Year: 2022

  • Cannabis NewsCannabis flowers to become a “controlled herb” in Thailand

    Cannabis flowers to become a “controlled herb” in Thailand

    In response to public concern about recreational abuse of cannabis since its decriminalisation last week, Thailand’s Health Minister has signed a ministerial regulation to make cannabis flowers – the part of the plant with high levels of tetrahydrocannabinol – a “controlled herb.” The legislation specifies who is and isn’t allowed to access the THC-rich flowers. The legislation will come into…

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  • Economy NewsIn midst of price inflation, Thailand to freeze prices on dozens of products

    In midst of price inflation, Thailand to freeze prices on dozens of products

    In the midst of the world’s overwhelming price inflation, Thailand plans to freeze the prices of 46 items. The items are grouped into 9 categories, which are: paper and paper products, transport-related products, farm-related products, petroleum products, medicines, construction materials, “important” farm products, consumer products and food. The items include bicycle and car tires, motorcycles and trucks, water pumps, fertiliser,…

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  • Pattaya NewsFree massages in Pattaya until end of June

    Free massages in Pattaya until end of June

    Feeling stressed? A project training aspiring massage therapists is providing free massages at Pattaya City Hall from Monday to Friday from 9am-3pm, on the fourth floor. The project began this week, and will last until June 30. If you’re dying for relief from your hectic daily life, 20 massage trainees are happy to help. Massages are free for both Thais,…

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  • Thailand video newsBIG Covid decisions today, C-Word laws clarified | GMT

    BIG Covid decisions today, C-Word laws clarified | GMT

      Today is a big day for winding back some of Thailand’s remaining Covid restrictions. Face masks, closing times for nightlife, the Thailand Pass, Covid insurance and the immigration TM6 form. What will happen? And what is the reality of Thailand’s botched attempt at decriminalising c**nabis? We have a lawyer on the program to discuss this today. Also is the…

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  • Covid-19 NewsThailand Pass, Bars, Masks: The Thaiger’s predictions for tomorrow’s CCSA meeting

    Thailand Pass, Bars, Masks: The Thaiger’s predictions for tomorrow’s CCSA meeting

    Tomorrow, Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, or CCSA, will meet to discuss the fate of Thailand Pass, “zones,” closing times of entertainment venues, mask-wearing and temperature checks. Keep a close eye on the Thaiger tomorrow to see if our predictions are correct… Thailand Pass Currently, non-Thai travellers entering Thailand are required to obtain a Thailand Pass QR code prior…

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  • Crime NewsPolice arrest suspects in illegal lending network across Thailand

    Police arrest suspects in illegal lending network across Thailand

    Police across Thailand have arrested 29 alleged members of an online illegal lending network. Police from the Economic Crime Suppression Division said small-business operators filed a complaint that they had borrowed money from the website, and were charged unusually high interest rates. When the business operators couldn’t make the payments, the websites’ operators sent men to intimidate them, according to…

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  • International EducationTop 5 International schools in Pattaya 2022

    Top 5 International schools in Pattaya 2022

    Pattaya is a city located on Thailand’s eastern Gulf. It is surrounded by some of the country’s most beautiful beaches and is only a 2-hour drive from Bangkok. The Thai Ministry of Education has certified all of Pattaya’s international schools and approved all of the schools’ curriculum. While Pattaya may not have a large number of international schools, compared to…

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  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Thai Parliament passes Marriage Equality Bill

    Thailand News Today | Thai Parliament passes Marriage Equality Bill

      Thailand’s Parliament passed the Marriage Equality Bill in the first reading with 210 votes in favour, 180 votes in opposition and 4 abstentions. The bill – previously rejected by Cabinet in March – was pushed by Thailand’s Move Forward Party. A parliamentary committee has been set up to scrutinise the bill over the next 15 days before it is…

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  • Thailand TravelThailand’s cabinet approves budget to help Andaman tourism and development

    Thailand’s cabinet approves budget to help Andaman tourism and development

    Thailand’s cabinet is making it a priority to support development in the country’s Andaman provinces of Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi, Trang, and Satun. The budget of 338.8 million baht will go towards 6 projects in environmental and tourism development. A budget of 80.8 million baht will go to health services and environmental systems projects at Lipe Island in Satun. A…

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  • Thailand NewsThai national football coach apologises for inappropriate touching

    Thai national football coach apologises for inappropriate touching

    Thailand national football team assistant manager, Vitoon Chomchaypol, has apologised after a video emerged of him on social media touching his players inappropriately and using sexual language. The incident happened at a party on June 14 held in honour of the team after they failed to qualify from the group stage at the AFC U-23 Asian Cup in Uzbekistan. The…

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  • World NewsPakistani government tells people “drink less tea” amidst economic crisis

    Pakistani government tells people “drink less tea” amidst economic crisis

    Pakistan is the latest of several countries hit by an economic crisis. In the midst of the crisis, Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Planning and Development has some interesting instructions for citizens: drink less tea. Pakistan is the world’s largest importer of tea, buying more than US$640 million worth in 2020, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity. The minister, Ahsan…

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  • Thailand NewsMuslim groups discuss legislation contrary to their religious beliefs

    Muslim groups discuss legislation contrary to their religious beliefs

    Twenty-five Muslim organisations met yesterday to discuss the government’s new cannabis law and other legislation contrary to their religious beliefs. The religious groups met at Baan Nuer Mosque Hall in the southern province of Songkla, to set up an Unethical Laws and Regulations Opposition Association, in opposition to the new law to decriminalise cannabis on June 9, same-sex marriage proposals,…

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  • Crime NewsUPDATE #2: Thai couple murdered in Taiwan

    UPDATE #2: Thai couple murdered in Taiwan

    UPDATE #2: The Thai man who went on the run after murdering a Thai couple in Taiwan last week asked a middleman to contact the Royal Thai Police on his behalf to inform them that he wants to hand himself in. Apparently, he feels guilty and wants to surrender to police. The police have not spoken to the suspect directly so…

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  • Phuket NewsSea turtle lays 60 eggs at Phang Nga beach

    Sea turtle lays 60 eggs at Phang Nga beach

    A national park in South Thailand’s Phang Nga province has reported yesterday that 60 sea turtle eggs were found on a beach near the park’s office. The eggs are believed to have come from a green sea turtle, and are expected to hatch in 60 days. The eggs have now been moved to a safe area nearby, in order to…

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  • Crime NewsUPDATE #2: Lithuanian man allegedly murders trans woman in northeast Thailand

    UPDATE #2: Lithuanian man allegedly murders trans woman in northeast Thailand

    UPDATE #2: Police have caught and arrested the man suspected of murdering a trans woman in Surin 3 weeks ago. Police revealed that the 32 year old man, Malleus Kunickas, is in fact of Lithuanian nationality, and not Russian as thought by the deceased’s family and widely reported in Thai media. Wandee, the deceased’s mother, previously said her daughter’s phone…

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  • Pattaya NewsCompletion of Pattaya’s Walking Street postponed again

    Completion of Pattaya’s Walking Street postponed again

    Pattaya City authorities are kicking the can down the road again. After Pattaya city officials announced last month that construction of the city’s famous Walking Street would finish in August, they now say it will be completed in September (presumably September 2022). The contractor, DD Infrastructure Company, informed Pattaya’s city council chairman that the postponing is due to the delay…

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  • Pattaya NewsChinese man swindled out of a million baht climbs 20 metre tsunami tower in Pattaya

    Chinese man swindled out of a million baht climbs 20 metre tsunami tower in Pattaya

    A Chinese man suffered a mental breakdown and climbed a 20 metre tsunami warning tower in Pattaya after being swindled out of a million baht. The 51 year old man, named Qin, climbed the warning tower, located on Jomtien Beach near Jomtien Night Market, because he was scared after being threatened by men with whom he’d conducted a business deal.…

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  • Property NewsReal estate market to experience inflation price hikes

    Real estate market to experience inflation price hikes

    Rising inflation and interest rate hikes are expected to impact demand for real estate and mortgages in Thailand this year due to the price of new homes rising in parallel with the cost of construction materials, according to the Housing Finance Association. The government’s reaction to the outbreak of Covid-19 has had a major impact on the real estate market…

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  • Cannabis NewsDemocrat MP gives blessing for party-goers to get high

    Democrat MP gives blessing for party-goers to get high

    Democrat Party MP, Kanok Wongtrangarn believes the nation’s party zones should be allowed to throw “ganja parties” to draw in more tourists in a bid to boost the Thai economy. Kanok, who quit as deputy leader in April after the party failed to take stronger action over a sex-abuse case, says specific areas, like the Koh Pha Ngan Full Moon…

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  • Northern Thailand NewsRussian man allegedly murders trans woman in northeast Thailand

    Russian man allegedly murders trans woman in northeast Thailand

    Yesterday, a mother in the northeastern province of Surin discovered the rotting body of her 31 year old daughter – a trans woman named Thiraphong – wrapped inside a blanket in a storage room behind their family home. The mother suspects her daughter’s Russian boyfriend, who disappeared a few weeks ago, murdered her daughter. Police say they estimate that the…

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  • Thailand Weather UpdatesUpper Thailand warned to be extra cautious on floods next week

    Upper Thailand warned to be extra cautious on floods next week

    Grab your rain boots once again! As rain pours down on Thailand (well, it’s the wet season), the country’s meteorological department has warned today flash floods and overflows are expected in upper Thailand from June 19-21, Sunday to Tuesday. During these days, the southwest monsoon will strengthen and the monsoon trough will move down from across Myanmar and upper Laos.…

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  • Ask an Agent10 ways to know if you should sell your condo in Thailand

    10 ways to know if you should sell your condo in Thailand

    Real estate investment is all about maximizing your profit. As a landlord, you’ve most likely enjoyed the passive income. However, for most owners, there eventually comes the point when holding on to property no longer makes personal or financial sense. You want your investment property to be an asset instead of a burden on your finances, so keeping your rental…

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  • Politics NewsLuxury house in US belongs to my son, says Bangkok governor

    Luxury house in US belongs to my son, says Bangkok governor

    Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt yesterday insisted he has nothing to hide after it became public knowledge his family owns a luxury house in the US worth 72 million baht. The 56 year old city chief says the 4-bedroomed house on South Jackson Street, Seattle, Washington, belongs to his son, Sanpiti Sittipunt. Chadchart added the property, with 2 floors covering 302…

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  • Bangkok NewsFormer Bangkok police inspector gets 20 years for murdering girlfriend in 2020

    Former Bangkok police inspector gets 20 years for murdering girlfriend in 2020

    A former inspector from Bangkok’s Wang Thoglang Police station has been sentenced yesterday to 20 years in jail for murdering his girlfriend in 2020. The man, 31 year old Songklod ‘Boy’ Boonsong, shot and killed his girlfriend, 30 year old Pimchadaporn ‘Nim’ Puyamsai at a townhouse in Bangkok’s Bang Kapi. Boy shot Nim in the head. Boy claims he accidently…

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  • Thailand NewsThailand’s lower house passes Marriage Equality Bill (first reading)

    Thailand’s lower house passes Marriage Equality Bill (first reading)

    Yesterday, Thailand’s Parliament passed the Marriage Equality Bill in the first reading with 210 votes in favour, 180 votes in opposition and 4 abstentions. The bill – previously rejected by Cabinet in March – was pushed by Thailand’s Move Forward Party. A parliamentary committee has been set up to scrutinise the bill over the next 15 days before it is…

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  • Thai Law NewsNew draft law will allow ex-cons to expunge criminal records

    New draft law will allow ex-cons to expunge criminal records

    A new draft law will allow people who have been convicted of a crime and served their sentence to wipe the slate clean and start again. In the past ex-cons have found it difficult to find gainful employment after serving their sentence and as a consequence have gone on to reoffend. But if this new bill is passed it will…

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  • Thailand video newsAdios Thailand Pass? Same sex marriage bill…BOOM! | GMT

    Adios Thailand Pass? Same sex marriage bill…BOOM! | GMT

    Thailand’s Parliament passed the Marriage Equality Bill in the first reading with 210 votes in favour, 180 votes in opposition and 4 abstentions. Cannabis muslim students in southern Thailand protest against decriminalisation of cannabis.

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  • Thailand NewsTAT says it’s the season for venemous jellyfish in Thailand

    TAT says it’s the season for venemous jellyfish in Thailand

    After thousands of “fire jellyfish” washed up on the shores of Krabi’s Bok Khorani National Park earlier this week, Thailand’s tourism authorities are warning of more venomous jellyfish to come. On Facebook, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has urged swimmers and snorkelers not to take any risks on beaches where jellyfish warning sings have been posted. TAT acknowledged that it’s…

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  • Thailand NewsLGBTQ+ protesters in Thailand want marriage equality, not ‘civil partnerships’

    LGBTQ+ protesters in Thailand want marriage equality, not ‘civil partnerships’

    Members of Thailand’s LGBTQ+ community gathered outside parliament today to submit a letter calling for the Cabinet to pass the Marriage Equality Bill. The bill would make Thailand’s marriage laws applicable to any couple, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation. The Marriage Equality bill was previously rejected by the Cabinet, who said it was redundant because they were instead…

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  • Thailand NewsThai Public Health recommend a Covid booster every 4 months

    Thai Public Health recommend a Covid booster every 4 months

    The Ministry of Public Health recommended that vaccinated residents should get a booster every 4 months. The Director-General of the Disease Control Department, Opas Kankawinpong, today recommended that Thai people should get at least 3 Covid-19 vaccinations and then keep topping up. Opas says everyone has antibodies but they decrease every 3 to 4 months, no matter what vaccine people…

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  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Govt to temporarily scrap TM6 immigration form

    Thailand News Today | Govt to temporarily scrap TM6 immigration form

    The Thai Prime Minister has revealed the government will temporarily scrap the TM6 immigration form. The form is the arrival and departure card foreigners fill in to provide passport details, name, address, etc., on their entry and exit from Thailand. Deputy Government Spokesperson Traisuree Traisoranakul says scrapping the TM6 would facilitate immigration checks and reduce congestion at airport immigration checkpoints.…

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  • Thailand NewsLabour Minister confirms 300 jobs axed by Shopee Thailand

    Labour Minister confirms 300 jobs axed by Shopee Thailand

    The Labour Minister, Suchart Chomklin, confirmed yesterday’s report on the Shopee redundancies was accurate. He says 300 jobs are being axed, but insisted the Labour Ministry would help ensure sacked workers are looked after in accordance to employment legislation. The Singaporean company Sea announced during a town hall meeting yesterday of the planned layoff for one of its core businesses,…

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  • Eastern Thailand NewsOfficials in eastern Thailand scramble to save tree from tourists

    Officials in eastern Thailand scramble to save tree from tourists

    Officials in eastern Thailand are scrambling to save a lone tree on a tiny islet off Trat province from tourist destruction. The islet is only a few metres wide, with nothing on it except the tree and its roots. The director of maintenance at Koh Mak Tambon Administrative Organisation, Lertrob Saithongpu, said the wee little islet can only handle 5…

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  • South Thailand NewsMuslim students in southern Thailand protest against decriminalisation of cannabis

    Muslim students in southern Thailand protest against decriminalisation of cannabis

    Students, teachers, and the board of Santiwit Songkla Technological College, in the southern province of Songkla, have condemned the government’s decision to decriminalise cannabis in Thailand. The college yesterday called upon all MPs, especially Muslims, and relevant agencies, who supported the bill to decriminalise cannabis on June 9, to reconsider their decision and think about the future effects the drug…

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  • Phuket NewsPhuket vice governor announces 5 year goal to cut road deaths in half

    Phuket vice governor announces 5 year goal to cut road deaths in half

    Phuket’s Vice Governor Anupap announced a 5 year goal for reducing Phuket’s road deaths at a meeting yesterday. Anupap said the goal for 2027 is to have only 12 deaths per 100,000 people. This would mean 41 road deaths a year in Phuket. Last year, Phuket saw 70 road deaths. To meet the 2027 goal, Phuket would have to cut…

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  • Thailand NewsRobot dogs spotted “playing” at Chiang Mai University

    Robot dogs spotted “playing” at Chiang Mai University

    As if Thailand didn’t have enough dogs roaming the streets already, Chiang Mai University’s Faculty of Engineering has manufactured a pack of robot dogs which have been spotted “playing” on a field at the university’s campus in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. An unsettling video of the robot dogs posted on Facebook has netizens divided on whether the dogs – which…

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  • TravelHow to get a job in Thailand as a foreigner

    How to get a job in Thailand as a foreigner

    Thailand is a popular destination for retirees and travellers, but it’s also a country with a lot of working expatriates of all ages. Is it easy or difficult to find work in Thailand? This depends on who you ask, and what you’re looking for. Here is a brief overview of finding employment in the Land of Smiles. If you’re deciding…

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