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Hua Hin, Cha-Am, Pranburi
September 2019
Does Solving Monkey’s Over-population in Thailand Really Need THB 1.5 Billion Budget?
泰国官方解决猴子 的问题有必要用15亿 泰铢的预算吗？
The TAT together with local business operators in Hua Hin and nearby districts have organised the “Amazing Hua Hin 2019” campaign in order to promote tourism and travel for both local tourists and foreigners during the so called ‘Green Season’, by offering lowered room rates and restaurants at a special price of up to 50% discount from September 1 – 30, 2019. Ms. Soraya Homchuen, Director of TAT, Prachuab Kirikhan Office, says “the campaign will also help generate additional income to stimulate the economy and to manage throughout the Green Season or the ‘off-season’.”
SECOND PIZZA JUST
99B./PRICE
CRUSH
For the past 3 years, Thai tourism industry has suffered a consistent dip in campaigns, promotions, as well as revenue, with Hua Hin not immune. Ever since the Thai Baht strengthened early last year and with the devaluation of the British Pound, European tourists have significantly declined. Despite of the slight increase in trips to Thailand made by Chinese and Indian tourists in the recent months, the entire outlook in the industry doesn’t look overly convincing. The Amazing Hua Hin 2019 campaign is set to ‘break the ice’ and put Hua Hin back into the limelight of tourism. The TAT hopes to persuade tourists, as well as expats living in Hua Hin and nearby cities, to take advantage of this special cost-effective campaign during this ‘off-season’ month that will benefit everyone. Local TAT office has requested cooperation from business establishments in Hua Hin and nearby areas, which includes hotel businesses and accommodation, restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops and the like. Business operators participating in this campaign are encouraged to offer discounts of 10 - 50% so as to attract more tourists from September 1 - 30, 2019. Read more on page 4
Plans exist to move over 100,000 monkeys throughout Thailand to a designated Monkey Settlement, yet three years have passed and still no monkeys have been moved. The budget for monkey management has been discussed. Initially plans set Lopburi as a pilot province; yet the plan is somehow still pending. On 21st June 2019, the third consideration of the agenda chose Patthana Nikhom district to be the location of the monkey settlement, as it has enough space to relocate all of the monkeys; locals, however, disagree. As the growing monkey population has become a huge problem throughout Thailand, Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-o-Cha, commanded every related section to participate in solving monkey the monkey management issue by settling on Lopburi as the location for the monkey settlement. Due to the PM’s command, the National Legislative Assembly hired institutes from four of Thailand’s universities: Kasatesart University, Thammsat University, Mahidol University, and Khonkan University, to help design the settlement.
Officials were told, “The m o n keys u s u a l l y d a m a g e p ro p e r t y, s t e a l f o o d a n d aggressively invade homes. To make matters worse, they also bite local people.” There are now two solutions to the problem. If locals agree to continue to live with the monkeys, officials will sterilise them to control the growing population. If not, officials will probably move the monkeys to either monkey settlements or remote islands. Otherwise, they will let the monkeys die of natural causes, since the lifespan of a monkey is about 20 years. The news of relocating monkeys became the talk of the town back in May last year when committees on Animal Welfare discussed “The solution to Monkey management in the crisis area, following the strategy of monkey management for sustainability”. Since then, news subject never to be spoken of, yet the project continues, and though the budget has now been spent. Sadly, it has been three years since the Prime Minister implemented the measures, but to date, not a single monkey has been moved. Read more on page 4