Thailand News Today | Bangkok street food destination in top 10 “coolest streets in the world.”

One of Bangkok’s oldest streets has been named as one of the “coolest streets in the world.”

London-based Time Out magazine named Yaowarat Road the eighth coolest street in the world after polling readers about post-pandemic life in their city. Over 20,000 people took part in the poll which asked readers to base their ranking on food, fun, culture, and community.

Yaowarat Road in Samphanthawong district is the main artery of Bangkok’s Chinatown. Modern Chinatown now covers a large area around Yaowarat and Charoen Krung Road. It has been the main center for trading by the Chinese community since they moved from their old site some 200 years ago to make way for the construction of Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace.

Yaowarat Road is well known for its variety of foodstuffs, and at night turns into a large street food destination that draws tourists and locals from all over the city.

Time Out said…

“Lined with neon signs and bustling day or night, this cultural hub is home to temples, restaurants, markets, and legions of acupuncturists and dispensers of Chinese medicine.

“It’s been a street food lovers’ favorite for generations, but lately the area has seen cool galleries and high-end restaurants move in too, keeping Yaowarat as relevant and culturally diverse as the day it was paved.”

The top 10 coolest streets in the world are:

1. Rue Wellington in Montreal
2. Gertrude Street in Melbourne
3. Great Western Road in Glasgow
4. Yongkang street in Taipei
5. Værnedamsvej in Copenhagen, which I’ve likely butchered
6. Karangahape road, Auckland, New Zealand which I’ve probably also butchered
7. Tai Ping Shan street in Hong Kong
8. Yaowarat Road, Bangkok
9. Oranienstrasse in Berlin
10. And Hayes Street in San Francisco

Meanwhile, Bangkok came in at 51 among 53 top cities in the world in 2022

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Great news for Aussies and Aussie lovers, budget airline Thai AirAsia X will launch two direct routes between Thailand and Australia in December. The airline will fly from Bangkok to both Melbourne, and Sydney, beginning in December this year.

The Bangkok to Sydney route will fly four times per week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. The Bangkok to Melbourne route will fly thrice a week on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.

A 337-seat Airbus A330 will serve both routes with 12 Business Class seats and 365 Economy Class seats.

Tickets are already on sale, with one-way economy fares from Melbourne to Bangkok starting from $299 AUD (7,552 Thai baht). A one-way Business Class ticket on a premium flatbed costs $1,199 AUD (30,293 Thai baht).

Malaysia-based AirAsia X will launch services from Kuala Lumpur to various Australian locations. The airline will launch Kuala Lumpur – Sydney flights on September 9 and flights to Perth, Melbourne, and Auckland (via Sydney) in November.

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In somewhat related news, Thai Airways has found a buyer for five dusty Airbus A340s which have gone unused for 13 years. Thailand’s flag carrier has sold one A340-500 and four A340-600 planes for a total of 350 million baht. The transaction is sure to help THAI on its road to financial recovery since the Bankruptcy Court approved a debt restructuring plan for the airline in 2020.

According to the Chief Technical Officer of Thai Airways, the buyer, whose identity remains disclosed, has already signed the paperwork finalizing the deal. The transaction will go through once it is approved by Thailand’s Minister of Transport.

Since Thai Airways entered its debt rehabilitation program two years ago, the airline has sold 16 decommissioned planes, amounting to 2 billion baht.

In 2019, Thai Airways declared 245 billion baht in debt. The airline’s progress report published in July this year revealed that revenue is finally taking off and the airline is navigating its way out of its mountain of debt.

But it’s been cutting costs, not making sales, which has helped THAI get back on track. The airline has reduced its costs by an enormous 73%, from 29.4 billion to 7.9 billion baht per year, according to its July financial report. The airline has saved on maintenance costs, and operating costs and also halved its 30,000-strong workforce to 15,000.

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While the Thai government seems to have loosened regulations for cannabis, they’ve just reiterated its position on banning e-cigarettes and vaping.

Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul doubled down on the ban, saying that vaping poses a major health risk, especially to young people who account for more than half of all e-cigarette consumers.

Anutin spoke at a national conference in Bangkok yesterday addressing cigarettes and public health, citing a survey last year by the National Statistical Office of Thailand that said that, of the 80,000 people vaping in Thailand now, more than half were between the ages of 15 and 24.

The Public Health Minister referred to these statistics when recommitting Thailand to the e-cigarette ban saying that Thailand has learned from observing other countries.

Myriad ailments ranging from diseases of the brain, liver, respiratory system, and skin to oral and dental problems, and even problems with blood vessels and the heart have all been connected with vaping. The data on these afflictions were collected between 2014 and 2021 throughout 6,971 studies worldwide.

The American Heart Association says that vaping carries a 39% higher risk of asthma and 49% higher risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as well as a 1.8-fold increase in the risk of ischemic heart disease. The World Health Organisation warns that e-cigarettes contain several toxic chemicals, not just nicotine that already can obstruct blood flow by contracting blood vessels.

As is often the case, the younger people are when exposed to the toxic chemicals and dangers of e-cigarettes, the more harmful they can be. Brain development can be decreased by three to four times, and vaping in pregnant women can cause low birth weight, irregularities with the nervous system, and ADHD.

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A student who rides his horse to college in Kalasin province, northeast Thailand, has become an overnight internet sensation.

On Monday, a Facebook user posted a clip of the ‘Kalasin Cowboy’ making a U-turn and galloping into Kalasin College of Dramatic Arts with the caption…

“F*cking cool. You’ve won me over. Hahaha. I want to take him out for Shabu.”

The Kalasin Cowboy, 19-year-old Prasert from Sakon Nakhon province, is a second-year student studying in Kalasin. Prasert told reporters that fuel is too expensive these days and prices are rising all the time, so he decided to ride his horse to college instead.

Prasert added that riding a horse is better for the environment than driving. He said he loves conservation, riding horses, and everything “old school.”

The student revealed that a local Buddhist monk gifted him the 3-year-old male horse around one month ago. The temple has a lot of horses already and can’t look after them all, so horse-lover Prasert took one off their hands to raise himself.

While Prasert studies at college, he ties the horse up in a field. The horse eats grass all day, “refueling” itself, preparing to take Prasert home on the highway after college.

Netizens admire Prasert for being environmentally friendly and can’t stop talking about how cool he is.