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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024681

Grand ritual honours father of Thai martial art in Ayutthaya to celebrate Muay Thai Day

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 06, 2023

Over 600 Muay Thai students on Monday participated in a grand ritual to pay their respects to ancient teachers of the martial art in a ceremony held in Ayutthaya province to mark Muay Thai Day.

The ceremony was held by the Culture Ministry at the Phra Chao Sua Throne Hall at Wat Tuek in Ayutthaya.

Phra Chao Sua, or King Sanphet VIII, or King Suriyenthrathibodi of Ayutthaya from 1703 to 1709 is regarded as the father of Muay Thai.

The grand “wai kru Muay Thai” (paying respect to all Muay Thai teachers from the ancient days) began at 8.39am with Culture Minister Itthiphol Kunplome presiding over the ceremony. The ceremony was also attended by Ayutthaya Governor Niwat Rungsakhon and Kowit Phakamas, director-general of the Cultural Promotion Department.

The rite to make an offering to King Sanphet VIII was held by Jarasdet Ulit, a senior Muay Thai teacher.

As part of the ceremony, 668 Muay Thai students performed a ritual dance, which is normally performed before fights, in front of the image of the late king.

As part of the ceremony, Itthiphol was also given 668 mongkhon headbands for him to give to Muay Thai teachers of the 668 students. The teachers then placed the headbands on the students and blessed them before they started performing the ritual dance.

A group of students from some schools in Ayutthaya also performed a musical play about Muay Thai to honour the ancient king.

Some Muay Thai students displayed 15 master postures of the Thai martial art and 15 sub-postures to the audience.

Itthiphol said February 6 marked the day King Sanphet VIII ascended the throne and since he was the father of Muay Thai martial art, the ministry observed the day as Muay Thai Day.

He said the offering rite was held to express gratitude to the father of Muay Thai.

The minister said Muay Thai was Thailand’s soft power that helped boost the kingdom’s popularity and the Thai government would seek to register it as a cultural heritage with Unesco later.

Also marking Muay Thai Day, a Muay Thai festival will be held at the Rajabhakti Park in Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan province, at 4.30pm.

The so-called Amazing Muay Thai Festival 2023 will be led by celebrity boxer Buakaw Banchamek, joined by 5,000 Muay Thai boxers, who will simultaneously perform Muay Thai ritual dance.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024680

Thai foodies splutter with anger as Kaeng Som named among world’s worst dishes

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 06, 2023

Thais are struggling to digest the news that one of their favourite foods, Kaeng Som (Spicy-Sour Fish Curry), has been ranked the 12th worst dish in the world by a global foody website.

Netizens are venting their anger and disgust after the distinctive watery Thai curry received a score of 2.3 out of 5 in the online food guide TasteAtlas on Saturday.

Kaeng Som is made from a paste of shrimp and shallots, its sharp sweet-sour flavour coming from the addition of tamarind and sometimes lime juice.

The curry soup dates back at least to the Ayutthaya kingdom and has been a favourite in Thailand for hundreds of years. But TasteAtlas disagreed, ranking it among the most horrible flavours that global cuisine has to offer.

The website named Russia’s Indigirka salad – diced frozen fish and onions – as the worst dish in the world with a score of 1.4. Judges were appalled enough by Canada’s pizza cake, a multi-layered version of the classic Italian dish, to award it second with 1.8 points. Iceland’s pungent Hákarl (fermented shark) came third with 1.9 points.

Thai foodies were also puzzled over why Kaeng Som had been listed among the worst dishes in the world. Some netizens demanded to know why South Korea’s Kimchi Jjigae had not made it onto the list.

They pointed out that the Kimchi stew had similar ingredients and flavours to Kaeng Som but received a score of 4.5 from TasteAtlas and so was not included in its list of the world’s 100 worst dishes.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024677

Grand welcome, souvenirs for Thailand’s first Chinese tour groups

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 06, 2023

Some 40 package tourists and 90 independent travellers from China were welcomed on Monday by Chinese charge d’affaires Yang Xin and Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Yuthasak Supasorn.

Both officials were present at Don Mueang Airport to hand out souvenirs, including trousers with elephant print and a garland.

Yuthasak said he and the Chinese charge d’affaires personally welcomed the tourists because Thailand is among only 20 countries that Chinese package tourists are allowed to visit.

“The Spring Airlines’ 9C7419 flight from Guangzhou to Don Mueang Airport carried two tour groups and 90 independent travellers,” he explained.

He said another 13 flights are being operated from China’s Shanghai, Chengdu, Nanking and Nanning to three airports in Thailand, namely Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi and Phuket.

“These two groups are in Thailand for six days and will spend time in Bangkok, Pattaya and Rayong,” he said, adding that they are expected to visit several attractions like Samet Island, Nong Nooch Tropical Garden, Wat Pak Nam Phasi Charoen, Grand Palace, the Emerald Buddha temple and Chinatown.

He said the return of Chinese tourists reflected the upturn in Thailand’s economy.

As of February 2 this year, nearly 100,000 Chinese tourists have arrived in Thailand, he said, adding that most were businessmen, students and independent travellers.

“TAT expects Thailand to see 300,000 Chinese tourists in the first quarter of this year [January to March],” he said, adding that he hopes the total number of Chinese tourists this year hits 5 million.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024676

Thailand’s hotspots drop by more than half on Sunday: Gistda

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 06, 2023

Forest fire hotspots in Thailand have more than halved in 24 hours, according to the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (Gistda).

The Gistda said in its website on Monday that 203 hotspots were detected by the Suomi satellite’s Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on Sunday, compared to 423 on Saturday.

In comparison, neighbouring countries had many more hotspots, the agency said.

VIIRS detected 3,822 in Myanmar, 1,388 in Cambodia, 210 in Laos, 60 in Vietnam and one in Malaysia on Sunday.

Of the 203 hotspots in Thailand, 77 were in national forest reserves, 59 in protected forests, 33 in plantations, 22 on plots granted to farmers, eight in communities and four along highways.

The Gistda said the provinces with the highest number of hotspots are:

• Mae Hong Son: 34

• Chiang Rai: 24

• Nan: 22

The Gistda has warned that provinces that share a border with Myanmar or Cambodia may experience worsening air pollution due to smoke and fine dust particles created by forest fires.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024673

Mouldy tamarind? Phetchabun deputy governor proves it’s perfectly safe

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 06, 2023

The sight of mould on food would deter anybody, but Phetchabun province’s deputy governor went on stage to prove that white fungus on tamarind is perfectly safe.

Deputy governor Chatchawan Benjasiriwong had a big bite of the mouldy sweet tamarind at this year’s Nakhon Ban Phetchabun Sweet Tamarind Fair, which wrapped up on Sunday.

The event was held to promote the northern province’s delicacy, especially its most expensive Si Thong variety.

Chatchawan said he wanted to show the public that the white fungus is harmless and does not affect the quality of the sweet fruit.

“Some people don’t know this and may throw away the tamarind, thinking it has rotted,” he said.

Chatchawan was also the biggest bidder in the auction of Si Thong sweet tamarind at the fair, bagging a kilogram for 16,000 baht. The auction raised a total of 60,500 baht.

Jintana Sanamchaikul, a researcher from Phetchabun Rajabhat University, was also invited to speak at the fair about the edibility of white mould.

“We have had the mould tested at the National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology [Biotec] in Bangkok, which confirmed that the fungus is toxin-free and therefore edible,” she said.

“Biotec has also confirmed that mouldy sweet tamarind has 1,000 times more antioxidants than non-mouldy ones. This means that eating mouldy sweet tamarind is good for you,” Jintana added.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024665

Thai police target rare Lamborghini owned by online gambling suspect

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 06, 2023

Thailand’s cybercrime police are looking to confiscate the country’s only limited-edition Lamborghini Aventador V2 which is owned by a suspect allegedly linked to the online gambling platform “Macao 888”.

The Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) raided a warehouse in Bangkok’s Krungthep Kreetha area on Monday. The warehouse belongs to 38-year-old businessman Chaiwat “Benz Daemon” Kajonboonthavorn – one of the four suspects allegedly linked to the Macao 888 online gambling website.

Chaiwat is the eldest of four brothers that actress Arisara “Due” Thongborisut recently accused in a Facebook post of running an online gambling website. In her post, she hinted that all the brothers have nicknames starting with “B”.

CCIB chief Pol Lt-General Worawat Watnakornbancha said officials found several luxury and race cars in the warehouse including the limited-edition Lamborghini Mad Bull Liberty Walk Aventador V2. There are only 50 such cars in the world and this is the only one in Thailand.

This vehicle is priced at around 44 million, not including the 3-million-baht customisation kit.

Investigators are looking into Chaiwat’s finances and will seize assets if they find him linked to the alleged criminal network.

So far, four Thais have been arrested for allegedly opening bank accounts to transfer money from the website, Worawat said.

CCIB made the first arrest related to Macao 888 last Friday. Natthapong Rachinla, 28, was arrested at his condominium in the Northeast province of Udon Thani for allegedly overseeing the platform’s financial affairs.

Worawat said Natthapong is among the 13 sought in relation to the online gambling operation but refused to identify the remaining 12.

The homes of Chaiwat’s three brothers, who are all in Bangkok, will also be searched, the CCIB chief said.

Police believed that Chaiwat has already fled to Hong Kong.

Related Stories

Police launch manhunt for 12 more suspects linked to online gambling platform

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024663

Thai Customs to stop searching tourists unless smuggling suspected

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 06, 2023

Customs checkpoints nationwide have been told to stop searching the luggage of tourists on arrival unless they have good reason to suspect smuggling.

Customs Department deputy director-general, Phantong Loykulnanta, said on Monday that checkpoints will no longer inspect luggage for high-value items such as luxury bags or wristwatches.

The move comes under department director-general Patchara Anuntasilpa’s policy to facilitate tourists travelling to Thailand, he added.

However, officials will still inspect belongings of tourists suspected of smuggling, such as those found wearing several wristwatches.

Phantong explained the department wants to avoid damage to its reputation from searching tourists unnecessarily.

Customs officials have also been instructed to wear uniforms at all times on duty to create awareness among tourists.

The following goods are exempt from import duties:

• Personal belongings worth no more than 20,000 baht in total.
• Up to 250 grams of tobacco
• Up to 1 litre of alcohol

“Tourists over the limit for tobacco and alcohol must drop the excess in a box at Customs or they will be liable for prosecution,” he said.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024661

New Covid cases, deaths dropped by about half last week: DCD

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 06, 2023

Hospitalisations and deaths from Covid-19 last week dropped by about half from the week before, Thailand’s Disease Control Department (DCD) said on Monday.

The DCD reported that 252 Covid cases were hospitalised from January 29 to February 4, an average of 36 patients per day. That represented a decline of 46.26% from the 472 cases hospitalized from January 22-28, an average of 67 per day.

Deaths from Covid last week dropped to 17 (an average of 2-3 per day), from 29 a week earlier.

Currently, 122 Covid patients are being treated in hospital for pneumonia, 78 of whom are on ventilators.

As of February 4, the Public Health Ministry had administered 144,720,825 doses of Covid vaccine ­– 57.2 million first doses, 53.69 million second doses, and 33.82 third or later doses.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024660

Thailand to be hit by heat wave in April with mercury rising to 43C

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 06, 2023

April will be very hot in Thailand, with temperatures rising as high as 43 degrees Celsius, the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) said.

Chomparee Chompurat, TMD director-general, said the hot season will kick off late this month and will last until mid-May with the mercury rising to the highest in April. She said the hot season will start about one or two weeks later than normal.

Though the weather will start getting hot in most of Thailand next month, mornings in the North and Northeast will still be cool due to high-pressure conditions from China, she added.

TMD predicts temperatures of 40-43 degrees Celsius for most of April with tropical storms and hail coming in to cool off the extreme heat.

Chomparee said tropical storms will be accompanied by low-pressure masses in upper Thailand coupled with southeast winds that will blow humidity from the Gulf of Thailand.

From late April to May, the southwest monsoon will bring heat, rain and storm across most of the country, Chomparee added.

She predicted that heavy rain will hit most of Thailand from mid-May.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40024652

Thailand kick-starts delayed THB276.5-billion rail project to link 3 airports

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 06, 2023

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) said it hopes to finalise the joint investment contract for the high-speed railway project linking three airports soon, after a delay of over two years due to Covid.

SRT is currently amending the 276.5-billion-baht contract the government signed with a Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group-led consortium in October 2019 to link Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi and U-Tapao airports.

The contract with Asia Era One Co Ltd (formerly Eastern High-Speed Rail Linking Three Airports Co Ltd) is still pending as both parties are discussing compensation for reduced passenger volume on the Airport Rail Link during the Covid situation, said SRT governor Nirut Maneephan on Sunday.

Nirut said SRT is awaiting a green light from the government’s subcommittee for Eastern Economic Corridor Administration Policy, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow, which will soon meet to find solutions to finalise the contract and initiate the project.

The subcommittee will also address other issues that could further delay the project, such as the structural overlap with the link from Don Mueang to the national rail hub at Bang Sue, and allocation of public waterways around Makkasan station.

Nirut added Asia Era One has yet to be or access to the construction site officially approved by the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI), so SRT could not issue the NTP (notice to proceed) to allow access to the construction site. BOI approval is one of the prerequisites stipulated in the contract, he said.

SRT said it has already prepared construction sites on the Suvarnabhumi-U-Tapao section which it will deliver once the contract is finalised. The clearing of construction areas for the Phaya Thai-Bang Sue section is still underway, with unfinished jobs including land expropriation in Rajavithi and removal of oil pipes blocking the railway’s path.

SRT expected to complete the jobs by June this year, Nirut said.

“We hope that the subcommittee will finish amending the contract soon and let the construction start so that it is completed within the 2026 deadline. After that, the SRT will start testing the system and training employees,” he said.

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