- Chiang Mai News
86 billion baht budget set for Chiang Mai light rail system
A green light for a go ahead of Chiang Mai’s planned light railway transit system has been issued by the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA). Chiang Mai City Life is reporting that, following an initial approval for the project back in August 2017, the MRTA has finally given the green light to start the formal planning and construction…
- Thailand News
National: War on plastic bags – Thai environment minister
If you go to any Thai market or even stop off at a street store selling a refreshing Thai iced-coffee, you will know that you end up with plastic bags, plastic containers and plastic carry-bags for everything. Thai Rath is reporting that the Thai environment minister, General Surasak Kanjanarat, is declaring war on plastic bags in the Kingdom. The Thai…
- Thailand News
Chiang Rai: 26 injured in tour bus accident
File Photo Thai PBS is reporting that 25 French tourists plus one Thai guide have been injured after a tour bus overturned on a secondary road in Mae Lao district of Chiang Rai province yesterday (Tuesday). The road conditions were reported to be ‘poor’ at the time. Emergency responders report that most of the tourists sustained bruises and were discharged…
- Chiang Mai News
15 year old dies in Chiang Mai boarding house fire
PHOTO: Chiang Mai City Life A 15 year old girl has died following a fire that engulfed the living areas of a Christian boarding school in Fang district, north of Chiang Mai city, this morning. Fang police were alerted at 1:30am about the fire at the Christian Paolo School that is run by the Evangelical Fellowship of Thailand. Ten fire engines…
- Thailand News
Three dead in light aircraft crash in Khon Kaen
PHOTO: National News Bureau of Thailand A small privately-owned plane* has crashed in a field in Khon Kaen, north-east Thailand, this morning (July 18). Three people are reported dead. Chonnabot Police in Khon Kaen were notified of the incident from locals saying that a small aircraft crashed into a field and burst into flames in Baan Hooling in Chonnabot district at…
- Bangkok News
Officials seize decorative corals in Chatuchak, Bangkok
Thai PBS are reporting that police and officials in Bangkok have swooped on shops in Chatuchak, in Bangkok’s northern suburbs, and seized a substantial haul of decorative corals and coralline algae. A member of the Yiew Dong (forest hawk) task force of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, said the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment received lots…
- Thailand News
Tesla investors demand apology from Musk over ‘pedo’ comment
PHOTO: Fortune London’s Evening Standard is reporting that Tesla investors are demanding an apology from Elon Musk after he branded a British cave diver who rescued children from a cave in Thailand a “pedo”. The billionaire business magnate’s Twitter post sparked a huge backlash from shareholders in his firm, who later hit out further at Mr Musk in an open…
- Food
‘Miami Vice’ comes to Kata Rocks – Collective Series 13
Kata Rocks’ Collective Series 13 – ‘Miami Vice’ – brought the heat to Phuket, retro-1980s South Beach style, with another classic event that captured the imagination of the attending guests and loyal patrons. The evening featured exceptional pan-Latin American cuisine featuring ceviche, tacos, mini burgers and other mouth-watering canapés, plus live DJ entertainment. DJ Shane OB got the party started…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya foreigners claim damage caused by next door condo construction
A group of European residents bought houses in Pattaya only for a an unexpected large condominium complex to be built next door. They say they’ve suffered damage to their houses in the construction phase and now claim they can’t even rent out their properties due to the noise. Complaints to the local authority and the police have fallen on deaf ears…
- Thailand News
Rain forecast this week, just about everywhere
Northern and north-eastern parts of Thailand will get lots of rain this week with isolated heavy rain forecast for the North, the Northeast, the Central, the East and west coast of the South, including Phuket. This is today’s news out of the TMD (Thai Meteorological Department). They say there is a monsoonal trough lying across Myanmar, the upper North of Thailand…
- Thailand News
Death sentence handed down on southern insurgent
File photo Thai PBS is reporting that a Muslim militant has been sentenced to death for his involvement in three violent incidents. The incidents took place around Pattani province where seven people were killed and eight others injured. Speaking to the media yesterday, Col Thanawee Suwannarat, from the Region 4 Internal Security Operations Command, identified the militant as Ibrohem Sungaibaru. In…
- Northern Thailand News
The team were ‘heavily sedated’ – Australian diver
PHOTO: thewest.com.au The team of 13 rescued from the Tham Luang caves last week were ‘heavily sedated’ to assist in their successful recovery and to avoid panicking. One of two Australian experts who were with the Mu Pa football team and helped in last week’s rescue from the Tham Luong cave in Chiang Rai says the boys and their coach…
- Thailand News
Unhinged Elon Musk calls cave rescuer a ‘pedo’
A bizarre tirade of Twitter posts from Billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk over the weekend has angered netizens. The genius CEO behind several of America’s most high-profile tech companies Tweeted to his 22 million social media followers on Sunday an unfounded and disparaging claim about an expert caver who criticized a miniature submarine he made. According to CNN, Musk called…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya condo fire causes 500,000 baht in damages
PHOTO: Niran condos, Pattaya – HipFlat.com Sanook is reporting that 27 year old Satchada says she nearly fainted when she rushed home to find her condo ablaze in Pattaya. She says she headed to work at 9pm on Saturday night. When she was told of the fire at Niran Condo in Central Pattaya she rushed home. The fire was centered around…
- Thailand News
Chiang Mai: Spanish man arrested in Lampang over UK cocaine bust
Heavily armed drug suppression police have arrested a 36 year old Spanish citizen at a noodle shop in Lampang in northern Thailand at the weekend. A warrant for the arrest of Spaniard Francesco Jesus Gutierrez Marcos was issued in Thailand last Friday following representation from UK authorities and an official extradition request. Marcos is alleged to be a member of…
- Property
Pavilions Hotels & Resorts announce two important acquisitions
The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts has made two important appointments as it continues to expand its portfolio and strengthen its management team. Scot Toon takes on a new role as the company’s Managing Director, Asia while Tim Sargeant becomes the Director of Marketing for The Pavilions Phuket. Both are highly skilled and experienced hospitality professionals who join The Pavilions Hotels…
- Phuket News
Multihull Solutions Regatta wraps up with ‘Fugazi’ claiming top honours
The 10th annual Multihull Solutions Regatta wrapped up today with another good day of sailing. Principal Race Officer Simon James ran two races today, a three-lap windward-leeward and then a triangle course for all classes except Cruising, which did a loop around nearby Koh Lon. Dan Fidock’s trimaran Fugazi claimed the Racing Multihull division winning six of the eight races…
- Northern Thailand News
Chiang Rai: “I thought it would be a recovery rather than a rescue”
PHOTO: Perth vet and craig diver Craig Challen An Australian diver from Perth, Craig Challen, has spoken exclusively about the Tham Luang cave rescue and why he had fears that some or all of them mightn’t get out of the caves alive. Here are some of the main points from The Sunday Times interview: • When Craig arrived in Thailand he thought…
- Thailand News
Government set to ban trans fats
The Public Health Ministry is poised to ban the production, import and distribution of food containing trans fat. Trans fat, also called trans-unsaturated fatty acids or trans fatty acids, are a type of unsaturated fat that occur in small amounts in nature but became widely produced industrially from vegetable fats starting in the 1950s for use in margarine, snack food,…
- Pattaya News
“Tourists will come flooding back to the world class resort”
PHOTOS: ข่าวพัทยา Pattayanews An enthusiastic Pattaya News is reporting that, in relation to the restoration of the beach in Pattaya, it was only a matter of time before the tourists came flooding back to the sands. The report is from a meeting where it was declared that 400 metres of the restoration work was done meaning that 100 metres was…
- Phuket News
Phuket marine chief removed, Phoenix ‘owner’ questioned by police
Thai PBS is reporting that the Marine Department is ordering an immediate transfer of the chief officer of Phuket Marine Office. They’ve also set up a panel to consider disciplinary action against him for alleged dereliction of duty that led to the sinking of the ‘Phoenix’ dive boat south-west of Phuket on July 5, resulting in the deaths of 47…
- Thailand News
Chiang Mai: Governor visits 74 year old rape victim
PHOTO: Chiang Mai City Life Chiang Mai’s Governor, Supachai Iamsuwan, visited the elderly sexual assault victim from earlier this week. Read the story HERE. The new governor, along with officials from the Office in Social Development and Human Security, visited 74 year old Sudjai Sukhamton at her home. Social Development and Human Security say they will be following the Governor’s…
- World News
Vaping pilot causes 737 to plunge 6,000 metres
A vaping co-pilot in the cockpit of an Air China flight has caused the plane to plunge 6,000 meters (19,600 feet) after mistakenly flicking the wrong switch. A senior official from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) told reporters Friday that, without notifying the pilot, the unnamed co-pilot was trying to turn off air recycling fans to prevent the…
- World News
Busan, South Korea – Best Destination in Asia, according to Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet have announced their Top Ten Asian destinations for 2018. Only one entry for Thailand – Chiang Mai. The South Korean portside city of Busan has won the top gong as the best destination in Asia 2018 by the influential travel blog. Busan is described as a “confluence of scenery, culture and cuisine.” It’s long been domestically lauded as…
- Thailand News
Fresh winds and high seas – TMD issues weather warning
The Meteorological Department (TMD) is warning that people across the country should brace for intense rains, with heavy rains in some parts of the northern, northeastern, central, eastern and southern regions which may result in flash floods, from today until July 19. Until Jul 19, waves in the Andaman Sea are expected to be 2-3 metres high due to strong…
- Phuket News
Authorities battle to contain the fallout of ‘Phoenix’ disaster
“…hotel bookings in Phuket by Chinese tourists in the next two months had shrunk by up to 70 percent.” Chinese tourists are cancelling Phuket hotel bookings, unnerving Thai authorities and tourism-related business who are scrambling to raise the image of the island’s battered safety reputation. The cancellations are coming mostly from the tour company businesses based in China whilst the FIT…
- Thailand News
Pattaya: Crackdown on street racers nets 203 arrests
Nearly 200 motorbikes and as many people have been arrested in a crackdown on racing in areas around Pattaya. Regional police arrested more than 200 people for racing or selling parts for modified motorcycles in a province-wide sweep. Police announced that 186 motorcycles had been seized and 203 people arrested at a news conference at Bali Hai Pier. Police say the coordinated…
- Thailand News
Koh Phangan: Woman arrested as she gets off ferry with 320,000 baht of ‘ice’
Police in Koh Phangan have arrested a Thai woman after a tip off, as she was getting off the Don Sak ferry when it arrived at Koh Phangan. She was found with two condoms full of crystal methamphetamine stuffed into her vagina. The drugs weighed 104 grams and had an estimated street value around 320,000 baht. According to Sanook, she told…
- Thailand News
Bangkok: Appeals Court upholds death sentence on Spaniard
The Appeals Court has upheld the death sentence handed down on a Spanish man for murdering a fellow Spaniard and dumping his dismembered body in the Chao Phraya River back in 2016. From El Pais, April 21, 2017 – A Spanish national was on Friday given the death sentence after being found guilty by a Thai court of murdering fellow…
- Thailand News
National: VIP treatment for foreign rescuers
Rescuers, who have the time to stay in Thailand, are being given free tours and extra privileges in thanks for their dedication and persistence over the past two weeks in the Tham Luang cave search and rescue mission. For the ones that must return home now, they’ve been offered free tickets and five-year visa free travel. The government is offering them a free-of-charge…
