Gulf of Thailand
- Thailand News
Navy rescues 1 sailor from Gulf of Thailand, 30 still missing
UPDATE 3 Last night, the Royal Thai Navy rescued one missing sailor – Chief Petty Officer Natee Timdee – found floating in the Gulf of Thailand. Natee was unconscious when he was found but his condition is now “safe.” The navy reports that 30 sailors are still missing. At 8:45pm, the HTMS Kraburi docked at Prachuap Pier after patrolling the…
- Thailand News
Body and 9 sailors found alive by oil tanker are not from HTMS Sukhothai, says navy
UPDATE 2 The Royal Thai Navy says the nine sailors found alive and one dead body discovered by an oil tanker in the Gulf of Thailand are not crew members from the HTMS Sukhothai which sank off the coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan province last night as widely reported in Thai media. At least four boats sank in Thailand’s waters…
- Thailand News
Navy ship sinks in the Gulf of Thailand, 84 rescued, 1 dead, 21 missing
False information in this story has been updated. In total, 84 members of the Royal Thai Navy have been rescued from the Gulf of Thailand after the HTMS Sukhothai navy vessel sank to the bottom of the sea last night amid rough conditions. One body has been recovered and 21 crew members are still missing. As of noon today, the…
- Thailand News
Navy ship sinks in the Gulf of Thailand, 73 rescued, 33 missing
This story has been updated. The Royal Thai Navy‘s HTMS Sukhothai sank in the Gulf of Thailand last night, around 20 miles from the coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan province, with 106 navy personnel on board. Navy vessels, tug boats and oil tankers rescued 73 crew members from the water, three of whom are in critical condition, and are still searching…
- Environment News
Three rare cetaceans sighted in Gulf of Thailand
Three rare species of cetacean (whales and dolphins) have been sighted by members of the Marine and Coastal Resources Department trawling the Gulf of Thailand. Scientists were surveying waters along Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram, and Phetchaburi last week when they observed an Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) at the mouth of Tha Chin River in Samut Sakhon and near the coast…
- Environment News
TerraCycle crusade to rid Bangkok canals of plastic goes on
The TerraCycle Global Foundation’s crusade to rid Bangkok canals of waste goes on. The US New Jersey-based non-profit organization believes it is winning the battle to remove toxic waste and plastic from the Thai capital’s polluted canals but admits the fight continues. Thailand has been identified as one of the top contributors to plastic pollution in the oceans. The kingdom’s…
- Hot News
More heavy rain to continue today in 62 of Thailand’s provinces
More heavy rain is in today’s forecast for 62 of the 72 Thai provinces. The Meteorological Department warned civilians in these provinces, which include Bangkok, to brace for torrential rain. According to the forecast, a monsoon trough is moving its way down the lower northern region of the country and the upper Central Plains over the next day. A moderate southwesterly…
- Transport News
Investigation begins into Thailand’s latest maritime incident off Chumpon
Thailand has logged another maritime mishap with the fire on a passenger ferry, about 5 kilometres off the coast of Chumpon. The sea conditions were reported as “rough” at the time of the incident off the uninhabited Koh Thong Lang. This time 20 people were on board, but the 18 passengers jumped into the water and were all rescued. A…
- Pattaya News
Police arrest alleged Sri Racha drug dealer with gun, Chon Buri
Yesterday, police arrested an alleged drug dealer in Sri Racha, Chon Buri. According to reporters at The Pattaya News, the alleged dealer had 92 amphetamine pills and 10.8 grams of crystal meth, along with a gun and six bullets. The alleged dealer reportedly confessed that all the illegal substances and weapons belonged to him. Two suspected female addicts were with…
- Eastern Thailand News
Gas pipe falls on Rayong construction worker, kills him
A gas pipe fell on a construction worker in Rayong yesterday, killing him. A backhoe that was supposed to lift the pipe couldn’t handle the pipe’s weight, and the pipe fell into a ditch where three workers were connecting gas pipes. Two workers managed to jump out and narrowly escape, while one did not. The pipe fell on him, and…
- Environment News
After pipeline spills, Rayong officials say beach is “still unsafe”
After 3 separate oil spills from the same company within a month, Rayong officials say the Mae Ramphueng beach is still unsafe. Health officials tested urine samples of officials who had to collect the oil. Out of 534 officials, 3 showed unsafe levels of volatile compounds. 18 other officials still await their results. The Rayong Pollution Control Centre also said…
- South Thailand News
Pumice from volcanic eruption found on southern beaches off Gulf of Thailand
Locals who live near the beaches of Songkhla and other southern districts along the Gulf of Thailand have found numerous small pumice stones that are believed to be from a volcanic eruption. No one knows where these spongy greyish-green stones came from. They were discovered along the shoreline in various locations, including Chalathat and Samila beaches, and other major tourist…
- Covid-19 News
Koh Chang national park closed due to Covid-19, but island remains open
The popular tourist destination of Mu Koh Chang, on the Gulf of Thailand’s eastern seaboard, has been partially-closed, as a result of Covid-19. Officials have decided to close camp sites and other tourism facilities in the national park. However, the remainder of the island remains open to visitors. According to a Thai PBS World report, there had been some initial…
- Transport News
Transport Ministry says Thai land bridge will become transit port to rival Hong Kong
The transport minister is feeling optimistic about a new land bridge development which will connect the southern provinces of Ranong and Chumphon. The Bangkok Post reports that the project will link Chumphon, on the eastern coast of the Gulf of Thailand, to Ranong, on the Andaman Sea. Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob says the result will be a transit port with…
- Thailand Weather Updates
Flooding rains hamper Koh Samui for 2 days
The rain has stopped in Koh Samui… For a few minutes. On the island, there has been at least a drizzle nonstop for the past 2 days, with fits of torrential downpour pelting anyone who braves the weather.A popular Facebook group, Thunder Road Reporters, is a community group that members snap photos and post live updates of road conditions they…
- Crime News
Russian man on Koh Samui arrested for possession of illicit drugs for sale
Police in Koh Samui arrested a Russian man on drug trafficking charges and seized various kinds of illicit drugs including methamphetamine, cocaine, ketamine, and ecstasy. The man, 47 year old Konstantin Savosin, was apprehended yesterday at a house in Tropical Villa Eagle Nest housing estate on Koh Samui, an island in the Gulf of Thailand off the Surat Thani coast.…
- Thailand News
Foreigner killed in Chon Buri car accident, other driver skedaddles
Last night, an unnamed foreign driver died after his sedan hit what officials believe was a trailer truck in Chon Buri, which sits on the Gulf of Thailand. When police arrived, the other vehicle was no longer present at the scene. Police and emergency responders were alerted to the accident at 10:30 pm at Motorway 7 in Nongprue. When they…
- Koh Samui News
Slow start for “Samui Plus” reopening, only 33 seats booked for this month
While the “Samui Plus” reopening plan is set to start tomorrow, it might be more of a “soft” reopening. Only 33 airline seats are booked for this month and tourism officials say it will be a few months before the islands see an influx of international arrivals. Similar to the “Phuket Sandbox,” the scheme allows the trio of islands in…
- Covid-19 News
Koh Samet marks 100% success rate in vaccinating target group
Koh Samet, in the eastern province of Rayong, has been hailed by the Public Health Ministry after achieving a 100% success rate in vaccinating the target group on the island. Everyone living on the island, including locals, foreign workers, and officials working in the national park, have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine – 1,800 people in total.…
- Tourism News
Koh Samui set to reopen on July 1, 50% of residents vaccinated so far
Koh Samui is hoping to also reopen to vaccinated foreign tourists on July 1. At this stage it’s a proposal that will need to be approved by the CESA and CCSA. So far, 57,000 residents on the popular Gulf of Thailand island have been vaccinated, making up 50% of the population on Koh Samui, according to the president of the…
- Tourism News
Has the full moon set on Koh Pha Ngan’s Full Moon Party?
A full moon used to mean a full beach of party-goers along the Haad Rin strip on Thailand’s Koh Pha Ngan. But it hasn’t been like that for a year now as the Gulf of Thailand island waits out the restrictions and border closures caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The crowds of backpackers and revellers aren’t flocking to the monthly…
- Environment News
2 more Bryde’s whales seen off Koh Samui in marine park
2 more Bryde’s whales are gracing the waters off Koh Samui, after tourists spotted the marine mammals in Ang Thong National Marine Park. Wichwut Jinto, the provincial governor says park officials heard about the sightings and went out to confirm them. The whales were swimming near the islands of Hanuman, Thai Plao, Hin Dap, Wua Kantang and Sam Sao. Wichawut…
- Transport News
Transport Ministry to decide location of new southern land bridge by June
Thailand’s Transport Minister says the location of the much-discussed southern land bridge will be confirmed by June. Saksayam Chidchob says the bridge will provide a more convenient option for shipping goods between the Middle East and the Pacific region. According to a Bangkok Post report, the government is reviewing various locations in the province of Chumphon on the Gulf of…
- Koh Samui News
Koh Samui lights back up, underwater electricity cable repaired
Electricity is back on Koh Samui and Koh Pha Ngan after an underwater cable supplying electricity to the islands was damaged. Yesterday, blackouts swept over both islands in the Gulf of Thailand off the Surat Thani coast. Earlier reports say the cable was damaged by a Thai navy ship’s anchor, but now Provincial Electricity Authority district manager Jakkrit Meedet says…
- Koh Samui News
Koh Samui to start Covid-19 vaccinations early next month
Covid-19 vaccinations on Koh Samui will start early next month with 2,500 doses planned to be given to 1,250 people on the island, according to Surat Thani governor Wichawut Jinto. Island authorities are also proposing that foreign visitors be allowed to quarantine on their yacht, at a villa hotel or at a wellness centre. The tourist island off the coast…
- Visa Information
The Koh Pha Ngan party kept rolling at the local police station
Police have arrested 89 foreigners on the Gulf island of Koh Pha Ngan, breaking any number of laws related to the emergency decree about crowds, mask wearing and current restrictions. They raided a party at the ThreeSixtyBar. 22 Thais were also detained in the raid on Tuesday night after the well-publicised event attracted plenty of local party-goers. Koh Pha Ngan is…
- Thai Life
Tracking down “The Beach” – the inspiration for the 2000 Hollywood movie
Tourists flocked to Maya Bay, you know ‘The Beach’ featured in the 2000 movie starring Leonardo de Caprio and directed by Danny Boyle. Since 2000, the tourist magnet on Koh Phi Phi Ley became a Mecca for the back-packer crowd followed by a mass tourist flock, bringing some 5,000+ tourists to the small bay every day at its peak. In…
- Tourism News
Ang Thong National Park – Thailand’s most beautiful islands?
Today Manit takes you to Thailand’s second-largest island Koh Samui and then on to the stunning Ang Thong National Marine Park off the coast of Surat Thani in the Gulf of Thailand to seek the answer to the question… are the Ang Thong National Marine Park islands Thailand’s most beautiful. Then we will explore a magnificent turquoise lagoon, enjoy paddling…
- Thailand News
The Pattaya to Hua Hin bridge. Government discusses 900 billion baht investment.
The government is looking into a so-called “Thai Bridge” that would connect Pattaya to Hua Hin, an estimated 900 billion baht investment. The project would be part of the Eastern Economic Corridor development plan aimed at improving the transportation and infrastructure in Thailand. The 900 billion baht investment is expected to take 10 years to financially implement, according to chairperson…
- Thailand News
Continuous rainfall expected throughout Thailand this week
Continuous rainfall is expected throughout parts of Thailand this week with the potential for flash floods in some areas – after all, it is the wet season and, statistically, October is the wettest month of the year. The Thai Meteorological Department has issued a weather warning saying an active low pressure cell in the South China Sea is likely to…
