- Environment News
Suvarnabhumi villagers still chasing compensation from government after 13 years
PHOTO: Khaosod Villagers living next to Suvarnabhumi Airport have filed a complaint about the noise from the planes. The villagers say they have been suffering from the airport noise for years since the construction of Suvarnabhumi (it opened in September 2006). Leader of the Dinui Yiddee Muslim Community, Saenee Kamsawat, says they are in the process of filing an official…
- Thailand News
Aaaaaw, baby elephant takes a nap
VIDEO: ส่วนประชาสัมพันธ์และเผยแพร่ กรมอุทยานแห่งชาติ สัตว์ป่า และพันธุ์พืช A video of a young baby elephant taking a nap in a Thai national park has won the hearts of thousands of netizens. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation uploaded on its Facebook page a short video clip that showed a baby elephant taking a nap on the lap of its caretaker. Up…
- Road deaths
17 apprentice students killed in Samut Prakan crash, Thailand
Seventeen students have been killed after their overloaded pick-up truck crashed and overturned in the Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan, east of Bangkok. Police report the incident happened at 1am this morning. A taxi driver from Si Sa Ket has told Thai media that shortly before 1am he saw the pick-up travel out of a Soi “at high speed”…
- Transport News
Renting a motorbike in Thailand? Have a valid license.
Transport minister Saksayam Chidchob says he’s intent on tackling Thailand’s shameful road toll. Recognising that motorcycles are the main culprit (75% of road deaths in Thailand involve motorcycles and motorbikes), he’s proposing some new laws, at least for tourists at this stage. Up until now tourists have been easily able to rent a motorcycle by just showing a passport, according…
- World News
Boris Johnson could be forced to step down as British PM
It will be another battle royale in the British House of Commons next week as opposition law-makers prepare a plan to force the embattled British PM out of office. The British PM Boris Johnson could be forced to step down next week as opposition MPs join forces to replace him with an interim administration in order to secure another Brexit delay…
- World News
Most of Thomas Cook stranded customers back in UK
PHOTO: The Guardian More than half of of the 150,000 holidaymakers left stranded abroad following the collapse of British travel company Thomas Cook are now back in the UK. The local Civil Aviation Authority says that 76,000 people have now been repatriated in the first six days of ‘Operation Matterhorn’ – Britain’s largest peacetime repatriation of its citizens. 178 year…
- Transport News
Bangkok bus union is opposing plan for private sector operation
PHOTO: Daily News The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority labour union is voicing its strong objection to the Transport Minister over his plans to contract private companies to operate the city’s bus services, and the shelving plans to procure a fleet of 3,000 new buses. Thai PBS reports that the union president, Veerapong Wongwaen, says that the union will submit a…
- Politics News
Thanathorn dares Prawit to have a face-to-face meeting over NY protests
Future Forward party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit is daring Deputy PM and luxury watch enthusiast Prawit Wongsuwan to summon him for questioning, whether the party might be linked to anti-government protests in New York last week. The protesters, waving placards like “Stop the human rights abuses” and “We want fair elections”, was held out side Pm Chan-o-cha’s hotel in New York…
- Events
OPINION: Phuket’s Vegetarian Festival is now for the tourists, not the locals
OPINION: Pruth Kulprasit Phuket’s vegetarian Festival is an annual event steeped in ancient Chinese mysticism and fused with local island traditions and Buddhism. It’s a cacophony of noise, spiritualism, body piercing and rather bland vegetarian food. For the tourist or expat that witnesses the parades, fire-walking and ceremonies for the first time it’s a shock to the senses.For local Thai-Chinese,…
- Events
Phuket Vegetarian Festival events 2019 – schedule and history
The annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival, aka. ‘Nine Emperor Gods Festival’, always runs during the ninth lunar month. For expats and tourist ‘newbies’ the Vegetarian Festival is a lot to do with parades, firecrackers, bizarre ceremonies and spiritual mystiques piecing themselves, and little to do with vegetarian food. Whilst we’ve tried to provide a program here, any time schedule at individual…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya Indoor Cricket League – Round 3
Round 3 was played at Rugby School in Bang Lamung between PCC (Pattaya Cricket Club) and RST (Rugby School Thailand). There were indoor cricket debutants for both teams: Carl Pohl for RST and Pravit Grover, Edwin Van Rensburg and Andy Holt for PCC. This was yet another very close game where dropped catches, missed run out opportunities and extras were…
- Events
Chinese tourists surge during Phuket’s vegetarian festival
… and it’s not much about vegetarian food. It’s on again, one of the most bizarre festivals on the world’s calendar of WTF events. The Phuket Tourist Association says that the Phuket Vegetarian Festival that runs until October 7, is expected to bring in around 2 billion baht in your revenue. They say that, despite the high value of the…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya’s Nong Prue district has its eyes on you
The Nong Prue Municipality, to the east of the main Pattaya city, has now installed 75 CCTVs in 32 spots so far in 2019. Plans are also underway to install 60 more cameras in 29 different areas valued at 10 million baht. The official opening for the CCTV Control Centre in the Nong Prue Municipality was held two weeks ago…
- Economy News
Thais clamour for the “Chim, Shop, Chai” 1000 baht give-away program
PHOTO: buriramguru.com The “Chim, Shop, Chai” (Eat, Shop, Spend) program has been a resounding success, and it’s still got a another five days or so to go. Thai citizens can apply for the 1000 baht ‘gift’ from the government and spend the money at selected shops anywhere outside their home province. The government only accepts one million applications each day so,…
- Tourism News
Pubs and nightclubs in Pattaya and Bangkok poised to stay open until 4am
The Minister for Tourism and Sports says he’s making headway with plans to allow opening until 4am for ‘some’ tourist areas in Thailand. The proposals were mooted several months ago as a tonic for dropping tourist numbers in some of the traditional holiday ‘hot spots’. Sports and tourism minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says that details were still being discussed but the plan is now…
- Expats
12 month “Medical Visa” proposed among updates to Thai visa offerings
A new visa category is being proposed that could allow people to stay in the Kingdom for up to a year for medical treatments. The so-called “Medical Visa” (Non-MT) would visitors to stay for 12 months. The Thai deputy PM and health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, and the tourism and sports minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn announced yesterday that countries that will benefit are wealthy…
- World News
UPDATE: Maluku Island quake toll rises to 23
The death toll from a powerful earthquake that rocked Indonesia’s remote Maluku islands has risen to 23. More than 15,000 people have been evacuated to shelters. Among the confirmed dead, an infant with many killed by falling debris in and around quake-struck Ambon city. More than 100 people were also injured and at least 15,000 people had to evacuate because…
- World News
Myanmar switches to international ‘unicode’ on October 1
PHOTO: Cordelia Persen/flickr “October 1 is “U-Day”, when Myanmar officially adopts the new system.” Accessing everything from Wikipedia to Google Maps in Myanmar is about to get a lot easier when the country finally adopts the universal code underpinning phone and online communication next week. Tech experts say the move to bring the country more in step with the rest of…
- Transport News
Three Thai high-speed train projects shelved
“As the high-speed train system in Laos is nearing completion, he said that Thailand must speed up its construction of the Bangkok-Nong Khai project.” Three high-speed train projects are being shelved by the Thai government due to lack of interest from co-investors. Sources at the Transport Ministry have told Thai PBS World that none of the three projects were included…
- Thailand News
Rent-a-crowd protesters in NYC weren’t Thai and didn’t know where Thailand was on a map
A small group of vocal protesters in New York, rallying in front of a hotel where the Thai PM was staying over the weekend, have been revealed to be Mexicans, Brazillians and Peruvians, not Thai. PM Prayut and his entourage were staying in the Plaza Athenee Hotel over the weekend and until Tuesday this week, attending events and UN Summits. Thai…
- World News
UPDATE: At least one dead – Indonesian islands hit with 6.5 magnitude quake
PHOTO: AFP / Handout / BADAN NASIONAL PENANGGULANGAN BENCANA by Sultan Ambon At least one person has died and another is missing after a strong earthquake struck Indonesia’s remote Maluku islands earlier today, destroying homes and triggering landslides. Terrified people ran into the streets as buildings fell in around them after the 6.5-magnitude quake hit at around 8:45 local time (0045…
- Việt Nam
Cháy lớn ở Hải Phòng
PHOTO: vietnamnet.vn Hôm qua một vụ hỏa hoạn lớn đã xảy ra tại Trung tâm điện máy Hoàng Gia, đường Lê Hồng Phong, quận Ngô Quyền, Hải Phòng. Rất may không có thiệt hại về người nhưng toàn bộ tài sản đã bị thiêu rụi. Ngay khi nhận được thông tin, lực lượng chức năng và chính quyền thành phố…
- World News
Thiều Bảo Trâm tâm huyết chỉnh ảnh vẫn bị “soi” du lịch Nhật Bản cùng Sơn Tùng
PHOTO: Bức ảnh giữ khoảng cách của Thiều Bảo Trâm và Sơn Tùng được fan ghi lại – kenh14.vn Thiều Bảo Trâm và Sơn Tùng mới đây lại bị fan ở Nhật Bản bắt gặp đang du lịch cùng nhau tại xứ sở hoa anh đào khiến nghi vấn tin đồn hẹn hò giữa hai ngôi sao càng thêm chắc chắn.…
- World News
East Indonesian islands hit with strong 6.5 magnitude quake
“People were panicking and started to evacuate in some places, but we are trying to tell them there’s no need to panic because there’s no tsunami threat.” A strong 6.5-magnitude earthquake hit off the remote Maluku islands in eastern Indonesia but no tsunami warning was issued. The quake struck about 37 kilometres (23 miles) northeast of Ambon in Maluku province at…
- Health
Land of teenage tears – tackling Thailand’s youth depression and suicide
Thailand had the highest suicide rates in ASEAN, according to a recent study conducted by the World Health Organisation. The WHO ranked Thailand 32nd worldwide in its annual suicide rate report which came out earlier this month. The report indicated around 10,000 deaths by suicide per year, much higher than other ASEAN countries. Many of the deaths are Thailand’s younger…
- Environment News
Dam contaminated with heavy metals in Chachoengsao
PHOTO: Thai PBS World People living around a small dam in Khao Hin Sorn district of Chachoengsao, directly east of Bangkok, are being told to stop using water from the reservoir after it was discovered that it is contaminated with heavy metals. Officials of the Royal Irrigation Department took water and soil samples from the Royally-initiated reservoir for tests, which…
- Events
1000 gather in Phuket to join the global cry on climate change
Asia’s largest travel and tourism sustainability event, opened in Phuket yesterday, as Southeast Asia’s hospitality industry came together in a spirit of collaboration to tackle the critical environmental issues facing resort destinations across the region. A year on from the inaugural edition of PHIST, the event continues to grow. A record attendance of 1,000 delegates attended the full-day event, held…
- Opinion
OPINION: It’s time to go – Brexit
by Gill Parker (The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the owners, staff or management of The Thaiger) Adios, Au revior, Auf wiedersehen, Ha dee and Addio Europe. Breaking up is hard to do but we’re outta here. Enough is enough. The British people voted to leave the European Union and that’s that. You can argue…
- Tourism News
Thomas Cook demise will affect British tourism to Thailand for the rest of 2019
“British tourists have contribute between 900,000 – 1,000,000 tourists to Thailand annually for the past seven years.” The failure of the British Thomas Cook travel business will cut the numbers of arrivals from Britain to Thailand for the remainder of this year. Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand says they are also assessing a drop in northern-European…
- Opinion
OPINION: Well, here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into – Brexit
OPINION: David Skelcey, Thailand (The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the owners, staff or management of The Thaiger) Whether you are British or not, it will be hard to escape yesterday’s news that British Prime Minister Johnson has been dealt a massive blow by the UK’s highest court over his decision to suspend parliament. The…
