- Thailand News
DNP denies plans to transfer Lop Buri macaques to Khao Yai
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation (DNP) dismissed allegations that it plans to transfer macaques from Lop Buri to Khao Yai National Park. Atthapol Charoenchansa, the Director-General of DNP, clarified this during a media briefing yesterday, April 3. The director general discussed an action plan intended to manage the monkeys causing disturbances to Lop Buri residents and…
- Thailand News
Phuket court to revive tourist section amid rising crime against visitors
The Phuket Provincial Court is set to revive its tourist section in response to an increasing number of court cases involving tourists. This initiative is led by the acting chief justice of the Phuket Provincial Court, Kriangsak Rodpunshoo. He disclosed that the influx of both local and international tourists in Phuket has led to a spike in both criminal and…
- Thailand News
Dive tour boat Sea World 1 catches fire in Phuket
A fire broke out yesterday on a well-known dive tour boat, Sea World 1, at Thap Lamu in Thai Mueang District, Phang Nga, north of Phuket, causing substantial damage. The Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command (3AC) was alerted to the blaze at 6.30pm yesterday. Despite the main headquarters of the 3AC being located in Cape Panwa, Phuket, they operate…
- Phuket News
Supersmash: SuperCheap truck delivers chaos in Phuket
A SuperCheap delivery truck yesterday caused havoc in the car park of the Eua-Athorn Housing Authority estate in Srisoonthorn, Moo 1 when it smashed into two parked pickup trucks. The police are still in the process of contacting the pickup trucks’ owners. The incident was reported to Police Lieutenant Kraisorn Bunprasop of the Thalang Police Station around 4.10pm, yesterday, April…
- Northern Thailand News
Surge in smog levels exceeds safe limits in northern Thailand
A surge in smog levels was experienced this morning, with PM2.5 dust readings surpassing 200 microgrammes per cubic metre of air in three northern provinces, including Chiang Mai. The Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) disclosed at 9am that 20 provinces registered red (significantly harmful) levels of particulate matter 2.5 micrometres and below in diameter (PM2.5). The readings fluctuated…
- Phuket News
Russian arrested in Phuket for illegally working as tour guide
Phuket Tourist Police recently apprehended a 42 year old Russian national for unlawfully working as a tour guide at Pak Phra Beach, located adjacent to the Chong Pak Phra Channel, the body of water separating Phuket from mainland Thailand. This arrest is part of the ongoing police crackdown on foreigners operating illegally within the country. The officers arrived at the…
- Thailand News
Thailand plans to extend minimum wage increases to more regions
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin announced yesterday that the government intends to extend minimum wage increases to additional regions and business sectors. This follows the wage increase approved for specific parts of 10 provinces set to take effect from April 13. The 62 year old Thai prime minister further commented that regular Cabinet meetings will be conducted to ascertain which regions…
- Northern Thailand News
Thailand’s Lampang province hits 42 degrees Celsius
The scorching heat has engulfed Thailand’s northern Lampang province, with temperatures peaking at 42 degrees Celsius in the Thoen district on Monday and yesterday, April 2, recording the highest temperatures of this year’s summer. The Mueang district also experienced soaring temperatures, with the mercury touching 41.8 Celsius, according to the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD). This heatwave in Lampang, which began…
- Thailand News
Funding source for digital wallet scheme left out in Cabinet meeting
The government’s weekly Cabinet meeting yesterday left out discussions on a fresh funding source to back the digital wallet scheme, a possibility which might include drawing funds from the budget of the next fiscal year. This disclosure was made by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. The Thai PM’s comments addressed rumours that a new financing option for the Pheu Thai Party’s…
- Thailand News
Thailand’s Cabinet to review legalisation of casinos proposal
The Thai Cabinet is set to review a proposal for the legalisation of casinos within the next fortnight, according to Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat. Speaking in his role as the chairman of the special committee of the House, mandated with assessing the feasibility of legalising casinos in Thailand, he revealed that the proposal had secured preliminary approval from the…
- Thailand News
Lop Buri plans macaque control centre to tackle monkey menace
A macaque control centre is being planned in Lop Buri by Phatcharavat Wongsuwan, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment. This initiative aims to sterilise the monkeys and relocate them to other areas, in a bid to address the issues they are causing within the town. Phatcharavat, following a Cabinet meeting yesterday, expressed the necessity of this control centre, given…
- Thailand News
Thai govt considers sanctions against Bangkok monorail operators
The Thai government is currently mulling over the enforcement of contractual remedies against Northern Bangkok Monorail and Eastern Bangkok Monorail, the operators of the city’s Pink and Yellow lines respectively. This move follows a series of incidents that have raised concerns over the safety standards of the monorail lines. Suriya Jungrungreangkit, the Transport Minister, pointed out that the State Railway…
- Thailand News
Dust distress: Thailand choked by PM2.5 air pollution surge
Air pollution levels in parts of Thailand have surged into the red-coded category, indicating serious health risks. Particularly hard hit was Chiang Mai, where excessive PM2.5 dust levels were detected on today, April 4. The Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) revealed that 21 provinces were grappling with dangerous PM2.5 particulate levels – fine airborne particles measuring 2.5 micrometres…
- Thailand News
Foreign tourists flock to Thailand, boosting economy
Foreign tourists in Thailand reached 9.4 million in the initial quarter of this year, pouring an estimated 454.6 billion baht (US$12.4 billion) into the national economy through their expenditure, as disclosed by the Tourism and Sports Ministry. This year, the Southeast Asian nation is setting its sights on an ambitious goal of 40 million tourists, almost equal to the pre-Covid-19 pandemic…
- Thailand News
Thailand seeks more flight routes from Laos and China
The Government of Thailand has its sights set on elevating the country’s aviation industry, with plans in the pipeline to request additional flight routes from Laos and China within the next two years. The move is part of a broader “Ignite Thailand” vision, articulated by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, aiming to position Thailand as a hub in eight key sectors,…
- Thailand News
Internal strife and political interference hinder Thai police reform
The Royal Thai Police (RTP) are in the throes of internal conflict and political interference, making police reform a distant goal, say observers. A recent high-profile disagreement between National Police Chief, Police General Torsak Sukvimol, and his deputy, Police General Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn, has fuelled this perception. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who presides over the Police Commission, allocated the…
- Thailand News
Thai rice redemption price drops ahead of farming season
The upcoming farming season in Thailand, set to start this month, is witnessing a significant drop in the rice redemption price. This sharp decline, according to the Thai Agriculturist Association, is primarily due to market mechanisms and an oversupply of rice, particularly a Vietnamese variety. Agriculturist Association President Pramote Charoensilp noted that during the first crop season of the year,…
- Thailand News
Don Mueang Airport prepares for Songkran holiday travel spike
Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport gears up for an influx of approximately 625,000 passengers during the Songkran holiday period, which runs from April 11 to 17. It expects over 4,000 flights, marking a substantial 10.58% rise from the previous year’s data. Don Mueang Airport General Manager Wichit Kaewsaitiam attributed this surge to the government’s strategic policies aimed at bolstering domestic…
- Thailand News
Northern Thailand grapples with severe global air contamination
The hazardous red-coded levels of PM2.5 shrouded most northern provinces of Thailand today, with Chiang Mai earning the unenviable title of the city with the most severe air contamination globally. The Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) disclosed today, April 4, at 8am that 14 provinces were grappling with red (highly detrimental) levels of particulate matter 2.5 micrometres and…
- Thailand News
Thai woman narrowly escapes injury as demolition goes wrong
A near-miss incident involving a building demolition and a woman in Sakon Nakhon, Thailand, took centre stage yesterday afternoon. The woman, employed at an eatery, narrowly escaped injury when a building under demolition collapsed unexpectedly, part of it crashing into the eatery. The incident occurred around 2pm, yesterday, March 31, on Charoen Mueang Road in the Mueang district of the…
- Phuket News
Car crash near Phuket’s Heroines Monument leads to injuries
Thepkrasattri Road near the Heroines Monument in Phuket was the scene of a severe car crash that left a 34 year old Thai man seriously injured. The accident occurred in the early hours of today, April 1, after Decha Phothisrisung lost control of his vehicle, slamming into a palm tree on the central reservation before his pickup overturned. The distressing…
- Thailand News
Taking off: Passenger charges soar at six major Thai airports
Passenger service charges (PSC) at six major Thai airports have seen an increase, as announced by the Airports of Thailand Plc. The charges, applicable on both domestic and international departing flights, have been raised at Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Don Mueang, Hat Yai, Phuket and Suvarnabhumi airports. For international flights, the fees have been increased from 700 to 730 baht,…
- Thailand News
Lorry smuggling Myanmar migrants crashes in Thailand, 14 hurt
Fourteen people were injured when a lorry, smuggling Myanmar migrants illegally into Thailand, lost control and tipped over in the western province of Kanchanaburi. The incident, which occurred on Road 323 in Sangkhla Buri district shortly after midnight, saw the vehicle’s driver lose control while speeding down a hill and veer off a curve, subsequently fleeing the scene. The lorry…
- Phuket News
Krill-iant phenomenon: Millions wash ashore a Phuket beach
Mai Khao Beach in Phuket experienced a peculiar occurrence as millions of krill washed ashore over the weekend. The event sparked worry among local villagers, particularly due to the unusual purple colour of the krill, as opposed to their typical pinkish-red hue. Winai Sae-ew, the Village Headman of Moo 4, Mai Khao, inspected the beach yesterday afternoon. During his investigation,…
- Thailand News
Thai smog crisis prompts call for global shift to plant-based diets
Northern Thailand is grappling with a persistent smog problem, typically attributed to crop waste burning, deforestation for mushroom harvesting and vehicle emissions, prompting calls for a global shift to plant-based diets. However, an emerging consensus among scientists and environmental activists suggests a deeper, global solution is required to avert a climate disaster. The crux of the issue, they argue, lies…
- Thailand News
Lawyer Sittra Biabungkerd to deliver data on alleged police bribery
A prominent Thai lawyer is set to deliver critical data regarding alleged bribery allegations, which involve online gambling networks and the national police chief, Torsak Sukvimol, along with his spouse, to the Move Forward Party (MFP) today. The secretary-general of the Foundation of People’s Lawyers, Sittra Biabungkerd, had previously submitted similar documents related to the case to the national police’s…
- Phuket News
Phuket karaoke bar raided, operator arrested for child prostitution
An illicit karaoke establishment in Phuket‘s Rassada district, found to be providing sex services by girls as young as 13 years old, was raided by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), ultimately leading to the arrest of the female operator. The arrest was part of a larger police initiative aimed at individuals involved in the procurement of minors for sexual services.…
- Phuket News
Phuket rescue team kept busy with surge in reptile sightings
Rescue workers at the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation branch in Wichit Municipality (DDPM-Wichit), Phuket, have been kept busy with a surge in reptile sightings. Even before the onset of the rainy season, the task of managing the movement of these creatures has become a daily routine. Yesterday, a massive python and a baby monitor lizard were captured in…
- Thailand News
Thailand consumers council calls for investigation into yellow line malfunctions
An urgent call for an independent examination of the Yellow Line’s recent malfunctions has been made by the Thailand Consumers Council (TCC). The TCC, led by Dr Anuchar Sethasathien who presides over the transport and vehicle sub-committee, has requested that transport experts along with the Rail Transport Department and Consumer Protection Board conduct a thorough investigation into the incidents that…
- Thailand News
Korea aerospace industries proposes to sell FA50 light fighters to Royal Thai Air Force
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has presented a proposal to the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF), offering to sell its FA50 light fighters. The RTAF has earmarked 19 billion baht for the procurement of new fighter jets in the forthcoming fiscal year, as revealed by an insider from the Defence Ministry. The pitch was made by the CEO of KAI, Kang…
