- Phuket News
Day Two – Phuket reports no fatalities
Day Two (April 12) of the “Seven Dangerous Days” in Phuket ended without any fatalities keeping the island without any fatalities for the Songkran reporting period. The Department of Disaster Prevention & Mitigation is making daily announcements declaring the statistics for the last 24 hours. But there were five accidents on the island’s roads including three in the Muang District…
- News
Songkran storms on the way for the Northern and Central regions
Songkran is the time to farewell the hot season and welcome in the forthcoming wet season but the actual weather is wasting no time getting in on the celebrations. The Thai Meteorological Department is warning people in the Central and Northern parts of the country to brace for another round of summer storms from April 15-18. In an announcement yesterday…
- News
Murder, rape, dead bodies in pools – The toll of dead young British tourists visiting Thailand
PHOTO: Luke Miller (left) was found dead at the bottom of a pool in Koh Tao in 2016 Why is there a mounting toll of young Brits dying, often in mysterious circumstances, in Thailand? 60 or so unexplained, or poorly explained, deaths in just 24 months actually. Britian’s Daily Mail Online has dug deep into the vault of strange disappearances and…
- Thai Life
The spirit of Songkran – Ajarn Pranee
By Pranee Sakulpipatana, AKA Ajarn Pranee Songkran is one of the happiest festivals celebrated by Thais. When I was young and lived in Phuket, I always found the Songkran celebrations in other provinces such as Chiang Mai to be very unique and beautiful. Over the years Phuket has grown into a hub filled with Thais from all corners of the…
- Thai Life
Developers rush to provide better retirement options in Thailand
Retiring in Thailand has always been a double-edged sword – on one hand the lifestyle, inexpensive living and culture. On the other, the prospect of lonely later years without the trampoline safety of adequate healthcare and services. But there are now a growing list of companies looking to address the needs of the growing expat and retiree population attracted to…
- News
- News
Manhunt on for six suspects in the Sungai Golok attacks
Army offices and local police are now hunting down six men for suspected involvement in last night’s attacks in Narathiwat. The six men are suspected of being involved in bomb explosions at three residential areas in Sungai Golok district, injuring 13 people. (Sungai Golok is the last town in Thailand before you cross over the Malaysian border) Police also note…
- News
Thailand’s zoo horrors captured by British photographer
PHOTO: Aaron Gekoski A British photographer has had a sickening series of photos published in thesun.co.uk after witnessing what he described as “a wildlife house of horrors”. 37 year old environmental photojournalist Aaron Gekoski says he witnessed the shows on a tour of Thailand’s zoos and will now campaign for more restrictions over the industry. In the article he claims……
- Health
On time – cultural differences in being punctual
How late is late? Is being 5 minutes late, late? 10 minutes? An hour? Depending on where you live and a number of other cultural factors, the definition of being late can be quite different around the world. In Japan your lateness can be measured in unites whilst in Thailand and parts of southern Europe you will get a solid…
- Thai Life
Ka Villa, Rawai – Own your dream pool villa in Phuket
The luxury villas in a quiet soi near Laem Ka Beach have been a popular success for investors and those looking for a dream lifestyle in Rawai, Phuket. If you’ve ever wanted to own a dream property in Phuket, Thailand, Ka Villa can help make that dream become a reality. Walking distance to the golden sand swimming beach of Laem…
- Thai Life
VietJet introduces more flights in Thai skies – BKK to Krabi
Thai Vietjet has launched a new service between Bangkok Suvarnabhumi and Krabi with 2 flights daily. The fully booked inaugural flight VZ340, operated by new aircraft Airbus A320 wearing “Amazing Thailand” tourism logo landed safely yesterday morning at Krabi international Airport with a full water canon salute. All passengers and flight crew were greeted with flower garlands from Krabi Governor…
- Thai Life
Dusit rolls out the new ASAI brand
Thailand’s Dusit Hotels and Resorts is rolling our a new ASAI brand which is reportedly aimed at millennial curious-minded travellers promising ‘authentic local experiences in vibrant cities and resort destinations worldwide’. Set to officially launch in the opening quarter of 2019 with its first hotel in Bangkok’s renowned Chatuchak Market, ASAI Hotels embraces a sustainable, community-focused concept, with each property…
- News
Confidence riding high – Thai economy continues to surpass forecasts
Confidence is riding high according to the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking. They report that the private sector remains confident about Thailand’s economic growth of 4.5% being maintained as exports and tourism continue to rise. But the Committee warns that the private sector is being spooked by potential fall out from the ramping up of trade disputes…
- News
Arms smuggler or getting ready for a crime? Songkhla resident nabbed in Satun.
PHOTO: Thai PBS A 35 year old resident old has been arrested for being found in possession of a submachine gun and 4,500 rounds of ammunition. He was nabbed at a checkpoint in Satun. Police thought he was behaving suspiciously so checked the back of his pick-up and discovered the cache of ammunition hidden in the spare tyre compartment. Along…
- Thai Life
The Tourist Authority of Thailand comes out of the closet
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has introduced a new marketing campaign “Open to the New Shades”, a tourist-friendly platform for the TAT to finally come out of the closet and target the so-called ‘pink dollar’, the LGBT travel community. Indeed, the TAT have virtually burst out of the closet, complete with feathers, sequins and drag shows, as “Presenting Partner…
- Thai Life
Phuket’s new Smart Bus service
PHOTO: John Walker/iStockphoto The photos, the news, the hope. News of Phuket’s new Smart Bus service has reached all the way to international travel bogs so it must be right. Right?! “Phuket is a world tourism destination drawing a large number of travellers, but still lacks proper public transportation,” Watchara Jaruariyanon from Phuket City Development said at the launch of…
- News
Driver says fire started in luggage compartment – Tak bus tragedy
A news story from Thai Residents is saying that the driver of a tour bus in Tak which was completely destroyed by fire and killed 20 Burmese workers and injured 3 others, claims a cigarette butt which got into the luggage compartment sparked the blaze. His claim has not been confirmed by forensic police at this stage. 47 passengers, all…
- Health
Thailand regional Number Two in ‘new fatties’
PHOTO: BFM TV Thailand is become a country of fatties, certainly when compared to the average Thai 20 years ago and in relation to the other countries around us. A study called ‘Obesity in Thailand and its Economic Cost Estimation’ by the ADB Institute shows that Thailand now ranks Number Two in ASEAN countries when it comes to people suffering…
- News
French tourist dies after visit to Emerald Cave in Trang
A French tourist has died during a visit to the Emerald Cave on Koh Muk in the Trang province. 62 year old Jose Michel Rusebeker was reported by Daily News to be on a trip with his wife when he fainted whilst in the cave. Despite efforts of another person in the tour, tour crew and park rangers, he was…
- News
Six sentenced to death over last year’s Krabi murder of eight family members
PHOTO: The Worayuth Sunglung family murdered over a Land Deed argument in Krabi last year The Krabi Provincial Court has sentenced “Bang Fut” and five others to death for the execution-style murders of eight members of the one family in Krabi that shocked the country last year. The ruling of the court was overseen by the Royal Thai Police commissioner…
- News
Road-resurfacing in Kathu leaves traffic hazard
Good news for people driving around the Kathu Ring Road (specifically the section going past the Loch Palm Golf Course entrance), the roads are being resurfaced from the entrance of Soi Namtok to near the entrance of Loch Palm Gof Course today (Monday). Bad news, the roadmakers have left a 8-12 cm gap between the surface of the road and…
- News
Bus driver admits taking methamphetamine before fatal journey
The 44 year old driver (reported to be 45 in other media) of the bus which crashed in Nakhon Rachasim on Wednesday night, killing 18, was arrested in roadside buses where police found him hiding after he fled the crash-scene as emergency responders dragged the dead bodies from the wreckage. Krissana Juthachuen has admitted that he used methamphetamine to keep…
- Thai Life
Phuket gets Number Two in list of Top Asian Destinations
The trip advisor list of Asia’s top 25 destinations is in. Good news… Thailand has five locations in the Top 25 reader-voted list. Bad news, Thailand’s not Number One. The Indonesian island of Bali has come in Number One with Phuket in Number Two spot. Hanoi in Vietnam is in Number 3, Cambodia’s Siam Reap Number 5 and the mega-city…
- Thai Life
Milestone complete for upscale MontAzure on Kamala Beach
The developers of MontAzure, the upscale residential resort community on the west coast of Phuket gathered in Kamala with the joint venture partners to celebrate the completion of the main structure at its unique beachfront condominium development, Twinpalms Residences MontAzure. Designed to take full advantage of its unrivalled oceanfront location, the development comprises a series of low-rise clusters set amid…
- News
Soi Dog calls for probe after temple dog poisoning
Soi Dog Foundation (SDF) today called for a full investigation into the poisoning of dogs and puppies in front of children at a school and on temple grounds in Nakhon Sri Thammarat province, and called for an end to such atrocities. Video of the killings has gone viral on Facebook, with more than a million views by today. The SDF…
- News
Van carrying Swedish tourists smashes into truck in Phang Nga
Just one day after a double fatality in a tour bus in Phang Nga (story HERE) another passenger van has crashed into the back of a 10 wheel truck on the Phetkasem highway in the Takua Thung district, Phang Nga. The truck was carrying seven Swedish tourists, three have been injured. Yesterday, a passenger van carrying Chinese tourists crashed into…
- Thailand News
Whoops. Billboard faux pas in The Philippines.
It was bound to happen sooner or later. This time someone snapped the OMG moment so we can all share the embarrassment of the Executive Building Centre in The Philippines. A pornographic video was aired on one of the digital billboards flagging the Executive Building Centre in Makati Avenue, Makati City yesterday, around 2 p.m. The spectacle was captured by a…
- News
Rabies: Genuine outbreak or misinformed panic?
By Phuket’s Soi Dog Foundation Over the past few weeks, rabies has dominated social media in Thailand. The debate has been covered – and in some cases inflamed – by the traditional print and broadcast media across the country. Some people are now advocating what has been described as “Set Zero”, a massive country-wide slaughter or impounding of all stray…
- News
Dual pricing. Fair or price gouging?
Photo TIT – This Is Thailand Facebook page Thailand’s dual pricing policy continues with, it seems, a completely random application of the system. In some places flashing your Work Permit might get you an exemption so you can pay local price but there is no consistency. What are your experiences with dual pricing? Do you think it’s fair? If we’re…
- News
Tourism set to rise 18% for this year’s Songkran
Songkran is on the way. That means water fights in the main tourist destinations around the country and Thais fleeing the cities and work locations to head back to their homes ‘upcountry’. With the official Songkran break starting on a Wednesday this year you can be assured that many will take the Monday and Tuesday off in that week and…
