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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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Over 300 Phuket businesses awarded SHA Plus accreditation ahead of re-opening
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has declared the southern island of Phuket as “sandbox-ready”, after awarding SHA Plus accreditation to more than 300 tourism businesses. Phuket is gearing up for a much-anticipated re-opening on July 1, although it must be pointed out that this is still subject to official approval. The SHA endorsement confirms that hotels and other tourism businesses…
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Krabi hotels pin hopes on Phuket sandbox success
Hotel operators in the southern province of Krabi will be watching Phuket’s imminent re-opening with great interest. The success of the Phuket “sandbox” will determine what happens in Thailand’s other tourism hotspots. According to the Bangkok Post, a successful re-opening for Phuket would mean Krabi and other destinations can look forward to re-opening their hotels and recruiting workers for the…
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Tourism bodies concerned vaccination uncertainty will disrupt re-opening
Earlier this week, Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, pledged to re-open the country to international tourism within 120 days. But tourism operators aren’t breathing a sigh of relief just yet. Many have voiced concerns over the delays in the vaccine rollout, fearing that if Thailand doesn’t get its act together on vaccination, the re-opening could be affected. According to the Bangkok…
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Tar balls wash ashore on several Phuket beaches
An oil spill that hit the north end of Phuket on Sunday has now stretched the entire length of the island as tar balls have washed up on the southernmost beach in Phuket as well. No source of the oil has been identified yet. Tar balls first washed up a few days ago on Mai Khao Beach, a stretch of…
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EU Free Trade Agreement talks resume after 7-year coup hiatus
After a 7-year delay following Thailand’s military coup, talks have resumed to create a Free Trade Agreement between Thailand and the European Union. The Ministry of Commerce hosted a meeting this morning between Thailand’s Commerce Minister, also a Deputy Prime Minister, and the Ambassador of the European Union to Thailand. The two met to have conversations about a variety of…
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Survey: 90+% feel bar ban, restrictions hamper Phuket Sandbox
In an “is water wet?”-style survey conducted by Thai Examiner, about 92% of foreigners polled disagree with the bar and entertainment venue closures during the Phuket Sandbox reopening. This, coupled with the bumbling, haphazard implementation of the reopening is driving foreigners away from coming to Phuket according to the site’s informal survey of 240 people. The Mayor of Patong confirmed…
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TAT asked to make changes to Phuket sandbox before submitting for final approval
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has been asked to make further changes to the Phuket “sandbox” scheme before submitting it to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Apisamai Srirangson from the CCSA says the government’s Covid-19 task force wants clarification on the safety measures aimed at controlling Covid-19 when the plan is implemented from July 1. “The sub-committee is concerned…
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Thai Airways rehabilitation plan accepted by Bankruptcy Court
The debt rehabilitation plan of Thai Airways International has been accepted by Thailand’s Central Bankruptcy Court, paving the way for the survival of the company. The CBC’s acceptance of the plan is the first step in the debt restructuring process for the struggling airline. In this plan, the state would play an instrumental role in aiding Thai Airways to get…
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Thai government apologises for data leak, blames “temporary glitch”
The Thai government has released a statement apologising for the data leak on Monday which saw people who registered for a Covid vaccine have their personal information revealed. The government says there was a “temporary glitch” on the thailandintervac.com vaccination booking website and the error was because of “urgent system maintenance”. Soon after the website launched, multiple expats complained that…
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Thai police chief donates 100,000 baht to Phuket man shot by a drunk officer
Thailand’s national police chief has donated 100,000 baht to support the man in Phuket who was shot and critically wounded by a drunk, off-duty police officer on the island’s Bangla Road, a popular nightlife area in Patong. Aroon Thongplad, a noodle vendor at the Phuket walking street, was grabbing a bowl from a customer when he was shot in the…
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Covid-19, food delivery brings rise in plastic and infectious waste
Often, evolving lifestyles, and the technology it brings, are first regarded for their revolutionary game-changing effect before facing down the road the negative unintended consequences of the change. It was decades between when we celebrated the way air travel allowed you to see the world and when we started talking about “carbon footprints”. Many years went by between seeing the…
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Blacktip reef sharks get protected status as Environment Minister blasts video cruelty
Thailand’s Minister for Natural Resources and the Environment has blasted a TikTok video that shows Krabi boatmen shooting at blacktip reef sharks. Varawut Silpa-archa has slammed what he describes as an act of gratuitous violence and says the sharks will be added to the list of protected marine species. According to the Bangkok Post, the video surfaced on Monday and…
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Location-tracking wristbands and punishments for escapees: Phuket gets ready to welcome vaccinated tourists
As the date of Phuket’s re-opening to vaccinated foreign tourists draws closer, officials are busy preparing all necessary measures prior to the influx. The “sandbox” scheme kicks off on July 1 and provincial officials have been rehearsing immigration and Covid-19 control measures at Phuket airport, the island’s ports, and the Tha Chat Chai checkpoint by the bridge onto the island.…
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Australian man arrested for alleged child sex abuse in Thai border town
After being on the run for 6 months, an Australian man who allegedly sexually assaulted Burmese children in the Tak’s Mae Sot district near the Myanmar border was arrested. A warrant had been issued for Adam James Fox back in December of last year after he failed to show up to court. Adam had been arrested in March of last…
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3 dead in 3 truck crash in Surat Thani
3 people are dead and 1 more person is seriously injured following a 10-wheeled truck smashing into the back of a trailer that was carrying trees. A truck full of tires then careened into them, which then burst into flames. The fiery car wreck happened in the southern Thai province of Surat Thai, early today. The crash happened on the…
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Thai police say they’ve gathered “strong evidence” on transnational drug trade
“Good news” will be reported soon on Thailand’s crackdown on transnational drug trade, at least that’s what police are saying today about the ramping up of the transnational drug rings and trafficking. Drug suppression operations have intensified over the past month with numerous drug seizures including several at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport where methamphetamine and heroin were found hidden in packages…
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Taxi driver attacks woman at bus stop, has a history of violence
A taxi driver that attacked a woman standing at a bus stop has been arrested on assault charges. He was arrested yesterday and brought to the Phra Khanong police station, a district in Bangkok. Allegedly, the taxi driver approached the woman at the bus stop, pulled off her face mask, and threatened her with a stick. 46 year old Nana…
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Thai PM ignores demands to step down, insists he’s going nowhere
The Thai PM is fending off near-daily calls for his resignation, insisting he’s going nowhere before the end of his term in office. Prayut Chan-o-cha was speaking during a parliamentary session yesterday, when he declared his intention to see out his 4-year term. Thai PBS World reports that the speech was part of an address to senators, to justify an…
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UPDATE: Police officers, prosecutors may be investigated over acquittal of Red Bull heir
UPDATE Following yesterday’s report that at least 10 senior officials may be investigated for their role in helping Red Bull heir Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya escape justice, Thai media outlet Naew Na is reporting that 2 police generals are among the 10. ORIGINAL STORY After the Red Bull heir Vorayuth Yoovidhya, aka, “Boss”, was allowed to evade justice for a 2012…
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Pattaya tourism operators not getting their hopes up over foreign arrivals
Tourism operators in Pattaya are not holding out much hope of a mass return of foreign arrivals in the first few months after re-opening. Pattaya has been chosen as the first non-island location to re-open to vaccinated foreign tourists, but operators fear the constant indecision and changes to regulations will have a negative impact. Thanet Supornsahasrungsi from the Chon Buri…
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PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says drug suppression should to be a national priority
Following the numerous busts involving drugs en route to overseas, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has declared that the suppression of illegal drugs should be an urgent national agenda item. The deputy government spokesperson Rachada Dhanadirek made the announcement of the prime minister’s behalf, saying Prayut called for government workers to support the efforts to crack down on drugs. The spokesperson says…
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13 teenagers arrested in Chon Buri for partying, gathering
13 teenagers were arrested last night in Nongprue, a town in the Chon Buri Province. Allegedly, they were partying in a luxury resort around midnight. A “concerned citizen” had reportedly alerted police, as they were concerned the gathering could lead to a Covid outbreak in the community. Police got to the Pool villa and arrested the 13 teenagers. The police…
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Crime Suppression Division seizes dozens of illegal firearms in a series of raids
Thai law enforcement officers are cracking down on the illegal firearms trade, primarily on the online sales of guns. The Crime Suppression Division, or CSD, executed a series of raids this month, seizing dozens of illegal weapons and arresting several people on illegal weapons charges. The raids were initiated following the investigation into the online sales of firearms on the…
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Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport task force cracks down on drug trafficking
Authorities at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport are cracking down on drug trafficking, specifically packages being mailed from Thailand to overseas, after major busts in Australia and South Korea last month involving drugs trafficked from Thailand. Over the weekend, the Narcotics Control Board announced that the airport’s task force found 580 grams of methamphetamine hidden in motorcycle parts in a package destined…
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Motorbike thieves arrested after a million baht of bikes stolen
This week Pattaya Police arrested a group of motorbike thieves that they say are responsible for about a million baht worth of stolen bikes. The gang were arrested at a condo in Jomtien on Thursday afternoon by the Pattaya City Police Department. The raid captured 3 suspects, all between the ages of 22 and 23. The trio were nabbed after…
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300 tourism businesses given SHA Plus certification in Phuket
Part of the much-debated Phuket Sandbox reopening is guests must stay in SHA Plus-certified hotels, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand just gave certification for more than 300 tourism-related businesses on the island. The Amazing Thailand Safety and Health Administration Plus Certificate was presented to the businesses yesterday, and those establishments will now display the SHA Plus logo, assuring international…
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Despite rumours, PM and goverment not planning early election
Amid a scattered Covid-19 response and vaccine rollout, and plenty of political fingerpointing and whispers, government officials dismiss rumours that PM Prayut Chan-o-cha will call an early special election. The rumours gained traction after the prime minister urged cabinet members to hasten their work as the administration had only 1 year left, when in fact the 4-year term ends in…
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Thai PM not happy with soccer gambling
Prayut Chan-o-cha, has voiced his concern that there has been an uptick in illegal gambling by Thai people throughout the UEFA European Soccer Championship (AKA Euro 2020). The PM told the Royal Thai Police, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, and “relevant agencies” to tighten the scrutiny of illegal gambling, with an emphasis on online gambling. He also asked…
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Goverment kind of discloses what the secret budget is spent on
The Thai government has shed some light on its “secret budget allocations” to parry criticisms that it should increase transparency about money being used on defence. The Prime Minister Operations Centre shared details on its Facebook page. They say the secret allocations taken out of the 3.1 trillion baht budget deal amounted to only .03% of the total (930 million…
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Penis statue works as village sees rain after erection
Laugh and make jokes if you must (we certainly did!) but yesterday’s report on the village that erected a giant penis to bring rain has a, erm, happy ending. We’ll give you one guess on what the weather is like in the Yothaka sub-district of Chachoengsao province this weekend. If you guessed that the penis statue and rain blessing ceremony…
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