Thailand
- Thai Life
70 per cent of Thais wear Buddhist amulets
There’s never been any evidence that they work as lucky charms but most Thais purchase and wear them, whether for faith, protection, luck or as gift, they’re ubiquitous in Thailand. More than 70 per cent of Thais wear Buddha amulets, according to a Suan Dusit Poll. The most popular amulets are those bearing the likeness of the monks Luang Pu…
- World News
Singapore #1, Thailand #6 – Asia’s most innovative nations
by DataLEADS/Asia News Network Singapore, South Korea and Japan are the most innovative countries in Asia whereas Pakistan and Bangladesh are the least innovative, according to the Global Innovation Index 2018 report. Thailand comes in number 6 out of the 17 ranked countries. The report analyses the energy innovation landscape of the next decade and identifies possible breakthroughs in fields…
- World News
More than 60 dead as Mangkhut continues into southern China
The world’s strongest tropical storm this year, Typhoon Mangkhut, continues its path of destruction across Southeast Asia, reaching mainland China yesterday (Sunday) after pummeling Hong Kong and killing dozens in the Philippines. The storm, originating in the Pacific Ocean and first hitting Guam and the Marshall Islands, has been deadly with its high power winds hitting rural communities in The…
- Thailand News
Two teenagers drown trying to save school friend
by Sutthipomh Settharangsi Two schoolchildren have died after trying to save another friend from drowning in the Chaiyaphum province, central Thailand, on Saturday. Seven lower-secondary students visited a local check dam in Tambon Nong Pai in Kaeng Khro district when one girl, riding a motorcyle, fell into the water along with her two-wheeler. The friends jumped into the water, despite…
- Thailand News
Another Army death raises questions over Military handling of hazing
PHOTO: Facebook/Boy Krungkao by Chularat Saengpassa – The Nation Weekend Hazing (US English) initiation ceremonies, (British English), bastardisation (Australian English), ragging (South Asia), or deposition, refers to the practice of rituals, challenges, and other activities involving, harassment, violence or humiliation used as a way of initiating a person into a group including a new fraternity, sorority, team, or club. Another conscript…
- Thailand News
BREAKING: NCPO relaxes ban on political activities
The NCPO has announced that it will relax the political bans, restrictions and activities that had been issued since it took over the power four back in May 2014. The relaxation details that include allowing political parties to elect their executives have now been promulgated in the Royal Gazette. The junta, National Council for Peace and Order, used its absolute…
- Thailand News
Another beaten Thai Army private dies of injuries
PHOTO/VIDEO: Facebook/Rejecttime Yok Infantryman Khacha Pacha, hospitalised onAugust 21 after being beaten by three other soldiers at a Lop Buri Army camp, has died this morning. His pregnant wife confirmed the death on her Facebook page today (Friday). It included a photo of her hand grasping his as he lay in his hospital bed and the caption, “I know you are…
- Bangkok News
Pathum Thani street racers arrested for modifying bikes
PHOTO: Facebook/Surachet Hakpal Police have arrested 155 motorcyclists for illegally modifying their bikes for road racing in a joint forces operation in Pathum Thani, just north of Bangkok, last night (Thursday). Pol Maj Gen Surachet Hakpal, deputy tourist police chief, held one of his early morning media-fests at 1am this morning at the Klong Lung district office. He reported that…
- Bangkok News
Election between December 11 and May 9
The forecast for two typhoons is relatively easy and accurate to predict. Predicting the next Thai election, less so. Place your bets (except that gambling in Thailand is illegal). Thailand’s Election Commission has outlined a tentative time frame for the next election vote, starting from December 11, at the earliest, to May 9 next year, at the latest. The timeframe…
- World News
Mega storm bears down on Luzon Island, The Philippines
Two typhoons are barreling into several coastlines in the east and south-east Asia. There’s Typhoon Barijat, lying to the south of China and making its way past Hainan Island as we write this article. Around 12,000 people have been evacuated from low-lying parts of China’s Guangdong province and shipping halted ahead of it’s landfall tonight. But the main act is to follow…
- South Thailand News
Two rangers killed, four others injured in Pattani ambush
FILE PHOTO – The Nation Another attack in the deep south. Thai PBS reports that two para-military rangers have been killed and four others seriously wounded in an ambush by a group of armed men. The attack was followed by a gun fight in the Nong Chik district of Pattani late last night (Tuesday). Nong Chik police headed to the…
- Bangkok News
BNK 48 pop idol under fire for hosting pro-junta programs
by Kittipong Thavevong of The Nation A young Thai pop star has become the subject of a heated political debate and the target of attack for hosting a television show publicising the government’s achievements. Anti-junta activists are calling the show ‘political propaganda’ and called out Cherprang Areekul, ‘captain’ of the popular girl pop band BNK 48 for “serving the dictatorship” and “helping…
- Thailand News
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 News
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 News
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…
- Bangkok News
Thailand’s winners in the Conde Nast Traveller awards
PHOTO: Conde Nast Thailand has been voted the world’s Best Country for People by readers of Conde Nast Traveller magazine in the 2018 Readers’ Travel Awards. Thailand was voted into third spot in the ‘Best Country’ category behind European winners Italy and Greece. But Thailand scored Number One in the ‘Best Country For People‘ category. But the Conde Nast love continues…
- Thailand News
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 News
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 News
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…
- Thailand News
Tak woman is 16th rabies death this year
A Tak woman has died of rabies a year after she was bitten by a dog in Surat Thani. This takes the 2018 rabid toll to 16 dead. The latest casualty was reported by the director general of the Disease Control Department. Tao is in Thailand’s north-west, bordering with Myanmar. Dr Suwanchai Watanayincharoen says he received a report that the…
- Bangkok News
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 News
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 News
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 News
30 more villages in Phayao hit by floods – PM asks Thais to monitor weather
A total of 30 villages in six tambons of Phayao’s Pong district have been whacked by floods yesterday (Saturday). Two other villages in the province’s Chiang Kham district were earlier reported struck by flood damage. Phayao is wedged between Chiang Mai and the Laos border. Pong district chief Sit Wongman said the Khuan and Ngim rivers in his districts had…
- World News
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 News
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 News
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…
