Maya Taylor
- World News
Hong Kong won’t rule out accepting help from China over protests
PHOTO: AFP Following more violent protests in Hong Kong, Chief Executive Carrie Lam says China stepping in to end the crisis is not out of the question. Angry demonstrations have rocked the city for four months now, having started out as protests against a proposed extradition bill that could have seen criminals sent to China for trial. The Hong Kong…
- South Thailand News
Special committee to investigate Yala judge suicide attempt
Photo montage: Bangla Tribune The Nation reports that a special panel will investigate the case of a judge in southern Thailand shooting himself in court, after he was allegedly made to change the verdict he handed down. The committee is expected to report back in 15 days, confirms deputy secretary-general of the Office of the Judiciary, Sarawut Benjakul. It’s understood…
- Bangkok News
Thai police: Belgian reporter was detained over national security concerns
PHOTO: Anurak Jeantawanich A Belgian reporter due to interview an anti-government activist in Thailand, was briefly detained by Immigration and Special Branch officials, police have confirmed. Kris Janssens, a freelance journalist from Belgium, was taken into custody for questioning before being released without charge, says Col. Krissana Pattanacharoen. “We escorted him away for inquiries because our intel suggested that he…
- Thailand News
Man stung by scorpion hiding in bag of fruit
PHOTO: Wikiwand A Bangkok man has taken to social media to warn fruit lovers to check fruit thoroughly before eating it, after he was stung by a baby scorpion hiding in a bag of langsat fruit. Pennung Chaiyachit says he put his hand in the bag, which contained about 2 kilos of the fruit, when he felt a sharp pain…
- Pattaya News
8 injured after pick-up truck loses control and flips in Pattaya
Just over a week after 13 students were killed when they were thrown from the back of a truck that lost control in Samut Prakan, 8 people have been injured in Pattaya in similar circumstances. The Pattaya News reports that the accident happened on Motorway Sai 7 Road, as workers were being transported to a construction site. The truck driver,…
- World News
Hong Kong leader should resign, says Malaysian PM
PHOTO: AFP Mahathir Mohamad, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, says Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam should quit as pro-democracy protests continue to rock the city. Activists are becoming increasingly violent as they voice their anger at what they see as increased interference from Beijing. The protests have now been running for four months and show no signs of ending soon.…
- Crime News
Chinese woman arrested for using Thai woman’s identity for 20 years
PHOTO: ThaiVisa A Chinese guide has confessed to obtaining a Thai ID card by stealing the identity of a Thai woman nearly 20 years ago and working illegally in Thailand ever since. Her deception finally came to light when immigration officials at Suvarnabhumi airport noticed she was struggling to write in Thai while filling out a form. The woman says…
- South Thailand News
Judge forced to change “not guilty” verdict shoots himself in court in southern Thailand
A judge has shot himself in the chest at the provincial court in Yala, southern Thailand, after he was forced to change his verdict. Thai PBS World reports that Kanakorn Pianchana tried to kill himself following delivery of his verdict yesterday afternoon. It’s believed he is now out of danger and recovering in hospital. Meanwhile, Thai social media lit up…
- Expats
Strong Thai baht brings financial woes for expat retirees
PHOTO: AFP An interview with a retired Briton in today’s Bangkok Post illustrates the financial difficulties some expats now face in the Land of Smiles as a result of the strong baht. Brian Maxey moved to Pattaya from the UK to live off his sterling pension, but the surging Thai currency means he’s now finding it a challenge to meet…
- Northern Thailand News
Thai couple divorce after 8 months because he’s not really a millionaire
PHOTO: Kapook A woman has divorced her husband after 8 months of marriage after she discovered he’d lied about being a multi-millionaire. Incredibly, this was the only reason she’d married him in the first place. She has now ended up 5.7 million baht in debt, having had to pay for the lavish wedding herself. Thai Residents reports that the groom…
- Environment News
Thai PM issues warning to drivers of polluting vehicles
PHOTO: Chiang Rai Times PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha says those who drive polluting vehicles face arrest, warning owners of transport businesses that they will be held responsible for toxic emissions. Speaking at a ceremony presenting government policy to the National Farmers Council, the PM adds that Thai farmers can play their part by reducing outdoor burning, which contributes to pollution.…
- Thailand News
Alcohol ban may be on the horizon for two important holidays
PHOTO: You Tube/Paolo from Tokyo A couple of alcohol-free days may be looming as two significant national holidays approach. The first is October 13, which will mark the third anniversary of the passing of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. As it falls on a Sunday this year, the bank holiday will be observed on Monday, October 14. October 13 is also the…
- World News
Hong Kong police call for curfew amid riots
PHOTO: AFP Pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong have been clashing with police since the shooting at close range of an 18 year old protester earlier this week. Activists have gone on the rampage, setting fires and throwing petrol bombs, while police responded with tear gas, as four months of protests show no signs of dying down. The police themselves are…
- Thailand News
Pope will meet His Majesty the King and the Prime Minister during visit to Thailand
PHOTO: AFP The Catholic Bishops Conference of Thailand have released the itinerary for the Pope’s visit to Thailand next month, confirming that Pope Francis will meet separately with His Majesty the King, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, as well as the Supreme Patriarch and head of the Buddhist faith in Thailand. The Pope’s Bangkok visit will last three days, beginning when he…
- Pattaya News
Hotel guest in Pattaya shocked as staff force her to wash stained towel
PHOTO: www.ให้ความรู้.com A hotel guest in Pattaya who left a make-up stain on one of the towels in her room has been forced to clean it by staff before they would return her deposit. Atchareeya Sotrapram took to social media to share her rather unusual story, saying hotel staff advised her that unless she washed the towel to remove the…
- Crime News
Chinese con men wanted for 700 million baht fraud arrested in Phuket
PHOTO: Workpoint News Three Chinese men wanted in their home country for an internet banking scam have been caught and arrested in Phuket. While attempting to lay low, the men were instead tracked down and busted by Thai immigration police. Ma Jin and Li Yingquan, both 42, were arrested with Chen Zhenhua, 30, after police in Tianjin, China, issued warrants…
- Thailand News
Thai police to stop background checks on Muslim students
PHOTO: Chiang Rai Times Thailand’s Special Branch police have agreed to drop their request for universities to provide them with background information on Muslim students. Thai PBS World reports that Rangsiman Rome, spokesman for the House Committee on Laws, Justice Process and Human Rights, says Special Branch has communicated their decision to the committee. Mr Rangsiman says Muslim students have…
- Thailand Weather Updates
Most of Thailand to see rain over the next two days
PHOTO: phuket101.net Thailand’s Meteorological Department (TMD) says most of the country is in for stormy showers and overcast weather for the next two days. Only the North-East is expected to escape the wet weather, which is the result of a southwesterly trough, along with southeast winds in the north-east of the country. All other regions can expect thundery rain showers…
- Bangkok News
Bangkok woman arrested for stealing credit card from her boss
PHOTO: www.innnews.co.th A woman and her husband have been arrested after she stole a credit card from her boss and used it go to on a spending spree. Nattamon Puangjumpa, 26 years of age, and her husband Pornchai are now facing charges of theft and credit card fraud after she took the credit card from her boss’s desk. Thai Residents…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya residents annoyed by foreign hawkers using children to sell flowers
PHOTO: www.asundaram.com Locals in Pattaya are complaining about flower vendors using young children to sell their wares late at night along the city’s infamous Walking Street. Reports in Thai media claim the flower sellers are bothering tourists and although they’ve been arrested in the past, they have returned again. Pattaya residents say the flower sellers are not Thai, with some…
- Crime News
Mother guilty of accidentally killing 18 day old baby boy
PHOTO: Bangkok Post Isaraporn “Oil” Foilueang, the mother who reported her baby as missing, only for his body to be found in her home days later, has admitted accidentally suffocating the child as she played on her phone while feeding him. The Bangkok Post reports that the baby, identified as Prachya Dechomeng, stopped breathing while being bottle-fed. The autopsy result…
- Thailand News
Stop growing marijuana without our permission, warns Thai narcotics board
PHOTO: Rick Proctor/Unsplash.com The Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) in Thailand is warning the public that cannabis plants cannot be grown at home without official permission, adding that the law is clear the plants can only be grown for medical use and research purposes. It’s understood that since use of the drug for medicinal purposes was legalised earlier…
- Central Thailand News
Missing baby found dead in central Thailand home
PHOTO: Chiang Rai Times A baby reported missing last week has been found dead behind the bathroom in his own home in Sukothai, central Thailand, according to a report in the Bangkok Post. It’s understood the baby’s mother reported her 18 day old son as missing, telling police at Si Satchanalai station that the child had disappeared after she’d left…
- Northern Thailand News
King cobra pops up at Korat night market
PHOTO: www.herpingthailand.com Villagers in Isaan, north-east Thailand, got a bit of a surprise when a king cobra, measuring 4½ metres in length and weighing 6 kilos, turned up at a market in Korat. Seeing the snake glide into the market area, residents contacted the local rescue team, who managed to successfully catch the intruder, who was curled up under one of…
- Tourism News
Thailand’s indigenous people being marginalised, warn human rights groups
PHOTO: Pinterest A report by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, shared by ThaiVisa, says that human rights groups are warning that Thailand’s indigenous people risk losing more of their land and being further marginalised by a tourism industry that continues to ignore their plight. Emilie Pradichit, Director of the Manushya Foundation, says the increased demand for hotel accommodation means authorities are…
- Environment News
Thai PM says Indonesian government promises to control air pollution from forest fires
PHOTO: AFP Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says he’s received assurances from a representative of the Indonesian government that it will do more about the devastating air pollution arising from forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan. The Nation reports that although the PM would not reveal the name of the representative, he did say it was a government vice-president and Indonesia…
- Crime News
Thai ringleader of scam Nigerian call centre busted in central Thailand
PHOTO: Chiang Rai Times A 34 year old Thai woman who has allegedly conned people out of up to 20 million baht, has been arrested in Nonthaburi province, central Thailand. The Chiang Rai Times reports that Wasuthorn Mingkhwan was apprehended for her role as ringleader of a scam call centre. The centre is believed to have been in operation since…
- Northern Thailand News
Many parts of Ubon Ratchathani remain under water
PHOTO: AFP Local officials say seven districts in Ubon Ratchathani, north-east Thailand, are still flooded, including the districts of Muang, Warin Chamrap and Sawang Weerawong, where the situation is described as serious. Satellite images show that around 140,000 rai of land along the Moon and Chi rivers is still flooded. The flooding, a culmination of storm Podul and tropical depression…
- World News
Discussions between Hong Kong leader and protesters yield little in the way of progress
PHOTO: AFP Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam appeared humble during a meeting where citizens voiced discontent at her ongoing refusal to give in to their demands. The meeting comes after more than three months of often violent anti-government protests in the city. The protests originally began as a result of a proposed bill that would pave the way for…
- Environment News
24 Thai provinces under observation in African swine flu alert
PHOTO: AFP Sorawit Thaneto, Director General of Thailand’s Livestock Department, says 23 provinces are now being checked for African Swine Fever, as the epidemic takes hold in Asia. There is no vaccine or cure for African Swine Fever and although it’s not thought to pose a risk to humans, it can inflict huge financial damage on the farming industry. It’s…
