Bob Scott
- Environment News
Bangkok governor urges the capital to work remotely as pollution deteriorates
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt urged the capital’s workers and car drivers to stay at home and work remotely as the pollution levels continue to deteriorate in the city. The 56 year old city chief advised residents to refrain from going to the office, wear masks outdoors, and if drivers must travel, use public transport. “Residents should work from home if…
- News
Thailand Film Office reports record-breaking year for Thai movie industry
The Thailand Film Office (TFO) reported 2022 was a record-breaking year for the Thai movie industry despite a sluggish start to the new calendar year because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The TFO compiled a list of impressive statistics for filming foreign movies in the Land of Smiles for 2022. It recorded that film crews shot 348 different types of movies…
- World News
Porsche enthusiasts gather in Bangkok for Das Treffen
Porsche enthusiast Sihabutr ‘Tenn’ Xoomsai, and organiser of the seventh edition of Das Treffen, celebrated the largest gathering of Porsche models in Southeast Asia, in Bangkok, Thailand. Das Treffen, meaning “The Meeting” in German, brings together not only all the generations of Porsche cars but also every generation of sports car enthusiasts. From those who swear by air-cooled models to…
- Crime News
Mass shootings in the US this year up to 70 (video)
The total number of killings in mass shootings in the United States this year is 70 and the month of January still has a week to go. California is currently wrestling with the aftermath of two consecutive mass shootings, the latest shooting saw a man kill seven ex-colleagues in Half Moon Bay, a coastal city south of San Francisco. The…
- Politics News
Turkey will not support Sweden’s NATO bid after Quran burning
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan declared he will not be supporting Sweden’s bid to become a member of NATO after a copy of the Quran was set on fire in Stockholm at the weekend. Far-right Swedish-Danish politician Rasmus Paludan was widely condemned for burning a copy of the Quran on Saturday but Sweden takes a more relaxed view of such things believing…
- Politics News
EU ready to conclude free-trade agreement with Thailand
The European Union is ready to open free-trade agreement (FTA) talks with Thailand again after an eight-year political impasse. Thailand’s Commerce Minister, Jurin Laksanawisit, will head to Brussels tomorrow for a two-day business trip to accelerate talks on an FTA with the EU. Jurin states that a Thai-EU FTA is a highly sought-after deal by the private sector, but it remains…
- China News
Russia to join navy exercises with China and South African next month
Russia’s state-owned TASS news agency revealed today that a Russian warship equipped with hypersonic cruise missiles will join in exercises with the navies of China and South Africa next month. This marks the first official confirmation of the involvement of the Russian frigate Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov. The frigate is armed with Zircon missiles, capable of…
- Northern Thailand News
Jealous Thai wife accepts job at brothel after tracking cheating husband to the den of iniquity
A jealous Thai wife who suspected her husband was cheating tracked him down to a brothel in Chiang Mai and was promptly offered a job. She accepted. The unnamed wife told a reporter that she had been suspicious of her husband’s adulterous affairs for a while and curiosity got the better of her so she checked his wallet, reported Bangkok…
- News
Govt to give away 100 million free rubber johnnies to Thailand’s sexually active
In a bid to crackdown on unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, and HIV, the government is giving away free rubber johnnies to holders of the 30 baht universal healthcare card. The National Health Security Office (NHSO) intends to distribute about 100 million condoms to sexually active holders of 30 baht universal healthcare cards. NHSO Secretary-General Dr Chadet Thammathat-aree made known…
- News
Pet-loving couple accidently imprison themselves in a dog cage (video)
A hilarious video of a pet-loving couple from California locking themselves in a dog cage has gone viral. Hats off to Stephanie Ferrari for posting the priceless video on TikTok @stephanieiferrari and allowing the rest of the world to laugh at her mishap. Pet lover Stephanie and her husband are seen in their home with three dog cages. He husband,…
- Politics News
Kiwi PM Jacinda Arden to quit next month (video)
An emotional Jacinda Ardern announced she “has nothing left in the tank” and is standing down as New Zealand’s Prime Minister. The 42 year old revealed she will resign next month and will not take part in this year’s General Elections. A tearful Ardern told a press pack in the coastal city of Napier yesterday that Tuesday, February 7 will…
- Crime News
Bank of Thailand blames dating app for phone hacking
The Bank of Thailand (BoT) denied a claim made on social media that a man lost money from his bank account after recharging his phone at a public outlet. BoT believes the theft occurred because the man was a victim of a malware attack. Police also attributed the theft to malware, stating that the user had downloaded an unsafe dating…
- Politics News
Deputy PM pledges to increase state welfare benefit to 700 baht
Not to be outdone by Pheu Thai Party (PTP) election promises Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon pledged to increase state welfare scheme benefits if he becomes prime minister in May. The PTP, led by Paetongtarn Shinawatra, vows to increase the daily minimum wage for Thai workers to 600-baht, introduce a 25,000-baht salary for graduates by 2027 and reduce utility…
- News
Goddess of Victory: Nikke ad slammed for depicting Thai gamers as horny fat boys
Gamers in Thailand have slammed a video featuring a fat Thai boy becoming aroused while playing Goddess of Victory: Nikke. The video was released in November 4 last year to much acclaim in the gamer community. Goddess of Victory: Nikke is an immersive sci-fi RPG game, where you can recruit and lead a squad of anime girls who specialize in…
- Crime News
Perverted teacher sacked after sending video of underage sex acts to school chat group
A perverted teacher who had sex with underage children in Nakhon Ratchasima and accidentally sent videos of the acts to a group chat has been sacked while a police investigation is underway. The teacher allegedly tried to commit suicide when the news broke. The unnamed arts teacher at Non Sungsritani Secondary School in Non Sung district in Nakhon Ratchasima, Isaan,…
- Thailand News
DCD predicts a fourfold jump in dengue and malaria victims in Thailand this year
The government’s Disease Control Department (DCD) reckons Thailand will see a huge jump in malaria and dengue fever cases this year. The Director-General of the DCD, Dr Tares Krassanairawiwong, believes the number of malaria and dengue fever sufferers will increase significantly by at least three or four times more than last year. “There were 10,174 cases last year, three times…
- Politics News
Shakhtar president donates £22 million of Mudryk Chelsea transfer fee to Ukraine war effort
The president of Shakhtar Donetsk announced he is to give £22 million (886 million baht) to the Ukrainian war effort after the transfer of Mykhailo Mudryk to Chelsea. Shakhtar chief Rinat Akhmetov sold Mudryk to the London club over the weekend for a record transfer fee in Ukrainian football of £89m. The donation serves as a financial boost for Shakhtar,…
- Politics News
Shinawatra’s daughter declares intention to be Thailand’s next prime minister
In one of the worst-kept secrets in Thai politics, Paetongtarn Shinawatra announced her intention to be Thailand’s next prime minister over the weekend. The 36 year old declared her interest to run for premier under the Pheu Thai Party (PTP) in May’s General Election. The PTP was founded by Paetongtarn’s father Thaksin and is now in its third incarnation, Thaksin and…
- Crime News
Mafia chief nabbed by Carabinieri after three decades on the run
After 30 years on the run, Italy’s most-wanted mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro has been arrested in Sicily by the Carabinieri police. The 60 year old was detained in a private clinic in the Sicilian capital Palermo, where he was reportedly receiving treatment. Denaro is believed to be a leader of the notorious Cosa Nostra mafia and has been sentenced…
- Road deaths
Five men fatally injured as pickup hits tree in N Thailand
Police reported that five men were fatally injured and four sustained serious injuries after a pickup truck veered off a rural road at a bend and collided with a tree in the Non Thai district, Northern Thailand yesterday morning. According to police, Sergeant Major Phayungkiat Waisanthia, who is based at the 11th Infantry Division in Bangkok, was driving eight friends…
- Bangkok News
Potential homeowners need to show some financial frugality this year, says Bangkok property platform
One of Bangkok‘s largest property platforms is urging potential homeowners to show some financial frugality this year if they’re planning to invest in the real estate market. DDproperty.com pointed out that property prices and interest rates are rising and warned buyers to show some due diligence. DDproperty.com General Manager Wittaya Apirakviriya reckons residential prices will increase by 5-10%, in line…
- News
Lisa Marie Presley dies of suspected heart attack, aged 54
Lisa Marie Presley, the only daughter of rock and roll legend Elvis, died of a suspected heart attack in the early hours of this morning. She was 54 years old. Paramedics were sent to a Calabasas home at 10.37am (6.37am Thai time) after receiving a report of a woman in cardiac arrest, according to Craig Little, a spokesperson for the…
- Crime News
Another black life taken in US police custody
Three things are certain in life in the United States: day follows night, innocent people become fatal victims of random gunman attacks, and black people die in police custody. Already this year, three black men have lost their lives while in the hands of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). The latest black life to be lost while in LAPD…
- World News
Twitter staff in Singapore fired, more job losses in Asia predicted
Staff at Twitter‘s Singapore office were fired yesterday. Employees were told via email that they had to evacuate the CapitaGreen building premises by 5pm. An anonymous staff member informed the press that Singapore-based employees at Twitter have been temporarily reassigned to work remotely within the company’s internal system. According to a tweet by Casey Newton, the operator of the technology-focused…
- Covid-19 News
Chinese tourists won’t trigger increase in Covid-19 cases
The Department of Disease Control (DDC) reckons the influx of Chinese tourists will not trigger an increase in Covid-19 cases in Thailand but added the department will evaluate the status of coronavirus infections in two weeks’ time. DDC Director-General Dr Tares Krassanairawiwong revealed yesterday that the average daily number of cases is 900, and the number of Covid patients in…
- Tourism News
Govt to introduce 300 baht tourist fee in June
The government announced plans to introduce its long-mooted 300 baht tourist fee for foreign visitors in June. The tourism fee was originally planned to be imposed on foreign travellers at the beginning of last year but the idea was put on hold after the spread of the Covid-19 Omicron variant and details of how the government planned to collect the…
- Entertainment
Probe finally launched into mystery of missing Vatican girl after 40 years (video)
An inquiry into the mysterious disappearance of a teenage girl 40 years ago has been launched by the Vatican after a request by the girl’s family. The 15 year old girl’s vanishing in 1983 sparked a number of theories and has been the subject of a popular Netflix series called Vatican Girl in 2022. Emanuela Orlandi, the teenage daughter of a…
- Tourism News
Cabinet announces change to holiday calendar
The government yesterday announced a change to the Thai holiday calendar. Government spokesperson Traisuree Taisaranakul revealed the Cabinet has declared Friday, May 5, a special holiday, making it a four-day holiday for Coronation Day. The Cabinet agreed to change the date because this year’s Coronation Day falls on a Thursday, reported Bangkok Post. “The long holiday for Coronation Day will…
- Crime News
Police close unlicensed cannabis stalls in Pattaya
Pattaya Police swooped on unsuspecting cannabis stalls operating without a license in the Bang Lamung District at the weekend and closed them down. Officers closed five unlicensed cannabis shops, and arrested one man, after inspecting hundreds of stalls in Pattaya over the weekend, reported Pattaya Mail. Pattaya Police chief Pol. Col. Kullachart Kullachai and Dr Thongchai Lertwilairattanapong, director-general of the…
- Transport News
Thailand’s second-hand car sales industry predicted to rise modestly
The Association of Used Car (AUC) predicts the second-hand car market in Thailand will increase by 15% this year despite the ongoing shortage of semiconductors needed for the production of new vehicles. The worldwide shortage of semiconductors is exacerbated by a political game of cat and mouse between China and Taiwan. Taiwan is largely known as the semiconductor capital of…
