Activists and academics are urging the Thai government to raise the monthly allowance for senior citizens from 600 to 1,000 baht to a universal pension of 3,000 baht. The current allowance is barely enough for seniors to survive with many finding supplementary income, said Nuken Inthachan, a representative from the Four Regions Slum Network, during an event organized by the Thailand Consumers Council and Thai PBS. Theepakorn Jithitikulchai from the Faculty of Economics at Thammasat University said the pension should be given universally, not just to the poor, or else those who are erroneously left out of the program will suffer. In order to fund this pension, he suggests that the government cease offering tax deductions to the top 20% wealthiest people, and instead start collecting from those left out of the tax database. Mr. Theepakorn believes that the 3,000 baht per person per month could even expand to 6,000…
THAI.NEWS - Thailand Breaking News
Reservations for prominent BEV brands are forecasting high growth in the EV market in 2023, and consumer confidence is helping Thai EV, battery, and charging station production. After booking almost 4,000 Tesla models on the first day of the Telsa website accepting bookings last month, Thais are talking about battery electric cars (BEVs). BEVs are popular in Thailand before Tesla’s marketing. Last year, Thailand sold over 12,500 BEVs, a 212.5% increase from 2021. 24,000 BEVs were sold this year, up 92.0% over last year. The International Energy Agency (IEA) reported that a basic BEV had an average driving range of 349 km per charge in 2022, up 44% from 243 km in 2017. Fast charge technology allows direct current charging to 80% in under an hour. The Energy Ministry’s Energy Policy and Planning Office reported 944 charging stations nationwide. The Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand (EVAT) reports 2,572 charger plugs…
A Mirror Foundation report says that more than 250 young people went missing last year, 25% higher than the number in 2021. This was the most in the last four years. Pol Maj Gen Saruti Khwaengsopha, commander of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD), revealed the report on Thursday during a missing people media briefing. The report said that 157 of them were middle school students whose friends or sexual desires led them to do it. Some left because of problems with their families. Most of the cases the foundation got were about women who had been sexually abused or who had joined a trafficking ring. The foundation received 70 reports from Bangkok, which accounted for the majority of missing persons cases. Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan (both with 17 cases), Pathum Thani (16), Chon Buri, and Nakorn Pathom also reported cases (both 9). According to the report, 61% of the missing…
On Monday, the first day a new system that deducts points from drivers’ driving records was implemented, police detained 540 motorists who had broken traffic laws. Every driver who obtains a license will receive 12 points at the beginning of the year, which they will gradually lose if they breach the law under the “demerit system.” A police spokeswoman, Pol Maj Gen Atchayon Kraithong, stated that 503 of the people who were fined on Monday only lost one point, while the others lost two points. He claimed that some people received the two-point penalty since it was discovered that they had broken many rules. According to the police, 233 of those detained did not have their tax stickers visible, proving they had not renewed their annual car tax. According to Pol Maj Gen Atchayon, 81 persons lost points for failing to display their license plates, while 63 were fined for…
Controversial former massage parlour tycoon Chuvit Kamolvisit has submitted clear evidence of Immigration Bureau (IB) officers helping Chinese nationals to run criminal enterprises in Thailand. On Thursday, deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn said that some officers had even set up foundations with their headquarters in a chicken coop to arrange visas for Chinese nationals. Pol Gen Surachate reported that the investigative committee had found clear proof of offenses such as the renewal of visas through foundations, visa applications through schools, and falsification of signatures of a deputy governor. Some officers had allegedly used houses or the chicken coop as offices for the foundations set up for this purpose. In response to this evidence, the National Police Chief has ordered drastic action against all of the officers involved, who range from commanders to station heads to officers at the operational level. He expects to summon them to hear…
From June 1, Thailand will begin charging each foreign visitor 300 THB upon entry, subject to Cabinet approval. The funds gathered, according to Wednesday’s (Jan. 1) speech by Thailand’s Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, would be used to support the recovery of foreign travelers injured in accidents in Thailand as well as the development and upkeep of tourist attractions. According to Mr. Phiphat, 25 million foreign visitors are anticipated in Thailand in 2023. Foreign nationals having work permits and border crossings would not be charged any fees. Border passes are mostly utilized by those engaged in cross-border trade between Thailand and its neighbors, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia. The National Tourism Policy Committee (TTC), according to Mr. Phiphat, will talk about collecting the 300 baht fee on January 24. The idea will be presented to the Cabinet in February after the TTC meeting. Thailand will begin collecting the fee on June…
Visitors from around the world will soon have access to Covid-19 tests and vaccinations when arriving in Thailand. The Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced on Thursday that the government will be offering free Covid-19 tests to ill visitors and will provide vaccines to foreign tourists who request the service at “reasonable prices”. Dr Tares Krassanairawiwong, director-general of the Department of Disease Control (DDC), reported that the Covid-19 tests for ill visitors would be free. Health insurance is also required for travellers from China and India, with coverage of at least US$10,000 to cover their possible treatment if they test positive while in Thailand. Mr Anutin also said that Covid-19 vaccines for foreign tourists will be available on a voluntary basis at reasonable prices at specified locations. Initially, the vaccinations will be offered at Institute of Dermatology Thailand, Nopparat Rajathanee Hospital, Lerdsin Hospital, Rajavithi Hospital, Bangrak Medical Center, Bamrasnaradura Infectious…
According to the Department for the Development of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, Thai citizens wishing to purchase cannabis buds would soon need to provide their ID cards, with sales data being logged on a public database (DTAM). Director-general of the department Thongchai Lertwilairattanapong declared that he had signed the order, and that it would go into effect as soon as it was published in the Royal Gazette. It is unknown if foreigners who want to purchase cannabis buds will need to present identification, such as a passport. There is no mention of any requirement in the most recent health ministry pamphlet, “10 Things Tourists Need to Know about Cannabis in Thailand.” The restriction is the most recent in a slew of temporary rules put in place to respond to issues that have come up since marijuana was taken off the national drugs list in June of last year. Parliament…
The influx of Chinese visitors could cause some growing pains for Thailand’s tourism industry. At the weekend, the iPattaya Police raided the Bang Lamung District in search of unlicensed cannabis businesses and shut them down. Unsuspecting business owners were caught in the crossfire. On January 7, 2019, Pattaya Police chief Pol. Col. Kullachart Kullachai and Dr. Thongchai Lertwilairattanapong, director-general of the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, led a team that included officers from the Chon Buri Public Health Department, the Tourist Police, and officials from the Bang Lamung District. It was discovered that five cannabis sellers were operating without the proper licenses, and as a result, those businesses had to be shut down. One of the stores was located on Walking Street, and the other four were located on Soi Buakhao. Additionally, the vendor from Walking Street was taken into custody. Kullachart asserted that every cannabis dealer had…
The material that has been presented makes it quite evident that the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is making concerted efforts to entice Chinese tourists to visit the nation. During the third week of February, TAT intends to host a roadshow in China, with the intention of targeting the three cities in China with the highest populations: Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu. The roadshow is going to concentrate on establishing foreign independent tourists (FITs) and tour group packages, and it is anticipated that there will be a total of 120 businesspeople from China and Thailand in attendance. In addition, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is collaborating with the Chinese online travel service Ctrip to carry out an online marketing campaign aimed at promoting tour packages to Thailand. It is also important to note that the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) anticipates that approximately 300,000 Chinese tourists would arrive in Thailand…