Thailand Weekly Vol. 64
Thailand News and Stories Delivered Free to Your Inbox Every Sunday š¹š
First off, welcome back! Thereās been many of you reach out over the past few weeks asking where these weekly newsletters have gone and it made me realize that I probably should have let you know about the break in the last edition. Apologies! I had my parents in town for 2-weeks of glorious family time. It was my momās first ever trip to Thailand and more importantly, the first time I had seen her in 2-years. We spent a few days in Bangkok so she was able to see what life is like in the city, then jetted down to the South where we enjoyed Samui, Railay Beach, and the Andaman Sea. It was an extremely special 14 days and a vacation that was much needed. With all that said, weāre now fully back at it and Volume 64 is here. Hope you enjoy!
Pita Suspended, Pheu Thai Takes Lead, Thais Divided
Thailand's political deadlock persists over two months after the election with the ongoing conflict between elected parties and military-appointed senators. PM elect Pita has been temporarily suspended from parliament based on a case against him that states he was ineligible to run in the first place while the country remains without a clear leader. On the heels of this, The Move Forward Party (Pitaās Team) has decided to back a candidate from the Pheu Thai Party (part of the MFP coalition) for the prime ministerial position instead. Although Pheu Thai hasn't officially announced their candidate, property tycoon Srettha Thavisin is considered a strong possibility, while ex PM Thaksin Shinawatra's daughter, Patongtarn, is also a bonafide candidate. Surveys conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida Poll) and Suan Dusit Rajabhat University show concerns about the impact of the parliamentary voting procedure and the possibility of an increasingly divided Thai society with many respondents stating that political parties' obsession with power and lack of respect for the people's voice will result in conflict Kingdom-wide.
Our Take
You know, I was asking my girlfriend about her take on all of this and she had an interesting responseā¦
She said, āwhatās the point of going to vote if the winner doesnāt actually win?ā
She has a point. I feel bad for the millions of Thais that cast their ballot all over the country just to see the person they voted for get booted from parliament and deemed āineligibleā to have run in the first place. If that was actually the case, why was Pitaās name ever on any ballot?
I donāt know if heās the right choice for the country or not. I have no say on that nor any opinion. I choose to stay away from politics in my home country AND here in Thailand.
The point is, the current system is obviously extremely broken and my hope is that it doesn't take something like the Gwangju Uprising that S. Korea experienced in 1980 for the system to change.
American Woman Sues Thai Restaurant Over Spicy Food
A California-based woman is suing a Thai restaurant over an intensely spicy dish called 'dragon balls,' claiming it caused permanent bodily harm and is āunfit for human consumptionā. Neurologist Harjasleen Walia alleges she suffered serious health issues after eating the dish on July 15, 2021. Despite being aware of its spiciness and requesting a milder version, she claims the dish caused chemical burns to her vocal cords, nostril, and esophagus. The restaurant, Coup de Thai in San Jose, California, caters to those who enjoy hot and spicy food and denies using excessive chili spice in the dish. They have not received prior complaints about the dish causing medical issues. The lawsuit seeks compensation for medical expenses, lost earnings, and legal costs.
Our Take
I call BS. This woman sounds like the LAST person Iād ever want to hang out with and is also a representation of the decrepit state of things across much of the US. People seem to sue each other for everything over there.
In fact, this whole concept actually ties in nicely to a point I was chatting with my parents about while they were hereā¦
In my experience at least, Iāve noticed that people arenāt out to screw each other nearly as much over here. Yesā¦ thereās bad actors here, I get that. Thereās also lots of shady business here in Thailand thatās extremely cut-throat, I get that to.
In general though, I find Thailand is a MUCH more relaxed society when it comes to things like this. Just last week one of my friends made a mistake on his motorbike and dinged a parked car. He left a note with his number, the owner of the car called and got a fair quote to fix the damage, my friend sent him a bank transfer to cover all costs right away. No overselling things. No lawsuits. No anger. No yelling. Just two adults acting reasonably with one another.
If something like this happened in the US, itās extremely likely that the āvictimā would use it as an opportunity to get as much money as possible and try to be the āwinnerā in the situation. The lady thatās suing the Thai restaurant is a perfect example of that and it couldn't be more lame.
I get that Iām generalizing here, but if youāve ever spent any amount of time in Thailand, you know what I mean.
Thailand Travel Tip - Car + Motorbike Rental On Koh Samui
Iām gonna keep this section short and sweet for youā¦ if you find yourself on Koh Samui and are looking for the BEST car and/or motorbike rental service, Iād highly recommend reaching out to my buddy Pong on WhatsApp at +66 94 583 0952 or via email at pongsaksaychuy@gmail.com. Heās my go-to guy on the Island and rented my parents, their friends, and I 2x rental cars and 4x bikes while we were in town. Iāve used him to rent all sorts of vehicles well over 25 times at this point and canāt recommend his service enough. Heās dialled in and is inventory of cars, SUVās, and bikes is top notch.
Thailand Business Registrations At 10-Year High
The economy's upswing and rapid revival in tourism led to a 6% surge in new business registrations in January, marking the highest level in ten years. Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit reported 8,466 newly registered businesses with a combined capital of 20.9 billion baht, a 6% increase from last year. The top three categories were construction, real estate, and food & beverage establishments. This growth reflects the positive economic situation, especially with domestic and foreign tourism fully reopened. Government initiatives to bolster the economy and support entrepreneurs have likely contributed to the rise in new businesses as well. The Business Development Department predicts a total of 72,000-77,000 new business registrations for the entire year. On the flip side, 1,297 businesses ceased operations in January, marking a 30% increase from the previous year. As of January 31, Thailand had 857,511 operational businesses with a combined capital value of 21.4 trillion baht.
Our Take
I guess itās a good time to start a Thai business these days! I definitely noticed a big increase in new restaurants, coffee shops, real estate agencies, etc. in Koh Samui and Krabi last week when I was down there with my parents. Iām a big fan of the entrepreneurial spirit here in Thailand and am hoping that this trend continues onwards and upwards.
Only In Thailand š¹š
Burger King Thailand continues its cheesy marketing high with more wild burger ideas after the infamous āReal Cheese Burgerā shook the world and made it into global headlines earlier this month. This time around, they're at it again with five more ārealā burgers as part of a social media campaign:
The āReal Pickleā Burger
The āReal Tomatoā Burger
The āReal Onionā Burger
The āReal Lettuceā Burger
The āReal Bunā Burger
The Real Bun Burger? Jeez. Burger King Thailand keeps on outdoing themselves. I should walk into their location across from my condo and order all five and see what the staff think!