Top National Thailand Stories From the Past Week: Number of Chinese Tour Groups Still Low, and more

By
Goongnang Suksawat
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Here is a look at the top NATIONAL Thailand stories, chosen by our Pattaya News/TPN National team, from last week, Monday, February 20th, 2023, to Sunday, February 26th, 2023. They are not in any particular level of importance but are listed in the order of date of publication.

Let’s get started and see what the top stories were!

  1. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told a meeting of the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) board that his ministry opposes a proposal from the Tourism Ministry to expand the legal closing times for nightspots to 4 AM from 2 AM.

The minister backed his opposition with concerns over public welfare and safety, saying road accidents could rise if pubs are allowed to operate up to 4 AM.

2. The number of Chinese tour groups travelling to Thailand remains unexpectedly low due to a lack of flights, said Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, president of the Thai Association of Tourism Businesses (ATTA).

Most Chinese arrivals in Thailand were free independent travelers (FIT), which refers to tourists who travel on their own without a tour guide or joining a tour group.

3. Thai Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reiterated his stance on banning all forms of e-cigarettes, including selling and importing the products into the country.

More people, especially youngsters, turned to smoking electronic cigarettes nowadays due to a misconception that the device cannot cause cancer or is harmless for health.

4. Thailand’s capital city of Bangkok has been honored as the 30th best city in the world out of 100 countries and the 2nd best city in ASEAN, Resonance Consultancy, a leading global advisor in destination development, says.

Bangkok also ranks 2nd best city out of the 10 member countries of ASEAN.

5. Pub bouncers in Bangkok have been fired following a viral video recording that appeared to show the bouncers handcuffing and slapping a foreign male customer in the face over a trivial misunderstanding.

The viral incident happened at The Club Khaosan located on Bangkok’s well-known walking street of Khao San Road.

And, that is all for this week. Thank you as always for reading the Pattaya News/TPN News!

The original version of this article appeared on our sister website, The Pattaya News, owned by our parent company TPN media.

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Goongnang Suksawat
Goongnang Suksawat
Goong Nang is a News Translator who has worked professionally for multiple news organizations in Thailand for many years and has worked with The Pattaya News for five years. Specializes primarily in local news for Phuket, Pattaya, and also some national news, with emphasis on translation between Thai to English and working as an intermediary between reporters and English-speaking writers. Originally from Nakhon Si Thammarat, but lives in Phuket and Krabi except when commuting between the three.