- Thailand Weather Updates
Chiang Mai hailstorm brings down power poles and billboards
A hailstorm in Chiang Mai brought down power poles and billboards yesterday. Hailstones were reportedly the size of baht coins. According to Matichon, the entire downtown area was covered with hailstones as the rain continued to fall. The strong winds started around 3.30 pm, followed by a downpour of hailstones and rain, and then another wave of hail. Locals and…
- Phuket News
Foreign owner of Patong bar in trafficking scandal flees thailand
UPDATE The foreign owner of the Patong bar at the centre of a recent sex trafficking scandal fled Thailand to Laos, according to the Deputy Commander of the Royal Thai Police, Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn. Big Joke arrived in Phuket yesterday to follow up on the case. He said the bar is related to a network of bars in Bangkok…
- Phuket News
Tourists rescued from capsized boat headed for Phuket
Tourists were rescued from a capsized boat headed for Phuket from Koh Lanta yesterday. The boat capsized in the Andaman Sea near Koh Ma. Marine police and officials from the Hat Nopparat Thara National Park rushed to rescue the three tourists and four crew members after they received a distress call from the Andaman Adventure Company, the operator of the…
- Krabi News
Australian tourist dies at famous cave in Krabi
An Australian tourist tragically died at a famous cave in Krabi yesterday. The 70 year old man died after his gruelling journey to the Tiger Cave, which involves a 1,260-step stair-climb. Rescuers and a doctor took over an hour to walk up the steps after they were alerted that a tourist was unconscious at the cave. The doctor who arrived…
- Pattaya News
British navy paints Pattaya children’s home
The British navy recently lent a helping hand in Pattaya as part of a push to build relations and friendships in Thailand. The crew of the British offshore patrol vessel, HMS Spey, painted a children’s home in Pattaya during their visit to Thailand. The ship arrived at the Royal Thai Navy’s port in Sattahip as part of the UK government’s…
- Tourism News
Thai officials seek to promote Muslim-friendly tourism
Thai officials are seeking to promote Muslim-friendly tourism in the kingdom. In a recent focus group discussion on Islamic tourism in Phuket province, the Department of Tourism (DoT) and private sectors reviewed strategies to attract Muslim visitors, NNT reported yesterday. The DoT’s Tourist Attractions Development Division Director, Athuek Phrasenmoon, said the global tourism industry recognises Muslim tourists as a fast-growing…
- Phuket News
Big Joke to travel to Phuket following Patong sex trafficking bust
UPDATE The Deputy Commander of the Royal Thai Police, Surachate “Big Joke” Hakpark, plans to travel to Phuket following the recent sex trafficking bust in Patong, ThaiRath reported yesterday. Yesterday, the deputy chief of Provincial Police Region 8, Pol. Maj. Gen. Wasan Techaakasen, went to Kathu Police Station to follow up and apprehend more suspects involved in the scandal. They were charged…
- Crime News
Phuket restaurant caught selling stonefish, known to be venomous
Yet another Phuket restaurant has been caught selling a protected fish, this time a stonefish, which is known as the most venomous fish in the world. Yesterday, officials from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) Phuket Office received a tip-off that the restaurant, located in Rawai sub-district in Phuket’s main city district, was selling protected marine animals. Officials…
- Tourism News
Pattaya island Koh Larn draws in 130,000 tourists this month
Pattaya‘s picturesque island of Koh Larn is proving to be a hit with tourists this month, with over 130,000 tourists flocking to the island. Officials expect this number to rise as Chinese tourists start to return to the area. Pattaya Deputy Mayor Manote Nongyai said on Wednesday, March 15, that Koh Larn saw an average of 10,000 visitors per day…
- Crime News
Phuket thief nabs German tourist’s mobile phone
There’s been another theft against a tourist in Thailand, this time in Phuket. A Phuket thief nabbed a German tourist’s mobile phone yesterday morning. The thief snatched the victim’s mobile phone on Soi Cherng Talay. The victim was a 56 year old German man named Haugg Fred. After receiving a report at about 9.50am, Cherng Talay Police arrived on the…
- Pattaya News
Songkran water fights are returning to Pattaya
It’s time to hold on to your water guns and get ready to make a splash after the Pattaya mayor announced that the Songkran festival will go ahead in the city this year. The mayor made it clear that it’s going to be a soaking good time. That’s right, folks, the water fights are back on! The Facebook page Direct Line…
- Krabi News
Tourist bitten by Krabi dog donates 20,000 baht worth of food for strays
UPDATE Despite being bitten by a stray dog on Krabi’s Ao Nang Beach, one tourist is now trying to help stray dogs. Media reported yesterday that the man, 60 year old Thai national Daniel Sudjai Kutrakun, donated 20,000 baht worth of food for stray dogs to the Ao Nang Administrative Organisation Office. This is after a stray dog bit Daniel’s…
- Thailand News
‘Don’t whiten teeth with nail polish’ Thai medical technologist warns
A Thai medical technologist is warning people not to whiten their teeth with nail polish. A popular Facebook page, Doctor Lab Panda, warned against using nail polish to whiten teeth due to the dire health risks associated with it. Medical technologist Pakphum Dejhassadin, who runs the page, cautioned the public against the practice. He said that some make-up artists still…
- Crime News
Pattaya Police find knife and gun in car with group of teens
Pattaya Police found a knife, gun, and bullets in a car with a group of teens during a routine traffic checkpoint in the early hours of this morning. The checkpoint, located on Pattaya Second Road, was set up at 2am to search for drugs, weapons, and illegal items. Officers were checking vehicles when they noticed a group of teenagers acting…
- Phuket News
TAT welcomes inaugural Chinese flight, with tour groups headed to Phuket and Phang Nga
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) welcomed an inaugural flight from Guiyang to Phuket on Tuesday, on the Chinese airline 9 Air. The flight was almost full with 172 people, a good sign for TAT’s goal of drawing five million Chinese tourists to Thailand this year. The airline is carrying tour groups headed to Phuket and Phang Nga. The airline is…
- Crime News
Swedish and Brazilian overstayers busted in South Thailand this week
A Swedish man and a Brazilian man were busted in South Thailand’s Surat Thani province for overstaying their visas in Thailand this week. Surat Thani Immigration officers arrested the Swedish man in Koh Samui, on Chaweng Beach Road in front of Central Samui, in the Pho Phut sub-district. The man, 34 year old Christopher Tony Setfors, overstayed his visa by…
- Phuket News
In Phang Nga, 165 baby sea turtles hatch and venture into the sea
In a heartwarming event, 165 baby hawksbill sea turtles hatched and ventured into the sea in Phang Nga on Tuesday. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) reported that a mother hawksbill sea turtle had laid a total of 190 eggs on January 15 this year. The successful hatching of the baby turtles took place at Chong Khao Kad…
- Tourism News
Thai tourism officials to monitor impact of SVB collapse
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will monitor the long-term impact of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) on Thailand’s tourism. However, TAT believes that the situation is unlikely to cause an immediate slowdown in long-haul markets. The bank’s closure last Friday raised concerns about possible economic turbulence, especially given the number of startups and tech companies it served.…
- Pattaya News
Windsurfing and paddleboarding competition coming up in Pattaya
An exciting windsurfing and stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) competition is coming up in Pattaya from March 16 to March 26, in a bid to promote tourism and boost the economy. The competition will take place in Jomtien near the Beach Sports Service Center. The event is divided into two categories, with windsurfing taking place from March 16 to 19, and SUP…
- Phuket News
Pod of dolphins makes an appearance in Phang Nga
A pod of dolphins made an appearance in Phang Nga‘s Mu Ko Surin National Park in the Khura Buri district, much to the delight of tourists. A tour boat was travelling through the park when the captain spotted the dolphins. The captain slowed the speedboat to let the tourists admire the creatures. The dolphins stayed to hang out around the…
- Phuket News
Car crashes into Phuket power pole, two children and an adult injured
A car crashed into a power pole in Phuket on Monday night, injuring two children and an adult. The sedan crashed into a power pole on Chao Fah – Suan Lueang Road in the Wichit sub-district of the main city district. Rescuers arrived on the scene to find the sedan damaged in the middle of the road. The power pole on…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya officials discuss motorcycle taxis and other issues plaguing Walking Street
Pattaya officials, police, and business owners on Walking Street held a meeting yesterday to discuss motorcycle taxis and other issues plaguing the street. One of the main issues discussed was the complaints of motorcycle taxi riders driving in pedestrian areas. The city officials have planned to move them to nearby areas. Garbage disposal was also discussed at the meeting. It…
- Bangkok News
Bangkok expats raise over 350,000 baht for charity with football event
A group of German-speaking expats presented a Bangkok charity with a cheque of over 350,000 baht on Monday. The money had been raised at a football fundraiser in January. The group of expats are called the Thai.Ger Supporters. The 12th annual THAI.GER Charity Soccer Event was held on January 28 at the Ruamrudee International School- Swiss Section, a German-speaking school…
- Pattaya News
Attacker slashes Burmese worker, reportedly over drunkenness
An unidentified attacker slashed a Burmese gas station worker in Chon Buri on Monday morning, reportedly over the worker’s drunkenness. Police and rescuers rushed to a gas station in the main city district at around 7am, after they were alerted of a serious assault. They found the worker, Myaung Paing, lying in a pool of blood at the gas pump.…
- Krabi News
Beach holiday goes wrong when Krabi dog viciously attacks tourist
A beach holiday went completely wrong for one tourist after a dog viciously attacked him in Krabi on Saturday. The tourist, 60 year old Thai national Daniel Sudjai Kutrakun, had been walking on Ao Nang Beach with his American wife to have a look at the area where his daughter plans to get married in three months. The two were…
- Phuket News
Phuket villager stumbles upon mother sea turtle laying 107 eggs
A Phuket villager stumbled upon a mother sea turtle as she was laying 107 eggs. Sirinat National Park said in a Facebook post that the villager, Kriangkrai Dejom, found the mother turtle laying eggs on a beach near Sai Khu Bay at around 5am on Monday. The beach is located in the Sakhu sub-district of Thalang district. Kriangkrai patiently waited…
- Hua Hin News
TAT plans to discuss more Hua Hin flights
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)’s Prachuap Khiri Khan office plans to discuss more flights to and from Hua Hin Airport, as part of an effort to bolster tourism in the region. Currently, the airport only serves Air Asia flights between Hua Hin and Chiang Mai, but the TAT hopes to expand the airport’s reach by adding more destinations. TAT plans…
- Krabi News
Russian tourist tragically drowns off Krabi island
Another tourist has tragically drowned in Thailand. The 55 year old Russian man drowned off an island in Krabi, The Phuket Express reported on Monday. The man had arrived in Krabi from Phuket with a tour guide over the weekend and joined a snorkelling activity at Monkey Bay on Phi Phi Don island. His body was later found floating in the…
- Tourism News
Thai officials look to food trucks to draw tourists
Thai officials are looking to food trucks to draw tourists. The Department of Business Development (DBD) in Thailand is exploring the potential of food trucks as a new tourist attraction in the country. According to Thosapone Dansuputra, the director-general of DBD, food trucks could serve as “destinations” that will not only stimulate the economy but also raise awareness of Thai…
- Phuket News
Officials bust Patong hookah venue over violations
Officials busted a Patong hookah venue on Friday night following complaints. The raid at Crystal Club on Bangla Road was ordered by Phuket Governor Narong, along with other officials. During the raid at around 11.30pm, officials seized a total of 52 hookah sets along with shisha and other equipment, and handed it to police, The Phuket News reported. The officials…
