- Politics News
Rival demonstrations scheduled for January 12 in Bangkok
Over 10,000 people have registered for the “Run Against Dictatorship” in Bangkok on January 12, while government supporters say they are planning a rival event on the same day. The two events point to increasing political tension in Thailand, which has seen violent street protests and even coups in recent decades. Critics say the general election in March was manipulated to…
- Northern Thailand News
New road projects around Thailand in 2020
PHOTO: Nation Thailand The Thai Department of Highways plans to spend 124 billion baht during the next 12 months with five of the projects already budgeted and ready for the tender process. Contracts are expected to be signed in May for those projects. There will be a 16 kilometre eastern bypass around Nong Khai, just south of Vientiane and the…
- Environment News
Thai retailers start plastic bag ban. What are you doing to help?
And so it begins, a new era in Thailand, and a new paradigm where plastic bags may be seen as environmental pariahs instead of day to day necessities the Land of Smiles. Yesterday marked the first day of the ban on single use plastic bags implemented by around 75 brands under the Thai Retailers Association to reduce plastic waste. The…
- Economy News
Greenback falls below 30 baht to the USD
The Greenback has dropped below 30 baht against the US$, its strongest position in six years. The currency closed at 29.88 baht to the dollar yesterday. But Thai officials say the drop through the 30 baht barrier is not a concern and more of a ‘blip’ than an ongoing trend to increase its value against the Dollar. At 4pm this…
- Northern Thailand News
Over 400 arrested for drink-driving in Kalasin province during holiday campaign
PHOTO: 200 drink-drivers ended up in court after being arrested on NY Eve – INN News More than 400 people have been arrested for drink-driving in the northeastern province of Kalasin alone over the holiday period. This, an appalling result during the first four of Thailand’s “7 Dangerous Days” safety campaign over the Christmas/New Year holidays. The drivers were caught…
- Pattaya News
British tourist killed in Pattaya fireworks incident
PHOTO: The errant firework cylinder that police believe was the one that exploded in Mr. McLaren’s face – The Pattaya News A British tourist has died after fireworks exploded adjacent to where he was standing during New Year celebrations in central Pattaya. Police were notified at 12:30am and rushed to the scene. The 51 year old man, named by police as…
- Environment News
Bangchak petrol stations installing EV charging locations and solar panels
“Currently PEA is surveying the sites of Bangchak’s petrol stations that are suitable for installing EV chargers.” This from Somchai Techavanich, Chief of Marketing and VP of Marketing at Bangchak Corporation. The group recently announced that the company is planning to install EV (electric vehicle) charging stations at its petrol stations under an MoU for clean energy business development signed…
- Tourism News
Thailand set to launch two more budget airlines in 2020
While Thailand’s flagship Thai Airways struggles, two new budget airlines are preparing to take off in 2020. The past decade has been challenging for Thailand’s legacy airline whilst newer, more nimble and cashed-up players enter the market. As reported in The Thaiger last week, both Thai Summer Airways and Thai Eastar Jet have gained Air Operating Licenses from the Civil…
- Politics News
Opposition will increase pressure to amend Thai constitution in 2020
Opposition parties will intensify their push to amend Thailand’s 2017 constitution and allow “fair political ground rules for all parties”, according to Phumtham Wechayachai, a key member of one of the parties, Pheu Thai. He says the opposition will work through a joint parliamentary panel, recently formed to study constitutional amendments, headed by Phiraphan Saleeratthavipark, a veteran Democrat MP who…
- Bangkok News
Late night party blamed for major road incident east of Bangkok
PHOTOS: Khaosod English Police are still investigating the events that led up to a major traffic incident last Friday. A woman in Samut Prakan, east of central Bangkok, has been seriously injured after crashing her pickup truck into a power pole, causing a series of incidents. The driver, 25 year old Siriprapha Photmoo, remained unconscious in hospital over the weekend. Police…
- Economy News
Thai baht hits highest level against the USD in six years
The baht finished in spectacular fashion after a year as one of the world’s most stable currencies, when it reached 30.15 baht against the US$, its highest level in six years. Kasikornbank Bank is forecasting that the Thai baht could move into a range of 30-30.30 baht to the dollar this week (up to January 3). Investors have been selling USD…
- Northern Thailand News
Freak hailstorm causes blackouts, damages homes in Chiang Rai
PHOTOS: Thai PBS World Heavy rains and hail have damaged homes and caused widespread blackouts in the northern province of Chiang Rai. Strong winds knocked down trees in several districts, blocking traffic. Officials say the sudden storm, which struck Mae Sai, Chiang Saen and Mae Chan districts, lasted about 30 minutes and damaged several houses. They say the relief operation was hindered…
- Crime News
Man arrested with loaded gun in Pattaya, allegedly firing in public
PHOTO: The Pattaya News A 42 year old Thai man has been arrested, not far from the same Pattaya checkpoint where a 26 year old man was earlier arrested with a live grenade. Police responded to a complaint that someone was firing a gun on Soi Bun Bunkaram 5 around midnight on December 29. Officers, and a reporter from The Pattaya…
- Northern Thailand News
2 million baht of gold stolen in Buri Ram, police suspect inside job
A thief has made off with 2 million baht in gold necklaces, rings and bracelets from a gold shop at a Buri Ram department store. Police examined CCTV footage showing a man wearing a cap entering the shop in the early morning on Saturday before ransacking several areas. Officers took fingerprints at various locations including the gold shop. Thai media report…
- Politics News
Latest NIDA poll says Thanathorn “most suitable” for PM
A recent NIDA survey has named Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit “the most suitable person” for the post of Thai PM and his Future Forward Party as the best party to lead the country. The survey by the National Institute for Development Administration, or NIDA Poll, was conducted between December 18 – 20 on 2,511 Thai adults of various occupations and levels of education.…
- Crime News
Thai police dis criticism of their Koh Tao Murder investigation
PHOTO: Bangkok Post Thai police have publicly hit back at foreign media allegations that their forensics investigation into the highly-publicised 2014 murder case on Koh Tao did not meet international standards. The publicity about their allegedly botched investigation began in 2014 with the brutal murder of two British tourists, David Miller and Hannah Witheridge, on Koh Tao island off Surat…
- Pattaya News
Two Chinese men survive balloon crash in Sri Racha
PHOTO: Peao Yiang Tai Sri Racha Two Chinese men have survived after their hot air balloon plummeted hundreds of feet to the ground Friday morning in Sri Racha, north of Pattaya. Rescue workers learned of the incident at 11am. They arrived at a fruit plantation to find the balloon on the ground. It appeared to have fallen into several trees, knocking…
- Thailand News
Thanathorn says he’ll fight for Thailand’s ethnic minorities
Future Forward party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit says his opposition party will press for recognition of the basic rights of Thailand’s ethnic minorities, including ancestral land rights and access to state welfare. The party leader was in the western province of Tak on Friday to attend New Year celebrations among the Hmong hill tribe, and to seek their support for the…
- Phuket News
False killer whales spotted off Phang Nga
Around 20 false killer whales have been spotted near an island in Phang Nga province. The manager of Wow Andaman Tour has reported that a tour group spotted them off Koh Miang Island in the Mu Koh Similan National Park off the Phang Ngan coast in the Andaman Sea. “These whales broke through the water and greeted the tourists travelling on…
- Pattaya News
Man arrested with live grenade at Pattaya checkpoint
PHOTO: The Pattaya News A 26 year old Buriram man has been caught with a live grenade at a checkpoint in Pattaya. Police say the man, named only as “Seksan,” was acting suspiciously as he went through the checkpoint on Soi Ko Phai in central Pattaya. Officers pulled him aside for further investigation. They searched his black backpack and found an…
- Chiang Mai News
Chiang Mai rescue worker disguises himself to thwart student suicide
PHOTO: CTN News A rescue worker dressed up as a homeless man to thwart a possible suicide attempt of a young student who was about to jump from a pedestrian bridge in Chiang Mai. Withawat Sinworasrithaweekhun, chief of the rescue team, headed to the bridge in front of Chiang Mai‘s Maejo University overt the weekend after learning a young student…
- Northern Thailand News
Burmese migrants are chasing months of back-pay from Chiang Rai plantation
FILE PHOTO 45 legally registered Burmese migrant workers in Chiang Rai are seeking assistance from the local labour office to conduct an inquiry into unpaid salaries over a couple of months, some up to six months. The workers have been engaged at a banana plantation in the Phaya Mengrai district. The workers rallied at the provincial offices on Monday, some claiming they…
- Thailand News
Thai reporter sentenced to 2 years jail over Twitter comment
A court has sentenced a reporter to two years in prison for libel, over a comment she posted on Twitter about a labour dispute at a Lopburi poultry farm in central Thailand. The case against Voice TV’s 30 year old Suchanee Cloitre is just one of 20 launched by Thammakaset, a supplier of poultry to Thai agri-business giant Betagro, since 2016…
- Thailand News
Woman shocked by eight million baht monthly power bill
PHOTO: Thai Rath/Channel 33 A 55 year old Ayutthaya woman was surprised to receive a power bill for more than eight million baht. Ayutthaya is a few hours drive north of Bangkok. Tanyanan Ketparn told Thai Rath that she was always punctual with monthly electricity bill payments, which is normally around 18,000 baht (which still sounds a lot unless Tanyanan is…
- World News
Thai court upholds life sentence for Lao drug kingpin
PHOTO: SCMP A Thai court has upheld a life sentence for Lao drug kingpin Xaysana Keopimpha, who’s charged with smuggling a huge number of methamphetamine pills, known as yaba in Thailand, into the kingdom in 2016. The Thai Court of Appeals found that Xaysana arranged for the drugs to be smuggled from Laos in a vehicle with a false roof compartment.…
- Environment News
Plastic microbeads to be banned in cosmetic products
Over and above the ban on plastic bags set to begin on January 1, Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health has also slapped a ban on plastic microbeads used in cosmetics. That kicks in on the same day as the ban on single-use plastic bags. All 75 members The Thai Retailers Association, including giants like Tesco Lotus and Makro, plan to stop…
- Central Thailand News
Central Thailand student bully could face attempted murder charge
“A survey by the Mental Health Department has shown that about 40% of Thai students are bullied at school, making Thailand number two in the world for the problem after Japan.” Police in central Thailand are contemplating an attempted murder charge against a 19 year old Mathayom 6 (high school senior) student. The young man stabbed a classmate in the…
- Northern Thailand News
Worst drought in 40 years means tough times for Thais
The lowest rainfall ever recorded in Thailand was in 1979. Now, Thailand’s Meteorological Department is forecasting an even worse drought and dry season saying it will last until May 2020. Forty-three provinces in the north, northeast, and central regions will be the most affected. Some are already in the grip of critical water shortages with farmers being asked to swap their…
- Thailand News
DSI to charge former national park chief over “Billy” murder
PHOTO: Chaiwat Limlikhit-akson, former head of Kaeng Krachan National Park and Polajee “Billy” Rakchongcharoen The Department of Special Investigations says they plan to file charges against a former national park chief and three park officials, in connection with the murder of Karen community rights activist Polajee “Billy” Rakchongcharoen back in 2014. Shane Kanchanapat, director of the DSI’s Special Cases Division,…
- Politics News
“Illuminati Case” against Future Forward Party rejected by Court
The “Illuminati Case”, a charge of sedition against the embattled Future Forward Party, has been rejected by Thailand’s Constitutional Court after a petition for an inquiry back in July. The complaint claimed the popular opposition political party is linked to ‘The Illuminati’, an imaginary secret elite seeking world domination, according to conspiracy theorists. So, to make this clear, the Thai Constitutional…
