- Tourism News
Phuket tourism down up to 30% – Thai Hotels Association
Translated from Manager Online | PHOTO: Surin Beach, Phuket Quoting a leading hotelier, Manager Online says it was obvious that tourism in Phuket was “going down the pan”. Manager Online has penned a doomsday article about Phuket’s tourism, saying… “it was obvious to anyone that tourism had been in decline for years with less tourists and less revenue. But why…
- World News
Malaysian airlines pilot was in control ‘until the end’ – French investigation into MH370
“Certain abnormal turns made by the 777 can only have been carried out manually. Someone was in control.” In the latest report into the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 mystery, French investigators suspect the pilot was in control of the missing plane “until the end”. They’ve made their claims, over five years after the incident, after gaining access to “crucial” flight…
- Bangkok News
Nitrous oxide balloons in Khao San Road, no laughing matter
Nine Thais have been arrested for selling balloons filled with nitrous oxide (laughing gas) to foreign tourists on Khao San Road in Bangkok. Police and officials from the Office of the Food and Drug Administration arrested them late last night (Thursday). A media conference announcing the arrests was held this morning just after midnight. Police say the children and women’s…
- Chiang Mai News
UPDATE: Air Force pilot killed in Chiang Mai jet training crash
PHOTO: Squadron Leader Naruephol Lertkuson A Royal Thai Air Force jet trainer crashed in Chiang Mai province killing a pilot and injuring one other. Eyewitnesses say the pilot ejected safely from the aircraft but one crew member was found dead near the crash scene having ejected from the crashing plane too late. The incident happened in Tha Wang Tan of the…
- Tourism News
Pattaya – 30% down this year, European tourist drop-off
PHOTO: afarangabroad.com The strength of the baht, rising tourist locations elsewhere around the region, fickle tourists has seen a demographic shift in Pattaya’s tourists and what they are doing during their visits. A leading tourism official has now confirmed what many Pattaya expats and locals have been saying for the past year… “The days of Europeans visiting Pattaya in large…
- Phuket News
Police raid Phang Nga drug dealer with more than 100,000 meth pills
Police conduced a drug bust in Phang Nga and seized more than a 100,000 methamphetamine pills, considered a large amount from a southern local drug dealer. Yesterday (July 9), Phang Nga police arrested 28 year old Kittisak Chuanchom, a cable line technician, while he was preparing to distribute amphetamine pills to his ‘customers’. Police found him at a house in…
- Politics News
Thai junta retains power to detain people without charge
“… though the junta’s orders are being revoked, their impact will still be felt in society.” Opposition politicians and the Thai public are voicing dissatisfaction with the junta’s decision to hang on to its order authorising arbitrary military detention. Even though the junta has announced the revocation of 70+ old NCPO orders, including media intervention and trying cases in military…
- Health
Thai PM warns about patients relying on medical marijuana as magic cure
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday spoke up about the current flood of interest as Thai public health authorities roll out the first phase of medical cannabis to patients. Read The Thaiger story HERE. The PM cautioned patients against being totally dependent on marijuana-based medicines, saying this practice may lead to their illnesses getting worse in the future. Prayut cited several…
- Technology News
Thai smartphone users ready for 5G
“50% of the local respondents said they are willing to pay 150 baht extra in fees per month.” 5G, the next generation of phone speed, is on the way and coming to a smartphone near you. A recent survey of 35,000 people around the world shows that there will be as many as 1.9 billion 5G subscribers globally in the…
- Bangkok News
48 illegal Pakistanis rounded up in Bangkok raid
PHOTO: The Nation Children are among 48 Pakistani nationals rounded up by Bangkok Immigration police this week at an apartment in the Bang Na district. Most had overstayed their visas while several didn’t have any travel documents at all. The raid in Soi Baring netted 26 passport holders and 14 with no documents plus another eight people who carried cards indicating…
- Politics News
NCPO chief terminates around 100 orders today
PHOTO: มติชน The chief of the NCPO will issue his last command that terminates around 100 coup orders. Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngam was commenting today on a meeting with chief coalition whip Wirat Rattanset who spoke to him yesterday about the annulment of orders issued by the NCPO between May 2014 and March this year when Thailand held the general election.…
- Northern Thailand News
Thai Mekong People’s Network takes on China over Mekong River management
PHOTO: Airpaz Blog Local residents and environmentalists living along the Thai banks of the Mekong River spent the weekend in hot debate with the Chinese Embassy about Beijing’s utilisation and management of the River. While the embassy accused Thai media of spreading false information on China’s development projects in Southeast Asia’s longest rivers, the Thai Mekong People’s Network fought back,…
- Transport News
BTS asked to pay 100 billion construction costs in exchange for 30 year concession extension
Manit Techa-apichoke, president of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration-owned Krungthep Thanakhom, says the state firm was empowered by Article 44 of the interim charter to conduct negotiations with the Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS) over the 100 billion baht debt transfer and concession extension. Manit says the negotiation should be completed in about two months. The Nation reports that the BMA will negotiate with…
- Chiang Mai News
Thai Justice officials push for action against parents of teenage biker in Chiang Mai
The Thai Justice Ministry is urging police to take action against the parents of a 13 year old boy whose foot was torn off in a crash on a 1000cc Kawasaki motorcycle they bought him. The incident in northern Chiang Mai on July 6 was caught on video that went viral drawing a lot of criticism online. Read The Thaiger story…
- Business News
Post-election uncertainties see World Bank downgrade GDP further
Thai GDP growth is projected to fall from 4.1% last year to 3.5% in 2019, according to a World Bank report out today. The Thailand Economic Monitor noted that exports contracted by 4% in the first quarter of 2019 – the first quarterly contraction in three years. Private investment and household consumption continued to grow close to their three-year high, helped…
- Transport News
Bangkok’s MRT to start passenger free ‘test drive’ on Blue Line extension this month
The Mass Rapid Transit Authority is poised to open the MRT Blue Line Thaphra extension for passenger test runs later this month. The Mass Rapid Transit Authority (MRTA) commenced internal test runs on the MRT Blue Line’s Hua Lamphong – Bangkae extension on July 1. The early phase of the test is intended to ensure the preparedness of officials to…
- Northern Thailand News
19 million baht put aside to rehabilitate controversial Doi Suthep land in Chiang Mai
The Thai Judiciary Office says they will allocate 19 million baht for the rehabilitation of land at the foot of Chiang Mai’s Doi Suthep – recently the subject of controversy and protests from local activists and environmentalists. The plot was initially set aside, then developed as a site for court officials’ residences, but Chiang Mai locals said the development was…
- Chiang Mai News
Chiang Mai protesters petition Governor over Rinkham Intersection upgrade
An activist group is taking its protest about the upgrading of an intersection in Chiang Mai to the local governor. The Chiang Mai Highway District Office 2, which has been tasked with overseeing the project, and Chiang Mai governor Supachai Iamsuwan will hold a press conference to address residents’ concerns at the Chiang Mai Government Complex next Tuesday. The proposed…
- Politics News
‘Grow up’ , ‘don’t throw tantrums’ – Palang Pracharat spokesperson
PHOTO: Uttama Savanayana, left, and Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, deputy spokesperson for Phalang Pracharat Party, is lambasting the opposition for being “childish and narrow-minded” as it filed its petition to censure the PM. He says the opposition should give the new government some time to work before launching no-confidence motions against it. “I want the opposition to be more open-minded…
- Events
‘Thailand’ through the eyes of non-Thai filmmakers
In addition its current “Drug In Film” project, the Thai Film Archive is also holding a program of historical and contemporary films about Thailand as seen through the eyes of non-Thai filmmakers. The series, dubbed “Exotic Thailand”, will run through July and August, and features 15 films made in Thailand by international directors, including historical works like “Chang: A Drama of the…
- Politics News
Petition pushing for Prayut’s disqualification as Cabinet member handed to Constitutional Court
PHOTO: The Nation Lower House speaker, Chuan Leekpai, has forwarded a petition to the Constitutional Court calling for the disqualification of PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha as a Cabinet member. The petition, signed by 101 MPs, was handed to Chuan by opposition Pheu Thai Party member Chonlanan Srikieo. The petition suggests that Prayut does not qualify as a Cabinet member, according to…
- Politics News
New Cabinet list submitted for royal approval
The list of Cabinet members has been submitted for royal endorsement, according to Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngam. He was speaking after presiding over the opening of Thailand Social Expo 2019 at Impact Muang Thong Thani. Wissanu declined to give further details, saying that any media questions regarding the matter should be directed to PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. He explained to the…
- Environment News
Gulf waters flood into Samut Prakan coastline
High tides last night led to upper Gulf waters flowing over an embankment and flooding the homes of irrigation officials and a nearby community at Samut Prakan, south of Bangkok. Samut Prakan governor Chatchai Uthaiphan says he dispatched officials to help evacuate local residents adding the water was about one-metre high and that officials had helped relocate elderly people and…
- Business News
Thai Stock Exchange best performer in Asia – first six months
The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) Index shows an increase of 6.8% over previous month up to the end of June, marking it as the best performer in Asia. The SET is up 10.6% from the end of 2018 to 1,730.34 points. The average daily trading value of SET and Market for Alternative Investment in June was 60.53 billion baht…
- Environment News
Mariam the baby dugong ‘goes live’ soon
PHOTO: Hannaret Hripai and Srichai Anuraktichai Officials started installing six CCTVs along the coast of Koh Libong in Trang province today so that netizens will be able to monitor the life of Mariam, the baby dugong that was found washed up on a Krabi Beach in May. Residents and visitors will now be able to ‘bay sit’ (or dugong sit)…
- Environment News
Sperm Whale found on Krabi beach had digested plastic bottles
Plastic waste has been found inside a whale that was washed up along Krabi’s shoreline. A sperm whale was washed up near Koh Lanta, in Krabi province yesterday. It was 12 metres in length and was estimated to weigh 11 tonnes. A marine veterinary team completed an autopsy today and discovered 3 plastic bottles inside the stomach of the whale.…
- Northern Thailand News
‘Mun’ makes landfall as heavy rains head towards Thailand’s northern provinces
The Meteorological Department is warning residents in Thaialnd’s north and north east to brace for heavy for heavy rains influenced by tropical storm ‘Mun’ that made landfall in Vietnam this morning, heading west. In a special warning issued at 5am this morning (Thursday), the department says the storm was over the Gulf of Tonkin at 4am and heading for upper…
- Phuket News
British tourist drowns at Phuket’s Surin Beach, son in hospital
A British tourist, from Hong Kong, has drowned at Surin beach in Phuket yesterday but his son was saved thanks to the quick actions of a local beachgoer. Choeng Thalay police were alerted at 3pm that a foreign tourist had drowned and another was injured. When police arrived 24 year old Wan Chun Tat had already been rushed to the…
- Northern Thailand News
Khon Kaen school evacuated over fears building ‘near collapse’
More than 100 teachers and students have been evacuated from a Khon Kaen school in the north-east. The evacuation was sparked by fears the 40 year old building may collapse. The Ban Lao Nadi School in Khon Kaen’s Muang district was evacuated this morning along with school furniture and teaching materials. Khon Kaen Primary Educational Service Area Office 1 deputy…
- Northern Thailand News
Sacked female ex-employee arrested over 7-Eleven heist in Nakhon Ratchasima
Police have arrested a former female 7-Eleven shop staff member in Nakhon Ratchasima for an alleged robbery that netted 2.3 million baht in cash. Read the original story HERE. Police arrested 25 year old Rojana Chongklang at her house yesterday, about 36 hours after the robbery. She used to work at a 7-Eleven store in the Ban Pho community but was…
