Year: 2019

  • Covid-19 News

    Covid-19 Coronavirus UPDATE: Global pandemic, Italy cases soar, new Chinese cases plummet

    As the World Health Organisation declares the Covid-19 coronavirus a global pandemic, there are now 126,380 cases, resulting in 4,634 deaths, with 68,310 people fully recovered. The focus of new outbreaks has moved away from China and to the European continent and the US. The current death rate is 3.7%. Here are snippets of the latest news from around the…

    Read More »
  • Phuket News

    Motorbike driver killed after SUV runs red light in Koh Kaew, Phuket

    A motorbike driver has died after he collided with an SUV that ran a red light in Koh Kaew last night. The Phuket City Police report that they were notified of the incident at 8pm at a Koh Kaew intersection. Police and emergency responders arrived to find a motorbike stuck in front of an SUV. The motorbike driver was taken to…

    Read More »
  • Pattaya News

    Body of baby boy tied to stroller found off Pattaya beach

    WARNING: Some readers may find the following story disturbing PHOTOS: Pattaya Law Enforcement / Rak Siam A body of foreign baby boy in a stroller was found floating near a beach in Pattaya yesterday. Pattaya City Law Enforcement say they were notified by locals that a body of baby was found floating near a pier at Laem Bali Hai in…

    Read More »
  • Thailand News

    4 ways Thais use Twitter. Which one are you?

    With hundreds of millions of users globally, Twitter is many things to many people. Amongst Thailand’s growing Twitter community, it’s interesting to see how users are evolving the way they use Twitter. Trending topics change rapidly as Thai users jump from one hot topic to another, while favourite celebrities and musicians remain relatively consistent. Below are just four ways Thais…

    Read More »
  • Thailand Election News

    “Nothing to do with the election” – Deputy PM Prawit

    Senior government security officials are claiming the series of bomb blasts last weekend in the southern provinces of Phatthalung and Satun are related to insurgency activities in the predominantly Muslim region. They say there is no connection with the upcoming election and that the timing is just co-incidence. The South has been racked by violence from an ongoing insurgency since…

    Read More »
  • Bangkok News

    Police wrestler avoids jail but gets a hefty fine

    PHOTO: Daily News Bangkok’s Dusit Court has fined a Honda City sedan driver 8,500 baht for four offences related to an incident caught on video last week. The video showed Pol Lance Corporal Thanakit Wiboonphan trying to clamp a car parked illegally in a no standing zone. Not happy about the situation, the driver argued and wrestled with the traffic policeman.…

    Read More »
  • Thailand News

    Flying motorbike ends up stuck in power lines in Surin

    PHOTO: เฮฮาหน้าโรงพัก A motorbike has ended up entangled in power lines, four meters up in the air, following an incident in Surin province yesterday. Daily News is reporting that emergency responders were notified of the accident in Karbcherng last night (Sunday). They arrived to find a motorbike entangled in the electric wires four metres from the ground. Nearby they found…

    Read More »
  • Pattaya News

    Australian ‘bottles’ customer in an unprovoked attack in Pattaya

    SCREENSHOT: Facebook/David Collier A customer in a bar has been attacked in Pattaya. CCTV footage shows the moment an Australia thug launched a shocking and apparently unprovoked attack on the man. As the customer was walking out of the bar the assailant gets up and whacks the man over the head with a bottle. The attacker has been identified as…

    Read More »
  • Northern Thailand News

    From Moto GP to Weed Fest, Buriram leads the way

    PHOTO: A Pan Ram supporter can’t wait for the ‘cannabis festival’ next month in Buriram province – Khaosod English They pulled off the MotoGP event with flair and great organisation. Now Buriram is bracing for a very different crowd heading for the next big event. Taking advantage of the new liberalisation of laws governing marijuana and cannabis, the north-east festival…

    Read More »
  • Phuket News

    Security stepped up in Phuket in the wake of Satun and Patthalung bombs

    Phuket security officials have increased safety and tourist security after suspects set off pipe bombs in Statun and Patthalung during the weekend. Although the southern provincial trio of Songkhla, Pattani and Narathiwat have been the site of a 20 year insurgency between southern Thais and Muslim insurgents, provinces north of the region have been largely spared any insurgency-related violence. That…

    Read More »
  • Krabi News

    German tourist bitten by snake in Krabi temple

    A female tourist has been rushed to hospital after she was bitten by snake at the Tiger Cave Temple in Krabi. The 23 year old German tourist was taken to Krabi Hospital after she was been bitten by a snake on her right foot. The German tourist was still conscious whilst being treated at the scene and during her trip…

    Read More »
  • Bangkok News

    Wealthy Thai woman arrested over dodgy weight-loss pills in raids across the country

    PHOTO: Daily News An extensive police operation has led to the arrest of wealthy operator of a business selling alleged weight-loss products. The woman has also been charged with possession of controlled substances. Of the 13 targeted locations in Bangkok, one was the luxurious home of Wirairat Udthong on Soi Pattanakan 42 in the Suan Luang district. Wirairat was charged…

    Read More »
  • Phuket News

    Demolition order for illegal balcony at luxury villas in Ao Sane

    PHOTO: Chatchanon Na Thalang A demolition order has been issued for an illegally constructed balcony, which also leads to a pool and spa, at the controversial villas being constructed overlooking Ao Sane beach near Nat Harn. Rawai Municipality put a halt to construction activities on the villas last week after Rawai officials noted that the balcony was not part of…

    Read More »
  • Thai Life

    Phuket 1988: Thai expat digs out his old Super 8 movies

    David Barrett gets out his Super 8 projector for another film night – this time we see Patong in 1988, already quite developed even though mass tourism was still more than a decade away. The few high-rise are certainly not cluttering up the skyline at this time. David is sharing his early Super 8 movies with us as we wallow…

    Read More »
  • Hot News

    Some airlines ground the Boeing 737 MAX 800 aircraft “as a precaution”

    Airlines around the world that fly the new Boeing 737 MAX 800 model are starting to ground their fleets of the new next-gen aircraft. China’s aviation regulator have already ordered local airlines to stop flight with the 800 MAX model after an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft of the same model crashed yesterday morning. The aircraft is relatively new to the skies,…

    Read More »
  • South Thailand News

    Bank evasive after 91 year old claims 5 million baht removed from his account

    A 91 year old land owner and farmer in Chumpon claims that he’s had 5 million baht ‘taken’ from one of his bank accounts. Daily News reports that Thon Brahmjan from Tha Kham district had been to the bank, the police and government consumer watchdog Damrongtham Centre at the end of last year after the 5 million baht went missing…

    Read More »
  • Thailand News

    Despite the dangers, Thai police chief says ‘OK’ to pickup passengers over Songkran

    SCREENSHOT: GamerGirl566 (video below) Police are not going to impose restrictions for people riding in the back of pickup trucks over the Songkran holidays this April. The national deputy police chief Srivara Ransibrahmanakul has said it’s OK for passengers to ride in the tray space at the back of pick-ups “as long as they are deemed safe”. Last year suggestions…

    Read More »
  • Environment News

    Shoppers said ‘no’ to 237 million plastic bags at 7-11 in three months

    More than 237 million plastic bags have been left unused at Thailand’s 7-eleven stores in the past three months – valued at more than 47 million baht. But the media release from CP All, the local franchise owners of 7-eleven, doesn’t announce how many plastic bags were actually used during the same period. The sole operator of 7-Eleven convenience stores…

    Read More »
  • Phuket News

    Body recovered of a man who jumped off Sarasin Bridge last Thursday

    The body of a man, who was seen jumping off Sarasin Bridge last week, has been found and recovered off the coast of Rawai in Phuket’s south. Kok Kloi Police in Phang Nga were notified about the man jumping off the bridge that links Phuket to the mainland (southbound) last Thursday. Read more about the man jumping off Sarasin Bridge HERE.…

    Read More »
  • World News

    Ethiopian Airlines crash – a second new Boeing 737 falters after take off

    PHOTO: A brand new Boeing 737 Max 800 for Ethiopian Airlines All 157 people on board the Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa that crashed yesterday morning have died, the airline has confirmed. The airline said in a statement… “We hereby confirm that our scheduled flight ET 302 from Addis Ababa to Nairobi was involved in accident today.” The plane is…

    Read More »
  • World News

    Will Asian airlines allow female flight attendants to leave the make up and tight clothes at home?

    Some regional airlines, principally AirAsia and Vietnam’s VietJet Air are being criticised for putting young female flight attendants in tight-fitting clothes or revealing outfits either on the job or in promotional videos. The local online ‘outrage’ follows an announcement this week that Britain’s Virgin Atlantic has dropped a requirement that female flight attendants wear makeup. This sees Virgin join other major…

    Read More »
  • Phuket News

    Phuket airport numbers soar, despite the sag in the second half of 2018

    “India became the fastest growing source market last year with more direct flights in 2019.” by Bill Barnett of C9 Hotelworks In 2018, Phuket tourism experienced volatile trading. While the first half year achieved a record high 4.8 million passenger arrivals, the second half year dropped unexpectedly due to the impact of the boat tragedy in July when 47 Chinese…

    Read More »
  • Business News

    Top 5 Phuket (and Thailand) hotel trends for 2019

    by Bill Barnett Moving through high season in 2019, hoteliers are starting to look for strategies for the rest of the year in order to not be reliant only on volatile mass markets. The following is C9 Hotelworks read on key trends for the year. Pressure On Demand – Good Hotels Perform, Others Left Out Diving into the numbers, the reality is that…

    Read More »
  • Chiang Mai News

    American all smiles after getting nabbed over convenience store theft

    A 54 year old American has been caught stealing from a convenience store in Chiang Mai. Gregory Paul Burke was captured on camera at the Muang police station grinning over the matter. Staff at the store in Khotchasan Road, Chiang Mai, caught him stuffing two big bags of instant coffee, some chewing gum and a pack of sushi into his…

    Read More »
  • Krabi News

    Krabi woman fakes death to avoid “loan sharks”

    PHOTO: Sanook A 30 year old woman named Sudawan, who went online to post pictures of herself, apparently dead with cotton wool stuffed up her nose, has now been located. Relatives went to the police because they did not believe she was dead. They told police that they thought she went into hiding after finding out she had to pay…

    Read More »
  • Things To Do

    Top 10 things to see in Phuket, on a budget (2019)

    PHOTO: The Trick Eye Museum in Phuket Town We can’t all afford to stay in the lap of luxury in five star properties, and spend our Sunday’s at extravagant hi-so brunches. Good luck to those who can! In Phuket you can have fantastic experiences that either cost you nothing or not much more. Here is, in no particular order, our…

    Read More »
  • Bangkok News

    Bangkok woman gives birth in the back of a taxi!

    PHOTO MONTAGE: Thai Rath So you’re on your way to hospital with a passenger in the back of your taxi who says she’s going to have a baby – soon. Ahead there’s a lot traffic. Taxi driver Pratheep Manop said he picked up a woman aged about 25 – 30 from Pahonyothin Soi 48. She wanted to be taken to Wipharam…

    Read More »
  • Thailand News

    The Nan “U-Turn of Death”. A fatality almost every day.

    Thailand’s U-Turns, a favorite traffic mechanism of Thai road planners, are a cause of constant delays, dangerous turns and frequent fatalities. Daily News reports on a U-turn in Nan, northern Thailand, where there is a fatality almost every day. Nan is east of Chiang Mai on the Laos border. The police had shut it but the locals wanted it reopened…

    Read More »
  • Phuket News

    Phuket’s aircraft selfies to be moved from end of runway

    PHOTO: Teerasak Saksritawee Phuket airport authorities are looking to restrict photography of aircraft from the northern end of Nai Yang beach, at the western end of the single Phuket International Airport runway. The beach has been a popular photo opportunity for visitors but is causing additional aviation safety concerns as the photography and airport traffic increase. Phuket Airport deputy director…

    Read More »
  • Thailand Election News

    Long queues and poor arrangements greet early Thai voters in KL

    PHOTO: Thai PBS A long queue of waiting voters spilled out of the Thai embassy compound in Kuala Lumpur during yesterday’s early voting. Over 4,000 Thai nationals working in Malaysia turned up at the Thai embassy in KL yesterday to cast their ballots. The actual Thai election day is on March 24 but foreign embassies provide opportunities for Thai expats to cast their vote…

    Read More »
  • Bangkok News

    Chachoengsao man killed by grenade explosion on Facebook Live

    PHOTO: M79 grenades and launcher A man was killed by a grenade explosion at a border patrol police base in Chachoengsao whilst trying to catch wild chickens. Chachoengsao is directly east of Bangkok. The 28 year old, Apisit Kerdlarpphol, was killed after entering the prohibited army training zone and broadcasting his exploits live on his Facebook page. Police say they discovered…

    Read More »
  • Pattaya News

    “Waiter, there’s a cockroach in my beer!” Drama in Pattaya

    PHOTOS: Daily News Big drama in Pattaya! • A female customer has taken to Facebook to complain, despite not having to pay. • A staff member has offered her resignation. • A deputy manager denies that it was ‘their’ cockroach. • And Terminal 21 has taken it all very seriously and issued a letter promising further action. Behind all this…

    Read More »
  • Bangkok News

    88 arrested and being sent to ‘attitude adjustment’ on March 11

    88 motorcyclists have been arrested along with 92 bikes, illegally modified, seized. The arrests relate to road racing in the, now, weekly Bangkok roadside crackdowns. This week police set up checkpoints on roads under the jurisdiction of Metropolitan Police Division 2. A media conference was held this morning, just after midnight, to announce the results of the operation. Police say…

    Read More »
  • Pattaya News

    Stray dogs to be rounded up on Jomtien Beach

    The Pattaya Mail is reporting that local officials have instructed Pattaya’s dog catchers to round up ‘dangerous’ stray dogs that have been roaming in packs around Jomtien Beach, south of Pattaya. Deputy Mayor Manote Nongyai and other officials visited the beach two weeks ago and confirmed the many complaints about aggressive soi dogs chasing tourists, defecating on sidewalks and “making…

    Read More »
  • Chiang Mai News

    Three died, three injured in Chiang Mai road crash

    Three people were killed and three others injured when their car hit a power pole on the Chiang Mai-Hod road in Chiang Mai’s Doi Lor district early today (Saturday). The vehicle overturned after it hit the pole. Emergency responders and rescuers from the Putthasawan Nopparat Foundation had to use iron cutters (Jaws of Life) to extract the bodies from the vehicle.…

    Read More »
  • Thailand News

    Is Thailand falling behind in the startup race? Techsauce Global Summit Bangkok

    PHOTO: Oranuch Lerdsuwankij, CEO and co-founder of summit organiser Techsauce Media by Asina Pornwasin Oranuch Lerdsuwankij, CEO and co-founder of summit organiser Techsauce Media, underlined the forthcoming conference’s importance as a platform for tech enthusiasts across different industries to discuss digital knowledge, ideas and experiences. She says the summit is bringing tangible changes to the tech ecosystem across Thailand and…

    Read More »
  • Health

    Top 10 tips for tattoos in Thailand

    by Inked In Asia and Carl Gulliver We know for many it might be a holiday whim, while for others it may require months of planning and preparation. Here are some common topics and questions for getting a tattoo in Thailand. Why are you getting a tattoo in Thailand? Have you been following a Thai artist, or studio and want…

    Read More »