Hot News
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Sponsored Top 10 reasons for expats to get a comprehensive health insurance in Thailand
Moving to Thailand offers a prospect full of excitement and adventure, but in the same vein, if any injuries were to occur (and god forbid it does), the local healthcare system can be confusing at first glance for many expats...
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Thai state railway board members resign, effective immediately
Two days ago the story about the transport Minister pressuring board members of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT). Two days later, not some but ALL, board members of the SRT, including the board’s chairman Kulit Sombatsiri, tendered their resignations to Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob. Effective immediately. The Nation reports that Kulit denied reports that the mass resignation was due…
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Thomas Cook customers may have to wait 2 month for refunds
PHOTO: Rick Findler/PA Wire Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority says that refunds of bookings by failed travel giant Thomas Cook’s customers could take longer than expected. At this stage the regulator says they don’t have all information needed from the collapsed travel firm. The British Civil Aviation Authority says it was launching a new, online payment system next week for bookings…
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Stop growing marijuana without our permission, warns Thai narcotics board
PHOTO: Rick Proctor/Unsplash.com The Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) in Thailand is warning the public that cannabis plants cannot be grown at home without official permission, adding that the law is clear the plants can only be grown for medical use and research purposes. It’s understood that since use of the drug for medicinal purposes was legalised earlier…
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Solving Thailand’s smoke haze problems. “Use shorter or smaller joss-sticks.”
Just checking that it’s actually October 1, not April 1… Thailand’s deputy public health minister has, without a hint of irony, suggested a way to alleviate the haze blanketing parts of Thailand, including swathes of the South and Bangkok. Use shorter or smaller joss-sticks during the current Vegetarian Festival. Dr Satit Pitutacha has made the directive and was explained to…
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Thailand’s indigenous people being marginalised, warn human rights groups
PHOTO: Pinterest A report by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, shared by ThaiVisa, says that human rights groups are warning that Thailand’s indigenous people risk losing more of their land and being further marginalised by a tourism industry that continues to ignore their plight. Emilie Pradichit, Director of the Manushya Foundation, says the increased demand for hotel accommodation means authorities are…
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Economic ministers to meet next Monday for economic and tourism ‘Council of War’
The council of economic ministers will meet next Monday, on October 7 in Bangkok, to discuss the current economic and tourism situation. Kobsak Pootrakool, the deputy secretary-general to the PM for political affairs, says the meeting will confront obstacles facing the country’s tourism industry. “The ministers will also discuss the country’s export situation”. The Nation reports that the Commerce Ministry…
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Thai PM orders anti-pollution measures for smoggy Bangkok
PHOTO: Narong Sangnak/EPA-EFE The Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is ordering Bangkok authorities to immediately activate prepared measures to mitigate the city’s haze and air pollution which has returned to Bangkok and its suburbs over the weekend and today. Expressing concern about the haze the PM pleaded with construction site operators and industries in Bangkok and neighbouring provinces to reduce their…
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‘Krabi Premium’ launched by the Tourism Authority of Thailand
PHOTO: Sunset Cruise at Nam Mao Bay, Krabi – TAT The Tourism Authority of Thailand Krabi Office is launching its ‘Krabi Premium’ marketing concept aimed at delivering ‘the best of the best’ of the southern Thai province. The TAT says it will offer “meaningful experiences to tourists” to hopefully stimulate spending and generate additional revenue for local communities in the…
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Transport Minister pressures State Railway board to resign
PHOTO: The Nation Board members of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) are expected to tender their resignations to Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob ‘soon’, according to sources to The Nation. There has been speculation for some time that the members have been under pressure to resign, as the minister reportedly wants to reconstitute the board. Among many other issues, the…
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Dangerous air quality returns to Bangkok – Readings up to ‘233’ today
PHOTO: aqicn.org Unseasonal, poor air quality has descended on Bangkok and surrounding suburbs threatening people’s health. The problem, which filled the headlines at the end of last year, has returned to parts of the capital over the weekend. Readings up to 233 have been recorded this morning, well in excess of the 50 micrograms per cubic metre safety level. That…
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Thanathorn says Future Forward by-election win in Nakhon Pathom will start a domino effect
PHOTO: Facebook/Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit says that, if the opposition bloc wins the by-election in Nakhon Pathom on October 23, it will be the first domino to fall and set the stage for a change of government. Nakhon Pathom is directly north-west of Bangkok. The Future Forward party is fielding Pairatchote Chantharakachorn to contest the by-election, while other opposition parties,…
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Suvarnabhumi villagers still chasing compensation from government after 13 years
PHOTO: Khaosod Villagers living next to Suvarnabhumi Airport have filed a complaint about the noise from the planes. The villagers say they have been suffering from the airport noise for years since the construction of Suvarnabhumi (it opened in September 2006). Leader of the Dinui Yiddee Muslim Community, Saenee Kamsawat, says they are in the process of filing an official…
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Renting a motorbike in Thailand? Have a valid license.
Transport minister Saksayam Chidchob says he’s intent on tackling Thailand’s shameful road toll. Recognising that motorcycles are the main culprit (75% of road deaths in Thailand involve motorcycles and motorbikes), he’s proposing some new laws, at least for tourists at this stage. Up until now tourists have been easily able to rent a motorcycle by just showing a passport, according…
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Chiang Mai karaoke lounges raided over underage hostesses
PHOTO: Thailand Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Four hostesses under the age of 18 have been discovered working at two karaoke lounges in the San Kamphaeng area of Chiang Mai, east of the main city. Thailand’s ‘Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force’ worked with local immigration and police after a complaint was received. Na Kaew reports that the investigators followed…
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Bangkok bus union is opposing plan for private sector operation
PHOTO: Daily News The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority labour union is voicing its strong objection to the Transport Minister over his plans to contract private companies to operate the city’s bus services, and the shelving plans to procure a fleet of 3,000 new buses. Thai PBS reports that the union president, Veerapong Wongwaen, says that the union will submit a…
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Thanathorn dares Prawit to have a face-to-face meeting over NY protests
Future Forward party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit is daring Deputy PM and luxury watch enthusiast Prawit Wongsuwan to summon him for questioning, whether the party might be linked to anti-government protests in New York last week. The protesters, waving placards like “Stop the human rights abuses” and “We want fair elections”, was held out side Pm Chan-o-cha’s hotel in New York…
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OPINION: Phuket’s Vegetarian Festival is now for the tourists, not the locals
OPINION: Pruth Kulprasit Phuket’s vegetarian Festival is an annual event steeped in ancient Chinese mysticism and fused with local island traditions and Buddhism. It’s a cacophony of noise, spiritualism, body piercing and rather bland vegetarian food. For the tourist or expat that witnesses the parades, fire-walking and ceremonies for the first time it’s a shock to the senses.For local Thai-Chinese,…
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Phuket Vegetarian Festival events 2019 – schedule and history
The annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival, aka. ‘Nine Emperor Gods Festival’, always runs during the ninth lunar month. For expats and tourist ‘newbies’ the Vegetarian Festival is a lot to do with parades, firecrackers, bizarre ceremonies and spiritual mystiques piecing themselves, and little to do with vegetarian food. Whilst we’ve tried to provide a program here, any time schedule at individual…
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Thai PM says Indonesian government promises to control air pollution from forest fires
PHOTO: AFP Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says he’s received assurances from a representative of the Indonesian government that it will do more about the devastating air pollution arising from forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan. The Nation reports that although the PM would not reveal the name of the representative, he did say it was a government vice-president and Indonesia…
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Thai ringleader of scam Nigerian call centre busted in central Thailand
PHOTO: Chiang Rai Times A 34 year old Thai woman who has allegedly conned people out of up to 20 million baht, has been arrested in Nonthaburi province, central Thailand. The Chiang Rai Times reports that Wasuthorn Mingkhwan was apprehended for her role as ringleader of a scam call centre. The centre is believed to have been in operation since…
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Phuket encroacher is handed down 10 year sentence
PHOTO: Nai Yang Beach, just part of the coastal land along Phuket’s north-west coastline The Department of Special Investigation have successfully prosecuted an encroachment case involving land on Phuket’s north-west coast. The Criminal Court handed down a 10 year sentence to Anek Lipracha, a prime suspect in a case involving encroachment of 93 rai of coastal land in Sirinat Marine National…
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Chinese tourists surge during Phuket’s vegetarian festival
… and it’s not much about vegetarian food. It’s on again, one of the most bizarre festivals on the world’s calendar of WTF events. The Phuket Tourist Association says that the Phuket Vegetarian Festival that runs until October 7, is expected to bring in around 2 billion baht in your revenue. They say that, despite the high value of the…
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Prostitutes in Pattaya, police locate seven foreigners selling illegal services
MONTAGE: Naew Na Immigration officials have done the impossible – they’ve found something police and immigration have often claimed in the past ‘does not exist’. Prostitution in Pattaya. Seven foreigners – shock, horror – were arrested on Tuesday night this week prostituting themselves to locals and tourists in the town’s tourist hotspots. Naew Na reports that “this illegal activity was damaging…
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Thais clamour for the “Chim, Shop, Chai” 1000 baht give-away program
PHOTO: buriramguru.com The “Chim, Shop, Chai” (Eat, Shop, Spend) program has been a resounding success, and it’s still got a another five days or so to go. Thai citizens can apply for the 1000 baht ‘gift’ from the government and spend the money at selected shops anywhere outside their home province. The government only accepts one million applications each day so,…
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12 month “Medical Visa” proposed among updates to Thai visa offerings
A new visa category is being proposed that could allow people to stay in the Kingdom for up to a year for medical treatments. The so-called “Medical Visa” (Non-MT) would visitors to stay for 12 months. The Thai deputy PM and health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, and the tourism and sports minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn announced yesterday that countries that will benefit are wealthy…
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24 Thai provinces under observation in African swine flu alert
PHOTO: AFP Sorawit Thaneto, Director General of Thailand’s Livestock Department, says 23 provinces are now being checked for African Swine Fever, as the epidemic takes hold in Asia. There is no vaccine or cure for African Swine Fever and although it’s not thought to pose a risk to humans, it can inflict huge financial damage on the farming industry. It’s…
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PM says Thailand plans to be a high income country within 17 years
PHOTO: AFP The PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha has high ambitions for Thailand within the next 17 years, saying the government aims to see it become a high income country. The PM made the claim while attending a lunch meeting with the Asia Society for Executives and foreign media in New York. He says the government has spent the last five…
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Three Thai high-speed train projects shelved
“As the high-speed train system in Laos is nearing completion, he said that Thailand must speed up its construction of the Bangkok-Nong Khai project.” Three high-speed train projects are being shelved by the Thai government due to lack of interest from co-investors. Sources at the Transport Ministry have told Thai PBS World that none of the three projects were included…
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Chinese company rewards 10,000 employees with trip to Pattaya
PHOTO: www.77kaoded.com Chinese firm Aurance has celebrated its 10th anniversary by taking its employees on a trip to Pattaya – all 10,000 of them. And apparently, it’s not the first time they’ve rewarded their staff so generously. Sontaya Khunpluem, mayor of Pattaya welcomed the visitors to a cultural show at Nong Nuch gardens, followed by a bit of Muay Thai…
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Blue skies, nothing but blue skies, in southern Thailand
PHOTOS: Matichon Online Breath easy southerners. Residents and tourists in at least seven southern Thai provinces have been greeted with clear blue sky and fresh air, well, certainly a vast improvement anyway although there is still some slight lingering smog. For the first time in two weeks Matichon Online reports that much of the Indonesian smoke from plantation burn-offs has cleared,…
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