torsdag 27 oktober 2022

Thailand has now formed an alliance with the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) for the purpose of reinforcing the country’s vaccine infrastructure. The move is expected to contribute to future preparedness for disease outbreaks. NBT World

Thailand has now formed an alliance with the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) for the purpose of reinforcing the country's vaccine infrastructure. The move is expected to contribute to future preparedness for disease outbreaks.

Health minister Anutin Charnvirakul and health ministry executives attended a ceremony confirming Thailand's partnership with IVI. The Thai party also congratulated the institute on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of its founding.

Thailand has operated its National Vaccine Institute (NVI) since 2012 for the purpose
of improving its vaccine infrastructure. The country's partnership with IVI will contribute to collaboration in the research and development of various vaccines. The pact will also open up greater opportunities for personnel development in the field of vaccines. This year, the NVI is sending 3 specialists to the IVI for the purpose of
knowledge exchange and forming a collaboration network.

According to the health minister, Thailand presented lessons it learned from the COVID-19 pandemic at World Bio Summit 2022. He elaborated that one of the learned lessons is that no one is safe until everybody is safe. Mr. Anutin called for preparations against future health threats. He said efforts against emerging diseases, including diagnosis kits, medicines, and vaccines, require concerted international input.

Thailand's health ministry has also signed a public health cooperation agreement with South Korea to bolster its healthcare system and digital health services. The agreement paves the way for knowledge and specialist exchange between the two nations.

Airlines can't keep up with growing demand. Japanese tourists want to come to Thailand but can't find plane tickets | Thaiger

Japanese tourists want to come to Thailand but can't find plane tickets

Tourists from Japan are few and far between in Thailand. It's not that Japanese tourists don't want to come, they just can't find plane ticketsbecause the Thais have booked them all up, according to the Director of the Thai Travel Service Association (TTSA) Jarivat Wongsomsri.

There simply are not enough flights available to facilitate growing post-pandemic tourism between the two countries. Currently, flight availability between Japan and Thailand is just 40% of pre-pandemic levels.

Thais are plucking up the courage to travel again after the pandemic and Japan is an attractive destination. Last month, Japan launched visa-free entry for eligible countries, including Thailand. What's more, the Japanese Yen has weakened against the baht.

Despite the cost of package holidays to Japan shooting up 80%-100%, Thais have snapped up tickets like hotcakes. All package deals are sold out until the end of the year, so Thais wishing to travel to Japan will have to wait until 2023, said Jarivat.

East Asian Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Chuwit Sirivejkul revealed that from January – October this year, Thailand welcomed 230,000 – 240,000 tourists from Japan.

The TAT's goal is for 350,000 tourists from Japan to enter Thailand before the end of the year. Chuwit said he has been working with agents in Japan to design packages for the kingdom which are attractive to Japanese tourists.

However, the TAT is concerned their goal is out of reach since Japanese tourists are complaining they can't find plane tickets.

In July, budget airline Thai Vietjet commenced services between Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport and Fukuoka Airport, on the north shore of Japan's Kyushu island. It is the airline's only service linking Thailand and Japan.

The airline increased the frequency between Bangkok and Fukuoka from three to four times per week to meet growing demand. However, demand kept rising, so frequency was increased again in September to five times per week.

But it's still not enough. The TTSA said they hope airlines will launch more services between Thailand and Japan to give prospective tourists what they want.





A famous goalkeeper from the Chonburi Football Club has apologized for the fatal car accident that killed a 62-year-old female jogger and severely injured another this morning, pledging he will quit drinking for the rest of his life. Pattaya News

UPDATE: Chonburi Football Club's goalkeeper apologizes for fatal drunk driving accident, vows to quit drinking for life

PHOTO: ข่าวเมืองชล

Chonburi —

A famous goalkeeper from the Chonburi Football Club has apologized for the fatal car accident that killed a 62-year-old female jogger and severely injured another this morning, pledging he will quit drinking for the rest of his life.

Our previous story:

A famous goalkeeper reportedly crashed his sedan into two joggers in Chonburi at 4:30 AM today, October 26th, killing one and seriously injuring the other.

Now for our update:

Pol. Col. Eknithat Waenpradab from the Mueang police station interrogated Mr. Worawut "Bank" Sukuna, the 23-year-old goalkeeper of Chonburi FC who fatally crashed his sedan into two joggers while drunk early this morning.

The officer said Bank requested to give his statement in court. However, he was in grief about what had happened and apologized to the victims. Bank also pledged to stop drinking for the rest of his life.

As for two of his friends who had an altercation with police, Bank said they were drunk and only wanted to help him. Pol. Col. Eknithat revealed that he did not press charges against the two men, and they had already apologized for their intervention.

Bank is charged with reckless driving and causing death and injury to others, according to a police report.

Sasit Singtothong, manager of Chonburi FC, has publically apologized for the tragic incident, saying the club will fully compensate the victims and bar Worawut Sukuna from playing until his prosecution is concluded.

Chonburi FC does not support any unhealthy activities such as drinking among athletes and will prevent a similar incident from happening in the future.




onsdag 26 oktober 2022

Salaries seen rising 2.2% in real terms in 2023, above global average. Salaries in Thailand are expected to rise an inflation-adjusted 2.2% next year, the eighth highest in the world, a survey shows. Bangkok Post

Salaries seen rising 2.2% in real terms in 2023, above global average
A woman buys food at Bang Kapi market, Bangkok. (File photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)
A woman buys food at Bang Kapi market, Bangkok. (File photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)

Salaries in Thailand are expected to rise an inflation-adjusted 2.2% next year, the eighth highest in the world, a survey shows.

Soaring inflation is set to put a major dent in salary increases for the second year running in 2023, according to a new survey that sees just 37% of countries globally expecting to report real-term wage hikes.

The worst-hit region is likely to be Europe, where real salaries — nominal wage growth minus the rate of inflation — are seen being driven down an average 1.5%, according to workforce consultancy ECA International.

UK employees suffered their biggest hit this year, since the survey kicked off in 2000. Despite a 3.5% average nominal pay increase, salaries in real terms fell 5.6%, due to 9.1% average inflation. They are set to tumble another 4% in 2023.

In the US a real-terms drop of 4.5% this year is expected to be reversed by falling inflation next year, translating into a 1% real-terms salary hike.

Asian nations make up eight of the top 10 countries forecast to see real salaries rise, led by India, up 4.6%, Vietnam rising 4.0% and China up 3.8%.

Brazil's 3.4% increase and Saudi Arabia's 2.3% bump round out the top five.

ECA International's Regional Director for Asia, Lee Quane, said: "Our survey indicates another tough year for workers globally in 2023. Only around a third of the countries surveyed are forecast to see real-terms salary increase, though this is better than the 22% that experienced increases this year." Average salaries fell 3.8% in 2022, according to ECA.

ECA's Salary Trends Survey is based on information collected from over 360 multinational companies in 68 countries and cities.

These are the top 10 countries and their predicted real-terms salary increases in 2023:

India (4.6%) 

Vietnam  (4.0%)

China (3.8%)

Brazil (3.4%)

Saudi Arabia (2.3%)

Malaysia (2.2%)

Cambodia (2.2%)

Thailand (2.2%)

Oman (2.0%)

Russia (1.9%)

And the bottom five, with their expected decreases:

Pakistan (-9.9%)

Ghana (-11.9%)

Turkey (-14.4%)

Sri Lanka (-20.5%)

Argentina (-26.1%)




tisdag 25 oktober 2022

Give way to ELEPHANTS in Thailand or face jail. Motorists using a highway also favoured by wild elephants in Muang district have been warned they face up to 10 years’ imprisonment and a million baht fine if they hit and injure one of the giant animals, and wildlife authorities will strictly enforce the penalties. Bangkok Jack

Give way to ELEPHANTS in Thailand or face jail

One of 35 signs warning motorists of wild elephants crossing the road, posted along a 15km section of Highway 1399 in Muang district, Kanchanaburi. (Photo: Piyarat Chongcharoen)

Motorists using a highway also favoured by wild elephants in Muang district have been warned they face up to 10 years' imprisonment and a million baht fine if they hit and injure one of the giant animals, and wildlife authorities will strictly enforce the penalties.

The warning follows a number of recent collisions resulting in the severe injury or death of wild elephants.

Paitoon Inthabut, chief of Salak Phra Wildlife Sanctuary, said on Thursday that 35 signs warning of wild elephants crossing the road had been posted along the 15-kilometre section of Highway 1399 between tambon Wang Dong and tambon Chong Sadao.

Elephants regularly crossed the road when moving from one feeding area to another.

The warning signs also set a speed limit of 60 kilometres per hour and warned of imprisonment and fines on motorists who hit a wild elephant.

With so many warnings posted, motorists could not make the excuse they were unaware of the presence of wild elephants along that section of highway or the legal penalties for hitting one, Mr Paitoon said.

Even so, there were several cases of vehicles crashing into wild elephants.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment had ordered the wildlife sanctuary office to intensify measures to protect wildlife, he said.

"If motorists break the speed limit and hit a wild elephant, they will be prosecuted," Mr Paitoon said.

He said the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act provided for a prison term of up to 10 years and/or fine of one million baht if a wild elephant was killed or injured by a motor vehicle, whether intentionally or not

Under the same act, the offending motorist would also have to pay hundreds of thousands of baht in compensation for each harmed elephant.

In the case of a hit-and-run, a driver who failed to assist an injured wild elephant was liable to a prison term of up to three months and/or fine of 2,000-10,000 baht under the Land Traffic Act, Mr Paitoon said.

The law would be strictly enforced.

Recently, on Jan 9 a pickup truck hit a wild elephant on the highway in tambon Wang Dong. The man driving the vehicle was unscathed, but his two women passengers were hurt. The elephant, a mature bull aged about 30 years, was very seriously injured and was found dead in the jungle two days later.

And on Feb 1 another elephant was hit by a van on the same highway, also in Wang Dong.

Officials found the tracks of an elephant showing an injured left hind leg leaving the area and were still looking to find and treat it.

This wild bull elephant, aged about 30 years, was found dead in the jungle on Jan 11, about two kilometres from where it was hit by a pickup truck on Highway 1399 in Muang district, Kanchanaburi, two days earlier. (Photo: Piyarat Chongcharoen)




Is mass tourism a thing of the past in Thailand? Bangkok Jack

Is mass tourism a thing of the past in Thailand?

Is mass tourism a thing of the past in Thailand as the streets of the most popular tourist destinations are still unnervingly quiet.

Along Chaweng's Beach Road, a usually raucous party area, shuttered shops stretch into the distance.

Before the coronavirus debacle, it was buzzing with traffic. Now, taxi drivers sit on the roadside, with little hope of finding customers.

Where bikini-clad sunseekers once browsed souvenir shops and drank at neon-lit bars, a lone street dog stretches on the pavement.

Elsewhere, swathes of Samui's idyllic, sandy white beaches are almost entirely free of people.

About 40 million tourists flocked to Thailand in 2019, drawn by its spectacular coastlines, ornate temples and famous cuisine.

In 2022, the country will struggle to attract even a quarter of that number, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

Tourism ground to a halt in April 2021, when Thailand imposed a ban on all incoming passenger flights. The country – which has so far managed to contain Covid-19, recording 3,255 cases and 58 deaths – is discussing travel bubbles with low-risk neighbouring countries, but no one knows when these might be established. Borders remain shut to almost all foreign tourists.

The travel sector has survived devastating crises before, including the 2004 tsunami, bird flu and Sars outbreaks.

But the impact of the coronavirus pandemic is beyond comparison, says Tanes Petsuwan, deputy governor for marketing communication at the TAT.

During previous crises, revenue dropped by around a fifth, he said. This year, the coronavirus pandemic is expected to cause a 80% fall in revenues. "It's a huge impact," he said.

To make matters worse, Thailand's economy has become even more reliant on tourism, accounting for almost 20% of GDP, according to Tanes. About 4.4 million people are employed across the industry – in transport, travel agencies, restaurants and hotels.

In Samui, many have gone for months without work. Before coronavirus, Jarunee Kasorn, who works in a local massage parlour in Chaweng, says her colleagues would welcome up to 90 clients a day.

They're one of the few businesses to reopen on Beach Road, but a whole day can go by without a single customer. "If there are no tourists, then there's no business," she said.

Most of the shop's 20 staff have left the island altogether, and returned to their family homes elsewhere in Thailand.

Though modest social assistance payments were offered to workers during lockdown, this is no longer available.

"Many people say we won't die from Covid, but we will die because we are not able to eat," says Ta Sasiwinom, who has just reopened her stall at an outdoor market in Fishermen's Village, known as the walking street. The past few months have been a struggle for her and her two daughters. "We cook more cheaply – eating egg and rice, rice and egg," she says.

Parts of the market, and the nearby beach, have begun to return to life. There are groups of visitors and locals peering at the discounted stalls, but it is still nowhere near as busy as it would usually be.

Among those shopping are tourists stuck abroad, foreign residents living in Thailand, and Thais – who the government has encouraged to travel domestically through a stimulus package that offers subsidised hotel bookings.

The scheme, and a looming long weekend, has provided a welcome boost, says Lloyd Maraville, general manager of Nora Buri resort and spa.

Of the hotel's 144 rooms, about 100 are empty, though this will fall to 85 over the holiday.

Government measures, he adds, "might sustain hotels for a while but it will not be a long-term [solution]." Rooms have been booked at far below the usual rates. "Profit is out of the question at this moment, we just want to maintain the resort," he says.

Tanes believes that when tourism is able to begin again, the industry will be altered completely.

He hopes for positive change. "I think this is a good time for Thailand to upskill the human resources of the industry to move Thailand [away] from [being an] overcrowded tourist destination," he says. Mass tourism, and the dependence on large tour groups, he argues, will be a thing of the past.

In Samui, businesses are focused on survival for now. Just last month it was announced that nearly 100 local hotel owners had been forced to sell. Many more remain shut indefinitely.

"I've lived here for 20 years and I'm shocked, I never thought it could be like this," says Rattanaporn Chadakarn, who runs a stall at the walking street.

No one knows if the Great Panic will continue. For now, she adds, everyone is just waiting for the skies to reopen.




måndag 24 oktober 2022

Bangkok hospitals report surge in medical tourists as Covid recedes. The uptick is being driven by patients from Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Vietnam who have high purchasing power and are seeking the advanced medical technologies that Thailand has to offer, he said. The Nation

Bangkok hospitals report surge in medical tourists as Covid recedes

Three private hospitals in Bangkok have reported a surge of foreign patients since Thailand lifted Covid-19 travel controls in June.

Bangkok hospitals report surge in medical tourists as Covid recedes

Panacee Hospital director Dr Perapat Tangjai said the performance of Thai private hospitals has dramatically improved in the fourth quarter as foreigners return to the country for treatment.

The uptick is being driven by patients from Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Vietnam who have high purchasing power and are seeking the advanced medical technologies that Thailand has to offer, he said.

Perapat also expects the number of Chinese medical tourists to increase once China reopens.

"Foreign tourists are also arriving for alternative hospital treatments such as traditional herbal remedies and natural therapy," he said.

He predicted fourth-quarter revenue of private Thai hospitals will double in the fourth quarter from the same period last year.




Academics in Thailand welcome President Xi's third term. President Xi’s third term will be viewed as undemocratic and autocratic by the Western powers but Thailand’s top boffins believe continuation is the key which will benefit the kingdom and ASEAN countries. | Thaiger

Academics in Thailand welcome President Xi's third term

Academics in Thailand welcomed news yesterday that Chinese leader President Xi Jinping secured an historic third five-year term as general secretary of the ruling Chinese Communist Party.

President Xi's third term will be viewed as undemocratic and autocratic by the Western powers but Thailand's top boffins believe continuation is the key which will benefit the kingdom and ASEAN countries.

Thai academics reckon the nation needs to remain impartial to the West's belligerent war-like attitude toward the mainland and grow its economy with China.

Piti Srisangnam, director for academic affairs at Chulalongkorn University's ASEAN Studies Centre, told Bangkok Post that he believes most of the newly-elected senior members of the Chinese Communist Party's Central Committee favour reform, which is good news for Thailand.

"This is a signal that China is now ready to emerge as a global economic power that will focus on joining development initiatives with other countries.

"China has rivals on the global economic stage. Even though Thailand has close ties with China, it does not take sides in conflicts, and this should benefit the country if China eases travel curbs and allows its citizens to travel abroad.

"With small numbers of Covid-19 fatalities and infections as well as amicable ties with China, Thailand will always be among the top destinations."

A mass influx of Chinese tourists to Thailand is unlikely until next year, however.

The mainland still insists on seven days of quarantine for any traveller, Chinese or foreign, as it maintains its strict zero-Covid-19 policy. This largely puts off people from travelling.

Thailand is more likely to see more tourists around Chinese New Year next year in late January and thereafter.

Academics in Thailand welcome President Xi's third term | News by Thaiger

An expert on China's economy at Thammasat University's faculty of economics, Aksornsri Phanishsarn, reckons there will be little change to Xi's previous two terms as Chinese president.

Aksornsri believes Xi will continue economic reform, strengthen growth from within, and continue its zero-Covid strategy. With that in mind, she believes Thailand needs to target a different consumer than previous visitors to the Land of Smiles.

"Chinese tourists cannot be expected to visit Thailand in large numbers in the upcoming high season as long as the quarantine requirement for arrivals into China remains in place.

"Before the pandemic, many Chinese tourists in Thailand were first-time travellers and budget travellers.

"We should turn our attention to upmarket tourists. They may not come in large numbers but they will include businessmen and investors.

"China is seeking to invest in Thailand, particularly in the electric vehicle industry."






Thailand’s economy stuck in the middle. Southeast Asia’s second largest and once one of its most dynamic economies is struggling under the weight of an ageing population, a deteriorating education system and low yield rice farming. | East Asia Forum. Author: Richard Yarrow, Harvard University and ANU

Thailand's economy stuck in the middle

Author: Richard Yarrow, Harvard University and ANU

Southeast Asia's second largest and once one of its most dynamic economies is struggling under the weight of an ageing population, a deteriorating education system and low yield rice farming. Thailand looks trapped as a middle-income country, unable to get rich, and stuck between a younger, dynamic Vietnam and larger Indonesia.

Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha offers prayers at a shrine at the Interior Ministry in Bangkok, Thailand, 3 October 2022 (Photo: Reuters/Chalinee Thirasupa).

Getting out of its economic rut won't be easy, but investment in education and higher quality human capital and agricultural and governance reform should be priorities.

Thailand has the lowest fertility rate in Southeast Asia, bar Singapore. Its demographics are arguably more worrisome than those of South Korea, which has a fertility rate close to 0.8. Between 2000 and 2021, South Korea's population aged 20–24 declined by 15 per cent. In Thailand, that number fell by 20 per cent, moderately better than the 27 per cent decline in Japan. But Japan and South Korea generate over four times the per capita GDP of Thailand, and they have more resources to support ageing citizens and attract skilled immigrants to reinforce greying workforces.

As in many other countries, COVID-19 exacerbated Thailand's ageing. Between 2020 and 2021, the number of Thai infants declined by 8 per cent. Middle and working-class households, stressed by growing debt, inflation and poor employment prospects, are hardly eager to have more children. During the pandemic, Thai household debt soared to 90 per cent of GDP.

In the 2000s, Thailand outperformed its regional peers across many education metrics. Nearly all age-eligible children attended primary school and a high proportion of young people entered junior secondary school. Most Thai workers in 2006 had a primary school education at best. By 2019 most had some post-primary education.

These gains in education and skills can help ameliorate the effects of rapid ageing. But vital to human capital formation and breaking out of the middle-income trap is the uptake and quality of higher education. Over the past decade, declines in university enrolments have begun outpacing the demographic decline in the numbers of young people.

Thailand's gross tertiary enrolment ratio — the number enrolled in tertiary education over the main tertiary level age cohort — peaked at around 50 per cent in the early 2010s and then fell toward 40–45 per cent in recent years. Technical or vocationally oriented programs fared better, but most general university programs lost many students. Between 2015 and 2019, undergraduate degree enrolments fell by a sharp 18 per cent.

Thai universities' problems relate to quality, jobs and household finances. With fewer enrolments, universities have fewer resources and incentives to invest in improving quality in the way that Chinese or Singaporean universities have done. In turn, graduate employment prospects have weakened. The wage premium of Thai tertiary education has fallen since the early 2010s, with many graduates underprepared for the workforce.

During the pandemic, the number of unemployed college-educated workers more than doubled. For debt-laden households, the extra years of university education might no longer seem worthwhile. Many Thai universities are faced with eliminating programs or closing altogether.

Agriculture, still a major pillar of the Thai economy, is another worry. The sector contributes around one tenth of Thailand's GDP but employs around one third of the labour force. While the sector has diversified toward fruit and animal husbandry, rice remains a core crop — Thai farms account for 14 per cent of international rice trade. Yet, Thailand's rice farms are not very productive or efficient. Thailand's average yields are now lower than those of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. The average Thai rice farm is too small and farmers too poor or elderly for investments in the equipment or infrastructure to improve productivity.

These challenges have prompted policymakers to pivot to relying on new industrial technology to resuscitate economic growth. For instance, political leaders dream of a shift to electric vehicle manufacturing, and, in May 2022, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha expressed hope that Thailand would become the world's largest electric vehicle production hub. But a purely national strategy focussed on electric vehicles would be a costly gamble, in a region where few consumers can afford the technology in the first place.

Thailand, and its auto industry in particular, benefits from large investments from Japan and China. Thailand's exports have performed well since 2020, with rising vehicle sales to Japan and agricultural exports to China. Foreign investment-driven trade has given a strong economic boost and opens opportunities for structural change. But foreign investment is discouraged by an uncertain legal and political environment, corruption, powerful domestic oligopolies and restrictions on foreign ownership. The Eastern Economic Corridor and the special economic zones created under recent governments have yet to broaden or deepen investments into Thailand.

Rejuvenation of higher education requires reform of higher education financing, the consolidation and internationalisation its universities.

Alleviating stagnation in agriculture requires a pivot from agricultural price supports toward mechanisation, investment in irrigation and farm consolidation.

The challenges of Thailand's demography, education and agriculture seem symptomatic of an unequal economy with concentration of resources and power around large conglomerates and the wealthy. Such an economic structure restrains middle class demand and increases capital outflows to nearby countries like Vietnam, even while Thailand has too little domestic private investment. Likewise, there are too few incentives for students or farmers to upgrade capabilities and few supports for families to have children.

Changing direction is at heart a governance and political problem. Many Thailand 4.0 proposals — for example, for regionally-balanced investment and joint partnerships to direct resources into higher education — show there's no shortage of good ideas from Thai civil servants and scholars about what is needed. But implementing them is another question.

Richard Yarrow is Fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center at the Harvard Kennedy School, Visiting Research Fellow at the East Asian Bureau of Economic Research at the ANU, and Visiting Research Fellow at the East Asian Institute at NUS. He recently published the monograph Thailand's Economic Dilemmas in Post-Pandemic Asia.



#APEC2022 will be held in Bangkok, Thailand this November. With the event rapidly approaching, how much do you know about APEC? PBS World

Thailand Business Climate Survey (English below) Swedish company 🇸🇪 How do you see the business atmosphere in Thailand 🇹🇭? Embassy of Sweden in Bangkok

Thailand Business Climate Survey (English below)
Swedish company 🇸🇪 How do you see the business atmosphere in Thailand 🇹🇭?

At the beginning of the year, Swedish companies in Thailand responded to a survey on the business environment. Although profitable, Swedish companies view the business environment in Thailand moderate to negative compared to surveys conducted with other neighboring countries in the region (Indonesia, Malaysia) Singapore and Vietnam) may explain the reason for the weak Thai economy. While other countries' economies seem to be more positive. One challenge from the survey is the complex customs process. The main reason why the company is profitable is the fur market. Thailand's big deal. Worth the cost and great customer satisfaction.

Business Sweden Thai-Sweden Chamber of Commerce, including the Swedish Embassy, have jointly conducted a survey for the third time. This time, the survey was conducted to Swedish companies with almost 100 representatives in Thailand, with 70 percent of the companies responding. Business🤓🇹🇭

Read the full report at https://www.business-sweden.com/insights/reports/thailand-business-climate-survey-2022/

---------------------------------------------
Swedish 🇸🇪 companies' perception of the business climate in Thailand 🇹🇭?

Earlier this year, a business climate survey was made among Swedish companies in Thailand. Despite their profits, the companies have a relatively neutral to negative outlook on the business climate, comparing to surveys made with regional neighbours (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam). This could be explained by the stagnating Thai economy and an increasing optimism in the other countries. One of the biggest challenges expressed in the survey are the complicated customs procedures. Thailand's sizable market, cost efficiency and high customer satisfaction are main reasons for the companies' profitability.

Business Sweden, Thai-Swedish Chamber of Commerce and the Embassy together conducted the survey for the third time. It was sent out to almost 100 Swedish companies represented in Thailand and the response rate was over 70%. 📗🤓🇹🇭

Read the report in full: https://www.business-sweden.com/insights/reports/thailand-business-climate-survey-2022/

söndag 23 oktober 2022

”Millions of people”




Kaos 3 👎👎👎👎👎




Kaos 2 👎👎👎👎👎



Kaos 👎👎👎👎👎



Worried you might be holding one of the counterfeit 1,000-baht notes in circulation? The Nation

Worried you might be holding one of the counterfeit 1,000-baht notes in circulation? Police have advised people they can do a simple check to tell whether their banknotes are real or fake.

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40021312


En restaurang som vi alla känner till söker personal. Detta är vad man letar efter / erbjuder

#รับสมัครParttime #พนักงานเสิร์ฟหญิง
#พนักงานเสิร์ฟชาย #ผู้ช่วยครัวชายหรือหญิง
#Posting work only on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
💸Total income per day of work 300++
💸Income per day, full day work 400++
**There is income+increase tips every day**

**JOB DETAILS**
🏃 ♂️🏃 ♂️🏃 ♂️🏃 ♂️🏃 ♂️🏃 ♂️🏃 ♂️
✅Female waitress (18-28 years old)
-Clearing up the shop during opening and closing the shop.
- Food & Drinks Will Be Served
-Can suggest food and drink menus
- Keep the glass clean without breaking it.
**Without experience, just a willingness, we will accept internships**

✅Kitchen Assistant. Male and Female (18-28 years old)
-Clearing up the shop during opening and closing the shop.
-have experience in front of bed and knife
-Can fry, fry, salad, grill.
**Without experience, just a willingness, we will accept internships**

****Working time** 🕘
-Thursday - Friday 15.00-22.00
-Sat-Sun-Festival Holiday 09.00-22.00

👍Welfare👍
-There is food and drinks for every meal.
-Special tips for every position every day.
-Lots of work, lots of tips.
-Salary is paid every half month.
-festive feasts and bonuses

✅Special Features✅
-Strong, patient, agile, honest, punctual.
Inquire, call. 086111546 or send work details via inbox to the shop.

Reseförsäkring Thailand. Claes Ebler

Detta kostar din reseförsäkring!

(23/10-22)

Många har en hemförsäkring och använder dess resedel så länge den gäller. Därefter vid behov gör man en förlängning.
Det finns ett antal anledningar till att förlänga sin hemförsäkring (om man har en).
Tex för:
-Resan är längre en de ingående dagarna.
-Speciell försäkring vid visa ansökan.
-Ingen hemförsäkring.
-Vill ha en sammanhängande försäkring.
Då gäller ofta dessa två alternativ, Gouda och ERV. Båda bra försäkringar med bra innehåll.
Men de har blivit väldigt dyyyra!

Får dagligen förfrågningar om billigare alternativ framförallt för de lite äldre.
Det finns stora besparingar att göra här!

"Det gör mig extra varm om hjärtat när jag hör att vi hade inte haft råd att resa om vi inte fått hjälp med detta!!"

Ännu fler frågar om priserna och nu har jag äntligen hunnit med ett par exempel ni kan kika  på nedan.
För alla bolag gäller att "pre existing conditions" dvs tidigare och nuvarande åkommor/sjukdomar inte omfattas (lite förenklat).
Lite olika bedömningar gäller mellan bolagen men kan inte säga att någon skulle vara bättre eller sämre på detta, bara att det kan skilja från fall till fall.

ACS och Coris har fastställda beloppsgränser.
Gouda och ERV har oftast inga beloppsgränser utan anger "skäliga kostnader".
Gouda och ERV har förutom det medicinska en hel del reseanpassade ersättningar, tex. försenat flyg, borttappat bagage, stöld, ansvarsförsäkring mm.

Gouda och ERV gäller World wide exkl USA.
ACS och Coris gäller World wide!

*ERV = Bas
**ACS Här Globe Partner som har en max ersättning på 150 000 €, så ganska väl tilltaget. De har även som Gouda och ERV reseersättningsdelar förutom det medicinska. Priset talar för sig själv och jag har hjälpt många med denna. Inga klagomål so far. I mina ögon en av de bästa internationella reseförsäkringarna.
OBS! Man måste kunna instämma i deras hälsopåstående!!
***Coris, Travel Health, en mkt omtyckt försäkring bland långliggare/Expats då de inte har ngn åldersbegränsning eller tidsbegränsning (även om man i nuläget bara kan teckna den för 120 dgar åt gången men inga problem med förlängning.
Här har man 3 pris nivåer 25 / 50 / 100 000€ priserna nesan för 25 000 och 100 000.
De försöker också lösa akuta sjukdomar på plats (även de lite kostsammare) innan man får åka hem för rehab/eftervård, om det skulle behövas. (Resan då betald men inte rehab/eftervård)
Dessa priser omfattar inga reserelaterade delar, förutom biljetter i vissa fall, men de har även ett sådant alternativ, vilket inte många har valt, (Multi Risk). Men bra om man skall resa utanför Thailand.
OBS! De är tuffa med att akut sjukdom inte är när man kan boka tid om någon dag eller så.
Detta då många som bor i Thailand har den och det är inte en sjukförsäkring! Men väldigt bra ändå!

Vill ni ha mer specifik info om ACS och Coris så maila mig på:
clas.007@hotmail.com
Med vänlig hälsning

Clas
Ps. Friskriver mig ev felaktigheter i priser eller text men vore tacksam om ni ville höra av er om ni upptäcker ngt fel så jag kan rätta!

OBS! I mitten av nästa månad kommer den årliga jämförelsen av de bästa sjukförsäkringarna. (Har blivit lite försenad pga flooding). 

Cabinet will deliberate 4am closing. Ministry seeks break for nightspots. The Tourism and Sports Ministry will ask the cabinet to consider allowing nightspots in certain tourism spots to stay open until 4am as the Covid-19 pandemic eases along with many virus curbs. Bangkok Post

Cabinet will deliberate 4am closing
Entertainment venues and street shops on Khao San Road on Sept 23, 2022. (Photo: Pornprom Satrabhaya)
Entertainment venues and street shops on Khao San Road on Sept 23, 2022. (Photo: Pornprom Satrabhaya)

The Tourism and Sports Ministry will ask the cabinet to consider allowing nightspots in certain tourism spots to stay open until 4am as the Covid-19 pandemic eases along with many virus curbs.

Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said on Saturday studies found that if nightspots are allowed to operate until 4am, their income would increase by 40%.

''However, a public referendum will have to be held to decide where nightlife outlets will be allowed to operate until that time,'' he said.

Mr Phiphat said that after the virus was downgraded from a dangerous communicable disease to a communicable disease under surveillance from Oct 1, the ministry is moving ahead with plans to develop tourist destinations in four clusters of provinces, by highlighting unique local cultures, traditions and histories to promote tourism.

For example, a study is being conducted to promote low-carbon tourism in Phangnga, part of the Andaman cluster.

As for Phuket, a plan will be devised to develop state land in tambon Mai Khao of Thalang district into a yacht club, a sports complex and a convention hall, which will be linked with a project to promote wellness tourism in the province, Mr Phiphat said, adding the private sector will be urged to invest.

Activities will be held seasonally to attract tourists and boost income for local people, the minister said.

In 2019 before the pandemic struck, over 39.8 million tourists came to Thailand, generating more than 3 trillion baht.

During the pandemic, tourism was one of the industries hardest hit and the ministry worked closely with various agencies to ease the impact by launching the Phuket Sandbox scheme in July last year, Mr Phiphat said.

He added the MotoGP 2022 World Championship was held in Buri Ram between Sept 30 and Oct 2, pulling in foreign visitors and spectators which gave the local economy a boost.

In the longer run, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is devising a campaign to woo international visitors to future MotoGP events.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Thailand has handed over a total of 100,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine for children aged 5-11 as well as vaccination equipment worth 50 million baht to Myanmar as part of public health cooperation in Asean.




lördag 22 oktober 2022

Woman who lived at Suvarnabhumi Airport for 2 months gets help. THE Thai version of the movie “The Terminal” played out in real life after a mysterious 28-year-old woman got help after living at Suvarnabhumi Airport for almost two months while waiting to be picked up by her mother, Sanook.com said today (Oct. 22).- Thai Newsroom

Woman who lived at Suvarnabhumi Airport for 2 months gets help

THE Thai version of the movie "The Terminal" played out in real life after a mysterious 28-year-old woman got help after living at Suvarnabhumi Airport for almost two months while waiting to be picked up by her mother, Sanook.com said today (Oct. 22).

Ms. Paweena Hongsakul, chairman of the Paweena Foundation for Children and Women, went to the airport to investigate after informing Ms. Wannapha Sukkong, head of Samut Prakan Social Development and Human Security Office,  Mr. Charin Khaosud, director of the Samut Prakan Centre for the Protection of the Homeless, and Ms. Panisara Salakornthanawat, head of the Samut Prakan Children's Home, about this case.

Once there she was told that Ms Noi (pseudonym),  who was thin and looked hungry, had lived at the airport terminal's first floor, gate four, for almost two months.

Security guards said during this time she had been asking passengers for money and had shoplifted from the convenience store. 

She seemed confused and was unable to say where her home is nor provide any details about her relatives, only saying that her mother had told her to wait at the airport after returning from abroad.

Initially the Samut Prakan Centre for the Protection of the Homeless and Samut Prakan Children's Home are providing her with temporary protection in keeping with Homeless Act, 2014.

Meanwhile the Paveena Foundation and the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security are working together in trying to locate her relatives.






Thai visa runs to Laos: latest updates - Pattaya Mail

Thai visa runs to Laos: latest updates

Visitors wait to cross the Friendship Bridge, the main land crossing point between Thailand and Laos.

From this month, the Thai embassy in Vientiane in neighboring Laos has announced the latest regulations regarding the issue of 60 days, single tourist visas which, in most cases, can be extended for a further 30 days at Thai immigration. However, the procedure is more complicated than visiting the Cambodian border which issues 45 days visa exempt to most nationalities with the option of extending a further month in Thailand.

The Thai embassy in Laos has announced that applicants will need to show a Thai bank book with at least 25,000 baht (around US$650) available for spending in Thailand. Most nationalities can apply for the 60 days tourist visa, but those from 29 countries (including China and Bangladesh) may be subject to significant delays as further identity checks are made. Double or multiple entries to Thailand are awarded only to Laos citizens or to foreigners with long stay residence rights.

Entry to Laos may be made by road or air, although immigration officers will likely want to see proof of prior booking of accommodation in or near Vientiane. Appointments at the embassy must be booked in advance, via its website, and walk-ins are no longer allowed. The process usually takes 24 hours involving one night's stay in the capital. Several Thai tour companies offer visa runs to Laos either by minibus or by air, the former with an inclusive charge of around 15,000 baht and about double that amount by air.

Most foreigners wanting a longer holiday in Thailand are opting at the Cambodian border for a new 45 days visa exempt stamp with the option to extend for a further month. However, some nationalities (notably Indians and Chinese) cannot use this route as they are not categorized visa exempt, but rather visa on arrival which is different. Visa on arrival applies to around 20 countries and offers 30 days (plus 15) on payment of a fee of 2,000 baht on arrival in Thailand, unless waived. All foreigners are restricted to two border visa runs in a 12 months period.

Another issue with the Cambodian border is that only organized groups with a tour or visa company are permitted to do the run in a single day. Individuals without an escort arriving at Aranyaprathet or Pong Nam Ron immigration border checkpoints are being told that they must remain several days in Cambodia because their ID details were not sent for scrutiny in advance. The best advice right now is to organize a visa run via an agency which does regular runs and knows the ropes. Covid-free documentation is no longer required for entry to Cambodia, Laos or Thailand.