News
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Blazing opportunity: Four Twenty Thailand offers franchise programme
Did you know that Four Twenty, Thailand’s premier cannabis brand, has a franchise programme? That’s right, you can now join their efforts to bring high-quality cannabis products and a vibrant community experience to more locations across Thailand. Four Twenty has...
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Environmental Impact Report for the Ao Kung marina project withdrawn
The Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIA) of the proposed Ao Kung Marina project has been withdrawn after most locals rejected the idea of the project. The issue of potential damage to coral reefs was raised after local residents near Koh Hei, in the Ao Kung area of Paklok, was brought up with the Phuket Governor during the earlier phases of…
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Flight attendant flushes 160,000 baht down airplane toilet
by Philippine Daily Inquirer – Asia News Network An Egyptian flight attendant has been charged with stealing cash to the value of 18,550 United Arab Emirates Dirham (164,724 baht) from three brothers while on a Bangkok to Dubai flight on June 21. The airline hasn’t been named at this stage. The 27 year old confessed to stealing from the men’s wallets…
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Giving peace a chance – Malaysian PM visits Thailand next week
PHOTO: The Nation This year’s Malaysian election has opened up new opportunities for peace negotiations over the long-running border clashes and insurgency in southern Thailand. New Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad, who will visit Thailand next week, says he is keen to solve the conflicts in southern Thailand coupled with the upcoming general elections in Thailand, which “provide a new window…
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Thaiger Radio News – Friday
Listen to the daily news from The Thaiger, anytime, anywhere…
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Vaping could get you ten years in a Thai prison
Image Credit: Ecigclick Vaping, the popular alternative to smoking cigarettes, might be OK where you come from, but in Thailand sucking on your favourite ‘vape’, or even bringing them into the country, could put put you in a Thai prison for ten years. It’s not a new law, with the import of electronic cigarettes and shisha being banned back in October…
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Koh Payu macaques have fruit and fish feast
PHOTOS: Pongchart Chouehorm A team of officers from the Natural and Wildlife Education Centre headed out to Koh Payu where monkeys were released to their new home three months ago. The visit was to check on their welfare and give them some fruit and fish treats. The monkeys had already been sterilised and released onto Koh Payu off the coast of…
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UPDATE: Krabi rock-climber succumbs to injuries
UPDATE The Thaiger has been contacted by one of the family of Dr. Priel Schmalbach, who was enjoying a rock climbing vacation in Krabi with his wife when he fell from a cliff on Wednesday this week. He was rushed to Krabi Hospital. She has informed us that Dr. Schmalbach has succumbed to his injuries. She asked us to pass…
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TAT tap into Big Data to assist tourists
by Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is moving forward with the development of a Big Data system to cater to the growth in the number of tourist arrivals. (Yes, it’s another one of these buzz words when the word ‘digital management’ doesn’t sound sexy enough in the PR release. Read more about Big Data HERE.) The authority…
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‘Overwhelming support’ for decriminalising marijuana for R&D
“An overwhelming number of people are voicing support for decriminalising the use of marijuana for research and development, and for medical purpose.” This from Somchai Sawaengkarn, a member of the National Legislative Assembly, citing results of an opinion survey conducted between October 1-15. Of the 16,431 people who voiced their opinions on the issue, 16,264 voted in support of the…
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More cocaine being discovered in Patong
More cocaine has been discovered in Patong while more heroin has been seized in a major crackdown on ‘hard’ drugs. Police and authorities say they are concerned about the rise in drug seizures and the amounts flowing around Phuket’s seaside party town. Phuket Vice Governor Supot Rodrueang Na Nong Khai says, “Nowadays drugs price have decreased, especially the cost of…
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New Immigration chief sweeping a broom through Chiang Mai Immigration offices
SCREENSHOT: Komchadluek Responding to constant online chatter about the ‘mess’ at the Chiang Mai Immigration offices, the new Immigration chief, Maj-Gen Surachate Hakparn, is poised to transfer the existing Chiang Mai Immigration boss to an inactive post whilst further investigations are made into the office operations. People have been complaining about all matters, from long waits (some cited having to…
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Blissful Break packages @ Mövenpick Hotel & Convention Centre KLIA
Just an hour or so away, with hundreds of flights a day into KL, here’s something a bit different for a weekend ‘out of town’ or a business break, in style. Mövenpick Hotel & Convention Centre KLIA is a new architectural icon which opened this year near the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. They’ve now unveiled a new package that allows…
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Fire destroys Krabi market
A market in Krabi City has been destroyed by fire early this morning. The damage costs are estimated at more than a million baht. The Krabi City Police were notified of the fire on Uttarakit Road in Krabi City just after 2am. Firefighters arrived with four fire engines to find shops were ablaze. It took about half an hour to…
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Somkid says he’ll fly to Beijing to discuss luring back Chinese visitors
The fallout from a number of tragedies and bad PR has mobilised the Thai government to take firm steps towards luring back the Chinese travellers who have been looking elsewhere, other than Thailand, for their chosen holiday breaks. The Nation is reporting that Deputy PM Somkid Jatusripitak has said today that he may have to hold talks with the Chinese…
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Woman stages an accident and lies to police about gold theft
PHOTOS: Newshawk Phuket A woman has confessed to lying to police about two thieves that snatched her gold necklace and bracelet on Sakdidet Road in Wichit. On Tuesday, ‘Newshawk Phuket’ reported that two thieves snatched the gold necklace and bracelet weighing around 30g of gold, worth 40,000 baht, on Sakdidet Road in Wichit. Patrol police arrived at the scene to…
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No more coups, unless we need one – Commander in Chief
With the country heading for elections in February, or sometime soon in 2019, the hope is for a new, democratically elected government following four and a half years of military rule. But would the army rule out another coup? Army Commander-in-Chief Gen Apirat Kongsompong has refused to rule out the possibility of another coup if the country is plunged into…
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Final night of Vegetarian Festival in Phuket – Photo montage
The final night of the annual vegetarian festival in Phuket Town is one of the most exciting, out-of-control, intense and noisy public events in the world. It’s also very dangerous. But, somehow, the participants, mostly, remain unscathed by the sense-assaulting final night activities which sends the nine emperor gods back to their home in the skies. For three hours firecrackers…
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Islamic anti-vaxxers in the south causing measles outbreak
by Pratch Rujivanrom Anti-vaxxers in Thailand’s deep south are causing widespread discomfort and even death with a current measles outbreak sweeping through the three southern-most provinces. Vaccine denial is common in some Muslim communities and has contributed to the deaths of at least six patients, including children, over the past three months. Though vaccines are proven to prevent diseases – they’ve…
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Calls to restrict foreign property purchases in Bangkok
Dr. Sopon Pornchockchai, the President of the Thailand Agency for Real Estate Affairs, is calling for controls to restrict foreign property buyers. Thailandproperty.news is reporting than he is justifying his comments saying the growth in income of Thais is slower than the property price rises being pushed up by high foreign demand. “Some measures should be adopted, such as higher…
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Man rapes teen then forces her to withdraw money from ATM
PHOTOS: Sanook.com The national police spokesman Pol Col Krissana Pattanacharoen says that an arrest warrant has been issued for the man who raped a 19 year old woman then forced her to withdraw money for him at an ATM in Bangkok. The theft at the ATM was captured on CCTV. Sanook reports that the crime happened in the Mahadthai 2…
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Chiang Mai abbot defrocked over sexual abuse charges
FILE PHOTO An abbot in Chiang Mai has been arrested and defrocked for allegedly sexually abusing “more than 10” boys at his temple in Hang Dong district. 37 year old Phra Phansak Thitsilo, has now had his title reverted back to his lay name, Phansak Saenkhamwang, following his arrest at Wat Sriwaree Sathan in Tambon Sob Mae Kha. The warrant…
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Maya Bay recovering says marine biologist
Marine biologist Dr Thon Thamrongnawasawat says Maya Bay is starting to recover after many Blacktip reef sharks were found swimming around yesterday. Dr Thon has commented on a video showing the Blacktip reef sharks found swimming near the shores of Maya Bay yesterday, “I have seen them about 2-3 times in the past week that I have been there. This…
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Thaiger Radio News – Wednesday
Listen to the daily news from The Thaiger, anytime, anywhere…
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Invacio going global: AI company based in Phuket taking their message to the UN
Invacio, an artificial intelligence company based in Phuket, is attending a development event in Geneva, Switzerland. Invacio Research Analytics a group subsidiary of Invacio founded by William J D West and led by Linleeya West (Thai – Swiss Educated) will be attending this auspicious event, organised at the UN headquarters in Geneva. Linleeya West sees this as a great opportunity…
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Fake goods seized and two arrested at Patong market
Soon we’ll all have to buy the ‘real’ branded items as the fakes are getting more difficult to find. The authorities and vendors continue to play a cat and mouse game in the ‘intellectual property’ crackdown. Officers yesterday raided another market in Patong and seized more than 4,000 counterfeit goods valued more than a million baht. A team of officers…
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Leatherback turtles face extinction
by Pratch Rujivanarom It may be too late to save leatherback turtles from extinction in Thailand’s seas, as a legal deadlock prevents a conservation status upgrade to protect this critically endangered turtle species and three other rare marine animals. Wildlife conservationists are warning that the slow pace of stepping up the conservation of the leatherback turtle, whale shark, Bryde’s whale…
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Two million stray cats and dogs by 2027 – warning from Livestock Department
by Kornrawee Panyasuppakun In the wake of the criticism on social media following the proposal of the new pet and livestock registration laws, the Livestock Development Department has hit back warning that we’ll face a crisis soon if we don’t take action now. “Stray dogs and cats must be registered and sterilised, otherwise their population will reach 2 million in 10…
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Chinese arrivals down by half in Chiang Mai
PHOTO: Chiang Mai News A crisis meeting for tour operators has been held in Chiang Mai where they learned that Chinese tourism was down 50% in the first nine months of 2018. Some measures were put forward to woo them back – including setting up Chinese language classes to improve communication with the tourists from China. Reasons blamed for the…
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Mu Pa drops in on Gen Prayut at Government House
PHOTO: Thai PBS Members of the Mu Pa football Academy and team are back in Thailand following their whirlwind overseas tour of Argentina and the US, including an appearance on one of the most popular talk shows in the world. This morning they had a meeting this morning with the Thai PM Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha at the Government House. Accompanied…
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Thai-flag footwear NOT ok
Thai social media is all in a lather today after photos of the latest fashion footwear in Paris were posted depicting Thai flags on the shoe designs. Well, so they thought. Not only were they outraged and angry, they are demanding apologies and jail for the perpetrators. But a legal spokesperson in Thailand points out that these are foreigners parading…
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