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5 best wine bars in Bangkok offering rich and quality wine
It’s wine o’clock! Whether you’re all about fruity reds, sweet whites, or funky naturals, Bangkok has many great spots to sip your favourite varieties. But with an array of options to choose from, and the constant rise and fall of...
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Paralyzed Canadian hockey player moves legs after experimental Thai surgery
A Canadian hockey player paralyzed in a tragic bus crash has begun moving his legs after receiving experimental spinal surgery in Thailand. Ryan Straschnitzki was one of 13 injured when a truck ran a stop sign and collided with the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team’s bus in Saskatchewan in 2018. Sixteen others died in the incident. Straschnitzki was paralyzed from…
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‘The Cave’ – covers a lot of ground but misses some key details
The Thaiger went to the first session of Tom Waller’s ‘The Cave’ and loved it. It’s frenetic, it’s very busy and it covers a lot of territory regarding the scope of the saga. But it also lacks focus, a lot of the actors play themselves with varying success and, well, we already know the (mostly) happy ending. But the overall experience…
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Tourism authorities refurbish old klongs as new tourist attractions in Bangkok
Bangkok’s old nickname “Venice of the East” is slowly coming back to life as tourism and local municipal authorities aim to make-over some of the city’s famous klongs (canals) as new tourist attractions. Khlong Prawet Burirom runs east from the city towards Suvarnabhumi Airport. In May this year one of the old klongs, the King Lord Klong,was extensively refurbished and…
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British tourist locked up in ‘horror’ prison, fellow inmate dies in his arms
PHOTO: mirror.co.uk A British father of two has shared his horror story after being locked up in a Thai jail. Imprisoned for overstaying his visa, 35 year old Kai Isaacs claims a fellow inmate died in his arms following a brutal beating. The incident happened back on May 21 in the International Detention Centre, situated next door to the swanky…
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Indian man posing as a pilot bought fake Lufthansa ID in Bangkok
PHOTO: DNA India “The passenger disclosed that he used to shoot YouTube videos on aviation and had obtained the Lufthansa fake ID card in Bangkok.” It was all going so well, until he was eventually caught. An Indian man who regularly pretended to be a pilot, in order to get free upgrades and impress women, has been arrested in Delhi…
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Security forces kill two suspected insurgents in Thailand’s south
Two men suspected of being Islamic insurgents have been shot dead by security forces in Pattani, southern Thailand. The two militants were believed to be members of the National Revolutionary Front, Thai PBS World reports that officials received a tip-off that the men were hiding out at a property in Khlong Tan Yong. The house was surrounded by the military…
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Fossils of new dinosaur species discovered in Isaan
The fossils of a new species of dinosaur, named the Siam Raptor Suwati, have been discovered in Nakhon Ratchasima province (commonly known as Korat) in north-east Thailand. The discovery has been confirmed by the Director-General of the Mineral Resource Department, Sommai Techawan, and former Deputy PM Suwat Liptapanlop (after whom the dinosaur has been named). Thai Residents reports that the…
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No more plastic bags at some 7 Eleven stores starting Monday
137 branches of 7 Eleven across Thailand will stop providing plastic bags from Monday as part of a trial before a nationwide ban comes into force in at the start of 2020. The Nation reports that the step is being taken in support of a government policy to reducing the use of single-use plastic. 137 branches out of 10,300 stores in…
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Pattaya’s Walking Street is “heaving with tourists”. But…
PHOTOS: Pattaya City Law Enforcement Walking Street is “heaving with tourists”. Pictures posted on the “Pattaya City Law Enforcement” site indicate an encouraging sign for tourism in Thailand’s ‘sin city’ seaside resort. According to the post, it appears Pattaya’s famous soi of ‘boom boom’ is having a boom in tourism numbers. But Thai netizens say there is a backstory. Whilst…
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Chinese medical tourism on the rise in Thailand
FILE PHOTO Despite Thailand’s current sluggish tourism intake, along with a strong baht, Chinese medical tourism continues to grow. From rhinoplasty to liposuction, eye-surgery to heart bypasses, Thailand’s reputation for affordable and reputable cosmetic surgery, and specialty clinics, draws tourists from all over the world. As of 2019, with 64 accredited hospitals, Thailand is currently among the top 10 medical…
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UPDATE: Police investigate building collapse in Phuket, killing seven
PHOTOS: Phuket Hotnews UPDATE: Kritsana Pattanachareon, deputy spokesperson for the Royal Thai Police, says that an initial investigation into the collapse of a petrol station being built in Thalang, Phuket on Thepkasattri Road, resulting in seven deaths, indicated that poor construction standards were to blame. “We were informed by police from the Thalang district station that a concrete slab being…
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Laguna Phuket Triathlon returns to the island November 23 & 24
PHOTO: lagunaphukettri.com The Laguna Phuket Triathlon returns next week with a strong pro athlete line up vying for US$20,000 (605,500 baht) prize money on Sunday, November 24. The 26th Laguna Phuket Triathlon, will comprise a 1.8 kilometre swim, a 50 kilometre bike event and a 12 kilometre run in Asia’s Laguna Phuket resort area as well as various scenic locations in…
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Four Cambodian monks to be deported after raising funds around Krabi
FILE PHOTO: Bigstock Police in Krabi have arrested four monks from Cambodia after complaints from Krabi locals that the monks were attempting to raise funds at different venues as they travelled around the south. Krabi Police chief Sompong Chingduang confirmed that the four were found to have entered Thailand a week ago without the correct paperwork. The monks will now…
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British tourist nabbed in Pattaya after overstaying visa by 26 days
PHOTO: Naew Na A British man has been arrested at an apartment in the Pattaya suburb of Nong Prue after overstaying his visa by 26 days. Naew Na news says the man, named as 45 year old Stellios Shakallis, was arrested as part of a random check carried out by Immigration police in the area. It’s understood he will now…
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China slams US bill on Hong Kong rights
PHOTO: Reuters China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi condemns the passing by US Congress of a bill designed to protect the rights of Hong Kong citizens, accusing the US of “trying to destroy Hong Kong”. The Daily Star quotes the minister as saying the bill “indulges violent criminals” and seeks to “muddle or even destroy Hong Kong” with China vowing to…
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Severe drought predicted for Thailand and neighbouring countries
FILE PHOTO Experts are warning that over the next two to three months, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam can all expect severe drought conditions which will affect agricultural production. Of the four countries, Thailand and Cambodia are expected to suffer the most, according to the report. A statement issued by the Mekong River Commission confirmed that water levels in the…
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‘False killer whale’ rescued after being washed ashore in Pattaya
PHOTO: Chaiyot Pupattanapong – Bangkok Post (enhancement – The Thaiger) A large dolphin species called the False Killer Whale, resembling a black killer whale, is undergoing treatment after it was found washed ashore on a Pattaya beach on Wednesday. The Bangkok Post reports that the whale was found by a fisherman on a beach in the Bang Lamung district of…
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Thai exports down 4.5% in October, 2.35% for the year
PHOTO: Commerce Ministry Thai exports have crashed 4.5% for October 2019, compared with the same month last year. The total contraction in first 10 months of this year has now averaged 2.35%, and things don’t look like improving any time soon, according to the Commerce Ministry, as reported in the Bangkok Post. The director-general of the ministry’s Trade Policy and…
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AoT green lights new terminal for Suvarnabhumi to double capacity
PHOTO: Artists impression of the original Suvarnabhumi terminal – Royal Thai Embassy The Airports of Thailand has approved a plan to establish a second terminal on the northern part of Suvarnabhumi Airport. The board has also agreed to discount landing fees for international charter flights at six airports under AoT control for the next five months. The AoT controlled airports are…
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500 year old temple shaken in Nan earthquake this morning
PHOTO: Tourwatthai.com The Nan province, in far north Thailand, on the Laos border, was the epicentre for an earthquake measuring 6.1 magnitude on the Richter scale. The tremor shook the province, and other parts of Thailand, at 6.50am, local time today. The US Geological Survey report that the quake struck 10 kilometres below the surface about 92 kilometres northeast of the…
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It was THAT big! Pattaya fisherman snares a REALLY big sea mammal.
PHOTO: The Nation A large dolphin species, called a “false killer whale”, was beached in Pattaya yesterday. The beaching happened after after local Jirayu Wanphusit was shore-fishing when he noticed a small tug on his line. The tug became a full on drag as the fishing rod, and Jirayu, were pulled into the water. His pursuit of the ‘best bar…
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Construction site collapse, kills 7, injures at least 2 in Phuket
PHOTOS: Newshawk Phuket Seven people are now dead and at least 2 injured following the collapse of a petrol station construction site near the Home Pro building in Thepkasattri Road in Thalang, northern Phuket. The latest source of deaths and injuries comes from Thai Rath. Construction labourers were stuck under an enormous slab of concrete early this afternoon at 12.50pm.…
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Elderly British expat tries to save Thai man from bridge suicide attempt
A 70 year old British expat tried unsuccessfully to prevent a depressed Thai man jumping from a bridge in Pattaya yesterday. The Pattaya News reports that police were notified around 5.30pm and rushed to the scene at a pedestrian bridge on Sukhumvit Road, where a 45 year old Thai man, named by police as Boontieng Saokaew, lay injured. It’s understood that…
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Cave rescue movie opens today around Thailand
PHOTO: Director Tom Waller directing scenes from ‘The Cave’ – The Nation A movie about last year’s dramatic rescue at the Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai province opens today around Thailand. “The Cave – Nang Non” is based on “the untold true stories of some of the rescuers involved in the mega-international rescue mission that captivated the world’s attention…
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Roadside bomb injures 3 police in Narathiwat
PHOTO: A similar roadside bomb attack in Narathiwat on July 16 this year. – Bangkok Post Three policemen have been injured, one of them seriously, by a bomb believed to have been planted by insurgents in the southern border province of Narathiwat. The three officers were part of a team of six traffic police deployed at a checkpoint. The bomb was…
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Meth kingpin busted in Kanchanburi
A 29 year old man has been charged with running a drug trafficking ring after more than 3 million methamphetamine pills were seized in Chiang Rai last month. The man, known only as “Prasarn,” was arrested at a resort in Kanchanaburi, western Thailand. Police linked him to the 3 million meth pills seized at a roadside checkpoint in Chiang Rai…
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Man shoots dead son-in-law after “causing him to lose face”
PHOTO: Nujaree Raekrun A man remains on the run after killing his son-in-law, having never forgiven him for not turning up to the wedding party laid on for him and the man’s daughter three years ago. The Bangkok Post reports that Narong Krainara shot 34 year old Sarawut Phonhiran on Tuesday night, at a house in the Thung Yai district of…
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Future Forward Party will replace Thanathorn within a week
PHOTO: prachatai.com A new face will soon be seen in Thailand’s parliament, following the Constitutional Court’s ruling against Future Forward Party’s maverick leader Thanathorn Jungroongruangkit, disqualifying him as an MP. Thanathorn was disqualified after being accused of holding shares in a media company at the time of his application to run as a candidate in the general election last March.…
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Earthquake hits in far-north Thailand
An earthquake of 6.1 magnitude has rattled the centre and north of the country this morning. The epicentre of the tremors was around northern Nan province, on the Laos border. At this stage there has been no immediate reports of casualties or damage although The Thaiger has been contacted by numerous people this morning claiming they felt the quake. The…
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Indonesian suicide bomber wounds six, dozens arrested in Sumatra
Dozens of suspected militants have been rounded up after a suicide bomber killed himself and wounded six others in a police station attack in Indonesia. Around 45 suspects have been arrested since Wednesday’s bombing in Medan, Sumatra, while two bomb-makers were shot dead during a raid. A National Police spokesman told reporters in Jakarta that the pair resisted arrest and tried…
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