Tara Abhasakun
- South Thailand News
Unique durian in South Thailand gets geographical indication status
Unique durians from one South Thailand province have been given geographical indication (GI) status. A new addition to the exclusive club GI products, Durian Sadet Nam Yala, received official recognition from the Intellectual Property Department of Thailand. This move is expected to boost sales and increase income for local durian growers in the southern border province of Yala. Deputy Commerce…
- Guides
A guide to 5 romantic movies to watch on Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is coming up next week, and whether you’re taken or single, the holiday can be a good time to reflect on love, romance, and relationships. Those spending their Valentine’s Day with a special someone will appreciate movies with sweet love stories and happy endings. Meanwhile, single people might enjoy movies with darker storylines, and reminders that they’re not…
- Crime News
Authorities investigate mass haircut punishment at northern Thailand school
Thai authorities are investigating after a video surfaced on social media showing a school teacher in the northern Phetchabun province cutting the hair of over 100 students on Tuesday as punishment for violating haircut rules. Education Minister Trinuch Thienthong ordered state agencies to investigate the school director and teacher involved in the incident. Trinuch said the behaviour of the teacher…
- Pattaya News
Wild boar creates chaos in Pattaya, still on the loose
A wild boar created chaos in Pattaya yesterday, attracting widespread attention on social media. The massive animal, estimated to weigh between 200-300 kilograms, was spotted roaming around the city at 7.30pm on February 7. The beast was also seen swaggering around Big C Extra in central Pattaya as if it owned the joint. Despite the best efforts of Sawang Boriboon…
- Thailand News
Thailand Volleyball Association says players in Turkey are safe from earthquake
The Thailand Volleyball Association released a statement yesterday saying that two volleyball players competing in Turkey are safe from the earthquake there. This was after a 7.8 magnitude quake and its powerful aftershocks toppled hospitals, apartment blocks, and buildings in Turkey. Yesterday’s statement from the Thailand Volleyball Association said the association’s president had contacted both players who were in Turkey.…
- Phuket News
Phuket Police help Russian woman get her pricey diamond earrings back
Phuket Police helped a Russian woman get her pricey diamond earrings back yesterday after she accidentally left them at a guesthouse at Nai Yang Beach last month. The woman, 42 year old Elena Zholobetskaia, realised that her 70,000 baht earrings were missing while she was travelling in Koh Samui, after she had already checked out of the guesthouse, The Phuket…
- Phuket News
Phuket fishing crew missing since last month
Crew members of a fishing boat in Phuket have been missing since last month. The boat, named Soi Sakun Petch, was captained by Roong Luekamwong and had three other crew members on board, including one Thai national and two Myanmar nationals. According to the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command, the boat had set out to fish in the Southwest…
- Pattaya News
Blaze guts Chon Buri police training centre
A blaze gutted a police training centre in Thailand’s eastern province of Chon Buri on Sunday night. The large fire broke out at the Provincial Police Training Center Region 2. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries. Firefighter units from Chon Buri’s main city district were quickly dispatched to the two-storey training centre located on Soi Khao Noi in Ban Suan…
- Economy News
Thailand’s Valentine’s Day spending expected to jump for first time in 5 years
Thailand’s Valentine’s Day spending is expected to jump for the first time in five years this year, according to a survey by the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC). Spending is expected to hit over 2.4 billion baht this year, the survey said. The survey shows a 57.1% increase in spending compared to last year, with the majority…
- Koh Samui News
Speedboat engulfed in flames sinks off Koh Samui, Thailand
A speedboat engulfed in flames sank off Thailand’s island of Koh Samui last night. According to the Thailand Maritime Enforcement Command Centre (Thai-MECC), the boat caught fire near the Bang Rak boat pier in tambon Bo Phut of Koh Samui district, at around midnight. The emergency response team arrived at the scene and found the two-engine speedboat, named the Silver…
- Crime News
Former Thai lawyer allegedly involved in romance scam
A former Thai lawyer was allegedly involved in a romance scam. Police in the central Samut Prakan province caught the suspect, 43 year old Pongsakorn Supakornmongkolchai, in front of a gold shop on Sukhumvit Road in the main city district on Friday. The arrest was made by a joint effort of the Police Cyber Taskforce unit 5 and the Metropolitan…
- Environment News
Russian tourists lend a hand by cleaning Koh Samui beach
A group of Russian tourists demonstrated their environmental responsibility this week by lending a hand to clean up a beach on Koh Samui. On the morning of January 31, a group of Russian tourists helped to collect garbage from Baan Mae Nam Beach before enjoying their day swimming, sunbathing, and exercising. The Phuket Express reported the cleanup yesterday. The tourists found a…
- World News
US military shoots down Chinese spy balloon
The US military shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon over the Atlantic Ocean off the Eastern Seaboard of the United States yesterday according to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. President Joe Biden approved the operation, which resulted in a diplomatic fallout between Washington and Beijing. The balloon was first spotted in the sky over Montana earlier in the week and…
- Environment News
Thai officials provide safety guidelines for students, school staff amidst pollution
As Thailand continues to grapple with the ongoing air pollution crisis, officials provided guidelines for students and school staff. Yesterday, the Ministry of Education provided school safety guidelines for students and staff to protect themselves from PM2.5. The guidelines include: avoiding outdoor activities for extended periods, wearing face masks when outdoors, wearing long-sleeved shirts, taking showers or washing skin after…
- Pattaya News
Raging fire at Pattaya condo sends hundreds evacuating
A raging fire at a Pattaya condo sent hundreds evacuating in the early hours of this morning. Over 200 residents of the Amazon Residence Condominium were evacuated, and at least five people were injured. The condo is located on Soi Wat Boon Kanjanaram 5 in the Nong Prue sub-district of Bang Lamung. Four people suffered smoke inhalation, and one foreign…
- Crime News
Phuket police bust Nigerian overstayers
Phuket police busted Nigerian overstayers in at least two areas of the island province yesterday. Officers from Phuket Immigration and the Phuket Tourist Police caught the group of four men in Chalong and Rawai. Phuket Tourist Police Deputy Chief Lieutenant Colonel Ekachai Siri said that “good citizens” had alerted police that the men were involved in illegal activities such as…
- Environment News
Haze Pollution Forces School Closures in Bangkok
Haze pollution is devastating Thailand’s capital city of Bangkok, and forced several schools to close yesterday. Schools such as Chulalongkorn University Demonstration Secondary School and Jindabamrung School temporarily closed their doors due to the respiratory impact on students and announced reopening on Monday. The Education Ministry has established coordination centres to monitor the PM2.5 situation and schools can exercise discretion…
- Crime News
Police bust Belarusian man in Phuket for allegedly stealing cash, crypto from Russians
UPDATE Police busted a Belarusian man in Phuket who allegedly helped to steal tens of thousands of dollars in cash and cryptocurrency from Russians in the island province. The man, 36 year old Georgi Gavrylchyk, was allegedly part of a group of three suspects who attacked two Russians on Soi Cherng Talay 16 for US$20,000 in cash, and US$25,000 in a crypto…
- Pattaya News
Police nab Chon Buri meth dealers after trying to sell via Facebook
In a recent sting operation, police nabbed two drug dealers on Wednesday with 63,500 meth pills in Chon Buri’s Sattahip district. The police were able to track the two suspects from their Facebook account “Nooka,” and set up a rendezvous with the suspects to lure them in for the arrest. The first suspect, 28 year old Chotiwat “Nook” Koomsonklin, was…
- Tourism News
South Thailand’s hotel industry booming with increased tourist arrivals
South Thailand is seeing a resurgence in tourism, with room bookings in hotels reaching 85%, according to Sueksit Suwandissakun, the president of the Southern Hotel Association. This is a positive sign for the industry, which has been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic over the past year. Many hotels in popular tourist areas are already fully booked, with the majority of…
- Tourism News
Bangkok’s New Chinatown comes back to life as Chinese tourists flock back
Bangkok‘s New Chinatown is once again buzzing with life as Chinese tourists flock back to the bustling neighbourhood after a two-year lull due to the pandemic. Stretching from Huai Khwang intersection to Pracha Uthit Road, New Chinatown (not to be confused with the original Chinatown in the Yaowarat area) is a hub of activity with eateries, shops, and street stalls…
- Thailand News
Manchester City Takes on the Far East: Tour of Thailand and Japan in Mid-July
Manchester City, the reigning Premier League champions, are embarking on a journey to Asia as part of their preparations for the upcoming season. The tour, expected to take place in mid-July, will cover both Thailand and Japan, marking their first trip to the Far East since the outbreak of the pandemic. Sportsmail UK reported that the club has already planned…
- Crime News
Thieves rob Phuket 7-Eleven a day before it closes down
Two thieves robbed a 7-Eleven in Phuket on Tuesday, just a day before it was set to close down. The two men snatched 1,826 baht from the store’s two female staff at gunpoint, The Phuket News reported. Thalang Police arrived at the scene and reviewed the CCTV footage. The footage showed two men on a motorbike circling the store twice…
- Tourism News
Phuket looks to entice more low-cost Saudi flights
Thailand’s renowned paradise of Phuket is looking to entice more low-cost Saudi flights to the island province. The Phuket Tourist Association said in a Facebook post yesterday that it sent a delegation to meet with a low-cost Saudi airline last week. The delegation met with the airline, Flynas, at Flynas’s headquarters in Saudi Arabia on January 25. The delegation gave…
- Pattaya News
Intoxicated Chon Buri man stabs himself in front of terrified passersby
An intoxicated Chon Buri man repeatedly stabbed himself in front of terrified passersby in the Sri Racha district yesterday. A local meatball vendor said the man, 54 year old Somchai, walked up to his shop while intoxicated, grabbed a knife from him, and stabbed himself in the abdomen four times. The vendor, Chaovalit Somsri, said that before Somchai started stabbing…
- Thailand News
Thai fisheries department introduces unique new clownfish breed
The Thai fisheries department introduced a unique new clownfish breed. The new breed, called Gold x Thunder Maroon, is a cross between the Gold Nugget Maroon and Thunder Maroon clownfish. Gold x Thunder Maroon clownfish have maroon-spotted white sides. They grow to a maximum length of 17 centimetres. Males of the species can reproduce at six months old, while females can…
- Phuket News
Residents find first leatherback turtle eggs in Phang Nga village in 2 years
Residents in a Phang Nga village found some buried leatherback turtle eggs for the first time in two years. The locals of Koh Kor Khao village in Takua Pa district were delighted to find the nest on Sunset Beach on Tuesday. Luckily, the eggs had not been impacted by seawater or poor weather conditions. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya’s new police chief pledges to prioritise tourists’ safety
Pattaya has a new police chief in town. The new chief, Pol. Col. Thanapong Phothi, pledged to prioritise tourists’ safety when he joined Pattaya Police Station yesterday. A crowd of police officers, city officials, and business people happily welcomed Thanapong. Thanapong is a long-time Pattaya dweller, who has previously served in other roles in and around the city. He said…
- Tourism News
Thailand is most searched destination for Chinese Airbnb guests
Thailand is the most searched destination for Chinese Airbnb guests. According to Airbnb’s data, the Land of Smiles was the most searched spot for Chinese travellers within 24 hours of the government’s announcement on December 26, 2022, to lift inbound quarantine requirements. The entire list of the top 10 search destinations for Chinese tourists includes: Thailand US UK Japan Australia Canada…
- World News
German-Iraqi woman allegedly kills doppelganger to fake her own death
A German-Iraqi woman allegedly killed her doppelganger in order to fake her death. The bizarre murder story circled world news on Tuesday. The woman, identified as 23 year old Sharaban K., allegedly scoured through Instagram to search for a doppelganger as part of a plan to stage her death. Sharaban, a beauty blogger and web influencer based in Munich, came…
