Thailand

  • Crime NewsTaxi mafias allegedly assault Pattaya Bolt drivers

    Taxi mafias allegedly assault Pattaya Bolt drivers

    A group of taxi mafias allegedly assaulted two Pattaya Bolt drivers on Sunday. The Bolt drivers, 39 year old Kriengsak Tubtimtong and 40 year old Somchai Thongdee, said the incident happened in the Naklua sub-district of Chon Buri’s Bang Lamung district. Kriengsak, told Pattaya Police that he and Somchai had planned to peacefully resolve a territorial conflict between them and…

  • Visa InformationThailand plans to extend 45 day visa free stays until year end

    Thailand plans to extend 45 day visa free stays until year end

    The Tourism Authority of Thailand will propose extending the 45 day visa exemption on arrival policy until the end of the year to boost tourism recovery. In September last year, Thailand’s Cabinet approved the temporary extension of visa on arrival and visa exemption on arrival for the High Season. Between October 1, 2022 – March 31, 2023, foreign tourists arriving…

  • Crime NewsCops catch alleged Singaporean scammer at Phuket airport

    Cops catch alleged Singaporean scammer at Phuket airport

    Cops caught an alleged Singaporean scammer at Phuket International Airport yesterday, who was accused of involvement in Thailand’s ‘Forex-3D scam’ that grabbed headlines in the kingdom last year. Immigration police busted the suspect, 32 year old Daryl Cai Yonghui, as he was about to fly to Singapore, according to the head of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI)’s financial business…

  • Thailand NewsThailand’s Chiang Mai Zoo to open -10°C snow dome

    Thailand’s Chiang Mai Zoo to open -10°C snow dome

    Chiang Mai Zoo revealed plans to open a -10°C snow dome to offer guests a chilly winter experience normally unavailable in sweltering Thailand. Zoo director Wuttichai Muangman revealed today that the zoo will gain a winter wonderland named “Snow Buddy Winter Land” in collaboration with Frost Management Company Ltd. Wuttichai said that zoo guests can get a real ‘winter’ feeling inside the…

  • Economy NewsNot much expected from Thailand’s gold sales this Chinese New Year

    Not much expected from Thailand’s gold sales this Chinese New Year

    Thailand’s Gold Traders Association (GTA) doesn’t expect much from this year’s gold sale during Chinese New Year. The new year usually draws a swarm of customers looking to buy gifts for their loved ones. But this year, Chinese-Thai buyers will prefer to buy smaller pieces weighing one or two salung, rather than one-baht pieces, according to GTA vice-president Pichaya Phisuthikul.…

  • Thailand NewsNational Park officers in Koh Samet accused of extortion

    National Park officers in Koh Samet accused of extortion

    A member of Parliament accused Mu Koh Samet National Park officers of extorting nearly 2 million baht per year from public transport drivers and business owners on Samet Island in the eastern province of Rayong. Khaosod reported yesterday, that Okas Thai Party MP (or Thai Opportunity Party), Damrong Pichate, recently gave an interview to a news programme about money extortion…

  • Thailand NewsSouthern Thai man strikes gold with rare cobra encounter

    Southern Thai man strikes gold with rare cobra encounter

    A rare golden cobra slithered into a rubber plantation in Satun province in southern Thailand on Thursday. Sitthinai Soisuwan was walking in the rubber plantation behind his house in Satun province when he spotted an unusual golden snake. Sitthinai said the snake flared its hood and threatened him. Captivated by its beauty, Sitthinai didn’t think about the snake’s potentially deadly…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya’s dignified image remains after police report no sex workers found in inspection

    Pattaya’s dignified image remains after police report no sex workers found in inspection

    Pattaya’s ever-so-dignified image is here to stay since Tourist Police reported finding no illegal sex workers in an inspection on Saturday. The inspection came after residents claimed that sex workers were illegally operating. At midnight, cops patrolled high-risk areas such as Beach Road and Walking Street, on the prowl for suspects. Tourist Police identified risky spots as crowded tourist attractions, dark…

  • LifestylePhuket launches lantern festival ahead of Chinese New Year

    Phuket launches lantern festival ahead of Chinese New Year

    Phuket’s main city district launched the ‘Phuket Lantern Festival 2023’ last night ahead of Chinese New Year, which falls on January 22. The lantern festival will run from January 15 to February 5. During this time, all government offices in Phuket will be decorated with lanterns. Phuket’s city municipality has decorated tourist attractions and the area around Chartered Bank Intersection. …

  • Thailand NewsThai man’s android phone hacked to the tune of 101,000 baht

    Thai man’s android phone hacked to the tune of 101,000 baht

    A Thai man was hacked to the tune of over 100,000 baht last week. The victim insists he had not accessed any suspicious websites, taken any call centre calls or filled in any online forms but says his android phone was targeted by hackers. A number of Thai netizens revealed they too had become victims of a scammer gang and…

  • Crime NewsThai man hails taxi from female-only app and murders driver

    Thai man hails taxi from female-only app and murders driver

    A 21 year old Thai man has been arrested under suspicion of murdering a female taxi driver in central Thailand on Saturday. On Saturday, officers from Chaiya Phruek Police Station were notified about the discovery of a female body in the Khlong Khoi subdistrict of Nonthaburi province. Police and volunteers from the Phor Teck Tung Foundation went to the scene, some…

  • Phuket NewsKind Thai man returns pricey lost gold bracelet to British tourist in Patong

    Kind Thai man returns pricey lost gold bracelet to British tourist in Patong

    A kind Thai man returned a pricey lost gold necklace to a British tourist in Patong last week, media reported yesterday. The Thai man, 46-year-old Jakkarin Kongmueang, told Patong Police he found the bracelet at a bar in Soi Bangla on January 11. The Phuket Express reported that the bracelet was worth 150,000 baht. Jakkarin went to the station to file a report…

  • Thailand NewsA bungling low-flying helicopter pilot injures eight people of Children’s Day

    A bungling low-flying helicopter pilot injures eight people of Children’s Day

    A bungling Royal Thai Navy (RTN) helicopter pilot caused chaos on Children’s Day by flying too low. The helicopter pulled down tents on top of people, injuring eight people including five children and three adults. The incident happened at a Children’s Day event on Saturday in the central province of Chantaburi. According to a report on Khaosod, RTN officers flew…

  • Pattaya NewsRaging Russian tourist wreaks havoc on two Pattaya 7-Eleven stores

    Raging Russian tourist wreaks havoc on two Pattaya 7-Eleven stores

    A Russian tourist smashed his way through the door at a 7-Eleven convenience store on Walking Street in Pattaya in Chon Buri province early this morning, injuring himself and others. He continued to vandalize a second 7-Eleven branch before being detained by police. An employee explained that a Russian man, estimated to be 35 – 40 years old, came into…

  • Crime NewsKoh Samui parking dispute leads to violent brawl and gunshots

    Koh Samui parking dispute leads to violent brawl and gunshots

    Koh Samui parking dispute leads to violent brawl, photo by Naewna. A Koh Samui parking dispute lead to a violent brawl and gunshots on Friday, Thai media reported. This was after two brothers reportedly refused to move their pickup truck so that a man could leave an auto accessories shop. The two brothers, Phisit and Panuwat, parked their truck in…

  • Thailand News3 Pakistani men arrested in Chiang Rai for illegal immigration

    3 Pakistani men arrested in Chiang Rai for illegal immigration

    Three Pakistani men were arrested and then charged on Saturday in Chiang Rai for illegal immigration and overstaying. The three admitted that they travelled in and out of Thailand via the border at the Golden Triangle. Officers from Chiang Saen Immigration Bureau reported that they spotted three suspicious foreign men in a public park in the Chiang Saen district of…

  • Pattaya NewsTour boat allegedly leaves Russian family stranded on island off Pattaya

    Tour boat allegedly leaves Russian family stranded on island off Pattaya

    Tour boat allegedly left Russian family stranded, photo by The Pattaya News. A tour boat company allegedly left a Russian family of six stranded on an island off Pattaya yesterday. Thai media reported that there were four adults and two children in the family. The family, who remained anonymous to the press, said they rented a speedboat only identified by…

  • EventsCan’t Stop Won’t Stop: A photo exhibition reliving 2 years of the Bangkok Community Help Foundation

    Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A photo exhibition reliving 2 years of the Bangkok Community Help Foundation

    Can’t Stop Won’t Stop is a photography exhibition reliving the work of the Bangkok Community Help Foundation over the past two years, opening tomorrow at 6pm. The exhibition will be held at Wat That Thong School in near Ekkamai BTS Station. Opening Night: Saturday, January 14, 6pm – 9pm Walk-in: Sunday, January 15 – Saturday, January 21 10am – 6pm…

  • Thailand NewsBentley driver’s blood test reveals methamphetamine use

    Bentley driver’s blood test reveals methamphetamine use

    Police today revealed that the Bentley driver who caused a three-car crash was not only under the influence of alcohol but drugs were also found in his system. Police confirmed to the media that a drug test discovered methamphetamine and another unidentified narcotic in his blood system. More updates are expected to be announced this evening. The Bentley driver, Suthat…

  • Thailand NewsBig-hearted garbage worker gives away reconditioned bicycles to needy kids on Children’s Day

    Big-hearted garbage worker gives away reconditioned bicycles to needy kids on Children’s Day

    A big-hearted garbage worker intends to celebrate Children’s Day by giving away reconditioned bicycles to underprivileged kids. The refuse collector, Saksan “Bird” Maksorntong, revealed he has rebuilt a number of broken and abandoned bicycles he found on his rounds and plans to give them to underprivileged kids as a gift on Children’s Day. Every second Saturday of January is Thailand’s…

  • Thailand NewsBelgian-Moroccan tourist breaks his back in motorbike crash in northern Thailand

    Belgian-Moroccan tourist breaks his back in motorbike crash in northern Thailand

    A Belgian-Moroccan tourist broke his back in a motorbike accident en route to a waterfall in the hippie backpacker town of Pai in Mae Hong Son province, northern Thailand, yesterday. Issam Messaoudi and his friend rented a motorbike and headed to Mor Paeng Waterfall when they lost control and came off the steep and slippery road. Messauodi’s friend came out…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya rescuer hospitalised after being startled by a Python

    Pattaya rescuer hospitalised after being startled by a Python

    Photo by The Pattaya News. A python scared a Pattaya rescuer out of his truck early on Wednesday morning, resulting in a head injury for the poor rescuer. A team from the Pattaya Emergency Responder Unit had gone to the Pattaya Park Hotel hotel on Soi 12 to collect the 4 metre long snake from a tree. The team successfully…

  • Thailand NewsDSI accused of soliciting 50 million baht bribe from gambling king

    DSI accused of soliciting 50 million baht bribe from gambling king

    Help Crime Victim Club President Autchariya Ruengrattanapong accused the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) of soliciting bribes of 50 million baht from a gambling kingpin named Somchai Jutikitdaecha. Somchai, also known as Long Joo, is a well-known personality in the eastern provinces of Thailand, especially in Rayong. He is well-liked in the community and perceived as kind because he helps…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket prisoners to dredge drains in new project to fight flooding

    Phuket prisoners to dredge drains in new project to fight flooding

    Phuket prisoners will dredge drains and sewers in a new project to fight the island province’s horrendous flooding problems. Officials held a meeting about the upcoming endeavor at Phuket’s Provincial Hall on Wednesday. Officials said the project aims to prevent a repeat last year’s damage from havoc wreaking floods. Inmates from Phuket Provincial Prison will contribute to society by clearing…

  • Thailand NewsNok Air to launch flights between Bangkok and Hyderabad

    Nok Air to launch flights between Bangkok and Hyderabad

    Budget airline Nok Air will launch direct flights between Bangkok in Thailand and Hyderabad in India on February 19, 2023. A state-of-the-art Boeing 737-800 aircraft with 189 Economy Class seats will service the nonstop route from Don Mueang International Airport to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport four times per week. Flight DD959 will take off from Hyderabad at 00.45am on Mondays,…

  • Crime NewsPolice nab over 400,000 meth pills in 7 South Thailand provinces

    Police nab over 400,000 meth pills in 7 South Thailand provinces

    Police nabbed over 400,000 meth pills in seven provinces in South Thailand. Some 430,029 meth pills were found in the provinces of Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Chumphon, Krabi, Phang Nga, Ranong, and Phuket. Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn said in a press conference on Wednesday that the crackdown aimed to ensure safety in…

  • Thailand NewsHalf-naked corpse of woman found near railway in Isaan

    Half-naked corpse of woman found near railway in Isaan

    A railway maintenance worker notified the police after finding a half-naked corpse of a woman near a railway in the Wattana Nakhon district in the Isaan province of Sa Kaeo yesterday. The officers from the Watthana Nakhon Police Station and a rescue team rushed to the scene after receiving the notification. They found the corpse of a woman aged about…

  • Thailand NewsForeign mafia who attacked 2 Thai women in Koh Samui found in Phuket

    Foreign mafia who attacked 2 Thai women in Koh Samui found in Phuket

    National Police Deputy Commissioner Surachate Hakparn, aka Big Joke, ordered police in Koh Samui to speed up the search for the foreign mafia gang that attacked two Thai women at a bar on New Year’s Eve. Officers from Bor Phut Police Station in Koh Samui reported that they know the identities of two of the group members and stated that…

  • Thailand NewsThai NGO reports highest number of missing children in 4 years

    Thai NGO reports highest number of missing children in 4 years

    A Thai NGO reports that the country’s number of missing children last year was the highest it had been in four years. The Mirror Foundation, which works to help families find missing children, reports some disturbing numbers. Last year, 252 children went missing from home in Thailand. This was a 25% increase from 202 children in 2021, the foundation said. …

  • Thailand NewsRussian man attacked in Pattaya bar after refusing to pay 60 baht bill

    Russian man attacked in Pattaya bar after refusing to pay 60 baht bill

    A Russian man was assaulted by a female bar owner in Pattaya after he refused to pay a 60-baht bill. The owner claimed she acted in self-defence as the man was drunk, refused to pay the bill, and slapped her in the face first. A rescue team was notified that a Russian man, later identified as Michael, was injured in…