Free MRT, BRT, BTS rides for kids under 14 on Saturday
SATURDAY, JANUARY 07, 2023
Youngsters under the age of 14 will be able to ride Bangkok’s BTS and MRT trains for free from 6am to midnight on Saturday, provided they are under 140 centimetres tall.
The free rides are being offered as part of National Children’s Day, which is marked on the second Saturday of January every year.
Children can ride all Skytrain lines, including Sukhumvit, Silom and Krung Thon Buri lines, as well as the bus rapid transport (BRT) for free all day on Saturday.
Thais eager to welcome Chinese travellers in post-COVID rebound
SATURDAY, JANUARY 07, 2023
THE NATION
Thai business owners geared up on Friday (January 6) to welcome Chinese travellers back to their country, days before the world’s second largest economy opens its borders.
Without the need for pre-entry COVID-19 tests, Thailand’s tourist economy is set to join other Southeast Asian nations to be leading beneficiaries of China’s end to their border control rules.
Thailand is expecting at least five million Chinese tourist arrivals this year, about half the number recorded before the coronavirus pandemic, as China reopens its borders from Sunday (January 8), the government tourism body said on Tuesday (January 3).
“It’s (the economy) likely to recover. At least, when they (Chinese tourists) come, they eat, buy and travel around, and money is being spent. At least, when they use my tuk-tuk service, I will get the income. But even if not, they are shopping, eating, travelling and so on, the money will still circulate (within the economy).” 41-Year old TUK-TUK Driver, Pramoch Jubklang said.
The return of Chinese tourists would be a further boost to Thailand’s economy and its vital tourism sector. More than 11 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand in 2019, nearly a third of the total.
Tourists wait to check in for flights, ahead of brace of an influx of Chinese tourists as COVID restirction are dismantled, at Bangkok
Online sales of lottery tickets surged since June debut, says lottery office
FRIDAY, JANUARY 06, 2023
As many as 890,000 people won cash prizes totalling 7.5 billion baht from lottery draws after the Government Lottery Office office debuted online sales for tickets on June 2 last year, the office said on Friday.
Following the debut of online lottery ticket sales, 14 draws were held between June 16 and December 30 last year.
Online sales were introduced to reduce price gouging by retailers, who added 25% surcharges on the 80 baht ticket price. Lottery draws are held twice a month: on the 16th and at the end of the month.
Lottery players can pick their favourite numbers on the Paotang app and never have to pay more than 80 baht per ticket.
Five million tickets were sold online in five days for the June 16 draw, the lottery office said.
One month later, 7 million tickets were sold in 29 hours for the July 16 draw.
The number surged for the final draw of the year, on December 30, when 16.2 million tickets were sold online, the lottery office said.
It said 2.2 million digital tickets won cash prizes between June 16 and December 30, of which 158 won the first prize of 948 million baht.
One lottery winner had 16 winning tickets for a single draw, with combined winnings of 96 million baht, the lottery office added.
Tourism, wellness, and green businesses to drive Thai economy this year
FRIDAY, JANUARY 06, 2023
Tourism, wellness, and green businesses will be the major growth drivers for the Thai economy this year, Deputy Commerce Minister Sinit Lertkrai said on Friday.
The three sectors have a bright outlook for 2023 due to their performance last year, growth prospects, the current business environment, and economic trends, Sinit said, citing a forecast by the Department of Business Development.
Although the Covid-19 pandemic will continue to create an economic crisis globally, it creates opportunities for new businesses, Sinit said, adding: “Entrepreneurs need to adapt swiftly and carefully study business trends.”
Registration of new wellness and lifestyle businesses increased sharply last year from 2021, Sinit said.
Citing January to November data from the Department of Business Development, he said 1,262 new businesses related to health, beauty, spas and fitness were registered in 2022, up 70% from 2021. Combined, their registered capital totals 2.7 billion baht.
New tourism-related businesses also surged last year from a year earlier: 4,852 new businesses registered in the sector – an 82% increase from 2021. Their combined registered capital totalled 11 billion baht.
Last year also saw 133 new green businesses launched, up 51% from 2021. Their combined registered capital totalled 405 million baht.
Another 62 new businesses that manufacture electric vehicles, batteries and accessories were registered last year, with combined registered capital of 5.9 billion baht. That was an increase in new businesses in the sector of 55% from 2021.
Using broader definitions of the three categories – including meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions in tourism, frozen health foods and herbal remedies in wellness, and environmental management in green businesses, for example – causes the sectors’ economic power to surge.
According to the Department of Business Development, 94,035 new tourism, wellness and green businesses were registered by the end of last year under the sectors’ broader definition. Their combined registered capital totalled 1.3 trillion baht, according to data from the department.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
SootinClaimon.Com 