FABULOUS 103FM HEADLINE NEWS (24 APRIL ’23) FROM THAILAND & PATTAYA

FABULOUS 103FM HEADLINE NEWS (24 APRIL ’23) FROM THAILAND & PATTAYA

Those electricity bills dropping into homes last week, well everybodies was super high for sure seeing many report a 50% increase. Prices per unit remain high and despite the extra AC to combat the heat, bills have seen many struggle. With the election coming in a few weeks here, most parties have promised price cuts if elected. But then that is the norm ahead of voting here. If you think your bill was high, a Rayong resort operator expected the usual half a million baht bill for this time of the year but instead was handed one for 711 K baht.

The expat scam we reported on last week, available for viewing on our website www.alwayspattaya.com; Well, thanks to over 5,500 views on youtube alone, we have received several listener contacts, all showing proof that they have lost a lot of money. With 4 British sellers now listed by the group which intends to pass its data on to the authorities here, they still invite anyone else scammed to contact them. The highest amount to be taken so far, three-quarters of a million Pounds! And investigations have already begun in the capital and Pattaya.  

The MET office tells all from the North to Central and eastern provinces to expect flash storms through to mid week. Yesterday saw many regions deluged, but once again, our own region didn’t see a drop. That though could change at any time and maps can show a clear sky across the country, yet an hour later see it covered with clouds. The warning is also out for swimmers to avoid the bay area as a whole, sticking to pools instead as high waves are all a part of those storm fronts

Another strange tale of kidnap in the capital, again involving Chinese. Seems a 28 year old CHINESE tourist out enjoying entertainment met a fellow countryman and was invited back to his room, but when they arrived, a second man, also Chinese, was already there and together they bound her up and forced her to transfer money to the value of over 400K baht to them via her phone. She swears blind that had never met either of the two before, and so another Chinese kidnap tale hit the wires. Both men are believed to have flown out of the country before the alarm was raised.

In Pathum Thani, money lenders were nabbed by police who seized their records, showing interest rates of 304%, and two were arrested. The raids followed complaints from those duped via Facebook adverts that offered loans and goods on monthly payment schemes.

The wettest part of Thailand this weekend? Well it has to be Mae Hong son where a reported 500 tourists enjoyed two days of tubing fun. That’s floating around in what is basically a truck inner tube on rivers there. It is often the highlight of student and backpacker trips here and with river levels very low, it’s also very safe too. 

In Sri Ratcha, locals claim that it was a European local who drove his big bike into a local lady who was riding home on a scooter. Both had to be hospitalized and alcohol test results have not been released.

With all the good news of the relatively excellent and safe experience of Pattaya Songkran, one new story remains of concern to locals, that of a 28-year-old Turkish yob who head-butted a 61 yr old Thai man who was celebrating the festivity and fun. Seems the Turk didn’t enjoy getting lightly sprinkled and knocked the man to the floor, leaving him in a coma and still, we are told, under medical care. A year in Thailand didn’t teach him quite how things work here, and reports indicate he attacked other people too.

Movenpick in Na Jomtien saw guests enjoying a 5 course dinner at the weekend, with a difference. In that, it was prepared by a French Michelin chef from a newly awarded restaurant in the capital. As a pal of the head chef at Movenpick, he had agreed to oversee the service of 5 excellent courses in the New York grill room there. Now renowned for the best Sunday buffet around, Sunday visitors are advised to book ahead as many weekends see them sold out. 

Sailors from the US Navy carrier Nimitz and its accompanying vessels are expected to visit Thailand from today through Saturday. Prior to covid, these visits saw serving members assisting with charity projects in much of our region and donating to food and supply banks and this year has seen them port to three other Asian nations.

Smog in our region remained high through the weekend but had dropped slightly as much of the country saw rain. Humidity will rise as those rains evaporate and sadly the smog levels of last week are expected to return. Met office predicts highs of 34, dropping to 29 with the real feel of 42, a cloudy and very humid hot day.