- Phuket News
Officials arrest 18 in Phuket gambling bust
Officials arrested 18 people in a gambling bust in Phuket’s Thalang district on Monday. The eight men and ten women were caught at a gambling den in a house in the Thep Kasattri sub-district. The officials received complaints about an illegal gambling network in the area and acting on the information officers brought the suspects to Thalang Police Station. The suspects…
- World News
North Korean defector’s remains found in South Korea
The remains of a North Korean defector have been found in South Korea. Seoul police said a public housing company last week sent workers to visit the woman’s apartment after she had missed multiple rent payments, and could not be contacted. The workers found the woman’s decomposing remains in her apartment. The body of the woman, who was in her…
- Pattaya News
Tourists flock to Pattaya seafood festivals over long weekend
Tourists flocked to two seafood festivals in Pattaya over the three-day weekend. The Central Pattaya shopping mall held the “Sea Bear” food festival, bringing in income for vendors. There was also a seafood festival at Terminal 21 shopping mall, which saw hundreds of vacationers stopping by, Pattaya Mail reported. The festival had planned to feature street food vendors from across…
- Bangkok News
Hundreds of Chinese citizens arrested in Bangkok drug party raid
Thailand appears to be struggling a bit in its quest to draw in “high-quality tourists.” Bangkok police arrested hundreds of Chinese citizens at a raid on a drug party in the Sathorn area early this morning. The police busted a total of 266 people at a karaoke venue on Charoen Rat Road. 237 of the busted partiers were Chinese nationals,…
- Crime News
Investigators find note from gunman after US school shooting
UPDATE In the aftermath of the horrific shooting at a US school on Monday, investigators have found a handwritten note from the gunman. The gunman, 19 year old Orlando Harris, killed two people and injured seven others at the Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in St. Louis on Monday. Harris ended up being shot dead in a gunfight…
- Tourism News
Long weekend in Thailand draws tourists to natural sites
Thailand’s recent three-day weekend drew tourists to some of the country’s most beautiful natural sites. Over 10,000 people ventured to Thailand’s highest mountain peak, Chiang Mai’s Doi Inthanon, according to officials there. Tourists visited a number of other natural sites as well. In the western Kanchanaburi province, a tourism business operator said the tourist influx in Sangkhla Buri district over the…
- Phuket News
Temporary field hospital opens after road collapse in Patong
After a road collapsed on Phuket’s Patong hill last week, health officials have worked to set up a temporary field hospital. The Kathu Field Hospital opened yesterday at the Kathu Public Park, as a result of a partnership between the Phuket Provincial Public Health and Patong Hospital. The temporary field hospital is open from Monday to Friday from 8.30am to…
- South Thailand News
A rare flowering plant species found in South Thailand
Researchers have found a rare flowering plant species in southern Thailand’s Narathiwat province. A team of biology researchers from Chiang Mai University found the plant in an evergreen forest in Janae and Sukhirin districts. The rare flowering plant belongs to the Annonaceae family, with the scientific name Phaenthuspiyae Wiya, Aongyong & Chaowaskul. The organisation Thailand Science Research and Innovation described…
- World News
Air strike hits concert in Myanmar, at least 50 killed
Myanmar’s civil war appears to have no end in sight. An air strike killed at least 50 people at a concert in Kachin State yesterday, several news outlets reported. The concert had been held to celebrate the anniversary of the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO). The number of casualties is believed to be the highest in a single air attack ever…
- Tourism News
Tourism officials plan Loy Krathong events for 6 Thai provinces
The Thai holiday of Loy Krathong is coming up, and tourism officials are planning events in six provinces. Known as Thailand’s festival of lights, Loy Krathong is one of the biggest celebrations on the Thai calendar. This picturesque festival is a time for people to gather around rivers, canals, ponds, lakes, and other bodies of water to release lotus-shaped rafts…
- Krabi News
VIDEO: Krabi resident secretly films gambling den
A resident in Krabi’s main city district secretly filmed a gambling den, Thai media reported on Sunday. The blurry footage shows a crowd of people in a big house around a table. The video recorder said the house belongs to a former politician, although they did not specify who. However, some gamblers insisted that said the house belongs to a…
- Crime News
“Big Joke” says Pattaya Pool villa victims might have been involved in drugs
UPDATE There’s been yet another twist in the ongoing Pattaya pool villa shooting story. The Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn, held a press conference about the incident yesterday morning. Surachate said the victims of the shooting might have been involved in drugs, The Pattaya News reported. Surachate discovered illegal substances in their systems after…
- Phuket News
Official says Patong road will need seven days of temporary repair work once rain stops
UPDATE A Phuket official said yesterday that it would take seven days of temporary repair work before the road to Patong Hill is ready to use again. The official said the repair work can start once the rain stops. This news comes after the road suffered two landslides on Wednesday and Thursday. Phuket Highway Director Yutthana Pitak told The Phuket…
- Lifestyle
Why is Diwali important to Indians? The mythology behind the festival
You might have heard of India’s “festival of lights” known as Diwali. Many photos show people who celebrate by holding colourful lanterns, or lighting candles. But what exactly is the festival celebrating? What do the lights symbolise? This year’s Diwali festival is coming up on Monday, October 24, and if you have Indian friends, it might be helpful to understand…
- Tourism News
This South Thailand province’s unexpected beauty will wow you
“We hope to put Pattani on the world tourist map,” tour operator Fareeda Abdullah told Bernama. South Thailand’s Pattani province is not the first place people usually imagine for a holiday getaway. The province often makes headlines for sectarian tensions. But Pattani has an up-and-coming tourism industry. The province boasts breathtaking nature, including a beautiful mangrove forest in the Yarang…
- Phuket News
Officials to seek approval for late closing times in Phuket
Are later closing times finally coming to Phuket? Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports plans to test a 4am closing time on several tourist hotspots, including Phuket’s Bang La Walking Street in Patong, Nation Thailand reported. The ministry will soon seek approval from the Thai Cabinet for the pilot project there, Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn announced yesterday. Other…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya pool villa suspect’s girlfriend claims boyfriend just came to look around
UPDATE The girlfriend of one of the five Pattaya pool villa suspects claims her boyfriend was just there to look around. The unnamed girlfriend told Pattaya Police that her boyfriend “Rang,” was not involved in the shooting or assault, but was only there to look around because he was a friend of the suspects. Rang’s girlfriend claimed that Rang had…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya pool villa gunmen surrender
UPDATE The five gunmen who allegedly opened fire at a Pattaya pool villa on Tuesday last night surrendered to police, The Pattaya News reported. The first three men to turn themselves in were 23 year old Saralan “Top” Yodthat, 24 year old Boonrit “Chooi” Chitma, and 29 year old Jirarot “Rang” Wattana. Police seized a Glock 19 handgun and two…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya’s efforts to get tough on graffiti not going so well
Pattaya’s efforts to get tough on graffiti don’t appear to be going so well. The city’s Deputy Mayor Manote Nongyai promised on September 30 that he would go after vandals and people plastering advertisements on public property. Nongyai had said that electrical transformer cabinets around Pattaya were being defaced by spray paint and advertisements. But three weeks on, the intended…
- World News
Iran making moves to help train Russian forces, US sources say
US intelligence sources say Iran is making moves to help train Russian forces in Crimea, CNN reported. The Islamic Republic sent military personnel to Crimea, a territory occupied by Russia, according to two intelligence sources. The sources say Iran’s military personnel are training Russia’s military on the use of Iranian-made drones. This news comes after Russia launched “kamikaze drones” into…
- Phuket News
Phuket police say residents should avoid Patong
Phuket’s floods are continuing to ravage the island province. Phuket police are urging residents to stay at home unless they have an emergency. The police also say that Phuket dwellers should avoid going to Patong, The Phuket Express reported. The road leading to Patong Hill suffered from a landslide last night, and another one this morning. Police had to redirect…
- Pattaya News
Residents shocked by fire on Pattaya soi
Residents and tourists were shocked by a fire that broke out in Pattaya yesterday. The fire started after an excavator got tangled with cable wires on Soi Buakhao 15, The Pattaya News reported. A witness said the excavator had been working on a drainage project on the soi when its arm got tangled in the wires above it. Firefighters managed…
- Crime News
New Zealand gangster arrested in Thailand handed to FBI
UPDATE The New Zealand gangster who was arrested in central Thailand has now been handed over to the FBI for prosecution, Thai police said yesterday. The gangster, 43 year old Shane Ngakuru, had been on the run from the FBI and New Zealand Police. Ngakuru is a high-ranking member of the Comancheros Motorcycle Club gang. He was allegedly involved in…
- Pattaya News
“Big Joke” says he needs 2 more days to catch Pattaya pool villa gunmen
UPDATE The Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn, says he needs just two more days to catch the five gunmen who allegedly opened fire at a Pattaya pool villa yesterday morning. Surachate visited the scene of the crime yesterday and reviewed CCTV footage. He said he already knew the identities of the gunmen, and they…
- Thailand News
Amazon Web Services to invest billions of dollars in Thailand
Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced on Monday that it plans to invest billions of dollars in Thailand over the next 15 years. AWS, Amazon’s cloud computing division, plans to invest $US5 billion (about 190 billion baht) in Thailand during that time. AWS will carry out the investment in phases. In the first phase, 20 billion baht will be invested immediately,…
- World News
Israel reportedly scared Australia might recognise Palestinian state
Israel is reportedly scared that Australia might recognise a Palestinian state. This news comes after Australia yesterday flip-flopped on its 2018 decision to recognise West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. An Israeli official has now linked Australia’s recent reversal to Israel’s concerns that the left-wing Australian government could follow up by recognizing a Palestinian state, The Times of Israel reported. The…
- Northern Thailand News
Locals search for missing crocs in northeast Thailand
Residents of northeast Thailand’s Khon Kaen province are on the hunt for a pair of missing crocodiles in the main city district. The two missing crocs are part of a group of four that went missing from a flood-stricken farm. A team of locals led by the headman of Nong Tum sub-district found one croc in a paddy field earlier…
- Northern Thailand News
Prayut sets “drug free” goal for Thai province where massacre happened
Thailand’s PM Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday set a goal for the northeastern Nong Bua Lamphu province, where the horrific October 6 massacre happened, to become “drug free” within 30 days. A government spokesperson told the Associated Press that Prayut had ordered relevant agencies to implement measures related to drug abuse and trading. Agencies have been instructed to monitor several areas of…
- Pattaya News
5 men allegedly open fire at Pattaya pool villa
Five men allegedly opened fire at a Pattaya pool villa this morning. The suspects reportedly entered the villa located on Jomtien Second Road and fired shots at several parked vehicles. They also allegedly beat up a man, The Pattaya News reported. Before the alleged shooting, a man knocked on the door of one of the villa’s tenants, asked the renters…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya’s latest gold thief flees to Sri Racha
UPDATE Pattaya’s latest gold thief has fled to the Sri Racha district of Chon Buri, according to Pattaya Police. This news comes after the thief on Sunday managed to steal a gold necklace and ring worth 46,000 baht from a woman. Police Chief Colonel Kunlachart Kunlachai told The Pattaya News that police traced the crook’s motorcycle route using CCTV footage.…
