Hot News
-
Sponsored Planning to extend your Thai visa? Why health insurance is more important than ever
If you plan to stay longer in Thailand, having health insurance is now more important than ever. Thai immigration often asks for proof of medical coverage when you apply to extend your visa. This applies to many types of visas,...
-
Covid-19 screening not necessary for China arrivals
The Department of Disease Control (DDC) met on Saturday to assess the Covid-19 situation in China and the border reopening on January 8. Covid-19 screening tests for arrivals from China might not be necessary for the time being although vaccination documents will be checked Tares Krassanairawiwong, DDC director-general, said nearly five million visitors from China are expected this year while…
-
Thailand gains research base in Antarctica
Thailand has sent scientists to join the Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition since 2016. Now a China-Thailand research base in Antarctica has been set up at China’s Great Wall Station. Thailand cannot go to Antarctica alone because the kingdom is not a member of the Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1959. China, South Korea, Japan, and India are the four consultative…
-
Mixed blessings in Thailand’s holiday road carnage
Thailand’s annual New Year holiday road carnage has seen 85 deaths in two days, but there were mixed blessings in a Bangkok temple, as a meritless BMW added to the grim statistics. The death toll in road accidents during the first two days of the new year holiday, traditionally a time when Thai people go home to meet their families,…
-
Parliament president predicts dissolution of House of Representatives
The Thai Parliament president predicts the House of Representatives will be dissolved before the MPs’ four-year term ends on March 23. Parliament president Chuan Leekpai said last night that the dissolution could take place either during or after the current ordinary session but before the MPs’ time in office expires. The current parliament session lasts until February 28. If the…
-
Palestine welcomes UN vote on Israel’s illegal occupation
Palestinian leaders last night welcomed a United Nations General Assembly vote insisting on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to answer the legal consequences of Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territories. The General Assembly voted 87 to 26 with 53 abstentions on the resolution, reported Aljazeera. A number of Western nations were split on the vote while the Islamic world…
-
Free electric buses to Bangkok attractions from today
In a bid to boost visits to tourist attractions in Bangkok, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration created a program to run free electric buses to the floating markets on weekends, starting today. The plan was created to connect the main public transportation lines across Bangkok with nearby tourist attractions. The BMA announced yesterday the new, eco-friendly service that will feed from…
-
What could possibly go wrong? 2022 in Big Tech
For all of the breakthroughs, a lot of really dumb stuff went on in 2022 in Big Tech. Tech blog fastcompany.com has picked out some of the more baffling moments, head-scratching decisions, and products that make you wonder how they ever made it beyond the first pitch meeting. Elon Musk Musk’s US$44 billion (1.5 trillion baht) purchase of Twitter was…
-
Senate to investigate AMLO-Tuhao links
The Senate committee on good governance is to investigate links between two executives of the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) and alleged crime boss Chaiyanat “Tuhao” Kornchayanant. The investigation follows a letter submitted to the Senate speaker on December 19 by former Democrat MP Watchara Phetthong. The letter named Pol Maj Gen Piyapan Pingmuang, former head of AMLO and Theppasu Bavornchotidara,…
-
Thai holidays in 2023
Check your calendars! As we head into 2023, it’s handy to know about the upcoming Thai holidays for the year. Thailand has many holidays throughout 2023, though some are just general observances while others are public holidays where government offices (like immigration) and other businesses are closed. Here’s a quick snapshot of the major holidays next year. Thailand public holiday…
-
Pheu Thai Party electioneering promise of 600-baht daily minimum wage
The Pheu Thai Party was out in full force electioneering ahead of the New Year’s Day celebration promising life-changing policies. The party, founded by Thaksin Shinawatra and now in its third incarnation, was out and about the kingdom with its pre-election billboards and promises that included a 600-baht daily minimum wage for Thai workers. Pheu Thai Party Secretary General Prasert…
-
37 deaths & 351 injuries reported on day 1 of Thailand’s road safety campaign
Day one of Thailand’s road safety campaign, Seven-day Dangerous (7 วัน อันตราย), does not appear to have made any difference as 37 deaths and 351 injuries were recorded. Speeding and drunk driving were the primary causes of most accidents. The road safety campaign to reduce the number of road accidents during the new year holiday began in earnest yesterday and…
-
Pattaya bar security guard slaps Indian tourist in the face
A group of Indian tourists filed a complaint with Pattaya Police after a bar-restaurant security guard assaulted one of them and accused them of scamming the joint in the early hours of this morning. The Pattaya Tourist Police invited the Indian tourists to the Pattaya Police Station today, December 30, at 1am, to provide more details on the fracas. The…
-
Tesco slavery case – police interview 100s of Mae Sot workers
Police and labour officials in Mae Sot are interviewing more than 100 workers from the former supermarket supplier in the Tesco slavery case. Authorities are gathering information as they follow up on last week’s raid led by deputy national police chief Gen Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn at the VK Garment (VKG) factory in the border town of Tak province. The…
-
Andrew Tate spat with Greta Thunberg leads to his arrest in Bucharest
A spat with Greta Thunberg last night led to the arrest of controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate as part of an investigation into alleged human trafficking in Romania. The former British-American kickboxer and his brother, Tristian, were detained in Bucharest where they will be held for questioning for up to 24 hours. Romanian television last night showed the 36…
-
Varawut takes National Parks corruption flack
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa said yesterday that he would ensure justice is done in the national parks corruption investigation that has threatened to consume his department. Varawut apologised and accepted responsibility for the alleged corruption committed by Rutchada Suriyakul Na Ayutya, saying the investigating committee would speak to all directors and related personnel, without any interference from…
-
Thai Airways rehab plan soars ahead of schedule
The embattled Thai flag carrier has sold at least eight aircraft and other non-core assets since October, as part of Thai Airways‘ rehab plan. Thai Airways International updated its ongoing bankruptcy rehabilitation to the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET). THAI, whose subsidiary – Thai Smile, made global headlines yesterday after a mid-air brawl captured on video went viral– said in…
-
Daughter jailed for 20 years after stealing 250 million baht from her mother
Where there is family there is love, so the slogan says, but this may not be the case for one Bangkok family after a daughter fleeced her sick mother of over 250 million baht. Yesterday, Phra Khanong Criminal Court sentenced Mawadee Sriwirat to 20 years in prison for falsifying documents to steal more than 250 million baht from her mother,…
-
Rising winds, falling temperatures – the coolest new year in Thailand
A strong cold front from China is presently occupying both northern Thailand and the south. This means that the new year holiday temperatures in the north and northeast regions are expected to fall by 2 – 4 degrees Celsius, and by 1 – 3 degrees in the rest of the country. Temperatures in the south will remain as they are.…
-
Police arrest boyfriend of murdered girlfriend dumped in a garbage bin
The man accused of murdering and dumping his girlfriend’s body in a garbage bin at the Khao Sok National Park at the border of Phang Nga and Surat Thani, surrendered to police yesterday. He allegedly admitted that jealousy drove him to lose his temper and commit murder. The murderer, Sukhon Kaewprapas, surrendered at Kapong Police Station in Phang Nga three…
-
Russian driver kills motorcycle rider in Phuket
A Russian man crashed his rented black SUV into a motorcycle and killed a Thai motorcycle rider on road in Phuket on Wednesday. Officers from Chalong Police Station and the Phuket Ruam Jai Rescue Team were notified about the incident at the Chalong Intersection on Patak Road in the Chalong sub-district of Phuket at about 9.20pm, Wednesday, December 28. The…
-
110,000 traffic tickets issued to speeding drivers ahead of road safety campaign
The Highway Police Division revealed that 110,000 speeding tickets were issued ahead of Thailand’s seven-day road safety campaign. The Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, Damronsak Kittiprapas, launched the road safety campaign named Seven-day Dangerous (7 วัน อันตราย) today, December 29. The campaign aims to reduce the number of road accidents during the traditional holiday season when many Thais will…
-
Thailand encourages coffee farming to meet growing demand in Asia
Palm and rubber farmers in Krabi are being encouraged to grow coffee, as demand rises faster in Asia than in other parts of the world. On a visit to a community coffee enterprise in Krabi’s Khlong Thom Nua, Deputy Commerce Minister Sinit Lertkrai said on Tuesday…. “Krabi’s coffee is gaining international attention thanks to its certification as a GI product.”…
-
Pandemic winners and losers – them and us
The pandemic has not been all bad. It’s wrong to look only at the downside of widespread death, fear and grief. There have been pandemic winners and losers. Some people have made a lot of money, and that’s no bad thing, is it? According to Bloomberg, and Al Jazeera, as of yesterday, 131 billionaires had more than doubled their net…
-
Thailand to offer free Covid-19 booster shots to foreign tourists
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports Ministry (MOTS) announced its plans to provide free Covid-19 booster shots for foreign tourists entering Thailand next year. The disclosure will be welcomed by many who fear another Covid wave after China announced it will open its borders and relax quarantine measures. The MOTS also briefed the press that the government will introduce the…
-
Police track down suspect in murder of woman dumped in garbage bin
Police believe the person responsible for the death of the woman dumped in a garbage bin in the Khao Sok National Park at the border of Phang Nga and Surat Thani is her boyfriend. Police reported they found evidence in the boyfriend’s home related to the murder of the woman, Suphattra Yodkaew, and is now on the run. Police identified…
-
Thailand prepares to welcome infected tide of Chinese tourists
As Thailand prepares to welcome an infected tide of Chinese tourists, in the US, the Biden administration is changing its policy for arrivals from China, including Hong Kong, and Macau. Washington is scared. Coronavirus infections running rampant in Beijing could spawn new and more dangerous variants. From January 5, all travellers from China, including Hong Kong, and Macau, must present…
-
Scottish man fights for his life in Thai hospital
A Scottish man is fighting for his life in a Thai hospital after a virus triggered a respiratory disease and rendered him unconscious while on holiday. Robert Kessell flew to Thailand on November 24 for a three-week holiday but was struck by illness on Thursday, December 8. The 66 year old, from Wishaw in North Lanarkshire, was rushed to Pattaya…
-
American man dies after jumping from 3rd floor of Phuket Airport
An American man died yesterday after he reportedly jumped off the 3rd floor of the Phuket Airport passenger terminal. The 35 year old American, who was later identified as Jason, jumped from the 3rd floor smoking area of Phuket Airport at about 3pm yesterday. The airport rescue team and medical workers rushed to the scene to provide first aid and…
-
German man’s yacht vanishes from Phuket, Thailand
A search is underway to locate ‘Marco Polo,’ a German man’s yacht, which mysteriously vanished from a pier in Phuket, southern Thailand, yesterday morning. At 11am, 58 year old Marco Käfer of German nationality found that his eponymous boat was missing from Phuket’s charming Nai Harn Beach in Rawai district. Concerned Käfer was informed by a witness that three people…
-
VIDEO: air rage incident on Thai Smile Airways flight from Bangkok to Kolkata
Footage of an air rage incident emerged yesterday of two Indian passengers swapping punches on a flight from Bangkok to Kolkata in India. A passenger recorded footage of the fracas and uploaded it to social media where it quickly went viral. It captures two men swapping insults, then punches after boarding a Thai Smile Airways flight that was set to…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.