THAILAND EXPRESS – NEWS: What to remember from Thai news from June 27 to July 3?

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.

covid

The tendency of Thais to continue wearing masks and keeping their hands clean has helped reduce Covid-19 infections in Thailand. Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha praised companies for continuing to observe preventive measures to fight Covid-19 and giving people access to alcohol gel dispensers.

Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health announced on Saturday morning July 2 that in the past 24 hours, 2,508 new patients have tested positive for Covid-19 in the country.

Policy

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul tested positive for Covid-19 after returning from meetings in France and Switzerland and was unable to attend the weekly government meeting on Tuesday.

Bangkokians caught driving, using or parking their vehicle on sidewalks will be fined up to 5,000 baht under a 1992 Cleanliness and Order Act. In a Facebook post on Sunday (July 3), the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) said it had dispatched officials to monitor footpaths in the metropolitan area to ensure the law is followed.

In Thailand, Mr. Chadchart has become a “superhuman” figure, appearing everywhere to solve crises, big and small, throughout the metropolis of Bangkok, and attracting legions of admirers and supporters along the way. In just two months, Mr Chadchart has become a political heavyweight who has taken the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to new heights and thus taken Thailand by storm.

Economy

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha said the government’s goal of accelerating the assembly of electric vehicles at a seminar organized by the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) this week. The announcement comes after the prime minister met with Young Liu, CEO and chairman of Foxconn Technology Group, which announced plans to start electric vehicle assembly in Thailand within a year.

The Executive Committee of the Oil Fuel Fund decided on June 27 to keep the price of diesel capped at 34.94 baht. Pornchai Jirakulpaisal, head of policy and strategy at Thailand’s Oil Fuel Fund, said the aim was to help reduce the cost of living amid the energy price crisis. Without this subsidy, the price of diesel will cross the bar of 45 baht per litre.

Telenor Group, the major shareholder of Total Access Communication Plc (DTAC), has said it has no plans to leave Thailand and is optimistic that the planned merger with True Corporation will be completed in July.

Thai Airways has sold 11 of its planes after Thai Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob approved the sale. Thai Airways acting chairman Chansin Treenuchagron, who is leading its rehabilitation plan, said Saksayam had given Thai Airways the green light to sell one Boeing 737-400 and 10 Boeing 747-400s. Thai Airways had already found buyers for the 11 aircraft, but these could only be sold or transferred, in accordance with its civil air operator license, with the authorization of the competent minister.

Thai Honda Co Ltd, a leading manufacturer of electrical products, celebrates the milestone of 45 million units produced to more than 50 countries worldwide. The company said it had cemented its position as the world’s “largest and fastest production base” for electrical products. It now plans to further penetrate the Thai market through new distribution channels and turnkey after-sales services to meet the needs of its customers.

The Bank of Thailand (BOT) released upbeat figures for the Thai economy in May, indicating signs of economic growth despite a sharp rise in inflation.

Company

A tropical depression hit 38 provinces from Thursday June 30 to Saturday July 2, the Thai meteorological department has warned. From Thursday June 30 to Saturday July 2, the southwest monsoon intensified over the Andaman Sea, other parts of the country as well as the Gulf of Thailand, as a monsoon trough is found. on the northern upper part.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) invites Thais and foreigners alike to take part in the spectacular “Light Up the Night at Sukhothai Historical Park” event, to be held throughout July as part of celebrations commemorating the 70th birthday of His Majesty the King. July 28.
Wat Mahathat, Wat Chana Songkhram and Wat Sa Si will serve as the focal points of the event, where the ancient architecture of this famous World Heritage Site will be illuminated with blazing light.

King Power Group, the country’s leading duty-free retailer, has unveiled Asia’s first Gucci LED boutique at King Power Suvarnabhumi. The unique feature that makes Gucci King Power Suvarnabhumi the first LED store to be located in an airport – both in Thailand and Asia – is the point-of-sale’s LED video wall display technology.

The House of Representatives has passed a bill allowing people to sell kratom products online. However, strict regulations will be enforced to ensure public safety. MPs voted on a revised bill allowing the sale of kratom products, with 205 votes in favor, 58 against and 5 abstentions. Kratom was removed from the list of category 5 narcotics in 2021.

Tourism, culture, sports

Bangkok has been ranked the second-best city in the world and the best city in Asia for digital nomads, in a new study by UK-based flexible working solutions provider The Instant Group. This new study recognizes the affordability, connectivity, transport and fantastic cuisine of the Thai capital.

It took rescuers nearly five hours to track down a Thai tourist who got lost on Chong Lom mountain, a little-known attraction in Muang district, Nakhon Nayok, on June 27. Rescuers swung into action as soon as a local rubber dinghy club reported the case of the lost tourist to the Ruam Katanyu Foundation and the local police station. The tourist would have descended the Nakhon Nayok River by boat to the foot of the mountain before venturing into the forest.

Phayahong Ayothayafightgym has become the first Thai boxer to win the K-1 kickboxing championship. Phayahong, real name Jantakan Manobal, won 2-1 by split decision after four rounds against Japan’s Miyuu Sugawara in the K-1: Ring of Venus event held on Saturday at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Shibuya City, Tokyo.

Air Austral has confirmed its decision to extend its flights from Reunion airport to Bangkok. The Reunion – Bangkok has two flights a week (Wednesday and Saturday). The outbound flight UU887 leaves Saint-Denis Airport at 8:00 p.m. and arrives at Suvarnabhumi International Airport at 6:55 a.m. the following day. Return flight UU888 leaves Bangkok at 9:00 a.m. and arrives in Reunion at 1:35 p.m.

Airline NokAir has applied to start operating domestic flights to and from Nakhon Ratchasima Airport, which has been closed since 2019. Located some 26 kilometers from downtown Nakhon Ratchasima, the airport was inaugurated on December 5, 1997 to serve the domestic market. However, after years of operating at a loss due to low passenger numbers, the airport was closed. For the whole of 2019, the airport only handled 39 passengers. Nakhon Ratchasima Airport is located in Nong Teng–Jakkarat Forest Park, with a total area of ​​4,625 rai (740 hectares).

Some 5,000 tourists crossed from Malaysia to Thailand through the Sadao checkpoint on July 1, as border traffic quintupled after the Thailand Pass system was scrapped. Thousands of mostly Malaysian tourists entered Thailand via Sadao in buses, vans and personal cars after insurance and Covid testing requirements were lifted from July 1. The border post was registering an average of 1,000 to 1,500 arrivals per day before July 1.