Bob Scott
- Crime News
Chadchart’s commitment to purging the metropolis of corruption
Newly elected governor Chadchart Sittipunt revealed he plans to stamp out corruption as part of his flagship “Bangkok’s Nine Good” policy. Corruption in Thailand has been a national issue for decades. The kingdom is ranked 110th out of 180 countries evaluated in Transparency International‘s 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index. The index examines public sector corruption, countries whose public sectors are perceived to be…
- Economy News
PM Prayut’s 3 trillion baht budget slammed ‘pointless’ by MFP leader
Opposition Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat has slammed PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s spending plans ahead of tomorrow’s budget bill as “pointless.” PM Prayut will defend the government’s 3.2-trillion-baht 2023 budget bill in a three-day House debate starting tomorrow, explain why the sum is so large and his spending plans for the fiscal year. But the MFP leader landed the first…
- Covid-19 News
Monkeypox is not a shingles mingle or side effect of Covid-19 vax
The current monkeypox outbreak has not yet caused mass hysteria throughout the globe but there is enough false information doing the rounds on social media to cause concern. The latest stories circulating on social media suggest the outbreak of monkeypox is in fact shingles, while some others believe the flare-up is due to an adverse effect of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccination,…
- Health
The WHO insist monkeypox is not “a gay disease’
World Health Organisation officials Monday revealed the outbreak of the monkeypox virus in Europe and the US “is primarily spreading through sex among men with around 200 confirmed and suspected cases across a dozen countries.” But today the WHO insist that the disease isn’t just isolated to one community. Andy Seale, from the WHO’s Department of Global HIV, Hepatitis and…
- World News
Thailand and Malaysia strengthen bilateral ties in bid to quell insurgency
Thailand and Malaysia have strengthened bilateral ties in a bid to bring peace to Thailand’s deep south. Defence Ministry spokesperson Lt Gen Kongcheep Tantravanich confirmed Malaysia will continue to support efforts to negotiate peace with insurgent groups in the deep South, principally the provinces of Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani which share borders with Malaysia. Lt Gen Kongcheep revealed Deputy PM…
- Crime News
Governor to drain the swamp with Bangkok’s criminal fraternity
Chadchart Sittipunt made over 200 pledges prior to his landslide election victory last Sunday with the economy, environment, and health, high on his list of priorities. And when the Bangkok governor-elect vowed to clean up the metropolis, he wasn’t kidding. The 56 year old’s four-year term as governor began in earnest this week and, his agreement to use criminals to…
- Eastern Thailand News
Driver cheats death after flying object smashes through windscreen
A 43 year old man driving in Chon Buri has escaped with his life after a steel bar crashed through his car windscreen. Motorist Tatsana Panon was knocked out unconscious after being struck in the head by a flying piece of steel approximately 50 centimetres before crashing his Nissan Navara on the Chon Buri bypass in Nong Maidang subdistrict of…
- World News
Saudi deal to inject ‘billions’ into Thai economy
Thailand is to welcome a delegation from oil-rich Saudi Arabia in July which could potentially inject “billions” into the nation’s economy. Board of Trade of Thailand Chairman Sanan Angubolkul yesterday revealed delegations from both the private and public sector of Saudi Arabia are scheduled to visit the kingdom from July 4-7 to discuss trade and investment between the two countries.…
- Politics News
UPDATE: Thai political activists left to rot in jail
UPDATE Tantawan “Tawan” Tuatulanon was granted bail by a Thai court today to get hospital treatment after falling seriously ill. The 20 year old activist was immediately rushed to hospital for treatment after the Criminal Court gave permission at 1:30pm for her to be released from custody and placed under house arrest as she awaits trial on charges that she insulted…
- Economy News
Thailand will not starve, says Commerce Minister
Deputy PM, and Commerce Minister, Jurin Laksanawisit, yesterday moved to ease fears of food shortages in Thailand on the back of recent protectionism measures introduced by neighbouring countries, export bans, and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict threatening to worsen world food supplies. Jurin declared Thailand has an “abundance of food” produce and there will be no shortages despite the recent embargos.…
- Thailand News
Teenage girl, ‘client’ arrested as Police rescue 2 minors in sex trafficking swoop
Undercover police yesterday swooped to arrest a teenage girl and her customer for procurement and engaging in sexual intercourse with a minor at a short-time hotel, in Muang district of Kanchanaburi, western Thailand. Police also rescued a teenage old girl held against her will as part of the investigation, who was allegedly forced to take illicit drugs and engage in…
- Crime News
UPDATE:Teenage gunman goes on rampage killing 19 children and 2 adults at a Texas primary school
UPDATE New information has come to light revealing that minutes before the attack at Robb Elementary School, which killed 19 pupils and two teachers, gunman, Salvador Ramos, texted a girl in Frankfurt, Germany, about his plans. Screenshots of messages show the suspect complaining to the German girl about his grandmother complaing about his mobile phone usage. “It’s annoying,” he texted,…
- Thailand News
Disability rights activist jailed for shaming a motorist parked in a disabled bay
A disability rights activist was jailed after posting a picture of a motorist occupying a parking spot reserved for disabled drivers and now faces up to two years in prison for libeling the man. Manit Intharapim uploaded a picture on his Facebook page of a Toyota Hilux Revo of what he thought was someone illegally occupying a disabled parking space…
- Thailand Election News
Bangkok governor-elect calls for calm and unity to get through the political storm
Chadchart Sittipunt has called for the citizens of Bangkok to put their differences to one side and come together in unity. The Bangkok governor-elect celebrated his 56th birthday yesterday with twin brother, Dr Chanchai Sittipunt, an associate professor and dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Chulalongkorn University, but still made time to send out a positive message amid squabbling…
- Crime News
Teenage gunman goes on rampage killing 19 children and 2 adults at a Texas primary school
Nineteen children and 2 adults have been shot dead at a Texas elementary school. The 18 year old gunman burst into the Robb Elementary School in the city of Uvalde just before noon on Tuesday, Texas time, and opened fire on students aged between 5 and 11, fatally shooting 19 victims before making his escape. The alleged shooter, identified by Texas…
- World News
Fowl play by Malaysian cartels forces government to ban export of poultry
The Malaysia government yesterday revealed it is banning the export of all poultry from the country while it investigates the illegal activity of cartels controlling the price and shipment of its produce. Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob made it known Malaysia will halt the exports of 3.6 million chickens a month from June 1, to investigate the cartel pricing allegations.…
- Crime News
Thailand defends human trafficking record
Thailand yesterday defended its human trafficking record and hit back at US accusations that the illegal transportation of people is a critical national problem. A Thai delegation, led by Chettaphan Maksamphan, director-general of the Department of American and South Pacific Affairs, met with US Department of State officials in Washington last week to discuss the matter ahead of the 2022…
- World News
Thai man held hostage by Laos bandits found dead in Mekong River
The body of a Thai man held hostage by Laos bandits has been fished out of the Mekong River. Kingpai Khattiyanond washed ashore in Muang district, Nakhon Phanom province on Sunday, where his dead, bloated, tattooed body was found bound and gagged. The 35 year old man was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and black trousers, his hands were tied…
- China News
Biden threatens military action against China
Not content with provoking Russia by having NATO troops camped all along the Ukraine borders, US President Joe Biden is threatening to do the same with China. Biden today threatened military action if China were to invade Taiwan, despite having few recently public-stated comments from Beijing to support his comments. The 79 year old says the burden to protect Taiwan is…
- Health
Thai consumers say no thank you to sugary drinks, they’re sweet enough
A recent report has revealed life is not sweet at all in Thailand’s coffee shops, supermarkets and malls, and that sugary drinks have left a bitter taste in the mouths of the nation’s ready-to-drink consumers. Research company Nielsen discovered, the ready-to-drink beverage market in Thailand dropped 2.6% year-on-year between April 2021 to March 2022, led by mixer products, whisky, energy…
- Tourism News
Love drugs found in hotel of Aussie man who plunged to his death
Thai police yesterday concluded there was no foul play involved in the death of Billy James Simmons who died Tuesday after he fell from his hotel room balcony. Local police in Phuket established after an investigation that the death of the 22 year old Australian was an accident. The Aussie backpacker was found dead on Tuesday evening around 10pm by…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand target reopening of bars on June 1
The Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha today sits down with a virus task force that includes the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration, and Ministry of Public Health to consider the reopening of pubs, bars and restaurants in Thailand’s green zones. A Ministry of Public Health source revealed that as the pandemic situation is getting better, health officials were contemplating introducing green…
- Things To Do
Thailand targets Europe’s big guns to boost tourism as lockdown rules out China
With China still under lockdown measures and showing no signs of opening up any time soon Thailand is focusing on the big spenders of Europe and India to boost tourism and its ailing economy. China was Thailand’s biggest source of tourists in the pre-Covid-19 era but with 40 cities still under lockdown it is unlikely the country will see any…
- Things To Do
Thai PM looks for Field of Dreams reaction on the back of new medical tourism hub
“If you build it, they will come,” so said Kevin Costner’s character in the 1989 movie Field of Dreams. And the Thai PM, Prayuth Chan-o-cha, plans to take a leaf out of the Field of Dreams’ story book and do something similar by building and promoting a medical tourism hub to attract more foreign visitors to the country post-pandemic. Thailand…
- Thailand News
Health and safety a priority as kids return to Bangkok schools after two turbulent years
The Thailand Ministry of Education yesterday allowed schools to reopen their doors for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the nation in 2020 in line with the government’s transition to living with Covid as an endemic disease. Some children celebrated their return to school in style in Tak province, northern Thailand, taxied in by elephants, as reported in…
- Tourism News
Mixed fortunes for Thai Airways but nation’s flag carrier confident of financial take off
Financial figures released yesterday by Thai Airways International revealed mixed fortunes for the Bangkok-based airline. Thailand’s flag carrier airline declared a net loss of nearly 3.4 billion baht on revenue of 11.2 billion baht in Q1, an improvement on the 11.2 billion baht net loss from the same period last year, but on the positive side the company also noted…
