Month: August 2020

  • Crime News

    Unidentified woman attacks foreign man in Pattaya

    Police in Pattaya report that a foreign man was attacked by an unidentified woman in front of a restaurant on the city’s Beach Road. The incident occurred at 6:15pm yesterday at a McDonald’s located on Beach Road between Soi 5 and Soi 6. The man, whose name and nationality are being withheld by police, was attacked by a Thai woman…

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  • Opinion

    Mushroom clouds and nuclear explosions – the fallout from the Beirut explosion – VIDEO

    The world of instant experts and budding journalists kicks in moments after any event these days and reaches out almost instantaneously. The majority of people in the world first read about the Beirut chemical explosion on social media feeds, rather than mainstream media sources. Whilst most of the videos appeared horrifyingly authentic, captured by residents from wherever they were at…

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  • Thai Life

    Panel says Boss Voovidhya arrest warrant still stands

    The arrest warrant for Red Bull scion Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya remains in place, despite a request from police that it be withdrawn, according to the head of the independent panel examining the 2012 hit-and-run case. Vicha Mahakun, who chairs the panel, was speaking yesterday after a second meeting of the panel, ordered by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha amid public outrage over…

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  • Bangkok News

    Harry Potter-themed protest openly questions monarchy’s role

    Thai protesters strayed into more sensitive territory Monday night as they added the prickly, and largely taboo, topic of the Thai monarchy to the list of issues to include in their demonstrations. At a Harry Potter-themed rally, dubbed “Harry Potter versus You-Know-Who or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named”, anti-government demonstrators at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument demanded changes to Thailand’s revered monarchy and called for curbs…

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  • Phuket News

    Dozens of Burmese, Thai workers demand back pay, benefits in Phuket

    An estimated 100 Burmese and Thai workers went to Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday to report their employer for not paying them for 3 months, and to try and get some clarity if they still have jobs. They filed their complaint with the ombudsman’s office and the Labour Protection Social Security Office. 27 year old Burmese national Min Thu Khu explained…

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  • Crime News

    Police seize property valued at 200 million baht from suspected hill tribe drug gang – VIDEO

    Anti-narcotics police in 4 provinces seized property valued at around 200 million baht from a suspected drug trafficking gang… mostly northern hill tribe people, in coordinated raids yesterday. 30 targets in Bangkok and Hua Hin, as well as in northern and southern provinces, were raided by armed officers. 24 houses, 5 shophouses, 12 land title deeds, 22 cars and 27…

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  • Crime News

    Immigration police nab American, Thai wife for visa forgery, cannabis

    Immigration police yesterday announced the arrest of an American, and his Thai wife for allegedly forging visas and other government documents, as well as growing cannabis, at their home. 31 year old Chad Vincent Scira, and his 34 year old Thai wife Grace Scira, were apprehended at their Bangkok home. “The suspects established a company called Thai Visa Centre, offering…

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  • World News

    Vietnam battles new, more contagious Covid-19 strain

    Vietnam’s acting health minister reported 28 new cases of Covid-19 infection yesterday, bringing its total confirmed cases to 670, as well as 2 more deaths from the disease, making the tally 8 deceased Vietnamese. 27 of the new cases were reported in the central city of Da Nang, central Quang Nam province and southern Dong Nai province, among whom 16…

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  • Bangkok News

    Fire ravages Samut Prakan warehouse

    A fire in Samut Prakan province, just southeast of Bangkok, caused major damage to an ice factory warehouse and 3 vehicles in the early hours of this morning. No injuries were reported. A duty officer at Samrong Tai police station says the blaze at the ice factory on Soi Wat Mahawong in tambon Samrong was reported just after midnight. The…

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  • Pattaya News

    Chon Buri battles dengue fever outbreak

    Chon Buri province’s Si Racha subdistrict is starting a campaign to stem the spread of dengue fever, including widespread fogging to reduce population of disease-bearing mosquitoes. Dengue fever is a seasonal threat in Thailand and has been especially dangerous this year, with 25,708 cases nationwide, 15 of them fatal, in the first 7 months of the year. In Si Racha…

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  • Northern Thailand News

    7 Nakhon Panom officers transferred after cell death

    7 police officers in the upper northeastern province of Nakhon Panom have been “transferred to inactive duty” while an investigation takes place into the death of a man in their custody. The commander of Nakhon Phanom provincial police said yesterday that he’s ordered a probe into the case and moved the officers involved to prevent anyone tampering with the evidence.…

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  • Transport News

    Nok Air blames some of its losses on MPs who don’t show up for flights

    Part of Nok Air’s current losses are being blamed on privileged MPs, who receive free flights on the budget carrier but don’t turn up for their flights. Somboon Uthaiwiankul, secretary for the government’s House Speaker, says the issue was brought up by executives of the airline during a meeting with the House Speaker, Chuan Leekpai. The executives told him last…

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  • Transport News

    Koh Samui bridge collapse leaves truck stuck under pier

    In the second setback in a week for the beleagured Raja Ferry Co., a steel boarding bridge for vehicles at Raja 1 ferry pier on Koh Samui collapsed yesterday, leaving a truck wedged under the wharf. The incident follows Saturday’s ferry disaster in which 3 people are confirmed dead and 3 remain missing. The pier is one of the 3…

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  • South Thailand News

    Psychiatric patient stabs sister to death at family home in southern Thailand

    A man undergoing psychiatric treatment after prolonged drug use has stabbed his sister to death in the southern province of Songkhla. The man’s family say he was being treated at Rajanagarindra Psychiatric Hospital, but on the day of the murder he’d been told by his doctor to rest at home. The man has been named as 39 year old Boonya…

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  • Covid-19 News

    Senator questions the admission of US troops during state of emergency

    A Thai senator is questioning the need for US troops to participate in joint exercises with their Thai counterparts while a state of emergency is still in place in the country. The emergency decree was extended for the third time at the end of July and is now set to expire at the end of this month. Senator Kamnoon Sidhisamarn…

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  • Crime News

    PM vows to “spare no one” in fatal casino shooting

    PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has says he will “spare no one” if Monday night’s fatal shooting shooting in a Bangkok gambling den involved illegal police activity. He was reacting to the shooting death of Watthanaset Samniangprasert, an interrogation inspector at Samae Dam police station in Bang Bon district, and 3 others, 1 of them a woman, at a gambling den in…

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  • Thailand Weather Updates

    Stormy weather wreaks havoc, destroys homes, in southern Thailand

    The current stormy conditions have caused severe damage to a number of homes in the southern province of Surat Thani, with some villagers left homeless. At one property in the Phra Sang district, the roof and garage have collapsed, with the 45 year old homeowner, Rachan Churak, having to flea the property with his family. Rachan says the damage occurred…

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  • Economy News

    Legally grown marijuana to boost medical field, economy

    In its weekly meeting yesterday, the Cabinet approved a Public Health Ministry proposal to amend the Narcotics Act to allow patients, medical practitioners and traditional healers to grow marijuana for medical and commercial use. The deputy government spokeswoman said the Cabinet approved the proposal submitted by Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to amend narcotics legislation enacted last year. Anutin, also…

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  • Environment News

    New electric ferries have a test run on Bangkok’s klongs

    The Bangkok Marine Department has completed a test run of a new electric boat on Saen Saeb klong. The tests have been part of the development for a replacement of Bangkok’s deisel-powered, noisy and dirty canal and river ferries. Marine Department Director General, Wittaya Yamuang says the tests of the eco-friendly passenger boat on Saen Saeb canal was all over…

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  • Environment News

    Farmers call on Thai government to overturn ban on pesticide use

    A group of Thai farmers has submitted a letter to PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, citing the ineffectiveness of products used to replace Paraquat and Chlorpyrifos, and calling for the ban on those chemicals, introduced on June 1, to be overturned. In the letter, they suggest the Hazardous Substances Committee impose restrictions on use of the products instead, while educating farmers on…

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  • Crime News

    Independent panel recommend re-instatement of ‘Boss’ charges

    Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya is likely to not only face charges of “reckless driving causing death” but also drugs charges involving Cocaine use. In another dramatic twist in the ongoing “Boss” saga, an independent panel has recommended the reckless driving charge be re-instated along with new charges of Cocaine abuse. Nearly 2 weeks ago the deputy attorney-general, and an acting police…

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  • Politics News

    Thai PM says he supports changes to Constitution

    In an apparent nod to the student protests which have swept the nation for over 2 weeks, Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has promised to push for constitutional amendments, saying the government will present its version of a charter rewrite bill in the next parliamentary session. Speaking after yesterday’s weekly cabinet meeting, Prayut said his position has been to support the…

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  • Crime News

    Maid fakes burglary after stealing employer’s safe

    A Burmese maid has been arrested after stealing a safe from her employer and then trying to convince her there had been a burglary. The worker, named only as 34 year old Ice, was employed by 62 year old Samniang at her home in the central province of Samut Songkhram, some 80 kilometres south-west of Bangkok. Samniang says she called…

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  • World News

    Huge explosion at Port of Beirut kills 78 – VIDEO

    The death toll from a massive port explosion in the capital Beirut yesterday had reached 78. Nearly 4,000 people have been injured, according to Lebanon’s health minister Hamad Hasan bringing local media up to date. The death toll is expected to rise. “There are many people missing until now. People are asking the emergency department about their loved ones and…

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  • World News

    3 men saved after rescuers spotted a huge SOS in the sand on remote Pacific island

    It reads like a Hollywood script (or the first episode of ‘I Dream of Jeannie’), but this time it was for real. And it worked. 3 men were rescued from a tiny western Pacific island after scrawling a giant SOS sign into the sand. It was able to be seen by rescue aircraft. The men had gone missing in the Micronesia…

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  • Covid-19 News

    AirAsia X forced to ground its international fleet until borders re-open

    Regional airlines are struggling to find any semblance of ‘new normal’ as they try to get their flight schedules settled for the next few months. With regional government’s unable to provide them timing for the lifting of border restrictions, and some re-closing borders, it has become a nightmare for the international carriers. Now Air Asia X, the international division of…

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  • Crime News

    Independent panel reviews Boss case to see if it can be re-opened

    PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has asked the independent panel examining the dismissal of charges relating to the 2012 hit-and-run case against Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya if it can be re-opened. Prosecutors abruptly decided not to arraign Boss on a charge of “reckless driving causing death” after the other charges relating to the incident had lapsed due to the statute of limitations. “I’ve…

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  • Business News

    Thailand’s Charoen Pokphand family ranked 21 on world’s rich list

    Bloomberg has released its list of the world’s wealthiest, and the family behind Thailand’s Charoen Pokphand Group sits at number 21. The CP conglomerate is one of the world’s largest, operating across multiple sectors, including food manufacture, agriculture, retail, and telecommunications. It has stakes in CP Foods, the world’s largest producer of shrimp and among the top 3 producers of…

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  • Thailand News

    Skeletal remains found in Chon Buri may be those of missing Burmese worker – VIDEO

    A human skeleton found inside dense bushland is believed to be that of a Burmese national who worked at commercial fishponds nearby. The owner of the fishponds, 50 year old Somyot Lieamhan, says clothing found near the skeleton matched those worn by the man, named only as ‘Mint’, at the time he disappeared. Somyot says the worker disappeared shortly after…

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  • Covid-19 News

    11 groups of people allowed to fly into Thailand, as of today

    The Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand have issued the “Notification on Conditions for Aircraft Permitted to Enter Thailand Version 3. UPDATE: The CAAT has listed 11 groups of Thai and non-Thai nationals (foreigners) permitted to enter Thailand. The groups consist of the following… (1) Thai nationals. (2) Persons with an exemption or persons being…

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  • Northern Thailand News

    Monk attacked by a swarm of hornets in northern Thailand

    A monk at a temple in the northern province of Lampang, south of Chiang Mai, has been attacked by a swarm of hornets, resulting in him being stung at least 30 times on his face, lips and body. Thai Residents reports that the attack took place at night as the monk was feeding the temple dogs. Rescue workers were dispatched…

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  • Pattaya News

    107 kilograms of cannabis seized, 3 arrested in Chon Buri drugs bust

    Police in Chon Buri have carried out a large drug seizure, confiscating 107 kilograms of cannabis, as well as other items. 3 suspects are under arrest. Police confirmed the arrests and confiscation of illegal substances at a press conference held shortly after. The first 2 arrests took place at a restaurant in Soi Buakhao in Pattaya, with the suspects named…

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  • Economy News

    Price of gold rises but investment not without risks

    A leading investment research firm says the price of gold is on the rise, with predictions bullion could reach US$2,000 an ounce. Chayanee Juengmanon from Morningstar Research Thailand says one exchange-traded fund favoured by most domestic gold mutual funds, recorded net inflows of over $20 billion within the last year, a 30% increase in the value of its assets. gold…

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  • Northern Thailand News

    Farmlands flooded in Nong Bua Lam Phu Province as heavy rain persists

    Flooding has inundated over 1,000 rai of farmland and the main highway in Nong Bua Lam Phu province, between Khon Kaen and the Laos border in north east Thailand. Heavy rains since last Thursday have congregated in the area with more rain over the weekend making things worse. Highway 210, running from Udon Thani to Loei province, has been completely…

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  • Northern Thailand News

    Floods cut off the main road between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai

    Heavy downpours since the weekend have caused flooding in the Dow Saket district to the north east of Chiang Mai city centre, cutting off the main road to Chiang Rai in the Pa Miang District. The area around kilometre 32.9 was still submerged last night. The mayor of Pa Miang area says that several points along the way between Chiang…

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  • Koh Samui News

    1 more body found, 3 remain missing. Koh Samui ferry disaster.

    3 people remain missing following Saturday night’s ferry disaster off Koh Samui where the car ferry, Raja 4, capsized and sank. Another body of one of the crew was recovered at 1pm this afternoon. Strong currents and poor weather has been hampering the rescue and recovery operations with operations leaders worried that any more people would have been swept a long way…

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  • Thai Life

    Goodbye. Evicting a tenant in Thailand

    PHOTO: Transport Executive It’s a goal for many people to become a landlord. They purchase property for the purpose of renting it out for passive income. The property owner interviews prospective tenants and ensures that they sign a lease agreement and put down a deposit. However, all of this doesn’t prevent bad tenants from revealing themselves after they have moved…

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