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Thais likely to pay more for health under new reforms
A part of of the country’s upcoming national healthcare reform, Thais will definitely have to pay more for any extra medical services or medicines they want. Dr Seree Tuchinda, who heads the national healthcare reform committee, says, “for example, if you want medicines that are not on the national drug list, you will be charged.” Seree said the reform will…
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Nigerian arrested as police track down ‘romance scam’ gang
PHOTOS: The Nation Tourist police are hunting for conspirators in a “romance scam” gang after they arrested a 32 year old Nigerian who allegedly lured a Thai woman in Lampang province into wiring him nearly 100,000 baht. Pol Maj-General Surachet Hakparn from the Tourist Police Bureau says that the suspect, Emery Henry Ogba, was a member of a gang believed…
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Big increases in BKK airport arrivals for 2018 Songkran
Nearly 7 percent additional passengers flew into Suvarnabhumi Airport and 12 percent into Don Mueang this year to celebrate the Songkran festival, compared to last year’s passenger traffic. The Immigration Bureau deputy spokesman Pol Colonel Choengron Rimpadee says that 683,260 passengers arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport from April 12 and 16. “The number marks a 6.96 per cent increase from Songkran 2017.…
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Krabi drug suspect killed in police shootout
FILE PHOTO A drug suspect has been shot dead late last night (Saturday) in a shootout with police in Krabi province. Police identified the suspect as 38 year old Suriya Thokong who had walked out of jail just two years ago after serving a jail term related to drug charges. An ongoing investigation suggested that Suriya may have returned to…
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5 people dead following storms in 36 provinces
5 people are dead and 3,758 homes in 36 provinces have been damaged by storms over the past week. The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department director-general Chayapol Thitisak reported on the damage yesterday. He reported that relief aid, including home repair assistance and distribution of relief bags has been provided by Army, local administrative officials and related agencies. 655 villages…
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How many Thai durians can Alibaba sell in one minute?
Thai durian sold like hot cakes after Jack Ma showed the magic of e-commerce during his visit to Thailand by selling 80,000 golden pillow durians on his online platform T-mall within one minute. One minute! While Ma was in Thailand to make a mega-deal on investment on Thursday, Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong gifted the founder of China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba…
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Alibaba to invest 11 billion baht in Thailand
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group has committed to invest a combined 11 billion baht in Thailand in a move that PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says could benefit the country’s small farmers and rural enterprises due to the firm’s expertise in diverse technology. “Jack Ma (Alibaba’s co-founder and executive chairman) told me he does not solely look for profits because Alibaba already…
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The Brunei woman who drowned in Krabi is not from Brunei’s Royal Family
The 60 year old woman from Brunei, PG HJH Jamilah PG HJ Othman, who drowned near Gai Island in Krabi (story HERE) was reported as being a member of Brunei’s Royal Family. Since that report the Royal Thai Police’s deputy spokesman Pol Col Krissana Pattanacharoen clarified that the woman was not member of the royal family of Brunei Darussalam as…
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Police make two arrests over travel scams
The owner of a Thai tour company has been arrested for deceiving 33 tourists left abandoned in Osaka, Japan last February. Tourist Police deputy chief Pol Maj Gen Surachet Hakpal says that 35 year old Sonthaya Phosri had been arrested the day before under a warrant issued by the Thonburi district court. He was charged with cheating 33 Thai tourists…
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Close the beach, put up signs. Hua Hin tackles a one-in-2-million chance.
Shark prevention measures will be introduced in the resort town of Hua Hin after a Norwegian tourist was bitten by a bull shark, even though a marine biologist says there was only a one-in-2-million chance of someone being attacked by a shark. Prachuap Khiri Khan’s deputy governor Chotnarin Kerdsom has confirmed what experts have already validated – a Norwegian tourist…
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66 more foreigners arrested in nationwide crackdown
FILE PHOTO: The Nation Tourist police have arrested 66 more foreigners during crackdowns around the country last night (Wednesday). Pol Maj-General Surachet Hakpal, deputy tourist police chief spoke whilst in Soi Cowboy off Sukhumvit Road early this morning to announce the results of the operation. He said 11 foreigners were arrested for overstaying their visas and 51 others for unlawfully…
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2018 Songkran road toll total up on last year
This year’s Songkran “Seven Dangerous Days counted an appalling toll of 418 people dying on Thailand’s roads compared to last year’s 390. The figures were recorded by the Road Safety Centre said yesterday. The figures follow an ‘all out’ attempt by the Government and police to reduce the carnage on Thai roads over the Songkran break. This year also saw a…
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National drug crackdown nets drugs worth 320 million baht
Police seized a large haul of narcotics with a street value of 320 million baht from 101 suspects in 88 drug busts during March 28-April 17. The crime-suppression operations overlapped the Songkran holidays, deputy national police chief Pol General Chalermkiat Srivorakhan told a press conference in Bangkok yesterday (Tuesday). Besides confiscating 255 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, over 170,000 methamphetamine pills,…
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Shark fever hits Hua Hin as experts investigate
Authorities in Hua Hin are sending a team of experts to check out the waters off Sai Noi beach, south of Hua Hin, after two days of speculation that a tourist was bitten by a shark. The Marine and Coastal Resources Department is dispatching officers in a bid to allay people’s fears. Reports of the shark attack went viral since…
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Prawit denies any health problems
Deputy PM and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan is denying having any health problems. “I am not ill, as you can see now,” said Prawit, who is in charge of the government’s security affairs. During the long Songkran holidays there had been media reports quoting PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha, that his deputy was ill and had received treatment for heart…
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Storms wreak havoc in Chiang Rai and Phitsanulok
Thunderstorms and hail pounded 16 districts of Chiang Rai last night (Monday), damaging around 1000 houses. The director of the province’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office says reports were received of blackouts in 30 villages in five districts as utility poles were knocked over and tree branches snapped power lines. All of Mae Fah Luang district was without electricity when…
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Day Five – Drunk driving leads the way on Thailand’s ‘killing fields’
Drunk driving remains the major cause of road fatalities after the Songkran ‘Seven Days of Danger’ toll reached a staggering 323 people killed on Thailand’s roads (after the first five days of reporting). 3,140 others were injured in 3,001 crashes during the first five days of the Songkran seven-day accident-monitoring period – From last Wednesday morning to Sunday night. On…
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Six arrested in 10 million baht Andaman tour scam
Police have arrested six female suspects linked to a tour company that allegedly swindled customers of 10 million baht for bogus tour packages, Deputy Tourist Police chief Maj-General Surachet Hakpan told a press conference in Bangkok on Monday. The suspects named as executives of the tour company were Thanyarat Sansangwal, Nawanat Phosuk, Kwanreuthai Monkaew, Sathaporn Thongphrom, Thanipa Kanhachat and Monthathip…
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Briton admits to beating wife to death in Ubon Ratchathani
A British man is in police custody after allegedly kicking his wife to death in a fit of rage. 51 year old Kevin Smitham reportedly beat his wife, 29 year old Kanda, after she refused to have sex with him and he accused her of having an affair, Banmuang reported. Locals say they heard the pair arguing at about 10pm…
- Thailand News
Shark bite or sharp rocks? Hua Hin swimmer dragged from water with injuries
Video footage posted to social media on Sunday claimed that a foreign man was been bitten by a shark at a beach in Hua Hin. The clip, which has now been removed, showed a man being carried out of the water having suffered multiple injuries to one of his feet. The incident was said to have taken place at Sai…
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Day Four – Road toll much higher than last year
Thailand’s Songran road death toll has reached 248, with 2,557 injured in 2,449 accidents during the first four days of the so-called seven dangerous Songkran days (Wednesday to Saturday). The figures marked an across-the-board increase over the same period last year, which saw 226 deaths, 2,457 injured and 2,385 road accidents. On Saturday alone, there were 603 accidents, killing 57…
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MC quits teenage-targeted NCPO propaganda TV show
An MC of a junta-run TV program aimed at younger teenage viewers says her resignation from the show was due to “different working attitudes” while the junta government denied any involvement with the production. Pawaran Bannarak announced her decision to quit “Thailand Moves Forward Teenage Edition” on Saturday. “Because I love being an emcee so much, I can’t afford to…
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Phuket reports its first fatality for the Songkran break
After three clear days, during the seven day reporting period over the Songkran break, Phuket has had its first fatality, a motorbike accident just after 2pm yesterday (Saturday). The fatality involved a 29 year old Chinese tourist Li Jing. He was riding a rented motorbike along the coast road from Kamala to Patong when his bike crashed into a pickup.…
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National TrueMove ID data leak
The NBTC (National Broadcasting and Telecom Commission) is seeking an urgent meeting with executives of TrueMove H, one of the country’s three major mobile phone operators, to inquire about a probable massive leak of customers’ personal data. The likely leak, including individuals’ ID cards and passport numbers, was first reported by Blognone, an online technology news service, when Niall Merrigan,…
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Russian suspect nabbed after million baht money-exchange robbery in Pattaya
A Russian man has been nabbed at Suvarnabhumi international Airport after Chon Buri police launched a manhunt to find the Russian who allegedly robbed a money exchange booth of nearly one million baht in cash. Police say the robbery took place at a booth in Jomtiem in Sattahip District, Chonburi yesterday morning (Saturday). After checking the CCTV on site, Police…
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Songkran revenues flow whilst hot-season temperatures soar
Songkran Festival has attracted millions of Thai and foreign tourists to popular destinations nationwide, generating significant revenue for local economies. Last week Tourism Authority of Thailand economic forecasters were predicting a 10 percent rise in spending this year. Chuchat on-charern, the Tourism Authority of Thailand chief for the southern province of Phang-nga, said an estimated 155,000 tourists visited the province,…
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Road toll keeps rising as authorities claim tight enforcement
Whilst the road toll is mounting and drunk drivers’ cars impounded at record numbers, authorities must be scratching their head wondering what they need to do to stem the disgraceful annual carnage on Thailand’s roads during Songkran. Even as police claimed to push stricter law enforcement to lower crimes during the Songkran Festival, the increase in the number of accidents,…
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Day Three – the carnage continues
The accumulated road death toll for the first three days (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday) of the so-called ‘Seven Dangerous Days’ over the Songkran holiday, rose to 188 at the end of Friday, the Road Safety Centre announced today. Pol Maj-General Ekkarak Limsangkart, commander of the Special Branch Police Division 3, said the first three days of the road accidents monitoring period…
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Criminal offences to avoid during Songkran.
Splashing water on people not wanting to get wet, or having asked you not to splash them, during the Songkran Festival can lead to imprisonment. This from a Thai lawyer, adding many common violations of laws during the festive period may carry severe penalties. Ratchapon Sirithaworn, a legal expert and owner of the Facebook fanpage “LawByRachaponsLawyer”, which provides knowledge on…
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Congratulations “Miss Elephant of Bang Nam Phueng”
So it’s not all about the splashing. Samut Prakarn’s Phra Pradaeng district has hosted a unique beauty pageant to celebrate this year’s Songkran festival in which contestants were required to be transgender and weigh at least 120 kilograms. This was the eleventh year that the authorities of Bang Nam Phueng district organised the contest for those ‘larger size’ entrants, but…
