- Crime News
UPDATE: Suspect in Swiss murder in Phuket is a “Thai man”
UPDATE TO OUR PREVIOUS ARTICLE New details have just emerged in Thai media about the suspect detained today in the murder of the 57 year old Swiss traveller in Phuket found yesterday. The newly obtained information says the suspect is in fact a 27 year old Thai man, and not a 33 year old Burmese man as previously reported (in…
- Hot News
Lawsuit against Royal Thai Police filed by injured press members
After getting shot with rubber bullets while covering the tumultuous protests on July 18, 2 members of the press have filed a lawsuit against the Royal Thai Police for the injuries. A reporter for Plus Seven and a photographer from The Matter filed the lawsuit yesterday with the Civil Court, naming the Royal Thai Police, along with the Commissioner, Metropolitan…
- Technology News
New internet freedom study lowers Thailand to 3rd to last
A new report on internet freedom and censorship around the world has placed Thailand in the third-lowest ranking, dropping 2 levels from last year. On a scale of 1 to 11, one being nearly unrestricted and 11 being fully locked down, Thailand is now ranked an 8, with the report declaring Thailand’s internet freedom 73% restricted. Comparitech, the company that…
- World News
Assassination plot of Burmese UN Ambassador thwarted
Kyaw Moe Tun has been standing in a precarious position as the current or former Burmese ambassador to the United Nations – depending on who you believe – and is now the subject of a thwarted assassination plot. The plan to murder or maim the diplomat was to be carried out by 2 Burmese nationals on US soil at the…
- Covid-19 News
Covid-19 nasal spray vaccines in development in Thailand
The National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, known as BIOTEC, believes that the solution to Covid-19 vaccination may be right under our noses. Thai virologists at BIOTEC have 2 nasal spray options currently in development for domestic production that may act as a substitute for Covid-19 vaccines in needle form. They believe a nasal spray or inhaler may provide…
- Technology News
Apple to add child sexual abuse protections to mobile devices
In an effort to protect children from predators, Apple will update iPhones and iPad to detect and report images of child sexual abuse. The megacompany vowed yesterday to implement new detection software to automatically flag any photos that involve children being abused and exploited as soon as they are uploaded into iCloud, Apple’s proprietary cloud-based storage service. Photos will be…
- South Thailand News
Songkhla beach party sees 61 arrested violating Covid-19 rules
A reckless birthday beach party in Songkhla in violation of several Covid-19 restrictions resulted in 61 arrests, half of which were underage. Songkhla is a dark red zone, where any gathering with alcohol is prohibited and non-alcoholic gatherings are limited to a maximum of 5 people. Last night on Wang Nao Beach in Nath Thap sub-district of Songkhla, 61 people…
- Covid-19 News
Dr Boon, THG group must clarify Pfizer deal controversy
Trouble is deepening for Dr Boon Vanasin, the President of Thonburi Healthcare Group, who has been accused of a large stock purchase before lying about his company procuring Pfizer vaccines that caused the stock to soar. The Chairman of the Crime Victims’ Assistance Club has filed a complaint with the CyberCrime Investigation Bureau against Boon for sharing that fake news…
- Phuket News
Body found in Phuket of Swiss woman presumed murdered
The body of a 57 year old Swiss woman who arrived in the Phuket Sandbox July 13 was found stashed at the rocky base of a waterfall today, with authorities believing she was raped and murdered. Her body was found about 1 kilometre inside the Ao Yon waterfall area in Wichit, lying face down in the shallow, rocky water. Police…
- Phuket News
TAT touts the Phuket Sandbox first month July successes
The official numbers are out and the Tourism Authority of Thailand has touted success in the Phuket Sandbox plan’s first month, with over 14,000 international travellers arriving and a reported 829 million baht of revenue generated in July. Between the reopening date July 1 and the end of the month July 31, 14,055 travellers arrived, and the 829 million baht…
- Thailand Protest News
Monarchy supporters claim protesters weaponising Covid-19
Pro-monarchy groups have requested military protection against a protest planned for Saturday, going so far as to claim protest organisers are weaponising Covid-19. The Centre of the People for the Protection of Monarchy submitted a petition today requesting military intervention from Army Chief General Narongpan Jittkaewtae in protecting the monarchy against protesters. The Free Youth movement is planning a large…
- Crime News
Child pornography group run by Suphan Buri couple busted
A Suphan Buri couple has been arrested after police raided their home and charged them with running an online child pornography ring. The 52 year old man and his 45 year old wife in the province just north of Bangkok reportedly confessed to the crime and were taken into custody. The married couple is accused of running a group where…
- Covid-19 News
Delta variant now the predominant strain, 78% of Thai infections
Weeks ago experts predicted that the Delta variant would become the predominant strain of Covid-19 in Thailand by early August. Now, as foreseen, a new study shows that 78.2% of all new Covid-19 infections throughout the country are of the Delta variant. The Medical Sciences Department’s Director-General revealed the results of a test the department had been running in their…
- Covid-19 News
Controversial food delivery only rule faces criticism
Most people understand the need for Covid-19 restrictions and safety protections, but many people are complaining about one questionable restriction that affects anyone who owns a food establishment or indeed eats. Restaurants and their patrons are both miffed about the revision to the dark red zone Covid-19 restrictions that changed from food establishments being open for takeaway only to being…
- Thailand News
Thai Airways selling 10 properties to raise capital
With deepening debt and the Covid-19 pandemic dragging on and flattening the tourism and travel industry, Thai Airways International is looking to sell off some large assets like buildings and properties to stabilise the struggling airline. The airline has been in the throes of bankruptcy and debt rehabilitation for months now after failing to secure a bailout from the government.…
- World News
Myanmar envoy updated to Brunei’s 2nd Foreign Affairs Minister
In a reversal of previous discussion and decisions that would have seen former Thai Deputy Foreign Minister Virasakdi Futrakul appointed as the ASEAN envoy to Myanmar, multiple sources are now reporting that it will be Brunei’s Second Minister for Foreign Affairs Erywan Yusof that will be taking up the envoy role. The agreement to send an envoy to Myanmar to…
- World News
Third phase testing successful for Vietnam Covid-19 vaccine
The storyline of Covid-19 in Vietnam has run very similar to Thailand with early successes and recent widespread outbreaks. Now, just as Thailand is working on a domestic mRNA vaccine, Vietnam is developing its own locally created and manufactured Covid-19 vaccine, and the progress is promising. Vietnam, like Thailand, started strong throughout 2020, being among the first countries to detect…
- Thailand News
Thailand conservation adds 17 rare Indochinese tigers this year
In one of the great injustices of the animal kingdom, sharks get a whole week, while the majestic tigers of Thailand are afforded only International Tiger Day, recently celebrated on Thursday. But the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation used the occasion to announce that Thailand has at least 17 more wild Indochinese tigers roaming the country this…
- Pattaya News
Man falls off 4th story roof only breaking arm and chin
A broken arm and a broken chin are serious injuries, but quite a bit less severe than what you’d expect to get after falling off a building. Yet that’s the entirety of the injuries sustained by a man in Pattaya after plunging 4 stories off an area roof. The 38 year old man had been on top of a residential…
- Thailand News
Family finds long lost man after he is rescued from 17 metre well
They say when you lose something valuable you’ll often find it in the place you’d least expect it. That certainly turned out to be true for a family with an estranged uncle who they had lost 15 years ago who was reunited with them after a freak accident that found the man at the bottom of the well in Sattahip.…
- Hua Hin News
Hua Hin Maya Club execs get 3 months for superspreader event
Many people living in Thailand long term grow weary of the persistence of action without consequence, especially for those that are well connected or with deep pockets. But a new ruling Hua Hin gives credit where credit is due and sentenced 2 executives of the Maya Club in Hua Hin to 3 months in prison plus fines for the illegal…
- World News
Thai candidate selected as ASEAN envoy to Myanmar
Following the ASEAN Summit in Jakarta April 24 where nation leaders and representatives met to push for a resolution to the worsening crisis following the February 1 Burmese military coup, several steps had been laid out by the hopeful association on nations, but the Burmese junta has since seemed in no rush to implement any measures to work toward the…
- Covid-19 News
Foreigners able to register on vaccine site despite data leaks, glitches
The debut of Thailand’s new vaccine appointment registration site expatvac.consular.go.th has now opened to mixed reviews. Many reported a host of problems, but quite a few people said that in the end they received emails confirming their registration and forthcoming appointments. And of course, it opened to a data breach. The vaccine registration site launched at 11 am and within…
- Transport News
August flight plans: Bangkok Airways, Nok Air, Thai Lion
With lockdowns, sealed provinces, travel restrictions and ever-changing updates due to the continuously growing Covid-19 infections around the country, struggling airlines are scrambling to keep up. AirAsia was the first earlier this month to cancel all domestic flights, and other local airlines quickly followed suit. Yesterday Bangkok Airways cut nearly all of their domestic flights, extending their flight suspension until…
- Politics News
Facebook fake news post suggesting a coup faces prosecution
While pressure has been mounting against PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, a Facebook user posted a false claim that an army had captured the Prime Minister and is staging a coup and is now facing charges. The story was posted midday yesterday and seemed to detail a coup attempt, alleging that 300 military members from Lop Buri were already holding PM Prayut…
- Koh Samui News
Samui Covid-19: 14 new Black Club infections, 2nd cluster
[UPDATE 9 pm: Information on Black Club staff with Covid-19 has been updated, as well as Bangkok Airways Samui flight cancellations and Bangkok Hospital bed shortage details.] The emergence of Covid-19 in Koh Samui has caused some upheaval for the residents as more infections and more details are revealed each day. 14 new infections were diagnosed today on the island,…
- Phuket News
Phuket Sandbox Covid-19 infections: 35 today, 209 this week
35 new Covid-19 infections pushed rolling 7-day total in Phuket to 209, more than doubling the feared 90 per week that would trigger Sandbox reconsideration according to the original official plans. When the total first passed the 90 infection threshold and surpassed 100, the Department of Disease Control declared that the overall situation was still far from critical and the…
- Crime News
Police nab 600kg heroin drug bust, year’s biggest in Northeast
The largest haul of heroin in Thailand’s Northeast region this year was intercepted today when authorities impounded 600 kilogrammes of compressed heroin in Nakhon Phanom. The chief of Provincial Police Region 4 confirmed that the stash with a street value of at least 2 billion baht was seized late last night by local police in possession of a suspected drug…
- Thailand News
Bangkok Airways extends flight suspension to August 11
In a post to Facebook this afternoon, Bangkok Airways announced that they will be extending the suspension of their domestic flights until August 11. They will ground all flights except flights connected to the Phuket Sandbox and Samui Plus international reopening programs. The announcement comes following Covid-19 outbreaks in both Koh Samui and Phuket that threaten the international programs and…
- Phuket News
Precarious Phuket: open internationally, closed domestically
Phuket has become like one island but 2 different worlds, depending on your vantage point. A look at the news over the past few days has been a dizzying mix of the Phuket Sandbox pushing forward, some successes in statistically low Covid-19 infection and death, especially compared to the rest of Thailand, a green light for the Sandbox to continue…
