To address the tourist safety concerns, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will cooperate with the Central Investigation Bureau, the Tourist Police, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, and may include the Chinese police.
Miss Thapanee Kiatphaibool, Governor of TAT, announced the results of a meeting at Suvarnabhumi Airport on November 12, 2023 which Srettha Thavisin, Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance presided before going to the United States for APEC summit.
She explained that authorities have been monitoring the aspects of safety, product quality and management for tourists in Thailand. This includes creating a memorable experience for visitors.
Miss Thapanee Kiatphaibool, Governor of TAT
With regard to the participation of Chinese police officers, the project aims to deploy Chinese police officers to increase security in primary and secondary tourist cities in Thailand, similar to a successful initiative in Italy. However, specific details about the number of officers and the cities involved were not disclosed.
The aim of this initiative is to boost confidence in Thai tourism and ensure that the targeted 4 to 4.4 million Chinese tourists are reached in the last two months of the year. Ms Thapanee explained that inviting the Chinese police is a way of demonstrating Thailand’s commitment to safety.
“Chinese tend to be afraid of local law enforcement agencies. It is expected that Chinese police officers demonstrating their confidence in Thailand will boost the confidence of Chinese visitors,” she stated.
Chinese tourists visit the Grand Palace scenic spot in Bangkok, Thailand, Feb. 7, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)
However, Chai Watcharong, spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office, clarified updated details following criticism that questions why Chinese police have to come to patrol in Thailand.
“According to the Royal Thai Police Office, the grey Chinese group or those who have committed a crime are frequently afraid of the Chinese police themselves.” Chinese tourists will feel especially protected if Chinese police are on hand to protect them. Therefore, Thai police believe that asking Chinese police to assist them in carrying out their duties is the best practice. They have information and clues and are willing to fully collaborate with Thai authorities. However, there is no idea to use Chinese police officers patrolling to provide security in Thailand,” said the spokesman.
Officers are at the opening session of the joint patrol in Rome, Italy, May 28, 2018. /Xinhua Photo
According to the BBC, the case that TAT mentioned about Italy is an agreement between China and Italy in 2015 that let Chinese police officers take part in joint patrols with Italian counterparts in Rome, Milan, Naples, and other centres in a bid to make Chinese tourists feel safe during the peak tourism period.
Chinese media CGTN also reported that Chinese police officers went to Italy to carry out joint patrols in May 2016 and June 2017.
However, the joint patrols were “suspended” in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in December 2022, Italy has stopped this kind of operation after reports that Beijing ran police-like operations abroad.
The CCTV footage captured two suspects on a motorcycle.
Pattaya police arrested two suspects who attacked a Russian female tourist and took her phone three days after the incident.
Miss Aleksandra, a 23-year-old Russian tourist, was attacked around 2:00 a.m. on Nov. 9 while walking with her companion along Jomtien Second Road, Bang Lamung District, Chonburi Province, on their way back from the convenience store.
They saw two Thai males on a motorbike parked on the side of the road. One of them rushed in and punch her on the head before stealing her mobile phone, a Redme A1 worth 2,500 baht, and fleeing on a waiting motorbike.
Miss Aleksandra, a 23-year-old Russian tourist, was attacked around 2:00 a.m. on November 9 while walking with her companion along Jomtien Second Road.
The female security guard at the condo used a translation app to learn that the Russians had been attacked. So she called the cops.
Pol. Col. Thanaphong Phothi, superintendent of Pattaya City Police Station, disclosed that the investigation team was divided into squads to closely review more than 40 CCTV cameras in order to identify and track clues. They requested permission from the Pattaya Provincial Court to issue an arrest warrant on the charge of participating in a robbery at night and using a vehicle to escape until they could identify the perpetrators, Mr. Sakarn Jittawee, 27 years old, and Mr. Panudet Srisawat, 28 years old.
The suspect Panudet Srisawat, 28 years old
Both were arrested at a residence in Nong Prue Subdistrict, Bang Lamung District, Chonburi Province, and a Honda Wave 125i motorcycle with a Rayong province licence plate was seized. Police also seized the phone of a Russian woman at a pawn shop, which the two guys sold for 500 baht.
They admitted to riding motorcycles in the Jomtien Road area before the incident. Panudet decried while riding that he didn’t have enough money to buy milk for his 15-day-old baby. A Russian woman walked by as they parked their motorcycles to urinate on the side of the road. Mr. Sakarn Jittawee then approached her, punched her in the face, and hit her wrist to steal her phone.
The suspect Sakarn Jittawee who attacked the Russian tourist
He jumped on the back of the motorcycle to flee as soon as he received the phone. Following the incident, they pawned the victim’s phone and received 500 baht, which they divided between Mr. Sakarn (200 baht) and Mr. Panudet (300 baht). When they were detained, they said they were doing it for the first time and without planning.
A Russian woman and a companion came to thank the police, praising their ability to promptly capture suspects. Furthermore, they assured Russians who planned to visit Thailand that the country was safe. There are always police on the lookout for tourists.
File - U.S. President Joe Biden, right, stands with Chinese President Xi Jinping before a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit on Nov. 14, 2022, in Bali, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States and China are the two global economic heavyweights. Combined, they produce more than 40% of the world’s goods and services.
So when Washington and Beijing do economic battle, as they have for five years running, the rest of the world suffers, too. And when they hold a rare high-level summit, as Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping will this week, it can have global consequences.
The world’s economy could surely benefit from a U.S.-China détente. Since 2020, it has suffered one crisis after another — the COVID-19 pandemic, soaring inflation, surging interest rates, violent conflicts in Ukraine and now Gaza. The global economy is expected to grow a lackluster 3% this year and 2.9% in 2024, according to the International Monetary Fund.
“Having the world’s two largest economies at loggerheads at such a fraught moment,” said Eswar Prasad, senior professor of trade policy at Cornell University, “exacerbates the negative impact of various geopolitical shocks that have hit the world economy.”
Hopes have risen that Washington and Beijing can at least cool some of their economic tensions at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, which starts Sunday in San Francisco. The meeting will bring together 21 Pacific Rim countries, which collectively represent 40% of the world’s people and nearly half of global trade.
The marquee event will be the Biden-Xi meeting Wednesday on the sidelines of the summit, the first time the two leaders will have spoken in a year, during which time frictions between the two nations have worsened. The White House has sought to tamp down expectations, saying to expect no breakthroughs.
File – An APEC Summit sign welcomes visitors Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez, File)
At the same time, Prasad suggested that the threshold for declaring a successful outcome is relatively low. “Preventing any further deterioration in the bilateral economic relationship,” he said, “would already be a victory for both sides.’’
The U.S.-China economic relationship had been deteriorating for years before it erupted in 2018, at the instigation of President Donald Trump, into an all-out trade war. The Trump administration charged that China had violated the commitments it made, in joining the World Trade Organization in 2001, to open its vast market to U.S. and other foreign companies that wanted to sell their goods and services there.
In 2018, the Trump administration began imposing tariffs on Chinese imports to punish Beijing for its actions in trying to supplant U.S. technological supremacy. Many experts agreed with the administration that Beijing had engaged in cyberespionage and had improperly demanded that foreign companies turn over trade secrets as the price of gaining access to the Chinese market. Beijing punched back against Trump’s sanctions with its own retaliatory tariffs, making U.S. goods more expensive for Chinese buyers.
When Biden took office in 2021, he kept much of Trump’s confrontational trade policy, including the China tariffs. The U.S. tax rate on Chinese imports now exceeds 19%, versus 3% at the start of 2018, before Trump imposed his tariffs. Likewise, Chinese import taxes on U.S. goods are up to 21%, from 8% before the trade war began, according to calculations by Chad Bown of the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
One of the tenets of Biden’s economic policy has been to reduce America’s economic reliance on Chinese factories, which came under strain when COVID-19 disrupted global supply chains, and to solidify partnerships with other Asian nations. As part of that policy, the Biden administration last year forged the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity with 14 countries.
In some ways, U.S.-China trade tensions are even higher under Biden than they were under Trump. Beijing is seething over the Biden administration’s decision to impose — and then broaden — export controls that are designed to prevent China from acquiring advanced computer chips and the equipment to produce them. In August, Beijing countered with its own trade curbs: It began requiring that Chinese exporters of gallium and germanium, metals used in computer chips and solar cells, obtain government licenses to send those metals overseas.
Beijing has also taken aggressive actions against foreign companies in China. Orchestrating what appears to be a counterespionage campaign, its authorities this year raided the Chinese offices of the U.S. consulting firms Capvision and the Mintz Group, questioned Shanghai employees of the Bain & Co. consultancy and announced a security review of the chipmaker Micron.
Some analysts speak of a “decoupling’’ of the world’s two biggest economies after decades in which they relied deeply on each other for trade. Indeed, imports of Chinese goods to the United States were down 24% through September compared with the same period of 2022.
The rift between Beijing and Washington has forced many other countries into a delicate predicament: Deciding which side they’re on when they actually want to do business with both countries.
The IMF says such economic “fragmentation’’ is damaging to the world. The 190-country lending agency estimates that higher trade barriers will subtract $7.4 trillion from global economic output after the world has adjusted to the higher trade barriers.
And those barriers are rising: Last year, the IMF said, countries imposed nearly 3,000 new restrictions on trade, up from fewer than 1,000 in 2019. The agency foresees international trade growing just 0.9% this year and 3.5% in 2024 — down sharply from the 2000-2019 annual average of 4.9%.
The Biden administration insists it isn’t trying to undermine China’s economy. On Friday, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen met with her Chinese counterpart, Vice Premier He Lifeng, in San Francisco and sought to set the stage for Biden-Xi summit.
“Our mutual desire — both China and the United States — is to create a level playing field and ongoing, meaningful and mutually beneficial economic relations,” Yellen said.
Xi, too, has reason to try to restore economic cooperation with the United States. The Chinese economy is under heavy strain. Its real estate market has collapsed, youth unemployment is rampant and consumer spirits are low. The raids on foreign businesses have spooked international companies and investors.
FILE – A truck arrives to pick up a shipping container near vessels moored at Maersk APM Terminals Pacific at the Port of Los Angeles, on Nov. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)
“With serious headwinds facing the Chinese economy and many U.S. firms packing up their bags and leaving China, Xi needs to convince investors that China is still a profitable place to conduct business,’’ said Wendy Cutler, vice president of the Asia Society Institute and a former U.S. trade negotiator. “This will not be an easy sell.’’
Complicating matters is that the tensions between Washington and Beijing go well beyond economics. Under Xi, the Chinese Communist Party has punished dissent in Hong Kong and the autonomous Muslim region of Xinjiang. His government made aggressive territorial demands in Asia, engaging in deadly border clashes with India and bullying the Philippines and other neighbors in parts of the South China Sea it claims as its own. It has increasingly threatened Taiwan, which it considers a renegade Chinese province.
U.S.-China tensions could intensify next year with presidential elections in Taiwan and the United States, where criticism of Beijing is among the few areas that unite Democrats and Republicans.
Xi’s policies appear to be costing China in the battle for world opinion. In a recent survey of people in 24 countries, the Pew Research Center reported that the United States was viewed more favorably than China in all but two (Kenya and Nigeria) nations.
Could China change course?
Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank in Washington, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois Democrat who serves on a House committee that monitors China, noted optimistically that Xi has reversed himself before — notably in declaring a sudden end to the draconian zero-COVID policies that crippled China’s economy last year.
“We have to give that possibility a chance, even at the same time that we hedge and protect our interests,’’ Krishnamoorthi said. “That’s what I’m hoping we also see come out of this meeting.’’
Computer-generated image of monks racing motorcycles. Image: 5didao / Facebook
The quixotic National Office of Buddhism is back on the news. This time they want the individuals behind a few AI-generated photos of naughty monks playing rock music, drinking alcohol, smoking and singing with beautiful ladies at a karaoke bar, and racing motorcycles literally behind bars – citing the Computer Crime Act.
Basically, the cybercrime act makes importing false information into a computer system a crime punishable by a maximum imprisonment term of five years. The National Office of Buddhism said earlier this week that these viral AI-generated images are degrading Buddhism in Thailand.
Like chasing “maya” (illusion) or a phantom, they will fail as even if the person behind the viral images is in prison, anyone outside the jurisdiction of Thai laws could simply come up with a new version of “naughty Thai monks.” What is more, perhaps they have never heard of this thing called “Streisand effect,” so they end up spreading the awareness about these otherwise harmless images by making sure it becomes news and more people end up becoming curious and wanting to see it.
PM Office Minister Puangpetch Chun-la-iad was more tactful when on Wednesday, she urged the public not to share these images. But then that was after many more Thais and foreigners read the news and became intrigued by the overt sensitivity of these people who supposedly vowed to defend Buddhism.
Not forgiving and trying to put others in prison for merely making such mocking images is basically un-Buddhist, but I do not think they are aware of the irony. They have to learn to let go and focus on what matters, instead.
For example, instead of being fickle and easily triggered, the National Office of Buddhism could better spend their valuable time meeting and talking to Thai youths who have simply become disinterested if not alienated by the predominant Thai-brand of Buddhism and ask them why and what can be done to reverse the trend.
Basically, they should organize a focus group with Thais, particularly young Thais, on what is wrong with the mainstream Thai Buddhism today. Truth be told, “real” monks having sex is not unheard of. Some “real” monks also drink booze and gamble. Then there is the inordinate focus on merit making, donating more and more money to monks and temples as if good karma is simply something that can be outrightly and conveniently purchased.
These are but some of the things that turn some Thais away from mainstream Thai Buddhism over the past few decades. Many young Thais may be classified as Buddhist on official papers but that is just about it.
The National Office of Buddhism can also spend their precious time making sure more Buddhist chanting by monks, mostly in an obsolete language called Pali from ancient South Asia, be widely translated into Thai language, so when people go to attend a funeral, for example, they will at least understand some of the teachings of the Buddha.
And since they chant repeatedly a few times during a funeral or merit-making ceremony, there is absolutely no reason why these monks and temples cannot make sure it is done alternately between Thai and Pali.
Also, it is likely that in the not-too-distant future, there will be no need for constructing more temples and even some temples will be abandoned as fewer young people are offering alms, donating money or ordaining. The question then, beside running a school or health clinic, or animal sanctuary, what else can the physical space of some of these Buddhist temples be used for or converted into? According to a stat by the 43,005 temples as of May last year, according to the Buddhist Monastery Department.
Should the land of an abandoned temple be deconsecrated and sold in order to raise money for education and health care?
These are some big questions that need answers and the National Buddhism Office and those Buddhists who care should spend more time mulling. Essentially, they should stop barking at the wrong tree and look at the big picture.
The baby elephant was discovered in Ban Taling Chan commune, Khonburi district, Nakhon Ratchasima province.
An elephant calf that had strayed into Ban Taling Chan commune in Khonburi district, Nakhon Ratchasima province, is now in the care of Thap Lan National Park officials.
The officials made the decision on November 10 to relocate an elephant calf that had strayed into Ban Taling Chan commune in Khonburi district, Nakhon Ratchasima province since November 7. The reason for this decision was that the calf’s herd was moving further and further away, and tiger tracks had been discovered near the temporary enclosure that had been built to protect the elephant.
A vet accompanied the elephant during the transport in the enclosure to alleviate any stress.
According to Saiprawat Chanthep, the head of Thap Lan National Park, “the suspected herd of the calf, with 30 elephants, moved far away from the point where officials discovered the calf. It is unlikely that the herd will return to rejoin the calf.”
To ensure the calf’s safety, the officials decided to remove it from the area immediately. A vet accompanied the elephant during the transport in the enclosure to alleviate any stress.
The transport was done by car from the forest area to a prepared boat crossing about 2 kilometers away. The enclosure was then loaded into a waiting car to travel the remaining 1 kilometer to the facility in Thap Lan National Park.
Transportation was by boat, crossing the dam, then loading into a waiting car to travel the remaining 1 kilometre to the facility in Thap Lan National Park.
Throughout the journey, the calf showed signs of slight distress and occasionally made worried noises. However, its condition normalized again when it arrived at the new location. The calf is currently in good health and shows normal feeding behavior. However, there is concern about a leg injury to the right hind limb.
The vet used massage therapy to relax the calf, but refrained from direct medication to avoid possible side effects. Further investigations, including a definitive x-ray, are awaited before a decision is made on specific treatment.
Over the next few days, the veterinary team will provide the elephant with the best possible care to ensure its full recovery. The next step will be to check whether the calf can be reintegrated into its herd.
If this is not possible, options such as transferring it to an elephant camp in Chiang Mai or Surin provinces, where it will be cared for by experienced elephant carers, will be considered.
Palestinians flee to the southern Gaza Strip on Salah al-Din Street in Bureij, Gaza Strip, Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Thousands of Palestinians sheltering from the Israel-Hamas war at Gaza City’s main hospital fled south Friday after several reported strikes in and around the compound overnight. They joined a growing exodus of people escaping intense urban fighting in the north — including near other hospitals — as Gaza officials said the territory’s death toll surpassed 11,000.
The search for safety across the besieged Gaza Strip has grown desperate as Israel intensified its assault on the territory’s largest city.
The Israeli army says Hamas’ military infrastructure is based amid Gaza City’s hospitals and neighborhoods, and that it has set up its main command center in and under the largest hospital, Shifa — claims the militant group and Shifa staff deny.
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
More than 100,000 Palestinians have fled south over the past two days, according to Israel, but they still face bombardment and dire conditions. Reported strikes on or near at least four hospitals in northern Gaza overnight underscored the danger for tens of thousands more who had crowded into the facilities, believing they would be safe.
BATTLES AROUND HOSPITALS
Early Friday, at least three strikes over several hours hit the courtyard and the obstetrics department of Shifa Hospital, according to Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesperson at the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
A video of the courtyard recorded the sound of incoming fire waking people in makeshift shelters, followed by shouts for an ambulance. In the blood-spattered courtyard, one man writhed, screaming on the ground, his leg apparently severed.
Palestinians wounded in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip are brought to a treatment room of al Aqsa Hospital on Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)
Al-Qidra blamed the attack on Israel, a claim that could not be independently verified. The Israeli army said one strike at Shifa was the result of a misfire by militants targeting its troops nearby.
For weeks, tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians — reaching as many 60,000 this week, according to the Health Ministry — have been sheltering in the Shifa complex.
The overnight strikes triggered a mass exodus of the displaced. About 10 a.m., large numbers packed up their belongings and began walking toward the south, five people who were among those who left told The Associated Press.
Al-Qidra told the Qatar-based satellite news network Al-Jazeera that more than 30,000 displaced people, medical workers and patients remain in the hospital.
Mainly those who could not walk or did not know where to go remained, said Wafaa abu Hajajj, a journalist who arrived in the south after leaving the hospital Friday.
“The strikes were hoping to scare people and it worked. … It became too much,” said 32-year-old Haneen Abu Awda, who had been at Shifa being treated for wounds from an earlier strike on his house.
At the same time, Shifa has been overwhelmed by thousands of wounded, even as it operates with minimal power and medical supplies.
In video released Friday by the Gaza Health Ministry, bodies of limp children are seen on stretchers across blood-stained floors in the hospital, some dead, some barely breathing. Other patients were strewn around the floor, unable to be treated for lack of supplies. One man is seen gasping for air.
The director of Shifa, Mohammed Abu Selmia, said Israel demanded the facility be evacuated, but he said there was nowhere for such a large number of patients to go.
“Where are we going to evacuate them?” he said, speaking to Al Jazeera television.
Palestinians flee to the southern Gaza Strip on Salah al-Din Street in Bureij, Gaza Strip, Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
The Health Ministry said one person had been killed at Shifa and several were wounded. Another strike near the Nasr Medical Center killed two people, according to the ministry. Abu Selmia said at least 25 people were killed when a strike hit a Gaza City school where people were sheltered inside.
The strike on Nasr forced the shutdown of its children’s hospital, the only remaining specialized pediatric care in north Gaza, said World Health Organization spokesperson Margaret Harris. She said it was not known what happened to patients there, including children receiving dialysis and on life support — “things that you cannot possibly evacuate them safely with.”
Military spokesman Lt. Col. Richard Hecht said Israel is “aware of the sensitivity” of hospitals and that forces were closing in on them slowly. Israel “does not fire on hospitals,” he said, but if militants are seen firing from them “we will do what we need to do” and kill them.
Israel has produced video that it says is evidence that Hamas uses not only hospitals, but schools and mosques as well, as cover for military activities.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said on multiple occasions that Hamas uses civilians as “human shields,’’ while stressing that this does not give Israel free rein to target buildings where militants are hiding among civilians. He has pointed to international humanitarian law, which states that protection of civilians and hospitals, schools, and homes is paramount.
CIVILIANS FLEE SOUTH
Tens of thousands of new evacuees from the north, some from Shifa, flowed down Salah al-Din road — the central spine running the length of the Gaza Strip — and reached the central city of Deir al-Balah on Friday. With no fuel for vehicles, the crowds walked for hours as explosions echoed a short distance away. Among them were wounded and older people.
They arrived hungry, exhausted and with a stew of emotions: relief, rage, and despair.
Reem Asant, 50, described seeing bodies on the streets as he and others made their way out of Gaza City, trying to avoid shelling.
“We’re talking about children killed in a hospital,” shouted one man, Abu Yousef. “Hundreds of women killed every day. Houses collapsing on the heads of civilians. … Where are human rights? Where is the United Nations? Where is the United States? Where is the International Criminal Court? Where is the entire world?”
The Israeli military announced an expanded six-hour window Friday for civilians to escape northern Gaza along Salah al-Din, the route used since last weekend. It also announced the opening of a second route, along the coastal road, after an agreement announced by the White House a day earlier.
More than two-thirds of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million have fled their homes since the war began. Israel estimates that more than 850,000 of the 1.1 million people in northern Gaza have left, according to military spokesman Jonathan Conricus.
The figure of a hand is marked with blood on the wall of a bomb shelter located in the Thai workers’ housing section of Kibbutz Nir Oz, Israel, near the Gaza Strip, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023. The kibbutz was attacked on Oct. 7 by Hamas militants, who killed and kidnapped members of its community. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
RISING DEATH TOLLS
More than 11,070 Palestinians, two-thirds of them women and minors, have been killed since the war began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilian and militant deaths. Another 2,650 people have been reported missing.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that “far too many” Palestinians have died and suffered. While recent Israeli steps to try to minimize civilian harm are positive, he said, they are not enough.
Assistant Secretary of State Barbara Leaf told U.S. lawmakers this week that it was “very possible” the death toll was even higher than the Gaza Health Ministry’s tally.
At least 1,200 people have been killed in Israel, mainly in the initial Hamas attack, and 41 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground offensive began, Israeli officials say. The Foreign Ministry had previously estimated the civilian death toll at 1,400, and gave no reason Friday for the revision.
An Israeli official told The Associated Press that the number had been changed after a painstaking weekslong process to identify bodies, many of which were mutilated or burned in the Hamas rampage. The final death toll could still change, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity pending a formal announcement.
Nearly 240 people abducted by Hamas from Israel remain captive.
Palestinian militants have continued to fire rockets into Israel, and an attack on Tel Aviv wounded at least two people Friday, said Yossi Elkabetz, a paramedic with Israel’s rescue services. Hamas claimed credit.
Chiang Mai provincial police investigators arrested a Russian man, who is charged with trespassing and damaging other people’s property. However, the complainant no longer wanted to sue him after he had paid compensation for a grilled chicken.
According to the investigation, Mr. Aleksei, the Russian man has applied for temporary residence in the Kingdom. He went to eat Thai-Isaan food at a restaurant near Wing 41 in the tourism area along Nimmanhaemin Road on the day of the incident, where he was accused of trespassing and damaging other people’s property.
After discovering the suspect’s presence at Nimmanhaemin Road, authorities conducted field investigations, gathered additional information and planned surveillance before arresting him on November 8.
The charges are trespassing on another person’s property with intent to take possession of it in whole or in part, disturbing peaceful possession and causing damage or depreciation, making it unusable for the owner or others.
However, since the Russian man has already compensated the restaurant for the property damage, which was merely a handful of grilled chicken. The restaurant owner has decided not to pursue legal action against him.
CHIANG MAI – At 09:40 on November 10, a normal tourist van traveling from Chiang Mai to Pai overturned on the Chiang Mai-Pai route near the OK Mini Mart before reaching the Mae Mod Coffee Shop in Pa Pae, Mae Taeng District, Chiang Mai. Rescue teams rushed to the scene where they found two foreign tourists dead outside the vehicle. One is a French woman, and the other is a Dutch man.
In addition, 10 injured tourists were taken to Mae Taeng Hospital in Chiang Mai. The Chiang Mai Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office reported that the van was traveling at a speed of 83 kilometers per hour according to GPS data.
The accident occurred on a downhill bend where the left front tyre burst. As a result, the van lost control, broke through the crash barrier and crashed into a tree about 50 meters away.
As far as the deceased foreign tourists are concerned, it is assumed that they were not wearing seatbelts. The authorities are speeding up the identification process in order to inform the respective embassies. The van is insured and covers the occupants for up to 500,000 baht.
Supichai Tengprasert, Mae Hong Son Provincial Transport Officer, stated that even at 90 km/hr, which is the legal speed limit, driving on steep hills at 80 km/hr is unsafe. Drivers must be careful.
“Owner companies must carefully recruit drivers with expertise and a passenger safety conscience.”
Bangkok Matching – Leading and Longest Running Thai Dating Agency Shares 3 Techniques to Find a Partner Without Deception for the 11.11 Singles’ Day 2023.
Bid Farewell to Loneliness, Embrace Being Single for the Last Year.
It’s that time again for the 11th of November, also known as Singles’ Day. Bangkok Matching, the high-end matchmaking agency in Bangkok, Thailand, doesn’t miss the opportunity to share great dating tips for singles.
In reality, Singles’ Day didn’t just emerge as many might believe. It originated in the early ’90s, around 1993, with a group of four single Chinese university students who wanted to counter Valentine’s Day, the celebration of love. They came together and established Singles’ Day. The reason for choosing the 11th day of the 11th month was simply because these numbers, all ones, matched the status of the group members who were single. With such a simple reason, it became the origin of a widely popular celebration of singleness in Asia. Starting in China, it spread to Japan, South Korea, and our own country, Thailand.
In Japan, this day is called ‘Pocky Day,’ which originated in the Heisei era in 1999. The customary practice involves exchanging “Pocky” snacks to express love for each other. Moreover, on the 11th of November, Pocky experiences the most promotional offers in Japan, including price reductions, bundled items, and rewards to attract customers back for new purchases.
However, in South Korea, Singles’ Day falls on April 14th each year, known as ‘Black Day.’ Black Day is a special day for ‘singles’ in South Korea, particularly for those who endured the loneliness and didn’t participate in Valentine’s Day or White Day, where they received no gifts. Black Day is an opportunity for solidarity among singles, who dress in black attire and black accessories, gathering to eat Jajangmyeon (black bean paste noodles) or black bean sauce noodles together. The belief is that by eating this meal, they will soon find love. Besides Jajangmyeon, other black foods might also be included, such as chocolate cake.
This has prompted various businesses, both online and offline, to strategize marketing activities to cater to singles and stimulate sales. These include promotions like buy-one-get-one offers, discounts, and various freebies. As a result, Singles’ Day has become an important day for shopping to help forget loneliness.
Initially, traditionally, this day was for singles to come together and engage in various activities, like watching movies, dining, socializing, and singing karaoke to celebrate their singleness. It might sound like fun, doesn’t it? But for someone from Bangkok Matching, a company dealing with singles and relationship issues, helping eliminate singleness for many, it must be said that for ‘some people,’ having to celebrate Singles’ Day alone every year may not be enjoyable at all. If it is enjoyable, it might be mixed with bitterness. Don’t forget, after this November 11th passes, it’s December, a month filled with festive celebrations. Whatever the direction, it becomes a day for couples as usual, intensifying the sense of emptiness for those who have just passed a seemingly exaggerated festive celebration and truly feel their hearts empty.
Explore yourself through 5 reasons why you might still be single.
In reality, being perpetually single has its causes and reasons that are somewhat similar. However, many people often say, ‘I really don’t know why I’ve been single for so long.’ So, let’s look at whether it’s your personality or behavior that might be causing you to be single for so long.
Indifference to society, keeping to oneself, and appearing eccentric. Sometimes, we might have this aversion to being part of society, not wanting to meet new people, taking a break from relationships because of past hurts, and not desiring to start anew. However, once that phase has passed, you must be brave enough to reintegrate into society or meet new people. Being too closed off or not caring about societal norms can make it harder for us to rejoin society. When the world has moved on but we’re stuck in a self-imposed isolation, it becomes harder to engage with people, making it challenging to find someone to connect with.
Lack of charm or allure,without anything attractive. Don’t be angry when the advice is straightforward, such as ‘You might lack attraction.’ It doesn’t matter how attractive you are; lacking allure or sexual appeal, such as having a dull, uninviting way of speaking or behaving, or lacking flair in conversations makes it hard for others to be drawn to you. It’s something that can’t be taught but improved by developing various skills. Improving your speaking, listening, or making your opinions engaging are essential, as they significantly affect your ability to find a partner.
Feeling that you’re not good enough. A prevalent issue is the lack of self-confidence or self-love. Experiencing disappointment in past relationships can make us doubt our suitability for love, causing us to miss potentially regrettable opportunities. Hence, boosting self-confidence and believing in our worth to start afresh and be a good partner to someone can help us be more prepared to step into a relationship. However, being overly confident can also have adverse effects, as it might make you believe that you deserve better and continue to wait, thinking that no one is good enough, even though suitable partners do exist. So, having just the right amount of self-assurance is crucial.
Being too selective and having overly high standards. Many people refuse to accept or realize that they might have an excess of ‘picky-ness’. No man or woman in this world would want someone else to be the sole decision-maker and judge of everything. Therefore, being in a relationship means placing half of yourself down and creating a space in the middle for someone to step into. If you like to dictate or believe that love should follow specific guidelines until it becomes exhausting, it might be necessary to relax some of these behaviors.
Expecting prospects beyond reality. This problem is prevalent, especially in the current era, where everyone seems to look good and attractive. It makes some people mistakenly think that the beautiful idols and celebrities might actually walk into their lives, waiting for the perfect 100% match. If someone comes in, but their appearance or height doesn’t meet the expected criteria, or even for minor things that don’t align with the dream picture, choosing to reject without considering anything, reasoning ‘not the right fit,’ can be quite damaging. The person in your dreams versus reality are never going to be the same. Choosing someone who genuinely cares and feels good with you, ready to accept you as you are, is much better.
3 Techniques to Prepare Yourself for Love
I’ve explained the reasons in depth. Certainly, as a professional matchmaker at Bangkok Matching, we must provide good advice and dating techniques for all the singles out there to follow and develop themselves. If you don’t want to continue celebrating Singles’ Day next year, Bangkok Matching has the following guidance:
Adjust your mindset to be ready for a partner
Our thoughts dictate everything. Have you heard of the law of attraction? What we think, we attract. This applies to love too. If you constantly think of yourself as boring or that no one is interested, you’ll continue to be stuck in this loop, radiating negative energy. But if you think positively and look at the world in a good light, soon you’ll receive the appropriate love. It’s about receiving someone who understands, cares, and values you. The energy you emit attracts positivity. As the saying goes, ‘Your mind is the master, your body the servant.’ Whether we’re good or not is all in the mindset, the attitude, foremost.
Actions speak louder than complaints
In reality, I’ve encountered many cases where people dream but do not act. For instance, you may wish for new opportunities, unforgettable dates, or a genuine relationship, but you don’t make the effort. It’s not just about dreaming, you need to take action. Begin by taking care of yourself, dressing up, and then put yourself out there in social situations or use a premium matchmaking service like Bangkok Matching to find someone who can help fulfill your dreams. Don’t just wait for days to pass by.
Ways to Boost Self-Confidence
Enhancing self-confidence can be achieved in various ways. If I could advise, it starts with proper self-care, from head to toe. Some singles believe self-care is a waste or feel resistant to change, thinking, ‘This is who I am, and I don’t want to change just to attract someone.’ But it’s crucial to rethink this. Our body is the only thing that’s always with us. Therefore, taking care of personal hygiene, grooming, and choosing styles that suit our personality and facial structure has the primary advantage of improving our appearance. When you look good, it becomes another aspect that helps attract the right partner or date.
Realize that leaving the single status is not an impossible task. But first, you must thoroughly examine yourself, identify any issues or areas for improvement, and work on those. Then, immerse yourself in the community where you wish to find your potential date. For instance, engaging a premium matchmaking service like Bangkok Matching can elevate your dating experiences and the quality of potential matches. Their detailed services include:
Thorough background checks on work, financial status, education, and criminal records, ensuring no deceit.
Profiles and date selections tailored to meet your criteria regarding appearance, status, work, education, etc.
Various package options to suit your needs.
Personalized guidance from matchmakers on partner selection, dating and relationship coaching, and mediation, aiding in understanding and nurturing the bond between matches.
Through Bangkok Matching’s comprehensive matchmaking and dating coaching services, with over 18 years of experience and a success rate of over 80% in successful matches, it might be an excellent option to explore. Bangkok Matching can assist you in meeting and potentially marrying someone suitable, bidding farewell to your single status and celebrating Singles’ Day differently next year
ติดตามข่าวสาร โปรโมชั่นพิเศษ งาน Speed Dating และเทคนิคการหาคู่ ของ บริษัทจัดหาคู่ Bangkok Matching บน Social Media ได้ที่:
On November 10, Srettha Thavisin, Prime Minister and Finance Minister, announced the results of a meeting on the policy to pump 10,000 baht into the economy through a large-scale digital wallet program. The summary shows that the government will invest a total of 600 billion baht into the economy, which will benefit 50 million people. Of this amount, 500 billion baht will be allocated to the digital wallet project and another 100 billion baht will go to the performance improvement fund.
The eligibility criteria for receiving the 10,000 baht were outlined as follows:
Citizens aged 16 and above.
Monthly income not exceeding 70,000 baht.
Bank deposits not exceeding 500,000 baht.
Usable within the district according to the citizen’s ID card.
The spending period is 6 months.
Expenditure would be limited to the district level.
Only the purchase of consumer goods permitted in the initial phase.
The 10,000 baht digital wallet handouts cannot be used for the following transaction: alcohol, tobacco & marijuana, online products, services; gold & gems, debt payments; water, electricity and phone utilities, petrol and gas, and cannot be exchanged to cash.
Participating businesses were not required to register for VAT, but businesses that could convert the funds into cash had to be registered for VAT.
“This initiative was not a form of welfare for the impoverished, but a measure to inject money into the economy and allow citizens to play a role in the country’s economic recovery while maintaining financial discipline,” Srettha said.
The distribution of benefits would be facilitated by the existing digital wallet system, which already has 40 million registered users and over 1.8 million known companies. The use of blockchain technology was mentioned to ensure transparency and prevent various forms of corruption.
In addition, the government planned to introduce tax deductions for Thais, allowing them to reduce their personal income tax by submitting receipts for goods and services totalling up to 50,000 baht. Tax rebates would also be granted, making it a comprehensive program to boost the economy for those who are not eligible for the digital wallet program. An e-refund program was to be introduced from January 2024.
The digital wallet project was expected to take some time for consideration by the Council of State, and a proposal for a 500 billion baht loan was to be drafted and presented to the parliament by early next year. The funds should be available to the public in May 2024. The government will payback the 500 billion baht used in four years.
Another 100 billion baht that will go to support 13 key industries is scheduled to be implemented in June 2024. They include aviation, health tourism, agriculture and biotech, robotics, the new motor industry, future food, medical centres, security, and R&D.
