Hot News
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Tourism Ministry to ask for soft loans to help operators prepare for re-opening
The Tourism and Sports Minister says that if the Phuket sandbox is a success, he will have talks with the Finance Ministry about allocating soft loans to tourism operators. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says the loans would come from the government’s 500-billion-baht borrowing and would help tourism operators prepare for an October re-opening. In the interim, he says domestic tourists can help…
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Meet the Sellers: First arrival in the Phuket Sandbox
Darren and Supattra Sellers may not have been part of the Siamese revolution that changed Thailand to a constitutional monarchy, or the coup that overthrew the government 7 years ago, but they will forever be a part of Thailand’s modern history now. You see, the Sellers and their 2 children were the first family off of Etihad flight 430 on…
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Man allegedly admits to killing his son
Last night in the southern Thai province of Nakhon Si Thammarat a man went to a police station and allegedly confessed to killing his son. 65 year old Boonyuen Waennak brought himself to a police station around 10 pm and admitted to his act of filicide, says Police Chief Thien Banthip. After being notified of the slaying, police investigated the…
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1,324 arrive in Phuket Sandbox, government denies COE delays
The Sandbox is underway with relatively few hitches on the ground in Phuket, though the same might not be true of the approval process before international travellers depart to the southern Thai island. This weekend saw over 1,300 international travellers arrive to the Phuket Sandbox, and even with complex processes and restrictions, many are just happy to be there. Today…
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Flights and passenger numbers slowly rising in Phuket Sandbox
As we enter day 4 of the Phuket Sandbox reopening, while numbers aren’t anywhere near earlier estimates or historical totals, they are steadily growing day by day. Each day has brought a few more flights and passenger numbers to Phuket and the arrivals are steadily creeping up. By today, the original first-day estimate of 1,500 arrivals, should be surpassed. Today’s…
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Pro-democracy, Covid-19 protesters merge at Government House
A confluence of protesters merged in Bangkok today as multiple causes overlapped and demonstrated at Government House. Several groups protesting the government and calling for the dissolution of the Senate and the resignation of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha crossed paths with those that were rallying against the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and the lack of assistance for many sectors desperately…
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Sandbox: 6000 registered, no positive Covid-19 tests, new land restrictions
Now that the Phuket Sandbox is up and running, international travellers are trickling back in to enjoy the Thai tropical island. More than 6,000 people have reportedly registered for the Phuket Sandbox so far, no arrivals have tested positive for Covid-19 yet, and officials are tightening up the land entry borders to the island. The Director-General of the Department of…
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Bangkok Red Line launches August 2 free rides for 3 months
If you’ve ever spent time in Bangkok, you know it’s easy to be taken for a ride. But for once, this is a good thing, as the Thailand Transport Ministry announced today they are giving free rides to many commuters to launch their new service line. Bangkok’s Red Line rail route is ready for its soft launch next month and…
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Despite struggles, Phuket tourists are happy to be here
One thing many forget when they’re considering the condition of Phuket for the returning international tourists is that, while we are comparing it to the pre-Covid-19 glory days of Phuket, those travelling in the first days of the Sandbox are comparing it to their life at home now. While Covid-19 has wreaked havoc on the Thai economy and tourists are…
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Eying upgrade, Thailand downgraded in human trafficking report
Against Thailand’s expectations, the country has just been downgraded in the United States’ report on human trafficking. the US Trafficking in Persons Report has downgraded Thailand’s status from Tier 2 to Tier 2 Watchlist, contrary to the Thai government expected to be upgraded to Tier 1. Citing worries about forced labour in Thailand the decision was made to lower the…
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Harmful chemicals used on protesters at last year’s rallies – Amnesty International
Harmful chemicals were shot from high-pressure water cannons to break up crowds of protests at Bangkok’s pro-democracy rallies in late-2020, according to Amnesty International Thailand. The organisation’s recent report “My face burned as if on fire,” outlines what they call “excessive and unlawful use of force against largely peaceful protesters.” At the time police strenuously denied the use of any…
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Taxi explodes after hitting truck, driver burns to death
Early this morning, a taxi cab in Bangkok hit a freight truck. The taxi then exploded, trapping the driver inside who burned to death. The incident happened on “On Nut Road”, says Pornprasit Malamai, investigation chief at Prawet police station The fire ripped through the cab taking fire crews over 20 minutes to extinguish the blaze. The fire was so…
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Thailand still plans to fully reopen on October 15, despite Covid-19 uptick
Despite the recent and most severe wave of Covid-19 infections still peaking, Thailand is on track to reopen on October 15 to those travelling from overseas who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus. The “Phuket Sandbox” model, which launched yesterday, will serve as a pilot project for the nationwide reopening plan. The “Samui Plus” travel model next on the list,…
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Crepe seller alleges he was abducted, threatened by Nonthaburi police officer
A Myanmar crepe seller and his step-mother are seeking legal help after he alleges he was abducted and threatened by a man he claims was a policeman from Nonthaburi, a province to the north of Bangkok. The crepe seller, 32 year old “Mack”, and his step-mother, identified as 50 year old Jamlong, sought a lawyer named “Pong” for help. Jamlong…
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Phuket Sandbox: European flights have 400 people arriving Saturday
As flights roll into Phuket International Airport today, the Sandbox scheme is slowly coming alive. Tomorrow (July 3) should see the arrival of the first European flights into the Phuket Sandbox reopening as Thai Airways welcomes 3 arriving flights. Overnight flights from Copenhagen and Frankfurt departing now should arrive in the early hours of the morning followed an hour later…
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Phuket Sandbox trickle: Friday’s arriving international flights
The Phuket Sandbox scheme is off the ground and the desperately needed foreign travellers have begun to trickle back onto the Thai island. The earlier predictions of 1,500 people on the first day were met with just over 20% of that amount actually arriving on the first 4 flights to land internationally in Phuket. But slow and steady wins the…
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Pro-democracy activists to march in support of restaurant operators
The pro-democracy Ratsadon group is planning another march today, calling once again for the resignation of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. Activists are also organising a flea market to shows its opposition to the current ban on dining-in at restaurants in Bangkok and a number of other provinces. The controversial restrictions were introduced at short notice on Monday, taking restaurant operators by…
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Next 2 weeks in Phuket will decide the fate of other sandbox areas: Tourism Ministry
Thailand’s Tourism Minister says the first 14 days of the Phuket sandbox will determine if other tourist destinations can re-open as planned from July 15. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn acknowledges there were some hiccups with the re-opening: some of the 500 tourists expected to arrive yesterday ended up postponing because of delays getting a Certificate of Entry. The Bangkok Post reports that…
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Department of Land Transport tackles motorbike delivery boxes
With all of Thailand laser-focused on Covid-19 outbreaks, vaccine availability, and apparently Phuket has got some sort of brouhaha over some foreigners showing up, it’s easy to lose track of the important daily tribulations of keeping a country functioning. But never fear, there are those that don’t get distracted by the glitzy headlines and are doing the thankless work to…
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Police arrest woman for possession of 20,000 meth pills she claims she found next to electrical pole
Police in the Sai Mai district of Bangkok have arrested a 56 year old woman for possessing 20,000 meth pills. Yesterday, the Sai Mai police arrested 59 year old “Somgsong” yesterday for possessing 20,00 meth pills that she claims she found the pills next to an electrical pole. The woman allegedly confessed that pills were in her room in a…
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Bangkok police arrest suspected motorcycle stealing ring
Bangkok police announced yesterday they had arrested suspects who they believed were stealing motorcycles in Bangkok and selling them to neighbouring countries. The 4 suspects that were arrested are 37 year old Prateep or “Dee Dee Iamsamang”, 34 year old Sarayut AKA “Mu Yosain”, 22 year old Sutharat or “Jane Lomchan”, and 46 year old Wichai AKA “Nu Ku Rahong”.…
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Man allegedly poses as Government Lottery Office official, steals millions
Yesterday, the Department of Special Investigations (DSI) working with the Government Lottery Office announced they had arrested a man who was posing as a GLO employee to swindle the GLO out of millions. The Thai national, identified only as “Mr Jaturong” was arrested and had a laundry list of items seized including property, a house, land, 5.5 million baht in…
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Police in Bangkok seize 2 truck loads of sex toys valued at 1 million baht
Sex toys valued at 1 million baht were seized by police in Bangkok. Reports don’t say exactly how many sex toys were seized by police, but apparently, police filled 2 large trucks with the dildos, vibrators and other pleasure enhancing products. A Chinese man was arrested for allegedly smuggling illegal sex products into Thailand and selling them online. Photos from…
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Police raid alleged money sharks’ operation centre, many escape jaws of justice
An alleged online lending network has been busted in Nonthaburi, a province north of Bangkok. Police say the lending operation was led by Chinese nationals. The police arrested multiple people after raiding 3 buildings at the Pailin Park housing estate, yesterday. According to the police, the financial assistance network provided loans at exorbitantly high interest rates through the app “Chang…
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Samsung QN90A vs Samsung QN900A Neo QLED TV comparison
Are you keeping an eye on the Samsung QN90A or QN900A? Well, it’s not surprising since these two TVs are among the best Samsung TVs you can buy in 2021. Both are part of Samsung’s Neo QLED range, which have the best Mini-LED technology with improved contrasts, brightness, and black levels. However, both have major differences, particularly the resolutions and…
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Alleged drug runners caught with over 8 million meth pills
A small convoy of vehicles that were allegedly carrying caches of drugs was recently stopped in the central Thai province, and site of marauding, libidinous monkeys, Lopburi. 4 suspects were arrested. They are allegedly drug syndicate runners. Police seized millions of meth pills from the vehicles. They were stopped at a petrol station in the Phatthana Nikhom district. Police say…
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The best Sony TV you can buy 2021 – 2022
Looking for the best Sony 4K TV of 2021? You’ve come to the right place! Sony is arguably one of the most popular TV brands in the world, with some of the best TVs around. They release a lot of screens every year, which is great for any TV buyer out there – whether you want a newly released TV…
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TCL 6-Series – is it really the best budget Smart TV?
Most of us don’t have huge budgets for a new television, but we want to buy a new television with excellent quality. For this, our top pick at the moment is the TCL 6-Series Roku TV (R635). TCL is well-known for its competitive pricing, and its 6-Series is no exception. The TCL 6-Series Roku TV (R365) combines TCL’s excellent value…
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Which LG OLED TV should you purchase?
Lately, LG has been killing it with their new smart TVs. They are currently the only manufacturer that actually produces OLED TV screens, so it’s no surprise that their OLED TVs are the best in terms of technology and price. The company released a wide selection of OLED TVs, ranging from the fancy GX and WX to the more affordable…
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Top 8 TVs to buy in 2021
If you haven’t upgraded yout TV for a few years, you are likely to be surprised with how far the technology has improved. Besides the outstanding picture quality that you can expect from 4K HDR TVs available today, the latest TVs also have slick user interfaces that bring major streaming platforms to your house without any cables or external streaming…
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