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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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PM won’t rule out lèse majesté charges for protesters
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has implied in a media address that anti-government protesters may face lèse majesté charges. He has previously threatened to use the full force of the law against pro-democracy activists and was responding to questions from reporters about whether this included the section on lèse majesté. “It is among all those laws. Do you understand the term all…
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The Thai tourism new normal, learning to live with the pandemic
OPINION by Julian Spindler Thailand’s world-class tourism industry, one of the twin drivers of our economy, is in a deep, coronavirus-induced coma, close to death. No life support is currently available. Pandemic paranoia has gripped the nation, freezing our bio-security risk management in full containment mode, meaning zero tolerance for local Covid-19 transmission. The socio-economic, and some might add political, impacts…
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Thailand News Today | Bangkok exodus, Pattaya air pollution, Vaccine next month? | November 20
Last day of the week, and the second day of official public holidays in Thailand. We’ll be back on Monday with another Thailand News Today. Over 5 million escape Bangkok by car and public transport as holiday begins The Transport Ministry says just under 5.3 million Bangkok residents have left the capital as the long holiday gets underway. Not bad…
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Motorist escapes with minor injuries after train ploughs into car in Chumphon
A 36 year old amulet trader has had a lucky escape and is recovering in hospital after the car he was driving was hit by a train in the southern province of Chumphon. Kamol Srikhong, from Trang, escaped with only minor injuries following the collision, which occurred at an unguarded level crossing at around 10.30pm last night. The Bangkok Post…
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Teenagers break vending machine by inserting beer bottle tops to pay for coffee
A group of teenagers in the eastern province of Chon Buri has been caught on CCTV inserting flattened bottle tops into a coffee vending machine, causing it to break. In the footage, 4 teenagers, male and female, can be seen arriving on a motorbike and parking in front of a convenience store in the early hours of Wednesday morning. They…
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South Australia lockdown to end early, after man lied about how he contracted virus
A strict 6-day lockdown for South Australia will end early, as officials reveal an infected pizza parlour worker lied about how he contracted the virus. South Australia Premier, Steven Marshall, says a chef employed at a pizza business that was found to have a cluster of infections, misled officials. The worker told contact-tracers that he was a customer of the…
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Ministry of Finance proposes extension to shopping stimulus scheme
The Ministry of Finance is proposing to get Thais to shop the country out of recession. They’ve proposed an extension to the shopping co-payment scheme, Khon La Khrueng (Let’s Go Halves), first introduced last month. The scheme aims to encourage spending by offering Thai shoppers discounts of up to 150 baht a day at participating stores, to a maximum of…
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9 arrests as police net huge drugs haul in 4 cases in north, north-east
Millions of methamphetamine pills, over 800 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, and over 700 kilograms of cannabis have been seized by police in 4 separate cases. The Narcotics Suppression Bureau confirmed the seizures, along with the arrests of 9 suspects, at its headquarters in Bangkok. The parade of police and the seized narcotics are a staple in Thai police PR. The…
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PM threatens protesters with full force of the law if unrest continues to escalate
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has warned pro-democracy protesters that they face the full force of the law if ongoing political rallies continue to escalate. On Tuesday, thousands of anti-government protesters gathered outside the Parliament building, where MPs and senators were voting on draft amendments to the constitution. A draft submitted by human rights group iLaw, with the backing of 100,000…
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Vaccine could be ready by the end of next month – BioNTech/Pfizer
BioNTech has announced the candidate Covid-19 vaccine, the German company is developing with US pharmaceutical company Pfizer, could be released for public distribution before the year, at least in the US and Europe. BioNTech co-founder Ugur Sahin says that both companies plan to apply for “emergency use authorisation” of their candidate vaccine in the US today (US time), while European regulators…
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Man wearing pink raincoat wanted on suspicion of firing shots at Bangkok rally
The Metropolitan Police Bureau in Bangkok are hunting a man they suspect of firing gun shots at Tuesday’s rally outside the Parliament building. The Bangkok Post reports that the man was wearing a pink raincoat and a photo shows him pointing what appears to be a gun at protesters. The Erawan Medical Centre in the capital reported that it had…
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Police violence against democracy demonstrators – letter from Human Rights Watch
OPINION In response to Tuesday’s protests outside the Thai Parliament, and the police response, Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, responds. Published in full… Unnecessary Use of Water Cannons, Teargas; 55 Reported Injured Thai police unnecessarily used water cannons and teargas against peaceful democracy demonstrators outside the parliament in Bangkok on November 17, 2020, in violation of international…
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5 injured in Chiang Mai collision after driver falls asleep at the wheel – VIDEO
5 passengers in a public transport vehicle have been injured after a pickup driver fell asleep at the wheel and slammed into them. Nation Thailand reports that the collision occurred on San Kampaeng Road in the northern province of Chiang Mai. Rescue workers had to use specialist equipment to free the passengers, who were trapped in the bus. They managed…
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Red shirt leader says self-serving government has no interest in protecting the Monarchy
A leading government critic from the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship has slammed what he calls the government’s insincere claims of protecting the Monarchy. Red-shirt Jatuporn Prompan says the administration of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is only out to protect itself and cling onto power. He says yesterday’s rejection in Parliament of the draft charter amendment submitted by rights group…
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Filipino, Thai woman, arrested in Bangkok for running scam loan company
A woman originally from The Philippines, has been arrested in Bangkok alongside a Thai woman, for running a company that scammed people into parting with their money. The victims were persuaded to invest in a loan company called Filipino Cooperative Investment Loan, run by 30 year old Liny Paengkusan Camaono and 22 year old Thanyares Saiyanoi. Sompong Chingduang, from the…
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Apirat Kongsompong appointed deputy director of Crown Property Bureau
His Majesty King Vajiralongkorn has appointed former army chief Apirat Kongsompong and ardent royalist as deputy director of the Crown Property Bureau. The Bangkok Post reports that Apirat‘s appointment has been announced in the Royal Gazette and is effective immediately. The Crown Property Bureau is the quasi-government agency responsible for managing the property of the Monarchy of Thailand. The bureau…
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Some Thai embassies dropping 500,000 baht requirement for 60 day tourist visa
Reports are circulating on social media that some Thai embassies are no longer insisting on proof of funds of 500,000 baht for a 60 day tourist visa (not to be confused with the Special Tourist Visa). According to a report in the Pattaya News, posts in various social media groups dedicated to the 60 day tourist visa, would indicate that…
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Pattaya supply boat destroyed in offshore blaze | VIDEO
A speed boat, moored off Pattaya, caught fire last night. It was in clear view for people at the nearby beaches. No one was injured in the incident but the vessel has received extensive damage. Pattaya City Police were notified of the blaze at 8pm. Local police, Pattaya marine officials and emergency services rushed to the scene. The boat was…
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South Australia heads into major lockdown to control Covid cluster
The Australian state of Victoria, with its capital Melbourne, locked down for nearly 3 months, eventually cutting new cases down to zero. Now the next-door state of South Australia, with its capital Adelaide, has begun one of the world’s toughest lockdowns. Even outdoor exercise, dog-walking and basic errands are banned. The state of 1.7 million will now aim to contain…
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Bangkok police blame insufficient manpower for failure to control Parliament road clashes
Police in Bangkok have admitted they had insufficient manpower to handle clashes that erupted at protests on Tuesday. Anti-government activists clashed with pro-establishment groups at the Kiakkai intersection in the capital, leading to at least 55 people being injured, including 6 who were shot, according to medical officials at the Erawan Medical Centre who attended to the wounded. The police…
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Police threaten protesters with legal action following Tuesday’s Parliament rally
The Metropolitan Police Bureau is threatening to charge activists involved in Tuesday’s rally outside the Parliament building in Bangkok. At least 55 people were injured when violence broke out between rival protest groups and police. Piya Tawichai, from the MPB, says that, of the 4 groups outside the building, only 3 had applied for permission to hold a rally, including…
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Anti-government activists condemn rejection of iLaw draft, vow to fight on
Protests are set to continue following Parliament’s decision yesterday to reject a draft charter amendment submitted by human rights non-profit group iLaw, with the backing of over 100,000 signatures. Protest leader Jatupat Boonpattarasaksa says the rejection, which happened after the first reading of the bill, has left activists with no choice other than to continue the protests. He added that…
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Boeing’s 737 MAX takes its next step to re-enter commercial service
The US Federal Aviation Administration has approved the next step for the beleaguered Boeing 737 MAX to resume commercial flights after a 20 month grounding. But the factors that partly contributed to the plane’s grounding have not been addressed leaving the plane reliant on software to control its flying characteristics. The plane, a fourth generation makeover of 50 year old…
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Protests kick off again after parliament reject iLaw amendment to Thai Charter
The proposal put forward by iLaw, the only one not proposed by MPs and supported by nearly 100,000 signatures, has been rejected by parliament to be included in discussions for constitutional amendments. It’s set up another afternoon and evening of protests, this time being staged around the Ratchaprasong intersection in central Bangkok. Thousands of protesters have already gathered shouting “f**k…
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Thai PM extends Emergency Decree to January next year
The government will extend a nationwide emergency decree until at least January 15 next year. The PM has cited the need to prevent a resurgence in coronavirus infections during the peak New Year’s travel period. The impasse with protesters was not brought up as a reason to extend the current Emergency Decree. The CCSA chaired by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has…
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Morphine, cocaine, opium, to be legalised for medical use in Thailand
Thailand is set to decriminalise 102 drugs, including morphine, opium, and cocaine, for medical use and research purposes. A proclamation in the Royal Gazette declares that, from July 2021, the substances may be sold or used in very specific, limited circumstances. The drugs are classified as category 2 under Thailand’s Narcotics Act and also include fentanyl and codeine. That’s what…
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Students at Khon Kaen university gather to protest police violence at Bangkok rally
Students at Khon Kaen University, in the north-east of the country, held a rally last night to protest police violence against pro-democracy activists in Bangkok. The Bangkok Post reports that around 50 students came together at around 7pm, to protest the use of tear gas and high-powered water cannons in an effort to stop anti-government activists reaching the Parliament building.…
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6 protesters shot with live rounds in Bangkok, but police deny the claims
6 protesters were reportedly shot in yesterday’s chaos as police tried to repel advancing anti-government protesters as they attempted to march to the front of the Thai Parliament. They were shot with live rounds according to medical staff who attended to their injuries. Inside the parliament lawmakers debated proposals for possible constitutional reform. At this stage it is not clear…
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Finally! TAT partners with hotels, airlines, to offer travel stimulus package for expats
The Tourism Authority of Thailand is partnering with airlines and over 300 hotels around the country in another domestic tourism stimulus scheme, this time aimed at expats. It’s understood all foreigners and their families, living in the Kingdom, are eligible to avail of the scheme. The “Expat Travel Bonus” offers a 1,000 baht per night discount on hotel accommodation at…
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Deputy PM says rise of Thai baht is only temporary
Deputy PM Supattanapong Punmeechaow says that, while the Bank of Thailand is monitoring the current appreciation of the Thai baht, he believes the rise is only temporary. He says the appreciation is being driven by foreign investors turning to the markets as they seek to make a profit by the end of the year. According to Supant Mongkolsutree from the…
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