Year: 2019
- Environment News
Thai Minister Manunya a lone voice to have 3 herbicides banned
PHOTO: The Thaiger Deputy Agriculture Minister Manunya Thaiseth (the OTHER deputy, not the embattled Thannamat Prompeo) is complaining that she appears to be a lone voice amongst the bureaucrats and politicians to have three toxic agricultural chemicals – paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos – banned within this year, as promised. She says that she’s not receiving any cooperation from the Agricultural…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Pattaya down the drain – big rains hit the city
PHOTOS: 77kaoded Hours of torrential rain that hit Pattaya yesterday caused flooding and made some roads impassable. But that didn’t stop some adventurous drivers giving it a red-hot shot! The road by the railway, heading towards Sattahip, was under half a metre of water in places. The area is prone to flooding when the monsoonal rains kick in, according to the…
Read More » - Crime News
2.5 million methamphetamine pills seized near Myanmar border
PHOTO: The Nation Another big delivery of methamphetamine pills has been intercepted in Chiang Mai. This time the couriers were both female. Rangers from the Pha Muang Task Force intercepted 2.5 million methamphetamine pills and arrested two females in a pick-up truck that broke through a checkpoint in the Mae Ai district early yesterday. The arrest followed a tip-off that…
Read More » - Thai Life
Prachin Buri roadside flower seller gives yesterday’s earnings to Thai flood victims
PHOTOS: INN News A roadside flower seller in Prachin Buri, just to the north east of Bangkok, is giving all his earnings from yesterday to help flood victims in Thailand’s north east provinces. INN News reports that he was wearing a sign… “All earnings from today will be given to flood victims”. Flower sellers are often seen at red lights…
Read More » - Tourism News
Obligatory travel insurance for visitors to Thailand? Don’t worry about it for now, says government
Chote Trachu, representing the Thai Ministry for Tourism and Sports, says tourists visiting Thailand don’t have to worry about the mandatory requirement for travel insurance at this time. Thailand’s tourism industry is currently experiencing some challenges, explains the Ministry’s spokesperson, and for this reason, the requirement for all visitors to have travel insurance is being postponed until 2020 – or…
Read More » - World News
Tragedy strikes Hannah Witheridge family again as sister dies from serious illness
ThaiVisa shares a tragic report from the BBC today that the sister of Hannah Witheridge, murdered on Koh Tao in 2014, has passed away after battling a serious illness. It’s understood that Laura Daniels, aged 30, died in hospital on Monday. The nature of the illness has not been disclosed. The family say they have had their “hearts broken” following…
Read More » - World News
Can Hamilton pull off a Singapore hat-trick in the haze?
“Hamilton has taken four of Mercedes’ five victories at the demanding 23-turn city street circuit and is looking for a third consecutive triumph.” by John O’Brien Lewis Hamilton is hoping his march towards a sixth Formula One world title Singapore this week won’t be affected by smoke from wildfires raging next door in Indonesia. The city state has been plagued…
Read More » - Food
The 5 Thai dishes most likely to harbour bacteria
Research shared by Thai Residents reveals the 5 Thai dishes most likely to contain E-coli and other nasty bacteria. They are Red Pork Rice, Crunchy Pork Rice, Chicken Rice, Pork Leg Rice, and Papaya Salad. It’s believed that the reason for this may be that while many of the individual ingredients in these dishes are pre-cooked, they are then left…
Read More » - World News
Mixed response on Asian markets to US Fed reserve decision today
“Global markets have spent most of this month rising on bets that central banks, led by the Fed, will move to a softer monetary policy…” Asian equities are mixed this morning, with attention now turning to the US Federal Reserve’s key policy decision later today. Meanwhile investors remain skittish watching developments in the Middle East after the attack on Saudi…
Read More » - World News
Talks with the community will begin next week, says Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam
Thai PBS World shares a Reuters story that reports on planned talks between the Hong Kong government and the community, set to begin next week. The reports says Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam has repeated her calls for the violence to end, with the city having been gripped by protests for over three months now. The demonstrations began in…
Read More » - Politics News
No nerves here, says Thai PM, in advance of oath grilling
PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha says he’s not at all nervous about today’s debate on his oath-taking gaffe and is well prepared for a grilling from the opposition. “I don’t feel nervous at all. I am at the stage where I no longer feel rattled.” The Bangkok Post reports that those taking part in the debate are set to include the…
Read More » - Thailand Weather Updates
Damp in the south, drier in the north – Thailand’s fickle weather
There is a reasonably high chance of rain in many of the country’s busiest locations, over the next five days (forecasts below). According to the TMD (Thai Meteorological Department), there will be an increased chance of rain in the south but less in the north and north-east, where many areas are still recovering from extensive flooding. “The monsoon trough lies…
Read More » - World News
Minimum age for marriage raised to curb child brides – Indonesia
PHOTO: eNCA “14% of girls in Indonesia are married before the age of 18, and 1% are married before their 15th birthday.” – UNICEF Indonesia’s parliament will raise the minimum age for marriage to 19 in a ruling aimed to curb child marriage in the south east Asian nation. Indonesia’s House of Representatives passed the revision to the country’s existing…
Read More » - World News
Another 300 Chinese rounded up in Philippines fraud crackdown
PHOTO: rya.org Aliens were reportedly rounded up in eight hotels and establishments where they were caught in the act of doing their illegal activities.” Philippines immigration officials, backed by army troops, have arrested more than 300 Chinese over alleged cyber crimes, a week after a similar number were detained during a raid linked to investment fraud. The Bureau of Immigration late…
Read More » - Thailand News
Stop Fake News seminar run by LINE and Digital Economy ministry
The Minister of a Digital Economy and Society, Puttipong Punnakanta, opened a Stop Fake News seminar to promote online media literacy and discretion before sharing information and news with other Thai youth, to prevent the spread of misinformation. The seminar was run in conjunction with Thailand’s most popular messaging App, ‘LINE’. Apart from representatives from LINE, the seminar also involved communication…
Read More » - Expats
More industry groups line up calling for TM30 abolishment
More industry and NGO groups are lining up with criticism or calls for abolishment of the embattled TM30 and TM28 immigration forms. Most of the criticisms focus on the draconian nature of the forms, confusion around interpretation and the problems with inconsistent implementation. Trade and commerce organisations are saying it flies in the face of the government’s wishes for Thailand…
Read More » - World News
15 killed after truck plummets into ravine in T’boli, Philippines
“Based on eyewitness accounts, the truck lost its brakes.” Fifteen people, including children, have been killed in the southern Philippines after their flatbed truck plummeted into a ravine. The vehicle was carrying around 30 people home from a trip to the beach when the driver lost control near the town of T’boli in the latest deadly crash on the nation’s dangerous…
Read More » - Environment News
Thailand’s favourite giant panda dies in Chiang Mai Zoo aged 19
A beloved male giant panda, on permanent loan to Thailand from China, has died aged 19 in Chiang Mai. Thais are morning the death of the hugely popular black and white mammal whose sex life captivated the kingdom. Chuang Chuang, a resident of the northern city’s zoo since October 2003, arrived with female Lin Hui, where the pair lived in…
Read More » - Northern Thailand News
68 year old Australian hangs himself after alleging Pattaya police failed to take a missing passport report
A 68 year old Australian has been found hanged in a room in Buriram, north east Thailand. Buriram police were called to the hotel near the city bus station after receiving reports about the deceased foreigner on the third floor room. The man was hanging from a nylon cord and had been dead for an estimated three hours. Attached to the…
Read More » - Crime News
Thai bank employee caught stealing customers’ cash
PHOTOS: kapook.com A video has been shared showing a female bank employee walking behind the bank’s reception and, allegedly, emptying the contents of a yellow basket into her pocket. She was carrying yellow basket and looked into the basket before quickly grabbing the cash and stuffing it into her suit pocket before going into another room through the white door. The…
Read More » - Politics News
Thammanat Prompao misses cabinet meeting today, calls in sick
Controversy-prone deputy agriculture minister for the Prayut government, Thammanat Prompao, isn’t feeling well today and has called in sick. He’s even provided a photo of himself in bed as proof of his need for a day off. After weathering a week of questions about his dodgy degrees and heroin-trafficking days back in Sydney in the 90s, he’s now succumbed to…
Read More » - World News
Nepali climber pushing for record 14 peak record attempt
PHOTO: Don Bowie “This is not about me… it is to show what the human body can do. To establish a paradigm shift in perception of human potential.” by Paavan Mathema The current record for climbing the world’s 14 tallest peaks is almost eight years. Now Nepali climber, Nirmal Purja, who served in the British special forces, has set a…
Read More » - Business News
No impact on PTT’s imports from Saudi oil refinery attack: Thai minister
Thai energy minister Sontirat Sontijirawong claims that last Saturday’s attacks on two major oil-processing facilities run by the Saudi-owned company Aramco will not affect oil imports of the Thai petro-chemical giant PTT group. He added that he had learnt from Aramco and related parties that the situation there was under control and the damage was being assessed. The incident would…
Read More » - World News
Smoke from Indonesian illegal plantation burn-offs causing acute problems for south east Asian neighbours
PHOTO: Visibility down to less than a kilometre at KL airport yesterday Flights cancelled, schools closed and regional environmental ministers trading insults. The minister’s fiddle whilst Indonesian islands burn. Parts of Indonesia are now opening temporary clinics to treat thousands of people suffering from acute respiratory illnesses in the smoke haze stricken regions around Sumatra island as authorities stepped up…
Read More » - World News
Hong Kong train derails during morning peak
“The cause of the derailment was still under investigation but there was no immediate suggestion of foul play…” A passenger train has derailed during the morning peak hour in Hong Kong. Three people were injured in the incident. Images from the scene showed three carriages had left the tracks and were zigzagged across the rails near Hung Hom station in…
Read More » - Politics News
Wissanu admits Thammanat Prompeo’s educational credentials were not checked
Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngarm admits that the Office of the Secretary-General of the Cabinet had not vetted the educational background of Captain Thammanat Prompao, before he was appointed deputy agriculture minister, because the vetting process might have delayed the appointment of the cabinet. But he says the embattled deputy agriculture minister might be replaced “if there is an ethics problem”.…
Read More » - Environment News
Leading environmentalist slams Thailand’s record on pollution
A renowned Thai environmentalist and academic has posted a picture on Facebook of a Thai beach covered in trash as he slams the country for not doing enough to protect the environment. Dr Thon Thamrongnawasawat, Deputy Dean of Kasetsat University, says he was sent the picture by a Thai national marine park and urges his fellow citizens to take action…
Read More » - Thailand Weather Updates
More heavy rain to affect many parts of Thailand
PHOTO: Kohsamuisunset.com A low-pressure cell over Cambodia has caused a monsoon trough to lie over the lower part of central Thailand, the upper south, and the east of the country since yesterday. The Nation reports that there is also a strong southwest monsoon across the Andaman Sea, as well as the south and the upper Gulf of Thailand. Strong waves…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Two foreigners arrested in Pattaya for long overstays
A woman from Turkmenistan has been arrested in Pattaya for overstaying her Thai visa by 2,675 days. It’s understood the woman was detained by Chonburi Immigration and the Tourist Police on Friday. She was stopped outside a hotel in what was a random passport check in the area. On the same day, a Russian man who was randomly stopped and checked…
Read More » - South Thailand News
Police officer caught drinking on the job
A police officer in Nakhon Si Thamarat, southern Thailand, is being investigated for allegedly consuming alcohol while working. The offence is understood to have taken place while Pol Lt-Col Somsak Faipakdee was at his office, during work hours. The Thai-language Daily News reports that the officer, a member of the Border Patrol Police of Tungsong District, is being investigated on…
Read More » - Northern Thailand News
Thai PM leads TV charity campaign for flood victims
PHOTO: Yodsapon Kerdviboon/Isaanrecord.com After coming in for quite a lot of flak for what many called a slow response to flooding that has crippled the North and North-East, the government is launching a televised charity campaign to ask for donations to help relief efforts. The PM himself will step in to receive donations on behalf of flood victims, with the…
Read More » - Chiang Mai News
Chiang Mai’s favourite giant panda, Chuang Chuang, has died
PHOTO: Giant Panda Chuang Chuang enjoys his birthday treats at Chiang Mai zoo last year The resident Chiang Mai Zoo giant panda, Chuang Chuang, has died aged 19. The Chiang Mai zoo director made the announcement yesterday. Chuang Chuang was also known as Thewan in Thai and as Kham Ai in the indigenous Lanna language. Pandas normally live for around…
Read More » - Crime News
Tour company owner arrested over non-delivery of discount luxury airline tickets
PHOTO: Sanook Again, if it sounds too goof to be true, it probably is, especially when it comes to airline ticket scams. The Thai Crime Suppression Division Police have arrested a tour company owner wanted over 6 arrest warrants. Her tour company was selling fake plane tickets to victims claiming that the company was able to source extremely cheap tickets…
Read More » - Thai Life
Lilly wages war on Thailand’s plastic
PHOTOS” AFP “Mindsets have started to shift this year with the deaths of several marine mammals whose stomachs were lined with plastic, stirring emotions.” by Sophie Deviller Skipping school to glide through a dirty Bangkok ‘klong’ on a paddleboard, Lilly fishes out rubbish in her mission to clean up Thailand, where the average person uses eight plastic bags every single…
Read More » - Tourism News
Thai poll favours new airport in Nakhon Pathom, west of Bangkok
Sanook report that most Thais are in favour of building a new airport in Nakhon Pathom, 57 kilometres west of the capital Bangkok. The old Don Mueang airport is to the north of Bangkok and Suvarnabhumi, to the east. In a Nida Poll 65% of respondents thought the new airport in Nakhon Pathom was a good idea citing benefits to tourism and the…
Read More » - Business News
Industry group calls for further cut in Thai policy interest rate
“Thai private sector, recently adjusted downward the export growth projection for this year to 2.9 – 3%.” The Federation of Thai Industries have their hopes set on the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of Thailand making another cut in the policy interest rate, currently set at 1.5%. With the US Fed looking to drop its interest rate this week,…
Read More » - World News
Frantic search for missing 39 after Indian boat capsize
“The boat was carrying a total of 73 passengers, 26 have been rescued.” Indian authorities are engaged in a major search and rescue operation today to find 39 people missing after their tour boat capsized in a fast-flowing swollen river in Andhra Pradesh. Police told AFP that eight bodies have been recovered, down from a previous tally of 12, after…
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