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Sponsored What do you need before moving from the US to Thailand?
The Thaiger key takeaways The most common medical emergencies for expats in Thailand include motorcycle accidents, tropical diseases, and food or water-borne illnesses. Air pollution and heat-related conditions like heatstroke also pose serious seasonal health risks, especially in northern and...
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No tourists until 2021 – Thailand shuns travel bubbles and general travel
Thailand is currently caught in a number of quandaries that will continue to threaten the economy and stability of the country. Meanwhile the borders remain largely sealed, with the prospect of general tourist travel being pushed forward until at least 2021. There have been a number of official comments to support the prediction that Thailand’s borders will remain closed to…
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Household debt on the rise, as Thailand’s economic index decreases
The fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic continues to be felt around the country as Thailand’s economic index decreases and unemployment and debt continue to rise. Experts predict the country’s economic index will decrease from 37.4 to 36.8 over the coming 3 months. A report by the National News Bureau of Thailand says household debt is on the increase, with consumers…
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University protesters may be prosecuted over comments
Monday night’s anti-government rally at Thammasat University is said to have risked “offending the Monarchy”, sparking fears that it could trigger violent confrontations between royalists and their opponents. Comments made by protesters at the university’s campus in Pathum Thani may have violated Section 112 of the Criminal Code, also known as the lèse-majesté law. Students announced a set of 10…
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PM planning to hear protesters’ grievances, expresses unease over certain demands
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says his administration is willing to hold a forum this month to give anti-government protesters a chance to air their grievances. But he’s drawn a line in the sand about the airing of “certain demands” for reform, viewed by some as criticism of the Thai monarchy. The PM is urging those protesting to remain within the…
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Happy birthday to Her Majesty Queen Mother Sirikit
Thailand celebrates Mother’s Day and the birthday of the Queen Mother, HM Queen Sirikit, today. A lot of Thai people will be heading down to their local temples, district and provincial offices to join in ceremonies and other activities to mark her 88th birthday. Many will ‘tam boon’ (make merit) for the Queen Mother on this auspicious day. Queen Sirikit was…
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Pattaya’s Walking Street. Will it return to high rents and high heels?
Now that Pattaya’s infamous Walking Street is open to traffic along with parking for the first time in many, many years, what’s next? Thai officials and the local constabulary have long had a love-hate relationship with the red light district. It has attracted tourists but perhaps to the tourists the bosses in Bangkok were hoping for. It was a hive…
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Leave the monarchy alone – Thai Minister warns protesters
Protest peacefully, but keep the Thai monarchy out of it – that’s the gist of a warning from the Digital Economy and Society Minister referring to recent political protests that have been raising questions about Thailand’s revered Head of State. Rallies by royalist students and opposition parties have ended without incident at this stage although there have been a number of…
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Political activists taken to jungle for “attitude adjustment” lecture from officials
Anti-government protesters in the northern province of Phitsanulok say they were detained by plain clothes officials and taken to a jungle where they were questioned and made to listen to an “attitude adjustment” lecture. The incident is alleged to have taken place hours before a planned protest. The local protest group, known as Brave Phitsanulok Will Not Bow to Dictators,…
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Air Asia and VietJet add some extra domestic routes
Whilst much of the world waits to get back into Thailand, the local airlines are starting to flex their domestic muscles and add new routes. Thai AirAsia is launching 2 new routes from Chiang Mai, starting yesterday, offering a one-way fare for as low as 790 baht on flights to Hua Hin, and Udon Thani in the northeast. The cheapie…
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Thailand’s international borders not re-opening for tourists until 2021 – TAT
Thailand is unlikely to reopen its borders to international tourists before the end of the year – the prediction from a deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Speaking at yet another webinar, this time hosted by Mekong Tourism and TravelMole, the deputy governor for international marketing at TAT, Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, noted that there has been “no…
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Jailed Thai activist Anon Nampa speaks in Chiang Mai whilst on bail – VIDEO
by guest writer Will Langston By 4pm late yesterday afternoon, the historical Tha Pae Gate in Chiang Mai was packed with uniformed and armed police officers as they prepared for a speech from Anon Nampa, who was released on bail just a day before after his arrest in Bangkok over “sedition” charges in dramatic circumstances last Friday. Anon Nampa was arrested…
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Trending upwards, but consumer confidence in Thailand still at a 22 year low
A leading academic says that despite an upward trend, consumer confidence in Thailand still sits at a 22 year low as a result of the economic impact of Covid-19. Thanavath Phonvichai from the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, says the pandemic’s devastating effects on tourism, employment, and exports, is mostly to blame, coupled with concerns over the ongoing…
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Academics and opposition say government must listen to protesters’ demands to end unrest
Leading academics and members of the opposition are warning the government that they must listen to protesters and agree to their demands in order to end the current political unrest. Anti-government protesters continue to gather around the country, demanding a stop to the “intimidation of activists”, the “dissolution of Parliament”, and “constitutional reform”. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has already agreed to…
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Deputy AG fails to show up at an independent hearing into the dropping of ‘Boss’ charges
At yesterday’s hearing into the dropping of the Boss Yoovidhya ‘reckless driving causing death’ charge, the man who approved the dropping of the charges didn’t even bother turning up. A panel, headed by a former chairman of a constitution drafting body, Borwornsak Uwanno, summonsed Deputy Attorney-General Nate Naksuk to give statements at the independent committee looking into what lead to the…
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Outcry as Pattaya’s Walking Street opens to vehicles
Pattaya’s famous Walking Street nightlife district is now open to vehicular traffic around the clock, but not everyone is pleased. Business owners in the Walking Street area are reportedly asking the Pattaya City government to extend a current trial allowing vehicles onto the street at all hours of the day. The trial was proposed as international borders are still closed…
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Poll: majority doubt constitutional reform will improve Thai politics
The government of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, in an apparent nod to widespread student protests, has agreed inprinciple to amend Thaland’s Constitution. But according to a survey by the National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll, a slim majority of Thais are not confident that constitutional amendments will improve Thai politics. The poll was conducted August 3-4 on 1,255 people…
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Authorities say religious conflict not behind beheading of Pattani Buddha image
The beheading of a revered Buddha image in the Muslim-dominated southern border province of Pattani was the work of a temple boy and not a religious conflict, according to a statement issued yesterday by the Region 4 Internal Security Operation Command. The head of “Phra Chao Ong Dam”, showing Buddha sitting under the Bodhi Tree or “tree of awakening”, inside…
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Bailed activist lawyer promises more protests
2 protest leaders arrested on Friday were granted bail following a court sitting in Bangkok yesterday. The court granted activist lawyer Arnon Nampa and a student named Panupong Jaadnok, alias “Mike Rayong” bail. The court pointedly warned them not to engage in similar behaviour while on bail. Immediately afterward, Arnon defiantly told reporters he was headed to Chiang Mai to…
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Army captain charged in knife attack on 83 year old neighbour
An army captain in the south central province of Chachoengsao has been charged in connection with a knife attack on her 83 year old neighbour in Bang Pakong district yesterday morning. The victim suffered numerous serious wounds. Police rushed to the scene after being alerted at around 7am.The accused attacker, a 45 year old Pansamon Yuenyong, was waiting in the…
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Police in Chon Buri announce crackdown on loan sharks
Police in the eastern Chon Buri province held a large rally to announce a crackdown on loan sharks, in which they’ve already seized luxury cars, motorbikes, illegal weapons and ammunition. On Thursday, 709 police, led by the Chon Buri provincial police commander, attended a rally at the Bali Hai Pier in Pattaya to report on the ongoing crackdown. Earlier in…
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Father killed, daughter injured in Banglamung crash
A man is dead and his 15 year daughter old seriously injured after their motorbike collided with a pickup truck on the way to school in in Chon Buri’s Banglamung district yesterday. Police were notified of the incident on Road No. 36 in the morning. Police, reporters and rescue workers arrived at the scene to find a 15 year old…
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Chon Buri, Pattaya battle growing homelessness
The normally bustling resort town of Pattaya, battered by the Covid-19 crisis, is battling a growing homelessness problem that’s driving concerns and complaints from many locals. Already this weekend, about 50 officers from the Chon Buri Homeless Protection Centre, along with staff from the Pattaya Social Development Office, and Pattaya City police have inspected multiple locations where there have been…
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Demonstration called against arrests of protest leaders
Police in Bangkok are under pressure from protesters both on- and offline after yesterday’s arrest and detention of student protest leaders. Prominent activist and human rights lawyer Anon Numpa and protest leader Nutchanon “Mike” Payakaphan were taken into police custody for 7 charges, including sedition. 30 more student protesters are wanted by police and arrest warrants have been issued. The…
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No ammonium nitrate stored in Bangkok – BMA
The spokesman for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, aka. City Hall, has confirmed that no ammonium nitrate is stored in the capital. His remarks come after Tuesday’s devastating explosion of the chemical in Beirut that killed more than 150 and injured over 5,000. Pongsakorn Kwanmuang sent condolences to those affected in the tragic blast and said that no ammonium nitrate is…
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Investigating officer changes his evidence AGAIN in “Boss” hit-and-run case
In another abrupt U-turn in the ongoing hit-and-run case of Red Bull heir Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, a forensic police officer who recently changed his mind and said Vorayuth was probably driving below the 80 kilometre per hour speed limit during his deadly crash in 2012, has now returned to his original testimony and declared the actual speed was indeed 177…
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A night of drama as 2 protesters face court in Bangkok over “sedition” charges
Anon Nampa, a human rights lawyer, and student activist Panupong Jadnok, are both under arrest on “sedition” charges after they took part in protests on July 18. They’ve been arrested under Section 116 of the Criminal Code and for allegedly violating the Emergency Decree. After a night of dramatic legal to-and-fro, the 2 were back in court again this morning. Anon…
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Activist lawyer arrested after questioning Monarchy’s role
34 year old Thai activist and civil rights lawyer and Arnon Nampha was arrested this afternoon for “sedition” and “breaching the emergency decree”. He was apprehended in front of his Bangkok condominium at around 2pm, according to the head of Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, Yaowalak Anuphan. He is currently in police custody. “Arnon can only be detained no more…
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The phone of a key witness in the “Boss” case was stolen and destroyed
It’s now been revealed that the phone of a key witness in the Boss Yoovidhya hit-and-run case was stolen and destroyed after the witness died in a Chiang Mai traffic incident last week. It’s the latest in a long list of wtf moments in the botched 8 year long investigation. 40 year old Jaruchat Madthong died last Wednesday after colliding…
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Bangkok Midnight Marathon 2020 bans foreigners
It’s official. The Bangkok Midnight Marathon 2020 is closed to foreigners. Popular blogger and Samut Prakan school employee Richard Barrow posted the news last night saying… “For some reason, the organisers of this year’s Bangkok Midnight Marathon have decided not to allow foreigners to run. I hope this doesn’t become part of the ‘new normal’.” Unsurprisingly, the social media outrage was…
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Samui ferry company facing legal action over environmental impact of capsize
Thailand’s Ministry of National Resources and the Environment is threatening to sue the Raja Ferry company as a result of environmental contamination from the capsizing of a ferry off Koh Samui. The cargo ferry sank in rough weather last Saturday night, while attempting to transport rubbish from Samui to the Surat Thani mainland, resulting in dead and missing crew. The…
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