THAILAND EXPRESS – NEWS: What to remember from Thai news from July 25 to 31?

Gavroche has selected for you some salient news in Thailand during this past week. An essential overview of the news for anyone interested in this Southeast Asian country.

MONARCHY

The country celebrated the 70th birthday of HM King Vajiralongkorn this week. Gavroche joins the celebrations of this 70th royal anniversary. Born on July 28, 1952 at Dusit Palace’s Villa Ambara, King Maha Vajiralongkorn is the only son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, The Great (Rama IX) and Her Majesty Queen Sirikit. The Queen Mother’s 90th birthday will be on August 12. The Thai government has prepared several ceremonies and activities to celebrate this auspicious occasion and promote the royal contributions of Her Majesty the Queen Mother.

Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn chaired a government meeting organized on Friday 29 July on the occasion of the 70th birthday of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn. The ceremony took place at the Santi Maitree Building in the Government House complex from 7 p.m. Princess Sirindhorn was greeted by Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, his wife Naraporn and PM Secretary General Distat Hotrakitya.

covid

The Royal Thai Gazette has just published a revision to Article 9 of the emergency decree, which will come into effect on August 1. The article has been revised to prepare for an increase in Covid-19 infections worldwide due to the highly transmissible Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants now that countries are reopening and easing restrictions. Covid-19 infections in Bangkok and tourist provinces have continued to increase despite the booster vaccination campaign.

Policy

Thailand’s Minister of Economy and Digital, Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, on Friday July 22, returned to comments he made to the Thai Parliament that authorities had used spyware to monitor individuals in the country.

The Thai government has approved a budget of 10.974 billion baht, spread over fiscal years 2023 to 2027, for the construction of a 300 rai (48 hectare) zoo in Pathum Thani province. Deputy Thai government spokesperson , Ratchada Thanadirek, said the Thai government has approved the budget for five years (2023-27). The construction will be divided into two phases. The Cabinet had approved a budget for the first phase of 5.383 billion baht on January 11, while the budget for the second phase of 4.34 billion baht was approved. The zoo is scheduled to open after the first phase in 2026. It will be fully open in 2028.

Economy

Currency market expert Poon Panichpibool said dollar weakness after the Fed meeting would encourage investors to be bullish on the baht, following progress in tourism and the Thai economy.

Thai PBS World has put the pen in the wound of Thai Airways. The bribery scandal involving Thailand’s national airline and British jet engine maker Rolls-Royce is indeed back in the media spotlight after Thailand’s anti-corruption agency concluded that the contract for purchase of engines concluded thirty years ago was “illegal”. The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) found that two top executives of Thai Airways International (THAI) at the time violated a 1959 law against corruption in state organizations and agencies when the company National bought Rolls-Royce engines in a deal worth more than 14 billion baht.

The government said it was confident the economic measures were heading in the right direction, following a report that the state had already collected 1.87 trillion baht in revenue in the first nine months of the fiscal year. 2022.

The Interior Ministry’s proposal to allow foreigners to own a piece of land if they invest 40 million baht is seen by many as a short-term fix for the kingdom’s economy after more than two years of stagnation and decline of Covid-19. The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) supports the proposal. She believes that foreign ownership of the land would boost the economy and at the same time help the struggling tourism sector. The FTI said it would help and support real estate businesses also affected by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The Thai currency has depreciated about 14% since the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and 10.3% so far this year against the dollar.

Thailand’s Fiscal Policy Office (FPO) has kept the country’s Gross Domestic Product growth forecast for 2022 at 3.5% due to the recovery in domestic consumption and the tourism sector. The FPO, which operates under Thailand’s finance ministry, has also revised its projection for the number of foreign arrivals this year to 8 million, from a forecast of 6.5 million in April.

Company

Bangkok City Hall is warning Bangkok residents to prepare for possible flooding when the Chao Phraya Dam increases its flow next month, in response to increased water runoff from upstream provinces during the rainy season.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is extending the opening hours of three main parks from Monday August 1. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said he had already signed the by-law allowing the opening hours of the three parks – Lumpini, Chatuchak and Benchasiri – to be changed. All three parks will open at 4:30 a.m. and close at 10 p.m. starting Monday, August 1.

The Department of Labor has hinted at the possibility of raising the daily minimum wage from 5% to 8% in September, with the committee responsible for approving wage increases expected to complete its deliberations next month.

Tourism, culture, sport

The mayor of Hua Hin dreams of building a panoramic tower on a mountain as a new tourist attraction. Hua Hin Mayor Nopporn Wutthikul said Thursday (July 21) that he had asked the municipality to design plans for a future tower to be built on top of Hin Lek Fai mountain as a new landmark. regional. Located about 3 kilometers west of the city, Hin Lek Fai mountain provides a spectacular view of the entire city.

The emotion is great in Thai boxing circles and the affair has been the front page of the media in the “land of smiles” for two days. French Muay Thai boxer Anthony Durand has announced his resignation from the sport following the death of his opponent Phanphet Phadungchai. Phanphet succumbed to a brain haemorrhage after being knocked out by Anthony in a fight on July 15. The 25-year-old boxer became brain dead from the injury and was kept alive for nine days before passing away on Saturday evening.

The Tourism Board of Thailand recommends five national parks for travelers during the rainy season: Phu Soi Dao National Park in Uttaradit, Misty Mountains in Phu Ruea National Park, Loei., Tulips of Siam at Pa Hin Ngam in Chaiyaphum, Rafting in Kaeng Hin Phoeng in Prachin Buri, Mount Angel in Phu Toei National Park, in Suphan Buri.

Thai Airways International (THAI) has announced the launch of four weekly flights between Bangkok and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from August 19.

More than 70,000 Indian tourists have flocked to Phuket over the past three months as arrivals surged after the Thailand Pass program was scrapped on July 1. From May 1 to July 20, 275,886 foreign tourists landed on the paradise island, with the largest number (74,821) coming from India, followed by Australia (27,698), Singapore (26,899), Great Britain Britain (16,715) and Malaysia (12,609).

An international cannabis festival will be held in Pattaya City in September to promote medical cannabis and hemp and highlight the beach town as a health tourism hub.