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Sponsored See the best of Northern Thailand this winter on a budget
The Thaiger key takeaways Peak season brings higher prices, but smart planning and local know-how can help you experience Northern Thailand affordably. Chiang Mai, Pai, and Chiang Rai offer plenty of free or low-cost attractions, from temples and canyons to...
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Environment Ministry wants to increase dugong populations by 50% over a decade
“Dr. Thon Thamrongnawasawat says that trash in the seas was the main cause of the death of many endangered marine species.” Pinsak Suraswadi, deputy director-general of the Marine and Coastal Resources Department, says the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment wants to increase the population of dugong in Thailand’s waters by 50% in the next ten years. The effort will…
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Thailand’s Koh Chang by numbers, another island on the rise
by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com Despite being one of the country’s biggest islands in the Gulf of Thailand, Koh Chang has remained somewhat off the mass tourism development footprint. C9 Hotelworks has taken a look into what makes the island tick in their newly released Koh Chang Tourism Market Review. Koh Chang is off the coast of Trat in far…
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‘One Night In Bangkok’. The song, 35 years later
PHOTO: Doi Kuro, Bangkok 1980 When ‘One Night In Bangkok’ was released in 1984 it was an unlikely hit- the opening song from a (at the time) little-known stage pop-opera called ‘Chess’. The song made Number 1 in South Africa, West Germany, Switzerland and Australia, and Number 3 in Canada and the United States. It has remained a staple of…
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Thai Immigration bristles about TM30 revolt as it copes with PR disaster
The TM30 form, as well as the associated TM28 form, have now become a huge public relations liability for the Thai Immigration Department. The more questions asked, and the more explanations by well-intentioned Immigration officials, the more confusing the whole matter becomes. If the policy is intended to make Thailand safer and make foreigners feel more secure, the opposite is…
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Palang Pracharath MP chastises Karon Police for not offering protection during condo visit
VIDEO & SCREENGRAB: M Today The Palang Pracharath member of parliament from Bangkok, Sira Jenjaka, had an argument with Lt Col Pratuang Polmana, Deputy Superintendent of Karon Police during his inspection to the controversial Peak Condominium in the Karon area of Phuket. MP Sira was surveying the construction site of the project and the sales office, which also serves as…
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Minister orders investigation into head-on collision in Sa Kaew killing 11
PHOTO: Thai PBS World Following a collision between an articulated truck and a passenger van killing 11 people and injured 4 yesterday morning, the Transport Minister is calling for an investigation. The accident happened in Sa Kaew province, about 200 kilometres east of Bangkok. Thai PBS reports that the van driver was among those killed, crushed to death behind the…
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Thai foreign minister criticises visa waiver proposal
The Foreign Ministry opposes the Tourism and Sports Ministry’s proposal to waive visas for Indian and Chinese tourists, calling it a “risk to national security”. The proposal was put forward at a meeting last Friday, as part of a series of measures to boost the economy through an injection of over 300 billion baht in tourism. It would permit Chinese and…
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Koh Samui looks to promotions to bolster dwindling foreign tourist numbers
The president of the Tourism Association of Koh Samui says that foreigner numbers visiting the Gulf island have crashed in the first half of 2019. He says they’re trying to swing their focus to Thai travellers and other promotions to make up the difference. Foreign visitors to Koh Samui in the past have been mostly from Germany, China, Eastern Europe,…
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UPDATE: 9 Chinese arrested over 5 billion baht fraud case
On Saturday The Thaiger reported that nine Chinese nationals had been taken into custody after travelling to Thailand in order to avoid prosecution for crimes in China. They were wanted by Chinese authorities for alleged crimes in China. Read that report HERE. We now have some further details… Out of the 9, 5 were male and 4 were female. They…
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How to be charged 2,600 baht for having a flat battery in the Jungceylon car park
A rant… Started off with trying to exit the Jungceylon carpark in Patong, Phuket, late on a Sunday night. After watching a film in their tawdry cinemas, I was assured by ticket sales staff that I should present my ticket stub with the car park card for free exit. Getting to the exit gate and I was told I had…
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25 year old dugong washes ashore in Krabi
PHOTO: Sitthichai Sikhawat A 240 kilogram, 2.6 metre long adult male dugong has been found dead after being washed up on Rai Lay Bay in Krabi yesterday afternoon. The announcement was made by Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park head Worapot Limlom. The dugong, thought to be around 25 years old, was swept ashore at Ton Sai Beach…
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PM calls for Thai Army’s support on drought, security and tourist safety
The Thai PM has chaired the first Defence Assembly session in his role of Minister of Defence, urging the armed forces to support the government’s work in realising policies such as cybersecurity enhancement, drought mitigation, and tourist safety. In the first Defence Assembly session, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha urged leaders of the armed forces and related departments to work in unison…
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11 die in early morning passenger van collision in Sa Kaew
PHOTOS: The Nation Eleven people have been killed and four others seriously injured after a chartered van carrying Lao workers collided with an 18 wheel truck in Sa Kaew province, east of Bangkok on the Cambodian border, early today (map below). The Nation reports that they were travelling to the Chanthaburi immigration checkpoint to renew their visas. Police suspect the Thai…
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Chinese and Indians to be offered visa free arrival for 15 days in Thailand
The Tourism and Sports Minister says he’ll seek cabinet approval to offer visa exemptions to visitors from China and India for one year. Already Chinese tourists have a visa-on-arrival fees exemption. The current promotion is set to end on October 31 this year. If the new visa exemption is approved by cabinet it will start on November 1 and run…
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Department warns of possible floods and landslides for 12 provinces
FILE PHOTO Officials and emergency responders in 12 provinces have been instructed to be prepared, and put equipment on standby, to cope with possible floods and landslides until August 20 (Tuesday). Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation director-general Chayaphol Thitisak says the alert was issued because of heavy downpours in the North, the Central and southeastern coastal areas. Officials were…
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Mae Sa and Tad Mork waterfalls in Chiang Mai closed
PHOTO: Mae Sa waterfall Doi Suthep-Pui National Park officials in the north of Thailand have closed the Mae Sa and Tad Mork waterfalls after heavy rainfall have caused high water flows and slippery paths “that may endanger tourists”. Mae Sa waterfall is approximately 30 minutes drive north-west from Chiang Mai and Tad Mork waterfall about an hour drive north-west of…
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Phuket villager braves the surf to rescue tangled turtle
A local villager in Phuket’s north has risked his own life to retrieve a young sea turtle caught up in fishermen’s netting. The turtle was spotted, caught up in the branches of a fallen tree along the shores of Mai Khao beach. The monsoon was kicking up big waves and it’s unlikely the locals knew how to swim, especially in…
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Bank of Thailand relaxes Loan to Value to boost sluggish property market
PHOTO: booking.com The Bank of Thailand says it will relax the Loan to Value (LTV) for homebuyers purchasing residences together and that borrowers or co-borrowers applying for a loan under the first home buyers rule and who do not own any other residence would be given a 90% mortgage on a condominium and 95% for a single detached house and…
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Nine Chinese criminals rounded up for extradition back to China
FILE PHOTO: Thai Immigration Chief Pol Lt-General Sompong Chingduang Nine Chinese nationals have been taken into custody after seeking refuge in Thailand, wanted by Chinese authorities for alleged crimes in China. Thai Immigration officials report that the nine have caused damages valued around 5 billion baht to the Chinese government. Immigration police chief Pol Lt-General Sompong Chingduang said the Thai…
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Which flight route makes the most money in the world?
The world of aviation now has its first billion dollar route. That’s a flight route that makes more money for an airline than any other. And for the first time that route has breached the one billion dollar ceiling – British Airways’ service between London Heathrow and New York’s JFK. OAG has come up with a list of the routes…
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Sattahip drug addict arrested and jailed after threatening wife and children
PHOTO: Pattaya Mail Sattahip police have arrested a person with drug problems who allegedly threatened to kill his wife and two children. 39 year old Jarat Injom was found hiding in the bedroom of his Moo 4 village house where he had barricaded himself after 34 year old wife Sangwein Prasannet called police. The wife told authorities she’d been married to…
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Habitat Group honoured with ten awards at 2019 PropertyGuru Thailand Property Awards
PHOTO: Winners, the Habitat Group lead by CEO, Mr. Chanin Vanijwongse Thailand’s premium property-for-investment developer, Habitat Group, has received high acclaim at the 2019 PropertyGuru Thailand Property Awards being honoured with ten awards, including the highly coveted Best Boutique Developer. In addition, Habitat Group’s flagship Walden brand and its expertise in developing properties for investment were recognised with multiple awards…
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You’ve read the social media, now watch the TM30 debate in Bangkok – VIDEO
A panel of Thai and foreign experts and commentators came together yesterday to discuss the enforcement of immigration rules, government policies and concerns, and recent shifts in official procedures and attitudes. They attempted to clarify the TM30 reporting process, analyse its impact and discuss the future of this unpopular law. The speakers were… • Pol. Maj. Gen. Patipat Suban Na…
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Government MP receives death threats after exposing illegal condo project in Phuket
PHOTO: Sira Jenjaka MP, says he has received death threats A government MP for Bangkok says he has received death threats for revealing a Phuket condo project that allegedly sits on land without the proper documentation. The project, at this stage, remains un-named. Sira Jenjaka is an MP with the ruling Palang Pracharat Party and claims that two people had already…
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Korean auntie arrested in Chiang Rai and deported over company theft
PHOTO: INN News The Thai Immigration Policein Chiang Rai have reported the arrest of a Korean woman, Kyoungnam known as ‘Park’. She was prosecuted by the South Korean authorities on fraud charges and had an arrest warrant issued in her name by a court in South Korea. So Miss Park attempted to hide in Thailand and evade her arrest warrant…
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Thai GM’s diesel plant in Rayong builds 500,000th engine
GM Powertrain Thailand has produced its 500,000th four-cylinder Duramax turbo-diesel engine, a production milestone since production officially started in 2011. GM announced that the Rayong plant is the first GM facility in the world to produce the engine. Hector Villarreal, president of GM Southeast Asia says the Duramax engines serve as the heart of the company’s ‘Colorado’ and ‘Trailblazer’ models. “They…
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Tollway company says ‘no’ to Bangkok motorway discounts
PHOTO: Thai PBS Expressway and motorway operators say there will be no further discounting of the country’s toll fees. Bangkok Expressways & Metro Public Company says the proposal by the new Transport Minister for expressway tolls to be cut by an average of 5-10 baht is not going to happen. The company claims they have already helped the government over…
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Couple cry foul after ‘turbo switch’ found in Bangkok taxi – VIDEO
PHOTOS & VIDEO: Facebook/Kaew Nutnaree A Bangkok couple has complained to police about a taxi driver ‘turbo charging’ their fare with the flick of a switch. Their story was told on the Facebook page “Kaew Nutnaree”. The couple arrived at Don Muang International Airport on Tuesday and caught a cab to take them to On Nut (Sukhumvit Soi 77). They…
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Electronic monitoring bracelet probe told to report back by August 23
The Thai Justice Ministry permanent secretary Wisit Wisitsora-at has set a deadline of August 23 for a probe into allegations that the Chinese electronic monitoring ankle or wrist bracelets, rented by the Department of Probation, can be removed by the parolled offenders without the department being alerted. Wisit, who was assigned to set up a committee to check the EM…
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Turtle rescued on Nai Harn Beach, Phuket
PHOTO: Aroon Solos Today (August 15) at about 1pm, the lifeguard team at Nai Harn Beach rescued a small turtle, which had become stuck in a fertiliser sack. They found the turtle washed up ashore with the sack wrapped up around its neck. They tried to carefully remove the sack from the turtle’s neck but found that the turtle had…
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