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Sponsored See the best of Northern Thailand this winter on a budget
The Thaiger key takeaways Peak season brings higher prices, but smart planning and local know-how can help you experience Northern Thailand affordably. Chiang Mai, Pai, and Chiang Rai offer plenty of free or low-cost attractions, from temples and canyons to...
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Phuket Sandbox looking ahead to Russian, UK travellers
While the daily rollercoaster ride of the Phuket Sandbox tourist launch, with the jump from 7 to 14 days, the last-minute approval, the problems getting a Certificate of Entry, and the few cases of Covid-19 infections, it’s easy to overlook the forest for the trees. But if viewed not as a full reopening to the pre-Covid-19 heydays but rather as…
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4 million methamphetamine pills abandoned after smugglers confronted by Chiang Mai patrol
Yesterday, drug smugglers transporting their wares near the Myanmar border in Chiang Mai left 4 million methamphetamine pills behind after an army patrol attempted to stop them. The accidental drug-drop-off happened in the Fang district in northern Thailand. The patrol caught sight of 2 men carrying olive green backpacks walking alongside a natural border yesterday. The soldiers requested the 2…
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Phuket man to be reunited with jail associates after he is rearrested on drug charges
Yesterday, police arrested a drug dealer that had reportedly already served jail time on drug charges. The Phuket police seized 1.5 kilograms of ice pills (AKA Ya ice) and nearly 1,000 methamphetamine tablets after they raided his residence in Phuket Town. The man had been released recently from jail where he had been serving an unknown amount of time for…
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Methamphetamine en route to Hong Kong seized at Bangkok shipping company
Police arrested 3 suspects and seized 10 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine stuffed in floor mattresses that were being prepared for shipment to Hong Kong. Over the past few months, Thai law enforcement has been cracking down on illegal drug shipments en route to other countries. The Seaport Interdiction Task Force searched a pickup truck shipping company in the Navamin area…
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3 men arrested in Sinopharm vaccine scam
A vaccine scam was broken up with 3 men alleged to have pretended to be doctors to sell people Sinopharm vaccines that did not exist. Police have identified and apprehended 3 men they believe to be the perpetrators of the scam that saw men posing as doctors in order to take payments for vaccines appointments that never actually existed. The…
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Bars can reopen in Rawai Phuket.. but not like we hoped
The moment we have all been waiting for has finally arrived! After mounting pressure and a meeting today with Aroon Solos, the mayor of Rawai, Phuket, bars, pubs and entertainment venues will be allowed to reopen. Just without any of the things that bring customers. The mayor of Rawai met with the Muang District Chief and a select group of…
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Meeting reveals Thai vs foreigners in Phuket Sandbox, other stats
Statistics and data regarding the Phuket Sandbox can be cloudy and conflicting, but at yesterday’s meeting of the Phuket Communicable Disease Committee, some rarely shared figures were discussed. One often questioned detail is how many people in the numbers reported for international traveller arrivals are truly tourists and how many are even foreigners at all. During the meeting, it was…
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Royal Thai Army to help tighten overland checkpoint into Phuket
Following reports of insufficient security on the land borders into Phuket, the Phuket Communicable Disease Committee made the decision to have the Royal Thai Army assist in monitoring the Phuket Checkpoint at Tha Chatchai for Covid-19 safety. There have been concerns that the land crossing into Phuket is understaffed and not secure. The committee meeting was Chaired by Phuket Governor…
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Pattaya still eyes September reopening despite Covid-19 surge
The Pattaya Move On programme to reopen one of Thailand’s most popular tourist destinations to international travellers is facing an uphill battle as the Chon Buri province faces unrelenting growth in Covid-19 infections. Despite continued infections, the Chon Buri Tourism Council plans to push forward the reopening plan set to begin in September. The province has recorded over 13,500 Covid-19 infections…
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With Covid-19, Tourism Ministry mulls new reopening strategy
The Tourism and Sports Ministry is reevaluating the plans for reopening Thailand and its tourism hubs as Covid-19 infections are rising all over the country. While they admit that the surge in Covid-19 is a major health and safety issue, they insist on the necessity of reopening and restarting the tourism economy and get Bangkok reopened in particular. Minister of…
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Hua Hin aims to reopen to international travellers October 1
Following in the intrepid footsteps of Phuket and now Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao, the coastal city of Hua Hin has set its sights on reopening to international travellers on October 1. The provincial governor of Prachuap Khiri Khan made the announcement today despite Covid-19 infection numbers growing in the province. The plan to reopen has been in…
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Police warn to be careful about adding friends online, some aren’t real friends
Royal Thai Police are warning social media uses to be cautious when adding “friends” online. The police say sometimes these “friends” are not real friends after all. The police say to be especially wary of people posing as foreigners online as they can be sources of danger. Reportedly, the word of caution comes from deputy RTP spokesperson Deephor Siriwat. Thai…
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Officials argue most leaving Sandbox aren’t unhappy
Nothing shows confidence more than repeatedly shouting “fake news.” But amid growing negative press regarding the Phuket Sandbox, officials find themselves continuously denying rumours that Sandbox arrivals are fleeing the island and going home unhappy. While many have left the Sandbox, more have arrived, and the government’s argument isn’t without merit as those who left the Sandbox have various reasons.…
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Man allegedly breaks into Bangkok 7/11, argues with police
A man has been arrested after he allegedly broke into a Bangkok 7/11 and rooted around for a bit, early Tuesday morning. According to police, 33 year old Songyot Tharanukan broke a glass door with a brick and then gained illegal entry into the ubiquitous convenience store. Police also say the man was none too happy to have to deal…
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Prachin Buri clinic raided for allegedly selling fake Moderna vaccines
A proprietor of a clinic in the central Thailand province of Prachin Buri has been taken in for questioning after patients allege, he was selling them fake doses of the Moderna vaccine. The owner is set to be questioned today, says Pattanachai Pamornpibul of the Wangg Takian Police. Yesterday, police raided his business, the Kularb Clinic. Clients had reported the…
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Pair arrested in Nakhon Pathom Shopping centre on drug charges
Yesterday, police in central Thailand’s Nakhon Pathom arrested 2 suspects and charged them with distributing 300 kilograms of marijuana. 40 year old “Phitak”, a taxi driver that also allegedly drops off drugs to dealers who are further down the drug selling hierarchy. Reportedly, he made deliveries to parking lots in the Lad Phrao area of Bangkok. Police also arrested 35…
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Slow start for “Samui Plus” reopening, only 33 seats booked for this month
While the “Samui Plus” reopening plan is set to start tomorrow, it might be more of a “soft” reopening. Only 33 airline seats are booked for this month and tourism officials say it will be a few months before the islands see an influx of international arrivals. Similar to the “Phuket Sandbox,” the scheme allows the trio of islands in…
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Government dismisses rumours of Phuket sandbox collapse as “fake news”
The government says the Phuket sandbox scheme is going “very well”, describing rumours of its imminent demise as, “fake news”. According to a Bangkok Post report, Thanakorn Wangboonkongchan from the Centre for Economic Situation Administration says the only thing threatening the sandbox scheme is false reporting on social media that claims the island has been ordered to close due to…
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Strict measures to mitigate virus risk as Surat Thani re-opens tomorrow
The governor of Surat Thani says the measures in place under the “Samui Plus” model will help guard against the spread of Covid-19 as 3 islands re-open to international tourism. Governor Witchawut says foreign visitors to Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phang Ngan will have to adhere to strict rules as part of the Samui Plus model. From tomorrow,…
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Karon criminal arrested for allegedly stealing 18,000 baht
Yesterday, a man was arrested in Karon, Phuket for allegedly stealing 18,000 baht from an American. The 42 year old unnamed Thai man allegedly stole 18,000 baht out of 39 year old James Anthony Melwesti’s villa. James had contacted Karon police to report he was 18,000 baht lighter. Thai media says that police checked CCTV and saw a man had…
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Public warned about immigration police impersonators asking for bribes
The Thai Immigration Bureau is warning foreign residents and the general public to be careful of people who are impersonating as immigration police officers and asking for bribes or other payments. Apparently, the people posing as immigration officers are approaching individual foreigners and are inspecting establishments like factories, which tend to employ migrant workers. If approached by someone claiming to…
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Thai authorities crackdown on Covid-19 “fake news,” posters could face jail time
Thai authorities are cracking down on fake news, particularly false claims about the Covid-19 situation in Thailand. The Digital Economy and Society Ministry’s Anti-Fake News Centre reported more than 50 cases of fake news posted since last month, most involving Covid-19 or vaccines. Police are now investigating the cases. Those who posted or shared misleading information found to threaten national…
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Koh Samui opens for bookings from vaccinated foreign tourists
Koh Samui’s sealed route programme, Samui Plus, has opened for business, with vaccinated tourists now able to apply for a certificate of entry. Ratchaporn Poolsawadee from the Tourism Association of Koh Samui says some details need to be ironed out, including determing the cost of a 7-day stay at an alternative state quarantine facility, to include Covid-19 tests and medical…
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UPDATE: Beauty pageant scandal leads to Covid cluster, participants face potential prosecution
The beauty pageant women who participated in “Miss Grand Samut Sakhon” last month are possibly facing criminal charges for not wearing masks, say police. This, coming after a 22 person cluster arose after the show. 13 of the contestants’ tests positive for Covid, as well as 9 “others”, say police. Piya Tawichai, deputy commissioner of the metropolitan police told the…
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Protesters run “car mobs”, focus on eroding coalition parties | VIDEO
Anti-government protesters have continued their demands for the resignation of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and his Senate appointments (the entire upper house/Senate in Thailand – 250 members – were hand-picked by the former NCPO military government). But this weekend they’ve added some new protest techniques and tactics. With lockdown and surging Covid-19, they have taken to car mobs, assembling vehicles to…
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Justice Ministry looking for 411 people that were falsely imprisoned people, says they’re owed compensation
Today, the Justice Ministry announced it is seeking 411 people who were wrongly prosecuted and detained. The Ministry wants them to know they can be compensated for their erroneous incarcerations. The 411 people were tried and imprisoned in criminal cases but were eventually found to be not guilty and released, says Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin. 26 of the imprisoned people…
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2 days of Phuket drug raids takes in 7 suspects, 2,000 methamphetamine pills
Yesterday, Phuket authorities announced recent drug raids took in 7 suspects and 2,000 methamphetamine pills, and over 180 grams of crystal methamphetamine. The raids took place over 2 days. For Friday, police arrested 24 year old Wisit ‘Bao’ Kongsrisuwan from Nakhon Si Thammarat, 20 year old Panomkorn ‘Diew’ Petchkong. They allegedly had 98.77 grams of “ya ice” (crystal methamphetamine) stashed…
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80 Bangkok roadblocks to curb Covid-19 spread before lockdown
“The law of unintended consequences has come to be used as an adage or idiomatic warning that an intervention in a complex system tends to create unanticipated and often undesirable outcomes. It is commonly used as a wry or humorous warning against the hubristic belief that humans can fully control the world around them.” – Wikipedia The last time the…
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All buses from Bangkok to Phuket and south cancelled from today
In response to Bangkok’s new lockdown measures from today, all bus service between Bangkok and Phuket has been cancelled, along with buses to the dark red zone southern provinces. Interprovincial buses will stop running, effective immediately until further notice, with no set end date. The announcement was made by the president of the public company Transport Co which supervises all…
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