In the first quarter of this year, vehicle sales in Thailand experienced a 6.1% annualized decline. However, industry experts anticipate a rebound in sales for the coming months, following the successful Bangkok International Motor Show that took place from March 22 to April 2. Dealerships reported a total of 217,073 vehicle sales in Q1, marking a 6.1% dip compared to the same period in the previous year, according to Supakorn Ratanawaraha, Deputy Managing Director of Toyota Motor Thailand. Although sales in March fell by 8.4% year on year to 79,943 units, dealers attributed the decline to consumers holding off purchases in anticipation of the 44th Bangkok International Motor Show. The event saw an impressive 42,871 vehicles being ordered, far exceeding expectations. This surge in orders is likely to reflect positively on April and May sales figures, says Supakorn. Breaking down the March sales data, passenger car sales experienced a slight…
Posts published in “Thailand”
Prasittichai Khaokaeo, a former primary school director from Sing Buri, had his death sentence upheld by the Supreme Court on Wednesday for a brutal gold shop robbery in Lop Buri province in 2020, where he murdered three people, including a young child, and injured four others. Prasittichai’s heinous crimes made headlines on January 9, 2020, when he entered Robinson Department Store in Muang district, Lop Buri, carrying a 9mm handgun with a sound suppressor. Without hesitation or concern for human life, Prasittichai shot and killed a security guard, a two-year-old boy who was walking with his mother, and a female employee of the Aurora gold shop. In addition, he shot and injured four others in his rampage. After the bloodshed, Prasittichai robbed the gold shop of 22 one-baht and 11 fifty-satang gold necklaces, with a total worth of 664,470 baht at the time. Public prosecutors, the Aurora Design Company, and…
Macaques have been causing quite a commotion in Phra Nakhon Khiri, also known as Khao Wang, a historic park in Muang district of Prachuap Khiri Khan. These clever creatures are notorious for their cunning raids on local shops and homes, leaving behind a trail of chaos and damage. The havoc wreaked by the growing population of these rascally monkeys has led to authorities devising an extensive relocation plan. With 3,000 macaques in Muang district alone, and around 1,000 to 1,500 in other districts, their numbers are only increasing. As the monkey population expands, these crafty creatures are further encroaching into residential areas in search of sustenance. This conflict has had a negative impact on residents, businesses, and tourists alike. The National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department’s Protected Area Regional Office 3 has implemented sterilization programs, but these efforts have not been effective in curbing the ever-growing macaque population. As…
The Criminal Court recently approved a request for the extended detention of Sararat “Am” Rangsiwuthaporn, a woman accused of killing 12 people by poisoning them with cyanide. Among the victims is Siriporn “Koy” Khanwong, who died on April 14 after consuming food laced with the deadly substance. Cyanide was found in her body, leading investigators to believe that Sararat mixed the poison in her food deliberately. The accused, who is the former wife of a senior police officer, is also believed to have stolen the victim’s valuables. Deputy National Police Chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn revealed that two more victims have been connected to Sararat, bringing the total number of deaths linked to her to 12. There is, however, one survivor who successfully managed to recover from the poisoning. Her heart stopped beating, but a doctor was able to resuscitate her in time. The woman, who remains unnamed, is currently…
The mastermind behind a devious extortion plot in Bangkok that masqueraded as members of the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) has finally been apprehended. Boonserm Khamsang, 53, was caught in Pathumwan district on Tuesday, facing charges of extortion, coercion, and threats. He is the last of the four suspects to be rounded up in this case. Investigators began their work when a group of four men, claiming to be soldiers attached to the Isoc and Crime Suppression Division police, searched a house in the Hua Mak area around noon on April 11. Alleging that the house owner had committed embezzlement, the men demanded an exorbitant sum of 3.1 million baht from him. Fearing for the safety of his wife and two young children, the man complied and handed over the money to the criminals, who then quickly fled in an Isuzu MU-7 SUV. The victim later filed a complaint with…
On Wednesday morning, the first group of 82 Thai nationals fleeing the unrest in Sudan arrived at the airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Over the next few days, more than 130 others are anticipated to make their journey home from Sudan. The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) was dispatched to repatriate the Thai citizens who had sought refuge in Saudi Arabia from the escalating crisis in Sudan. The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs coordinated the efforts and designated King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah as a gathering point for the Thai nationals in Sudan who wished to return to Thailand. The first group of citizens arrived at the airport after a ship provided by the Saudi Arabian government transported them from Port Sudan. The ship was carrying nearly 1,700 foreigners of various nationalities who were attempting to return to their home countries. Three aircraft – two C-130s and an Airbus…
The peaceful atmosphere of Chachoengsao was violently disrupted by the relentless power of summer storms that swept through upper Thailand on Monday. Residents of the eastern province were subjected to an intense onslaught of heavy rain, fierce winds, and hail for over an hour, as they helplessly watched the tempest wreak havoc on their community. Mother Nature spared nothing in her path, as huge trees were uprooted by the wind, obstructing roads and creating massive inconvenience. The torrential downpour and relentless gusts inflicted widespread damage to personal property, making it a day to remember for all the wrong reasons. The relentless rain managed to accumulate enough water to trigger landslides in two distinct districts, Muang and Bang Nam Preaw. Miraculously, there were no casualties or injuries reported in either case, perhaps providing the one silver lining in an otherwise distressing day for the residents. Chaos unfolded at Klong Chao Flea…
Top Thai prime minister candidates are set to present their visions at an English-language debate organized by the Nation Group and the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) on Saturday, April 29th. The event, entitled “PM Candidates Debate in English: Meet PM Candidates & Heads of Strategist Teams,” will be covered by various prominent international media outlets and live-streamed online. The purpose of this event is to inform the international community about the policies of parties vying for election and the potential impacts of these policies globally. As the exclusive English-language platform for significant parties to share their ideas for Thailand, the debate aims to highlight the leadership qualities of the prime minister candidates. Intended to appeal to an international English-speaking audience, both in Thailand and overseas, the event targets citizens, businesses, trade, investment, and government officials impacted by Thailand’s general election and its resulting changes. As a leading educational…
During a recent election debate in Songkhla’s Muang district, Deputy leader Nipon Boonyamanee declared that a Democrat government would prioritize establishing peace in the three southern border provinces, which have experienced over 7,000 deaths related to insurgency since 2004. Nipon emphasized that negotiations, rather than ongoing military expenditure, are vital to achieving this goal. “We must first bring about peace,” Nipon stated, asserting that the Democrats firmly believe in the necessity of holding peace talks with dissident groups. He criticized previous Thai governments, including the current Prayut Chan-o-cha administration, for maintaining strict martial law in the region while failing to address the needs and concerns of the majority Malay Muslim population. In addition to pursuing diplomatic solutions, Nipon explained that a Democrat government would focus on reducing poverty to facilitate peace in the deep South. He observed that although the area now has adequate educational facilities, many local graduates relocate…
Ratchada Dhnadirek, the Deputy Government Spokesperson, announced on Tuesday that 212 Thai citizens, who had been evacuated from Sudan, reached Port Sudan safely. They are scheduled to be transported by boat to the city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, where they will be waiting for a Royal Thai Airforce (RTA) plane to take them back to their homeland. The RTA has been granted permission from Saudi Arabia to land in Jeddah and pick up the evacuees on Tuesday evening. Ratchada confirmed that the RTA aircraft would return to Bangkok the same night it picks up the passengers. The Thai citizens in Sudan registered with the Foreign Ministry for evacuation after conflict broke out in the country. Additionally, three Thais will make their return journey with their legal foreign partners. These individuals left the Sudanese capital on Monday afternoon. The unrest in Sudan began on April 11, when two opposing factions…