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TAT says government has relaxed tourist visa criteria for European nations
The Tourism Authority of Thailand says the government has relaxed tourist visa requirements for some countries considered, “medium-risk”, in an effort to kick-start international tourism. Thapanee Kiatphaibool says tourist visa holders can be admitted for up to 60 days, with the possibility of extending their stay to 90 days, adding that, as of November 5, 1,465 foreign nationals have been…
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PM won’t be drawn on rumour that protest leaders are seeking asylum in the US
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has refused to be drawn on speculation that 4 prominent protest leaders have applied for political asylum in the US. As rumours circulate that Panupong Jadnok, Parit Chiwarak, Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, and Chonthicha Jaengraew have all applied for asylum in the US, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Saravuth Petpanomporn, says officials are “looking into…
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PM dismisses conflict of interest concern as Cabinet reviews golf quarantine proposal
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has dismissed concerns over a possible conflict of interest surrounding the idea of using golf resorts as alternative local state quarantine facilities. It’s understood Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul owns a golf course in the north-eastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima. The PM says using approved golf resorts as ALSQ locations is, an “interesting idea”, but the…
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Protest leader calls on rally “guards” to refrain from violence
Prominent human rights lawyer and protest leader, Anon Nampa, is calling on guards at anti-government rallies to remain peaceful. He says that getting violent will only harm the movement and play into the hands of the government. According to a Bangkok Post report, Anon credits his next door neighbour in Chiang Mai for the advice. “Last night, while I drank…
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Thailand News Today | Thai official positive, Head-butt latest, protest letters | November 10
Thailand News Today for the second day of the week. Please subscribe to our YouTube channel, like and comment on the program. Diplomat in Thailand tests positive for Covid-19 after contact with Hungarian foreign minister A Hungarian diplomat who lives in Thailand has recently tested positive for Covid-19 in an apparent local transmission. The 53 year old diplomat had been…
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Sarasas school refuses to negotiate compensation for students allegedly abused by teachers
The Sarasas Witaed Ratchaphruek School – under fire for numerous alleged child abuse incidents – will not negotiate compensation with parents of students allegedly abused by their teachers at the Nonthaburi school. Parents were each seeking around 5 million baht for damages, adding up to 130 million baht altogether, according to the lawyer representing the parents and chairperson of the…
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Police investigate Bangkok shooting, find guns at suspect’s home
Police investigating a shooting outside a Bangkok massage parlour raided a suspect’s home and found guns, ammunition and drugs. The dispute late last month involved Thai internet idol and well known gambler Apriak “Sia Po” Chat-arnon. The investigation has been more extensively covered in Thai media. 2 people were injured in shooting and police arrested Sia Po on murder charges.…
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Family demands investigation after conscript found dead at army base
The family of a young conscript that was found dead, hanging in a military base bathroom, is demanding an investigation claiming the 22 year old army private was physically assaulted during his training and he had no motive to commit suicide. Pichawat Wiangnon was found hanged to death at Military Circle in northeastern province Roi Et. Officers at the base…
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Police checking contents of protest letter boxes to decide if charges will be filed
Police in Bangkok say they will be reading the contents of 4 red letter boxes used at a rally in the capital on Sunday in order to decide whether or not to press charges. Pro-democracy protesters used the letter boxes to drop hand-written petitions and letters calling for reform of the Monarchy. The letters were addressed to HM The King.…
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Man arrested after allegedly pulling a gun on a woman at the ATM
A man was arrested after he allegedly pulled a gun on a woman at an ATM outside a Chon Buri petrol station and demanded money. Police quickly arrived to the gas station on Sukhumvit Road and arrested 36 year old Tawat Jantawon who allegedly told police he had taken a small amount of crystal methamphetamine. Police searched the man and…
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Thai protester released on bail, tells his side of the story after head-butt incident in Pattaya
A follow up to yesterday’s sad incident with a Thai protester ending up head-butting a 52 year old Russian man who was watching a small protest on the Jomtien foreshore with his 10 year old daughter and Thai wife. The incident happened on Monday evening at the Dongtan Curve. The protester, Narathiwat “Ken” Khamma, was arrested and jailed for the…
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Officials urge public to stick with Covid safety measures, warning that quarantine is not a catch-all solution
The Ministry of Public Health has issued a warning that quarantine alone is not enough, as it calls on people to continue with Covid-19 safety measures such as hand washing, social distancing, and the wearing of face masks in public spaces. Top medic Sophon Iamsirithavorn says that, despite the government’s best efforts, those arriving from overseas may still slip through…
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Army chief dismisses rumours of impending coup – VIDEO
Thailand’s Army chief Narongpan Jitkaewthae has described the chances of a coup as, “less than zero”, insisting the current political unrest can only be solved by political means. Pro-democracy activists continue to put pressure on the government, repeating their demands for the resignation of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, a charter (constitution) re-write and reform of the role of the country’s revered…
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Bangkok’s Chinatown to get a new look
Bangkok’s Chinatown is getting a makeover. A noticeable change will be to the food carts lining the main strip, Yaowarat Road, which are usually packed tightly along the street. In the revitalisation plan starting early next year, the food carts will be “more ordered” and “harmonised,” according to deputy governor Sakoltee Phattiyakul. “After January, people will see a noticeable change…
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Another bleak milestone for the US as Covid cases top 10 million
As scientists around the world cautiously welcome the positive news about the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, data from worldometers.info reveals that Covid-19 cases in the US have now topped the 10 million case mark. The latest figures on Worldometers show that the US has now recorded 10,421,956 cases of the virus and 244,448 deaths, both counts being the highest in the world.…
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Phuket’s tourism high season hopes shattered in policy flip-flop
“The time has come that Thailand must gain confidence from international benchmarks.” Thailand’s leading resort island Phuket has come face-to-face with the reality that it’s tourism high-season will not see a marked reopening to overseas travellers. In the wake of the dismantling of the ‘Phuket Model’ and refocus by the government on using Bangkok as a single international gateway, there…
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Bangkok man arrested for selling e-cigarettes and vape liquid
Police raided a home in Bangkok, seizing 70 electronic cigarettes as well as refill liquid and other related products. While the products are legal in many countries, vape pens and e-cigarettes sales are illegal in Thailand. Police say the alleged dealer, 35 year old Chalitpon Saardrup, sold the e-cigarettes and vaping liquid through Facebook and used a private delivery service…
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Thailand News Today | Golf STVs, Russian head-butted, protest latest | Nov 9
Thailand News Today, stripped-back-version today. All the news you need to know about Thailand from The Thaiger. (Original story and link for Pattaya Russian assault story HERE) Protesters face water cannons as they deliver thousands of letters to HM the King Police turned the water cannons on thousands of protesters again as they tried to march to the Grand Palace…
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Less Thais visiting temples due to Covid-19, religious tourism at a loss
While Google searches for “prayers” spiked during the Covid-19 outbreak, people in Thailand are spending less time going to temples to pray. In a recent poll, less people are travelling to temples and making merit due to the pandemic, according to the Commerce Ministry’s Trade Policy and Strategy Office. The office recently did a poll and found that 44% of…
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Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha congratulates US President-elect Joe Biden
After the tight race for United States president, Thailand’s prime minister sent a message congratulating President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on their victory against incumbents President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. Reports say that Biden’s win could benefit Thailand. The Bangkok Post says trade tension between the US and China could ease up. The Thai…
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Bangkok nightclub has special booth to vet and upcharge foreigners
A Bangkok nightclub has set up what resembles an immigration counter outside the venue to check foreigners’ IDs and make them pay up before entering. At BarBarBar in Thong Lor, Thais get in free, but foreigners are asked to step aside to the booth and either pay 500 baht or buy a bottle of alcohol before entering the venue. Bouncers…
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2 dead, including 15 month old boy, in traffic accident in north-east Thailand
A man and a 15 month old boy have died, while an 11 year old child has been injured, in a collision between a 10-wheeler truck and a motorbike. The Bangkok Post reports that the collision happened last night, in the north-eastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima. The 55 year old truck driver, Thongpoon Buakkhunthod, says he was travelling on the…
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A further threat to PM’s leadership as court set to rule in military housing case
The leadership of Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha could be under threat, and not just from the tens of thousands of activists calling for his resignation. On December 2, the Constitutional Court will rule in a case that accuses the PM of abusing his power by occupying a military-owned residence, despite the fact that he retired from the army 6 years…
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Protesters use red letter boxes to receive petitions calling for reform of the Thai Monarchy
With police blocking their attempts to reach the Palace’s Household Bureau in Bangkok last night, anti-government protesters dropped their petitions and hand-written letters, calling for reform of the Thai Monarchy, into 4 ‘letter boxes’ instead. After the activists had brought the plastic red letter boxes with them, and, with police preventing them from marching to the Grand Palace, used them…
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5 injured after engine explodes on Phang Nga speedboat
5 people have been injured, 3 seriously, after a moored speedboat caught fire in Phang Nga province yesterday. The incident happened around 8.30am. The boat was tied up to the Thap Lamu boat pier, where most Similan Island-bound private tour boats depart from and return to. The injured were all crew from the boat. According to witnesses, the captain started…
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Government pledges help for Phuket tourism industry
As Phuket’s tourism industry continues to fight for survival amid ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, the PM is ordering an advisory team to finish work on recovery proposals received from the private sector and submit them to the government’s Covid-19 task force for approval. Danucha Pichayanan, from the National Economic and Social Development Council, says this is expected to happen shortly, as…
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Men arrested for allegedly stealing 15 big bikes
After a number of bike bikes went missing in Samut Sakhon’s Krathum Baen district, just southwest of Bangkok, police arrested 2 people for allegedly stealing the bikes and selling them to buyers at the Thai-Myanmar border. Police first arrested a man Thai media reports as Nattapol back in September. Police say Nattapol admitted to the charges and tipped police off…
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Protesters face water cannons as they deliver thousands of letters to HM the King – VIDEO
Police turned the water cannons on thousands of protesters again as they marched to the Grand Palace to symbolically deliver hand-written letters to the Thai King. Thai media reports the crowd numbers were up to 10,000 – 12,000. Police say the crowd was around 7,000. The protesters were again demanding the resignation of the Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, a new…
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52 year old Russian head-butted by Thai protest leader in Pattaya
A small protest gathering in Pattaya’s Jomtien Beach last night turned ugly when one of the protest leaders targeted and assaulted a 52 year old Russian expat who was watching on with his 10 year old daughter and Thai wife. The tall Thai man in the floral shirt, named as Narathiwat “Kane” Khamma, became agitated and started yelling obscenities at…
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3 protesters injured as police turn on the water cannons again at last night’s protest
For a second time Thai police have turned their high pressure water cannons on protesters. This evening police aimed the water cannon at the anti-government protesters in an effort to stop them from continuing their march to the Royal Household Bureau at the Grand Palace. 3 protesters were injured in the exchange and were taken to hospital in an ambulance.…
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