- Koh Samui News
Unseasonal storms predicted for the South
Southern provinces are under warnings from the Thai Meteorological Department following official notifications yesterday. They’re also predicting that other parts of Thailand will have cooler temperatures during the forecast period. “Downpours and waves up to four metres are expected in the Gulf of Thailand from Thursday, beginning with Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, Krabi, Trang…
- 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…
- Bangkok News
National death toll rises to 236 – Day Four in the “seven dangerous days”
A total of 236 people have killed and 2,265 others injured in 2,194 road accidents after number were released for the first four days of the New Year holiday period’s “seven dangerous days”. The tally includes deaths and injuries from last Thursday up to Sunday night. Chiang Mai and Nakhon Ratchasima had the highest cumulative fatalities of 12 deaths each,…
- 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…
- Bangkok News
Buddhist blessings ring in the new year for ASEAN
by Phatarawadee Phataranawik With Thailand chairing ASEAN throughout 2019, the Culture Ministry is fostering unity among the bloc’s 10 members by bringing to Bangkok relics and statues of the Buddha from around Asia to be ritually blessed. “Thailand is for the first time hosting this grand annual New Year blessing ceremony,” said Kittiphan Phansuwan, director of the ministry’s Religious Affairs…
- 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…
- Bangkok News
Samut Prakan karaoke bar raided, under-age sex workers rounded up
FILE PHOTO Nine alleged sex workers, including two 16 year old and four 17 year olds, have been rounded up at a karaoke bar in Samut Prakan’s Bang Sao Thong district, south of Bangkok. Administrative officials raided the bar after an anti-human trafficking non-governmental organisation complained that the bar might have been providing underage prostitution services. Last night’s 8.30pm raid…
- 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…
- Chiang Mai News
Thailand’s emerging ‘go to’ location for New Year
Tokyo, Paris, New York City… and Chiang Mai. Whilst the first three are perennial favorites to ring in the new year, Chiang Mai has overtaken Thailand’s capital as THE place to be to see in 2019, according to Agoda. Tokyo’s appeal continues with concerts, parades and light shows on offer. For Thais, Chiang Mai overtakes Bangkok’s crown for the top…
- 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,”…
- South Thailand News
One dead and two injured in ambulance crash in Trang
PHOTOS: The Nation An ambulance has collided into a truck in Trang province today. The crash killed an assistant nurse and injured two others. Police say the accident occurred on a bypass road in the province’s Huai Yot district before 6am. The ambulance belongs to the Wattanapat Hospital Trang. The ambulance was on its way back to the hospital after…
- 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…
- South Thailand News
Defence volunteers robbed of their guns in Pattani
by Pares Lohasan Police a hunting for six males suspected to have seized guns and bullets from 10 village defence volunteers assigned to guard a local school in Pattani province’s Sai Buri district last night. The suspects made off with four shotguns and 20 bullets. Sai Buri police superintendent Pol Colonel Montri Khongwatmai led forensic police to inspect Ban Seu…
- 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…
- Bangkok News
Water cannons brought out to add humidity as authorities struggle with BKK smog
Bangkokians have at least another day to inhale unhealthy levels of air pollution after Sunday, the fourth consecutive day the city has been shrouded in smog. On Sunday morning the measure of particulate matter in Tambon Pak Nam in Muang Samut Prakan was 93 micrograms per cubic metres, approaching what the WHO describes as ‘unhealthy’. The Nation reported that Samut…
- South Thailand News
Happy ending for Malaysian tourist at Betong immigration
What appeared as a bad end to the holiday of a Malaysian tourist has ended up with a much happier ending. Immigration police have returned a wallet with cash and credit cards to the Malaysian tourist on yesterday after he dropped it in front of an immigration counter on Friday night. The tourist, Low Han Ben, reclaimed his purse at…
- Pattaya News
UPDATE: The Hangover – Pattaya
A 64 year old Thai woman has been arrested for allegedly stealing cash and valuables from a British man after he bought sex from her and another woman. Pattaya police say that Penchan Hale was arrested in Bangkok on Tuesday for allegedly drugging and stealing from 56 year old George Andrew Lerce last Saturday night. (Original story below) The tourist…
