Month: November 2019

  • Crime News

    Representative of the owner of collapsed building visits the victims in Phuket

    PHOTOS: Phuket Hotnews On November 23, the owner of the petrol station project, where the concrete structure collapsed on Thursday, killing 7 people and injuring two, sent a representative of the project to visit the injured and the families of the deceased. The incident occurred on November 21 at about 1pm. The victims were the contractors and workers of the…

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  • Phuket News

    Motorcycle thieves arrested in Patong

    PHOTOS: Newshawk Phuket Patong Police arrested three men in the seaside city with motorbikes that had been stolen. It appears the group has been stealing motorcycles around Patong since November 20. The group was spotted stealing a motorcycle on Phra Metta Road in Patong. After further investigation and inspection of CCTV it was discovered that the gang conducted their thefts…

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  • Crime News

    British fugitive extradited to the UK after being nabbed in Thailand last month

    A British fugitive, who caused 140,000 pounds (GBP) of damage in a ram-raid in Devon, UK , has been extradited back to Britain after 18 months on the run in Thailand, following an arrest late last month. 43 year old Dylan Taylor or Torquay was found guilty of burglary in June 2018. After he absconded to Thailand, he was sentenced…

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  • Crime News

    Arrest warrants issued over Phuket building collapse which killed seven

    PHOTO: Matichon Online Thalang District police yesterday issued an arrest warrant for the owner of a construction company responsible for the collapse of a building under construction in Thalang, Phuket, according to online news portal Matichon. Seven Thai and Burmese workers were killed and another two injured following the collapse of the single story concrete structure at a new petrol…

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  • World News

    “The greatest propaganda machine in history” – Sacha Baron Cohen slams Facebook

    “The Silicon Six – all billionaires, all Americans – who care more about boosting their share price than about protecting democracy.” Speaking at the Anti Defamation League’s International Leadership summit, actor and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen caned Facebook and other social media as “the greatest propaganda machine in history.” Sacha was accepting an award when he opened up on his thoughts…

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  • Crime News

    Child porn website based in Chiang Mai busted

    Chiang Mai police have arrested the operator of a child pornography website in a raid on his condominium in the northern city. Police and the Thailand Internet Crimes Against Children unit apprehended 24 year old Thai national Korakot Chulthong on Saturday. They also seized seized three mobile phones, a laptop computer, two portable disk drives, bank passbooks and ATM cards.…

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  • Environment News

    Thailand improves marine pollution ranking

    Thailand’s ranking among the 20 biggest marine plastic plastic polluters has improved by four places, from sixth to tenth, as ranked by Mass of Mismanaged Plastic Waste. The permanent secretary for natural resources and environment says the improvement is largely thanks to government initiatives and the efforts of the public and the private sector in reducing single-use plastic bags and…

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  • South Thailand News

    Two suspects in Yala’s November 5 deadly attacks, shot and killed

    Authorities have shot and killed two men suspected in deadly attacks in southern Thailand earlier this month. Fifteen people, mostly volunteers, staffing a security checkpoint in Yala province were shot and killed when it was ambushed by gunmen. A day after the attacks, PM Prayuth Chan-o-cha authorised curfews in nine districts of Southern Thailand. The two suspected leaders of local insurgent cells…

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  • World News

    Nium partners with Visa for new instant money transfers in SE Asia

    ‘Nium’, a new digital cross-border payments platform, will now enable users to make real-time money transfers to Visa debit cardholders across Southeast Asia including Viet Nam. It is based on Visa’s real-time push payments solution called Visa Direct. Nium is the first fintech-based money transfer service provider in Southeast Asia to offer instant money transfer through recipients’ 16-digit Visa debit…

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  • Phuket News

    German tourist dies after being hit by parasail speedboat off Phuket

    PHOTO: Achadtaya Chuenniran Police are investigating the circumstances of an incident on Kamala Beach on Friday afternoon where a swimmer was killed after being struck by a speedboat used to tow paying parasail passengers into the sky. A German tourist has died after being seriously injured by a speedboat propellor while swimming off Phuket’s Kamala beach. The victim was a 63…

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  • Thailand News

    Paralyzed Canadian hockey player moves legs after experimental Thai surgery

    A Canadian hockey player paralyzed in a tragic bus crash has begun moving his legs after receiving experimental spinal surgery in Thailand. Ryan Straschnitzki was one of 13 injured when a truck ran a stop sign and collided with the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team’s bus in Saskatchewan in 2018. Sixteen others died in the incident. Straschnitzki was paralyzed from…

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  • Northern Thailand News

    ‘The Cave’ – covers a lot of ground but misses some key details

    The Thaiger went to the first session of Tom Waller’s ‘The Cave’ and loved it. It’s frenetic, it’s very busy and it covers a lot of territory regarding the scope of the saga. But it also lacks focus, a lot of the actors play themselves with varying success and, well, we already know the (mostly) happy ending. But the overall experience…

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  • Tourism News

    Tourism authorities refurbish old klongs as new tourist attractions in Bangkok

    Bangkok’s old nickname “Venice of the East” is slowly coming back to life as tourism and local municipal authorities aim to make-over some of the city’s famous klongs (canals) as new tourist attractions. Khlong Prawet Burirom runs east from the city towards Suvarnabhumi Airport. In May this year one of the old klongs, the King Lord Klong,was extensively refurbished and…

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  • Expats

    British tourist locked up in ‘horror’ prison, fellow inmate dies in his arms

    PHOTO: mirror.co.uk A British father of two has shared his horror story after being locked up in a Thai jail. Imprisoned for overstaying his visa, 35 year old Kai Isaacs claims a fellow inmate died in his arms following a brutal beating. The incident happened back on May 21 in the International Detention Centre, situated next door to the swanky…

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  • Food

    Fish sauce excluded from Thailand’s proposed tax on salty foods

    PHOTO: Cook’s Illustrated Thailand’s Excise Department and Public Health Ministry is considering a levy on salty foods in an attempt to tackle the sodium-rich diets of Thai citizens, and the health consequences. The director general of the Excise Department, Patchara Anuntasilpa says the tax would be calculated based on the amount of salt in a product, with the proposal being…

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  • South Thailand News

    4,000 chickens buried alive in Thailand’s south

    WARNING: Some readers will find the story upsetting PHOTOS: Khaosod An upsetting video was been posted online showing almost 4,000 chickens being destroyed by being buried alive. They were thrown in one by one into a pit filled with mud. Many Netizens slammed the authorities saying this is extremely cruel and questioned whether it was necessary to deal with the…

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  • Environment News

    Chiang Mai public transport vehicles to undergo random exhaust checks

    Officials in Chiang Mai will begin carrying out random checks on public transport vehicle exhausts in a bid to reduce black smoke emissions and help to address the city’s PM2.5 particulate levels. It’s understood the measure is being put in place following complaints from the public about pollution from some vehicles, in particular those transporting passengers up Doi Suthep-Pui, Chiang…

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  • World News

    Indian man posing as a pilot bought fake Lufthansa ID in Bangkok

    PHOTO: DNA India “The passenger disclosed that he used to shoot YouTube videos on aviation and had obtained the Lufthansa fake ID card in Bangkok.” It was all going so well, until he was eventually caught. An Indian man who regularly pretended to be a pilot, in order to get free upgrades and impress women, has been arrested in Delhi…

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  • South Thailand News

    Security forces kill two suspected insurgents in Thailand’s south

    Two men suspected of being Islamic insurgents have been shot dead by security forces in Pattani, southern Thailand. The two militants were believed to be members of the National Revolutionary Front, Thai PBS World reports that officials received a tip-off that the men were hiding out at a property in Khlong Tan Yong. The house was surrounded by the military…

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  • Northern Thailand News

    Fossils of new dinosaur species discovered in Isaan

    The fossils of a new species of dinosaur, named the Siam Raptor Suwati, have been discovered in Nakhon Ratchasima province (commonly known as Korat) in north-east Thailand. The discovery has been confirmed by the Director-General of the Mineral Resource Department, Sommai Techawan, and former Deputy PM Suwat Liptapanlop (after whom the dinosaur has been named). Thai Residents reports that the…

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  • Environment News

    Government braces for annual increase in air pollution in central and north

    PHOTO: Travel Daily Media The Public Health Ministry is preparing to deal with the health impacts of an increase in PM2.5 particles, which usually occurs from December in parts of central and northern Thailand. The Nation reports that officials from the Ministry met in Nonthaburi province, central Thailand yesterday, to host a video conference with doctors in health centres across…

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  • Environment News

    No more plastic bags at some 7 Eleven stores starting Monday

    137 branches of 7 Eleven across Thailand will stop providing plastic bags from Monday as part of a trial before a nationwide ban comes into force in at the start of 2020. The Nation reports that the step is being taken in support of a government policy to reducing the use of single-use plastic. 137 branches out of 10,300 stores in…

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  • Thai Life

    A Thai grandmother, a stroke, four dogs and a cat = musical magic

    A Thai grandmother, singing soothing ballads to her chihuahua ‘Jew Jam’, has become an unexpected internet hit. In the video (below) there is also a cat that sings along with the guitar accompaniment provided by Malinda Herman. Malinda says she sings the songs to the pets (the chihuahua is adorable) to “exercise her facial muscles”. Malinda was in a car…

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  • Events

    Chiang Mai Airshow ready to take off in February 2020

    The first Chiang Mai International Airshow 2020 will be the largest event of its type in the north of Thailand and will take place from the February 21 – 23 next year. Tourism officials and the San Kamphaeng district chief held a news conference to promote an airshow that will be held in the district. The location will be the “Chiang Mai Air…

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  • Tourism News

    Pattaya’s Walking Street is “heaving with tourists”. But…

    PHOTOS: Pattaya City Law Enforcement Walking Street is “heaving with tourists”. Pictures posted on the “Pattaya City Law Enforcement” site indicate an encouraging sign for tourism in Thailand’s ‘sin city’ seaside resort. According to the post, it appears Pattaya’s famous soi of ‘boom boom’ is having a boom in tourism numbers. But Thai netizens say there is a backstory. Whilst…

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  • Tourism News

    Chinese medical tourism on the rise in Thailand

    FILE PHOTO Despite Thailand’s current sluggish tourism intake, along with a strong baht, Chinese medical tourism continues to grow. From rhinoplasty to liposuction, eye-surgery to heart bypasses, Thailand’s reputation for affordable and reputable cosmetic surgery, and specialty clinics, draws tourists from all over the world. As of 2019, with 64 accredited hospitals, Thailand is currently among the top 10 medical…

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  • Crime News

    UPDATE: Police investigate building collapse in Phuket, killing seven

    PHOTOS: Phuket Hotnews UPDATE: Kritsana Pattanachareon, deputy spokesperson for the Royal Thai Police, says that an initial investigation into the collapse of a petrol station being built in Thalang, Phuket on Thepkasattri Road, resulting in seven deaths, indicated that poor construction standards were to blame. “We were informed by police from the Thalang district station that a concrete slab being…

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  • Events

    Laguna Phuket Triathlon returns to the island November 23 & 24

    PHOTO: lagunaphukettri.com The Laguna Phuket Triathlon returns next week with a strong pro athlete line up vying for US$20,000 (605,500 baht) prize money on Sunday, November 24. The 26th Laguna Phuket Triathlon, will comprise a 1.8 kilometre swim, a 50 kilometre bike event and a 12 kilometre run in Asia’s Laguna Phuket resort area as well as various scenic locations in…

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  • Bangkok News

    Girl faints on Bangkok street, wakes up in hospital with 300K missing

    A Facebook User ‘โรจน์ โชว์รูม’ posted online calling for help. He relates the story that at 4.30pm on Itsaraphap Road on Monday “my girlfriend had just withdrawn 320,000 baht from a bank”. “She fainted on the road and when she regained consciousness the brown envelope with cash inside was gone. If anyone saw what happened, please contact me at 0971415777.”…

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  • World News

    Four Cambodian monks to be deported after raising funds around Krabi

    FILE PHOTO: Bigstock Police in Krabi have arrested four monks from Cambodia after complaints from Krabi locals that the monks were attempting to raise funds at different venues as they travelled around the south. Krabi Police chief Sompong Chingduang confirmed that the four were found to have entered Thailand a week ago without the correct paperwork. The monks will now…

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  • Pattaya News

    British tourist nabbed in Pattaya after overstaying visa by 26 days

    PHOTO: Naew Na A British man has been arrested at an apartment in the Pattaya suburb of Nong Prue after overstaying his visa by 26 days. Naew Na news says the man, named as 45 year old Stellios Shakallis, was arrested as part of a random check carried out by Immigration police in the area. It’s understood he will now…

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  • World News

    China slams US bill on Hong Kong rights

    PHOTO: Reuters China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi condemns the passing by US Congress of a bill designed to protect the rights of Hong Kong citizens, accusing the US of “trying to destroy Hong Kong”. The Daily Star quotes the minister as saying the bill “indulges violent criminals” and seeks to “muddle or even destroy Hong Kong” with China vowing to…

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  • World News

    Severe drought predicted for Thailand and neighbouring countries

    FILE PHOTO Experts are warning that over the next two to three months, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam can all expect severe drought conditions which will affect agricultural production. Of the four countries, Thailand and Cambodia are expected to suffer the most, according to the report. A statement issued by the Mekong River Commission confirmed that water levels in the…

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  • Crime News

    Five Chinese awaiting deportation after being arrested in Phuket over illegal FOREX trading

    PHOTO: SCMP Five Chinese are now in custody after being arrested over the running of an illegal online foreign-exchange. They were running the business from a residential housing estate in Chalong, Phuket. Phuket Immigration officers raided the rented property in the Baan Maneekram-Jomthong Thani estate in Chalong at the end of October. The five were arrested and taken to the…

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  • Pattaya News

    ‘False killer whale’ rescued after being washed ashore in Pattaya

    PHOTO: Chaiyot Pupattanapong – Bangkok Post (enhancement – The Thaiger) A large dolphin species called the False Killer Whale, resembling a black killer whale, is undergoing treatment after it was found washed ashore on a Pattaya beach on Wednesday. The Bangkok Post reports that the whale was found by a fisherman on a beach in the Bang Lamung district of…

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  • Economy News

    Thai exports down 4.5% in October, 2.35% for the year

    PHOTO: Commerce Ministry Thai exports have crashed 4.5% for October 2019, compared with the same month last year. The total contraction in first 10 months of this year has now averaged 2.35%, and things don’t look like improving any time soon, according to the Commerce Ministry, as reported in the Bangkok Post. The director-general of the ministry’s Trade Policy and…

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  • Transport News

    AoT green lights new terminal for Suvarnabhumi to double capacity

    PHOTO: Artists impression of the original Suvarnabhumi terminal – Royal Thai Embassy The Airports of Thailand has approved a plan to establish a second terminal on the northern part of Suvarnabhumi Airport. The board has also agreed to discount landing fees for international charter flights at six airports under AoT control for the next five months. The AoT controlled airports are…

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