Year: 2020
- Tourism News
Embattled tourism sector to get lifeline from the government
Thailand’s government is prepared to throw a lifeline to tourism operators ravaged by the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, in the form of soft loans, tax incentives and training in return for income. Relief measures are urgently needed to protect tourism operators, according to Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak. State agencies have been tasked with proposing measures to the cabinet, which he…
Read More » - Northern Thailand News
A week after Korat massacre, questions remain
A week after a rogue soldier went on a shooting spree, killing 29 and injuring 58, no one seems willing to take responsibility for the Army’s lack of security, which allowed the man to raid an armoury, steal weapons of war and kill and maim innocent civilians, Thailand Today reports. The massacre has prompted many, from all walks of life,…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Disabled Belgian man busted by Chon Buri’s “smart car”
A 57 year old Belgian man, who is disabled and uses a walker for mobility, was arrested earlier this week in Chon Buri province for overstaying his visa. Immigration officers found the man behind the Burapha hospital in the Bang Saen area on Thursday. They were using Chonburi Immigration’s new “smart car,” which allegedly identified the man using facial recognition…
Read More » - Thailand News
Thai Army chief promises overhaul of army business involvement and practices
Thailand’s Army commander in chief General Apirat Kongsompong is planning a dramatic make-over to the inner workings of the Thai military’s business operations. The moves are in the wake of last weekend’s mass shooting in Nakhon Ratchasima on February 8 where 29 people were shot and killed by an armed soldier (who was also shot and killed). 58 other were…
Read More » - Bangkok News
Bangkok shooter granted bail despite drugs
A Bangkok shop owner who set off a panic by firing dozens of gunshots on Friday morning was released on bail after his first court appearance yesterday. Forty-eight year old Ekachai Jaruksin faces charges of attempted murder, discharging a firearm in a public area, narcotics possession and using illicit drugs. Police took him to the Criminal Court yesterday morning to…
Read More » - Environment News
Fires continue devouring Thailand’s North
Despite prohibitions on agricultural burning, wildfires continued ravaging forests across Thailand yesterday, especially in the North. Satellite images charting the progress of large fires yesterday morning showed the number of hotspots in the north had risen from 823 on Friday to 1,334. A total of 3,238 forest fires were recorded nationwide. Mae Hong Son province had the highest number of…
Read More » - Crime News
Man claims he was attacked and robbed by “foreigners”
A student in Chiang Mai says he was mugged by “foreigners from Europe.” Twenty-four year old Theerapat Saen-in posted his alleged ordeal on Thai social media earlier this week. According to his post he was taking photographs at a view point on Doi Suthep when he was approached by “farangs.” He says they bashed him on the head with a…
Read More » - Crime News
2 more suspects arrested in “wombs-for-hire” scandal
Officers of the Anti-Human Trafficking Division (ATHD) of the Royal Thai Police have arrested two more suspects in an illegal transnational commercial surrogacy ring, police said yesterday. 43 year old Kulisara Pomdet was arrested in Chanthaburi and 60 year old Jakkarat Kittiwanichkul in Chiang Mai on Friday night. Police say the two were hired as brokers to lure Thai women…
Read More » - Northern Thailand News
Heroin smuggler busted in Chiang Rai
A man has been arrested in Chiang Rai’s airport attempting to smuggle heroin. 27 year old Jatuporn Saeuan was searched and detained before boarding a flight to Bangkok when security officers found his behaviour suspicious. Security officers say Jatuporn “kept wandering back and forth in front of the entrance” to Mae Fah Luang Airport, so they asked demanded to inspect…
Read More » - Tourism News
“Tourist arrivals to plunge 50% in first half of 2020” – Thai Tourism Minister
Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn has painted a gloomy outlook for Thailand’s previously-robust tourism industry. He says he expects tourist arrivals to plunge by 50% in the first half of 2020 because of the coronavirus outbreak. His predictions are born out by sluggish arrival numbers at the country’s main airports, hotel forward bookings and ‘landing slots’ cancelled by international…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
New coronavirus case confirmed in Thailand, brings total to 34
A new case of the coronavirus (covid-19) has now been confirmed in Thailand which brings the total in the country to 34 since the start of this year. The public health ministry made the announcement yesterday. The new case is a 35 year old Thai female, a medical personnel, who was infected after contact with a patient, Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchia, according…
Read More » - Property
Tips when buying a vacation home in Thailand
by Marciano Birjmohun Imagine beachfront villas, riverfront condominiums and mountain hideaways. Vacation homes like these are often purchased for particular lifestyles and leisure activities. However, buyers may need to consider other factors to make the best buying decision. Rental management, for instance, should be considered as holiday home usage often peaks during the holidays, and many homeowners want to benefit…
Read More » - Phuket News
More than 200 couples exchange vows on Valentine’s Day 2020 in Phuket
Knots were tied, brooms were jumped, rings were donned and brides were kissed. All three of Phuket’s district offices, Muang Phuket, Kathu and Thalang, were packed yesterday as couples vied to get married on Valentine’s Day. 109 couples registered their marriage at the Muang District Office alone, with the island’s vice governor present as a witness. The 109 couples, of…
Read More » - Việt Nam
Hà Tĩnh: 3 người từ Vĩnh Phúc bỏ trốn khi đang cách ly theo dõi Covid-19
Đêm qua (14/2), 3 người từ Vĩnh Phúc trở về Hà Tĩnh được cách ly tại nhà để theo dõi Covid-19 đã tự ý bỏ đi. Sáng nay, UBND huyện Thạch Hà (Hà Tĩnh) xác nhận địa phương cùng Trung tâm y tế cách ly tại nhà đang theo dõi 3 trường hợp từ Vĩnh Phúc đến Hà Tĩnh. Ba…
Read More » - Pattaya News
German man falls to his death from Pattaya condo
A German man is dead after falling from a condominium in Jomtien, Pattaya, yesterday. Police learned of the incident, in Soi Na Jomtien 18, at 6pm and rushed to the scene with rescue workers and local media to find the body of a 78 year old German national . Police told the media the man had health issues. No sign…
Read More » - Northern Thailand News
Thousands gather for merit-making ceremony in Korat
Tens of thousands of mostly residents of Nakhon Ratchasima attended a Buddhist merit making ceremony in Korat today to pay tribute to the late King Narai the Great, founder and heroine of the north eastern province, Thao Suranaree, during the early days of the Chakri Dynasty, and to remember the victims of the mass shooting last Saturday. The gunman was…
Read More » - Northern Thailand News
Korat shooter video goes viral
A video, purportedly showing the soldier in last weekend’s mass shooting killing an army private before taking guns and ammunition from an armoury, has gone viral today. It comes after a week of editorials and public condemnation of the behaviour of netizens and media who shared gruesome images of the slaughter. The three minute clip, the authenticity of which has…
Read More » - Việt Nam
Trung Quốc phát hành khẩn cấp tiền mới vì virus corona
Trung Quốc tiến hành khử trùng và cách ly tiền mặt qua sử dụng, đồng thời phát hành tiền mới để giảm nguy cơ lây lan virus Covid-19. Hãng tin AFP đưa tin, hôm nay 15/2, tại cuộc họp báo của Ngân hàng trung ương Trung Quốc, các ngân hàng đang sử dụng tia cực tím và nhiệt độ cao…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Thai healthcare worker tests positive for COVID-19 coronavirus
In a first, a Thai healthcare worker was diagnosed with the COVID-19 coronavirus yesterday. The new case brings the country’s total confirmed cases to 34 since the outbreak. Fourteen patients have recovered and returned home. Thailand has so far not recorded a fatality from the virus. The director-general of the Department of Disease Control told a news conference today that…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Asian tourists cancelling flights, staying home
Scores of flights to Asian destinations are being cancelled after South Korea advised its citizens to delay trips to countries where the COVID-19 coronavirus has been found. Especially hard-hit are Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan. South Korea remains largely free of the virus, though one of its citizens tested positive for the virus after returning from…
Read More » - Phuket News
‘Leaving Thailand’ – From Phuket with love and heartaches
“In his new memoir “Leaving Thailand,” a former journalist, film tech and Phuket resident looks back on his life and loves in the kingdom that continue to haunt and inspire him.” By Jim Algie I’m wary of memoirs set in Thailand in which a sex-starved Western man descends on the country to get caught up in the carnal circus of…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Thailand Post boosts anti-coronavirus measures
Thailand’s postal service announced this week that it’s employing health and safety measures to protect customers and staff from the COVID-19 coronavirus. According to Thai Post CEO and acting managing director Kalong Subsa-ard: “We will be using disinfectant spray at stations that receive inbound parcels from overseas. This applies to all parcels from all countries, not only China, as a…
Read More » - Crime News
8 sought in wombs-for-hire case
Police are seeking arrest warrants for eight new suspects: two Chinese nationals and six Thais, in an illegal cross-border surrogacy ring busted on Thursday. “Two Chinese suspects were hired to take surrogate mothers to give birth in another country, while the Thai suspects brokered surrogacy and arranged travel documents for the surrogate mothers.” Nine suspects, six Thais and three Chinese…
Read More » - Crime News
Attempted murder charge for Bangkok gunman
Multiple charges have been lain against against the man who allegedly fired more than 50 shots in downtown Bangkok early yesterday, including attempted murder. Police say the charge was filed because a ballistic examination showed some of the gunshots were aimed at people opposite the suspect’s position. Other charges include carrying gun without a permit, discharging a firearm in a…
Read More » - Economy News
Thailand could fall to third place in rice shipments in 2020
Weaker competitiveness, drought and changing market demand could see Thailand lose its place as the world’s second-biggest exporter of rice this year. Higher production costs compared to rivals, and volatile foreign exchange rates mean Thailand risks losing out to Vietnam, according to Charoen Laothamatas, president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association. “Thailand has shipped the same rice varieties for 30…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Coronavirus UPDATE: WHO fights the ‘infodemic’, recession fears in Europe
A total number of 67,100 cases of Coronavirus (covid-2019) have now been confirmed worldwide, along with 1,526 deaths reported and 8,193 people recovered. The number of reported full recoveries is now over 5 times the rate of reported deaths, and continues to rise each day. The infodemic… On top of the spread of the virus, there has been increasingly dangerous…
Read More » - Việt Nam
TP. HCM, Hà Nội và 5 tỉnh tiếp tục cho học sinh nghỉ học
Đến chiều nay, UBND thành phố Hà Nội, TP. HCM, Vĩnh Phúc, Thanh Hóa, Tuyên Quang, Đồng Nai cho học sinh nghỉ thêm để phòng dịch bệnh. Mới đây, đại diện UBND huyện Sóc Sơn cho biết dựa trên khảo sát tại trang fanpage thì 80% phụ huynh có nguyện vọng cho con nghỉ học, đặc biệt là mầm non…
Read More » - Việt Nam
Hơn 1.700 nhân viên y tế Trung Quốc nhiễm virus corona
Lần đầu tiên Trung Quốc xác nhận số nhân viên y tế nhiễm virus corona chủng mới (COVID-19) với số người mắc là hơn 1.700 ca. Ning Zhu là một trong những nữ y tá tại thành phố Vũ Hán. Khi nhận kết quả chụp cắt lớp cho thấy cô có thể bị nhiềm virus thì cô đã phải tự cách…
Read More » - World News
Singapore megachurch suspends services, goes online
Facing a burgeoning crisis in the southeast Asian island-state, Singapore’s biggest megachurch, with a congregation of 16,000, will stop holding services this weekend due to the rising number of coronavirus cases and instead broadcast its lively, gospel-style message online. City Harvest Church is one of the most profitable churches in Asia, but has been embroiled in a corruption scandal in…
Read More » - Tourism News
Minister proposes bars stay open till 4, free visas to revive tourism
Thailand’s sports and tourism minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn told an extraordinary meeting in Bangkok’s Amari Watergate hotel yesterday that he proposes giving free visas to Chinese and Indians tourists, and allowing bars and other entertainment venues to stay open until 4am. That is the embattled minister’s response to the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis that continues to devastate Thailand’s tourism. Pipat asked for…
Read More » - Northern Thailand News
Families of 27 Korat victims to get 1 million baht
Families of 27 of the people killed in last Saturday’s mass shooting in Nakhon Ratchasima will receive a million baht in compensation from the government. Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam, who chairs a committee to decide such settlements, said today that no money has been earmarked for two of the fatalities, over which there is a “dispute,” or for the…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Coronavirus UPDATE: Vietnam village quarantined, worldwide cases reach 64,448
Latest coronavirus stats Infected patients worldwide reaches 64,448 whilst the death toll from the coronavirus has plateaued in the past 24 hours to 1,383. According to the Chinese National Health Commission, the current number of infections of coronavirus (aka. covid-2019) in mainland China is 63,8591, up some 5,000 from the day before. 7,101 patients have now full recovered. There are at…
Read More » - Bangkok News
Bangkok “auntie” arrested for robbing cabbies
An “auntie” in Bangkok has finally been arrested after stealing money from numerous taxi drivers. Police arrested 55 year old Nongnuch Pimsuan of Kanchanaburi province at around 5pm yesterday. The suspect had an arrest warrant in her name from the Taling Chan Court. Police were notified as early as February 4 that a passenger had stolen 1,400 baht from a…
Read More » - World News
MS Westerdam passengers, all cleared, alight in Cambodia
Passengers of the MS Westerdam, the cruise ship that spent two weeks at sea after being turned away by five countries including Thailand, over fears that someone aboard might have the COVID-19 coronavirus, finally disembarked today. The ship, carrying 1,455 passengers and 802 crew, docked in the Cambodian port town of Sihanoukville yesterday. It anchored offshore in the morning to…
Read More » - Crime News
Man seeks rifle, threatens shooting spree in Facebook post
A 22 year old man has reported to police [location undisclosed] and faces charges after a Facebook post saying he wanted to buy a rifle for a shooting spree at shopping mall. Natthapong Jalaebram, known on Facebook as Ring HR, was accompanied by relatives when he reported. Thai media report that Nattahpong posted: “Wanting to buy an AK or an…
Read More » - Crime News
Drunken Petchabun man burns down his house after girlfriend leaves him for drinking
A man in the central Petchabun province burned down his house Wednesday after his girlfriend left him over his drinking habits. Police say he was drunk at the time. At 5pm police received a report of “a crazy man” burning down his own home. Officials notified the fire station and officers were sent to the home. Officials arrived to find…
Read More » - Bangkok News
UPDATE: Shooter arrested. Shots fired around Chulalongkorn University this morning
UPDATE Police say that a 40 year old man has now been caught after a series of shots, more than 20 according to eye witnesses this morning. Shots were fired from a sports clothing store in Sio Chula 10, close to Chulalongkhorn University, in Bangkok’s Pratumnam district. No one was injured. (Video of the stand-off below from the Bangkok Post)…
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