THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Thursday 3 Jan 2019

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Expat Grocery Survey 2019

 

 

You may remember back in May 2018 Thaivisa carried out an expat survey to understand our shopping habits and preferences, it was certainly very interesting information. 

 

Much can happen in 8 months and we would be very grateful if you could complete our Grocery Survey for 2019. 

 

Find the survey here: https://kwiksurveys.com/s/vAbnkmz7

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From Phetchaburi to Yala: Thailand on high alert for Tropical Storm Pabuk

 

 

The authorities are on high alert as Tropical Storm Pabuk is on course for southern Thailand.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1075844-from-phetchaburi-to-yala-thailand-on-high-alert-for-tropical-storm-pabuk/

 

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Surat Thani ferries cancelled

By The Nation

 

Photo from: Lomprayah Catamaran's facebook

 

Surat Thani ferry operators cancelled routes to Koh Pha-Ngan and Koh Samui as downpours and high waves triggered by Tropical Storm Pabuk are expected to hit southern Thailand until Saturday. 

 

Full Story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1075887-surat-thani-ferries-cancelled/

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No change in road map to election, Prayut assures

By KAS CHANWANPEN 
THE NATION

 

PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha

 

Premier dismisses suggestions to delay poll till after coronation of king; ‘EC to decide on date’
 

PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday insisted that the road map for national elections remain unaltered, dismissing suggestions that the junta will postpone the poll in light of the King’s coronation ceremony.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1075981-no-change-in-road-map-to-election-prayut-assures/

 

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Princess to oversee coronation

By The Nation

 

File photo: HM King Maha Vajiralongkorn and HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. // AFP PHOTO

 

THE GOVERNMENT will call on Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn to chair a government-appointed committee to oversee preparations for the coronation ceremony of her brother, His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn, set for early May, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said yesterday.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1075563-thai-king-to-be-crowned-in-coronation-ceremonies-may-4-6-palace/?do=findComment&comment=13698536

 

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UPDATE:

 

Authorities face tough test as tropical storm Pabuk expected to cause serious damage

By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM 
THE NATION

 

 

THAILAND’S measures to prepare for and mitigate extreme weather conditions are facing a tough test as tropical storm “Pabuk” makes its way toward the country.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1075844-from-phetchaburi-to-yala-thailand-on-high-alert-for-tropical-storm-pabuk/?do=findComment&comment=13698539

 

 

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Parks department to appeal court ruling on Similan Islands

By The Nation

 

Tourists splash in the clear blue sea at Mu Ko Similan National Park in this file photo.

 

RULING SAYS NUMBER OF TOURISTS NOT MUCH HIGHER THAN LIMIT SET BY DNP

 

AN APPEAL will be filed against a court order suspending the ceiling on the number of tourists to Mu Ko Similan National Park between January 1 and March 31. 

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1075982-parks-department-to-appeal-court-ruling-on-similan-islands/

 

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Fewer accidents, but death toll up this year

By THE NATION

 

 

Though the number of road accidents is lower this year compared to the “seven dangerous days” last year, drunk driving and speeding remain the key contributing factors in crashes and account for most of the arrests, Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda said on Wednesday.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1075895-new-year-road-toll-appears-to-be-good-news/?do=findComment&comment=13698546

 

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Defendants deny charges in bearcat hunting case

By SUPOJ KAEWKASEE 
THE NATION 

 

File photo

 

ALL DEFENDANTS in the much-publicised binturong (bearcat) hunting case, with the exception of one fugitive, denied all charges at the Kanchanaburi Provincial Court yesterday.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1075983-defendants-deny-charges-in-bearcat-hunting-case/

 

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Government uses ‘national security’ as cudgel against active citizens

By KORNRAWEE PANYASUPPAKUN 
THE NATION 

 

File photo: Yingcheep Atchanont

 

POLITICAL activists and dissidents tend to be the victims of privacy violations as they are targeted by government surveillance due to so-called “security concerns”, say experts and right defenders.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1075984-government-uses-‘national-security’-as-cudgel-against-active-citizens/

 

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Proactive measures needed to cope with ageing society

By CHULARAT SAENGPASSA 
THE NATION 

 

An elderly woman carries broomsticks as she hopes to sell them for a living on a Bangkok street. She is among millions of Thais who get old before accumulating enough savings for a comfortable retirement life.

 

THAILAND’S labour market will stagger under the weight of its growing elderly population if it does not come up with practical solutions soon.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1075985-proactive-measures-needed-to-cope-with-ageing-society/

 

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How Thailand is affected by US-China trade conflict

By Jae Young Lee, Ruperto Pagaura Majuca 
Special to The Nation

 

 

Amid an escalating trade war marked by tariffs and counter-tariffs on exports, the United States and China are in the midst of a 90-day ceasefire to allow both sides to negotiate.  As a leading Asean economy, Thailand faces both challenges and opportunities from the trade war.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1075986-how-thailand-is-affected-by-us-china-trade-conflict/

 

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Is it fair to tag someone a Cheap Charlie?

By Dan Cheeseman

 

 

If you are new to Thailand let me explain the term ‘Cheap Charlie’. It is used by Thais to describe someone, usually foreign, who is perceived as tight or cheap when it comes to spending their money. In fact the Thai term is a lot more crude ‘Kee Neo’ – which directly translates as ‘Sticky Shit’.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1075832-is-it-fair-to-tag-someone-a-cheap-charlie/

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PM says he is studying policies of parties before he deciding which one to join

 

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said today he is studying policy platforms of political parties before deciding which one he would join in the near future.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1075987-pm-prayut-says-he-is-studying-policies-of-parties-before-he-deciding-which-one-to-join/

 

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Teen with loaded handgun caught heading to Patong New Year countdown

By Tanyaluk Sakoot

 

The boy, who the officers identified only as ‘Luan’, was caught with a home-made .38-calibre pistol and one .38-calibre bullet. Photo: Patong Police

 

PHUKET: Police apprehended a 17-year-old boy carrying a loaded handgun in Patong as he was heading to celebrate the New Year countdown on Monday night (Dec 31).

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1075988-teen-with-loaded-handgun-caught-heading-to-patong-new-year-countdown/

 

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No sign of progress after Trump meets lawmakers on shutdown

By Jeff Mason and Amanda Becker

 

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting on day 12 of the partial U.S. government shutdown at the White House in Washington, U.S., January 2, 2019. REUTERS/Jim Young

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic and Republican congressional leaders emerged from a meeting with President Donald Trump on Wednesday giving no indication of any progress towards ending a partial government shutdown in its 12th day as Trump held fast to his demand for $5 billion in funding for a border wall.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1075989-no-sign-of-progress-after-trump-meets-lawmakers-on-shutdown/

 

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'I won' - Trump rebuffs criticism from incoming Senator Romney

By Susan Heavey and Susan Cornwell

 

FILE PHOTO: Mitt Romney arrives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala (Met Gala) to celebrate the opening of “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” in the Manhattan borough of New York, U.S., May 7, 2018. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump rebuffed sharp criticism from fellow Republican Mitt Romney on Wednesday, heaping scorn on the incoming senator in a sign of tensions to come in Washington even before a new Congress is officially sworn in.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1075990-i-won-trump-rebuffs-criticism-from-incoming-senator-romney/

 

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Six killed in train crash on bridge linking Denmark's two main islands

By Stine Jacobsen and Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen

 

A view of a train accident site on the Great Belt Bridge in Denmark, January 2, 2019. Tim K. Jensen/Ritzau Scanpix/via REUTERS

 

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Six people were killed when a passenger train hit a freight trailer that had blown off a wagon coming the other way on a bridge linking Denmark's two main islands on Wednesday, officials said.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1075992-six-killed-in-train-crash-on-bridge-linking-denmarks-two-main-islands/

 

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Trump - December's stock market fall a 'glitch'

By Jeff Mason and Lisa Lambert

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a signing ceremony for H.R. 2, the "Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018" in Washington, U.S., December 20, 2018. REUTERS/Jim Young

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday played down the stock market's drop at the end of 2018, calling it a "glitch" and saying the market will again go up once various trade deals are settled.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1075993-trump-decembers-stock-market-fall-a-glitch/

 

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Six seaside areas in Nakhon Si Thammarat named disaster zones

By The Nation

 

Sichon hospital

 

Nakhon Si Thammarat Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada has designated six seaside districts of the province as disaster zones and ordered the evacuation of residents by this evening.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1075995-six-seaside-areas-in-nakhon-si-thammarat-named-disaster-zones/

 

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Power cuts scheduled for parts of Phuket

By The Thaiger

 

 

Power is scheduled to be shut-off in Phuket Town and in Thalang this week, according to the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA).

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1075996-power-cuts-scheduled-for-parts-of-phuket/

 

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UK minister defends giving Brexit ferry contract to company with no ships

By Andrew MacAskill and Jonathan Saul

 

Britain's Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling arrives in Downing Street, London, Britain, December 18, 2018. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's transport minister has defended awarding a 14 million-pound ($18 million) contract for shipping goods after Brexit to a new ferry company that owns no ships.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1075998-uk-minister-defends-giving-brexit-ferry-contract-to-company-with-no-ships/

 

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Suthep’s long and winding road

 

 

The Thai politics nowadays may be crawling with estranged allies. Sudarat Keyuraphan is said to have upset many in the Thaksin camp. Jatuporn Prompan is not seeing eye to eye with quite a few in the Pheu Thai Party

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1076000-suthep’s-long-and-winding-road-opinion/

 

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Video: Home hardware warehouse burns to the ground in Sri Racha

 

Picture: Daily News

 

Dramatic video showed several warehouses burn to the ground in Sri Racha, Chonburi yesterday.

 

Source: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1076003-video-home-hardware-warehouse-burns-to-the-ground-in-sri-racha/

 

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Pabuk: Koh Samui poised for first New Year tropical storm in 68 years

By The Thaiger

 

 

The mirror.co.uk is reporting that there are fears for residents and tourists on Koh Samui as the island braces for the onslaught of tropical storm Pabuk.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1076004-pabuk-koh-samui-poised-for-first-new-year-tropical-storm-in-68-years/

 

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China's Xi threatens Taiwan with force but also seeks peaceful 'reunification'

By Ben Blanchard and Yimou Lee

 

Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks during an event to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the "Message to Compatriots in Taiwan" at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China January 2, 2019. REUTERS/Mark Schiefelbein/Pool

 

BEIJING/TAIPEI (Reuters) - China reserves the right to use force to bring Taiwan under its control but will strive to achieve peaceful "reunification" with the self-ruled island that has a bright future under any future Chinese rule, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1076008-chinas-xi-threatens taiwan with-force-but-also-seeks-peaceful-reunification/

 

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Samui "song thaew" driver agrees to pay foreigner's 6,000 baht hospital bill after fare "misunderstanding"

 

Picture: Daily News

 

A fight broke out between a group of foreign exchange students and drivers at Chaweng beach road on Koh Samui after the New Year countdown. 

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1076009-samui-song-thaew-driver-agrees-to-pay-foreigners-6000-baht-hospital-bill-after-fare-misunderstanding/

 

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"What brainless idiots allowed this?" - lampposts in the middle of the road in Lamphun

 

Picture: Sanook

 

A poster on Facebook laid into the authorities in Lamphun in Thailand's north after pictures were shown of lampposts in the middle of a two lane road.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1076010-what-brainless-idiots-allowed-this-lampposts-in-the-middle-of-the-road-in-lamphun/

 

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"Why don't you die?": Australian's fight with a spider sparks police call

 

FILE PHOTO: Wanneroo Road//wikipedia

 

SYDNEY (Reuters) - An Australian man triggered an emergency police response after a noisy exchange with a spider startled a passerby into reporting what sounded like a violent disturbance to the authorities, media reported.

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1076016-why-dont-you-die-australians-fight-with-a-spider-sparks-police-call/

 

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Tourism ministry says "sorry about your lost arm" - gives flowers to Chinese blogger

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Thai Rath reported that officials from the Tourist Assistance Center of the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports visited the female Chinese blogger who lost her left arm in a road accident on the way from Bangkok to Koh Chang. 

 

Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1076017-tourism-ministry-says-sorry-about-your-lost-arm-gives-flowers-to-chinese-blogger/