Month: July 2019
- Northern Thailand News
“No water crisis in the Chao Phraya basin” – Irrigation Department
PHOTO: Bhumibol Dam in Tak when full, now holding only 4% of capacity The Royal Irrigation Department is assuring farmers and residents in the central and north-east that there is no risk of Thailand of severe water shortages. This is despite little rain in some areas during the annual wet season and the low levels of the Chao Phraya River…
Read More » - Koh Samui News
Spanish tourist falls to his death at a waterfall trail on Koh Samui
PHOTO: Thai PBS A Spanish tourist fell to his death as he attempted to walk down from a waterfall on Koh Samui. The incident happened on Saturday and police believe the man’s death was an accident. Friends told police that 26 year old David Alejandro Rocamudi Conesa became separated from their group as they were exploring the Na Muang 2…
Read More » - Environment News
Bangkok – that sinking feeling
The mighty Chao Phraya runs through the central plains and down into the flooding delta before heading out into the Gulf of Thailand. Great place for a city. Not surprisingly Bangkok suffers floods whenever the big rains come with most of the low-lying land around the delta only averaging around 1.5 metres above sea level. Whilst the city used to…
Read More » - World News
Bangkok hosts ASEAN Foreign Ministers meetings from today
The 52nd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting starts today. Representatives from more than 30 countries will attend the meetings. The regional talkfest is being held at Centara Grand and Bangkok Convention Centre. Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai will chair the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and co-chair the Post Ministerial Conferences with the Dialogue Partners and other meetings. Other meetings include the…
Read More » - South Thailand News
Thais across the country commemorate HM the King’s birthday
PHOTOS: The Nation To commemorate His Majesty the King’s birthday today, celebrations have been held around the country. In Songkhla the Fifth Artilleryman Battalion performed a 21 gun salute as a military honour to celebrate His Majesty’s 67th birthday. The firing of cannons from four artillery machines was performed at Mahavajiravudh Songkhla School in the Muang district of Songkhla province.…
Read More » - Food
Thailand’s food delivery business up 14% in 2019
“Diners are increasingly ordering food online platforms, and eating out at restaurants less.” We’re eating in more and dining out less. But we can still enjoy our favourite restaurant food. Welcome to the latest ‘disrupter’ making inroads to our eating habits. KResearch (a part of Kasikorn Bank) estimates that the food delivery business in 2019 will amount to 33-35 billion…
Read More » - Expats
Expat group petitions Thai immigration to abolish TM30 form
A group of expats, representing foreigners living in Thailand for many years, has prepared a petition for affected expats to sign, before they present it to Thai Immigration and government officials. They are requesting changes to the enforcement of the controversial TM30 form. There is a link to their website at the bottom of the page where you can sign the…
Read More » - Politics News
Super Poll report card on the first days of the new Thai Parliament
A Super Poll has published results of Thai’s thoughts on the first few days of the new Parliament. • 72% say they gained nothing from the debate in parliament on the government’s policy statement • 78.6% admit they did not believe political parties would fulfil their election pledges. • 27.2% of the respondents said they have benefitted from the debate…
Read More » - Transport News
Thai Airways needs restructuring to survive
Store your tray table and buckle up. It’s going to be a bumpy ride at Thai Airways. The airline’s president Sumeth Damrongchaitham say Thai Airways needs complete restructuring if it is to survive in the highly competitive aviation business. Sumeth said that under the restructuring, Thai Airways will focus more on the international market and link up with other members…
Read More » - Tourism News
Lights, camera, blog. TAT reaches out to online millennials.
PHOTO: Where in the World is Nina? With pressure on tourism authorities to come up with new ways to lure tourists to the Land Of Smiles and rebrand the tired ‘Amazing Thailand’ promotion, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) have come up with the ‘Thailand Village Academy’. Stepping firmly into the world of online bloggers and social media, the TAT…
Read More » - Crime News
Thai man sends online beautiful girlfriend 2.3 million baht – Doh!
Love is a beautiful thing. A Thai man has fallen in love with a beautiful woman on Facebook called Bai Por. The romance has blossomed online for more than two years, according to “Non”. He’s sent 2.3 million baht to her in money transfers, according to Sanook. Every time they’d made arrangements to finally meet up, Bai Por would postpone…
Read More » - World News
Xayaburi Dam owners say they’re not responsible for dry Mekong River
PHOTO: The Laotian Times CK Power, operators of the new Xayaburi Dam in Laos, are denying their dam tests (running from July 15 until tomorrow) are responsible for the low water flows in the Mekong River. The tests were a lead up to full scale production of electricity from October this year, most of which will head to Thailand. Fingers…
Read More » - South Thailand News
Durian drives southern economy with new Chinese 700 million baht factory
A Chinese company has invested 700 million baht to establish a durian processing factory in Songkhla’s Thepha district. The establishment of the Kunming-based company in southern Thailand is an indication of the growing love for durian in China and a growing export potential for the ‘love-it-or-hate-it’ fruit. Manguwang Food Company will employ up to 1,200 workers at its 700 million…
Read More » - Events
Happy Birthday to His Majesty the King
Happy Birthday to His Majesty the King, the first birthday celebrations of Thailand’s monarch since his Coronation in May. The government has organised religious and celebratory events in Bangkok and around the country today to honour His Majesty the King on his 67th birthday. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will lead government dignitaries and state officials in a rite offering alms…
Read More » - Crime News
Pattaya police caught extorting son of senior Issan policeman
PHOTO: Daily News Four Pattaya police have been caught out trying to extort payment from a person in an e-cigarette sting. But the person they were trying to get payment from was the son of a deputy police commander in Isaan, in Thailand’s north east. 24 year old Phanuwat Suban Na Ayuthaya reported the alleged extortion to Pattaya police yesterday. He…
Read More » - Road deaths
Big bike rider decapitated in horror crash in Bangkok
PHOTOS: Sanook A motorbike rider has been decapitated after colliding with the side of the Klong Tan Flyover yesterday. He was riding a BMW S1000 RR big bike at the time. His body was taken to the Chulalongkorn Hospital for an autopsy to determine the presence of alcohol or drugs in his blood. Sanook reports that motorbikes are not allowed on…
Read More » - World News
Over 600 foreigners arrested in southern Thailand for overstays and illegal entry
PHOTO: Manager 686 people have been arrested in southern Thailand, mostly foreigners, on a variety of offences of working illegally or being involved in human trafficking. Thailand’s Region 6 immigration reported that the people were arrested between July 1-25. Immigration reported… • 436 people have been arrested as illegal migrant workers and had illegally entered Thailand • 49 had no…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket leads the way in managed hotel residences
by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com – Feature article “Hotel Residences – properties that sell individual units in the real estate market and operate as either hotels or else are branded by hospitality operators. Other often used terms are condotel, hotel branded residences and hospitality-led real estate.” Phuket’s love affair with hotel managed properties started in the late 1980’s with the…
Read More » - Opinion
Thai visitors leaking to Vietnam – a personal view
by Guest Writer (who asked to be anonymous) In response to an article ‘Pattaya tourist slump – visitors leaking to Vietnam‘, a responder on The Thaiger Facebook page has provided a balanced response we thought we would share with you. Is nostalgia making us think that Pattaya and Thailand were really that great in the past or are the golden…
Read More » - Transport News
Australian pair’s ‘misunderstanding’ puts Phuket Airport taxis and van services in spotlight
When Australians Kate Chipperfield and Lauren Meinties filed their complaint about a 3,000 baht van fare from Phuket Airport to Kata, they had no idea of the chain of events that would follow. Even the Thai PM got involved ordering Phuket officials to clamp down on rorts, and taxi and van drivers to stop ripping off tourists. As the central…
Read More » - Environment News
WWF Thailand pushes for sustainable tourism and preservation
An animal lover, nature lover and a Thai national, CEO of World Wide Fund-Thailand, Natalie Phaholyothin is particularly proud of Thailand’s national environment and wildlife heritage. “We have 127 national parks, which is quite a high number, and that in itself should be an indication of the potential for Thailand to become more of a sustainable tourism destination. “All Thais…
Read More » - Business News
Thailand’s headline inflation surged over 1% in March
“The SCB Economics Intelligent Centre has revised down its forecast for average headline inflation in 2019 to 0.9% year on year, a slight decline from the previous forecast of 1.0%year on year.” Thailand’s headline inflation surged to 1.24%, year on year, during March. This is up from 0.73%, year on year, in the previous month. Food and energy prices are the…
Read More » - Technology News
Facebook removes accounts and pages because of “inauthentic behaviour”
“Facebook says the reason for the removal of the posts and accounts was because of their “behaviour” not the content they posted.” Facebook has erased over 1,800 accounts and pages from Thailand, Russia, Ukraine and Honduras in a move to counter abuses of its service and “deceptive political propaganda”. Facebook has shared examples of Thailand-based Facebook accounts, posts and pages it…
Read More » - Politics News
Fights on offer as Pheu Thai MP and senator bicker in Parliament
PHOTO: @tanawatofficial It only took two days before the fingers started pointing and the first offer of a fist fight was made. Senator Kittisak Rattanawaraha, who challenged Pheu Thai MP Yutthapong Charassathien in parliament to a fist-fight yesterday, admitted he lost his patience because of Yutthapong’s continual bad-mouthing of other MPs. The Senators have all been hand-picked by the NCPO…
Read More » - World News
HK Consulate warns Thais and visitors about weekend protests
PHOTO: China Daily Kong Kong The Royal Thai Consulate-General in Hong Kong is warning both Thai residents and visitors not to enter the areas or in the vicinity of protests planned for July 27-28 in Hong Kong. The announcement was made on their Facebook page yesterday. According to the announcement, the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Hong Kong had been informed…
Read More » - World News
Philippines tourism surges, despite last year’s Boracay closedown
The Philippines Department of Tourism is reporting that 2018 closed with a 7.68% increase in tourist arrivals. Last year’s six month closure of tropical paradise Boracay, from May to October, seems to have little affect on the overall growth of the country’s tourism. The island closed down last year for a ‘makeover’, mainly to tackle pollution after the country’s president…
Read More » - World News
Satun fisherman arrested trying to ship 216 kilos of marijuana south to Malaysia
PHOTOS: The Nation A fisherman has been arrested trying to smuggle 216 kilograms of marijuana into Malaysia. The fishing boat had been modified for the purpose of hiding and smuggling the drugs. Officials received a tip-off earlier this week that a large batch of marijuana was being stored in Satun’s Tambon Tammalang district. Officials had learnt that a large shipment…
Read More » - Politics News
Former police chief, turned MP, rails against the PM
PHOTO: Thai PBS Seri Ruam Thai party leader Pol Gen Seripisut Temiyavet, former Police Chief appointed by the NCPO, is taking the fight right up to the PM and the coalition, hinted to the media before parliament resumed todaythat he still has enough ammunition to fire at the government and, particularly, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. During his time as the Junta’s…
Read More » - Health
6 benefits of morning walks
…that will stop you hitting that snooze button! Although Thailand has some charming locations for a morning stroll, even around parts of Bangkok, we know how difficult it can be to wake up early, especially to wake up early and exercise? However, if you’ve had the chance to go walking around Nai Harn Lake in Phuket, Lumpini Park in Bangkok…
Read More » - Transport News
Power bank explodes in backpack at Chiang Mai Airport – VIDEO
Thankfully the passenger wasn’t on a plane at the time. The woman had just arrived at the Chiang Mai International Airport. The first explosion was in her backpack which she quickly shrugged off and it fell to the ground. (Watch the video, bottom left at the beginning) Then, as security came to get a quick video of the incident on…
Read More » - Politics News
Thailand’s Future Forward denies bizarre ‘Illuminati’ accusations
A lawyer and former advisor to Thailand’s chief ombudsman, Natthaporn Toprayoon has gone ‘full woo woo’ in cobbling together arguments to disband the Future Forward Party. In a petition submitted to the Constitutional Court, the lawyer has invoked fears of the ‘Illuminati’ secret society. He has accused Future Forward as being a threat to the country’s constitutional monarchy. He says…
Read More » - Business News
400 baht minimum daily wage worries Thai business chamber
The Thai Chamber of Commerce is raising concerns over the government’s proposal to raise the minimum daily wage to 400 baht. They say it will severely hit the country’s small to medium businesses. Chamber chairman Kalin Sarasin says they have been discussing the proposal with Chamber members and business operators discussions with many business operators. They found that most of…
Read More » - Phuket News
Patong police visit motorbike garages to warn them about illegal modifications
PHOTOS: Patong Provincial Police Patong police paid a visit to several motorcycle garages yesterday (July 25) in order to clarify that motorcycle racing is illegal and modifying motorcycles in certain ways can be illegal as well – modified exhausts, removing side mirrors, extra large tyres, air horns, etc. The police ‘drop in’ only asked for cooperation and requested owners and…
Read More » - Transport News
BTS 15 baht flat rate fare is nothing new
The ’15 baht flat fare’ proposal for the BTS is nothing new. But the proposal has surfaced again as the new Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob offered the flat fee to be set for the BTS Skytrain service across Bangkok. The BTSC operates the BTS services – the Sukhumvit line from Mor Chit to Kheha and the Silom line which serves Silom and…
Read More » - World News
UPS says Thailand and Indonesia cargo traffic are winners in trade war
Supply chains are quickly adapting to the US-China trade war and Thailand, Indonesia and Japan are the biggest growth markets in Asia for UPS, according to the American international package delivery and global logistics service. UPS’s COO Jim Barber says there is no question that cargo volume from China to the US has significantly decreased but, with some manufacturers moving…
Read More » - Politics News
Accusations, working off-script and walk-outs. Day one in the new Thai parliament
PHOTO: The Nation One day down, another today. Thailand’s PM had his first day in a parliamentary setting and, despite taunts and barbs being thrown at him in true Parliamentary style, he stood firm. Sometimes working off-script and at other times visibly annoyed, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha barrelled through the formalities with a few “settle downs” coming from his right-hand man,…
Read More » - Events
Phuket fights for sustainable tourism at PHIST 2019
Phuket readies to host PHIST 2019 in the fight against environmental degradation in Southeast Asia’s idyllic island destinations. PHIST (Phuket Hotels for Islands Sustaining Tourism) 2019 is a free-to-attend one-day conference that takes place on Thursday, September 23, 2019 at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa. The important event will gather approximately 1,000 delegates, including more than 70 of…
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