Month: December 2022

  • Crime News

    Aussie caught with gun at Thailand’s Samui Airport claims self-defence

    An Australian man, who was caught with a firearm and 96 rounds of ammunition at Samui Airport in Surat Thani province, southern Thailand, claims he was carrying the weaponry in self-defence. Yesterday, 41 year old Mark Bassett of Australian nationality attempted to smuggle a “gun-like object,” in separate pieces, and plenty of ammunition through security at Samui Airport on Thailand’s…

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  • Environment News

    Thailand creates new department to tackle climate change

    Thailand has created a new department to tackle climate change. The new department, named the Department of Climate Change and Environment, aims to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions by 2065. The new department is responsible for proposing and developing strategies, plans, and programmes on climate change and greenhouse gas reduction as agreed at the COP26 meeting. The ministry of Natural Resources…

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  • Crime News

    Thai police make 12,000 gambling arrests during World Cup 2022

    Thailand‘s anti-gambling laws did not deter Thais from placing bets on the FIFA World Cup 2022. In fact, the Royal Thai Police made more than 12,000 gambling arrests between November 19 and December 18, 2022. Nearly all forms of gambling are illegal in Thailand, apart from the government-sponsored lottery, according to the Gambling Act (1935). Anticipating violation of this law…

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  • World News

    UN Security Council adopts long-awaited resolution on Myanmar crisis

    The United Nations Security Council has adopted a long-awaited resolution to the crisis in Myanmar. The Council called for Myanmar’s junta to release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, a famous political prisoner whose democratically-elected party was ousted from power by the military in February 2021. The 15-member council has been divided on the situation in Myanmar for decades and has…

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  • Hot News

    Thai PM’s secretary-general appointment may be questioned in debate over political ethics

    Thailand’s PM Prayut Chan-o-cha may be grilled in a debate over ethics concerning his secretary-general’s appointment. The opposition is reportedly planning to hold a general debate shortly after the New Year as it focuses on what it describes as the unethical appointment of the new secretary-general. Pheu Thai Party leader, Cholnan Srikaew, told the Bangkok Post, that the opposition is…

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  • Thailand News

    Today is the shortest day of the year in Thailand

    Thailand will see just 11 hours of daylight today as the Winter Solstice graces the world’s northern hemisphere. It is the shortest day – and longest night – of the year. Today, December 22, the Earth’s poles reach their maximum tilt away from the sun. On Wednesday, the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) said… “Winter solstice is regarded…

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  • World News

    Indonesia could bring Myanmar junta to justice after taking over ASEAN chair next year

    Indonesia could bring Myanmar’s junta leaders to justice after the country takes over as the chair of ASEAN. A group of Indonesian legal experts may have found an impact on the fate of the junta that seized power in Myanmar. The experts made the case to amend a law that was enacted back in 2000 which restricts punishment for human…

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  • World News

    Iranian footballer mimes hanging gesture to protest executions

    Another Iranian footballer is courageously sounding the alarm on Iran’s executions of protesters. Rather than celebrating his goal, the football player, Meysam Tohidast, mimed a gesture of hanging himself after scoring at the Tehran Derby, to protest the executions. Iran International English yesterday tweeted video footage of Tohidast putting one hand around his neck, while making a fist above his…

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  • Thailand News

    90% of hotels in Chiang Mai fully booked during New Year

    If you’re planning on visiting Chiang Mai in northern Thailand this New Year, then you had better be quick, because 90% of hotel rooms in the province are already booked up, according to the Thai Hotels Association (Northern Region). Hotels in the province are expected to generate one billion baht in revenue during the high season, which runs from November…

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  • Hot News

    Ukraine’s Zelenskiy appeals to US Republican lawmakers for additional aid in Congressional speech

    Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky is appealing to US Republican lawmakers for additional aid during his speech to the US Congress. Zelenskiy made his first trip abroad since Russia invaded Ukraine with Ukrainian Americans offering support upon his arrival at the US Capitol. “It is a great honour for me to be at the US Congress and speak to you and…

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  • Thailand News

    Thailand ranked 4th least corrupt country in Asia

    Thailand – a nation run by a semi-elected military government – was ranked 35th in the world and 4th in Asia in the U.S. News‘ “Least Corrupt Countries” list. Yesterday, American media company U.S. News released its annual “Best Countries” ranking, featuring 73 countries all over the world. Data was collected from a worldwide survey with more than 17,000 participants.…

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  • Hot News

    Zelenskiy’s US visit gives Ukrainian Americans hope

    President Zelenskiy’s visit to the US is giving Ukrainian Americans hope that the US will assist Ukraine further against the Russian invasion. Dozens of pro-Ukrainian activists gathered near the White House to support Zelenskiy as he made his first trip abroad since the war started. The group called “US Ukrainian Activists” then met at the US Capitol to hear Zelenskiy’s…

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  • Koh Samui News

    Authorities bust yet another overstayer on Koh Samui

    Surat Thani immigration officers busted yet another overstayer on Thailand’s island paradise of Koh Samui, The Phuket Express reported yesterday. The British man, 74 year old Dennis Robert Desmond, had overstayed his visa by 38 days. Officers arrested Desmond in front of a hotel in Koh Samui’s Bo Phut sub-district, on Choeng Mon-Chaweng Road. The officers brought Desmond to Bo…

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  • Thailand News

    VIDEO: Navy rescues stranded sailor from Thailand’s choppy waters

    Yesterday, the Royal Thai Navy posted a video of navy officers rescuing a missing HTMS Sukhothai sailor from the Gulf of Thailand. On Monday at 9:10am, navy officers threw a rope to Chief Petty Officer Natee Timdee and hoisted him up onto the HTMS Kraburi. The sailor floated in the sea all night after the HTMS Sukhothai sank to the…

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  • Thailand News

    Chiang Mai’s Dhara Dhevi Hotel goes on sale again

    The ill-starred Dhara Dhevi Hotel Chiang Mai will be auctioned yet again this January, with the starting price dropping to 2 billion baht (US$60 million) from the 2.1-billion-baht initial price in the 2021 auction. The first round of the auction will take place at the Chiang Mai Legal Execution Office on January 27. If there is no interest during the…

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  • Things To Do

    Explore the best markets in Bangkok

    Press Release Bangkok is known for its bustling markets, and they’re more than just a tourist attraction. The markets are an integral part of the city’s culture, and they’re great places to get a glimpse into the true heartbeat of Bangkok. While countries like Morocco are famous for their bazaars, Thailand is known for its many types of street markets.…

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  • Thailand video news

    New Year’s weed parties illegal | GMT

    In today’s episode, Alcohol banned from festive gift baskets in Thailand, DTAM to cannabis vendors: New Year’s weed parties illegal, Tourism groups in South Korea sign deals with TAT, AoT app expanding: flight info, taxis, shopping and more, Iconic Bangkok road sees staff shortage as tourists return.

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  • World News

    Tourism groups in South Korea sign deals with TAT

    To boost the tourism link with South Korea, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has just inked three new deals. By partnering with Korean Air, the Korea Association of Travel Agents, and SOOBAK, the TAT hope to increase visitors from the nation and strengthen the friendly relations between South Korea and Thailand. TAT News reports that the department’s governor Yuttasak Supasorn…

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  • Thailand News

    7 killed and 2 injured in floods in southern Thailand

    Seven people died and two more are injured as a result of floods in the southern provinces of Thailand. The water level has gradually decreased today. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) reported today that heavy rain and strong winds from December 18 to 21 caused flash floods and landslides in nine provinces including Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat,…

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  • World News

    New artefacts in the Cave of Salome, nurse to Jesus

    New light has been shed on just how long a cave in Israel has been held as a religious holy site. The cave is believed to be the burial place of Salome, the apocryphal nurse to the newborn baby Jesus. After a recent excavation, new evidence has reinforced the long-held belief that the biblical figure is in fact buried there. Excavations…

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  • Phuket News

    Patong lifeguards rescue Australian tourist who suddenly fell unconscious

    Patong Beach lifeguards rescued an Australian tourist after she suddenly lost consciousness and her pulse yesterday. The lifeguards provided the elderly woman with CPR as they waited for an ambulance from Patong Hospital to arrive. The lifeguards used a cardiac pump to help revive the woman. The woman’s pulse was back after the CPR, although she was still unconscious. The…

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  • Thailand News

    Beagle sniffs out corpse in northeast Thailand

    A Thai man took his dog out for a walk in Nakhon Ratchasima province in northeast Thailand yesterday. He couldn’t believe it when the sharp-nosed beagle led him to a human corpse. At 3:30pm yesterday, officers at Soeng Sang Police Station received a report that a body had been found on the side of the road in Soeng Sang district.…

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  • Thailand video news

    Thailand News Today | Drivers switch places in moving bus in western Thailand, 11 tourists injured

    Phuket is getting ready for the annual road safety campaign known as ‘Seven Days of Danger.’ The campaign will be held around the New Year from December 29 to January 4. Phuket Vice Governor chaired a meeting about the campaign at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday. Officials will use various strategies to improve road safety during the campaign. These include prosecuting…

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  • Transport News

    AoT app expanding: flight info, taxis, shopping and more

    Airports in Thailand are hard at work souping up their travel app in hopes of making it an essential super-app for the incoming flood of tourists. Their “Sawasdee by AoT” app currently provides flight and airport information for people landing at six AoT-run airports. But they plan to add a host of tourism services, to aid the predicted 90 million…

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  • Crime News

    Police arrest 7 men for robbery of Chinese man’s house in Pattaya

    Police arrested seven Thai men over the robbery of a Chinese man and his Thai wife’s house in Pattaya earlier this month. The suspects said they were hired by three Thai men who believed the Chinese man was keeping 200 to 400 million baht inside the house. The robbery occurred on the night of December 11 at the couple’s house…

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  • Politics News

    Anti-government protest leader under fire over expensive handbag

    Anti-government protest leader Panusaya “Rung” is under fire for her alleged flaunting of a 200,000 baht handbag. Rung was called out by senator Jetn Sirathranont as he asked the National Security Council to look into her finances after a photo of her with the handbag circulated on Facebook and on other social media outlets. According to the Bangkok Post, Jetn…

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  • Crime News

    Group attacks Russian man near Phuket shopping mall

    A group attacked a Russian man in front of a Phuket shopping mall, according to a police report. The attackers beat the man up in front of the Central Phuket shopping mall at the Darasamut Intersection. The victim filed a report to Wichit police on November 26, and the assault was reported in Novosti Phuketa yesterday. The report said the…

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  • Crime News

    97 year old former Nazi concentration camp secretary found guilty of over 10,000 murders

    A 97 year old woman has been convicted of murdering over 10,000 people while she served as a Nazi concentration camp secretary. The woman was convicted for her role in what could be the last trial for World War II crimes. According to Reuters, the district court in the northern town of Itzehoe charged Irmgard Furchner with a two-year suspended…

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  • Pattaya News

    Woman and Thai-Turkish daughter dumped on roadside in Pattaya

    A Thai husband dumped his wife and her six year old Thai-Turkish daughter on the roadside in Pattaya in Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand, on Saturday. Left alone with no money or belongings, the pair waited on the roadside for three days for him to come back, but he never returned. Last night, a 28 year old woman named Sasiporn…

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  • Tourism News

    Thai AirAsia predicts 90% post-pandemic recovery

    Thai AirAsia is predicting a great year next year, forecasting passenger load to reach 90% of the levels it was at before the Covid-19 pandemic. The rosy outlook was stated as foreign arrivals have been pouring into Thailand. The popular budget airline also has faith that the mega-demographic of Chinese tourists will be able to rejoin the tourism world next…

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  • Thailand News

    Sailor floating in Gulf of Thailand for 60 hours rescued by navy

    The Royal Thai Navy found another HTMS Sukhothai crew member alive floating near Koh Talu in the Gulf of Thailand this afternoon, reports ThaiRath. The sailor drifted in the sea amid high waves and strong winds for 60 hours after the warship sank, 19 nautical miles off the coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan province, on Sunday night. Navy vessel HTMS…

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  • Tourism News

    Iconic Bangkok road sees staff shortage as tourists return

    An iconic Bangkok road is seeing a staff shortage as tourists return. Bangkok’s Khao San Road, renowned as a hotspot for backpackers, is seeing a comeback in tourism after the Covid-19 pandemic took them down. Now, hotels, bars, and other businesses on the road are almost at pre-pandemic levels. Business operators report that their businesses are back to 90% to…

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  • Cannabis News

    DTAM to cannabis vendors: New Year’s weed parties illegal

    For those who were planning a more mellow New Year’s Eve celebration, lighting up a joint and saying goodbye to 2022, the government has a strong warning for you. The Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (DTAM) cautioned cannabis vendors not to take part in or organise New Year’s Eve smoke parties. The Ministry of Public Health says that…

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  • Thailand News

    Alcohol banned from festive gift baskets in Thailand

    Pre-made gift baskets are a hit in Thailand for all special occasions and are especially popular around the Christmas and New Year holidays. But the Ministry of Commerce would like to remind the country’s merchants that selling alcohol as part of a gift set is against the law in Thailand. Anyone who fails to comply with the law will face…

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  • World News

    No more university education for women under Taliban-ruled Afghanistan

    The Taliban is continuing its relentless campaign to chip away at women’s rights in Afghanistan. Yesterday, the terror group banned women from universities. Afghanistan’s Ministry of Higher Education said the move was to go into effect immediately. Afghan women are now mourning the loss of education, which was a lifeline for many under Afghanistan’s deeply patriarchal society. One university student…

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  • Bangkok News

    Bangkok chosen as Asia’s 2nd most cycling-friendly city

    Netizens are not convinced with the Independent‘s selection of Bangkok as Asia’s 2nd most cycling-friendly city. Singapore ranked in first place, followed by Bangkok, Osaka in Japan, Xiamen in China, Taipei in Taiwan, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and Beijing in China. Bangkok is a “fantastic city for cycling” thanks to Lumphini Park, Benjakitti Park, and the city’s “brilliant guided cycling…

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  • Hot News

    California earthquake leaves tens of thousands without electricity, 2 deaths

    A California earthquake with a 6.4 magnitude has left tens of thousands without electricity and has reportedly taken two lives. The earthquake occurred before dawn on Tuesday, damaging roads, water systems and homes. At least 11 were reported injured as well as two deaths from “medical emergencies.” The quake struck at 2:30am PST and was followed by around 80 aftershocks.…

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