This week: Lazada ad drama, Khao San tourism, Thai Pass plans and cult temple corpses
Lazada ad furore
A video by a social media influencer promoting the e-commerce platform Lazada came under fire this week for its controversial content.
The video, which has since been taken down, was promoting a Lazada sale and featured a woman dressed in traditional Thai costume sitting in a wheelchair and playing the role of the influencer’s mother.
The influencer, Aniwat “Nara” Prathumthin, said the clip was a parody of a famous Thai soap opera and told critics the perceived royal insult was all in their imagination.
Royalists complained the woman in the wheelchair was a veiled reference to a royal family member.
Lazada and the media agency behind the video have apologised, while the Thai army chief ordered all units under his command to stop buying products from the platform.
Khao San comes back to life
Businesses on Khao San Road are coming back to life as more foreign visitors are returning after the cancellation of the Test & Go entry scheme.
Sa-nga Ruangwatthanakul, president of the association of business operators on Khao San Road said that businesses in the area have been revitalised.
He said business operators can earn about 5 million baht a day on weekdays, and up to 10 million baht a day on weekends.
However, tourist numbers are still no more than 20% of the pre-Covid level.
He called on the government to scrap the Thailand Pass registration requirement for foreign travellers.
Thai Pass tipped to end for Thais
The government is to consider scrapping the Thailand Pass registration requirement for Thais returning from abroad.
Deputy PM and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the ministry will ask the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration to consider cancelling the requirement.
Anutin said it has been kept for foreign arrivals but the CCSA will be asked to scrap it for them in the future.
Corpses found at cult temple
Eleven corpses were found when police raided Chaiyaphum premises said to be the temple of a cult preaching superstition and providing bizarre treatments for a range of diseases.
Officials detained the alleged cult leader, a 75-year-old man with long white hair and a beard.
Coffins containing 11 corpses were found on the premises.
Cult followers said the bodies were brought there for rituals to send them to heaven.
Police said the cult leader treated his followers for various diseases. The treatments included telling them to consume his urine, excrement, phlegm and dandruff.
