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A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand

Thai street dessert, they call it "lot Singapore' (excuse mispell). Not exactly close to our cendol ta
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Elderly mother and son get B6m donations
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 18 FEB 2021 AT 19:13
[IMG alt="Noi Aiamsaart (right), 81, and her son Chamnian, 62, residents of Kamphaeng Phet, have lunch while waiting to register for the Rao Chana programme, which gives 7,000 baht each to eligible people to help cope with Covid-19 hardships in front of Krungthai Bank’s Tha Makua branch in Kamphaeng Phet province on Tuesday.

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(Photo from P'fon Kamonthip Facebook)"]https://static.bangkokpost.com/media/content/20210218/c1_2070527.jpg[/IMG]Noi Aiamsaart (right), 81, and her son Chamnian, 62, residents of Kamphaeng Phet, have lunch while waiting to register for the Rao Chana programme, which gives 7,000 baht each to eligible people to help cope with Covid-19 hardships in front of Krungthai Bank’s Tha Makua branch in Kamphaeng Phet province on Tuesday. (Photo from P'fon Kamonthip Facebook)

An elderly mother and her son have received almost 6 million baht in donations from the public after a video clip showing them sharing a modest lunch while waiting to register for Covid-19 aid went viral.
A Facebook user by the name of P'fon Kamonthip on Wednesday posted the video showing the pair sharing sticky rice while waiting.

“Because we can’t choose…I feel for the elderly couple. They left home at midnight and arrived at the bank at 4am with no money, hoping to get 7,000 [baht],” she wrote.The post was shared several thousand times and people asked how to contact them so they could help. The poster, who also lived in the same province according to her Facebook profile, later posted a copy of the son’s ID and bank book.

Donations had since poured in until authorities reportedly closed the account after the fund swelled to almost 6 million baht.
Thai media later reported that Noi Aiamsaart, 81, and her son Chamnian, 62, went to Krungthai Bank’s Tha Makua branch in Kamphaeng Phet province on Tuesday to register for the Rao Chana programme, which gives 7,000 baht each to eligible people to help cope with the hardships in the wake of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
They reportedly left home at 4am on a 35km ride with no money in the hope of getting the aid.

Mr Chamnian told Khaosod Online they had come to the bank for two days but could not register because the queues were full. On the third day, they decided to start early and became the first to register.
District chief Sadudee Phuttung told Thairath Online he would set up a panel comprising their relatives to manage the fund so the mother and son benefit the most from it.
Lek Boonthat, 62, Mr Chamnian’s sister, said she had been taking care of the pair by bringing them food and drinks. “As shown in news reports, they are really struggling. We’d like to thank all agencies and donors who helped us. The amount should be enough for them.”
The government on Monday opened an additional round of registration for 7,000-baht aid under the Rao Chana programme for people who could not register through smartphones. Long queues were reported nationwide since most branches could cope with a little over a hundred people each day.
 
Did you eat all those food?
Four adult tummies. My bland tastebuds not do strong thai (herbal) flavours, or more ‘exotic’ dishes. Cuisine here has liberal add on sauces, spices etc.

Thankfully, they still got clear soup options and comfort food like khao tom (soup rice).
 
MAN MARRIES ‘MIA NOI.’ THEN ‘MIA LUANG’ AND MOM ARRIVE AT THE WEDDING
By
Khaosod English
February 19, 2021 2:40 pm
https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2021/02/19/man-marries-mia-noi-then-mia-luang-and-mom-arrive-at-the-wedding/
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A policeman’s mom whacks his head during his wedding ceremony, left. Right, Nipapan Peuchpen holds up her marriage license.
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CHAI NAT — Against a backdrop of white flowers, a police officer and his new bride were taking photos with guests. But then his wife, their kids, and his mom arrived at the wedding. Things got a little awkward from there.
In a spectacular Facebook Live that looked like a scene out of a Channel 7 soap opera, Nipapan Peuchpen, the wife of 16 years of a the police officer, held up her marriage license to the camera at the wedding that took place Thursday at Wat Ta Chai in Chai Nat province, and protested that the man had no rights to marry another.

“This is our marriage license,” Nipapan held the document up to the phone. “I don’t know how they can go through with this.”
The unnamed policeman replied, “Monks are here. Go home. You are not a guest.”

The confrontation escalated further when the police officer’s mom showed up and slapped him in the head, just as the monks were chanting blessings to the newlyweds.
“I always taught him to not mess around with adultery,” she later told Amarin TV. “I warned him so many times. Now he has to reap what he sowed. At first, I understood that being adulterous to some extent was normal for men. But I didn’t think he would go this far.”

“I want this to be a lesson to all women!” the mom went on. “If you know a man already has a family, don’t be a homewrecker. I don’t understand why the bride got married to him, knowing that he was already married.”
Nipapan said she and her legally married husband have two children, a 15-year-old and a five-year-old.
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Phra Samupongyot Polyano reenacts his wedding chants on Feb. 19, 2021.
Samupongyot Polyano, abbot of the temple, was one of the monks who were chanting the Buddhist prayers when the slapfest unfolded right in front of him.
“I’ve been a monk for 16 years and conducted hundreds of weddings,” he said in an interview with Khaosod on Friday. “This is the first time something like this has happened.”

The monk recalled the awkward situation: “I concentrated as much as I could, closing my eyes and chanting, but then I heard louder and louder arguing. My duty as a monk was to finish the chant.”
Although Lord Buddha didn’t leave much advice about dating (as far as we know), the abbot saw the head smacks as righteous justice, since adultery is forbidden in the Five Precepts of Buddhism.
“The mom did the right thing, morally and ethically. If I was a woman, I would have done the same,” Phra Samupongyot said. “I have to praise her, she really has strong morals. Usually parents side with their kids even after they have done wrong.”
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Nipapan with her lawyer on Anusorn Asurapong on Feb. 19, 2021.

Nipapan and her lawyer, Anusorn Asurapong, also filed a legal complaint to the Chai Nai Juvenile and Family Court against the policeman’s girlfriend and demanded compensation for trying to enter a marriage with a man who was already legally married.
Although Thailand has a long-standing culture of infidelity and polygyny, individuals can only register for one marriage at any given time under the the laws.
 
Rangsiman Rome presents evidence of “elephant ticket” police corruption
ByPear Maneechote and James Wilson
February 19, 2021

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Documents apparently showing a list of police officers to be favoured for promotions were presented in parliament Friday, as opposition members questioned the involvement of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha in the alleged “patronage” system during the ongoing censure debate.
#ตั๋วช้าง (elephant ticket) was trending after Rangsiman Rome of the opposition Move Forward Party showed the four-page document from 2019, when the Royal Thai Police force was under the leadership of Prayut and of current Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wangsuwan.

The so-called chang or elephant ticket is allegedly a list of police officers assured of promotion. The ticket, according to Rome, is a vehicle for positions and connections within the police, bypassing the official merit-based system for promotion.
“By forcing police officers to abide by the hideous cycle of the patron-client system, this ultimately hurts Thai society as a whole,” Rome said during the debate.

This scandal took place when Prayut and Prawit were still heads of the military junta, the National Commission for Peace and Order (NCPO), and also acting as heads of the Royal Thai Police force. Rome also said several senior government officials had written to various government agencies about promoting specific officers in 2019.

Rome asked whether Prayut and Prawit were aware that such corrupt practices were taking place, accusing the administration of allowing the police to indulge the “godfathers” operating gambling dens and the drug trade, while cracking down on pro-democracy protestors like criminals.
“Many officers have rapidly risen through the ranks without going through the right protocols and guidelines,” said Rome. “This demotivates police officers that are actually genuinely working for the people, and destroys the integrity of the police.”

The parliamentarian added that the Prime Minister and Deputy Minister should no longer hold office given the cronyism.
Rome said he was aware that he was breaching a dangerous taboo against some of the country’s most powerful vested interests. “This is probably the most dangerous action I’ve ever taken in my life,” he said during the hearing. “But since I have been chosen by the people, I will fight for the people.”

“I do not know what tomorrow will bring, but I have no regrets over the decisions that I have made today.”
The hashtag #ตั๋วช้าง had been tweeted over one million times on Friday afternoon in an outpouring of netizens’ support and respect.
 
Other week, I visited Si Thep national park (UNESCO Heritage) -in Petchabun province 400km from Bangkok
Archaelogical finds from 6th century, with great views of woods (like some european autumn forest)

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And famous BBQ chicken (gai yang)

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Cooked traditional Guangdong style fried egg noodle for breakfast today

Ingredients
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The cooking


The breakfast
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Just finished a nice Thai lunch with a colleague

Four dishes with rice costs only $12.80 all freshly cooked and prepared.
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Shrimp tomyam
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Sardine with Thai herb salad
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Minced pork omelete
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Stir fry kailan with oyster sauce
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On the way to Peking to pick up 200,000 doses of Sinovac vaccine

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Scheduled flight back to Bangkok

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Thai Street Food - Supper at a 7-Eleven Stall

Street scene outside a 7-Eleven close to midnight


Noodle stall
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Her Thai rice noodle
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My vermicelli
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https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/St...1&pub_date=20210223190000&seq_num=10&si=44594

'Starbucks of toilets' makes splash in Thailand
Amid COVID wave, Mister Loo chain of public pay potties emerges as winner

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Mister Loo co-founders Andreas Wanner, left, and Dominik Schuler at the company's toilet facility in Bangkok. (Photo by Marimi Kishimoto)
MARIMI KISHIMOTO, Nikkei staff writerFebruary 23, 2021 14:05 JST

BANGKOK -- A chain of pay public toilets has emerged as a major winner amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand. The facilities are operated by Mister Loo, a Swiss startup that aims to become the "Starbucks of toilets." With public awareness of hygiene growing as the deadly virus spreads, the operator of upscale toilets is winning popularity in Southeast Asia by emphasizing their cleanliness.

"It's very clean, and there is no bad smell. It's worth spending 10 baht (33 cents)," Chanyarot, 48, said, after using a restroom operated by Mister Loo in a shopping mall in Bangkok's Chinatown. The wood-paneled booth is well air-conditioned, with popular Thai music playing in the background. A fragrant aroma fills the room.

On average, pay public toilets in Thailand, including those in tourist resorts, cost about 3 baht per use. Mister Loo charges 10 baht for air-conditioned "premium" toilets and 5 baht for regular ones. In the Chinatown mall, there are free toilets on another floor, but many choose Mister Loo.

Mister Loo originally targeted tourists from abroad, but the number of foreign visitors has fallen due to pandemic-related entry restrictions. Still, its popularity among local users has more than made up for the decline in foreign users, and the company's sales for 2020 topped those of the previous year.

The main appeal of Mister Loo toilets is their cleanliness. Using a special cleanser, attendants disinfect stalls after every use. In the premium stalls, most fixtures and equipment -- from the flush button to the sanitary bin to the soap dispenser -- are controlled by sensors, so users can do their business without touching any of them.

Every attendant receives training in toilet cleaning, while the company keeps close tabs on feedback that customers can file using QR codes displayed at each facility.


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At Mister Loo, attendants clean toilet stalls after each use.

Mister Loo was founded by Dominik Schuler and Andreas Wanner, former corporate and investment bankers at the Swiss-based UBS. The company has raised about $2.8 million since its founding in 2015 and now operates in 40 locations in Thailand and two in Vietnam. It is advancing plans to set up similar facilities in Indonesia and the Philippines.

"Based on the untapped market potential and through collaborations with business partners, Mister Loo targets to expand its current portfolio from 42 locations to 1,400 locations by 2025," Schuler said. "To finance this growth, Mister Loo is in the process to raise $10 million."

In Thailand, about 12,000 people use Mister Loo toilets each day. Its founders said that unclean toilets are no longer tolerated and that the company has been a clear winner amid the pandemic.

"It is important to build up an outstanding brand reputation in order that customers are aware of the premium service and business excellence offered at each location. Thus, Mister Loo wants to become the Starbucks in the toilet industry," Wanner said.

Mister Loo offers relaxation spaces at some of its high-end facilities where users can also check their health indicators like blood pressure and body fat. "(Those) customer lounges offer services beyond pure toilets and will be developed into e-health centers contributing to public health," Schuler said.

Making hygienic toilets widely available has been a global challenge. The share of the world population with access to hygienic toilets rose from 28% in 2000 to 45% in 2017, but 4.2 billion people still lack them, according to UNICEF.

As demand for such facilities increases to prevent the spread of contagious diseases, business opportunities also are opening up for such enterprises as Mister Loo.
 
Vaccine from CCP almost arrive. The BIG question, will Prayut be the first in Thailand to inject?

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Cooked a very simple breakfast this morning - steamed red snapper and rice

Preparation
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Red Snapper steamed and covered with soya sauce and ginger and chili and parsley
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Simple breakfast
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Prayut orders study into Covid passports
Bangkok Post PUBLISHED : 3 MAR 2021 AT 05:00
The Ministry of Public Health shows a sample of a Covid-19 vaccine passport. Vaccine passports are being touted as the best hope to revive the country's stricken tourist industry. (Photos by The Ministry of Public Health)
The Ministry of Public Health shows a sample of a Covid-19 vaccine passport. Vaccine passports are being touted as the best hope to revive the country's stricken tourist industry. (Photos by The Ministry of Public Health)

The government will look into the future use of Covid-19 passports, says Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
On Tuesday, the prime minister ordered the Foreign Ministry to conduct a study into the adoption of Covid-19 vaccine passports, potentially the answer to future travel under the so-called "new normal" that is currently being discussed seriously in other countries.

The passport includes certification that its owner has been vaccinated against the coronavirus disease with registered and recognised Covid-19 vaccines.


The Ministry of Public Health shows a sample of a Covid-19 vaccine passport. Vaccine passports are being touted as the best hope to revive the country's stricken tourist industry. photos by The Ministry of Public Health

He admitted that so far, no conclusion has been reached that would guarantee the Covid-19 vaccine passport system would be effective when implemented at the international level.

"So at this point, I have ordered a study to be conducted around this idea in preparation for [a future use of it] so that Thailand will be able to keep up with other countries," he said.
"Opinions about the Covid-19 vaccine passport system still vary, even in Thailand," the prime minister shared.

Countries such as United States, the United Kingdom as well as those in the European Union are reportedly among those considering a digital passport that would allow citizens to demonstrate they have been vaccinated against Covid-19.
The Covid-19 passport idea has been reported to have critics -- especially among physicians and rights groups who question the efficacy of the vaccines and whether or not they will be able to totally protect people against Covid-19.

In Thailand, the Department of Disease Control (DDC) is issuing a Covid-19 vaccination certificate to people who have received the vaccine.
Dr Opas Kankawinpong, director-general of DDC said that the Covid-19 passport should be started under bilateral agreements in order to boost the country's tourism industry, even though each country still has different policies about Covid-19 vaccination certification.
The national committee on communicable diseases will discuss the Covid-19 vaccination passport on Monday, he said.

 
Miss Universe Thailand fired as mental health ambassador
Mar 02. 2021
Amanda Chalisa Obdam

Amanda Chalisa Obdam
By The Nation

The Department of Mental Health dismissed Miss Universe Thailand Amanda Chalisa Obdam from her role as the country’s mental health ambassador on Tuesday. The department handed the role to the Thai-Canadian model, 28, on February 25 after she won the beauty crown last October.
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The move to revoke her ambassadorship came after the beauty queen drew criticism for her Facebook post about Thai politics. On October 16 she posted a message criticising any form of violence against people. Earlier that day, police used water cannon laced with tear gas to clear a rally by unarmed protesters in Bangkok.

Department director-general Panpimol Wipulakorn explained that the mental health ambassador’s role is to promote mental health work, publicise information and participate in voluntary work for the department.

She said it was revoking Amanda’s title to avoid causing confusion among the public.

The beauty queen had not benefited from any special privileges as mental health ambassador, she added.
 
This morning I made a Japanese rice noodle breakfast. Spent some time to marinate the pork with dry flatfish (flounder/halibut) powder that I made, it brings the taste of the pork to another level.

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This is how I prepared the pork its at the start of the video.



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