Month: September 2019

  • Thailand NewsSignificant developments in cannabis farming in Thailand

    Significant developments in cannabis farming in Thailand

    PHOTO: www.growbarato.net In what’s thought to be the first-ever industrial scale manufacturing facility for medical cannabis within the Asean Region, Maejo University in Chiang Mai has planted 12,000 cannabis sprouts – the largest lot in the country. It’s hoped the result will eventually be 1 million bottles, each containing 5ml of cannabis oil, by February. Senior officials from the Ministry…

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  • World NewsLeclerc takes Singapore GP pole, Hamilton shares front row

    Leclerc takes Singapore GP pole, Hamilton shares front row

    PHOTO: Charles Leclerc on top after grabbing in pole position – Reuters “Lewis Hamilton admits he is surprised to be next to a Ferrari on the grid after qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix alongside pole-winner Charles Leclerc.” Championship leader Hamilton was able to do little to prevent Ferrari’s Leclerc from claiming consecutive victories in Spa and Monza in the last…

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  • Thailand NewsOverturned truck was carrying 450 kilos of crystal meth

    Overturned truck was carrying 450 kilos of crystal meth

    PHOTO: Thai PBS World Police have seized about 450 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine (ice), with a street valued around 225 million baht – a major shipment of the illicit drug. The seizure followed a ten-wheel truck ending up on its side after crashing into a traffic island in Phetchaburi province on Friday night. The truck driver, 45 year old Adinan Laeha, and…

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  • HealthThailand ranked sixth best in the world for healthcare

    Thailand ranked sixth best in the world for healthcare

    Sixth best healthcare system in the world! Well done Thailand. The Kingdom is gaining worldwide recognition for quality healthcare services after placing sixth in a ranking of countries with the best healthcare systems. The ranking was conducted by the US magazine CEOWORLD who do annual rankings of a number of world businesses and services. The rankings came out last month.…

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  • World NewsTravel giant Thomas Cook teetering on financial collapse

    Travel giant Thomas Cook teetering on financial collapse

    Unable to adapt to the move online as smaller, nimbler travel companies thrive, Thomas Cook, the household name in international travel, is close to financial collapse. And the collapse could leave up to 150,000 British tourists stranded overseas. The iconic British travel giant Thomas Cook say they’ve failed to find any further private investment to stave off collapse and now…

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  • World NewsVietnam Airlines opening direct Phuket to Ho Chi Minh City flights

    Vietnam Airlines opening direct Phuket to Ho Chi Minh City flights

    by Bill Barnett c9hotelworks.com Vietnam Airlines will commence direct flights between Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Phuket on October 27. Flights will operate three days a week, on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. The airline is also launching direct Ho Chi Minh City to Denpasar (Bali) service. Vietjet Air, the popular new low-coast airline out of Vietnam, is currently servicing the increasingly…

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  • EventsThe youth are revolting. ‘Millions’ protest in kid-power global climate strike

    The youth are revolting. ‘Millions’ protest in kid-power global climate strike

    PHOTO: Greta Thunberg leads kids and adults from 150 countries in massive climate strike today – Sarah Silbiger by Peter Hutchison “We are the future and we deserve better,” 12 year old Lilly Satidtanasarn, known as “Thailand’s Greta” for her campaign against plastic bags in malls. Masses of children skipped school to join a global strike against climate change that teen…

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  • World NewsPhilippines calls for halt in aid talks with backers of UN probe into Duterte’s drug war

    Philippines calls for halt in aid talks with backers of UN probe into Duterte’s drug war

    “The 18 members that backed the resolution are Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Britain, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Fiji, Iceland, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Slovakia, Spain, Ukraine, and Uruguay.” Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration has ordered the suspension of all loan and grant talks with foreign governments that backed a UN resolution to review human rights abuses during his signature anti-drug…

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  • Chiang Mai NewsPolice arrest Chiang Mai couple over home-made CBD oil

    Police arrest Chiang Mai couple over home-made CBD oil

    PHOTO: Urine Drug Test Chiang Mai Police have arrested a husband and wife selling homemade CBD oil (Cannabidiol) online after receiving complaints that a cancer patient died after allegedly using the oil. Police entered the house with a search warrant and found 3.4 million baht cash along with quantities of the CBD oil they were selling online. Officials received information that…

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  • World NewsSampling Saigon street food with XO Tours

    Sampling Saigon street food with XO Tours

    PHOTOS: XO Tours Find yourself in Saigon and looking to learn more about the local street food scene? Well, if your sense of adventure is in intact and you prefer to receive your knowledge first hand, then XO Tours can provide you with a fascinating and insightful trip through the streets of Saigon. Sitting on the back of a moped…

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  • Business NewsPhuket social enterprise shop takes the first steps

    Phuket social enterprise shop takes the first steps

    PHOTOS: stepswiththeera.com A Bangkok-based social enterprise has made its debut in Phuket as it opened a new zero-waste shop, cafe and vocational training centre in Cherng Talay. The shop is run by Steps With Theera and provides a range of plastic substitutes including bamboo straw sets, bamboo toothbrushes and SuperBee wax wraps, alongside a refill station with beauty products from…

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  • Economy NewsFinance Ministry launches 100 billion stimulus package to kickstart sagging economy

    Finance Ministry launches 100 billion stimulus package to kickstart sagging economy

    PHOTO: thailandshoppingdining.com The Government is kicking off a new stimulus package valued at 100 billion baht to “stimulate the grassroots economy”. Prasong Poontaneat, permanent secretary of the Finance Ministry reported that the government is preparing a brand-new stimulus package. “The Finance Ministry and related agencies will spend more than 100 billion baht on approximately 30 million low-income households nationwide.” The…

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  • Politics NewsThai MP rich list

    Thai MP rich list

    PHOTO: The Nation The National Anti-Corruption Commission has published a who’s who list of Thailand’s richest politicians. The NACC has reported the personal finances of 80 MPs. The personal finances report is an addition to the NACC’s previous report of 415 MPs who had earlier submitted their asset lists in July. Notable MPs whose assets and debts have been revealed…

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  • Road deaths6 year old Burmese boy dies from bike-pickup truck crash

    6 year old Burmese boy dies from bike-pickup truck crash

    SOURCE: khaosod.co.th A 6 year old Burmese boy has died following a motorcycle accident when his parents crashed the vehicle onto a pick-up truck earlier this week. He died in the intensive care ward at Vachira Hospital yesterday morning (Thursday) The accident occurred on September 15 near Soi Pramote, Chaofa West Road, Chalong. The boy’s father, 39 year old Thein…

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  • World NewsDelta airlines jet plunges 30,000 feet in controlled descent

    Delta airlines jet plunges 30,000 feet in controlled descent

    PHOTO: Twitter:Harris Dewoskin “Other passengers relayed that they were hastily tapping out texts on their phones thinking that they might crash.” Passengers on a Delta flight, from Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale, were terrified when their plane plunged mid-air, dropping nearly 30,000 feet in around 9 minutes. Delta report that the flight experienced a “cabin pressurisation irregularity” during the journey. The flight…

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  • Crime NewsMore arrest warrants issued over Bangkok’s August bomb attacks

    More arrest warrants issued over Bangkok’s August bomb attacks

    PHOTO: Voice of America The Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for five more suspects yesterday over their alleged involvement in the simultaneous bomb and arson attacks in Bangkok back on August 2. Police presented evidence against them to the court yesterday to obtain warrants for their arrest. They are accused of being members of an unlawful syndicate and collaborating to carry…

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  • ExpatsCould you be a digital nomad in Thailand?

    Could you be a digital nomad in Thailand?

    Are you a digital nomad? Working online wherever you can find a seat and wi-fi? According to digital nomad websites, some of the most popular locations to work online around the world include Chiang Mai & Bangkok (Thailand), Budapest (Hungary), Belgrade (Serbia), Bali (Indonesia), Lisbon (Portugal) and Buenos Aires (Argentina). What do all these cities have in common? The main…

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  • World NewsPrayut heading to New York for six day trip, including attending UN

    Prayut heading to New York for six day trip, including attending UN

    Thai PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha and his entourage is leaving for New York to attend the 74th United Nations General Assembly tomorrow. But the PM isn’t travelling alone. The six day trip to the US will also be made by Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai and Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa (and half a plane of ‘others’). According to…

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  • Economy NewsThailand’s August exports fall further than expected

    Thailand’s August exports fall further than expected

    Some more lumpy economic news for Thialand as the focus is on the monthly customs clearances to provide a compass for the country’s economy. Customs-cleared exports dropped in August 4% compared to the same month a year earlier. Exports unexpectedly rose in July, according to the commerce ministry today. The decline in August has shown itself to be greater than…

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  • Technology NewsFood delivery and online shopping apps are Thailand’s most used innovations

    Food delivery and online shopping apps are Thailand’s most used innovations

    PHOTO: iStock A poll conducted by The Energy Policy and Planning Office (EPPO) at the Ministry of Energy has revealed Thailand’s most used technological innovations. The poll, carried out last July, studied innovation usage among Thai people from all age groups and professions, and was aimed at promoting the usage of energy-efficient innovations. It was divided into four categories: Frequently…

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  • Thailand NewsNew traffic laws come into force for Thailand today

    New traffic laws come into force for Thailand today

    PHOTO: ThaiVisa From today, an amendment to the Land Transport Act means traffic police can no longer confiscate driving licences. Police can still record the details of a driver’s licence but must then return it. The new system will also remove the risk of licences being lost while in the care of the police, as has happened in the past.…

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  • Environment NewsOur oceans are key to fighting climate change

    Our oceans are key to fighting climate change

    by Amélie Bottollier-Depois and Marlowe Hood “There are at least three types of actions humans can take to help repair the damage and ensure that oceans don’t turn from friend to foe.” Humanity must heal oceans made sick by climate change and pollution to protect marine life and to save itself, experts warned days before the release of a major…

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  • World NewsUS vaping-related illnesses surpasses 500

    US vaping-related illnesses surpasses 500

    The links between vaping and critical lung disease appear to becoming more frequent and obvious although health authorities are struggling to find the ‘smoking gun’ that is the actual cause of the current list of cases. More than 500 people have been diagnosed with vaping-related breathing illnesses. An eighth death has also been reported. The US Food and Drug Administration says…

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  • Crime NewsInterpol issues alert for Norwegian wanted for Phuket murder

    Interpol issues alert for Norwegian wanted for Phuket murder

    PHOTO: www.thaiexaminer.com Interpol has issued a red alert for Roger Bullman, the Norwegian wanted for allegedly killing British national Amitpal Singh Bajaj, at a resort in Karon last August. Pol Captain Taecsin Deethong-on of Karon Police Station says the alert was issued following a request from Thai police. Bajaj was on holiday with his wife and child and got into…

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  • Crime NewsMan dressed as postman robs shop while claiming to be carrying a bomb

    Man dressed as postman robs shop while claiming to be carrying a bomb

    PHOTO: Bangkok Post A man has walked into a gold shop in Samut Prakan, south of Bangkok, dressed as a postman and claiming to be carrying a bomb. He then proceeded to rob the store. Thai Residents reports that the man entered the shop, located inside a Thai Watsadu store, carrying a Thailand Post delivery box. He threatened staff and…

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  • Politics NewsFuture Forward secretary-general floats idea of another debate

    Future Forward secretary-general floats idea of another debate

    PHOTO: Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, Party leader of Future Forward Party – AFP Future Forward secretary-general Piyabutr Saengkanokkul says the Opposition will consider the option of holding another parliamentary debate over the next 3 months. His statement comes after what was generally considered an unsatisfactory response from the PM and other cabinet members during Wednesday’s debate. Piyabutr is not ready to let the matter…

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  • World NewsSouthern Thailand smog well above safe levels

    Southern Thailand smog well above safe levels

    PHOTOS: Charoon Thongnual – The Nation Hat Yai, the main city in Songkhla, has been among the worst hit by the smog engulfing parts of southern Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Borneo. The business district of Hat Yai has been hard hit with PM2.5 particles exceeding the safety standards of 50 (set by the World…

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  • ExpatsImmigration overhaul – TM6 disappearing and TM30 App being launched

    Immigration overhaul – TM6 disappearing and TM30 App being launched

    “We made the decision last Friday. Within two to three months, life will be much easier for foreign tourists and expats.” In what appears to be a major overhaul of immigration procedures, dare we say ‘modernisation’, foreign visitors will soon no longer have to fill out the “TM6” arrival forms. The white and blue form has been a source of…

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  • EventsPhuket university’s safe-sex campaign attracts 390 volunteers

    Phuket university’s safe-sex campaign attracts 390 volunteers

    Yesterday, saw the return of Prince of Songkhla University’s Safe Sex Campaign. Now in its third year, some 390 PSU students turned up to support the campaign by making safe sex packs, which are then distributed free to bars in Patong. The safe sex packs include a condom and lubricant. It was the biggest turn-out of students since this corporate social…

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  • Property14% of condos around Bangkok are empty – good time to buy

    14% of condos around Bangkok are empty – good time to buy

    Looking for a condo around Bangkok? Now might the right time to take the plunge with the head of the Appraisal and Estate Agents Foundation saying some areas have between 8-14% vacancy rates, some areas of Bangkok up to 17.5%. Dr Sophon Pornchokchai made the remarks at a news conference yesterday. “Adding developer price wars, plus inducements to purchase, this…

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  • Chiang Mai NewsChinese netizens want to know what caused panda Chuang Chuang’s death

    Chinese netizens want to know what caused panda Chuang Chuang’s death

    PHOTO: Mourners leave flowers outside the panda enclosure where Chuang Cuang died this week The “suspicious circumstances” of Chuang Chuang’s demise drew more than 260 million views on social media platform Weibo.” Chinese experts have now arrived in Chiang Mai to investigate the death of a beloved giant panda Chuang Chuang, who died at the Chiang Mai Zoo earlier this week at…

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  • Crime NewsRobber steals Thailand Post van, then robs gold shop in Bangkok

    Robber steals Thailand Post van, then robs gold shop in Bangkok

    A man dressed up in a Thailand Post uniform has got away with gold necklaces valued around 70,000 baht. He robbed the gold shop in Bang Phli, Samut Prakan and then fled in a Thailand Post van. Samut Prakan includes the southern and south-eastern suburbs of greater Bangkok. It was revealed later that Thailand Post had reported the van stolen the night before…

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  • Bangkok NewsBangkok shophouse partially collapses in the rain

    Bangkok shophouse partially collapses in the rain

    An abandoned shophouse in Bangkok’s Bang Plat district partially collapsed last night. No one was injured as the three-unit shop house, spread over four floors on Soi Charansanitwong 96/2 in Bang Or subdistrict, had been empty for a while. Officials said the fourth and third floors collapsed onto the lower floors, causing glasses and pieces of wood, and concrete, to fall…

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  • Bangkok NewsBritish Instagrammer locked up in “filthy Bangkok cell’ over missing passport pages

    British Instagrammer locked up in “filthy Bangkok cell’ over missing passport pages

    A British model has had a “misunderstanding” with Thai immigration officials after being locked up for 24 hours when it was discovered there were two pages missing from her passport. The model departed Scotland last Sunday for a flight to London before heading to Bangkok. According to mirror.co.uk, Lacey Montgomery-Henderson, from Glasgow, says she was treated ‘like an animal’ during…

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  • World NewsPhu Quoc Cable Car – Build it and they will come

    Phu Quoc Cable Car – Build it and they will come

    PHOTO: templesandtreehouses.com “It’s the best value tourist attraction you’ll find almost anywhere in the world!” The cable-car ride from Vietnam’s Phu Quoc island to Hon Thom, aka. Pineapple Island, is a breathtaking experience. It’s an astonishing tourist attraction on an island that has ambitions to be one of south east Asia’s most popular tourist attractions. The actual cable car ride, the…

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  • Thai LifeJeans for sale, yours for 200,000 baht

    Jeans for sale, yours for 200,000 baht

    PHOTO: www.menshealth.com Social media in Thailand was thrown into a tizzy yesterday when Facebook user Sarn N Tong posted a pair of Levi’s jeans for sale – for the grand sum of 200,000 baht. The Thai-language daily Matichon reports that the same man has already sold another pair of jeans for 150,000 baht. As part of its report, the newspaper…

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  • Politics NewsPM leaves debate, refusing to answer Opposition queries on oath gaffe

    PM leaves debate, refusing to answer Opposition queries on oath gaffe

    PHOTO: www.bangkokpost.com PM Prayut Chan-o-cha didn’t stay until the end of yesterday’s Opposition debate, departing to attend a Royal religious ceremony at Dusit Palace. He left without answering MP’s questions about his incomplete oath-taking, saying he had the right not to respond. The PM says he asked Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngarm to respond to queries on his behalf, saying…

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