Month: February 2019
- World News
Thailand loses its ‘cheap living’ reputation – Numbeo
Many of Thailand’s most popular tourist and retiree destinations are becoming the most expensive places in Southeast Asia to settle down, being beaten by Malaysian and Indonesia counterparts. The cost of living survey was conducted by comparison site Numbeo. Comparing the region’s top 18 destinations, Numbeo lists Bangkok as the second most expensive city after Singapore. But Pattaya, Phuket and…
Read More » - Krabi News
Injured three metre king cobra caught in Krabi
PHOTOS: Krabi Pitak Pracha Foundation An injured three metre king cobra has been caught in Krabi today, the fourth king cobra caught in the past month in Krabi. Krabi Pitak Pracha rescue workers were notified that a snake was hiding inside a house in Krabi City. A rescue worker used a snake snare to catch the 3 metre reptile. The…
Read More » - South Thailand News
Injured king cobra caught in Trang
PHOTOS: กา คาบข่าว A three metre king cobra has been caught in Trang yesterday, the sixth king cobra caught in Trang in two months. It’s much smaller than the 5 metre monsters caught in Krabi in recent weeks. Rescue workers in Sikao, Trang were notified of the king cobra that was found near the entrance of Pak Meang Beach in…
Read More » - South Thailand News
A new round of Southern peace talks gives hope but the Junta is stalling during the election campaign
Peace talks to end the long-running conflict in Thailand’s southernmost provinces hit a stumbling block last week when Thailand’s new peace negotiator failed to attend a scheduled meeting. The struggle, commonly referred to in international media as the ‘southern insurgency’, has been between Muslim guerilla fighters and the Thai army, partly over borders, and partly fueled by religious and cultural differences.…
Read More » - Phuket News
Romanian tourist dies in Phuket motorbike incident
A Romanian man has died after a motorbike accident at Ao Yon in Wichit on Saturday. Wichit Police report that they were notified from the Phuket City Police that the body of a foreign tourist, who had died from injuries received in a road accident, was being kept at the Vachira Phuket Hospital. The man was later identified by the…
Read More » - Bangkok News
Bangkok street racers collide with one dead and 18 injured
PHOTO: Raorak Samut Sakhon Foundation A collision during a late night street race in Bangkok has resulted in the death of one racer and another 18 being injured during a pile up. The dead biker has been identified as 20 year old Jeerasak Chanprieng. The incident took place in the early hours of Sunday (1:15 am) when emergency responders were…
Read More » - Thailand News
Illegal foreign cigarettes flooding in as new local tobacco taxes loom
Growers of tobacco in Thailand, and those selling cigarettes and tobacco products, are feeling the pinch as illegal foreign cigarettes flood the local market. Sanook reports that the Thai Tobacco Monopoly says changes to excise regulations means a packet of the cheapest Thai cigarettes would rise from 60 to 90 baht per pack from October this year. A tobacco retailer…
Read More » - Phuket News
Chinese boy dies after slipping from pool ledge on fifth floor of Kamala hotel
A Chinese boy has died after slipping from a pool ledge on the fifth floor at a hotel in Kamala last night. The boy fell five floors and hit the ground. Kamala Police were notified that the body of the boy had arrived at Patong Hospital at 8.50pm last night. Police arrived to confirm the death of a nine year…
Read More » - Phuket News
Two Russian tourists die in Patong Hill crash
Two Russian tourists have died following a crash on Patong Hill last night. The Patong Police were notified of the incident at 10.30pm on Phra Baramee road at the hair-pin curve on the way up the hill from Kathu. Emergency responders arrived and found a damaged passenger pickup truck. The driver was 47 year old Thavorn Glasueak. Nearby they found…
Read More » - Environment News
Air quality for Thailand – February 11
Central Thailand Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution. Northern Thailand Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is not likely to be affected. Southern Thailand Air quality is acceptable; however, for…
Read More » - Thailand News
Weather for February 11
Bangkok Morning thunderstorms. High 32ºC. Winds S at 15 to 25 km/h. Chance of rain 60%. Phuket Generally clear. High 34ºC. Winds E at 25 to 40 km/h. Chiang Mai Generally clear. High 35ºC. Winds SE and variable. Pattaya Hua Hin Morning thunderstorms. High 31ºC. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 km/h. Chance of rain 60%. Ko…
Read More » - Phuket News
UPDATE: An ‘engine malfunction’ blamed for boat collision off Phuket
A number of Chinese tourists and boat crew were injured as a result of their speed boat hitting a small oil tanker off the east coast of Phuket on Saturday afternoon. At this stage the investigation reveals that the speedboat’s engine ‘malfunctioned’. (Is that like ‘brake failure’?) The oil tanker’s captain says that he had stopped the tanker to help…
Read More » - Northern Thailand News
Khon Kaen faces its second week of crippling air pollution
The north-eastern hub of Khon Kaen heads into a new week still struggling with heavy air pollution that has persisted over the past week. The Air Quality Index peaked at 206 yesterday. All the readings in the region were well beyond safe limits. Smoke haze has also enveloped the main city, Chum Phae, Mancha Khiri, Kranuan, Ubol Rattana and Phra…
Read More » - Krabi News
Krabi restaurants fined for dumping wastewater into Ao Nang canal
PHOTO: ‘Thailandia Restaurant’, TripAdvisor.com Krabi health authorities have taken action against two restaurants in Ao Nang, Krabi for releasing wastewater into a canal that drains into the sea. Tourists in the area complained about the foul odours coming from the canal. Authorities say it has adversely affected tourism to the popular tourist spot. Deputy Krabi Governor Somkuan Khan-ngern has responded…
Read More » - Thailand News
Sightings of pink dolphins off coast of Nakhon Si Thammarat
A pink dolphin has made our Sunday better with these photos in the Gulf of Thailand. The breed is quite famous for the Gulf waters off Khanom in Nakhon Si Thammarat, near Koh Samui. According to the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources Conservation, there are around 60 dolphins living in the area. They can swim as fast as 37…
Read More » - Thailand Election News
EC meets tomorrow to discuss Thai Raksa Chart’s controversial PM nomination
The Election Commission is expected to meet tomorrow (Monday) to deliberate the Thai Raksa Chart party’s future following their nomination of Princess Ubolratana as a prime ministerial candidate in the March 24 election. But the EC’s secretary-general, Jarungvith Phumma, has declined to comment on the matter when asked about the party’s surprise Friday PM candidate, saying only that “all issues would…
Read More » - Things To Do
Top 10 most plastic polluted rivers in the world (2019)
Would you believe that 90% of plastics in the ocean comes from just 10 rivers? 9 are located in Asia and one of them borders Thailand. So what are the most plastic polluted rivers in the world? Every year, we, the world, produces 300 million tonnes of plastics, and 8.8 million tonnes of these are dumped into the oceans. That’s…
Read More » - Thai Life
VIDEO: British pianist performs at Thai Elephant Sanctuary
PHOTO: Tree Hugger Paul Barton is a British classical pianist who seems to have made some new friends. At the Elephants World Retirement Sanctuary in Kanchanaburi province in Thailand, Barton has gotten himself a rather ‘big’ fanclub. A frequent visitor to the sanctuary, the musician enjoys taking his piano out in front of a herd of elephants and serenades these…
Read More » - Travel
Thai AirAsia X flies to Brisbane June 2019. Thai Airways cut services to Australia.
PHOTO: Airbus Today Brisbane Airport announced that the low-cost carrier Thai AirAsia X would start operating from the Queensland capital flying to Bangkok four times a week from June 2019. This will be Thai AirAsia X’s first Australian destination and would be using the Airbus A330-300’s which have 12 premium seats available in a 2-2-2 layout, and 365 economy seats…
Read More » - Chiang Mai News
Father and daughter killed traveling to Bangkok to apply for masters degree
A father and his daughter were killed after their car careered off the road in Lampang and hit a tree. Police say 58 year old Rongthep Ratanapipit was driving his daughter 22 year old Latthawan Ratanapipit from Chiang Mai to Bangkok to apply for master degree, when he apparently dozed off behind the wheel. The car crashed into a tree in…
Read More » - Environment News
Haze and air pollution returns to Bangkok this week
Air pollution around the Thai capital is expected to get worse again this week with an increase in the level of PM2.5 dust particles. A high pressure cell over the central region is forecast and will degrade the air around Bangkok between February 13-15, according to the Meteorological Department. Temperatures will also drop slightly in the Central and Northern regions this week. The…
Read More » - World News
Yangon International Airport gears up for new flights, new destinations
PHOTO: MYANMORE Yangon International Airport is poised to welcome more airlines and passenger this year as travel demand grows following Myanmar’s relaxation of entry visa requirements at the end of 2018. The Yangon Aerodrome Company Limited, the company that manages Yangon’s international airport, says it’s increasing airport facilities and stepping up marketing to open new direct routes into the Burmese…
Read More » - Phuket News
UPDATE: Speedboat collides with oil tanker off Phuket
A number of Chinese tourists have been injured, one seriously, after the speed boat they were on hit a small oil tanker off the east coast of Phuket yesterday afternoon (Saturday). The speed boat, Sai Nam, was carrying 10 Chinese passengers, including two children, was heading back to Phuket after a day at Koh Phi Phi. The tour was between…
Read More » - Bangkok News
40 year old Burmese woman dies in Nonthaburi car crash
A Burmese woman has been killed when the car she was a passenger in hit a concrete barrier on a road in Nonthaburi’s Bang Yai district, just north-west of the capital. Bang Yai police said the accident happened at 4.30am yesterday (Saturday) on the Bangkok-bound Kanchanapisek road in front of the Boonthong plants market in Tambon Saothong Hin. The…
Read More » - Thailand Election News
Can the Princess be PM?
Analysis The Princess was nominated. Her brother, HM Thai King, objected. Thai Raksa Chart postponed their campaign launch on Saturday morning. The PM and Election Commission have stayed silent. With the weekend allowing cooler heads to sift through yesterday’s events, next week it is hoped some clarity will emerge about the Princess’ nomination as a prime ministerial candidate that threw…
Read More » - Phuket News
Twelve injured in boat accident off Phuket – PHOTOS
PHOTOS: มานพ สิงห์ 8823 / Newshawk Phuket Twelve passengers were injured in a boat accident near Koh Rang off the east coast of Phuket. There was also one captain and a crew on the boat The Phuket PR reports that the speedboat’s name is ‘Kor Sainam’ and that it collided with another boat carrying the name ‘Chock Kreangkrai’. 12 passengers…
Read More » - Pattaya News
14 carat gold necklace re-united with Russian woman in Pattaya
A 14 carat gold necklace has been re-united with its owner after police presented the jewelry back to her at a Pattaya media conference this morning. The 47 year old Russian woman shed tears of joy when police returned the necklace that was snatched from her late last month. She attended the media briefing at the Pattaya police station today…
Read More » - Thailand Election News
“I wish you all good luck and happiness” – Princess Ubolratana posts on Instagram
PHOTO: The four children of King Bhumibol, Rama 9 Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya Sirivadhana Barnavadi, elder sister to the Thai King, has posted a message on her Instagram account this morning thanking Thais for their love and support. The sister of His Majesty the King posted the message shortly after 6am. His Majesty prohibited her from standing in the upcoming election…
Read More » - Thailand Election News
Thai Raksa Chart Party cancels China Town campaign launch today
The Thai Raksa Chart Party has cancelled plans today to launch their election campaign in Bangkok’s China Town. This follows a dramatic day yesterday when the party dropped a political bombshell by announcing that Princess Ubolratana was the party’s sole candidate for prime minister. Thai Raksa Chart leader Preechaphol Pongpanit stunned the media when he submitted the name of Princess…
Read More » - Environment News
Pattaya housing project shuffles the garbage around but annoys neighbors
A housing project in East Pattaya is generating so much rubbish it is causing a major annoyance to local residents. The construction co-ordinators have tried to move the garbage area of the site several times. But wherever they move the rubbish, it remains a problem for surrounding communities. The Pattaya Mail reports that Boontem Yikeng, director of the Nernplabwan Government…
Read More » - Environment News
Pattaya authorities mobilise to fix air pollution problems
Pattaya City officials are mobilising their departments to fight the region’s smog woes. Air pollution has plagued the Chon Buri province, along with Bangkok over recent months. City Manager Chanatpong Sriviset chaired a special meeting last week to recap efforts taken over the prvious two weeks to combat the PM2.5 micron problem. The so-called PM2.5 is considered hazardous if more…
Read More » - Thai Life
Agency calls for 200 million baht to tackle Thailand’s unwanted pregnancies
An agency has proposed that Thailand’s National Health Security Office (NHSO) budgets 200 million baht to purchase and distribute condoms and contraceptive implants as a possible solution to the country’s unwanted pregnancies. The AIDS and Unwanted Pregnancy Hotline 1663 Centre says the money, which amounts to only 3 baht per head, could come from the NHSO’s health promotion and disease…
Read More » - Thailand News
Two headless bodies found on Rayong beaches near Pattaya
PHOTOS: Sanook Two headless bodies have been found on Mae Rampueang Beach and PMY Beach in Rayong. The area the bodies were found is about 40 kilometres from Pattaya. The first one was a naked male headless body. Cut wounds were found on his neck. On his wrist police found found a distinguishing tattoo written in English alphabet. Police believe…
Read More » - Northern Thailand News
North-east wallows in heavy air pollution, Bangkok improves
Bangkok has had a respite in the past week from almost two months of heavy air pollution. Whilst the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority, government and pollution control department dithered around with spurious explanations, the pollution persisted. Water cannons, fire departments spraying water from atop city towers, amateur drones flying tiny ‘clearing’ missions and asking factories to shut down, kept the media…
Read More » - Bangkok News
More than 500,000 people say goodbye to Thai celebrity cat “Maew Askoe”
Over half a million people have gone online to bid their farewell to one of Thailands more celebrated stray cats. “Maew Asoke” meaning the cat of Asoke (a busy business district along Sukhumvit road in Bangkok) shot to stardom after being repeatedly spotted using the BTS in the area. Whether or not the feline paid for tickets is still in question.…
Read More » - Krabi News
Five metre king cobra caught in Krabi restaurant – VIDEO
A five metre king cobra was caught inside a restaurant in Krabi by plucky rescue workers yesterday. Krabi Pitak Pracha rescue workers arrived at the restaurant to find the restaurant staff and customers outside the restaurant. A staffer says that the king cobra was found at the back of the restaurant inside the kitchen. A rescue worker used a snake…
Read More » - Thailand News
Two Burmese arrested with 20 kilograms of ‘ice’ in SUV
PHOTO: Three Pagodas Border Pass in Kanchanaburi Two Burmese men have been arrested with 20 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine with a street value of around 30 million baht. The drugs were hidden in the modified gas tank of their SUV in Kanchanaburi’s Sangkhlaburi district yesterday morning. The police followed up on a tip-off about a Ford Everest SUV smuggling drugs…
Read More »
