- Environment News
Koh Lan stinks! Environmentalist calls for limit on tourism.
“The atmosphere at the island’s Ta Waen Beach resembles that of a disaster refugee camp.” An environmental health expert is calling for the number of visitors to Koh Lan in Chon Buri to be cut to less than 5,000 a day to tackle the overwhelming garbage problem. Ko Lan is 10 kilometres off the coast of Pattaya. Sonthi Kotchawat, in…
- South Thailand News
OrBorTor president shot dead in Yala
PHOTOS: Work Point News An OrBorTor president in Yala’s Raman district has been fatally shot while riding his motorcycle home last night. Police say 55 year old Sama-ae Sama was shot on a main road in Moo 2 village in Tambon Tha Thong at 8.15pm. He was rushed to the Raman Hospital but died later. Police said Sama-ae was returning home…
- Business News
WeWork opens up in Bangkok. What is WeWork?
“This will pave the way for WeWork’s unique proposition to connect two major groups within the WeWork community: corporations looking to innovate, and start-ups looking to grow and better establish their business.” WeWork has started operations in Thailand. So what is WeWork? WeWork – a platform for creators that provides space, community and services to help people build a life,…
- South Thailand News
14 smuggled Burmese migrants rescued and alleged trafficker arrested
PHOTO: Bang Klam, Songkhla Immigration police in Songkhla have arrested an alleged Burmese human trafficker and rescued 14 smuggled Burmese from a rented house in Bang Klam district. Police arrested the alleged ring leader, 29 year old Aung Chanai, not far from the rented house on the Asia highway in Moo 4 village in Tambon Tha Chang where he allegedly…
- Thailand Election News
Coalition talks. And then there were…. THREE
PHOTO: Facebook page of Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul With HM The King opening parliament on May 24, it is hoped that the political horse-trading may be over when the new lower house sits for the first time. The two parties that hold the key to a workable majority coalition are the Democrats and Bhumjaithai. They have been prevaricating for more…
- Thailand News
Investigation launched into private hospital for alleged overcharging
FILE PHOTO If you wish to make a complaint about private hospital overcharging and rorts, phone 1569. The Thai government’s Commerce Ministry is considering legal action against a Thai private hospital for allegedly overcharging a patient who was charged 30,000 baht for treatment for diarrhea. The Internal Trade Department of the Commerce Ministry has launched a fact-finding probe, in response…
- Bangkok News
Chinese ‘red notice’ fugitive arrested at Suvarnabhumi
A Chinese fugitive wanted on an Interpol red notice has been arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport, acting Immigration Police chief Lt Gen Sompong Chingduang said. 48 year old Lu Dayang was arrested on Sunday while trying to fly to Macao. Sompong said the Chinese Embassy informed his staff that Lu was wanted for allegedly smuggling illegal goods into China. He said Lu…
- Pattaya News
The really, really crazy solution for Pattaya’s sewage and wastewater problem
PHOTO: Manager Online We kid you not. THIS is the solution to the torrents of black sewage and untreated wastewater gushing into Pattaya’s Jomtien Beach’s coastline over the weekend. The sight of sandbags jammed into the gushing ocean outlet takes ‘TIT’ to a whole new level. Read the story and check out the video HERE. The picture on the Manager…
- Tourism News
Skål International heads to Phuket, June 2020
by Paul Poole Tourism industry professionals from all over the world are expected to descend on Phuket between June 25-27, 2020, for the 49th edition of Skål Asia Congress. With more than 15,000 members in almost 90 different countries, Skål International is the world’s largest organisation of tourism professionals. Through countless local, national and international events, Skål International promotes global tourism…
- Health
30,000 baht bill for diarrhoea treatment at private hospital
FILE PHOTO It’s enough to give you the s**ts! An unnamed private hospital is being asked to explain how it charged a patient 30,000 baht for the treatment of a simple stomach infection. A source at the Internal Trade Department says that a review of the medical bill indicates the hospital bill was “unreasonable”. “The hospital will be asked to…
- Health
New date for Coronation Day holiday announced
Thailand, the land of a thousand temples. And, it seems, the land of a thousand public holidays. Now, the Cabinet has announced May 4 as the official new Coronation Day official holiday. So it’s not actually a new holiday, but it replaces the date of the previous Coronation Day in Thailand. The new holiday date marks the day that His…
- Northern Thailand News
Mother disappears after abandoning newborn in rubber plantation
FILE PHOTO A mother is on the run after delivering her own baby boy in a hut on a Loei rubber plantation yesterday, just a day before her husband, who was in custody for two years, was to be released. Loei is in far north-east Thailand near the Laos border. The baby, with its umbilical cord still attached, was found…
- South Thailand News
Woman killed, nine injured in seven-vehicle pileup in Nakhon Si Thammarat
A woman has died and nine others injured in a pileup involving four pick-up trucks, a sedan and two motorcycles on a road in Nakhon Si Thammarat this morning. Police say the accident happened at 9am on the Nakhon Si Thammarat-Pak Phanang road in front of the 17th regional office of the Government Saving Bank in Tambon Pak Nakhon, Muang…
- Bangkok News
Police searching for building owner after two die in Bangkok shophouse fire
PHOTO: The Nation A 67 year old woman and a 60 year old man have been killed after a fire engulfed a five-storey shophouse modified to provide rented rooms in Bangkok’s Phra Nakhon district early today. The Samrarnraj police station was alerted at 1.15am of the fire at the shophouse near Chao Phor Sua shrine on Boon Siri road. Five…
- Thailand Election News
Bhumjaithai and Democrats holding off decision for key roles
PHOTO: The horse-trading continues Nearly two months after the March 24 election and still no government formalised. The horse-trading has been fast and furious with rumours and speculation running rife over recent days. It is thought that some announcements will be made today or tomorrow in the lead up to the opening of parliament on Friday. But it’s certainly coming…
- Bangkok News
Male doctor and his friend arrested after 18 year old falls from condo in gay-sex tryst
A male doctor working in the “beauty field” and his male friend have been giving confusing testimonies to police today. The pair were apprehended by police on Saturday after their 18 year old guest fell to his death from a balcony at the doctor’s 20th floor condo in Bangkok. Police speculate the condo appeared to be the scene of a…
- Health
Update on Chikungunya cases in Thailand
“Chikungunya Virus is an arbovirus of the alphavirus genus, transmitted by the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes, same way Dengue is spread.” The Bureau of Epidemiology, along with the Thailand Health Ministry, are reporting 3,379 chikungunya cases in 23 provinces up to May 13 this year. Phuket, Songkla and Ranong have been the most affected by the mosquito borne viral…
- Environment News
Thailand to ban three kinds of plastic by end of this year
By the end of 2019 Thailand will be free from three types of plastic – microbeads, cap seals and oxo-degradable plastics. Then by 2022 four other types of single-use plastics will also be banned – lightweight plastic bags less than 36 microns thick; styrofoam food containers for takeaways; plastic cups and plastic straws – according to a road map approved by…
- Thailand Election News
Pro-junta bloc says they have a ‘deal’ with Democrats and Bhumjaithai
PHOTO: Bhumjaithai party leader Anutin Charnvirakul slated to be the new Health Minister The week kicks off with rumours swirling about deals done over the weekend. Meanwhile HM The King will open Parliament on May 24. ‘Who’ will set ‘where’ will be interesting. The Pro-Junta proxy party, Phalang Pracharat Party, is taking the upper PR hand and claims to have successfully cobbled…
- Environment News
Pattaya officials react to the video of gushing sewage and wastewater – VIDEO
The video of the untreated sewage and wastewater gushing into the Gulf of Thailand has accumulated 1.2 million views already. It took local officials two days to react, mostly blaming other authorities and departments in the resort city. Pattaya’s municipal chief is now instructing Na Jom Thian OrBorJor officials to divert its wastewater to the Pattaya central wastewater treatment pond…
- Bangkok News
59 year old man shot dead in convenience store
A man was killed inside a convenience store at sunrise today in Saraburi province, north of Bangkok, after shouting out loud, “If you have a gun, shoot me”. The victim is identified as 59 year old Preecha Khunthong. He was shot several times between the eyes. “I don’t know what happened between him and the gunman. At first, they spoke…
- Technology News
Registration and traffic fine databases linked after July 1
Car owners, and presumably motorbike owners, will be unable to renew their vehicle registration or licenses if they fail to pay traffic fines after July 1. Much discussed over the past year and now on the horizon, the Land Transport Department and Royal Thai Police intend to clamp down on people avoiding or disregarding their traffic fines. Starting from May…
- Hot News
Thailand’s wet season officially starts tomorrow
The rainy season in Thailand officially starts tomorrow. The Thai Meteorological Department deputy director-general Kornravee Sitthichivaphak says Thailand will see continued rains in most parts of the country from Monday. “The wind over Thailand from 100-3,500 metres will be replaced by a southwest monsoon that would carry humidity from the Andaman Sea to cover most parts of Thailand. All of these…
- World News
Conservative Liberal coalition wins Australian election
(For US readers, ‘Liberal’ is the name of the main conservative party in Australian, not to be confused with the way the term ‘liberal’ is used in American politics) Australia’s ruling Liberal conservative party coalition has defied polls to hold onto power in the Australian national election yesterday. While it remains unclear if PM ScottMorrison’s Liberal party and their country-based…
- Health
10 million Thais to learn CPR and other life-saving techniques
The King’s Volunteer 904 Central Coordination Centre has assigned the Public Health Ministry to provide training to 10 million Thais in basic life-saving skills, principally learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and how to use an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) machines. The ministry will formulate a curriculum for training the public in CPR and AED and publish the materials online. The project…
- Chiang Mai News
German tourist dies after ghost-riding on his high power bike
A German tourist has been killed after ghost-riding (riding in the opposite direction to the traffic) on his high-power motorcycle. He crashed head-on with a pickup truck in Chiang Mai road early this morning. The tourist has been identified as Jan Single. Police also found a quantity of marijuana in a zip-lock plastic bag he was carrying at the time…
- Health
Ban on alcohol sales and consumption for Visakha Bucha Day
The Royal Thai police remind us that today is a sacred Buddhist holiday and there will be no alcohol sales throughout the country. The ban for Visakha Bucha Day is in place for 24 hours from midnight last night (Friday) to midnight tonight (Saturday). People caught selling alcohol are liable to a 10,000 baht fine and six months in jail. The holiday…
- Bangkok News
Buddha with a beat – Wat Suthi Wararam transformed
It’s Visakha Bucha Day like you’ve never seen it before. Bangkok’s Wat Suthi Wararam has unveiled a bold and modern makeover to entice young people and a new audience to Buddhism. Wat Suthi Wararam is coming alive with Monks chanting to electronic music, projection mapping and a digital art exhibition. “Bodhi Theatre: Buddhist Prayer Retold” combines vivid animation and Buddhist chants set…
- Health
The Nation goes online-only from July 1
PHOTO: Somchai Meesen, CEO of Nation Multimedia Media Group, speaks to Nation TV yesterday about The Nation’s future. “Over the past five years, The Nation has lost 30 million baht a year on average.” The Nation newspaper will stop its print editions and go fully online from July 1, when the independent English-language daily turns 48, to focus more on…
- Chiang Mai News
Chiang Mai songthaews and tuk-tuk drivers complain about Grab
Drivers of red public songthaews and tuk-tuks have submitted a petition to Chiang Mai’s provincial governor complaining about the Grab ride-hailing App. The Grab service is offered on a very intuitive smartphone app and provided by normal drivers. The petition said the Grab App had caused their income to drop by more than 50%. They say the service is illegal and…
