Illegal Chinese tour guide arrested at famous Phuket landmark
Eakkapop Thongtub


Wu Daolin was arrested wile conducting a tour at Promthep Cape. Photo Ekkapop Thongtub

PHUKET: -- A Chinese man was arrested at the famous Phuket landmark, Promthep Cape,this morning (Jan 11) for working as an illegal tour guide when he was seen conducting a tour of the area for 20 Chinese tourists.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885727-illegal-chinese-tour-guide-arrested-at-famous-phuket-landmark/

Healthy 'A Negative' blood donors in Phuket can donate to British motorbike accident victim in need at Chiang Mai hospital
Tanyaluk Sakoot

PHUKET: -- Healthy “A Negative” blood donors are able to donate blood to a British woman in dire need of the relatively rare blood type at aChiang Mai hospital, where she is in critical condition after suffering a motorbike accident.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885725-healthy-a-negative-blood-donors-in-phuket-can-donate-to-british-motorbike-accident-victim-in-need/

PM: Naming of next Supreme Patriarch can wait

BANGKOK, 12 January 2016 (NNT) – Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha has affirmed no appointment will be made for the new Supreme Patriarch for the moment, saying all issues must be ironed out first.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885755-pm-prayut-naming-of-next-supreme-patriarch-can-wait/

Ministry of Public Health alerts provincial authorities over all types of bird flu

BANGKOK, 12 January 2016 (NNT) - The Ministry of Public Health has instructed all provinces to closely monitor any signs of bird flu during winter season and warned the public to avoid contact with any sickly birds.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885756-thai-health-min-alerts-provincial-authorities-over-all-types-of-bird-flu/

Commerce Min strives to increase demand for rubber

BANGKOK, 12 January 2016 (NNT) – The Ministry of Commerce is seeking new market channels to absorb rubber supplies in the country by increasing links between producers and industries in need.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885757-thai-commerce-min-strives-to-increase-demand-for-rubber/

Woman trampled to death by an elephant while her son injured



CHANTABURI: -- A woman was trampled to death by a wild elephant and her two-year old boy suffered a broken leg at a rubber plantation in Makham district of Chanthaburi Monday morning.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885758-woman-trampled-to-death-by-elephant-in-thailand/

Ministry of Education vows to urgently reform Thai education

BANGKOK, 12 January (NNT) – The Ministry of Education is pushing for education reform by urgently developing standards of teachers. The ministry stressed that teachers must be evaluated after they were trained.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885759-ministry-of-education-vows-to-urgently-reform-thai-education/

MOPH to develop old-fashioned medicine and use Thai herbs

BANGKOK, 12 January 2016 (NNT) – Public Health Minister Piyasakon Sakolsattayatorn said old-fashioned medicine is growing more popular worldwide as it helps solve health problems which modern drugs cannot.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885760-thai-health-min-to-develop-old-fashioned-medicine-and-use-thai-herbs/

Korat farmers turn to alternative farming due to drought



NAKHON RATCHASIMA, 12 January 2016 (NNT) – Local farmers are now planting low water consuming crops as an alternative to tapioca, as Nakhon Ratchasima Province faces its most severe drought in decades.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885761-korat-farmers-turn-to-alternative-farming-due-to-drought/

Rubber industry must be entirely revamped, PM says

BANGKOK, 12 January 2016 (NNT) – The Prime Minister has stated the issue of rubber pricing must be solved within the entire rubber manufacturing industry and is set to declare to the cabinet a budget to be used to help deal with this issue.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885762-rubber-industry-must-be-entirely-revamped-pm-prayut-says/

PM brushes aside Suthep's suggestion



BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha has brushed aside a suggestion former leader of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee Suthep Thaugsuban that the government should subsidise the price of rubber sheets at 60 baht a kilogramme.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885763-pm-prayut-brushes-aside-sutheps-suggestion/

8 ministries to set aside budget to buy rubber



BANGKOK: -- Eight ministries were told by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha to each set aside a fund to be used to buy rubber as a means to stabilize rubber price.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885764-8-thai-ministries-to-set-aside-budget-to-buy-rubber/

King pays brief visit to Chitrlada palace‏



BANGKOK: -- His Majesty the King paid a brief visit to Chitrlada Palace on Monday afternoon.

According to the Office of the Lord Chamberlain, HM the King left Siriraj hospital at 1.24 pm by car for Chitrlada Palace where he spent less than an hour observing the areas around a pond in front of Sala Dusittalai, visit Royally-sponsored projects and a rice mill.

HM the King returned to Siriraj hospital at about 2.17 pm.

On Sunday, the Royal Household Bureau issued a statement saying that the King has had fever over the past two weeks but his condition has now improved.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/king-pays-brief-visit-to-chitrlada-palace%e2%80%8f


-- Thai PBS 2016-01-12

Admin Court rejects Thaksin’s call to suspend the order scrapping his two passports



BANGKOK: -- The Central Administrative Court has rejected fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s petition for the suspension of the Foreign Ministry’s order scrapping his two passports.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885765-admin-court-rejects-thaksins-call-to-suspend-the-order-scrapping-his-two-passports/

City Hall orders checks of CCTV system to ensure their safety



BANGKOK: -- The City Administration has ordered thorough checks of all its CCTV cameras in Bangkok and CCTV poles to make sure that they are safe, said Bangkok Governor M.R. Sukhumbhand Paribhatra on Monday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885766-bangkok-orders-checks-of-cctv-system-to-ensure-their-safety/

Thailand: blood donor appeal helps injured British backpacker
Press Association

Lucy Hill, who was involved in crash in Chiang Mai, out of immediate danger after response to request for A-negative blood

CHIANG MAI: -- An injured British backpacker is out of immediate danger in hospital in Thailand after an urgent appeal for blood donors went viral.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885767-chiang-mai-blood-donor-appeal-helps-injured-british-backpacker/

Bank Security Guard Threatens Australian Man With Gun in Pattaya
By Sasiwan Mokkhasen
Staff Reporter


A police officer at Pattaya Police Station this afternoon with Security Guard Natthapong Konchanthet,40, and the gun issued by the bank.

PATTAYA — A security guard confessed to threatening an Australian man with a gun, because the man had parked on bank property Monday afternoon.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885768-bank-security-guard-threatens-australian-man-with-gun-in-pattaya/

Irishman's body found dead in sea off Pattaya, Thailand

BY COLIN BRENNAN

The 50-year-old man was found wearing only shorts with his face in the water

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885770-irishmans-body-found-dead-in-sea-off-pattaya/

Police investigate Facebook video of tourist attack in South Pattaya



PATTAYA: -- A video was posted on Facebook over the weekend depicting an alleged assault on a foreign tourist on Walking Street, which prompted a Police investigation.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885771-police-investigate-facebook-video-of-tourist-attack-in-south-pattaya/

G4S Security Guard arrested in Gun incident at Central Pattaya Bank – UPDATED



PATTAYA: -- On Monday afternoon Pattaya Police arrested a 41-year-old G4S Security Guard at a Bank in Central Pattaya following a complaint from an Australian who claims to have been threatened with a gun because of how he parked his bike at the front of a bank guarded by the suspect.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885768-bank-security-guard-threatens-australian-man-with-gun-in-pattaya/#entry10297557

Pattaya Police arrest Cambodian Ladyboy necklace theft suspect



PATTAYA: -- Police Major General Ampon, the Commander of Chonburi Provincial Police, led a press conference on Monday to announce the arrest of a 27-year-old Cambodian Ladyboy who is accused of stealing a gold necklace from around the neck of a Russian Tourist in South Pattaya.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885772-pattaya-police-arrest-cambodian-ladyboy-necklace-theft-suspect/

Pattaya Police Arrest French ATM scammers in Central Pattaya



PATTAYA: -- Police Major General Ampon, the Provincial Police Commander, announced the arrest of two French Nationals on Monday afternoon, accused of bank card fraud.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885773-pattaya-police-arrest-french-atm-scammers-in-central-pattaya/

The Commons: New loft-like community mall opens in Thong Lor
By Coconuts Bangkok


The "Play Yard" zone at The Commons community mall. Photo: Phanuphan Veeravaphusit/ Coconuts Krungthep
23

Another day in Bangkok is another new mall, but this one seems different from the rest

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885775-the-commons-new-loft-like-community-mall-opens-in-thong-lor/

British woman injured and valuables stolen in daylight Phuket snatch and grab theft
The Phuket News

PHUKET: -- A 26-year-old British woman had over B100,000 worth of valuables stolen and suffered serious abrasions to her arms and legs when shewas the victim of a snatch and grab theft on Phra Phuket Keaw Rd in kathu at 5:40pm last Thursday (Jan 7). Police are continuing to hunt fortwo suspects involved in the incident.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885703-british-woman-injured-and-valuables-stolen-in-daylight-phuket-snatch-and-grab-theft/

Finnish tourist slashed while fighting off bag thieves
Phuket Gazette


The thieves slashed Ms Ruohonen's arm as she attempted to fight them off. Photo: Karon Police

PHUKET: -- A Finnish tourist was seriously wounded when she attempted to fight off bag snatchers in Phuket on Saturday night.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885776-finnish-tourist-slashed-while-fighting-off-bag-thieves-in-phuket/

Temporary Fishing Ban in place along Pattaya coastline



PATTAYA: -- Commercial fishing vessels have been temporarily banned from fishing along a 4km stretch of Pattaya coastline to allow for stocks of fish to replenish.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885777-temporary-fishing-ban-in-place-along-pattaya-coastline/

BYD K9 Electric Bus Is Ready in Thailand
SOURCE: BYD MOTORS INC

BANGKOK: -- The year 2016 started with a rosy outlook for BYD Co. Ltd. and Thailand’s public transportation system.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885778-byd-k9-electric-bus-is-ready-in-thailand/

Uruguay: an example for Thailand?
BY LARRY BANKS



BANGKOK: -- As the Thai government pours money into alternative energy, an encouraging example is emerging from an unlikely place: South America.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885779-uruguay-an-example-for-thailand/

Record Droughts Predicted for 2016
BY JACOB MASLOW



BANGKOK: -- Authorities predict that Thailand is likely to encounter a drought crisis in 2016 which may be the worst recorded in the past 50 years.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885781-record-droughts-in-thailand-predicted-for-2016/

German Chancellor Angela Merkel under pressure over attacks in Cologne



BERLIN: -- Of all the countries of Europe in 2015, Germany accepted the most asylum-seekers: more than one million last year. Some one half of these are thought to be from Syria, seeking refuge from its civil war. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s humanitarian, open-door policy for these people won her widespread praise.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/885783-german-chancellor-angela-merkel-under-pressure-over-attacks-in-cologne/