Greetings, nature enthusiasts and concerned citizens alike! Have you heard the latest buzz about Klity Creek in Thailand’s picturesque Kanchanaburi Province? Well, buckle up because there’s a tale of ecological challenge and recovery that’s sure to captivate! Once a victim of daunting lead contamination, this little creek is now on the upswing, thanks to the tireless efforts of the Department of Pollution Control. Flashback to a not-so-distant past, and we’d find Klity Creek swimming in a staggering 100,000 micrograms of lead per kilogram of sediment. Fast forward to today, and that number has impressively plummeted to a mere 3,000 mg/kg. It’s an environmental glow-up, folks! The diligent director of the department’s domestic wastewater management division, Chayawee Wangcharoenrung, assures us that the vigilant eyes of the officials grace this creek every four months, ensuring its well-being. With a hefty treasure chest exceeding 600 million baht—cha-ching!—the crew embarked on a daring two-act…
Posts published in “Thailand”
Greetings, dear readers! Have you ever imagined a world where technology stretches its helping hand not just through our daily tasks, but all the way into the intricacies of our mental wellbeing? Today, a spectacular wave of innovation comes from the heart of Thailand’s Public Health Ministry, which has brought science fiction to life by introducing an artificial intelligence (AI) leviathan to revolutionize the way we approach mental health. Let’s talk about the great digital giant known as DMIND, which is short for Detection and Monitoring Intelligence Network for Depression. This AI marvel is the offspring of an extraordinary collaboration between the Public Health Ministry, the Department of Mental Health (DMH), and the brainiacs at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Engineering. It’s not just a system; it’s a beacon of hope! Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, the esteemed permanent secretary for public health, shared his vision with an infectious excitement. He spoke of…
Oh, how the mighty struggle as the winds of political fortune blow ill winds! The Democrat Party, a political powerhouse of yesteryear, is now a ship braving a tempest, its sails torn by the squalls of internal strife and waning popularity. Once formidable in their role as the watchful guardians of governance, the Democrats’ recent endeavors to dissect the 2024 budget bill in the hallowed halls of parliament from January 3rd to 5th are but a shadow of their former strength. We’ve witnessed this grand old party reel from the shock of defectors and internal kerfuffles during Jurin Laksanawisit’s tenure as captain of the ship. The steering wheel has since passed to a new skipper, Chalermchai Sri-on. His mandate? No less than to salvage the wreckage and knit the crew back into a cohesive unit. It was Chalermchai himself who once declared he’d abandon the ship if it captured less…
Imagine, if you will, the bustling streets and highways around the Nonthaburi and Nakhon Pathom regions, where the symphony of engines and horns often reach a crescendo during peak hours, signaling the familiar tune of progress paired with congestion. But change is just around the bend, thanks to the visionary folks at the Department of Highways. They’re mapping out an infrastructural masterpiece—a brand-new road poised to be the much-needed antidote to the perennial traffic woes and a catalyst for urban expansion. The blueprint envisions an expansive six-lane artery, arching across a 6.5-kilometre expanse, which promises to be the veritable lifeline for the area. The road will weave through the tapestry of four districts spanning Nonthaburi into the heart of Nakhon Pathom. Sarawut Songsivilai, the department’s esteemed director-general, outlined the contours of this ambitious project with the fervor of an explorer charting a new frontier. The road doesn’t come without its…
Picture this: an illustrious career in the high-flying world of politics, a labyrinth of laws to navigate, and the heart-stopping moment when one misstep sends shockwaves through the hallowed halls of governance. That’s precisely the rollercoaster ride former transport minister Saksayam Chidchob embarked upon—a tale of concealed assets, nominees, and a tumble from power that gripped a nation. It was on a quite ordinary Wednesday that the Constitutional Court dropped the legal bombshell that changed the game for Saksayam. In the hot seat for allegations hotter than Thailand’s summer sun, he faced the heat for using a front to camouflage his stake in a company cozying up to government construction deals. This court ruling wasn’t just any ruling; it came thundering down following a petition that saw a posse of opposition MPs rallying like a scene straight from a parliamentary western, spurred into action from a censure debate in July…
Picture this: an architectural marvel in the making, a raised roadway designed to ease the commotion of Bangkok’s bustling streets. Then, in a twist of fate, on a seemingly ordinary July evening last year, tragedy struck along Luang Phaeng Road in Lat Krabang district when a segment of the unfinished On Nut-Lat Krabang elevated thoroughfare suddenly gave way. This collapse wasn’t just any small hiccup in construction—it was catastrophic, claiming the lives of an engineer and a construction worker, and leaving a dozen more with injuries. The aftermath was a scene of chaos: vehicles lay in ruins, electricity lines dangled precariously, and the peace of nearby structures was shattered. The echo of that day rippled through the heart of the city, and it became clear—construction had to pause, for the sake of safety and introspection. In the months that followed, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s (BMA) Public Works Department, along with…
Imagine a world where diplomacy dances with delicate precision, where nations intertwine in a delicate twirl of aid and peace-promotion—this is the visionary ball that Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, attended at the prestigious Davos meeting during the 54th Annual convocation of the World Economic Forum. In the snowy mountains of Switzerland, global leaders gathered to sculpt the future, and our very own Mr. Parnpree was at the heart of the action, discussing weighty matters of state with the grace of a seasoned statesman. But let’s not get tangled in the stiff jargon of officialdom; instead, picture this: Parnpree, the esteemed Thai diplomat, nestled among the high peaks, sharing the stage with his Vice Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow and a coterie of notable figures from across the international community, deliberating the future of Myanmar with passion and determination. The ambiance was not just that…
Imagine a world where the law bends and flexes with age—a world where youthful offenders slip through the thin cracks of a legal system designed to protect innocence but inadvertently enabling crime. Now, enter the stage: Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol, the National Police Chief with a vision. He’s not just sitting back; he’s calling his agency to action, demanding a deep dive into the dark ocean of juvenile delinquency that has held Thailand in its murky depths. His mission? Unearth every speck of juvenile criminality from the last half-decade and scrutinize whether the existing juvenile laws deserve a reform for an era where violent youth no longer speak with childish lisps but roar with egregious actions. As the clock ticks towards the end of an anticipative month, the incumbent responsibility he’s shouldered could potentially redefine justice within the ‘Land of Smiles.’ The findings of this colossal inquisition are not merely…
In the heart of Bangkok’s buzzing Ekkamai district, a tale as confounding as it is tragic has been unfolding, with new developments that have both clarified and compounded the mysterious demise of Prawrawee “Yoko” Sahatthatphong, a 28-year-old motor show model whose sudden passing on November 1st has captivated the nation. In what could read like a screenplay, the latest twist in the investigation brings us to a startling revelation. Police divulged on a balmy Tuesday that they had pieced together a sequence of events that seems to lend weight to the idea that Prawrawee may have orchestrated her own curtain call. The linchpin of their finding? A transaction made in the digital shadows of the internet: the purchase of a bottle of cyanide, no less, which our ill-fated model acquired for 33,000 baht two months prior to her departure from this world. Pol Maj Gen Wittawat Chinkham, the commander at…
Welcome to a tale of international diplomacy, a splash of tension, a dash of controversy, and a tuk-tuk procession with a mission! As we turn our gaze to the bustling streets of Bangkok and the hallowed halls of global gathering in Davos, we’ll encounter the enigmatic Foreign Affairs Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, a character who’s as diplomatic as he is determined. Amidst the shimmering heat and the symphony of city sounds, a campaign jolted the political atmosphere—a tuk-tuk parade, no less. The Israeli embassy pulled an eye-catching stunt, a rolling rally comprising a hundred tuk-tuks adorned with banners. The message? A plea for the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, inclusive of an Israeli-Thai united call to “Bring Them Home.” Now, while these tuk-tuks traversed the Thai capital, fluttering with the solemn faces of the detained, Foreign Affairs Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara had quite a different tune to play. From…