Babies dressed as cupids, underwater weddings and a government vitamin giveaway to encourage procreation were all part of Thailand’s imaginative and bizarre events to mark Valentine’s Day yesterday.
The Land of Smiles embraces Feb. 14 like few other nations in Southeast Asia, with Bangkok awash with pop-up flower stalls and a roster of romantic gestures unfurling across the nation.
The government led the love-in, doling out heart-shaped boxes of free iron and folic acid supplements in a bid to help healthy pregnancies and stimulate the kingdom’s birthrate.
Photo: EPA
“In 1970, a family had an average of six children, but now it’s 1.6,” Thai Department of Health Director-General Wachira Pengjuntr said. “In the past people ate better food, more vegetables and fruit, but now lifestyles have changed ... so we want to encourage more births.”
In the southern tourist hotspot of Trang, couples were offered the opportunity to marry underwater — in full wedding dress and diving gear — in an annual publicity stunt aimed at boosting visitor numbers.
Meanwhile, newborn babies at one maternity ward in Bangkok were dressed up with wings to resemble the god of love.
Photo: EPA
Even Thailand’s fractious political arena, a stage more accustomed to the delivery of brickbats than bouquets, could not escape Cupid’s arrow.
In a widely trailed “Day of Love,” the junta opened reconciliation talks with some political players in an effort to bridge a decade of conflict that has seen two democratic governments upended by military coups.
Normally stern Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha was also in an affectionate mood following a poll saying just over half the nation wanted to give him flowers for Valentine’s Day.
“I have love for everyone — all 70 million Thais every day — not only on Valentine’s Day. I have roses for you everyday. Thank you,” Prayuth told reporters.
Thai polling data is often criticized as politically slanted.
Still the junta’s unbridled passion for Valentine’s Day was a contrast to more po-faced approaches in previous years — in 2015 the generals urged young people to have a special meal or visit temples instead of having sex.
Seven people sustained mostly minor injuries in an airplane fire in South Korea, authorities said yesterday, with local media suggesting the blaze might have been caused by a portable battery stored in the overhead bin. The Air Busan plane, an Airbus A321, was set to fly to Hong Kong from Gimhae International Airport in southeastern Busan, but caught fire in the rear section on Tuesday night, the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said. A total of 169 passengers and seven flight attendants and staff were evacuated down inflatable slides, it said. Authorities initially reported three injuries, but revised the number
‘BALD-FACED LIE’: The woman is accused of administering non-prescribed drugs to the one-year-old and filmed the toddler’s distress to solicit donations online A social media influencer accused of filming the torture of her baby to gain money allegedly manufactured symptoms causing the toddler to have brain surgery, a magistrate has heard. The 34-year-old Queensland woman is charged with torturing an infant and posting videos of the little girl online to build a social media following and solicit donations. A decision on her bail application in a Brisbane court was yesterday postponed after the magistrate opted to take more time before making a decision in an effort “not to be overwhelmed” by the nature of allegations “so offensive to right-thinking people.” The Sunshine Coast woman —
BORDER SERVICES: With the US-funded International Rescue Committee telling clinics to shut by tomorrow, Burmese refugees face sudden discharge from Thai hospitals Healthcare centers serving tens of thousands of refugees on the Thai-Myanmar border have been ordered shut after US President Donald Trump froze most foreign aid last week, forcing Thai officials to transport the sickest patients to other facilities. The International Rescue Committee (IRC), which funds the clinics with US support, told the facilities to shut by tomorrow, a local official and two camp committee members said. The IRC did not respond to a request for comment. Trump last week paused development assistance from the US Agency for International Development for 90 days to assess compatibility with his “America First” policy. The freeze has thrown
PINEAPPLE DEBATE: While the owners of the pizzeria dislike pineapple on pizza, a survey last year showed that over 50% of Britons either love or like the topping A trendy pizzeria in the English city of Norwich has declared war on pineapples, charging an eye-watering ￡100 (US$124) for a Hawaiian in a bid to put customers off the disputed topping. Lupa Pizza recently added pizza topped with ham and pineapple to its account on a food delivery app, writing in the description: “Yeah, for ￡100 you can have it. Order the champagne too! Go on, you monster!” “[We] vehemently dislike pineapple on pizza,” Lupa co-owner Francis Wolf said. “We feel like it doesn’t suit pizza at all,” he said. The other co-owner, head chef Quin Jianoran, said they kept tinned pineapple
RSS