Chiang Rai city woke up to a watery challenge on Friday morning. The streets, submerged in water, painted a surreal picture, as shared in a striking image by Chaiyawat Chaidet on the Chiang Rai public relations office’s Facebook account. Despite the inundation, Mae Fah Luang Chiang Rai International Airport is set to operate eight flights in total on Friday—four arriving and four departing. However, passengers are strongly urged to allocate an ample five-hour buffer to make it to the terminal due to the severe flooding. The airport is set to welcome flights from leading carriers including Thai Airways International, Nok Air, Thai Lion Air, and Thai AirAsia. Yet, the verdict is still out for Thai VietJet, as the airline hasn’t confirmed its operations for the day. If you’re one of the passengers gearing up for a journey, make sure to stay in the loop with your airline for the latest…
THAI.NEWS - Thailand Breaking News
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In a heart-wrenching tragedy, a 17-year-old student tragically fell to her death from the fourth floor of her school in Samut Prakan. The incident occurred during lunch break on a somber Wednesday afternoon, leaving the community in shock and sorrow. Local authorities believe it was a devastating case of suicide, likely prompted by ongoing battles with depression. Pol Capt Adithep Pocharoen, the deputy inspector at the Samut Prakan provincial station, swiftly reported the tragic news. According to his statement, the student’s untimely death was officially recorded at 12:30 pm that day. In a heartbreaking sight, the girl’s lifeless body was discovered face down in front of a six-storey school building, marked by multiple injuries, including several broken limbs and severe head trauma. Pol Capt Adithep shared a chilling revelation – a teacher had seen the girl standing in a fourth-floor corridor, her face vacant and devoid of emotion, just moments…
Nakhon Ratchasima: In a candid admission, a top Public Health Ministry official has shed light on the financial troubles plaguing state-owned hospitals across the nation, beseeching directors for urgent cooperation to resolve the dire situation. Dr. Opas Kankawinpong, the ministry’s permanent secretary, revealed the financial plight during an annual academic conference on public health in Nakhon Ratchasima province yesterday. The heart of the issue, Dr. Opas explained, is an insufficient budget that’s straining around 1,000 hospitals under the ministry’s wing. He painted a stark picture: the budget shortfall directly impacts the funds available for medical staff, the accessibility to cutting-edge technology, and even the basic operational needs of these hospitals. “We’re responsible for more than a thousand hospitals,” Dr. Opas remarked. “Managing the costs is a Herculean task – from salaries and medicine to utilities like water and electricity, and various maintenance expenses. Monthly, we pour about 10 billion baht…
Bhumjaithai, a pivotal player in the coalition, reaffirmed its endorsement of Pheu Thai’s ambitious plan to legalize casinos. Despite this support, however, concerns over potential monopolies hogging the lion’s share of the benefits were clearly voiced. Korrawee Prissananantakul, Bhumjaithai’s MP for Ang Thong, clearly asserted that while they never opposed the entertainment complex idea, the party is wary of seeing just one or two companies monopolize the gaming industry. During a joint House of Representatives and Senate meeting focused on the government’s casino proposal, Mr. Korrawee emphasized that ensuring fair income distribution is essential. He argued that situating such a complex in a small city might not allow for equitable financial benefits to spread widely. “More importantly,” he added, “the government must meticulously weigh the pros and cons of casino legalization before moving forward. The crucial question remains whether it’s fair for the Thai population if the government exchanges this…
The Bangkok Metropolitan Council (BMC) has given the green light to a colossal budget totaling over 90.8 billion baht for the 2025 fiscal year, marking a significant investment in the city’s future. The lion’s share goes to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), with the Public Works Department reaping the most substantial portion. The decision came during a lively council meeting on Wednesday, which saw enthusiastic participation from BMC members and BMA executives, including the dynamic governor Chadchart Sittipunt. Their unanimous nod confirmed the extensive budget for the fiscal year 2025, kicking off on October 1. A staggering 90 billion baht has been earmarked for the BMA’s planned expenditure, with another 828.53 million baht set aside for the BMA’s commercial ventures. Interestingly, the BMC exercised prudence by pruning 5.57 billion baht from the city’s expenditure blueprint and trimming 25 million baht from the commercial plan. The Public Works Department experienced a…
People’s Party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut is turning up the heat, urging the government to catapult the 2017 constitution rewrite to the top of the to-do list. With vigor, he took to the parliamentary floor on Thursday, waving a flag of urgency for this critical issue. Captured in a poignant photo by Chanat Katanyu, Natthaphong’s impassioned plea was clear: Let’s make this happen, now. On the opposition bench, there’s palpable frustration. The People’s Party is raising eyebrows at the government’s lukewarm approach, doubting if the promised constitutional overhauls will move beyond mere lip service. “The charter rewrite barely made a cameo in the government’s policy statement,” they pointed out with a mix of suspicion and exasperation. Natthaphong didn’t mince words. Spotlighting the absence of urgency in Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s address, he challenged her to step away from the script. “I need to hear it from you, Prime Minister. Why is…
(Photo: Somchai Poomlard) Get ready to dive into the heart of sustainability at the grandiose Sustainability Expo 2024 (SX 2024), an event that’s already making waves as the largest of its kind in the ASEAN region. Mark your calendars for September 27th to October 6th and head over to the iconic Queen Sirikit National Convention Center—you won’t want to miss this. Speaking to the media on Thursday, Tongjai Thanachanan, the dynamic director of SX, unfolded the inspiring theme for this year’s revelry: “Sufficiency for Sustainability.” This marks the fifth consecutive year of the expo, each year building on its commitment to sustainability trends and innovations. This year’s theme takes its cue from a monumental speech delivered by His Majesty the King upon his coronation on May 4, 2019. This was more than a speech; it was a heartfelt commitment: “I shall continue, preserve, and build upon [the royal legacy], and…
Bali: Governments across the Asia-Pacific region are being called upon to prepare for their swiftly aging populations, projected to make up almost 20% of the region’s populace by 2050. Against the stunning backdrop of the Indonesian island of Bali, around 500 delegates from 38 countries have converged for the 2024 Asia-Pacific Regional Conference (APRC) on Population Ageing. The participants include a mix of experts, policymakers, UN members, representatives from international agencies, and civil society leaders from all corners of the Asia-Pacific region. This three-day gathering, which wraps up on Friday, carries the theme “Reframing Ageing”. It’s co-hosted by none other than the Ministry of National Development Planning of Indonesia, HelpAge International, and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The primary aim? To compile a rich knowledge base on elderly care and create a network for disseminating best practices and expertise, crucial for developing robust elderly care systems across the Asia-Pacific.…
Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, the head of Bangladesh’s interim government, arrives at Hazarat Shahjalal International Airport, in Dhaka, Bangladesh on Aug 8. (Photo: Reuters) “Economics is a meaningless subject,” claimed Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Peace Prize winner, microfinance pioneer, and unconventional economist, in a revealing interview with Time magazine a few months ago. Little did he know that he would soon have a prime opportunity to put his words into action. Following the removal of Bangladesh’s authoritarian prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, earlier this month, Mr. Yunus was selected to lead the country’s caretaker government. Founded in 1971 after a brutal war of independence, Bangladesh seemed an unlikely candidate to be a beacon of development, given its ballooning population and acute susceptibility to natural disasters. Yet by the 1990s, it had made a credible claim to this title. While many developing countries were being stifled by the neoliberal Washington Consensus, figures like…