Year: 2018
- News
Nearly 5,000 visited this year’s Thailand Yacht Show
After four days and excellent weather, the third edition of the Thailand Yacht Show finished last Sunday with the traditional symphony of horns at Ao Po Grand Marina, Phuket. Over the four sunny days the show welcomed a total of 4,730 visitors who were treated to new yachts on display, activities for kids and the family and the best of…
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Tourist falls at Ao Nang Cliff
A 32 year old Argentinian woman, Karina Laura Citroner, fell from the Lagoon Cliff at Phra Nang Beach, Railay Bay, resulting in serious injuries. The Argentinian woman ended up with her right leg and the joint on the right foot broken with a serious open wound. The Director of First Standard Group (Ao Nang), Doctor Yingyong Temsinsakul, together with more…
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Krabi Airport’s runway damaged
A passenger using Facebook account, Atipoj Srisukhon, posted a picture of a cracked runway at Krabi International Airport, expressing the concern about the safety today (March 2). The damage is several metres wide but is limited to the extreme ends of the runway at both ends. The Director of Krabi International Airport, Atthaporn Nuang-Udom, said that he acknowledged the matter…
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Airport housekeeper returns 500,000 Baht to passenger
Phuket International Airport Director, Petch Chancharoen, gave an award to Duangtawan Chuayseng, one of the housekeeping outsource staff from Phuket Inter Chemical Company today (March 2) for returning 500,000 Baht in cash to a Chinese passenger, Li Xiaofei. The cleaner was working at the mens toilet on the 3rd floor of the international terminal and found a wallet with a…
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108 turtle eggs found on Lek Beach, Similan
The Chief of Mu Ko Similan National Park in Kura Buri District, Phang Nga, has revealed today (March 2) that the national park officers found the tracks of turtles from the water to the beach area. After tracking down the path, the team found 108 turtle eggs buried under the sand. The eggs have been found on Had Lek on…
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THAIGER TODAY Friday, March 2
TAT says we shouldn’t focus attention on sex tourism | NCPO warns protestors about Pinocchio masks | March 1 kicks off hot-season and registration of new political parties | Academics warn about coral restoration off Patong | Doctor in Hua Hin arrested over abortion clinic | Fake watch vendors arrested in Pattaya.
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Top 25 Asian beaches survey is out – three in Phuket
Thailand has ended up with two beaches in the top ten in the latest ‘Top 25 Beaches in Asia’ survey. The survey is based on comments from TripAdvisor’s 300 million users, or at least the ones that have visited a beach in Asia and taken the time to make a comment. The top three beaches are Agonda Beach in India…
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Black wastewater threatens to destroy Patong’s restored coral reefs
By Pratch Rukivanarom Wastewater leaking into Patong Bay could kill recently restored coral reefs in front of the world famous Patong Beach, academics are warning. Wastewater has leaked into the sea and polluted Patong Bay twice this month, harming the health of the reef ecosystem, which mostly comprises soft coral. A team led by Phuket Governor Naraphat Plodthong inspected areas…
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Train derails at a Trang construction site
State Railway of Thailand officials and workers were clearing the tracks today (Thursday) after a Bangkok-Trang express train derailed this morning a few kilometres from the Trang Train Station. No one was killed or injured in the incident, railway engineering official Chairat Duansung said. The derailment, which led to the 14-car train’s last carriage going off the tracks, took place…
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That summer feeling – starts now
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) will soon announce the start of summer heat in Thailand, which could see temperatures peak at 42-43 degrees Celsius during April, according to the Nation TV reporter for environment news Ittipat Pinraroj. Signalled by a recent shift that sees winds now bringing humidity from the Southern China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand to cover…
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Makha Bucha Day dedicated to the King
Devout Buddhists across the country are observing Makha Bucha Day today by attending merit-making events, with much of the merit being earned on behalf of His Majesty the King. Bangkok Governor Pol General Aswin Kwanmuang presided at a morning ritual in which alms were distributed to 67 monks. Activities continue until 9pm in Khon Muang Plaza in front of the…
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Baby dumped in Patong rubbish bin
Last night (February 28), Patong police received a report about the dead body of a baby dumped in a bin in Soi Kuan Yang Charoen on Phra Baramee Road. The bin was at the beginning of the alley near the main road. Inside, the police and a team from Kusoldham Phuket found a transparent plastic bag containing the dead body…
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Pattaya detained Belarusian escort says she has dirt in the Trump-Russia case
A Belarusian woman who was arrested in Pattaya over the weekend is seeking assistance from the United States, claiming she has information about links between Russia and US President Donald Trump, the Washington Post has reported. Anastasia Vashukevich, an escort service worker from Belarus – who became well known after filming a yacht trip with Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska and…
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Phuket Smart Bus kicks off
The first route of the Phuket Smart Bus has been launched today (February 28) connecting Phuket International Airport all the way to the south of the island – Rawai Beach. The Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Panupong Sawetarun, chaired the opening ceremony of the Phuket Smart Bus. The first route launched today is the blue route, which…
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A Volunteer from the Defense Corps shot dead in Krabi
A 42 year old Volunteer Defense Corps officer, Thongchai Poonkerd, was shot early this morning (February 28) while going to work at a rubber plantation with his wife. Police suspect that the motive for the homicide is most likely drug suppression operations. The two went to the rubber plantation at about 5.30 am with a motorcycle. When his wife went…
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THAIGER TODAY Wednesday, February 28
PM responds to ‘sex tourism’ remarks | Extra long Songkran | Shoot-out on Samui’s Chaweng Beach | Big crackdown on illegal immigrants along Soi Cowboy last night | High-speed rail gets go ahead between Don Mueang and Rayong | PM pushes election date forward to February | Two Americans held in Chiang Mai over fake US bills.
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Phuket’s Governor visits Tritrang Beach to inspect action over effluent
A team of Phuket authorities headed up by the Phuket Governor, Norapat Plodthong, have visited Tritrang Beach again following up another report of wastewater being released into the seas off Patong Beach. “Every office and all departments involved have to integrate their resources to find a sustainable solution to this problem. This is my second visit to Tritrang Beach. The…
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Pushing the election date forward, again
By Wasamon Audjarint and Kas Chanwenpen Faced with mounting pressure from critics and the international community, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday said the next election would be held “no later than” next February. While making his latest promise about the election date, however, Prayut also warned that it would also depend on the situation at the time. “I am not making…
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Five day Songkran
The Cabinet today (Tuesday) has given the green light for a five-day “Songkran Festival” holiday from April 12 to 16. To accommodate people travelling up-country to visit their hometowns, and to stimulate nationwide tourism, the Cabinet allowed Thursday, April 12, as an additional holiday on top of the festival time from April 13 to 16. As traffic congestion is expected…
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THAIGER TODAY Tuesday, February 27
Flooding in BKK | More than 100 new political parties poised to register | Two Aunties waiting to be charged over Great Driveway Affair | Activists asking for transparency over Premchai case | Update on Russian ‘love-making’ classes in Pattaya | Tourists chastised over climbing photos in Ayutthaya | Makha Buscha this Thursday – Public holiday.
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Dream Beach Weddings In Phuket
By Thavorn Hotels & Resorts With couples seeking unique and memorable weddings, destination weddings have become the wedding trend on the rise. Couples are increasing skipping the traditional hometown ceremony and running off to a beach wedding. After all, what can more perfect than saying “I do” on the sandy beaches of Phuket? Thavorn Beach Village Resort & Spa provides…
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Big crowds and long waits at Phuket airport after runway closure
PHOTO reprinted with permission from Pimmie Pimpathu The closure of runway 09 resulted in a big back-up of ‘not happy’ passengers waiting for their delayed flights. The runway fix started early morning yesterday (February 26) and finished at 6.30am this morning as planned. However, there are a large number of remaining passengers as the relative authorities reshuffle arrival and departure times…
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Search continues for missing Chinese tourist off Phang Nga coast
Officials are continuing their search off Phang Nga Sea for a Chinese tourist who was swept away by a big wave and went missing on Friday evening. Officials from the Phang Nga disaster prevention and mitigation office, sailors from the Navy’s Phang Nga base, marine police and Kusoltham Phuket Foundation rescuers resumed the search for 27 year old Yang Juan…
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More than 100 new political parties poised to launch next month
PHOTO: Suthep Thaugsuban by Attayuth Bootsripoom More than 100 new political parties are expected to launch next month after registration opens on Friday. It will be the first time since the military coup in May 2014 that political activities will be officially allowed. A junta order signed by Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha last December allows new political parties to…
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Foreigner’s body found in Kathu
The body of a foreigner has been found in a jungle near an old tin mine in Kathu. The police received a report at 9:30am this morning, leading to the discovery of a foreigner who was hung on a tree. No trace of a fight or violence was found on his body. The man was wearing a green and blue…
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THAIGER TODAY Monday, February 26
59% of those polled don’t want a political party with Prayut as leader | Repairs to Phuket Airport runway | More carnage on Patong Hill | Poorly planned ATM snatch it Krabi | January’s numbers for new cars and tourism | Toon hands over the cash – 1.3 billion baht | Police raid Russian sex classes in Pattaya.
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Phuket Airport Runway 09 closed for repairs
Runway 09 at the Phuket International Airport was closed today, February 26, and will be closed again tomorrow from 2 am – 7am for fixing cracks in the runway surface. There are small cracks in an are covering 9 square metres while there is another 84 square metres area between the runway and the taxiway that requires repair attention. PIA…
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Patong Prawn Fraud. Price-gouging in Patong restaurant.
Phuket’s Tourist Police have arrested the owners of an overpriced restaurant named ‘6 Restaurants’, located in Patong, after receiving reports from more than 19 Chinese tourists. Apart from the reports, photos from the restaurant also went viral in Chinese social media about the over-priced prawn dish of 300 baht per 100 grams (3,000 baht per kilogram!) The report mentioned that…
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Brake failure causes a bus to crash into 6 cars on Patong Hill
At about 2 pm yesterday (February 25), a bus suffered alleged brake failure, crashing into 6 cars in front of the temple down Patong Hill, resulting in one injury. The bus damaged 6 cars including 2 vans, a Toyota car, 2 Nissans and a Mazda pick-up truck. All the cars were driving in front of the bus driven by 40…
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January by numbers – Car registrations and tourist numbers up
The Land Transport Department has reported 268,989 new cars and motorcycles for January 2018. This included 167,039 motorcycles, 63,646 sedans, 24,117 pickup trucks, 1,129 7-seat-plus cars, 939 buses operating on fixed routes, 724 buses which do not operate on fixed routes and 5,731 trucks, according to Thai PBS. That pushes the total number of registered vehicles in Thailand to 38,428,304.…
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ATM theft gone wrong in Krabi
Two thieves tried to steal an ATM by dragging it with a pickup truck last night (February 25) in Krabi. An ATM at an SCB bank was found damaged and removed about 1 metre away from its housing next to the bank. After checking the CCTV camera, police saw that two people tied up the ATM machine with a sling,…
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Waste-to-energy plant protests in Krabi
The Baan Nai Chong preservation group are protesting a new waste-to-energy plant over the future health impact on their community. The power plant is planned to be built at the local landfill of Krabi Municipality, which is nearby their community. The signs have been installed since yesterday (February 23) under the leadership of group president, Warrant Officer 1st Class Panya Hiran.…
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COMMENT: We’re a LONG way from May 2014
EDITORIAL We should put the current protests in Bangkok into perspective. Firstly, they’re very localised, both in geographics and demographics. The protesters, apart from a few hard core ’professional protesters’ who seem to appear at any march or placard-waving event, are mostly students. More, mostly students from Thammasat University. That shouldn’t dilute the importance of their message but the protests…
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We’re going to see more of the three-fingered salute
Thai PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha said he will call a meeting of relevant parties to discuss and decide an appropriate and acceptable date for the next general election. The public in recent weeks has witnessed a series of delays in the passing and enforcing of laws and other legal manoeuvres that have raised doubts over the timing of the next…
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Better driving license procedures for foreigners on the way
The Department of Land Transport has partnered with British Embassy Bangkok to improve driving licence procedures for foreign nationals across Thailand. The improvements will focus on guidelines for obtaining a licence, how to prepare for the driving test, raising awareness of specific risks on the road unique to Thailand, and recaps on internationally recognised driving standards. Deputy director general of…
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Two Chinese tourists drowned. Another missing in Phang Nga.
Two Chinese tourists have drowned and another is missing after swimming at a beach in Phang Nga’s Thai Muang district last night. Two other Chinese tourists were injured in the incident in high surf in front of the Dusit Hotspring Beach and Spa Hotel around 6pm. Police were alerted to the incident at 8pm. The two drowned tourists have been…
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Spate of attacks in the deep south ahead of visit to discuss southern security
There’s been a spate of violence in the south last night with houses, shops, checkpoints and security bases coming under attack in all three of the deep south provinces – Songkhla, Pattani and Narathiwat. In all, there were more than 10 incidents – car tyres burning, shootings and houses and shop being set on fire. With no injuries reported security…
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