Thailand

  • Thailand Protest NewsActivists dispersed, protest leaders arrested, as State of Emergency declared in Bangkok

    Activists dispersed, protest leaders arrested, as State of Emergency declared in Bangkok

    “It is extremely necessary to introduce an urgent measure to end this situation effectively and promptly to maintain peace and order.” This was how state television announced the imposition of a State of Emergency in the capital in the early hours of this morning, effectively ending a political rally at Government House that had been set to continue “indefinitely”, according…

  • Bangkok NewsTruck drivers carrying ‘royal supporters’ face charges for travelling on expressways

    Truck drivers carrying ‘royal supporters’ face charges for travelling on expressways

    6 truck drivers carrying loads of ‘royalists’ to the Democracy Monument, are facing charges pressed by the Expressway Authority of Thailand, or EXAT. The yellow-clad ‘supporters’ of the royal family stood tightly packed on the bed of Department of Law Enforcement trucks, riding down the Kamphaeng Phet-Yommarat tollway. They were all dressed in yellow, a colour that symbolises the Thai Monarchy.…

  • Crime News6 people found guilty for “pretty” Bangkok model’s death

    6 people found guilty for “pretty” Bangkok model’s death

    A man has been sentenced to 8 years in prison for the death of Thitima “Lunlabelle” Noraphanpiphat, a 25 year old model who was found dead last year in the lobby of a Bangkok condominium. Rachadech “Nam Oon” Wongthabutr was found guilty of illegally detaining Lunlabelle and leaving her dead body in the condominium. 5 other people were found guilty…

  • Thailand NewsNew budget in the works for emergency services after “insufficient” funds complaint

    New budget in the works for emergency services after “insufficient” funds complaint

    The Thai government is working on to setting aside more money for emergency medicine after an “insufficient” budget is said to have caused delays in emergency work and response time for emergency 1669 hotline calls. The new budget request comes after emergency medicine expert Dr. Atchariya Phaengma complained that the National Institute for Emergency Medicine, or NIEM, wasn’t receiving adequate…

  • Thailand Protest NewsRoyalists take over the protest route to make way for Royal motorcade

    Royalists take over the protest route to make way for Royal motorcade

    Maybe the headline should be “The Empire Strikes Back, Thai style”. A group of dressed in yellow, many who are military and police officers, took over the pro-democracy protest route to make way for the Royal motorcade. The dates of both the protest, announced back on September 20, and the motorcade for HM The King to travel to oversee a…

  • Covid-19 News9 new Covid-19 cases detected in quarantine, all asymptomatic

    9 new Covid-19 cases detected in quarantine, all asymptomatic

    9 new Covid-19 cases were detected in quarantine in the past 24 hours. All were reported as asymptomatic and from those travelling back from India, Japan, South Sudan and the United Arab Emirates, according to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Thailand now reports a total of 3,652 confirmed Covid-19 cases with 59 deaths. 3,457 people have recovered and 136…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya bars making money from live streaming for customers overseas – VIDEO

    Pattaya bars making money from live streaming for customers overseas – VIDEO

    Since foreign tourists can’t visit the bars in Pattaya, some of the bars are live streaming and posting videos online to allow people to chat and connect with the female bar staff, partially making up for revenue lost during the pandemic. The Pattaya News says the chats aren’t explicit, just a friendly chat between the bar staff with men who…

  • Thailand Protest News“Elevated risk of unrest” after 21 activist arrests, UN department says

    “Elevated risk of unrest” after 21 activist arrests, UN department says

    Today’s pro-democracy rally in Bangkok poses an “elevated risk of unrest” after 21 protesters were arrested yesterday, according to an email sent to staff of the United Nations Department of Safety and Security. The email advising the staff to avoid protest sites was obtained by local blogger and Samut Prakan school employee Richard Barrow and Samut Prakan school employee and…

  • Chiang Mai NewsChiang Mai tourism slowdown takes a toll on local businesses

    Chiang Mai tourism slowdown takes a toll on local businesses

    Chiang Mai’s tourism industry has drastically slowed down from the lack of travel due to the affects of the Covid-19 pandemic – the lockdowns and the travel restrictions. Tourists “vanished” during the April lockdown, according to president of the Tourism Association of Chiang Mai, Anantorn Hochindarat. Now, as the chilly, cool season approaches, when the northern province is the most popular…

  • Crime NewsMore arrests made in major online gambling operation bust

    More arrests made in major online gambling operation bust

    Police arrested an alleged online gambling operator and 3 others allegedly involved in running 9 illegal gambling websites that brought in millions of baht. The recent arrest follows a bust earlier this month where police arrested 25 Thai nationals in Chiang Rai and Nonthaburi, a suburb just north of Bangkok, who were allegedly involved in running illegal websites. An arrest…

  • Thailand NewsThailand News Today | No STV tourists, Boss in Dubai, border fears in Tak | October 13

    Thailand News Today | No STV tourists, Boss in Dubai, border fears in Tak | October 13

    Daily news about Thailand. Latest information, and tourism and visa news. No one in Guangzhou applied for the Special Tourist Visa, Foreign Ministry In a stunning revelation yesterday, it turns out that not a single person from Guangzhou, China, actually applied for the new Special Tourist Visa. That’s the sad and bizarre truth, according to Thai media outlet Siamrath. Around…

  • Thailand NewsRoyal Thai Police form new bureau to investigate cybercrime

    Royal Thai Police form new bureau to investigate cybercrime

    The Royal Thai Police have formed a new organisation to investigate cyber-related crimes. Commissioner of the new Cybercrime Investigation Bureau, Kornchai Klaiklueng, says they will work with international counterparts, but officers need to train first before dealing with transnational cybercrime investigations. The bureau is short on staff and still needs to recruit more officers before it can begin operations, according…

  • Pattaya NewsShooting outside Chon Buri nightclub injures 4

    Shooting outside Chon Buri nightclub injures 4

    A motorbike driver allegedly shot at a group of people outside a Chon Buri nightclub, injuring 4. Police are investigating the shooting, but say they believe it started as an argument between 2 opposing parties. Police found 10 bullet casings on the ground. 3 men where shot and moderately injured while another woman was seriously injured from a bullet wound. They…

  • Northern Thailand NewsIsaan governor orders investigation into 3 year old boy’s death

    Isaan governor orders investigation into 3 year old boy’s death

    The governor of Isaan’s Kalasin province ordered an investigation into the death of a 3 year old boy. Relatives say the child died after falling out of bed. Medical examiners say the child’s forehead was swollen, eyes were bruised and arm was broken. The child’s family says the boy fell off the bed and then collapsed in the bathroom, but…

  • Pattaya NewsPolice search for suspect after man shot, critically injured near Chon Buri shipyard

    Police search for suspect after man shot, critically injured near Chon Buri shipyard

    Police are searching for a suspect who allegedly shot a 37 year old man near a shipyard in Chon Buri’s Banglamung district. Son Kuengsamrong was found lying on the ground with a bullet wound just below his rib cage. He was taken to the hospital and is in critical condition. A truck driver passing by yesterday afternoon noticed Son lying…

  • Thailand Protest NewsToilets might be a problem at tomorrow’s pro-democracy rally

    Toilets might be a problem at tomorrow’s pro-democracy rally

    The pesky issue of student’s Numbers 1s and Number 2s has become a potential problem for protest organisers. Toilets might be hard to find at tomorrow’s pro-democracy rally. Activists say the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is refusing to provide mobile toilets for the rally at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument. (Although in the past, protest organisers have arranged the toilets for their events.)…

  • Crime NewsKratom a step closer to legalisation for medicinal use

    Kratom a step closer to legalisation for medicinal use

    Kratom, a plant known for its psychotropic and relaxing effects, is in the process of being legalised in Thailand for medicinal use. The Cabinet just approved the Justice Ministry’s bill to amend the Kratom Act which would legalise production as well as importation and exportation of kratom. The bill will be forwarded to the Office of the Council of State…

  • Covid-19 NewsMobile testing units dispatched to Tak after Burmese drivers test positive

    Mobile testing units dispatched to Tak after Burmese drivers test positive

    After 3 Burmese lorry drivers tested positive for Covid-19 in the northern province of Tak, officials have sent mobile testing units to the Mae Sot district to test around 4,000 Thais and Burmese in high-risk border areas. Mae Sot mayor, Thoetkiat Shinsoranan, says all residents are being told to stay home as much as possible. The Bangkok Post reports that…

  • Thailand NewsKing Bhumibol Adulyadej – in remembrance of the “Father of Thailand”

    King Bhumibol Adulyadej – in remembrance of the “Father of Thailand”

    His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej was Thailand’s monarch for just over 70 years. At the time of his passing in October 2016, King Bhumibol was the world’s longest-serving head of state and the longest-reigning monarch in Thai history. Amongst his many other gifts, he was was revered as a calming and compassionate influence, overseeing Thailand’s stormy political history in the second half of the…

  • Thailand NewsBorder schools close for cleaning, thousands test for Covid-19 after Burmese truck drivers test positive

    Border schools close for cleaning, thousands test for Covid-19 after Burmese truck drivers test positive

    Nearly a dozen schools in Tak’s Mae Sot district closed today to be disinfected and around 4,000 people in the community are expected to be tested for Covid-19 after 3 Burmese cargo truck drivers tested positive for the virus after crossing through a border checkpoint. Those in communities deemed at high-risk have been told not to leave their home, unless…

  • Visa InformationNo one in Guangzhou applied for the Special Tourist Visa, Foreign Ministry

    No one in Guangzhou applied for the Special Tourist Visa, Foreign Ministry

    Not a single person from Guangzhou, China, actually applied for the new Special Tourist Visa. That’s the sad and bizarre truth, according to Thai media outlet Siamrath. Around 120 to 150 tourists had “planned” to arrive in Phuket on October 8 from Guangzhou, China, but “administrative issues” claimed to be the reason for the delayed flight. Those problems with administration…

  • Thailand NewsThailand News Today | Land bridge project, “Thai Bridge”, Chaing Mai black widow | October 12

    Thailand News Today | Land bridge project, “Thai Bridge”, Chaing Mai black widow | October 12

    Daily Thai TV News, with all the latest updates. Posted around 5pm, Monday to Friday. Protest leader says activists “in it for the long haul” Human rights lawyer and protest leader, Arnon Nampa, says political activists seeking to oust the current Thai government are “in it for the long haul”. The leader of the People’s Group (formerly the Free People…

  • Economy NewsCovid-19 could lead to a crisis worse than the 1997 Asian financial crisis

    Covid-19 could lead to a crisis worse than the 1997 Asian financial crisis

    With debt relief measures set to expire this month, Thailand’s financial woes, brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, might end up being worse that the 1997 Asian financial crisis, known in Thailand as the Tom Yam Kung crisis, according to the Bangkok Commercial Asset Management. The 1997 Asian financial crisis started in Thailand with the financial collapse of the Thai…

  • Thailand NewsUPDATE: Broken railway crossing signal contributed to fatal bus-train collision east of Bangkok

    UPDATE: Broken railway crossing signal contributed to fatal bus-train collision east of Bangkok

    A broken crossing signal led to the fatal collision yesterday, where a freight train smashed into a charter bus, killing 18 bus passengers and injuring another 44. Officials from the department as well as the State Railway of Thailand governor visited the site after the accident and say the broken crossing signal “contributed to the fatal incident”. The bus was…

  • Thailand Protest NewsThammasat students ask for 3 days off class to participate in protest

    Thammasat students ask for 3 days off class to participate in protest

    With the next pro-democracy protest planned for this Wednesday, students are asking Thammasat University officials to cancel classes for 3 days so the students can take part in the rally. The rally is expected to start at 2pm on Wednesday at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument, not far from the University’s Tha Prachan Campus, but no end time has been announced. The…

  • Crime NewsWoman arrested for scamming 500 Burmese workers, promising visa extensions

    Woman arrested for scamming 500 Burmese workers, promising visa extensions

    A woman has been arrested after allegedly promising more than 500 Burmese workers that she could extend their visas, collecting a total of more 6 million baht from the workers for her apparent “services.” The more than 500 workers filed a report with police after the woman allegedly falsely advertised that she could issue the Burmese migrants new passports and…

  • Thailand News4 Burmese men arrested after crossing Moei River to Thailand

    4 Burmese men arrested after crossing Moei River to Thailand

    Tak border patrols have arrested 4 Burmese men who allegedly waded across the Moei River, crossing the natural border into Thailand illegally. Border officials have tightened their patrol since Myanmar reported a second wave of Covid-19 cases in August, and even more after this past weekend when 3 Burmese truck drivers tested positive for Covid-19 after entering Thailand through the…

  • Business NewsThai Airways seeks to conserve finances by offering unpaid leave, early retirement

    Thai Airways seeks to conserve finances by offering unpaid leave, early retirement

    Thailand’s long-suffering national carrier is trying to conserve what cash it has by offering staff early retirement or unpaid leave. Thai Airways says it’s seeking to reduce its workforce in an attempt to stretch its finances to April 2021. According to a Bangkok Post report, acting president Chansin Treenuchagron says 80% of the airline’s employees have agreed to salary cuts…

  • Crime NewsChiang Mai woman arrested for allegedly hiring hitman to kill her ex-husband

    Chiang Mai woman arrested for allegedly hiring hitman to kill her ex-husband

    A 63 year old Chiang Mai woman has been arrested for allegedly hiring a hitman to kill her ex-husband because she wanted his life insurance payout. Bualoi Tala is also being investigated for her alleged involvement in other possible murders after a number of people died after being poisoned and Bualoi received payouts from their life insurance policies. Police say…

  • Thailand Protest NewsProtest leader says activists “in it for the long haul”

    Protest leader says activists “in it for the long haul”

    Human rights lawyer and protest leader, Arnon Nampa, says political activists seeking to oust the current Thai government are “in it for the long haul”. The leader of the People’s Group (formerly the Free People movement) says protesters will gather at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument on Wednesday (October 14), before proceeding to Government House. There, he says they will set up…