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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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The lights are on, but there’s no-one home: villagers report empty police station in central Thailand
Villagers in Pathumthani province, central Thailand, have lodged complaints about a local police station claiming it was unmanned at night when they went to file a report. Thai Residents reports that local residents who went to Klong Luang police station were left waiting so long for someone to return that they ended up sleeping at the station. It was also…
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Recession hits Hong Kong as no end in sight for anti-government protests
More than five months in to the anti-government protests that have shaken Hong Kong, Paul Chan, the city’s Financial Secretary says Hong Kong is in recession and the economy is unlikely to grow this year. Thai PBS World reports that Mr Chan says the protests have had a devastating effect on the economy and that achieving the government’s forecast of…
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High-speed rail link approved
Plans for a new 7.4 billion dollar high-speed rail link from Bangkok to Pattaya got the thumbs-up Thursday (October 24). The approval comes after months of acrimonious negotiations. The government said it had signed an agreement on Thursday to begin construction with a consortium led by conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Group (CP) and including China Railway Construction Corporation. Japanese banks have…
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Visa fee waiver extended
Thailand’s Cabinet has approved a 6 month extension of the Visa on Arrival fee waiver for visitors, designed to generate more tourism spending in Thailand. A deputy government spokesperson said yesterday (October 28) that the Cabinet has in principle approved the draft fee waiver extension for six months beyond the initial expiry date to April 30 2020. Under the campaign,…
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‘Flextension’ granted to Britain over the Brexit – new date January 31
PHOTO: Strained relations continue between the British PM and the French President – Daily Mail European leaders say they have agreed to the request for a three-month Brexit extension for the UK to consolidate its position for exiting the EU. The EU Council President Donald Tusk tweeted the new moments ago. The announcement ‘kicks the can down the road’ for…
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Phuket hosts massive “Kao Kon La Kao” charity run featuring Toon
PHOTO: Mega beach party held out the front of XANA Beach Club along Layan Beach last Sunday – Laguna Phuket 13,000 people flocked to Layan Beach last Sunday for the “Kao Kon La Kao – Southern Series”. Led by the Kao Foundation’s Founder, marathon runner and hugely popular Tha rock star, Artiwara (Toon) Kongmalai, crowds of runners flocked to the…
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Thai exports will suffer from Trump labour rights decision
The Thai export sector will suffer another blow after the US President Donald Trump announced on Friday the suspension of 1.3 billion dollars worth of duty-free trade for certain Thai goods, claiming Thailand has not taken steps to protect the labor rights. In a letter to US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence, Trump said…
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Thai Met Office reports dropping temperatures from tomorrow until Friday in North and North East
Temperatures in the north and north-east of Thailand are set to drop 2-4°C from Tuesday to Friday this week due to a cold front moving eastward and south through southern China, according to the Thai Meteorological Department. The Meteorological Department reports that the intense high-pressure cell from China is moving south to cover the northern parts of Thailand as well…
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Thai banks report strong mortgage growth despite April’s new loan regulations
Ever since the Thai government enforced the higher loan-to-value ratios on property lenders last April, borrowers and developers have been generally unhappy with the result – a sluggish new home-buyer market. But some commercial lenders, particularly some of the larger ones, have still reported strong lending growth for the first nine months of 2019. Kasikorn Bank says its housing loans surged…
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Grab driver beaten up by ‘win’ thugs in Bangkok – VIDEO
Artit Chitnok posted a 20 second video on his Facebook page a video that showed 3 ‘win’ motorbike drivers (motorcycle taxi drivers) beating up a Grab Bike driver on the road. The incident took place on the night of October 26 under the Thonglor BTS Skytrain Station in Bangkok. The video was taken from inside a car while they were…
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Asia’s burgeoning urban population growth
PHOTO: Mother Jones Asia’s urban population continues to grow rapidly, according to a report by the Asian Development Bank. According to the ADB report, looking at the average growth rates of urban population from 1970 to 2017, developing Asia’s urban population grew 3.4%, compared to 2.6% for other developing economies and only 1% for developed economies. The average growth of urban…
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Thai government to slap CO2 tax on ‘big bikes’
PHOTO: bigbiketours.com The Thai Excise Department is poised to boost the tax on “big bikes” by 100,000 baht starting at the beginning of next year. The new tax will reflect motorcycle CO2 emissions. The director of the department’s Bureau of Tax Planning, Nutthakorn Utensute, says the Cabinet will adjust the tax increase for high-powered motorcycles based on their CO2 emissions,…
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Chiang Mai hotel has big plans for Loy Kratong
137 Pillars House in Chiang Mai has made elaborate arrangements for next month’s Loy Krathong festival, better known as Yi Peng in the North. The full moon on November 11 will see celebrants floating lotus-shaped krathong with flowers, candles and incense on rivers and canals to pay respect to the water spirits and carry away the sadness and setbacks of…
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123 kilograms of marijuana seized at border
Police found big bags containing 123 kilograms of compressed marijuana at a resort hotel in the Tha Uthen district of the northeastern province of Nakhon Phanom. The guests believed to have brought the contraband have fled. Tha Uthen’s district chief said on Saturday that local residents alerted authorities after seeing a few men check into at the hotel on Friday…
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Thai exports will suffer from Trump decision
US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that the US will suspend 1.3 billion dollars worth of duty-free trade for certain items from Thailand, claiming that Thailand has not taken steps to protect labor rights. In a letter to US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence, Trump said he had suspended duty-free treatment because Thailand…
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Police arrest human trafficking gang forcing kids to sell flowers in Patong
PHOTO: Khaosod Police have arrested people behind a human trafficking gang who were forcing children to sell flowers in Patong. On October 25 Phuket Immigration Police held a press conference to report the arrest of a 24 year old Cambodian woman, Kimhang, who they alleged was a member of a human trafficking gang operating on Patong Beach. The gang were…
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Five Burmese arrested trying to get into Thailand with dodgy passports
PHOTO: INN News Five Burmese, carrying fake passports to try and enter into Thailand, have been arrested at the Ranong checkpoint. Border control police reported the arrest of 22 years old San MG, 30 years old Hla Thein, 42 years old Nu Saw, 30 years old Than Tun, and 36 years old Aung Saw. They were arrested on October 13 by…
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Viral video of Pattaya bus driver arguing with suspected illegal tour guides sparks investigation
Pattaya Tourist Police have begun an investigation into suspected illegal tour guides after a video of a frustrated bus driver arguing with the guides went viral on social media. The Pattaya News reports that the bus was carrying Chinese tourists and the video shows the driver asking the tour guides where they wanted to go. The guides appear to be…
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Arrest warrant issued for Korean suspected of stabbing another Korean man in Pattaya
Police in Pattaya have issued an arrest warrant for a 38 year old Korean man, named as Keunhei Park, who is the chief suspect in the stabbing of another Korean national. The Pattaya News reports that the victim is an expat man who was stabbed seventeen times in the early hours of Thursday morning. He is understood to have undergone…
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Report into Lion Air crash blames variety of factors
Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee has released its report into the Lion Air crash of October 29 last year. Thai PBS World says the report blames a combination of aircraft design flaws, inadequate training and maintenance problems for the accident that killed 189 passengers and crew. The report states that Lion Air flight 610, which had taken off from Jakarta…
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Bangkok to Hong Kong the world’s second most popular flight, what’s the most popular?
The world’s top five flying routes are all in the Asia Pacific region, according to an International Air Transport Association (IATA) report. Aviation writers say the growth can be attributed to the addition of flights operated by low-cost carriers in the region. Passenger traffic between Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) and Hong Kong airport is Number Two on the list of the airports…
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Thai dog rescue service named Rescue of the Year in global contest
Walkin’ Pets by HandicappedPets.com is proud to announce Thailand’s own Michael Baines, and his rescue The Man That Rescues Dogs, as the first ever Walkin’ Pets Rescue of the Year award. Michael Baines is the founder of the Man That Rescues Dogs and is a true champion for special needs dogs. Michael Baines is a chef by profession and a…
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Fish washed up on Koh Naka probably from a fishing boat
Phuket Fishery Office explains the reason behind hundreds of fish dead on Naka Island Beach (Koh Naka). Responding to the viral social media pics of hundreds of fish dead on Naka Island Beach that spread across the net in recent days, the Phuket Fishery Office, yesterday (October 24), explained that the fish might have been dumped by a fishing boat,…
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Army hunting man who shot dog with a spear gun in southern Thailand
A man who shot and seriously injured a dog with a spear gun is being hunted by army officers in Songkhla province, southern Thailand. The man is accused of shooting the dog twice, with the arrows piercing its liver and stomach. The “Smiledog Home Hatyai” Facebook page says the dog is named Mee Dum. Photo:Smiledog Home Hatyai It was…
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Korean man in coma after Pattaya stabbing
A 28 year old tourist from South Korea has been left in a coma after being stabbed 17 times in Pattaya. The Nation reports that the incident happened in the Bang Lamung district in the early hours of yesterday morning. The victim has been named as Park Jin-hyung. It’s understood that a local taxi driver called the police at around…
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Kasikorn Bank predicts 4-6% growth in loans for 2020
Despite the expectation of a sluggish economy in 2020, Kasikorn bank aims to grow its loan volume by 4-6% next year. They it say they will achieve this withs emphasis “on services that meet customers’ business and lifestyle needs, effective cost management and using data in lending to retail customers”. Banthoon Lamsam, KBank’s board chairman, says the Thai economy in 2020…
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Thai Red Cross issues appeal for blood donations
Blood supplies are running low and The National Blood Centre of the Thai Red Cross Society is urging members of the public to give blood in order to help meet demand. Thai PBS World reports that a decrease in the number of people donating blood since the beginning of the month has led to a significant drop in supply. The…
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Ubon Ratchathani collision kills seven, seriously injures four
An accident between a mini-bus and a six-wheel truck has left seven dead and seriously injured four others. Thai PBS World reports that the collision happened in Ubon Ratchathani, northeast Thailand, yesterday morning. Witnesses say the mini-van was travelling at high speed when the driver lost control, crossing into the path of oncoming traffic and colliding head-on with the truck.…
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Police foil attempt to smuggle one million yaba pills from north to south of Thailand
Thai Residents reports that acting on intelligence reports, Border Patrol Police (BPP) in Chiang Mai have busted a drug smuggling operation that was attempting to transport a million yaba pills from the north of the country to the south. The operation began on October 22, with the gang planning to transport the pills from Chiang Dao district through the forest…
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Thai Airways not at risk of shutting down: president
Thai Airways is not at risk of shutting down and recent news reports about the airline’s situation were “misinterpreted”, the beleaguered carrier’s president insisted on Wednesday. The statement appeared to directly contradict remarks he made to high-ranking THAI staff in a speech on Tuesday. He said the remarks were to encourage staff to make an earnest effort to ensure the…
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