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Extradition of Hakeem al-Arabi to a third country being suggested by Thai FM
Diplomacy has wandered into the testy situation between Bahrain, Australia and Thailand in the case of jailed Bahraini footballer Hakeem al-Arabi. He remains in detention awaiting an extradition hearing in a Thai court. In a move to move the attention away from Thailand, Thai Foreign Minister Don Paramudvinai says Australia and Bahrain should hold talks to resolve the case by having him sent to…
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Police raid Nana area in Bangkok – seize sex toys and ‘viagra’ valued at 2 million baht
PHOTO: Daily News 2 million baht worth of sex toys, aphrodisiacs and fake viagra were seized last night (Tuesday) from ten stalls operating in the Nana area of Bangkok. Police teamed up with the military and protection services to execute the raid following several complaints by the public of the vendors (operating in soi 3/1 area) selling illegal items on…
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South Korean arrested in Bangkok over fake lottery website
PHOTO: Immigration Bureau A South Korean man has been arrested in Bangkok following an arrest alerted by Interpol for operating a fake lottery website. The Immigration Bureau say that the South Korean citizen, named SUNGHWA LEE, is the head of the gang that operated the fake lottery website. Many of the victims are South Korean. The cost of damages stolen from…
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More than ten thousand million baht generated during Chinese New Year in Phuket
The TAT Phuket has done its sums for this year’s Chinese New Year activities in Phuket from February 5 to February 12. They estimate 500,000 tourists will visit for the annual Chinese holiday which will generated 11,441 million baht for the island. Kanokkittikar Kritwutthikorn, director of the Phuket office of the TAT says, “The check-in rate is ”averaging at 88 percent which will result in…
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Whale shark carcass found on Satun Beach
PHOTO: DMCR The body of a whale shark was discovered on a beach in Satun yesterday. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) is reporting that officials at the Mu Koh Paetra National Park in Satun were notified about the huge whale shark carcass that had been washed on a beach between Phang Ga Ya Bay and Ko Bulon…
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Air quality for Thailand – February 6
Central Thailand Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution. Northern Thailand Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is not likely to be affected. Southern Thailand Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants…
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Weather for February 6
Bangkok Partly cloudy. High 32ºC. Winds S at 15 to 25 km/h. Phuket Partly cloudy. High 31ºC. E winds shifting to SSW at 15 to 25 km/h. Chiang Mai Generally clear. High 35ºC. Winds SE and variable. Pattaya Scattered thunderstorms. High 30ºC. Winds SSW at 15 to 30 km/h. Chance of rain 80%. Hua Hin Morning thunderstorms. High 31ºC. Winds…
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Water restrictions announced as water levels in Phuket reservoirs drop
The Phuket Waterworks Authority (PWA) has announced a date for water restrictions to start in some Phuket areas. They say the reason is water levels at reservoirs in Phuket are getting low in the dry seasons and they predict it will continue for the next three months. Water will be restricted for residents on even dates starting February 8 for…
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24 year old dies after e-cigarette explodes in his face
PHOTO: William Brown died in a Fort Worth hospital on January 29 – CNN CNN reports that a Texas man died of a massive stroke after the e-cigarette he was using exploded and tore his carotid artery. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s office says that William Brown died in a Fort Worth hospital on January 29. The death certificate says…
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“Australian ‘red notice’ led to the arrest of Hakeem al-Araibi”
PHOTO: South China Morning Post “Australia issuance of an Interpol red notice for former Bahraini footballer Hakeem al-Araibi that led to his arrest in Thailand”. This revelation from Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai. Bahrain, which issued an arrest warrant after finding him guilty of criminal charges in 2014, learnt about his overseas trip and requested Thailand to detain him, Don…
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Moken village fire – “destruction brings opportunities”
by Pratch Rujivanarom The devastation of the Moken village on Phang Nga’s Surin island last Sunday night can possibly be used as an opportunity to restore the traditional way of life for the sea gypsies. This assessment from academics after the blaze destroyed 61 houses and left 237 people homeless. Maitree Jongkraijug, a coordinator with Chumchontai Foundation, said the villagers…
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Thai lady boy arrested over Japanese tourist fraud
PHOTO: Immigration Bureau A Thai lady boy has been arrested after she has defrauded Japanese tourists and businessmen over the past ten years. The Immigration Bureau is reporting that the Immigration Chief Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn was notified by the Embassy of Japan that, over the past two months, more than ten Japanese tourists and businessmen have been defrauded by…
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14 year old peeping tom gets caught in Thai gas station women’s bathroom
PHOTO: Sanook A Thai teen has been accused of lurking around a gas station bathroom and peeking under the women’s bathroom stall in Chon Buri, east of Bangkok. 21 year old Wipaporn Wongwijarn was shocked when she saw a pair of eyes peeking up at her from under the bathroom stall during a moment with nature. Furious, she stormed out…
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Hua Hin massage shops blocking the beach
PHOTO: Juckrit Chotphom The Hua Hin municipality says they’re going to investigate beach massage operators for encroaching on, and blocking, the popular beach in Prachuap Khiri Khan province. Clerk of the municipality, Jirawat Prammanee, says he ordered officials to check on the operators after seeing posts from a Hua Hin resident showing the beach obstructed by massage beds. Jirawat said…
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“Red buses are a rip-off. We’d rather use Grab or Uber” – Chiang Mai
A poll among Thai tourists in Chiang Mai is giving a big preference to local Uber and Grab services and the thumbs down to the northern city’s notorious ‘Rot Daeng’ or red buses. The Mae Jo poll shows that 76% of Thai tourists want to see the red vehicles reined in. While 78% say they’d rather use Grab or Uber for…
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Facemasks on sacred statues gets BKK photographer into hot water
PHOTOS: Facebook/Chub Nokkaew Thai photographer Chub Nokkaew is in trouble for defacing Wat Arun’s iconic statues with face masks. Well, not quite… But the retouched photos were done so skilfully it almost resulted in him facing a criminal charge. He was merely using the retouched pics to make a point about Bangkok’s recent air pollution woes. The artwork has received…
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7-Eleven hands over a cash advance to a lady boy from retiree’s stolen credit card
FILE PHOTO ThaiVisa is reporting that an American retiree, living in Bangkok, claims a lady boy stole his wallet in Phuket. She then used his wallet to get a 13,550 baht cash advance at a local 7-Eleven store. The card was signed and the receipt issued to ‘Gregory M Field’ in English. But, explains ThaiVisa, the lady boy was handed…
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Oil from a lamp started Sunday fire – Moken village headman
A village headman of the Moken Village in Phang Nga says that oil from a lamp started the fire that engulfed a large portion of the village on Sunday night. A fire destroyed part of the Moken Village (sea gypsy village) on Mu Koh Surin in Phang Nga province. About 67 houses were destroyed while about 18 houses managed to avoid…
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Security guard at Nong Khae Hospital steals wallet from dead man
A daughter is alleging that her father was robbed by a security guard at the Nong Khae Hospital in Saraburi and left him for dead in the car park. It appears her father had a heart attack. Saraburi is north of Bangkok. The police are alleged to have let the thief go without punishment, and the hospital, who initially promised…
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Pattaya officials sidelined after soliciting for ‘donations’
Pattaya’s new mayor Sonthaya Khunpluem is ordering the transfer of a group of municipal officers who appear to be at the centre of an alleged ‘kick-back’ scandal with local massage vendors on Jomtien Beach. The story emerged after a group of masseuses in the Pink Zone of the beach say they had refused to pay a request for 20,000 baht…
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Thai and Burmese authorities detain 81 in search for drug gang
by Natthawat Laping “Is wanted Thai drug trafficker 30 year old Pannawit Pathum among the group?” Burmese authorities have conducted raids at entertainment venues, hotels, resorts and residential communities near the Thai-Myannar border opposite Chiang Rai’s Mae Fah Luang district and rounded up 81 Thai nationals who had illegally entered the country. Chiang Rai Immigration superintendent Pol Colonel Ekkorn Busababodin…
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Air quality for Thailand – February 5
Central Thailand Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution. Northern Thailand Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to…
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Weather for February 5
Bangkok Lots of sunshine. High 33C. Winds S at 15 to 25 km/h. Phuket Mostly sunny early then increasing clouds with some scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. High 31C. Winds SE at 10 to 15 km/h. Chance of rain 50%. Chiang Mai Plenty of sunshine. High around 35C. Winds light and variable. Pattaya Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms…
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Fire destroys car accessories warehouse in Phuket – VIDEO
A fire has destroyed a car accessories warehouse in Phuket Town early this morning. The damage costs are estimated at many million baht. Fire fighters were notified of the fire at Hong Kee Auto Sound on Wichit Songkram Road in Phuket Town at 01.40am. Fire fighters arrived at the scene with 11 fire engines, along with Kusoldharm rescue workers and…
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No more smoking in airports, and no more cheap Thai cigarettes
Thai smokers are under fire. As of Sunday, February 3, all airports operated by Airports of Thailand (AoT) have been declared no-smoking zones with fines up to 5,000 baht for any violators. AoT has now abolished all smoking rooms in both the offices and passenger buildings in all six airports which they manage. This comes in accordance with the 2017…
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Jetski operators in Hua Hin told to ‘stick to guidelines’
PHOTOS: Talk News Online Jetski operators on Hua Hin beaches have been warned to stick to pricing guidelines and beach locations in the Gulf holiday resort. Talk News Online reports that officials visited Hua Don beach in Hua Hin to rein in the jetski operators. Jetski operators in all seaside resorts around Thailand have a reputation for not following the…
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A third of expats may have to leave – Survey on new ‘retirement’ visa extension
Thailand’s farang forum, Thaivisa, has conducted two unofficial polls that indicate that many expats will be calling it quits and leaving the Kingdom. The polls are a response from the affected ThaiVisa audience, not indicative of the total expat population living in Thailand. The polls have been undertaken in the wake of new regulations issued by Thai immigration requiring retirees to lodge…
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Air pollution in Bangkok improved over the weekend, marathon goes ahead
PHOTO: Thai PBS Air quality around Bangkok had sufficiently improved for the running of a charity marathon in the capital yesterday morning. 16,000 runners took part in the marathon yesterday from the Ratchamangala stadium in Hua Mark, through central Bangkok and to the finish line at the Democracy monument on Rajdamnoen road. The race organisers say they were closely monitoring updates…
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At least another 60 days in Thai jail for Hakeem al-Araibi
SCREENSHOT from The Guardian video Australian refugee footballer Hakeem al-Araibi now has 60 days to prepare a defence against the Bahraini government’s attempt to extradite him from Thailand. Bahrain’s extradition request was formally accepted for consideration last Friday. The 25 year old will have to remain in Thai prison for the two months, on top of the two months he’s already…
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Chacheongsao rubber plantation fire under control after 15 hours
A huge fire, which had already destroyed more than half of a 400 rai rubber plantation in Chacheongsao province, was finally brought under control at 1.30pm yesterday. The deputy provincial governor Prasong Khongkhaoroptham said the fire had raised worries of adding to Bangkok’s air-pollution woes. Chacheongsao province is directly to the east of the Thai capital. Investigation into the cause of…
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