FRIDAY MORNING NEWS BRIEFING – All your local news in 3 minutes
Final day of the week and a lead into your standard, normal, hopefully quiet, weekend. Weather seems to be staying cloudy but the threatened rain has mostly held off this week. It may not be bright blue sunny skies but it’s still a great place to live! What’s happening around Thailand and Phuket today?
Seven Dangerous Days – final reports in
The seven day road safety-monitoring period ended around the country with what was considered a ‘success’ as the accident count reduced by 2 per cent and the death rate decreased by 11.5 per cent.
Road safety experts and authorities gave credit for the accomplishment to strict law enforcement during the New Year period. Arrests for dangerous driving and traffic-law offences sharply increased. The final seven day tally shows there were 423 deaths and 4,005 injuries from 3,841 accidents, lower than the last year’s figures.
Meanwhile, Phuket’s Governor Plodthong has announced the official statistics for Phuket from the ‘Seven Days of Danger reporting period. There were 7 accidents on the 7th day, January 3, with 7 injuries.
For the whole period of 7 days, there was a total of 46 accidents with 46 injuries and 2 casualties on the island. Police reported that they checked 3,088 cars at checkpoints and arrested 303 motorbike riders for not wearing a bike helmet.
NCPO popularity dropping in surveys
The Junta’s popularity rating has touched the lowest level since the military coup in May 2014, hitting lows seen by the civilian government that it overthrew. This according to the results of the latest survey by security agencies. The good news for the NCPO is that it enjoys higher popularity in the Northeast where most supporters of the ousted Pheu Thai-led government live.
Support in the South has dwindled as the NCPO-led government failed to prop up falling rubber prices while getting tough with fishermen and Thepa power plant protesters (photo above). The survey was conducted across all 77 provinces.
Minimum wage set to get a small boost
The minimum wage looks set to rise by at least 15 baht per day starting at the end of this month.
The Labour Ministry says that the increase might be well over 15 baht because the wage had been fixed at 300 baht a day for most parts of the country for a few years already. The Tripartite Wage Committee will convene a meeting to pass a resolution by January 15. The country’s Labour Minister says the wage hike was in response to an order by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha who said he wants to make the minimum-wage increase a New Year gift to workers across the country.
(Add you own witty headline here…)
Thailand, already known for it’s excellent cosmetic services, is moving to another area of the human anatomy. This time to the nether regions of gentleman who are looking to lighten the skin of their… genitalia.
Health authorities, however, have expressed worry and warned people about possible adverse impacts from such treatments. The Health Service Support Department deputy director-general says the skin of the private parts is sensitive. Such laser services may cause irritation, allergies and inflammation.
He also pledged to encourage the Food and Drug Administration to check if equipment used in such services had already been approved.
Record garbage dump at tourist areas
Tourists left record amounts of garbage behind at New Year holiday destinations this year.
Popular seaside retreats at Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan and Khao Lak in Phang Nga report that the amount of garbage left behind by visitors has increased sharply this year causing environmental problems that will take weeks to clean up.
Hua Hin Municipality reported a 40 tonnes per day increase in the volume of garbage during the holiday period compared to the normal collection. Garbage reached a whopping 200 tonnes per day.
Police nab ‘big guns’ from a Mai Khao-based drug network
Thachatchai Police and military officers have arrested three big drug dealers from a network called ‘Ann Power’. One of them also happened to be the head of the network.
The force raided the Kok Pae Community, through five different spots, and arrested the three drug dealers, including 40 year old Paiboon Rattanapak aka ‘Ann Power’ who police believe is the head of the drug network. They also arrested a 43 year old and 36 year old with small quantities of drugs.
They are all accused of possessing and trading drugs with other charges pending as the investigation continues.
Russians fall off balcony in Pattaya
A 42 year old Russian man and his 17 year old daughter were injured when they fell from the balcony of the second floor of a condominium building in Pattaya yesterday.
From the statements of witnesses, the two victims were chatting on the balcony and all of a sudden the young girl fell from the balcony, her father tried to grab her, but lost his balance and also fell to the car park below. Both are recovering in hospital.
48,000 Births in Crowded Rohingya Camps
Finally, just next door to Thailand, an international aid agency projects that 48,000 babies will be born this year in overcrowded refugee camps for the Rohingya Muslims who have fled to Bangladesh from neighboring Myanmar.
Save the Children warned in a report released Friday that the babies will be at increased risk of disease and malnutrition, and therefore of dying before the age of five. Most of the babies will probably be born at home in tents, the agency said.
More of that story from VOA HERE.
