News from Thailand – February 2, 2015
This page contains a selection from the Thai news. We list headlines from major news sources including: Bangkok Post, The Nation, ThaiPBS, MCOT, etc.
There is a web link behind the news items. When you click on it you can read the full article at the English source.
News from Thailand – February 2, 2015
The Nation opens today by saying that the Constitution Commission's (CDC) proposal to merge the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the National Ombudsman is highly questionable and worrying. This merger will greatly reduce the role of the NHRC. That will negatively affect Thailand's international human rights record: http://goo.gl/1KIEHx
– Thailand is not only the 'Land of Smiles' but above all the 'Land of Spirits', writes The Nation. From exorcisms, spirit houses and amulets that are said to protect even against bullets, Thailand has a culture steeped in superstition. According to critics, it is even a national obsession: http://goo.gl/yDRHrv
– Yesterday two self-made time bombs exploded in the center of Bangkok. These were placed on a walkway between Siam BTS (skytrain) and the luxury shopping center Siam Paragon. At first it was thought to be a short circuit in a transformer at the shopping center, but that turned out to be incorrect. The homemade bombs caused a lot of smoke and some damage, but no injuries were reported. The attack has not yet been claimed: http://goo.gl/LXi1m8
– Thai Prime Minister Prayut has ordered security to be stepped up in Bangkok after yesterday's bomb attack: http://goo.gl/V5ihaP
– The head of the KokKram police station and four men have been arrested on suspicion of complicity in prostitution and misconduct. The arrest follows a January 27 raid on a coffee shop in Soi Ram-intra 40 (Bung Kum) which was not a coffee shop but a brothel: http://t.co/wBWVobmzFX
– Inflation in Thailand is falling for the first time in five years. In January, lower prices for oil, electricity, meat, fruit and vegetables caused the consumer price index to fall: http://bit.ly/1LCm2k3
– The Thai tourism sector has pinned its hopes on Chinese tourists to fill the gap left after the Russians stayed away from the collapse of the ruble. In 2015, 5,6 million Chinese tourists are expected. In total, Thailand hopes to receive 25 million tourists: http://t.co/8caiUUv4ax
– You can read more current news on the Twitter feed of Thailandblog.nl: twitter.com/thailand_blog
The Thai tourism sector will be allowed to fill other gaps after the disappearance of the Russians
Phuket, with its new beach regulations, is losing Europeans 'en masse' too.
I used to come to phuket 5 times a year, but haven't been there since November.
And with me many others…
I really don't feel like lying with my hole in the sand
Already been to cambodia and vietnam beach 2 x, and booked again for cambodia today
The Thai tourism sector expects 5.6 million tourists from China.
Where do you get all that from. They also expect to receive 25 million tourists.
25 million. Where do you get that shit from. Surely there must be someone in Thailand who is also at a
psychotherapist in treatment who writes that. I think the training of those kinds of specialists
not the highest level.
The Euro is in ruins and the BHT is strong. The dollar down and the Bht strong.
Ultimately, these currencies determine the world economy.
Thailand only has everyone to blame. The government, like its people, has huge debts.
Ultimately, this can only lead to the total collapse of the Thai economy.
I'm not an economist, just a simple person.
In my experience, every piece of money borrowed must be paid back.
You can saddle the next generation with that, just like in the Netherlands.
I can still write another story. It's a pity for the children of Thailand.
It is also a pity for our children in the Netherlands.
Cor van Kampen.
Thailand expects 28 million tourists and an economic growth of 3.5%. 1998 is not far away,
25 million seems like a lot, but the Chinese are of course mostly day trippers.
You won't easily do that from the west, of course, just for a day.
There was a popular movie in China about Thailand. I don't feel like googling what it's called, but it brings many Northern neighbors who will hopefully not drive up the Thai Baht rate too much.
Like the Bath, I don't think the USD has fallen. The Euro has depreciated.
They will definitely regret that for us here, don't you think?
Remember that in 1990 100 Baht was 6 guilders.
So that €2.70 it is now times 2.20371 (exchange rate from DFL to EUR) = almost exactly the same as 25 years ago.
You just have to accept that it moves a little, but in the end everything will be fine.
One thing is certain, you can't help it and other than that, not much is going to change anyway.
The Thailand of the 1st time I came there is still just like the Thailand of today.
People always say how things change and that everything used to be better.
Well, when I come back sometime after half my life, everything will be exactly the same.
Here, a tree gone, a house there, but the bottom line is that Thailand will always remain the Thailand you fell in love with. If you came there again for the first time tomorrow, you would fall in love again. Just admit it and stop complaining.
If the hope for tourism in Thailand rests in the future on China .
Then it certainly looks bleak for this country .
The ordinary average Chinese are not big spenders at all .
After Russia by the fall of the ruble .
And the low Euro , and not just the Euro .
I hear and read many expats complaining from Sweden through Australia to Canadians about the high Bath.
If that great military sufferer who is now in power also knows about finances, then he would be better off dropping the Bath.
I saw something in the Big C in Lamphun today that I have never seen before in all the years I have lived here permanently.
There they were promoting resorts in the south of Thailand with all kinds of promotions and such.
I then thought on the way back home on the motorbike.
They now have to rely on their own Thai residents , as the foreigners stay away .
A Dutch tour operator with whom I sometimes booked my air tickets is now fully advertising Indonesia with Java and Bali.
I'm afraid that fewer Europeans will come this way in Thailand this year.
But then there are certainly the Chinese, and that is where the HOPE rests.
Jan Beute.
Hallo,
I live in chiang mai and can fully agree with what jan beute says.
Those Chinese, friendly, like to speak to you, mostly reasonable English, but boy oh boy, what n currants.
Seen often enough that they, for example, still offer a portion of Thai pad thai of 40 baht (1 €).
Carlo
I'm afraid that with a weak €, beach chairs won't make the cut.
I live in the north near Kalasin, despite the expensive bath, life here remains dirt cheap compared to Belgian rates
I've worked in the tourism industry and the Chinese are the best thing that can happen to you...OMG
The Chinese don't spend a lot of money, they organize everything themselves, they have their own hotels, buses, etc.
They do like to gamble so Thailand open legal casinos, then you earn money from the Chinese.