Thaiger
- Thailand News
Two key tests for the Land of Smiles in 2019
Thailand faces two major challenges in 2019 – conducting a general election and chairing the Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN). Mishandling either task would invite serious damage to both the country and the wider region, according to a New Year editorial in The Nation. “Junta chief General Prayut Chan-o-cha has made a bad start in tackling the first challenge,…
- Thailand News
Election Commission denies election date delays
PHOTO: EC Secretary General Jarungwit Pumm The Election Commission has been forced to again reiterate that there is no postponement to the February 24 election day. EC Secretary General Jarungwit Pumma said: “There is currently no royal decree for the election but this does not mean the election date will be postponed.” He was responding to widespread rumours that the…
- World News
Lion Air passengers get a New Year surprise at Sepinggan Airport
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Balikpapan. Happy New Year,” Sepinggan Airport general manager Farid Indra Nugraha said with a big smile as he greeted passengers at the baggage claims area. Passengers of the first arrival of 2019 at Sepinggan Airport in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, were delighted by the surprise. The estimated 150 passengers of Lion Air flight JT 858 on…
- World News
Orchard road bans smoking
From The Straits Times – Asia News Network Singapore’s shopping paradise, Orchard Road is now smoke-free. A smoking ban kicked in on January 1 which prohibits smokers from lighting up in public areas. However there are designated smoking areas along the famous shopping strip. Enforcement officers from the National Environment Agency, dressed in white No Smoking Zone polo T-shirts, are on patrol in…
- South Thailand News
Seven dead after murder/suicide at New Year party in Chumphon
PHOTO: Thinnakorn, right, speaks to his family following the murders by Prasit Leelahakhunakorn A 41 year old is dead after killing six of his relatives, including his two children aged 6 and 9 and then turning the gun on himself. The incident happened during a new year party at their home in Chumphon. Police were alerted to the shootings just…
- Chiang Mai News
National road toll – Day Five “Seven Days of Danger”
“Chiang Mai has reported the highest cumulative crashes with 91 cases yesterday.” 314 lives have been lost in 2,761 road incidents over the first five days of the New Year seven day safety campaign. 2,848 people have been injured during the same period around Thailand’s roads. The most cited causes for Monday’s road incidents were drunk driving (44.9 per cent)…
- Bangkok News
Happy New Year Thailand!
PHOTO: The Nation The Amazing Thailand Countdown 2019 was held at the new riverside shopping hub Iconsiam last night as a “New Year present” for Thais and tourists. It was a joint venture between the capital’s newest luxury shopping mall and the TAT. Large countdown crowds and fireworks kicked off 2019 at dozens of venues around Thailand, and a bright…
- Pattaya News
CAAT probe crash of light-aircraft that killed South African pilot
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has inspected the wreckage of a private light aircraft that crashed in Chon Buri’s Sri Racha district yesterday. The crash precipitated a fire that killed the 60 year old pilot, Mike Romberg from South Africa. The turboprop light aircraft crashed to the ground when it was about to make a landing at Rajamangala…
- Thailand News
Day Two: Seven days of danger – National road toll
FILE PHOTO An update on the national toll following the second of the annual road campaign days. The death toll from road accidents in the first two days of the “Seven Dangerous Days” of the New Year holidays has risen to 98, while 1,024 others were injured nationwide, the transport minister said today. Transport Minister Akom Termpithayaphaisit told a press…
- World News
UK honours given to British divers for Thai cave rescue
PHOTO: CNN, The Nation The seven British cave divers who took part in the extraordinary Tham Luang cave rescue operation have been awarded during Britain’s traditional New Year Honours announced Friday. Out of the seven, four received awards of exceptional bravery, three were made Members of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE). The two divers who made…
- Northern Thailand News
The Top 10 news stories for Thailand in 2018
There are two Top Ten lists for the most popular stories of 2018. This list is voted by The Thaiger as Thailand’s most influential or important stories. We will also have the list of the stories YOU clicked on the most – coming next week. For now let’s see, in no particular order, which stories grabbed The Thaiger’s attention in…
- Thailand News
“Make the economy better” – NIDA poll
The December 24-26 National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) poll of 1,252 people across the country over age 18 and of various levels of education and occupations asked what they wanted from the government that will be formed after the election scheduled for late February. More than anything Thais want the government to improve the economy. More than 52 per cent…
- Thailand News
42 die, 400+ injured on Day One of road safety campaign
Forty-two people were killed and 432 injured in 420 road accidents on the very first of the New Year “seven dangerous days” period (December 27-January 2). Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kowsurat told a press conference at the Thai RSC that Chiang Mai and Ratchaburi reported the highest number of road accidents with 19 cases each, while Khon Kaen and…
- Bangkok News
Fire in Khlong Toei destroys a row of shops
By Kittipong Maneerit A 3am fire in Bangkok’s Khlong Toei district has destroyed five shops but luckily caused no injuries. Fire-fighters spent an hour extinguishing the blaze that started in the four-room furniture shop next to the disused Pak Nam railway. Ten fire engines were engaged, but the flames had already engulfed the entire furniture shop full of flammable materials…
- Bangkok News
NACC wearing backlash on social media over Prawit luxury watch case
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) is finding itself in the hot seat after it cleared Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon of wrongdoing in the luxury watch scandal, ruling by a majority vote that he did not make a false asset declaration. The Bangkok Post reports that the NACC secretary-general Worawit Sookboon said the commission ruled 5:3 there were no grounds to accusations…
- Thailand News
Ex-Mitsubishi executives confess to bribing Thai port officials
PHOTO: Nikkei Asian Review Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems former executives, 63 year old Fuyuhiko Nishikida and 57 year old Yoshiki Tsuji, have confessed to bribing a Thai public servant to ensure smooth treatment of cargo through a southern port of Thailand. This follows the scandal surrounding the construction of a power plant in Thailand in 2013 and allegations made towards…
- Thailand News
Child porn and fraud arrests among festive season stings
by Suriya Patathayo “Eight suspects arrested over child pornography charges.” As the annual ‘silly season’ rolls out, immigration police chief Pol Maj-General Surachate Hakpal in Bangkok wanted to make sure we hadn’t forgotten him. In a media scrum yesterday he reported four recent arrests – “Net Idol” fraud suspects, the arrest of an alleged con artist using the lure of…
- South Thailand News
Southern intelligence contradicts Deputy PM over Songkhla bomb motives
The deputy PM General Prawit Wongsuwan, and national security chief, is linking the Wednesday night bomb attacks in Songkhla to local politics in the southern province. This contradicts intelligence units on the ground who suspect the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) were behind the blasts, in an attempt to disturb the southern business hub. The BRN are the main political organisation…
- Thailand News
NACC finds Prawit innocent in relation to luxury watches
“The controversy erupted late last year when Prawit showed up at a Cabinet meeting sporting a Richard Mille designer wristwatch said to be worth nearly 3 million baht.” The National Anti-Corruption Commission has ruled in favour of Deputy PM General Prawit Wongsuwan, saying he was not guilty of falsely reporting or concealing his assets. The national anti-graft commission’s secretary general Worawit…
- South Thailand News
Deputy PM links last night’s Songkhla attack to local issues
Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan, and defence minister, has linked last night’s Songkhla bomb attacks to politics in the southern province. He says he is confident that the incidents had nothing to do with insurgency in the deep South, claiming that security authorities already knew who was behind the Samila Beach attack. “The aim was to cause chaos during the New…
- South Thailand News
Three bombs found on a Songkhla beach after blasts damage famous mermaid statue
A bomb squad has discovered three explosive devices at Samila Beach in Songkhla province, hours after two blasts damaged the landmark mermaid statue. The types of bombs are still unknown. The three explosives were found at the beach during a search after last night’s explosions. The landmark golden mermaid statue at Samila Beach was damaged by two explosions on Wednesday…
- Thailand News
Prawit’s luxury watch probe, delayed outcome by the NACC
Uncertainty over the fate of Deputy PM Gen Prawit Wongsuwan continued yesterday after the country’s anti-graft watchdog failed to deliver its report on the probe into Prawit’s collection of luxury wristwatches. The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) was scheduled to discuss the case and make a decision on the matter yesterday but postponed its meeting yet again, because a commissioner had…
- Phuket News
Tsunami survivors gather for the 14th anniversary of the Boxing Day tragedy
Services remembering the tsunami victims were held in six southern coastal provinces of Thailand, because they all shared in this tragedy. On the 14th anniversary of Thailand’s only recorded tsunami, relatives of those killed by the waves gathered yesterday to remember their loved ones. “I lost 11 family members in that tsunami and I could not locate all their bodies,”…
- Thailand News
Tourism arrivals in Thailand up 7.5% so far this year
• Chinese tourists are still accounting for nearly a third of arrivals. • Russian, UK and German tourists record strong rises for 2018 • Australian and New Zealand arrivals down just over 1% (average) for the year The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has announced the tourism figures for January-November 2018, providing an accurate indication of what the country can…
- Thailand News
Man kills ex-girlfriend and two others during jealous rage in Lampang
The estranged ex-boyfriend of a university student has killed a security guard before shooting his ex-girlfriend and killing himself in Lampang province. The Nation reports that 39 year old Damrongchai Monotham died at the scene, but not before killing his former 21 year old girlfriend Boonyaporn Kantalah and a 28 year old security guard Weerapong Morpa. Umaporn Srichampa, a female…
- Food
Maravilloso. Taco Bell is coming to Bangkok, but we have options
PHOTOS: BK-Asia, Taco Bell A media release says that Taco Bell is opening its first Thailand location on the first floor of Mercuryville mall in central Bangkok. Partnering with Siam Taco Company, part of TTA (Thoresen Thai Agencies) they bring the Mexican-inspired cuisine to the big mango in early 2019. Although we are all waiting on the edge of our…
- Thailand News
Imam shot in Christmas Day shooting outside Pattani mosque
An Imam has been shot dead in front of a Pattani mosque today. Police report that the shooting happened in front of Ban Tha Rab Mosque in Muang district and identified the victim as 45 year old Sama-ae Jehma. Pol Captain Sirisak Wangkulam said Sama-ae led prayers and delivered sermons this morning. He then went to leave the mosque when someone…
- Thailand News
“Prayut unfit to be the PM” – ex Cabinet colleague
The Thai PM and the recently formed pro-junta political party are on the defensive as the chains are off other parties criticising them in the lead up to next year’s election. A Government Spokesman, Buddhipong Punnakanta, has been wheeled out to speak to the media over the allegations made by a former Cabinet member citing the Junta chief’s indecisiveness, aggressiveness…
- Bangkok News
Bangkok blanketed by smog for at least another day
Bangkok and inner city suburbs continue to be covered in smog for the fifth straight day. The Pollution Control Department (PCD) reported that the amount of particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) in 19 roadside areas exceeded the safety limit of 50 micrograms per cubic metre, while nine other places had levels that could negatively impact health. The BMA…
- World News
No tsunami warning system for Sunda Strait
by The Jakarta Post – Asia News Network The Indonesian government says, following a “volcanic tsunami” in the Sunda Strait on Saturday evening, the country did not have any early warning system for tsunamis not caused by earthquakes, since 2012 when vandalism rendered the system inoperative. Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesman, says was no warning…
