Deputy Director-General Duangarthit Nidhi-u-tai of the Department of Trade Negotiations, under the auspices of the Commerce Ministry, has indicated enhanced cross-border trade opportunities, fruitfully impacting industries, particularly those oriented toward agriculture. He cited the removal of trade barriers as a significant contributor. According to Duangarthit, the revamping of the agreements is foreseen to boost innovations from all associated parties, solidifying economic growth for not only the region but its associates as well. The pivotal meeting occurred over July 14-15, where negotiators and representatives of the ASEAN nations dissected each FTA, resulting in several amendments. Duangarthit highlighted the 39th meeting of the ASEAN Korea Free Trade Agreement (AKFTA), stating noteworthy advancements in the tax reduction tables from the years of 2017 to 2022. Such progress, approved by nine of the ASEAN states, would undoubtedly catalyze and make ASEAN-Korea trade even more transparent. Additional advancements within AKFTA were identified, which included the…
Posts published in “Thailand”
Thailand’s tourism industry has raised a loud call for the re-establishment of the visa fee waiver program, targeting an increase in visitor numbers from densely populated nations such as China and India. This appeal closely follows a less than favourable recovery in several key sectors and is regarded as crucial to enhancing visitor intake this year. Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, the President of the Thai Hotels Association, accentuated the strategic importance of targeting countries with large populations. For this, countries such as China and India are especially attractive, as their tourists majorly stay in popular Thai destinations including Bangkok, Pattaya, and Phuket. Despite the encouraging numbers of high-spending tourists contributing to Thailand’s tourism sector, the significance of budget travellers and large tour groups hasn’t waned, Marisa pointed out. Emphasizing this notion, she stated, “While Thailand has been attracting quite a substantial number of high-spending tourists, we must not overlook the reliance…
Prepare the raincoats and secure the boats, Thailand’s Meteorological Department (TMD) is predicting abundant rainfall across the northern and northeastern provinces, which might make things a bit wet and wild. Up to 45 provinces, including the thriving city of Bangkok, have been forewarned for a sudden bout of flooding and quick-as-a wink flash floods, especially in the lower lying locales and neighborhoods by the serene waterways. Your friendly weather predictor, the TMD, has it on good authority that the impending southwestern monsoon is riling up in strength, already spreading out its robust winds over the tranquil Andaman Sea, all of Thailand, and the turquoise Gulf of Thailand. The heart of the matter is a monsoon trough that’s maneuvering its way towards a low-pressure area over northern Vietnam, via the picturesque landscapes of Laos and Thailand. What does this signify for Thailand’s almost tropical rainforest climate? Most likely an increase in…
In a renowned cannabis café situated amidst the bustling Walking Street, in the vibrant city Pattaya, a tragic incident shook its regular night dwellers. An alien man, now identified as Hamad Alblaiher, aged 52, exprienced a bitter fate that ended abruptly with his death. The grief-stricken incident took place on the early hours of July 30th. The unwelcoming sight of Alblaiher lying unconscious inside the café was unveiled to the crew of Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Rescue Centre in Pattaya, at exactly 3:46 am. According to multiple eyewitness accounts, Alblaiher had apparently exhibited evident symptoms of distress before his collapse, which invoked confusion and anxiety among fellow guests. The café’s personnel immediately undertook revival attempts, but could only accompany the man until he was declared dead at a proximate hospital. The team awaits further examination from the forensic experts to confirm the cause of his sudden demise. However, initial statements from…
Bringing together their resources and shared vision, the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (Narit) and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) have embarked on an intriguing journey to foster ‘astronomical tourism’. The core idea is to establish Dark Sky Reserves – unique sites free from artificial light pollution, perfect silent witnesses to the most awe-inspiring celestial spectacles. From the hundreds of potential sites, this year a total of 18 sites have been sanctified as Dark Sky Reserves. Part of their joint initiative, aptly titled ‘The Amazing Dark Sky in Thailand Season 2 Project’, is to introduce these chosen gem spots to star enthusiasts and nature lovers alike. The fusion of astronomy and tourism is undoubtedly a new driver providing a boost to Thailand’s visitor attractiveness, but it also carries a significant environmental message – raising the flag against the light pollution that muffles the beauty of our night skies.…
An ambitious initiative is underway by the National Health Security Office (NHSO), wherein they intend to expand their ‘Gold Card’ or Universal Healthcare (UHC) pack to deploy health services to a wider populace. Spearheading this plan is Dr. Jadet Thammathat-aree, the secretary-general of the NHSO, who confidently laid out the elaborate plan in conjunction with the Pharmacy Council of Thailand (PCT). Last November, a pilot scheme was set up with 1,090 pharmacies spread out nationally. The surprising subscriptions which escalated to 189,035 as of July 14th, lends an optimistic lens towards the plan. This further fuels the ambitious undertaking. According to Dr. Jadet’s observation, the demand for medicines seems to gravitate towards common conditions such as cold, musculoskeletal pains, irritations of the skin including rashes, gastric discomfort, and eye irritation. The impending challenge right now is setting the gears in motion to have additional 17,000 pharmacies on board in this…
The prominent Senator Wanchai Sonsiri, shared his decision to support the prime ministerial candidate of the Pheu Thai party, irrespective of the stance maintained by the Move Forward party. He also intriguingly suggested that by distancing itself from the aims of the Move Forward initiative, Pheu Thai would be better positioned to clinch the crucial parliamentary majority needed for their candidate to accede to the prime ministership. Wanchai’s declaration is of significant note, given that he was amongst an exclusive group of 13 senators who had initially favored Pita Limjaroenrat, the candidate from Move Forward during the initial round of voting on July 13th. Following an untimely deceleration of Pita’s political race in the second round, the victors of the election, Move Forward, gracefully passed on the responsibility of spearheading the next government formation to Pheu Thai, the runner-up. The Pheu Thai political entity has unveiled plans to nominate the…
In a recent revelation, Ekkarat Sri-arayayanpong, who holds the esteemed position of the chief of the SRT governor’s office, announced on Monday that the highly-anticipated underground car park would finally be launching its operations to full capacity. He went into the details of the new facility’s functionality, laying out the parking rates which are set to be: Parking will be completely free for the initial 30 minutes. The first to fourteenth hour of parking will cost patrons a reasonable price of 20 baht. If one were to park for 14 hours at a stretch, but not exceeding 24 hours, they would be subjected to a flat fee of 300 baht. Sri-arayayanpong stated that the cutting-edge smart parking system is equipped with advanced security cameras which automate licence plate documentation, and barrier lifting. The innovative system even has the capability to indicate available parking spots to incoming vehicles. He highlighted that…
Faced with the global warming crisis, changes are paramount for survival, necessitating a closer look at potential avenues of environmental impact reduction. In a panel aptly entitled “Cope and Adapt to Prevent the Global Warming Crisis”, the insights shared by Dr. Vishnu Atthavanich, an esteemed Associate professor from the Faculty of Economics at Kasetsart University, shed a bright light on these issues. He mentioned the daunting task of planting approximately 1.2 trillion trees just to absorb the carbon emissions of the past decade, a figure that appears unachievable in such a short timespan. Beyond the necessity of trees, it is essential to consider other areas heavily affected by climate change, such as agriculture. A comprehensive research study on the impact of global warming on Thai agriculture reveals that vulnerable regions are those without adequate irrigation systems. The potential damage from this discrepancy has been estimated at a staggering 83 billion…
Recognizing World Breastfeeding Week in Early August: UNICEF’s Call to Action Celebrating World Breastfeeding Week in August calendar’s first week, UNICEF urges increased initiatives from both public and private sectors, fostering support for all nursing mothers, especially working moms, to successfully exclusively breastfeed their infants. Despite recent data evidencing a doubling in exclusive breastfeeding rates in Thailand over the past few years, UNICEF Representative for Thailand, Kyungsun Kim, voiced concerns over numerous children still missing out on the optimal start in life. She remarked, “Breastmilk is akin to a mother’s superpower. Yet, speaking from personal experience, breastfeeding certainly isn’t always a walk in the park. Pulling off a successful six-month exclusive breastfeeding stint, in particular, can prove quite the challenge, especially for working mothers. For successful breastfeeding, mothers require support from family, healthcare professionals, employers, and colleagues. With this, they can provide their infants with the best nutrition for their…