Uttaradit national park shut for 6 months to rehabilitate itself
MONDAY, JANUARY 09, 2023
The Phu Soi Dao National Park in Uttaradit’s Nam Pat district will be closed to tourists for six months, so nature can rehabilitate itself, an announcement said.
Sarawut Mahathanakhom, the park’s chief, announced on Saturday that the park will be closed from January 10 to June 30.
The park chief reasoned that seasonal forest fires are normally sparked this time of the year, so it will become dangerous for tourists.
He also said that this would be a good time for nature to rest and heal itself from human activities.
The park in the North of Thailand is closed for six months annually and reopens on July 1.
Wat Phra Kaew: Home to Thailand’s most sacred deity
MONDAY, JANUARY 09, 2023
The Emerald Buddha Temple or Wat Phra Kaew is one of Bangkok’s most venerated sites, housing many objects deemed sacred in Thailand.
The temple, also known as Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram, lies within the Grand Palace compound and is home to the Emerald Buddha, which is venerated as Thailand’s protector.
Construction of the temple began in 1783, under the auspices of the Chakri dynasty’s first king, King Rama I. Since then, each successive king has been personally involved in adding, restoring and embellishing the temple as a way of making merit and glorifying the dynasty.
Many key state and royal ceremonies presided over by the King are held within the temple each year.
The King also personally changes the deity’s costume thrice a year to mark summer, rainy season and winter.
Since the temple is considered the country’s most sacred venue, visitors are not allowed to wear sleeveless, strapped, short or see-through shirts, short, torn or tight trousers, biking shorts or mini-skirts.
Visitors wearing prints depicting death will not be allowed to enter, while those with tattoos related to Buddhism or Hinduism will be required to cover them.
Tourists unable to meet the dress code can rent respectable attire near the entrance.
All visitors are required to remove their shoes before entering the temple and are recommended to tuck their feet while seated so they do not point at the deity or objects of worship. Drinking, eating, smoking or wearing accessories like sunglasses or earphones is not allowed in the temple’s sanctum.
The temple is open daily from 8.30am to 3.30pm and visitors can take photographs around the temple, but not inside the inner sanctum where the Emerald Buddha deity is enshrined.
The closest MRT station to the temple is Sanam Chai, though it can also be accessed by public bus and taxi.
Entrance is 500 baht for foreigners and tickets can be bought at the door upon arrival or online via www.royalgrandpalace.th/en/home at least 24 hours in advance.
3 ministers welcome first Chinese group of tourists at Suvarnabhumi
MONDAY, JANUARY 09, 2023
The first big group of Chinese tourists received a hero’s welcome by three ministers at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport at around noon on Monday.
Xiamen Airlines flight MF833 brought the first group of 269 Chinese tourists to Bangkok after Beijing lifted quarantine measure for arrivals on Sunday.
Greeting the group at the arrivals hall were Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob and Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn.
Meanwhile, officials were also at hand distributing orchid garlands, souvenirs and Chinese-language leaflets on tourism information. They also held up a banner with a slogan in Chinese reading: “Chinese-Thais come from the same family. Amazing Thailand will always warmly welcome Chinese people.”
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) had said earlier that independent travellers from China will start returning to Thailand later this month during the long Chinese New Year holidays.
Chinese travellers were the biggest group of foreign tourists in Thailand before the Covid-19 pandemic arrived in 2020. In 2019, Thailand welcomed 39.9 million foreign tourists, of whom 11 million were Chinese.
TAT expects some 300,000 Chinese visitors in the first quarter of this year – 60,000 in January, 90,000 in February and 150,000 in March. TAT expects some 5 million Chinese tourists this year.
Phitsanulok national park turns an autumnal beauty, but only for this week
MONDAY, JANUARY 09, 2023
Phitsanulok’s Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park was full of tourists on Sunday who had shown up to take photos of maple trees that are emblazoned in the autumnal colours of bright red, orange and yellow.
The autumn leaves on the ground, sheds and rocks by the creek in the park’s Mun Daeng zone have created a magnificent backdrop for selfies in the comfortably cool temperature of about 15 degrees Celsius.
A park official said the maple trees should finish shedding their leaves within next week and the bright leaves carpeting the floor will turn brown as they reach the end of their natural course.
He said people should grab this opportunity to witness the phenomenon this week, otherwise they will have to wait until next year.
Located mainly in Phitsanulok province some 130 kilometres from downtown, this 307-square-kilometre mountainous park extends east into Loei and Phetchabun provinces.
The park has recorded sightings of rare wild animals including leopards, leopard cats, Asian black bears, Asian golden cats, hog badgers, serows and barking deer, as well as more than 200 bird species.
‘Unfinished business’: PM Prayut joins UTN Party in bid for 3rd term
TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2023
Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha insisted he had unfinished business as he officially joined the Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party (United Thai Nation/UTN) to become its PM candidate on Monday evening.
The event at Bangkok’s Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre was hosted by UTN party leader Pirapan Salirathavibhaga and attended by UTN members as well as key political figures including former Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang, Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai, Democrat MP Rangsima Rodrasamee and former Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin, who recently quit as a ruling Palang Pracharath Party MP.
Prayut thanked UTN members and told the large audience that “it is our duty to protect this sacred land and maintain the three pillars of nation, religion, the monarchy”.
He said he had no desire to be in power or to seek its benefits.
Prayut has been PM for nine years after coming to power following the coup he led as Army chief in 2014.
“I am here because I care about the people, and I want to see Thailand move forward under the democratic process with stability and security towards a prosperous future.”
Prayut said several of his missions as PM were unfinished, and he intended to complete them no matter how challenging or how much stress it would cause him. “All I have done is for the sustainable future of the country. I will leave no one behind until I hand over the country to the next generation,” he said.
“Please give me a chance to do my duties the best I can. I have only one heart, but it is big enough to love all Thais. This is my commitment,” said Prayut, before closing his speech by singing the song “Sattha” (Faith) by the rock band Stone Metal Fire.
Before going on stage, Prayut had paid the 2,000-baht fee for lifetime membership of the party.
Pirapan told Monday’s event that NTC would be a political party like no other with a focus on nation, religion, monarchy, and the people.
“Today we have more than 30,000 members. NTC will unite all Thais and end all disagreements. We can’t afford to waste time arguing when the country needs to move forward,” he said.
He added that the party would hold an extraordinary general meeting soon to nominate MP candidates for the upcoming election, which is tentatively scheduled for May 7. No date was given for when Prayut will be officially announced as the party’s PM nomination.
Prayut scheduled to leave Govt House at 1pm to attend party unveiling event
MONDAY, JANUARY 09, 2023
The Prime Minister’s Office announced that the PM will be taking a leave of absence from Government House at 1pm on Monday to attend a Ruam Thai Sang Chart (RTSC) Party event.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is scheduled to debut as an RTSC member at Bangkok’s Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QNSCC) at an event that kicks off at 5pm.
The party said other MPs planning to join RTSC will also be at the event to show their support for Prayut. The premier will lead RTSC’s election campaign during his free time and at weekends, it added.
However, a former election commissioner is calling on the Election Commission (EC) to investigate Prayut’s presence at the event, warning that it may violate election laws.
Somchai Srisutthiyakorn said if Prayut leaves his office at Government House before 4.30pm and uses his PM’s car to be whisked through Bangkok traffic, he may be breaking the law and abusing his authority to gain an advantage in the upcoming general election.
Somchai said the unveiling event may also be violating the law by serving food and drinks to attendees who are not party members or staffers. This may be seen as providing services or gifts to persuade attendees to vote for a candidate or party.
Prayut’s unveiling as PM candidate on Monday ‘may break law’
MONDAY, JANUARY 09, 2023
A former election commissioner has urged the Election Commission (EC) to investigate Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s unveiling as Ruam Thai Sang Chart (RTSC) party’s PM candidate on Monday, warning it could break the law.
Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, who served on the EC from 2013 to 2018, said that election law bans government officials from campaigning during office hours for 180 days before an election. The ban covers the use of government property such as cars and fuel.
Prayut’s unveiling event is due to be held at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC) in downtown Bangkok from 5pm on Monday.
Somchai said that if Prayut leaves his office at Government House before 4.30pm and travels in his PM’s car using government staff to whisk him through traffic, he could be breaking the law by abusing his authority to gain advantage in the upcoming election.
He added that the unveiling event may also break election law by serving food and drinks to attendees who are not party members or staffers. Such action would be considered as providing services or gifts to persuade attendees to vote for a candidate or a party. Earlier, the RTSC announced that several MPs from other parties who plan to switch to the RTSC will attend the event to support Prayut.
Somchai urged the EC to keep a close eye on Monday’s event and launch an investigation if it suspects the law was broken.
The RTSC has insisted that Prayut will campaign only during his free time and at weekends.
Instalment plans for cars, motorbikes to become easier in Thailand
MONDAY, JANUARY 09, 2023
The government has come up with new regulations on car and motorbike instalment plans in a bid to make repayments easy, tackle debt issues and improve people’s quality of life.
The new rules will go into effect on Tuesday, government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said on Monday. The regulations had been published in the Royal Gazette on October 14 last year.
The new regulations are as follows:
Annual interest rate
• 10% or less for new cars
• 15% or less for used cars
• 23% or less for motorcycles
Discounted interest for people who complete their payment before the contract ends:
• 60% or more for those who pay over a third of the debt
• 70% or more for those paying two-thirds of their debt
• 100% for those who have paid more than two-thirds of the money owed
If vehicles are auctioned off due to termination of the contract, buyers will only be responsible for repaying the remaining principal, instead of both principal and interest.
Sellers, meanwhile, can fine defaulters no more than 5% per annum on the outstanding amount.
Anucha Burapachaisri
Anucha added that the new regulations will only apply to cars and motorcycles bought on hire-purchase contracts after January 10.
“The government is doing its best to ensure nobody is discriminated against in a bid to maintain a fair society,” he said.
People who receive threats from debt collectors can call the 1166 Office of the Consumer Protection Board (OCPB) hotline, contact the authorities via the OCPB Connect smartphone app or visit ocpb.go.th.
Thailand ranked first in Asean for meeting UN sustainable goals
MONDAY, JANUARY 09, 2023
Thailand has been ranked No 1 in Asean for achieving sustainable development goals for four years running since 2019 in rankings based on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“The UN SDGs are in line with Thailand’s 20-year national strategy, which aims to make it a developed country with security, prosperity and sustainability without leaving anyone behind,” deputy government spokesperson Tipanan Sirichana said.
She said that according to the UN, “not leaving anyone behind” is at the heart of SDGs and that Thailand has placed a greater focus on five SDGs:
• No poverty
• Quality education
• Clean water and sanitation
• Industry, innovation and infrastructure
• Responsible consumption and production
She said the government has achieved success in the development of infrastructure, both physically and digitally, as well as its goals on Bio-Circular-Green Economy Model at the Apec Summit in November last year.
“These achievements prove that the government is moving in the right direction, with criteria and indicators that meet international standards,” she said.
Thailand reviewing 2-jab entry rule after warning from Phuket
MONDAY, JANUARY 09, 2023
The government is reviewing its abruptly issued rule that foreign arrivals must show proof of two Covid-19 jabs, after Phuket tourism operators complained it had caused many tourists to cancel bookings.
Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said on Monday that he had asked Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to adjust the new two-jab for foreign arrivals.
Phiphat intervened after the Phuket Tourist Association submitted a letter to the government complaining the new rule threatened tourism recovery amid the return of Chinese visitors from today. The rule, which was abruptly restored amid concern over soaring Covid infections in China, came into effect at 1am on Monday.
Phiphat also advised tourists from countries that require a negative RT-PCR test result on return to purchase health insurance so they can claim treatment expenses if they test positive for Covid in Thailand. Entry to China still requires a negative test.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is asking hotels to provide RT-PCR tests for foreign tourists, he said.
Current entry requirements for visitors to Thailand are as follows:
Proof of at least two Covid-19 vaccine jabs
Visitors should postpone their trip if they develop respiratory symptoms
Visitors from countries that require a negative RT-PCR test result on return should purchase health insurance to cover Covid-19 treatment
Foreign tourists are also advised to wear face masks in public, wash hands regularly, take a test if they develop respiratory symptoms, visit a hospital if they suffer severe respiratory symptoms, and stay at an SHA-standard hotel that offers tests if their home country requires a negative test on return.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) had said earlier that independent travellers from China will start returning to Thailand later this month during the long Chinese New Year holidays.
Chinese travellers were the biggest group of foreign tourists in Thailand before the Covid-19 pandemic arrived in 2020. In 2019, Thailand welcomed 39.9 million foreign tourists, of whom 11 million were Chinese.
Anucha Burapachaisri
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