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- Thailand News
PM 2.5 pollution is on the rise in Thailand, warns health official
Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 pollution is on the rise in Thailand, especially in Bangkok, warns Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health Dr Opas Karnkawinpong. PM 2.5 particulates are tiny dust particles so small that thousands of them can fit into one full stop. Inhaling PM 2.5 is detrimental to human health as the minuscule particles travel deep into…
- Thailand News
Thailand to combat its methamphetamine crisis with cannabis
Thailand is going to attempt to fix its methamphetamine crisis with another formally-illegal drug, cannabis. In a recent study, meth addicts in Thailand were given CBD oil under their tongues to treat withdrawal symptoms, and the results were promising. Today, acting Director General of the Medical Department Dr Thongchai Kiratthihathayakhon said that methamphetamine is “Thailand’s biggest problem.” Meth-induced psychosis is…
- Economy News
Thai baht plummets even further against US dollar
The Thai baht depreciated even further against the strengthening US dollar. Last month, the baht plunged to 38 to the dollar for the first time in 16 years. Today, US$1 is worth 38.35 baht. Market strategist at Krungthai Bank Poon Panitphiboon revealed that the baht weakened from 38.25 yesterday to 38.35 against the dollar this morning. As US bond yields…
- Crime News
Illegal immigrants sneak into Thailand in modified pickup truck
Police were stunned when they found two illegal immigrants squeezed under the cargo bed of a modified pickup truck in Tak province, northern Thailand, yesterday. As KhaoSod put it, “nice idea, but illegal.” A “spy” informed the police that two Thai men in a pickup truck were carrying illegal immigrants who had just snuck across the border from Myanmar into Thailand.…
- Thailand News
VIDEO: 4.2 magnitude earthquake shakes Chiang Mai, northern Thailand
Residents of Chiang Mai province in northern Thailand were awoken at 4.26am today by a 4.2 magnitude earthquake. No injuries or deaths have been reported. The tremor lasted about three seconds and no aftershocks have been felt so far. Many felt strong shaking as the epicentre had a shallow depth of only two kilometres in the Mae subdistrict in the…
- Thailand News
New species of crab discovered in mountains of southern Thailand
On Friday, a team of Thai scientists published the discovery of a new species of freshwater crab living high up in the mountains of southern Thailand. The striking maroon-red crustacean was discovered by Pan Yisin from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry, scientist Ruangrit Phromdam and their team. Pan and Ruangrit named the crab “Ajahn Sukri Red Ant Crab…
- Thailand News
Elderly monk starts barefoot journey around Thailand to raise money for hospital
An elderly Buddhist monk set off at 5am today on a 3,145 kilometre journey around Thailand. The 73 year old monk will walk barefoot from his temple in Songkhla province, southern Thailand, all the way to Chiang Rai in northernmost Thailand and on to his hometown in Nakhon Phanom province in the northeast. Luang Ta Bunchuen Panyawutho, of the Thai…
- Pattaya News
Lottery winner drinks himself to death in Pattaya
A Thai man went out drinking to celebrate winning the lottery but did not wake up the next day. He was found lying dead in his bedroom surrounded by bottles of liquor yesterday morning in Pattaya, Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand. Officers from Bang Lamung Police Station and rescue workers from Sawang Boriboon Foundation were called to a house in…
- Crime News
WANTED: Soldier put away for selling meth escapes from prison in northern Thailand
A prisoner is on the loose after escaping from Fort Surasakmontri in Military Province 32 in Lampang province, northern Thailand, at 6.30am today. The soldier was imprisoned for selling methamphetamine. If you see him contact the police right away. The 26 year old soldier, Supawut “Kwan” Sopapeng, escaped while officers were transporting him somewhere for further investigation this morning. Villagers…
- Thailand News
50,000 chickens drown in flood at farm in central Thailand
Shocking pictures of 50,000 dead chickens that drowned in floods at a farm in the central province of Ang Thong yesterday reveal a glimpse into the incomprehensive damage that relentless flooding continues to cause to farmers’ livelihoods in Thailand. Much of central Thailand is underwater after the Chao Phraya river overflowed again. Almost 20,000 households in Sing Buri province were impacted…
- Crime News
Porsche-driving Frenchmen who put Thai man in a coma denied bail
UPDATE The Porsche-driving Frenchmen who gave a Thai man a brain hemorrhage in Koh Samui, Surat Thani province, southern Thailand, has been denied bail. Officers from Borphut Police Station arrested 34 year old Vincent Raymond Bugeya and 28 year old Julien Gerard Rene Vincent under suspicion of “joint assault causing serious harm” as well as “driving a car with a…
- Politics News
VIDEO: Thailand’s ‘master complainer’ attacked over complaint against comedian
Thai social activist Srisuwan Janya, deemed “Thailand’s master complainer,” was attacked today after accusing comedian Nose Udom of violating the law with his anti-government standup comedy sketches. Secretary-General of the Association for the Protection of the Thai Constitution – Srisuwan Janya – travelled to the Crime Suppression Division at 10am today to request that the authorities launch an investigation into…
- Thailand News
‘Pay for a pool villa in Phuket instead of paying the energy bills’ this winter, advises Thai official
Instead of wasting money on high energy bills this winter, Westerners should turn off the heating and spend their money in Thailand instead, advises the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). With wholesale gas and electricity prices rocketing in Europe TAT’s invitation makes sense. In the UK, the average household is about £2,500 a year, up from £1,400 in October 2021.…
- Thailand Weather Updates
Bangkok could hit lows of 15°C by end of October
Time to invest in a woolly sweater or two as Bangkok is transitioning into ‘winter.’ By the end of the month, the temperature in the capital could hit lows of 15 degrees Celsius, according to the Meteorological Department. Yesterday, a chill was felt in the capital for the first time in a long time, reaching lows of 22 degrees Celsius.…
- Transport News
Google Maps update makes it easy to find EV charging stations in Thailand
As more and more people opt for electric vehicles (EVs) in Thailand, Google Maps has added a feature to make it easy to find a place to charge your car. Google added the feature after searches for EV charging stations in the kingdom grew by 350% over the past year. Simply launch the app and search for EV charging stations…
- Road deaths
Abbot crashes into motorbike killing village chief’s daughter in northeast Thailand
The abbot of a famous temple pulled out onto the main road causing a motorbike to crash into his car in Khon Kaen province, northeast Thailand, yesterday afternoon. The village headman’s 23 year old daughter died in the crash and her brother was injured. The 74 year old monk, Phra Sen Sikayom, is the acting abbot of Wat Suwannaram in Bang…
- Crime News
VIDEO: Porsche-driving Frenchmen put Thai man in a coma in Koh Samui
Police arrested two Frenchmen who got out of a Porsche and attacked a Thai man on Saturday night in Koh Samui, Surat Thani province, southern Thailand. The victim suffered a brain hemorrhage and was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery. He remains in a coma in the ICU. At around 9pm, one of the men was caught on camera kicking…
- Crime News
VIDEO: Canadian man arrested for rollerblading on busy Bangkok road
A Canadian man has been arrested for rollerblading on Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok. Police tracked him down after a clip of him weaving in and out of the traffic circulated on social media over the weekend. Police summoned 37 year old Jordan Joseph McIver to Lumpini Police Station yesterday to arrest him under suspicion of “obstructing a public road in…
- Crime News
Possessing 5 methamphetamine pills might soon be considered drug dealing in Thailand
Prime Minister of Thailand Prayut Chan-o-cha suggests making changes to the law so that anyone possessing five or more methamphetamine pills should be considered a ‘drug dealer’ and therefore serve a much longer prison sentence. The comments come after PM Prayut declared a war on drugs in response to the mass killings at a daycare centre in Nong Bua Lamphu…
- Thailand Travel
Thai Lion Air to resume direct flights to Taipei
Budget airline Thai Lion Air will resume its direct service between Bangkok and Taipei in Taiwan on December 17. Tickets start at 2,950 baht one-way. Flight SL396 will depart from Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 8.35pm and will arrive in Taipei at 1.25am the next day. Flight SL397 will depart from Taipei’s…
- World News
Japanese woman loses millions in intergalactic romance scam
A woman from Japan transferred 4.4 million yen to a man who said he was stuck on an International Space Station (ISS) and needed money for a rocket back to earth so he could marry her. The 65 year old woman, from Shiga Prefecture, told police that she fell in love with a man she met online in June and…
- Crime News
Manager of famous Thai rapper ‘Illslick’ given 2 years in prison over sex scandal
Yesterday, the court sentenced ‘Lily,’ the manager of famous Thai rapper ‘Illslick’, to two years in prison with no parole for ‘luring’ an 18 year old to have sex with the rapper in Khon Kaen in northeast Thailand in February last year. Khon Kaen Provincial Court found Lily [surname withheld] guilty of “satisfying the lust of others by luring, supplying, leading…
- Thailand News
Thaksin suggests 3 month ‘amnesty’ to register illegal guns in Thailand
Ousted former Prime Minister of Thailand Thaksin Shinawatra suggests that the government hold a three month amnesty period in which illegal gun owners can register. Then, police should crack down on the illicit gun trade in Thailand, said Thaksin. Exiled Thaksin addressed the issues of guns and drugs from his home in Dubai on his weekly talk show, in response…
- Thailand News
Funeral for victims of daycare centre massacre in pictures
Three temples held royally-sponsored funeral and cremation ceremonies today for the victims of the massacre at a daycare centre in Nong Bua Lamphu province in northeast Thailand on Thursday. Toys, bicycles, flowers, fruit, and incense were laid out in front of wreaths adorned with pictures and names of the victims, who were mostly young children. Locals from over 6000 households…
- Crime News
Loan shark shoots debtor 8 times in the head in southern Thailand
A loan shark chose revenge over repayments on Sunday when he shot a debtor eight times in the head outside a tea shop in Songkhla province in southern Thailand. At 8pm, officers at Khuan Meed Police Station received a call that someone had been shot dead in the Chana district. Police found the body of 42 year old Chusit [surname…
- Thailand News
Beware of snakes when the Chao Phraya river overflows, officials warn
As Bangkok and Pathum Thani prepare for the Chao Phraya river to overflow, officials warn people affected by floods to look out for poisonous snakes, scorpions, and centipedes. Water levels in the Chao Phraya river are reaching breaking point in lower central Thailand. The river is teeming with snakes which will flood into urban areas when the river overflows, warns…
- Crime News
Janitor finds young man’s corpse on fire behind school in NE Thailand
Police have launched a murder investigation after the body of a 23 year old man was found at a school last night in Buriram province in northeast Thailand. His body was badly burned and the smell of oil pervaded the crime scene. At 8.30pm yesterday, a janitor started his shift at Ban Salangthon school when he noticed a “burning stench.”…
- Crime News
PM Prayut declares war on drugs to prevent mass shootings in Thailand
Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha declared a war on drugs and a clampdown on gun control laws after a massacre at a daycare centre in northeast Thailand sparked urgent calls for change on Thursday. A former police sergeant facing trial for drug charges murdered 37 people – including 24 children under six years old – at a daycare centre in…
- Phuket News
Phuket ‘ready’ to open nightclubs until 4am
The Phuket Tourism Association is pushing for later closing times in nightclubs. Entertainment venues in Phuket, southern Thailand, are “ready” to open until 4am, according to the Chairman of the Phuket Tourism Association Thanet Tanipirayakit. The association hopes to extend the closing times of entertainment venues on Patong beach’s Bangla Road from 2am to 4am in a Phuket Sandbox-style pilot…
- Thailand News
Alcohol sales ban in Thailand today to mark end of Buddhist Lent
Thailand celebrates an auspicious Buddhist holiday today known as ‘Awk Pansa‘ (exit Pansa) to mark the final day of Buddhist Lent. Being one of Thailand’s five major Buddhist holidays, alcohol sales are banned for 24 hours nationwide. Saffron-robed monks and white-robed maechis exit their temples today for the first time since July 14, upon completion of a period of focussed…
