- Business News
Krispy Kreme employee allegedly fired after post about former Thai King
A man was fired from a Krispy Kreme Doughnut Thailand store after making disparaging remarks about a former Thai king. Now some people are boycotting the doughnut business for their actions. But Krispy Kreme executives deny the allegations. ‘Chaiyaporn Sornbudnak’ made a post on Facebook about King Rama IX, who died in 2016. News sites can’t even publish the man’s Facebook…
- Northern Thailand News
University lecturers suspended over sexual assault allegations
Two Isaan university lecturers have been suspended following sexual assault allegations The 47 year old male lecturer was accused of sexually abusing his own children – a 9 year old girl and a 7 year old boy, allegedly on several occasions. The man has been charged with statutory child rape, according to the Bangkok Post. The man was accused by his…
- Northern Thailand News
Mother leaves newborn in north east forest after giving birth
A newborn baby was found in an Isaan forest recently. Thai news reports say that the baby was covered in blood with the umbilical cord still attached. Luckily, the baby survived and is now in the care of a local hospital. A villager found the newborn while walking through the forest in the Nakhon Ratchasima province, north east Thailand, and…
- Covid-19 News
“Amazing Trusted Thailand” – tourism rebrands
International tourists still can’t enter Thailand, so the country is using this time to rebrand their tourism promotions. The aim is to add some “trust” in regards to the country’s health profile with hopes that tourists will visit Thailand worry-free. Tourism is going from the “Amazing Thailand” brand to “Amazing Trusted Thailand.” The intention is that they want tourists to…
- Covid-19 News
Thai company steps up to ease condom shortage
A shortage of condoms is one thing. A shortage of condoms while people around the world are stuck at home is another. Since a top condom manufacturer in Malaysia halted production due to the coronavirus pandemic, a Thai company is now stepping up to fill the gap. Thai Nippon Rubber Industry, the country’s biggest condom manufacturer, is increasing production by…
- Crime News
Woman accidentally shot during father-son fight in Nakhon Si Thammarat
A man accidentally shot and killed his daughter-in-law during a fight with his son last night in southern Thailand. After a heated argument around 7:30 pm Sunday, a father got out a shotgun to shoot his son, but the trigger failed, Thai media reports. The son, 33 year old Niran Rakkaew, then tried to grab the in the gun from his…
- Crime News
Phuket woman shot in her bed, ex-husband wanted
A young woman was shot at while she was asleep in her bed early yesterday morning in Thepkrasattri, central Thalang district. Her ex-husband is currently a prime suspect. 23 year old Duenphen Waree was targeted around 5:50am Sunday at her home in Thepkrasattri, Phuket, according to a report from Thalang Police. Waree’s mother woke up from the sound of 5 gun…
- Business News
Tesco addressing migrant worker abuse at Thailand distribution centres
Migrant workers at Tesco’s distribution centres in Thailand are being abused, according to an annual modern slavery statement from the UK-based company. Out of 187 migrant workers interviewed in Thailand, many had issues with unexplained and illegal wage reductions, excessive overtime hours, indebtedness through recruitment fees. Migrant workers at Tesco’s distribution centres in Malaysia had similar problems. Last year, Tesco reported migrant workers…
- Northern Thailand News
Dengue fever on the rise in Isaan
While the country is slowly getting a handle on containing the coronavirus pandemic, the Isaan region is tackling a bout of dengue fever. There’s been a rise of the mosquito-borne illness in Nakhon Ratchasima with 737 cases. Local health volunteers have ramped up initiatives to prevent the further spread of the disease. Abate sand granules are being used to kill mosquito…
- Covid-19 News
100 billion baht fund in the works for small businesses
A pay cheque might be on the way for small businesses that kept paying their employees, despite loss of business from the pandemic. An up to 100 billion baht fund, or 3 billion USD, is planned to be set up to help Thailand’s small businesses, according to Reuters. Deputy PM Somkid Jatusripitak said assistance from the Finance Ministry will be for…
- Covid-19 News
No sex for a month, Thai disease expert claims
Coronavirus survivors should wait a month before they get ‘intimate’. At least that’s what one Thai medical expert is saying. No sex for 30 days. For some, that may be worse than 14 days of quarantine. “Semen of recovering might carry the virus”, according to Veerawat Manosutthi, senior medical expert at the Disease Control Department, told Khaosod English. The claim is found…
- Covid-19 News
National parks may remain closed for another 2 months
One positive aspect of the pandemic is the affect park-closures seem to be having on the environment, specifically some of the animals living in the parks. Looks like Thailand’s national parks might continue to be closed for at least another 2 months. All of the 133 national parks were initially closed to limit tourism and visits to those areas and…
- Bangkok News
Architecture students propose redesign and makeover of Bangkok prison
Most of Thailand’s prisons are well past their designed capacity. Living conditions for inmates are cramped and unsanitary. Now some architecture students are trying to come up with creative solutions to improve the living environment at one Bangkok prison. They’ve been working on design proposals that would make the conditions more “humane” at the Thonburi Remand Prison. “Treeward” is one design…
- Covid-19 News
Tenants bailing out of pricey Bangkok offices amid pandemic
Bangkok’s high-end office district is looking more like a ghost town as the coronavirus pandemic seems to have many companies bailing out of their pricey office spaces. The increasing vacancy trend of Grade-A office space is expected to continue, possibly until a coronavirus vaccine is in effect, according to managing director of Phoenix Property Development and Consultancy, Surachet Kongcheep. Business owners have…
- Covid-19 News
Suicide deaths during pandemic could exceed virus-related deaths
Stress with money and other worries, brought on by the pandemic, have led a significant number of people in Thailand to take their own lives. Those who have studied the subject in Thailand say the number of suicide deaths this year could exceed the number of coronavirus deaths. Scholars in Chiang Mai University studied suicide cases that took place between…
- Central Thailand News
One death and many sick after eating dumplings
Around 2 dozen people got sick and 1 person died sometime after they ate dumplings sold by a street vendor in Samut Prakan, a province south of Bangkok. Bacteria was found in the dumplings, or kanom jeeb, after a lab test, but health officials say they’re still not sure if the bacteria caused the food poisoning. They’re still investigating before they…
- Crime News
Gang leader arrested for fraud million baht scheme
Police have caught the leader of a gang who stole millions posing as government officials to bribe contractors into handing over money for fake construction projects. The alleged boss of the scheme, 50 year old Rachasak Butpornprasert, was arrested at an Ayutthaya temple after being wanted by police for a year. Butpornprasert also goes by the name “Noppadol Srino” according…
- Thailand Weather Updates
Lightning kills one, injures another in northern Thailand storms
One man was killed and another was injured in lightning storms in northern Thailand. Both were tending cows on their farms. 62 year old Prachuab Phunok died while he was working on a field in the northeastern Mukdahan province’s Nong Sung district, near the Laos border. Police say he was sitting under a tree when lightning struck and killed him. Meanwhile…
- Crime News
Newborn found dead in southern Thailand university pond
There was a tragic moment last Monday when the body of a newborn baby was discovered in a pond at a southern Thailand university. . A security guard at Walailak University in Nakhon Si Thammarat province saw a black plastic bag floating near the edge of the pond. He told police that “the smell was strong and foul”. Inside the…
- Covid-19 News
Major slump in tourists expected this year
It’s not looking to good for Thailand’s tourism industry. This year will have the lowest numbers the country has seen in over a decade, and that’s assuming there’s some reopenings for international travel sometime later in the year. With the coronavirus pandemic freezing up international travel, the number of foreign tourists are expected to fall by 65% this year, according…
- Economy News
Instant noodle exports increase as neighbouring countries stock up
Craving noodles? Seems like many people stuck at home want the cheap and quick meal. Preparation is quick, the price is low, there’s flavours aplenty and they’re easy to find. Thailand’s exports of instant noodles have gone up this year, the country’s Ministry of Commerce reported yesterday. With ridiculously low prices, a long shelf life and, let’s admit, some pretty…
- Covid-19 News
Bangkok’s largest international hospital hurts from halt in medical tourism
The coronavirus outbreak has hospitals across the world at their limits, but at one Thailand’s largest and most famous hospitals, the number of patients has been cut in half. Bumrungrad International Hospital in Bangkok heavily relies on medical tourism. Since the pandemic has ground much of international travel to a halt, Bumrungrad is getting hit hard. 50% of the patients at…
- Crime News
Fake survey promises gifts from the Thailand Post
“Your chance to win… ” tends to be too good to be true, every time. Go with your gut if you come across a chance to earn a free gift from the Thailand Post. It’s fake. An internet scam, posing as the country’s mail carrier, is luring people in with gifts such as smartphones and vouchers. Thailand Post, for their…
- South Thailand News
Human Rights Watch says Thailand should free detained migrants
A significant number of migrants in Thailand’s Songkhla immigration detention centre have the coronavirus and the Human Rights Watch is saying all them should be free due to the dangers of the coronavirus pot the other detainees. In an article urging the release of the migrants, the HRW said the virus infections “spread like wildfire in squalid lockup” and that…
- Thailand Weather Updates
Zoo animals eat frozen treats to chill out in high heat
It’s hot. And humid. So hot that zookeepers are getting creative when it comes to cooling down the animals. Lions and tigers are licking on frozen blood cubes while bears are munching on fruit popsicles made by zookeepers at Khon Kaen Zoo in Northern Thailand. Temperatures have recently reached over 40 degrees Celsius, sometimes for days on end. Along with…
- Covid-19 News
Phuket’s tourist-driven economy faces crisis – Phuket Chamber of Commerce
Phuket’s tourism-driven economy is facing what one city official calls a crisis, comparing the economic impact to what it was after the 2004 tsunami. Phuket’s economy has become increasingly focused on tourism and hospitality over the past 2 decades. The Phuket Chamber of Commerce President Thunusak Phungdet said at a meeting last Thursday that Phuket has no income right now.…
- Crime News
Man kills Buddhist monk in a fit of anger in Lampang
A Buddhist monk was killed last week after he spoke up about a man’s drinking habits. Villagers in Lampang found the body of 69 year old Phra Bundhit Prom-iam over the weekend in his pick-up truck. His body was decaying and “gave off a strong smell”. As police investigated the incident, evidence led them to 44 year old Sakol Pumthong who eventually…
- Business News
7-Eleven, Family Mart cash in on the pandemic
While some people are losing their jobs as a result of the pandemic, Thailand’s billionaires are getting richer. The owners of 7-Eleven and Family Mart are just two of them. The convenience store franchises are classified as essential services and have stayed busy, while some of the smaller mom and pop shops were forced to close due to the coronavirus outbreak.…
- Pattaya News
Thai family heads out on a 1,000 kilometre trek on clapped-out motorbike
One family had a mission to get home, but with a broken down motorbike, it was some of the communities along the way that helped them to complete their journey. About a week ago, a mother and her two children set off on their trip using a run-down motorbike and sidecar (saleng). They had a nearly 1,000 km journey ahead of…
- Transport News
Some taxis equipped with ‘barriers’ to protect against coronavirus transmission
Some taxis are being converted to be coronavirus-proof, well that’s the intention. A barrier designed by Royal Thai Air Force personnel, to protect people using taxis and keep drivers in business, has been rolled out. With possible close contact to many different people, taxi drivers are at risk of catching the virus. In February, a taxi driver was the first human-to-human virus transmission in…
