- World News
Bali’s Mount Agung erupts again
PHOTO: Twitter/Phoebs A week after flights were cancelled in and out of Bali’s airport, Mount Agung has burst into life again today at 11:42am sending plumes of ash into the Balinese sky. Indonesia’s Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center said the eruption lasted for 8 minutes Despite the renewed activity, Mount Agung remains on level alert level three, or “standby”…
- Phuket News
Six vehicles damaged, one person injured, as truck swipes parked cars in Phuket
PHOTOS: เป็นปาก เป็นเสียง Six vehicles parked on Yaowarat Road, Old Phuket Town, have been damaged after a truck has swiped them as it was driving down the road. A pedestrian on the footpath was also injured in the incident. Phuket City Police report that they were notified of the incident at about noon today on Yaowarat Road in the island’s…
- Hot News
King Power wins duty free and shopping management contract for Suvarnabhumi
In Friday’s biggest surprise (please say in sarcastic tone whilst rolling eyes) King Power Suvarnabhumi has won the bidding to manage the commercial area at Suvarnabhumi International Airport with the highest offer, AOT senior executive vice president Vichai Bunyu said this morning. The winner will be approved on June 12, he said. Earlier this year the AoT (Airports of Thailand)…
- Environment News
Harsher penalties for encroachers and illegal loggers in Thai forestry areas
Yesterday four marine species were added to the ‘reserved’ list, providing addition legal protections for the animals. Read that story HERE. Now it’s been announced that forest encroachers caught clearing land or burning trees, in any of Thailand’s national parks or gardens, in order to occupy the land, will soon face jail terms of up to 20 years and/or a…
- Thailand Election News
Another week of negotiations and still no clear coalition emerges
PHOTO: The Nation – Palang Pracharat pose for a show of unity amongst complete turmoil Democrats walking out of meetings, deals made then broken days later, pending court cases over MPs’ eligibility – it’s never a dull day in Thai politics as we stumble towards a new parliament. Here are the current important milestones you need to know about… •…
- Bangkok News
Five taken to hospital after tour bus air-con unit explodes in repair shop
PHOTOS: Daily News Five people are now recovering in hospital after a tour bus air-conditioning compressor exploded at a repair shop in Pathum Thani, north of Bangkok. A woman walking by was injured along with four workers at the yard. The explosion happened at the Rattanakosin 200 Years housing estate in Thanyaburi. They were all hit by shrapnel as the unit…
- Hua Hin News
Necklace and bag snatcher arrested in Hua Hin after train theft
PHOTO: Talk News Online A 66 year old is in custody, again, after being arrested for stealing a gold necklace and handbag from a female traveller on a train. ThaiVisa reports that the victim was heading southbound on a train coming from Bangkok. Police say Thadet Samran, from Phetchaburi, boarded the train and snatched the gold necklace and bag from the…
- Technology News
Phuket’s media shuffles – the news leaders
Phuket’s media is going through a minor revolution. A lot of work is going into spreading local news for an island of some 450,000 locals and 12 million annual tourists (who are unlikely to read any local news media anyway). Roll back 20 years and the local leader in the media was the Phuket Gazette which lasted as an English-speaking…
- Thailand Election News
Thai PM’s book recommendation backfires
Literature 1.01. Most people have read George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’. It’s the tale of a ‘democratic’ and utopian farmyard until the pigs get hungry for power and end up running the place as a dictatorship, dressed up as a democracy. The book resonated the fears of a post-WWII Britain and the rise of Stalinism. “All animals are equal, but some…
- Hot News
Burmese man arrested for doing stunts on his Honda around Chiang Mai roads – VIDEO
PHOTOS: Daily News | VIDEO: Jeep Jenjira Pansena A video posted by Jeep Jenjira Pansena has prompted the Chiang Mai police to arrest a Burmese man caught doing stunts on the city’s roads. 21 year old “Mai”, who lives in San Sai and works as a masseur, was standing up on his Honda Click, amongst other ‘moves’ while hurtling around the…
- Hot News
30 new cameras ready to catch traffic running red lights in Bangkok
PHOTO: Daily News 30 major intersections will be fitted with red-light cameras to fine people going through intersections and ignoring red traffic lights. Testing will take place during June and the cameras likely to be operational in July. The cameras will detect the registration plate number and send you an automatic fine through the post. Police say that despite rumours of…
- Environment News
Ship owner fined 50,000 baht for chemical fire at Laem Chabang port
The Port Authority of Thailand has slapped a 50,000 baht fine on the South Korean owner of a container ship which caught fire at the Laem Chabang deep-sea port on Saturday morning, causing a chemical fire and smoke blanketing surrounding communities. Laem Chabang is just north of Pattaya fronting the Gulf of Thailand. Meanwhile, Thai PBS reports that about 1,000…
- Property
Risland plans new developments in Bangkok and Phuket
PHOTO: Artist impression of the new Cloud Thonglor-Phetchaburi Hong Kong-based property developers Risland Thailand say they will spend 8 billion baht launching five residential projects in Bangkok and Phuket. The investment budget of 8 billion baht is an increase from 5 billion in 2018 and 3 billion in 2017, the first year Risland operated in the country. From June to…
- Tourism News
Chiang Mai and Hua Hin in Top 10 Asian retirement locations
Hua Hin and Chiang Mai are two of the best retirement destinations in Asia, according to the US News and World Report. Phuket and Bangkok, usually included in lists of Asian retirement locations, didn’t make it onto this list. ThaiVisa reports that they were included in the site’s 10 best places to retire in Asia. The report considers the cost of…
- Koh Samui News
Day 3 of 2019 Samui Regatta, Thailand
Back racing! After a brief delay with the AP raised onshore, at 09:05 it was lowered and the sailors headed out to the startline where breeze awaited on the Nora Buri & Nora Beach Race Day. Looking to get as many races on the scorecard as possible and make up for yesterday’s wind no-show, Ross Chisholm and team got three…
- Hot News
Roll the drums Phuket. Prepare the balloons. Chalong Underpass opens Friday.
But it’s not Friday yet and there have been plenty of other delays. Chalong Circle’s 350 metre underpass should be open on Friday according to local highway officials. The roadworks have profoundly changed business and movement of locals in the southern part of the island for nearly four years. Many businesses were forced to move, others went broke, some residents…
- Thailand News
Bryde’s whale found dead off Petchaburi coast
PHOTOS: Troy Beer/Thai Whales An autopsy is being conducted on a dead Bryde’s whales found off the Petchaburi coast in the Gulf of Thailand. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) report that they were notified of the dead Bryde’s whale being found off the Petchaburi coast yesterday. The female Bryde’s whale is about 10 metres long. It had…
- Tourism News
Thailand travel tax. Good idea but…
by Don Ross – ttrweekly.com “The changes to the law came into effect on May 20. Now, the panic button has been pressed. A workable package and collection process needs to be hammered out and fast.” Thailand is looking to introduce a tourist tax, either on arrival or departure, that will be, according to officials, used to fund accident insurance and…
- Pattaya News
Motorbike driver survives being caught under Chinese tour bus in Pattaya
PHOTOS: Pattaya News Archive A motorbike driver has survived being partly run over by a tour bus in Pattaya last night. Rescue workers heard about the incident at 9pm last night near an intersection in South Pattaya. They arrived at the scene to find the red tour bus which was full of Chinese tourists. Under the bus found the damaged motorbike.…
- Tourism News
Travel’s dynamic changes – A personal perspective
by Andrew J Wood – President SKÅL International Bangkok With the dramatic announcement of the sale of retail travel giant Thomas Cook following the loss of £1.5 billion brings the blight of the travel agent community into the news once more. Last week Wall Street bank Citigroup advised investors to sell shares in the travel company. Confidence that travel agents…
- Business News
Thailand’s aviation industry passes international inspections
A pass mark, maybe a C+. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) told Thai aviation officials have scored 65.07%, exceeding the minimum pass mark of 60%. Thailand only scored 34.2% when it received a ‘red flag’ four years ago. The score has been awarded after ICAO officials carried out a full inspection of Thailand’s civil aviation standards The inspections were…
- Thailand Election News
Democrats cancel meeting to decide if they will join coalition
The posturing between Democrats and Palang Pracharat continues as a call for key ministerial positions by the Democrats is being met with resistance. The Democrats are threatening to pull out of a potential coalition with Palang Pracharat after cancelling a meeting yesterday where members were to decide if they’d join the pro-army alliance. A Democrat source says that there is still…
- Chiang Mai News
American Alzheimer’s patient, living in Thailand, heads to The Philippines
PHOTOS: Thaivisa “Mum is doing OK. She keeps forgetting who I am. But we must live completely in the moment with Alzheimer’s, and stay happy.” In an exclusive interview with Thaivisa, the daughter of the Alzheimer’s patient who claimed that her 77 year old mother was forced out of Thailand by new immigration rules, sent Thaivisa photos of their departure.…
- Tourism News
Tourism body confident that tourist number will reach 40 million in 2019
Predictions are, despite a few bumps along the way, that the number of tourists coming to Thailand in 2019 will still reach 40 million. The University of the Thai Chambers of Commerce’s Centre for Economic and Business Forecasting is still positives following campaigns promoting tourism in local cities and the extension of the waiver of the visa-on-arrival fee. The Director…
- World News
ASEAN group calls for end of judicial ‘harassment’ of Thai MPs
The ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, based in Jakarta, is calling on Thai authorities to end what they describe as harassment of the Future Forward party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit. They’ve also asked the ruling Junta to stop their efforts to undermine anti-military parties in the new Thai parliament. Charles Santiago, Chair of APHR and a Member of Parliament in Malaysia…
- Phuket News
Patong municipality reports untreated wastewater from Kalim hotel to police – VIDEO
VIDEO: Bong Marquez The video of the untreated wastewater bursting on Kalim beach on Sunday afternoon has caused an official report made to Patong police. A Facebook user “Bong Marquez” posted a video of the black water gurgling up through the sands at Kalim Beach and into the Patong Bay on Sunday. The video has had 230,000 views. Patong’s…
- Thailand Election News
Democrats and Bhumjaithai offered deputy PM and cabinet positions
PHOTO: Apichit Jinakul Close, but not quite. Palang Pracharath Party paid a visit to Democrat party leaders yesterday with presents of cabinet portfolios that they are offering the Democrat and Bhumjaithai parties if they were to join the pro-Army coalition. The Bhumjaithai Party says they’ve already pledged allegiance to Palang Pracharat, but with four key caveats. Sources say the Palang…
- Health
Alzheimer’s patient forced out of Thailand. Immigration rule changes mean mother can’t stay.
PHOTO: 77 year old American Alzheimer’s patient Anna Padgett with care home staff on a field trip “Thailand talks about being a hub for medical care but the immigration rules are just not conducive to that, especially in our case.” The daughter of an Alzheimer’s patient has told ThaiVisa how her stricken mother is being forced out of Thailand. The…
- Thailand Election News
Democrats receive official invitation to join Palang Pracharat
PHOTO: Thai PBS Palang Pracharat have sent an official invitation to the Democrats to join their party. But that’s an invitation to join their political party, not an invitation for drinks and balloons. Party leader Uttama Savanayana and core party members, namely Somsak Thepsuthin, Suriya Juangroongruangkit and party secretary-general Sontirat Sontijirawong, visited the Democrat party’s head office today. They were politely received by…
- Bangkok News
Tourist Police raid the C Ekkamai condo to arrest people running rooms as ‘hotel’ – Bangkok
PHOTO: Thai Tourist Police Bureau page on Facebook Follow up to a story last week where residents of a condo tower in Bangkok were complaining that many of the rooms were being run as a quasi-hotel. The Thai Tourist Police Bureau sent 40 officialst to the luxury Bangkok condominium. The raid was actually last Thursday, three days after the story…
