Join me for a live broadcast as I take you on a tour of the Mon Festival in Sangkhlaburi, Thailand. We'll walk across the Mon Bridge and explore the colorful celebrations in the Mon village. Get an insider's view of this unique cultural event and experience the sights and sounds of the Mon people's traditions and festivities. Don't miss out on this immersive and exciting adventure!

Oakland County Sheriff's Office officials reported on Friday that Tubtim "Sue" Howson, a woman accused of fleeing to Thailand after a hit-and-run accident that killed Michigan State University student Benjamin Kable in Oakland Township, has returned to the United States. Howson, a dual citizen of the US and Thailand, had fled to Bangkok on January 3rd but was later tracked by authorities in Thailand. She was taken into custody when her return flight landed in the US and is now awaiting a detention hearing on Tuesday.

The charges against Howson include a federal charge of interstate flight to avoid prosecution and a state charge of failure to stop at the scene of an accident resulting in death. Howson faces up to five years in prison for each charge. The sheriff's office expressed gratitude for the assistance of the authorities in Thailand and emphasized its commitment to working closely with the FBI and US Attorney's Office.

According to Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, president of the Thai Association of Tourism Businesses (ATTA), the number of Chinese tour groups traveling to Thailand is unexpectedly low due to a lack of flights. Most of the recent Chinese arrivals are free independent travelers (FIT) who prefer to travel without a tour guide or group. Although China has allowed outbound group travel, the number of tour groups arriving in Thailand remains low due to a lack of flights.
Sisdivachr attributes the lack of tour groups to insufficient flights, saying that the number of Chinese arrivals is still not exciting.

However, there has been a continuous recovery since the beginning of this year, especially when compared to the period of 2021-2022 when Chinese tourists were unable to travel abroad. Sisdivachr says that the Chinese visitors, who make up a significant market for Thailand, disappeared altogether during that period.
Sisdivachr believes that if the number of operational flights meets the demand of visitors, Thailand might see an increase in Chinese tour groups next month. However, advance room reservations from Chinese tourists during March-April or the Songkran festival are still stagnant.
Regarding the recent entry fee for international visitors, Sisdivachr states that nothing can be done because the regulation has already been approved and is waiting to go into effect.

During a Dear Deidre phone-in on This Morning (UK), a woman who called herself 'Julie' shared her concerns about her husband's mysterious disappearances to Thailand and his habit of sending 'hundreds of pounds' there each month.
The 70-year-old woman claimed that her husband would leave without informing her and would be tight-lipped about where the money was going, stating that it was 'none of her business'.
As the story was recounted to the agony aunt, Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby listened with shock. Julie revealed that her husband usually disappeared on Wednesday nights without leaving a note or informing her.
She also expressed her emotional distress about the situation, saying that she did not know what to do at the age of 70, adding that she was concerned about how long she had left.

Deidre responded to Julie's distress by suggesting that her husband was not being faithful and urged her not to 'carry on putting up with this'. She went on to condemn her husband's behaviour as 'appalling' and reminded Julie that the money he was funneling out was family income.
It remains unclear what the couple's financial situation is, as Julie confirmed that the money was not taken out of a joint account. The hosts and viewers on Twitter were appalled by the situation and offered various suggestions, from changing the locks to seeing a solicitor.
Phillip Schofield voiced his opinion that the husband was likely being unfaithful and going to Thailand to see another person, whether male or female. Meanwhile, Twitter users urged Julie to leave her husband immediately or to change the locks next time he goes away.

During a meeting of the board of the Thai Health Promotion Foundation on Sunday, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul stated that the Ministry of Public Health opposes the proposal to extend pub operating hours from 2am to 4am, citing concerns for public welfare and safety.
However, he did acknowledge the Ministry may allow pubs in certain major tourist destinations to operate until 4am on a case-by-case basis to balance social and economic aspects without causing harm.
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has advocated for extending pub operating hours in tourist destinations like Phuket and Pattaya to attract more tourists.

Additionally, the minister reported a 20% decrease in road accidents during the 2023 New Year festival, attributed to the collaborative efforts of all concerned parties, including ThaiHealth's road safety campaign.
Anutin has instructed the Disease Control Department to work with the Royal Thai Police and Customs Department to enforce laws regarding e-cigarettes, and the Thai Health Promotion Foundation has been instructed to intensify efforts to educate the public, particularly young people, about the risks associated with e-cigarettes.
Despite claims that e-cigarettes are less harmful than traditional cigarettes, Anucha stated that they will never be legalized in Thailand.

Rinthipond Varinvatchararoj, the deputy secretary of the Pheu Thai Party, has urged the government to address the issue of congestion and delays at Suvarnabhumi Airport. She has highlighted that after Thailand fully opened its doors to tourists in July 2022, in an attempt to boost the economy, more than 10 million travelers visited Thailand. According to the Kasikorn Research Centre, around 20 to 24 million tourists are expected to visit Thailand in 2023, equivalent to 60% of the 2019 record.
Rinthipond has emphasized that despite the increasing numbers of tourists, tourism management in Thailand is still not efficient. Long queues for immigration checks, baggage claims, and taxis are causing significant frustration among visitors. Immigration checks can take up to 3-4 hours, a situation that could easily be improved with the help of technology and additional personnel during peak hours.
The Thai government has access to data that can forecast daily arrival flights, and they should be using this information to manage the influx of visitors. Introducing pre-filled documents for automatic passport control could also speed up the process and leave tourists with a better impression of the country.

Kittipong Kittikachorn, the general manager of Suvarnabhumi Airport, has confirmed that the Airport of Thailand (AOT) is aware of the increasing visitor numbers and is taking action. The airport has introduced measures to improve its services, including reducing baggage claim delays to no more than 30 minutes and increasing the number of available taxis from 2,200 to 3,909. The AOT plans to further increase the number of taxis to 4,500 by next April.
However, despite these measures, Rinthipond has emphasized that the Thai government needs to act quickly to improve the situation. She pointed out that tourism is currently the only source of revenue that the Prayut government has been able to maintain. She stated that although the number of tourists is increasing, Thailand's GDP is growing at the slowest rate in the ASEAN region.
Between January 8 and February 15, around 20 flights of Chinese tourists from the mainland, Hong Kong, and Macau to Thailand are expected every day, with an estimated 161,502 Chinese tourists entering Thailand during this period. It is predicted that the number of incoming Chinese tourists will continue to rise, reaching 500,000 people by May 1, 2023, and 1 million by August 20, 2023.

Police have reported that a woman who was tired of her married life has been arrested for hiring a Myanmar man to kill her husband of more than 20 years, for the sum of just 400 baht. Kanda Cheewasawat, 46, was apprehended by Region 5 police in Chiang Mai last week for arranging the murder of her husband, Phetchaburapa Meesri, 53, whose body was found in a forest in Mae Hong Son province. The victim had been beaten to death with bamboo rods and his body was discovered by a local on Jan 25, who alerted Khun Yuam police.
Following inquiries, Region 5 police traced the suspect to Joma Ae, a Myanmar national who works on an orchard in the village. According to one news report, Joma Ae confessed to the murder, saying that he was not angry with the victim, but that he had killed him because he was hired to do so. Ms Kanda had paid him 400 baht for the killing and promised him her daughter if he was successful.
Ms Kanda had been married to Phetchaburapa for over two decades and had reportedly wanted to leave him, but he had refused to let her do so. The couple argued frequently, and she decided to have him killed.
Region 5 police eventually apprehended Ms Kanda in Chang Puak, Chiang Mai, where she had gone into hiding. During interrogation, she admitted to having her husband killed, stating that she was angry with him. She was subsequently handed over to Khun Yuam police for further legal action.

Following inquiries, Region 5 police traced the suspect to Joma Ae, a Myanmar national who works on an orchard in the village. According to one news report, Joma Ae confessed to the murder, saying that he was not angry with the victim, but that he had killed him because he was hired to do so. Ms Kanda had paid him 400 baht for the killing and promised him her daughter if he was successful.
Ms Kanda had been married to Phetchaburapa for over two decades and had reportedly wanted to leave him, but he had refused to let her do so. The couple argued frequently, and she decided to have him killed.
Region 5 police eventually apprehended Ms Kanda in Chang Puak, Chiang Mai, where she had gone into hiding. During interrogation, she admitted to having her husband killed, stating that she was angry with him. She was subsequently handed over to Khun Yuam police for further legal action.