Thailand tells shops to stock up as 72-hour emergency bag buying rises

 

Thailand’s Department of Internal Trade has told supermarkets and retailers to build up safety stocks of rice, canned food, milk and drinking water after demand rose following official advice to pack 72-hour emergency bags. The department said in comments published yesterday, November 6, that supplies remain normal and that people have no need to stockpile.

Director-General Wattanasak Suea-iam said stores had confirmed that shoppers were buying more of some goods, though he described the rise as modest, and that every chain had agreed to hold enough safety stock and keep refilling shelves so that items do not run out.

He added that manufacturers and distributors were ready to keep producing and delivering, and urged the public to be aware but not to panic.

Outlets gave different figures for the rise. Thairath reported an average increase of 5 to 20% in demand for food and drinks, including rice, dried and canned food, dairy products and drinking water, while Naewna put the rise in sales of some goods at about 5 to 10%. Wattanasak linked part of the increase to timing, as late October and early November coincided with payday, a government top-up of state welfare cards and news coverage of the bag advice.

The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) and the National Security Council (NSC) have been urging households to keep a bag with enough supplies for the first 72 hours of an emergency or disaster.

DDPM Director-General Nirat Pongsitthaworn has said the advice follows an international preparedness standard and is not a sign of war, and that Thailand faces no security emergency that calls for large-scale stockpiling.

The DDPM’s checklist, which The Thaiger covered when the department advised households to prepare 72-hour emergency bags on November 3, covers medicine, food and water, communications and tools, documents and cash, hygiene, and clothing, with about 3 litres of drinking water per person per day.

Source: THE THAIGER

Isaan shoots rockets with 120 kilos of gunpowder to remember the rain god

 

A rocket with 120 kilos of gunpowder, shot from a scaffold, to keep a god to an old promise. That is Bun Bang Fai, the rocket festival with which villages in the Isaan herald the rainy season every year. #Yasothon celebrates the largest, this year from May 8 to 10 in Phaya Thaen Park.

The name half explains it. Bun stands for earning merit, a bang fai is a flare. The festival is part of the sixth month of the moon, just before the rains come and the farmers start planting the rice. For those who depend on the monsoon, that is not a side issue. The roots lie in fertility rites before Buddhism, and rockets also go up in Laos every year. It is not a silent ceremony. There is dancing, drinking and a lot of spotting, and the teams that lose end up in the mud, according to the Thailand Foundation.

A path prince who waged war with the rain god

The explanation is in a legend told throughout the Mekong area. Phaya Khankhak, a prince from the city of Inthapat Nakhon, was born with the skin of a toad.

 Because he faithfully followed Buddhist teachings, he turned into the most handsome man on earth. Humans, animals and celestial beings were so full of him that they forgot to make sacrifices to Phaya Thaen, the god of rain.

Phaya Thaen retaliated. He forbade the naga, the serpent king, to swim any longer in the heavenly pond, and the rain stayed away. The drought lasted seven years, seven months and seven days. Khankhak went to war with people and animals.

 Termites built a road into heaven, the army won, and Phaya Thaen had to promise to send enough rain from now on. Since then, rockets have been going up as a reminder of that agreement.

From one kilo to 120 kilos of gunpowder

The missiles get their name after the gunpowder inside. A bang fai kilo contains one kilo, a bang fai muen 12 kilos and a bang fai saen 120 kilos, reports the Thai traffic agency TAT. The body of the rocket, the lao bang fai, is a tube of about one and a half to seven meters. It used to be bamboo, tied together with bamboo rope. Now builders also use steel and plastic pipes, because the powder is easier to squeeze in.

In Kalasin it goes one step further. There, the Phu Thai Kutwa people launch rockets from huge wheels up to six meters across. In 2022, there were 50 rockets weighing 120 kilos on the program and two bang fai tai lan weighing 1,200 kilos.

Even in the Deep South, rockets take to the air, in Sukhirin district in Narathiwat. People from the Isaan who moved there took the party with them.

Two days in the village, three in the city

Traditionally, Bun Bang Fai lasted two days. On the first, the host village and neighboring villages marched with their rockets to the temple, with dance and plays about village life, such as tying fishing nets. On the second day they brought food to the monks and the rockets of the scaffolding went. Wooden fertility symbols walked along, the palad khik, and the songs were anything but prudish.

Yasothon has made it a big provincial celebration. On Friday the decorated rockets were positioned along Chaeng Sanit Road and in the evening the Miss Rocket election followed. Saturday was the big parade, which also included a competition in reciting folk verses. On Sunday at seven o'clock in the morning, the teams reported for the safety inspection. An hour later, the governor and mayor fired the first rocket, along with a rocket that predicts the year. The awards ceremony followed at four o'clock in the afternoon.

The party was held later in 2025, from May 16 to 18. It didn't happen at all in 2020 and 2021.

A program that is online late

If you want to see it for yourself, count on a late announcement. The official 2026 program was not online on the Thai government site until May 6, two days before the first rocket. The major launches are on the last day, from eight o'clock ’in the morning.

Sources: Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT Newsroom), Thailand Foundation, Thailand.go.th of the Government Public Relations Department (accessed November 6, 2026).

Source: Thailandblog.nl

Thailand advises residents to purchase a 72-hour emergency kit, but above all, stay calm.

 

BANGKOK—Thailand's disaster agency, the DDPM, calls on households to keep an emergency kit on hand with supplies for at least 72 hours. Reason: the unrest in the Middle East and the risk of Thai disasters such as floods and earthquakes.
Director General Nirat Pongsitthithavorn keeps it down to earth: several countries have advised citizens to stock up on supplies for three days because of the Middle East. Thailand is not in that danger, he says, but an emergency bag remains a sensible precaution.

Why those first 72 hours count!

The first three days after a disaster are critical, according to the DDPM: residents often have to fend for themselves while help arrives. This applies not only to threats of war, but also to floods, landslides, earthquakes, epidemics and fires. Nirat even mentions cyberwar as a possible reason to be prepared.                      
For expats, this advice is extra relevant during the rainy season. Copies of your passport, visa and contact details should be in your bag just as much as the official documents.

Six categories: a first-aid kit and medications; at least three liters of water per person per day, plus ready-to-eat food (taking into account the needs of children, the elderly, and those with specific medical requirements); communication tools such as a phone, power bank, flashlight, radio, and whistle, supplemented by candles, a lighter, and a pocket knife; waterproofed documents—such as identification, insurance cards, and property deeds—along with spare keys and cash; and, finally, toiletries, extra clothing, a raincoat, and a sleeping bag.

Keep the bag close at hand!

Store a lightweight, waterproof bag in an easily accessible location, and regularly check the expiration dates of the items inside. The DDPM (Department for Disaster Preparedness and Management) maintains its own disaster response supplies, emergency personnel, and warning systems—such as Cell Broadcast—and continues to collaborate with other government agencies.

Source: Thai PBS

Thailand dreams of becoming an aviation hub with the help of humanoids, deploying robots at Suvarnabhumi Airport

 
BANGKOK — Thai technology firm Sky ICT aims to prepare Thailand’s airports for a position on the regional stage by utilizing artificial intelligence and humanoid robots. The company calls the initiative “Intelligent Aviation” and unveiled it following discussions at international aviation conferences in Singapore and Greece.

CEO Sitthidej Mailarp of Sky ICT outlines a three-phase plan. The first phase involves a central data platform—the "Aviation Data Hub"—which aggregates information from all airport systems to facilitate faster decision-making. This is followed by personalized services: AI that analyzes traveler behavior to provide targeted offers and travel advice, while also utilizing aircraft data to predict maintenance needs before equipment fails.

The third and most striking phase is dubbed the "Empowered – Autonomous Airport"—an airport that operates through automation, biometric identification, and robots. Humanoid robots will provide travelers with information and directions, much like human staff do today, while other service robots will handle the transport of luggage and packages onto conveyor belts.

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Thailand as a Regional Hub

Sky ICT views the global shift toward automation as an opportunity for Thailand to position itself as a regional aviation hub. The company points to the establishment of a "Flight Operations Center of Excellence"—part of the Skywise platform, a digital support initiative by Airbus and ICAO—as evidence of confidence in Thailand’s digital infrastructure.

Meanwhile, significant physical expansion is also underway: the new SAT-1 terminal and a third runway at Suvarnabhumi Airport, expansion plans for Don Mueang Airport, and the development of U-Tapao Airport within the Eastern Economic Corridor. These projects are intended to increase total capacity to 150–200 million passengers per year—leveraging Thailand’s strategic location between East Asia, South Asia, Europe, and Australia as a key advantage for both passenger and cargo traffic.

For the past ten years, Sky ICT has been building digital systems at Thai airports, ranging from automated check-in counters to baggage handling systems and biometric gates. Later this year, the first humanoid robot is set to appear at Suvarnabhumi, alongside a new “intelligent” operations center for ground staff.

Source: bangkokbiznews

  Ollekebolleke

THAILAND WELCOMES 25 MILLION FOREIGN TOURISTS IN FIRST 10 MONTHS

Buddha statue and Wat Mahathat Temple in the precinct of Sukhothai Historical Park, Wat Mahathat Temple is UNESCO World Heritage Site, Thailand.

BANGKOK – Thailand welcomed nearly 25 million foreign tourists from 1 January to 24 October, generating more than 1.21 trillion baht in spending, although arrivals remained 4.43% lower than the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

The country received 501,965 international visitors during the week of 18-24 October, up 2.99% from the previous week, or an average of 71,709 arrivals per day, Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said.

Long-haul markets led the weekly increase, with 199,954 visitors, up 12.03% week on week, as European and American travellers entered a short school holiday period and Thailand approached its winter tourism season.

Russian arrivals rose 25.45% from the previous week, while visitors from the United States increased 11.52%. India also recorded strong growth, with arrivals climbing 18.09%, supported by travel demand around the Hindu festival of Navaratri.

Short-haul markets recorded 302,011 visitors, down 2.24% week on week. Arrivals from China fell 24.17%, despite increases from other major markets.

The five largest source markets during the week were Malaysia, with 62,724 visitors, followed by China with 49,494, India with 48,089, Russia with 34,986 and the United States with 20,167.

The ministry expects arrivals to increase in the following week, supported by the winter tourism season and additional flights from India. New or increased services include routes from Gaya and Guwahati to Don Mueang airport, and from Kochi and Visakhapatnam to Suvarnabhumi airport.

From 1 January to 24 October, Thailand recorded a total of 24,925,645 foreign visitors, generating 1.21 trillion baht in tourism spending. China remained the largest source market year to date, with 4.19 million visitors, followed by Malaysia with 3.16 million, India with 1.88 million, Russia with 1.37 million and South Korea with 912,597.

Source: KhaoSodEnglish

Thailand targets on 4 trillion baht: ambitious tourism plan, but doubts remain regarding its feasibility

 BANGKOK — The National Tourism Policy Committee (NTPC) has set the course for the 4th National Tourism Development Plan (2028–2032). During a meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Supachai Sutthampan, an ambitious goal was unveiled: generating at least 4 trillion baht in tourism revenue and securing a spot in the top 30 of the Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI). While these figures are certainly designed to impress, a concrete roadmap for achieving them is still missing.

Grand words, few details

Khun Lalida Pertwivatana, deputy government spokesperson, has reiterated the familiar rhetoric that tourism remains the engine for sustainable economic growth. Grand promises regarding quality improvements and the attraction of high-net-worth travelers sound all too familiar—as does the pledge that small-scale entrepreneurs would also benefit, a claim that has remained unsubstantiated in previous plans.

How credible is the implementation?

There is a renewed focus on "better infrastructure"—such as expanded facilities for cruise ships and marinas—though it remains unclear who will fund these projects or within what timeframe. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has yet to consult with various relevant agencies; in Thailand, such consultations can often drag on for years before yielding anything concrete.

Similarly, the announcement of a provincial calendar of events and plans to attract travelers from neighboring countries like Malaysia, Vietnam, and Singapore feels largely like a repackaging of existing policy. Whether this approach will truly propel Thailand to the global forefront, or whether it will remain nothing more than an ambitious plan on paper, remains to be seen.

Source: globe.co.th

Pattaya turned into Venice for a while yesterday: an hour of rain left roads submerged under up to 80 cm of water

 

PATTAYA — It happened again in Pattaya yesterday: a tropical downpour lasting less than an hour was more than enough to turn much of the seaside resort into a waterlogged mess. On several main roads, water levels rose as high as 80 centimeters, resulting in prolonged traffic congestion and stalled vehicles.

As is typically the case, the well-known trouble spots bore the brunt of the impact. Water depths reached between 20 and 80 centimeters, particularly on Sukhumvit Road near South Pattaya, Pattaya Third Road, the notorious Peniad Chang intersection, and the frontage road running alongside the railway line.

For those in cars and the countless scooter riders, the roads were effectively impassable. Anyone who attempted to push through risked a stalled engine and getting their feet soaked.

Pattaya City municipal workers took immediate action, placing barriers in the most hazardous areas to prevent accidents. The worst-affected roads were temporarily closed off entirely while water levels were at their peak.

Fortunately, the misery did not last long.

As soon as the downpour passed, the excess water began to drain away steadily. Municipal workers then had to head out onto the asphalt to collect large quantities of debris that had been washed onto the street by the current. Before long, traffic began to move again—a classic example of the chaos caused by a heavy Thai rainstorm, the kind that seasoned expats barely even notice anymore.

Source: DailyNews / OlleBolleke