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Police and protesters clash at increasingly aggressive protests
Tensions flared at today’s anti-government protests, as demonstrators had to re-route 3 times due to police pushback efforts. The original plan was to meet at the Democracy Monument at 2 pm today and march to the Grand Palace, as pro-monarchy groups called for the army to step in and fortify the historic complex they called a sacred site. But police…
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UPDATE: Suspect in Swiss murder in Phuket is a “Thai man”
UPDATE TO OUR PREVIOUS ARTICLE New details have just emerged in Thai media about the suspect detained today in the murder of the 57 year old Swiss traveller in Phuket found yesterday. The newly obtained information says the suspect is in fact a 27 year old Thai man, and not a 33 year old Burmese man as previously reported (in…
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Lawsuit against Royal Thai Police filed by injured press members
After getting shot with rubber bullets while covering the tumultuous protests on July 18, 2 members of the press have filed a lawsuit against the Royal Thai Police for the injuries. A reporter for Plus Seven and a photographer from The Matter filed the lawsuit yesterday with the Civil Court, naming the Royal Thai Police, along with the Commissioner, Metropolitan…
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New internet freedom study lowers Thailand to 3rd to last
A new report on internet freedom and censorship around the world has placed Thailand in the third-lowest ranking, dropping 2 levels from last year. On a scale of 1 to 11, one being nearly unrestricted and 11 being fully locked down, Thailand is now ranked an 8, with the report declaring Thailand’s internet freedom 73% restricted. Comparitech, the company that…
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Apple to add child sexual abuse protections to mobile devices
In an effort to protect children from predators, Apple will update iPhones and iPad to detect and report images of child sexual abuse. The megacompany vowed yesterday to implement new detection software to automatically flag any photos that involve children being abused and exploited as soon as they are uploaded into iCloud, Apple’s proprietary cloud-based storage service. Photos will be…
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Man arrested for stealing just over 1,000 baht in Wichit, Phuket
Recently, a man was arrested for allegedly stealing just over 1,000 baht from a wallet that was left on a counter in a “Super Cheap” store in Wichit, Phuket. 50 year old “Mr Sutchai” was arrested earlier week, around 2 pm, says Wichit Police. The police say Sutchai took the wallet out of a shopping trolley that had been forgotten…
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PM calls for expedited probe into “Sandbox” traveller’s death; victim’s timeline released
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered authorities to expedite the investigation into the case of the Swiss government official who was found dead, possibly raped and murdered, in a creek in Phuket after entering Thailand under the island’s new “Sandbox” reopening scheme. Thailand’s national police chief Suwat Jangyodsuk has flown down to Phuket and is now investigating the case along with detectives…
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Group of teenagers arrested, police seize knives and explosives
A group of around a dozen teenagers were arrested for possession of knives and explosives. The Mathayam level, or high school, students were approached by police as they were allegedly waiting to confront students from another school. The students, ages 15 to 18, were seen off Sukhumvit Road in Samut Prakan’s Pak Nam subdistrict, just southeast of Bangkok. Police searched…
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Survey shows nearly half of Thai businesses expect return to normality in early 2022
A survey carried out by the Bank of Thailand shows that nearly half of Thai businesses expect life to return to normal during the first quarter of 2022. According to a Bangkok Post report, businesses of all sizes were interviewed between July 1 – 22 as part of the business sentiment index. The findings show that 45% expect people to…
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Body of Swiss national in Phuket identified as foreign government official
Officers have announced the identity of the Swiss national who was found dead in a Phuket creek as 57 year old Nicole Sauvain Weisskopf, a woman who entered Thailand last month under the new “Sandbox” reopening scheme. According to the Bangkok Post, Nicole is the assistant protocol chief of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland. Another report in Thai media says…
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Environmental groups urge government to ban the import of plastic waste
The Thai government is being urged to push ahead with a ban on importing plastic waste, instead promoting the recycling of domestic plastic waste. Over 100 environmental groups say this is essential to protecting the environment, as well as creating a circular economy. According to a Bangkok Post report, 107 groups have released a joint statement calling for a ban…
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Dr Boon, THG group must clarify Pfizer deal controversy
Trouble is deepening for Dr Boon Vanasin, the President of Thonburi Healthcare Group, who has been accused of a large stock purchase before lying about his company procuring Pfizer vaccines that caused the stock to soar. The Chairman of the Crime Victims’ Assistance Club has filed a complaint with the CyberCrime Investigation Bureau against Boon for sharing that fake news…
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TAT touts the Phuket Sandbox first month July successes
The official numbers are out and the Tourism Authority of Thailand has touted success in the Phuket Sandbox plan’s first month, with over 14,000 international travellers arriving and a reported 829 million baht of revenue generated in July. Between the reopening date July 1 and the end of the month July 31, 14,055 travellers arrived, and the 829 million baht…
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Monarchy supporters claim protesters weaponising Covid-19
Pro-monarchy groups have requested military protection against a protest planned for Saturday, going so far as to claim protest organisers are weaponising Covid-19. The Centre of the People for the Protection of Monarchy submitted a petition today requesting military intervention from Army Chief General Narongpan Jittkaewtae in protecting the monarchy against protesters. The Free Youth movement is planning a large…
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5.7% of foreign residents in Thailand have received a dose of the Covid-19 vaccine
Around 5.7% of foreign residents in Thailand have been injected with at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine from March 12 to July 30, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Out of the 280,075 foreign residents vaccinated, only 74,587 of them have received both doses of the vaccine. Only 20,903 foreign residents ages 60 and above, a…
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Child pornography group run by Suphan Buri couple busted
A Suphan Buri couple has been arrested after police raided their home and charged them with running an online child pornography ring. The 52 year old man and his 45 year old wife in the province just north of Bangkok reportedly confessed to the crime and were taken into custody. The married couple is accused of running a group where…
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Phuket’s BigGym allegedly closes 2 branches for good, doesn’t reimburse members
Yesterday, in Phuket, a joint complaint was filed by 36 gym goers after the fitness centre, BigGym reportedly closed 2 branches, allegedly without notifying their patrons that they were about to shut down. The complainants say they lost over 3.5 million baht in membership fees. The members filed their complaints against BigGym with the Phuket City Police. One member,” Mr…
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Officers surprise drug suspect with birthday cake in Nakhon Si Thammarat
Officers in Nakhon Si Thammarat surprised a man who was detained on drug charges with a birthday cake. Police who arrested the man looked at his ID card and noticed it was his birthday. The 33 year old man claims says he had never blown candles on a birthday cake before. The man was driving his motorcycle when he noticed…
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20 year old arrested for online alternative vaccine scam
A 20 year old man was arrested in Prachin Buri province after allegedly swindling at least around 50 people online in a fake vaccine scam. The man was arrested by the Technology Crime Suppression Division on Tuesday after using Facebook to collect orders for Covid-19 alternative vaccines that didn’t exist. This is the second vaccine scam in the province in…
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Expat arrested on drug charges allegedly claims to be a local “Robin Hood”
A British national arrested in Chiang Mai for allegedly selling drugs apparently claims to be a local “Robin Hood,” using money he obtained from the rich through illegal acts to give to those in need. Reports in Thai media say the man claims to have spent 1 million baht to buy things for children and villagers who have been affected…
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Phuket police arrest 2 men and seize more than 160,000 methamphetamine pills
Police in Phuket arrested two men on drug charges and seized more than 160,000 methamphetamine pills. Officers from the Tha Chatchai station searched a two-storey home in Mai Khao and found thousands of methamphetamine tablets, known by the Thai street name “ya ba,” which translates to “crazy drug.” Officers say they found 60 orange pills which were branded with the…
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31 anti-government activists granted conditional release
The Central Criminal Court has granted 31 anti-government protesters conditional release on the basis that they are not considered flight risks. The activists include Jatupat Boonpattararaksa, aka, “Pai Dao Din”, and have been in custody since their arrest in front of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau in Bangkok on Sunday and Monday. According to a Thai PBS World report, the protesters…
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Ban on mass gatherings published in Royal Gazette ahead of anti-government protests this weekend
A new order has been published in the Royal Gazette banning all mass gatherings, including rallies, protests, and assemblies. The order was published last night, ahead of planned anti-government demonstrations in Bangkok this weekend. The order is being implemented under the Emergency Decree, which has now been extended 13 times since its introduction in March 2020. According to a Pattaya…
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Phuket lays on Suvarnabhumi bus service for stranded sandbox tourists
The governor of Phuket has announced that a special bus service will transport stranded sandbox tourists from the southern island to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. As a result of the cancellation of domestic flights, sandbox visitors who had plans to visit elsewhere in Thailand after their 14 days on Phuket now find themselves stuck. Governor Narong Wunsiew says a dedicated bus…
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Air Asia technician arrested for allegedly stealing electronics
Bangkok Police have arrested a technical who worked for Air Asia for allegedly stealing multiple pieces of electrical equipment. The thefts had been discovered after Air Asia had noticed the equipment was missing. Officials then checked CCTV and saw 27 year old Preecha Inthachai allegedly putting items in a bag. Don Muang police then arrested Preecha and searched his home…
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Phuket tourism sector calls for island to be “green-listed” for foreign tourists – VIDEO
The executive chairman of the Banyan Tree Group is calling for Phuket to be given “green” status, promoting the island as a safe haven for foreign tourists. Singaporean KP Ho was addressing the Phuket Sandbox Summit via video-conference when he called on European airlines, business leaders, and officials to differentiate the southern island from the rest of Thailand. According to…
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Thailand’s foreign tourist numbers expected to plummet during 2021
Tourism officials have repeated a bleak prediction that international arrivals in Thailand are likely to drop to an all-time low this year. According to a Bangkok Post report, Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says foreign visitors to the Kingdom may only number 500,000 this year. “If the ongoing outbreak continues past September, the total number of foreign tourists this year might…
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Phang Nga reopening and “Phuket Sandbox” island hop extensions postponed
The Phang Nga’s reopening to travellers from overseas has been postponed until August 15, and the “7+7 Island Hopping” extension to the “Phuket Sandbox,” which includes a sealed route to Phang Nga, has been postponed indefinitely. The province’s reopening to foreign tourists under the “Phang Nga Prompt” campaign was initially set for August 1, but the scheme has not yet…
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Teenagers arrested for allegedly running underage prostitution racket
Two teenagers were arrested for allegedly running a prostitution racket where underage girls would provide sexual services. The 16 year old and the 19 year old were arrested at a hotel in Kanchanaburi’s Muang district by a task force investigating human trafficking. Officers also say they rescued two 15 year olds who were at the hotel and were hired to…
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PM’s daughters get letter asking them to tell their father to resign
A joint letter was sent to PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s twin daughters Tanya and Nittha, asking them to relay the message to their father that he should resign because of his mismanagement of the Covid situation. The letter was sent by the daughters’ former classmates and was addressed to “Ms Ploy” and “Ms Ploen”. The former classmates’, Class 40 of the Communication…
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