds. The sweetness of familial bonds and the security of employment without the chains of debt or the shadow of ill health had 42.75% of respondents humming a melody of moderate happiness. On the other hand, the bitter brew of economic downturn made 27.86% balk at the mention of happiness. The high cost of living, low farm produce prices, and the…
Imagine this: on a seemingly typical Saturday evening in the Muang district of Phitsanulok, the tranquil atmosphere was abruptly shattered. Out of nowhere, a pickup truck transformed into an unguided missile, hurtling into a multitude of vehicles, leaving an astonishing scene of metal and mayhem in its wake. As if choreographed by a director of disaster movies, passersby couldn’t help but be witness to this spectacle of destruction (Photo: Chinnawat Singha). But this was just the tip of the iceberg. As it turns out, Saturday was a notorious day on the streets across the Land of Smiles. And please, folks, don’t let the nickname fool you – the day was anything but smiling. There were 385 calamities dubbed “road accidents” shaking up the nation, and boy, oh boy, the aftermath was a sobering collage of numbers: 404 souls injured, 37 unfortunate beings departed from this world. Stats wizard and Justice…