Firefighters work on a cite of an explosion at a firework factory in Suphan Buri province, Thailand, Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024. (Samekan Suphan Buri Foundation via AP)
JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI — An explosion at a fireworks factory in central Thailand killed about 20 people on Wednesday, according to provincial officials, though the devastation at the scene has made the death toll uncertain.
The information office of the Suphan Buri provincial government initially announced that 23 people had been killed in the mid-afternoon blast, but on Wednesday night revised its figure to 19 dead and three missing. The national Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation’s earlier preliminary figure had been least 20 people killed.
Suphan Buri is about 95 kilometers (60 miles) northwest of Bangkok, in the heart of Thailand’s central rice-growing region.
A smoke rises after an explosion at a firework factory in Suphan Buri province, Thailand, Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024. (Samerkun Suphan Buri Foundation via AP)
Photos posted on social media showed a thick plume of black smoke over the scene. Photos posted online by local rescue workers showed the factory site virtually leveled flat.
The office of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who is in Switzerland for the World Economic Forum, distributed a video showing him being told over the phone by the regional police commander that there were 20 to 30 workers at the factory at the time of the explosion and that none of them could be found.
Rescue workers at the scene said there were no survivors. None were mentioned by provincial authorities, contradicting the disaster department’s statement that wounded people had been found.
Kritsada Manee-In, a rescue worker with the Samerkun Suphan Buri Rescue Foundation, who earlier estimated that around 15 to 17 people had been killed, said an exact count was difficult because the bodies were in pieces.
A smoke rises after an explosion at a firework factory in Suphan Buri province, Thailand, Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024. (Samekan Suphan Buri Foundation via AP)
The blast came less than a month before Chinese New Year in February, when demand for fireworks is strong. The national disaster agency said the cause of the explosion is under investigation.
National police chief Torsak Sukvimol confirmed local news reports that there had been another explosion at the factory in November 2022 that killed one worker and seriously injured three others. He said police would pursue legal action for any wrongdoing involved in the new accident.
Rescuers work on a cite of an explosion at a firework factory in Suphan Buri province, Thailand, Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024. (Samerkun Suphan Buri Foundation via AP)
In July last year, a large explosion at a fireworks warehouse in southern Thailand killed at least 10 people and wounded more than 100, according to officials.
That explosion in Narathiwat province was in a residential area and damaged about 100 houses within a 500-meter (1,640-foot) radius, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.
The Narathiwat governor said that blast was likely ignited by construction work in the warehouse, with sparks from metal welding causing the fireworks stored inside to catch fire and explode.
Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra greets his supporters as he arrives at Don Muang airport in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
BANGKOK (AP) — Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is serving a prison sentence after being convicted of wrongdoing in office, but he shouldn’t be called an inmate, the country’s Correction Department declared Tuesday.
The agency felt it necessary to explain that it is not being deferential to the controversial former leader when it refers to him in public without using the term.
The department said its standard practice is not to call prisoners “inmates” in its public statements to avoid stigmatizing them. It said the term is only used internally among its officials.
It was responding to critics who charge that Thaksin, a billionaire populist and unofficial patron of the political party that returned to power last year, is being given special treatment while he serves his sentence in a private room in a state hospital instead of in a prison cell.
Thailand’s former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, foreground, with, from left, his son Phantongtae, his daughters Pinthongta and Paetongtarn, arrives at Don Muang airport in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Thaksin, 74, was ousted in a 2006 military coup after being accused of corruption, abuse of power and disrespecting the monarchy. He fled into exile in 2008 ahead of a trial on corruption charges, declaring that he was being prosecuted for political reasons.
He returned to Thailand last year, and after being welcomed by supporters at Bangkok’s airport was taken immediately to prison to begin serving an eight-year term for a series of convictions.
Less than a day later, he was transferred from prison to the Police General Hospital. Corrections Department officials said he had high blood pressure and low oxygen, suffered from insomnia and felt tightness in his chest, and that doctors recommended he be transferred to avoid life-threatening risks.
His return to Thailand came the same day that the Pheu Thai party — the latest incarnation of the party that he originally led to power in 2001, and for which he is considered the de facto leader — won a parliamentary vote to form a new government. The previous government was heavily influenced by the military, which continued its hostility to Thaksin and his allies long after ousting him in 2006.
About a week after Thaksin’s return, King Maha Vajiralongkorn reduced his eight-year sentence to a single year. He will be able to apply for parole after serving one-third of his amended sentence, or four months.
Thaksin was a police lieutenant colonel before becoming a successful telecoms entrepreneur. The Corrections Department and the hospital have declined to reveal in detail what Thaksin is being treated for, citing his right to privacy, although officials have said he has undergone surgery twice.
CHIANG MAI – Behind the popular elephant pants, a highlight product of Thailand, are a wife and a husband from Chiang Mai: Kingkarn Samorn, Managing Director, and Jakkaphum Samorn, Director of Chinrada Garment Company. This local company from Chiang Mai has its production site in the Chaengdoi sub-district in the Doi Saket district.
The couple’s business began with Kingkarn wanting to have her own business and have time to raise her children. She gave up her regular job and looked around for opportunities. Her mother was a tailor and took up stitching work, while Jakkaphum studied textiles at Rajamangala College of Technology Lanna and was able to draft patterns and design clothes.
Chinrada Garment Company is located in the Chaengdoi sub-district in the Doi Saket district.
They expanded from a small home office in 2013 to a modern factory in 2018 on a 4 rai property to accommodate production capacity for all product groups, over 100 items, of more than 600,000 pieces per year.
The entrepreneurial couple spoke to “Prachachat Business” about their plans for 2024, where they are preparing to market “elephant pants” as soft-power fashion items targeting the online livestream market in Thailand and the global market.
The Samorn couple gave an interview to Prachachat Business.
Kingkarn said Chinrada Garment is 80 percent wholesale, divided into 40 percent domestic market and 40 percent international market (Korea, Japan, Taiwan, US, Australia, China, France, Canada, Netherlands).
These above-mentioned customers buy for resale. The remaining 20 percent is sold by the company itself through online channels (15 percent) and a store in the factory (5 percent). The domestic market includes all regions in which customers resell to tourists.
Customers who are just starting to sell can order as few as 12 units to try out the sale. Wholesale prices are 40, 60, 80 and 100 baht per item, so sellers do not need to keep too much in stock. All items can be mixed and matched in terms of patterns and colors, except for OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) orders, which require a minimum quantity of 100 pieces. Some young people have become sales people before they graduate from high school and take the company’s products with them to sell.
Nowadays, many provinces are developing their own local clothing symbols. According to Chinrada Garment, this does not detract from the popularity of the elephant pants and they are not seen as competition, but rather as a way to make Thailand better known through various symbols and also to increase awareness of the elephant pants. This gives the company the opportunity to produce products for other provinces as well.
Recently, the company has accepted the production of “cat pattern pants” licensed by the “Nakhon Ratchasima Chamber of Commerce” The company has contacted the Nakhon Ratchasima Chamber of Commerce, which has released the license rights to allow vendors to produce cat pattern clothes because they want the cat pattern pants to become as popular as the elephant pants. This has resulted in the company receiving a large number of orders for the production of cat patterns.
Currently, no other factory in Thailand can produce such complete products as Chinrada. The company now produces items with cat patterns, including pants, skirts, hats, bags, etc. for its own sale. There are also requests for the production of pants with monkey patterns.
Kingkarn said that for the 2024 plan, they will make products for all ages and target groups, from children and teenagers to seniors.
They will add 10 more garments that are easy to wear and sell well, with the elephant pattern fabric being the main selling point. They will produce more stretchy fabrics such as elephant pattern leggings, elephant pattern yoga pants and elephant pattern sleepwear.
At the same time, they will use elephant pants for a fashion line to appeal to the growing number of Thai teenagers who are becoming online live stream sellers. Examples include elephant patterned pants, mini skirts and minimalist dresses with elephant or cat patterns. They are also preparing to tap into the international market, such as winter coats with elephant patterns.
products of Chinrada Garment
In addition to the Bemberg fabrics, they have now added Italian silk to their production of elephant pants and other patterned garments. The company has set a sales growth target of 50 percent for this year. Currently, the company has a production capacity of about 2,000 pieces of elephant pants and all other garments per day or more than 600,000 pieces per year and aims to reach 1 million pieces per year in the near future.
She added that elephant pants are 100 percent soft power. She wants the government to promote Thailand by making elephant pants a well-known symbol. She wants it to become a global trend.
As an entrepreneur who has been making elephant pants and shirts for more than 10 years, she has seen that the elephant pattern is not a trend, but a garment that everyone can wear, from children to the elderly.
“It is soft power. Wearing elephant patterns is now very popular among Thai people, especially teenagers who are more responsive to the elephant pants. It has become a lifestyle and has led to job creation,” the business woman said.
The governor of Phuket and police officers examine the broken glass from the damaged door.
PHUKET – Sophon Suwannarat, the governor of Phuket, had to work outside his office on the morning of January 17, 2024, after someone broke into his office and smashed the front door window. The intruder was later identified as a Russian tourist.
Phuket City Police Station received a report of the incident at 7:27 a.m. on Jan. 17. According to the report, the incident occurred at the Phuket Governor’s office on the fourth floor of the new provincial hall in Talad Nuea sub-district, Muang district, Phuket.
When police and investigators arrived at the scene, they found that the right glass door to the governor’s office had been smashed, leaving broken glass scattered on the floor. There was also a trail of blood leading away from the door. Under the secretary’s desk, they found a fire axe with traces of blood.
The intruder left the axe at the scene.
The police have taken photos of the crime scene and collected evidence. The motive for the attack is still being investigated.
According to the investigation, prior to the incident at around 2:45 a.m., a member of the Volunteer Defense Corps on duty at Provincial Hall heard a phone ringing outside the elevator on the second floor. He went to check and turned off the sound. Then he saw a shirtless foreign man, dressed only in black shorts, hiding on the second floor near the elevator. He rushed over to grab him, but the man shook his arm and fled to the upper part of the provincial hall.
The officer then called 191 to report the incident and look for the foreigner, but they did not find him. Around 4:30 a.m., members of the Volunteer Defense Corps and police officers heard the sound of breaking glass in Province Hall, but could not figure out where it was coming from. Around 6:30 a.m., the housekeeper of the Provincial Hall came upstairs and realized that the glass in the Phuket Governor’s office was broken, so she reported the incident to the police.
Phuket’s Governor’s Office was intruded on in the early hours of Wednesday.
Later, Phuket City Police Station received a report from local residents that a foreign man was trying to steal a resident’s motorcycle parked in front of a convenience store near the provincial hall. Police investigated and found a shirtless foreign man wearing only shorts. His feet had been cut by glass and were bleeding. The officers then arrested him and took him to Vachira Phuket Hospital.
During the preliminary investigation, the man was found to be a Russian national, 24 years old. He was incoherent and was suspected to be suffering from a mental illness. The doctor at Vachira Phuket Hospital gave him medication and initially kept him at rest for treatment.
FILE - A protester wearing a pin with a symbol of a watermelon participates in a demonstration calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war at the COP28 U.N. Climate Summit, Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)
ANNA FURMAN – Over the past three months, on banners and T-shirts and balloons and social media posts, one piece of imagery has emerged around the world in protests against the Israel-Hamas war: the watermelon.
The colors of sliced watermelon — with red pulp, green-white rind and black seeds — are the same as those on the Palestinian flag. From New York and Tel Aviv to Dubai and Belgrade, the fruit has become a symbol of solidarity, drawing together activists who don’t speak the same language or belong to the same culture but share a common cause.
To avoid repressive censorship, Chinese dissidents once pioneered “algospeak,” or creative shorthands that bypass content moderation, recently seen with Winnie the Pooh memes mocking Chinese President Xi Jinping. People around the world began using algospeak to subvert algorithmic biases on TikTok, Instagram and other platforms.
FILE – Mitzi Jonelle Tan, of the Philippines, center, and activists demonstrate for climate justice and a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war at the COP28 U.N. Climate Summit, Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)
The internet is now teeming with pictorial signs — pixelated images, emoji and other typographical codes — that signal political dissent. The watermelon emoji is the latest example.
Here’s how the watermelon went from being a symbol of protest in the West Bank and Gaza to a global sign of solidarity with Palestinians online.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
After the 1967 Mideast war, the Israeli government cracked down on displays of the Palestinian flag in Gaza and the West Bank. In Ramallah in 1980, the military shut down a gallery run by three artists because they showed political art and works in the colors of the Palestinian flag — red, green, black and white.
The trio was later summoned by an Israeli officer. According to artist and exhibit organizer Sliman Mansour, an Israeli officer told him, “It is forbidden to organize an exhibition without permission from the military, and secondly, it is forbidden to paint in the colors of the Palestinian flag.” The officer mentioned a watermelon as one example of art that would violate the army’s rules, Mansour told The Associated Press last week.
In protest, people began to wave the fruit in public.
FILE – Pakistani civil society and political parties chant slogans during a demonstration against Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, and to show solidarity with the Palestinian people, in Karachi, Pakistan, Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan, File)
“There are stories of young men who defiantly walked the streets with slices of the fruit, risking arrest from Israeli soldiers,” Jerusalem-born author Mahdi Sabbagh wrote. “When I see a watermelon, I think of the unbreakable spirit of our people.”
From the mid-90s, when Israelis and Palestinians reached interim peace deals, until the current nationalist Israeli government took office a year ago, raising the Palestinian flag receded as a major issue. Three decades later, “it became a national symbol” again, Mansour said.
A year ago, Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir banned Palestinian flags in public places. This effort was met with fervent opposition. In response, Zazim, an activist group of Arab and Jewish Israelis, plastered taxis in Tel Aviv with large watermelon stickers that read: “This is not a Palestinian flag.”
“Our message to the government is clear,” the organization said in a written statement. “We’ll always find a way to bypass any absurd ban and we won’t stop struggling for freedom of expression and democracy — whether this involves the Pride flag or the Palestinian flag.”
For some, embracing the colors of the flag is about striving for freedom and equality rather than necessarily statehood.
“I’ve never cared for flags or nationalism,” says Mayssoun Sukarieh, an expert in Middle Eastern studies at King’s College London. “But when it comes to Palestine, it’s a flag of a colonized people who never saw independence. And because it has been banned, it becomes more of a symbol of resistance than it is of nationalism.”
WATERMELON EMOJI
Watermelons have long been a staple of food in the region, with some dishes, like a popular salad in southern Gaza, originating with Bedouin Arab tribes.
Increasingly, young activists have adopted the watermelon emoji in calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. Emoji may confuse algorithms that advocates say tech companies deploy to suppress posts with keywords like “Gaza” and even just “Palestinian.”
“With the watermelon (emoji), I think this is actually really the first time where I’ve seen it widely used as a stand-in. And that to me marks a notable uptick in censorship of Palestinian content,” says Jillian York, the director for international freedom of expression at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
The Berlin-based York has analyzed Meta’s policies. While “shadow banning,” or the limited visibility of certain posts, can be difficult to discern, advocacy and nonprofit organizations studying digital rights in the Middle East say they have tracked stark biases, especially on the Meta platforms Facebook and Instagram. Meta hasn’t said much directly about this but cites a statement it released in October.
FILE – Protesters against the Israel-Hamas war hold up large wooden signs as they block the main Port of Tacoma entrance to delay the loading of the Cape Orlando vessel, Monday, Nov. 6, 2023, in Tacoma, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
“Censorship is somewhat obvious” on Instagram, York said. In mid-October, people began to notice that if one’s Instagram bio said “Palestinian” in English alongside the Palestinian flag emoji and “Praise be to god” in Arabic, the app translated the text to “Terrorist.” Meta released a public apology.
Watermelons are not the only symbol to catch on with activists. Other signs of global Palestinian solidarity include keys, spoons, olives, doves, poppies and the keffiyeh scarf. In November, to connect with the peaceful message of Armistice Day, when many Brits traditionally wear red poppy pins, protesters this year passed out white poppy pins, to commemorate victims of all wars. On the holiday, scores of protesters wearing poppy pins marched across London calling for an end to the war in Gaza.
In the United States, Jewish Voice for Peace amplified watermelon imagery in calling for a cease-fire in Gaza last month. The group held signs in New York in the colors of the Palestinian flag and with triangular watermelons, leveraging the triangle symbol of ACT UP, the historic AIDS activist group.
Jason Rosenberg, a member of both organizations, said, “Our reinvented image shows that our fight for liberation and fight to end the epidemic is intrinsically connected to the Palestinian struggle.”
SEED IMAGERY
Another reason the watermelon might resonate: It has seeds. There is a saying, often attributed to the Greek poet Dinos Christianopoulos, that is popular among activists: “They wanted to bury us; they didn’t know we were seeds.”
“You might be able to smash a watermelon. You might be able to destroy a fruit, but the seed is a little harder to crush,” says Shawn Escarciga, an artist who created the coalition’s design. “It’s really powerful that life can come out of something so small and something so resilient — and that it can be spread so, so easily.”
The image of a watermelon punctuated by bold, triangular seeds was held up at the groups’ protest at Manhattan’s Lincoln Center, and has since proliferated online. That often happens — art emerges from protest movements and then enters the mainstream.
“Artists have always been at the forefront of revolution, resistance, politics, in varying degrees,” Escarciga says. “We’re doing this, using this iconic imagery, because AIDS isn’t over — and war is obviously not over.”
Israel’s air, ground and sea assault in Gaza has killed more than 24,000 people, some 70% of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory. The count does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
Throughout, activists around the world have continued to call for peace and a permanent cease-fire. Israel says ending the war now, before Hamas is crushed, would give a victory to the militants who attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7 and killed some 1,200 people and took about 250 hostage.
“We’re seeing Palestinian flags being banned, even the emoji online being flagged — and, you know, the word ‘Palestine’ being censored online,” Escarciga said. “But having this image that transcends language, that transcends culture, that transcends algorithms — can really reach people.”
Carro opens two new branches in Kingkaew and Tiwanon, eyeing expansion plans off a profitable FY2023
Two latest additions put Carro’s total branches in Thailand to five, with existing branches in Bangkok, Chonburi, Ayutthaya
Carro’s expansion plans come off the back of a profitable FY2023 and a record-breaking EBITDA of US$4 million in Q1 FY2024 Bangkok, 17 January 2024 – Carro, Southeast Asia’s largest and most profitable online used car platform, has unveiled two new branches in Kingkaew and Tiwanon, bringing Carro Certified cars that are As Good As New to more people across the suburbs of Bangkok city.
Fong Hon Sum
Fong Hon Sum, CEO of International Marketplace of Carro, says, “Thailand remains one of our key expansion markets in Southeast Asia and these new branches are the beginning of our exciting plans. Everyone deserves to own a Carro Certified vehicle and we’re very much focused on delivering a trustworthy buying and selling experience to people who are not living in the heart of Bangkok city.”
These expansion plans in Thailand come off the back of robust financials across the region driven by strong recurring ecosystem ancillaries, namely in fintech, insurtech, aftersales, and mobility.
Earlier in June 2023, Carro clocked its highest EBITDA of over US$4 million, exceeding profitability targets for Q1 FY2024, despite a seasonally weaker quarter given the Hari Raya, Lebaran and Songkran holidays across the region.
Carro’s Q1 FY2024 (April-June 2023) Gross Profit Margins increased to 14%, well-ahead of FY2023’s Gross Profit Margins of 9%. Its EBITDA is now at an annualised run-rate of over US$50 million, more than 10 times of what it achieved for the entire FY2023.
Shahrol Azman Ahmad
Thailand Country Head Shahrol Azman Ahmad says, “We want Carro to be the number 1 choice for used cars, not just in terms of buying and selling, but for all things car-related throughout the ownership journey. Our expansion plans in Thailand are part of the bigger vision that we have for this key market and Group as a whole and we’re looking forward to ramping up our presence. ”
For a full list of branches, please visit our website.
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About Carro
Founded in 2015, Carro is Southeast Asia’s largest online used car marketplace. By offering a trustworthy and transparent experience, Carro transforms the traditional way of buying and selling cars through proprietary pricing algorithms, AI-enabled capabilities, and innovative technological solutions.
Headquartered in Singapore, the unicorn startup has raised over S$700 million from Softbank Vision Fund and several sovereign funds. It recorded its best ever full-year positive EBITDA of USD4 million in FY2023. Together with its subsidiaries and business lines, Carro is supported by more than 4,500 employees across Asia-Pacific:
Carro, Southeast Asia’s largest online used marketplace with a strong key presence Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand, and a recent expansion into Japan, and Taiwan
myTukar Powered by Carro, Malaysia’s fastest-growing used car ecosystem which covers all aspects of car ownership including buying, selling, financing, insurtech and aftersales
Carro Care Powered by Jardine & Cycle, Carro’s in-house refurbishment and aftersales servicing capabilities
Genie Financial Services, a next-generation fintech automotive financing provider in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand
Sembrani Finance, a financing and loans solution in Indonesia
MPM Rent, leading mobility solutions company in Indonesia specialising in leasing / fleet financing transportation services
BANGKOK — Promoter Live Nation Tero on Tuesday announced ticket prices for the Bruno Mars concert in Bangkok this March.
The American singer-songwriter will perform at Rajamangala National Stadium on March 30, 2024 with tickets ranging from 2,000 to 11,000 baht. Pre-sale tickets will go on saleonline from 10am on January 25, while the public round will start the day after.
Last week, the promoter confirmed that Mars will return to Bangkok and Singapore after almost six years. The announcement came as he kicked off his concert residency in Tokyo, where he covered “Heavy Rotation” of the Japanese girl group AKB48.
The concert will be the third time he plays in Bangkok after his first live gig in 2014 on his “Moonshine Jungle Tour” and again in 2018 as part of the “24K Magic World Tour.”
Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Peter Gene Hernandez, known by his stage name Bruno Mars, rose to fame as a solo artist in 2010 by featuring in “Nothin’ on You” by B.o.B and “Billionaire” by Travie McCoy. He then released his debut studio album, “Doo-Wops & Hooligans,” in the same year, which was led by the chart-topping singles “Just the Way You Are” and “Grenade.”
His subsequent albums drew an array of musical styles, from disco “Unorthodox Jukebox” (2012) to R&B “24K Magic” (2016). In 2021, Mars formed a duo Silk Sonic with Anderson Paak, debuting “Leave the Door Open,” which won record of the year and three other awards at the 64th Grammy Awards.
The picture of two western tourists sunbathing on a grass lawn at Chiang Mai Temple has gone viral.
CHIANG MAI – On January 16, tourist police officers in Chuang Mai Province discovered two female Western tourists who had been seen sunbathing on a grass lawn beside the ancient pagoda in Wat Chiang Man, prompting varied reactions. Many people criticised them for disrespecting the temple and suggested that officials post more warning signs.
These photos were shared after Bangkok City Hall police urged foreign tourists on Monday not to sunbathe on the lawn of Sanam Luang, where one can see the Emerald Buddha Temple and the Grand Palace as the backdrop.
Foreign tourists sunbathe on the lawn of Sanam Luang, with the Emerald Buddha Temple and the Grand Palace as backdrops.
Phra Phayom Kanlayano, abbot of Wat Suan Kaew and a well-known Buddhist preacher, asked Thais not to become angry or blame the tourists. They may not understand Thai culture or traditions.
“The best way is to explain it to them. I believe that once they realise it, they will not do it again,” he said.
Chiang Mai tourist police officers revealed that the two female tourists sunbathing on the grass of a Chiang Mai temple were Polish nationals aged 19 and 20, who stayed at a hostel in the city centre.
Two Polish tourists thanked the Chiang Mai Tourist Police for their guidance on how to behave at religious areas.
They told the tourist police that they were unaware that such behaviour was against Thai culture and traditions. Two ladies apologised and expressed regret if it made the locals feel uncomfortable. Both of them have a strong affection for Chiang Mai. They praised the Chiang Mai Tourist Police for their guidance on how to behave at religious areas.
Meanwhile, Chiang Mai Tourist Police signs urging “do and don’t” cautions and advice have been installed around popular tourist destinations. Along with requesting that Chiang Mai residents be excellent hosts while welcoming tourists, if foreigners are spotted behaving badly, they can alert the tourist police by calling 1155.
PHUKET – Seventeen Chinese tourists were injured, when their bus driver lost control of the vehicle at a road curve Tuesday morning, January 16, in Phuket province’s Thalang district. A child was among those injured. They were on their way to the Similand Islands.
At 8:10 a.m., Tha Chatchai Police Station received notification of a collision at the Bang Duk curve on Thep Kasattri Road (outbound), Mai Khao Subdistrict, Thalang District. A tourist bus with Buriram provincial registration smashed into the median barrier, causing broken front glass. The bus toppled on its side, obstructing two lanes of traffic and allowing drivers to only use one.
Rescue workers from the Kusontham Foundation and the Mai Khao Subdistrict Administrative Organisation rescue team provide first aid to the injured before transferring them to Thalang Hospital with a tour operator official. Phuket Tourist Police officers take care of this.
According to initial investigations, 17 Chinese tourists, 10 males and 7 females, are heading from Phuket to the pier near Sarasin Bridge to board a boat to the Similan Islands in Phang Nga Province. There is also a Thai driver and two relatives on the bus.
The incident occurred along an S-shaped curve. Buses frequently topple on this curve, resulting in numerous accidents. Signs have been put to warn drivers to be cautious.
Mr. Suwan Promsarn, 39, the bus driver, claimed that he swerved the vehicle to avoid a truck travelling in the same way before losing control and overturning. Fortunately, it wasn’t at high speed. As a result, the passengers suffered only minor injuries.
Thailand’s healthcare spending in 2021 was USD 22.5 billion, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.7% from 2017 to 2021. The healthcare sector in Thailand constitutes 4.5% of the country’s GDP, with a per capita spending of USD 306.
The private side contributed 26.6% of the total health expenditure, while the government contributed 73.4%. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a significant increase in the in-patient and medical goods segment, while out-patient care segment declined as patients deferred care amid disruptions in healthcare provision.
It is expected that the healthcare sector growth is going to slow down, with a CAGR of 4.5% from 2021 to 2026 with a total value of USD 28.1 billion achieved by 2026. The aging population is expected to drive demand for advanced medical interventions, with healthcare costs for the elderly projected to triple by 2032.
The public sector contributed 73.4% of the total healthcare expenditure in 2021 to reach USD 16.5 billion. There were 13,364 government medical facilities in Thailand, accounting for 34.7% of all healthcare facilities in Thailand. Among all the public medical facilities, 294 of are secondary and tertiary care facilities. Hospitals with quaternary care and strong research capabilities are another focus of the public healthcare sector.
The public sector made up of 65.3% of all healthcare facilities in Thailand. There are 370 private secondary or tertiary hospitals in the country with 31.4% located in Bangkok and 68.6% in other provinces. The bed occupancy rate from private healthcare facilities is 61% which is less crowded than public facilities. Due to the government healthcare system’s inability to keep up with the increasing demand, private hospitals have attracted many middle-class consumers.
In addition, the relatively lower cost of medical treatment of private hospitals compared to developed countries has made them a popular destination for medical tourism. Private hospitals in Thailand cover a wide range of customers, from high income international patients to general patients covered by the Social Security Scheme.
In terms of healthcare insurance, public healthcare insurance covered over 99.3% of eligible citizens. The three main health insurances in Thailand are: Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS), Social Security Scheme (SSS), and Civil Servant Medical Benefit Scheme (CSMBS). As of 2019, out-of-pocket payments made up 8.7% of the total healthcare expenditure in Thailand, a significant decrease from 34% in 2001. Voluntary health insurance contributed to 14% of the total healthcare expenditure.
For healthcare provision, Thailand had a total of 38,512 healthcare facilities as of 2020, with 34.7% operated by the government and 65.3% privately owned. 98.3% of the facilities were primary care facilities while 1.7% were secondary and tertiary hospitals. Despite the large number of hospitals in Thailand, there is still a significant disparity in healthcare access and quality between urban and rural areas.
For healthcare workforce, Thailand had 38,820 doctors and 184,840 nurses as of 2022, with an average ratio of 0.60 doctors and 2.83 nurses per 1000 people in the country. Similar to healthcare facilities, there is a regional disparity in personnel allocation. To address this issue, Thai doctors are required to serve in the public sector for at least three years after graduation at facilities assigned by the Ministry of Public Health.
Thailand’s average life expectancy was 79.7 years, the second highest in Southeast Asia after Singapore. The top four causes of death in Thailand in 2021 were cancer (14.9% of deaths), cerebrovascular disease (6.6%), pneumonia (5.9%), and Ischemic heart disease (4.0%).
Since 2003, Thailand has actively pursued its medical hub policy, aiming to become a regional leader in medical services. Despite a significant revenue drop to THB 2.9 billion in 2020 due to the pandemic, Thailand remains a top medical tourism destination, recognized for healthcare quality.
With 59 Joint Commission International-accredited facilities and competitive medical treatment costs, Thailand stands as a global hub. Private hospitals employ diverse strategies to attract global patients, and the government supports the industry through visa extensions and incentives for healthcare investments.
TTB Analytics projects Thailand’s medical tourism industry to surpass THB 25 billion in revenue by 2023, driven by exceptional healthcare management and advancements in medical technology.
In the short term, Thailand healthcare market is expected to experience a surge in demand for healthcare services from a backlog of patients who were previously waiting to receive treatment but were unable to do so due to Covid-19 protocol constraints. In the mid to long run, the country’s aging society is expected to drive the demand further.
