- Cannabis News
Cannabis supporters plan Tuesday rally during Narcotics Board meeting
Proponents of the legalisation of cannabis in Thailand are proactively planning rallies at Government House to coincide with a meeting of the Narcotics Control Board. The meeting on Tuesday will discuss the anti-cannabis push to revert the plant back to a Type 5 narcotic. The advocates are urging politicians to support the Cannabis-Hemp Bill in an official letter they are…
- Politics News
APEC leaders attend a royal meeting with the King, Queen, Princess
With Bangkok full of top-level officials from around the world at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit this week, a special royal appearance was made. His Royal Majesty King Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana treated leaders from the APEC meeting to an audience with them last night. The meeting took place on the grounds of the Grand Palace in…
- Pattaya News
World Cup is no exception for crackdown in Pattaya venues
Staying up late to watch the World Cup? Not in an entertainment venue in Pattaya, you’re not. The Region 2 Police are cracking down on entertainment venues in the popular nightlife city and are not making any closing time exceptions for the World Cup. The police plan to strictly enforce seven important rules, according to Pattaya City officials at a…
- Thailand News
Thailand and Vietnam launch international QR payments
Moving money between Vietnam and Thailand has been historically far more complicated than you would expect. But that may change as a new QR payment system has been launched to link the two countries. The Bank of Thailand has worked alongside the State Bank of Vietnam to connect each country’s independent QR payment services. In March of 2021, the two…
- Phuket News
After seeing smoke, Swedish man’s car burst into flames
A Volvo turned into a fiery inferno in Phuket with its owner barely escaping injury after pulling over the car when he saw smoke. The incident took place on Monday afternoon as a Swedish man was driving toward Rawai Beach. The 57 year old man had been driving around without any sign of a problem until he saw smoke under…
- World News
Unruly passengers disrupt two flights in Singapore
Since the Covid-19 pandemic air rage has been a disturbing growing trend. And this past week, Singapore had two incidents of flights being disrupted by unruly passengers. A flight on Scoot, Singapore Airlines’ low-cost carrier, was delayed when passengers refused to fasten their seatbelts for landing. And last week, a passenger was banned from Singapore Airlines after lashing out and…
- Events
NEON Countdown EDM Festival comes to Bangkok
Making plans for New Year’s Eve? Love dance music? Read on. This year, Bangkok will celebrate New Year’s Eve with the NEON Countdown, a three-day EDM festival. The event is gathering big names in electronic music from around the world. They just announced their first lineup. World-famous DJs like Afrojack, Alan Walker, Axwell, Da Tweekaz, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike,…
- Expats
Frenchman missing after hiking in Khao Sok National Park
The search is on for a French tourist that has been missing for five days since going on a hike around Khao Sok National Park. The man said on Saturday morning that he was going for a walk in the jungle and has not been seen since. The man was officially reported as missing yesterday. The 30 year old Gollio…
- Covid-19 News
Covid-19 infections up 12.8% last week
Despite everyone in Thailand – and the rest of the world – being bored of it, Covid-19 is still here. Last week, new Covid infections in Thailand rose 12.8%. The greatest leaps were seen in tourist areas and Bangkok. In the last week, an average of six people per day died of the coronavirus, while 3,166 people were admitted to…
- World News
Baby #8 billion: Manila marks world population milestone
Calling someone “one in a million” just doesn’t have the same strength that it used to. The world population has now hit eight billion people. And who is the lucky eight billionth person? It’s hard to say exactly, but a newborn baby girl in Manila has been chosen as the eight billionth global citizen for this new population milestone. Vinice…
- Cannabis News
New moves to criminalise cannabis shrugged off by Anutin
Amid moves to walk back the legalisation of cannabis, Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul shrugged off the attempt to criminalise the herb again. Anutin, who also serves as deputy prime minister, says that the debate over cannabis is decided and done. Opponents of legalisation are pushing for cannabis to be reclassified as a Type 5 narcotic, which would be…
- Events
Press covering APEC treated to free Thai massage
The Thai government has been tripping over itself to put its best foot forward as they host the APEC summit in Bangkok this week. From cracking down on troublesome illegal immigrants, to cleaning up roads and repainting streets, and even poorly-spelt welcome signs, officials are pulling out all the stops. Now, members of the press covering APEC will be treated…
- World News
Alec Baldwin sues 4 over gun death on his movie set
Over a year after the tragic death of a cinematographer on the set of an Alec Baldwin film, the actor and producer who faces lawsuits over the incident has filed a countersuit against four people involved in the incident. In the suit, he accuses the four of negligence for giving him a gun loaded with a real bullet in it.…
- Phuket News
Road repair on Patong Hill may take more than 2 months
The extensive road damage due to landslides on Patong Hill is now expected to take longer to repair than the original 45-day prediction. Pounding rains and land erosion have severely damaged the road which has been closed and opened several times to varying degrees in an attempt to allow people to pass between Patong and Kathu. After heavy rains caused…
- Bangkok News
Police officer talks suicidal Burmese man off bridge
A quick-thinking and compassionate police officer saved the life of a suicidal Burmese man in Bangkok. The Burmese man named Adee climbed onto the ledge of the Petch Uthai Road bridge in downtown Bangkok, distraught and threatening to jump to his death. It was an officer from the Makkasan Police who managed to talk him down. Adee had walked onto…
- Visa Information
Younger Chinese expats the main applicants for Elite Visa
Thailand’s Elite Visa set its sights on attracting wealthy people to stay long-term in the kingdom. Chinese expats are taking the most advantage of it, but officials are surprised to see the average age of those applying for the long-term visa is dropping. About 20,000 Elite Visas have been approved so far to allow people to stay long-term in Thailand,…
- Crime News
Pattaya venue may be closed after repeated drug raids
An entertainment venue that has been raided and shut down several times, may now be permanently closed after the latest raid. Pattaya Police did not name the nightclub but reported that the venue was found to be operating illegally and after hours, with drugs found inside, during a routine patrol of the entertainment district of Bang Lamung. Pattaya Police were accompanied…
- Crime News
Police found train car on Chinese suspect’s mansion grounds
The home of a Chinese man suspected of multiple crimes was raided and police found a range of oddities including a Chinese train car. The 33 year old Shao Xiaobo was accused of using a fake Thai ID and rented a building in Bangkok where he stored suspicious vehicles and is accused of dealing in a variety of questionable businesses.…
- Tourism News
Young travellers spend locally, raise tourism awareness
While Thailand has based their tourism strategy solely on attracting wealthy, mostly older tourists, an official with Tourism Australia has cautioned the world not to underestimate the value of young travellers. At the 2022 World Travel Market in London, the regional general manager for the UK and Northern Europe of Tourism Australia spoke about the importance of young backpackers. She…
- Crime News
German man on overstay arrested for guns, drugs
Police arrested a Thai woman and a German man on overstay in Patong with drugs and weapons. They were found and taken into custody on Friday after the man sent a threatening image of a gun on the LINE app. Police did not reveal how long ago the man’s stamp in his passport had expired, only confirming that he had…
- Technology News
FTX crypto exchange files for bankruptcy
The American crypto exchange FTX filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy today following several days of turmoil amid a failed buyout. Founder and CEO Sam Bankman-Fried announced his official resignation yesterday. The cryptocurrency world has been severely shaken by the second-largest exchange collapsing. In 2020, FTX was valued at only a few hundred million US dollars but skyrocketed to a US$1…
- Thailand Election News
Despite poor Republican election showing, Trump expected to announce presidential bid Tuesday
Amidst a host of hotly contested races in the United States midterm elections, former President Donald Trump is expected to announce his run for president in 2024. Longtime advisor Jason Miller said yesterday that Trump is expected to officially throw his hat in the ring for the 2024 race on Tuesday, despite a relatively poor showing for his Republican Party,…
- Tourism News
57k passengers – 49k international – arriving at Suvarnabhumi daily
Tourism is ramping up in Thailand. Bangkok’s primary airport and the main international hub of Thailand, Suvarnabhumi Airport, reported 57,000 international travellers arriving on Thursday. That number is inching shockingly close to 60,000 people a day that was arriving each day before the Covid-19 pandemic. The National reported that 25 international flights arrived, with 49,000 out of the 57,000 total…
- Cannabis News
Cannabis flower bud now a controlled substance with restrictions
The walk-backs have begun for the unrestricted cannabis swell in Thailand. In a new edict coming into effect today, the Ministry of Public Health has tightened the rules on who can grow and sell cannabis, and where. The new edict, already published in the Royal Gazette making it official, now supersedes the original announcement legalising and decriminalising cannabis on June…
- Phuket News
Patong Hill road closed to cars just 2 days after reopening
Heavy rains have continuously closed down the road between Patong and Kathu in Phuket. The road had opened to pedestrians for a while, and then motorbikes only, before reopening to cars. But now, the road over Patong Hill has been closed to cars again, starting early this morning due to road repairs and soil shifting. The announcement was made late…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand ends emergency Covid vaccine procurement
The winding down of the Covid-19 pandemic has hit a new milestone as the emergency use procurement of vaccines has now ended. The Ministry of Public Health announced that it has officially cancelled its plans to obtain more vaccines against the coronavirus. The end of the programme was officially published in the Royal Gazette on Thursday and was put into…
- World News
Malaysian celeb Diva AA drops out of election on dead mother’s advice
And you thought Thai politics and elections were crazy! A celebrity candidate, Diva AA, running for Malaysian parliament has pulled out of the race against his brother because his mother told him to. His dead mother. Malaysia is holding its 15th general election this year, commonly referred to as GE15. Voting will take place on November 15 across the country. A…
- Northern Thailand News
Body of Thai woman from Korea stampede returned to family
After the tragic stampede at a Halloween event in Seoul, Korea, the body of the Thai woman who died in the crush has been returned to her family in Thailand. Natthicha Makaew was a teacher who had been studying the Korean language before she was crushed in the Halloween stampede in Itaewon. The 27 year old studied to be certified…
- Technology News
Twitter employees lay off begins after Musk takeover
Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover has been swift and rattling after months of trying to back out of the deal. It is rumoured that Musk plans to lay off 75% of Twitter’s 7,500 employees. And the axe started swinging on Friday. Stay-home orders were given to thousands of employees at Twitter which may signal they’re being laid off. Some new sources…
- Events
AoT bans lanterns near airports for upcoming festivals
Loy Krathong is upon us, and with it, Yi Peng, the lantern festival. Thousands of lighter-than-air lanterns drift up into the sky in a peaceful show for celebrating onlookers. But the Airports of Thailand (AoT) have issued a reminder warning that flying lanterns are strictly banned in the areas around the six main airports in Thailand. As beautiful and tranquil…
