Year: 2020
- Covid-19 News
Coronavirus UPDATE: President Xi addresses “grave situation of the rapid spreading epidemic”
The Novel Coronavirus that infects the respiratory tract and gives patients flu-like symptoms, is now responsible for at least 42 deaths in central China (40 in Hubei), with 15 new fatalities reported yesterday, and more than 1,409 cases in total. At this stage the spread of the virus outside China has been extremely isolated with overseas authorities quarantining any confirmed…
Read More » - South Thailand News
Barking dog alerts owner about visiting cobra
A pet dog saved its owner from what could have become an unpleasant encounter with a cobra, which visited his home in the southern Thai province of Trang, the story from Khaosod. Owner Winai Sangtip says he was watching television in his living room around 9pm when his dog began barking loudly. He opened the back door and saw a large…
Read More » - Thailand News
Man arrested after ‘fun nights’ ended up in robberies
A man has been arrested Chon Buri after organising to meet girls for a “night of fun” but robbing them instead in their own homes. Crime Suppression DivisionPolice arrested 28 year old Suchin in the Panas Nikom District this week. The warrant was issued by the Uthai Thani Provincial Court, but it wasn’t the only court after the man. Last…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Iranian man falls to his death in Pattaya
An Iranian man is dead after falling from an eight-storey building at a housing state in Pattaya’s Bang Lamung district this morning. The body of the 55 year old man, whose name is being withheld until relatives are notified, was found face down on the ground behind the building at the Ekmongkhol housing estate in tambon Nong Prue. Pattaya police were…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Coronavirus UPDATE: 15 Chinese cities are now in lockdown
Things are moving fast with the Wuhan novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak. Amid dramatic lockdowns of at least 15 Chinese cities, affecting millions, much remains uncertain about the coronavirus and its method of transmission, or the extent of its spread outside central China. International health authorities continue to scrutinise the virus’ spread and effects with the World Health Organisation meeting daily…
Read More » - Phuket News
Australian rescued after falling from the top of Ton Chongfa waterfall in Phang Ngan
Emergency responders from the Phang-nga provincial public disaster prevention and mitigation office have recovered a female Australian who fell from the edge of a waterfall in Takuapa district in Phang Nga yesterday afternoon. The rescue took more than five hours with rescue crews working in almost total darkness. The female victim was part of a group of three other Australian tourists…
Read More » - Crime News
“Greetings from Thailand”, escaped convict sends Belgian prison a postcard
“Greetings from Thailand”. That was the message on the postcard sent to the directors of a Belgian prison. The sender? The management of Turnhout prison believe the greeting letter was from Oualid Sekkaki, who escaped last month. Sekkaki is one of five inmates who escaped from the Flemish prison in mid-December. The letter was addressed to the three directors of the…
Read More » - Technology News
Electric vehicle registrations in Thailand rose 380% in 2019
Electic cars (EVs) are on the rise in Thailand. The Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand (EVAT) reports a sharp increase in the number of electric vehicles registered in 2019. Department of Land Transport statistics show that, as of December 31, there were 2,854 electric vehicle registrations, including 1,572 new cars, up 380% from 2018 when only there were only 325 registered.…
Read More » - Events
A quick guide to the Year of the Rat
It’s the biggest annual celebration of all and sparks off a yearly exodus from the cities of China as families head home, or in many case to travel to other provinces or overseas during the two week festival. 25% of the 7.7 billion world population will Chinese New Year from today. The holiday is also called Lunar New Year and…
Read More » - Bangkok News
A watchful ghost is photographed at a train crash scene west of Bangkok
A picture from a train crash in Nakhon Pathom, west of Bangkok, has had the Thai netisphere in a lather over a ghostly woman standing watching the proceedings as emergency crews attend to the situation. The photo went viral and shows, what the posters claimed to be a female ghost wearing a traditional Thai dress. ‘She’ is standing amongst a crowd…
Read More » - Environment News
Air purifiers installed at Victory Monument whilst southern winds blow the smoke north
The Nation reports that the Rajaprajanukron Foundation, under Royal Patronage, installed four air- purifiers yesterday around the Victory Monument area in a trial of their effectiveness in filtering out PM2.5 dust particles. Silpasuay Raweesaengsoon, permanent secretary of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration says the machines can purify polluted air at the rate of two cubic metres per second. “Placed in areas…
Read More » - Environment News
Sugar industry asks the government to subsidise harvesting machinery
Sugar factories are campaigning to cut and harvest raw sugarcane, instead of boring it first, for processing. The conglomerates are recommending that the government offer funding at low interest rates to farmers to buy harvesters as the prices of the equipment are quite high (6-12 million baht). They are also urging the government to purchase electricity from biomass power plants…
Read More » - Hot News
Shakedown rocks the top levels of the Royal Thai Police
The upper echelons of the Royal Thai Police Force has been rattled by some high-profile shakedowns that have been ordered by executive order from the Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. Starting with the former immigration chief, Pol Lt-Gen Surachat Hakparn, the PM has ordered him to “adhere strictly to the ethical code and discipline expected of all civil servants” Earlier this…
Read More » - Crime News
More human remains found submerged in metal casket in suspect’s pond
In a story that grows grislier with each new discovery… now an old metal casket with more than 30 human bones has been retrieved from a pond at the Bangkok home of Apichai Ongwisit, dubbed “Ice Heep Lek” (metal casket killer), who has already been charged with murdering his girlfriend and disposing of her corpse on his property. Nearly 300…
Read More » - Thailand News
Thai, Air Asia suspend flights to Wuhan because of Novel Coronavirus
Thai Airways and Thai Air Asia are both taking steps to prevent any possible spread of Novel Coronavirus pneumonia through tourist arrivals from Wuhan, the source of the outbreak. Thai Air Asia, which operates two daily flights to Wuhan from Bangkok and one from Phuket, suspended services yesterday. Meanwhile Malaysia-based Air Asia, has also suspended scheduled flights to and from Kota Kinabalu…
Read More » - Phuket News
64 year old Singaporean found dead in Thalang, Phuket
A 64 year old Singaporean man was found dead inside a house in Phuket’s Thalang district on Thursday morning. Police say they were called to Yucharoen housing estate by neighbours who found the man dead in his bathroom. The man’s name is being withheld pending notification of relatives. Police say there were no bruises on the man’s body and that it appears…
Read More » - World News
International Court of Justice orders Myanmar to stop Rohingya genocide
The UN’s highest court is instructing Myanmar to do “everything in its power” to prevent the genocide of its Rohingya Muslim population. It’s the first time the International Court of Justice has stepped into the ongoing crisis. The Court has rejected arguments from Myanmar’s proxy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and sets out urgent steps to end the violence on the…
Read More » - World News
“An emergency in China” but not an internal epidemic – Coronavirus update
The World Health Organisation has labelled the Novel Coronavirus “an emergency in China” but hasn’t declared the situation as an international epidemic at this stage. 634 cases have now been confirmed in China with health officials confirming the first death outside of Wuhan, whilst seven other countries have reported non-fatal cases. 18 people are now confirmed dead as a result of…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Swiss expat dies in Pattaya housing estate fire
A Swiss man is dead after a house fire in Pattaya yesterday morning. Pattaya City Police were notified of an incident at 6am at a house in a housing estate. Police, emergency responders, firefighters and reporters arrived at the scene to find smoke and panicked neighbours. Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze and a gas stove in the kitchen was found still…
Read More » - Phuket News
Unsecured pickup falls off of ferry bound for Phuket
In another case of a truck ending up in the ocean, a pickup truck is getting an unscheduled washing after it rolled off a ferry leaving Phang Nga Island bound for Phuket on Wednesday afternoon. The truck, which was unsecured, quickly sank and remains on the seabed. The owner of the inter-island ferry has agreed to compensate the owner of…
Read More » - Environment News
SCAM – Thailand’s PM2.5 micron smoke screen
It’s cars, it’s the polluting buses, it’s people burning too many incense sticks. Every year it’s the same culprits in Bangkok, people driving their cars too much, polluting factories and old buses belching black smoke. All those things contribute to city pollution but are far from the main problem. So the government, reactive as usual, rolls out its PR machine…
Read More » - Food
MSG makes a comeback with a new campaign against the ‘Chinese restaurant syndrome’
MSG, or monosodium glutamate, a common seasoning in many foods from Doritos, to salad-dressing and Thai food, is making a come back. Not that it really went away. But there was 50 years or so when it suffered, unreasonably, a poor reputation. For years it was branded an unhealthy processed ingredient despite a lack of supporting scientific evidence. It became the…
Read More » - Crime News
Prasitthichai speaks to the Thai media, “killings were unintentional”
In a bizarre sequence of events, Thai media were able to directly question the suspect, who has allegedly confessed, of the cold-blooded murders of three, whilst injuring four others, on January 9 at a Lop Buri gold shop. School principal Prasitthichai “Golf” Khaokaew is reported to have told police that he robbed the gold shop because he had financial problems…
Read More » - Crime News
Man survives drive-by shooting and crash, credits his Buddhist amulet
A Pattaya man who was fired upon and crashed into a power pole early yesterday morning is thanking his lucky Buddha and crediting his Buddhist amulet with saving his life. 30 year old Waranyoo Kaewmala’s car was shot nine times, yet somehow miraculously escaped unharmed. Bang Lamung Police were notified of the incident at 2am rushed to the scene to…
Read More » - Crime News
3 arrested for selling fake gold in Khon Kaen
Three men are now in police custody in the north-eastern province of Khon Kaen for selling fake gold to gold shops. 42 year old Suparb from Udon Thani province, 41 year old Pakorn from Bangkok and 30 year old Thanakorn from Surin Province were arrested after police received complaints of fake gold chains being sold to several shops in the…
Read More » - Tourism News
Top 10 islands to visit in Thailand (Part Two)
And now the Top 5… 5. Surin islands Those who are seeking a peaceful and relaxing holiday experience will be left amazed by what Surin islands have to offer. Famously known as a destination that promises peace and tranquility, Surin islands are relatively secluded and have little to no human interference, leaving it unspoiled. Most tourists who visit the Surin…
Read More » - World News
Fortress Wuhan. Chinese authorities lock down the source of the coronavirus.
Wuhan, a city of more than 10 million in the central Chinese province of Hubei, is effectively in lock down following a decisive attempt to isolate the source of the Novel Coronavirus. Wuhan has ‘temporarily’ closed its airport, rail station and main roads out of the city. All city public transport services are all suspended too, as authorities scramble to…
Read More » - Crime News
Lone gunman tells police he killed to “spice up his boring life”
So how did Thai police track down and arrest the suspect, who has allegedly confessed, accused of a brutal and callous robbery and shooting which resulted in the death of three with four other injured? The suspect was arrested following an intensive 14 days of forensic investigation. 38 year old school principal, Prasitthichai Khaokaew, is now in custody, suspected of…
Read More » - Hot News
Baht will continue to remain strong throughout 2020
The Thai baht will continue to maintain its strength for the rest of 2020. It will remain strong, propelled by the increased surpluses in the Thai current account and the country’s trade balance. Kobsidthi Silpachai, KBank’s head of capital markets research, predicts that the Thai baht will float around 29.75 against the US dollar for the first half of 2020,…
Read More » - Crime News
Arrested Lop Buri murder suspect was a provincial headmaster
The director (headmaster) of a Sing Buri school is now in police custody as a suspect in the case of the lone of being the lone gunman in a gold shop robbery at the Robinson’s Shopping Centre in Lop Buri province on January 9. Three people, including a two year old boy, were shot and killed, another four were injured…
Read More » - Environment News
Thailand’s PM2.5 micron elephant in the room – OPINION
It’s cars, it’s the polluting buses, it’s people burning too many incense sticks. Every year it’s the same culprits in Bangkok, people driving their cars too much, polluting factories and old diesel buses belching black smoke. All those things contribute to city pollution but are far from the main problem. So the government, reactive as usual, rolls out its PR…
Read More » - Environment News
Nearly 300,000 Bangkok school students stay at home today as a measure to reduce air pollution
Nearly 300,000 students from 437 schools around Bangkok are having the day off after the Bangkok governor announced they could stay home and avoid the city’s smog. Ironically, today’s city air pollution has reduced to its lowest level in a week. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration suspended classes at 437 public schools for one day and introduced staggered working hours for…
Read More » - Crime News
School headmaster arrested and charged over the Lop Buri gold shop shootings
Police have arrested a man in conjunction with the Lopburi gold shop shootings on January 9. The man is a 38 years old school headmaster from Sing Buri, the adjoining province to the west of Lop Buri in central Thailand. Police report that he has confessed to the shooting of the customers and staff, resulting in three deaths, including a two year old…
Read More » - Thai Life
Thailand is making you fat
“…compare a Big Mac to an average Pad Thai and there’s at least double the kilojoules in the Thai noodle dish.” I came to Thailand as a fit, healthy 70 kilogram Australian. After six years in Thailand I’m now a reasonably fit, healthy 76 kilogram Australian. Why? Well, Thai food, despite its healthy appearance and fresh origins is also full of fats,…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Strong waves drags pickup and jet ski into the sea in Chonburi
Strong waves have dragged a pickup truck and jet ski into the sea yesterday morning along the shores of Chonburi province, near Pattaya. At around 10:30am, 24 year old Phontawit Pradap used a pickup truck to tow a jet ski from the beach to the water in Saen Suk subdistrict. While he was towing the jet ski along the shore, a…
Read More » - Thailand News
Survey shows that Thais feel “less safe”
A recent survey by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University, the Suan Dusit Poll, shows that Thais are more concerned about their safety than ever before, citing the country’s economic woes as the reason. The poll was conducted from January 15-18 on 1,365 people throughout the Kingdom of varying education levels and occupations. The survey followed a spate of serious crimes in…
Read More » - Crime News
Two Israeli tourists pickpocketed by Pattaya ladyboys
Two Israeli men told Pattaya police that they were robbed by a pair of ladyboys, relieving them of around 2500 baht each. The incident was reported to police on Monday morning. At around 2am the tourists, both 21 year old Israelis, identified as Ahmad Mohammad and 33 year old Mojahad Samir called police to report a pickpocketing theft on Soi 2…
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