World stocks set for third week of losses as oil falls back below $30
Euronews

Concerns about global growth are alive and kicking. Commodity currencies took a beating on Friday (January 15) as oil prices fell back below30 dollars.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa....-back-below-30/

No information on entry of Daesh militants to Thailand - Thai PM

BANGKOK: Thai authorities have stepped up surveillance in Bangkok and the country's border in wake of the terror attack in Jakarta yesterday, but until now had not received any information on the entry of Daesh (IS) militants into the country.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/886983-no-information-on-entry-of-is-militants-to-thailand-thai-pm/

Phuket tourism businesses must be legal by end of January or else
Eakkapop Thongtub



PHUKET: -- Phuket officials have sent a warning to tourism businesses across the island: be legal by the end of January or pay hefty fineswith possible jail time.

Full Story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/886878-phuket-tourism-businesses-must-be-legal-by-end-of-january-or-else/

Elderly woman killed while young girl, 5, hospitalised after crash
Eakkapop Thongtub

PHUKET: -- A 68-year-old elderly woman was killed and a 5-year-old girl was hospitalised Friday morning (Jan 15) when a car slammed into theback of the motorbike they were riding.

Full Story:http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/886880-elderly-woman-killed-while-young-girl-5-hospitalised-after-crash/

Tough measure introduced in draft charter to prevent abuses of budget allocation in parliament

BANGKOK: The Constitution Drafting Committee has agreed in principle with a new provision in the draft constitution which will subject members of the cabinet, senators or MPs to life ban against contesting elections if they are found to have abused their authority in shifting budgets for their political interests.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/886950-tough-measure-introduced-in-draft-charter-to-prevent-abuses-of-budget-allocation-in-parliament/?p=10314397

Rubber growers must properly register before they can sell rubber to the state

BANGKOK: Rubber growers must properly register with the Rubber Authority of Thailand in order to be entitled to sell their products to the Public Warehouse Organisation under the government’s price support scheme.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/886951-rubber-growers-must-properly-register-before-they-can-sell-rubber-to-the-state/

Hostels are the star of tourism business

BANGKOK: Hostel business is growing leap and bound in Thailand as the business has gained popularity mostly among lone backpackers who want more than just a place to sleep but also an opportunity to interact with the hostel staff and other travelers too.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/886952-hostels-are-the-star-of-tourism-business/

MOTS to complete ongoing projects this year

PHUKET: Officials aim to boost tourism this year by focusing on several projects that have been previously laid out.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/886954-mots-to-complete-ongoing-projects-this-year/

British expat found dead at Kamala home

Police found no signs of a struggle or that the home had been ransacked. Photo: Kamala Police

PHUKET: A British expat was found dead in front of his home in Kamala this morning.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/886956-british-expat-found-dead-at-kamala-home/

13 rearrested after 22 broke out of a remand home in Surat Thani

SURAT THANI: Twenty-two youths broke out of a remand home in Surat Thani province today (Friday) but 13 of them were arrested shortly afterward by a police and military force.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/886958-13-rearrested-after-22-broke-out-of-a-remand-home-in-surat-thani/

Thung Kham gold-mining firm hints at the possibility of withdrawing court case against girl

BANGKOK: Thung Kham gold mining company is ready to withdraw the lawsuit filed against a 15-year old girl if the National Human Rights Commission agrees to bring the girl to settle the conflict with the company, said Mr Akaradet Jo, personal advisor to chairman of Thung Kha Harbour Plc, parent company of Thung Kham.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/886959-thung-kham-gold-mining-firm-hints-at-the-possibility-of-withdrawing-court-case-against-girl/

Electrician dies in 7th floor construction site fall in East Pattaya

PATTAYA: Police and medics were called to a condominium under construction in East Pattaya on Friday afternoon following the death of an Electrician who was installing air-conditioning compressor units.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/886960-electrician-dies-in-7th-floor-construction-site-fall-in-east-pattaya/

Police investigate Chinese Tourist “incident” on Pattaya Island

PATTAYA: Police interviewed the vendor thought to have been involved in an incident on Larn Island on Tuesday whereby he is alleged to have threatened two Chinese Tourists who were “forced” to handover 12,000 Baht for 4 plastic wallets.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/886961-police-investigate-chinese-tourist-incident-on-pattaya-island/

Minister attached to PM's Office gives special lecture on "strengthening national identity"

BANGKOK, 15 January 2016 (NNT) - Minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office M.L. Panadda Diskul gave a special lecture at Thai Cultural Center on "strengthening national identity” during a workshop entitled: "National identity, Thai identity."

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/886962-minister-attached-to-pms-office-gives-special-lecture-on-strengthening-national-identity/

PM apologises to ThaiHealth board

BANGKOK: Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha has backed down on his order issued last week suspending the entire board of Thai Health Promotion Foundation from active duties.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/886964-pm-apologises-to-thaihealth-board/

Their majesties send letter of condolence to Indonesian president

BANGKOK: Their Majesties the King and Queen on Friday sent a message to Indonesian president expressing their sorrow for the deaths and injuries caused by terrorist attacks in Jakarta on Thursday.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/886965-their-majesties-send-letter-of-condolence-to-indonesian-president/

French drug trial disaster: one man brain dead, five in hospital

One person is brain dead and five others are in a serious condition in France after a clinical trial went terribly wrong, the French health minister said on Friday (Jan. 15).

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/886968-french-drug-trial-disaster-one-man-brain-dead-five-in-hospital/

Ebola is back after West Africa declared Ebola-free

A aid agency report says a woman who died of Ebola in Sierra Leone this week has potentially exposed at least twenty-seven other people to the virus.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/886969-ebola-is-back-after-west-africa-declared-ebola-free/

Turkey’s twin fight against ISIL and the PKK

Last Tuesday’s deadly terrorist attack in Sulthanahmet in Istanbul could amplify alarm within the Turkish government, which currently faces two different and equally challenging threats. Observers speculate that Ankara may have been tolerating the radical Islamic State movement ISIL because it counterbalanced Kurdish resurgence in northern Syria, and diverted the PKK Kurdish rebels and possible sympathisers within Turkey. Before Sulthanahmet, ISIL’s targets were politically removed from the government.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/886970-turkeys-twin-fight-against-isil-and-the-pkk/

Russia airdrops 22 tonnes of aid around Syrian town of Deir al-Zor

Russia has launched a humanitarian operation in Syria.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/886972-russia-airdrops-22-tonnes-of-aid-around-syrian-town-of-deir-al-zor/

Marine helicopters collide off Oahu, search under way

AUDREY McAVOY, Associated Press


HALEIWA, Hawaii (AP) — Two Marine Corps helicopters carrying six crew members each collided and went down off the Hawaiian island of Oahu while on a nighttime training mission, and rescuers searched choppy waters Friday where debris had been sighted, military officials said.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/886973-marine-helicopters-collide-off-oahu-search-under-way/

Attack strike upscale hotel in Burkina Faso's capital

BRAHIMA OUEDRAOGO, Associated Press


OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) — Attackers struck an upscale hotel popular with Westerners in Burkina Faso's capital late Friday, fueling the recent political turmoil in the West African country. Three hours later, gunfire could still be heard as soldiers in an armored vehicle finally approached the area.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/886974-attack-strike-upscale-hotel-in-burkina-fasos-capital/

Venezuela acknowledges inflation at historic high

HANNAH DREIER, Associated Press


CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela on Friday released its first economic data in more than a year Friday, showing an economy in shambles and inflation at a historic high. The announcement came hours before President Nicolas Maduro began his annual address to congress, facing down an opposition-led National Assembly for the first time.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/886975-venezuela-acknowledges-inflation-at-historic-high/

Spacewalk aborted after water leaks into astronaut's helmet

MARCIA DUNN, AP Aerospace Writer


CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Two astronauts aborted their spacewalk Friday and hurried back into the International Space Station after water leaked into one of the men's helmets in a scary repeat of a near-drowning 2½ years ago.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/886978-spacewalk-aborted-after-water-leaks-into-astronauts-helmet/

Refugees banned from German pool over harassment fears

FRANK JORDANS, Associated Press


BERLIN (AP) — A town in western Germany has banned male refugees from a swimming pool after complaints of harassment from female bathers and staff — news that comes as a national poll Friday showed that Germans are becoming increasingly concerned about the country's ability to integrate the huge numbers of asylum-seekers who arrived last year.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/886980-refugees-banned-from-german-pool-over-harassment-fears/

Wal-Mart to shutter 269 stores, 154 of them in the US

ANNE D'INNOCENZIO, AP Retail Writer


NEW YORK (AP) — Wal-Mart is doing some rare pruning.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/886981-wal-mart-to-shutter-269-stores-154-of-them-in-the-us/

Former Dutch soldier arrested for fighting Islamic State

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A former Dutch soldier has been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the killing of combatants from the Islamic State group in Syria while fighting with a Kurdish militia.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/886984-former-dutch-soldier-arrested-for-fighting-islamic-state/

Two men found hanged in Phuket

Eakkapop Thongtub

69-year-old Somboon Nakosiri was found hanged at the Oldman Coffee shop on Ranong Rd.

PHUKET: Two man, one expat and one Thai, were found hanged in two separate incidents early yesterday morning (Jan 15), police have yet to rule on the true causes of death.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/887001-two-men-found-hanged-in-phuket/

Public administration reform committee hosting seminar this weekend

BANGKOK, 16 January 2016 (NNT) – The National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA) is hosting a seminar today (Saturday) on the topic of “National security, national stability, sustainability, and national strategies”.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/887002-public-administration-reform-committee-hosting-seminar-this-weekend/

CDC: Govt must help farmers

BANGKOK, 16 January 2016 (NNT) – The Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC) has agreed that it is the government’s duty to draw up a mechanism to assist Thai farmers in need.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/887003-cdc-govt-must-help-farmers/