BANGKOK (NNT) – According to the government’s plan, the traffic infrastructure under-construction in the North-Eastern region will be a key tool to stimulate the economy, especially tourism and border trade, bringing benefits to people in the area.
General Prayut Chan-O-Cha, the PM has assigned the Minister of Transport, Saksayam Chidchob to follow up on the construction of roads, rail and air facilities in the northeastern region.
The infrastructure being constructed comprises the 196 kilometer-long Bang Pa-In – Nakhon Ratchasima Motorway, the 202 kilometer-long Nakhon Ratchasima- Khon Kaen road, the 6th Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge Ubon Ratchathani-Salawan, which will interconnect with the dual-track and high-speed train systems.
As for the rail system, there will be a high-speed track from Bangkok-Nhongkai, 9 routes of dual-track rail, which will facilitate transport in from Bangkok to this region and within the region itself.
Meanwhile, the air transport development plan will upgrade 9 airports, comprising 5 airports dedicated to flights to neighboring countries, 3 airports for secondary-tourism cities and 1 airport for sports tourism promotion.
BANGKOK (NNT) – Today, the first group of tourists with a Special visa or Special Tourist VISA (STV) arrive in Thailand and more will continue to arrive over coming months. In addition to the government’s confirmation of the readiness of measures to enhance the safety of Thai people, the private sector has also confirmed its readiness to accommodate tourists.
Mr Chairat Trairattanacharatphorn, President of the Tourism Industry Council of Thailand, said today the current political demonstration situation should not affect foreign visitors much. He also expressed his hope that no foreign visitors will be infected with COVID-19 in the early stages of the STV program in order to build local acceptance and prove that the public and private tourism sector can control COVID-19 well, which will lead to the second phase and the next group of arrivals.
As for domestic tourism, the Tourism Industry Council has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Science Museum (NSM) to organize a “One Day Tour to the Museum” project, to encourage travel agencies or partner tourism business operators to arrange day trips to the NSM, Khlong 5, Pathum Thani, to accommodate foreign tourists who will gradually arrive and encourage students and the public to recognize the importance of science that helps develop the country further.
BANGKOK (NNT) – In a bid to increase the area of forest in the country, the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) in collaboration with a number of agencies has launched a new platform to allow people who wish to contribute to the planting of trees to do so with ease.
SET President Dr. Pakorn Peetathawatchai today officially launched the “Care the Wild” project, a new activity where the public, wherever they may live in the world are able to contribute to the expansion of forest area in Thailand by simply downloading the application ‘Care the Wild’, at their platform’s application store.
With the application on their phone, users are able to contribute to the planting of trees without having to go to the actual site. Donating one tree costs 200 baht, and a person can plant as many trees as they like. Users can also decide where they would like to plant their trees. There is currently 717 rai of land to choose from across seven provinces namely Ratchaburi, Petchaburi, Chiang Rai, Nan, Kanchanaburi, Nakhon Ratchasima and Mahasarakam, with more coming in the future.
With a simple click and transfer, SET will work with the Royal Forest Department and residents of the area to plant trees for the users; after the planting, the application will send users a report of how their trees are doing on a biannual basis for a period of six years.
SET hopes that the application will help increase the number of forest areas in the kingdom, aiming for about 100,000 trees covering 500 rai of land; this amount will be able to absorb roughly 900,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide per year.
Currently, forest in Thailand covers an area of some 102 million rai, or 31.5% of the country’s land mass, but according to research Thailand needs at least 40% or 128 million rai of its area to be covered by forest to create a well balanced ecosystem for the country.
Interested individuals are welcome to participate by downloading the ‘Care for the Wild’ application at their platform’s app store, fill in their information and start the planting process in the comfort of their home anywhere in the world. Meanwhile, companies that would like to participate are welcome to visit www.setsocialimpact.com to learn more.
BANGKOK (NNT) – The Finance Minister, Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, says Thailand’s economic outlook has been upgraded to a 7.1 percent contraction, from a 7.7 percent decline, thanks to the government’s measures to support the business sector. As the soft loan scheme ends on October 22, the government will continue implementing measures to boost liquidity, and the issue will be clear early next week.
Mr. Arkhom said after the cabinet meeting yesterday that Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister, Supattanapong Punmeechaow, had presented a report on the country’s economic outlook from the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) database. Thailand’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth has been revised to a contraction of 7.1 percent this year, up from a negative 7.7 percent. The overall economic situation in the country has improved, following the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions and measures to boost liquidity in all sectors. As a result, financial liquidity in Asia has seen a faster recovery than other regions in the third and possibly fourth quarters of the year.
Regarding the liquidity measures, which include temporary suspension of debt repayments, the Finance Minister said his ministry will continue implementing them, while overseeing the scope of duties of state-run financial institutions to improve the liquidity of the business sector. The ministry is currently coordinating with all banks, and the issue will be clear early next week.
BANGKOK (NNT) – The Minister of Tourism and Sports expects that there will be approximately 400 foreign visitors in early November and expressed his belief that the Bangkok protest situation will not affect their confidence.
Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Minister of Tourism and Sports, said the Special Tourist VISA lasts 90 days and can be renewed twice. Each renewal is for 90 days. Foreign visitors must undergo a 14-day quarantine or strictly comply with prescribed guidelines against COVID-19 before undertaking travel.
On October 20, a group of Chinese nationals with special tourist visas (STV) will be the first foreign tourists allowed into Thailand on a chartered flight under a conditional entry scheme for selected groups of foreigners endorsed by the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).
Another group will arrive in Phuket on October 26 and more groups will gradually arrive.
It is expected that by November 2nd, there will be approximately 400 foreign tourists newly arrived in Thailand. He expressed his confidence that the recent student demonstrations won’t affect the confidence of foreigners because tourists understand that Thailand does not tolerate violence.
The first group of 41 Chinese tourists is due to arrive at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport from Shanghai at about 5pm today (Tuesday), to…
BANGKOK(NNT) – With continual efforts to enhance digital infrastructure, the government is now on track to implement more digital technologies to achieve its digital government goal, allowing the general public to effectively have access to technologies.
The Digital Economic and Society Committee has in its meeting followed up on the progress of technology implementation in national development and digital government transformation.
On this occasion, the Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha has stressed the importance of infrastructure projects and platform management, such as the creation of a data center and a central cloud platform for government data management, which will allow government agencies to work together more seamlessly.
By linking government databases, agencies will be able to serve the general public more effectively. The Prime Minister has stressed the need for development of human resources in keeping with technological advancement, and ways to improve the general public’s access to technological tools that can help them with online retailing.
Currently, the government is promoting several digital projects such as the testing of a 5G network for remote diagnosis of stroke patients at mobile stroke units, and a smart farming project expected to be a key contributor to the economy, society, and national security in the future.
The committee has approved draft bills necessary for digital development of the country, such as the Space Bill, and ethical code for Artificial Intelligence.
Bangkok, 20 October, 2020 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is pleased to announce that CNN Travel has placed Thai Massaman curry as the No. 1 dish in “The World’s 50 Best Foods list, along with Tom Yum Kung in the eighth place and Som Tam papaya salad, which ranked at 46th.
Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor, said, “This listing is a testament to the already solid reputation of Thai cuisine that is increasingly perceived as a world-class culinary experience. Thailand is certainly a great destination for foodie tourism.
“Once the COVID-19 situation improves, we are more than ready to welcome tourists and foodies from around the world to embark on a culinary journey and explore Thainess through Thai dishes in unique destinations across Thailand.”
The latest CNN Travel World’s 50 Best Foods list was updated in September 2020, on the original article that was previously published in 2011, then reformatted, updated and republished in 2017, and updated since then.
CNN Travel staff said that they had scoured the planet for what they thought were 50 of the most delicious foods ever created. The three Thai dishes were ranked and described as follows:
Massaman curry with chicken
Massaman curry, 1st place: Emphatically the king of curries, and perhaps the king of all foods. Spicy, coconutty, sweet and savoury. Even the packet sauce you buy from the supermarket can make the most delinquent of cooks look like a Michelin potential. Thankfully, someone invented rice, with which diners can mop up the last drizzles of curry sauce. “The Land of Smiles” isn’t just a marketing catch-line. It’s a result of being born in a land where the world’s most delicious food is sold on nearly every street corner.
Tom Yum Kung (Shrimp Spicy Soup)
Tom Yum Kung, 8th place: This best food Thai masterpiece teems with shrimp, mushrooms, tomatoes, lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves. Usually loaded with coconut milk and cream, the hearty soup unifies a host of favourite Thai tastes: sour, salty, spicy and sweet. Best of all is the price: cheap.
Spicy Papaya Salad with Sticky Rice
Som Tam papaya salad, 46th place: To prepare Thailand’s most famous salad, pound garlic and chillies with a mortar and pestle. Toss in tamarind juice, fish sauce, peanuts, dried shrimp, tomatoes, lime juice, sugar cane paste, string beans and a handful of grated green papaya. Grab a side of sticky rice. Variations include those made with crab (som tam pu) and fermented fish sauce (som tam pla ra), but none matches the flavour and simple beauty of the original.
The post Thai Massaman curry topped “The World’s 50 Best Foods,” CNN Travel appeared first on TAT Newsroom.
