Year: 2019
- Phuket News
Phuket’s water supply in a critical situation
Phuket’s water lords are now admitting the island’s water situation is in a critical situation – a situation they have had the power to avert but have chosen instead to ‘hope’ for monsoonal rains and go in search of alternative water sources to top up the dwindling catchment resources. Phuket is now in the throws of a water shortage. The…
Read More » - South Thailand News
SUV catches fire sitting in Trang’s hot sun
PHOTOS: Earn Benjakun A SUV has caught fire while it was parked in the hot southern sun in Trang over the weekend. Fire fighters in Trang were notified of the burning SUV in Yan Ta Khao District in Trang at 2pm on Sunday. Fire fighters arrived to find the SUV ablaze. It took about 15 minutes to control the fire.…
Read More » - Koh Samui News
Massive fire at Koh Samui incinerator – VIDEO
PHOTOS/VIDEO: The Government Public Relation Department Region 5 An incinerator caught fire on Koh Samui, off the coast of Surat Thani last night. “That’s what incinerators are meant to do,” we hear you cry. But this one was totally out of control destroying the entire structure. The Government Public Relation Department Region 5 reports that the fire started at the…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket’s ‘seastead’ is now a sad ‘homestead’ back on shore – VIDEO
The Phuket seastead removal operation was a success yesterday, according to the Royal Thai Navy. The controversial seastead structure is now under guard at the Port of Thailand. The Royal Thai Navy says they are confident with the evidence they have for any litigation that may follow the removal of the structure from its offshore home, some 22 kilometres off…
Read More » - Thailand Weather Updates
Beware exploding phones – warning about leaving phones in hot cars
PHOTOS: Facebook/Ying Yupa Anan Don’t leave your mobile phone in your car if it’s going to be parked outside in the hot Thai sun. That’s the take-away message after an exploding mobile phone punched a hole in this woman’s pick-up truck windscreen after leaving the phone sitting on the dash. Samut Prakan, south of Bangkok city, resident Ying Yupa Anan…
Read More » - Thailand News
Thailand is ‘least miserable’ country in the world again
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says he’s delighted over Thailand’s rating as the “least miserable” economy in the latest Bloomberg Misery Index. The annual Misery Index is calculated as the sum of a country’s inflation and unemployment rates. The index compares the average of economists’ forecasts for each country. The US moved six places to 13th least miserable and the UK improved four spots to 16th least.…
Read More » - Krabi News
Man arrested after slashing 82 year old woman in Krabi
A man has been caught after slashing an 82 year old woman in Krabi today. The 52 year old man who is reported to have psychological problems was caught after he used a long knife to slash the 82 year old woman named Wieng Imkasem. The woman, who has sustained serious injuries as a result of the attack, was rushed…
Read More » - Thai Life
Finance Ministry wants to give 1,500 baht to each domestic traveller
The Finance Ministry says they are launching a new stimulus package to boost the country’s domestic tourism by giving Thais 1,500 baht each to spend when they travel to 55 provinces under the promotion campaign. Under the campaign, Thais aged 18 and over can register for the program. The government will then deposit 1,500 baht into their accounts though the…
Read More » - Northern Thailand News
History books will have to rewrite the Tham Luang cave story
“Two British divers have today found the 13 team members perched on the Nerm Nom Sao ledge.” “I promise I will care for the kids as best as possible. I want to say thank you for all the support,” 25 year old Cochairs Ekk wrote in a touching letter, nine days after they were found sitting atop a ledge known as…
Read More » - Bangkok News
Transport Ministry and State Railways told to pay HK company 11.9 billion baht
The long running issue of Bangkok’s ‘stonehenge’ has been resolved after the Supreme Administrative Court handed down its findings today over the disputed contract of the 60 kilometre link from central Bangkok to Don Mueang Airport. The Thai Ministry of Transport and the State Railway of Thailand have been dealt a costly blow after the Supreme Administrative Court today overturned…
Read More » - Phuket News
Slow loris released back into Phuket forest
PHOTOS: Department of National Parks Officers from of the Khao Phra Thaeo Non-Hunting Area have helped in the release of a slow loris back into the wild yesterday. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation reports that the head of Khao Phra Thaeo Non-Hunting Area, Pongchart Chueahom, yesterday released the slow loris to the Khao Phra Thaeo Non-Hunting…
Read More » - Phuket News
Seastead structure dragged back to shore by Royal Thai Navy
A floating seastead has today been towed by a naval vessel back to the Port of Phuket in Cape Panwa. Meanwhile the Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngam is challenging the owners and builders of the structure to take the Thai Government and Navy to the International Court of Justice. The Royal Thai Navy’s Third Fleet ventured out with a group of…
Read More » - South Thailand News
Pattani smuggler arrested with over 10,000 packets of illegal cigarettes
A man has been arrested in Pattani’s Mayo district after trying to smuggle 10,802 packets of foreign cigarettes. Police and Excise Department chief Itthipol Liabyainak announced the arrest of Yaman Pohleng, the owner of a grocery store in Tambon Sakhor Bon. Itthipol says the joint operation by Excise officials and border patrol police was carried out following tips-off that Yaman had…
Read More » - Northern Thailand News
Elderly mother of murdered Thai woman is seeking help to bring her daughter’s body home
PHOTO: Matichononline The family of a Thai woman murdered in northern Portugal in March is now calling for assistance with the cost of repatriating the body back to Thailand. According to Portuguese media the woman, Natchaya Saranyaphat, was murdered on March 7 by another Thai woman. Natchaya’s head was found on the Leca da Palmeira beach, 300 kilometres north of…
Read More » - South Thailand News
Phuket taxi slams into tree in Phattalung
PHOTOS: Phattalung Rescue Two people have sustained serious injuries after a Phuket taxi slammed into a tree in Phattalung last night. Phattalung rescue workers were notified of the accident in Mueang Pattalung District at 7.57pm last night (Sunday). They arrived at the scene to find the Phuket registered taxi resting in front of the big tree on the side of…
Read More » - Travel
Bangkok named most popular city for Japanese tourists
Thai PM Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha says he was happy after hearing that Bangkok was named the most popular destination for Japanese tourists during their Golden Week, a five-day long holiday which begins in late April. The survey was conducted by Agoda, the online booking platform. Pattaya and Phuket were also ranked among the most popular destinations at #4 and #10…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket seastead being removing by Thai Navy today
Navy officers are in the process of dismantling and removing the Phuket seastead today. About 300 navy officers are currently in the process removing the structure off the south east coast of the island. The operation is expected to be done by today, according to a spokesperson. The seastead will be kept at the Phuket Deap Sea Port as evidence…
Read More » - Chiang Mai News
British backpacker returns home for Easter after being jailed in Thailand
PHOTOS: Facebook.com A British backpacker is back in the UK for Easter after being released from prison after being incarcerated for 10 days over a ‘trivial’ offence. 26 year old Chris Dodd told the BBC he was arrested for picking up a mobile phone he found on the ground whilst waiting for a taxi at the Chiang Mai airport. He…
Read More » - Thailand Weather Updates
Freak summer storms damage 1,000 houses around Chiang Mai
PHOTO: Thai PBS Up to 1,000 homes were damaged by gusty winds and storm cells over the weekend around Chiang Mai. Ten districts were blacked out for several hours when a freak rain storm struck on Saturday, ripping off the roofs of homes and flinging debris around the districts. According to the provincial public disaster prevention and mitigation office, the…
Read More » - World News
LATEST: Sri Lanka bombings
A wave of explosions rocked Sri Lanka up-scale hotels and churches on Easter Sunday around the capital Colombo. This is what we know… • At least 215 people have been confirmed dead with up to 450 more injured in a series of bombings targeting churches holding Easter services and hotels in Sri Lanka. The toll is likely to rise during…
Read More » - Bangkok News
Third runway for BKK Suvarnabhumi Airport
The Thai cabinet yesterday approved the construction of a third runway at Suvarnabhumi International Airport as part of the country’s ambition to become the aviation hub of ASEAN. The 21.7 billion baht project will increase the combined capacity of Suvarnabhumi international airport’s runways to 94 arrivals and departures per hour from the current 64, said Lt-Gen Weerachon Sukonthapatipak, deputy government…
Read More » - South Thailand News
Commerce Ministry talks up benefits of palm oil for generating power
While the Thai government is promoting the use of palm oil to produce power, the latest price of the oil remains lower than the cost of producing it because the volume of output was 30% more than the expected quantity. The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives will survey the real quantity of palm oil to be released onto the market…
Read More » - Thailand News
Infamous ‘large’ passenger dies in Koh Samui
PHOTOS: The Sun A 200 kilogram tourist, who forced flight crews to wipe his bum as he moaned with pleasure in January, has died on Koh Samui. The American, who hasn’t been named, died whilst staying on the Gulf island due to an undisclosed illness. But he has left an indelible memory in his wake. At the same time, as…
Read More » - Environment News
Mae Hong Son continues to be plagued with fires
Mae Hong Son province continues to be plagued by forest fires despite the ban and the raging haze and smoke problems. In recent months, Mae Hong Son has been struggling with haze most of the time with flights to its airport limited at the height of the crisis. Exposure to the serious air pollution has become a threat to the…
Read More » - Hot News
The 5th Annual Stargazer talent contest returns to CC’s Hideaway
This year the winner will receive 35,000 baht in prize money! CC’s Hideaway, located in Kata, proudly presents its fifth ‘Stargazer Talent Contest’ which will take place on April 27 between 6 pm and 11 pm. The goal of Stargazer is to create an opportunity for new individuals and groups to perform and promote their special talents and, with media…
Read More » - Thailand News
Average hotel prices drop in Thailand in 2018
The latest Hotel Price Index (HPI) released by Hotels.com reveals no sign of a slowdown for the global travel industry. Prices are up for overnight accommodation by 3% globally in 2018 across every regional index, except for the Pacific region, including Thailand. Hotel.com has 85 websites in 34 languages, and lists over 325,000 hotels in approximately 19,000 locations. Its inventory…
Read More » - Phuket News
Legality of Seastead likely to be tested in an international court
The perceived naiveté of the team surrounding the seastead structure off Phuket’s south-east coast are about to be tested as the matter is likely to end up in an international court. Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngam says that the Thai government has the right to demolish the floating sea home and welcomed the threat of a lawsuit by its builder, Ocean…
Read More » - South Thailand News
Eight fishing tour boats destroyed at southern pier
PHOTOS: The Nation A fire has destroyed eight tourist fishing boats in Satun province earlier today. Police report that the fire broke out at the Pak Bara pier and spread quickly from a fishing boat to seven other adjacent boats. The boats were used to take tourists out to fish in the sea. The pier is the take-off point for…
Read More » - Chiang Mai News
Police investigating death of 33 year old Australian in Chiang Mai hotel
PHOTO: Chiang Mai News Police are still investigating the death of a 33 year old Australian man in Chiang Mai during the week. The man’s body was sent for autopsy whilst police speculate a drug overdose may have been the cause. The body of the man, identified as Daniel Thomas Janse was found at 4pm on April 17 at a…
Read More » - Bangkok News
Newborn baby dumped beside garbage bins
FILE PHOTO A newborn baby has been found abandoned near rubbish bins in Chon Buri province, south-east of Bangkok, earlier today. 18 year old city sanitation worker, Anucha Boonkhai, has told police that he had loaded garbage from all the bins on Soi 4 of Ban Kao village in Tambon Ban Kao, Muang district, when he spotted a pile of…
Read More » - Thailand Weather Updates
Summer storms leave 6,900 homes damaged this month
More than 6,900 houses, mostly in a patch through the central-north regions of Thailand, have been hit by summer storms since the beginning of April, according to the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department. Chayapol Thitisak, the director-general, says the department has received reports that 6,940 houses in 1,010 villages in 307 tambon of 115 districts had been damaged by storms…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket seastead will be removed today
The Third Naval Area Command will remove the seastead stationed off Phuket south-east coast today, belonging to an American bitcoin investor and seasteading innovators Ocean Builders. Thai authorities plan to seize the structure as evidence in a criminal case. They fear the structure will continue to be a navigation hazard if left there. US national Chad Elwartowski and his Thai…
Read More » - Northern Thailand News
Forecast drought will weaken the Thai economy
Thailand suffers calamities at both ends of the annual weather spectrum – both drought and flood. But as the demands on agriculture grow, with a growing population and the rise of tourists and development, the effects of these two extremes are becoming more apparent. Which leads us to this year’s outlook of lower rains which is exposing the poor management…
Read More » - Thai Life
Patong’s trash hero rewarded for collecting garbage in filthy canal
PHOTOS: Patong Police / Theeraphong Penmit / Newshawk Phuket A Phuket boy has been rewarded after setting an excellent example for the rest of the Patong community. 8 year old Kosin Ta-ngam, who is studying at Sai Nam Yen School in Patong in Pratom Suksa Three, has been collecting garbage in the filthy Pak Bang Canal and along Patong Beach…
Read More » - Krabi News
Maya Bay’s extended closure “vital to conserve the ecology”
Maya Bay’s extended closure keeps the wraps on one of southern Thailand’s most popular tourist attractions. Worapot Lomlim, chief of the Hat Nopparat Thara Phi Phi Islands national park confirmed this week that he might keep Maya Bay closed for up to five years to allow the current recovery to continue. The Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation…
Read More » - World News
Mitsubishi testing their new regional jet
PHOTO: The Japan Times Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ new 88-passenger Mitsubishi Regional Jet is testing the skies just as rivals Embraer and Bombardier are moving to sell off their manufacturing operations for jets with up to 160 seats to Boeing and Airbus. At stake, particularly in the market for jets with fewer seats, is US$135 billion in sales in the two decades through…
Read More » - Food
Na-Oh, taking off daily into a brand new culinary adventure
PHOTOS: The Nation | Na-Oh A restaurant with a theme, a grand gothic theme – a flying vessel taking survivors of a post-apocalyptic world to a safe zone. Na-Oh (a play on Noah and his journey-to-safety story) promises that its menu will constantly change to reflect a new theme set by the restaurant every three or four months, usually reflective…
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