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Most will not travel over New Year holidays, worry about Omicron variant - Poll

13 Sept 12:12 Key points summarised by AI

A Suan Dusit Poll found that 40.57% of respondents will not travel during the New Year holidays, primarily due to concerns about the COVID-19 Omicron variant and financial problems.
Over 80% of those staying home cited the Omicron variant as their main worry, while nearly 47% mentioned financial difficulties preventing travel.
Among the 34.35% planning to travel, 84.78% are fully inoculated and prioritize visiting safe, well-ventilated, and less congested tourist attractions.
Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Prachuap Khiri Khan were identified as top desired destinations, with an average planned spending of 12,857.68 baht per traveler.
A Suan Dusit University researcher recommended promoting 'new normal tourism' focused on health safety and developing 'workations' to adapt to evolving travel preferences.

Yesterday 15:38 Key points summarised by AI

Thai MP Suchada Zhang Thaensap faces intense scrutiny over her husband’s substantial 1.84 billion baht wealth, with opposition lawmakers alleging connections to international scam networks.
A significant portion of her husband, Taiyang Zhang's, declared assets includes a 1.44 billion baht loan to the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency hedge fund Three Arrows Capital, which still owes him 1.34 billion baht.
Opposition MP Rangsiman Rome accused Suchada's husband of links to online scam networks and gambling sites, prompting Suchada to vehemently deny the claims, demand evidence, and file a defamation complaint.
Taiyang Zhang's background includes co-founding Ren Protocol, later sold to Alameda Research (linked to the FTX collapse), and some of his former associates have been convicted in crypto company failures.
Suchada, a former actress and first-time MP, maintains her husband's innocence, while her party leaders have distanced themselves from the allegations, deeming it a private matter.