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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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Legally grown marijuana to boost medical field, economy
In its weekly meeting yesterday, the Cabinet approved a Public Health Ministry proposal to amend the Narcotics Act to allow patients, medical practitioners and traditional healers to grow marijuana for medical and commercial use. The deputy government spokeswoman said the Cabinet approved the proposal submitted by Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to amend narcotics legislation enacted last year. Anutin, also…
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New electric ferries have a test run on Bangkok’s klongs
The Bangkok Marine Department has completed a test run of a new electric boat on Saen Saeb klong. The tests have been part of the development for a replacement of Bangkok’s deisel-powered, noisy and dirty canal and river ferries. Marine Department Director General, Wittaya Yamuang says the tests of the eco-friendly passenger boat on Saen Saeb canal was all over…
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Independent panel recommend re-instatement of ‘Boss’ charges
Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya is likely to not only face charges of “reckless driving causing death” but also drugs charges involving Cocaine use. In another dramatic twist in the ongoing “Boss” saga, an independent panel has recommended the reckless driving charge be re-instated along with new charges of Cocaine abuse. Nearly 2 weeks ago the deputy attorney-general, and an acting police…
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Thai PM says he supports changes to Constitution
In an apparent nod to the student protests which have swept the nation for over 2 weeks, Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has promised to push for constitutional amendments, saying the government will present its version of a charter rewrite bill in the next parliamentary session. Speaking after yesterday’s weekly cabinet meeting, Prayut said his position has been to support the…
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Huge explosion at Port of Beirut kills 78 – VIDEO
The death toll from a massive port explosion in the capital Beirut yesterday had reached 78. Nearly 4,000 people have been injured, according to Lebanon’s health minister Hamad Hasan bringing local media up to date. The death toll is expected to rise. “There are many people missing until now. People are asking the emergency department about their loved ones and…
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3 men saved after rescuers spotted a huge SOS in the sand on remote Pacific island
It reads like a Hollywood script (or the first episode of ‘I Dream of Jeannie’), but this time it was for real. And it worked. 3 men were rescued from a tiny western Pacific island after scrawling a giant SOS sign into the sand. It was able to be seen by rescue aircraft. The men had gone missing in the Micronesia…
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AirAsia X forced to ground its international fleet until borders re-open
Regional airlines are struggling to find any semblance of ‘new normal’ as they try to get their flight schedules settled for the next few months. With regional government’s unable to provide them timing for the lifting of border restrictions, and some re-closing borders, it has become a nightmare for the international carriers. Now Air Asia X, the international division of…
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Independent panel reviews Boss case to see if it can be re-opened
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has asked the independent panel examining the dismissal of charges relating to the 2012 hit-and-run case against Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya if it can be re-opened. Prosecutors abruptly decided not to arraign Boss on a charge of “reckless driving causing death” after the other charges relating to the incident had lapsed due to the statute of limitations. “I’ve…
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Skeletal remains found in Chon Buri may be those of missing Burmese worker – VIDEO
A human skeleton found inside dense bushland is believed to be that of a Burmese national who worked at commercial fishponds nearby. The owner of the fishponds, 50 year old Somyot Lieamhan, says clothing found near the skeleton matched those worn by the man, named only as ‘Mint’, at the time he disappeared. Somyot says the worker disappeared shortly after…
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11 groups of people allowed to fly into Thailand, as of today
The Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand have issued the “Notification on Conditions for Aircraft Permitted to Enter Thailand Version 3. UPDATE: The CAAT has listed 11 groups of Thai and non-Thai nationals (foreigners) permitted to enter Thailand. The groups consist of the following… (1) Thai nationals. (2) Persons with an exemption or persons being…
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Monk attacked by a swarm of hornets in northern Thailand
A monk at a temple in the northern province of Lampang, south of Chiang Mai, has been attacked by a swarm of hornets, resulting in him being stung at least 30 times on his face, lips and body. Thai Residents reports that the attack took place at night as the monk was feeding the temple dogs. Rescue workers were dispatched…
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107 kilograms of cannabis seized, 3 arrested in Chon Buri drugs bust
Police in Chon Buri have carried out a large drug seizure, confiscating 107 kilograms of cannabis, as well as other items. 3 suspects are under arrest. Police confirmed the arrests and confiscation of illegal substances at a press conference held shortly after. The first 2 arrests took place at a restaurant in Soi Buakhao in Pattaya, with the suspects named…
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Farmlands flooded in Nong Bua Lam Phu Province as heavy rain persists
Flooding has inundated over 1,000 rai of farmland and the main highway in Nong Bua Lam Phu province, between Khon Kaen and the Laos border in north east Thailand. Heavy rains since last Thursday have congregated in the area with more rain over the weekend making things worse. Highway 210, running from Udon Thani to Loei province, has been completely…
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Floods cut off the main road between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai
Heavy downpours since the weekend have caused flooding in the Dow Saket district to the north east of Chiang Mai city centre, cutting off the main road to Chiang Rai in the Pa Miang District. The area around kilometre 32.9 was still submerged last night. The mayor of Pa Miang area says that several points along the way between Chiang…
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1 more body found, 3 remain missing. Koh Samui ferry disaster.
3 people remain missing following Saturday night’s ferry disaster off Koh Samui where the car ferry, Raja 4, capsized and sank. Another body of one of the crew was recovered at 1pm this afternoon. Strong currents and poor weather has been hampering the rescue and recovery operations with operations leaders worried that any more people would have been swept a long way…
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4 people still missing from the Koh Samui ferry sinking
Rescue workers and recovery teams are still searching for 4 missing people following the capsize and sinking of a car ferry off the coast of Surat Thani last Saturday night. The ferry, the Raja 4, was on its way back from Koh Samui, loaded with garbage trucks and was about 2 kilometres off Don Sak Pier, when the incident happened.…
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Cambodia suffers acute Chikungunya outbreak
Chikungunya, often likened to Dengue, has spread to 12 provinces across Cambodia. Over a thousand patients have now tested positive for the mosquito-borne disease between July 19 and 31. Dengue and Chikungunya, though carried by the same mosquito type, are caused by different viruses. While Chikungunya is caused by a Togaviridae alphavirus, Dengue is caused by a Flavirideae flavivirus. The…
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Over 1,000 homes damaged as remnants of tropical storm Sinlaku wreaks havoc in Ranong
Tropical storm Sinlaku has made its presence felt in the southern province of Ranong, damaging over 1,000 properties in the Pak Nam district. Pak Nam’s location on the Andaman Sea means it bore the brunt of the storm, but the district of Suksamran was also badly affected, with several homes dragged into the sea by a fierce current co-inciding with…
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Investigations begin into the sinking of Chao Phraya dinner cruise boat
75 passengers, crew and staff were rescued last evening after a triple-deck timber dinner cruise vessel capsized in Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River. Both Thais and foreigners were aboard the boat. An investigation has begun into the incident. The vessel, called High Season, operating as a ferry and restaurant, listed to the right, capsized and then sank in the Chao Phraya…
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Crazed knife-wielding man arrested in Pattaya while threatening others
An unnamed Thai man has been arrested on Pattaya’s Beach Road and charged with causing a public disturbance after wielding a large knife and attempting to cut his own throat while threatening bystanders. The man was shirtless and rambling incoherently, with drugs or alcohol suspected to be involved. The Pattaya News reports that the man stole the knife from a…
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Philippines’ capital to re-enter lockdown as Covid cases surge in Manila
Manila and the surrounding Philippine provinces are heading back into lockdown from tomorrow, for a period of at least 2 weeks. The decision comes as the Philippines’ capital recorded a significant spike of over 100,000 new cases of the Covid-19 virus. Thai PBS World reports that the country’s President, Rodrigo Duterte, is imposing the lock-down on Manila and the adjacent…
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Trump advisers pour cold water on US president’s calls to delay election date
Donald Trump’s advisers say the US presidential election will go ahead as planned on November 3. The confirmation comes as Trump’s campaign and White House staff try to shut down speculation by the US President to delay the vote. Trump continues to cite concerns about the mail-in ballot system, which even his critics dismiss as unfounded and without evidence. The…
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Phuket may be chosen as test case in phased re-opening to foreign tourists
As the Tourism Authority of Thailand considers how the country might safely re-open its borders, the Bangkok Post reports that there are tentative plans afoot to kick off the project with Phuket, possibly in October. The director-general of the Department of Health, Panpimon Wipulakorn, says Phuket’s position as a self-contained island means it would be easier to control any potential…
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Chon Buri and Pattaya residents told to prepare for a week of rain and potential floods
Rain, and more rain. That’s the forecast for many parts of Thailand today. Already, over the past 24 hours, there has been torrential rain storms hitting parts of Phuket and Chiang Mai. Today the Thai Meteorological Department is forecasting a week of poor weather ahead in the Chon Buri province, east of Bangkok. There is an 80% chance of rain…
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City of Melbourne wakes to first day of 6 week lockdown and curfew
Australia’s southern state of Victoria is now under a state of emergency and a state of disaster. The state government have given police greater powers to help enforce the latest restrictions in a draconian bid to reduce the community transmission of Covid-19. The capital of Melbourne is now in a 6 week lockdown to tackle the latest spike in virus…
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UPDATE: Koh Samui ferry capsize. 3 people still missing.
3 people are still missing in the aftermath of the capsizing of a Koh Samui car ferry, the Raja 4. The incident happened last night, about 2 nautical miles short of Don Sak pier in Surat Thani, on its way back from Koh Samui. It was transporting garbage from the island and had trucks, crew, drivers and a company salesperson…
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UPDATE: Koh Samui ferry capsize. 2 more found alive.
The body of the skipper of a capsized ferry has been recovered, whilst 2 others have been found. This leaves 3 people still missing. Surat Thani governor Wichawut Jinto announced the latest info following the capsize of the Koh Samui car last night. The Raja 4 ferry was loaded with rubbish from the island, 3 10-wheel lorries and a pickup,…
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Korat driver injured after smashing into Buddhist shrine
A driver in the northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province, aka Korat, sustained sustained serious injuries after his pickup truck slammed into a Buddhist shrine. Police were notified of the accident in the Klui sub-district. Police and emergency responders rushed to the scene to find a pickup truck crashed into a concrete religious pillar shrine in the middle of a roundabout. The…
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Ratchaburi man arrested for murder, faking his own death
Police in the western Ratchaburi province say a man, facing a possible jail sentence, faked his own death by killing another man, staging a car crash and burning the body. The announcement comes nearly a week after police discovered the body of a man who had apparently burned to death in a vehicle at a car upholstery shop. It was…
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Second autopsy requested in Red Bull witness’s death
Police in Chiang Mai have asked the family of a key defence witness in the ongoing case of Vorayuth Yoovidhya, heir to the Red Bull drinks empire, to delay the cremation of his body. 40 year old Jaruchart Martthong was killed in a motorbike accident on Thursday involving another driver. Chiang Mai police say CCTV footage shows that Jaruchart tried…
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