Month: October 2019

  • Thai LifePhuket’s Surf House team head to South Korea for Flowboarding Worlds

    Phuket’s Surf House team head to South Korea for Flowboarding Worlds

    PHOTO: Making waves in flow boarding around the region – SurfHouse Phuket The Surf House brand in Thailand is synonymous with being exceptional in the world of competitive Flowboarding. And 2019 has been a stellar year for competitors who have been broadly supported by SurfHouse over many years. Bringing home the gold from Flow Tour Asia 2019 held in Chong Qing, China is…

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  • Tourism NewsThai government introduces new measures to improve tourism

    Thai government introduces new measures to improve tourism

    Proposed measures to improve tourism in Thailand have been approved in principle by the council of the economic ministers. The steps, proposed by the Tourism and Sports Ministry, are expected to be put in place before the end of 2019 and will mean an increase in the number of places and agents offering a VAT refund service to visitors to…

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  • Thailand Weather UpdatesWet weekend for most of Thailand

    Wet weekend for most of Thailand

    Thunder, showers and poor weather are likely in the regions north of Bangkok over the weekend, with isolated heavy rain possible in the North, parts of the Northwest, the lower Northeast, the Central plains, the East and even the South including Bangkok and its vicinity (forecasts below). The Thailand Meteorological Department issued the warnings yesterday… Another moderate high-pressure area from…

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  • Politics NewsThailand is facing “hybrid warfare” by “ill-intentioned politicians” – Army chief Gen Apirat

    Thailand is facing “hybrid warfare” by “ill-intentioned politicians” – Army chief Gen Apirat

    PHOTO: Screenshot – Matichon TV Thailand’s Army Commander-in-Chief Gen Apirat Kongsompong is warning that Thailand is facing what he described as a “hybrid warfare”. The ultra-loyalist Army chief says the ‘war’ is being waged by a collection of “ill-intentioned politicians”, remnants of communist ideologues and “foreign forces” against the country’s major establishments. His speech was aimed fairly and squarely at…

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  • PropertyStricter controls and paperwork putting brakes on residential property market

    Stricter controls and paperwork putting brakes on residential property market

    The honorary president of the Thai Housing Business Association, Atip Bijanonda, is tipping the local residential market may fall by up to 10% this year starved of economic confidence, the global economic slowdown and the loan-to-value limits. But he also believes the situation is far from the situation leading up to the 1997 economic collapse. The Greater Bangkok residential market…

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  • Northern Thailand NewsLess monitoring, more enforcement – Prawit warns northern officials

    Less monitoring, more enforcement – Prawit warns northern officials

    PHOTO: The Thaiger Thai Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan and Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa were in Chiang Mai yesterday to give provincial governors and state agency officials a ‘heads up’ in preparation for another looming season of forest fires and haze. The North suffers perennial choking smog from approximately February to April, and Prawit passed on a message…

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  • Pattaya News8 injured after pickup overturns on Highway 7, Pattaya

    8 injured after pickup overturns on Highway 7, Pattaya

    PHOTO: Pattaya Mail 8 people have been were injured after a pickup loaded with construction workers overturned on Highway 7 in Pattaya. The 54 year old driver, Sombat Li, has told police that at 9am, on October 6, on his way to delivering the workers to a construction site in Pattaya, another car cut him off. He told police he…

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  • Northern Thailand NewsWorld Ganja Festival comes to NE Thailand early 2020

    World Ganja Festival comes to NE Thailand early 2020

    Following the liberalising of cannabis laws, related to medical use of the drug, marijuana is now being seen as a potential cash crop which which could benefit Thailand’s economy. The Association of Researchers of Thailand is now joining members of the public and the private sector to organise the World Ganja Festival 2020. The event will be held in Mukdahan,…

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  • Technology NewsThai immigration’s biometrics nabs 3 more fake passport holders

    Thai immigration’s biometrics nabs 3 more fake passport holders

    Thailand’s Immigration Bureau commander says the biometric system at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport caught three foreigners carrying fake passports during the month of September. “In the first case, immigration police arrested an Iranian man, aged about 47 years, holding a French passport and travelling from Germany to Thailand. The biometric scanning showed only a 19% match between his face and passport…

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  • World NewsTwo more Thai marine parks declared ASEAN heritage parks

    Two more Thai marine parks declared ASEAN heritage parks

    PHOTO: bluestars.info “The two marine parks are Thailand’s fifth and sixth to be given the status of ASEAN heritage parks.” Two southern Thailand national parks have been recognised as ASEAN heritage parks at this week’s 15th ASEAN environment ministers’ meeting in Siem Reap, Cambodia, the home of Angkor Wat. Warawut Silpa-archa, Thailand’s Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, told reporters the…

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  • Crime NewsA cocktail of beer and insulin blamed for ATM robbery

    A cocktail of beer and insulin blamed for ATM robbery

    PHOTO: Sanook.com “After the combination of beer and insulin, Prakit grabbed a metal pole and drove his motorbike to the ATMs.” A diabetic man is blaming his insulin injections after going on an ATM robbery spree. The man had three attempts to break into ATMs in one night, all unsuccessful. The incidents happened in the early hours of October 9.…

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  • Thailand NewsThailand faces renewed calls to abolish death penalty

    Thailand faces renewed calls to abolish death penalty

    A lobby group arguing for the abolishment of the death penalty is urging Thailand to agree to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), as part of a process that would ultimately see an end to capital punishment in the country. To mark World Day Against the Death Penalty, Gothom Arya, a representative…

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  • Business NewsThai Airways under pressure to deliver workable business plan

    Thai Airways under pressure to deliver workable business plan

    Thai Airways is coming under more pressure, after being given 30 days to deliver its new rehabilitation and business plans. Thaworn Senniam, the Deputy Transport Minister, gave the instruction yesterday while meeting with the executive of the national carrier for an update on its financial status. He says the business plan must provide clear information on how the fortunes of…

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  • World NewsTrade talks resume between China and US but hopes fade

    Trade talks resume between China and US but hopes fade

    Expectations are low as trade talks between China and the US resume today. US President Donald Trump has taken an aggressive stance with China and says he will decide the outcome of the talks. “They want to make a deal. The question is do I want to make a deal.” With $250 billion worth of Chinese imports facing an increase…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket motorcycle crash leaves one tourist dead, another injured

    Phuket motorcycle crash leaves one tourist dead, another injured

    PHOTO: Kamala Police The Phuket News reports that an Indian woman has been killed, and her male companion injured, following a motorcycle accident in Patong. The accident happened last night on the Patong to Kamala road. When police arrived on the scene shortly after 8.00pm, they found the tourists trapped under an SUV, with the 23 year old driver, Worachat…

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  • Tourism NewsAirbnb reveals top 20 trending world destinations to visit in 2020

    Airbnb reveals top 20 trending world destinations to visit in 2020

    Latest Airbnb booking data has revealed growing interest in lesser-known destinations and eco-conscious cities across the globe, as Airbnb travellers look for new, local and authentic travel experiences beyond big cities. Thailand made #3 in the list and it’s not Bangkok, Phuket or Chiang Mai. And Paris, London and Sydney are nowhere to be seen. In Thailand, emerging destinations across…

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  • Economy News“Too good for its own good” – The Thai economy

    “Too good for its own good” – The Thai economy

    Bloomberg has written an opinion piece about the robust Thai economy, sharing its fears along with some pats on the back. “Thailand really should let its hair down. The currency is strong and the current-account surplus is big versus the neighborhood, while there’s a lot of scope for fiscal expansion. The Bank of Thailand has been grudging in cutting interest rates, in contrast to the…

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  • World NewsBTS first foreign artists to perform solo concert in Saudi Arabia tonight

    BTS first foreign artists to perform solo concert in Saudi Arabia tonight

    PHOTO: BTS performing in front of 60,000 fans during their “Love Yourself” tour in Hong Kong – SCMP No band has ever commanded a concert stage, alone, in Saudi Arabia. Remarkable but true. But South Korea’s BTS is breaking down yet another barrier with tonight’s stadium concert in the Kingdom. Aside from being their first ever concert in Saudi Arabia,…

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  • Bangkok NewsDriver’s coughing fit cuts parts of Pathum Thani’s internet and power

    Driver’s coughing fit cuts parts of Pathum Thani’s internet and power

    PHOTO: Daily News An 18 wheel truck driver has driven into a communications pole in Pathum Thani, just north of Bangkok, leaving locals without electricity and the internet. The driver told the media that he drove his vehicle into the pole after losing control of the truck during a coughing fit. 44 year old Preecha was only slightly injured in the incident…

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  • Politics NewsBBC Thai follows up Australian media claims about Thammanat’s imprisonment in Sydney

    BBC Thai follows up Australian media claims about Thammanat’s imprisonment in Sydney

    The BBC’s Thai affiliate has published notes of an official document obtained from a visit to an Australian court, stating that Manat Bophlom one of the former names used by the Thai Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Thammanat Prompao, had served four years in jail for on charge of conspiring to import heroin to Australia. Early in September, Australia…

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  • Technology News“Nothing to worry about” – Thai Police clarify the collection of WIFI data at cafés

    “Nothing to worry about” – Thai Police clarify the collection of WIFI data at cafés

    PHOTO: Yahoo The Royal Thai Police have rushed in to clarify yesterday’s story about the Minister of Digital Economy’s Puttipong Punnakan commenting about the collection of restaurant and café wifi data. The Thai Minister of Digital Economy Puttipong Punnakan says cafe and restaurant operators offering free wifi services, will have to collect internet traffic data used by their customers up to…

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  • Tourism NewsTourists rush to climb Australia’s Uluru before ban kicks in on October 26

    Tourists rush to climb Australia’s Uluru before ban kicks in on October 26

    by Holly Robertson Large numbers of tourists are rushing to scale ‘Uluru’, aka. Ayers Rock, ahead of a looming ban on climbing the enormous natural monolith in the centre of Australia, sacred to indigenous Australians. Critics have been lashing the last-minute climbers as “ignorant”, saying they’re going against the wishes of the traditional Aboriginal owners of the land, the Anangu.…

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  • Crime NewsThief gets away with 50 phones and gold in Bangkok

    Thief gets away with 50 phones and gold in Bangkok

    PHTOTS: INN News A thief has snatched over 50 smartphones and 76 grams of gold at a phone shop in Bangkok. The incident happened yesterday. INN News reports that the store is off, Bang Kradi Road, south-west of the city centre. The store is part of a small retail complex but there was no one near the store when the…

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  • Northern Thailand NewsVolunteer engineers to carry out Ubon Ratchathani assessments following flooding

    Volunteer engineers to carry out Ubon Ratchathani assessments following flooding

    A team of volunteer engineers from The Engineering Institute of Thailand (EIT) are in Ubon Ratchathani to carry out building assessments following the record flooding that devastated the region. The Nation reports that the engineers will examine buildings damaged by the flood waters and provide residents with advice so that they can try to rebuild their lives. Thanet Weerasiri, Chairman…

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  • Thailand NewsThailand launches renewed crackdown on electronic cigarettes

    Thailand launches renewed crackdown on electronic cigarettes

    PHOTO: AFP Electronic cigarettes have been banned in Thailand since 2014 but enforcement of the ban has been sporadic. However, a report in the Chiang Rai Times says Thai authorities are now cracking down hard, with thousands of e-cigarettes confiscated in the last 3 weeks. At a press briefing this week, the police, working with a consumer protection agency, confirmed…

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  • Tourism NewsChiang Mai hotels face a quiet end to 2019

    Chiang Mai hotels face a quiet end to 2019

    PHOTO: Spice Roads Chiang Mai hotels are bracing for a quiet end to 2019, along with other Thai tourist hotspots, due to the strength of the baht, an over-supply of rooms and the growing popularity of home-sharing accommodations like Airbnb. Hoteliers in the northern city are also suffering the fall-out from the smoke haze crisis earlier in the year which…

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  • Crime NewsPhuket drug dealer arrested in Chalong with half a kilo of ice

    Phuket drug dealer arrested in Chalong with half a kilo of ice

    PHOTOS: Phuket Hot News A 35 year old Phuket man, Suwat Kaewtaworn, is currently in custody after being arrested yesterday with 521 grams (half a kilogram) of crystal methamphetamine. Suwat was arrested in front of a pharmacy on Chao Fah West Road in Chalong. Police found three bags of crystal methamphetamine (ice), two of them weighing 10 grams each and…

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  • Business NewsWorld Economic Forum says lack of critical thinking in Thailand affecting competitiveness

    World Economic Forum says lack of critical thinking in Thailand affecting competitiveness

    PHOTO: AFP Thailand’s competitiveness ranking has dropped two places in the Global Competitiveness Index just released by the World Economic Forum (WEC) in Switzerland. The country has dropped from 38 to 40 out of a total of 141 global economies ranked. The WEC claims that a lack of critical thinking in teaching in Thailand, along with its failure to dominate…

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  • Crime NewsThai woman nabbed outside Pattaya school on human trafficking charges

    Thai woman nabbed outside Pattaya school on human trafficking charges

    PHOTOS: Naew Na Naew Na reports that a 31 year old Thai woman has been arrested outside a Pattaya school over human trafficking charges. The arrest was a joint operation by Chonburi immigration and the Pattaya Tourist police. The arrest warrant was issued back in December 2016 on 31 year old Rawipha Takunphon. The warrant relates to enticing children over 15 (but not…

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  • TravelStudy shows Phuket has highest number of tourists per square mile

    Study shows Phuket has highest number of tourists per square mile

    PHOTO: Bao Menglong (Unsplash.com) A study published by Travel Daily News reveals that Phuket has the highest number of tourists per square mile, with 5,090. The research was carried out by Columbus Direct, who examined visitor numbers in the world’s most popular places. With over 9 million visitors a year, Thailand’s largest island has ten times more tourists per square…

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  • Northern Thailand NewsMother of boy killed in Thailand’s war on drugs petitions Supreme Court to investigate acquittal of police officers

    Mother of boy killed in Thailand’s war on drugs petitions Supreme Court to investigate acquittal of police officers

    PHOTO: Freestocks.org/Unsplash The mother of 17 year old Kittisap Thitboonkrong, who died during the war on drugs introduced 14 years ago by then PM Thaksin Shinawatra, is asking the Supreme Court to investigate how 6 police officers charged with his murder came to be acquitted last year. In July 2004, Mr Kittisap was in police custody as a suspect in…

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  • Technology NewsAirAsia’s inflight WiFi is getting faster

    AirAsia’s inflight WiFi is getting faster

    WiFi on planes is the next-gen convenience, or potential annoyance, depending on your attitude to people being ‘connected’ all around you. But for business people, parents with families or bored flyers, it will be a welcome addition to the low-cost flying experience. Now passengers on board AirAsia can look forward to an “enhanced inflight entertainment and connectivity experience” with the…

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  • ExpatsMandatory health insurance for ‘Long Stay’ visa starts October 31

    Mandatory health insurance for ‘Long Stay’ visa starts October 31

    Foreigners applying for a Non O-A visa will be required to purchase health insurance from October 31, according to Thaivisa. Non–Immigrant Visa “O-A” (Long Stay) This type of visa may be issued to applicants aged 50 years and over who wish to stay in Thailand for a period of not exceeding 1 year without the intention of working. Holder of…

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  • Economy NewsAsian markets stumble over trade concerns, Brexit sentiment sinks pound

    Asian markets stumble over trade concerns, Brexit sentiment sinks pound

    Asian markets fell after hefty losses in New York yesterday, owing to growing China-US tensions in the next round of trade talks, while the British pound continues to be beaten down by fears the UK is on the verge of crashing out of the EU. The downbeat mood comes as investors fret over signs the global economy is slowing down.…

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  • Tourism NewsPattaya getting set for the Indian era – OPINION

    Pattaya getting set for the Indian era – OPINION

    by Dan Cheeseman I was a bit taken back by posters across the social networks where I shared the post that simply would not accept the Indians were bringing any value to Pattaya. Claiming Thailand would regret squeezing out the Western market and turning to the Chinese and Indians. It came across as sour grapes to me and also a…

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  • Chiang Mai NewsBurmese man arrested for dealing in methamphetamine pills

    Burmese man arrested for dealing in methamphetamine pills

    PHOTO: Naew Na Naew Na reports that a joint operation between Lamphun immigration and the Muangjee police has resulted in the arrest of a 27 year old Burmese man. Lamphun is just south of Chiang Mai and has a large population of Burmese migrant workers. ‘Thun’ was arrested yesterday along with drug taking equipment and 206 methamphetamine tablets. He was charged with…

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  • Economy NewsEat Shop Spend version 2 on the way, but no cash giveaway

    Eat Shop Spend version 2 on the way, but no cash giveaway

    After feedback from the successful “Chim-Shop-Chai” (Eat-Shop-Spend) campaign, the Minister of Finance says campaign will now be extended into Phase 2 but with the criteria and regulations adjusted to attract more people with purchasing power to spend their own money, without the 1,000 baht per person give-away. The Minister of Finance Uttama Savanayana says there have been 1.3 million persons so…

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