Year: 2020
- Economy News
Thai economy shrinks, pandemic to blame
The Thai economy is shrinking. A lot. So much that it’s close to hitting as low as it did in the 1998 financial crisis. Some say the coronavirus pandemic is to blame. For the second quarter, the Thai economy shrank by 12.2%, the National Economic Social Development Council says. That’s just a few decimal points away from a low in…
Read More » - Politics News
PM’s security beefed-up after car chase on expressway
Security is being increased for Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, after his motorcade was the subject of a car chase on the capital’s expressway. It’s understood the PM was travelling from his home to Government House yesterday morning, when a private car gave chase, with the driver sounding his horn and flashing his headlights. A report in Thai PBS World says…
Read More » - Crime News
Trang teen kills mother and brother, Buri Ram man kills nephew
A teenager in Southern Thailand allegedly shot and killed his mother and brother before killing himself yesterday. In another case in Northeast Thailand, a man allegedly stabbed and killed his nephew Sunday night. In Trang, the mother and her 14 year old son were found in bed with gunshot wounds. The suspected shooter, a 16 year old boy, was found…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Chon Buri health chief says 2 sons of Navy officers died of pneumonia, not Covid-19
Two sons of Royal Thai Navy officers have died of pneumonia, not Covid-19, says Apirat Katanyutanon, chief of Public Health in the eastern province of Chon Buri. One of the deceased has been named as 35 year old Bulakorn Hutacharoen, while the other, a 39 year old male, has not been named. Both men were sons of Royal Thai Navy…
Read More » - Politics News
School pupils show solidarity with anti-government protests – VIDEO
At high schools across Thailand, pupils have used the daily flag-raising ceremony to show their solidarity with anti-government activists. A report in Khaosod English says pupils in at least 10 schools wore white ribbons and held up three fingers, in what is widely recognised as an anti-military gesture. The students’ actions have been captured in photos and video, which have…
Read More » - Economy News
Thai education set to change, prepare students for the future
Teachers may have to mix things up in the classroom. Thailand education officials are planning to change teaching with a new model they call “Education Eco-System.” The goal is to prep students for the rapidly changing future, the Education Ministry says. Along with a new curriculum, tests will be used less to evaluate students. With demands for a competitive labour…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Officials investigate Bangkok condo after Malaysian tests positive for Covid-19
Officials from Thailand’s Public Health Ministry are investigating an unnamed Bangkok condo development after it was revealed a man who stayed there tested positive for Covid-19 on returning to his home country. It’s understood the 46 year old Malaysian man displayed no Covid-19 symptoms, and tested negative for the virus, when he left Thailand on August 5. However, a second…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket eyes October 1 as launch date for “Safe and Sealed” tourism plan
The Tourism and Sports Minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, says his ministry hopes to kick-start a careful and limited re-opening to international tourism from October 1, beginning with the southern province of Phuket. According to a report in the Bangkok Post, Phiphat’s ministry will meet with the Public Health, Interior, Foreign and Transport ministries on August 27 to discuss the introduction of…
Read More » - Opinion
The year of living dangerously – Thai protesters utter the unthinkable
OPINION An estimated 10,000 anti-government protesters packed Bangkok’s Democracy Monument and the roads either side on a warm Sunday afternoon, calling for democratic reform, changes to the NCPO-written constitution and for the dissolution of parliament. They also spoke about the country’s head of state, questioning the institution. Even a few months ago this would have been considered an absolute no-go topic…
Read More » - World News
Malaysian man in Bangkok tests positive for coronavirus
Just short of 2 weeks after a trip to Bangkok, a man returned home to Malaysia and then tested positive for the coronavirus. Thai health officials are investigating to determine who was in contact with the man while he was in the country and if there are any local infections. Deputy director-general of the Disease Control Department Tanarak Plipat said the…
Read More » - Economy News
Phuket drivers, tour operators ask Toyota for loan grace period
With the drastic decline in tourism, dozens of van and taxi drivers, as well as tour operators in Phuket say they can’t make payments for their vehicle loans. With around 20,000 baht+ owed per month and little to no income, drivers and tour operators are facing having their vehicles repossessed. This morning, around 50 drivers and operators gathered together in…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Well-known Chinese restaurant in Chon Buri catches fire
A popular Chinese restaurant in Chon Buri caught fire over the weekend. The flames damaged the Tai Hi Restaurant’s roof, refrigerator and freezer. Most of the fresh food in storage was destroyed. The restaurant, in the Bang Pla Soi district, caught fire at around 2am on Saturday morning. Tai Hi staff called the owner who rushed to the scene. When…
Read More » - Crime News
Chon Buri pawn shop loses millions in fake gold scam
All that glitters is not necessarily gold. Owners of a Chon Buri gold shop learned the hard way, explaining to police that they’ve been tricked by a group of scammers pawning fake gold. Krit and Anadda Tianmai, owners of the Thong Tian Nid Gold Shop, say they lost more than 9 million baht. People, many who claimed they were construction…
Read More » - Phuket News
Motorcyclist dies on his way to Bangla Bike Night
A Kuwaiti man died on his way to Bangla Bike Night in Patong Beach, Phuket after crashing his motorcycle into a power pole. At around 12:45am today, locals heard a loud noise and found the man on the ground next to the power pole. They say he was in a pool of blood and his Kawasaki z900 motorcycle was nearby.…
Read More » - Bangkok News
Thousands of job applicants line up Bangkok hotel before sunrise
Not hundreds, but thousands of job applicants showed up to a Bangkok hotel before the sun came up early yesterday morning. Some slept outside to be first in line to file an application at the Miracle Grand Convention Hotel in the Lak Si district. By 4am, 5,000 people were waiting outside the hotel. The hotel advertised 300 vacant positions and…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Experts warn Thailand not immune to second wave of Covid-19
Despite its seemingly successful suppression of the Covid-19 virus, medical experts say Thailand is not immune to a second wave. Thiravat Hemachudha, director of the Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Disease Health Science Centre, says the country cannot afford to let its guard down, adding that it is too risky to become lax about hygiene measures. “First and foremost, Thais…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Thai Air Asia posts huge Q2 loss as their fleet struggles back into the skies
Despite many of Thailand’s discount airlines taking to the skies again, all airlines are still in the financial doldrums as they battle travel restrictions, a risk-averse flying public and closed international borders. Now Asia Aviation, major shareholder of Thai AirAsia, has announced revenue of 2,221 million baht and a net losses of 1,210.6 million baht for Q2 2020. The net…
Read More » - Covid-19 News
Thailand tops the list of countries safest to visit during Covid-19
A study looking into the world’s safest holiday destinations during the Covid-19 pandemic has placed Thailand in the top spot. Safe it may be, but anyone wishing to visit from overseas will have to wait a while… The study was carried out by German travel start-up, Tourlane, who looked at various criteria, including the notification rates of new Covid-19 cases,…
Read More » - Politics News
PM urges police to exercise restraint in dealing with protesters
The Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, has asked police to refrain from using force in their dealings with anti-government protests. He was speaking ahead of yesterday’s rallies at the Democracy Monument in the capital, which saw both pro and anti-government groups face off across Rajdamnoen Avenue. Most of those protesting are students, with the PM instructing police to exercise restraint in…
Read More » - Bangkok News
Up to 10,000 gather in massive Bangkok pro-democracy rally
Special guest writer Will Langston Up to 10,000 pro-democracy supporters attended a rally at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument yesterday. The crowds started swelling from around 3pm. Prior to the event, one of the organising groups, Free Youth, promoted the rally via their massive Facebook page following of over 350,000 followers. While the demographic of the crowd mainly consisted of high school and…
Read More » - Politics News
Former human rights commissioner accuses government loyalists of distorting protesters’ demands
The former commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission, Angkhana Neelapaijit, has taken to Facebook to defend the rights of student protesters. In her post, she also accuses those loyal to the government of misconstruing the protesters’ demands, saying the activists are being incorrectly accused of wishing to abolish the monarchy. Angkhana defends the protesters’ rights to freedom of speech…
Read More » - Phuket News
Phuket officials outline plans for economic recovery
As Thailand’s tourist hot spots struggle under the devastating economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, officials in Phuket are attempting to kick-start tourism in the province. Focusing initially on domestic tourism, deputy governor Pichet Panapong hopes a number of planned events will draw visitors to the southern province. The Phuket Seafood and Gastronomy Festival, which started at the weekend and…
Read More » - Crime News
Bad news for Boss as Thai prosecutors put him back on the ‘wanted’ list
3 weeks ago Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya must have thought it was Christmas after charges him were dropped by the Office of the Attorney General (for reasons that still remain a mystery), and then police said he was free to return to Thailand. That’s now all changed and the fugitive now finds himself a wanted man again with some charges reinstated…
Read More » - World News
Indonesia participates in Phase 3 clinical trials for Chinese C-19 vaccine
Indonesians have been getting involved in Phase 3 of testing for a Covid-19 vaccine developed by a Chinese company. The partnership between the Indonesian state-owned Bio Farma and Chinese company Sinovac BioTech started in early July. Now Indonesia has recruited 1,620 volunteers for the critical part of the vaccine trial. The first 20 Indonesians rolled up their sleeves for the candidate…
Read More » - Northern Thailand News
2 arrested with 409 kilograms of marijuana in Nakhon Phanom
A combined government force arrested 2 men last night on a Mekong riverbank in the Tha Uthen district of the northeastern Nakhon Phanom province, with 409 kilograms of compressed marijuana. An army spokeman said today the action followed the seizure of about 70,000 methamphetamine pills (known as “yaba”) in Tha Uthen district last week. Documents obtained in the earlier operation…
Read More » - Politics News
Warrants issued for key members of Free People movement
The Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for 15 prominent members of the Free People movement, which organised the protest held at the Democracy Monument on July 18. 3 of the 15, Thammasat University student Prit “Penguin” Chivarak, human rights lawyer Anon Nampa and Panupong Jaadnok, aka “Mike Rayong”, have already been arrested before and released on bail. The 12…
Read More » - World News
Aussie hailed as hero after fighting off shark to save wife
An Australian man saved his wife from a shark attack yesterday by punching the shark until it released her. Police say the couple were surfing at a beach near Port Macquarie, 4 hours north of Sydney, yesterday morning when she was bitten twice on her right leg. Paramedics treated the 35 year old at the beach before she was later…
Read More » - Economy News
Labour minister says unemployment less than half of predictions
Thailand’s labour minister told a Friday press briefing that the number of unemployed people in Thailand is around 2 to 3 million, less than half the 7 to 8 million previously predicted. He said that since The National Economic and Social Development Council did the calculation, “it cannot be wrong… as the latter is Thailand’s economic planner”. Given the gravities…
Read More » - Environment News
Mauritius oil spill tanker splits apart
A Japanese tanker ship that ran aground on a reef off the island of Mauritius last month, threatening an ecological disaster in the Indian Ocean, has broken apart, authorities said yesterday. The Mauritius National Crisis Committee said the condition of the MV Wakashio was worsening early on in the day and by the afternoon it had split. A statement issued…
Read More » - South Thailand News
4 suspected insurgents shot dead in Pattani
Further to a story published yesterday by The Thaiger, a total of 4 suspected insurgents are now reported to have been shot dead in separate firefights in the southern Pattani province on Friday evening and Saturday morning, as security forces close in on a fifth suspect. The first clash followed an earlier gunfight in which 3 soldiers were wounded while…
Read More » - Crime News
Suspect arrested in Kanchanaburi sugar factory murder
Police in the western Kanchanaburi province have arrested a man for the August 6 murder of a sugar factory repairman in Bo Phloy district. 50 year old Boonthad Lawa, an employee in the factory’s repair and maintenance section, was found dead in a room of the workers’ dormitory last Monday. The body had 6 knife wounds, was bloated and “emitting…
Read More » - Tourism News
Tourism authority predicts September revenue jump
The Tourism Authority of Thailand is expecting tourism revenue in September to grow by 20% compared to the same month last year, after the government approved September 4 and 7 as compensation holidays for this year’s Songkran Festival, which was “postponed” due to the Covid-19 crisis. We’re assuming they mean domestic tourism because there sure aren’t many foreign tourists! The…
Read More » - Politics News
Academics defend protests
Legal scholars at 2 Bangkok universities defended students’ right to protest today, and a prominent opposition politician reacted to yesterday’s arrest of student leader Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak by slamming PM Prayut Chan-o-cha for “breaking his promise” to listen to young protesters. Law experts at Thammasat University called on the government to stop using the law to deprive students of their…
Read More » - Pattaya News
Pattaya spending millions on “facelift”
The world famous resort town of Pattaya is spending 160 million baht to improve the city’s beaches in a bid to attract domestic tourists. Pattaya’s mayor says the landscape redevelopment, on a 4 kilometre stretch of Pattaya Beach, will begin in October and is expected to be finished by the end of the year. “The City of Pattaya needs to…
Read More » - Crime News
Forensic scientist says he was pressured to change estimate in Vorayuth hit-and-run case
A police forensic scientist is claiming that he was pressured to reduce the estimated speed of Red Bull heir Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya’s Ferrari when it hit and killed a policeman in 2012. Thanasit Taengchan of the Police Forensic Science Office says a high ranking commander brought an official from King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology North Bangkok to convince him to…
Read More » - Events
Major police presence expected at rally
Authorities yesterday announced that 4 companies of Bangkok police will be deployed to maintain peace and order at the major pro-democracy rally planned for this afternoon at Democracy Monument. The Metropolitan Police Bureau has arranged for 4 companies, 600 officers in total, to be present at the venue. Traffic police will also be dispatched to facilitate movement in the area.…
Read More » - Tourism News
Struggling Samui seeks government help
Desperate for tourism revenue during the ongoing travel ban and with not more than a dribble of domestic visitors, the president of the Tourism Association of Koh Samui says he needs to meet with the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration to come up with guidelines to allow foreign tourists to visit Samui. And soon. Worasit Phong-amphan says Samui saw 2.3…
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