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Thailand sets sights on “wealthy foreign tourists” to recover economy
The Tourism Authority of Thailand, or TAT, is again going to target “wealthy group of tourists” as it works out its marketing plan as it contributes to the recovery the Thai economy following a 2 year hiatus due to closed borders and restrictions. The TAT claims that, focussing on the “rich groups”, 1.93 trillion baht will be generated in 2024…
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Thai deputy health minister expects Covid-19 to be over by the end of the year
Thailand’s deputy health minister says he hopes to see an end to Covid-19 by the end of this year, despite the risk of new variants. Satit Pitutecha made his prediction yesterday, saying Thailand is proceeding with its plan to declare the virus endemic. The World Health Organisation has yet to make any recommendation on according the virus endemic status. According…
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Chon Buri monk claims illegal drugs helped him meditate
Another monk scandal in Thailand! Police in the Nong Yai district of Chon Buri have busted a local monk with 6 methamphetamine pills, as well as a bag of crystal methamphetamine or ‘ice’. The police found the drugs in a temple raid earlier this week after locals alerted them about a monk who they were concerned was taking illegal drugs.…
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Former US president George W Bush accidentally refers to “unjustified” war in Iraq
Doh! Is this the Freudian slip to beat all Freudian slips? Former US President George W Bush has accidentally referred to the invasion of Iraq as “brutal” and “unjustified”. The former US president was discussing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but instead of saying Ukraine, the wrong country’s name slipped out. He swiftly corrected himself, shaking his head while the audience…
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Expect more floods coming up this weekend in most of Thailand
If you’ve loved all the heavy rains and flash flooding throughout Thailand this past week, then get excited for this weekend! The Thai Meteorological Department warned yesterday to expect heavy to very heavy rains in most areas including the north, northeast, central Thailand, the east, the Bangkok area, and the south. The heavy rain may cause flash floods from May…
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SAIJAI homecare launch English language online bookings in Bangkok and Phuket
Thailand’s fast-growing online homecare marketplace SAIJAI has added an English language, on-demand booking option. Greater Bangkok and Phuket are the first two areas in the country now where customers can tap into a wide selection of caregivers. Services provided by SAIJAI include maids, babysitters, elderly care, tutors, drivers, and home beauty. The pandemic resulted in high unemployment in Thailand’s service…
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Proposal for new “green zone” provinces goes before CCSA today
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry has submitted a proposal to classify some provinces as “green zones”. The proposal will be considered by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration when it meets today. Kiattiphum Wongrajit from the health ministry says the proposal involves adjusting the Covid-19 colour-coded zoning, which currently has provinces listed as yellow (high surveillance) or blue “tourism” zones. The…
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What’s behind CP’s successful Metaverse campaign?
Press Release The world’s most crowded Fan Party in Metaverse with 1,500 registrants in the first 15 minutes. #CPBolognaMewTaverseParty reached 1st rank in Thai, Vietnam, and Singapore and was ranked 3rd in worldwide trends. 1.5 Million hashtags were used within 30 minutes of launching. All of these happened at the CP Bologna Mewtaverse’s, CP Foods’ Metaverse Event, massive success backed…
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UPDATE: Bangkok governor candidates answer Russell Crowe’s questions on TV
UPDATE: Bangkok governor candidates answer Russell Crowe’s questions on Thai TV Russell Crowe’s pre-recorded questions for Bangkok governor candidates were streamed on Channel 7HD’s live programme “22 May: Deciding Bangkok’s Fate” this afternoon, prior to the election coming up this Sunday. Crowe asked the questions in English, and three Bangkok governor candidates answered in Thai. Each candidate was given 2…
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Thai man injured in turbulence demands airline to take responsibility
A Thai man demands an airline to take responsibility for injuries that he said were caused by turbulence during a flight from Nakhon Si Thammarat to Bangkok yesterday evening. He said his lower back and coccyx were in “agony,” but when he expressed the wish to go to hospital, he was allegedly told to pay for the expenses himself. The…
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Canadian man arrested for stealing traffic barriers in Chiang Mai
Police have arrested a Canadian expat in Chiang Mai after driving his car around the city to steal metal traffic barriers. Yes, traffic barriers. 69 year old Ronald John Price was arrested today on Ratchadamnoen Road in Chiang Mai. According to reports, Mr. Price covered his face whilst stealing metal traffic barriers from around the province. He drove his sedan…
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Wife dies, husband in coma after eating poisonous mushrooms in northeast Thailand
A couple from Udon Thani in northeast Thailand made a curry from mushrooms they picked from the jungle on Tuesday, May 17, but the mushrooms turned out to be poisonous. The wife died from poisoning in the early hours of yesterday morning and her husband is currently in a coma in an Intensive Care Unit. The man’s mother, who lives…
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Unconscious 75 year old woman survives floating 500 metres along a river
A 75 year old woman was scooped unconscious from the middle of a river in the central province of Chachoengsao after she fainted while paddling. The elderly lady floated for around 500 metres before a man witnessed the incident and contacted a rescue team to save her. Noramin Tongsamak, who witnessed the incident, contacted a rescue team via Facebook after he…
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Monitor lizard stuck in water pump causes flood in Bangkok
After hours of heavy rain, deep floods disrupted traffic in the Bang Khen area of Bangkok yesterday afternoon. At first, officials from the Bureau of Drainage couldn’t understand why four pumps designed to pump flood water out of the road had stopped working. When they checked the machinery, they found a huge monitor lizard – or “tua hia” in Thai…
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Thai-Chinese gang arrested for dating app scam at Chiang Mai’s luxury resort
Police yesterday revealed that a Thai-Chinese gang had been arrested in Chaing Mai for operating illegal dating scam activities after a tip off. Police apprehended 24 people after a member of the public alerted authorities to a group of Chinese men behaving suspiciously at the luxury Chaing Mai holiday resort. The gang included 20 Chinese and 4 Thai, 2 of…
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Russian woman assaulted in Chon Buri
A Russian woman was assaulted last night in Bang Lamung district of Chon Buri. A driver found the woman, 38 year old Elena Zyalkova, bleeding as she walked along the road to Mab Prachan reservoir. Police from Nong Prue municipality examined Elena and found she had head injuries, bruises on her neck, and abrasions all over her body. She was…
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Leaders of smaller Thai parties want to legalise online casinos
Twenty representatives of smaller Thai political parties have submitted a draft amendment for the Gambling Act to Thailand’s parliamentary house speaker yesterday. The draft amendment would aim to legalise online casinos. An MP from the Thai Local Power Party said that legalising online casinos will let authorities collect taxes from license holders, and decide how to punish illegal casino operators.…
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Cambodian fishermen release a monster stingray back into the Mekong River
HOW big was the stingray?! An enormous freshwater stingray was rescued and released in a Cambodian section of the Mekong River on May 5 after being ensnared earlier by local fishermen. The monster fish was 4 metres long and weighed around 180 kilograms. Brown on the top and a shade of white on the bottom, the fish usually along the…
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VIDEO: Estonian model faces deportation from Bali for criticising “corrupt” police
In a video posted on social media, an Estonian model accused Balinese police of corruption and extorting foreign tourists. The comments could get the model deported, or worse, put in Balinese prison if they are considered to break Indonesia’s strict public deception and defamation laws. Estonian beauty pageant contestant Valerie Vasilieva complained about her experience on the Indonesian island of…
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Thai officials vow to solve household debt problem at Phuket event
Thai officials held a ‘Household Debt Reconciliation Fair’ in Phuket yesterday. At the event, Thailand’s Minister of Justice Somsak Thepsutin said the government has designated 2022 as the “Year of Solving Household Debt”. He said that 2,810 people had registered for the event. Somsak said that several government departments have organised events to “facilitate the mediation process of household debts…
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Thailand plans to declare Covid-19 endemic earlier than expected
Thailand’s Covid-19 situation is continually improving and is expected to be declared an endemic disease more than half a month earlier than expected, according to the Ministry of Public Health. The ministry originally planned to declare Covid-19 an an endemic disease on July 1 this year. Yesterday, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary Kiatiphum Wongrajit announced that Thailand now plans to declare…
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Nok Air gamble fails to take off costing airline millions
Low-cost budget airline Nok Air’s gamble of investing in a special route to boost tourism has backfired to the tune of 40 million baht. The Thai airline, which mostly operates domestic services out of Don Mueang International Airport, introduced the Bangkok to Betong route in February but plan to scrap it in July after suffering heavy losses. The Betong International…
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Stolen gold found scattered in northern Thailand
After a robber stole several pricy items from a gold shop earlier this week, police found 7 trays of gold ornaments in the middle of a river in northern Thailand’s Tak province. Local people showed the gold to police after they spotted it on an islet in the middle of Ping River in the main city district. The locals also…
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Chon Buri man shot and killed trying to collect debt
A man in Chon Buri’s Sattahip district has confessed to shooting and killing another man who tried to collect a large debt from him. 45 year old Kanpongpisut Yaichaingnua told police on Monday that he killed the man at a restaurant. Kanpongpisut’s stepdaughter told the police that the victim, 50 year old Pairoj Runroj, had come to the restaurant to…
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Thai officials say schools can set their own hair rules, but no harsh punishment
Thailand school haircut drama continues as the Education Ministry has announced yesterday that schools are free to set their own hairstyle rules. While Education Minister Trinuch Thienthong added that schools have been ordered not to impose harsh punishments on students who violate hairstyle rules, the secretary-general of Thailand’s Basic Education Commission reiterated that responsibility over the rules lies with schools.…
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Health officials urge vulnerable groups to get free flu vaccine
People in vulnerable health groups are being urged to take up the free flu vaccine being offered at government clinics. Jakkrit Ngowsiri from the National Health Security Office says his office is working with the Department of Disease Control to offer 4.2 million doses of the flu vaccine to 7 vulnerable groups, between May 1 and August 31. The vaccine…
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Thai airlines say recovery being held up by high fuel prices
The head of commercial operations at Thai Lion Air says high oil prices continue to hinder recovery in the aviation sector. Nuntaporn Komonsittivate says that, while tourism is slowly improving since the easing of entry restrictions, airlines are still struggling. “The airline business has grappled with the pandemic for more than 2 years. Oil prices account for 30% of operational…
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Health Ministry to propose “green zones” where bars, nightlife could re-open
Bars and entertainment venues are demanding the right to re-open for business, with reports the Public Health Ministry could allow this in some provinces it would designate as “green zones”. The Bangkok Post reports that owners of nightlife venues will meet with Supoj Malaniyom from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration today. According to Khathawut Thongthai from the Association of…
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Thailand’s biggest light festival is headed to Phuket
After it began last week in Krabi, Thailand’s biggest light festival, known as the Aqua Lumina Illumination Festival, is headed towards Phuket. The festival will dazzle the shores of Nai Harn Beach from this coming Friday until May 31. The festival in Phuket will display lit up sculptures and multimedia shows, as well as projection mapping with 3D images with…
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Experienced developer goes bigger and better
Urban dwellers are now looking to escape to spacious villas offering unparalleled luxury as global tourism slowly comes to life and Thailand’s border gradually opens up. Phuket, an island home to Thailand’s most luxurious and beautiful villas, captures many eyeballs. Let’s talk about one of Phuket’s most experienced developers, Trichada’s new project- Trichada Breeze. Just three weeks into the soft…
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