Month: December 2018

  • Phuket NewsTAT grapples with real numbers in the wake of the Chinese tourism slump

    TAT grapples with real numbers in the wake of the Chinese tourism slump

    “Tourist arrivals in Phuket have increased by 10%, with more visitors from India though Chinese arrivals have not picked up since the Phoenix tourist boat tragedy in mid-July.” This summary from Kanokkittikar Kritwutthikorn, director of the Phuket office of the TAT. Last week the local tourist body was quoting a 20% increase as the island’s tourist chiefs appear to be unable…

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  • Thailand NewsFriday meeting to discuss lifting political restrictions

    Friday meeting to discuss lifting political restrictions

    PHOTO: Facebook/prayutofficial The Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is set to chair a meeting at the end of this week with representatives of the Election Commission and political parties at the Army Club in Bangkok to discuss issues related to the yet-unconfirmed February 24 election. The meeting expects to lift political restrictions and allow parties to launch election campaigns. Spokeswoman of…

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  • World NewsRussian model becomes Queen of Malaysia after marrying Muslim king

    Russian model becomes Queen of Malaysia after marrying Muslim king

    Oksana Voevodina, is now the ‘first lady’ of Malaysia following the wedding to Malaysia’s monarch Muhammad V of Kelantan. She married the king in a royal wedding ceremony in Moscow after reportedly converting to Islam earlier this year. The beauty queen rose to fame when she was crowned Miss Moscow back in 2015 at the age of 22. Oksana – who has…

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  • Thailand NewsE-visas available from February 2019. China first country.

    E-visas available from February 2019. China first country.

    The Consular Affairs department is launching a new e-visa service from February 2019. It will initially available in China and then expand to other countries over a period of three years. Kasikornbank Bank is co-operating with the Consular Affairs unit to handle the e-payments, . The service will be available from February 15, 2019 and, initially, for residents of Beijing only.…

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  • TravelAirline staff mock young girl over her name – Abcde

    Airline staff mock young girl over her name – Abcde

    An American discount airline has apologised to a mother after she claimed the staff laughed at her five year old daughter’s name. The daughter is called Abcde. The name, according to the mother, is pronounced ‘Ab-si-dee’. The airline staff also and posted a picture of her boarding pass with the unusual name. The mother said she was outraged. “The gate agent started…

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  • Bangkok NewsFive dead and five injured from two families in head-on collision

    Five dead and five injured from two families in head-on collision

    PHOTO: The Nation A tragedy for several Chachoensao families last night ager a collision killed five. Chachoensao is just east of Bangkok. Five people were killed and another five critically injured after the pick-up truck of a family returning from a shopping trip collided head-on with an another pick-up truck just one kilometre before reaching the family’s home. Police and rescue…

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  • South Thailand NewsPregnant dugong killed by boat propellor

    Pregnant dugong killed by boat propellor

    by Khanitta Sitong A heavily-pregnant dugong, found off Koh Libong in Trang a week ago, has had an autopsy to investigate the cause of death. It was the fifth dugong in the area killed by speedboats this year. The findings indicate that this dugong too came into contact with a local boat propellor. The dugong’s decomposing carcass was found on…

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  • Phuket NewsKaron locals follow-up on blocked public access

    Karon locals follow-up on blocked public access

    Local residents in Soi Lookpor (Soi Patak) in Karon are following up on a complaint about public access in Karon. They’ve been trying to get the attention of the local municipality but nothing is being done to address the issue. Karon locals, led by Ammara Thepkaew, came to the Phuket Reporters Association after a complaint had already been filed to…

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  • Phuket NewsLost and found – 64 year old French tourist

    Lost and found – 64 year old French tourist

    A French male tourist, who yesterday became lost with his son, has now been found. Last night Karon Police were notified that at around 5pm a Frenchman, 64 year old Paillereau Jean Michel, had become lost. Karon Police reported that he and his son were driving on different motorbikes heading from Phuket Town to the Thalang area. His son told…

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  • Thailand NewsFull steam ahead for the Thai high-speed railway

    Full steam ahead for the Thai high-speed railway

    PHOTO: CRRC Corporation “CRRC has also provided subways and high-speed trains for the US, Argentina, Brazil and Singapore.” Imagine getting on a train in Bangkok and being in Nakhon Ratchasima, in Thailand’s central north-east, within an hour. That’s what will happen when the first of the Thai/Chinese joint venture high-speed trains are launched. The construction for the Bangkok/Nakon Ratchasima link…

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  • Phuket NewsAlert to avoid Phuket King’s Cup Regatta area

    Alert to avoid Phuket King’s Cup Regatta area

    The Phuket Marine Office has issued a warning for boats to avoid areas where the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta is being held in and around Kata Bay this week. The event started today. The warning states that, due to the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta being held from December 2 to December 8 in Kata Bay, from 8.30am to 7.30pm each…

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  • World NewsCentara strikes deal for three new hotels in Laos

    Centara strikes deal for three new hotels in Laos

    Thailand’s leading hotel operator Centara Hotels, announced it has signed management agreements for three new properties with a combined total of 216 keys, with Asia Investment, Development & Construction Sole Co., Ltd (AIDC), a well-established enterprise in Laos. In the UNESCO World Heritage site of Luang Prabang, Centara plans to open an upper upscale Centara Grand Luang Prabang and a…

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  • Chiang Mai NewsChiang Mai football team cries foul over ‘big’ Under 12 team

    Chiang Mai football team cries foul over ‘big’ Under 12 team

    PHOTOS: Sanook A Chiang Mai football coach is complaining online after his team played another team from Nan province who were much bigger. Sanook is reporting that the coach alleges the Nan team were not Under 12s and complained that this “should not be happening in Thailand 4.0”. The photos clearly indicate the Nan team were much taller. But his…

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  • Thailand NewsWhere do old Thai Airways 747s go?

    Where do old Thai Airways 747s go?

    A Chai Nat local loved the Thai Airways Boeing 747-400 Jumbo jets so much he bought an old one when it came up for auction. OneMileAtATime.com is reporting that Thai Airways is slowly phasing out its fleet of Boeing 747s with 10 still in active service, and a further 10 stored, or for sale. Given there are hundreds of 747s…

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  • Phuket News1,000 riders join dress rehearsal for next week’s ‘Bike Un Ai Rak’

    1,000 riders join dress rehearsal for next week’s ‘Bike Un Ai Rak’

    PHOTOS: The Phuket PR Office The Phuket Governor Pakkapong Tawipat along with more than 1,000 riders joined the dress rehearsal for next week’s ‘Bike Un Ai Rak’ yesterday. His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn has graciously granted permission to the Bangkok government to organise the “Love and Warmth at Winter’s End” festival at the Royal Plaza and Sanam Suea Pa in…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket surf lifesavers wrap up local comp at Patong Beach

    Phuket surf lifesavers wrap up local comp at Patong Beach

    PHOTOS: Phuket Lifeguard Service Phuket Surf Life Saving Competition has wrapped up its seventh successful event at Patong Beach, Phuket. This year there were 19 teams for Open men’s and women’s divisions and 13 teams for Youth Boys and Girls. The winners of the event were The Zemberles Life Saving Team from The Philippines. Second place went to locals, the Nai…

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  • Thai LifeInternet freebies rolled out for Christmas

    Internet freebies rolled out for Christmas

    The government is finalising plans to give more than 11 million low-income Thai citizens free internet SIM cards and other subsidies that will together cost taxpayers billions of baht. The roll out is part of a charm offensive from the ruling NCPO in the lead up to next year’s poll, scheduled for February 24. The Finance Ministry is proposing that…

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  • Krabi NewsKoh Phi Phi has to address critical water problems

    Koh Phi Phi has to address critical water problems

    Special Report by Pratch Rujivanarom – PHOTOS: Sitang Pilailar “The groundwater is currently unsafe for consumption and a threat to health. Harmful pathogens and heavy metals originating from water pollution offshore have contaminated it.” The administrative authority of the Phi Phi Islands has once again called for help from the central government and state agencies to help address the chronic house…

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  • Pattaya NewsChinese tourist mixed up in a ‘misunderstanding’ in Pattaya

    Chinese tourist mixed up in a ‘misunderstanding’ in Pattaya

    SOURCE: Siamchon A melee broke out earlier today at the Taboo Club in Pattaya’s Walking Street. It got heated after a bouncer insisted that a Chinese tourist apologise to a bar girl he had ‘rejected’. Chinese tourists had headed to the bar and were then approached by bar girls. But 25 year old Yang Zhan didn’t appreciate her advances and…

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  • Thai LifeMeasles outbreak closes Tak school

    Measles outbreak closes Tak school

    A school near the Myanmar border in Tak’s Mae Ramat district has been closed indefinitely after local public-health officials discovered 13 students were contagious with measles. Tak is on Thailand’s central west border with Myanmar. Six of the students from the New Road Learning Centre are currently in serious condition in hospital. Most of the school’s students are Burmese children…

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  • Chiang Mai NewsThailand detains Taiwanese citizen over anti-China broadcasts

    Thailand detains Taiwanese citizen over anti-China broadcasts

    PHOTO: Taiwan News A Taiwanese businessman has been detained in Thailand for allegedly helping an underground online radio broadcast aimed at Chinese listeners. The allegations have come from Radio Free Asia (RFA). But the manager of the online radio station says Chiang Yung-hsin (蔣永新) has nothing to do with illegal broadcasts, according to the Central News Agency. Police in Bangkok…

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  • Thailand NewsWorld AIDS Day Thailand: Know your status

    World AIDS Day Thailand: Know your status

    The Ministry of Public Health has set a target to resolve AIDS problems by reducing the number of new cases of people infected with HIV to a maximum of 1,000, and the fatality rate of AIDS sufferers to not exceeding 4,000 cases per year by the year 2030. The announcements come on World Aids Day, December 1. Thai PBS reports…

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  • Thailand video newsThaiger Radio News – Sunday

    Thaiger Radio News – Sunday

    Listen to the daily news from The Thaiger, anytime, anywhere…  

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  • South Thailand NewsDead man washed up on Nakhon Si Thammarat beach

    Dead man washed up on Nakhon Si Thammarat beach

    The decomposed body of a man has washed up onto a beach in Nakhon Si Thammarat. Police said the unidentified body was spotted on the shores of the beach in Moo 9 village in Tambon Na Saton in Hua Sai district on Saturday morning. Police say the man appears to have been dead for about a week and the body…

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  • Thailand NewsFive die in Sukhothai car smash

    Five die in Sukhothai car smash

    A man has died, along with his boyfriend, parents and aunt after his car crashed into a roadside tree in Sukhothai, central Thailand. Si Satchanalai police were alerted a few minutes after midnight on Saturday morning that the accident happened on the Si Satchanalai-Uttaradit road in Ban Huay Sak village in Tambon Pa Ngiew. 25 year old Saranyu Thanomjit was…

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  • OpinionHow will ‘Chindia’ change Phuket’s tourism future?’

    How will ‘Chindia’ change Phuket’s tourism future?’

    What exactly is this Chindia? In a nutshell it’s a flash drive marketplace with 1/3 of the world’s population – China and India. For a great number of Phuket hoteliers, the first half of 2018 saw marketplace velocity, where RevPAR’s rose on surging demand, and the most often heard comment was the ignominious ‘same same’. Though room rate growth was…

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  • Phuket NewsNetizens disagree with official numbers: The miracle 20% rise in tourist numbers

    Netizens disagree with official numbers: The miracle 20% rise in tourist numbers

    A story from The Thaiger yesterday stirred up a lot of suspicion that the Ministry of Sports and Tourism are being ‘flexible’ with the truth. The story quoted the Sports and Tourism Minister saying that, since they introduced the visa-on-arrival fee waiver (for 21 countries), the numbers of arrivals has surged 20%. He said in his quotes that the ‘bounce’ came…

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  • Hua Hin NewsTwo year battle for hospital compensation

    Two year battle for hospital compensation

    Thai media 77jowo is reporting that the Hua Hin Hospital and the Department of Public Health have agreed to return more than 20,000 baht to a man from the Netherlands who claims he was ripped off by the hospital because he was a foreigner. Back in September 2016 a man, Erwin Buse, complained to the government watchdog Damrongtham in Prajuap…

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  • Krabi NewsFemale tourist injured by speedboat propellor at Koh Phi Phi

    Female tourist injured by speedboat propellor at Koh Phi Phi

    A Chinese woman has been severely injured and rushed to hospital after being hit by a speedboat propeller while swimming at Koh Phi Phi in Krabi Province this morning. Police say the woman suffered cuts to her back and thighs before being rushed to the Koh Phi Phi Hospital and then later transferred to Phuket Vachira hospital by boat. Police…

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  • Thailand NewsInflux of Indian tourists expected over the next decade

    Influx of Indian tourists expected over the next decade

    PHOTO: LookEast Magazine Tourism from India will increase markedly over the next ten years. This prediction from the head of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, Wichit Prakorpkoson. By 2028 he says he expects 10 million Indian visitors each year. About Chinese tourism, the ATTA chief say he expected the numbers to slow from previous trends but there will still be 20…

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  • Bangkok NewsSchool van driver accused of raping two schoolgirls

    School van driver accused of raping two schoolgirls

    A 29 year old school van driver, accused of raping two schoolgirls aged 12 and 14, has appeared at Bangkok’s Thon Buri Court as police apply for a detention order. Suspect Natthawut Chamroen, who was arrested in Thung Kru district this week, is denying charges of “taking away” girls under 15 from their parents for a lewd act, molesting and…

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  • EntertainmentMinister promises a year of ‘Khon’

    Minister promises a year of ‘Khon’

    “The ministry will next year nominate nuad thai (Thai massage) and the southern traditional dance nora for inclusion on the UNESCO list.” The Culture Ministry is planning a year of activities to further promote ‘khon’, the classical masked-dance theatre that has now been added to UNESCO’s list of ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’. Members of the UN Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation…

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  • Thailand video newsThaiger Radio News – Saturday

    Thaiger Radio News – Saturday

    Listen to the daily news from The Thaiger, anytime, anywhere…

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