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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017737

A new tourism campaign is inviting stargazers to visit 12 locations across Thailand that are registered as “dark sky conservation areas”.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is collaborating with the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (Narit) to promote “dark sky tourism”, as part of the “Visit Thailand Year 2022-2023: Amazing New Chapters” campaign.

TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn said the dark skies project is a collaboration between the two agencies, aimed at wooing travellers who are looking for secluded places close to nature.

A guidebook titled “Inviting You to See Stars” has been launched for those interested in visiting the places recommended for stargazing in Thailand, Yuthasak said.

The booklet offers information on travel routes, accommodation and attractions for stargazing based on astronomical data.

“The goal is to attract more quality tourists and reach the target group through niche marketing by offering valuable experience,” he said.

Meanwhile, Narit director Saran Poshyachinda said his agency had begun collaborating with the TAT on the dark skies project two years ago.

The goal is to raise public awareness about the need to conserve areas with totally dark skies at night that are free from “light pollution”.

A total of 12 places have been registered as “dark sky conservation areas” this year, including national parks, communities, private properties and suburban locations, according to Saran.

The 12 places are: Huai Nam Dang National Park and On Tai Community in Chiang Mai province; Pha Taem National Park in Ubon Ratchathani province; Phu Khiew-Thung Kraman Wildlife Sanctuary, Pha Hin Ngam National Park, and Phu Langka National Park in Chaiyaphum province; Alcidini Wine Vineyard, Raintree Residence Hotel, The Piano Resort, and Gran-Monte Wine Vineyard in Nakhon Ratchasima province; Muak Lek ATV Stadium and Baan Rai Yai Cha Phlu farmhouse in Saraburi province.

Published : July 14, 2022

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017734

Thailand is tightening the safety standard for the amount of PM2.5 (particulate matter 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter) in the general atmosphere.

From June 1, 2023, the amount of PM2.5 in the general atmosphere must not exceed 37.5 micrograms per cubic metre (μg/m3) in a 24-hour average in order to pass the safety standard.

The announcement of the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry was published on July 9 in the Royal Gazette website. This is a significant improvement over the current standard of 50 μg/m3.

The one-year average of PM2.5 must not exceed 15 μg/m3, changing from the current standard of 25 μg/m3. This new one-year average standard is effective immediately after the announcement.

Attapol Charoenchansa, director-general of the Pollution Control Department, said on Thursday that the new standard had been approved by the Cabinet in a move to raise Thailand’s air quality standard to be at the same level as that of the United States, the European Union, South Korea, Japan and Asean members such as Singapore and Malaysia.

Attapol added that Thailand had been using the current standard for more than 10 years.

The World Health Organisation, however, sets the safety standard for PM2.5 at not exceeding 25 μg/m3 for a 24-hour average, and not exceeding 10 μg/m3 for one-year average.

Published : July 14, 2022

By : THE NATION

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https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017733

Five Southeast Asian movies based on culinary themes will be screened during an Asean film festival next week. Ramkhamhaeng University’s Faculty of Mass Communication will host the 4th RU Asean Film Festival and Conference 2022 at its Sukhothai Building on July 20 and 21.

The event, held under the theme of “Culinary Asean”, features five films by members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and panel discussions by film directors, producers and actors.

Among the speakers are Indonesian film producer Muhammad Zaidy, film director Panu Aree, director/producer Bandit Thongdee, writer Anusorn Tipayanon and academic Jaruwan Kittinaraporn.

The films scheduled to be screened are “Aruna & Her Palate” (Indonesia), “Ramen Teh” (Singapore), “Ulam: Main Dish” (Philippines), “Rakna Soup Soup” (Thailand), and “Let’s Eat!” – a joint Malaysian-Singaporean production.

Published : July 14, 2022

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017730

Officials from the National Housing Authority have captured 118 rats using traps at a Din Daeng residential flat in Bangkok’s Huay Kwang district during the past week.

Their action came following complaints from residents.

The NHA sent its workers to capture rats at the flat in Din Daeng 5 building after local residents filed a complaint with the NHA and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) on July 7 that the building was infested with an army of over 100 rats.

Officials said 118 rats were captured during the past week and handed over to the Din Daeng district office to eliminate.

The NHA said it would join residents of the flat and BMA officials in carrying out a big cleaning day at the building on Monday to try to locate and eliminate rat nests.

The NHA said it would also send officials to eliminate rats at other buildings.

A woman had posted a video clip on her TikTok account to show hundreds of rats running around the community area of the building.

After the clip went viral, reporters went to interview local residents, thus drawing the attention of both the NHA and BMA Governor Chadchart Sittipunt. The two agencies held a meeting on July 7 to plan joint operations to try to get rid of the rat menace.

A resident of the flat said on Thursday that after officials came to capture the rats, the number of rodents had dropped a lot. He said local residents were also putting left-over foods in trash bins in their flat instead of littering them outside, to try and mitigate the infestation.

Published : July 14, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017725

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) estimates Thais would make around 3.7 million trips during the five-day-long holiday that commenced on July 13, generating approximately 14.33 billion baht of income for local businesses while hotel bookings would average 53 per cent.

July 13 was Asanha Bucha and July 14 Buddhist Lent, while Friday, July 15, is a special public holiday. Along with Saturday and Sunday, there’s a total five days of holidays this week as the government seeks to promote domestic tourism.

“TAT has been promoting cultural activities around Thailand to attract tourists during the important Buddhist holidays in July, including the candle processions at Phayao Lake and Wat Si Ubon Rattanaram in Ubon Ratchathani, and an alms giving ceremony at Haripunchai Pagoda in Lamphun,” TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn said on Thursday.

“July is also when Koh Pha-ngan in Surat Thani holds its Full Moon Party, which will attract both Thai and foreign visitors.”

Due to the long holidays this month – July 13-17 and July 28-31 (on the occasion of His Majesty the King’s birthday) – TAT estimates that average flights per day would soar to more than 1,700, while interprovincial buses would carry an average of 34,000 passengers per day.

“Tourists are expected to spend around 14.33 billion baht during the present long weekend, while hotels nationwide would see an average occupation rate of 53 per cent. Hotels in the Northeast will see the highest occupation, at 60 per cent, thanks to cultural activities held in several provinces,” said Yuthasak.

A survey shows that the majority of Thais still prefer to use their own vehicles despite rising inflation and fuel prices as they offer privacy and protection against Covid-19, The TAT governor noted.

People will, however, choose less pricey hotels and cut down on buying souvenirs to cope with the rising cost of living, he added.

The top travel destinations for Thais this time round are Bangkok, Chonburi, Nakhon Ratchasima, Ayutthaya, Kanchanaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Rayong and Saraburi.

Published : July 14, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017723

The Rural Doctor Society called on Thursday for public debates as to whether the government should allow ganja-mixed snacks to be sold freely at convenient stores.

In a Facebook post, the group asked whether such products should be sold openly although the sale of snacks with cannabis ingredients does not violate the law because the products have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The Rural Doctor Society noted that such snacks came in bright packages that looked appealing to children.

The post cited packages of snacks made in the form of chicken drum sticks containing cannabis or hemp ingredients.

The group said the packages with bright photos of the snacks apparently drew the attention of children. It asked what would happen if children bought the snacks and ate them.

“Society must ask these questions. Is it appropriate to have this kind of ganja-mixed snacks on sale? Should Thai society have rules on mixing ganja in everything? Children can grab them from the shelves and will convenient stores sell them to kids? Should convenient stores even sell them? How can we control them or should sales be conducted freely?” the group pointedly questioned.

The post warned that children might start off by eating ganja-mixed snacks and then move on to smoking ganja wrapped in cigarette paper.

The group said the snack makers might not be blamed now that the FDA has approved their products.

“Anyone would like to dominate the market and make profit,” it pointed out. “But who should be held responsible?”

The group also said it had heard reports that the FDA was being pressured by those in power to approve such products on grounds that the manufacturers did not violate the law and are simply complying with the ganja policy.

“The Rural Doctor Society would therefore like to raise this tangible case and questions for society to discuss to try to minimise the impact from the ‘free ganja’ policy because the government has ignored it and senior Public Health Ministry officials have been gagged. We, the people, must do it ourselves,” the post concluded.

By noon on Thursday, it received more than 140 comments and had been shared over 100 times.

Published : July 14, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017720

Some creative vendors have adapted e-cigarette technology to produce and sell “e-ganja” for about 3,000 baht a set online.

A22-year-old girl from Chiang Mai, who identified herself only as Min, said the new product had become popular among wealthy youths who want to try smoking marijuana but do not like the smoke or smell of burning raw leaves or flowers.

Min said e-ganja can be bought online only for 3,000 baht. The set is made of cannabis oil inside a smoker, which looks like a bottle with a built-in rechargeable electronic vaporiser that dissolves the oil for inhaling.

Each e-ganja tube can be smoked for two to three weeks, she said.

Min claimed she heard that some young businessmen too had turned to e-ganja for recreation because it could be smoked anywhere without the smoke or smell affecting others.

Earlier, the Public Health Ministry announced a ban on smoking ganja in public, declaring both the smoke and smell of marijuana or hemp a “public nuisance”.

Before the advent of e-ganja, many vendors had been selling ground marijuana leaves and flowers wrapped in cigarette paper or packs of the plant’s flowers for smoking through bongs.

Published : July 14, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017717

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Thursday announced the slogan for the national alcohol-free day this year.

The slogan can be translated as: “Avoid drinking alcohol, make people safe from diseases and dangers, including Covid-19.”

The Cabinet on July 8, 2008, marked the beginning of Buddhist Lent every year as national alcohol-free day to enable people to pay attention to their health and avoid drinking alcohol.

Meanwhile, Deputy Government Spokesperson Traisuree Taisaranakul asked people to avoid drinking alcohol during the long holiday this week, so they will be safe during their travels.

Published : July 14, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017716

Department stores and major retailers started reducing the retail price of cooking palm oil by 4 to 5 baht per bottle on Thursday following a reduction in the price of palm fruit, a government spokeswoman said.

Deputy spokeswoman Ratchada Thanadirek said the reduction in the retail price from the current 69 baht to 70 baht per bottle was in line with Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit’s policy to have consumer goods prices reflect real costs.

Palm fruit prices continued to dive to about 6.5 to 6.9 baht per kilogramme on Thursday after Indonesia exported more of the fruit. Prices soared as high 12 baht per kg in May, prompting cooking oil makers to seek permission to raise the cooking oil price to 77-78 baht per bottle, but the Commerce Ministry asked them to stick with 70 baht.

Ratchada said the Internal Trade Department reported to the commerce minister that major retailers, supermarkets and department stores agreed to reduce the cost but retail prices might be different, depending on stockpiles.

She quoted the department as saying that retailers and stores agreed to cut the price by 4 to 5 baht this week and would reduce the price further next week.

Provincial commerce offices will continue to monitor prices of consumer goods and require all shops to clearly display prices to prevent stores taking advantage of consumers, she said.

According to Ratchada, the Commerce Ministry ran a survey of 105 department stores and 129 retail shops as well as 65 fresh markets nationwide on Tuesday and found that there was no shortage of key consumer goods.

She added that 1,613 department stores, 2,139 retail shops and 883 fresh markets have been surveyed since June 27.

Published : July 14, 2022

By : THE NATION

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40017713

The Interior Ministry said on Wednesday that its move to allow foreigners who invest 40 million baht for at least three years to purchase a residence on 1 rai of land will be in line with existing laws and additional ministerial regulations.

Its statement came after Deputy Interior Minister Nipon Boonyamanee’s announcement on Tuesday that the ministry would ask the Cabinet to approve the move in a bid to boost real estate sales and stimulate the economy.

The ministry said it would introduce additional ministerial regulations with certain criteria, including that foreigners must be in one of four groups to be eligible.

The four are wealthy people, retirees, people who want to work in the country and those with special skills.

The ministry added that failure to comply with the criteria would result in the rights of foreigners being revoked, while they would be ordered to sell their land.

The ministry will grant the right to own land under existing laws, including that foreigners can purchase only 49 per cent of rooms in each condominium under the Condominium Act, it said.

Only Thais have the right to receive a 0.01 per cent transfer and mortgage fee for residences or condominiums costing no more than 3 million baht.

Published : July 14, 2022

By : THE NATION