Thailand Weekly Vol. 47
Thailand News and Stories Delivered Free to Your Inbox Every Sunday 🇹ðŸ‡
Good evening (or perhaps morning) depending on where in the world you find yourself! Coming at you from a hot and smoggy Bangkok. It’s that time of the year again… winter feels like it’s coming to an end and we’re quickly approaching what is the hottest time of the year. That’s alright though… I shared some interesting ideas as to what to do during hot season in this week’s ‘Thailand Travel Tip’ section, so if you find yourself over here in the next few months, hopefully that list is helpful. Anyways, have a great week ahead and enjoy Volume 47! 🇹ðŸ‡
Most Popular Websites In Thailand 💻
This past week, an interesting report titled ‘Digital 2023: Thailand’ was published and revealed some interesting insights, trends, and data which illustrated the usage of digital devices and services among Thai individuals.
Here’s a breakdown of the key findings:
As of January 2023, the number of internet users in Thailand is 61.21 million (85% of the total population)
Facebook is used by 48.1 million people, YouTube has 43.9 million users (up 1.1 million since January 2022), Instagram has 17.3 million users, TikTok has 40.3 million users, LinkedIn has 4.1 million users, and Twitter has 14.6 million users
85.3% of people in Thailand have access to the internet
Thai individuals spend an average of 8 hours and 6 minutes online per day
The top 5 most visited websites are YouTube, Google, Facebook, and then two adult film sites
The report also noted many other interesting stats as far as high level demographics go, so if you’re interested in reading further, you can do so here.
Our Take
My key takeaway is this… social media rules in Thailand. It’s a bit of a sad-reality, but is noticeable on a daily basis and certainly backed up by these stats. It’s also one of the common denominators that comes up whenever I ask other expat friends what they don’t necessarily like about Thailand. Whether it’s a group of people glued to Tik Tok while blocking an entire sidewalk or a date checking Instagram every 5-minutes while out for dinner, it’s definitely something that I’ve noticed is extremely prevalent here. Probably even more so than my home Country of Canada.
300 Baht Tourism Fee To Begin June 1st 💵
This past week, the Thai Cabinet gave the green light on a ‘tourism tax’ to officially begin from June 1st onwards. It will range from 150 baht (USD $4.36) for those arriving by sea or land and 300 baht (USD $8.73) for those arriving by air. The fee will not be applicable to those holding diplomatic passports, valid work permits, or special work permits. Children under two and transit passengers are also exempted. The revenue generated by the tax will be used to purchase insurance for foreign visitors, while the surplus will be added to the tourism development fund to maintain and improve tourist attractions.
Our Take
As I’ve said before, I have zero issues with any sort of tourism fee that Thailand wants to implement. There’ll be many people that complain about this, but the fact is, it’s not just Thailand. Europe does it. US State Parks do it. Japan does it. It’s extremely common and something that I think actually makes a lot of sense in the name of driving tourism revenue.
Thailand Travel Tip - What To Do During Hot Season?
With full-blown hot season just around the corner, I wanted to share some ideas of things to do to stay as cool as possible (beyond just going to the beach or lounging by the pool) if you find yourself here over the next few months. Here’s what I came up with…
Check out the world-class shopping malls: Thailand's shopping malls are world-famous, and they offer a range of indoor activities, including shopping, dining, and entertainment options like cinemas, bowling alleys, and ice-skating rinks. Perfect for staying cool on a hot day.
Attend a cooking class: Thai cuisine is renowned for its unique flavors and use of fresh ingredients, so why not take a cooking class and learn how to prepare some delicious Thai dishes while here?
Relax with a spa day: Thailand is famous for its luxurious spas (and not so luxurious spas haha), where you can indulge in a range of treatments, from traditional Thai massages to herbal scrubs and facials.
Take a Boat Ride: Thailand has many beautiful rivers and canals, and taking a boat ride can be a great way to cool off and see the sights. Popular boat tours include the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok and the Mae Ping River in Chiang Mai.
Visit some of the Cooler National Parks: Thailand has many beautiful national parks that are perfect for hiking and exploring. Some of the cooler one’s include Khao Yai National Park, Doi Inthanon National Park, and Erawan National Park.
Plastic Bag Use Falls By 148,000 Tons In Three Years 📉
Thailand’s Pollution Control Department (PCD) has announced that campaigns launched back in 2018 with the aim of reducing the use of single-use plastic and plastic shopping bags have led to a sharp reduction in their use over three years. A drop of 148,699 tons to be exact. The initiatives are being carried out under a roadmap from 2018 to 2030, which has two major goals…
To replace the use of plastic bags with environmentally friendly containers
To recycle plastic garbage by 100% by 2027
The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Industry have also collaborated to launch a program offering a 25% reduction in corporate income tax for companies that purchase biodegradable plastic products from 2022 to 2024. This initiative aims to incentivize businesses to use environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional plastic and contribute to sustainable practices in the Kingdom.
Our Take
This has always been one of the areas that I felt Thailand could improve upon… the sheer amount of plastic bags. To illustrate my point, this morning when I went to 7/11 to get my coffee, there was 5x pieces of single use plastic that came with it…
Plastic Cup
Plastic Lid
Plastic Straw
Plastic Handle Bag
Small Plastic Grocery Bag
I’m not hating… I’m the one that wanted the iced coffee… but at the end of the day, it’d be nice to see more change as far as single-use plastics go. To give credit where credit’s due, I think it’s awesome the government has a program in place to subsidize sustainability. That’s the key. It’s not on local street food vendors or shop owners to fix the problem. They’re just trying to make a living.
Only In Thailand 🇹ðŸ‡
Is this Florida or Thailand?! This past Thursday, Phuket officials confiscated 22 baby crocodiles from a local resident on a tip-off that the animals were being sold online and delivered throughout Thailand. All of the reptiles were discovered around a cement pool on the property and have since been taken into care. Again, what is it with people wanting to buy and sell exotic animals… wild!