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    5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)

    Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...

  • Missing Iranian rock climber hailed as hero upon arrival in Tehran

    Missing Iranian rock climber hailed as hero upon arrival in Tehran

    An Iranian rock climber returned home from an international competition and is being hailed a hero after competing without a hijab. The climber, 33-year-old Elnaz Rekabi, was competing in South Korea and says her headscarf slipped off, posing an obstacle to her during the competition. Previously, fans feared she was in trouble upon returning by Iran’s infamous morality police. But,…

  • This South Thailand province’s unexpected beauty will wow you

    This South Thailand province’s unexpected beauty will wow you

    “We hope to put Pattani on the world tourist map,” tour operator Fareeda Abdullah told Bernama. South Thailand’s Pattani province is not the first place people usually imagine for a holiday getaway. The province often makes headlines for sectarian tensions. But Pattani has an up-and-coming tourism industry. The province boasts breathtaking nature, including a beautiful mangrove forest in the Yarang…

  • WHO boss in Syria under investigation for fraud, corruption, abuse

    WHO boss in Syria under investigation for fraud, corruption, abuse

    The World Health Organisation Syrian branch representative has been accused of fraud, corruption, and abuse by coworkers. Akjemal Magtymova is now under what seems to be one of the most extensive investigations by the organisation as at least a dozen personnel have accused her of mismanaging millions of dollars, giving gifts to government officials and acting frivolously when the Covid…

  • Gambling addict sergeant steals 160 guns to pay off debts

    Gambling addict sergeant steals 160 guns to pay off debts

    A police sergeant with a gambling addiction faces time in prison after he was arrested for selling state guns to pay off his debts. Senior sergeant major, Chaowarit Phumkajorn, from Pak Kret Police Station in Nonthaburi province, near Bangkok, was arrested at 3pm yesterday in the Isaan province of Nong Khai after reportedly selling about 160 police guns to pay…

  • Race to be UK’s next vegetable – ineligible lettuce paves way for Boris return

    Race to be UK’s next vegetable – ineligible lettuce paves way for Boris return

    The surprises just keep on coming in British politics. Yesterday, the people of the United Kingdom were shocked when Liz Truss crossed the Rubicon, though not the one you might think. Around 1.35pm UK time, yesterday, the world’s worst-ever prime minister tottered up to the microphone outside No.10 Downing Street and offered her resignation. The announcement came just a few…

  • Officials to seek approval for late closing times in Phuket

    Officials to seek approval for late closing times in Phuket

    Are later closing times finally coming to Phuket? Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports plans to test a 4am closing time on several tourist hotspots, including Phuket’s Bang La Walking Street in Patong, Nation Thailand reported. The ministry will soon seek approval from the Thai Cabinet for the pilot project there, Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn announced yesterday. Other…

  • Irish MEP accuses West of state sponsored terrorism

    Irish MEP accuses West of state sponsored terrorism

    In yet another robust day of geopolitical debate in the European Parliament, another Irish MEP called out the hypocrisy of the West, this time for its state-sponsored terrorism. Following in the footsteps of her MEP colleague Mick Wallace, who on Wednesday slammed the double standards of the West, Clare Daly gave a refreshing account of geopolitics far from the usual…

  • Pattaya pool villa suspect’s girlfriend claims boyfriend just came to look around

    Pattaya pool villa suspect’s girlfriend claims boyfriend just came to look around

    UPDATE The girlfriend of one of the five Pattaya pool villa suspects claims her boyfriend was just there to look around. The unnamed girlfriend told Pattaya Police that her boyfriend “Rang,” was not involved in the shooting or assault, but was only there to look around because he was a friend of the suspects. Rang’s girlfriend claimed that Rang had…

  • Dying of laughter – animals on the brink say ‘cheesy’

    Dying of laughter – animals on the brink say ‘cheesy’

    The Comedy Wildlife Photo awards have rolled around yet again, annual prizes for bad photography where technical flaws like unwanted foreshortening are revered and the welfare of subjects irrelevant. Presumably, a picture of an adolescent lion falling from a tree in the Serengeti is as funny as an adolescent human falling from a Bangkok balcony. The planet is dying and…

  • Liz Truss quits as UK PM after only 44 days

    Liz Truss quits as UK PM after only 44 days

    Liz Truss has resigned as UK Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party after less than five weeks in charge. The 47 year old only yesterday said she “was a fighter and not a quitter” at Prime Minister’s Questions but she has resigned after only 44 days as the UK PM. Truss said she could not deliver the mandate…

  • Pattaya pool villa gunmen surrender

    Pattaya pool villa gunmen surrender

    UPDATE The five gunmen who allegedly opened fire at a Pattaya pool villa on Tuesday last night surrendered to police, The Pattaya News reported. The first three men to turn themselves in were 23 year old Saralan “Top” Yodthat, 24 year old Boonrit “Chooi” Chitma, and 29 year old Jirarot “Rang” Wattana. Police seized a Glock 19 handgun and two…

  • Awesome ways to show off your NFTs

    Awesome ways to show off your NFTs

    Are you an NFT art collector? Want to create a cool NFT display? After spending a large amount of money, it’s only natural that you want to display your precious crypto art for the world to see. Unlike physical artworks, showcasing NFT art can be challenging, especially since this booming art type is still in its early stage. However, there…

  • Thailand to combat its methamphetamine crisis with cannabis

    Thailand to combat its methamphetamine crisis with cannabis

    Thailand is going to attempt to fix its methamphetamine crisis with another formally-illegal drug, cannabis. In a recent study, meth addicts in Thailand were given CBD oil under their tongues to treat withdrawal symptoms, and the results were promising. Today, acting Director General of the Medical Department Dr Thongchai Kiratthihathayakhon said that methamphetamine is “Thailand’s biggest problem.” Meth-induced psychosis is…

  • Iran making moves to help train Russian forces, US sources say

    Iran making moves to help train Russian forces, US sources say

    US intelligence sources say Iran is making moves to help train Russian forces in Crimea, CNN reported. The Islamic Republic sent military personnel to Crimea, a territory occupied by Russia, according to two intelligence sources. The sources say Iran’s military personnel are training Russia’s military on the use of Iranian-made drones. This news comes after Russia launched “kamikaze drones” into…

  • Trump answers questions over alleged rape of journalist

    Trump answers questions over alleged rape of journalist

    Former US President Donald Trump yesterday answered questions under oath about the alleged rape of a journalist in the mid-1990s. The US journalist, author, and columnist, Elizabeth Jean Carroll, alleges she was raped in the Bergdorf Goodman luxury department store in New York in the mid-1990s. Carroll discusses the reported assault in her book, What Do We Need Men For?:…

  • Thai teen, 19, gets engaged to 56 year old woman

    Thai teen, 19, gets engaged to 56 year old woman

    Wuthichai Chantaraj, now aged 19, met his fiancée 56 year old Janla Namuangrak, when he was only 10. According to The Mirror, Wuthichai was Janla’s neighbour in Sakhon Nakhon province of northeast Thailand. Janla had asked for Wuthichai’s help with cleaning her home and both got to know each other. The couple later got into a relationship, and have now…

  • “Interview” with Iranian climber believed to be forced confession

    “Interview” with Iranian climber believed to be forced confession

    A video interview with an Iranian climber who competed in Korea without her hijab is believed to be one of the Islamic Republic’s notorious forced confessions. Forced confessions are a tactic the Iranian government uses against journalists, activists, and others who deviate from Iran’s strict religious laws. In the interview with 33 year old Elnaz Rekabi on the state media…

  • Ganja galore: Over 1,000 cannabis clinics have opened this year in Thailand

    Ganja galore: Over 1,000 cannabis clinics have opened this year in Thailand

    It is ganja galore as Thailand has seen over 1,000 cannabis clinics open this year alone. According to Bangkok Post, the public health ministry noted that out of 1,026 clinics opened this year, 929 are run directly by the ministry. But, to prevent unwanted consequences of the plant’s legalisation, the ministry says such clinics are also doubling as research units.…

  • Phuket police say residents should avoid Patong

    Phuket police say residents should avoid Patong

    Phuket’s floods are continuing to ravage the island province. Phuket police are urging residents to stay at home unless they have an emergency. The police also say that Phuket dwellers should avoid going to Patong, The Phuket Express reported. The road leading to Patong Hill suffered from a landslide last night, and another one this morning. Police had to redirect…

  • US military advised to prepare for Chinese invasion of Taiwan

    US military advised to prepare for Chinese invasion of Taiwan

    The US military is being advised to prepare for China’s invasion of Taiwan after President Xi Jinping’s rhetoric becomes increasingly alarming. According to The Straits Times, the chief of US naval operations, Michael Gilday, is the latest senior official to raise alarms concerning China’s willingness to invade Taiwan. He voiced his concerns as President Xi delivered a landmark speech where he…

  • Out of the shadow – India’s Congress Party appoints non-Gandhi president

    Out of the shadow – India’s Congress Party appoints non-Gandhi president

    India’s Congress Party has appointed its first president in 24 years who is not from the Gandhi dynasty, to reverse its collapse in popularity and take on the apparently unassailable BJP. Octogenarian Mallikarjun Kharge, a flunky at the decadent court of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty which rules the party, defeated rival Shashi Tharo, a stripling at a mere 66 years of…

  • Iran arrests 14 foreigners, blames “thugs” linked to “foreign enemies” for protests over woman’s death

    Iran arrests 14 foreigners, blames “thugs” linked to “foreign enemies” for protests over woman’s death

    Iran has arrested 14 foreigners for their alleged involvement in anti-government protests over the recent death of a young woman in police custody. The government blamed the recent protests as being linked to thugs and foreign enemies. American, French, and British citizens were among those arrested, according to Japan Today. The semi-official Fars news agency, which is believed to be…

  • Builders uncover corrupt Thai Army practices

    Builders uncover corrupt Thai Army practices

    Construction workers say they fear for their lives after stumbling over corrupt Royal Thai Army practices while building army premises. The builders employed the help of a lawyer after they discovered shady dealings while working on army housing loan projects, reported Bangkok Post. They are frightened they will be linked to these corrupt practices. The builders lodged a complaint, via…

  • Attack on master complainer was wrong says Deputy PM

    Attack on master complainer was wrong says Deputy PM

    The violent attack on Thailand’s master complainer, Srisuwan Janya, by another activist was denounced yesterday by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon. The well-known publicity-seeking Srisuwan was attacked at a press conference he organised outside the Central Investigation Bureau announcing he was going to file a complaint with the police against comedian Udom “Nose” Taepanich. Srisuwan believes Nose Udom’s remarks,…

  • Irish MEP slams EU & West hypocrisy over Russia

    Irish MEP slams EU & West hypocrisy over Russia

    An Irish MEP yesterday let rip at fellow members of the European Union and the West over their hypocrisy regarding the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Mick Wallace, in a passionate speech inside the European Parliament building in Brussels, highlighted the double standards of the EU, the West and its allies with its attitude toward Russian terrorism and the terrorism…

  • New Zealand gangster arrested in Thailand handed to FBI

    New Zealand gangster arrested in Thailand handed to FBI

    UPDATE The New Zealand gangster who was arrested in central Thailand has now been handed over to the FBI for prosecution, Thai police said yesterday. The gangster, 43 year old Shane Ngakuru, had been on the run from the FBI and New Zealand Police. Ngakuru is a high-ranking member of the Comancheros Motorcycle Club gang. He was allegedly involved in…

  • “Big Joke” says he needs 2 more days to catch Pattaya pool villa gunmen

    “Big Joke” says he needs 2 more days to catch Pattaya pool villa gunmen

    UPDATE The Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn, says he needs just two more days to catch the five gunmen who allegedly opened fire at a Pattaya pool villa yesterday morning. Surachate visited the scene of the crime yesterday and reviewed CCTV footage. He said he already knew the identities of the gunmen, and they…

  • Druggie pays for 10 baht snack with a meth tablet

    Druggie pays for 10 baht snack with a meth tablet

    A store owner filed a complaint with the police after a druggie tried to pay for a 10-baht snack with a yaba, or methamphetamine, pill. The shop owner, Supaporn Kanya, filed a complaint at Mueng Udon Thani Police Station yesterday. The 40 year old woman has a small grocery store in the Baan Lueam sub-district of the Mueng district of…

  • Luxury yacht halts Bangkok traffic as Krungthep Bridge opens

    Luxury yacht halts Bangkok traffic as Krungthep Bridge opens

    Drivers were understandably miffed as a huge traffic jam built up when the Krungthep Bridge in Bangkok opened to let a boat through. It is common for the bridge to open a handful of times each month, but usually to let through a big vessel belonging to the Royal Thai Navy. This time though, cars along Rama III Road were…

  • Missing 50 million baht is a misunderstanding, says govt

    Missing 50 million baht is a misunderstanding, says govt

    UPDATE The Thai government says there has been a misunderstanding about the missing 50 million baht promised to tobacco farmers. The money is still in government coffers and would be distributed to tobacco farmers as promised by May next year. Last week, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha urged Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan and relevant departments to investigate the missing 50…