Neill Fronde

Neill Fronde

Neill is a journalist from the United States with 10+ years broadcasting experience and national news and magazine publications. He graduated with a degree in journalism and communications from the University of California and has been living in Thailand since 2014.
  • Covid-19 News

    Government warns fake vaccine certificates bring fines and jail

    Authorities are speaking out against a trend online suggesting that it is easy and safe to enter Thailand using forged vaccine certificates. A number of illegal services have been seen online offering fake vaccine certificates that people can purchase rather than actually get vaccinated. But the authorities are reminding people that it’s not just wrong to put the safety and…

  • Thailand News

    “Tourist Police i lert u” mobile app launched to help tourists quickly

    “Tourist Police i lert u” is a new mobile app launched yesterday to allow tourists quick access to emergency response and general assistance. The app was launched by the Tourist Police as a means to improve safety by providing easy access to help when needed. The app comes at the same time as the Ministry of Tourism launched a tourism…

  • Tourism News

    New rules for scuba diving boats in Thailand to increase safety

    Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Warawut Silpa-archa has introduced new safety measures that ban large commercial scuba diving boats from getting too close to dive sites. The rule would apply to national parks only so far and would require big boats to stay 100 to 200 metres from dives sites. Scuba companies that offer diving by taking many customers…

  • Pattaya News

    Pattaya restaurant raided a fifth time for Covid-19 violations

    Seemingly unfazed by an apparent complete lack of any punishment the first 4 times, a Pattaya restaurant has been raided a fifth time for violating Covid-19 restrictions. The restaurant, Sky Mountain, has been busted 4 times previously for operating as a bar, selling alcohol and opening without proper permitting, but has faced little repercussions for their disregard for the regulations…

  • Covid-19 News

    Omicron variant: 9 cases confirmed, 5 more suspected in Thailand

    Omicron is slowly creeping into Thailand. Officials have announced that there have now been 9 confirmed cases of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 diagnosed within the borders of Thailand. Those nine cases have been fully genome sequenced and confirmed that they are definitely the new and highly infections variant. Omicron is believed to be more contagious but less severe than…

  • Covid-19 News

    Business and government leaders meet to reopen Pattaya bars

    A high-level meeting is the latest in the non-stop attempts by businesses in Pattaya to reopen bars and entertainment venues, with business leaders and government officials meeting at Pattaya City Hall yesterday to discuss the issue. The conference was run by the president of the Pattaya Business and Tourism Association, the Bang Lamung District Chief, the mayor of Pattaya, and…

  • Road deaths

    Phuket taxi charged with death of Swiss tourist in motorbike crash

    An accident in Phuket has left a Swiss tourist dead and a local taxi driver in custody being charged with his death. The crash took place Monday when taxi driver reportedly lost control of his vehicle and ploughed into the Swiss man who was driving by on his motorbike. The accident took place near Nai Harn in Rawai sub-district. Witnesses…

  • Bangkok News

    Bangkok man calls for rescue after locking penis in padlock

    In a story that we can’t believe has happened twice this year, a man has gotten his penis stuck in a padlock and required emergency medical rescue services. This time, the incident took place in the Phaya Thai district of Bangkok where Ruam Katanyu Foundation rescue workers were summoned to the scene. When they arrived at the street off of Rama…

  • Eastern Thailand News

    Pfizer booster shots on offer in Rayong, 1,000 per day for 3 days

    3,000 Pfizer vaccines are set to be administered as booster shots in Rayong from Wednesday to Friday, 1,000 each day at Memorial Hospital Sirindhorn Rayong. The vaccines will be given for free for qualifying people who meet the criteria laid out by the hospitals. The vaccines will be available for those who are already fully vaccinated with Sinovac, Sinopharm, Astrazeneca,…

  • Thailand News

    Red Cross Fair being held online again this year due to Covid-19

    For the second year in a row, the national Red Cross Fair is being held online only due to concerns over the Covid-19 pandemic. The fair takes place every year all over Thailand as a fundraiser to support the Red Cross and their programs, especially those to help the poor and people in need. The Red Cross often steps in…

  • World News

    Geminid meteor shower: 100s of shooting stars visible late Monday night

    For those up late tomorrow night, the Geminid meteor shower will be visible in the night sky late on Monday night. The heavenly display happens each year, usually between December 4 and December 17 each year and is one of the best opportunities to see dozens of shooting stars with the naked eye. In a post on Facebook, the National…

  • Pattaya News

    Pattaya restaurant busted operating after curfew as a nightclub

    In a familiar scene lately as Thailand toes the line between Covid-19 safety and restarting the tourism economy by relaxing alcohol bans in select areas around the country, a restaurant essentially operating as a bar on South Pattaya Road was shut down last night for violating the Chon Buri Communicable Disease Control order. Dripoly restaurant in Pattaya was raided just…

  • Crime News

    NIDA Poll: majority oppose legalising gambling and casinos

    The National Institute of Development Administration released a poll recently that showed that the majority of Thai people are opposed to the legalisation of casinos and gambling. The NIDA poll showed that most people think that online gambling and video games with betting should also remain illegal. 1,318 people were surveyed by telephone between December 6 and December 8 for…

  • Bangkok News

    Traffic expected as 4 separate protests planned tonight in Bangkok

    Four different groups of demonstrators are planning protests in 4 different areas around Bangkok and the Metropolitan Police Bureau is warning that traffic around the city is likely to be affected. Police have already made preparations to deal with the hordes of protesters expected, and will be fully equipped to maintain law and order at each of the four rally…

  • Covid-19 News

    COVID-19 SUNDAY: Positive numbers all around, lowest deaths since third wave

    Today was a great day for Covid-19 news as the numbers have improved from yesterday for every single metric except for infections brought in from abroad which jumped from 16 yesterday to 24 today. Daily infections and deaths are down, with deaths hitting the lowest number since the third wave of Covid-19 began in April. The total number of hospitalisations…

  • Covid-19 News

    Restaurants reminded to follow Covid-19 safety for holidays

    Though many people are not planning on travelling during the upcoming holiday season, the Department of Health has issued a reminder for restaurants the follow Covid-19 prevention regulations, especially with the increasing number of tourists for the holidays. The director-general of the department said with the upcoming long holiday weekends, more travellers can be expected to be patronizing restaurants, especially…

  • Thailand News

    2023 healthcare budget of 207 billion baht proposed including Covid-19

    In order to add Covid-19 testing and treatment to the benefits of universal healthcare in Thailand for 2023, the National Health Security Office is requesting a 207 billion baht budget. Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul chaired a meeting on Thursday of the NHSO which came up with the figure to request to include funding for Covid-19. The budget for…

  • Thailand News

    Family pleas for help repatriating British man who died in Thailand

    After a 44 year old British man died suddenly shortly after arriving in Thailand, his devastated family is trying to raise cash to pay his hospital bills and bring him home. Daniel Skipper came to Thailand with friends from his home town of Walton-le-Dale and Bamber Bridge in Lancashire, England and only a few days later he suffered a heart…

  • Pattaya News

    40 year old arrested for sexually harassing 12 year old girl

    In Bang Lamung, a 40 year old man identified as Mr Fai was arrested, accused of sexually harassing a 12 year old girl after breaking into her house. The Nong Prue Police received notice of the break-in that took place on Wednesday in the Pong sub-district. The father of the 12 year old girl called the police after catching the…

  • Central Thailand News

    9 inmates escape temporary prison facility, 4 captured

    After a group of 9 prison inmates made a daring escape from a detention facility in Nakhon Pathom, 4 have now been rounded up while a manhunt is on for the remaining 5. The group of men – 6 drug offenders, 2 charged with theft, and 1 charged with physical abuse – broke free from a temporary prison in the…

  • Thailand News

    Thai officials watching bird flu after a woman’s death in China

    While Covid-19 and Omicron are on everyone’s mind, the Department of Livestock Development has gone on high alert after a woman died from the bird flu last month. The woman died in China of the H5N6 strain of avian influenza and officials in Thailand are focused on making sure the virus doesn’t make it across the border and into the…

  • Thailand News

    Army denies photo with masturbation caption joke that went viral

    While it was probably a press release they never expected to have to make, the army has put out a statement saying they do not force their soldiers to masturbate. The strange accusation comes after a photo and story went viral on the internet suggesting that army soldiers were ordered to masturbate before showering. The army has emphatically denied any…

  • Cannabis News

    500 cannabis clinics successful, Health Ministry plans to expand

    The Ministry of Public Health has opened more than 500 cannabis clinics throughout Thailand since the first one opened its doors in August of 2019. 60% of public hospitals now have cannabis clinics in 878 districts, and can be found in every single province in Thailand. More than 40,000 patients have now been treated with the use of cannabis. The…

  • South Thailand News

    Bomb in Narathiwat explodes, monks and soldiers unharmed

    In the Deep South province of Narathiwat bordering on Malaysia, a bomb exploded this morning, with 2 monks and 2 soldiers narrowly escaping harm. The explosion took place early this morning on the side of the road in Rueso district of the province that often sees violence and bombings from local insurgents. As is common for Buddhist monks in Thailand,…

  • Economy News

    Finance Minister: economy of Thailand will recover in 2023

    Minister of Finance Arkhom Termpittayapaisith says that the economy of Thailand should see a full recovery, not next year, but by 2023. The economy is expected to grow by about 4% next year so 2022 would begin economic recovery, but it will take longer for Thailand definitely bounce back after the devastation of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Finance Minister believes…

  • Thailand News

    Thailand: 1st in Asia, 5th worldwide in Global Health Security Index

    Out of 195 countries, Thailand was ranked fifth in the world – and first in Asia – on the Global Health Security Index this year. The list is compiled by John Hopkins Centre for Health Security at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and other health experts worldwide. The index evaluates the health security of countries by analysing…

  • Covid-19 News

    Plant-based Baiya vaccine can be adjusted for Omicron variant

    Baiya Phytopharm says that the plant-based Covid-19 vaccine they have been developing in Thailand can be adjusted to be effective against the Omicron variant. The vaccine is currently in the middle of the human trials phase of testing and the Chief Technology Officer says the vaccine formula can be modified to fight Omicron. Baiya has developed a genetically engineered tobacco…

  • Northern Thailand News

    Chaiyaphum rebuilding after grandson burns down family’s house

    An 86 year old woman, along with her daughter and 3 girls will be receiving a new house courtesy of the Chaiyaphum provincial authorities after her druggie grandson burned down the family home. Last Friday, the old woman’s grandson, who is said to be a drug addict, threatened the lives of his mother and grandmother and then set fire to…

  • Covid-19 News

    China makes a donation of 200,000 Sinopharm vaccines

    China has made many donations of Covid-19 vaccines to Thailand throughout the year as the kingdom battled the pandemic and rolled out its vaccination programmes. Now, the Chinese Embassy announced that their government has made another donation of 200,000 Sinopharm vaccines. The Chinese Embassy in Bangkok made the announcement yesterday and the first of the shipments of the 200,000 vaccines…

  • Phuket News

    Anti-Corruption Commission ranked Phuket least corrupt province

    The National Anti-Corruption Commission has ranked Phuket as the least corrupt of the 77 provinces in Thailand after evaluating government agencies. Phuket Vice Governor Piyapong Choowong was presented with a plaque at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday to commemorate the achievement on International Anti-Corruption Day. Phuket made an impressive climb to the number one spot, having ranked 25th in last years…