Thailand News Today | TAT reveals top things tourists like to do in Thailand

Eating Thai food, Thai massage and spa treatments, going to the beach and visiting historical sites are the most popular activities among foreign tourists, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). A survey, conducted by the TAT, shows that 90.75% want to eat Thai food, followed by 48.23% who want to experience Thai traditional massage and spas, 48.12% prefer going to the beach and enjoying sea-related activities and 46.22% prefer visiting venues of historical importance.

The five medical services most sought after by tourists are medical check-ups, bone and joint treatments, treatments related to heart and vascular diseases, and metabolic and dental treatment. According to the Health Service Support Department, 30 Thai hospitals earned a total of about 11.9 billion baht from treating foreign COVID patients in 2021, a 47% increase over the previous year’s record and most patients came from Kuwait, Cambodia, Myanmar, Japan and China.

The Land Transport Department raised 179 million baht for the government’s road safety fund from its recent auction of auspicious numbers of vehicle license plates. It also promised to support authorities’ examination of bidders. Deputy director-general of the department said people were highly interested in the auction of 301 auspicious license plate numbers for passenger cars on Dec 10 and 11.

On the occasion, the “9 Kor Kor 9999” number drew 202 bids and its auction ended with the price of 45.09 million baht. The department was aware of an allegation from the “Sai Mai Will Survive” group that owners of gambling websites were collecting auspicious license plate numbers instead of cash. The group asked the police and the Anti-Money Laundering Office to check the financial transactions of bidders. Director-general of the department said that it was ready to cooperate with any investigation related to the allegation.

A seven-year-old girl was tragically killed on a Bangkok road yesterday while travelling to school. The child fell from her mother’s white Yamaha Scoopy motorcycle and was run over by an oncoming public bus. The driver drove on without stopping, later saying he did not notice the girl.

A rescue team and medical workers from Sirirat Hospital rushed to the scene on the Kamnan Maen Road, or Soi Ekkachai 36, in the Bang Khun Thian sub-district of Chom Thong district in Bangkok. The girl was found lying on a footpath with a serious head injury. Rescuers tried to save the girl without success.

The mother of the girl, 30-year-old Luxsamee, suffered a mild injury. Netizens felt sorry for the bus driver and believed in his confession adding that there might have been a blind spot for the driver. Some netizens checked CCTV footage and spotted a green car behind the motorcycle which might have been involved in the accident. Police reported that the bus driver, 61-year-old Thongchai, was initially charged with driving recklessly causing the death of another person according to Section 291 of the Criminal Law. He will be punished with imprisonment for up to ten years and a fine of up to 200,000 baht.