THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Thursday 30 May 2024

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A former transport minister in Thailand recently chose to personally repay a Japanese tourist who was overcharged by an unscrupulous tuk tuk driver in Bangkok. He gave 2,000 baht ($64) in cash to the tourist, stating it was his moral obligation as a Thai citizen to make amends.

 

Former Minister Reimburses Japanese Tourist Overcharged by Tuk Tuk Driver

Full Story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328490-former-minister-reimburses-japanese-tourist-overcharged-by-tuk-tuk-driver/

 

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Surprise Find: Chiang Mai Residents Discover 'Kangaroo' in the Middle of Doi Suthep Road

Photo courtesy of The Thaiger

 

On May 29th, a kangaroo was spotted at the entrance of Doi Suthep, slightly past Wat Sisoda, in Chiang Mai province, according to a video shared by CM108 Chiang Mai News on Facebook. The marsupial was found around 8:20 a.m., causing quite a buzz amongst social media users.

 

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328473-surprise-find-chiang-mai-residents-discover-kangaroo-in-the-middle-of-doi-suthep-road/

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Thai police arrest Frenchman for delivering cocaine using remote-controlled toy car

 

Thai police have apprehended a French individual for attempting to ship cocaine hidden in a toy car to a friend in Cambodia. The drug-laden parcel was discovered by a courier company during routine X-ray checks, prompting them to alert authorities.

 

Photo courtesy of The Thaiger

 

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328484-thai-police-arrest-frenchman-for-delivering-cocaine-using-remote-controlled-toy-car/

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BREAKING

 

New Tax Rules for Expats in Thailand Spark Concern

 

Picture courtesy: MGR online

 

Thailand's recent tax regulation changes have sent ripples through the expat community. By March 2025, foreign retirees and other expats in Thailand will be required to file income tax returns for the 2024 tax year, marking a significant shift in the nation’s approach to taxing foreign residents.

 

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328516-new-tax-rules-for-expats-in-thailand-spark-concern/

 

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Cannabis Advocates Rally in Bangkok Against Planned Recriminalisation

 

A pedestrian walks past a cannabis shop in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Dozens of pro-cannabis advocates in Thailand gathered at the health ministry on Thursday to oppose the government’s plan to relist the plant as a narcotic, two years after it was decriminalized. File photo (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

 

Cannabis entrepreneurs, farmers, and activists gathered in Bangkok to protest the government’s plan to reclassify marijuana as a narcotic, only two years after its decriminalisation.

 

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328517-cannabis-advocates-rally-in-bangkok-against-planned-recriminalisation/

 

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Is Thailand set for another era of bureaucratic reform under Thaksin’s influence?

 

Thailand’s bureaucracy has been frozen in time for over 20 years, with the last real reforms coming around 2002 under the government of Thaksin Shinawatra.

 

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328521-is-thailand-set-for-another-era-of-bureaucratic-reform-under-thaksin’s-influence/

 

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Thailand Visa Exemption (60 days) and Visa On Arrival (VOA) (15 days)

 

Valid from 2024-06-01:

 

Visa Exemption (TR-60)

 

Nationals of the following 93 countries and territories are entitled to visa exemption for the purpose of tourism and short-term business engagements, for a period not exceeding 60 days.

 

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328518-thailand-visa-exemption-60-days-and-visa-on-arrival-voa-15-days/

 

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5 year multiple entry DTA visa (Destination Thailand) from 2024-xx-xx

 

Destination Thailand Visa (DTV)

 

- Remote Workers/Digital Nomads/Freelancers

- Participants of activities such as

- Muay Thai courses

- Thai cooking classes

- Sport training

- Medical treatment

- Seminars

- Music festivals etc.

 

Period of stay: 180 days 

 

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328520-5-year-multiple-entry-dta-visa-destination-thailand-from-2024-xx-xx/

 

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AirAsia soars to new heights: Asia’s best low-cost carrier for 2024
by Puntid Tantivangphaisal

 

Photo courtesy of Aviation Source News

AirAsia Group and its affiliates AirAsia X and Thai AirAsia X have been crowned Asia’s Top Low-Cost Carrier for 2024 by AirlineRatings.com at their prestigious Airline Excellence Awards.

 

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328524-airasia-soars-to-new-heights-asia’s-best-low-cost-carrier-for-2024/

 

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Post-Match Brawl Erupts Between Foreign Fighters After Thai Boxing Showdown in Phuket
By Goongnang Suksawat

 

 

Patong, Phuket– A post-match fracas erupted at a Patong boxing stadium following a Thai boxing contest between competitors from Russia and Ireland.

 

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328528-post-match-brawl-erupts-between-foreign-fighters-after-thai-boxing-showdown-in-phuket/

 

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Court Dismisses Petition Against Pheu Thai's Alleged Thaksin Influence

 

FILE - Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, arrives at Don Muang airport in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File)

 

The Constitutional Court in Bangkok has dismissed a high-profile petition accusing the Pheu Thai party of being unduly influenced by Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The petition also scrutinised the party's digital wallet scheme, used during its election campaign, alleging violations of Section 49 of the Constitution.

 

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328529-court-dismisses-petition-against-pheu-thais-alleged-thaksin-influence/

 

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Pattaya Begins 3.1 Billion-Baht Underground Power Line Project

 

Picture courtesy: Thai Rath

 

Pattaya's mayor, Mr Poramase Ngampiches, has announced significant progress on a major infrastructure project aimed at relocating the city's power lines underground.

 

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328532-pattaya-begins-31-billion-baht-underground-power-line-project/

 

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British Tourists Involved in Soi 6 Brawl With Guards Found, File Formal Legal Complaint
By Adam Judd

 

 

Pattaya, Thailand – In a viral incident that has made international headlines and drove significant speculation and discussion online, a group of independent contracted guards brutally assaulted British tourists after a furious dispute over a bill on the bustling Soi 6 Pattaya over the past weekend.

 

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328533-british-tourists-involved-in-soi-6-brawl-with-guards-found-file-formal-legal-complaint/

 

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NATIONAL NEWS from Surf 102.5 FM - Thursday 30 May 2024

 

 

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328534-national-news-from-surf-1025-fm-thursday-30-may-2024/

 

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Thai Airways Partners with Airbus to Upgrade A320s with Reclining Seats

 

Picture courtesy: Wikipedia

 

In a significant move towards enhancing passenger comfort, Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI) has announced a partnership with Airbus to retrofit its fleet of 20 A320ceo aircraft with premium reclining business class seats. This marks Airbus’ first cabin retrofit for a single-aisle fleet in the Asia-Pacific region.

 

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328536-thai-airways-partners-with-airbus-to-upgrade-a320s-with-reclining-seats/

 

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Pattaya Seeks to Transform Image, Promoting Diverse Tourism

 

File photo. Courtesy: Pxhere

 

The private tourism sector in Pattaya convened a workshop yesterday to discuss strategies for repositioning the city as a comprehensive travel destination, aiming to shift its reputation beyond just a nightlife and entertainment hub.

 

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328539-pattaya-seeks-to-transform-image-promoting-diverse-tourism/

 

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Manhunt Launched for Fugitive Brit Thought to be Hiding in Thailand

 

Photo courtesy of North Yorkshire Police UK

 

British Police have launched an international manhunt for a fugitive from Warrington, UK, who is believed to be hiding in Thailand. 

 

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328545-manhunt-launched-for-fugitive-brit-thought-to-be-hiding-in-thailand/

 

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Notorious Passport Forgery Ringleader Captured in Bangkok

 

Picture courtesy: MGR online

 

A notorious passport forgery mastermind, who had been evading capture for several months, was apprehended during a dramatic late-night raid in Bangkok's upscale Sathorn district. Known only as Chun, the fugitive had been wanted by Chinese authorities on charges including falsifying and using forged passports and had posed as a Surinamese national to avoid detection.

 

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328547-notorious-passport-forgery-ringleader-captured-in-bangkok/

 

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Monkey pox is on the rise after Songkran

 

Monkey pox cases in Thailand have been rising since mid-April, with the number of confirmed cases reaching 787 since the infectious disease was first detected in Thailand in July 2022.

 

Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328559-monkey-pox-is-on-the-rise-after-songkran/

 

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Court sentences ex-police officer to death for fatal Trang shooting

 

 

Initially acquitted, an ex-police gunman faces the death penalty for the fatal shooting of a couple in Trang. The couple were buying materials for their rubber latex business at the time, before being violently gunned down.

 

Full Story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328571-court-sentences-ex-police-officer-to-death-for-fatal-trang-shooting/

 

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American man with depression commits suicide at Phuket hotel

 

Photo via Khao Phuket

 

A Thai maid discovered the dead body of a 63 year old American man in his Phuket hotel room after he committed suicide yesterday, May 29. His Thai ex-girlfriend reported that the foreign man suffered from depression but did not seek treatment.

 

Full Story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328572-american-man-with-depression-commits-suicide-at-phuket-hotel/

 

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Bullying brother stabbed 11 times in Chon Buri family altercation

 

Image courtesy of Khaosod

 

A violent altercation between siblings in Chon Buri erupted when a brother stabbed his older sibling 11 times, leaving the latter severely injured. The younger brother claims his brother, in an intoxicated state had instigated the incident, bearing his own weapons.

 

Full Story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328573-bullying-brother-stabbed-11-times-in-chon-buri-family-altercation/

 

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Exotic pet trainer attacks South Korean in Pattaya ‘coin-troversy’

 

Photo via One 31

 

An exotic pet trainer attacked a South Korean man at a night market in Pattaya, accusing the victim of insulting him by throwing money at him during a performance.

 

Full Story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328575-exotic-pet-trainer-attacks-south-korean-in-pattaya-‘coin-troversy’/

 

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Street Vendors in Bangkok Encouraged to Sign Up for Tax Registration

 

File photo for reference only

 

The city government is encouraging street vendors to sign up for the tax payment program, in efforts to regulate their activity in public spaces and sidewalks.

 

Full Story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328576-street-vendors-in-bangkok-encouraged-to-sign-up-for-tax-registration/

 

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Thai individual discovered dead in Taiwan; employer in police custody

 

Photo courtesy of Thai PBS

 

A Taiwanese boss, referred to as "Mr. Lin", is being detained by the police in Yilan County, northeast Taiwan. He is suspected of possibly being involved in the death of a Thai migrant worker, who was in Taiwan illegally. This news was reported by Taiwan's Liberty Times.

 

Full Story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328578-thai-individual-discovered-dead-in-taiwan-employer-in-police-custody/

 

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Students might receive a major boost in digital resources

 

File photo for reference only

 

The Ministry of Education plans to call for a budget of 15 billion baht to buy electronic devices such as iPads, tablets, and laptops for 600,000 students and teachers next year.

 

Full Story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328579-students-might-receive-a-major-boost-in-digital-resources/

 

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Fugitive 'Sia Paeng Nanod' has been captured in Indonesia

 

File photo for reference only

 

Notorious fugitive Chaowalit Thongduang, also known as "Sia Paeng Nanod", has been caught in Indonesia after a seven-month manhunt. He had escaped from a hospital in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand, last October and later engaged in a shootout with the police.

 

Full Story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328581-fugitive-sia-paeng-nanod-has-been-captured-in-indonesia/

 

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Former lawyer found dead at home in Nakhon Si Thammarat

 

Picture courtesy of KhaoSod

 

A former lawyer tragically died in his luxurious home in the heart of Nakhon Si Thammarat. The police are intensively investigating the cause and conducting a thorough autopsy to determine the circumstances surrounding his death.

 

Full Story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328583-former-lawyer-found-dead-at-home-in-nakhon-si-thammarat/

 

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Indian guests find a ‘Thai’-light in Airbnb bookings surge

 

Picture courtesy of The Pattaya News

 

New data from Airbnb reveals a significant rise in bookings by Indian guests in Thailand between 2022 and 2023. The statistics show an impressive increase of over 60% year-on-year, with notable peaks during the recent long holiday weekends. During these periods, searches by Indian guests for stays in Thailand surged by more than 200%.

 

Full Story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328584-indian-guests-find-a-‘thai’-light-in-airbnb-bookings-surge/

 

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King names MRT Yellow Line Nakkhara Phiphat for prosperity

 

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

 

The King of Thailand has graciously bestowed the name Nakkhara Phiphat, meaning prosperity of the city, on the Yellow Line of the Metropolitan Rapid Transit (MRT).

 

Full Story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1328585-king-names-mrt-yellow-line-nakkhara-phiphat-for-prosperity/