- World News
Up, up and away – the annual Thai rocket festivals are here! VIDEO
Look up! Rockets, made from cheap PVC plumbing pipe roaring into the skies, parades featuring cross dressers and phallic symbols, mud fests, all fuelled by rice wine and other local brews (many as potent as the whatever-it-is used to launch the rockets). Yes, it’s time for the annual Rocket Festival or Bun Bang Fai, held in May, mostly in Thailand’s…
- Thailand News
Thaiger Weekend Update – Saturday, May 14 – VIDEO
The hot topics remain to be how and when the remaining restrictions are going to be removed, the fate of the Thailand Pass, getting Thailand’s nightlife open again (officially) and the things stopping travellers returning to Thailand at the moment. Throw your comments and questions at Tim as we travel on the good ship ‘Thailand’ for an hour. Good morning,…
- Property News
Inflation forces real estate developers to readjust prices
To compensate for the sluggish real estate market after prices have risen due to higher costs caused by the Russia Ukraine war, real estate developers should downsize unit sizes and readjust some features. Furthermore, in order to avoid incurring greater costs as a result of the new tax, real estate developers will be more selective when purchasing property for their…
- Visa Information
UK Pensions in Thailand losing up to 20,160 baht a year
After months of campaigning, the UK government has just responded this week to the thousands of UK overseas pensioners, stating they are not willing to fork out an estimated £0.6 billion a year. Many of the UK retirees living in Thailand signed the UK Government petition regarding UK pensions being indexed. This issue ,in a nutshell, is that UK-based pensioners received…
- Crime News
Inspections reveal 12 Thai prisons serving rotten food to inmates
Spot-check inspections conducted at prisons across Thailand reveal that a total of 12 prisons were serving rotten food to inmates. The prisons were serving chicken, pork, vegetables and condiments all past their use-by-date. Prison officers in the 12 prisons are thought to have profited from the scandal, according to Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin, who publicly addressed the results of the…
- Transport News
Thailand successfully tests “Ultraman” electro-diesel trains
Thailand’s new electro-diesel trains – named after a Japanese superhero – are going on test runs before being deployed on long-distance journeys across the nation. The State Railway of Thailand, or SRT, received 20 “Ultraman” trains on Wednesday. Ultraman’s first test run between Bangkok’s Bang Sue Station and Chachoengsao was a success, according to the SRT. The trains will be…
- Thailand News
American consulate in Chiang Mai accused of covert military operations
US officials in Thailand are denying allegations that a new American consulate in Chiang Mai is supplying weapons to rebel groups in neighbouring countries and is being used for covert military operations. A local Thai group wrote an open letter requesting US President Joe Biden rethink the purpose of the consulate, which is scheduled to be completed by the end…
- Phuket News
Squabble over 50 billion baht beachfront land in Phuket
Beachfront land in Phuket valued at 50 billion baht remains occupied, despite the Supreme Court’s orders for 9 claimants to vacate their plots. The Thai government, locals and companies have squabbled over the 178 rai of land – which covers 3 kilometres of Layan Beach – for 30 years. Officials from the Department of Special Investigation, or DSI, inspected the…
- Thailand News
Woman drowns in Chao Phraya River
A 42 year old woman has drowned in Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River this afternoon. The woman was washing her clothes on the riverbank in the Phra Pradaeng District in Samut Prakan province, between Bangkok and the mouth of the river, when she fell into the water. At 12:30 today, officers from Phra Pradaeng Police Station received a report of a…
- Thailand News
Suicide among young people in Thailand has increased ‘alarmingly’
Suicide rates among Thai teenagers and young adults in Thailand have increased ‘alarmingly’ over the past five years, according to Thailand’s Department of Mental Health. The department’s director-general blames the high rates of suicide on increased stress caused by impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. Thailand, the Land of Smiles, has the highest suicide rate in Southeast Asia. In 2021, there…
- Thailand News
Piece of suspected Chinese rocket washes up on Thai beach
What appears to be part of an aircraft, has washed up on a beach in Nakhon Si Thammarat province yesterday. A faded Chinese flag can be seen on the 1.2 x 3 metre sheet of aluminium, suggesting it could be part of one of China’s Long March Rockets used to send satellites into space. The sheet of metal washed up…
- World News
North Korea prepared to use nuclear weapons at ‘any time’ if provoked
Kim Jong-un has warned the world that North Korea is ready to use nuclear weapons against foreign powers at ‘any time’ if provoked. In a state-televised military parade held in Pyongyang on Monday, the North Korean leader pledged to develop nuclear forces as quickly as possible… “If any forces try to violate the fundamental interests of our state, our nuclear…
- Pattaya News
Hundreds queue for free food handouts in Pattaya
Images of hundreds of residents queuing up to receive free bags of rice and other dried foods on April 23 2022 in Pattaya suggest that Thailand’s economy still has a long way to go on the road to recovery. During “lockdown” in Pattaya in 2020, huge crowds of people queuing for 200 baht food and drinks handouts from Rom Pho…
- Education
1,000 Thai students fail exams due to ‘misunderstanding’
Around 1,000 Thai students have failed their exams to get into university after an exam supervisor told the students that they didn’t have to write down their names and serial numbers on their exam sheets. They believed what he had said and followed the instructions. Unfortunately, the Council of University Presidents of Thailand declined to mark their exam papers since…
- Crime News
Prinn hands himself in to ‘acknowledge’ sexual abuse allegations
Former Democrat Party deputy leader Prinn Panitchpakdi handed himself over to police at Phetchaburi Police Station today at around 9am to “acknowledge” another complaint of sexual harassment filed against him. At 9am today, 45 year old Prinn handed himself over to Phetchaburi Police Station to be questioned by superintendent Pol. Col. Wanchai Khaoram. Prinn turned himself in to “acknowledge” the…
- World News
Freddie Mercury statue erected in South Korea
After an 8 year-long quest, a South Korean ‘Queen’ superfan fulfilled his dream of honouring his late hero Freddie Mercury by erecting a life-size statue of him on the popular Jeju Island in South Korea. Queen’s music was banned in South Korea in the 1970s by then-military dictator Park Chung-hee. The regime deemed the British rock band’s music “unsuitable” and…
- Politics News
Top politicians resign from Democrat Party as pressure mounts for changing of guard
Top members of Thailand’s beleaguered Democrat Party have resigned in the wake of a sex scandal that’s rocked that party in recent weeks. Senior politician Kanok Wongtrangan announced on Facebook today that he has quit his role as a deputy leader in the party out of “moral conscience”. His resignation follows that of deputy prime minister Wittaya Kaewparadai, who resigned…
- World News
France’s Macron defeats Le Pen to secure second presidential term
France’s incumbent president Emmanuel Macron soundly defeated the far-right opposition candidate Marine Le Pen on Sunday, securing a second term with a majority of votes. Macron won 58.6% of the vote to LePen’s 41.4%. The margin is closer than their last face-off in 2017, when Macron won by more than 30 percentage points. This time the margin was significantly reduced,…
- World News
“It was a human-made disaster”: 11 dead, 15 missing after tour boat sinks in Japan
A tour boat with 26 people on board sank off the coast of Hokkaido in Japan on Saturday. Authorities have confirmed the deaths of 11 passengers and rescue teams are still searching for the remaining 15 passengers. Given the near-freezing temperatures of the water, rescuers fear the death toll will wise. Scientists say the boat shouldn’t have been operating in…
- Thailand News
BREAKING: Thailand drops PCR test on arrival, no SHA hotel, ATK test ‘optional’
Thailand’s CCSA has just announced major changes to the county’s Test & Go program, part of the broader Thailand Pass. International travellers will no longer need to take a PCR test on arrival. The requirement to book an SHA+ hotel as part of the Test & Go entry scheme is also dropped under today’s CCSA decision. On April 1 pre-travel…
- Thailand News
“Don’t wait, get checked”: Free lung cancer X-rays in Bangkok until Sunday
You can get a free lung X-ray scan on the first floor at CentralWorld in Bangkok until Sunday. Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Thailand, so one hospital is running a campaign called “Don’t Wait, Get Checked” to try to detect lung cancer in its early stages. With the help of AI technology, you can…
- Crime News
Village chief kills thief who stole his chickens
A village headman shot and killed a thief who allegedly stole his chickens at around 6am this morning in Songkhla province, southern Thailand. The shooter said the man was threatening him with a machete so he shot him three times in the chest out of self-defence. Police are speaking with eyewitnesses to determine what happened. When police arrived at the…
- Thailand News
Thai man’s testicles burst after fight with water buffalo
A buffalo breeder in Buriram province, northeast Thailand, has been rushed to hospital this morning with ‘burst testicles’ after one of his water buffaloes attacked him. The man tried to break up a fight between 2 of his buffaloes when one rammed into him leaving him with torn testicles, a wounded thigh and a bruised chest. He was found lying…
- Events
Hua Hin Jazz Festival returns next month
Sunshine and the sound of saxophones is expected to draw tourists to Hua Hin next month for the return of the city’s annual jazz festival. The International Jazz & Blues Festival 2022 will take place on May 9 at the True Arena, a two to three hour drive south of Bangkok. The festival will feature a 90-minute performance from Jazz…
- Thailand News
Python in central Thailand feasts on 10 chickens
It wasn’t very difficult for rescue workers to catch a greedy python yesterday in Ang Thong province, central Thailand, after it ate ten chickens and couldn’t move. Staff from Ang Thong Provincial Rescue Association received a request yesterday to remove a large python which was asleep inside a chicken cage at a house in Pho Thong District. Police Lt. Col.…
- World News
Pilots announce end of US mask mandate mid-flight, passengers divided
Midway through a flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles on Monday night, the pilot announced the end of America’s requirement to wear face masks on public transport, including on planes. The sound of cheering resonated through the plane and around one third of passengers instantly took off their masks, according to a witness. However, some passengers were outraged and scolded…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand removed from US ‘Do Not Travel’ list, in travel advisory reshuffle
Thailand is no longer a dangerous place to travel to — for fully vaccinated travellers. That’s according to the United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — or CDC — which removed Thailand its “Do Not Travel” list for Covid-19 on Monday. The move comes as the US reshuffles its travel advisory categories of which countries pose a risk…
- Environment News
Thailand slides down world’s marine plastic index
Thailand’s spot on the list of countries with the highest levels of marine plastic pollution is down from #6 to #10 in light of the country’s efforts to combat plastic waste. Thailand recently reached an international agreement to combat the looming problem of plastic waste at the UN’s most recent Environmental Assembly, or UNEA, meeting held in Nairobi, Kenya. Thailand…
- Thailand News
100 year old banyan tree falls down, kills 10 year old boy
A 10 year old boy was crushed to death by a 100 year old banyan tree which fell down this morning at a temple in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, southern Thailand. The boy was sitting near the tree studying online when the incident happened. The boy sadly died instantly when the tree fell on him, crushing him underneath. The boy’s…
- Thailand News
Khon Kaen beauty queen says she was sexually assaulted by Grab driver
A Thai beauty contest winner has posted on Facebook claiming that she had been sexually assaulted by a Grab motorcycle taxi driver last Saturday in Khon Kaen, northeast Thailand. The beauty queen posted a screenshot of the Grab driver’s details online warning others against using his motorcycle taxi services. She has filed a police report at Khon Kaen City police…
