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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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Suvarnabhumi’s ranking plummets in World’s Best Airports index
The results of this year’s World’s Best Airports awards are in, and in the last 10 years, Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi has taken a nosedive from number 13 to 66. The awards, voted for by passengers, are run annually by UK consultancy, Skytrax. This year’s results were decided by an online survey that ran for a 12-month period between August 2020 and…
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Pattaya officials concerned high costs of Covid tests will deter foreign tourists
Tourism officials in Pattaya are concerned that the demands being made of foreign tourists, including multiple costly Covid tests, will put people off visiting. Pattaya hopes to re-open quarantine-free under a sealed route scheme, but Thanet Supornsahasrungsi from the Chon Buri Tourism Council has expressed concern about the costs involved for visitors. The Bangkok Post reports that Pattaya is eyeing…
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Tourism Minister defends PM’s re-opening plan on day 3 of no-confidence debate
Thailand’s Tourism Minister has defended the PM’s promise to re-open the country, pointing out that Bangkok and another 4 provinces should be in a position to welcome tourists from next month. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says the re-opening of those 5 provinces will be followed by a further 21 provinces around the country. He was speaking during yesterday’s no-confidence debate against PM…
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PM Prayut accused of embezzlement in Sinovac vaccine purchases
Complex, tricky accounting, embezzlement or a government going about its work in the middle of a pandemic? Accusations by the Pheu Thai opposition party are demanding Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha explain a 2 billion baht gap between what was allocated for Sinovac vaccine purchases and what was actually spent. The charges, made under parliamentary privilege in this week’s no-confidence debate,…
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500 kilograms of marijuana discovered on Mekong riverbank in Nakhon Phanom
500 kilograms of dried and compressed marijuana were found along the Mekong River in the Isaan province Nakhon Phanom. A drug suppression team from the Mekong Riverine Unit seized 10 sacks containing 1-kilogram packages of compressed marijuana. Altogether, there were 500 slabs weighing a total of 500 kilograms, according to commander of the unit, Jaraskiat Chaiyaphan. Police believe the slabs of…
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2 international schools in Bangkok busted for allegedly breaking various laws
2 international schools in Bangkok have been busted for breaking various laws. The Secretary of the Office of the National Primary Education Commission, Attaphol Treuktrong, said that his office is pursuing legal actions against the 2 international schools after it was determined the schools broke laws. The schools are the Foster International School in Thon Buri and the St. Mark’s…
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Poacher arrested in Pathum Thani for allegedly catching and selling macaques
An alleged poacher was arrested by the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department officials today. The suspect and another man would allegedly shoot wild macaque monkeys with tranquilising darts and later sell the monkeys for 1,000 to 1,500 baht each. Officers say 40 year old Pitak Thongsu was found with 6 macaques in his possession. Head of special operations for…
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Prosecutor says Nakhon Sawan district police intended to kill the drug suspect
The head of a regional prosecutor’s office is claiming the now-ousted Nakhon Sawan district police superintendent intended to kill the drug suspect. Video footage of the interrogation early last month shows the suspect with a plastic bag over his head. A recently released autopsy report says the man died from suffocation, but police earlier wrote off the cause of death…
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Hua Hin opts for quarantine-free re-opening, similar to Phuket sandbox
The head of Hua Hin Recharge, which aims to re-open the popular tourist spot from October 1, says the programme will be similar to the Phuket sandbox scheme. Krod Rojanastien adds that he’s confident Hua Hin can achieve the required herd immunity in time. The Bangkok Post reports that as of yesterday, 55% of Hua Hin’s 90,564 residents have been…
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Calls for former police chief’s wealth to be investigated
An activist from the Association for the Protection of the Thai Constitution has petitioned the Anti-Money Laundering Office to look into the wealth acquired by former police chief, Thitisan Utthanaphon. Thitisan has been fired as police chief in the northern province of Nakhon Sawan and is being investigated for his alleged role in the death of a suspect in custody.…
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Phuket officials look to vaccinated domestic visitors for tourism lifeline
Officials on the southern island of Phuket are pinning their hopes on vaccinated domestic tourists to revive the flagging economy. A proposal to attract vaccinated local tourists is being submitted for approval and if granted, would replace current restrictions, says deputy governor, Pichet Panapong. According to a Bangkok Post report, Pichet says the current measures on Phuket are damaging the…
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7 monks receive suspended jail terms, 10,000 baht fines from Chiang Mai court
7 monks and 1 friend who were found enjoying food and alcoholic drinks Sunday night, 4 of whom were abbots, have been defrocked from the monkhood, fined, and given suspended jail sentences for breaking Covid containment measures. Police, who had received complaints from residents, raided a location for monks at Wat Pansao in Chiang Mai. Bangkok Post says the monks…
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Police issue warning over rumoured death of officer who leaked custody killing footage
Thai police have hit back at unsubstantiated rumours of the death of a police officer who leaked footage of a suspect allegedly being killed in custody. National police spokesperson Yingyong Thepjamnong has described the claims as, “fake news” and warned that those behind them could face prosecution under the Computer Crime Act. Claims that a junior officer named as Tossaporn…
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Anti-government protesters arrested after police officer injured at weekend rally
Following Sunday’s anti-government protest in Bangkok, 2 activists have been arrested after video footage allegedly showed them injuring a police officer. The Bangkok Post reports that the pair are among a total of 27 protesters arrested, according to Pakapong Pongpetra from the Metropolitan Police Bureau. He says 13 of the detainees are minors and 2 are women. Sunday’s rally began…
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“Dark red” interprovincial transport ban lifted, flights and bus services resume Wednesday
The ban on public transportation out of “dark red” zones has been lifted. Following the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s decision to ease the restrictions, both the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand and the state-run Transport Company announced domestic flights and interprovincial bus services will resume on Wednesday. While domestic travel from the “high risk” provinces, like Bangkok, there are…
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Autopsy report confirms man who died in police custody died of suffocation
A newly-released autopsy report confirmed that Jirapong Thanaphiphat, the man who died in police custody in northern Thailand’s Nakhon Sawan province, died of suffocation and not of a drug overdose. The same hospital, Sawanpracharak Hospital, initially supported the police’s account of the man’s death that he died of a drug overdose, according to Coconuts Bangkok. Jirapong’s body was cremated earlier this…
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Man allegedly shoots and kills co-worker because he wouldn’t turn down the radio
A man at a golf cart repair shop allegedly shot and killed his co-worker who had told him to turn down his radio. 46 year old Pongthep Phloiprasong was listening to his radio at the shop run by the Thai police in Phitsanulok’s Phrom Phiram district Sunday night. Witnesses say 37 year old Te Aw, a Burmese national, told him to…
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Daily protests to continue indefinitely until PM resigns, according to protesters
Anti-government activists have vowed that protests will take place around the country every day and go on indefinitely until the Thai PM resigns. Protest leaders Sombat Boonngamanong and Nattawut Saikuar were speaking following the conclusion of a peaceful “car mob” rally, which ended in the central province of Pathum Thani. The rally had begun at the Kasetsart intersection near Kasetsart…
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Porn may open the door to the mainstream for cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrency has grown a strong following of hardcore supporters but has yet to gain widespread acceptance and ease of use. But now another hardcore faction might help bridge the gap and open the doors to wider usage: porn. After OnlyFans became the latest website/porn service to see its value and success hanging in the balance of a battle between its…
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Bangkok Airways breach may have compromised customer data
A cyberattack hit Bangkok Airways and now the boutique airline is warning its customers of a possible compromise of personal data. The airline released a statement on their website and sent email to its customers informing them of the data breach. Bangkok Airways first became aware of a possible hack on August 23 and began investigating. They confirmed now that…
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Heavy rains in Pattaya bring some fun but also casualties
The rains that have been battering Pattaya over the weekend have come with a light side and a dark side. Many locals were seen finding the silver lining in the heavy rains, having fun going with the flow, sometimes literally. But for others, the rains turned deadly. The rain caused floods on streets and neighbourhoods, dumping water into people homes…
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Koh Larn resorts accused of encroaching on coastlines
The island of Koh Larn, just off the coast of Pattaya, is the centre of a controversy as officials are threatening to pursue 39 private resorts accused of illegally encroaching on the coastlines. The Pattaya Marine Office says these resorts are cutting off the sea from the public, violating the Thai law that reserves beaches as state land and not…
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Fears police chief Thitisan won’t be held accountable for murder
Many, especially on social media, have expressed worries that Pol Col Thitisan “Jo Ferrari” Utthanaphon will escape harsh punishment or perhaps any punishment at all. With the hashtag #StopLyingJoe trending on Thai Twitter yesterday and the bizarre press conference allowing the now-fired police officer to speak to the public and defend his actions, many believe that after his surrender Thursday,…
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Court approves Thitisan custody extension, investigate further
As police in the Crime Suppression Division continue their investigation into Pol Col Thitisan “Jo Ferrari” Utthanaphon, the Nakhon Sawan court approved an extension to keep him in custody for 12 days. The Muang district police say they need time as they still have 10 witnesses to question. In Thai law, an indictment must be made as quickly as possible,…
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Field hospital raided after reports of Covid patients doing drugs, having group sex
Police raided a field hospital in central Thailand after reports that the Covid-19 patients were doing drugs and having orgies. A staff member at the field hospital in Samut Prakan, just southwest of Bangkok, told police the patients engaging in group sex and getting into fights where some patients were injured. Officers from the Internal Security Operations Command dressed in…
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4-day no-confidence debate for PM Prayut set for August 31
Dates have now been set for in-depth debate over the move to censure PM Prayut Chan-o-cha as opposition moves for a vote of no-confidence. The debates are now set to begin on August 31 and continue over the course of 4 days, ending September 3 and will then be followed by a vote on September 4. The decision came from…
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Thailand to be added to UK “red list” from Monday
Bad news for British sandboxers on Phuket or elsewhere, as well as anyone else planning to travel from Thailand to the UK: the country is being added to the UK’s red list. The British Department of Transport says that from Monday, Thailand joins Montenegro as the 2 new additions to the UK government’s red list. This means UK residents arriving…
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Government asks opposition not to invite public to vote to remove PM from office
A government spokesman has asked the opposition Pheu Thai party to drop its plan to invite the public to vote on the PM’s removal from office. Thai PBS World reports that the opposition party is planning to ask the public to cast their votes online during, or shortly after, a no confidence debate against PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and 5 of…
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‘Jo Ferrari’ – his arrest, press conference and investigation
Details have now emerged on the arrest of former policeman Thitisan Utthanaphon, aka “Chief Joe” or “Jo Ferrari”, the Nakhon Sawan police station superintendent accused with 6 other officers of torturing and suffocating a suspect in custody, allegedly in an attempt to extort 2 million baht. Despite previous reports originating in Thai media, the fleeing officer was not found just…
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YouTube pulled 1 million Covid-19 misinformation videos
More than 1 million harmful videos have been removed from YouTube since February 2020 for containing Covid-19 misinformation. The video-sharing platform that is one of the most visited websites in the world, second only to its parent company Google, announced on Wednesday the total after criticism that YouTube is a major source of Covid-19 disinformation. Politicians and government leaders have…
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