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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No deaths in the first day of Songkran ‘seven days of danger’ in Phuket
PHOTO: Newshawk Phuket As reports are tallied for the first full day (April 11) of the ‘Seven Days of Danger’ Songkran road and marine safety campaign, no deaths were reported but five people were injured on the island. According to statistics issued by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Phuket the island saw 4 road accidents on Day One…
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Thailand swelters under the Songkran sun
Temperatures are soaring around the country, right on time, as the Songkran holiday kicks in. People are heading home for the annual Thai New Year break whilst the tourists are flooding into the main hot spots for the water fights. The annual celebration is meant to provide a ritual washing of Buddha images, ‘gentle’ splashing of family and friends and…
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Dutch tourist becomes first fatality of ‘Seven Dangerous Days’
A Dutch tourist is the first official Songkran fatality when his car hit the rear of a trailer truck in Kanchanaburi, in Thailand’s far west, early today. Officials say Roi Fanh Veeland (not official spelling) was the first casualty of Kanchanaburi’s “Seven Dangerous Days” Songkran road reporting period. Police say the accident happened at an intersection on the Tha Muang-Kanchanaburi…
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Will music history repeat itself this Saturday? The Beatles vs BTS
Beatles, BTS, Boy with Luv, Persona, Saturday Night Live February 19, 1964 was a big day in music history. The most popular show in the US at the time, and musically extremely influential, was the Ed Sullivan Show. What now seems to be a rather stiff, old-fashioned variety show was, at the time, a maker and breaker for new music…
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US Embassy responds to Don’s rebuke over Thanathorn case
PHOTO: The Nation The Thai Foreign Minister yesterday formerly summoned foreign diplomats yesterday afternoon, one by one, in a diplomatic dressing down about their appearance at a police station last Saturday morning. The official ministry memo objected to the presence of envoys at the Pathumwan Police Station on Saturday when the Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit reported in to…
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Three people reported dead, others injured, 100s flee blaze at Central World Hotel Bangkok
PHOTO: Orchidmo A big fire has broken out on Ratchadamri Road, Pathumwan in the busy Sukhumvit shopping zone in Bangkok. Videos and photos posted online show the blaze and thick smoke spreading from the Centara Grand Hotel, located next to the CentralWorld shopping mall. The Bangkok governor has reported that the death toll of the blaze is three people. One…
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Deputy police chief denies foreign diplomats present at Thanathorn interrogation
The deputy national police commissioner is denying that a group of foreign diplomats were present at a questioning session when the Future Forward party leader reported to Bangkok police on Saturday morning over sedition charges. Pol General Srivara Rangsibhramanakul said the diplomats were invited to a briefing after the interrogation of Thanathorn Jungrungruengkit at Pathum Wan police station. The Future…
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Phuket’s water supply scraping the bottom of the three dams
The temperature hit 34 degrees today, light winds and 10% chance of rain for the rest of today (code for a slight chance of a tropical storm cell dropping its load on some small part of the island). And there’s little rain in sight until maybe Sunday. Meanwhile the remaining supply in Phuket’s three main catchments continues to evaporate today.…
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Situation critical for Phuket’s water supply
Phuket has an acute water shortage. But there has been no warnings or even suggestions of restrictions from the Phuket Water Authority. Instead residents are heading to the local media to vent their frustration. On February 6 the PWA foreshadowed odd/even day water restrictions for some residential areas of the island, only to rescind the action the next day saying…
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400,000 take to the skies during Songkran
The Airports Department expects over 400,000 passengers to pass through the nation’s 25 airports during the Songkran holiday break. Ampawan Wannako, the director-general of the Airports Department, says passenger projections for the holidays was 404,778 for the period from April 11 (tomorrow) to April 17, or an average of 57,224 passengers per day. This projection is up on last year’s…
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Foreign Minister angry at foreign diplomats who attended Thanathorn’s reporting to police
Thailand’s Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai vented his anger today at foreign diplomats who attended the reporting of Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit to police on Saturday morning in Bangkok. The diplomats were from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and the US, as well as EU and UN human rights officials. Don says he’s considering inviting the diplomats in for…
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Hunters injured in Chiang Mai national park shoot-out
Two ethnic Lahu hunters have been injured in a clash with Sri Lanna National Park officials in Chiang Mai over the weekend. The Lahu are one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognised by the People’s Republic of China, where about 720,000 live in Yunnan province, mostly in Lancang Lahu Autonomous County. In Thailand, the Lahu are one of the…
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Surachate has nothing to say to media in his first public appearance
Former Immigration Bureau chief Surachate Hakparn, and confidant of Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan, said nothing yesterday about his abrupt transfer to an inactive post at the RTP HQ in Bangkok. In his first public appearance following the transfer order from the national police chief Pol General Chakthip Chaijinda back to ‘inactive duties”, Surachate reported to work at the Royal Thai Police…
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Skinny ‘Real-life Dumbo’ filmed at Phuket Zoo performing tricks for tourists
PHOTOS: Moving Animals The Phuket Zoo has again been exposed as a below-standard attraction where the inmates appear to be often mistreated, defying modern international standards and conventions for zoos. A skinny looking baby elephant has been filmed as it was forced to dance and perform tricks for tourists in, what the Mail Online describes as, “heart-breaking footage”. It’s not…
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Water trucks asked not to cross Patong Hill on Songkran day
PHOTOS: Patong Municipality Water truck operators will be asked to stop delivering water by crossing the notorious Patong Hill on April 13 (Songkran Day). The announcement was issued by Patong Traffic Police Chief Lt Col Lert Pokhwang. The statement says, “April 13 will be Songkran Day. There will be many road users on that day which heightens the risk of…
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“Thailand Travel Shield” insurance scheme to continue – TAT
The TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) says that the Thailand Travel Shield insurance project will continue. The service provides online travel insurance for foreign tourists. Reported in Phuketify, TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn, says that the TAT had initiated the creation of the Thailand Travel Shield project as a local insurance scheme alternative back in July 2014. “This year marks the fifth…
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Surachate Hakparn “transferred”? No joke.
Various media are reporting that immigration chief and “Batman” of the Thai police Lt -Gen Surachate Hakparn has been transferred to RTP headquarters. Sanook reports there are no official written confirmation of the news under their headline “Lightning Transfer”. Thai media report say he had been transferred “until further notice”, according to Sanook. Surachate’s Facebook page and the Thai Immigration Facebook…
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Thanathorn urged to ‘fight on’ as he surrenders to Bangkok police
Hundreds of supporters gathered around the Pathumwan police station this morning as Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit handed himself in to police to face sedition charges. Barriers were placed around the police station and 620 policemen were deployed to control the crowd. When Thanathorn arrived at 10am he used a megaphone to thank his supporters who had been waiting…
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No foam parties for Songkran
by Suriya Patathayo, Jessada Chantharak Songkran foam parties are being banned this year in the interest of public safety. The announcement today from the national police deputy commissioner Pol General Chalermkiat Srivorakan.Chalermkiat says there had been several deaths and injuries by electrocution at foam parties during previous Songkran festivals. Police have also been instructed to provide security at Songkran celebration…
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Phuket’s Songkran ‘seven days of danger’ safety campaign is on again
Phuket officials are preparing for the annual ‘Seven Days of Danger’ Songkran safety campaign that will this year runs from April 11 to April 17. The official Songkran day (Thai New Year) is on April 13. Phuket Governor Phakkapong Tavipattana says, “Road safety is being emphasised for drivers who are over speed limit, ghost riders, running through a red light,…
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“We have sufficient evidence against Thanathorn” – Police
Deputy national police chief says that police likely have sufficient evidence to support the sedition charge filed against Future Forward’s Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit. Future Forward eclipsed even their own projections with a surprising performance on the Mach 24 election, coming in a close third behind the heavyweights Pheu Thai and Palang Pracharat, at the expense of the Democrats. Thai PBS reports…
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Recounts and new elections ordered in eight polling stations
PHOTOS: The Nation The Election Commission has decided that two polling stations should recount their ballots while six others should re-hold the election due to discrepancies in the number of ballots in those booths. The two polling stations that have been ordered to re-count the ballots were in Nam Pong District in Khon Kaen province. The poll results they provided…
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Four kilograms of marijuana found in delivery pickup in Nakhon Si Thammarat
PHOTOS: Infantry Division 5 A parcel delivery driver has been found with four kilograms of marijuana in his Kerry Express pickup truck in Nakhon Si Thammarat. The Infantry Division 5 reports that while soldiers from the Infantry Division 5 were on their duty at a normal checkpoint in Chulabhon District, they stopped a pickup truck doing parcel deliveries. They found…
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Former EC Commissioner says ‘Give seats to smaller parties’
A former Constitution Drafting Commission member, Praphan Naikovit, once a member of the Election Commission, met with election commissioners yesterday to discuss the formula that should be used to determine the number of MPs following an extensive debate on the interpretation of laws and formula. He says there is just one formula to calculate the number of party-list MPs in…
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Army chief steps into the political fray again
PHOTO: Army chief General Apirat Kongsompong against a snappy hot pink backdrop by Supalak Ganjanakhundee Army chief General Apirat Kongsompong’s provocative comments against foreign-educated politicians with ‘leftist leanings’ and activists is a threat to democracy, and could lead to social unrest, violence and even collapse of the regime… warnings from prominent Thai scholars and rights defenders yesterday. The comments follow…
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Is Thanathorn the new Thaksin? Will the ‘establishment’ tolerate his new political vision?
Is Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit a popular fad or does he, and his party, have the staying power to make him a sustainable threat to the entrenched Thai political elite? Many analysts are comparing Thanathorn to Thaksin in his early days. They say there are clear similarities. First off, Thanathorn is facing the kind of legal trouble that…
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Election Commission admits they haven’t decided on the formula to determine lower house
by Kas Chanwanpen In a stunning admission yesterday, the Election Commission admitted they didn’t know the exact formula to work out the final make up of the lower house seats. The Election Commission secretary-general Jarungvith Phumma says that he expected the agency to make a decision this week on their interpretation of the new Charter that sets out, broadly, how…
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Pattaya hit by sudden topical deluge
PHOTOS: Pattaya One Pattaya was inundated with two hours of unseasonal and sudden rain yesterday late morning-early afternoon, the result of a random ‘summer storm’ system that dumped heavy, localised rain on the seaside resort. The rains started at about 11am and continued for two hours, leaving many roads under water and impassable. The roadside drains struggled to get rid…
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Alarmingly high PM2.5 levels found in Chiang Mai, INSIDE a safety zone building
A Chiang Mai air-pollution safe zone proved to be not that ‘safe’ according to a medical lecturer. The level of PM2.5 very fine particles was found to be very high INSIDE the designated area. But the problem was soon resolved later in the day. Dr Rungsrit Kanjanavanit, a lecturer in medicine at Chiang Mai University, posted a picture of him…
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Activist’s car torched – Election Commission impeachment petition damaged
PHOTO: Thai PBS A car belonging to one of the activists campaigning for impeachment of the Election Commissioners at a rally in Rajaprasong intersection, Bangkok on Sunday, has had his car torched this morning, the second time in a week. Aekkachai Hongkangwan claims in a Facebook post today that his car was burnt beyond repair and some of his documents,…
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