Israel charges 2 Jewish extremists in deadly arson
By JOSEF FEDERMAN

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel on Sunday charged two Jewish extremists in an arson attack that killed a Palestinian toddler and his parents last July — culminating a drawn-out investigation into a case that has helped fuel months of Israeli-Palestinian violence.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/883618-israel-charges-2-jewish-extremists-in-deadly-arson/

Islamic State video 'shows killing of five men it says spied for UK'

LONDON: -- Islamic State militants have released a video, featuring a man and young boy speaking with British accents, purportedly showing the killing of five men who it says were spying for the UK.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/883619-islamic-state-video-shows-killing-of-five-men-it-says-spied-for-uk/

Sweden - Denmark: Passport free travel is over

STOCKHOLM: -- For the first time since the 1950s, from midnight on Sunday travelers going from Denmark to Sweden by train, bus or boat will need to present a valid photo ID, such as a passport, to enter Sweden from its southern neighbor.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/883620-sweden-denmark-passport-free-travel-is-over/

Army Commander-in-Chief thanks all parties for monitoring unusual situations

BANGKOK, 4 January 2015 (NNT) – Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) Spokesman Banphot Poolpian, disclosed that the various activities associated with the countdown to New Year 2016, had greatly impressed the public and tourists.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/883625-army-commander-in-chief-thanks-all-parties-for-monitoring-unusual-situations/

Earthquake measuring 6.8 magnitude hits northeast India, near border with Myanmar and Bangladesh /BBC

NEW DELHI (AP) — Major earthquake strikes northeast India near Myanmar border, no word on casualties.

6.7 magnitude quake hits India's northeast

GAUHATI, India (AP) — India's remote northeast region has been hit by a 6.7 magnitude earthquake but there was no immediate word on casualties.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/883627-major-earthquake-strikes-northeast-india-near-myanmar-border/

NH GOP lawmaker heckles Hillary Clinton over Bill Clinton's sex scandals
By Dan Merica, CNN

Derry, New Hampshire (CNN)Hillary Clinton bluntly addressed a Republican state representative heckling her about Bill Clinton's alleged sexual impropriety on Sunday in New Hampshire, telling the woman she was "very rude."

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/883634-nh-gop-lawmaker-heckles-hillary-clinton-over-bill-clintons-sex-scandals/

Rice and palm oil risk to mangroves
By Mark Kinver
Environment reporter, BBC News

LONDON: -- The threat posed by the development of rice and palm oil plantations to mangroves in South-East Asia has been underestimated, a study has suggested.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/883639-rice-and-palm-oil-risk-to-mangroves/

Divorce rate among Bruneian Muslims on the rise



BRUNEI: -- The rate of divorce among Muslim Bruneians after ten years or more of marriage is on the rise, according to the latest statistics from the Syariah Courts, The Brunei Times reported.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/883643-divorce-rate-among-bruneian-muslims-on-the-rise/

Malaysia's school students to be briefed on dangers of IS terror group



KUALA LUMPUR: -- Malaysia's Education Ministry and Police will conduct briefings to school students on the dangers of Islamic State (IS) terror group starting this year, according to New Straits Times.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/883649-malaysias-school-students-to-be-briefed-on-dangers-of-is-terror-group/

New Year's eve road deaths spike as police focus on terror threats



JAKARTA: -- Road accidents on New Year’s Eve claimed 271 lives in Indonesia, up 6 percent from the previous year, as police focused much of their resources bracing for potential terrorist attacks, The Jakarta Globe reported.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/883651-indonesia-new-years-eve-road-deaths-spike-as-police-focus-on-terror-threats/

Hackers strike Indonesia's district court website after not guilty verdict in forest fire case



JAKARTA: -- The Palambang District Court in South Sumatra district court has reportedly been hacked, days after issuing a not guilty verdict against one of the plantation companies accused of slash-and-burn practices that destroyed two million hectares of forests and caused debilitating haze, The Jakarta Globe reported.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/883653-hackers-strike-indonesias-district-court-website-after-not-guilty-verdict-in-forest-fire-case/

Tickets for Malaysia-bound buses during Chinese New Year in high demand



SINGAPORE: -- Chinese New Year is about a month away and tickets for Malaysia-bound buses from Singapore are already in high demand, despite the threefold increase in prices, Channel News Asia reported.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/883654-singapore-tickets-for-malaysia-bound-buses-during-chinese-new-year-in-high-demand/

SET falls 3.16 to 1,284.86 at opening /Bangkok Post

Thanh Nien, Thai newspaper Matichon go ahead with cooperation deal



BANGKOK: -- Representatives of Vietnam's Thanh Nien newspaper and Thailand’s Matichon Group met on Jan 2 in Ho Chi Minh City to discuss details of a bilateral cooperation agreement signed in Bangkok last November, Thanh Nien News reported.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/883655-thanh-nien-thai-newspaper-matichon-go-ahead-with-cooperation-deal/

'Shop Chuay Chart' shopping campaign is a success



BANGKOK: -- The government's latest economic stimulus package that gave taxpayers 15,000 baht deduction from individual taxable income for shopping during December 25-31 has been a success with shopping centres crowded with shoppers to purchase to get the tax deductions.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/883657-shop-chuay-chart-shopping-campaign-is-a-success/

Govt pleased with road safety measures over holiday period

BANGKOK, 4 January 2015 (NNT) - Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha expressed satisfaction with road safety measures over the holidays, despite the high number of road fatalities.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/883660-thai-govt-pleased-with-road-safety-measures-over-holiday-period/

UPDATE:

Chinese tourists arrested for shopping for gold with fake credit cards



BANGKOK: -- Five Chinese tourists were arrested by Crime Suppression Division (CSD) police after they used fake credit cards and fake passports to shop for gold and jewellery in Bangkok.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/883487-five-chinese-men-arrested-with-182-fake-credit-cards/?p=10267995#entry10267995

3 held in slaying of Mexico mayor a day after taking office
By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN and MARIA VERZA

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Three people, including a minor, were being held Sunday in the slaying of a newly inaugurated mayor just hours into her term in a gang-troubled central Mexican city.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/883673-3-held-in-slaying-of-mexico-mayor-a-day-after-taking-office/

Trump: Clinton, Obama 'created ISIS'
By Tom LoBianco and Elizabeth Landers, CNN

Biloxi, Mississippi (CNN)Donald Trump on Saturday said the policies of President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton "created ISIS," the furthest the GOP front-runner has gone in tying the Obama administration's policies to the rise of the terror group.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/883675-trump-clinton-obama-created-isis/

UPDATE:

Public Health Minister thanks nurse for saving German tourist

SURAT THANI, 4 December 2015 (NNT) - Public Health Minister Piyasakol Sakolsattayatorn sent a personal thank you letter to a nurse working at Surat Thani Hospital for saving a German tourist from a heart attack.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/883588-thai-nurses-timely-assistance-saves-german-cyclist/page-2#entry10268070

Govt considers raising salaries for civil servants



BANGKOK, 4 December 2015 (NNT) - The Comptroller General's Department (CGD) is considering changing the salary structure for civil servants, in a bid to stem the brain drain of talented personnel from the public sector.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/883680-thai-govt-considers-raising-salaries-for-civil-servants/

Topless Phuket tourists educated, fined by police


The two woemn receive a lesson in Thai culture from a female police officer.

PHUKET: -- Two foreign women have received a lesson in Thai culture and been fined B500 each after being arrested following a video showing them dancing topless while leaning out of the window of a Phuket registered vehicle going viral on social media.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/883681-topless-foreign-tourists-educated-fined-by-phuket-police/

Domestic tourism to grow this year



BANGKOK, 4 December 2015 (NNT) - The Association of Domestic Travel (ADT) has revealed that the North of Thailand remains the most visited region during the New Year holidays.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/883682-domestic-tourism-to-grow-this-year/

Full year tough campaign against drunk driving urged



BANGKOK: -- Don't Drive Drunk Foundation yesterday urged the government to continue its campaign against drunk driving throughout the year, not just during festive season.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/883684-full-year-tough-campaign-against-drunk-driving-urged/

Police recover bodies of man, two children from car driven at speed off Port Lincoln wharf

ADELAIDE: -- PORT Lincoln is in shock after the bodies of a father and his two small children were pulled from a car driven off the coastal town’s main wharf early today.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/883687-two-children-man-die-after-car-driven-at-speed-into-australia-bay/

UPDATE

Busted: Topless tourists exposed after joyride video sent to police
Phuket Gazette


The pair were brought to the Patong Police Station where officials informed them of the charge of indecent public exposure. Photo: Patong Police

PHUKET: -- Police fined an American and Australian tourist for public nudity after a video surfaced of the pair sitting on the window sills of a slow-rolling SUV, exposing their bare breasts to those on the streets of Patong on January 2.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/883681-topless-foreign-tourists-educated-fined-by-phuket-police/#entry10268219

Over 21,000 drunk drivers arrested over the holiday period
By Coconuts Bangkok


A pickup truck was stopped at a checkpoint during the New Year's Holiday. Photo: National Council for Peace and Order

BANGKOK: -- Despite the insane number of drivers arrested during the holiday period, the number of road accidents in Thailand has not decreased compared to last year’s figures.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/883690-over-21000-drunk-drivers-arrested-over-the-holiday-period-in-thailand/

No white paper to be published on Ratchapakdi Park investigation

BANGKOK, 4 January 2016 (NNT) - The Ministry of Defense has said there is no need to produce a white paper on the investigation into Ratchapakdi Park, because an investigative panel has already produced a report on the matter.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/883702-no-white-paper-to-be-published-on-ratchapakdi-park-investigation/

PM meets Maldivian President, chairs meeting to develop govt databases



BANGKOK, 4 January 2016 - The Prime Minister met with the Maldivian President, before chairing a meeting to develop the government's information management.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/883703-pm-prayut-meets-maldivian-president-chairs-meeting-to-develop-govt-databases/