Month: October 2019

  • World NewsChinese media is slamming NBA over Hong Kong comments

    Chinese media is slamming NBA over Hong Kong comments

    Sport, world politics and the mess in Hong Kong. Put the three together and you have an explosive mix. The NBA’s entire future as it expands in China is now under a serious cloud. Chinese state media is slamming the NBA for their “about-face” after the basketball association said it would not apologise for a tweet by the Houston Rockets…

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  • Chiang Mai NewsChiang Mai Zoo announces results of the inquiry into celebrity panda’s death

    Chiang Mai Zoo announces results of the inquiry into celebrity panda’s death

    PHOTO: SCMP – Original story written by Kay Johnson Chiang Mai Zoo have announced the results of an autopsy to determine the cause of death of celebrity panda Chuang Chuang. They announced the cause was heart failure. Special ‘panda vets’ from China flew into Chiang Mai last month to assist with the investigation into the death of the much-loved Panda who…

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  • Crime NewsThai barber and girlfriend arrested for selling marijuana on Facebook

    Thai barber and girlfriend arrested for selling marijuana on Facebook

    A couple have been arrested in Samut Prakan, central Thailand, for selling drugs online. Boonchu, a 20 year old barber, and his 19 year old girlfriend, Sukanya, were arrested in a police sting operation, after social media users reported someone posting comments on Facebook that advertised marijuana for sale. Photo: INN News Once they had identified the Facebook user and…

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  • Bangkok NewsWoman dies after being shot in the back of a car as passenger was ‘playing’ with gun

    Woman dies after being shot in the back of a car as passenger was ‘playing’ with gun

    PHOTOS: Daily News The vice president of the Thai-Chinese trade and industry association, Wichai Manekitikun, is assisting police with their enquiries after his 23 year old girlfriend was shot in the chest. She later died in hospital. The 44 year old man was taking a Chinese couple home after a party in his van. He told police that he had…

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  • Thailand NewsThailand’s Court of Justice says chief judges can screen verdicts of junior judges

    Thailand’s Court of Justice says chief judges can screen verdicts of junior judges

    PHOTO: AFP The spokesman of the Court of Justice, Mr. Suriyan Hongvilai, says regional chief judges can legally screen the decisions of the lower courts and provide advisory feedback if they disagree with verdicts. However, he adds that judges in the lower courts are independent and do have the final say. Thai PBS World reports that Mr Suriyan says such…

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  • EventsPM urges Thais to quit drinking for the End of Buddhist Lent

    PM urges Thais to quit drinking for the End of Buddhist Lent

    The Thai PM is urging people to refrain from ‘temptations’ for the good of their health and family life, including drinking alcohol. He was participating in a promotion for an alcohol-free End of Buddhist Lent (which occurs on Sunday). Prior to yesterday’s Cabinet’s meeting, the PM Prayut Chan-o-cha joined in a promotional activity for the Ministry of Culture’s End of…

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  • Politics NewsPro-democracy activist released on bail pending charges over ‘innocent’ post

    Pro-democracy activist released on bail pending charges over ‘innocent’ post

    PHOTOS: Khaosod English and The Nation The Criminal Court yesterday released political activist Karn Ponpraphan on bail of 100,000 baht, whilst setting conditions that he refrain from posting political messages on social media. 25 year old Karn was arrested earlier yesterday by Technology Crime Suppression Division officials, who showed up at his home on Phaholyothin Road in Bangkok for posting…

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  • Thailand Weather UpdatesSouthern Thailand to be worst hit by heavy rain and flooding risk next week

    Southern Thailand to be worst hit by heavy rain and flooding risk next week

    Thailand’s Office of National Water Resources says 14 provinces are at increased risk from flooding as heavy rains are expected from October 15, with southern parts of the country expected to bear the brunt. The Pattaya Mail reports that local authorities are being instructed to install equipment such as water pumps, flow accelerators and excavators, and to remain on alert…

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  • South Thailand NewsThai Army chief will address sedition charges and solving problems in South

    Thai Army chief will address sedition charges and solving problems in South

    The Thai Army chief General Apirat Kongsompong will deliver a speech at a seminar tomorrow (Thursday) to explain the armed forces’ role in providing security under current circumstances. This seminar is part of the Army’s PR effort to provide an official statement after it charged 12 people, including Opposition leaders and academics, of sedition. The sedition charges followed Opposition and academics…

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  • South Thailand NewsPolice officer and local leader’s son arrested for drugs offences in southern Thailand

    Police officer and local leader’s son arrested for drugs offences in southern Thailand

    PHOTO: Bangkok Post A police officer and a local leader’s son have been arrested in a drugs raid on a house in Songkla, southern Thailand. The men were found in possession of 89 methamphetamine pills and 3.5 grams of crystal methamphetamine. A number of other items were also seized at the property, including drug paraphernalia and a pistol. The arrested…

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  • World NewsHong Kong won’t rule out accepting help from China over protests

    Hong Kong won’t rule out accepting help from China over protests

    PHOTO: AFP Following more violent protests in Hong Kong, Chief Executive Carrie Lam says China stepping in to end the crisis is not out of the question. Angry demonstrations have rocked the city for four months now, having started out as protests against a proposed extradition bill that could have seen criminals sent to China for trial. The Hong Kong…

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  • World NewsJohnson & Johnson told to pay US billion over drug side effect

    Johnson & Johnson told to pay US$8 billion over drug side effect

    A US jury has ruled that US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson will pay US$8 billion in damages, plus interest, for failing to warn that a psychiatric drug could cause breast growth in men. Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals were blamed as plaintiff Nicholas Murray told the Philadelphia court that the drug Risperdal, prescribed to treat schizophrenia…

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  • Crime NewsCafes and restaurants ordered to store customer wi-fi data for 90 days

    Cafes and restaurants ordered to store customer wi-fi data for 90 days

    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 90 days, or face punishment. The report didn’t specify if they wanted to simply track usage data or track the actual traffic and sites visited. According to Khaosod English, the Minister…

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  • Pattaya NewsMystery South Korean woman falls from Pattaya condo

    Mystery South Korean woman falls from Pattaya condo

    A South Korean woman has fallen to her death from a Pattaya condo. The incident happened yesterday morning. She was aged between 25 and 30, according to the police report. Pattaya Police Station was notified around 2 am about the incident at the Chonburi condo and officers rushed to investigate the scene. They found that the woman’s skull was cracked,…

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  • EventsLast night of Phuket vegetarian festival was a blast – VIDEO

    Last night of Phuket vegetarian festival was a blast – VIDEO

    Last night (October 7), Phuket local shrines gathered for the final day parades of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, which took place from September 29 to October 7. Almost all of the Chinese shrines in Phuket had their Mah Song walking around the city with members of the shrine holding palanquins adorned with Chinese gods for blessing people lining the streets…

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  • Northern Thailand News5 more dead elephants located by drone at Khao Yai park waterfall

    5 more dead elephants located by drone at Khao Yai park waterfall

    PHOTO: One of the elephants spotted on Saturday before disappearing in the forest – AFP Sending up the video-enabled drones at the Khao Yai National Park, north east of Bangkok, has spotted five more dead elephants. Park officials are still working out how to retrieve the bodies of six others dead elephants in the same area after a herd stumbled…

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  • Road deaths22 year old woman dies after running into parked truck in Pattaya

    22 year old woman dies after running into parked truck in Pattaya

    PHOTO: Ruk Siam News / รักสยาม นิวส์ A 22 year old woman, riding alone on a motorbike with a group of four others on three motorcycles, heading home to a seaside resort, collided with the back of a ten-wheeler truck. The incident happened near the Ban Na bridge in Nong Prue at 3.30am early Monday. Police say the truck was parked…

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  • Technology NewsThai Central Bank ‘sandboxing’ biometrics to open a saving account

    Thai Central Bank ‘sandboxing’ biometrics to open a saving account

    The Bank of Thailand’s assistant governor for payment systems policy and financial technology group, Siritida Panomwan, says that 10 commercial banks and non-bank financial institutes were participating in the BoT’s ‘sandbox’ project to test-run biometric technology known as e-kyc (“electronic know your customer”, not a special lubricant gel) to electronically verify the identity of customers. “So far none of the…

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  • South Thailand NewsSpecial committee to investigate Yala judge suicide attempt

    Special committee to investigate Yala judge suicide attempt

    Photo montage: Bangla Tribune The Nation reports that a special panel will investigate the case of a judge in southern Thailand shooting himself in court, after he was allegedly made to change the verdict he handed down. The committee is expected to report back in 15 days, confirms deputy secretary-general of the Office of the Judiciary, Sarawut Benjakul. It’s understood…

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  • Economy NewsFocus back on US-China trade talks – Asian markets rise

    Focus back on US-China trade talks – Asian markets rise

    “A large percentage of the market thinks China may roll the dice and take advantage of what they think is Trump’s weakened political state.” Asian markets rise today as investors resume their focus on the next round of China-US trade talks this week. But hopes for success are being tempered by mixed messages from both sides of the table. There has been…

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  • Bangkok NewsThai police: Belgian reporter was detained over national security concerns

    Thai police: Belgian reporter was detained over national security concerns

    PHOTO: Anurak Jeantawanich A Belgian reporter due to interview an anti-government activist in Thailand, was briefly detained by Immigration and Special Branch officials, police have confirmed. Kris Janssens, a freelance journalist from Belgium, was taken into custody for questioning before being released without charge, says Col. Krissana Pattanacharoen. “We escorted him away for inquiries because our intel suggested that he…

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  • Thailand NewsMan stung by scorpion hiding in bag of fruit | Thaiger

    Man stung by scorpion hiding in bag of fruit

    PHOTO: Wikiwand A Bangkok man has taken to social media to warn fruit lovers to check fruit thoroughly before eating it, after he was stung by a baby scorpion hiding in a bag of langsat fruit. Pennung Chaiyachit says he put his hand in the bag, which contained about 2 kilos of the fruit, when he felt a sharp pain…

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  • Phuket NewsNetizens praise locals and westerner for helping injured on busy Phuket street

    Netizens praise locals and westerner for helping injured on busy Phuket street

    PHOTO: kapook.com Saranyou Hassanai has shared pictures on her Facebook page of a motorcycle incident which caused injuries to two people and prompted positive comments about passers-by, both locals as well as a young western woman, that rushed to help the victims immediately on the busy street. The two injured were a 60 year old Chinese tourist and a Thai…

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  • TravelThai Airways defends in-flight catering following Facebook complaint

    Thai Airways defends in-flight catering following Facebook complaint

    PHOTO: Thai Airways Thailand’s national airline has defended its meal service after an economy class passenger travelling from Bangkok to Sapporo criticised the food served during his flight. The passenger posted about his experience on Facebook, saying he only received a sandwich and a drink. His post was then widely shared across the social network, leading to the airline’s president…

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  • Pattaya News8 injured after pick-up truck loses control and flips in Pattaya

    8 injured after pick-up truck loses control and flips in Pattaya

    Just over a week after 13 students were killed when they were thrown from the back of a truck that lost control in Samut Prakan, 8 people have been injured in Pattaya in similar circumstances. The Pattaya News reports that the accident happened on Motorway Sai 7 Road, as workers were being transported to a construction site. The truck driver,…

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  • Technology NewsSamsung Electronics flags 56% fall in third quarter profits

    Samsung Electronics flags 56% fall in third quarter profits

    “Samsung took advantage of the US trade ban against Chinese rival Huawei.” PHOTO: CNBC Samsung Electronics says it expects operating profits to drop more than 50% in Q3 amid a continued slump in the global chip market. Operating profits for July to September was expected to reach 7.7 trillion won (US$6.4 billion), down 56.2% from a year earlier – this from…

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  • Environment NewsPanel bans paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos effective December 1

    Panel bans paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos effective December 1

    A four-party working committee, set up on the request of the Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, has agreed unanimously to ban the production, import, sale and use of three controversial herbicides – paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos. The decision was handed down yesterday and takes effect as of December 1 “as a New Year’s gift for the Thai people”. Thai Deputy Agriculture…

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  • Events43rd anniversary of the Thammasat University Massacre remembered

    43rd anniversary of the Thammasat University Massacre remembered

    “This year’s event saw relatives, representatives of political parties and various organisations make merit and lay wreaths and flowers at Thammasat University.” PHOTO: The Nation The 43rd anniversary of the killing of students by police and ultranationalist forces on October 6, 1976 – known as the Thammasat University Massacre – was commemorated yesterday as relatives and others gathered at the…

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  • South Thailand NewsInvestigative panel to probe alleged judicial meddling – reports in 15 days

    Investigative panel to probe alleged judicial meddling – reports in 15 days

    “The 3 member panel will now have 15 days to wrap up the initial probe and submit their conclusions to the Judicial Commission.” PHOTO: Mariyam Ahmad/BenarNews In a story that has shaken Thais, who have broadly rallied behind the Yala Chief Judge, the government has been forced to act swiftly with an independent enquiry. Yesterday, the Judicial Commission has announced…

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  • Health57% of Thais gamble – new report

    57% of Thais gamble – new report

    The Thai Health Promotion Foundation has hosted a meeting today to discuss the gambling situation in Thailand in 2019, as a report indicating that a whopping 30.42 million Thais, or 57% of the population, gamble. The meeting was also represented by the Centre for Gambling Studies, Stop Gambling Foundation and related associations. The director-general of the Centre for Gambling Studies,…

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  • World NewsSecond Trump whistleblower comes forward with “first-hand information”

    Second Trump whistleblower comes forward with “first-hand information”

    “Biden wrote in The Washington Post that Trump was “frantically pushing flat-out lies, debunked conspiracy theories and smears against me and my family, no doubt hoping to undermine my candidacy.” MONTAGE: Wall Street Journal A second whistleblower has come forward, this one with first-hand information about events that triggered an impeachment investigation into US President Donald Trump. The original whistleblower…

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  • Phuket NewsFire in Phuket house kills two, injures two

    Fire in Phuket house kills two, injures two

    PHOTO: Phuket Hot News This morning around 3am the Ratsada Municipality fire fighters received a report about a fire at a house in Srisuchart Grand Ville village. The incident killed a two women as well as injuring two of the house owners. The team brought two fire trucks to the scene along with an extra truck from Phuket municipality. It was…

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  • Northern Thailand NewsNakhon Nayok nuclear reactor project is opposed by locals

    Nakhon Nayok nuclear reactor project is opposed by locals

    “The residents say that there is a suspicion that the project might not be transparent and the previous two hearings did not involve all stakeholders.” PHOTO: Thai PBS World Residents in Nakhon Nayok province, inner north-east Thailand, are camping in front of the Thailand Nuclear Technology Institute in Ongkharak district. They are opposing the institute’s plan to construct a 20…

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  • Tourism NewsThailand’s changing tourist demographic – the Indians

    Thailand’s changing tourist demographic – the Indians

    Take a walk around the markets of Pratunam in downtown Bangkok and you’ll soon discover there’s a new type of tourist in town. For years, Thailand’s tourism scene was dominated by Chinese visitors, with 10.5 million in 2018 alone, accounting for about 28% of total foreign arrivals. It still is. But after the tour boat Phoenix, carrying mostly Chinese tourists, sank off…

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  • Thai LifeHelsinki to Singapore, by bike

    Helsinki to Singapore, by bike

    PHOTO: Aurelie and Marco, now heading south through Thailand Aurelie and Marco are 36 years old, married, and passionate about cycling. She’s French and he’s half English/half İtalian. Together they have decided to live their lifelong dream; to cycle across the globe. Their chosen path is taking them from Helsinki to Singapore. The pair arrived in Chiang Mai yesterday and…

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  • World NewsNorth Korean boat collides with Japanese fisheries patrol vessel

    North Korean boat collides with Japanese fisheries patrol vessel

    A North Korean boat has collided with a Japanese fisheries patrol vessel in the Sea of Japan, off the central coast, tipping around 20 North Koreans overboard. Japan coast guard spokesman Kazuma Nohara told AFP that they were dispatching rescue boats and aircraft to the area, but we don’t know any more details about it at this stage. The North Korean boat…

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  • World NewsSingapore Government issues travel advisory warning for Hong Kong

    Singapore Government issues travel advisory warning for Hong Kong

    “Singaporeans are advised to defer non-essential travel to Hong Kong, given current developments.” PHOTO: AFP The ongoing protests in Hong Kong, and the Administration’s attempts to negotiate or quell the disturbances, is starting to reach far and wide with some countries now reviewing their travel advisories to China’s Special Administrative Region. This from the Singapore Government that describes the protests…

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