Chiang Mai

Chiang Rai: Rescuers prepare to bring out the final five

Published

9 months ago

July 10, 2018

The Thaiger

PHOTO: VOA

Following last evening’s successful rescue of a further four members of the Mu Pa football team, bringing the total number safely out at 8, Thai and international divers are preparing to rescue at least another four today.

Mission control spokesperson Narongsak Osotthanakorn described the rescue operation, so far, as a success. Last night the first of the four emerged from the mouth of the Tham Luang cave around 5pm. Three others followed over the next three hours. Monday’s extraction of four footballers took two hours less than than Sunday – 9 hours in total, compared to 11 on Sunday.

“Some of them should start emerging from the flooded cave before tonight.”

Thai PBS reports that he says that the high-risk rescue operation today should be wrapped up faster than the previous two days.

The rescued young footballers haven’t been officially identified but were in a “good state of health,” according to Narongsak Osotthanakorn. They have all been brought to the Chiang Rai hospital where they are being observed for possible infections and kept in isolation before they can re-unite with their families.

He said that today’s rescues, if everything goes to plan, will be a repeat of the mission of the past two days. When asked about whether they would try and retrieve all five remaining team members today he didn’t answer.

We are waiting for a media briefing outside the Chiang Rai hospital where all eight evacuees have been recovering.

Bangkok

Summer storms on the way for north, north-east

Published

16 hours ago

March 23, 2019

The Thaiger & The Nation

Summer storms on the way for north, north-east | The Thaiger

FILE PHOTO

People living in the north of Thailand are being warned to brace themselves for some summer thunderstorms until Wednesday. The Meteorological Department issued an alert today saying the storms will be caused by a high-pressure system from China that will interact with the hot weather over upper Thailand.

Outbreaks of summer thunderstorms will be likely from today to March 27. Thundershowers, gusty winds and hail are possible first in the Northeast and the East then the Central, and the North region.

Are you affected?

March 23-24

North: Kamphaengphet, Phitsanulok, Phichit and Phetchabun.

Northeast: Nong Bua Lamphu, Sakon Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom, Udon Thani, Buri Ram, Surin, Si Sa Ket and Ubon Ratchathani.

Central: Nakhon Sawan, Chai Nat, Lop Buri and Saraburi.East: Nakhon Nayok, Prachin Buri, Sa Kaeo and Chachoengsao.

March 25-27

North: Kamphaengphet, Phitsanulok, Phichit and Phetchabun.

Northeast: Nong Bua Lamphu, Udon Thani, Khon Kaen, Loei, Chaiyaphum, Nakhon Ratchasima, Buri Ram, Surin, Si Sa Ket and Ubon Ratchathani.

Central: Uthai Thani, Nakhon Sawan, Chai Nat, Lop Buri, Saraburi and Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya including Bangkok and its vicinity.

East: Nakhon Nayok, Prachin Buri, Sa Kaeo and Chachoengsoa.

SOURCE: The Nation

Air Pollution

Hazardous: Chiang Mai again leads the world in air pollution

Published

17 hours ago

March 23, 2019

The Thaiger & The Nation

Hazardous: Chiang Mai again leads the world in air pollution | The Thaiger

Chiang Mai is back on top of the world’s list of most air-polluted cities, according to the AirVisual.com website.

AirVisual reports at 1.45pm that the air quality index (AQI) of Chiang Mai on Saturday stands at 471 (##!!??!!) , much higher than the 100 AQI safety standard (the WHO lists the safety limit as 50 on the AQI scale). It’s been about 350 all day today.

In its six scale listings Chiang Mai is now listed at the bottom as ‘Hazardous’, the scale doesn’t go any lower.

The northern capital has been covered with white, mostly bushfire smoke and smog, for almost two weeks prompting Chiang Mai residents to wear N95 air-filter marks outdoors. Or stay indoors.

The Chiang Mai University, the Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna and Chiang Mai provincial administration confirmed that the air quality in the city remained critical.

Chiang Mai

American drug suspect impersonated ‘Mr Thomas’ for 25 years, arrested in Chiang Mai

Published

2 days ago

March 22, 2019

The Thaiger

PHOTOS: Surachate Hakparn, Immigration Bureau

A 67 year old American man, wanted as a drug suspect, has been arrested in Chiang Mai this week. He had been living under the identity of another person with whom he shared a similar face, for more than 25 years.

The Thai Immigration Bureau reports that they have arrested a 67 year old American man Bruce McIntire. He is a drug suspect who has been on the run for 25 years and using the identity of another man. He has been living in Thailand for six years.

Officers were notified by the American Embassy that a man named ‘Mr Thomas’ who shared similar facial features with Mcintire, submitted an application for a new passport. Officers found that his name already existed in another passport.

Mcintire has now admitted that he used fake documents to get a dodgy passport through a Nigerian passport forgery gang. He then used his fake passport in the name of ‘Mr Thomas’ to apply for a passport renewal.