Neill Fronde
- Transport News
Video inside the Nepal plane crash, 68 confirmed dead
As rescue work continues, at least 68 people have been confirmed dead in a plane crash in Nepal, making it the country’s deadliest aviation accident in over 30 years. A new video has surfaced that appears to have been taken inside the plane in its final moments as well. Some 72 people, including four crew members and 68 passengers, were…
- Tourism News
Luxury cruise brings 5 million baht to Samui
Koh Samui recently welcomed the high-end liner Mein Schiff 5, marking the arrival of the first luxury cruise ship to the island this year. Over 3,000 tourists from Europe disembarked from the boat for a day of sightseeing and shopping, bringing in an estimated 5 million baht in tourism revenue for the island. The vessel arrived from Vietnam and docked…
- Phuket News
Baby turtles hatch in Phang Nga, die from garbage in Chon Buri
While Saturday marked the season’s first hatching of baby turtles around Phuket, 11 baby sea turtles found in Chon Buri in September have died from eating garbage. On the night of January 14, some 64 baby leatherback turtles successfully hatched and crawled into the sea at Bang Kwan Beach in Khok Kloi, Phang Nga. This marks the first group of…
- Crime News
Warning Thai people: Don’t be a nominee for foreign business
The Director-General of the Business Development Department in Thailand announced that Thai citizens who allow their names to be used by foreigners to open businesses that are reserved for Thai nationals may face penalties. The punishment can include hefty fines starting at 100,000 baht and climbing as high as 1 million baht. Violators could also face imprisonment for up to…
- Transport News
40 bodies found so far in Nepal plane crash
A tragic event took place in Nepal today, as a commercial plane with 72 people on board crashed and caught fire near an airport in the central region of the country. The Yeti Airlines flight, which was en route from Kathmandu to the popular tourist destination of Pokhara, crashed during its landing attempt. Social media posts captured videos of the…
- Thailand News
KFC fried chicken incense: genius or inappropriate?
The Thailand wing of fried chicken titan KFC announced this week that they have created a new product that is sure to leave you smelling finger-licking good. The fast-food giant developed a line of fried chicken-scented incense sticks to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year. The incense sticks are perfect for those who want to bring the aroma of the Colonel’s…
- Northern Thailand News
Monk who attacked teen granddaughter found hanged
A violent monk who attacked his 17 year old granddaughter with a hammer was found hanged in a forest. Investigating officers report that he was found yesterday but is believed to have been hanging dead there after committing suicide for about a week. Last Saturday, officers from the Phibun Mangsahan Police Station were called to the scene where the monk had…
- Crime News
Van driver on pills doesn’t notice sparks for 10km
If you’re going to drive under the influence, make sure you have a spare tyre and not just spare Yaba pills. In what can only be described as a wild ride, a 29-year-old van driver was arrested by Tha Chatchai Police this morning for driving his vehicle without its left front tyre for a staggering 10 kilometres. Pichai Klomsanoh, a…
- Economy News
Groups push for 3,000-baht pension for all seniors
Activists and academics are calling for the government to provide a universal pension of 3,000 baht per month for senior citizens. Four Regions Slum Network said that the current allowance often less than one-third of that amount per month is simply not enough for seniors to live on, even with supplementary income. At present, the elderly in Thailand receive a…
- Crime News
US arrested man for stock fraud in Phuket
A man wanted by the United States for his involvement in stock manipulation and fraud has been arrested in Phuket. Peter Coker Jr, a citizen of the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, was apprehended on Wednesday in a hotel room located near Surin Beach. The arrest was made by a team consisting of the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) and…
- Thailand News
3 fraudsters to be extradited from Thailand to South Korea
Three South Korean citizens have been arrested on suspicion of committing fraud resulting in losses of 159 million baht (approximately US$4.84 million) in Korea before fleeing to Thailand. They will be extradited to South Korea to face charges. The suspects, identified as Kim, 54, Yang, 60, and Ye Jun, 51, were charged with fraud in South Korea for alleged stock…
- Tourism News
Thailand Tourism needs longer visas and more flights
To facilitate increased tourism, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has set a few goals. They aim to help add flights into Thailand during the High Season and petition to continue longer visa-on-arrival periods to enable tourists to stay in the kingdom longer. As international tourism to Thailand increases steadily, semantics has stymied faster growth. In China, for example, tour…
- World News
Saucy Singapore: nation in the top 5 for 4 fetishes
Recently, an infographic detailing the most popular fetishes around the world has been doing the rounds again, causing quite a stir in Singapore. The graphic, created by casino website SlotsUp using data from Google Trends, shows the top countries for 20 different fetishes, though it is unclear when exactly the data was collected. The graphic was initially posted in 2021,…
- Transport News
Indian flight departs with 55 passengers left on bus
Every flight passenger hates being packed into a busy terminal transport bus from the gate to the stairs before climbing onto their aeroplane. But on Monday morning 55 passengers crammed onto a bus and sat there for an hour while their flight forgot about them and took off. The incident took place in India on a flight operated by budget…
- Phuket News
Floating Yona Beach Club told to cease and wait
A floating beach club barge in Phuket has now been ordered to cease all operations until it gets the full approval it has been seeking to anchor and operate in Patong Bay. Yona Beach Club has been operating with an expired registration and without approval while it waits. The 500-gross-ton vessel housing the beach club, called the Sawasdee, has luxury…
- World News
Power bank catches fire on flight to Singapore
A power bank caught fire on a Scoot flight from Taipei to Singapore, injuring two passengers on board. Flight TR933 was just beginning its journey from Taipei’s Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Singapore Changi Airport yesterday evening when the power bank overheated, causing pandemonium. The Scoot flight was forced to return to the gate before takeoff due to a fire…
- Lifestyle
Ghosts in Thailand: some eerie sites to explore
Thailand is known for its beautiful beaches, delicious food, and rich culture, but it also has a dark side. Thai culture has long believed in ghosts, some good, some bad. A large percentage of people in modern life are still afraid of ghosts in Thailand and as such, the country has some infamously haunted and eerie places. Here are a…
- Environment News
Biodegradable tax incentives to reduce plastic waste
Thailand is taking a big step to tackle plastic waste, and it’s all about incentives. The country’s Ministry of Finance has teamed up with the Ministry of Industry to announce a new program that offers a 25% corporate income tax reduction for businesses that buy biodegradable plastic products between 2022 and 2024. This move is aimed at encouraging companies to…
- World News
Piracy in decline around the world
The Covid-19 pandemic has been rough on everyone. But as we focus on rebuilding tourism and the economy, spare a moment in your thoughts for Jack Sparrow. A new report says that last year worldwide pirate activity was at its lowest since 2008, and possibly since 1992. Piracy and robbery on the high seas are at their lowest levels since…
- Covid-19 News
Bangkok City Hall assesses Covid readiness
With travel increases to Thailand, and with the reopening of China, comes the risk of spreading Covid-19. Bangkok City Hall is taking steps to ensure that visitors can enjoy their stay while keeping themselves and others safe as they brace for an influx of tourists. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt tasked his deputy governors with conducting a full assessment of the…
- Central Thailand News
Smuggling of nearly 90 cattle stopped at Burmese border
Police intervened in an illegal bovine immigration operation this weekend. Authorities caught a herd of almost 90 cattle that illegal smugglers were attempting to sell in the south of Thailand after sneaking across the Burmese border and into Prachuap Khiri Khan. On Saturday, Border Patrol Police in the western province intercepted the smuggling operation of nearly 90 cattle being snuck…
- World News
Indonesian couple’s suicide note requests no investigation
An apparent double suicide in Indonesia is raising eyebrows as the deceased left a surprising suicide note. The couple was found dead, fully clothed in bed and holding hands after allegedly poisoning themselves. In what appears to be a suicide note the couple left behind, they asked that their death not be investigated. According to police in Ciputat, South Tangerang…
- World News
Despite China risk, Malaysia will not change Covid rules
Thailand has implemented new blanket Covid-19 restrictions from today in an effort to fight an infection spike without offending China, which just opened to international travel despite a massive coronavirus outbreak. Malaysia went in another direction, declaring that they would make no changes to their entry procedures despite the increased risk of Covid in travellers from China. The Minister of…
- Crime News
Delivery driver beaten by students over shoe colour
A misunderstanding over the colour of his shoes allegedly led to a food delivery driver in Bangkok being beaten by a large group of teenage students. The incident took place last month on Thursday, December 22 but has come to light as the driver was so traumatised by the attack he is afraid to go back to work in the…
- Transport News
2 men found frozen in the belly of Colombian plane
An aircraft maintenance technician in Colombia made a shocking discovery. Under the belly of an Avianca plane at the airport in Bogota, the bodies of two young men were frozen to death. The airline technician was inspecting and performing regular maintenance on the aircraft of Colombia’s flagship airline when he was horrified by the corpses. The bodies were found today,…
- Thailand Weather Updates
4-metre waves off Pha Ngan capsize tugboat, crew rescued
At 4am on Saturday, tens of thousands of tourists and partiers were dancing the night away at a Full Moon Party on Haad Rin Beach, Koh Pha Ngan. Just 37 kilometres away off the coast of the popular holiday island catastrophe struck as huge waves capsized a tugboat, tossing all the crew members overboard into the swelling seas. The crew of…
- Eastern Thailand News
Fire destroys 7 speedboats on Koh Mak
Disaster struck the island of Koh Mak in Trat province over the weekend when seven speedboats docked at Thong Lang Bay were destroyed in a fire. A group of tourists from the mainland who had taken a day trip to the holiday island were briefly stranded as the speedboats to transport them back burned and sank. Local villagers came to…
- Phuket News
Floating beach club party barge requests to anchor in Phuket
A floating beach club barge in Phuket is seeking approval to anchor in Patong Bay. The 500-gross-ton vessel, called the Sawasdee, has luxury party amenities like a bar and swimming pool and can accommodate 500 guests with a crew of 35. The Phuket office of the Marine Department reported that the boat is currently anchored in Patong Bay, where it…
- Crime News
Nephew of former Pattaya deputy mayor surrenders on shooting charges
After losing control and shooting a British man in a road rage incident, the nephew of a former deputy mayor of Pattaya turned himself in yesterday. The 32 year old man identified only by his first name Apichat surrendered to police in Pattaya. According to Apichat’s account of the incident, the deputy mayor’s nephew was driving his car when he…
- Events
Koh Pha Ngan packed with back to back parties
Business in Koh Pha Ngan has been booming with the biggest New Year’s Eve Countdown party in three years followed by the first Full Moon Party of 2023. Tens of thousands of visitors flocked to the island to take part in the (nearly) all-night beach party last night. The event was a success, though not quite as big and rowdy…
