- Thailand News
Four Thai marine species announced as ‘reserved animals’
PHOTOS: DMCR / Dr Thon Thamrongnawasawat Bryde’s whale, Omura’s whale, whale sharks and leather back turtles have been added to the list of ‘reserved wild animals’. The new Wild Animal Reservation and Protection Act was announced yesterday. Animal species which included Bryde’s whale, Omura’s whale, whale shark and leather back turtle are now a registered ‘reserved animal’, before they are…
- 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…
- Tourism News
Suvarnabhumi’s third runway closer to reality
The contracts for the construction of Suvarnabhumi Airport’s third runway are ready to be signed. But it isn’t likely to happen until later this year according to Airports of Thailand (AoT). The AoT president Nitinai Sirismatthakarn says the new 21.7 billion baht third runway, which is included in the airport’s second-phase development plan, was already approved by the cabinet. “It…
- 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.…
- Health
Thailand’s ‘smoking toll’ is three times the annual road toll
Smoking kills more than 72,000 people a year in Thailand, three times the number of people that die on the local roads. Dr Roengrudee Patanavanich, from Mahidol University’s Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, speaking at a media conference yesterday, says… “Diseases associated with smoking such as lung cancer, emphysema, lung inflammation and tuberculosis are the main killers.” “Thailand had 10.7 million…
- 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.…
- Koh Samui News
Day 2 of Samui Regatta 2019. A beautiful day, unless you’re a sailor.
The best laid plans… The breeze was on early this morning as the race management left the beach. The plan: head straight out off Chaweng Beach and lay a startline. Leaving the “shelter” of the bay, the wind died off the further they went out. A few nautical miles off shore and everyone joined in the waiting game. Meanwhile close…
- 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…
- Koh Samui News
Stellar fleet line-up on Day 1 of Samui Regatta, Thailand
Samui Regatta is a highlight event on the regional regatta circuit that attracts a high calibre fleet of boats and sailors from around Asia to enjoy some top racing off the tropical island, followed by nightly prize-givings on the beach. “Regattas don’t get much better than this” was the consensus at last night’s official opening of the 18th Samui Regatta,…
- 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…
- World News
Lee Kuan Yew’s grandson marries same sex partner in South Africa
by The Star – Asia News Network The grandson of the late Singapore PM Lee Kuan Yew, Li Huanwu, has married his “soul mate” in Cape Town, South Africa. This was revealed by Li’s partner, Heng Yirui, who made the announcement on his personal Instagram account. “Today I marry my soul mate. Looking forward to a lifetime of moments like this with…
- Bangkok News
Landlady posts photos of a Bangkok rented apartment after a nine year lease
PHOTOS: Nathalie Ruangdet Firstly, put down whatever you’re eating. A landlady has vented her grief online to show the results of a nine year tenant who had vacated the property in Ramkhamhaeng, Bangkok. Sanook reports that he had left the key with security and needed his deposit back. Nathalie Ruangdet, the landlady, went round to check the property. She says that…
- Thailand Election News
Thailand’s pro-army party hopes to seal deal with Democrats and Bhumjaithai today
PHOTO: The Nation Palang Pracharat, the political party supporting Thailand’s Junta, is hoping it can complete negotiations and make a deal today to which would see it with enough parliamentary seats to keep Prayut Chan-o-cha in power as prime minister. This analysis from a lawmaker who is a board member of the Palang Pracharat party in a Reuters article. The…
- Thai Life
HM The King acknowledges the passing of General Prem
PHOTO: Matichon Online HM the King has acknowledged, with great sadness, the loss of General Prem Tinsulanonda, whom he described as a great national benefactor. The announcement said HM the King has agreed to sponsor the funeral rite at Wat Benjamaborpit Dusitwanaram for seven days from today and presented a Royal urn for the late statesman. General Prem had served the…
- Thai Life
Prem Tinsulanonda dies of heart failure at 98
The President of the Privy Council, Prem Tinsulanonda (General Prem), is reported to have died of heart failure early this morning at the Phramongkutklao Hospital at the age of 98. He has had important roles in many levels of Thai society and politics for most of modern Thailand’s recent history (since 1932). Just three weeks ago he was participating in…
- Tourism News
Tourist arrivals up, but Chinese down. April 2019 tourist numbers.
The Thai sports and tourism ministry reports that Thailand saw a 3.31% rise in total tourist arrivals in April compared to a year earlier, after a 0.69% decline in March. 3.2 million tourists in April spent about 164 billion baht ($5.15 billion), which is up 3.9% from the month of April in 2018. But visitors from China, Thailand’s biggest feeder…
- South Thailand News
80 year old Malaysian tourist dies during Thai massage in Songkhla
PHOTO: Thai Rath A tourist has died during a ‘traditional Thai’ massage in a hotel in Sadao, in the southern province of Songkhla, just across the border from Malaysia. Pol Lt Thanatsak of the Sadao police found the 80 year old Malaysian man dead in his hotel room. He was laying on his bed and clothed in a t-shirt and brown…
- Tourism News
“Nothing but rude Indians, Chinese and Arabs” – Pattaya locals go feral online
“Where are all the nice ones – like Americans – who spend cash and behave well!?” PHOTO: Sophon Cable Sophon Cable TV on Facebook has quoted the head of the Eastern Seaboard Hotel Association, Sanpetch Supphabowonsathian, saying advance bookings for this high season in Pattaya showed a 5-10% increase on last year. But as the local hotel association were upbeat over…
- Bangkok News
Motorbike rider dies near Rama 5 bridge in Nonthaburi
PHOTOS: Sanook A motorbike rider has died following an incident near the Rama 5 road bridge in Nonthaburi yesterday. The Honda CBR 650 was unrecognisable following the crash, both wheels had been ripped off in the collision. An orange bike helmet was on the road nearby. The head of the rider was found some distance away. The torso of the rider was…
- Tourism News
100 baht tourist tax to cover basic insurance and repatriation
Every foreign tourist arriving or departing Thailand will be charged 100 baht for basic insurance which would cover money for emergencies and repatriation of their body if they meet with misadventure. As reported yesterday, the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports proposes that every foreign tourist visiting Thailand should be charged a levy to cover basic insurance and life insurance.…
- Thailand Election News
Thanathorn is able to attend this afternoon’s opening of Parliament
PHOTO: Future Forward party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, heading to the opening of Parliament today? Future Forward party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit has been told he can attend the opening of parliament today by His Majesty the King in the conference hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. But the 41 year old leader of Future Forward is yet to confirm his attendance…
