News
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5 hidden healthcare costs in Thailand and how to avoid them
Thailand's healthcare system is affordable and supported by the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) scheme, offering essential services to most citizens. However, hidden healthcare costs can surprise patients and lead to unexpected expenses. These include specialist fees, insurance gaps, emergency services,...
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Orchard road bans smoking
From The Straits Times – Asia News Network Singapore’s shopping paradise, Orchard Road is now smoke-free. A smoking ban kicked in on January 1 which prohibits smokers from lighting up in public areas. However there are designated smoking areas along the famous shopping strip. Enforcement officers from the National Environment Agency, dressed in white No Smoking Zone polo T-shirts, are on patrol in…
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Unseasonal storms predicted for the South
Southern provinces are under warnings from the Thai Meteorological Department following official notifications yesterday. They’re also predicting that other parts of Thailand will have cooler temperatures during the forecast period. “Downpours and waves up to four metres are expected in the Gulf of Thailand from Thursday, beginning with Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, Krabi, Trang…
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Seven dead after murder/suicide at New Year party in Chumphon
PHOTO: Thinnakorn, right, speaks to his family following the murders by Prasit Leelahakhunakorn A 41 year old is dead after killing six of his relatives, including his two children aged 6 and 9 and then turning the gun on himself. The incident happened during a new year party at their home in Chumphon. Police were alerted to the shootings just…
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National road toll – Day Five “Seven Days of Danger”
“Chiang Mai has reported the highest cumulative crashes with 91 cases yesterday.” 314 lives have been lost in 2,761 road incidents over the first five days of the New Year seven day safety campaign. 2,848 people have been injured during the same period around Thailand’s roads. The most cited causes for Monday’s road incidents were drunk driving (44.9 per cent)…
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Day Five Phuket – ‘seven days of danger’
PHOTO: Karon Police / Kritsada Mueanhawong According to statistics issued by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Phuket Office, the island registered seven accidents and one death on Day Five (December 31) of the annual road safety campaign. Total of the five days of the campaign in Phuket is four deaths. A motorbike driver has died at the scene…
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Helping Koh Samui fight the garbage glut
Photos and story by Laurie Maitenaz An article by guest writer Laurie Maitenaz, a resident of Koh Samui, seeks to focus attention on the long-term garbage accumulation problems on the island. Most of his 11-point-plan to reduce garbage are things we can all action around the Kingdom. Let’s make 2019 the year of garbage reduction – think globally but act…
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The legalisation of cannabis for medical use – more questions than answers
by Laura Villadiego “Despite what looks to be the biggest step in decades towards legalisation of cannabis in Thailand… the use of cannabis in Thailand without a licence is still punishable with jail terms.” Unclear licensing rules have given rise to fears foreign firms might apply for patents and squeeze out local players There are concerns the public might think…
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Six reasons Thailand’s English skills are the lowest in SE Asia
by tastythailand.com An article, compiled by tastythailand.com, chronicles some of the key reasons Thailand’s education system battles with the teaching of English. An unnamed author poses the premise…. “In the last few years, as countries like Vietnam and Laos now have English skills surpassing Thailand’s, it’s become obvious Thailand’s education system is to blame. But why?” Thailand’s education is a…
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King Maha Vajiralongkorn wishes Thais well for a prosperous 2019
His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn has offered New Year blessings by wishing everybody happiness, prosperity, good health and wisdom for the coming year. “When you have love, goodwill, wisdom and reason, as well as moderation, patience, perseverance and problem-solving skills, you will be happy and satisfied with yourself. “As a result, there will be happiness within your family, society and…
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CAAT probe crash of light-aircraft that killed South African pilot
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has inspected the wreckage of a private light aircraft that crashed in Chon Buri’s Sri Racha district yesterday. The crash precipitated a fire that killed the 60 year old pilot, Mike Romberg from South Africa. The turboprop light aircraft crashed to the ground when it was about to make a landing at Rajamangala…
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Round the world handicapped pilot crashes in Chon Buri
A video has captured the final moments of a light aircraft that crashed in Sri Racha, Chon Buri yesterday. Footage also shows the aftermath of the crash. The aircraft was piloted by Mike Lomberg, a South African who was flying through Thailand as part of a round the world flying adventure. The private light aircraft crash-landed yesterday, killing the pilot. The…
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Chiang Mai soldier caught in gun road rage
PHOTO: Sanook Footage from a dash cam shows a soldier advancing on a family of three, threatening to shoot them with a gun in Chiang Mai. The incident is related to a preceding road rage incident in the Mae Rim district. Footage shows the mother and wife of the man trying to prevent them from continuing to argue as the…
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Man killed in Phuket road accident
A motorbike driver has died at the scene after colliding head on with a pickup truck in Rassada earlier this morning. The Phuket City Police were notified about the accident at Soi Paneang in Rassada at 01.05am. Police and emergency respondents arrived at a curve in the road to find the damaged motorbike. Nearby they found the body of a…
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Big whale sighted off Phuket – VIDEO
A large whale has been sighted between Koh Racha and Koh Hey, south west of Phuket, yesterday. Specialist believe it might be a Baleen Whale (Bryde’s Whale or Omura Whale). A video clip of the three large mammals has been shared in a LINE group ‘Coral Restoration’ which is an Andaman Sea Conservation network with a message reading “At Koh…
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Four minors and three men charged with gang rape of 13 year old Thai girl
PHOTO:Â Ban Kruat Hospital The parents of a 13 year old girl filed complaints that their daughter was gang raped by seven young men who lured her into a schools toilet in tambon Bung Charoen late Friday evening. The town is east of Bangkok near the Cambodian border. Out of the seven men, aged 14-22, four were minors and have been…
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One death in Phuket on Day Four of ‘seven days of danger’ – Total death toll reaches 3
PHOTO: The Phuket PR Office According to statistics issued by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Phuket Office, the island registered seven accidents and one death on Day Four (December 30) of the annual road safety campaign. Total of the first fours day of the campaign in Phuket is now three deaths. The one death yesterday was an…
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Tropical storm ‘Usman’ kills 22 in Philippines
Another tropical storm, this one called Usman has so far killed at least 22 people as it passed through several provinces. The storm has triggered floods and landslides forcing villagers to flee to safer areas. The death toll is expected to rise. More than 6,600 people have been stranded in various locations, while Cebu Air and national carrier Philippine Airlines…
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4.9 magnitude earthquake registered in Kanchanaburi
In the latest of a spate of earthquake reports for the region, principally in Indonesia and The Philippines, a report this morning from the Si Sawat district of Kanchanaburi with a tremor registering 4.9 on the Richter scale. No casualties or damage has been recorded. Seismologists report that the quake was two kilometres underground and was sensed in Kanchanaburi, Chai…
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30% rise in drink driving incidents
FILE PHOTO Despite all the hoopla, promises, checkpoints on all major roads and extensive media campaign, drink driving remains the leading cause of accidents over the first three days of the New Year holiday road safety period – aka. The Seven Days of Danger. Police report a 30% rise in drink-driving arrests up to last Saturday. 6,000 breathalysers and radar…
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Malaysians citizens being warned about travelling to Thailand’s south
The Malaysian Foreign Ministry is advising Malaysians residing in Thailand or travelling to the Kingdom to “remain vigilant and exercise caution at all times”, in the wake of bomb explosions and shooting incidents in the country’s southern provinces. Officials say bomb explosions and shootings had been reported in different parts of Narathiwat and Songkhla. No Malaysians were affected by the…
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HRH Princess Sirindhorn offers New Year wishes
Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn has expressed her best wishes to the staff of the Thai Red Cross Society and members of the public after presiding over the offering of alms to 100 monks to mark the arrival of the 2019 New Year. Organised by the Thai Red Cross Society, the annual event was held in front of…
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The Bay and Beach Club – Welcome to The Bay!Â
With a coveted location on Phuket’s infamous Patong Beach, The Bay and Beach Club is an elegant new resort which features 26 brand new luxury rooms. The resort boasts a prime beachfront location – The Bay and Beach Club is set right on the sands of Patong Beach in an area lined with towering palm trees. If tropical luxury is what…
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Security stepped up following multiple attacks in Narathiwat
PHOTO: Thai PBS Security in 14 districts of the Narathiwat has been stepped up after suspected militants attacked a tambon defence volunteer’s base in Ra-ngae district and detonated several home-made bombs targeting power poles and bridges in four districts on Friday night. Narathiwat is the Kingdom’s southern-most province, bordering Malaysia. Four motorcyclists and pillion riders were injured by bomb shrapnel…
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The unforgettable heroes of Tham Luang – 2018 in retrospect
The 18 day operation in July to rescue 12 young footballers and their coach trapped in a Chiang Rai cave was 2018’s most memorable event in Thailand. Most notable for the help that poured in from all around the world and the inventive means devised to extract the 13 young men. It was the assistance from the international community that…
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Two deaths in Phuket on Day Three of the ‘seven days of danger’
According to statistics issued by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Phuket Office the island saw six accidents on Day Three (yesterday) of the campaign, resulting in 4 injuries and two deaths. Of the 2 deaths, one was a one month old baby girl and the other a 23 year old Thai man in a difference accident. The…
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Sporting events, meetings and Indian weddings spur Phuket tourism in 2018
PHOTO: WeddingSutra.com by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com Phuket’s surging MICE market is now valued at 10.9 billion baht, as meetings, incentives and exhibitions attracted over 800,000 visitors to resort island in the last year. The islands increasingly prolific MICE market nearly doubled in year-on-year growth in 2017. As revenue for the segment skyrocketed from 5.9 billion baht to a record-high 10.9…
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Anak Krakatoa loses 220 metres of height
A section of the Anak Krakatoa’s crater (Child of Krakatoa) collapsed after an eruption and slid into the ocean, generating the tsunami last Saturday night. An analysis by the local volcanology agency found the volcano has lost more than two-thirds of its height. Anak Krakatoa, which used to stand 338 metres has now been whittled down to 110 metres tall.…
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Bomb and grenade attacks rattle Thailand’s southern provinces
The Thai PM has described the attackers as “opportunists” after a wave of coordinated bomb attacks by suspected insurgents hit Thailand’s “deep south” in the lead-up to new year and the resulting long weekend. The latest attacks occurred on Friday night in a series of seven separate incidents in three separate districts of Narathiwat province. Two bomb attacks occurred in…
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Tsunami advisory in Philippines after 7.1 quake off Davao Oriental
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has made a public warning to Filipinos on Saturday to temporarily stay away from beaches and not go to the coast after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck off Davao Oriental. In its Tsunami Information No. 1, Phivolcs said, “Minor sea level disturbances such as strong currents and rapid rise and fall of seawater…
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UK honours given to British divers for Thai cave rescue
PHOTO: CNN, The Nation The seven British cave divers who took part in the extraordinary Tham Luang cave rescue operation have been awarded during Britain’s traditional New Year Honours announced Friday. Out of the seven, four received awards of exceptional bravery, three were made Members of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE). The two divers who made…
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