- Chiang Mai News
Heavy rains collapse part of Chiang Mai’s ancient city wall
With continued heavy rainfall, part of the ancient city wall of Chiang Mai collapsed. A section of the wall near the Chang Phuak Gate partially crumbled in last night’s storm. The ancient wall stood in Chiang Mai for about 750 years before collapsing in the rain. The Chiang Mai municipality was joined by authorities from the Fine Arts Department who…
- Northern Thailand News
6-hour whiskey drinking contest draws criticism
A contest to drink booze straight for six hours? Maybe not the best idea. A rice whiskey drinking competition is drawing criticism online from readers questioning the safety of such an event. The contest was advertised online on Friday and is scheduled to take place on October 11. The location appears to be Donna Kham House farm, in Ban Thaen…
- World News
Earthquake in Indonesia felt throughout southern Thailand
An earthquake in Indonesia was felt as far away as southern Thailand. The quake, which had its epicentre on Sumatra Island, measured 6.2 on the Richter scale and took place yesterday morning. People reported feeling the tremors in Phuket, Phang Nga, and Songkhla provinces in Thailand, some 500 to 550 kilometres away. The earthquake struck at 3.52am yesterday and was…
- Bangkok News
1.8 billion baht in donations at the Erawan shrine in 2022
The Erawan shrine is a popular place for Thai people to make merit and donate money, and those donations totalled 1.8 billion baht in 2022. The cash donations are gathered and donated to a variety of charities. Over 50 hospitals have benefitted from the offerings, receiving about 100 million baht this year. The Erawan shrine sits at the Ratchaprasong intersection…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand watching BQ.1.1 variant as Covid rules ease
As Thailand prepares to eliminate the last of the Covid-19 protections for the country, a new highly contagious variant of Omicron has been put on the country’s watch list. The BQ.1.1 variant was first confirmed in the UK last month and has so far only infected a meagre 78 people, but those cases have been spread throughout 10 different countries…
- Economy News
Economists foresee 38 baht to 1 US dollar this year
With the US dollar strengthening and Thailand’s struggling economy, economic experts predict the baht may fall to 38 to the dollar by the end of this year. The head of capital markets research for Kasikorn Bank believes the baht will continue its instability along with the global money markets as a result of domestic and international factors. While the US…
- World News
Beauty queen seeking asylum will not be sent to Myanmar
Amid confusion over the status of the Burmese beauty queen in limbo at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, she can at least take solace that she will not be sent back to Myanmar where she faces arrest. Han Lay, the 23 year old beauty queen, has been held upon arrival in Thailand on Wednesday with reports first saying she had been arrested,…
- Phuket News
Paragliding accident in Rawai puts 78 year old man in hospital
At the Khao Dang View Point in the Phuket district of Rawai, a paragliding accident left a 78 year old man seriously injured. The incident took place near Naiharn Beach at a spot also called Windmill Viewpoint late in the afternoon on Monday. Officials have not released many details about the victim, only saying it was a 78 year old…
- World News
Malaysia launches new cheaper, easier digital nomad visa
Hot on the heels of Thailand’s grab at attracting long-term residents through their new LTR visa, Malaysia has released a digital nomad visa option that appears to be far cheaper and easier to qualify for. The De Rantau Programme will go live on October 1 and will offer a 12-month digital nomad pass. The website states the goal is to…
- Northern Thailand News
Extreme mud roads not enough to stop commuting teachers
Rain-drenched pavements on city roads are bad enough but, in rural areas of the Tak province, flood waters on the dirt roads have created clay mud swamps. Many roads are practically impassible, but some dedicated teachers are going above and beyond to commute to school each day. In the Umphang district of the northeastern province, roads have been particularly bad,…
- Crime News
Six more sought in kidnapping and beating of teen boy
After police announced yesterday they had issued a warrant for a suspect accused of kidnapping a 16 year old boy and severely beating him before dumping him on the side of the road, six more suspects have been identified in the crime. Pak Kret Police issued six more warrants for the incident that took place in Nontha Buri last week.…
- Economy News
Ministry of Labour strives to provide jobs for the elderly
The population of Thailand is collectively getting older, and now the Ministry of Labour is attempting to address the problem of senior citizens without the financial means to sustain themselves. Minister of Labour Suchart Chomklin is working to create a job market for elderly citizens as Thais over 60 struggle to pay their bills without jobs. The plan to reduce…
- Northern Thailand News
Prawit billboard comes with note asking for legal leniency
In the northeastern province of Bueng Kan, billboards have been appearing promoting caretaker Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan. One recently spotted sign in the province’s main city of the same name along the Laos border came with a note attached asking authorities to go easy on them for erecting the billboard, possibly skirting payment and regulations. The sign features a large…
- Tourism News
Tourism is rebounding but travellers expected to spend less
A government spokesperson is saying that tourism is nearly back to pre-Covid levels, though the Ministry of Tourism and Sports expects travellers will spend less money than previously predicted. Since January, 5 million international travellers have now landed in Thailand, about half the amount the government forecasted by the end of the year. One million tourists entered during September, garnering…
- Cannabis News
Anutin aims to clarify cannabis reform bill, not recriminalise it
Critics say that the current cannabis laws have led to a raft of abuse of the plant, but Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul insists that no proof has been shown of any improper use. He fought back against the call to reclassify specific parts of the cannabis plant as an illegal narcotic. Decriminalisation did not include a lot of…
- Crime News
Police hunt for gang member involved in Nontha Buri kidnapping
An arrest warrant is out for a man in the Greater Bangkok province of Nontha Buri for the alleged kidnapping of a 16 year old boy in broad daylight. Police believe the kidnapper is a gang member and suspect that the boy, who was later dumped on the side of the road in serious condition, is involved in the gang…
- Events
Thailand’s biggest LGBTQ+ wedding planned for Valentine’s Day
At least 100 LGBTQ+ couples plan to make history this Valentine’s Day when they converge on Bangkok to take part in Thailand’s biggest LGBTQ+ wedding ceremony. The event will be held at the Thai-Japan Bangkok Youth Centre and is hoped to raise awareness of the struggle for gay rights and marriage equality. As of now, same-sex marriages, civil unions, domestic…
- Politics News
POLL: Nepotism and favours get promotions, but so does hard work
A new poll by the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) found that many government officials thought that nepotism and favours are common in job promotions, but still believe other factors are far more important. The survey found that over 50% believed that promotions were given to the family or friends of those in power, while 73.28% believed it occurred…
- Environment News
Plan to phase out importing plastic scrap by 2025
After two years of discussion, a ban on plastic scrap imports is finally set to roll out in phases over the next three years. The Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Varawut Silpa-archa leads the subcommittee on plastic and electronic waste management, and at a recent meeting, they examined factories that make use of plastic scrap and considered their production…
- Economy News
Moon landing: can the space industry revive the Thai economy?
The National Innovation Agency urged citizens to understand that the solution to saving the struggling economy may not be found in Thailand, but on the moon. The agency revealed a new launch pad on Friday for the space industry to use in shuttle missions such as a lunar orbit that Thailand has been dreaming of and striving for in recent…
- Tourism News
Tour bus incentive by TAT hoped to spur domestic tourism
In their latest effort at pumping up domestic tourism numbers, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is teaming up with bus operators to send out convoys of coaches around the country. The TAT hopes commissioning over 500 tour buses will not only put to work bus drivers and other associated workers but also spur interest for Thai people to hop…
- Tourism News
World record petrified tree to become geological tourist attraction
After being certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest petrified tree trunk log ever found anywhere in the world, officials in the province of Tak are developing plans to turn the tree site into a geological-based world-class tourist attraction. The world record was verified in July in Tak, a northern province of Thailand lying on the…
- World News
Owner arrested in reminiscent fire in Vietnam karaoke bar
The owner of a karaoke bar in Vietnam has been arrested after a fire broke out which resulted in the death of 32 people. The tragedy took place north of Ho Chi Minh City on September 7, just one month after a reminiscent fire at the Mountain B Pub that claimed the lives of 23 people in Thailand and brought…
- Cannabis News
Anutin on cannabis: Going backwards is not an option
After a cannabis bill aimed at moving the decriminalisation away from recreational use and defining it for medicinal purposes only was shot down this week in the House of Representatives, Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul insists that criminalising the drug again is out of the question. Anutin is the leader of the Bhumjaithai Party who had originally pushed for…
- Thailand Election News
Campaigns for the next election can officially begin Sep 24
Election season is upon us! On September 24, the current term for the House of Representatives will have exactly 180 days left which means the campaigning can officially begin for the next general election. The Election Commission made the announcement yesterday, opening the door for political parties and hopeful candidates to begin their push to be elected. The rules are…
- Expats
American man falls 9 floors to his death outside Bangkok
An American man met his demise in the greater Bangkok suburb of Nontha Buri after plummeting out of the ninth-floor window of a rental building. For some reason, falling deaths, especially those of foreigners, have been an increasingly common occurrence in Thailand. In this most recent incident, a man that Pak Kret police identified as Mr Campi was reported to…
- World News
“Sawadee Special” train from KL to Hat Yai for Malaysia Day
A new bridge and several new train routes have been scheduled to accommodate Malaysian tourists entering Thailand. In July, travellers from Malaysia trumped India to become the kingdom’s No.1 visitors according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. The new routes and bridge will make travel much easier for Malaysians, and now the “Sawadee Special” train directly from Kuala Lumpur…
- Crime News
Acid attacker: Now you can’t remarry, take me back!
People in relationships fight and reconcile all the time, but this case is a bit more extreme. The man accused of splashing acid in his ex-lover’s face outside of a Don Mueang salon has turned himself in and is asking his estranged wife to take him back. He says that his motivation was to disfigure the 25 year old woman…
- Bangkok News
Cocktail? Bangkok hotel sets Guinness Record for largest Negroni
Bottom’s up! A hotel in Bangkok can now claim a boozy new Guinness World Record after their bar mixed up the world’s largest Negroni cocktail. The ambitious Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok Hotel built a huge container to house the popular Italian cocktail and pumped over 630 litres into it to break the record. Made of equal parts gin, vermouth, and Campari,…
- Visa Information
US, China, UK account for 45% of the 400 LTR visa applications
The Thai government predicted one million rich foreigners would snap up new long-term resident visas when the scheme was launched on September 1. In the first 12 days, the LTR visa applications began slowly rolling in, with about 400 people applying so far, mostly pensioners. Officials are framing the applicants so far as a glimpse of what’s to come as…
