- Technology News
Thailand enters space race, air force satellite launched
Thailand has entered the space race. The Royal Thai Air Force launched its first satellite into space yesterday morning. The satellite will be used for general data collecting as well as for security purposes in efforts to prevent foreign countries from spying on Thailand. The nanosatellite, Napa-1, was launched at the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana. It was one…
- Expats
Tourism officials look to end dual pricing for expats
“The key factor is we have to treat expats like locals, without discrimination or a negative attitude towards foreigners.” Admission fees at national parks and tourist attractions are often drastically higher for expats than they are for Thai nationals. Foreigners sometimes even pay 10 times more than Thais. Tourism officials say they might put an end to dual pricing for…
- Tourism News
Holiday plans cancelled at border district, Koh Samui expects tourist boom
People are cancelling their trips to a Kanchanaburi district for the 4-day weekend after a coronavirus scare at a local school. Koh Samui is expecting the opposite. The southern province Surat Thani is expecting such a large influx in tourists that some airlines and ferries have doubled their services for the holiday. In Thong Pha Phum, Kanchanaburi’s border district, the…
- Northern Thailand News
1,500 year old human bones and pottery found in Isaan province
An Isaan woman found what experts say are 1,500 year old human bones and pottery. Fine Arts Department officials say they believe the bones and pottery were buried together during a funeral hundreds of years ago. A Surin local, 60 year old Muay Maichai, says she was walking through an area she frequents when she saw part of a jar sticking…
- World News
Chinese nationals caught crossing the border
Border patrol officers arrested 6 Chinese nationals who allegedly crossed the Thai-Myanmar border this morning. The arrests follow a series of busts driven by Thailand’s heightened border patrol, a measure aimed at preventing the return of the coronavirus after Myanmar reported a spike in cases. The migrants had waded through the Moei River, which separates Thailand and Myanmar, and were…
- Crime News
Koh Phangan cannabis farm raided by police
A Koh Phangan cannabis farm was raided today and police seized 40 plants. Meanwhile, Thai lawmakers are reviewing a bill that would allow people to grow cannabis. But these growers might have jumped the gun. Police say the farm was around 1 rai (.3 acres), and hidden in the forests of Koh Phangan. The seized cannabis plants weighed around 60…
- Phuket News
Phuket beach to ban pet dogs, but strays are okay
Don’t bring your dog to Phuket’s Nai Harn Beach. Stray dogs are fine to keep roaming, but if a new ban is passed, dog owners will face an up to 2,000 baht fine if they bring their pet woofer. The new rules comes after a visitor at the beach was attacked by 2 dogs an owner allowed to run around…
- Thai Life
Odd number wins the Thai lotto
It’s enough to send a Thai gambler into a frizz. A rather odd number won the 6 million baht jackpot in Tuesday’s bi-monthly Thai lottery. The ticket ‘999997’ was the prize winning number and Thai netizens are going ballistic! Usually when picking out a lucky number, people would rarely choose a ticket with so many repeating numbers. But 52 year…
- South Thailand News
Songkhla pageant ends in shambles, contestant accuses judges of fixing scores
A beauty pageant came under fire after 10 contestants were all declared the winners, ending the Miss Samila 2020 early after a contestant accused the judges of rigging the scores. The 10 finalists split the 200,000 baht of prize money and the top 5 contestants got an extra 10,000 baht. A good deal for those who would’ve lost, bad for those who…
- Crime News
PM’s daughters sue 100 people for defamation
Rumours spreading over social media about the Thai PM’s twin daughters are so far from the truth that the twins have filed a lawsuit against more than 100 people for defamation. Lawyer Apiwat Khanthong, representing twins Thanya and Nittha Chan-o-cha, says more than 100 social media accounts are facing libel charges under Thailand’s Computer Crime Act and the Criminal Code.…
- World News
Australia falls into a recession, global economies at a loss
“Our record run of 28 consecutive years of economic growth has now officially come to an end. The cause: a once-in-a-century pandemic.” Just about everyone hit from the coronavirus pandemic. Businesses closed. Many lost their jobs. Paychecks were cut. Economies across the globe slipped into recession and Australia is now added to that list. The country reported it has sunk…
- South Thailand News
Southern Thailand insurgents ambush police vehicle
A group of insurgents allegedly shot up a police vehicle while it was travelling in the southern province Narathiwat, which borders Malaysia. 50 bullet casings were found on the ground after the ambush. Luckily, the 5 police officers, including the province’s deputy police chief, were not injured. The police vehicle was equipped with bullet proof windows and the body of…
- Covid-19 News
Don Mueang falling below passenger goal
Despite the return to the skies by many of Thailand’s domestic airlines – Thai Air Asia, Thai Lion Air, Thai VietJet, Nok Air Thai Smile, Bangkok Air – Don Mueang Airport has been quiet with only a third of the passengers they’re used to. The Bangkok airport, mostly serving the budget airlines, is even falling below the conservative goals they…
- Crime News
Body found with gunshot wound, police open murder investigation
Police have opened a murder investigation after a man’s body was found in a drain in the southern province Nakhon Si Thammarat, southern Thailand. He had a gunshot wound to his head and officers say he was shot from a close range. His hands were found handcuffed behind his back. A local was fishing at the Tha Rua-Hua Trud canal…
- World News
Philippine president says “kill the drug traffickers”
“If it’s drugs, you shoot and kill. That’s the arrangement.” Philippine police have been ordered to kill those caught trafficking drugs. Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte said publicly during a Cabinet meeting that he wanted a revised crackdown on the country’s drug trafficking. The country’s leader is known for his strong anti-drug and hard-ball stance on drug dealing and trafficking, backed…
- World News
Malaysia bans citizens from high risk countries
While all international tourists are banned from entering Malaysia for the rest of the year, the country is also restricting citizens from India, Indonesia and the Philippines. Those countries have reported a high number of coronavirus cases and the numbers continue to go up. Foreign tourists have been banned since March and will be until the end of the year.…
- Central Thailand News
Man’s body found at Chon Buri beach, police suspect drowning
A 25 year old man was found dead at Na Jomtien beach in Chon Buri yesterday. Police say they believe the man drowned while diving for shells. Police identified the Thai man as Chaiwat Poeprasert. His mother told police her son went out to sea on his boat to look for shells. She noticed Chaiwat had been gone for a…
- World News
Vietnam ready to take off, international flights start this month
Vietnam is gearing up for international flights and some trips are planned to start as early as this month. The country’s Civil Aviation Authority says they’re set to start international flights on September 15 after being put on pause for the past 5 months. The authority’s director says travellers will need to quarantine for 14 days upon entering Vietnam. Japan…
- Crime News
Student union president arrested in Bangkok for July rally
The president of the Student Union of Thailand was arrested while in a taxi on her way to class in Bangkok. This comes after a string of arrests police have made on political activists with many charges relating to the pro-democracy protest in July. 21 year old Jutatip Sirikhan video recorded her arrest and posted it live on her Facebook…
- World News
Hua Hin schools close after students get fever, families crossed Myanmar border
Class is cancelled for a week at 2 schools after some students reported a high fever. School officials discovered many Burmese students and parents have been crossing the Thai-Myanmar border. The Thai government recently told immigration police to patrol the country’s natural borders such as along jungles and rivers after Myanmar reported a spike in coronavirus cases. The 2 Prachuap…
- World News
Malaysia closed to tourists for the rest of the year
Planning a trip to Malaysia? You’ll probably have to wait until 2021, at this stage anyway. The country just announced travel restrictions will be in place until New Years Eve 2020 and tourists won’t be allowed to visit until then. The country’s Recovery Movement Control Order is in place until December 31. Foreigners on a social visit pass, or tourist…
- Tourism News
Wow! TAT says they’ll give expats 500 baht to boost tourism
Where would you go with 500 baht? Probably not very far. The Tourism Authority of Thailand says they’re going to hand out 500 baht discount for each trip they take. TAT says they hope that the 2 million baht budget scheme will help stimulate domestic tourism. The 500 baht is expected to encourage the expats to “travel in the country…
- Bangkok News
Bangkok is getting smarter: 4 districts focused in urban plan
Bangkok is becoming a so-called “smart city” with an urban development plan focused on making improvements to city technology and infrastructure. The National Charter of Thailand says they’re focusing on 4 districts: Chinatown, Asoke, Rattanakosin Island and Tao Poon. For the Yaowarat district, or Chinatown, 580 metres will become a “web of transport” under the plan funded by the Thailand…
- World News
Truck flips after police chase near the Myanmar border
A truck flipped over, critically injuring 2 people, after police chased a truck with Burmese workers who allegedly crossed the border illegally. The government recently ordered border officials to step up their patrol on Myanmar border and make sure people aren’t crossing illegally after the neighboring country reported a spike in coronavirus cases. Immigration police in the northern province Tak…
- Thailand News
Home-grown cannabis bill ready for parliament review
Cannabis could be grown at home, if a draft revision to the Thai Narcotics Act is passed. Those who want to grow cannabis, both for personal use or to sell, would need permission from the Food and Drug Administration. The bill is ready to be reviewed by parliament. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says he is going to keep pushing…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand is prepared for a 2nd wave of the coronavirus, health officials say
Thailand is prepared for a second wave of the coronavirus, according to the country’s public health officials. While there hasn’t been any local transmissions recently, numbers are on the rise in other countries and Thailand’s hospitals have stocked up on supplies to be prepared for any potential second outbreak of Covid-19. A 29 year old British woman tested positive for…
- Crime News
Gunfire exchange kills alleged drug dealer, injures 3 police
An alleged drug dealer was killed and 3 police officers were injured in a gunfire exchange this morning. Police say 46 year old Udom Rattanamanee, who was killed, and his wife Areeya Panthip were allegedly major drug dealers in Phuket. Around 8am this morning, police went to Udom’s house in the southern province Nakhon Si Thammarat with arrest warrants for…
- Politics News
MP proposes opening casinos in Thailand, legalising online gambling
A Thai politician is pushing for the legalisation of gambling and proposing Thailand open casinos at popular tourist destinations like Bangkok and Phuket, saying that it would increase tax revenue. A leader of the Thai Civilised Party Mongkolkit Suksintharanon says he wants to start a committee to research plans for so-called entertainment complexes which would have a casino, hotel, theme…
- World News
Burmese workers caught crossing the border, 2 had a fever
About a dozen Burmese workers were caught illegally entering Thailand and 2 of the them had a fever, border officers say. The bust comes after the Interior Ministry tightened security measures along the Myanmar border to stop illegal border crossings in an effort to prevent a coronavirus outbreak. The neighboring country had a spike in new cases with hundreds of…
- Crime News
PM says probe on Boss case released tomorrow
“It is clearly written, nothing hidden, all the names, their ranks and their respective units.” Details of an investigation into the alleged mishandling of the Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya hit-and-run case will be made public tomorrow (Tuesday), according to Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. A fact finding committee set up by the PM has been reviewing the 2012 hit-and-run case where the Red Bull…
