In today's stream, we'll be going over the "Living, Working and Traveling: A Guide to Thailand," a 26-page quick guide I wrote offering valuable insights for individuals planning to explore Thailand. It covers a wide range of topics, from cultural nuances to career prospects and popular tourist destinations. This guide aims to equip visitors with the necessary information to make their stay in Thailand as fulfilling and enjoyable as possible.

On Monday, the Royal Gazette announced that Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn has given his approval for the dissolution of parliament, paving the way for elections to be held in May. The election must take place within 45 to 60 days of the dissolution of the house, which has taken effect immediately.

The decree stated that this decision returns political power to the people and allows for the continuation of democratic government, with the King as the head of state. Although the date for the election has yet to be announced, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam has stated that it will likely be held on May 14 if the house was dissolved on Monday.

The upcoming election is expected to showcase a long-running political battle between the Shinawatra family, who are billionaires, and the country's conservative pro-military establishment. According to a poll by the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA), Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter and niece of ousted former premiers Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra respectively, is the front runner to be the next prime minister, with her support jumping 10 points to 38.2% in the poll released over the weekend.

Paetongtarn has expressed confidence in winning the election by a landslide and aims to prevent any political maneuvering against her party, which has previously been removed from office by judicial rulings and military coups. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who has been in power since a 2014 coup against the Pheu Thai government, was ranked third with 15.65% support in the NIDA poll.

The owner of a bar in Patong, who is a foreign national, has fled Thailand after being embroiled in a human trafficking scandal. The man, whose identity has not been disclosed, is accused of involvement in the exploitation of women from Laos, who were forced to work as sex workers in his bar.

The investigation into the case was launched after one of the victims managed to escape and reported the abuse to authorities. The victim alleged that she and several other women were promised well-paying jobs in Thailand, but upon arrival, they were forced to work in the bar and provide sexual services to customers.

Following the report, the police raided the bar and arrested several individuals, including the owner. However, the man was later released on bail and subsequently fled the country before the trial could begin.

This incident has once again highlighted the issue of human trafficking in Thailand and the need for greater efforts to combat this heinous crime. The authorities must take strict action against those who are involved in such activities and work towards protecting vulnerable individuals who are often lured into such situations with false promises.

 Officials in Thailand announced on Thursday that police officers will be subject to random physical and mental health checks following a 27-hour standoff involving a senior officer. The officer had barricaded himself in his home, firing a gun into the air until he was subdued by fellow officers. The officer, Kitikarn Sangbun, died in hospital of multiple gunshot wounds sustained during the standoff.

Police stated that Kitikarn had been suffering from mental health issues and stress in his personal and work life. The Inspector General’s Office has ordered nationwide health checks for police officers, and the public is encouraged to report any concerns about officers’ mental health.

During the standoff, police attempted to use tear gas and stun guns to apprehend Kitikarn, and a junior officer sang to him in an effort to calm him down. Shots were exchanged as the situation escalated, resulting in Kitikarn smashing through a second-story window and being apprehended by police. An autopsy showed that Kitikarn had suffered six gunshot wounds and died from blood loss.

Senior police officers expressed regret that the situation turned deadly, and stressed that police used real bullets only after exhausting other means of control. This incident follows Thailand’s deadliest massacre in October 2021, and the country’s previous worst mass killing in 2020.

A tense and lengthy standoff in Bangkok's Sai Mai district came to an end on Wednesday afternoon after police commandos shot and wounded a disturbed policeman who had been firing shots from his house. The policeman in question was identified as Police Lieutenant Colonel Kittikan Saengboon, aged 51, and he was subsequently taken to hospital for treatment of his wounds, as confirmed by the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB).

The dramatic incident began at noon on Tuesday when Kittikan started firing shots into the air from his house on Soi Jiramakorn. Kittikan, a Special Branch inspector with a history of mental illness, continued to discharge his weapon throughout the night, leading to the evacuation of residents in the neighborhood.

Police attempted to smoke Kittikan out by firing 20 tear gas canisters at the house in the early hours of Wednesday, but were unsuccessful. Negotiations with the gunman continued for almost 20 hours before coming to an abrupt halt when a Special Ops unit lobbed stun grenades into the house. The unit gained access to the second floor of the house at 6.20am, but was unable to reach Kittikan, who had locked himself in a room on the first floor.

At 8.30am, police armed with rubber-bullet guns gathered nearby to infiltrate the house from the side. Negotiators continued to plead with the suspect to put down his weapon and surrender, even playing Thai folk songs on loudspeakers to calm him down. However, a shot fired from the house reportedly hit a Special Ops policeman in the street, though fortunately it deflected off his helmet and left him unharmed.

Finally, at 11.25am, TV reporters at the scene announced that police had gained access to the first floor. Kittikan was then shot and disarmed by police commandos at 12.10pm, according to the MPB. At the time of writing, his condition is unknown. The incident has been reported as a rogue Bangkok cop being shot and disarmed, bringing an end to a 24-hour standoff.

Since January 2009, there have been ten significant shooting incidents. One of the incidents occurred in February 2020, where a soldier from the Royal Thai Army killed 29 people and injured 58 others before being shot and killed.

Another incident happened on October 6, 2022, where a former police sergeant named Panya Khamrab, aged 34, killed 36 people and injured ten others through shooting, stabbing, and vehicle-ramming in Nong Bua Lamphu province, Thailand. The majority of the attack happened in a children's nursery situated in the Uthai Sawan subdistrict of the Na Klang district.

This event is the deadliest mass murder carried out by a single person in modern Thai history, with a death toll higher than the Nakhon Ratchasima shootings in 2020

TasteAtlas, a travel guide platform, has recently ranked Pa thong ko, a beloved fried dough snack in Thailand, as the fifth-best 'street food sweet' in the world. The reviewer on TasteAtlas provides a delectable description of how the snack is made: "Pa thong ko is Thailand's take on the well-known Chinese crullers known as youtiao. To create the crullers, a combination of flour, yeast, baking ammonia, alum powder, lukewarm water, salt, sugar, and baking powder is kneaded into dough.

The dough is then coated in oil, left to rest, and cut into long strips. Pairs of strips are meticulously attached to one another to achieve the crullers' iconic shape before being deep-fried in hot oil until they are a gorgeous color, puffy, and slightly crispy. Over time, innovative ways of shaping the crullers beyond their conventional form have surfaced, and now, pa thong ko can be found in a variety of unique shapes, such as dinosaurs or dragons."

To mark International Women's Day on 8 March, women's rights groups in Thailand have launched a campaign to legalize sex work and to provide better support for women in the industry. The groups argue that decriminalizing sex work would provide greater protection to workers in the industry.

They also called for broader measures to support women, such as doubling paid maternity leave to 180 days, providing period leave for workers who suffer from menstrual pains, and monthly financial assistance of 3,000 baht ($86USD) for each month of pregnancy.

Additionally, they are demanding safe, free, and easily accessible abortion services, and for 8 March to be recognized as a public holiday.

Despite being a popular destination for tourists who want to explore its infamous Red Light District filled with go-go bars, brothels, massage parlors, and other x-rated activities, sex work in Thailand is still illegal. As a result, sex workers face danger without the basic rights and protections afforded to workers in other industries.

In a recent interview with Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), Supachai Sukthongsa of the Service Workers IN Group (SWING) highlighted that the move to legalize sex work in Thailand is not just about money, but also about the health effects on sex workers. He noted that many workers in the sex trade experience stress symptoms and anxiety attacks related to their survival.

In contrast to the women's rights groups, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha sent his "well-wishes" to women and emphasized the government's efforts to empower women and promote attitude change towards women’s roles in society in his message commemorating IWD.

In response to dangerously high levels of air pollution caused by forest fires, Chiang Mai authorities in northern Thailand will distribute face masks to the public. The fires are an annual problem, occurring between December and April when farmers burn their fields to prepare for the next crop cycle. The government has closed several national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in the north and west due to the fires, and cloud-seeding is expected to be used in some areas. Despite efforts to extinguish the fires, including water drops from helicopters, the dry weather conditions have made it difficult to control them.
To reduce dust levels in Chiang Mai, authorities have sprayed water mist along the roads and collected leaves to prevent fires from spreading. However, the city was recently ranked as the worst in the world for air pollution by IQAir, with PM2.5 particulate matter levels reaching 117 micrograms per cubic metre. The public has been advised to avoid outdoor activities, use N95 masks or air purifiers, and seek medical care if they experience symptoms such as respiratory tract problems, dermatitis, or eye inflammation.

The persistent annual haze caused by the fires may negatively impact tourism in Chiang Mai, a popular destination known for its mountainous landscapes. According to the president of Chiang Mai’s Tourism Industrial Council, companies offering outdoor activities have seen a decrease in demand. Bangkok has also experienced dangerous levels of pollution, with PM2.5 levels reaching 94.2µg/m³ and ranking among the top 10 worst cities globally by IQAir. While the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment expects southern winds to help clear particulate matter from Bangkok’s air, northern provinces are predicted to experience high dust levels for another week.

An aggressive wild elephant in rural Chachoengsao province in Thailand pushed over a truck after the driver failed to wait for the animal to cross the road.