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“Don’t arrest us. We just work here.” Activists call for ban on sting operations targeting sex trade
By Pratch Rujivanarom Stings and raids staged to crack down on human trafficking in the sex industry violate human rights, and lead to stigmatisation and discrimination against women who are working as sex workers of their own volition, an activist organisation said yesterday. Empower Foundation yesterday exposed the problems of discrimination and rights violations faced by women working in the…
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Breezy Day 4 sets up final day showdown at 2018 Samui Regatta
The Multihull class enjoying the breeze on Day 4 of the 2018 Samui Regatta. Thursday’s day off for the keelboats and multihulls was greeted with glorious sunshine, zero breeze and finished in the afternoon with a refreshing storm. Nothing lost from a sailing perspective and following the storm Samui Regatta was re-booted with 10-15 knots of fresh breeze today and…
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Dara Hotel control room fire – Phuket
There’s been a fire at the Dara Hotel in Phuket Town. No injuries have been reported. It is believed that the fire started from sparks inside an electric control room of the hotel. Firefighters were notified of the fire at 1.30pm yesterday (June 1) at the hotel near the Darasamuth underpass intersection (Central Festival). Firefighters with 10 fire engines, together…
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Temple ‘accommodation’ building works spark concerns – Chiang Mai
“When asked about the cease order, the temple responded that it had appealed to the court and was waiting for a trial, but the court had allowed them to continue construction in the meantime.” Local people are complaining to the Ou Sai Kham temple after construction of a four-story building next to a sacred historical 100-year-old house has began again.…
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Maya Bay’s four month ‘tourist break’ begins
Park Rangers at the Nopparat Tara-Mu Ko Phi Phi marine national park have placed buoys outlining a no-access zone as part of a bid to rehabilitate the park’s world-renowned Maya Bay. The decision to close Maya to pave the way for a rest period, and preparation for new access to the area, was made by the National Parks, Wildlife, and…
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Dengue claims first victim in Bangkok for 2018
Dengue fever has claimed its first victim of the year in Bangkok, among nearly 2,400 cases reported in the capital. Methipoj Chatamethikul, director of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Health Department, says the victim was a resident of Nong Chok district, Khok Faed subdistrict, but gave no further personal details. Methipoj says dengue had also been detected in two other Nong…
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Local teachers work with Soi Dog to pass on lessons in animal welfare
On May 24 – 25, Phuket’s Soi Dog Foundation conducted animal welfare workshops entitled ‘Humans Love Animals, Animals Love Environment’, gathering local school teachers from 12 schools across the island. Realising the importance of the younger generation and the power of education, the Foundation’s education team passed on their animal welfare knowledge through these educators who shared the experience and…
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Road accident prevention project aimed at schools – Phuket
A promotion has been launched at Phuket Wittayalai School in Phuket Town this morning, hosted Phuket’s Governor, with a target to decrease road accidents. Governor Norraphat says, “The number of accidents and injuries during this year’s Songkran Festival decreased, but the number of deaths from road accidents was the same as last year. Students were the highest demographic in this year’s Songkran…
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15,000 smuggled cigarette packs seized in Hat Yai
FILE PHOTO: The Nation (from January this year) Excise officials have seized 15,000 packages of smuggled cigarettes in Songkhla’s Hat Yai district last night (Thursday). The goods were found at a house in a rubber plantation in Tambon Klong U-tapao following a tip-off, says Thammasak La-or-iam, an official of the Excise Area 9 Office. The 25 cartons of cigarettes were…
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Six Thais arrested over re-posting ‘fake news’
A Cambodian man has been arrested in Phnom Penh this morning after allegedly posting fake news about comments allegedly made by the Thai PM. Meanwhile, six Thais have been charged with crimes against the Thai Computer Crimes Act for disseminating fake news about junta chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha. According to police, the suspects confessed to sharing a satirical piece of ‘fake’…
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Phuket Airport holds annual tsunami evacuation drill
Phuket Airport has held its annual tsunami drill. The drill yesterday (May 31) at the Phuket International Airport was led by Phuket Vice Governor Snith Sriwihok and the Phuket International Airport General Manager Petch Chancharoen. Mr Petch says, “safety is the most important thing we’re concerned with. The drill simulated an earthquake with its epicentre located at the Nicobar Islands –…
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Pattaya’s Walking Street gets a ‘family’ make-over.
Walking Street in South Pattaya is facing its biggest makeover in decades early next year for a more family orientated feel. The unsightly hanging wires are set to be buried underground in an effort to beautify the infamous red light street to appeal to families. But not everyone is thrilled about it – the operators are worried about the effect on…
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Draft plan to allow foreigners to work in 11 ‘reserved’ occupations
A plan by the Labour Ministry would allow foreigners to enter 11 of the 39 occupations that are currently reserved for Thais. If the plan goes ahead, foreigners will be able to work as civil engineers, accountants and architects in Thailand under certain conditions. “For example, we won’t allow them to work independently or become business owners,” Labour Minister Police…
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Durian being sent into space. Yes, really.
PHOTO: Thai Residents Thais are set to send durian into outer space in July. The fruit – that has people either delighted or revolted by its smell and taste – will be sent into space in what scientists say will be the first Thai food to leave earth. (We can confirm that there have been no Pad Thai or Som…
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Two escape injures in Patong house fire. Woken up by cat hero.
Patong police have been notified of a fire in a Soi near the Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road in Patong early today (May 31) at 05.20am. Firefighters and fire engines arrived to find a two storey old timber and concrete house ablaze. It took about 20 minutes to extinguish the fire. Fabric, a laptop and some stationary…
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Some monkeys will be moved, most will be sterilised – Phuket
A meeting was held today (May 31) at the Governor’s residence, hosted by Governor Plodthong. The meeting was to collate information from all the recent public hearings into Phuket’s monkey problems and relocation plans. All the public meetings agreed that the island’s monkeys, in the public ‘hot’ zones, needed to be sterilised in a systematic program. Tha Chin community in…
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Temporary market being set up to assist vendors this weekend
Forensic police have been investigating the ‘Trunk’ market fire last Sunday night (just off Phang Nga Road, Phuket Town), while an executive of the Jatujak Phuket Company, Wannakorn Pattarapakorn, was visiting shop-holders to discuss options. Read more about the fire HERE. An executive of the Jatujak Phuket Company, Wannakorn Pattarapakorn says, “Some vendors still have products that they were able to salvage…
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Phra Phromsitti surrenders over alleged embezzlement of temple funds
The former abbot of Wat Sa Ket has become the latest senior monk to become a guest of the Bangkok Remand Prison after surrendering to police yesterday. Previously known as Phra Phromsitti (Thongchai Sukhayano), the former abbot had absconded for nearly one week before he contacted police. “He claims he did not report himself to police earlier because he wanted…
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Chiang Mai hostel & guesthouse owners seeking clarification on Hotel Act
PHOTO: Manon Hostel, Chiang Mai Concerns over interpretation of the current Hotels Act, following a court-ruling last month about a Hua Hin condo being deemed illegal when renting rooms by day or week, have spread to Chiang Mai where guesthouse and hostel owners are seeking clarification. Guesthouse, hostel and small hotel owners in the northern city have filed a petition…
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Patong lifeguards call for safe equipment storage
Yesterday (May 30) one of Patong’s lifeguard posted pictures on his personal facebook. The photos showed a damaged lifesaving equipment storage box. The head of Patong lifeguards, Somprasong Sangchart, says, “Someone has destroyed the storage box near Loma Park on Tuesday (May 29) but everything is still inside the box. I discovered this yesterday morning.” “This is not the first…
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Hua Hin and Khon Kaen to get extra flights from Air Asia
Hua Hin and Khon Kaen, new flight destinations for Air Asia, are looking to get more passenger love with Air Asia announcing proposed expansion of routes to the two destinations. New routes are being added to and from the Hua Hin airport, adding to the first scheduled flights from KL, Malaysia this month. Hua Hin International Airport The proposed new…
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76 year old ambushed and killed in Chumpon
A 76 year old man has been snared by a cable while riding his motorcycle on a Chumphon road and then stabbed to death. His gold necklace and amulet worth 300,000 baht were stolen. This happened yesterday morning (Wednesday). Ban Nai Hood police say Somporn Chubanna was found dead on the Ban Khuan Hin Mui-Huay Sai Khao road in…
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Bus driver dies trying to fix air-brakes in Koh Kaew
Police and Kusoldarm rescue workers arrived at a car park inside a Shell gas station in Koh Kaew to find a parked Bangkok-Phuket bus. At the left back wheel they found the body of a man who was later identified as 25 year old Nattakit Bamrungrai from Kamphaeng Phet. The man was found half-sitting next to the wheel. His head was…
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Similan Islands – no more sleep overs from October
by Pratch Rujivanarom With Maya Bay at Koh Phi Phi Ley poised to close for four months from tomorrow, an announcement yesterday that overnight stays will no longer be allowed in the Mu Ko Similan Marine National Park off Phang Nga province starting from this October. While the number of visitors to its pristine islands will also be limited as…
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Search resumes for missing Russian on Samui
Samui officials have resumed a search for a female Russian tourist who went missing on Koh Samui more than a month ago. She is said to be suffering dementia. 39 year old Inna Obukhova was last seen at Centra Coconut Resort Samui on April 20. The operation is being assisted by a sniffer dog from the Nakhon Si Thammarat Border…
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Three arrested with drugs and firearms in Phang Nga
More than 10 police from the the Phang Nga Provincial Police raided a house in the Muang Phang Nga District. Police arrested 47 year old Wirat, 44 year old Aditep and 47 year old Kamon. Police seized 378 methamphetamine pills, 21.6 grams of crystal methamphetamine, nine firearms and some ammunition. “Wirat and Aditep have been charged with illegal possession of…
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Five injured in Phayao bang fai rocket explosion
A bang fai bamboo rocket exploded inside a temple compound in Phayao’s Chiang Kham district last night (Tuesday), injuring five villagers. Police report that the explosion occurred at 10.30pm at the Wat Phra That Sobwaen in Tambon Yuan after villagers performed a candle procession around the chapel to mark Visakha Bucha Day after the procession. Witnesses told police that the…
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Police poised to introduce new points demerit system
Police are getting closer to linking their computer networks to marry speed and traffic cameras, and traffic tickets with vehicle registration data, making it possible to start automating fines in the hope of having a more thorough and accurate penalty system. The Royal Thai Police say they plan to introduce a penalty point system to deal with traffic offences in…
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Flooding in Thailand’s north and northeast
Heavy rains last night (Wednesday) in mountains in a national park swelled canals to bursting levels in a village in Lampang’s Thoen district. About 30 houses in Ban Mae Pa Doi were flooded when the Mae Pa Canal overflowed with runoff from Wiang Kosai National Park, a common occurrence according to local officials. The waters subsided after about three hours.…
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Big boats blamed for trash on Koh Si Chang, Chonburi
By Daily News The local mayor is blaming big boats at anchor offshore dumping their rubbish into the sea off Koh Si Chang in Chonburi. Mayor Damrong Phetra says there were no local people throwing trash on Ngu Beach – his team were constantly having to clear up the rubbish and it definitely came from boats, he said. Daily News…
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