Thailand News

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  • French boy, 5, dies after being stung by jellyfish off Pha-ngan | Thaiger

    French boy, 5, dies after being stung by jellyfish off Pha-ngan

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community French boy, 5, dies after being stung by jellyfish off Pha-ngan The Nation/ Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Koh Pha-ngan authorities have warned people to beware of box jellyfish after a |five-year-old French boy died on Saturday after being stung while swimming at a beach of this resort…

  • Thai ‘baby factory’ doctor to turn himself in | Thaiger

    Thai ‘baby factory’ doctor to turn himself in

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thai ‘baby factory’ doctor to turn himself in – police Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A Thai doctor who performed in vitro fertilisation (IVF) for women involved in a surrogate baby business dubbed the “baby factory” has agreed to turn himself in, police said on Monday.…

  • Swedish, Filipino ATM skimmers nabbed in Chiang Mai | Thaiger

    Swedish, Filipino ATM skimmers nabbed in Chiang Mai

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Swedish, Filipino ATM skimmers nabbed in Chiang Mai The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Police have arrested two ATM skimmer suspects – a Swedish man and a Filipino – in Chiang Mai along with 500 fake electronic cards. Following a tip-off by a bank about someone…

  • Surrogate mums admit lying in court over Shigeta’s babies | Thaiger

    Surrogate mums admit lying in court over Shigeta’s babies

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Surrogate mums admit lying in court over Shigeta’s babies The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Two Thai surrogate mothers told police yesterday they were instructed to lie to the courts during adoption hearings – to say that their babies were conceived during affairs with the Japanese…

  • Education gets lion’s share of the budget | Thaiger

    Education gets lion’s share of the budget

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Education gets lion’s share of the budget The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Entrusted with the mission of schooling some 12 million children and improving educational quality, the Education Ministry is set to get 20 per cent, or Bt502.245 billion of the planned expenditure in the…

  • Low rain spurs fear of drought in North | Thaiger

    Low rain spurs fear of drought in North

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Low rain spurs fear of drought The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Despite being in the middle of the wet season, there are already fears of drought in the North, as the volume of rain has been unseasonably low, leaving two key dams in the region…

  • Abandoned girl, 12, receives royal helping hand | Thaiger

    Abandoned girl, 12, receives royal helping hand

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community HM The King extends help to abandoned girl, 12 The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: His Majesty the King has graciously extended his help to a 12-year-old girl who had been fending for herself virtually all alone for years. The girl had lived alone in her…

  • Student loan ceiling to be reduced | Thaiger

    Student loan ceiling to be reduced

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Student loan ceiling to be reduced The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The student loan ceiling for educational institutes is likely to be reduced soon as more than half of the loans granted so far have not been repaid, the Education Ministry said. It has also…

  • Gen Prayuth voted to become next premier | Thaiger

    Gen Prayuth voted to become next premier

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community NLA votes Gen Prayuth to become 29th premier The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The National Legislative Assembly yesterday voted unanimously for junta chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha to be the 29th prime minister of Thailand. He was the sole candidate for the job. Prayuth was widely…

  • Obec to cut school hours | Thaiger

    Obec to cut school hours

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Obec to cut school hours The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) will start implementing a policy to reduce classroom hours from this second semester, Obec secretary-general Kamol Rodklai said yesterday. The agency would at first reduce study hours in…

  • Japanese surrogacy dad Shigeta faces police summons | Thaiger

    Japanese surrogacy dad Shigeta faces police summons

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Japanese dad Shigeta faces police summons The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Police will summons Mitsutoki Shigeta for questioning after a DNA test initially confirmed the 24-year-old Japanese man’s claim that he had fathered the nine surrogate babies recently discovered in a Bangkok condominium. Meanwhile, Boonreung…

  • NCPO appoints new national police chief | Thaiger

    NCPO appoints new national police chief

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Somyot gets national police chief job in unanimous vote The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Pol Gen Somyot Poompanmoung was yesterday chosen in a unanimous 6:0 vote by a junta-installed selection committee as the new Royal Thai Police chief. He will replace Pol Gen Watcharapol Prasarnrajkit,…

  • AMLO seized more than Bt9 billion in 15 years | Thaiger

    AMLO seized more than Bt9 billion in 15 years

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community AMLO seized more than Bt9 billion in 15 years The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Pol Colonel Seehanat Prayoonrat, secretary-general of the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO), said at an event marking AMLO’s 15th anniversary yesterday that the agency had so far confiscated up to Bt9.7 billion…

  • THAI steps up fight against Ebola | Thaiger

    THAI steps up fight against Ebola

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community THAI steps up fight against Ebola The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Private and public organisations are putting more precautionary actions in place here against the Ebola outbreak in Africa to ensure safety. Thai Airways International (THAI) yesterday demonstrated aircraft cleaning and vaccination at Suvarnabhumi Airport…

  • NCPO chief Prayuth invited to take the Ice Bucket Challenge | Thaiger

    NCPO chief Prayuth invited to take the Ice Bucket Challenge

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community NCPO chief Prayuth invited to take the Ice Bucket Challenge The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The “Ice Bucket Challenge” fund-raising activity has gone viral in social media, to the extent that even junta chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha has been challenged to take the plunge. Surabot…

  • Bangkok clinic closed amid surrogacy probe | Thaiger

    Bangkok clinic closed amid surrogacy probe

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Bangkok clinic closed amid surrogacy probe The Nation/ Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Police yesterday raided and suspended obstetrics and gynaecology services at a Lat Phrao clinic for 60 days pending investigation into reports that it provided surrogacy.The clinic allegedly provided services to 1,000 Thai and foreign customers…

  • Nationwide wheel-locking campaign kicks off | Thaiger

    Nationwide wheel-locking campaign kicks off

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Wheel-locking campaign kicks off The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Police yesterday launched a nationwide operation to lock the wheels of cars found violating the law yesterday in a bid to ease traffic congestion. Pol Lt-General Wuthi Liptapallop, an adviser to the Royal Thai Police in…

  • Prayuth vows 2015 budget won’t burden country, will boost economy | Thaiger

    Prayuth vows 2015 budget won’t burden country, will boost economy

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community NCPO aims to avoid budget debt The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Junta chief Prayuth Chan-ocha told the National Legislative Assembly yesterday the proposed budget would not leave problems or debt for the country in the long run – as he would only be in power…

  • 22 injured in boiler explosion | Thaiger

    22 injured in boiler explosion

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community 22 injured after boiler explosion The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A five-meter-high boiler exploded at a dyeing plant in Samut Prakan’s Muang district early yesterday, injuring some 22 workers and residents. Several nearby homes were also damaged. Most of the victims – 17 in total…

  • Surrogacy law ‘must be of world standard’ | Thaiger

    Surrogacy law ‘must be of world standard’

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Surrogacy law ‘must be of world standard’ The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Australian Government has asked Thailand to adopt international standards when it passes a surrogacy law this year. Acting permanent secretary for Justice Charnchao Chaiyanukit said yesterday that Australian Ambassador to Thailand James…

  • DNA tests show 9 babies fathered by same man | Thaiger

    DNA tests show 9 babies fathered by same man

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community DNA tests show 9 babies fathered by same man The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The nine infants discovered in a police raid last week at a Bangkok condominium in connection with unauthorised surrogacy were fathered by the same man. However, a DNA link between them…

  • Tragic end to building collapse in Pathum Thani | Thaiger

    Tragic end to building collapse in Pathum Thani

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Tragic end to building collapse in Pathum Thani The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A Buri Ram woman who made a desperate dash from the northeast to Pathum Thani in search of her husband – trapped in a building that collapsed late on Monday – was…

  • Treasury Dept challenges claim only 100 Bt10 coins minted in 1990 | Thaiger

    Treasury Dept challenges claim only 100 Bt10 coins minted in 1990

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Treasury Dept challenges claim only 100 Bt10 coins minted in 1990 The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Treasury Department has denied a claim that just 100 Bt10 coins were minted in 1990.The department’s director general, Naris Chaiyasoot, spoke yesterday shortly after there was a Bt100,000…

  • Udomdej favoured to take over as the next Army chief | Thaiger

    Udomdej favoured to take over as the next Army chief

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Udomdej favoured to take over as the next Army chief The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Deputy Army chief General Udomdej Sitabutr appears the front runner candidate to succeed General Prayuth Chan-ocha as the head of the Army. Prayuth, who is in charge of the ruling…

  • NLA to vote on next PM set for August 21, 22 | Thaiger

    NLA to vote on next PM set for August 21, 22

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community NLA vote on next PM set for August 21, 22 The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The National Legislative Assembly will call a vote on the next prime minister on August 21 or 22, its deputy chairman said yesterday. Surachai Liengboonlertchai said he supports General Prayuth…

  • Lao woman with Bt30 million held at border | Thaiger

    Lao woman with Bt30 million held at border

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Lao woman with Bt30 million held at border The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A 42-year-old Laotian was detained in the border province of Mukdahan yesterday for allegedly trying to smuggle Bt30 million in cash out of the country. The woman who was identified only as…

  • Probe into Japanese ‘dad’ eyes baby trafficking intent | Thaiger

    Probe into Japanese ‘dad’ eyes baby trafficking intent

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Probe into Japanese ‘dad’ eyes baby trafficking intent The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Police are looking into whether the 13 babies purportedly linked to surrogacy services were meant to be trafficked, as evidence suggests a Japanese man fathered at least nine infants via surrogate mothers.…

  • Japanese man sought in surrogacy scam flees | Thaiger

    Japanese man sought in surrogacy scam flees

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Japanese man sought in surrogacy scam flees The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A young Japanese man has left Thailand after emerging evidence suggests he might have played a key role in a surrogacy gang. Thailand does not yet have specific laws to control surrogacy. Legislation…

  • Unauthorised surrogacy practised for years: medical source | Thaiger

    Unauthorised surrogacy practised for years: medical source

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Unauthorised surrogacy practised for years: medical source The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Unauthorised surrogacy procedures have been performed for years at several clinics and hospitals and even medical schools by qualified practitioners, a medical source said yesterday. Through proper channels, the foreign adoptive parents inform…

  • Sondhi loses appeal, gets 20 years in prison | Thaiger

    Sondhi loses appeal, gets 20 years in prison

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Sondhi loses appeal, gets 20 years in prison The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Appeals Court yesterday upheld the primary court’s jail verdict against media tycoon and former yellow-shirt leader Sondhi Limthongkul, sentencing him to 20 years in jail for violating the Securities and Exchange…