A customer is served at the "Putaria" pastry shop in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on June 2, 2022RIO DE JANEIRO: At a Rio de Janeiro pastry shop, customers are waiting in line to buy waffles -- but the chocolate-covered treats come with a twist that is causing controversy in Brazil: they are shaped like penises. Since the "Putaria" pastry shop opened last month in the upscale beach neighborhood of Ipanema, it has drawn a steady stream of titillated customers, but also disapproval from some neighbors, who have called in the authorities. But having to cover up the sign outside the shop came as an "unpleasant surprise," she told AFP. The shop has placed pink cloth over its sign -- matching the decor inside -- but does not appear to have lost customers over the kerfuffle. It's a business like any other," said an elderly woman, Neusa, holding a freshly purchased penis shape.

“Marijuana-related cases waiting for a trial date or court verdict will also be dismissed,” said court spokesman Sorawis Limparangsi. However, inmates who have been charged for other offences in addition to marijuana possession will not be released. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced last month that people in Thailand can grow “as many cannabis plants” as they want in their own homes. However, the marijuana grown must be of medical grade and used for medicinal purposes only. Registration is not required for home-growers but large businesses will require permission from the Food and Drug Administration, he added.

“I visited an international Metaverse expo in San Francisco last year and I am confident that the Thailand Metaverse Expo will have everything that they had, and then some,” he said. The “Thailand Metaverse Expo 2022” will have three zones, namely the Experience Zone, Competition Zone and Conference & Workshop Zone. Topics of discussion include “Why Metaverse is the Next Big Thing in Web 3.0”, “Now and Next Metaverse Technology”, “Big Players”, “Metaverse Trend and Movement in Thailand & ASEAN”, “Rule & Role of Government Agencies, Infrastructure & Network”, and “Thailand's Status in Metaverse”. “Though Thailand has started a bit slower than other countries when it comes to Metaverse, Nation Group believes that the Thailand Metaverse Expo will help set the country on the right track of expansion in the world of Metaverse in the most tangible way,” he added. It is estimated that Thailand Metaverse Expo 2022 will have over 5,000 participants at Siam Paragon and more than 20,000 online viewers.

Asian equities gain after Wall Street revivalRecap: Asian equities rose yesterday following a strong performance on Wall Street ahead of the release of jobs data, while crude gave up some of the previous day's gains after an output increase disappointed traders. Foreign investors were net buyers of 6.08 billion baht, institutional investors bought 387.23 million and brokers purchased 273.26 million baht worth of shares. Retail investors were net sellers of 6.74 billion baht in shares. The collapse last month of Luna and its sibling TerraUSD led to $500 billion in losses in the broader crypto market. The Finance Ministry will sell 55 billion baht worth of government savings bonds next month to help finance the budget deficit.

The ministry’s head inspector, Dr Suthep Phetmark, said on Friday the move will help promote comprehensive vaccination at community level to prepare for the redesignation of Covid-19 as an endemic in the future. “The vaccines provided to subdistrict health promoting hospitals include Sinovac, Astra Zeneca and Pfizer that are still usable. The ministry is not dumping expired vaccines on subdistrict hospitals as some have speculated.”Suthep was referring to a Facebook post by the Rural Doctors Society on Thursday, which said that “subdistrict health promoting hospitals are not garbage dumpster for CCSA’s leftover vaccines”. “The ministry has been working with subdistrict hospitals to survey people who are still unvaccinated in each province, in order to give a jab at home for those who are unable to travel to the hospital,” said Suthep. “The ministry will provide the vaccine while the National Health Security Office will support vaccination fee for public health officials/volunteers at 40 baht per jab.”

Ganja convicts set for releaseMore than 4,000 inmates charged or convicted in connection with cannabis-related offences will be released from jail when the regulation removing cannabis and hemp from the list of narcotics takes effect on June 9, according to the Corrections Department. Thawatchai Chaiwat, the department's deputy director-general and spokesman, said the inmates' release is the result of a Public Health Ministry regulation published in the Royal Gazette on Feb 9 that will come into effect on June 9. The Office of the Courts of Justice has officially notified law enforcement agencies under it to prepare for the upcoming release of the inmates. There are currently 3,219 inmates convicted of cannabis-related offences and another 884 on trial. The spokesman said some families have been tricked by a gang claiming it could secure the early release of inmates for a fee.

Honorary Consul of the Republic of Cote d'lvoire, Patcharapimol Youngprapakorn, describes the GSW 2022 as a three-day crash course in global administration. The GSW 2022 is a platform that brings together females from both the public and private sectors from across the world to discuss ideas and experiences for strengthening the world economy. Patcharapimol believes that it is really interesting for Thai people to participate in a shortcut to learn from the global experience. For more information on the summit and to register, visit: https://globewomen.org/globalsummit/

Thai energy consumption is expected to rise by 9.2% this year, based on an economic growth estimate of 2.5-3.5%, driven by an uptick in economic activities as pandemic restrictions ease, says the Energy Policy and Planning Office (Eppo). In Thailand, gas consumption is expected to decline by 9.5% as LNG prices have skyrocketed, following problems with LNG production. Consumption of refined oil, including gasohol, diesel, liquefied petroleum gas, jet fuel and fuel oil, is expected to increase by 12.3% to 135 million litres per day this year, up from 120 million litres per day last year. In the power sector, electricity consumption is expected to rise by 2.5% to 195,328 gigawatt-hours from 190,468GWh last year. The energy consumption forecast for 2022 may be revised down if global energy prices continue to increase more than the range of the Dubai crude oil price, said Mr Wattanapong.

Parliament passes B3tn budget bill at first readingPrime Minister Prayut Cha-o-cha speaks in Parliament during a budget debate on Thursday. (Parliament photo)Parliament on Friday passed the first reading of a 3.185 trillion baht draft budget bill for the 2023 fiscal year starting Oct 1, aimed at supporting an economic recovery. The budget is crucial to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's government as it attempts to boost Southeast Asia's second-largest economy, hit by the coronavirus pandemic. After a three-day debate, the bill passed with 278 votes in favour, 194 against, and two abstentions. The bill has to pass second and third readings in August before being sent for senate and royal approval.

When it comes to documentation, Thai immigration authorities are notoriously rigorous, and they will require a Thailand Pass on arrival if you are not Thai. A number of insurance companies in Thailand have teamed together to create COVID-19 insurance plans that will be approved by immigration, and these policies may be acquired quickly and conveniently online. The Thailand Pass, and insurance is only required if you are NOT Thai. Currently there is a MSIG Covid Insurance policy for only ฿660 (19 USD) policy which will meet the entry requirements. If you cannot meet this requirement then you may be interested in MSIG Covid Insurance, LUMA Covid Insurance, or WorldTrips Covid Insurance.

(Government House photo)Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha stood by the Defence Ministry's weapons procurement projects, saying they are essential to boosting national security, after the opposition took aim at the ministry's budget on Thursday. On the third day of deliberation for next year's budget, Gen Prayut -- who is also serving as Defence Minister -- told parliament that the ministry has to ensure it is capable of dealing with any form of security threat despite its limited budget. According to Deputy Defence Minister Chaichan Changmongkol, the ministry has been allocated 197.2 billion baht for the next fiscal year, down 4.37 billion baht from the budget in the previous fiscal year. The PM jumped to the budget's defence after deputy Pheu Thai Party leader Yuttapong Charasathien took aim at military spending, saying a number of procurement projects lack transparency. The Royal Thai Navy had previously countered the MP's claim, saying the navy has outlined its required engine specifications and China will have to honour the contract.

A total of 5.27 million tickets have been made available online via the Pao Tang application. The digital ticket-selling platform opened at 6am on Thursday and by 7pm, 1.7 million tickets had been sold to about 429,000 people, said Lottery Board chairman Lavaron Sangsnit. He expects digital sales of up to 2 million tickets per day as the platform’s operating hours last until 11pm. The Government Lottery Office (GLO) launched the digital platform to tackle the problem of overpricing. Tickets sold via Pao Tang are priced at 80 baht, with no limit placed on the number that can be purchased.

Indonesia plantation workers barred from departing for Malaysia over visasJAKARTA: Indonesia barred a group of its plantation workers from travelling to Malaysia because recruiters did not follow proper procedures and most of the workers did not have the right visa, the head of the country's migrant worker protection agency said. Malaysia, the world's second-largest palm oil producer behind Indonesia, had been set to welcome the first major batch of migrant workers since reopening borders in a boost for a sector facing a shortage of more than 100,000 workers. Benny said having proper work documents was important to help protect their rights in Malaysia, where he said a migrant workers' protection law was "still weak". Indonesia and Malaysia in April signed an agreement to improve protection for domestic migrant workers following a meeting between the countries' leaders in Jakarta. Malaysia relies on foreign workers, who mainly come from Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Nepal, to fill factory and plantation jobs shunned by locals.

CLMV investors targeted to boost real estate marketThailand Privilege Card Co (TPC), the operator of Thailand Elite Card, is targeting investors from CLMV (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam), particularly Chinese businessmen who have been naturalised, to invest more in real estate. Those investors are the target of the 500,000-baht Elite Flexible One requiring applicants to purchase real estate worth 10 million baht at a minimum with proof of ownership. Elite Flexible One cardholders will have benefits like a five-year multiple entry visa to Thailand, use of the premium lane at airports and transfer services. The company organised a roadshow from May 10-11 to attract high-net-worth individuals in Singapore, including investors, bankers and businessmen from the Singapore Business Federation. As of March 31, there were 16,979 Elite Card holders.

The appointment with a 4-year tenure will be effective on May 13, 2020, according to its filing to the Stock Exchange of Thailand on Thursday. Auttapol will replace current President & CEO Chansin Treenuchagron, who retires on May 12.