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A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand

BUFFALOS BREAK FREE FROM SLAUGHTERHOUSE, RESCUED BY NUN
By
Khaosod English
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July 22, 2020 3:41 pm

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Buffaloes on On Nut Road on July 22, 2020. Photos: JS100 / Facebook
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SAMUT PRAKAN — A nun who owns a farm for rescued farm animals said Wednesday she will pay for six buffalos that broke loose from a slaughterhouse into city streets Wednesday morning.

Phakjira Hatthakitchamroen, who owns Punissarapab Farm in Ratchaburi, is collecting funds to buy six buffalos from the slaughterhouse in the Srinagarindra area. The beasts were seen wandering On Nut Road next to zipping cars in a series of clips and photos that went viral online earlier today.

“We eat their kids and meat, and they help us till the earth but they have no place to live,” Phakjira said by phone Wednesday. “It’s not fair to the buffaloes. Farmers aren’t even keeping buffaloes nowadays. I’m telling you, in three years we will see no more buffaloes.”

The six buffaloes would set back Phakrija at about 290,000 baht. The nun said she’s received 30,000 baht in donation so far, borrowed 150,000 baht from a friend, and put down 10,000 baht of her own money as deposit.

Saving animals from slaughterhouses is regarded as a merit-making by many Buddhists.
 
Thailand drops charges against Red Bull heir in deadly hit-and-run
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PUBLISHED UPDATED
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BANGKOK (REUTERS) - Criminal charges in Thailand have been dropped against the heir to the Red Bull energy drink fortune who was accused in a 2012 hit-and-run that killed a police officer, police said on Friday (July 24).

Vorayuth "Boss" Yoovidhya had faced charges of speeding, hit-and-run and reckless driving causing death.
An arrest warrant has also been withdrawn, said Thanawut Sanguansuk, deputy head of Thonglor police station, told Reuters.

Vorayuth was accused of crashing his black Ferrari into a policeman on a motorcycle in Bangkok and fleeing the scene, dragging the officer's body for several dozen metres.

Thai authorities finally issued an arrest warrant for Vorayuth five years after the accident, after he missed eight legal summons.
Vorayuth is a grandson of the late Chaleo Yoovidhya, creator of the Krating Daeng, or Red Bull, energy drink.

Chaleo, 88, was listed as the third richest person in Thailand at the time of his death in 2012, with an estimated net worth of $5 billion, according to Forbes magazine.
 
Thailand drops charges against Red Bull heir in deadly hit-and-run
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PUBLISHED UPDATED
5 HOURS AGO
FACEBOOKTWITTER

BANGKOK (REUTERS) - Criminal charges in Thailand have been dropped against the heir to the Red Bull energy drink fortune who was accused in a 2012 hit-and-run that killed a police officer, police said on Friday (July 24).

Vorayuth "Boss" Yoovidhya had faced charges of speeding, hit-and-run and reckless driving causing death.
An arrest warrant has also been withdrawn, said Thanawut Sanguansuk, deputy head of Thonglor police station, told Reuters.

Vorayuth was accused of crashing his black Ferrari into a policeman on a motorcycle in Bangkok and fleeing the scene, dragging the officer's body for several dozen metres.

Thai authorities finally issued an arrest warrant for Vorayuth five years after the accident, after he missed eight legal summons.
Vorayuth is a grandson of the late Chaleo Yoovidhya, creator of the Krating Daeng, or Red Bull, energy drink.

Chaleo, 88, was listed as the third richest person in Thailand at the time of his death in 2012, with an estimated net worth of $5 billion, according to Forbes magazine.

The Thai judiciary would have been a laughing stock and great injustice would have been done to such an esteemed Thai citizen if he had been prosecuted and convicted. Surly its obvious the policeman knew it himself that he was standing in the path of a powerful machine and did not move away thus damaging the Farrari.
 
The Thai judiciary would have been a laughing stock and great injustice would have been done to such an esteemed Thai citizen if he had been prosecuted and convicted. Surly its obvious the policeman knew it himself that he was standing in the path of a powerful machine and did not move away thus damaging the Farrari.
Also the fat ass, with designer norika (watches) purportedly loaned by friends :rolleyes:
 
https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/He...date=20200722190000&seq_num=16&si=%%user_id%%

Thailand attracts hordes of Chinese patients despite COVID
Couples seek in vitro fertilization defying high costs and stringent quarantine

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More than 300 Chinese travelers eagerly await a visit to Thailand for the kingdom's "medical and wellness program". (Source photos by Reuters and Akira Kodaka)
JASON TAN, Contributing writerJuly 22, 2020 18:02 JST

BANGKOK -- More than 300 Chinese travelers eagerly await a visit to Thailand for the kingdom's "medical and wellness program," despite facing three coronavirus tests, two weeks of quarantine and 500,000 baht ($15,800) in costs just to enter the country.

A woman from the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen has already paid a Bangkok hospital part of the fee for in vitro fertilization, a process in which eggs are fertilized outside of the body.

"Our plan to have a baby has been put on hold due to the pandemic," said the woman, who gave her name as Mo. "My mother-in-law urged me to go to Bangkok as soon as possible before the Thai government reverses its policy. I am not putting any bet on Thailand to fully open its tourism to foreigners any time soon."

Thailand began loosening border restrictions this month, allowing in such medical tourists, foreign spouses of Thais and work permit holders. The Southeast Asian country hopes to boost its economy while avoiding imports of new COVID-19 cases. Leisure tourists remain barred from entering.

Around 1,200 people of 34 nationalities have applied to enter Thailand under the medical program which is expected to restart this month, with 1,500 accompanying family members.

"People like to come here to conduct plastic surgeries on the eyes and nose, for instance. And our dental treatments are relatively cheaper, too," said Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman for Thailand's coronavirus task force.

Patients include those from Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. But Chinese visitors, including couples seeking IVF, stand out in number and remain Thailand's most important customers in this field.

Chinese couples spend $8 billion yearly on IVF, per some industry estimates. Of that, more than $1 billion is spent overseas, according to figures cited in China's state-linked media.

Thailand is a main destination for Chinese who seek IVF abroad because of the country's more affordable services. The cost here ranges from 400,000 to 800,000 baht. Of the upper total, around 500,000 baht involves charges for the treatment, with the rest spent on wellness and other tourism-related services.

Demand for IVF services in China far outstrips the country's capacity, as only 460 mainland hospitals are licensed for the treatment. Chinese couples also prefer to handle the procedure in Thailand to choose the gender of their babies.

Thais largely oppose opening the border to foreigners too soon, fearing a second wave of infections. Because of that, applicants must undergo a strict process with quarantine in place before landing in the kingdom.

Applicants first need an invitation letter from a hospital where they seek treatment, using the letter to apply for a visa at their country's Thai embassy. They must show the embassy insurance policies containing COVID-19 coverage topping $100,000 and provide medical evidence that they lack the virus before boarding the plane.

Upon arrival in Thailand, they stay at the hospital for two weeks while undergoing treatment, after which they may roam the country freely within the 60-day visa period. The visa could be extended for another 30 days. Taweesilp assured the public that the hospital quarantine of 14 days will ensure patients are virus-free when they are discharged.

As of July 9, Thailand has 85 private hospitals and clinics signing up to accept foreign tourists under the medical program.

The first batch of Chinese medical tourists is expected to arrive in August, a source at privately run Phyathai 3 Hospital told the Nikkei Asian Review. The hospital charges Chinese patients at least 700,000 baht under this medical program. The package offers the option of a four-star hotel stay of 28 days and visas for three accompanying family members. Flights are not included.

Other private hospitals have detailed plans to welcome Chinese tourists for the post-pandemic era.

Bangkok Dusit Medical Services, Thailand's largest private hospital chain, in late June partnered with China's Ping An Insurance Group to provide wealthy Chinese clients with high-end care. Policies will offer services including teleconsulting, visa processing, language interpreting, ground transportation and VIP care in a private room.

Bangkok Dusit, which expects 4,000 Chinese medical tourists into Thailand over the next few years, anticipates the partnership with Ping An will contribute up to 2 billion baht in revenue this year, provided that international travel is allowed in the fourth quarter.
 
Typical Southern Thai food. Its usually very spicy.



The shop at the roadside
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Many dishes to choose from
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Simple yet clean
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My Saturday lunch
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Cumin soup
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Curry mackerel
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Vegetables and pig liver
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My first massage after 6 months due to the Chinese virus shutdown



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Spa price
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Massage menu and prices
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Now a days got to fill up questionnaire
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Feet washing area
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Alcohol to sanitise slippers
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https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/E...date=20200727190000&seq_num=25&si=%%user_id%%

Thailand's coconut-picking monkeys trigger ethics debate
Local food processors promise traceability to head off threat of boycotts


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Thai companies have been accused by animal welfare activists of abusing monkeys, which are sometimes used to harvest coconuts. © Reuters
MASAYUKI YUDA, Nikkei staff writerJuly 25, 2020 13:08 JST


BANGKOK -- Thailand's coconut industry finds itself in an unwelcome spotlight over complaints that food processors are using fruit harvested by tethered monkeys.

In a YouTube video that has gone viral, monkeys are shown chained to poles in dirty surroundings and left in small cages in the rain. The video, which was made by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and published July 2, claims that most coconut products from Thailand contain fruit picked by "enslaved" monkeys.

One clip uploaded by a PETA branch had more than 187,000 views as of noon Thursday.

The animal rights group said the monkeys are "treated like coconut-picking machines," as they are forced to climb up and down trees to collect up to 1,000 coconuts a day. In a statement published on its website, PETA said the monkeys are abducted from their families and social groups as babies.

Thai coconuts go into products such as coconut milk, flour, and oil. They are popular with vegans, who avoid consuming animal products in their diets.

PETA named two major Thai coconut milk brands, Aroy-D and Chaokoh, as companies that use fruit picked by monkeys. It said more than 17,000 stores worldwide, including Walgreens and Duane Reade in the U.S., have agreed to stop stocking products from the two Thai companies following the expose.

PETA also said British supermarket chains Tesco, Sainsbury's, Co-op, and Asda will pull Chaokoh products from its shelves, while Waitrose said it would not knowingly use any products linked to the abuse of animals.

"As part of our animal welfare policy, we have committed to never knowingly sell any products sourced from monkey labor," Waitrose said in a statement. "As an ethical retailer, we do not permit the use of monkey labor to source ingredients for our products," Co-op said.

Carrie Symonds, fiancee of U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, called for stronger action against such abuse on July 3 on Twitter, saying it was "time for [all] supermarkets to do the same."

Retailers in the U.S., Australia, and other parts of Europe are contemplating similar action.

The Thai coconut industry is worth $400 million annually, according to a local report. Thailand grew 885,751 tons of the fruit in 2018, making it the ninth-biggest producer in the world, according to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization. Indonesia and the Philippines were the world's top two producers that year, growing 18.5 million tons and 14.7 million tons, respectively.

But Thailand is the world's top exporter, with shipments valued at $70 million in 2018, followed by Indonesia with $65 million, based on data from market research company IndexBox.

Jurin Laksanawisit, Thailand's deputy prime minister and commerce minister, said on July 6: "Coconut-picking by monkeys on an industrial scale no longer exists in Thailand." A video clip uploaded in 2016 by Theppadungporn Coconut, a supplier to Chaokoh, showed coconut growers using long pruning shears to cut the fruit from the trees.

Kriangsak Theppadungporn, managing director of Theppadungporn Coconut subsidiary Ampol Food Processing, said that only 5% of coconuts grown in Thailand are harvested by monkeys, and that even then it was done as a tourist attraction. He said using long shears was a much more efficient way to harvest the fruit, and that the company was never approached by PETA.

Kriangsak said 50% of his company's coconut products are sold in China. Government data show that roughly 8% of Thailand's coconut milk exports go to the U.K.

Atthawich Suwanpakdee, secretary-general of the Kla Party, questioned PETA's impartiality. "In the Western world, hogs are trained to find truffles, which are then used as ingredients in their food as well," he tweeted on July 7.

"I do not want to see any harm against any animal, and I do hope that every country is vigilant with imposing its own law for animal welfare," he said in a tweet. "I am disappointed if the campaign for animal welfare will go as far as to be a campaign against any Thai coconut products. This is clearly an act of bullying and implying a trade war."

Global views toward coconut harvesting using monkeys have shifted. A clip on YouTube dated February 2010 was focused on an old Thai coconut farmer and his bond with a trained monkey, whereas another clip that dates from March 2016 strongly criticizes the cruel ways that monkeys are trained. It shows a Thai trainer forcing a monkey to climb a coconut tree using a whip.

Dealing with the ethical concerns of consumers has become much more important than preserving tradition, especially for farmers who want to sell abroad. The rise of veganism in developed countries has accelerated the trend. Vegans are generally extremely conscious not only about what is in the food they eat but how it is produced. According to the Vegan Society, the number of vegans in the U.K. quadrupled to 600,000 between 2014 to 2019.

Thai manufacturers of coconut products have agreed with the government to set up a traceability framework that gives importers, distributors and supermarkets access to information on the entire production process, from plantation to shelf.
 
https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Tu...date=20200728190000&seq_num=25&si=%%user_id%%

Thai youth protests draw moral support from Hong Kong activists
Taiwan peers also join 'Milk Tea Alliance' for more democracy in rebuff to China

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Demonstrators march in a protest demanding the resignation of Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha in Bangkok on July 26. © Reuters
MARWAAN MACAN-MARKAR, Asia regional correspondentJuly 28, 2020 18:19 JST

BANGKOK -- Tweet by tweet, young political activists from Hong Kong who challenged the Chinese government are rallying behind their generational peers in Thailand, where students have resumed protests in Bangkok against the country's pro-military government.

Joshua Wong, one of the faces of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement and 2014 Umbrella Revolution, has tweeted messages of solidarity with Thai demonstrators.
Social media support like this gives a fresh, international twist to the return of Thai anti-government protests, which are led by university and high school students.

"#Hongkongers will never forget how our Thai fellows stood with us against #China's nationalist trolls," the bespectacled former secretary-general of Demosisto, the now disbanded pro-democracy party, tweeted in the wake of the latest outburst of youthful discontent in Bangkok. "This is the time for us to support them back since we are both fighting for democracy, liberty and a bright future without fear."

By Sunday, the second weekend of the Thai protests organized by the Free Youth Movement student network, there were more cross-border messages of solidarity, including a few in Chinese from Hong Kong.

"This account from Hong Kong has translated the #FreeYouth protest in Thailand," read a tweet with an attached image of text in Chinese referring to the show of force by Thai youth. "Hongkongers care about our Thai ally and we hope more people can understand your struggles without [a] language barrier."

The resumption of the student protests comes after a lull of four months, when the spreading coronavirus pandemic dampened the defiant spirit of the anti-government youth movements that had been gathering strength across Thailand since the start of the year. Their anger has been directed at Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former army chief who has held office since May 2014, when he led a military coup to overthrow an elected government.

Prominent Thai youth leader Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal said the emerging cross-border political bonds convey shared values by students "who feel oppressed and want more democracy."

On Twitter, "we used to show how much the Thai students were inspired by the democracy activists in Hong Kong," said Netiwit, a 23-year-old final-year student at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. "We have drawn lessons from our friends in Hong Kong for our protests here."

The most notable of the lessons is Thais agitating for change around three clear demands including a new constitution to replace the current charter drafted by allies of the military to entrench the traditionally powerful institution's role in politics. The protests in Hong Kong, by contrast, rallied around five focused demands, including protecting Hong Kong's political freedoms.

These spreading online bonds are a nod to the reach of a new, playfully named banner. The "Milk Tea Alliance" serves a serious cause -- standing up for political and civil liberties. The moniker draws from a popular beverage in Asia.

It surfaced in the heat of the protests in Hong Kong against the Chinese government's tightening grip in that financial city in April. The spark was a retweet by a Thai television star, Weeraya Sukram, whose twitter monicker is "Nnevvy," that implied the coronavirus had originated in a Chinese laboratory and that Beijing had silenced any investigations -- which triggered a verbal spat initially between enraged mainland Chinese netizens and Thais.

An Asian youth brigade of Twitter activists, which emerged from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand, was born in its wake. They were united against aggressive nationalism and anti-democratic regimes. Soon, youth from the Philippines joined their Asian peers, angered by what they saw as Chinese heavy-handedness toward the Southeast Asian archipelago.

"The Twitter war of words involving the Thais began as a sideshow, but then it became music to the ears of the Hong Kong and Taiwan young activists, because they have been having these running verbal wars for years," said James Buchanan, an analyst of Thai social movements at the City University of Hong Kong. "It was dramatic, almost like a movie, with the Thais arriving like the cavalry to help the Hong Kong youth."

The Chinese response to the Thai youth was multipronged, with the initial salvos fired by Chinese netizens who had climbed over the country's internet firewall. "Next came the Little Pinks," said Buchanan, a reference to young cadre of the ruling Communist Party known for their targeted trolling. "The third online wave was paid state agents -- known as the 50 Cent Army."

Not surprisingly, the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok waded into this pro-democracy wave to silence the Thais -- as it did in late 2019 to reprimand a young Thai opposition politician for associating with Joshua Wong during a visit to Hong Kong. "The recent online noises only reflect [the] bias and ignorance of its maker, which does not in any way represent the standing stance of the Thai government nor the mainstream public opinion of the Thai people," a Chinese Embassy spokesperson posted on the embassy's official Facebook page in April.

Beyond that, say Hong Kong-based analysts, the Chinese government has not addressed the political implications the Milk Tea Alliance poses to a region Beijing is prickly about. "The Chinese don't appreciate the magnitude of how the MTA could evolve," according to a risk intelligence consultant who works in Beijing and Hong Kong. "This is partly because social media is controlled in China and they are unable to grasp the reach of social media to mobilize across borders."

But an online buzz needs to have a large street presence for a political impact -- now a goal of the Thai youth in the vanguard of the Free Youth Movement. On Sunday, they drew from another foreign culture -- Japan -- to combine a playful tone with strong political undertones at a gathering in Bangkok. They sang protest songs with new lyrics to the tune from "Hamtaro," a popular Japanese cartoon featuring a hamster character.

"Because of social media we are getting more amplification, but are we getting enough action to assert political pressure for change?" asked James Gomez, regional director of the Asia Center, a Bangkok-based think tank, as he took stock of the spreading Milk Tea Alliance. "This is where the search is: How much of an online presence by the youth has to be translated into a ground presence for impact?"
 
EVEN A MICHELIN-STARRED CHEF IS ADDICTED TO THIS STREET FOOD FRIED PORK
By
Asaree Thaitrakulpanich, Staff Reporter
-July 29, 2020 4:49 pm

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Ari Prempapaiporn holds a plate of rice with fried pork.
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BANGKOK — Nobody, but nobody, fries pork like Auntie Ri – and even one of the best chefs in Asia are at the mercy of her 35 baht dishes.
Ari Prempapaiporn, better known as Auntie (Pa) Ri, runs the Kin Kun Rice with Fried Pork shop on Nang Linchi Road. Every single day, the 63-year-old fries up kilos and kilos of pork for as little as 35 baht even as the price of pork rises. Auntie’s pork sells out every single day, with office workers, security guards, and motorcycle taxi drivers queuing to fuel up.

“If I increased the price, I would feel sorry for the people eating. I want people at all income levels to eat it and feel full,” Auntie Ri said. “My food is yummy and I don’t sell at expensive prices. I want both the seller and customers to be able to live.”
Gaggan Anand, a household name for earning two Michelin Stars and repeatedly topping best restaurant lists, posted about Auntie Ri’s fried pork on his Instagram as one of his go-to street food places.

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Rice with fried pork and fish ball green curry (45 baht).

“I really like it, it’s very cheap, and very good, very tasty, and sells out so fast,” Gaggan Anand said by phone. “I love the fried pork ribs.”
However, Anand, no stranger to the world of fame via international dining, says low-priced street food like Auntie Ri’s should be reserved as a local experience.
“Can we leave street food for locals and not tourists?” he said. “Hasn’t COVID taught us that the domestic market is more important? She’s already selling out without tourists. Not everything should be marketed for tourists. Some things should be kept for locals only.”
Auntie Ri’s been cooking meals in the Nang Linchi Road area for about 20 years, mostly selling food for monks’ morning alms. She set up her fried pork stand at the Nang Linchi Market about five years ago.

“I put my heart into it. I’m not stingy with the ingredients for marinating,” Auntie Ri said when asked about her secret to charming an endless row of customers. “It’s about picking good ingredients such as pepper, garlic, and coriander root and using them liberally.”
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A lunchtime queue at Auntie Ri’s stall.

People can pick whether they want rice or kanom jeen fermented rice noodles to eat with fried pork, and curries that she makes daily which can be green curry with fish balls, tom jeud vegetable soup, pad phed spicy curry, and so on. Dishes with fried pork start at 35 baht.
On a recent visit to Auntie Ri, we ordered the regular fried pork with rice (although there’s an option for an extra large portion), and picked fish balls in green curry as an extra side. Customers can self-serve if they want cucumbers and a spicy seafood sauce.
This entire dish was only 45 baht, and the fried pork was perfectly and professionally fried – Auntie slices off the gristle and skin off of every chunk before serving them. The flour coating turns into an orange-gold, crunchy coating with a coriander root flavor.
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Anyone can tell that the green curry is also made with a seasoned hand; the fish balls springy and full of fish rather than just flour.
For 45 baht, Auntie even garnishes the plate with coriander leaves and cucumbers for you. As the clock approached 1pm, Auntie sold off her last piece of pork to someone buying just the fried pork for 100 baht.
She chopped up the pork skin and rinds as a crispy snack to another waiting regular, and started to clean up shop to go rest – before the dinner rush at 5pm.
Kin Kun Rice with Fried Pork shop is open 5pm to 8pm every day, and also open for lunch from 11am to 1pm on weekdays. Arrive sooner than later as the fried pork sells out quickly. The stall is located in front of the 7-Eleven at Nang Linchi Market on Nang Linchi Road. It’s a short walk from BRT Thanon Chan, or a bike ride from BTS Chong Nonsi or MRT Lumphini.
This review is unsponsored and we paid for the food ourselves.

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/life...f-is-addicted-to-this-street-food-fried-pork/
 
Thailand extends emergency for fourth time until Aug. 31
Prayuth chooses to maintain special prerogatives despite no local transmission

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Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha speaks during a press conference on Feb. 4. Prayuth's cabinet agreed on Wednesday to extend the country's state of emergency for another month, despite it having no local transmission of the novel coronavirus for over two months. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)

MASAYUKI YUDA, Nikkei staff writerJuly 29, 2020 16:27 JST

BANGKOK -- Thailand will be kept under a state of emergency for another month, despite having no local transmission of the novel coronavirus for over two months.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha's cabinet endorsed a proposal from the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration, the special body chaired by the prime minister himself, to extend the emergency decree for the fourth time until August 31.

The decree was originally imposed from March 26 and was scheduled to end on April 30. Three previous extensions followed with each lasting a month.

The proclamation allows the Thai government to limit people's rights, while giving the former military junta chief special prerogatives to implement policies with minimum interference by the cabinet.

International rights organizations have been criticizing Thailand for what is seen as a facile use of the measure. "The emergency decree provides Thai authorities unchecked powers to suppress fundamental freedoms with zero accountability," Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said when it was extended for the second time in May.

"There is no legitimate basis for extending this decree, which allows for the arbitrary and disproportionate restriction of rights guaranteed under international law and the Thai constitution," Adams added.

Among youth, rallies demanding dissolution of the House, a rewrite of the constitution, and an end to official and judicial harassment of those critical of the government started trending. According to a local media, around a thousand gathered on July 18 near the Democracy Monument in Bangkok. The movement has spread to provincial cities as well.

Government officials said they would not apply the emergency decree to ban political events if they remained peaceful, even though it prohibits public gatherings. Yet, it provides a self-serving power to the former junta chief to suppress the movement when he deems it necessary.

The latest extension comes as Thailand is in the process of opening its borders to foreigners. It has resumed allowing in work-permit holders, their spouses and children, Thai nationals' foreign spouses and children, foreign students and foreigners with permanent residence. Those seeking medical treatment in Thailand are also being accepted.

Southeast Asia's second-largest economy is also seeking to allow short-term visitors for business purposes from certain countries that are economically important for Thailand and have contained the coronavirus in a similar fashion similar.

The kingdom has not reported any case of local transmission since May because of stringent countermeasures including forcing businesses to close and limiting travel across provinces. Most measures have been lifted, but the country still imposes a mandatory two week-long state quarantine for all the people entering Thailand.

Recently, some loopholes were found in the mandatory quarantine system. Earlier in July, an Egyptian soldier, who was later found infected, went out for a shopping trip in Rayong, about 150 kilometers southeast of Bangkok. Around the same time, a daughter of a Sudanese attache tested positive for COVID-19 in Bangkok after staying in a condominium immediately after arriving from abroad.

The two separate cases showed that though some of those with diplomatic immunity were asked to self-quarantine, they can choose not to do so. No local transmission was found around the area where the two were, but it did spark public concerns. The Centre for the COVID-19 Situation Administration claimed that the emergency decree will give the government the ability to patch such holes even after accepting more foreigners.

Containing COVID-19 is crucial for Prayuth's cabinet as it is one of only a few national problems that the administration had made a meaningful response to since its inauguration in July 2019.

Its economic ministers including Deputy Minister Somkid Jatusripitak and Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana resigned, as the Bank of Thailand forecast that the economy will shrink by 8.1% during 2020, the biggest projected contraction in Southeast Asia. The coronavirus pandemic has only exacerbated the kingdom's economic disparity, one of the worst in the world.

The emergency decree will keep authority for COVID-19 measures out of the hands of Deputy Prme Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, a diplomatic source said. The pandemic was initially dealt with by Anutin, but his blunders caused confusion.

On March 3, he posted on his Facebook account a copy of a document declaring nine countries and two regions as high-risk areas for the coronavirus, with a text saying people from those locations would face mandatory self-quarantine for two weeks. He deleted the post and later the account as well. Such requirements were not put in place until a few weeks later. He was also criticized for calling medical personnel "careless" for becoming infected with the coronavirus. The comment drew anger on social media and he was later forced to apologize.

Most recently, Anutin offered a public apology for not wearing a face mask while attending a social event to commemorate U.S. Independence Day at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok. As the leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, Anutin is expected to retain his position as the Public Health Minister in a coming cabinet reshuffle, which is likely to happen in mid-August. The second largest party in the ruling coalition calls for the legalization of marijuana.
 
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