BANGKOK — A smart bikeshare soon to hit the streets of Bangkok was one way presented at a Wednesday conference to improve the quality of the capital’s air.
Beijing-based Mobike was unveiled as an alternative transport to motor vehicles during a conference at the United Nations, in an effort to curb mounting air pollution in Bangkok, which in recent weeks has left the capital gasping for air. The system is operated via a phone app.
The bikeshare, which has run pilot projects to test its products both in Bangkok and Chiang Mai since November, will also give commuters more transportation choices.
Sam Nathapong, Mobike’s Thailand representative, said the free test runs at Kasetsart University in Chiang Mai city – where 3,000 aluminium-frame bicycle have been introduced on a free test-run basis – have been satisfactory and that a full introduction of the bicycle would be made available soon in Bangkok and Chiang Mai.
“It’s an alternative transportation. Say, you can use it for one to two kilometers into Soi Thonglor compared to flagging down a taxi and face traffic jam,” Sam said, adding that the Mobike should be particularly popular for those riding it from a train station to nearby condominium.
He refused to pin down the exact timeframe but said the company is negotiating with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration for detailed parking space and regulations.
The project partners with the World Health Organization and United Nations Human Settlement among others. Countries such as Singapore, Australia and Malaysia have already fully deployed the service.
Sam said challenges facing the Thai market will include prompting users to download the app, finding the closest bike, and unlocking the bike by scanning the QR code. Sam said some in Chiang Mai had ended up parking bikes at home while others were unaware of what a public smartbike is.
Parking and locking the Mobike can be done at any public parking space through the mobile application.
Sam said Mobike Thailand is working on a payment mode and that it would be compatible with credit cards.
The Thai representative said that the company will help reduce the use of cars.
Polo players behind mahouts sit astride each elephants as they vie for the ball during the King's Cup Elephant Polo tournament in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, March 8, 2018. The annual elephant polo charity event raises funds for projects that better the lives of Thailand's wild and domesticated elephant population. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
BANGKOK — An international animal rights organization said it would continue pressing for Thailand to drop an annual elephant polo event after convincing eight sponsors to pull their support.
Eight foreign multinationals have reportedly withdrawn their support for the King’s Cup Elephant Polo tournament following the release of a video showing mahouts violently striking the elephants was published by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA.
PETA said Wednesday that the eight former sponsors were Sunraysia, Campari Group, Grohe, Ecolab, JDE, Angus Energy, Hafele and Vespa. All firms are based in Europe, the United States or Australia.
“Animals are not ours to use for entertainment,” PETA’s Ashley Fruno said via email. “PETA urges everyone visiting Thailand to avoid elephant polo or any animal attractions as every ticket purchased pays for the cruelty to continue.”
The group repeated its call for other international brands including winemaker Ferrari Spumante, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, Hooters, Citibank and Johnnie Walker to drop support.
“PETA will continue to write to companies who have not withdrawn their support of the event, and will continue to educate tourists to make sure that they know that anytime they see elephants perform or give rides, the animals were first beaten into submission,” Fruno wrote on Thursday.
On March 9, PETA published a video showing mahouts repeatedly strike elephants on the head and jabbing them with bullhooks – weapons that resemble fireplace pokers with sharp metal hooks at the end.
William Heinecke, host of the annual King’s Cup Elephant Polo, said afterward the abuse amounted to isolated incidents and did not warrant canceling the event.
In 2011, an elephant polo match in the northern India city of Jaipur was canceled after PETA protests led to beer giant Carlsberg dropping its support.
Crash survivor Somjit Jampasri, seated in red, comforts a crying woman.
NAKHON RATCHASIMA — The families of those killed in a bus crash trickled in to retrieve their loved ones’ bodies Thursday as footage spread of passengers having fun before the deadly wreck.
Family members identified husbands, grandchildren and aunts who died when their bus hurtled over a center divider, clipped an oncoming truck and crashed into roadside shops last night in the Wang Nam Khiao district of Nakhon Ratchasima. Survivors and witnesses were on hand to recount what happened.
“The bus had been shaking side to side before the crash. I heard someone yell, ‘Brakes out!’ And many people in the bus got down on the floor,” Somjit Jampasri, one of the survivors, said this morning. “After the crash, I saw many dead people drowning in pools of blood.”
The double-decker bus went over the traffic island on the 304 Road after possible brake failure and broke apart after crashing into a tree and five roadside shops.
Although fatal bus accidents are common occurrences, no other accident has seized as much attention since 25 people were killed in a fiery Chonburi province wreck in January 2017, an accident that led to higher safety requirements for interprovincial vans.
A witness points Thursday morning to the wreckage of a tour bus that collided with a truck before plowing into five shops the night before.
The deceased bus passengers – 13 women and five men – included two girls and a boy. One family alone lost four people.
The trip was organized by Sompit Suthichom, and on the morning of the crash, she live streamed several videos of passengers dancing and having fun on the bus.
Today, family member Pairote Wangpikul, 58 of Kalasin province, was mourning Sompit, who died alongside her her husband and two grandchildren.
“I feel so sad. The family’s business was doing so well too,” Pairote said. “I don’t know what to do except wait to receive their bodies.”
A police review of GPS data found that the bus was traveling only 80kph at the time of the collision, lending credence to the possibility its brakes failed.
The driver fled the scene and is still on the run.
The bus was carrying 47 tourists from a beach in Chanthaburi province back to Kalasin province. Most were rice mill workers. Their bodies are currently at Wang Nam Khiao, Pak Thong Chai and Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima hospitals.
Kalasin Gov. Kraisorn Kongchalard said that the families would get about 650,000 baht compensation per victim.
BANGKOK — Like what Hunter S. Thompson is to writers and the Sex Pistols to punk, Mala is to dubstep.
Next month, the South London legend will come to Bangkok to celebrate its own pioneering dubstep community on the occasion of its year 10 birthday bash.
Dubway Sessions will round out its first decade with musical talent Mark Lawrence, aka Mala, one of the most influential figures in dubstep scene and half of music duo Digital Mystikz.
Dubway founder Mongkorn “DJ Dragon” Timkul said Mala is still a relevant innovator who “never went pop or went off to do some cheesy house or techno.”
Supporting Mala will be Kuala Lumpur’s DJ Low and local deck jockeys including Phatfunk, BKRAS, DJ Dragon and MC Dan Stezo.
The party starts at 9pm on April 27 at De Commune, an authentically underground addition to Bangkok’s live music on Soi Sukhumvit 55.
Early-bird tickets are 700 baht and go on sale April 1. Regular tickets are 950 baht at the door. They include one drink and can be purchased online.
Dubway Sessions was launched in 2008 by DJs Dragon to become the capital’s premier dub promoter.
The Department of International Trade Promotion, Ministry of Commerce or DITP, aims to support Thai character creators in the international market and create more commercial value for their works with the marketing promotion campaign, Character Licensing, that connects Thai character creators to meet potential buyers from all over the world, at STYLE April 2018 between April 19-23, 2018 at BITEC Bangna.
Character licensing is an attractive emerging market for Thai entrepreneurs that is growing exponentially in value. In 2016, the character licensing market held the value at 1,687 million baht, which was a 7.2 percent increase from 2015. The market had the tendency to grow by 9.5 percent in 2017 and 8.1 percent in 2018, where total market value is expected to skyrocket to 2,000 million baht within this year.
Import wise, Thai character licensing had 14 million baht import value in 2016 that increased from 2015 by 16.67 percent. This promising growth rate prompts DITP to fully support Thai character creators to launch their products in the international markets.
The Department of International Trade Promotion – DITP’s Director-General Mrs. Chantira Jimreivat Vivatrat, says that the character licensing market is presently open for characters with unique, exceptional designs. Several Thai character creators, such as Shelldon, Mamuang, Jay the Rabbit, Bloody Bunny, Shew Sheep and so forth, have successfully entered the international markets, but there are many more creators that lack the knowledge, understanding and skills in penetrating the international markets or leasing their license to overseas clients.
DITP hence steps in to give support and opportunity to Thai character creators to penetrate the international markets, especially in established markets like Japan and USA, and the new markets like China and CLMV (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam) and to add value to Thai characters.
“So far the international markets have not been aware of the potential of Thai characters, and that lessens business opportunities for a lot of character creators. That’s why DITP has initiated the Character Licensing campaign, with support from several other organizations. We took Thai character creators to various character licensing-related fairs both locally and internationally to showcase their potentials and broaden their business opportunity.
DITP will also showcase some of their works in STYLE April 2018, where buyers from all over the world will be attending. We believe this will create a great
Opportunity to tell the world about our Thai talents and their unique works. And hopefully this would help boost and strengthen character licensing trade for Thai creators, and ultimately give Thai talents competitive edge in the global market,” Mrs. Chantira Jimreivat Vivatrat says.
The Character-Licensing event aims to create more business channel and generate business matching opportunity between entrepreneurs that own their characters’ license and potential trade partners from other industries, both in Thailand and abroad.
The event is also expected to help promote and support the Thai digital content entrepreneurs and industry, making Thai products recognized in the international markets.
Character Licensing will be held as part of STYLE April 2018, Asia’s Most Stylish Fair, from April 19-23, 2018 (trade days from April 19-21 from 10.00 am – 6.00 pm, and public days on April 22-23 from 10.00 am -9.00pm) at BITEC Bangna, Bangkok.
For more information, please visit www.stylebangkokfair.com or DITP Call Center 1169.
Jess Barnes holds a plate of goat tartare at Viva Thonglor.
BANGKOK — Goat tartare is on the menu at a trendy Thong Lor bistro, though the dozen-or-so staff joke that the dish is “goat koi,” a raw meat salad eaten in Isaan.
The Australian manager and chef whose resume includes several Bangkok eateries slices the duck meat before embellishing it with green eggplant, ground roasted rice, pomegranate seeds and mint.
“Goat koi. Can you eat it? It’s not kao,” Jess Barnes says in Thai to his staff, reassuring them that the goat meat doesn’t have a fishy odor.
The meat really doesn’t – but head chef Rungroj “Mui” Wongtakhiaw suggests that the dish could use a splash of spirits, or lao kao.
Thus goes an evening briefing at Viva Thonglor, on Sukhumvit 55 right next to the entrance to Soi Thong Lor 21, now managed by Barnes, who has been off the restaurant scene radar since making a name with places such as Quince and Opposite Mess Hall. Now he’s running ops for the well-packed bistro in an area well-packed with hipster restaurants.
Head chef Rungroj “Mui” Wongtakhiaw holds up a plate of locally-sourced cheese.
Barnes characterizes the Viva Thonglor menu as “simple, approachable European food with a twist” that is largely made with local produce.
“The seasons determine what’s available in the markets, and that defines the menu,” Barnes said.
He presents a cheese board with Nakhon Sawan-produced cheese by Heaven on Cheese, served with tangy yet sweet Chiang Rai green tomato and raisin chutney to cut the heavy dairy.
“I love cheese, and this one is so good,” he said, slicing off the surprisingly creamy, rich Camembert.
Viva Thonglor sources charcuterie from local butcher Sloane’s, which will open an ordering station at the restaurant soon, while their goats come from a farmer in Chonburi.
I don’t use CP. There are easier ways to make a deal with the devil.
He points to one of his dishes, the dry-aged pork chop with onion mustard and charred greens (700 baht). “These are free-range pigs. I’ve got photos of me running around with the pigs at the farm in Nakhon Pathom,” Barnes said.
Barnes first came to Bangkok from Melbourne in 2009 to work at the Intercontinental Hotel before Quince and Opposite Mess Hall, which reportedly came to an end under acrimonious circumstances in 2015.
Although he’s been out of the scene since closing Opposite, he still ranks among the pioneers of what he dubs the “indie restaurant movement” in Bangkok – that is, stand-alone restaurants rather than fancy hotel restaurants.
During his hiatus (“there were some bad investments; I can’t talk about it”) Barnes was consulting and did some work for a supermarket named Viva Market Thonglor. Now the first two floors of the six-story place is Viva Thonglor, and he is manager. He sees the third floor becoming a cocktail bar and giving the higher floors over to a restaurant named 1251.
Viva Thonglor’s sous chef Suchada “Tookta” Tachawijitjarn hazelnut-chocolate sorbet with dark chocolate mousse, cocoa “soil” made with cocoa and butter, cherry granita all topped with pansies from Chiang Rai (250 baht).
“I’m lucky. Grateful that even one person likes what I do here. Thailand’s been good to me and good for me,” Barnes said.
When it comes to stocking the kitchen, Barnes said ethical sourcing is important.
“I don’t use CP,” he said, referring to the massive agricorp. “There are easier ways to make a deal with the devil.”
He also doesn’t source local beef due to environmental concerns: Thailand’s land isn’t feasible to produce cattle feed, unlike Australia, where he imports all of it from. Ethical seafood is also hard to find locally.
“So many companies overfish the seas and force people to fish and raise things that live in their own shit,” he said, recounting a trip to a “smelly farm” in Pranburi. He refused to buy shrimp there, which were living in waist-high tanks pumped with phosphates and antibiotics, and instead sources shrimp from Vietnam.
“I’m not trying to save the world, I’m trying to be respectful to the people in the community.” Barnes said, adding that treating staff ethically is also part of that.
“A lot of people will harp on about food waste and sustainability but force their staff to work for eight hours a day for 11,000 baht a month,” he said.
“I used to be a real monster in the kitchen, but I’ve grown past it. You need to treat people the way they need to be treated,” he added.
Head chef Rungroj “Mui” Wongtakhiaw holds a pork chop dish with Jess Barnes.
Indeed, his rapport with Chef Mui appears one of respected equals. Mui and the sous chef, Suchada “Tookta” Tachawijitjarn, 33, are part of Mui’s core team who have followed him from restaurant to restaurant.
Not only did Mui say that the Goat Tartare, Thai & Israeli flavors (500 baht) should be prepared and paired with whiskey, the head chef who worked his way up from washing dishes from restaurants all over Sukhumvit and trained only in hospitality also created the seafood dish of Norwegian Cod with beets, kale and Japanese-style plum sauce (650 baht).
Mui recommends people try his buttermilk fried chicken sandwich (350 baht). “The brioche really goes with the buttery, crispy fried chicken,” said the chef who threw away a mint leaf for being slightly bruised.
“Some people call this food modern Australian, too. There’s not so much Asian influence yet, but I’ve been giving Mui more freedom. The cod dish is all him; I just adjusted the presentation a little bit,” Barnes said.
At the second-floor kitchen, Barnes and Mui show off their vat of goat bubbling in its own milk, which Barnes jokingly describes as “macabre.”
He hopes to bring back the meats “our grandparents used to eat: livers, brains, testicles” and so on. “I think if you’re going to eat an animal, you should eat the whole thing,” said the former butcher and former vegan.
Jess Barnes makes goat tartare in the Viva Thonglor kitchen.
Barnes recommends visitors go for the salad of heirloom tomatoes, bresaola, smoked burrata and herbs (550 baht), while his claim to fame since his early days in Bangkok: bone marrow dumplings, is also on the menu here (600 baht). Almost half of the menu is vegetarian, and Barnes recommends the beetroot salad with pomelo, pickled chili, labneh and pistachio (330 baht).
The bistro currently sees largely hi-so Thai and Japanese and French expats for dinner, Barnes said, adding that local office workers do drop in for the four-dish, 400 baht lunch courses.
“I want people to come in and see the same faces behind the bar, and feel like they’re looked after with the same attention to detail that we give to the food,” Barnes said.
Viva Thonglor is open daily except Monday from 10am to 11pm, but plans to soon operate seven days a week starting at 9am.
The dry aged pork chop with onion mustard and charred greens (700 baht).Head chef Rungroj “Mui” Wongtakhiaw holds a pork chop dish with Jess Barnes.The Goat Tartare, Thai & Israeli flavors (500 baht).Norwegian Cod with beets, kale and Japanese-style plum sauce (650 baht).
Hazelnut-chocolate sorbet with dark chocolate mousse, cocoa “soil” made with cocoa and butter, cherry granita and pansies from Chiang Rai (250 baht).The Gin Jockey (320 baht), a drink of Spanish gin with ginger ale, chili, lime and basil.The Jimmy Valentine, a cocktail of white and dark rums with orange curacao, orange and pineapple juices and egg whites (260 baht).Jess Barnes adjusts the menu after having his staff try out the goat tartare at Viva Thonglor.Jess Barnes makes goat tartare in the Viva Thonglor kitchen.A pot of goat boiled in its own milk in the kitchen at Viva Thonglor.
This story is based on a preview event and is not a full critical review.
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov in 2016 in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. Photo: Alexei Druzhinin / Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The tempest over President Donald Trump’s congratulatory phone call to Vladimir Putin quickly grew on Wednesday into an uproar over White House leaks, sparking an internal investigation and speculation over who might be the next person Trump forces out of the West Wing.
The White House, which has suffered frequent leaks – at times of notable severity – said in a statement it would be a “fireable offense and likely illegal” to leak Trump’s briefing papers to the press, after word emerged that the president had been warned in briefing materials not to congratulate the Russian president on his re-election.
Trump did so anyway, and on Wednesday he defended the call, saying George W. Bush did not have the “smarts” to work with Putin, and that Barack Obama and his secretary of state, Hillary Clinton “didn’t have the energy or chemistry” with the Russian leader.
Aides had included guidance in Trump’s talking points for the call to Putin stating: “DO NOT CONGRATULATE,” a senior administration official said Wednesday, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the official had not been authorized to discuss internal matters.
The document had been accessible only to a select group of staffers, two officials said, and had been drafted by aides to National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster. They also said there now is an internal probe of the leak but provided no other details. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive internal deliberations. The White House is not formally acknowledging the veracity of the presidential guidance first reported by The Washington Post.
Trump defended his decision to congratulate Putin in his Wednesday tweets, saying Obama did the same in 2012.
“Getting along with Russia (and others) is a good thing, not a bad thing,” Trump said, adding that Russia can “help solve problems” from North Korea to “the coming Arms Race.”
The White House statement earlier Wednesday about a possible firing was an unusual threat and an indication of the seriousness with which the administration is treating the latest breach. Trump and Chief of Staff John Kelly are both angry over the disclosure, officials said, especially because of the small circle of distribution.
Trump has told confidants that be believes the leak was meant to embarrass and undermine him, said White House officials and outside advisers familiar with the president’s thinking but not authorized to publicly discuss private conversations.
The president has suggested it was done by “the deep state,” they said. That’s the catchall phrase for career officials and the Washington establishment who, Trump believes, have tried to protect their own grasp on power by sabotaging him.
Trump has insisted that maintaining a strong personal relationship with Putin is the United States’ best chance of improving ties with Russia and has signaled to allies that he trusts his own instincts in dealing with the Russian president.
Other leaks of classified material – including partial transcripts of Trump’s calls with foreign leaders – have not garnered specific warnings of termination or criminal action. It was not clear whether this week’s document was classified, but it was included with other classified papers.
It also was unclear whether Trump, who prefers oral briefings, had read the talking points prepared by his national security team before Tuesday’s call. McMaster briefed the president by phone before the conversation while Trump was in the White House residence.
The leak further cast doubt on McMaster’s longevity in the top foreign policy post. Trump has been moving toward replacing McMaster on the advice of Kelly and Secretary of Defense James Mattis, but has not settled on timing or a successor.
Trump’s call of congratulations to Putin drew bruising criticism from members of his own party even before the revelation that he was advised against it.
“An American president does not lead the free world by congratulating dictators on winning sham elections,” said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee and has pressed the Trump administration to respond aggressively to Russia’s interference in the U.S. presidential election.
Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, told CNN, “I wouldn’t have a conversation with a criminal.”
The call was the latest indicator of Trump’s personal reluctance to publicly criticize Putin. The White House said Trump did not raise Russia’s meddling in the U.S. elections or its suspected involvement in the recent poisoning of a former spy in Britain in the call with Putin. Trump did discuss the attack against Sergei Skripal Wednesday in a call with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Trump also said he and Putin might meet “in the not too distant future” to discuss the arms race and other matters.
He said that during their hoped-for meeting the two men would likely discuss Ukraine, Syria and North Korea.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended Trump’s call, noting Obama’s similar call and saying, “We don’t get to dictate how other countries operate.”
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio called the leak a “bigger outrage” than Trump’s congratulations for Putin. He said on Twitter that “this ongoing pattern of duplicity holds potential for serious damage to the nation.”
Russia has received global condemnation after Britain blamed Moscow for the recent nerve agent attack that sickened Sergei Skripal and his daughter. Russia has denied the accusation.
Trump’s call came at a period of heightened tension after the White House imposed sanctions on Russia for its interference in the 2016 U.S. election and other “malicious cyberattacks.” Sanders insisted that the administration has scolded Putin at the appropriate times.
AYUTTHAYA — Officials cordoned off parts of a 400-year-old temple attraction Thursday due to damage caused by heavy traffic caused by a sudden surge of interest in the historic attraction.
National park officials warned tourists not to climb the centuries-old structures after bricks used in stairs and lotus ponds at Ayutthaya’s Wat Chaiwatthanaram were broken. The site has seen an influx of tourists since it was used to film scenes for “Bupphesaniwat” (Love Destiny), a highly popular rom-com soap opera.
“The bricks were damaged by the large number of tourists who come dressed in Thai costumes,” said Channarong Kaewruang, a historian working in the Ayutthaya Historical Park. “Some people climb onto the edge of the lotus ponds until they’re damaged.”
Channarong said the damage could be fixed.
Visitors impatient to wait for crowds to pass the temple’s narrow staircases have been climbing over walls and jumping down, further damaging the historical structure.
“Tourists should study the rules and how to act appropriately. Beautiful artifacts could be damaged. This trend of going to historic tourist attractions is good, but coming and not helping everyone preserve the location is bad,” said Nattakorn Heepkaew, a 29-year-old tourist from Chonburi.
The temple usually sees about 3,300 visitors on an average weekend, but that rose to about 10,000 when “Bupphesaniwat” aired. The temple is used as a recurring backdrop for 17th century Ayutthaya in the series.
BANGKOK — TWG Tea celebrates the first light of solstice with its newest Summer Haute Couture Tea Collection, featuring two refreshing flavors of Breakfast Yuzu Tea and Eternal Summer Tea. Whether you’re out to make a splash by the Mediterranean sea, indulge in a tea party by the English meadows or laze around for a siesta under the palm trees, TWG Tea has curated a selection of new teas in luxurious hues of vermilion and turquoise to accompany the turn of the season.
As the quiet break of dawn shines upon the horizon, awaken your senses with an invigorating cup of Breakfast Yuzu Tea, a vivacious blend of green teas delicately balanced by notes of rare citrus fruit and delicate blossoms. A cup of sweet euphoria ready to take flight for the day ahead.
Where long daylight hours beckon, sip on an ice-cold glass of Eternal Summer Tea, a fragrant South Africa theine-free red tea embellished with notes of sweet summer rose blossoms and raw berries, finishing with a lingering aftertaste reminiscent of ripe Tuscan peaches.
The Breakfast Yuzu Tea and Eternal Summer Tea in Haute Couture Tea Collectionretails at 1,360 baht, available at all TWG Tea Salons & Boutiques in Thailand.
In the spirit of the ceaselessly creative designers of haute couture, the Haute Couture Tea Collection® features unique and exclusive seasonal tea blends direct from source gardens, handcrafted by TWG Tea innovators according to the flavours of the season and packaged in brightly colored designer hues that reflect the latest catwalk trends.
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NAKHON RATCHASIMA — A tour bus crashed Wednesday night on a remote road in Nakhon Ratchasima province, killing at least 18 passengers and injuring dozens of others.
The double-decker bus went over a traffic island on a road in the Wang Nam Khiao district after its brakes reportedly failed and clipped an 18-wheeler. Eighteen people died at the scene and more than 30 were injured, according to local police chief Col. Meechai Kamnoedprom.
The bus was carrying 47 tourists from a beach in Chanthaburi province back to their hometown in Kalasin province. The deceased included 13 women and five men, according to Capt. Jirawat Prayoonpan of Wang Nam Khiao police. The driver of the truck was unhurt.
The survivors told police they heard the driver shouting, “Brakes out!” before the vehicle swerved, hit the traffic island and crashed.
The bus driver fled the scene of the accident, according to Jirawat. Police are investigating.
Update: This story was revised with updated information from the police that the bus did not collide with a truck, as originally stated. It merely clipped it as it left the road.
Where long daylight hours beckon, sip on an ice-cold glass of Eternal Summer Tea, a fragrant South Africa theine-free red tea embellished with notes of sweet summer rose blossoms and raw berries, finishing with a lingering aftertaste reminiscent of ripe Tuscan peaches.
