Thailand & Pattaya News, from Fabulous 103fm (29 June 2022)

Thailand & Pattaya News, from Fabulous 103fm (29 June 2022)

The chairman of Thailand’s house committee on Marijuana has confirmed that there will be no delays in preparing the new marijauna bill and that it will be completed by August.  The bill, which is set to cover most aspects of growing, selling and consuming the weed, follows the legalization of marijuana in Thailand earlier this year. Prior to his statement, others had pointed out that any delays would lead to up to a years delay in its process.

Grab motorbike operators, previously given notice to cease and desist from offering rides from mid July, have been given an extra 2 month reprieve, during which they are expected to register as required with the department of land traffic as taxis and pay for the correct registration plates. Furor followed the announcement earlier in the month, however it will simply put them on par with legitimate registered motorbike taxi riders.  Prior to the Grab bike riders, motorcycle taxis operated a monopoly in most areas and prices often far exceeded the legal maximum for rides.  The introduction of independent bikers and independent private hire car drivers has seen prices tumble to realistic levels.

Inflation in Thailand has risen to a 14 year high according to the trade policy and strategy office who have released information showing the speedy price hiking for staple goods such as eggs,  meat and propane gas used for cooking. Without the current subsidy on cooking gas, prices would be 25% more than even the current cost.  The cost of goods has seen many on the breadline suffer and for those in the food retail business, now just recovering from the covid era, price rises to their customers are almost guaranteed.  Mama noodles, a staple of many Thais, are expected to rise in price as the main manufacturer, saha foods, has requested permission to hike prices following rocketing costs of both cooking oil and wheat globally.

Jailbirds have now been hired, based on their volunteering for dutry, to go down some 260KM of drains in the capital clearing the refuse which is causing blockages.  Previously announced as a plan at the start of the month; the prisoners, from a dozen local jails, will go back to the old ways of using lags to clear the drains as the rainy season headed our way.  Not a fun job for sure, but for those behind bars, it’s a swap from a cramped cell.

As Pattaya’s new mayor inspected the now clear beaches in Jomtien, vendors who had made the area their own after dark, turning much of the beach into a chilled out and relaxing place to eat are in an uproar.  Local residents?  Well, they are sighing with relief following congestion at the dead end end of the beach road. The number of Street Side vendors for food was expanding at a rapid rate and, worse, many were marking out territory on the beach, driving the public away unless they bought their food. That alone caused issues as they were essentially squatting, with no right to the newly renovated sandy areas. The beach?  Well it was empty last night and vendors appeared.. quite bland. The mayor HAS though announced plans for a full month of music this summer, seeing major and local bands playing across the city in an effort to promote domestic tourism.

 What do you do with the odd 100K baht that you don’t really value or need?  Wear it around your neck of course! That seems to be the latest craze this year amongst Indian tourists, seeing, this week, yet another Indian tourist reports the theft of a necklace.. This time 100K bahts worth.  Insurance companies must be having a fit back in his home country as this has become a weekly event.  At 3.30 in the morning, he CLAIMS, he was ambling along the beach road area when once again those terrible ladyboys of the night hugged him and removed his wares.  True or not?  Well..30 yr old Mr Baghel has filed the complaint and police will review cctv.

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