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14 tourists and four Thai pulled out of Nai Harn surf
PHOTOS & VIDEO: Phuket Naiharn Surf Lifesaving Club Ten Russian tourists, four Chinese and four Thais were dragged from the surf off Nai Harn beach after getting into difficulty in waves yesterday (July 24). Nai Harn lifeguards rescued 18 swimmers in total yesterday afternoon. Pictures and videos have been put on Nai Harn Lifeguard facebook page yesterday with a message…
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Marijuana across the Mekong – 350 kilograms seized
A routine naval patrol has foiled an attempt to smuggle 350 kilograms of marijuana across the Mekong into Nakhon Phanom from Laos last night (Tuesday). Rear Admiral Pisit Thongdeelert, commander of the Mekong Protection Unit for Nakhon Phanom, said a patrol vessel spotted a boat approaching the bank in Ban Na Nong Book in Tambon Chaiyaburi of Tha Uthen district.…
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Baby gibbon used for photo-ops in Samui
PHOTOS: Facebook/Arkadiy Kulev “Endangered gibbon used to entertain tourists on Chaweng Beach in Koh Samui, Thailand.” On Phuket it’s the slow loris which is the ‘cute-creature-for-100-baht-photos’. In Samui they’ve gone for a baby gibbon. A foreign resident on Koh Samui has exposed that a baby gibbon was used for selling photos at Chaweng Beach, resulting in an uproar among expats…
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One million sea shrimp released to mark HM The King’s birthday
One million sea shrimp have been released in Rawai to celebrate His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s birthday which comes up this Saturday on July 28. The release was led by Phuket Vice Governor Prakob Wongmaneerung, the Phuket Fisheries Office Chief Kowit Khaoeian and Rawai’s Mayor Aroon Solos. Vice Governor Prakob says, “Marine releases and cleaning activities have been conducted every…
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Phuket: Areas hit by water shut off
Parts of the Wichit area have their water shut off today (July 25) since 9am this morning. The Phuket Water Authority (PWA) says that water supply in some areas of Wichit are shut off while work is being carried out repairing mains water pipes on Thep Anusorn Road. Areas affected are Narang –Borae Road Pattana Tongtin Road Soi Bangyai Irrawadi Bypass…
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Thai Airways Boeing 777 in emergency landing in Dhaka
PHOTO: News In Flight A Thai Airways plane has made an emergency landing at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA). The Boeing 777 is reported to have veered off the runway during landing but was steered back onto the runway by the pilots. The plane had burst six tyres according to newsinflight.com. TG321 landed around 12.18pm with 145 passengers –…
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Police raid Thalang houses, seize 207 kilograms of drugs
Police raided four target areas in Thalang over the past week in a continuation of their crackdown on drugs. They seized 207 kilograms of kratom, crystal methamphetamine and methamphetamine pills. A team of The Thalang Police arrested 19 year old Weerachai ‘Bub’ Jitjamnong from Phuket at a rented room in Thalang. Police seized a small quantity of crystal methamphetamine. He…
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Phuket’s beaches deserve world standard lifesaving
By Daren Jenner, Marine Safety Officer, International Surf Lifesaving Association The Phuket governor’s plan to turn over what little funds are being provided for critical marine lifesaving services to the Or Bor Tors will only perpetuate the current deadly cycle of inexperienced, non-certified lifeguards, low salaries, fragmented service, and lapses in coverage. All of these factors will in turn contribute…
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Mother threatens suicide over acquittal
(4 minute read) The suicide of a father, who jumped out of the eighth floor of Bangkok’s Criminal Court after a verdict was read acquitting the suspect in his son’s murder back in 2016, has taken a sad turn of events. Now the wife of the man who killed himself, and the murdered son’s mother, is threatening to kill herself…
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Hundreds dead, thousands displaced – Laos dam bust.
(5 minute read) The heavy rains in northern, north-eastern Thailand and southern Laos have caused a partially man-made disaster affecting hundreds of Loas homes with hundreds of people still missing. Thousands of people have been displaced from their homes in Laos’ southern Attapeu province following the collapse of part of a hydroelectric dam under construction. The disaster came hours after…
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‘Phoenix’ salvage ordered while investigation continues
The director-general of the national marine department has ordered the salvage of ‘Phoenix’ – the tour boat that sank on July 6 resulting in the drowning of 47 Chinese passengers. The investigation into official negligence is also being conducted. Director general of the Marine Department Jirut Wisanjit says, “We issued an order for the ‘Phoenix’ boat owner on to organise…
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Hundreds of houses flood as Laos dam breached
PHOTOS: BCEL One Heart The Nation is reporting that hundreds of households in Laos were heavily flooded on Monday night after a large amount of water overflowed a saddle dam section of Xe Pian dam following heavy rainfall in the country’s southern province of Attapeu. The disaster has reportedly claimed several lives, left hundreds of people missing and more than…
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“Japan will definitely win the war” – new memos revealed
PHOTO: A memo by Michio Yuzawa, a former Japanese vice home minister Interesting historical footnote today according to memos recently discovered which reveal the mindset of the Japanese prime minister at the time, just one day before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. The Japan Times reports that wartime Prime Minister Hideki Tojo stated that Japan would “definitely win the…
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Beachgoers banned from swimming at Phuket beaches until crocodile is caught
Swimmers have been banned on all beaches in Phuket while the crocodile hunting operation is still in operation. Phuket is preparing to announce urgent crocodile registration measures in order to keep track of all known crocodiles in the area in accordance with the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act. Governor Norraphat Plodthong says, “We are preparing to announce registration for all…
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Driver drops dead at petrol station in Nakhon Pathom
The driver of a 22-wheel trailer truck fell dead from his truck after he stopped to get petrol this morning (Tuesday) in Nakhon Pathom, west of Bangkok. Police were alerted at 7am of the incident at the NGV station on Malai Road. The Nation reports that 46 year old Picket Jailuen was transporting construction sand from Tambon Prong Madua in…
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Australia awards highest honours to Tham Luang cave rescuers
PHOTOS: Tim Shaw, 2CC Australian members of the Tham Luang cave rescue team, including Dr Richard Harris and Craig Challen, have been congratulated by the Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull after receiving the Order of Australia and the Star of Courage at a function at Government House in the Australian capital Canberra today. Cave diving medical specialists, Richard Harris and…
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The Mu Pa 13, minus one, attend blessing ceremony before becoming novice monks
PHOTOS: The Nation Eleven of the Mu Pa football team rescued from the Chiang Rai cave in Mai Sai, along with their assistant coach, participated in a Buddhist ritual this morning (Tuesday) in more carefully stage managed media appearances in the aftermath of the rescue. The ceremony honours the cave’s resident Phra That Doi Wao spirit. This afternoon they will have…
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Tiger Cave Temple monkeys getting sterilised in Krabi
Monkeys living around the famous Tiger Cave Temple are being sterilised in the first step in monkey birth control in Krabi where more than 1,000 monkeys are getting into trouble with tourists and locals as their populations swell. Chief of the Krabi Office of Natural and Environment Resources Chalermpan Yinjaroen says, “These monkeys were caught on July 21-22 for sterilisation.…
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Father and mother found in Trang murder-suicide
Two Trang parents dropped their children off with a relative and then drove away. Not long after police found the two dead in an apparent murder-suicide. TNA reports that two were allegedly arguing over extra-marital relationships and jealousies. They left the children with an older sister while they drove off to sort out their differences. Police from the Huay Yort station…
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Pattaya taxis demanding 100 baht flag fall – three times more than Bangkok
Pattaya taxi drivers are trying to make a deal with authorities. They’ll use their taxi meters IF authorities increase the flag fall for taxi trips to 100 baht. Pattaya taxi operators met yesterday (Monday) to decide that 100 baht is an appropriate flag fall for the first two kilometres of any journey. The cost after the first 2 kilometres would…
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Tourism operators suggest visa-fee waiver to counter cancelled bookings
As the cancellations of accommodation and tour bookings from Chinese tourists continue to rack up, local tourism operators are urging the Government to be pro-active in trying to restore confidence. Vichit Prakobkosol, the President of the Association of Thai Travel Agents is calling for the Thai government to waive visa fees in a bid to lure back the Chinese tourists.…
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Three arrested with 12,000 methamphetamine pills at checkpoint
Tha Chatchai Police have been conducting their latest crackdown on drugs at the Phuket Checkpoint and scored another major haul, arresting two men and one woman with 12,000 methamphetamine pills yesterday (July 23). The police arrested 36 year old Pratueang ‘Bang Hed’ Kanuengkarn, a 39 year old woman Saitip ‘Mae’ Boonjan – both are from Phuket – and 27 year…
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Criminal Court spokesman explains why alleged knifeman was acquitted
Following yesterday’s sad epilogue to a court case, where the father of a murdered son jumped out of the window of the Criminal Court because the suspect was acquitted, a spokesperson has made a statement about the case. The court of justice tried has sought to clarify why the Criminal Court ordered the acquittal of the defendant in a murder…
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Joint Thai/Chinese crime bust nets 34 suspects in call-centre and online gambling gangs
The arrest of 34 suspects in major call centre scams and online gambling were announced yesterday. With cooperation from Chinese police, Thai officers checked 14 locations in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Chon Buri and Phuket on July 19 to make the arrests. The stings netted 34 suspects, including 26 Chinese nationals. The arrests were announced yesterday at a press conference at the Royal Thai…
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Should Phuket’s beaches be closed until the crocodile is captured?
The crocodile’s location, search and capture attempts appear to be completely random and uncoordinated. Daren Jenner from the International Surf Life Saving Association says Phuket’s west coast beaches should be closed until it’s captured. Tim Newton reports… https://www.facebook.com/thethaigernews/videos/1801892163221937/
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A man was fished out of the Surin Beach surf today – whilst on-duty lifesavers watched
PHOTOS: Pavida Anantarasmi Witnesses at Surin Beach today watched in bemused confusion when a man, who was in difficulty whilst swimming off Surin Beach today, was helped back to shore. But not by one of the lifeguards on duty at the beach who stood at the shore and watched the rescue take place. The incident happened around 11am when a…
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Thai and foreign media warned off Mu Pa 13
“Stay away.” That’s the warning issued by the public relations office of Chiang Rai province after a correspondent of America’s ABC News conducted an interview with the youngest of the survivors from Tham Luang cave in defiance of advice of psychiatrists and child welfare officials. The film crew also visited the church for 14 year old Adul Sam-on where church…
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Bangkok father jumps to his death after acquittal of suspect in his son’s murder
A tragic story from the Bangkok Criminal Court today where it’s emerged that a man has jumped to his death after witnessing the acquittal of the suspect in his son’s murder. The man jumped from the sixth floor of the court building at 10am. Supachai Kanlahasunthorn came to the court at 9am to hear the verdict in the trial of…
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Thailand’s Rabies death toll up to 14 this year
The death of a 19 year old in Buri Ram, to the east of Bangkok on the Cambodian border, and a 55 year old in Rayong, east of Pattaya, has raised the death toll in Thailand as a result of Rabies this year to 14. Both deaths occurred over the past two weeks. Dr Suwannachai Watanayingcharoen, director general of the Disease…
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