- Phuket News
Scotsman’s Thailand trip cut short after ex cancels passport
A Scottish holidaymaker’s dream trip to Thailand turned into a nightmare when his ex-partner cancelled his passport, leading to his detention at the airport and subsequent deportation back to the UK. William Barr, from Inverkeithing, Fife, was detained by immigration officers as soon as he arrived in Phuket, and ultimately deported back to the UK before his holiday even began. “I…
- Pattaya News
Chon Buri community market boosts local economy and spirit
A vibrant community market was set up in front of the Khao Mai Kaew subdistrict administrative organisation (SAO) meeting hall, in Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri, offering locals a platform to sell goods such as fresh produce, traditional sweets, and crafts, boosting the local economy and community ties. On Tuesday, September 2, the market attracted a vibrant crowd, with both…
- Business News
Thai Airways anticipates strong fourth quarter with rising demand
Thai Airways (THAI) anticipates a robust fourth quarter, with a load factor exceeding 80%, driven by both international demand and Thai tourists favouring Asian destinations. China and Japan have consistently attracted travellers throughout the year. Kittiphong Sansomboon, THAI Chief Commercial Officer, said that a strong baht and the visa-free programme have increased Thai tourists visiting Asian locations. During peak travel…
- Phuket News
Phuket tackles high fees at Deep Sea Port after complaints
Phuket’s provincial officials convened an urgent meeting yesterday to address growing complaints from transport operators regarding the high entrance fees being charged at Phuket Deep Sea Port. The meeting, chaired by Vice Governor Samawit Suphanphai, took place at the Damrongtham Centre (Phuket Provincial Ombudsman’s Office) in Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday, September 3. The discussions were deemed crucial enough to involve…
- Phuket News
Thailand and Malaysia boost cooperation on border security issues
Thailand and Malaysia have reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing border security and regional stability at the 117th Thai-Malaysian Regional Border Committee (RBC) meeting, held yesterday at the Angsana Laguna Phuket Hotel. The high-level meeting yesterday, September 3, co-chaired by Major General Apinan Chaemchaeng, Commander of the 5th Infantry Division, and Maj. Gen. Dato’ Hj Fazal bin Hj Abdul Rahman, Commander…
- Health
Shocking survey reveals kids as young as 6 vaping in Thailand
A nationwide survey conducted by the Department of Health Service Support (DHSS) has exposed disturbing trends in e-cigarette use among children and young adults in Thailand, with the youngest user reported at just six years old. The findings are a stark reminder of the growing vaping epidemic in the country. The survey, which was carried out earlier this year by…
- Pattaya News
Chon Buri’s Takhian Tia signs MOU to fight drugs in schools
In Takhian Tia, Chon Buri, a new initiative was launched to combat drug abuse and vice in schools. Key local leaders signed an MOU to create a drug-free and safe environment for students. On Tuesday, September 2, a significant step was taken in Takhian Tia’s battle against drug abuse in schools. At Ban Nawang School’s multipurpose hall, Deputy Mayor Wachira…
- Aviation News
New non-stop Mumbai to Phuket flight opens doors for tourists
Mumbai, India’s bustling financial capital, is now directly connected to one of Thailand’s most coveted tourist destinations, Phuket, thanks to the launch of a new flight route by Akasa Air planned for September 20. This non-stop service promises to revolutionise travel between India and Thailand, offering an efficient and seamless journey, leaving behind the long layovers and connecting flights that…
- Phuket News
Phuket’s Patong Tunnel greenlit with 11-billion-baht budget
Phuket’s much-anticipated Patong Tunnel project has been given the green light, but with a hefty price tag of 11 billion baht and a new set of roadblocks ahead. On August 26, the Cabinet approved a major shift in the project’s investment model, paving the way for the Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT) to take direct control of the construction. The…
- Bangkok News
Phumtham faces legal heat over House dissolution request
A political uproar has erupted after caretaker Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai sought royal approval to dissolve the House of Representatives. Yesterday, September 3, a list MP and political activist filed a complaint with the police accusing Phumtham of lese majeste. The move has sparked allegations of corruption and malfeasance in office, with accusations that he exceeded his authority. Suratin Pichan…
- Politics News
Political showdown: Thailand’s House to vote on new PM tomorrow
Thailand’s House of Representatives will vote tomorrow to elect a new Prime Minister, following the dismissal of Paetongtarn Shinawatra. The outcome could reshape the country’s political landscape. As stipulated by the Constitution, the entire Cabinet was removed from office, with the caretaker government remaining in place until a new administration is formed. In response to the ongoing political turmoil, the…
- Phuket News
Phuket tuk tuks set to go electric in new pilot project
Phuket’s famous tuk tuks are about to get a green makeover as the island becomes the testing ground for Thailand’s first project to switch small passenger vehicles from petrol to electric power. Akaradej Wongpitakroj, MP for Ratchaburi and chairman of the House Industrial Committee, confirmed on a recent visit that Phuket will spearhead the conversion drive. The lessons learned here…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya monks slammed for loitering at markets for alms
Pattaya’s bustling markets are under scrutiny after officials found monks standing outside shops and food stalls waiting for alms, behaviour critics say undermines the sanctity of Buddhist practice. The inspections, led by Bang Lamung District Chief Officer along with subdistrict monks and local agencies, followed complaints that monks were abandoning their traditional morning alms rounds, known as pindapata. Instead of…
- Crime News
British pensioner’s prized tricycle swiped in Northeast Thailand
An 81 year old British man in Udon Thani has been left heartbroken after thieves made off with his treasured tricycle motorcycle in a daring early-morning theft caught on CCTV. Wayne, a retired restaurateur from UK’s Liverpool, filed a report at Mueang Udon Thani Police Station yesterday, September 2, through a translator. He told officers the blue and bronze three-wheeler,…
- Business News
Bangkok hotels face crunch as occupancy rates tumble
Bangkok’s hotel industry is heading into a storm in the second half of this year, with falling occupancy rates, soaring competition and a sharp drop in Chinese arrivals casting a shadow over the capital’s hospitality market. A report by Knight Frank Chartered (Thailand) revealed that average occupancy slipped by 3.7% to 75.1% in the first half of this year, while…
- Phuket News
Phuket man wanted after stabbing wife in domestic row
Police in Phuket are hunting a man who allegedly stabbed his wife with a pair of scissors during a row at a motorcycle repair shop in Thalang. The attack happened at around 7pm yesterday, September 2, opposite the Thai Watsadu store in Srisoonthorn. The victim, 38 year old Pornpana Manhan, was stabbed in the back and rushed to Thalang Hospital…
- Aviation News
Bangkok Airways warns of U-Tapao airport pull-out
Thailand’s ambitious U-Tapao Airport project may be about to hit turbulence, with the consortium behind the 290-billion-baht development warning it could walk away after years of delays and government inaction. Bangkok Airways CEO Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth confirmed that U-Tapao International Aviation Co Ltd (UTA), in which the airline holds a 45% stake, has asked for one month to decide whether to…
- Pattaya News
Thailand’s oldest hippo Mae Mali prepares for 60th birthday bash
Thailand’s most famous hippo is about to become the star of a birthday party like no other. Mae Mali, the beloved hippopotamus at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chon Buri, will celebrate her 60th birthday with a three-day festival complete with games, exhibitions and a giant fruit cake. The celebrations will run from September 6 to 8 at the zoo’s…
- Phuket News
Phuket Airport stages emergency drill as safety test Friday
Passengers flying through Phuket International Airport this Friday morning can expect to see chaos, but only as part of a full-scale emergency drill. Airport officials confirmed that the exercise, scheduled for 9am on Friday, September 5, will simulate a major incident under the Airport Contingency Plan. The goal is to sharpen safety standards and ensure staff are fully prepared to…
- Politics News
Constitutional Court defends ruling that ousted Paetongtarn as PM
Thailand’s political storm intensified today after the Constitutional Court stood firm on its decision to oust ex-Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, rejecting claims that the ruling was invalid due to a judge’s expired term. The court confirmed that its August 29 verdict, which removed Paetongtarn over alleged ethical misconduct linked to a leaked conversation with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen, remains…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya woman escapes knife attack in abandoned building
A woman in Pattaya has told how she narrowly escaped a brutal knife attack after being lured into an abandoned building by a man posing as a Good Samaritan. The 47 year old victim, identified only as B, said she feared for her life after being beaten, stripped and threatened with rape and murder before escaping on her motorcycle. The…
- Bangkok News
PM bombshell: Pheu Thai confirms push to dissolve Parliament
Thailand’s political stalemate deepened this morning as the Pheu Thai Party confirmed that a request has been submitted to His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn for the dissolution of Parliament, a step that may lead to a snap election within months. At 9am today, September 3, at Parliament, Sorawong Thienthong, Pheu Thai’s secretary-general, revealed that a dramatic step was taken after…
- Politics News
People’s Party backs Anutin as PM under strict terms (video)
Thailand’s political chessboard just shifted again, and the clock is now ticking on Anutin Charnvirakul’s path to power. In a dramatic U-turn, the People’s Party (PP) announced this morning, September 3, that it would support Anutin, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, as Thailand’s 32nd prime minister, but only under strict conditions that could collapse the new government within months. The…
- Northern Thailand News
Lamphun lottery luck: Pork sellers win 12 million baht jackpot
It was a dream come true for pork sellers in Lamphun province as they struck the jackpot, winning a staggering 12 million baht in the national lottery. The lucky vendors at Pa Heo Market couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw the winning numbers announced by the Government Lottery Office yesterday, September 1. The first prize was claimed by ticket…
- Phuket News
Burmese man dies from head injury on Phuket construction site
A Myanmar worker was fatally struck by heavy machinery on a Phuket construction site this morning. The incident occurred today, September 2, at a building site near the main SuperCheap branch north of Phuket Town. Police confirmed the victim as 53 year old Ko Thet Win, a Myanmar national employed at the site. According to Phuket City Police, the worker…
- Thailand News
Lottery luck: Unsold tickets win Nakhon Phanom vendor big
What started as a tough week of poor sales and stormy weather turned into pure fortune for a lottery vendor in Nakhon Phanom, after unsold tickets left her more than 250,000 baht richer. The lucky break occured yesterday, September 1, when the Thai Government Lottery Office announced the winning numbers. Among the winners was 44 year old Sariyaporn Nilsuang, a…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya street sweep sees homeless man given hospital care
Pattaya officials are proving that keeping order on the streets doesn’t mean turning a blind eye to those in need. A recent sweep at one of the city’s busiest intersections highlighted how enforcement and compassion can go hand in hand. Yesterday, September 1, Deputy Mayor Wutthisak Rermkitjakarn directed Pattaya’s municipal enforcement team and social welfare officers to check on the…
- Phuket News
Film crew blasted for rolling up Thai flag at Phuket viewpoint (video)
It was meant to be just another day of shooting at a scenic Phuket viewpoint, but when a filming crew rolled up the Thai national flag, social media erupted with criticism. The 58-second clip, filmed at Black Rock Viewpoint (Pha Hin Dam) in Rawai at the southern tip of the island, shows a woman believed to be part of a…
- Cannabis
Cannabis clampdown: Thailand limits buds to 5 medical uses
Forget rolling a joint for fun: Thai health chiefs have slammed the brakes on cannabis use, ruling that buds can only be legally consumed by patients with specific medical conditions and a doctor’s prescription. The Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (DTAM) confirmed the strict new rules, narrowing the scope of cannabis usage after months of heated debate over…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya’s Walking Street dazzles with LED, but not all impressed
Pattaya’s most famous strip is glowing brighter than ever, but not everyone is dazzled by the city’s latest high-tech addition. Walking Street has unveiled a brand-new LED display, designed to boost Pattaya’s image as a world-class tourist hotspot. City officials say the giant installation is part of efforts to modernise public spaces and cement the street’s reputation as a global…
