- Environment News
Majority of Thais support single-use plastic bag ban
PHOTO: The Nation A survey by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University (Suan Dusit Poll), indicates that a vast majority of the Thai public see the value in banning single-use plastic bags. A number of Thailand’s major retailers are rolling out a ban on giving out single-use bags from January 1. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment aims to encourage people…
- Politics News
Future Forward’s Thanathorn says he’ll “bring people to the streets”
It’s the biggest political rally since the general election in March, probably the largest rally in five years since before the military coup in 2014. Thousands of supporters chanted “Prayut get out” at an anti-military demonstration called by former MP, Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Jungroongruangkit. Thanathorn told demonstrators that last evening’s rally on the skywalk linking the National Stadium…
- Phuket News
“Phuket’s economy is shrinking” – University report
PHOTO: Rocket Bird Travel Company “Phuket’s economy is shrinking.” A report released by the local Prince of Songkla University reveals some disturbing trends for the once-booming tropical paradise. Chayanon Phucharoen, the university’s associate dean of research and graduate study says that Phuket’s economy is undergoing a transformation. He blames the strong Thai baht and says digital disruption is funnelling tourist services…
- Thailand News
Justice minister says he’ll speed up kratom decriminalisation
Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin says he will speed up the decriminalisation of kratom, after researchers registered patents for kratom-based medicines in Japan and the US. Kratom is a local plant, related to coffee, whose leaves are still classified as a narcotic in Thailand. Somsak said his ministry has formed a committee to consider legalising kratom-based medicines. Kratom leaves are a mild…
- Crime News
Police hunt suspect for stabbing ex-girlfriend at work
Police in Chonburi province are hunting a suspect over the stabbing his ex-girlfriend whilst she was at work. Authorities in the Bowin district of Sri Racha, just north of Pattaya, were notified of the incident at about noon on Friday. The incident happened at at a factory in Hemmarat. 21 year old Sasiwimon Mutaphon survived the attack but was seriously injured…
- Politics News
Thanathorn invites supporters to a rally in Bangkok at 5pm
PHOTO: time.com The Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit is inviting his supporters to join him at a rally today. In a live video broadcast via his Facebook page, he invited people to a gathering at 5pm this afternoon at the Pathumwan intersection skywalk on Rama I Road. Stripped of his MP title he is now aiming to rally the voice…
- Bangkok News
Apple’s Tim Cook drops into Bangkok during Asia tour
PHOTO: Apple’s Tim Cook Visits Bangkok to meet with photographers, Students and WWDC (Apple Web Developers) scholarship winners Apple’s CEO Tim Cook was in and around Bangkok yesterday. Apple’s boss has been documenting the journey on his Twitter account. Tim kicked things off with a visit to the Wat Arun Buddhist temple on the Thonburi west bank of Bangkok’s Chao Phraya…
- Economy News
The fourth Chim Shop Chai stimulus rolls out for New Year
PHOTO: Thai PBS World The state-run Krung Thai Bank is rolling out another economic stimulus program for New Year. It will include an 800,000 baht Toyota sedan and gold necklaces for subscribers to the latest Chip Shop Chai (Eat-Spend-Shop) scheme who Thais spend through their g-wallet accounts. Lawan Saengsanit, the Fiscal Policy Office director and spokesman for the Finance Ministry,…
- Health
Kratom leaves to be declassified as a narcotic
PHOTO: Kraken Kratom Kratom, the controversial leaf used both medicinally and recreationally in Thailand, is to be declassified as a narcotic. Justice Minister Somsak Thapsutin says his ministry will propose new narcotics laws that will exclude kratom leaves from illegal drugs lists. Kratom is a tropical evergreen tree in the coffee family native to Southeast Asia. It’s common in Thailand,…
- Phuket News
Search still on for missing Phuket kayakers
The search for a Polish tourist and his Thai female off Phuket continues after five days by police, volunteers and the navy. Rescuers are still focusing around the coastlines after scouring the Andaman Sea up to 20 nautical miles offshore earlier in the week. They admit they now have grave fears for the safety of the pair. 27 year old…
- Health
Thailand introduces “plain” tobacco packaging
Thailand has earned praise from The World Health Organisation over its latest efforts to make smoking less enticing. They commended the roll-out of “plain” cigarette packaging this week. Cigarette packets are now much less attractive under the new regulations approved by the National Tobacco Products Control Committee. But the new “plain’ packaging is anything but plain, including graphic images of…
- Politics News
Will the Constitutional Court dissolve Future Forward Party?
“The party’s 80 elected MPs would be then be free to join other parties.” The Election Commission is poised to approach the Constitutional Court to disband the Future Forward Party, saying party executives accepted donations from an illegitimate source. It’s the latest move to officially discredit the party that made surprise inroads in its first outing at last March’s election.…
- Crime News
Thai police seize another 743 million in Ponzi scheme assets
PHOTO: newtv.co.th “About 3000 victims have reported losses to the DSI, which expects to wrap up its investigation by the end of the year.” Police have seized assets valued around 743 million baht from suspects in the Forex-3D Ponzi scheme. Confiscated were a Maserati SUV, a Porsche Boxster, a Ferrari Spider, three Ford Mustangs and a Toyota Vellfire passenger van, with…
- Pattaya News
Canadian senior seriously injured after fall in Pattaya
PHOTO: View over Pattaya from the Pratunmak Hill area A Canadian museum owner has been injured after a fall in the upscale Pratumnak Hill area in Pattaya. Rescue workers were notified of the incident at 4pm yesterday (Tuesday) and rushed to the scene to find the 86 year old man with a broken leg. He was rushed to hospital. According to…
- Health
Thai massage could get UNESCO heritage status
PHOTO: The Culture Trip The body-bending, bone-crunching, sharp-elbows and karate-chopping of Thai massage could soon be added to UNESCO’s prestigious heritage list. If you’ve ever walked a street in the kingdom, you’ll have been greeted with invitations for “massaaaaarge!” From upscale Bangkok spas to streetside shophouses in Pattaya and Koh Samui, “nuad Thai,” or Thai massage, is everywhere. An hour of…
- Transport News
Ride-hailing service Grab to be legalised in Thailand
PHOTO: Investvine Grab Car and Grab Bike, the ride and taxi hailing apps, are likely to become legal in Thailand after the head of the Land Transport Department said public consultation was mostly positive. The DLT received around 1000 supportive comments and observations in a consultation, according to Thai news agency Sanook. The department will submit its findings to the Transport…
- Tourism News
Phuket’s high season delayed until after Christmas
PHOTO: The Hotel Specialist “Diversifying Phuket’s market to rely less on Chinese tourists is key to improving tourism in the province.” It will be a quiet Christmas in Phuket as the island’s high season will come late for hotels this year, with most reservations are for after the Christmas celebration. Tourism in Phuket usually increases in November, but this year’s November…
- Pattaya News
Injured Irish tourist refuses to pay, starts fight, ends up on footpath in Pattaya
PHOTOS: The Pattaya News An Irish tourist who was allegedly attacked at a bar shortly after arriving in Pattaya was in fact the instigator, according to the venue’s staff and management. 46 year old Bart O’Gready was found unconscious on a sidewalk and bleeding heavily from multiple wounds early yesterday morning. He claimed to have been attacked by bar security,…
- Tourism News
Hotel association wants rules on short-term rentals, home sharing
PHOTO: Airbnb and other accommodation-share businesses, plus a glut of newly opened hotels rooms across the country, is putting pressure on the traditional hotel model The Thai Hotels Association has again asked for a meeting with the Minister of the Interior to discuss the impact of short-term rentals and home sharing services like Airbnb on the domestic hotel business. The…
- Tourism News
You introduce new visa requirements? We don’t send any tours.” – Taiwan
PHOTO: Chiang Rai Times “This is not the first time the Thailand Trade and Economic Office has come under fire for enforcing unpopular policies that were introduced without a lot of thought.” It’s now emerged that the proposed requirement for Taiwanese tourists to submit financial statements to obtain a Thai visa happened after the Travel Agents Association of Taiwan threatened to…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya officials shamed into beefing up tourist security after German TV report
Pattaya officials are stepping up tourist safety measures after a German TV program reported widespread scams in the popular Thai ‘sin city’. The Thai Interior Ministry has told agencies to tighten tourist security in what’s widely seen as a knee-jerk reaction to the criticism in the documentary. The TV show Achtung Abzocke documented scams such as taxi fare price gouging,…
- World News
Artist eats $120,000 banana at exhibition
A performance artist shocked a crowd at the Art Basel show in Miami by eating a very expensive snack: an art exhibit that had already been sold for US$ 120,000. The exhibit, a banana duct-taped to the wall at Galerie Perrotin, was a work by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan titled “Comedian,” and had already been sold to a French collector.…
- Politics News
Bad report card for PM Prayut after 6 months in office
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has scored poorly in an opinion poll by the National Institute for Development Administration, or NIDA, after his first six months in office. The poll ran from November 29-December 3 and included 1,278 adults from across Thailand with varying occupations and education levels. The purpose of the survey was to gauge satisfaction with the Thai PM’s…
- Events
Thai beauty takes Miss Supranational crown
PHOTO: PAGEANTCircle A Thai contestant, Anntonia Porsild, has been crowned Miss Supranational 2019, beating out contestants from 77 countries. She is the first Thai to receive the honour. Miss Supranational is a privately organised beauty pageant organised by a Polish TV network. Yana Haenisch from Namibia, Jesica Fitriana from Indonesia, Janick Maceta del Castillo from Peru, and Gabriela De La…
- Crime News
Leading anti-drug enforcer warns Thailand is becoming an emerging hub
PHOTO: A small meth lab raided in the Shan State, one of many thousands of undetected facilities, hidden under the jungle canopy – Daily News Thailand is becoming a major conduit for drug cartels, according to Niyom Termsrisuk, secretary-general of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board. The growth of meth labs has exploded in the lawless Shan State of…
- World News
Family of Burmese rebel leader arrested in Thailand
PHOTO: Major General Tun Myat Naing and his wife Ma Hnin Zar Phyu – The Irrawaddy Thai Immigration police arrested the wife and children of a top commander, Major General Tun Myat Naing of the Arakan Army, an active insurgent group fighting for greater autonomy in western Myanmar. Officials at the Thai Immigration Bureau’s Chiang Mai office arrested Ma Hnin Zar…
- Thailand Weather Updates
Strong winds topple power poles in Prachuap Khiri Khan
PHOTO: Chaiwat Satyaem Strong winds have knocked down four high-voltage poles in the south-central province of Prachuap Khiri Khan, damaging roadside shops and buildings. The disruption damaged local power and electrical appliances in many homes in the Pran Buri district, south of Hua Hin, on Saturday. The damage happened whilst the Thai Meteorological Department was issuing more warnings of strong winds in…
- Events
Airport Link offers free rides on December 12 so people can watch the Royal Barge Procession
PHOTO: royalcoastreview.com Bangkok’s Airport Rail Link is offering free rides on December 12 to people heading to the shores of the Chao Phraya, and vantage points, to welcome His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn in the final act of the Royal Coromnation. The Royal Barge Procession is the final ceremony of his coronation which was held earlier this year between May…
- Bangkok News
Lucky racer blames oil slick in Ferrari crash in Samut Prakan
PHOTO: Sutthiwit Chayutworakan A beverage maker and auto racer, and his actress passenger, have escaped with only minor injuries after his Ferrari crashed in Samut Prakan, just south of the capital. The vehicle hit a concrete barrier at a monorail construction site and the front of the red car was almost completely destroyed. 36 year old Sarawut Sereetoranakul was trapped in…
- Politics News
Wanted MP sneaks into Thai parliament for crucial vote
WANTED: Pol Lt-Gen Waipote Arpornrat Renegade fugitive MP Waipote Arpornrat escaped the notice of parliamentary police, and government MPs, when he managed to stroll in the Lower House parliamentary chamber undetected during Wednesday’s sitting. Arpornrat is a member of Palang Pracharat, the most prominent party of the ruling government coalition after jumping ship from the Pheu Thai party, He was stripped…
