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Southern Thailand flood death toll: 24
At least 24 people have died due to flash floods in Southern Thailand following several days of heavy rain. 19 of the victims were in Nakhon Si Thammarat which was hit the hardest. Today, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation reported 3 deaths from flooding in the southern region. A woman drowned in Surat Thani’s Phrasaeng district and 2…
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New Year countdown events get the “okay,” but under strict health measures
Lockdowns, social distancing, face masks and lots and lots of hand sanitiser… this year has been different to say the least and counting down the last hours of 2020 will be different as well. New Year countdown events have been given the “okay,” but just as long as health safety measures are in place, according to Nattaphon Narkphanit who leads…
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Samut Sakhon karaoke bar raided for alleged child prostitution operation
Police arrested a karaoke bar and restaurant owner for alleged human trafficking and sexual exploitation of teenage girls. After receiving a tip about an alleged child prostitution and trafficking operation, police raided the karaoke bar in Samut Sakhon, southwest of Bangkok, and found a 16 year old girl who officers believe is a victim. She is now at a temporary…
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2 local cases in Bangkok contribute to Sunday total of 14 new Covid-19 cases
2 people have been identified in Bangkok as locally infected with Covid-19. The announcement follows a week of revelations coming out of the north from the Chiang Rai border crossing into Myanmar where Thai prostitutes and workers have been crossing back into Thailand, infected, without going through any quarantine procedures. Thailand recorded 14 new cases of the coronavirus today, including…
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The 2020 Supersports Laguna Phuket Marathon has been run and won, despite all the challenges
Signs of life, combined with a determined event organiser and keen participants. And so the Laguna Phuket Marathon was staged in Phuket this weekend, despite all the challenges. An 8,000 strong field turned out to Run Paradise in Phuket this weekend at the 15th Supersports Laguna Phuket Marathon. Held on December 5 and 6, the ‘new normal’ edition combined stringent…
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China carries out first-ever lunar orbit docking, now heading back to Earth
China has carried out its first-ever lunar orbit docking today with a probe carrying lunar samples collected over the past week during a 48 hour stay on the Moon. The mission is named Chang’e-5, after a mythical Chinese Moon goddess, and is bringing back the first lunar soil samples in over 40 years. The capsule carrying moon rocks and soil…
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Thailand’s political landscape will stay volatile despite PM’s acquittal – Nida Poll
A new Nida poll indicates that people think Thailand’s political landscape will remain volatile despite the recent court clearance of PM Prayut. Around 27% responded to the Nida poll by saying the situation would be more contentious and worrying after his clearance from the Constitutional Court over his occupancy of a military residence after retiring in 2014 as the military’s…
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Thousands come out to show support for Thai King on Rama 9 birthday
Yellow-shirted supporters and royalists greeted HM King Maha Vajiralongkorn yesterday as he headed up birthday commemorations for his revered late father, the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. It was the latest in a series of high profile public appearances that coincides with unprecedented challenges to the Thai monarchy from student-led protesters. December 5 is commemorated as Fathers Day each year in…
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Go looking for mushrooms, find 10 grenades – NE Thailand
You’re just walking along, casually foraging for mushrooms when, behold, you come across 10 grenades! 10 LIVE grenades. That was the surprise awaiting a local mushroom picker in Si Sa Ket, North East Thailand, at the Huai Sala Wildlife Sanctuary. 58 year old Supin Thammaporn, was gathering mushrooms around the park when he found the unlikely cache of grenades. Military officials…
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“Vaccines are no magic bullet” – World Health Organisation
“Vaccines will be no magic bullet for the coronavirus crisis as nations gear up for a massive rollout to tackle surging infections.” The warning of caution comes from the World Health Organisation on the day the US United States recorded a record number of Covid-19 cases for a second day in a row. President-elect Joe Biden is already describing the time…
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Starting a Business In Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is potentially one of the most exciting places to begin a business, due to its young population, wide variety of skills sets within that population, such as those learned on an online MBA degree, as well as how quickly various economies within the region are growing. Places like Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia are becoming not just Asian, but…
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FazWaz accelerates growth in SE Asia property market with latest funding round
FazWaz, a leading real estate transaction marketplace headquartered in Bangkok, has raised a new round of funding to accelerate growth into 2021. Serial investor and Online Marketplaces Chairman Simon Baker via CAV Investment Group says he’s been closely following FazWaz for the last 3 years since they first attended our Property Portal Watch Conferences in 2017. “I believe that their mission…
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Report highlights glaring disparity among school-age children in Thailand
A report carried out by the National Statistical Office in collaboration with UNICEF has highlighted the significant inequality between children of school-going age in Thailand. Nation Thailand reports that, while students rallied outside the Education Ministry in Bangkok earlier this week, calling for reforms that include an end to strict uniform requirements, the biggest hurdle they face continues to be…
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Chiang Mai man tests positive for Covid-19 after illegal crossing from Myanmar
A 32 year old Chiang Mai man who was employed at the now notorious 1G1-7 Hotel in Myanmar has tested positive for Covid-19 after sneaking across the border into Thailand. The man worked as a DJ at the hotel and entertainment complex in Tachileik until he returned to the Kingdom via an illegal crossing at the Chiang Rai border on…
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US senators introduce resolution in support of Thailand’s pro-democracy movement
The US Senate has called on the Thai government to end violence against political activists, as it introduced a resolution in support of the pro-democracy movement. 9 members of Congress introduced the resolution, including Thai-American senator Tammy Duckworth, who has previously served in the US military. “As a Thai-American who fought to protect the right to peacefully protest here at…
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Covid-infected Thai returnees: Myanmar hotel in the spotlight
With the news that at least 10 Covid-infected Thai women working in Myanmar bypassed health checks and quarantine on their return to the Kingdom, all eyes have turned to their place of work. Interest in the 1G1-7 Hotel has grown as a result of a resident in the border town of Tachileik claiming it is used as a centre for…
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Ceremony marks 6 months since Thai activist’s disappearance in Cambodia
It’s been 6 months since Thai pro-democracy activist Wanchalearm Satsaksit disappeared in Cambodia. Many, including his family, claim the activist was abducted. The Human Rights Watch says the 37 year old was seen being forced into a vehicle in front of his Phnom Penh apartment in June. A Buddhist ceremony was held today outside the activist’s apartment, marking 6 months…
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Man sets himself on fire at Chon Buri market, 3 others injured
A man set himself on fire at a Chon Buri seafood restaurant in the Angsila district. 3 people were injured and treated at a local hospital after trying to put out the flames, reports say. The man allegedly poured a gallon of oil on himself and set himself on fire using a cigarette lighter. Reports say he was seriously injured.…
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Greenpeace Thailand names 5 local companies “top plastic polluters”
After collecting thousands of pieces of plastic waste, Greenpeace Thailand found that the majority of the trash comes from 5 Thai Companies, naming them the “top plastic polluters.” Volunteers from Greenpeace collected plastic waste from Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai and Wonnapa beach in Chon Buri. Out of the 13,001 pieces of plastic was collected, they say most of the…
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5 shot and in critical condition after gang clash in Phitsanulok
5 people were shot and severely wounded in an alleged turf war between 2 rival gangs in Phitsanulok’s Wang Thong district. Police say gang members attacked another gang because they were on “their territory.” Police say the alleged attackers threw ping pong bombs and fired shots at the rival gang members. The victims were reportedly found with several bullet wounds and…
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Khao San Road remains empty during the day, night crowds keep the street alive
Without foreign tourists at Bangkok’s infamous backpacker mecca, Khao San Road has gone quiet. While nights draw local crowds, it’s not what it used to be and the once bustling street remains empty during the day time. While locals frequent the nightclubs and bars on the street, Khao San Road is not nearly what is was like before the pandemic.…
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Pattaya bike rider injured after plunging into large construction hole in road
A motorbike driver has been injured after his bike plunged into a 2-metre deep construction pit in the Naklua area of Pattaya. The Pattaya News reports that the accident occurred around 4am on Thursday morning, with rescue workers arriving to find the bike at the bottom of the pit. The driver, 39 year old Wassapon Thataworn, had managed to climb…
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Chinese probe heads back to Earth after spending 2 days on the Moon
A Chinese space probe, Chang’e 5, is now on its way back to earth after having flown to the Moon, landed, explored, collected soil samples and taken off again. It will bring the first lunar rock and soil samples back to Earth in over 4 decades. The probe is bringing a payload of some 2 kilograms of rocks back for…
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150 Thai workers ask to be allowed home from Myanmar’s virus-hit Tachilek
The Department of Disease Control says up to 150 Thai nationals have applied to return from Tachilek, as Covid-19 cases rise in the Burmese border town. The requests come as health officials attempt to trace hundreds who came into contact with a number of Covid-infected Thai women who crossed into the Kingdom illegally, bypassing health checks and quarantine. A man…
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Schoolgirl bursts into tears meeting Panasaya, fearing for activist’s safety
Protest leader Panusaya Sitthijirawattanakul, aka, “Rung”, has been pictured consoling a young schoolgirl who broke down in tears, concerned about the activist’s safety. Rattapol Kaiipah Promsuwan, who witnessed the exchange, has shared a photo of the moment on social media. She says the girl, who is in Grade 6 (making her around 11 years old), had gone to the organisers’…
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Top medic says Thailand can become Southeast Asia’s foremost medical hub
One of Thailand’s most prominent doctors says the country should aim to become the leading medical hub in Southeast Asia, before any future pandemics arise. Prasit Watanapa, from Siriraj Hospital’s Faculty of Medicine, has called on the Kingdom to seize the opportunity, in a speech at “Thailand’s Mega Trends Forum 2020” in Bangkok. The event was organised by Forbes Thailand.…
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100,000 people now hospitalised in the US as daily deaths from Covid-19 surpass 3,000 on Wednesday
The US’s single-day toll for Covid-19 deaths passed 3,000 people for the first time on Wednesday. Yesterday the US recorded its 14 millionth coronavirus case, with the local pandemic currently racing out of control. Wednesday’s death toll of 3,157 people came as hospitalisations surpassed 100,000 for the first time. The US has recored 1 million additional cases of Covid-19 in less…
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Severe flooding in southern Thailand kills 7
Heavy flooding in the south of the country has killed 7 people, while many others have been injured. The worst of the flooding, which has affected 9 provinces, is in Nakhon Si Thammarat, which has had over 6 days of persistent rain. In total, the floods have affected over 261,000 households and tens of thousands of people, including a 14-month-old…
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K-Pop fan-funded billboards move from BTS and MRT stations to tuks tuks to support protesters
K-Pop fan-funded “happy birthday” billboards are moving from mass transit stations in Bangkok to tuk tuks after the BTS Skytrain and MRT Bangkok Metro temporarily shut down services during pro-democracy protests last month. The world’s K-Pop fans are weaponising their huge numbers and online ‘power’ by supporting Thailand’s pro-democracy movement. In 3 days last month, Thai and overseas K-pop fans…
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Thailand News Today | Thai Airways corruption, Southern floods, Border Covid outbreak | Dec 3
Thursday’s edition of Thailand News Today, including the latest in the local cases popping up in Northern Thailand. Thailand’s most watched English language news. 20 more people suspected of being involved in corruption at Thai Airways 20 people are now under suspicion of corruption and mismanagement within Thai Airways as accountants unravel the massive losses for the airline, spanning a…
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