Lights, flowers and free haircuts as Thailand celebrates Father’s Day
MONDAY, DECEMBER 05, 2022
Bangkok landmarks burst into bloom to celebrate Father’s Day and the birthday of HM the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great on Monday.
More than 100,000 flowers and saplings have been planted around the Chitralada and Dusit palaces, Ratchadamnoen Road, Democracy Monument, Phan Fa Lilat Bridge and Bangkok City Hall, said the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).
Residents and visitors can also admire the light displays set up at city landmarks for the festive season.
“The decorations commemorate the late King Bhumibol’s royal grace,” BMA deputy permanent secretary Khachit Chatchawanit said.
Agencies under the BMA including district offices are also organising activities to mark Father’s Day. Highlights include free medical check-ups and haircuts at Sanam Luang in Phra Nakhon district from 9am to 5pm.
Prayut, wife make merit in honour of beloved King Rama IX
MONDAY, DECEMBER 05, 2022
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and spouse Naraporn presided over a merit-making ceremony marking the birth anniversary of King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great on Monday.
The ceremony, which comprised the chanting of Buddhist verses and giving of alms to 189 monks, was held at Sanam Luang in Bangkok’s Phra Nakhon district.
Also attending were ministers, government officials, military personnel and police officers, government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said.
The PM and his wife are also scheduled to attend the royal merit-making ceremony in honour of the late beloved monarch at the Amarindra Winitchai Throne Hall in the Grand Palace at 5pm.
December 5, the birthday of King Rama IX, is also marked as Father’s Day in Thailand.
Stress, depression, money worries weigh down Thai university students: study
MONDAY, DECEMBER 05, 2022
At least 40% of university students suffer from stress, while 30% are often or always depressed, a recent study conducted by Chulalongkorn University (CU) found.
The study covered several topics related to mental health and problems suffered by students.
Project adviser Dr Sirichet Sangkhaman told the press on Sunday that the study had uncovered interesting information about university students’ mental state. Nearly 40% said they were often or always under stress, while about 30% said they are often or always unhappy or depressed. Of both groups, 4.3% have been clinically diagnosed with psychological problems like bipolar disorder or manic depression.
The study also found that 4% of the respondents have thought of committing suicide, while 1.3% have harmed themselves more than once.
The survey also found that 40% of students smoke, 9% drink alcohol often, 0.4% consume marijuana often, 2% consume the herb occasionally.
About half (49.8%) of university students are burdened with debt, with 37.1% having borrowed from the Student Loan Fund, 8.3% from their relatives, 3.1% from financial institutions and 0.5% from loan sharks.
Up to 20% of the respondents said stress was the No 1 factor that affects their studies, followed by financial problems (10%), anxiety (10.7%), being homesick (9.3%) and insomnia (7.9%). About 5% admitted to being addicted to social media and online games, which pulled down their grades.
Phongsak Thongratana, ThaiHealth’s director of Health Promotion in Organisations, said the agency will incorporate the findings with its knowledge base to design a suitable health policy to be implemented in educational institutes.
He added that a follow-up survey will be conducted continually using online questionnaires to monitor the trend in students’ health and allow each institute to address the immediate problems that students are facing.
Their Majesties attend Khon film premiere, exhibition at Siam Paragon
MONDAY, DECEMBER 05, 2022
Their Majesties the King and Queen attended the movie premiere of “Hanuman White Monkey” at Siam Pavalai Royal Grand Theatre in Bangkok’s Siam Paragon mall on Sunday evening.
The King and Queen also viewed “Khon: The Milestone of the Reign”, an exhibition of traditional Thai masked dance being held on the sixth floor of the mall in Pathum Wan district.
The film and exhibition were organised by the Culture Ministry and Thai Media Fund to showcase the national art of Khon, which is based on Thailand’s Ramakien epic.
“Khon: The Milestone of the Reign” runs throughout this month at Siam Paragon.
The exhibition also commemorates the birthday of His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great on December 5, National Father’s Day.
It highlights “Khon Luang” or royal-court style Khon, which is considered the peak of the art form thanks to its elaborate costumes, special effects, and dramatic staging.
Khon Luang was almost forgotten in Thailand before being revived in 2007 by the Support Foundation under Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother, who wished to preserve the beauty of this ancient Thai art form for future generations. Since then, a performance of Khon Luang has been held annually at the Thailand Cultural Centre.
“Hanuman White Monkey” is being screened at Major Cineplex and SF Cinema theatres from today.
Free check-ups for vehicles ahead of ‘7 deadly days’ at New Year
MONDAY, DECEMBER 05, 2022
Motorists can have their cars checked for free until the end of this month in a Department of Land Transport (DLT) campaign ahead of the so-called seven deadly days of New Year traffic.
The “Free Car Checkup for Safe Driving” campaign runs until December 31.
The New Year and Songkran holidays are the two most dangerous times of the year on Thai roads, with accidents soaring as large numbers of people head to their hometowns to visit relatives. Between 300 and 400 people are killed in traffic accidents each year during the seven-day period.
Checking the condition of your vehicle before making a long trip is highly recommended as a way of preventing accidents, said DLT director-general Jirut Wisanjit on Sunday. “The department is therefore running a campaign with partners to offer free vehicle check-ups for motorists until year-end.”
Service centres that have a “Free Car Checkup for Safety Driving” banner are offering free checks by experienced mechanics on 20 items, including the brake system, tyres, engine, motor oil level, radiator, air filter, and lighting.
Partners in the campaign include the Thai Automotive Industry Association, Thailand Automotive Institute, Thai Motorcycle Enterprise Association, and leading manufacturers such as Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Isuzu, Mitsubishi, and MG.
Jirut also urged motorists to get at least eight hours sleep before driving long distances, and stop to rest in a safe area if they feel tired.
“Most importantly, do not consume alcohol while driving and obey the traffic laws,” he added.
E-shopping platforms warned to stamp out ganja sales
MONDAY, DECEMBER 05, 2022
The Public Health Ministry said it will take legal action against online shopping platforms where cannabis buds are being offered for sale.
The ministry has instructed platforms to ensure their sellers comply with its directive banning the sale of buds to anyone under 20 and pregnant or nursing women.
The directive was issued last month amid growing opposition to recreational use of cannabis after online and offline shops proliferated following legalisation of the herb.
The buds of the plant contain high concentrations of cannabinoids, which are responsible for the intoxicating effect of cannabis.
The ban covers internet, electronic and vending-machine sales. Also, buds cannot be advertised for commercial purposes, government spokesperson Trisulee Trisaranakul said on Sunday.
Trisulee said the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine had been monitoring popular online shopping platforms and found some sellers were violating the directive. The department has issued warnings to platform operators, urging them to screen sellers or risk being taken to court alongside e-shops found offering cannabis buds for sale.
Separately, ongoing research on cannabidiol (CBD) as a treatment for epilepsy in children has found that it helps reduce severe symptoms in young patients by 50%, Traisulee said.
The Department of Medical Services and the Child Neurology Association of Thailand will continue the research to ensure the safety and reliability of the drug. The department expects CBD to be offered as a hospital treatment for childhood epilepsy by 2024, Traisulee said.
The research project is being conducted with cooperation from the Neurological Institute of Thailand and Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health.
GHB earns THB3.5 billion from auction of repossessed properties
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 04, 2022
More than 3.5 billion baht has been generated from the auction of foreclosed properties in the first 11 months of this year, the Government Housing Bank (GHB) said.
Saksit Jittanoon, GHB deputy managing director, said the bank generated 550 million baht from the auction of 495 properties on Saturday alone.
Of them, 119 worth 126 million baht were located in Greater Bangkok, and 376 worth 424 million baht were located in other parts of the country, he added.
“This is all thanks to rising interest in the auction of foreclosed properties,” he said.
The bank expects these auctions to generate at least 4 billion baht this year and 4.5 billion baht next year.
Saksit added that GHB plans to develop a smartphone application to make the purchase of expropriated properties easier.
“GHB also plans to auction off some more foreclosed properties in Bangkok this year to maintain the bank’s liquidity and prepare for economic crises next year,” he added.
Car models without face masks signals return to ‘normalcy’
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 04, 2022
Models hired to promote vehicles displayed by global automakers at the 39th Thailand International Motor Expo 2022 are not wearing face masks this year, signalling a return to normalcy.
The annual expo continued during the pandemic, but models – and everyone else – were required to wear face masks. This year’s show is the first since the onset of the pandemic to showcase young models in tight dresses without face masks.
The expo of cars and motorcycles, including electric vehicles, has returned to its typical style.
The expo at Impact Arena’s Challenger Hall 1-3 began last Thursday and will run until December 12. It is open to the public from noon to 1pm on weekdays and from 11am to 10pm on weekends. Tickets cost 100 baht per person. Children below 120 centimetres in height can enter for free.
Bangkokians mostly happy with Chadchart in first 6 months: survey
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 04, 2022
A recent opinion survey has found that Bangkokians are generally happy with Chadchart Sittipunt’s handling of major issues and his performance as city governor.
The National Institute of Development Administration (Nida) conducted phone interviews with a sample of 1,500 residents in Bangkok’s 50 districts between November 25 and 30 to mark Chadchart’s first six months in office. The respondents came from all walks of life with different educational backgrounds and income levels. The results were released on Sunday.
The respondents were asked 17 questions about Chadchart’s performance and most responses were positive with the exception of the last two on economic woes, which won more “bad” and “rather bad” votes.
When asked to directly rate their level of satisfaction with Chadchart’s performance:
• 42.60% said they were pleased with the hard work the governor has done to improve the capital;
• 38.93% said they were pleased because Chadchart has had tangible achievements and has devoted himself to solving people’s problems;
• 10.54% are rather not pleased with Chadchart because he failed to tackle the root of problems and did not see any tangible improvements;
• 7.93% are very dissatisfied with Chadchart’s performance because he has failed to deliver his promised policies and failed to tackle old issues like floods and Bangkok’s long-standing traffic woes.
The 17 questions the respondents were asked are:
• Increase in green spaces
39.07%: Very good
36.40%: Rather good
13.33%: Rather bad
9.13%: Very bad
2.07%: No comment
• Tourism promotion of Bangkok
40.54%: Rather good
38.13%: Very good
11.33%: Rather bad
7.53%: Very bad
2.47%: No comment
• Support for sports activities
38.40%: Rather good
34.84%: Very good
14.60%: Rather bad
9%: Very bad
3.16%: No comment
• Control of garbage, dust and wastewater
39.73%: Rather good
33.13%: Very good
16.40%: Rather bad
9.87%: Very bad
0.87%: No comment
• Tackling floods
34.87%: Rather good
31.80%: Very good
18.93%: Rather bad
13.40%: Very bad
1%: No comment
• Improvement of BMA services
40.40%: Rather good
29.53%: Very good
16%: Rather bad
9.67%: Very bad
4.4%: No comment
• Keeping pavements in order
41.13%: Rather good
29.27%: Very good
16.07%: Rather bad
10.53%: Very bad
3%: No comment
• Improvement in the overall environment of streets and alleyways
41.33%: Rather good
29.20%: Very good
18.07%: Rather bad
10.27%: Very bad
1.13%: No comment
• Improvement of health services
42.67%: Rather good
25.33%: Very good
17.93%: Rather bad
10.54%: Very bad
3.53%: No comment
• Ensuring law and order at protest sites
37.80%: Rather good
24.53%: Very good
17.33% Very bad
16.54%: Rather bad
3.8%: No comment
• Maintaining security via street lights and CCTVs
Myanmar airline to launch Yangon-Chiang Mai flights from Dec 9
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 04, 2022
Myanmar National Airlines (MNA) has announced it will start flying from Yangon to Chiang Mai every Friday and Sunday from December 9 onwards.
The airline is also offering special discounts for the New Year period on its Yangon-Bangkok flights, with one-way trips costing US$40 (1,390 baht) and round trips costing $74.
“The flight to Bangkok, which is popular among Myanmar nationals, is being offered at a special price as a New Year’s Eve present,” an airline official said.
The airline flies to Bangkok daily and round-trip tickets generally cost $135. Passengers are also eligible for a 15% discount on specific products at all King Power outlets. The promotion runs until December 31.
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