Hot News
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Expect more floods coming up this weekend in most of Thailand
If you’ve loved all the heavy rains and flash flooding throughout Thailand this past week, then get excited for this weekend! The Thai Meteorological Department warned yesterday to expect heavy to very heavy rains in most areas including the north, northeast, central Thailand, the east, the Bangkok area, and the south. The heavy rain may cause flash floods from May…
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UPDATE: Bangkok governor candidates answer Russell Crowe’s questions on TV
UPDATE: Bangkok governor candidates answer Russell Crowe’s questions on Thai TV Russell Crowe’s pre-recorded questions for Bangkok governor candidates were streamed on Channel 7HD’s live programme “22 May: Deciding Bangkok’s Fate” this afternoon, prior to the election coming up this Sunday. Crowe asked the questions in English, and three Bangkok governor candidates answered in Thai. Each candidate was given 2…
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As travel opens, Phuket officials gather to fight drug problem
Now that Thailand’s travel restrictions are easing, Phuket officials are on guard for an expected increase in demands for illegal drugs. This morning, a group of officials held a meeting at Phuket City Hall to discuss drug issues in the island province. The meeting was led by a director from the Region 8 Drug Enforcement Administration. Officials from other government…
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Canadian man arrested for stealing traffic barriers in Chiang Mai
Police have arrested a Canadian expat in Chiang Mai after driving his car around the city to steal metal traffic barriers. Yes, traffic barriers. 69 year old Ronald John Price was arrested today on Ratchadamnoen Road in Chiang Mai. According to reports, Mr. Price covered his face whilst stealing metal traffic barriers from around the province. He drove his sedan…
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Leaders of smaller Thai parties want to legalise online casinos
Twenty representatives of smaller Thai political parties have submitted a draft amendment for the Gambling Act to Thailand’s parliamentary house speaker yesterday. The draft amendment would aim to legalise online casinos. An MP from the Thai Local Power Party said that legalising online casinos will let authorities collect taxes from license holders, and decide how to punish illegal casino operators.…
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Thai officials vow to solve household debt problem at Phuket event
Thai officials held a ‘Household Debt Reconciliation Fair’ in Phuket yesterday. At the event, Thailand’s Minister of Justice Somsak Thepsutin said the government has designated 2022 as the “Year of Solving Household Debt”. He said that 2,810 people had registered for the event. Somsak said that several government departments have organised events to “facilitate the mediation process of household debts…
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Nok Air gamble fails to take off costing airline millions
Low-cost budget airline Nok Air’s gamble of investing in a special route to boost tourism has backfired to the tune of 40 million baht. The Thai airline, which mostly operates domestic services out of Don Mueang International Airport, introduced the Bangkok to Betong route in February but plan to scrap it in July after suffering heavy losses. The Betong International…
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Stolen gold found scattered in northern Thailand
After a robber stole several pricy items from a gold shop earlier this week, police found 7 trays of gold ornaments in the middle of a river in northern Thailand’s Tak province. Local people showed the gold to police after they spotted it on an islet in the middle of Ping River in the main city district. The locals also…
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Danish man left suicidal after being raped for a week in Phuket
A Danish man confessed he was left suicidal after being kidnapped, drugged and raped at the popular Thai holiday resort of Phuket five years ago. Mathias Søby Kristensen revealed in a no holds barred interview on a Danish TV documentary how he still has nightmares after being drugged and sexually abused by a Thai man while on holiday at the…
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Political activist has bail denied over missing pay slip
A bail application from monarchy reform activist Tantawan Tuatulanon has been rejected over a missing pay slip. Thai PBS World reports that the Criminal Court denied a bail application submitted by Move Forward leader, Pita Limjaroenrat. The reason given was that Pita had not submitted his MP’s pay slip with the application. According to the court, Pita needed to provide…
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Thai officials say schools can set their own hair rules, but no harsh punishment
Thailand school haircut drama continues as the Education Ministry has announced yesterday that schools are free to set their own hairstyle rules. While Education Minister Trinuch Thienthong added that schools have been ordered not to impose harsh punishments on students who violate hairstyle rules, the secretary-general of Thailand’s Basic Education Commission reiterated that responsibility over the rules lies with schools.…
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Thai government winning war against drugs after seizing 5 billion baht haul from nation’s cartels
The Thai Minister of Justice yesterday revealed around 5 billion baht had been recovered from nationwide drug raids. Somsak Thepsutin disclosed to Thai media the government is winning the war against drugs, cracking down on illegal cartels, and expects to recoup 10 billion baht by the end of the year after seizing more than half of that amount from illegal…
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Karma in Kalasin: Man steals drain cover then drives his car into the hole
A thief from Kalasin province in northeast Thailand got a taste of his own medicine today after he stole a drain cover and proceeded to drive his pickup truck into the open hole. He was forced to request help from municipality officers, who instantly recognised him as the thief from CCTV footage, detained him and handed him over to the…
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Black water still flowing into ocean at Phuket’s Kamala Beach
A popular Facebook page has posted a video and photos this week of black, dirty water flowing into Phuket’s Kamala Beach on the island’s west coast. The page, titled Monsoon Garbage Thailand, claims that the dirty black water was released from nearby businesses without any treatment. The Phuket Express reports that local business owners and government representatives have not yet responded…
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Prosecutor in Red Bull heir case kicked out of civil service
Today, Thailand’s public prosecution committee unanimously agreed to kick ex-general attorney Nate Naksuk out of the civil service for choosing not to indict the “Red Bull heir,” who killed a police officer in a hit-and-run incident back in 2012. Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidya – the grandson of billionaire Red Bull co-founder Chaleo Yoovidhya – became a fugitive after speeding through the…
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LINE app popular in Thailand warns users, look out for scams
LINE, a chat app popular in Thailand, is warning users to be on the lookout for scammers who might use SMS and LINE chat to steal personal information. The app said today that recently, some scammers claimed to be company officials, and posted job announcements via SMS and Line chat. LINE said that scammers are also adding people as ‘friends’…
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Mixed fortunes for Thai Airways but nation’s flag carrier confident of financial take off
Financial figures released yesterday by Thai Airways International revealed mixed fortunes for the Bangkok-based airline. Thailand’s flag carrier airline declared a net loss of nearly 3.4 billion baht on revenue of 11.2 billion baht in Q1, an improvement on the 11.2 billion baht net loss from the same period last year, but on the positive side the company also noted…
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Thai officials visit Saudi Arabia for roadshow, push for more tourists
As part of a push to draw more Middle Eastern tourists to Thailand, tourism officials visited Saudi Arabia on May 15-16 in a roadshow. There, the Tourism Authority of Thailand signed a memorandum of cooperation with Almosafer, the biggest OTA in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The TAT also signed an MoC with Saudia, Saudi Arabia’s flag carrier, to promote a…
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Flooding in Bangkok after 10 hours of torrential rain
Bangkok has flooded in many areas after 10 hours of torrential rain beginning at 3pm yesterday and continuing into the early hours of this morning, according to the Department of Drainage and Sewage. The most affected areas are Chatuchak, Lak Si, Don Mueang and Lat Phrao. In some places, the water level has reached higher than 1 metre. The floods…
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Thai aviation industry says international flights at only 20% of pre-pandemic level
The Thai Airlines Association says that in the first 4 months of this year, domestic flights have returned to nearly 100% of their pre-pandemic level. However, international flights have still only reached 20% of pre-Covid-19 levels. TAA president, Putthiphong Prasatthong-Osot, says the lifting of some travel restrictions has led to an increase in passenger numbers, but adds that it will…
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Russell Crowe to question Bangkok governor candidates live on TV
On Thursday May 19, Russell Crowe and six other celebrities will ask questions to seven Bangkok governor candidates live on TV prior to the election which will be held on Sunday, May 22. From 4:15pm – 6pm on Thursday, Channel 7HD will air the live programme “22 May: Deciding Bangkok’s Fate” hosted by Tin Chokkamolkij. Seven Bangkok governor candidates will…
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Water park pool slashed causing a flood at gated community
A knife-wielding hoodlum caused chaos at the SansaNook water park in Samut Prakan, just south of Bangkok, by sinking a blade into a huge artificial pool resulting in a flood to a nearby gated community. Water park staff alerted owner Nathapong Pathaveesathian to the vandalism on Sunday just before 7pm after residents complained their homes were being flooded. Nathapong arrived…
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Thailand to welcome one millionth tourist this year by end of May
Thailand expects its one millionth foreign tourist this year to arrive by the end of May, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The kingdom has seen a sharp increase in tourists since the Test & Go programme and other entry requirements were scrapped at the start this month. However, the current influx of tourists still has nothing on pre-pandemic…
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450 charging stations for electric vehicles by the end of 2022
PTT Oil and Retail Business (OR) plans to increase its electric vehicle (EV) business by adding more charging stations in the nation’s shopping malls by the end of the year. Terminal 21, Fashion Island, and The Promenade are next in line to get the charging stations under the PluZ brand. Five more stations, two in Bangkok, two in Pattaya and…
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Government says relaxed travel restrictions have led to tourism surge on Phuket, Samui
The Thai government is patting itself on the back for the decision to ease entry restrictions, which officials say has boosted tourism in places like Phuket and Koh Samui. “All this is due to the government’s move to ease travel restrictions during the country’s high season between March and May.” So says government spokesman, Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, pointing out that up…
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Tourism officials aiming for 80 million domestic trips in first half of 2022
With Covid infections going down, the hopes of tourism officials are going up, according to a Bangkok Post report. Thapanee Kiatphaibool from the Tourism Authority of Thailand is feeling optimistic about domestic travel this year. She says the TAT expects around 80 million domestic trips to be undertaken in the first half of 2022. “The TAT aims to tally 40…
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In Thailand, Covid numbers plummet, but restrictions remain
Thailand registered 5,238 new Covid infections and 40 new Covid-related deaths over the last 24 hours, another day of drops in numbers since the Omicron variant hit its peak on April 1 with 28,379 infections in a 24 hour period. Yesterday there were 6,094 new infections and 51 deaths. But the number of deaths from Covid-19 has been stubbornly consistently…
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More Thai national parks to close to allow for recovery during monsoon season
The national parks at Mu Koh Similan and Mu Koh Surin have joined Mu Koh Lanta in Krabi province in closing for the monsoon season. The famous tourist attraction of Maya Bay, on Koh Phi Phi Leh, kicked things off recently, when officials announced that it would once again close to allow the bay’s fragile eco-system to recover. Maya Bay re-opened…
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Dengue hasn’t gone away – Dengue fever in Thailand 2022, and how to avoid it
Covid-19, and the controls taken to limit its spread, have clearly disrupted essential health services and other disease control programs worldwide – school closures, lockdowns, curfews and social restrictions, hoping to limit the spread of Covid-19. But those enforced changes have also resulted in the transmission of other infectious diseases, including dengue fever. Despite dropping off the radar in the…
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Thai Golf website has 36% jump in views since borders reopen
As the Tourism Authority of Thailand starts to ramp up its overseas campaigns to encourage international travellers to fly to Thailand, one sector, Golf, is already seeing a jump in activity. Since the recent announcement of the relaxing of Thailand Pass entry regulations, many international golf vacationers have shown a keen interest in playing a few rounds in the Land…
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