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.
90% of durians imported by China come from Thailand: Agriculture Dept
MONDAY, DECEMBER 05, 2022
Ninety per cent of durian imported by China now comes from Thailand, according to data released by the Department of Agriculture.
Thailand fed China’s huge appetite for the pungent spiky fruit by exporting 779,206 tonnes between February 1 and November 24 this year, generating 82.8 billion baht in revenue, government spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri said on Monday.
“All thanks to Thailand’s success in fruit export development,” he said.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had also urged agencies and producers to help boost foreigners’ confidence in the quality of Thai durian, Anucha said.
The PM’s intervention comes after controversy over reportedly unripe and substandard durian being sent for export by Thailand.
Anucha advised to growers to check for three signs of ripeness:
1. The durian’s stem must be dark brown, swollen and rough.
2. The spikes should be spread out and springy when squeezed together, with dark brown, dry and brittle tips.
3. The interior fruit lobes or segmentation must be clearly visible.
Meanwhile, Covid-19 is also a concern after China briefly banned Thai durian shipments earlier this year following the discovery of virus-contaminated fruit.
Anucha hailed Thailand’s durian exports as yet another success for the Kingdom’s fruit quality, standards and export management.
These were part of Thailand’s five-year (2022-2027) fruit development plan covering production, transport and exports, he added.
“The plan also focuses on sharing information between related agencies to further develop and manage the Thai fruit trade in the future,” he said.
Thailand’s exports to Russia drop by 40% during first 10 months
MONDAY, DECEMBER 05, 2022
Thailand’s exports to Russia during the first 10 months of this year fell by 40.31% to US$494.57 million (about 17.1 billion baht) from the same period last year, according to the Commerce Ministry.
Exports to Russia in October were worth $40.5 million, down 24.58% from the previous month and 67.87% from the same period last year.
Figures for the four main Thai product categories exported to Russia from January-October were as follows:
– Agricultural and fishery products: $50.25 million, down 17.40%
– Agro-industrial products: $93.91 million, up 12.53%
– Industrial products: $329.27 million, down 50.65%
– Minerals and fuel: $21.15 million, up 24.03%
The top 10 Thai products exported to Russia during the first 10 months in terms of value were:
– Vehicles, parts and accessories: $79.11 million, down 68.81%
– Rubber products: $67.27 million, down 17.13%
– Plastic pellets: $42.14 million, up 32.31%
– Machines and parts: $38.87 million, down 10.96%
– Canned and processed fruits: $38 million, down 0.23%
– Canned and processed seafood: $24.86 million, up 61.09%
– Refined oil: $21.12 million, up 25.25%
– Rubber products: $14.29 million, down 52.26%
– Food seasoning products: $13.24 million, up 41.15%
– Air-conditioners and parts: $10.74 million, down 69.41%
The ministry’s Information Technology and Communication Centre blamed the export slowdown on the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
It said the value of Thailand’s exports to Russia fell by 73% in March after Russia invaded Ukraine in late February. The contraction continued with exports down 77% in April, 65% in May, 53% in June, 43% in July, and 25% in August.
The centre said the major reason for the slowdown was a shortage of ships and containers after western shipping lines boycotted Russia because of the war.
The value of exports also fluctuated each month mainly because of uncertainties in shipping and Russian purchase orders, it added.
The ministry forecast Thailand’s exports to Russia would drop by about 40% this year.
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