- Thailand News
Thailand poised to break through 40 million arrivals in 2019
Thailand welcomed a record 38.27 million tourists in 2018. That’s up 7.5 percent from 2017 arrival figures. The Thai tourism ministry announced the figures this morning. In December, tourist arrivals amounted to 3.85 million. The ministry is also expecting the number of tourists visiting Thailand in 2019 to increase by another 7.5 percent. For 2019, the ministry expects to break through the…
- Bangkok News
Bangkok air pollution: PM demands action and threatens limiting road traffic
PHOTOS: The Nation The Thai PM says he is determined to step up measures to fight the worsening air pollution problem plaguing Bangkok. Limiting the use of vehicles with an odd-even day schedule is on the cards, he said. Speaking at the opening ceremony of “Our Country, Our Future” exhibition yesterday, Prayut warned that if the smog in Bangkok was…
- Phuket News
Rawai villagers caught up in romance scams
by Jessada Chantharak. PHOTOS: The Nation Five impoverished residents from Rawai in Phuket’s south, say they have been tricked into opening bank accounts that were used in romance scams. Facing arrest warrants over the scams, the five villagers have filed an appeal with the Royal Thai Police’s Taskforce for Information Technology Crime Suppression for help. The five residents claim they opened…
- Phuket News
His Majesty pays Phang Nga boy’s medical costs – more operations Saturday
HM the King has helped pay for some of the medical care for the seven year old boy mauled by four stray dogs at a beach in Phang Nga last weekend. He is now recovering in Vachira Phuket Hospital. The boy was attacked in Ban Tha Noon, Takua Thung district on Sunday. Dr Chalermpong Sukhonthapol, spokesperson for the hospital, says…
- Bangkok News
AoT defers final decision about new BKK airport terminal until February 20
PHOTO: Rendering of the new proposed Terminal for Suvarnabhumi Airports of Thailand has set a deadline of February 20 to decide whether it will go ahead with the construction of the much-needed second terminal at Suvarnabhumi Airport, the country’s largest and busiest airport. The 42 billion baht project has been embroiled in controversy amid criticism from organisations including the Council…
- Hua Hin News
The ‘sweet generation’ head back to school in Hua Hin
by Piyarat Nildee Hua Hin residents may be wondering why some of their more mature residents have been putting on school uniforms and heading back to school. Some of the elderly Prachuap Khiri Khan residents reported at a special college for ‘the Sweet Generation’ yesterday, ready for classes and ready to learn again. Hundreds have enrolled in the School for…
- Bangkok News
22 arrested over illegal gambling websites in Bangkok
Police have arrested 22 suspects following crackdown on online gambling sites across six provinces today. Of the 22, 16 were arrested for alleged links to sbotded.com, sbolucky666.com, sbohero888.com and sure999.com which allegedly provide people with online betting. “The websites had a combined cash flow of over 300 million baht,” said Pol Lt-General Surachete Hakparn, He was speaking in his capacity…
- World News
Burmese migrants, heading for Malaysia, stopped in Chumphon
Police and soldiers in Chumphon have arrested 37 Burmese people who were heading to Malaysia. Security forces, including troops from the 44th Army Circle, checked a wooded location where residents had seen a group of strangers in a makeshift camp. The 33 men and four women had no travel documents and appeared exhausted in their rough camp behind a deserted…
- Thailand News
Twitter is on the rise in Thailand. This is what you were Tweeting about in 2018.
From #BTS (the band not the Skytrain), to #AIS and #KFC. Twitter have released their #YearOnTwitter data for 2018 for Thailand. 2018 was a year dominated by local and international talents: from #BTS and #GOT7 to @BamBam1A and @peckpalit, while TV dramas also made their mark with conversations centering around #บุพเพสันนิวาส (Bupaesaniwas) and #เลือดข้นคนจาง (In Family We Trust). The biggest…
- World News
Singapore people with HIV shocked by data leak
from The Straits Times 14,200 people living with HIV in Singapore, who had their personal details leaked, are stunned. The Singapore Ministry of Health has revealed that some 1,900 names in the leaked data were of people who had already died. An HIV-positive US citizen, who had been deported from Singapore after serving a jail term, has leaked online the personal…
- Northern Thailand News
Narcotics Control Board say they’ve prevented 300 million meth pills coming into Thailand
PHOTO: Niyom Termsrisuk, ONCB secretary-general – The Nation “During the period, the ONCB led officials to search 84,000 villages and arrested 90,000 suspects in some 80,000 cases.” The Office of Narcotics Control Board says that it’s managed to prevent 300 million methamphetamine pills from flowing into the country in Q4, 2018. The ONCB secretary-general Niyom Termsrisuk says the agency also…
- Thailand News
Authorities urge curbs on burning incense sticks for Chinese New Year
The Public Health Ministry is calling on people to burn shorter incense sticks and avoid setting fire to paper offerings during this Chinese New Year in order to help prevent the air pollution situation from getting worse. Chinese people usually burn paper offerings in dedication to gods, goddesses or ancestors on special occasions such as the Chinese New Year, which…
- Bangkok News
Bangkok air deteriorates today
PHOTO: Bangkok skyline this morning – FM91 Traffic Pro Greater Bangkok’s air pollution was bad this morning, with 36 locations reporting the amount of PM2.5 micron pollutants rising beyond the safety limit of 50 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic metre of air, with one area reaching as high as 113 micrograms. The Pollution Control Department say the breeze is too low…
- Bangkok News
Blind man jumps from Bangkok apartment building
A blind man has jumped to his death from the rooftop of a seven-floor apartment building in Bangkok’s Lat Phrao district after his wife, who is also reported to be blind, had recently separated from him. Chok Chai police station was alerted at 10am today about the incident at an apartment building on Soi Lat Phrao-Wang Hin. The man has…
- Northern Thailand News
Chiang Rai pick-up driver arrested with 4 million meth pills in the back
A man has been arrested in Chiang Rai with 4 million methamphetamine pills stacked into the back of his pick-up. The 27 year old is alleged to have smuggled from a border spot. Acting on a tip-off, the Chiang Rai-based narcotics suppression police spotted a pick-up truck parked at a shophouse on Phaholyothin road in Moo 4 village in Wiang…
- Hua Hin News
Headless body discovered washed up on beach south of Hua Hin
FILE PHOTO A headless body has been discovered on a remote Prachuap Khiri Khan province beach early today (Tuesday). Police report that a local fisherman found the body of the man just after midnight. The body was found, face down, partially covered in sand, and wearing red underwear. The body was found at Ban Khok Tahome beach, in Moo 9…
- Bangkok News
Slapped airport security worker praised for showing restraint
A female airport security officer, who was slapped by a South Korean woman after she asked if the tourist would submit to a routine pat-down at a security post at Suvarnabhumi Airport, has been praised by an airport executive for not retaliating or responding negatively. The incident took place on Saturday night at Suvarnabhumi Airport while the Thai worker was…
- Chiang Mai News
Chiang Mai sting lands family of smugglers in custody
PHOTOS: The Nation A family that smuggles together, stays together. In jail. A family of six is under arrest in Chiang Mai after allegedly handing over 15 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and 170,000 methamphetamine pills to undercover police in the province. Police arrested all the members of the ethnic Lahu family. All were aged between 32 and 51 years. Police say…
- Chiang Mai News
Chiang Mai temple roasted for charging foreigners to enter
There’s two-tier charging then there’s the next step of allowing Thais in for free and only charging foreigners. That seems to be the case when a Chiang Mai temple has been caught out charging a 50 baht fee, but only for foreigners. A Facebook post from Aronong Silvestra claims he found the box at Wat Suwan in the Muang district…
- Northern Thailand News
Troops intercept pickup with 2.85 million meth pills – one smuggler killed
A shootout with Army troops has resulted in the death of a drug suspect while attempting to smuggle 2.8 million methamphetamine pills into Thailand from neighbouring Myanmar. Troops from the Pha Muang Taskforce were patrolling a border road in Chiang Rai’s Chiang Saen district, in the far north of Thailand, when they spotted the pickup truck at about 10.40pm. Ttroops…
- South Thailand News
Sea Turtle found dead on Chumpon beach, choked on plastics
by Prasit Leehukunakorn A large green turtle has been found dead on Chumphon’s Bang Nam Jeud Beach, believed to have died from plastic waste it ingested. “I found a piece of plastic in its throat, so I think it’s the latest victim of sea-borne plastic waste,” said Amnuaykiat Timnakha, deputy chief of the Tambon Bang Nam Jeud Organisation. He was…
- Thailand News
NCPO restrict social media and advertising in election campaign
“Following the confirmation that Thailand’s much-postponed election would finally be held on 24 March – the first election since the military seized power in a bloodless coup in 2014 – the election commission released strict guidelines on political campaigning.” The world’s media is starting to report on the shackles put on political parties campaigning for the Thai general election, scheduled…
- World News
Deputy PM says Malaysia can learn from Thailand on caring for neglected children
PHOTO: Thai PBS Malaysia’s Deputy PM Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail has been visiting Thailand and says that her government can learn something from the methods implemented in Thailand to tackle the issue of neglected children and babies and those without citizenships. Bernama news agency quotes Wan Azizah, who is also Women, Family and Community Development Minister, as saying…
- Chiang Mai News
Grieving Chiang Mai father kills himself in same spot son committed suicide
A grieving father has been found dead in front of his house in Chiang Mai’s Mae Wang district this morning in an apparent suicide. It was the same spot where his son killed himself last year, according to police. Pol Lt Col Natthapol Jaikantha, deputy commander of the Mae Wang police station, said 57 year old Chankaew Sopha killed himself…
- Thailand News
New e-Visa for Chinese tourists starts rolling out on February 15
The Department of Consular Affairs is to officially launch the first phase of the new Thai e-Visa in Beijing on February 15. China will be the first country in the world to have the service, which will be extended to other Chinese cities in early March. Chatri Archjananun, director general of the Department of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said…
- Thailand News
Premchai case to be handed down on March 19
The verdict in the “black leopard” poaching case against construction tycoon Premchai Karnasuta and three associates is set to be handed down on March 19. Final arguments were heard today in the court in Kanchanaburi province, north-west of Bangkok. Premchai, the president of listed construction giant Italian-Thai Development, was arrested and charged with poaching in Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary in…
- Thailand News
Round ’em up, ship ’em out – another 500 foreigners arrested in crackdown
Authorities have rounded up another 503 foreigners for overstaying their visas, entering Thailand illegally and assorted other crimes during simultaneous searches at 217 locations around the country early today. Immigration Police Bureau deputy chief Pol Maj-General Itthipol Itthisarnronnachai says the raids are part of the government’s crackdown on transnational scammers, card skimmers and drug traffickers, as well as foreigners breaking…
- Thailand News
Palang Pracharat to nominate Prayut as candidate for PM after election
The pro-junta leaning Palang Pracharat Party is poised to name Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha as its candidate for PM if it can win a majority at the March 24 general election. This revelation from a Palang Pracharat party source as reported by The Nation. The current junta government’s Industry Minister Uttama Savanayana and Deputy PM Somkid Jatusripitak are also likely to…
- Phuket News
Motorbike rider dies in head-on between Patong and Kamala – VIDEO
PHOTOS: Phuket Traffic Report A motorbike driver has died as a result of injuries sustained when his motorbike collided, head on, with a mini van. The man was a UK citizen. Kamala rescue workers were notified of the incident on the Patong-Kamala road at 20.57 pm last night. The head-on collision happened just near the entrance to Nakalay Palm condo.…
- Thailand News
March 24 election campaign starts with a whimper – Thai election 2019
If you were expecting Wednesday’s announcement of the forthcoming election to spark an outbreak of election posters, billboards and a stream of online campaigning, you’ll be disappointed. Stringent rules governing campaigning for the March 24 general election appear to be restricting freedom of expression as well as voters’ rights to information, according to academics on the matter. Wednesday’s Royal Decree…
