Thailand

  • HealtheSports – legitimate sport or teenage addiction problem?

    eSports – legitimate sport or teenage addiction problem?

    PHOTO: China Daily The Thai Mental health department is urging the government to rethink any decision to recognise online gaming. Moves to officially recognise eSports (electronic gaming sports) could lead to children becoming addicted to online games, according to health experts. A Mental Health Department adviser Dr Yongyud Wongpiromsarn says the promotion of eSports would likely do more harm than good.…

  • Thailand NewsRecord first seven months for tourist arrivals

    Record first seven months for tourist arrivals

    by Thammarat Thadaphrom The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has announced visitor arrivals of about 22.65 million from January to July 2018, up by 11% compared to the same period of 2017. Estimated visitor expenditure rose by over 14% to 1.18 trillion baht. The top ten source markets of visitors to Thailand during the first seven months of 2018 were China,…

  • Pattaya NewsDrug and pool parties busted after residents complain about short-term villa rentals

    Drug and pool parties busted after residents complain about short-term villa rentals

    PHOTOS: We Love Pattaya The Bang Lamung district chief has sent in police to check on complaints that pool villas in a Huay Yai estate were being rented on a daily basis for noisy parties. Ads for the properties owned by De Ville Group were on Facebook contravening hotel regulations. We Love Pattaya reports that a sting was conducted at one…

  • Business NewsPhuket has Golden future for its sister city

    Phuket has Golden future for its sister city

    by Chongchit Buchanan Australia’s Gold Coast city and Phuket will sign a letter of intent to establish themselves as sister cities tomorrow (September 10). The intent of the agreement is to explore a stronger relationship between the two municipalities and create international business opportunities. Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate will travel to Phuket to sign the agreement with his Phuket…

  • Phuket NewsDams will cope with this weekend’s weather – Irrigation Department

    Dams will cope with this weekend’s weather – Irrigation Department

    The water regulation authorities say they’re ready for heavy rains forecast this weekend and the situation is under control. The National Water Resources Office and Royal Irrigation Department (RID) has confirmed that the authorities and the irrigation system were ready to receive large amounts of precipitation during the extraordinary wet period, which is affecting almost every part of the country.…

  • Thailand NewsFive Chinese ‘fraudsters’ arrested in scams valued around 17 billion baht

    Five Chinese ‘fraudsters’ arrested in scams valued around 17 billion baht

    Special report by Khanathit Srihirundaj Five Chinese suspects in three separate fraud and loan shark cases, who obtained around 3.43 billion yuan (about 17.15 billion baht) from fellow Chinese victims and had fled to Thailand, have been arrested. Police say they will check ifthe suspects laundered money in Thailand before contacting the Chinese authorities about repatriation. In the first case,…

  • Koh Samui News10 arrested over sharing content about alleged Koh Tao rape case

    10 arrested over sharing content about alleged Koh Tao rape case

    10 people are now reported to be in custody for sharing posts from a Facebook page claiming that a British 19 year old was drugged and raped on Koh Tao. The 10 now in police custody have residence in Udon Thani, Bangkok, Nakhon Ratchasima, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Pattalung and Chiang Mai. The arrests followed the Court issuing an arrest warrant at…

  • Northern Thailand NewsElon Musk accuses cave rescuer of being a ‘child rapist’

    Elon Musk accuses cave rescuer of being a ‘child rapist’

    Elon Musk, the man behind the Tesla electric car and a billion dollar tech empire, has again attacked the British Chiang Rai resident who was part of the large international effort to rescue the Mu Pa 13 from the Tham Luang Caves in July. In an email to BuzzFeed News, the Tesla CEO launched into his third verbal assault on…

  • South Thailand NewsPolice suspect insurgents involved in double shooting in Songkhla

    Police suspect insurgents involved in double shooting in Songkhla

    by Santiparp Ramasut An elderly couple have been shot dead at their furniture shop in Songkhla’s Thepa district this afternoon (Sunday) and police suspect it might be linked to the insurgency in the southern provinces. Police say the shop was among 10 locations of arson or bomb attacks targeted by insurgents back in 2013. An unknown attacker, or attackers, stormed…

  • Bangkok NewsTime to take off the gag – PM to lift political ban

    Time to take off the gag – PM to lift political ban

    As an election firms up, somewhere between February 24 and May in 2019, the PM is under pressure to losses the strings – allowing political parties to carry out political activities, banned since the coup took place in May 2014. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is expected to invoke his executive power under Article 44 of the interim Constitution to ease political…

  • Phuket NewsPrivate sector proposes southern economic plan to mobile Cabinet

    Private sector proposes southern economic plan to mobile Cabinet

    PHOTO: Emulating the French Riviera, but with better beaches. “The Andaman Riviera”? Emulating the famous French Riviera coast is part of a plan to promote the Andaman coastline, which includes Ranong, Phang Nga and Phuket as the star attractions and wrapping up other southern provinces into the new tourist precinct – just a part of recommendations to the mobile cabinet sitting…

  • Thailand NewsThailand’s household debt

    Thailand’s household debt

    Thailand’s household debt has been on the rise over the past decade, up from an average of 116,681 baht in 2007 to 178,994 baht in 2017, but should be measured with commensurate growth in wages, inflation and the country’s GDP. The figures show that Thailand’s debt for farming is around 16% of the total debt bill. 36% is spent on…

  • Thailand NewsRenewed demands to ban paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos in Thailand

    Renewed demands to ban paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos in Thailand

    Despite years of completely conflicting evidence, on both sides, and even the World Health Organisation coming up with its wobbly ‘probably carcinogenic’ finding, glysophate (RoundUp), and two other herbicides and pesticides used in Thailand, are coming under renewed fire. Thai activists are planning to launch lawsuits against local policymakers for their failure to ban three key agri-chemicals in Thailand, following…

  • World NewsThailand takes over the chair for ASEAN next year. What’s at stake?

    Thailand takes over the chair for ASEAN next year. What’s at stake?

    “As Thailand takes over the ASEAN chairmanship next year, it is important for the country to drive ASEAN forward to achieve the utmost benefits for Thais and peoples across the ASEAN region.” The integration story of Southeast Asian nations, widely known as ASEAN, began in 1967 and has since brought about significant changes to the Southeast Asian region. For decades,…

  • Thailand NewsMore delays for next February’s election?

    More delays for next February’s election?

    PHOTO: On the lookout for next year’s election – The Nation February 2019 is just six months away, the deadline for the long-awaited, and must postponed, Thai general election. Although the junta have ‘promised’ that THIS will be the date for Thailand’s return to democracy, an increasing amount of politicians are starting to wonder if the deadline will be met.…

  • Thailand NewsStorms raise flood threats in 37 provinces

    Storms raise flood threats in 37 provinces

    Whilst the flood situation in the far north of the country, bordering the Mekong River, has abated over the past week, the situation is still dire for many other communities around the Kingdom today. Disaster warnings have now been issued as heavy downpours threaten to bring flash floods and landslides to 37 provinces across Thailand. A monsoon storm is predicted…