The TPSO divides household expenses into 14 categories, with transportation costs, rent and utilities sucking up 8,432 baht or 46.62 per cent of total average expenses. The TPSO calculates average monthly household spending on each category in June as follows:

People affected most by high fuel prices: pollA vendor sells her wares at Bang Khae fresh market in Bang Khae district on April 17, 2022. Rising inflation, largely due to oil price hikes, has affected people's spending. (Photo: Arnun Cholmahatrakool)High fuel prices top the expenses that have affected people most in the present situation, according to the result of an opinion survey by the National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll. The poll was conducted on July 6-8 by telephone interviews with 1,312 people aged 18 and over of various levels of education, occupations and incomes throughout the country. Asked to compare between their monthly income and expenses, 60.06% said they had less income than expenses; 32.62% said they were about the same; and 7.32% said they had more income than expenses.

“People should be prepared for severe conditions that may cause flash floods and break riverbanks. They should also exercise caution during thundershowers,” the department said. It also warned that strong winds will create waves as high as 4 metres in the upper Andaman Sea and even higher during thundershowers. It forecast 3-metre-high waves in the lower Andaman and above 2-metre-high waves in the upper Gulf. Small boats in the Andaman Sea should stay anchored from July 10 to 14,” the weather report said.

Big log earns Guinness World Record plauditRare find: Jatuporn Buruspat, environment ministry permanent secretary, donning a green shirt, observes the longest fossil log with officials, before receiving a certificate from a representative of Guinness World Records on Friday. A 70-metre petrified log in Tak on Friday earned a Guinness World Record for being the longest fossilised tree trunk in the world. The log was found in Doi Soi Malai National Park in Ban Tak district in 2003 when it was 72.22 metres long, equivalent to the height of a 20-storey building, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment. But later the excavation site was flooded, leading to damage to its tip and shortening the length to 69.7 metres. The ministry believed the petrified wood to be of the Thong Bueng tree species (kempas) commonly found in rainforests, and about 120,000 years old.

Government officials are tightening their security following the assassination of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe by a disgruntled man in the Nara prefecture on Friday. The killing of Japan's longest-serving premier at a political rally has sent shockwaves across the world, including Thailand, where Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is reportedly still using a bulletproof Benz S600 Guard sedan, worth 19.5 million baht, as his vehicle. Security protocols are to be beefed up to ensure safety during today's meeting between visiting United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Gen Prayut. The premier's plans to survey the provinces next month will be halted as agents review safety measures, the security agency source said. Meanwhile, Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas, deputy chief of the national police, said safety protocols will be tightened to ensure the safety of the country's leaders.

Tourist spots gear up for holiday weekSurat Thani: More than 70,000 visitors to popular destinations are expected to bring in about 833 million baht during the long holiday next week, says Nanthawan Siripoksapat, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand's Surat Thani office. Local operators said tourists began arriving in Surat Thani this weekend, with many having taken Monday and Tuesday off work to get a nine-day holiday. Meanwhile, Apichart Limsuwan, mayor of tambon Koh Phangan, yesterday announced a new ferry service, Don Sak pier–Koh Phangan, is expected to be launched by the end of the month. Mr Apichart said the local office has reached an agreement with Seatran Ferry Co to run four trips a day. Recently Koh Phangan was selected as the world's best destination for "workations" this year by the William Russell website, and the ranking is seen by locals as underscoring the island's potential to become a top destination.

At a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Friday, CCSA approved the following plan:AstraZeneca:• Reduce procurement target for 2022 from 60 million doses to 35.4 million doses. The cost will reduce from 18.76 billion baht to 11.06 billion baht. • Procure 275,500 doses of long-acting antibody vaccine (LAAB) worth 7.56 billion baht. • AstraZeneca has delivered 8.3 million doses of the vaccine this year, which means 27.1 million doses are pending to meet the new quota of 35.4 million doses. Pfizer• So far, 26.4 million doses of the 30 million doses bought have been delivered.

Surat Thani expects B833m from five-day holidayVisitors taking ferry services from Koh Samui arrive at a pier on Koh Phangan in Surat Thani. (Photo supplied: Supapong Chaolan)SURAT THANI: A five-day holiday next week is expected to attract more than 70,000 visitors to this southern province and generate 833 million baht in revenue from tourist spending, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) Surat Thani office. Nanthawan Siripoksapat, director of TAT’s Surat Thani office, said on Saturday that 74,182 visitors – 46,429 Thais and 27,753 foreigners – were booked to visit the southern province during the five-day holiday period, which runs from Wednesday to Sunday. Tourist arrivals were expected to generate 833.18 million baht to the local economy during this holiday period - 330.16 million baht from Thai visitors and 503.02 million baht from foreign tourists. The number of flights on Bangkok-Koh Samui route will increase to 19-24 a day, while the number of flights between Bangkok and Surat Thani will increase to 41-52 flights a day, she said.

After being a market-leading event organiser in the 1.0 (physical) and Web 2.0 (digital) eras, CMO Plc is harnessing blockchain and the metaverse for Web 3.0 expansion in events, equipment, entertainment, end-to-end 2.0, and experience 3.0.

Japan export boost eyedThailand aims to send more agricultural exports to Japan to further shore up its bilateral trade balance of 130 billion baht, government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said on Friday. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has urged related agencies to help expand foreign markets for domestically made agricultural products, especially Japan, the spokesman added. Japan ranks as Thailand's second-largest export market for agricultural goods and food products, the Ministry of Commerce reported earlier. From 2019 to 2021, it consumed 11.35% of the total value of agricultural exports from Thailand, Mr Thanakorn said. Commerce Ministry officials and other representatives recently visited Japan to meet with private companies in logistics and warehouse businesses to learn more about market trends, opportunities and customer behaviour, he said.

Indians top arrivals from overseasIndians account for the highest number of foreign arrivals in Thailand this year with 249,466 setting foot in the country from Jan 1 to July 6, said Taweesilp Visanuyothin, a spokesman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA). Meanwhile, Chiang Mai tourism entrepreneurs were asked to discuss preparations for anticipated tourist demand during a forum held by the Tourism Industry Council of Chiang Mai and the Pinkanakorn Development Agency (PDA) yesterday. The forum was aimed at encouraging local tourism entrepreneurs to discuss opportunities for welcoming more Indian tourists as the Covid-19 pandemic eases. Saisit Jetsiktat from the PDA said Chiang Mai has become popular among Indians after tourism organisations visited the South Asia Travel and Tourism Exchange 2022 in New Delhi earlier in the year. Indian tourists have become a target for the Chiang Mai tourism industry as international travel remains a hurdle for Chinese tourists, Mr Saisit said.

Prayut faces censure but eyes keeping power in 2023 electionPrime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha chairing the Police Commission meeting at the Royal Thai Police office on June 20, 2022. He is encountering another tough test as he is set to face a fourth no-confidence motion. The issues are similar to those Gen Prayut had been accused of in a 2021 no-confidence motion. Gen Prayut, a former army general who led a military coup in May 2014, assumed the premier post of the military government in August that year. In Thailand, a prime minister is elected by votes cast by members of the lower house and junta-appointed senators.

2.21 million visitors so far this yearTourists arrive at Suvarnabhumi airport. In the first six months this year there have been 2.21 million foreign visitors. (File photo: Somchai Poomlard)Thailand has welcomed 2.21 million visitors so far this year, with generated revenue of 125 billion baht, according to official figures. The total number of visitors from Jan 1 to July 6 was 2,214,132, generating 125 billion baht in revenue for the country. Bangkok had the highest number of foreign visitors, Dr Taweesilp said.

On Friday the government extended the state of emergency for two more months until Sept 30. (Photo: Nutthawat Wicheanbut)The government has extended the state of emergency for another two months, until the end of September, "only to facilitate its efforts to control Covid-19 and protect people's lives", according to a spokesman. CCSA spokesman Taweesilp Visanuyothin said after the meeting that the state of emergency would be extended from Aug 1 to Sept 30. The state of emergency was imposed by virtue of the Executive Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations. Over the past two years, they say, the emergency has been invoked mainly to deal with political protests.

At a meeting with ministry executives on Thursday, Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob cited the high-speed railway project linking three key airports. The project will link Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi and U-Tapao airports, and allow a seamless route to the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). Saksayam said people who have been affected by the project should be attended to as soon as possible. He said they should either be compensated or given a new residence as required by law. He also instructed SRT to survey other affected communities in the following areas to determine appropriate aid, namely:• In Bangkok’s Bang Sue and Chatuchak districts, where SRT is carrying out land-development projects• Makkasan swamp area, where SRT will develop a residential project• Along Nakhon Ratchasima-Nong Khai high-speed rail project• Along Surat Thani-Hat Yai-Songkhla dual-track rail projectThe Department of Highways, meanwhile, was instructed to survey communities in the following areas:• Samut Sakhon’s Thajin subdistrict affected by the Rama II-Wang Manao elevated expressway construction• Saphan Ruamjai community in Bangkok’s Don Mueang district affected by the construction of department’s new district officeSaksayam instructed both SRT and the highways department to send officials to talk to affected residents and coordinate with local authorities to identify the problems, so correct steps can be taken.