Pattaya & Thailand LATEST NEWS from Fabulous 103fm (8 March 2023)

Pattaya & Thailand LATEST NEWS from Fabulous 103fm (8 March 2023)

– Airport passengers advised to arrive 3 hours before departure
Airport authorities in the capital have warned travellers to allow at least an extra hour in time between arriving at the terminals, and flight departures. THIS as some sections are closed for upgrading of equipment. But as queues stretch back at busy times of the day in a snake fashion with hundreds ahead of you, passengers are advised that arrival checks are also seeing delays too.   Matching manpower to demand seems to be an issue as many report that at certain busy times, many passport check desks are unmanned.  That, we are told, is being addressed.

– Smuggled monkeys found en-route to testing labs
According to the Nation news reports indicating that some 4 dozen long tailed monkeys found in a truck heading north this week, were intended for China and use in making alternative medicine there are questionable as the paper notes what it calls evidence that they may have been intended for the US where they cost a small fortune and are used in test laboratories.  Quoting UK papers, the Nation reveals that with supply to the US blocked from China, alternative sources are being used and those monkeys, well they sell for up to 24,000 DOLLARS, whereas they make just a few thousand baht here and in other Asian countries for poachers.

– Men arrested for producing and selling youngsters video clips 
Two Thai men have been arrested after an investigation found that they were selling video clips of under age youngsters, using online apps.   20 and 19 yrs old themselves, they had lured teenagers into making clips that they then sold on. Between them, they have 360 THOUSAND online followers.  That in itself is a concern and it may well be that those who follow will also be investigated by authorities who have in the past shared user lists from such site with other nations when the users are outside Thailand

– Ronnie O’Sullivan & Jimmy Robinson to compete in Bangkok’s Six Red Snooker Championships
Fans of snooker are enjoying a rare treat in the capital where Ronnie O’Sullivan, considered the finest of snooker players in decades has joined fellow countryman Jimmy Robinson in a match  on the second day of the Six Red Snooker Championships  , which have drawn the best of players from around the world. He will be cuing off again today, as will Thailand’s female and male champions. 11 million baht in prize money , seats available from 500 baht upward.

– Visa run minibus accident blamed on sleeping driver
Meanwhile at home, 10 Russians from the city were passengers in a minivan carrying them to the Chanthaburi border crossing for a visa run, which crashed into a tree as it left the road.  Several were injured and as police attended the scene the driver claimed that a passenger’s scream shocked him and caused the wreck.  Most claim that he was in fact asleep at the wheel, he claims he was leaning down to pick something up from the floor when a woman THOUGHT he was asleep and screamed as they travelled through Rayong province.

– Smog levels continue to rise in Pattaya
Smog continues to blight our region this morning. The Banglamung area, which includes Pattaya, saw dangerous levels at around 177, the highest we have seen this week.  It is expected to drop as the heat of the day sees clouds rise but is unlikely to drop below the 150 mark, which is triple the government accepted safety level. To see how bad it is, pour a cup of water on your balcony tiles, or patio, and see the black dust gather .  That’s what’s in the air.  For condo dwellers on higher levels, the air quality is worse  by far during the day. Medics are seeing more and more patients with breathing issues and it’s advisable to wear a mask when out.  This, then, wont clear quickly as without wind or rain, the cloud movement is negligible

– St Patricks Day parade in Pattaya
Still time left, just.. for businesses or groups to sponsor floats in the St Patrick’s day parade, coming up soon in the city.  Google St Patrick parade pattaya for details. The money, well, it goes to local worthy causes and we can confirm that the fund management is transparent and fair.  So worthy of your baht.

And Jomtien beach road areas are being prepared, as of today, for the Music Festival which will rock the socks of fans, and residents along the shoreline Friday and Saturday.  Several stages are to be erected and plans are for some 8 bands to play through the 2 nights.  Jomtien, not pattaya beach road, will be partially closed for the event, from Friday mid day.

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