Month: March 2019

  • TravelThai Smile opens new Bangkok-Kolkata route

    Thai Smile opens new Bangkok-Kolkata route

    Jumping on the tourism bandwagon between India and Thailand, Thai Smile Airways has announced a new route from Bangkok to Kolkata, starting from March 31. The airline will operate five flights a week (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday) from Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok to Kolkata, East India. The airline says the new route is “in line with its business…

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  • South Thailand NewsMonk run over during alms rounds outside Chumphon temple

    Monk run over during alms rounds outside Chumphon temple

    by Thanongsak Supakan A monk has been hit and killed by a speeding pickup truck in Chumphon this morning. He was making his alms rounds at the time. Police and rescue workers were called to the scene on Pathiu-Chumphon Road in front of Wat Laem Yang (Luang Por Khien) in Pathiu district around 4.30am. The 42 year old pickup driver Apiwan…

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  • South Thailand NewsCabinet supports bid for southern ‘Nora’ dance to be included in UNESCO heritage list

    Cabinet supports bid for southern ‘Nora’ dance to be included in UNESCO heritage list

    “The Thai government will nominate Nora at UNESCO’s upcoming meeting. “Nora, a southern traditional dance, has been given the nod to seek a place on UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage representatives list.The Culture Ministry has been striving to preserve the unique Thai dance after ‘Khon’, the masked dance drama, was registered on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list at a…

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  • Pattaya NewsPolice ignore motorbikes and trucks illegally using Pattaya underpass

    Police ignore motorbikes and trucks illegally using Pattaya underpass

    By Jetsada Homklin When Pattaya’s Central Road bypass tunnel eventually opened, police were vigorous in their enforcement barring motorcycles and large trucks from using the new underpass. But that didn’t last long. Pattaya Mail is reporting that tourists and residents both have complained that large numbers of motorcyclists are speeding through the tunnel with little fear of being stung with…

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  • Bangkok NewsHistorical Rattanakosin Island “not an appropriate place for prostitution”

    Historical Rattanakosin Island “not an appropriate place for prostitution”

    PHOTO: Daily News Thai officials say they are determined to stamp out ‘street walkers’ in the heart of Bangkok’s historical Rattanakosin Island district. Officials say that it is inappropriate to have prostitution in such an area and it is damaging for the image of Thailand. Bangkok Metropolitan Authority officials and other ‘experts’ in the field inspected the area known as…

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  • Pattaya NewsFinnish man found dead on chopper in Pattaya

    Finnish man found dead on chopper in Pattaya

    PHOTOS: Pattaya Law Enforcement A Finnish man has been found dead on a ‘chopper’ and sidecar in Pattaya yesterday. “A chopper is a type of custom motorcycle which emerged in California in the late 1950s. The chopper is perhaps the most extreme of all custom styles, often using radically modified steering angles and lengthened forks for a stretched-out appearance.” Pattaya…

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  • Hot NewsTwo Nigerians arrested, one still at large, over investment scam

    Two Nigerians arrested, one still at large, over investment scam

    PHOTO: INN News Immigration chief Lt-Gen Surachate Hakparn has announced the arrest of two Nigerian scammers who posed as officials at a financial institution to defraud investors. They were also found to have overstayed their visas. Arrested were 55 year old Emmanual Olichagew and 41 year old Friday Ochiaga at a rented room in Bangkapi, Bangkok. Surachate says that a…

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  • Phuket NewsTruck crash in Rawai pulls down power lines causing six hour blackout

    Truck crash in Rawai pulls down power lines causing six hour blackout

    PHOTOS: PEA A truck accident in Rawai has caused a blackout in Rawai for over six hours. (Some residents from Rawai contacted The Thaiger explaining that the power was off for 12 hours, not six as claimed by the PEA.) The Phuket Provincial Electric Authority reports that at 9.30pm last night a truck accident pulled down two power poles. The…

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  • OpinionThailand’s future is dissolving right before our eyes

    Thailand’s future is dissolving right before our eyes

    by Edward KitlertsirivatanaWhen an animal is cornered, with no other options, its survival instinct kicks in. It will fight tooth and nail for its life. With the dissolution of Thai Raksa Chart party, attempts to dissolve other rival parties are in the air. You can smell it. If they were to be dissolved, desperate measures may materialise. And it doesn’t…

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  • Hot NewsOnly the US and Canada left flying the Boeing 737 Max aircraft*

    Only the US and Canada left flying the Boeing 737 Max aircraft*

    The US and Canada remain the only two country’s left flying the Boeing 737 Max 8 model aircraft in any substantial numbers (*there are a few smaller airlines and nations but very few remaining). Otherwise most of the world’s aviation authorities have either grounded the planes or closed access to their airspace for the operation of the popular new Boeing…

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  • Bangkok NewsBangkok Police announce two major drug busts

    Bangkok Police announce two major drug busts

    by Khanathit Srihirundaj The police keep seizing the drugs but the manufacturers keep pushing even more out the back doors of their factories hidden in the jungles of the Golden Triangle and north eastern Myanmar. But police in Bangkok today reported that a large haul of narcotics has been seized, including more than 200 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, or “ice”,…

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  • Thailand NewsWho is grounding Boeing’s 737 Max 8 planes?

    Who is grounding Boeing’s 737 Max 8 planes?

    In the wake of Sunday’s crash of an Ethiopian Airlines’ Boeing 737 Max series aircraft, the second crash in a ‘similar’ situation to one six months earlier off Jakarta, several of the world’s airlines have now grounded the planes as a precautionary measure. At this stage both Thailand and India have not grounded the aircraft. China’s fleet of some 97…

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  • Pattaya NewsJordanian father confesses to throwing his son into sea, Pattaya

    Jordanian father confesses to throwing his son into sea, Pattaya

    PHOTOS: The Nation / Rai Siam News A Jordanian tourist has told police he tied his son to a pram and threw him into the sea off the Bali Hai pier in Pattaya. The case has horrified Thai readers and drawn violent and emotional responses from social media. The body of the 18 month old boy was found floating in…

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  • Northern Thailand NewsChiang Mai has world’s worst air quality as fires rage in the north

    Chiang Mai has world’s worst air quality as fires rage in the north

    This morning Chiang Mai had the world’s worst air quality.In the WHOLE world! Thailand’s northern city was ranked the #1 most air-polluted city on earth with a 209 air quality index score on airvisual.com. The air worsened to an AQI of 233 around noon. Meanwhile the Pollution Control Department reports the average 24 hour level of PM2.5 dust particulates had…

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  • Bangkok NewsHe’s an Aussie now. Hakeem al-Araibi becomes Australian citizen.

    He’s an Aussie now. Hakeem al-Araibi becomes Australian citizen.

    PHOTO: Hakeem al-Araibi says “I’m an Aussie now” and is happy to be safe Hakeem al-Araibi, the former Bahraini football player and refugee caught up in a diplomatic tug-of-war in Thailand between Australian and Bahraini officials for two and a half months, has become an Australian citizen. He became an Australian citizen along with 200 other people at a ceremony…

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  • Krabi NewsFive foreigners spend their holidays cleaning up rubbish along Krabi Beach

    Five foreigners spend their holidays cleaning up rubbish along Krabi Beach

    Five foreign tourists have spent their holidays today collecting rubbish along Laem Pong Beach in Krabi. They say they say they are very sad to see rubbish strewn all over the beaches and felt compelled to clean it up. 38 year old Latvian man Uldis Baumais, one of the tourists, says, “We have stayed at a hotel near the beach…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket police gear up for pre-election safety

    Phuket police gear up for pre-election safety

    More than 200 Phuket police yesterday lined up in a showcase parade to ‘assure’ locals, tourists and expats that they’re set up and ready for safety before the March 24 election. 245 police and Phuket’s Vice Governor Thanyawat Chanpinit lined up in front the Phuket City Police Station last night at 6 pm. The Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen…

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  • Thailand NewsNew trend ‘Challenge for Change’ rubbish cleanup

    New trend ‘Challenge for Change’ rubbish cleanup

    PHOTO: We Don’t Deserve This Planet A Facebook page named ‘We Don’t Deserve This Planet’ is running a campaign ‘Challenge for Change’ for rubbish cleanups. The site is an international page. The Facebook page says “Let it be trending!” with the hash tag #ChallengeForChange. “Here is a new #Challenge for all. Take a photo of an area that needs some cleaning or…

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  • Hot NewsUPDATE: Regulators ground the Boeing 737 Max 8, but not in Thailand

    UPDATE: Regulators ground the Boeing 737 Max 8, but not in Thailand

    PHOTO: Thai Lion Air won’t be grounding their Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft The digital flight data recorder for Flight ET302 from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to Nairobi, Kenya was located yesterday morning Citizens of 35 countries are among the 157 people killed, including 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, nine Ethiopians and eight passengers each from China, Italy and the US Multiple…

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  • Northern Thailand NewsNorthern provinces choking on toxic haze and air pollution again

    Northern provinces choking on toxic haze and air pollution again

    by Kriangkrai Rattana, Panwich Yoodee, Nathawat Laping Northern provinces are again choking from dangerous levels of PM2.5 dust particles, air pollution and smog. The harmful haze is being worsened by smoke from forest fires on the other side of the Myanmar border, with a satellite images showing 1,035 hot spots in the neighbouring country, and another 516 in Thailand (123…

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  • Covid-19 NewsCovid-19 Coronavirus UPDATE: Global pandemic, Italy cases soar, new Chinese cases plummet

    Covid-19 Coronavirus UPDATE: Global pandemic, Italy cases soar, new Chinese cases plummet

    As the World Health Organisation declares the Covid-19 coronavirus a global pandemic, there are now 126,380 cases, resulting in 4,634 deaths, with 68,310 people fully recovered. The focus of new outbreaks has moved away from China and to the European continent and the US. The current death rate is 3.7%. Here are snippets of the latest news from around the…

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  • Phuket NewsMotorbike driver killed after SUV runs red light in Koh Kaew, Phuket

    Motorbike driver killed after SUV runs red light in Koh Kaew, Phuket

    A motorbike driver has died after he collided with an SUV that ran a red light in Koh Kaew last night. The Phuket City Police report that they were notified of the incident at 8pm at a Koh Kaew intersection. Police and emergency responders arrived to find a motorbike stuck in front of an SUV. The motorbike driver was taken to…

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  • Pattaya NewsBody of baby boy tied to stroller found off Pattaya beach

    Body of baby boy tied to stroller found off Pattaya beach

    WARNING: Some readers may find the following story disturbing PHOTOS: Pattaya Law Enforcement / Rak Siam A body of foreign baby boy in a stroller was found floating near a beach in Pattaya yesterday. Pattaya City Law Enforcement say they were notified by locals that a body of baby was found floating near a pier at Laem Bali Hai in…

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  • Thailand News4 ways Thais use Twitter. Which one are you?

    4 ways Thais use Twitter. Which one are you?

    With hundreds of millions of users globally, Twitter is many things to many people. Amongst Thailand’s growing Twitter community, it’s interesting to see how users are evolving the way they use Twitter. Trending topics change rapidly as Thai users jump from one hot topic to another, while favourite celebrities and musicians remain relatively consistent. Below are just four ways Thais…

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  • Thailand Election News“Nothing to do with the election” – Deputy PM Prawit

    “Nothing to do with the election” – Deputy PM Prawit

    Senior government security officials are claiming the series of bomb blasts last weekend in the southern provinces of Phatthalung and Satun are related to insurgency activities in the predominantly Muslim region. They say there is no connection with the upcoming election and that the timing is just co-incidence. The South has been racked by violence from an ongoing insurgency since…

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  • Bangkok NewsPolice wrestler avoids jail but gets a hefty fine

    Police wrestler avoids jail but gets a hefty fine

    PHOTO: Daily News Bangkok’s Dusit Court has fined a Honda City sedan driver 8,500 baht for four offences related to an incident caught on video last week. The video showed Pol Lance Corporal Thanakit Wiboonphan trying to clamp a car parked illegally in a no standing zone. Not happy about the situation, the driver argued and wrestled with the traffic policeman.…

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  • Thailand NewsFlying motorbike ends up stuck in power lines in Surin

    Flying motorbike ends up stuck in power lines in Surin

    PHOTO: เฮฮาหน้าโรงพัก A motorbike has ended up entangled in power lines, four meters up in the air, following an incident in Surin province yesterday. Daily News is reporting that emergency responders were notified of the accident in Karbcherng last night (Sunday). They arrived to find a motorbike entangled in the electric wires four metres from the ground. Nearby they found…

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  • Pattaya NewsAustralian ‘bottles’ customer in an unprovoked attack in Pattaya

    Australian ‘bottles’ customer in an unprovoked attack in Pattaya

    SCREENSHOT: Facebook/David Collier A customer in a bar has been attacked in Pattaya. CCTV footage shows the moment an Australia thug launched a shocking and apparently unprovoked attack on the man. As the customer was walking out of the bar the assailant gets up and whacks the man over the head with a bottle. The attacker has been identified as…

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  • Northern Thailand NewsFrom Moto GP to Weed Fest, Buriram leads the way

    From Moto GP to Weed Fest, Buriram leads the way

    PHOTO: A Pan Ram supporter can’t wait for the ‘cannabis festival’ next month in Buriram province – Khaosod English They pulled off the MotoGP event with flair and great organisation. Now Buriram is bracing for a very different crowd heading for the next big event. Taking advantage of the new liberalisation of laws governing marijuana and cannabis, the north-east festival…

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  • Phuket NewsSecurity stepped up in Phuket in the wake of Satun and Patthalung bombs

    Security stepped up in Phuket in the wake of Satun and Patthalung bombs

    Phuket security officials have increased safety and tourist security after suspects set off pipe bombs in Statun and Patthalung during the weekend. Although the southern provincial trio of Songkhla, Pattani and Narathiwat have been the site of a 20 year insurgency between southern Thais and Muslim insurgents, provinces north of the region have been largely spared any insurgency-related violence. That…

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  • Krabi NewsGerman tourist bitten by snake in Krabi temple

    German tourist bitten by snake in Krabi temple

    A female tourist has been rushed to hospital after she was bitten by snake at the Tiger Cave Temple in Krabi. The 23 year old German tourist was taken to Krabi Hospital after she was been bitten by a snake on her right foot. The German tourist was still conscious whilst being treated at the scene and during her trip…

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  • Bangkok NewsWealthy Thai woman arrested over dodgy weight-loss pills in raids across the country

    Wealthy Thai woman arrested over dodgy weight-loss pills in raids across the country

    PHOTO: Daily News An extensive police operation has led to the arrest of wealthy operator of a business selling alleged weight-loss products. The woman has also been charged with possession of controlled substances. Of the 13 targeted locations in Bangkok, one was the luxurious home of Wirairat Udthong on Soi Pattanakan 42 in the Suan Luang district. Wirairat was charged…

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  • Phuket NewsDemolition order for illegal balcony at luxury villas in Ao Sane

    Demolition order for illegal balcony at luxury villas in Ao Sane

    PHOTO: Chatchanon Na Thalang A demolition order has been issued for an illegally constructed balcony, which also leads to a pool and spa, at the controversial villas being constructed overlooking Ao Sane beach near Nat Harn. Rawai Municipality put a halt to construction activities on the villas last week after Rawai officials noted that the balcony was not part of…

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  • Thai LifePhuket 1988: Thai expat digs out his old Super 8 movies

    Phuket 1988: Thai expat digs out his old Super 8 movies

    David Barrett gets out his Super 8 projector for another film night – this time we see Patong in 1988, already quite developed even though mass tourism was still more than a decade away. The few high-rise are certainly not cluttering up the skyline at this time. David is sharing his early Super 8 movies with us as we wallow…

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  • Hot NewsSome airlines ground the Boeing 737 MAX 800 aircraft “as a precaution”

    Some airlines ground the Boeing 737 MAX 800 aircraft “as a precaution”

    Airlines around the world that fly the new Boeing 737 MAX 800 model are starting to ground their fleets of the new next-gen aircraft. China’s aviation regulator have already ordered local airlines to stop flight with the 800 MAX model after an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft of the same model crashed yesterday morning. The aircraft is relatively new to the skies,…

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  • South Thailand NewsBank evasive after 91 year old claims 5 million baht removed from his account

    Bank evasive after 91 year old claims 5 million baht removed from his account

    A 91 year old land owner and farmer in Chumpon claims that he’s had 5 million baht ‘taken’ from one of his bank accounts. Daily News reports that Thon Brahmjan from Tha Kham district had been to the bank, the police and government consumer watchdog Damrongtham Centre at the end of last year after the 5 million baht went missing…

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  • Thailand NewsDespite the dangers, Thai police chief says ‘OK’ to pickup passengers over Songkran

    Despite the dangers, Thai police chief says ‘OK’ to pickup passengers over Songkran

    SCREENSHOT: GamerGirl566 (video below) Police are not going to impose restrictions for people riding in the back of pickup trucks over the Songkran holidays this April. The national deputy police chief Srivara Ransibrahmanakul has said it’s OK for passengers to ride in the tray space at the back of pick-ups “as long as they are deemed safe”. Last year suggestions…

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