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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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No deaths in the first day of ‘seven days of danger’ in Phuket
FILE PHOTO As reports are tallied for the first full day of the ‘Seven Days of Danger’ road and marine safety campaign, no deaths were reported but five people have been injured. According to statistics issued by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Phuket Office the island saw 5 road accidents on Day One of the campaign, resulting…
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Southern intelligence contradicts Deputy PM over Songkhla bomb motives
The deputy PM General Prawit Wongsuwan, and national security chief, is linking the Wednesday night bomb attacks in Songkhla to local politics in the southern province. This contradicts intelligence units on the ground who suspect the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) were behind the blasts, in an attempt to disturb the southern business hub. The BRN are the main political organisation…
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Patong’s beach road closed for an hour for new year celebrations
The Patong beach road will officially close for an hour as Patong revelers celebrate New Year 2019 at the island’s most famous beach. Thaweewong Road (Beach Road) will close from 11.30pm-12.30am. The closure is meant to be a safety measure to stop the volume of tourists and new year revelers from being run over. But last new year the traffic was…
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NACC finds Prawit innocent in relation to luxury watches
“The controversy erupted late last year when Prawit showed up at a Cabinet meeting sporting a Richard Mille designer wristwatch said to be worth nearly 3 million baht.” The National Anti-Corruption Commission has ruled in favour of Deputy PM General Prawit Wongsuwan, saying he was not guilty of falsely reporting or concealing his assets. The national anti-graft commission’s secretary general Worawit…
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Deputy PM links last night’s Songkhla attack to local issues
Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan, and defence minister, has linked last night’s Songkhla bomb attacks to politics in the southern province. He says he is confident that the incidents had nothing to do with insurgency in the deep South, claiming that security authorities already knew who was behind the Samila Beach attack. “The aim was to cause chaos during the New…
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Seven arrested with 500 kilograms of kratom in Phuket
Officers have arrested seven suspects in possession of 500 kilograms of kratom. Police seized the kratom and made the arrests in Thalang today. Officers arrested three female and four male suspects – 34 year old Prapawadee Sangiem, 30 year old Kemmika Wongkla, 29 Wanidanut Manratoe, 27 year old Nirat Jaeka, 23 year old Tawatchai Chapharb, 23 year old Bakareeya Waehama…
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Blacklisted Egyptian arrested in Krabi, changed one letter in his passport name
An Egyptian man, who had already been blacklisted for 10 years, has now been arrested in Ao Nang, Krabi after entering the country by making a minor change to his name. Krabi Immigration Police Chief Col Supparueak Pankoson says, “27 year old Egyptian man Motazz Aly Mohammed Alyelnoby was arrested on Tuesday.” “We have found that Alyelnoby was suspected of…
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Thailand’s emerging ‘go to’ location for New Year
Tokyo, Paris, New York City… and Chiang Mai. Whilst the first three are perennial favorites to ring in the new year, Chiang Mai has overtaken Thailand’s capital as THE place to be to see in 2019, according to Agoda. Tokyo’s appeal continues with concerts, parades and light shows on offer. For Thais, Chiang Mai overtakes Bangkok’s crown for the top…
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Three bombs found on a Songkhla beach after blasts damage famous mermaid statue
A bomb squad has discovered three explosive devices at Samila Beach in Songkhla province, hours after two blasts damaged the landmark mermaid statue. The types of bombs are still unknown. The three explosives were found at the beach during a search after last night’s explosions. The landmark golden mermaid statue at Samila Beach was damaged by two explosions on Wednesday…
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Two whale sharks sighted off Kamala Beach
PHOTOS: ชารีพหัวควน VIDEO: Newshawk Phuket Two whale sharks have been spotted off Kamala Beach this week. A Facebook user ‘Niruj Kdtv Kamala’ has posted two photos on his personal facebook with a message reading, “Kamala fishermen have spotted two whale sharks which were swimming with the boat about three nautical miles off Kamala Beach.” Meanwhile, a large whale shark has…
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GoAir expands flights to Phuket with daily operations
Budget passenger carrier GoAir has announced that it is enhancing its operations to Phuket with the launch of daily directly flights from Mumbai, New Delhi and Bengaluru. According to the airline, it expanded the services effective December 22. “At the beginning GoAir started two direct flights per week to Phuket from Delhi, three direct flights per week to Phuket from…
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Religious ceremonies held at the Tsunami Memorial Wall in Mai Khao
Three religions ceremony were held yesterday at the Tsunami Memorial Wall in Mai Khao yesterday commemorating 14 years since the deadly tsunami that struck the island. About 100 people joined the ceremony conducted in the style of three religions – Buddhism, Islam and Christian. Flowers were placed at the wall by survivors and the families and friends of those that perished…
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Prawit’s luxury watch probe, delayed outcome by the NACC
Uncertainty over the fate of Deputy PM Gen Prawit Wongsuwan continued yesterday after the country’s anti-graft watchdog failed to deliver its report on the probe into Prawit’s collection of luxury wristwatches. The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) was scheduled to discuss the case and make a decision on the matter yesterday but postponed its meeting yet again, because a commissioner had…
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Tsunami survivors gather for the 14th anniversary of the Boxing Day tragedy
Services remembering the tsunami victims were held in six southern coastal provinces of Thailand, because they all shared in this tragedy. On the 14th anniversary of Thailand’s only recorded tsunami, relatives of those killed by the waves gathered yesterday to remember their loved ones. “I lost 11 family members in that tsunami and I could not locate all their bodies,”…
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Thailand approves medical marijuana
CNN reports… Thailand’s interim parliament voted to allow the use of medical cannabis. Recreational use of the drug remains illegal. Lawmaker Somchai Sawangkarn says the passing of an amendment to allow medical marijuana in the country “could be considered as a New Year gift to Thais.” “The amendment (on the Narcotics Bill) was passed on the second and third readings…
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Tourism arrivals in Thailand up 7.5% so far this year
• Chinese tourists are still accounting for nearly a third of arrivals. • Russian, UK and German tourists record strong rises for 2018 • Australian and New Zealand arrivals down just over 1% (average) for the year The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has announced the tourism figures for January-November 2018, providing an accurate indication of what the country can…
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Man kills ex-girlfriend and two others during jealous rage in Lampang
The estranged ex-boyfriend of a university student has killed a security guard before shooting his ex-girlfriend and killing himself in Lampang province. The Nation reports that 39 year old Damrongchai Monotham died at the scene, but not before killing his former 21 year old girlfriend Boonyaporn Kantalah and a 28 year old security guard Weerapong Morpa. Umaporn Srichampa, a female…
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2 Year old Burmese boy found too late
Photo: Bangkok Post After 9 days of searching, a missing 2 year old Burmese boy has been found dead in a sugar can field in the U Thong district, Suphan Buri, north-west of Bangkok. Yesterday the Suphan Buri Governor ordered some 700 rescuers to meticulously search the plantation for any signs of the boy. The body was found around 4.30…
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More leather back sea turtle eggs found at a Phang Nga beach
About 80-100 eggs have been found after a leather back sea turtle laid eggs on a beach in Tai Mueang, Phang Nga. The mother leather back sea turtle had laid 93 eggs at the beach in Khao Lak, Phang Nga last week. Now, 89 eggs have been carefully moved to a safe area on the beach whilst four eggs had broken.…
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Free internet for low income earners with registered welfare cards
Photo: Backyard Travel The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has announced a project where some 1.8 million registered low-income earners, especially in remote areas, will receive internet in their home for three years. As part of a Universal Service Obligation (USO) project, the aim is to close the ‘digital gap’ providing internet access to 2.1 million households or 6.3…
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New Chalong Circle traffic conditions for New Year traffic
PHOTO: The Phuket PR Office The Phuket Highway Office has announced new traffic conditions for the Chalong Circle roadworks during New Year. In the announcement there is no date mentioned for the start of what they call “new year festival’ but most of the changes listed are already in force. The map (below) provided by the Phuket Highway Office is…
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AMLO seizes ‘Phoenix’, plans to sell by auction
The Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) has seized the ‘Phoenix’ which will now be sold by auction. The Thai Immigration Bureau Chief, Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn, has already confirmed that many aspects of the ‘Phoenix’ design and operation were substandard. The issues which made Phoenix illegal and substandard are mostly fixable, including proper marine-grade glass, marine-grade propulsion, proper bulkhead doors, ballasting and approved…
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Medical marijuana is now legal in Thailand
• Possession of marijuana and krathom within legal limits will be allowed for treatment of certain diseases, for first aid or in cases of emergency •The committee has the authority to give permission to requests for production, import and export of marijuana A new law that legitimises the use of marijuana for medical purposes has sailed through the National Legislative Assembly…
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Cabinet passes civil partnership bill for same-sex couples
If you’re at least 20 years old, and one of you has Thai nationality, then, as a same-sex couple, you will soon be able to marry in Thailand. The cabinet has approved the civil partnership Bill, paving the way for Thailand to become the first country in Asia to endorse same-sex marriage. The current Bill, approved by the Cabinet yesterday,…
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Phuket gears up for Christmas and New Year festivities
Phuket Police have put on a show of force to assure locals, tourists and expats that they’re set up and ready for Christmas and New Year public safety. The Phuket Provincial Police Chief of Operations, Col Kittisak Prasertpon says, “We are ready to look after residents and tourists safety during festival.” He made the remarks yesterday at the Phuket City Police…
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Imam shot in Christmas Day shooting outside Pattani mosque
An Imam has been shot dead in front of a Pattani mosque today. Police report that the shooting happened in front of Ban Tha Rab Mosque in Muang district and identified the victim as 45 year old Sama-ae Jehma. Pol Captain Sirisak Wangkulam said Sama-ae led prayers and delivered sermons this morning. He then went to leave the mosque when someone…
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Fire damaged an embroidery shop in Phuket Town, put radio station off air
A fire has damaged an embroidery shop in Phuket Town yesterday afternoon. The damage bill is estimated about many hundred thousand baht. The Thaiger 102.75 FM has its transmitter and tower on the same building. The radio station was off air until 11am this morning as the power had been cut as a precaution. Firefighters were notified of the fire…
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Toll rises, officials warn of potential for more tsunamis
Dateline: Tuesday, December 25, 9am (Local Time) A threat looms of more potentially deadly tsunamis in between the island’s of Java and Sumatra in Indonesia, this according to the country’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency. 5,600 people are now reported as officially displaced. That’s on top of 373 killed, 1,459 injured and 128 missing. The toll continues to rise as searches…
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Political parties urged to push for lifting of media gag
PHOTO: Thai Journalists Association The Thai Journalists Association (TJA) has issued a statement urging all political parties to join its campaign for the revocation of four executive orders issued by the NCPO that have imposed restrictions on press freedom and freedom of expression. Even though NCPO have already rescinded some of the executive orders to pave the way for political…
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“Prayut unfit to be the PM” – ex Cabinet colleague
The Thai PM and the recently formed pro-junta political party are on the defensive as the chains are off other parties criticising them in the lead up to next year’s election. A Government Spokesman, Buddhipong Punnakanta, has been wheeled out to speak to the media over the allegations made by a former Cabinet member citing the Junta chief’s indecisiveness, aggressiveness…
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