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- Bangkok News
Russell Crowe to question Bangkok governor candidates live on TV
On Thursday May 19, Russell Crowe and six other celebrities will ask questions to seven Bangkok governor candidates live on TV prior to the election which will be held on Sunday, May 22. From 4:15pm – 6pm on Thursday, Channel 7HD will air the live programme “22 May: Deciding Bangkok’s Fate” hosted by Tin Chokkamolkij. Seven Bangkok governor candidates will…
- Tourism News
Thailand to welcome one millionth tourist this year by end of May
Thailand expects its one millionth foreign tourist this year to arrive by the end of May, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The kingdom has seen a sharp increase in tourists since the Test & Go programme and other entry requirements were scrapped at the start this month. However, the current influx of tourists still has nothing on pre-pandemic…
- World News
Stop plucking the endangered ‘penis plant’, urges Cambodian government
A phallic-looking plant is at risk of extinction in Cambodia because people keep plucking it out of the ground to take selfies with it. After a video of some women picking the “penis plant” went viral on social media, the Cambodian government has issued a statement asking citizens to leave the endangered penis plant in the ground where it belongs.…
- Thailand News
Northeast Thailand sees worst floods in 10 years
Many areas of Thailand have experienced heavy rain and flash flooding since monsoon season began on Friday. Yesterday, two hours of continuous heavy rain caused flash flooding in Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeast Thailand. A pottery village in Chok Chai district experienced the heaviest flooding to occur in 10 years. Hook 31 Rescue Team deployed boats to evacuate villagers and their…
- Thailand News
Thai woman struck dead by lightning in cow field
A farmer was killed by a lightning strike in a cow field in Buriram province, northeast Thailand, yesterday evening. The 53 year old woman was herding her cows into their cowshed to escape the storm when she was struck. Wanida (surname reserved) was out working in the fields with her 53 year old relative Thongbai (surname reserved) when it started…
- World News
Former soldier says he sleeps better at night since throwing shoe at Cambodian PM
A former Cambodian soldier threw a shoe at Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen in Washington, USA, on Wednesday. PM Hun Sen visited the US capital for the first time to attend the US – ASEAN summit. The shoe didn’t actually hit PM Hun Sen, but the former soldier is proud of his attempt nevertheless. “I feel so relieved and slept…
- Thailand News
Monkeys party in hot tub at luxury resort in Krabi, Thailand
A couple were excited for a two night getaway to a luxury resort in Krabi with a sea view room and a private hot tub. But when they arrived, it turned out the hot tub was more communal than they thought. In a video posted on Facebook, a group of monkeys can be seen having the time of their lives,…
- Cannabis News
Government hospitals in Thailand allowed to prescribe cannabis oil for free
Yesterday, the Ministry of Public Health announced that 3 types of cannabis oil have been added to Thailand’s National List of Essential Medicines, or NLEM. Now that cannabis is listed as an “essential medicine”, government hospitals may freely prescribe cannabis extract oil to patients in selected circumstances, according to Thailand’s Government Pharmaceutical Organisation, or the GPO. The first type of…
- Road deaths
Sleepy driver crashes into truck, rebounds into canal, doesn’t escape in time
A man died in a serious road accident in Pathum Thani province, central Thailand, at around 6:30am this morning. Thought to be asleep at the wheel, he crashed into a 6 wheel truck, flinging his car into a canal. He didn’t escape the car in time and died at the scene. The truck driver tried to swerve the car, but…
- Thailand Weather Updates
First day of Thailand’s rainy season: heavy rain warning for 36 provinces
Today, May 13, marks the first day of Thailand’s rainy season. A low pressure cell from upper Vietnam is expected to cause heavy rain and potential flash flooding in 36 provinces in the kingdom. The Meteorological Department advises people to be aware of the dangers caused by heavy rainfall. Sailors, especially on the Andaman Coast, should expect tall waves and…
- World News
Tibet Airlines plane bursts into flames during takeoff in southwest China
A Tibet Airlines Airbus A319-100 veered off the runway and burst into flames during takeoff at an airport in Southwest China this morning. All 113 passengers were safely evacuated although 36 passengers suffered minor injuries, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China, or CAAC. China’s aviation regulators are investigating the cause of the incident. In a statement posted on…
- World News
Myanmar junta to reopen borders to tourists, but travel still isn’t advised
Myanmar’s junta has announced that after two years of closed borders, the country will soon allow tourists to apply for visas to travel into Myanmar. But with military coup related violence still rife in Myanmar, governments worldwide still advise against all but essential travel to the country. Activists are urging foreigners not to travel to Myanmar in light of the…
- Thailand News
Prawit is confident Thailand will rise to Tier 2 in US human trafficking report
Thailand has done a lot to combat human trafficking and deserves to move up to Tier 2 in the US State Department’s next Trafficking In Persons report, says Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan. Prawit addressed Thailand’s progress in tackling human trafficking in a press conference yesterday. In the latest annual TIP report, published in June 2021, the US demoted Thailand…
- World News
Al Jazeera accuses Israeli forces of fatally shooting journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh
Al Jazeera has accused Israeli forces of fatally shooting Shireen Abu Aqleh while she was covering an Israeli military operation in the city of Jenin in the West Bank yesterday morning. Abu Aqleh was considered by many to be “the voice of Palestinians” after reporting about the plight of Palestinians under Israeli occupation for over two and a half decades.…
- Visa Information
Cabinet announces changes to Thailand’s SMART visa
To accelerate the development of the Thailand’s “target industries,” the Board of Investment offers a 4 year SMART visa to foreign investors, executives, entrepreneurs and highly-skilled experts. Yesterday, Thailand’s Cabinet announced changes to the SMART visa requirements and expanded the list of targeted industries. The Cabinet did not specify when the changes would come into effect. SMART visa holders are…
- Thailand News
Fortune telling tarantula predicts lottery numbers in central Thailand
A man from Ang Thong province in central Thailand believes that a tarantula in the forest can predict the future. So far, the tarantula has made two lottery predictions. The man reportedly waits day and night for the furry fortune teller to come out of its hole to see what it might predict next. When the man wants “Phaya Bung”…
- Road deaths
Popular Italian chef dies in motorbike crash in Pattaya
A well-known Italian chef died in a motorbike accident in the early hours of this morning in Pattaya. He was driving at a very high speed when he crashed into a power pole, according to witnesses. The body of 40 year old Matteo (surname withheld) was discovered lying face down in a pool of blood at around 12:30am this morning.…
- Visa Information
Who is eligible for a 50,000 baht 10 year LTR visa in Thailand? The fine print.
Today, Thailand’s Cabinet announced that the fee for a 10 year Long Term Resident visa would be halved from 100,000 baht to 50,000 baht to attract foreigners with ‘high potential’ to reside in the kingdom. Not only has the fee been reduced, but the eligibility criteria has become more “flexible,” according to Deputy Spokesperson for the PM’s Office Ratchada Thanadirek.…
- Thailand News
Thai kindergarten forces students to wear military uniform, sparks outrage
A Thai kindergarten has been slammed online for forcing students to wear 4 different uniforms, including a “military uniform” on Thursdays. The public school in the western province of Kanchanaburi informed parents they must purchase the new uniforms before the new term begins on May 17. The preschool wants children aged 4 – 6 to wear 4 different uniforms: ‘normal’…
- World News
Bomb-sniffing dog receives medal for saving lives in Ukraine
A small but mighty dog named Patron has been awarded the Medal for Dedicated Services for his military work in Ukraine’s fight against Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented Patron the dog with the “medal of courage” on Sunday. Patron has sniffed out over 200 undetonated landmines planted by Russian soldiers in Ukraine so far. Patron – which means “ammo”…
- Thailand News
Elderly woman killed by toddy palm fruit in northeast Thailand
The body of an elderly lady was found lying face down beneath a palm tree in a rice paddy in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima this morning. The woman, 78 year old Dee Namchanad, was out cutting down toddy palm fruit to sell at the market when the fruit hit her in the head and killed her. A 6…
- Phuket News
Dog kills its owner’s sister in Phuket
A woman was found dead with bite marks on her neck at her home in Phuket in southern Thailand this morning. She was taking care of her brother’s two Thai ridgeback dogs while he was away on a business trip to Bangkok. One of the dogs had traces of blood on its mouth and fur. Police found 38 year old…
- World News
Thailand “War Elephants” beat Singapore 5 – 0 at SEA Games
Yesterday, Thailand’s under-23 team beat Singapore 5 – 0 at the Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam. The landslide win gained the War Elephants their first 3 points at the SEA Games 2022 at the Thien Truong Stadium. The Thai team’s win was well received after the team lost their first match in the competition 2 – 1 to Malaysia…
- Events
Museum Siam launches Ukraine exhibition and Ukrainian language audio guide
Museum Siam in Bangkok will hold a photography exhibition entitled “Diverse Ukraine” to showcase Ukraine’s diverse national costumes from May 9 – May 29. The museum has also launched a Ukrainian language audio guide for their longstanding “Decoding Thainess” exhibition which explores what it means to be “Thai,” giving Ukrainian tourists the opportunity to learn about Thailand’s history, culture and…
- Thailand News
14 year old boy accidentally shoots and kills himself in northern Thailand
A teenage boy from Phitsanulok province, northern Thailand, died yesterday afternoon after accidentally shooting himself in the neck with a gun. The boy was playing with the gun when it slipped out of his hands, according to his younger brother, who witnessed the incident. Yesterday at around 1:30pm, police officers from Nakhon Thai Police Station received a report that a…
- Thailand News
PM Prayut wants Thailand’s monks to clean their act up
Buddhist monks keep acting inappropriately, and Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has had enough. Yesterday, PM Prayut ordered the National Office of Buddhism to strengthen discipline among Thailand’s Buddhist monks, following a long string of cases of monks breaking the rules. The Sangha – the collective word for Thailand’s monastic community – has existed for thousands of years in Thailand.…
- World News
Myanmar’s “Myancopharm” Covid-19 vaccine available for use
A new vaccine against Covid-19 from Myanmar has been made available for use for everyone, including children under 5 years of age and pregnant women. “Myancopharm” is a jointly produced by Myanmar’s Ministry of Industry and China’s Sinopharm China National Biotec group. Myancopharm was first administered on May 4 at Zabuthiri Hospital in Myanmar’s capital Nay Pyi Taw. While China’s…
- World News
Malaysia watches more pornography than any other Asian country, study reveals
As cases of Covid-19 surged around the world, so did consumption of pornography. Lockdowns and restrictions necessary to combat the pandemic encouraged more and more people to search for adult entertainment online. In a recent survey conducted by Pornhub, Malaysia was found to be the #1 country in Asia with the most visits to pornography websites. Globally, Malaysia was ranked…
- World News
Thailand won’t take sides in Russia – Ukraine war, says PM Prayut
Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha says that his upcoming visit to Washington for the US – ASEAN summit on Friday does not mean Thailand will choose sides in the Russia – Ukraine war. He says the purpose of the summit is to discuss economy, trade and investment in the region. However, Ukraine has requested that Southeast Asian nations suspend dialogue…
- Thailand News
Body of popular monk found floating on a river in southern Thailand
A revered Thai monk’s body was found floating on a river near a market in Surat Thani province, southern Thailand, yesterday at around 11am. Phra Udomthammapreecha, also known as Jamlong Kwandee, was an advisor to the head monk of Surat Thani province and acting abbot of Wat Borommathat Chaiya Ratchaworawihan in Chaiya district. Yesterday morning, officers from Muang Surat Thani…
