Bob Scott
- Tourism News
Thailand’s economy grows but it still misses China’s cash
A new poll revealed Thailand’s economy grew at its fastest in a year over the last quarter but the kingdom’s outlook is still threatened by the high cost of living and China’s decision to maintain a zero-Covid-19 policy. The Thai economy grew largely because of tourism and the government’s decision to relax entry rules into Thailand such as the Thai…
- Thailand News
Thailand workers could earn over 100,000 baht in Saudi Arabia
Workers can expect to earn monthly salaries of over 100,000 baht when Saudi Arabia opens its doors to Thailand later this year Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin made it known yesterday that Thailand has agreed to fill the skilled and semi-skilled workers’ void in Saudi Arabia after the kingdoms patched up a 30-year feud. Saudi Arabia cut trade and diplomatic ties…
- Pattaya News
Mountain B victims to be compensated by Thailand govt
Families of victims of the Mountain B fire tragedy in Chon Buri last week will each receive 110,000 baht compensation from the government, the Thai Justice Minister announced. The tragedy claimed its 17th victim this morning, Lt. Cl. Palitdet Chumngern, a marine in the Royal Thai Navy, died at 7.54am at Sririraj Hospital. A Thai Ministry of Justice meeting yesterday…
- World News
Bangkok No.1 in Asia-Pacific for MICE destinations
A report by a consulting firm in international conferences ranked Bangkok as the No.1 place in the Asia-Pacific region for its power to leverage its knowledge leaders in international associations to attract international conventions. Australia-based GainingEdge released its latest report on “Leveraging Intellectual Capital” which shows that Bangkok has local knowledge leaders dominating positions on the boards of 194 international associations and that…
- Thailand News
Woman faces jail for trafficking girls after karaoke raid in Thailand
A Thai woman faces a ten-year prison term and a heavy fine after police raided a karaoke bar and found scantily-clad underage girls serving alcohol in the Lat Yao district of central Thailand. Acting on complaints from residents nearby, officers from the Department of Provincial Administration (DPA) law enforcement team burst into the Ran Theederm karaoke bar at Moo 11…
- Tourism News
Europeans lost in Koh Pha Ngan forest found by tourist police
An emergency rescue party managed to find two missing tourists lost in a Koh Phan Gan forest after receiving an emergency call last night. Koh Pha Ngan Tourist Police received a call on their 1155 emergency hotline at about 8pm last night from a Spanish man and a Belarussian woman saying they were lost and couldn’t find a way back…
- Thailand News
Thailand to consider Chinese engines for S26T Yuan submarine
The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) yesterday revealed it is considering buying Chinese-made engines for the S26T Yuan-class submarine after complications in purchasing the said technology from Germany. Thailand originally turned down the offer of using Chinese-made engines for the Chinese submarine the Thai Government approved to buy in 2017 in favour of using German-made engines. But since the German government…
- Economy News
US’s Chips & Science Act good news for Thailand’s car industry
The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) made it known yesterday that they feared China’s trade embargo with Taiwan would affect business in Thailand, particularly in the automobile industry. The FTI said the car industry was anxious China would deny Taiwan the raw materials Thailand needed to make semiconductors that the Thai transportation business is dependent on. Those fears remain in…
- Environment News
PM warns Thailand to brace itself for potential flooding
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha warned Thailand to brace itself for another deluge of water this month. The 68 year old PM ordered governors in provincial areas to prepare for potential flooding after weather forecasters predicted more heavy rainfall until the end of the month. Thailand witnessed a heavy taste of what is to come over the past 24 hours after…
- Thailand News
Thailand & China fighter jets take off on Falcon Strike drills
The Royal Thai Air Force yesterday reported it will resume a fighter jets exercise with China this weekend. The Falcon Strike exercise between Thailand and China was an annual event until it was postponed in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The drill has taken place four times since 2015 and takes flight once again on Sunday, August 14. It…
- Crime News
Police raid Chinese porn studio in Chon Buri, 4 arrested
A computer fraudulently bought by a Chinese man led police from Sattahip and Na Jomtien to raid a Chinese porn studio in mid-set in Chon Buri’s Sattahip district. Four suspects were arrested during the raid at the porn studio hidden in a pool villa in Sattahip district on Friday, August 5, including the 33 year old Chinese director Li, 24…
- Expats
Aussie man plunges to death from 17th floor of Pattaya hotel
A 41 year old Australian man fell to his death from the 17th floor of his hotel balcony in Pattaya yesterday. The man, believed to be Matthew Leigh Plant from Adelaide, checked into the View Talay 6 in central Pattaya just before 7am, and an hour later his body was found dead face down in the car park. Police and…
- Thailand News
Thai man dies of suspected heart attack in love motel
The dead body of a 62 year old Thai man was found yesterday in a love motel near Khlong Ta Ket community in tambon Paknam in Muang district. Police believe he died of a heart attack. Hotel staff found the dead body of the man, named only as Thawi, lying on the floor of the motel room at about 9.30pm.…
- Technology News
China-Taiwan-US spat threatens Thailand’s car industry
Thailand is bracing itself for an economic setback as China threatens to ban the export of raw materials to Taiwan needed for the kingdom’s motor industry. The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) yesterday said it fears China will deny Taiwan the raw materials needed to make semiconductors that the Thai automobile industry is dependent on. The FTI made it known…
- World News
55 tourists from Thailand go AWOL in South Korea
South Korean Immigration officials revealed that 55 Thai tourists have gone missing on Jeju Island. Some 280 Thai tourists entered South Korea last week through Jeju International Airport but 55 of them have gone AWOL Jeju Immigration Service announced that of the 697 Thai nationals who arrived at Jeju Airport from Bangkok through a direct Jeju Airlines flight between Tuesday…
- Crime News
Disgraced cop Joe Ferrari hasn’t repented says lawyer
The lawyer who leaked the video of disgraced cop Joe Ferrari murdering a drug suspect does not believe he has repented. The claim is in response to an announcement by Ferrari’s family yesterday who said the former high-profile police officer has acknowledged his part in the death of the drug suspect and accepted he will spend the rest of his…
- Covid-19 News
3 Covid-19 drug smugglers face 5 years in Thailand jail
Three smugglers face a five year prison sentence after trafficking 10 million baht worth of Covid-19 drugs into Thailand. The two women and one man were seized as part of a police sting for allegedly smuggling Favipiravir, Molnupiravir, and Remdesivir drugs from India. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reported that police officers confiscated about 80,000 pills from the suspects who…
- Visa Information
Thailand launches new 10-year visa to attract foreign experts
Thailand next month is launching a new 10-year visa to attract foreign experts to the country to boost industry and commerce. The Thai Board of Investment Deputy secretary-general Narit Therdsteerasukdi revealed the kingdom is looking to invite about one million skilled workers to develop and advance the nation’s economy, particularly in the electric vehicle, electronics, medicine, and defense industry. Narit…
- Property News
Survey names Lat Phrao as most desired district in Bangkok
A recent survey by Kaidee Property makes interesting reading for those interested in Bangkok’s real estate market. The online buying and selling platform revealed that during the first six months of this year Lat Phrao district was the most searched residential area in the capital, followed by Chatuchak, Bang Khae, Suan Luang, and Lat Krabang. Turns out these five areas…
- Politics News
Thailand backs ‘One China’ policy amid US Taiwan PR disaster
Thailand called for restraint between China and the United States amid Nancy Pelosi’s brief visit to Taiwan on Tuesday. It is unclear why the US House of Representatives Speaker met with Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-Wen in Taipei, other than yet another shit-stirring exercise by the US to provoke China into doing something rash. It almost had the desired effect. China’s…
- Crime News
Woman accuses bank of stealing 4 million baht in north Thailand
A Thai woman has accused a bank of stealing 4 million baht from her account in the Khemmarat district of Ubon Ratchathani Province in northeastern Thailand. Wanida Wantaprom yesterday filed a complaint at Khemmarat Police Station after money had been withdrawn from her account at the Kasikorn Bank, Central Rama 2 branch. The mother of one complained to her bank…
- Politics News
Thai PM denies he is jumping ship to join another political party
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday dismissed claims he is about to jump ship and join another political party. It has been a tumultuous few weeks for the leader of the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP). The PM survived the censure debate and a no-confidence vote a little over a week ago while political activists this week have called for the 68…
- Road deaths
Thailand second most dangerous place in the world to drive
Thailand has been ranked as the second most dangerous country to drive in according to a driver’s educational platform. Only South Africa is deemed to be a more dangerous place to drive than the Kingdom of Thailand with the US coming in third place. The Transport Ministry reported that there were 32,190 road accidents in 2020 and 2021 and that…
- Crime News
Suicidal cop shoots his wife & kills himself in central Thailand
A depressed police officer is believed to have shot and killed his wife before turning the gun on himself yesterday in Noen Maprang district, in central Thailand. The bodies of Police Lieutenant Somsak Taklom and his wife Nongluck were found dead at 9pm by duty officer Pol Lt Col Suparerk Chanmee at Sai Yoi police living quarters, in Noen Maprang…
- Pattaya News
Homeless Thai man turns to crime so he can get food in jail
With no prospects of a job, no home, and no money to buy food, an old man from Chon Buri turned to a life of crime so he could get fed and have a roof over his head… in prison. The 60 year old man called Pichit was arrested in the Sattahip district, Chon Buri province, at about 3.30pm on…
- World News
Singapore still refuses to recognise same sex marriage
The Catholic Church in Singapore sent a strong message to the LGBTQ+ fraternity yesterday stating that while it respects the community it still won’t recognise gay marriages. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore yesterday issued a statement saying the LGBTQ+ community should respect the rights of the Catholic Church to maintain its position on marriage – that a family comprises…
- World News
3 tourists from Thailand die in Laos road accident
Three tourists from Thailand were among six people killed and 18 injured in a road accident on a road in the Savannakhet province of Laos last night. The bus driver and two tour guides also died in the crash. The bus was bringing Thai tourists back from a four-day trip to Vietnam when it collided with an 18-wheel truck at…
- Politics News
Political activists demand Thai PM quits at the end of his tenure
Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha may have survived the vote of no confidence just over a week ago but the pressure is still on for him to stand down after a political activist group cranked up more opposition to his tenure. PM Prayut and 10 other cabinet ministers rode the political storm at the censure debate between July 19 and…
- Crime News
Naked couple found dead in deep grave in Northern Thailand
The bodies of an unnamed couple have been discovered in a freshly dug grave in Chok Chai district Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeastern Thailand. The man and woman were found on Thursday evening by a local villager who had been foraging in the woods. He stumbled over some freshly-dug soil covered with branches near Ban Don Lai village in tambon Tha…
- Politics News
Thailand Cabinet appoints a moral guardian
Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda probably breathed a sigh of relief yesterday as the Cabinet embarked upon a mini reshuffle. There was something of a mini coup against Anupong from within his party at last week’s censure debate and it was expected he would be replaced by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha after he received the most no-confidence votes with 212. But…