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  • PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s legal team to review new activist movement | Thaiger

    PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s legal team to review new activist movement

    A new movement, at least their “branding”, by the pro-democracy activist group Free Youth has caught the attention of many after it posted a new logo that resembles the Communist party’s hammer and sickle symbol, either by design or co-incidence. It has also caught PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s attention who says he’s asked his legal team to look into the new campaign…

  • Thai government urged to support foreign property buyers with additional incentives | Thaiger

    Thai government urged to support foreign property buyers with additional incentives

    The Thailand Development Research Institute is calling on the government to support foreign property investors, by allowing them to bid for residential units. Nonarit Bisonyabut from the TDRI says the measure would be aimed at off-setting a shortfall in local demand. With foreigners usually having higher purchasing power than Thais, he adds that the number of units offered for bidding…

  • Shaken but not stirred – Miss Thailand contestants get an unplanned swim | VIDEO | Thaiger

    Shaken but not stirred – Miss Thailand contestants get an unplanned swim | VIDEO

    Luckily no one was hurt but these Miss Thailand beauty queens ended up with an unscheduled dunking whilst parading for the cameras in Chiang Mai. A video captures the face-masked girls, all dressed up in the day’s casual uniform, posing for the cameras and the the moment a bridge snaps, plunging the 30 smiling, but bemused, Miss Thailand contestants into…

  • All countries welcome – Thailand open for business | Thaiger

    All countries welcome – Thailand open for business

    Come one, come all. In response to the dismally low take-up of the Special Tourist Visa, the Thai government has U-turned on a stipulation that only those from “low-risk” countries can apply. The visa is now available to all, regardless of the Covid-19 situation in their country. However, all arrivals are still subject to mandatory 14 day quarantine – which…

  • Police investigate possible abduction of foreign woman in Bangkok | Thaiger

    Police investigate possible abduction of foreign woman in Bangkok

    Police have opened an abduction investigation after a Chinese woman was reportedly forced into a car off Sukhumvit soi 39 in Bangkok’s Phrom Phong area. The Thong Lor department confirmed they have opened an investigation after rumours were spread on Facebook about alleged kidnappings in the area. A woman made a Facebook post last night saying a condominium security guard…

  • Man gets life sentence for fatal shooting of ex-wife at Bangkok beauty clinic | Thaiger

    Man gets life sentence for fatal shooting of ex-wife at Bangkok beauty clinic

    A 28 year old man, who fatally shot his ex-wife and injured her colleague at their place of work, has been sentenced to life in prison. Danusorn Numcharoen was originally sentenced to death at yesterday’s hearing in Bangkok’s Criminal Court, with the sentence commuted to life imprisonment because he confessed. He must also pay compensation to the victim’s family, set…

  • Teenager allegedly stabs father to death after being told to do his homework | Thaiger

    Teenager allegedly stabs father to death after being told to do his homework

    A 15 year old allegedly stabbed his father to death after being scolded for not doing his homework and playing too much on his smartphone. Police in the Ratchaburi’s Ban Pong district are investigating and have not yet pressed charges. The teenager, a Mathayom 3 student, was playing on his smartphone when his father said he should be doing his…

  • Police to question Thanathorn’s brother over role in 2019 bribery case | Thaiger

    Police to question Thanathorn’s brother over role in 2019 bribery case

    The younger brother of politician Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit has been summonsed to face police over his role in a bribery case in which 2 people were jailed last year. In November 2019, Prasit Aphaiphoncharn, from the Crown Property Bureau, and Surakit Tangwithoowanich, were both sentenced to 3 years in jail for taking bribes from Sakulthorn Juangroongruangkit and forging documents as part…

  • PM in visit to flood-hit south, as death toll rises to 24 – VIDEO | Thaiger

    PM in visit to flood-hit south, as death toll rises to 24 – VIDEO

    Record flooding in parts of southern Thailand has now claimed 24 lives, with the province of Nakhon Si Thammarat being hardest-hit, with 19 deaths and around 180,00 homes flooded. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha visited the province yesterday to express his condolences and pledge financial aid for those affected. Video: Thai Rath The Bangkok Post reports that the death of a woman…

  • New forum to tackle Mekong challenges | Thaiger

    New forum to tackle Mekong challenges

    For nearly 20 years, activists have called against the development of hydro-dams and water projects along the Mekong River. But now, the campaign is taking the next step with plans to focus on taking action at the policy level. It took 2 decades, but activists have now launched the “Mekong People’s Forum.” 200 people attended the forum including local villagers, conservationists,…

  • More trees for Bangkok, city’s arborist says a “green future” will take time | Thaiger

    More trees for Bangkok, city’s arborist says a “green future” will take time

    More trees will be planted throughout Bangkok as part of the city’s master plan “Green Bangkok 2030.” While in western countries, eco-friendly master plans are driven by science, Thailand has spiritual influences that also come into play. Photos and news of big trees being cut down are often shared on social media. Some people in Thailand believe spirits inhabit some…

  • Man allegedly steals excavating tractor, smashes into police pickup truck | Thaiger

    Man allegedly steals excavating tractor, smashes into police pickup truck

    A man was arrested after he allegedly stole a backhoe excavating tractor and smashed the digging bucket into a motorcycle and a police pickup truck. 42 year old Rungniran Songsan was charged with theft and criminal damage. Police were called to the scene after Rungniran allegedly took off on the backhoe in a rural road in Pathum Thani, north of…

  • New Year countdown events get the “okay,” but under strict health measures | Thaiger

    New Year countdown events get the “okay,” but under strict health measures

    Lockdowns, social distancing, face masks and lots and lots of hand sanitiser… this year has been different to say the least and counting down the last hours of 2020 will be different as well. New Year countdown events have been given the “okay,” but just as long as health safety measures are in place, according to Nattaphon Narkphanit who leads…

  • Samut Sakhon karaoke bar raided for alleged child prostitution operation | Thaiger

    Samut Sakhon karaoke bar raided for alleged child prostitution operation

    Police arrested a karaoke bar and restaurant owner for alleged human trafficking and sexual exploitation of teenage girls. After receiving a tip about an alleged child prostitution and trafficking operation, police raided the karaoke bar in Samut Sakhon, southwest of Bangkok, and found a 16 year old girl who officers believe is a victim. She is now at a temporary…

  • Drugged up slaughterhouse worker kills 2, injures 5 at random | Thaiger

    Drugged up slaughterhouse worker kills 2, injures 5 at random

    A drugged up slaughterhouse worker has been accused of killing 2 girls and injuring 5 others while going on a random knife attack on his motorbike in Udon Thani. The man, 31 year old Itthiphol Imphueng, from Udon Thani’s Nong Wua So district, worked in Muang district. His first victim was 16 year old Anchaya Boonyingyuan, who died at Udon…

  • The 2020 Supersports Laguna Phuket Marathon has been run and won, despite all the challenges | Thaiger

    The 2020 Supersports Laguna Phuket Marathon has been run and won, despite all the challenges

    Signs of life, combined with a determined event organiser and keen participants. And so the Laguna Phuket Marathon was staged in Phuket this weekend, despite all the challenges. An 8,000 strong field turned out to Run Paradise in Phuket this weekend at the 15th Supersports Laguna Phuket Marathon. Held on December 5 and 6, the ‘new normal’ edition combined stringent…

  • Thailand’s political landscape will stay volatile despite PM’s acquittal – Nida Poll | Thaiger

    Thailand’s political landscape will stay volatile despite PM’s acquittal – Nida Poll

    A new Nida poll indicates that people think Thailand’s political landscape will remain volatile despite the recent court clearance of PM Prayut. Around 27% responded to the Nida poll by saying the situation would be more contentious and worrying after his clearance from the Constitutional Court over his occupancy of a military residence after retiring in 2014 as the military’s…

  • US senators introduce resolution in support of Thailand’s pro-democracy movement | Thaiger

    US senators introduce resolution in support of Thailand’s pro-democracy movement

    The US Senate has called on the Thai government to end violence against political activists, as it introduced a resolution in support of the pro-democracy movement. 9 members of Congress introduced the resolution, including Thai-American senator Tammy Duckworth, who has previously served in the US military. “As a Thai-American who fought to protect the right to peacefully protest here at…

  • Greenpeace Thailand names 5 local companies “top plastic polluters” | Thaiger

    Greenpeace Thailand names 5 local companies “top plastic polluters”

    After collecting thousands of pieces of plastic waste, Greenpeace Thailand found that the majority of the trash comes from 5 Thai Companies, naming them the “top plastic polluters.” Volunteers from Greenpeace collected plastic waste from Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai and Wonnapa beach in Chon Buri. Out of the 13,001 pieces of plastic was collected, they say most of the…

  • 5 shot and in critical condition after gang clash in Phitsanulok | Thaiger

    5 shot and in critical condition after gang clash in Phitsanulok

    5 people were shot and severely wounded in an alleged turf war between 2 rival gangs in Phitsanulok’s Wang Thong district. Police say gang members attacked another gang because they were on “their territory.” Police say the alleged attackers threw ping pong bombs and fired shots at the rival gang members. The victims were reportedly found with several bullet wounds and…

  • Chinese probe heads back to Earth after spending 2 days on the Moon | Thaiger

    Chinese probe heads back to Earth after spending 2 days on the Moon

    A Chinese space probe, Chang’e 5, is now on its way back to earth after having flown to the Moon, landed, explored, collected soil samples and taken off again. It will bring the first lunar rock and soil samples back to Earth in over 4 decades. The probe is bringing a payload of some 2 kilograms of rocks back for…

  • Thai Constitutional Court official files contempt charge against protest leader | Thaiger

    Thai Constitutional Court official files contempt charge against protest leader

    A student protest leader is facing charges of contempt after he made statements on Facebook critical of the Constitutional Court ruling to acquit PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, allowing the Thai prime minister and former Army General to continue occupying a military-owned residence. Critics have argued that allowing Prayut, a retired general, to say at the Army residence is a conflict of…

  • Schoolgirl bursts into tears meeting Panasaya, fearing for activist’s safety | Thaiger

    Schoolgirl bursts into tears meeting Panasaya, fearing for activist’s safety

    Protest leader Panusaya Sitthijirawattanakul, aka, “Rung”, has been pictured consoling a young schoolgirl who broke down in tears, concerned about the activist’s safety. Rattapol Kaiipah Promsuwan, who witnessed the exchange, has shared a photo of the moment on social media. She says the girl, who is in Grade 6 (making her around 11 years old), had gone to the organisers’…

  • Severe flooding in southern Thailand kills 7 | Thaiger

    Severe flooding in southern Thailand kills 7

    Heavy flooding in the south of the country has killed 7 people, while many others have been injured. The worst of the flooding, which has affected 9 provinces, is in Nakhon Si Thammarat, which has had over 6 days of persistent rain. In total, the floods have affected over 261,000 households and tens of thousands of people, including a 14-month-old…

  • 5 people killed in Nakhon Si Thammarat flash flooding | Thaiger

    5 people killed in Nakhon Si Thammarat flash flooding

    5 people died from the flash floods in Nakhon Si Thammarat after several days of heavy rain, according to Governor Kraisorn Wisitwong. Disaster mitigation officers have rescued locals from several districts who had to evacuate their homes due to the extensive flooding. The 5 deaths were in the districts Noppitam, Phra Phrom, Chalerm Phra Kiat and Chawang. Thousands of households…

  • 4 years until tourism industry gets back to pre-pandemic levels – Finance Ministry | Thaiger

    4 years until tourism industry gets back to pre-pandemic levels – Finance Ministry

    It could take 4 years for Thailand’s tourism industry to recover after being battered by the lack of travel due to the coronavirus pandemic, the government’s reaction and the economic fallout, according to the Finance Ministry. While local and international experts project Thailand’s economy will continue to recover over the next 2 years, the tourism industry, which directly contributes 12-15%…

  • Thai couple arrested in Bangkok for allegedly trafficking 1 million methamphetamine pills | Thaiger

    Thai couple arrested in Bangkok for allegedly trafficking 1 million methamphetamine pills

    Police in Bangkok arrested a Thai couple for allegedly smuggling 1 million methamphetamine pills. Police say 28 year old Weerasak Jedhun and 29 year old Jutharat Daengnoi planned to deliver and distribute the drugs to clients in the South. The arrests stem from an earlier bust in Nonthaburi, a suburb outside Bangkok, where police seized 1 million methamphetamine pills and…

  • Heavy rain wreaks havoc in flood-ravaged Nakhon Si Thammarat | Thaiger

    Heavy rain wreaks havoc in flood-ravaged Nakhon Si Thammarat

    The governor of Nakhon Si Thammarat has put the disaster mitigation office on high alert, following 6 days of heavy rain in the southern province. Large swathes of land are underwater after extensive flooding that has affected tens of thousands of people in the region. The Bangkok Post reports that governor Kraisorn Wisitwong says floods have been recorded in 351…

  • Cabinet approves extension, upgrade of stimulus measures, welfare payments | Thaiger

    Cabinet approves extension, upgrade of stimulus measures, welfare payments

    The government has given the green light to the extension and refinement of a number of economic stimulus schemes and welfare payments. 43.5 billion baht has been set aside to fund an extension of the current co-payment scheme and the welfare card program. It’s understood 22.5 billion baht will go to phase 2 of the co-payment scheme, with 21 billion…

  • Court acquits PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, allowing him to stay on at military residence | Thaiger

    Court acquits PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, allowing him to stay on at military residence

    PM Prayut Chan-o-cha will be staying in office and at his military residence. Bangkok’s Constitutional Court ruled today that the prime minister and former Thai general and commander of the Thai Army has not violated the charter by occupying a military-owned residence. The court says under military regulations, former officers can remain at their Army residence after their retirement at…