- Property
Trang: Southern Thailand’s rising star
As real estate in the markets of Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi increasingly becomes unattractive to investors and speculators due to rapid appreciation and the lack of new land coming up for sale, markets in other southern Thai provinces are beginning to bud. Trang is one such market that speculators would be wise not to ignore. The President of the…
- News
Small guest-houses and hotels closing down across Chiang Mai
Hotels, from small to medium size, are closing down across Chaing Mai following recent crackdowns and enforcement of the Hotel Act. Similar crackdowns are underway across the country this week, notably in Krabi as well. About 100 protesters have staged protests outside City Hall demanding that their issues be raised with the Tourism Ministry and the Thai PM. Small and…
- Thai Life
Would you fly in an aeroplane without windows? Or a pilot?
A new aircraft design from Dubai-based airline Emirates plans to remove windows from aircraft. Yep, windows. Instead of real-life views of the sky and passing world below, passengers will look at “virtual windows,” enjoying projected views of the outside world. Emirates’ new “game-changing” cabins will be first-class private suites. The traditional glass windows will be replaced by screens to mimic…
- News
Crazy school songtaew driver slapped with 5,000 baht fine and suspension
CCTV footage from an intersection near Kabinburi, east of Bangkok, showed a fully loaded school songtaew almost collide with other vehicles as the driver plowed through a red light. Thai Rath reports the songtaew almost topples over, such is the speed and swerve. The children came from three area schools – Kabin Withaya, Jiamin School and Ruksasap School in Prachinburi. Following…
- News
Officials keeping an eye on illegal World Cup football gambling
Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong says, “The Ministry of Interior has reminded us that the World Cup football will be held from June 14 to July 15. Obviously it’s already a very big event in the media. More children, youth and adults will be coerced to take part in illegal football gambling.” “Offenders under the Gambling Act shall be liable to…
- News
‘Big Joke’ takes down Russian credit card fraudster
Tourist police deputy commissioner Maj Gen Surachet Hakpal has led a team of police in taking down a Russian credit card fraudster in the north east. Maj Gen Surachet is affectionately known as “Big Joke” in the Thai media following a series of high profile crime busts. In his latest sting, 43 year old Kiselev Andrey Vladimirovice, was trapped with…
- News
Premchai wants to move the case to another court. The Prosector’s not happy.
Haven’t heard much about the Premchai Karnasuta case in the past month? There have been moves behind the scenes to have the case moved to the Region 7 Criminal Court in Samut Songkhram province. Thai PBS is reporting that the public prosecutor in charge of the Thungyai illegal hunting case has objected to the request of Italian-Thai Development boss Premchai Karnasuta…
- News
New ferry services proposed to connect Andaman ports
PHOTO: Pattaya Mail (The Pattaya/Hua Hin ferry that started last year. Similar to the new services being proposed for the Andaman region.) It’s being called the “Andaman Ring” – new proposed routes connecting Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi with a modern fleet of new ferries which authorities say will cut journey times and help cater for the expanding tourism in the…
- News
Darasamuth underpass closed today for maintenance
The Phuket PR Office says the Darasamuth Underpass (adjacent to Central Festival) is closed from 9am to 3pm today (Thursday, June 7) while workers repair light bulbs. This announcement from the Phuket Highways Chief Somwang Lohanut. Mr Somwang says, “both the northbound and southbound lanes through the underpass will be temporary closed. Workers will be carrying out repairs and replacing…
- News
NBTC been told to clean up the overhead cabling mess
PHOTO The Nation Last year PM Prayut Chan-o-cha declared war on Thailand’s overhead electric cabling signalling provincial governments to get their overhead house in order. The clean up has been complicated by the many services that run their systems overhead – cable TV, electricity suppliers, internet and telecom providers. Now the Nation Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) has been tasked…
- News
Police launch operation ‘Rooting Out Crime for a Livable City’ – Pattaya
Law enforcement officers have been deployed in Pattaya to launch an operation police claim will ‘make the city livable’. The operation will run until next Monday under the code name ‘Operation Rooting Out Crime for a Livable City’. In launching the operation at 6am yesterday (Wednesday), Pol Col Apichai Krobphet at Pattaya police station says they want foreign visitors to…
- News
Hmong workers victims of human trafficking – Intercepted in Prachuap Khiri Khan
27 Hmong workers have been intercepted who appear to have been smuggled over the border near the Singkhorn crossing (a pass across the Tenasserim Hills on the border between Thailand and Myanmar in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province). Ban Muang is reporting that police, military, immigration and Prachuap Khiri Khan authorities intercepted four pick up trucks yesterday. The workers had paid 700…
- News
Paraquat and other farm pesticides to be phased out – PM assures protesters
The Thaig government is promising to phase out the use of Paraquat as an farm chemical. The PM was responding to a ramping up of protests outside Government house and in social media where opposition was growing following a decision not to ban the use of Paraquat and two other agri-chemicals. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says the government will now set 2019…
- News
Protests planned outside Government House over ‘hazardous chemicals’ decision
Anti-paraquat protesters are going to rally out the front of Government House today. Around 300 rubber planters are set to join members of a network of organisations protesting against anti-hazardous substances being allowed in Thai agriculture. They say they are protesting against the continued use of the agro-chemicals paraquat, chlorpyrifos and glyphosate. President of the association of rubber planters, Sunthorn…
- News
Tour bus collides with concrete truck in Khon Kaen
20 passengers on a Nakorn Panom-Bangkok bus are shaken but unharmed following a tour bus crash with a concrete truck. A report from MCOT shows CCTV footage from an intersection in Khon Kaen of the two vehicles colliding. The footage shows cars coming through the intersection then the cement mixer. The cement mixer didn’t appear to give way to the right…
- World News
Tropical depression over South China Sea
PHOTO: Rain sweeping across Da Nang, Vietnam Travellers planning to head to Vietnam and China’s Hainan Island during June 5-8 are being urged to check the weather before their departure. The Thai Meteorological Department says… “the tropical depression over the upper South China Sea was centered about 255 km. east of Da Nang, Vietnam, or latitude 16.5 degree North, longitude…
- News
Pilot whale beaches itself in Songkhla
PHOTOS: ThaiWhales’ Facebook page A pilot whale has died in Songkhla after being cared for by a team of vets and villagers over four days. What they found in a subsequent autopsy shocked everyone. The 4.5 metre pilot whale beached itself on the shore in the Chana district of Songkhla on May 29. Villagers and veterinarians from the local marine and…
- News
Southern monsoon has arrived – rain predicted around the country
All parts of Thailand are likely to see heavy rains this week with the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) ordering its offices to prepare accordingly. During June 4-7, according to the Thai Meteorological website, the southwest monsoon prevails over the Andaman Sea, the South and the Gulf of Thailand. They say this will cause more rain and isolated heavy showers. “The…
- News
Sorry, we’re closed for maintenance
The closure of Maya Bay and Boracay island in The Philippines is part of a brave new management strategy to save these, and other, mass tourism magnets from long-term vandalism – to a point where they are beyond reclamation and salvation. Maya Bay closed on June 1 for four months. During this time tour boats will be able to travel…
- Property
Perspective: West coast hoteliers give some insight into low season hotel traffic – Phuket
Speaking to a number of west-coast hoteliers on the island The Thaiger heard a few ‘truths’ about Phuket’s surging tourism industry, from the front line and not from the Associations which are forever pitching extravagant occupancy rates, spinning the numbers. The TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) can sometimes be accused of painting a ‘too rosy’ picture of what’s happening in…
- Thai Life
Heading to Phang Nga Bay
FROM THE PHUKET GAZETTE ARCHIVES By Mark Knowles Caught up in the daily routines of living and working in Phuket, it’s all too easy to forget that you have some of the most amazing natural attractions in the world right on your door step. Phang Nga Bay, with its towering limestone cliffs, swathes of tidal mangroves, isolated island beaches and…
- Thai Life
Air Asia flight arrives in Hua Hin. Hey, it’s a really big deal!!
One flight a day, four times a week. Hua Hin Today goes grand with its headlines about the inaugural Air Asia flight. It’s straight out of the 1930s… “Hua Hin Realises the Age of International Flight” “In what may prove to be a game-changing event for the local tourism industry, Hua Hin airport has welcomed the inaugural Air Asia direct flight…
- News
New business model proposed for elephant attractions
Canadian-based World Animal Protection has released details of their plan to sign a MoU that will “remove all physical interaction between tourists and elephants” at the Chiang Mai elephant camp. The Happy Elephant Care Valley is about to launch into a landmark agreement that will transform it into a “truly elephant-friendly” tourist attraction. The animal welfare charity says changing the…
- World News
Bangkok Airline and Lao Airline sign codeshare
Bangkok Airways and Lao Airlines have now agreed on a code shares for flights between Laos and Thailand. Passengers will gain more flight options and they can book travel to a third destination served by the partnering airlines more conveniently. They will be able to make the through-flight bookings at the one time rather than having to make two separate…
- Food
Songkhla Seafood Festival 2018 – on now.
The Songkhla Seafood Festival 2018 is on now and celebrating its 19th year. It’s taking place at Sra Bua, Laem Samila, Songkhla until June 9, 2018. The event is known for offering all kinds of seafood fresh off the boat, including fish, shrimp, crab, shellfish, squid and jellyfish, caught during the 12-day festival. There will be more than 100 seafood…
- News
Local teachers work with Soi Dog to pass on lessons in animal welfare
On May 24 – 25, Phuket’s Soi Dog Foundation conducted animal welfare workshops entitled ‘Humans Love Animals, Animals Love Environment’, gathering local school teachers from 12 schools across the island. Realising the importance of the younger generation and the power of education, the Foundation’s education team passed on their animal welfare knowledge through these educators who shared the experience and…
- News
Road accident prevention project aimed at schools – Phuket
A promotion has been launched at Phuket Wittayalai School in Phuket Town this morning, hosted Phuket’s Governor, with a target to decrease road accidents. Governor Norraphat says, “The number of accidents and injuries during this year’s Songkran Festival decreased, but the number of deaths from road accidents was the same as last year. Students were the highest demographic in this year’s Songkran…
- Health
Top International Schools in Sukhumvit – and what is unique about them
by Daniel Lummis There are numerous challenges to be faced when living in a country with a culture very different to your own but perhaps the most difficult, for parents at any rate, is that of choosing a school in which your children will thrive and receive a first-class education. Bangkok is home to many excellent international schools but facilities,…
- Thai Life
No-Straw campaign launched at Mövenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach Phuket
Ahead of World Environment Day on June 5, 2018, Movenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach Phuket has implemented a “no straw” campaign, successfully removing plastic straws from its seven food & beverage outlets within the resort. The move follows many other organisations around the island committing to “no straw” categories. “While straws remain available for our guests who wish to…
- News
Chiang Mai hostel & guesthouse owners seeking clarification on Hotel Act
PHOTO: Manon Hostel, Chiang Mai Concerns over interpretation of the current Hotels Act, following a court-ruling last month about a Hua Hin condo being deemed illegal when renting rooms by day or week, have spread to Chiang Mai where guesthouse and hostel owners are seeking clarification. Guesthouse, hostel and small hotel owners in the northern city have filed a petition…
