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Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.
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POP – Thailand’s first satellite-based rain algorithm
The daily forecast gives us an approximate idea of expected weather and rain. But now researchers have a new tool which will provide much more accurate predictions of precipitation around the Kingdom. The system will be an invaluable tool for water management and flood prevention. They’ve successfully developed Thailand’s first satellite-based algorithm to accurately estimate rainfall. “We call this algorithm…
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Thailand Yacht Show and Rendezvous – January 10-13
The fourth edition of the Thailand Yacht Show & RendezVous is set to take place in Phuket January 10-13 at Royal Phuket Marina. Targeting yachting enthusiasts and lifestyle-seekers from all over the region, the Thailand Yacht Show & RendezVous has become a key marketing platform and revenue generator for the industry, as well as positioning Thailand in its rightful place…
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Floating plastic waste removal machine in the Pacific Ocean – Fail, so far
The ‘plastic removal system’ that set sail from San Francisco in September to clean up the huge floating plastic patches in the Pacific Ocean, hasn’t been working as planned. The Ocean Cleanup System 001, a U-shaped floating barrier created by the organisation The Ocean Cleanup, arrived in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in October. But the system has failed to…
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Belgian hit-and-run victim urges driver to come forward
An elderly Belgian woman has been injured in a hit and run in Chiang Mai and now recovering in the Chiang Mai Hospital. The 78 year old is urging the motorist who injured her to come forward and apologise. Chiang Mai police deputy chief Pol Colonel Piyaphan Pattharapongsin on Tuesday said police were still trying to locate the driver of black…
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If your motorbike is stolen, just wait a few days
Not only did he get his motorbike back, but he should go out and buy a lottery ticket. What are the chances…? The owner of a stolen motorcycle got his transport back three days later after a man ran out of petrol just in front of him in Songkhla’s Muang district on Tuesday. The owner of the motorcycle, identified only…
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Phuket beach back to normal after oil-spill clean-up
PHOTOS: The Phuket PR Office A beach in Ao Makham is almost back to normal following a big cleanup was launched to clear a black oil spill that had polluted 300 metres of shoreline yesterday. The oil spill was located along a beach at Ao Makham in Wichit over the weekend. It is believed to be from a big ship.…
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240 million baht in assets seized in Patong and Chiang Mai counterfeit raids
Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn is continuing his counterfeit goods crackdown in Patong and Chiang Mai where 240 million baht of assets have been seized over the past month. At a media scrum held at the Police Region 8 headquarter in Mai Khao yesterday Surachate said, “We have raided four targeted areas in Patong and four targeted areas at the Chiang Mai night…
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Dog cloning service in China starts at 1.8 million baht
PHOTOS: Reuters, Newsbook Meet Juice or “Guozhi” in Mandarin, a small one foot tall mongrel stray adopted from the streets turned into Chinese movie star. The nine year old canine actor was neutered at an early age and is unable to reproduce but as they say “the show must go on”. Introducing “Sinogene”, China’s first biotech company offering animal cloning…
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Phuket vs Penang – The two pearls go head to head
…including some reflections by guest writer TravellingMitch There was a time when Penang was the ‘Pearl of the Orient’, for some western travellers the only ‘orient’ they would know outside of Singapore and maybe Hong Kong. It was the 1950s and 60s when jet travel had just started making the world smaller and the western middle class were in search…
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Man jumps to his death from condo rooftop in Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai police are reporting that a man, allegedly experiencing depression following a business failure, has jumped to his death from a condo rooftop in front of his relatives. The incident happened this morning. 40 year old Apirak Chansawang died on impact outside a luxurious 32 floor condo in the Wat Ket area of Chiang Mai. His relatives told police…
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Troops on stand-by to assist flooded southern provinces
PHOTO: Thunder Road Reporters, Samui Deputy PM and defence minister Prawit Wongsuwan has ordered the three armed forces to head south with troops and equipment to help the areas hard hit by flooding. The Meteorological Department is warning southerners to brace for more to come. Gulf coast provinces from Chumpon to Songkhla have been battered with heavy rains for the past…
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89 leatherback turtle eggs moved to safe area on beach
A mother leatherback sea turtle laid 93 eggs at a beach in Khao Lak, Phang Nga yesterday. The 89 eggs have been carefully moved to a safe area on the beach whilst four eggs had broken. The enormous leatherback sea turtle laid its eggs on a beach at the Kuek Kak Beach in Khao Lak yesterday morning. Read more about…
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‘Phoenix’ substandard – more officials face legal action
The Thai Immigration Bureau Chief, Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn, yesterday has confirmed that many aspects of the ‘Phoenix’ design and operation were substandard. And more officials are now facing legal action as the investigation uncovers the multiple failures of the design, operations on the day and behaviour of the Captain and crew during the sinking incident. Lt Gen Surachate says, “An…
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Thai Rath downsizes newspaper workforce citing crippling decline in revenues
Thai Rath, the country’s biggest newspaper, is buckling under the weight of digital change and downsizing its staff. In yet another sign of the woes in the Thai media industry, the mass-circulation Thai Rath newspaper is downsizing through a voluntary early retirement scheme. Thai Rath, which at its peak claimed a daily circulation of one million, said in a statement…
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Civil groups urge political parties to strengthen national welfare net
Just last week a report was released claiming that Thailand is the most ‘un-equal’ country in the world, in the same company as Turkey, Russia and India. The Government swiftly dissed the report, deeming it as ‘unreliable’. You can read about that report HERE. Now the We Fair Network of 13 peak organisations has presented its proposals for reform of…
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Neighborhood quarrel suspected in brutal killing of family
by Somjit Rungjamrassamee Police are searching for three Burmese suspects in a brutal murder of four people, including a four year old boy and a four month old baby. The four family members, all from Myanmar, are believed to have been killed while they were sleeping on Saturday night. The gruesome killing took place in the border province of Tak…
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The new Galaxy Roof Club opens in Patong
The new Galaxy Roof Club Patong had its official launch as Patong’s first and only roof club under the slogan “Where all stars meet.” Dr. Josef Kastenberger – Owner, Ms. Olga Kotelenets – Managing Director and Mr. Nunthidej Phatanachinda – Advisor to Galaxy Roof Club Patong, are offering a new experience as the first and only roof club in Phuket…
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Emergency crews battle airport fire. All part of regular drills.
PHOTOS: The Phuket International Airport Phuket International Airport emergency crews battled fires near the main runway today. But it was all part of organized training for fire and emergency crews. Firefighters and rescue workers were deployed on the tarmac as part of regular drills aimed at improving response times and emergency response efficiency. Officials observing the proceedings reported that the…
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Digital driving license coming to Thailand next year
Stopped at a checkpoint? Fossiciking around in your bag for your license and ID? A new app will be launched in January in which motorists will be able to show their credentials to any law enforcement officer in Thailand. This means you will no longer have to carry a physical license with you.The police will be able to scan a…
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Big leatherback sea turtle lays eggs in Phang Nga – VIDEO
PHOTOS: Dr Thon Thamrongnawasawat | VIDEO: โชติ ครัวโชติรส / Newshawk Phuket A big leatherback sea turtle has laid eggs on a beach in Phang Nga this morning. Officials at the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR), Phang Nga, were informed this morning that a big turtle has laid eggs at the Kuek Kak Beach in Khao Lak. Officials went to the beach…
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Miss Philippines wins Miss Universe 2018 – Thailand in Top 10
PHOTO: philstar.com Just in case you needed to know… Miss Universe 2018, the 67th Miss Universe pageant, was held today at Impact, Muang Thong Thani in Nonthaburi Province. Miss Thailand made it into the event’s Top 10. Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters of South Africa crowned her successor, the pageant winner, Catriona Gray of the Philippines. The 24 year old Filipina-Australian was crowned…
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Oil pollutes a Phuket beach
Black oil has been located on a Beach at Ao Makham in Wichit yesterday. It is believed to be from a big ship. The Phuket Vice Governor Tanyawat Chanpinit, along with other officials, yesterday inspected the beach after the black oil was found on the sands along Tang Ken Bay. Phuket’s Vice Governor Tanyawat says, “Oil has been found polluting…
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Thaiger Radio News – Monday
Listen to the daily news from The Thaiger, anytime, anywhere…
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Phuket’s multi-tasking bus driver fined
The Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) has fined the Phuket to Songkhla bus driver who, on Saturday, was captured on video, whilst responsible for a bus full of passengers, with his son sitting on his lap and making, what appears to be, live video chat calls. Read more about the incident HERE. (The original story says the bus was travelling to Phattalung.…
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Malaysian PM receives honorary doctorate from Rangsit University
PHOTOS: Facebook/Rangsit University Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and Rangsit University President Arthit Ourairat during the convocation ceremony on Sunday. – Picture from Rangsit University Facebook Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad has been in Bangkok over the weekend, his second trip to the Kingdom in the past three months. But this time it was mostly social and to receive an award.…
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Southern provinces battered by heavy rains and floods
PHOTO: Flooded Samui roads – Facebook/Thunder Road Reporters “The city Mayor says the municipality had arranged for medical staff to be on stand-by to help patients at evacuation centres already set up to deal with potential flood crisis in Nakhon Si Thammarat.” Heavy rain has been battering the southern regions of the Gulf coast for the past few days and…
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UK backpacker needs 1.5 million baht for hospital bills and to fly home
24 year old Sophie Wilson, who has broken her neck in an accident, remains in a Chiang Mai hospital and has to pay £60,000 for hospital bills and to fly back to the UK. inews.co.uk reports that Sophie was injured after diving into a swimming pool and misjudging the depth. She was fished out of the water on December 1…
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PTT Thailand Grand Prix in Buriram voted best of 2018
“The race weekend at Buriram was the most attended and has been voted the best of the season on its debut.” There was a lot of expectation but the Thai GP was an incredible success and has now been named the best of the season by the MotoGP Paddock and the decision communicated to the Grand Prix Commission. The event…
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Sedan careers into family food shop in Tak
PHOTO: The Nation A couple running a roadside family food shop in Tak’s Mae Sot district have been injured following a car making an unexpected ‘drive thru’ attempt. Tak is on Thailand’s western border with Myanmar. The incident occurred last night when a car driven by a Burmese man slammed into it. Police were seeking to determine whether Aung So,…
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Heavy December rain hits Nakhon Si Thammarat this morning
by Krissana Thiwatsirikul Several areas of Nakhon Si Thammarat province have experienced heavy flooding this morning following sudden downpours over Saturday night and into the early hours of the morning. Southern provinces facing the Gulf of Thailand have all experienced some rain the last 24 hours. Water drainage systems were overwhelmed, sending excess volumes across the surface of many of…
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