- Crime News
Raid finds all monks on drugs in Phetchabun temple
Monks behaving badly has become a common trend in Thailand. Reports of monks stealing cars, fighting, and sneaking out for booze and sex have been increasing in recent months. One temple was found to be inhabited by illegal Cambodian immigrants posing as monks and soliciting cash donations to buy drugs. Now one small temple in Phetchabun has been left empty…
- Transport News
Airports of Thailand streamlining procedures, adding staff
With the first real High Season since the Covid-19 pandemic getting underway, Airports of Thailand is streamlining procedures and adding staff. Minister of Transport Saksayam Chidchob inspected Thailand’s main hub, Suvarnabhumi Airport, to evaluate how prepared the airport is for a sharp increase in tourists. One major focus for airport readiness for an influx of tourists is crowd bottlenecking at…
- Crime News
Man claims he thought illegal whale bones were wood
After being arrested for possessing parts of a whale skeleton last week, a French man in Rawai countered the charges. He claims that the person who sold him the bones told him they were made out of wood and were not real whale bones. The man, identified as Mr Alain, told police that he had no idea he had illegal…
- Phuket News
Gus, 7, youngest Thai person to reach Everest Base Camp
At the same time as two Thai women died trekking in the Himalayas, a 7 and a half year old boy from Phuket became what is believed to be the youngest Thai person ever to reach Mount Everest Base Camp. Young Gus made the trek along with his parents earlier this month. The team reached Mount Everest Base Camp 5,340…
- Thailand News
Boobs ban! Macro-textured implants outlawed in Thailand
Are big boobs bad? Thailand has become famous for being a country where girls get big boobs and the ladyboys get even bigger boobs. But now, after fears of a rare cancer risk, macro-textured breast implants have been banned in Thailand. The new declaration was originally signed on October 20 by Deputy Public Health Minister Satit Pitutecha. But on Friday…
- World News
North Korea aims to be world’s top nuclear power after missile test
After recent missile tests, Kim Jong-un says that he aims to make North Korea the biggest nuclear power on the planet according to state media reports. Yesterday the dictator of the isolated country promoted many military officers that worked to launch North Korea’s largest ballistic missile test to date. Kim previously vowed to respond to perceived nuclear threats from the…
- Tourism News
Cruise brings 600 tourists to Koh Samui
After three years of pandemic-induced quiet, Koh Samui welcomed back its first major cruise ship. Viking Cruises included Koh Samui in their Secrets of Southeast Asia cruise, stopping on Sunday for some 600 passengers to come ashore and explore the Thai tourist island. The large vessel was welcomed as it docked at Nathon Pier on the west coast of Koh…
- Crime News
Angry woman sets fire to her boyfriend’s Pattaya room
A Thai woman in Pattaya gave new meaning to the phrase “in the heat of passion.” After accusing her boyfriend of having an affair, the enraged woman set fire to his rented apartment room. The incident took place early yesterday morning in Nong Prue. At about 1.30am, Nong Prue Police were notified of a fire in a rental room on…
- Tourism News
Why aren’t tourists returning to Khao San Road?
The past few years have been dark for tourism in Thailand and around the world. The Covid-19 global pandemic closed borders and killed tourism in so many crucial areas. Khao San Road, the vibrant, bustling backpacker haven of Thailand’s capital city of Bangkok quickly fell into a desolate ghost town. Now, the last pandemic restrictions have been lifted, and the…
- Crime News
Drug policy outlines by PM, cash rewards to police in busts
The Thai government held an event outlining its plan for stopping the spread of narcotics while simultaneously presenting police with the same sort of reward kickbacks that allowed disgraced police officer Joe Ferrari to amass extreme wealth on a small salary. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha released Thailand’s new urgent narcotics action plan in a special event to discuss drugs in the kingdom.…
- South Thailand News
Deep South emergency decree extended 3 months
After a recent car bombing of police apartments in the Deep South province of Narathiwat, the Emergency Situation Administration Committee decided to extend the state of emergency decree in the troubled Southern provinces. The extension means that the current state of emergency will not end on December 20 as scheduled, but will instead continue until March 19 at the earliest.…
- Northern Thailand News
Inmate who escaped Khon Kaen hospital back in custody
An inmate convicted of drug charges who escaped from a Khon Kaen hospital on Friday has been recaptured. He had been taken to Phon Hospital for treatment and in the wee hours of Friday morning made a daring escape. He tried to flee and hide but he was found just 300 metres from the hospital. The 41 year old man…
- Crime News
Squabbling beach vendor gives rival a single bullet warning
When foreign tourists are on holiday and lying on the beach, usually all they want is some peace and tranquillity to enjoy the sunshine unperturbed. Beach vendors often seem to have missed the memo though, with a constant barrage of sales pitches falling somewhere between comical annoyance and an enraging frustration. Competition for tourist money is fierce, and, according to…
- Road deaths
Late night drinking hopes dashed by Alcohol Control Committee
The dream of boozing late into the early hours of the morning is dead, at least for now. The Thai Alcohol Control Committee ruled against the proposal to extend the legal hours for alcohol sales until 4am. The ruling was made after a widespread push gained momentum and support from politicians and business operators, especially in tourist areas. The committee…
- Economy News
One-third of adult Thai citizens applied for welfare
Applications for welfare have seen a huge jump, with 22 million Thai people requesting a state welfare card in the latest round of registration. That massive figure equates to about one-third of the entire adult population of Thailand. It is a huge jump from the current 13.5 million people now carrying welfare cards in the country. The figures come after…
- Tourism News
Hotel loan program extended through June 2023
Hotels trying to recover from closing down for the Covid-19 pandemic are getting a little extra financial help. The Thai Cabinet has decided to extend low-interest soft loans until June 2023. The loans were created to help hotels address property repairs after many opted to close when customers dried up because the borders closed amid the pandemic. The announcement was…
- World News
Many children among 268 dead in Indonesian earthquake
The death toll continues to climb in the earthquake that devastated West Java in Indonesia, with many children at school losing their lives. With search teams still digging through the rubble of collapsed buildings, 151 people are still reported missing while 268 are confirmed dead. The quake itself, and the landslides caused by it wreaked havoc on the town of…
- Phuket News
Rawai expat arrested for owning whale bones
Bart Simpson famously used to say, “Don’t have a cow, man!” But maybe, also don’t have a whale! In Rawai, a Frenchmen was arrested after he was discovered in possession of part of a whale skeleton. It turns out that owning whale bones violates the Wild Animal Protection Act. The Phuket Express reports that the man was nabbed when officials…
- Road deaths
Bus crash: 1 dead, 46 women injured in Phetchabun tour bus flip
A shocking highway crash in Phetchabun province saw a tour bus flip leaving 46 passengers injured and the driver dead. The crash occurred in the Nam Nao district of the northern province on Sunday at about 3.30pm. Police are still investigating what caused the crash. The double-decker bus was travelling on Highway 12 when the crash occurred. It was a…
- Crime News
Ponzi schemes in the crosshairs for DSI, Finance Ministry
Sometimes cracking down on scam crimes just creates smarter criminals. The Ministry of Finance and the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) are teaming up to crack down on new forms of the classic Ponzi scheme. The director-general of the Fiscal Policy Office announced that the ministry was meeting with the DSI to discuss updates on the laws regarding new scams.…
- Cannabis News
Cannabis fate discussed today by Narcotics Control Board
Today is the day the future of cannabis in Thailand will be decided. The Office of the Narcotics Control Board is meeting to discuss proposals calling for the plant to once again be classified as a Type 5 drug. But some powerful political figures insist that the board is powerless to stop the legalised proliferation of cannabis. Minister of Public…
- World News
Searches after Indonesian earthquake, death toll over 160
Searches continue for survivors of the massive earthquake in Indonesia. The death toll has now climbed to over 160 people. The quake struck in Cianjur, about 75 kilometres southeast of Jakarta, at a depth of 10 kilometres and lasted for about one minute. The earthquake measured 5.6 on the Richter scale with the epicentre in the mountains of West Java.…
- World News
Fraudulant websites offer refunds on FTX collapse
With the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, crypto investors that lost it all are being warned to beware of misinformation and fake websites promising to help recoup their losses. Singapore police issued a warning over the weekend about a website that says it can help FTX investors to recover their lost crypto when the company declared bankruptcy. On November 11,…
- Pattaya News
2 entertainment venues raided in Pattaya amid crackdown
In their continued effort to crack down on nefarious activities, and hamper tourism according to many, the Pattaya Police raided two more nightclubs last night. The raids came after a pledge by police forces to do nightly sweeps of the area to make sure that all entertainment venues are following all the laws. At the press conference on Friday, Major…
- World News
After APEC, Hong Kong leader John Lee tests positive for Covid-19
Attendees of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit were sent home with seven souvenirs, including a photo with the Royal Family. But one leader got an unexpected eighth souvenir that wasn’t particularly welcomed. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee came home from the APEC Summit in Bangkok and tested positive for Covid-19. The highest political office holder tested positive for…
- Pattaya News
Police inspect venue on closed Mountain B Pub site
In a morbid example of “if at first, you don’t succeed…” a new nightlife venue has opened on the site of the notorious Mountain B Pub that caught fire and claimed the lives of 26 people. Last night, Chon Buri police inspected Never Land, the new club in Sattahip, which opened just three months after the August fire that tore…
- Tourism News
PM Prayut predicts tourism boom from hosting APEC
When trying to decide where to take our holiday vacation, sure we probably all think the same thing: what would APEC do? Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha believes that the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit that just wrapped up in Bangkok will give a big boost to international tourism for Thailand. A spokesperson for the government said today that the prime…
- World News
Two Thai women died hiking the Himalayas
High up in the Himalayas, two Thai women met their demise while hiking in the extreme cold. The two women, aged 49 and 37, were part of a group hiking the famous Annapurna trail in Nepal when they fell ill and died. They were reported dead after descending to a base camp to the northwest of the Nepalese capital city…
- World News
Donald Trump reinstated on Twitter after Musk tweet poll
He’s baaaaaaack… After a poll tweet that garnered over 15 million votes, coup-inspiring former President Donald Trump has been reinstated on Twitter. The poll saw 52% of respondents voting in favour of allowing Trump back on Twitter after being banned for misinformation and inciting violence. But does Trump even want to be back? Elon Musk posted the poll, so many doubt…
- Politics News
APEC Summit closes, Prayut declares success
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit has come to a close, with PM Prayut Chan-o-cha hailing it as a huge success. The APEC meeting brought world leaders to Bangkok for two days to discuss global issues. This 29th APEC summit came to a close when they endorsed a leaders’ declaration that included a plan for easy border crossing and free…
