- Northern Thailand News
PM concerned over public safety in northern areas because of tropical storm warnings
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says he’s concerned over public safety in risk areas of tropical storms that have been forecast for the northern regions up until next Tuesday. He’s instructed all authorities to promptly take preventive and relief measures against potential damage. Deputy government spokesman Lt. Gen. Werachon Sukondhapatipak says the PM is concerned over the welfare and safety of…
- Phuket News
Court rules that National Park can limit numbers to Similan Islands
The Similan Islands national park will now be able to limit the number of visitors as a means to prevent ongoing environmental damage. This decision from the Supreme Administrative Court this week, overturning an earlier ruling from the Phuket Administrative Court. The Similan Islands are a popular diving spot in the Andaman Sea off the coast of Khao Lak. The…
- Hot News
Another Yong bites the dust – K-Pop in crisis
Another K-pop star has been forced to quit their band after admitting he watched sex videos received from another idol. 29 year old Yong Jun-hyung is the third singer to be engulfed in the scandal sweeping South Korea’s squeaky clean music industry. The member of boy band Highlight, formerly known as B2ST, admitted that he watched a video of singer…
- Pattaya News
Four South Koreans arrested over illegal online gambling business in Pattaya
PHOTOS: MGR Online Four South Koreans have been arrested for operating an illegal online gambling website from a condo in Pattaya. Manager Online reports that Pattaya Immigration officers and Pattaya Tourist Police raided a condominium in south Pattaya. The raid follows police receiving a tip-off that the four men were operating an illegal online gambling website in the premises. Officers…
- Environment News
Forecast for poor air quality returning to Bangkok
Smog, smoke and haze problems have returned to the capital and its neighboring provinces. Nine areas were found to contain levels exceeding the 50-micron safety level yesterday. Blaming the poor air quality on weak low-altitude air flow, the pollution control department predicts that the situation might further deteriorate. The department pleaded for cooperation from members of the public by not burning anything in open areas and…
- World News
US grounds Boeing 737 MAX fleet after new evidence surfaces
After days of mounting pressure, and just about all national regulators around the world grounding the planes, the US has grounded Boeing’s 737 Max aircraft. This reverses an earlier decision where American regulators gave the planes approval to keep flying after the fatal crash in Ethiopia last Sunday. The decision, announced by President Trump, follows decisions by safety regulators in…
- World News
Facebook won’t build data centres in countries with bad human rights records, except Singapore
Mark Zuckerberg promised in a lengthy blog post that the company wouldn’t build data centres in countries with poor human rights. But he chose to ignore Singapore’s track record in human rights, declaring the city-state home to Facebook’s first data center in Asia to “serve everyone.” “As we build our infrastructure around the world, we’ve chosen not to build data centres in…
- Hot News
American tourist attacked by gang on Koh Phi Phi
An American photographer and blogger says he was injured after being attacked by a gang of men on Koh Phi Phi this week. Stephen Trimble revealed on his Instagram account that he was walking along the beach when he spotted a girl’s possessions being stolen while she was swimming. He says he yelled at the man to stop. The man…
- Business News
Honda projects lower motorcycle sales for 2019
Honda Motor Company, the manufacturer of nearly 80% of Thailand’s motorcycles, is projecting another annual loss this year. New motorcycle sales this year are forecast to drop nearly 4% year on year to 1.72 million units. The forecast is unchanged from its January projection. The baht’s appreciation against the US dollar is leading to fluctuations in exports and lower prices…
- Pattaya News
Big bike slams into the back of SUV at Pattaya traffic lights
PHOTO: Sanook The Sawang Boriboon rescue foundation were called after a Honda CBR 650 slammed into the back of a Toyota Fortuner at traffic lights near the Big C Extra in Central Pattaya. Sanook reports that 38 year old Manish Jalhotra, a Pattaya entertainment venue owner, was at the wheel of the Fortuner. The 25-30 year old motorbike rider ended up…
- Thailand Election News
Alcohol ban this weekend and the following weekend of the election
There will be a 24 hour alcohol ban this weekend as well as on the weekend of the general election on March 24. Sunday, March 17 will feature a day of pre-voting where alcohol sales and distribution will be forbidden from 6pm on Saturday, March 16 until 6pm on Sunday, March 17. That will precede the ban on the following…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya tourist loses a leg in collision with pickup
PHOTO: Naewna News A 58 year old tourist from Kazakhstan has lost his leg in a collision with a pickup truck in Pattaya. The Thai driver of the pickup told police that the tourist on a PCX motorcycle suddenly cut in front of him attempting to make a turn into a soi, resulting in a collision. The Sawang Boriboon foundation…
- Pattaya News
Police ignore motorbikes and trucks illegally using Pattaya underpass
By Jetsada Homklin When Pattaya’s Central Road bypass tunnel eventually opened, police were vigorous in their enforcement barring motorcycles and large trucks from using the new underpass. But that didn’t last long. Pattaya Mail is reporting that tourists and residents both have complained that large numbers of motorcyclists are speeding through the tunnel with little fear of being stung with…
- Pattaya News
Finnish man found dead on chopper in Pattaya
PHOTOS: Pattaya Law Enforcement A Finnish man has been found dead on a ‘chopper’ and sidecar in Pattaya yesterday. “A chopper is a type of custom motorcycle which emerged in California in the late 1950s. The chopper is perhaps the most extreme of all custom styles, often using radically modified steering angles and lengthened forks for a stretched-out appearance.” Pattaya…
- Hot News
Two Nigerians arrested, one still at large, over investment scam
PHOTO: INN News Immigration chief Lt-Gen Surachate Hakparn has announced the arrest of two Nigerian scammers who posed as officials at a financial institution to defraud investors. They were also found to have overstayed their visas. Arrested were 55 year old Emmanual Olichagew and 41 year old Friday Ochiaga at a rented room in Bangkapi, Bangkok. Surachate says that a…
- Phuket News
Truck crash in Rawai pulls down power lines causing six hour blackout
PHOTOS: PEA A truck accident in Rawai has caused a blackout in Rawai for over six hours. (Some residents from Rawai contacted The Thaiger explaining that the power was off for 12 hours, not six as claimed by the PEA.) The Phuket Provincial Electric Authority reports that at 9.30pm last night a truck accident pulled down two power poles. The…
- Thailand News
Who is grounding Boeing’s 737 Max 8 planes?
In the wake of Sunday’s crash of an Ethiopian Airlines’ Boeing 737 Max series aircraft, the second crash in a ‘similar’ situation to one six months earlier off Jakarta, several of the world’s airlines have now grounded the planes as a precautionary measure. At this stage both Thailand and India have not grounded the aircraft. China’s fleet of some 97…
- Northern Thailand News
Chiang Mai has world’s worst air quality as fires rage in the north
This morning Chiang Mai had the world’s worst air quality.In the WHOLE world! Thailand’s northern city was ranked the #1 most air-polluted city on earth with a 209 air quality index score on airvisual.com. The air worsened to an AQI of 233 around noon. Meanwhile the Pollution Control Department reports the average 24 hour level of PM2.5 dust particulates had…
- Bangkok News
He’s an Aussie now. Hakeem al-Araibi becomes Australian citizen.
PHOTO: Hakeem al-Araibi says “I’m an Aussie now” and is happy to be safe Hakeem al-Araibi, the former Bahraini football player and refugee caught up in a diplomatic tug-of-war in Thailand between Australian and Bahraini officials for two and a half months, has become an Australian citizen. He became an Australian citizen along with 200 other people at a ceremony…
- Thailand News
New trend ‘Challenge for Change’ rubbish cleanup
PHOTO: We Don’t Deserve This Planet A Facebook page named ‘We Don’t Deserve This Planet’ is running a campaign ‘Challenge for Change’ for rubbish cleanups. The site is an international page. The Facebook page says “Let it be trending!” with the hash tag #ChallengeForChange. “Here is a new #Challenge for all. Take a photo of an area that needs some cleaning or…
- Covid-19 News
Covid-19 Coronavirus UPDATE: Global pandemic, Italy cases soar, new Chinese cases plummet
As the World Health Organisation declares the Covid-19 coronavirus a global pandemic, there are now 126,380 cases, resulting in 4,634 deaths, with 68,310 people fully recovered. The focus of new outbreaks has moved away from China and to the European continent and the US. The current death rate is 3.7%. Here are snippets of the latest news from around the…
- Pattaya News
Body of baby boy tied to stroller found off Pattaya beach
WARNING: Some readers may find the following story disturbing PHOTOS: Pattaya Law Enforcement / Rak Siam A body of foreign baby boy in a stroller was found floating near a beach in Pattaya yesterday. Pattaya City Law Enforcement say they were notified by locals that a body of baby was found floating near a pier at Laem Bali Hai in…
- Thailand Election News
“Nothing to do with the election” – Deputy PM Prawit
Senior government security officials are claiming the series of bomb blasts last weekend in the southern provinces of Phatthalung and Satun are related to insurgency activities in the predominantly Muslim region. They say there is no connection with the upcoming election and that the timing is just co-incidence. The South has been racked by violence from an ongoing insurgency since…
- Bangkok News
Police wrestler avoids jail but gets a hefty fine
PHOTO: Daily News Bangkok’s Dusit Court has fined a Honda City sedan driver 8,500 baht for four offences related to an incident caught on video last week. The video showed Pol Lance Corporal Thanakit Wiboonphan trying to clamp a car parked illegally in a no standing zone. Not happy about the situation, the driver argued and wrestled with the traffic policeman.…
- Pattaya News
Australian ‘bottles’ customer in an unprovoked attack in Pattaya
SCREENSHOT: Facebook/David Collier A customer in a bar has been attacked in Pattaya. CCTV footage shows the moment an Australia thug launched a shocking and apparently unprovoked attack on the man. As the customer was walking out of the bar the assailant gets up and whacks the man over the head with a bottle. The attacker has been identified as…
- Northern Thailand News
From Moto GP to Weed Fest, Buriram leads the way
PHOTO: A Pan Ram supporter can’t wait for the ‘cannabis festival’ next month in Buriram province – Khaosod English They pulled off the MotoGP event with flair and great organisation. Now Buriram is bracing for a very different crowd heading for the next big event. Taking advantage of the new liberalisation of laws governing marijuana and cannabis, the north-east festival…
- Bangkok News
Wealthy Thai woman arrested over dodgy weight-loss pills in raids across the country
PHOTO: Daily News An extensive police operation has led to the arrest of wealthy operator of a business selling alleged weight-loss products. The woman has also been charged with possession of controlled substances. Of the 13 targeted locations in Bangkok, one was the luxurious home of Wirairat Udthong on Soi Pattanakan 42 in the Suan Luang district. Wirairat was charged…
- Thai Life
Phuket 1988: Thai expat digs out his old Super 8 movies
David Barrett gets out his Super 8 projector for another film night – this time we see Patong in 1988, already quite developed even though mass tourism was still more than a decade away. The few high-rise are certainly not cluttering up the skyline at this time. David is sharing his early Super 8 movies with us as we wallow…
- South Thailand News
Bank evasive after 91 year old claims 5 million baht removed from his account
A 91 year old land owner and farmer in Chumpon claims that he’s had 5 million baht ‘taken’ from one of his bank accounts. Daily News reports that Thon Brahmjan from Tha Kham district had been to the bank, the police and government consumer watchdog Damrongtham Centre at the end of last year after the 5 million baht went missing…
- Thailand News
Despite the dangers, Thai police chief says ‘OK’ to pickup passengers over Songkran
SCREENSHOT: GamerGirl566 (video below) Police are not going to impose restrictions for people riding in the back of pickup trucks over the Songkran holidays this April. The national deputy police chief Srivara Ransibrahmanakul has said it’s OK for passengers to ride in the tray space at the back of pick-ups “as long as they are deemed safe”. Last year suggestions…
