Thailand News Today – First episode of a new daily TV program

Thai exports figures rise in January

Whilst there’s been plenty of economic challenges around for Thailand, including the high Thai baht and a levelling out of tourist arrivals, exports for January 2020 unexpectedly rose according to ministry figures.

It’s the first rise in six months, and an increase of 3.35% from the exports 12 months earlier.

Reuters had earlier forecast a fall of 3% in shipments for the first month for the year, against December’s drop of 1.28%. January’s export figures have not been affected by the outbreak of a coronavirus.

17 kids rescued in Phuket human-trafficking raids

Thai police have taken 17 children into protective custody after a series of coordinated raids in tPhuket’s Patong district. Police say the children were being exploited by a human trafficking gang, who beat them with a wire clothes hanger if they didn’t bring home at least 3,000 baht each they’d earned from begging and selling flowers.

A 33 year old Cambodian and 22 year old Thai were arrested during the raids. All 17 children were Cambodian and were taken to a Phuket Shelter for Children.

2 dead, 18 injured in Nakhon Si Thammarat bus crash

Two people have been killed and 18 more inured in a bus crash yesterday in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Police say the bus overturned after sliding backward while ascending a steep hill in Khanom district, killing two passengers and injuring 18 others. The incident occurred at about 11:30am while the bus was transporting tourists back to Songkhla province after a trip to Surat Thani.

3 year old drowns at Blue Tree water park, Phuket

A 3 year old boy drowned yesterday afternoon at the Blue Tree water park in Cherngtalay, Phuket.

The incident at the newly-opened water park was reported about 6.30pm.

The father is a British national, the mother Thai. They told police they were at the water park with their two sons – aged 7 and 3. The 3 year old fell into the landing pool, was recovered soon after, but lifeguards and volunteer rescuers were unable to revive the child.

Thai soldiers kill 5 suspected insurgents in the South

Thai security authorities have confirmed that five suspected southern insurgents have been shot and killed by soldiers on a mountain side in Narathiwat.

The incident happened yesterday in the southern province bordering Malaysia. Military sources say that the security forces were pursuing the insurgents after being spotted near a checkpoint set up by para-military rangers in Village 8.

Security forces also seized five M16 assault rifles, a HK rifle and some supplies from the location on Tawae Mountain.

Mother and daughter arrested over 7 million baht fortune-telling scam

These two fortune tellers weren’t clever enough to predict their own arrest

A Thai fortune teller and her daughter were arrested after charging a customer more than 7 million baht for predictions and forecasts about her life.

48 year old Samorn and her daughter 19 year old Sukanya were arrested in Roi Et north-eastern Thailand.

Samorn aka. “Auntie Doctor” rented a space at a Roi Et market in 2018 where she met her victim Sukjai, promising her that she could rid her of bad luck. The rituals ended up costing her 7 million Thai baht.