News
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PM takes full responsibility for Phichit’s Chatree gold mine decision
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha told the cabinet that he accepts sole responsibility and consequences for his decision to close down the Chatree gold mine in central Phichit province about three years ago. Phichit is located in central Thailand. A cabinet source says the Industry Ministry briefed the cabinet on the arbitration process launched by Australian Kingsgate Consolidated, the parent company of…
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US downgrades delegation to ASEAN summits
The US is downgrading its participation in two Asia-Pacific summits in Bangkok next week, a move sure to disappoint Asian partners worried by China’s expanding influence. US President Donald Trump is expected to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Chile in November, but the most senior official from his administration, when Thailand hosts the annual East Asian Summit…
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Possessed Krabi drug dealer leads police to his drugs
PHOTO: khaosod.com A drug dealer became ‘possessed’ before leading police to his drugs in Krabi. On October 29, Krabi police arrested two drug dealers, before one of them acted like he was possessed by a spirit and led the police to check his friend’s car to discover even more drugs. Initially, police arrested 31 year old Ekkachai Petchsong when he…
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Extra day off added to Thailand’s end-of-year holidays
PHOTO: Thaizer.com Monday, December 30, has been approved as an additional public holiday, meaning one extra day added to the year-end celebrations as an official day off. The Nation reports that the Cabinet approved the extra day, which brings the holiday period to a total of five days, beginning on Saturday, December 28 and running until Wednesday, January 1. It’s…
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74 year old woman injured in motorbike hit-and-run in Lamphun
PHOTOS: sanook.com Thai Residents reports that a 74 year old woman has been hospitalised after being struck by a motorbike and knocked to the ground while crossing the road in Lamphun, northern Thailand. The bike did not stop, according to witnesses. Footage of the incident has been posted on social media by the woman’s granddaughter, who attacked the driver in…
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Elephant chooses bad time for a lie down in Khao Yai national park
A large bull elephant has attempted to crush a car full of tourists that stopped on a road in Khao Yai national park in Korat (Nakhon Ratchasima), north east of Bangkok, prompting national park staff to remind visitors what they should do if they are confronted by one of the mighty beasts as they drive through. The 35 year old…
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The world scrambles to attract Chinese travellers
PHOTO: pri.org Spending US$277 billion worldwide last year, Chinese travellers are the world’s top tourism spenders, by a long margin. Now the global travel industry is scrambling to capture its slice of the lucrative ‘bamboo dollar’, and falling out of Chinese travellers’ favour can have a dramatic impact on tourism figures. For example, Phuket has suffered as a result of…
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Thailand has 6 months to discuss GSP with US
PHOTO: TNA Thai authorities still have six months to discuss the US decision to suspend tariff exemptions for Thai exports under its Generalised System of Preferences, according to PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. The PM says the US has suspended GSP privileges not only for Thailand but other countries too. Thailand has enjoyed GSP privileges for nine years and Washington might think…
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39 year old being sought by police over gruesome Chiang Mai millionaire murder
PHOTO: Missing millionaire 58 year old Wannee Jiracharoenying found in a refrigerator – The Times The Provincial Court in southern Chiang Mai province has issued an arrest warrant for a key suspect in the murder of 58 year old Wannee Jiracharoenying. Thai police have broken the case of the murder of the estate developer Wannee, whose body was found stuffed into…
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Chiang Mai police hunting for bus driver suspected in millionaire murder case
“The victim’s hands and legs were tied, and her body had been covered with cement after being placed in the refrigerator.” Chiang Mai police have confirmed they have sought an arrest warrant for 39 year old Vitoon Sritabutr, known as Tum, a song thaew (local public bus) driver who is the main suspect in the murder of a local millionaire.…
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120 Future Forward members quit the party
PHOTO: Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit – Khaosod One hundred and twenty members of the Future Forward Party, some of them former election candidates, have resigned, claiming that the party’s leaders have failed to keep their promises. Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit confirmed their decisions, saying it was their right and admitted that the party had made mistakes. Phuket News reports that…
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Chiang Rai and Hat Yai airports NOT closing – Thai transport minister
PHOTO: Chiang Rai Airport – mychiangmaitravel.com Chiang Rai’s International Airport is not slated for closure, according to Thailand’s Transport Minister. The comment came after Airports of Thailand’s president announced on Monday October 28 that AOT was ‘considering’ closing Chiang Rai and Hat Yai airports, throwing media, and the staff at the two airports, into a spin. The minister has told…
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Phuket to get new tourist attraction theme park – Carnival Magic
From next year, Phuket will have a new tourist attraction, in the form of a theme park called Carnival Magic. The forthcoming attraction, which will be located in Kamala (where Phuket FantaSea has been operating for 21 years), has been confirmed by Phuket FantaSea’s chairman Pin Kewkacha. “Carnival Magic is a theme park that showcases Thai culture through technology and lighting.…
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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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Commerce Ministry will appeal US GSP decision
Thailand will ask the United States to reconsider removal of trade preferences for Thai exports under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), according to the Ministry of Commerce. In the past, whenever trade benefits for Thai products exported to the US were suspended, Thailand has appealed to the US, according to the commerce minister, who added that it is ultimately…
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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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Illegal market tents removed in Prachuap Khiri Khan
Residents of the Gulf coast’s Prachuab Kiri Khan are in two minds about the removal of market trader tents that were encroaching on a busy public road, according to Matichon Online. Traffic police removed the row of trader tents yesterday following complaints about the illegal set up, and potential safety problems and disruption to traffic. According to Matichon, the traders’…
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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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Tiger Temple will adopt cats and dogs
Authorities in Kanchanaburi have begun building facilities at the infamous Tiger Temple in Sai Yok district to care for about 1,200 stray dogs and cats from a foundation run by a former Bangkok governor. Kanchanaburi’s governor was among those participating in a ceremony to mark the start of construction on Saturday. The temple, formally known as Wat Pa Luang Ta…
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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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Hong Kong property investors turn to SE Asia
“But now mainland Chinese, who traditionally viewed property in Hong Kong as a safe investment, are opting for rival financial hub Singapore and other south east Asian property hot spots.” by Sam Reeves, with Catherine Lai in Singapore From luxury Singapore apartments to Malaysian seafront condos, Hong Kong investors are shifting cash into Southeast Asian property, demoralised by increasingly violent protests…
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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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