THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Monday 30 Dec 2019

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Download the Thaivisa 2020 Calendar

 

All Thai holidays and no alcohol days included.

 

Get your copy here: https://forum.thaivisa.com/files/file/772-thaivisa-calendar-2020/?changelog=100

 

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7 hurt as public bus rear-ends freight truck in Huay Yai

 

PATTAYA:--Seven people were hurt when their interprovincial bus rear-ended a 10-wheeled truck in Huay Yai.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1140911-7-hurt-as-public-bus-rear-ends-freight-truck-in-huay-yai/

 

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Candy seller pickpockets tourist

 

PATTAYA:--A candy seller is wanted for pickpocketing a tourist in a Naklua bar.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1140910-candy-seller-pickpockets-tourist/

 

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Unlit roadwork leads to accidents on S. Pattaya street

 

PATTAYA:--South Pattaya residents are complaining that Pattaya road workers opened up a busy soi and didn’t put enough lights and signs for people to see it after dark.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1140909-unlit-roadwork-leads-to-accidents-on-s-pattaya-street/

 

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Police struggle to explain away dumping of ID cards, traffic tickets in Nong Plalai

 

PATTAYA:--Banglamung police sparked more questions than they answered while trying to explain how a cache of expired identification cards and old traffic tickets ended up in the woods in Nong Plalai.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1140908-police-struggle-to-explain-away-dumping-of-id-cards-traffic-tickets-in-nong-plalai/

 

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Animal rescuers join Soi Dog to create better Pattaya

 

PATTAYA:--This December, Falko Duwe, a dog-loving Pattaya expat, together with Dr. Kwanchai Chaiplum, a veterinarian who has been neutering dogs in the area for a number of years, hosted an appreciation party plus a small workshop for local dog rescuers and feeders at August Restaurant.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1140906-animal-rescuers-join-soi-dog-to-create-better-pattaya/

 

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Line fire knocks out power in Sattahip

 

SATTAHIP:--An electrical-line fire knocked out power in a Sattahip neighborhood as flames spread along the wires.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1140904-line-fire-knocks-out-power-in-sattahip/

 

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Runaway horse killed by truck in Najomtien

 

Na Jomtien:--A runaway horse died after being hit by a pickup truck in Sattahip.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1140903-runaway-horse-killed-by-truck-in-najomtien/

 

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Streets closed, parking banned around Pattaya Countdown

 

PATTAYA:--Motorists will find it slow going in South Pattaya over New Year’s as roads surrounding Bali Hai Pier will be closed for the three-day Pattaya Countdown.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1140902-streets-closed-parking-banned-around-pattaya-countdown/

 

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BHP final blood drive stocks up for holidays

 

PATTAYA:--Bangkok Hospital Pattaya hosted one last blood drive for 2019 to replenish supplies before the deadly New Year’s driving season.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1140901-bhp-final-blood-drive-stocks-up-for-holidays/

 

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40km-long traffic jam on Mittraphap Road

By The Nation

 

 

Travellers heading down Mittraphap Road towards Nakhon Ratchasima province for the New Year have been bogged down by heavy traffic, with the queue of vehicles stretching for almost 40 kilometres on Saturday (December 28).

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1140949-40km-long-traffic-jam-on-mittraphap-road/

 

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Large Buddha statue set to be installed in Bangkok

By The Nation

 

 

A 69-metre-tall Dhammakaya Thep Mongkol Buddha statue with a 40-metre lap has been built for Wat Paknam Bhasicharoen, a royal temple located in the Phasi Charoen district of Bangkok.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1140950-large-buddha-statue-set-to-be-installed-in-bangkok/

 

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Prehistoric pottery and bones found in Krabi

By The Nation

 

 

A local official, villagers and a Fine Arts Department volunteer stumbled on human bones and ancient pottery fragments while exploring a cave in Khao Ban Pak Chong, a large limestone mountain in Krabi province.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1140952-prehistoric-pottery-and-bones-found-in-krabi/

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Three Chiang Rai districts hit by hailstorm

By The Nation

 

 

A hailstorm hit Mae Sai, Chiang Saen and Mae Chan districts in Chiang Rai province on Saturday night (December 28) and felled several big trees, causing destruction in the area.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1140953-three-chiang-rai-districts-hit-by-hailstorm/

 

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All eyes on BOT data as baht hits highest level in six years

 

Rising baht:   The baht rose to 30.15 per against the US dollar on Friday (December 27), up 8 per cent from last year’s closing price of Bt32.55/dollar. Source : Kasikornbank

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1140955-all-eyes-on-bot-data-as-baht-hits-highest-level-in-six-years/

 

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Weakening ‘Phanfone’ to have no impact on Thailand’s weather

By The Nation

 

The plains in the North and the Northeast will have minimum temperatures in the range of 14-20 degrees Celsius.

 

Tropical depression ‘Phanfone’ category 2 is weakening with no impact on Thailand, the weather agency said but forecast that temperatures in the North and Northeast will be 2-3 degrees down.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1140956-weakening-‘phanfone’-to-have-no-impact-on-thailand’s-weather/

 

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A trip to Thailand’s silk route

By The Nation

 

 

Fashion fabrics may come and go, but “Thai traditional fabric” has an enduring quality about it.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1140957-a-trip-to-thailand’s-silk-route/

 

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Irrigation and waterworks authority flushing seawater out of Chao Phraya River

 

 

The Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (MWA) and the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) have jointly employed a technique, called “water hammer”, to flush seawater out of the Chao Phraya River in their bid to maintain the quality of tap water.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1140959-irrigation-and-waterworks-authority-flushing-seawater-out-of-chao-phraya-river/

 

 

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Probe into suspected foreign involvement in illegal resorts in Chiang Mai

 

 

The Royal Forest Department has launched an investigation to determine whether Chinese investors own stakes in two resorts at Doi Mon Jam in Mae Rim district of Chiang Mai province, which were raided by its officials last week.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1140960-probe-into-suspected-foreign-involvement-in-illegal-resorts-in-chiang-mai/

 

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OPINION

A foreigner’s perspective on 2019 – economy

 

©Chanaka

 

In this second of three articles, looking back at 2019 from a foreigner’s perspective, I take a look at how regional and wider economic changes have profound implications for Thailand and how they affected the Kingdom’s economy over the past year.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1140961-a-foreigner’s-perspective-on-2019-–-economy/

 

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Phuket Opinion: Drugs on the streets

By The Phuket News

 

With the volume and prevalence of drugs on the island, police need to check drivers for more than just alcohol. Photo: The Phuket News / file

 

PHUKET: The news this week of Phuket having amongst the highest number of prosecutions for drugs in the country should not come as much of a surprise, it has been a long time coming.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1140962-phuket-opinion-drugs-on-the-streets/

 

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Govt invites people to attend Amazing Thailand Countdown 2020

 

   

BANGKOK (NNT) - With so many people traveling during the New Year festival, the government has stressed safety measures be observed. Meanwhile, people are invited to attend the Amazing Thailand Countdown 2020 event which is aimed at stimulating the economies of second-tier cities.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1140965-govt-invites-people-to-attend-amazing-thailand-countdown-2020/

 

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U.S. strikes in Iraq, Syria target Iranian-backed Shi'ite Muslim militia group

By Idrees Ali and Ahmed Rasheed

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Air Force F-15 fighter jets fly in formation during the Clear Sky 2018 multinational military drills at Starokostiantyniv Air Base in Khmelnytskyi Region, Ukraine October 12, 2018. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

 

WASHINGTON/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military carried out air strikes in Iraq and Syria against the Kataib Hezbollah militia group in response to the killing of a U.S. civilian contractor in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base, U.S. officials said on Sunday.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1140966-us-strikes-in-iraq-syria-target-iranian-backed-shiite-muslim-militia-group/

 

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U.S. promises action on any North Korea missile test - White House

By Doina Chiacu

 

FILE PHOTO: North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un sits in his vehicle after arriving at a railway station in Dong Dang, Vietnam, at the border with China, February 26, 2019. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States would be very disappointed if North Korea tested a long-range or nuclear missile and would take appropriate action as a leading military and economic power, White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien said on Sunday.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1140967-us-promises-action-on-any-north-korea-missile-test-white-house/

 

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Putin thanks Trump for tip Russia says foiled attacks

 

FILE PHOTO: Russia's President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands during a bilateral meeting at the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 28, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/

 

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Sunday it had thwarted terrorism attacks reportedly planned in St. Petersburg thanks to a tip from Washington, bringing personal thanks again from President Vladimir Putin to his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1140968-putin-thanks trump for-tip-russia-says-foiled-attacks/

 

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Thousands evacuated from Australian tourist haven as bushfires rage

 

A volunteer from the New South Wales Rural Fire Service works to extinguish spot fires following back burning operations in Mount Hay, in Australia’s Blue Mountains, December 28, 2019. REUTERS/Jill Gralow

 

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Thousands of residents and holiday makers have been told to evacuate a swathe of Victoria as soaring temperatures and strong winds fan massive bushfires in the Australian state.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1140969-thousands-evacuated-from-australian-tourist-haven-as-bushfires-rage/

 

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Ukraine holds big prisoner swap with pro-Russian separatists

By Pavel Polityuk and Vladimir Soldatkin

 

A Ukrainian serviceman, who was exchanged during a prisoners of war (POWs) swap between Ukraine and the separatist self-proclaimed republics, embraces an acquaintance upon the arrival at the Boryspil International Airport outside Kiev, Ukraine December 29, 2019. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

 

KIEV/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists in the east completed a large-scale prisoner swap on Sunday after bussing scores of detainees in the five-year conflict to an exchange point in the breakaway Donbass region.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1140970-ukraine-holds-big-prisoner-swap-with-pro-russian-separatists/

 

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Road death toll jumps to 109 in first two days of safe driving campaign

 

 

Authorities have been instructed to tighten up traffic controls in high risk areas as the death toll for the first two days of the seven-day dangerous travel period over the New Year holidays increased from 43 to 109 and the number of injured rose by 527 to 993.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1140972-road-death-toll-jumps-to-109-in-first-two-days-of-safe-driving-campaign/

 

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UPDATE:

 

Olympian Marc Ryan's Thailand 'jail' horror

 

An Olympic Games medal winner from New Zealand was reportedly forced to spend four nights in a filthy immigration detention centre in Thailand.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1140685-ex-olympic-champion-nabbed-for-working-without-a-permit/?do=findComment&comment=14906897

 

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Bangkok turns quiet after New Year exodus

By The Nation

 

 

Bangkok fell under a quiet spell as thousands of Thais and foreigners left the capital to other provinces to usher in the New Year.

 

Full story: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1140973-bangkok-turns-quiet-after-new-year-exodus/