- Crime News
Miracle at nap time – the girl who survived
Three-year-old Ammy slept through the whole thing. During the assault by the crazy killer who burst into her daycare centre, Ammy slumbered on, unnoticed by the man with the knives. Ammy has a habit of completely wrapping herself up in her blankets, and according to her mother, Panomphat Srithong, that might have saved her. Panomphat was working at an electronics…
- Crime News
Once bitten… English financial advisor who took chunk out of Thai investors
Foreign financial “advisors” have been defrauding the country’s ex-pats for decades. Does seeing the arrest of Briton Mark Kirkham mean that the Thai economic police are finally catching up with them? Probably not, and why would you expect them to? Kirkham, according to financial blogger Andrew Drummond, looked every inch the upstanding member of the community on his arrest at…
- Entertainment
Ring craft – Muay Thai referees saving fighters from themselves
Muay Thai has some amazing referees, lots of them being former fighters themselves. One referee has recently been showered with praise for his quick reaction that saved a fighter from a “kill shot,” an aptly-named illegal kick to the head. Refereeing can be an unappreciated task – especially in combat sports. As well as risking injury yourself, you’re never going…
- Crime News
Guns, drugs and mental health – questions for a grieving nation
Since at least 37 people were killed in Thursday’s daycare centre massacre, Thailand has been forced to ask itself some very uncomfortable questions. Gregory Raymond is a lecturer in the Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs researching Southeast Asian politics and foreign relations. Writing for Australia’s ABC News, Raymond identifies some areas that should be of concern to everyone…
- World News
Myanmar border monastery destroyed in air raid
A monastery in the Karen State village of Mekatha was turned to rubble in an attack by fighter jets on October 6. Airstrikes by the Myanmar air forces on Thursday destroyed the monastery and several houses in a village near the border with Thailand. The attack on the village began at around 2.30am and lasted about half an hour. At…
- Health
When snakes strike, why not call for the chicken-ass squad?
As a country where there are about 7,000 bites by snakes each year, leading to about 30 deaths, something that everyone who lives in Thailand knows, or should know, is that sucking out snake venom is a terrible idea. That John Wayne staple has long been debunked, as any boy scout could tell you. But what if you persuade someone, or…
- Thai Law News
Pakistan’s transgenders dragged back into Dark Ages
Early last month, Pakistani Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan proposed the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights amends the Transgender Protection Act of 2018, leading to a firestorm of online abuse on both sides of the argument. Despite its desire to be known as a conservative society with strong Islamic inclinations, Pakistan is one of only a few countries with legislation…
- World News
‘Strange and unusual’ punishment for Filipino lottery winners
There are some easy ways NOT to win your national lottery. The easiest way not to win is to play the numbers 1-2-3-4-5-6 – or however many numbers your particular lottery demands. That particular sequence of numbers is no more likely or unlikely to arise than any other, yet it is the most played set of numbers in all lotteries, worldwide.…
- World News
Slaughtered Thai grandfather celebrated in street sign
A thoroughfare in San Francisco was renamed last weekend in commemoration of the 84-year-old Thai grandfather who was killed in a brutal attack last year that spurred the Asian-American community into action against increased physical and verbal assaults during the pandemic. According to usnews.com a short lane in Sonora, close to the University of San Francisco was renamed “Vicha Ratanapakdee…
- Entertainment
‘The Trapped 13’ lets Wild Boars speak for themselves
We’re probably all too familiar with the uplifting tragedy of the Wild Boars football team. We know almost every detail of their time underground, their escape to the light and subsequent international celebrity. But still, the screen adaptations come, three in the last year alone. This time, it’s Netflix The Trapped 13: How We Survived the Thai Cave. The Trapped 13…
- Crime News
Police snag 2.5 meth pills in checkpoint stings
A massive 2.5 million methamphetamine pills and 700 kilos of crystal meth have been found by police in Lampang, Chiang Mai and Phrae provinces. Eighteen suspects were arrested and eight vehicles impounded in three separate cases, according to top cop Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas at a press conference yesterday. According to reports in the Bangkok Post, two pickups fully loaded…
- World News
Strong emotions and tea on the Myanmar border
As Myanmar heads for a full-blown civil war, a cafe on the border with Thailand has become a haven for exiles. The tea shop is named “Freedom” and the tea is brewed strong. Food is cooked over a gas stove by a woman forced to flee Myanmar for her support of the opposition, reported The Independent. The cashier is a…
- Entertainment
Immersed in coffee on Ratchadamri Road
Visitors to CentralWorld on Bangkok’s Ratchadamri Road, have a chance to try and buy the best coffee beans from around the world, and gourmet coffee from across Thailand at Coffee Hub until Oct 11. It’s the first big public event by the Specialty Coffee Association of Thailand and promises a so-called immersive experience, perhaps a little too much for someone who does…
- Phuket News
Cheeky Taoist procession spices up Phuket’s veggie fest
Traditionally coinciding with Phuket’s vegetarian festival, mild-mannered vegans on the island have been treated to the decidedly fleshy delights of a nine-day Taoist festival. Central to the event, or at least central to Instagram postings devoted to the event, are the many outlandish facial piercings on display. Taoist devotees adorn their mouths and faces with metal spikes, swords, skewers and…
- Entertainment
Hot tip – Don’t pay hot tips!
To tip or not tip is becoming a hot issue among Thailand’s restaurant goers and waiting staff. For foreigners, tipping can be problematic in this part of Asia with expectations ranging from Chinese-style (no tips ever, anywhere, for anything) to Filipino (tips with everything). No matter what your situation is though, according to the law, 10% is enough. On Tuesday,…
- Health
Construction work is Bangkok’s most dangerous job
For years, fishing was considered the most dangerous job in Thailand. It’s common for fishing boats to have children working long hours on board. The climate, physical effort and bad diet are responsible for many fishermen, including a lot of children, dying or putting their lives in danger. The good, or bad, news, depending on your position, is that there…
- World News
Malaysian beauty salon gets makeover as dentistry school
As the world supply chain collapses and unemployment rises, why not think about retraining as a small-town dentist? And why not rebrand your beauty salon as a school of dentistry? That was the plan of the owner of a fly-ridden hole-in-the-wall beauty salon in Malaysia’s in Setapak district. The former manicure parlour not only provided dental courses and issued certificates…
- Thailand News
Northern floods tragedy – Monks unable to help
Waist-high water flooded into riverfront neighbourhoods after the remains of Hurricane Noru dumped a heavy load of rain and knocked down trees. The heaviest rainfall, about 22 centimetres in 24 hours, was recorded in the north-eastern province of Ubon Ratchathani, where more than 5,000 people were moved to shelters on higher ground. In Chai Nat province, Buddhist monks made their…
- World News
Xi’s Bangkok APEC trip to open tourist floodgates
If Chinese President Xi Jinping shows up at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bangkok that could go a long way to securing 12 million tourists this year, according to Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakan. Phiphat believes as many as 1.5 million Chinese travellers could visit Thailand in December if Xi allows outbound tourism to resume. The Chinese…
- Crime News
Police seize 60 suspects in online ‘ghost guns’ sting
Mass shootings and gun violence are sweeping over Thailand as firearm misuse continues to make headlines every day. A nationwide sting has netted 61 suspects and seized 145 firearms together with almost 9,000 rounds of ammunition, part of a countrywide operation to stamp out the online illegal arms trade. New national police chief Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas marked his first…
- Politics News
The long goodbye – Which way now for PM Prayut?
No matter which side you are on, yesterday’s Constitutional Court ruling gives us some measure of much-needed clarity. After weeks of debate and rumour, we now know that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s term started on April 6, 2017, the date the present charter came into force. His previous leadership as part of the junta government does not count. What we…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya Police Chief cleared of vice slurs, back on duty
Troubled Pattaya Police chief Pol Col Kunlachart Kunlachai has been reinstated after being temporarily placed in an inactive post following allegations the top cop forced a Kyrgyzstani woman into prostitution. The woman later committed suicide. Pol Col Kunlachart is set to return to Pattaya Police headquarters immediately, following a September 30 order by Pol Maj Gen Attasit Kitchahan, commander-in-chief of…
- Thailand Weather Updates
Hurricane Ian lashes South Carolina
A reinvigorated Hurricane Ian battered South Carolina Friday, deluging neighbourhoods with calf-high water. The storm caused calamitous damage in Florida and trapped thousands in their homes. Streams of rain whipped trees and power lines and left many areas under water. Four piers along the coast collapsed into the waves and were washed away. Online cameras showed seawater in Garden City…
- Tourism News
5-star squatters evicted from Layan Beach
Heavy earth-moving equipment was taken to Layan Beach, Phuket, yesterday to demolish the last remaining illegal beachfront buildings. Eviction notices were served in 2017 when the Supreme Court ruled that occupiers were illegally encroaching on state land. Several “final warnings” were issued, with the last eviction notice delivered on September 12. Layan Beach is a beautiful but little-known bay on…
- Technology News
What role for Thailand in China’s great European EV invasion?
Just over a month ago, China’s top electric vehicle (EV) maker BYD announced its first overseas factory, in Thailand. The company bought 96 hectares at Rayong industrial estate. The factory is expected to start producing in 2024 with an annual production capacity of about 150,000 vehicles. Vehicles made in Thailand will be sold locally as well as exported to neighbouring…
- World News
Horrified relatives attempt ID of disfigured suitcase victim
The hideously disfigured body of a woman found in a suitcase in the Nakhon Phanom stretch of the Mekong River on Wednesday might turn out to be that of a Lao businesswoman. Pol Col Thawil Khamket, chief of That Phanom police, said today that some of the missing woman’s horrified family had contacted the police in an effort to locate…
- Thailand Protest News
Activists plan protests across Bangkok
Thai authorities have ramped up security in the capital ahead of expected protests when the Constitutional Court releases its decision on the future of suspended Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha later today. The court will rule on whether General Prayut’s constitutionally stipulated eight-year term is up. General Prayut came to power following a 2014 coup. Anti-government activists will hold rallies in…
- Crime News
Marijuana growers dazed, confused by legal smoke and mirrors
It’s been months since marijuana became legal in Thailand, or semi-legal, or not illegal, or potentially quasi-legal. On June 9, Thailand became the first country in Asia—and only the third in the world, after Canada and Uruguay—to decriminalise cannabis nationwide. Or so we thought. Sellers, smokers, patients and tourist operators are trying to work almost completely without any legal framework.…
- Environment News
For health reasons – Bangkok’s proposed congestion charge
It’s a widely quoted truism that residents of Bangkok lost eight days of their lives last year, stuck in traffic. So it comes as no surprise that a congestion charge is being suggested. Unbelievably, this would make Bangkok only the second major city in Asia with such a charge. Proposed fees range from 50 baht (US$1.30) to 120 baht across…
- Events
Spartan Race to hit Phuket in November
More than 5,000 Thai and foreign athletes from all over South East Asia are to come together in Phuket for the 2022 Spartan Asia Pacific Championship on November 26-27 at Blue Tree waterpark. The spectacular event is part of the ongoing campaign to turn Phuket into the world’s premier health & wellness centre. The event will be a follow-up to…
