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  • Expats50 year old British man dies at scene after fireworks explosion in Pattaya | Thaiger

    50 year old British man dies at scene after fireworks explosion in Pattaya

    PHOTO: dailymail.co.uk A British man died after a firework exploded in his face just after midnight during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Pattaya. 50 year old Gary McLaren died at the scene after a large cylindrical firework he was trying to light exploded. He was a tourist visiting Pattaya for New Year. He had visited Thailand before and arrived just…

  • Environment NewsSingle-use plastic bag ban just the beginning – Thai Minister | Thaiger

    Single-use plastic bag ban just the beginning – Thai Minister

    “It is a huge New Year’s gift to Thailand and the world.” This proud announcement from the Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varavuth Silpa-archa voicing his strong support of the ban on plastic bags that kicked in yesterday. 75 companies, covering shopping malls, and department and convenience stores, have stopped distributing single-use plastic bags. It’s a positive step as Thailand starts…

  • Thailand News17 year old reports to Chon Buri police that she was molested and raped | Thaiger

    17 year old reports to Chon Buri police that she was molested and raped

    PHOTO: khaosod.co.th A 17 year old girl is safe after a potentially dangerous situation ended well thanks to her intuition to call a relative. The teenager ‘met’ a man online and they had been talking on the Line application for many months. But their two versions of events are not quite the same… According to her report to police, the…

  • World NewsAustralian Navy evacuates coastal residents whilst southern NSW and eastern Victoria burns | Thaiger

    Australian Navy evacuates coastal residents whilst southern NSW and eastern Victoria burns

    PHOTO: Victorian Government Emergency officials in Australia have a 24 hour deadline to move thousands of people stranded on the New South Wales (NSW) South Coast who could face a looming fire crisis when this weekend’s latest heatwave arrives. Bushfire-ravaged communities in southern NSW are assessing the damage after seven lives and 176 homes were lost. In Victoria, south of NSW,…

  • Road deathsDay Five – Bangkok the most deadly province for NY road toll | Thaiger

    Day Five – Bangkok the most deadly province for NY road toll

    The death toll for Thailand after the first 5 days of the 7 day road safety campaign was up to 256 out of 2,529 road incidents. This includes 12 road deaths in Bangkok, the most of any province The figures from the Directorate Centre to Prevent and Reduce Road Accidents. According to their stats, 42 people died on New Year’s Eve…

  • Bangkok NewsEssilorLuxottica fraud linked to merger friction of the Euro eyewear giants | Thaiger

    EssilorLuxottica fraud linked to merger friction of the Euro eyewear giants

    PHOTO: Global Retail Alliance Latest info on the fraud at a Thai factory making lenses for the multinational eyewear conglomerate, EssilorLuxottica. The newly merged Italian-French manufacturer of ophthalmic lenses, frames and sunglasses says it was the target of a 190 million euro (6.3 billion baht) fraud at a Thai factory as an ongoing power struggle over the 2017 merger of the…

  • Crime NewsEssilorLuxottica announces a 6.3 billion baht fraud at a plant in Thailand | Thaiger

    EssilorLuxottica announces a 6.3 billion baht fraud at a plant in Thailand

    EssilorLuxottica has reported a 213 million US$ (6.3 billion baht) fraud in on of its plants in Thailand. EssilorLuxottica is a French-Italian multinational corporation based in Paris with subsidiaries and manufacturers around the world. Essilor Luxottica, a global designer, manufacturer and distributor of ophthalmic lenses, frames and sunglasses, has announced that its subsidiary Essilor International recently discovered fraudulent fund transfers in one…

  • Thailand NewsTop 10 most popular stories at The Thaiger in 2019 | Thaiger

    Top 10 most popular stories at The Thaiger in 2019

    There has been plenty of news around in 2019 for Thailand. The Top 10 stories ranked by their significance by our writers is very different from the Top 10 stories you searched for and clicked on at The Thaiger. Some other stats. You clicked on The Thaiger 81,177,191 times (up to December 29) during 2019, the busiest month was October…

  • Road deaths159 people dead after first three days of Thai holiday campaign | Thaiger

    159 people dead after first three days of Thai holiday campaign

    PHOTO: VOA 159 people have died in the first three days of the Christmas/New Year holiday 7 day safety campaign. During those three days there has been 1,504 crashes resulting in 1,549 injuries. The numbers take into account last Friday up to midnight Sunday night. The capital, Bangkok, has registered the highest death toll and the highest number of drink-driving…

  • Tourism NewsFlydubai introduces daily Dubai-Krabi flights | Thaiger

    Flydubai introduces daily Dubai-Krabi flights

    PHOTOS: Tourism Authority of Thailand More routes from more locations into Thailand’s secondary airports has been the story of 2019 aircraft arrivals. Now the Tourism Authority of Thailand has welcomed flydubai’s inaugural flight on the Dubai-Krabi route. It arrived at Krabi International Airport two weeks ago. The budget airline out of the United Arab Emirates is operating a daily flight on the…

  • Things To DoTop 5 places to celebrate New Years Eve in Phuket (2020) | Thaiger

    Top 5 places to celebrate New Years Eve in Phuket (2020)

    PHOTO: Kata Rocks Where better to spend your new year’s celebrations than the tropical island of Phuket. There’s such a variety of excellent choices you have some big decisions to make! From the insane to the family-friendly, busy Patong Beach to stylish beach clubs, they’re all here waiting to carry you into the new year. Forecast in Phuket for the…

  • World NewsNew research poses grim projections for world’s coastal cities | Thaiger

    New research poses grim projections for world’s coastal cities

    GRAPHIC: The New York Times • More than 20 million people in southern Vietnam, nearly a quarter of the total population, currently live on land that will be underwater by 2050. • In Thailand, more than 10% of the population live on land that will be inundated in 30 years. Bangkok is already suffering inundations, complicated by the city sinking…

  • Tourism NewsTAT forecasts a 2.5% increase in tourist numbers for next year | Thaiger

    TAT forecasts a 2.5% increase in tourist numbers for next year

    Last week tourist arrivals in Thailand surpassed 38,260,000, the total 2018 arrival number. Now Thailand has broken through the 39 million international tourist barrier, just two days before the end of the year. The 39 millionth tourist was from Russia. 2019 had a shaky start with the arrival of Tropical Storm Pabuk in the first week of the new year.…

  • Road deathsThai road toll jumps to 109 after first two days of seven day campaign | Thaiger

    Thai road toll jumps to 109 after first two days of seven day campaign

    Road incidents during the first two days of the seven day New Year holiday period have risen to 974. The southern province of Surat Thani, just north of Phuket, had 33 incidents and 37 people injured. Chiang Rai and Nakhon Sawan have had the highest death toll with 6 deaths each. Police have been instructed to tighten up traffic checks…

  • Environment NewsBangkok is in the middle of a battle between the Chao Phraya and Gulf of Thailand | Thaiger

    Bangkok is in the middle of a battle between the Chao Phraya and Gulf of Thailand

    The natural ebb and flow, and the eternal battle between waters flowing down the Chao Phraya and up from the sea, may affect Bangkok’s tap water supply. This year the water flowing down the mighty river may not counter the water trying to flow up towards the capital from the Gulf of Thailand. The slow sinking of Bangkok (the capital…

  • Environment NewsTurtle release at Maya Bay to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Tsunami | Thaiger

    Turtle release at Maya Bay to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Tsunami

    by Robb, Five Star Thailand Tours Koh Phi Phi Leh’s most famous tourist attraction, Maya Bay has been a controversial topic in recent years. The bay remains closed. However, tourists are still able to visit the National Park to swim and snorkel along the outskirts of the bay. A rope strung across the bay prevents visitors from going inside the bay…

  • Crime NewsThree Bangkok police fired after proof of extortion emerges | Thaiger

    Three Bangkok police fired after proof of extortion emerges

    UPDATED STORY Three policemen who worked out of the Thonglor Police Station, on the eastern edge of Bangkok city, have been suspended from their duties las Friday, pending a full enquiry. Thai Rath reported that the three had been relieved of their duties after allegedly receiving a bribe from a French businessman. The three policemen were identified as Maj. Phitsanupol…

  • South Thailand NewsSongkhla jail escapee recaptured after a day on the loose | Thaiger

    Songkhla jail escapee recaptured after a day on the loose

    A prisoner who managed to escape from the Songkhla Provincial ail has now been recaptured at a rented house in Singhanakhon district. Police were able to locate him yesterday around midday. The Corrections Department had offered a 200,000 baht reward the day before for any information leading to the arrest of Dalok-Ani MaPrasit who escaped from the provincial prison Officiers…

  • Tourism NewsAsia leads the way in travel technology over next decade | Thaiger

    Asia leads the way in travel technology over next decade

    In an industry already heavily “disrupted” by technology, tourism and travel will see even more of the business-side move online. Singapore-based travel booking company Agoda says that single one-stop-shop apps for all travel needs, passport free travel, and mobile app check-in are the top three new travel trends expected by travellers. Their report indicates travellers now expect a lot more from their travel experience…

  • World NewsASEAN aiming to develop Universal Healthcare Coverage for all member states | Thaiger

    ASEAN aiming to develop Universal Healthcare Coverage for all member states

    PHOTO: Pacific Health Care Promoting universal healthcare coverage for citizens is now a common goal of ASEAN member states. The aim is to grant people access to healthcare without barriers to improve nations’ health and wellbeing of all citizens. Universal healthcare is a hallmark of civilised governments around the world with the UN describing UHC as a right of all…

  • Business NewsCentral “deeply appalled” by Nazi pics at their Christmas display | Thaiger

    Central “deeply appalled” by Nazi pics at their Christmas display

    UPDATE: The family of one of the people in the photo, has contacted The Thaiger and asked us to remove the photo. We have blurred one of the faces to comply with their wish after a discussion on the matter. “Three French hens, Two turtle doves and a pair of Nazi’s in a Bangkok shopping centre”. A cultural collision, a…

  • South Thailand NewsCCTV footage from Thai prison posted on Youtube live – VIDEO | Thaiger

    CCTV footage from Thai prison posted on Youtube live – VIDEO

    It’s no secret that Thai prisons are a place you should avoid. Cramped, dangerous, hot, unsanitary. Even the notorious Bang Kwang Central Prison in Bangkok has earned the name ‘Bangkok Hilton’, mocking its less-than-confortable living conditions. Now some leaked CCTV footage from a prison in Chumpon, southern Thailand, has been leaked and shared on YouTube. Channel 31 reporting of the footage below……

  • EventsLive links to watch Thailand solar eclipse today | Thaiger

    Live links to watch Thailand solar eclipse today

    Here are some live links to watch the solar eclipse which is currently happening across Thailand. It is now at its peak (midday). CAUTION: Looking at the sun directly and without proper equipment is dangerous and can cause blindness. Read more, along with some guidelines for viewing the solar eclipse, HERE. While Singapore, Sri Lanka, India and Indonesia will all…

  • Hot NewsSolar eclipse today across Thailand. Here’s how to watch it. | Thaiger

    Solar eclipse today across Thailand. Here’s how to watch it.

    CAUTION: Looking at the sun directly and without proper equipment is dangerous and can cause blindness. Read more, along with some guidelines for viewing the solar eclipse, HERE. How it will look in your area below… The skies will darken across Thailand around midday today. The further south you are, the darker it will get as the moon moves over…

  • Bangkok NewsSamut Sakhon temple Abbot accused of sexual abuse of up to 19 temple novices | Thaiger

    Samut Sakhon temple Abbot accused of sexual abuse of up to 19 temple novices

    PHOTO: Police The acting abbot at a temple in Samut Sakhon has been arrested following allegations that he held captive and sexually abused a list of young novice monks. It’s been reported that the youngest was only 8 years old. Samut Sakhon is just to the east of Bangkok, facing the Gulf of Thailand. 40 year old Phra Khru Sangkharak Saksit…

  • Business NewsDream Group scales back their Asia hotel expansion plans | Thaiger

    Dream Group scales back their Asia hotel expansion plans

    New York-based Dream Hotel Group’s plans to expand in Asia have turned into somewhat of a nightmare. The Group has closed its regional office in Bangkok shortly after hiring new executives to push forward with expansion earlier this year. A Pattaya ‘Dream’ has also failed to eventuate this year. The push in Asia, which kicked off last year with the establishment…

  • Environment NewsA Krabi palm plantation returned as a community forest. Protesters want more. | Thaiger

    A Krabi palm plantation returned as a community forest. Protesters want more.

    PHOTO: Mekong Eye A private company’s concession to grow oil palms in Krabi has come to an end. So local authorities have opened it to locals as a “Community forest”. The local Forest Resource Management officials have launched a reclamation project at the site in Ban Thung Preu, Khao Phanom. The concession to grow oil palms there expired in 2015 and…

  • Economy NewsPlearn Wan ‘retro’ shopping village to close its doors in Hua Hin | Thaiger

    Plearn Wan ‘retro’ shopping village to close its doors in Hua Hin

    Yesterday, December 24, the founder and owner of Plearn Wan Company, operator of Plearn Wan shopping village in Hua Hin and Plearn Wan Panich shopping experiences at multiple locations around Thailand, Phattra Sahawat, posted that the Hua Hin shopping village will close down on January 31, 2020. The rambling retro shopping experience would attract families on weekend trips from Bangkok…

  • World NewsThe Chinese sneezed and south-east asian tourism caught cold | Thaiger

    The Chinese sneezed and south-east asian tourism caught cold

    PHOTO: asia.nikkei.com Things have gone a bit quiet on the tourist front. Thai authorities and people affected by the downturn are wringing their hands as the rise and rise of tourism in the Land of Smiles has seen it first sustained reversal in fortunes for two decades. But it’s not just in Thailand. It’s not as if the tourists are…

  • Tourism NewsWhere are Thai airbnb customers staying over the holiday period? | Thaiger

    Where are Thai airbnb customers staying over the holiday period?

    Where are the people booking share accomodation staying for the Christmas and New Year period? • Tokyo, Osaka and Hokkaido are among the top five trending destinations where Thai travellers usher in another year • Seoul is the most-booked overseas destination for Thai travellers on New Year’s Eve • Chiang Mai is the most popular domestic destination for Thai travellers…