Happy couples flocked to district offices across the country to register their marriages on Valentine’s Day, with many opting to exchange their vows in hot-air balloons floating above Chiang Rai.

Twenty-five couples tie the knot in hot-air balloons above Chiang Rai on Valentine’s Day. (Photo by Chinpat Chaimon)

Twenty-five “Balloon Love’’ couples tied the knot in the sky above Singha Parking in Muang district of Chiang Rai.

Among them were actor Warit Thipkomut and national team footballer Adisorn Promrak and their sweethearts.

In Chon Buri, 138 returnees from China’s Wuhan city still in quarantine received red roses from the navy at Sattahip naval base.

One of them posted a message on her Facebook thanking the navy and health officials for the meals, accommodation and best of care around the clock. And especially, for the red roses she and others received on Valentine’s Day.

Twenty-five couples  celebrate their marriages with “Balloon Love”, taking to the air at Singha Park in Muang district of Chiang Rai on Friday.   (Photo by Chinapat Chaimon)

In Chon Buri, 138 returnees from China’s Wuhan city still in quarantine received red roses from the navy at Sattahip naval base.

One of them posted a message on her Facebook thanking the navy and health officials for the meals, accommodation and best of care around the clock. And especially, for the red rosses she and others received on Valentine’s Day.

WRITER: CHINPAT CHAIMON AND CHAIYOT PUPATTANAPONG

A gunman who fired dozens of shots in central Bangkok early yesterday was not imitating the mass shooting in Nakhon Ratchasima last weekend but will face two charges, said police.

No injuries were reported after Ekachai Jaruksin opened fire in Pathumwan district, but damage to nearby property was being assessed.

“We are preparing to charge him with illegally carrying guns and firing them without a sound reason,” Pol Maj Gen Piya Tawichai, deputy chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said yesterday after questioning Mr Ekachai.

After detaining the suspect, police found the 48-year-old had fired the shots in anger over family and business problems.

Initial reports of the incident prompted concern Mr Ekachai might be imitating last Saturday’s deadly rampage by a soldier at Terminal 21 shopping mall in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Muang district, who killed 29 people and left 58 injured.

The Terminal 21 gunman, who was later killed by police commandos, is thought to have been motivated by a personal conflict with his commanding officer over a military housing project.

“But this suspect had no intention of shooting anyone,” Pol Maj Gen Piya told reporters.

Mr Ekachai said he fired the guns to “unleash stress”, the deputy chief said.

According to investigators, the suspect owned four registered guns, two of which were used in the incident — a Colt .45 handgun and Glock 9mm pistol.

Police are considering revoking his gun licences because of his dangerous behaviour, Pol Maj Gen Piya said.

Mr Ekachai fired the guns from a sports clothing shop on Soi Chula 10 Road in Bangkok’s Pathumwan district around 4am, police said.

Police cordoned off the area, which is not far from the district’s Royal Thai Police Office.

A witness said he was sitting nearby with friends when he heard shots from the rooftop of the two-storey shop. One shot was fired in the direction of his group, which ran for cover.

Police negotiators, joined by the Mr Ekachai’s brother, eventually talked the suspect into surrendering before he was taken to Pathumwan police station at 10.40am.

He admitted taking crystal meth on Thursday, city police chief Pol Lt Gen Phukphong Phongpetra said.

Bangkok Post

The Education Ministry is calling on foreign embassies to help find native speakers who can teach English at Thai schools.

Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan said yesterday that he had met ambassadors from English-speaking countries and asked them to find teachers who can teach English and other subjects in English to Thai students, as part of government-to-government cooperation programmes.

“The aim of the discussion was to seek cooperation from embassies. A large number of teachers are necessary as we are working on upgrading the entire education system,” Mr Nataphol said.

He said there are currently some 7,000 foreign teachers in Thai schools, but this is not enough, adding that another 10,000 teachers are required. He said the ministry has earmarked funds for their recruitment.

The aim of the effort is to improve students’ proficiency in the English language, boost their confidence and equip them to seek further knowledge, he said, adding that Thai teachers will also be able to learn and benefit from native English speakers.

The minister said he has also come up with a plan to upgrade English-language lessons from elementary to university levels, with the aim of cutting down on the number of foreign teachers in the next three years.

Mr Nataphol added that foreign teachers must have some professional training to qualify for the job, adding that a language teaching certificate is preferred.

He also said the accent of English teachers does not matter as long as they can make the lessons fun.

Bangkok Post

Thai tourism and sports minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn told a crisis meeting in Bangkok that he has proposed to the government that bars and entertainment venues stay open to 4 am.

That and giving free visas to Chinese and Indians is the embattled minister’s response to the COVID-19 virus crisis that has devastated tourism in Thailand.

He asked for support from the private sector for his ideas as he delivered a speech at the Amari Watergate hotel yesterday.

He said the 4 am opening would only apply to certain zones and surveys would need to be carried out.

Thaivisa notes that the minister’s plans are nothing new.

His 4 am opening idea was given a lukewarm reception last year and free visas for Chinese and Indians is already in place, though not permanently.

If anything his speech showed that he is bereft of ideas and resigned to Thai tourism as having gone down the pan, at least in the first half of 2020.

He admitted that 50% less tourists will come in the first six months of the year.

Source: TNN

Electronic cigarettes have been banned in Thailand since 2014 but enforcement of the ban has been sporadic. However, a report in the Chiang Rai Times says Thai authorities are now cracking down hard, with thousands of e-cigarettes confiscated in the last 3 weeks.

At a press briefing this week, the police, working with a consumer protection agency, confirmed they had launched a crackdown and had arrested 10 people for being in possession of nearly 600 electronic cigarettes and 500 bottles of vaping liquid.

It’s understood that many shops and other vendors illegally selling e-cigarettes have been raided since late September.

The Chiang Rai Times says e-cigarettes are a hotly debated topic in Thailand, with many arguing to have them legalised, while opponents claim vaping can lead young people into other addictions, possibly even cigarette smoking.

Thailand’s latest crackdown comes amid a spate of vaping-related lung injuries and deaths in the U.S., although the country’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says a new study says dangerous fumes from the use of THC may be to blame.

SOURCE: Chiang Rai Times

 

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The Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) in Thailand is warning the public that cannabis plants cannot be grown at home without official permission, adding that the law is clear the plants can only be grown for medical use and research purposes.

It’s understood that since use of the drug for medicinal purposes was legalised earlier this year, over 7,500 illegally-grown marijuana plants have been confiscated in 11 provinces across Thailand.

Niyom Termsrisuk from the ONCB is anxious to correct the apparent misunderstanding that the legalisation of cannabis means carte blanche for anyone wishing to grow the plant at home.

He says cannabis remains illegal for all uses other than research and medicinal purposes and that individuals or organisations who wish to grow it must apply for permission to do so.

The Food and Drug Association (FDA) has currently permitted 11 organisations to grow marijuana plants, with 26 hospitals in Thailand authorised to provide it as treatment.

SOURCE: The Pattaya New

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