https://www.scmp.com/rss/284657/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com By Chanon Viravan The door of the narcotic treasury room at Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration office is made of heavy steel with a combination lock, like the ones used to store valuables at a bank deposit room. Wachira Umphon, director of the Substance Control Division is one of the few people with the authority and the password to open it. Seventeen-year-old caught in Thailand with drugs worth US$3.12m Inside the room are hundreds of ordinary cardboard boxes. He opened one to reveal... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2151957/us395-million-drugs-be-torched-thailand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2151957/us395-million-drugs-be-torched-thailand?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Jun 2018 04:00:15 +0000 By King-Oua Laohong The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) in Thailand has received a complaint alleging that more than 250 Thai expats in Australia have been cheated by a Thai couple out of at least 50 million baht (US$1.5 million). Ms Pimlada, whose surname was not provided, filed a complaint with the DSI claiming she was among the more than 250 Thai expats and students in Sydney who were conned in a bogus investment scam. Ms Pimlada, 37, said the couple conducted a social media live... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2151843/couple-scams-thai-expats-australia-out-us15-million?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2151843/couple-scams-thai-expats-australia-out-us15-million?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Jun 2018 08:41:56 +0000 Thailand’s property market will keep growing as land and residential prices soar, just as office rents have risen consistently over the past three decades despite two major economic crises in 1997 and 2008, according to property consultancy CBRE Thailand. “Each cycle took 10 years, but the second one in 2008 was not caused by Thailand,” said Aliwassa Pathnadabutr, managing director of CBRE Thailand. “The property market today is in the third cycle and still on the rise. We see no risk factors at... https://www.scmp.com/property/international/article/2151279/cbre-thailand-bullish-kingdoms-office-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/property/international/article/2151279/cbre-thailand-bullish-kingdoms-office-market?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Jun 2018 12:02:15 +0000 About 9 million methamphetamine pills and 300 kilogrammes of crystal meth have been seized and a key drug suspect arrested in Thailand’s Chiang Dao district. Suspected dealer Panatkit Soponphumipanya was arrested in the border area of Ban Pa Bong Ngam in tambon Mueang Na on Monday.  The drugs were in his possession. Seventeen-year-old caught in Thailand with drugs worth US$3.12m His arrest was announced on Friday at a news conference by Sirinya Sitdhichai, secretary-general of Narcotics Control... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2150960/millions-speed-pills-and-300kg-crystal-meth-seized-northern?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2150960/millions-speed-pills-and-300kg-crystal-meth-seized-northern?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Jun 2018 06:15:45 +0000 By Gregory Morrissey Thai authorities are stepping up a crackdown on false and misleading information targetting the government which is spreading quickly via social media platforms. Concerns about “fake news” were heightened after a London-based Facebook user posted on the KonthaiUK Facebook site a photo and a message suggesting corruption in the government’s satellite project. Computer crime warrant in Thailand out for London-based Facebook user ‘KhonthaiUk’ for posting false... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2150811/thai-government-steps-efforts-crack-down-fake-news?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2150811/thai-government-steps-efforts-crack-down-fake-news?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Jun 2018 08:47:46 +0000 Police in Thailand have obtained an arrest warrant for a London-based Facebook user for allegedly posting false information about the Thai government while dozens of Thais have been prosecuted for sharing it. Three Hong Kong tourists deported from Thailand for false police report about being robbed by tuk-tuk driver Tourist police chief Surachate Hakparn said KonthaiUk posted on Facebook: “Airships bought to be repaired. Now B91.2bn (US$2.84 billion) satellites to line their pockets. Will we... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2150512/computer-crime-warrant-thailand-out-london-based-facebook?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2150512/computer-crime-warrant-thailand-out-london-based-facebook?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Jun 2018 03:04:01 +0000 Residents in the Thai city of Nakhon Ratchasima’s Phimai district have hung a red shirt in front of their homes, believing the gesture can drive away the ghost of a widow whom a medium said had taken the lives of two males. Lamom Sermphimai, 62, who lives in Ban Sala village, said the residents have hung up a red shirt because during the past week two men in the village died mysteriously in their sleep. The residents went to see a medium. A rite was held at a village shrine to invite spirits to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2150391/widows-ghost-blamed-mysterious-deaths-thai-village?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2150391/widows-ghost-blamed-mysterious-deaths-thai-village?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Jun 2018 07:47:14 +0000 By Wassayos Ngamkham A 17-year-old was arrested and methamphetamine pills, crystal meth, ecstasy and ketamine worth around 100 million baht (US$3.12 million) in all seized at an apartment building in Bangkok’s Lat Phrao district. The young suspect was caught outside an apartment building.  They said the youth’s arrest followed an investigation which found a major drug syndicate was operating in Bangkok that provided drugs for clients in Chatuchak, Lat Phrao, Kannayao and Min Buri districts and... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2149919/seventeen-year-old-caught-thailand-drugs-worth-us312m?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2149919/seventeen-year-old-caught-thailand-drugs-worth-us312m?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Jun 2018 08:06:52 +0000 By Chaiyot Pupattanapong Teams of law enforcement officers were deployed throughout Pattaya with the launch of a special operation to root out crime and “make the city liveable”. “Operation rooting out crime for a liveable city” was launched by Pattaya city police chief Pol Col Apichai Krobphet, and will continue until Monday. The emphasis will be on loan sharks, football betting, human trafficking, illegal possession of firearms and street racing, but all crime is being targetted. Officials... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2149677/thai-cops-join-push-make-pattaya-liveable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2149677/thai-cops-join-push-make-pattaya-liveable?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Jun 2018 05:57:29 +0000 By Apinya Wipatayotin The death of a male short-finned pilot whale with a shocking number of plastic bags in its stomach in Thailand’ Songkhla province has sparked grave concerns about marine debris and the threat it poses to the marine ecological system. The whale died on Friday, a few days after it was beached in Chana district on May 28, and drew wide public attention to yet another case of a marine animal ingesting human refuse after 80 plastic bags, weighing about eight ilos, were found in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2149339/dead-whale-sparks-marine-fears-thailand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2149339/dead-whale-sparks-marine-fears-thailand?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Jun 2018 07:22:09 +0000 By Phusadee Arunmas Thailand’s Commerce Ministry is teaming up with the Customs Department and military officers to tackle smuggled garlic, in an effort to curb the domestic garlic price slump. Boonyarit Kalayanamit, director-general of the Internal Trade Department, said the domestic garlic prices have fallen to 77.5 baht (US$2.42) per kilogramme from 115 baht (US$3.59) per kg in the same period last year. Much of the drop was attributed to smuggled garlic from neighbouring countries, he... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2148599/multiple-government-bodies-team-tackle-garlic-smugglers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2148599/multiple-government-bodies-team-tackle-garlic-smugglers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 May 2018 05:00:39 +0000 By Stutthiwit Chayutworakan Twelve live dogs and two cats were found stuffed in fertiliser sacks on the back of a parked pickup truck in southern Thailand’s Muang district. Police and rescuers were called to the entrance of Klang Muang housing estate in tambon Dan Samrong. There they found 10 sacks left in the back of a pickup parked near a wastewater treatment pond, said Pol Lt Col Uthit Sudjai, investigation chief at Samrong Nua police station. The sacks were tightly tied shut, with the cries... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2148463/more-dozen-living-dogs-and-cats-found-thailand-dumped-tied?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2148463/more-dozen-living-dogs-and-cats-found-thailand-dumped-tied?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 May 2018 07:30:00 +0000 Bangkok Post Bangkok Post Thailand and Asia-Pacific millennial travellers want new travel experiences distributed through trustworthy channels, a category that includes ride-sharing apps and short-stay accommodation platforms, according to the latest survey by travel technology firm Amadeus. The survey found millennials are embracing new technology, experiences and ways of travel. Some 42 per cent of millennials say they often use ride-sharing apps when they travel, and 35% frequently use sharing economy services for... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2148224/firm-says-thailands-millennials-are-high-travel-novelty-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2148224/firm-says-thailands-millennials-are-high-travel-novelty-and?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 May 2018 03:47:56 +0000 By Thodsapol Hongtong Mercedes-Benz taxis will start appearing on Bangkok streets on May 30, with fares starting from 150 baht (US$4.70), according to the city’s Land Transport Department Director-general Sanit Phromwong said on Wednesday that All Thai Taxi Co planned to operate 100 Mercedes-Benz C Class sedans in the department’s Taxi VIP project. Under the project, the department requires each participant to have at least 20 cars equipped with information technology such as GPS tracking,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2147759/mercedes-benz-vip-taxis-hit-bangkok-roads-next-week?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2147759/mercedes-benz-vip-taxis-hit-bangkok-roads-next-week?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 May 2018 07:03:22 +0000 By Wassayos Ngamkham Some 200 police commandos made coordinated raids on Buddhist temples around Thailand and arrested senior monks for alleged embezzlement, including members of the Sangha Supreme Council, and well-known political monk Buddha Isara for alleged robbery during the Bangkok Shutdown protests. The elite forces from the Crime Suppression Division had search and arrest warrants for the 6am raids at Wat Sam Phraya, Wat Sa Ket and Wat Samphanthawong in Bangkok, Wat Onoi in Nakhon Pathom... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2147542/senior-thai-monks-arrested-embezzlement-and-robbery?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2147542/senior-thai-monks-arrested-embezzlement-and-robbery?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 May 2018 07:01:03 +0000 Several police officers in Thailand face investigation and possibly serious disciplinary action after paying about 5 million baht (US$156,000) for promotions to a person they believed to be the high-profile deputy tourist police chief Surachate Hakparn, aka Big Joke. The real Big Joke told a news conference at the Royal Thai Police Office in Bangkok that the imposter was actually taxi driver Paijit Saiya, 40. Mr Paijit created an account on chat app LINE using Pol Maj Gen Surachate’s photo, and... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2147369/thai-police-officers-try-bribe-deputy-police-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2147369/thai-police-officers-try-bribe-deputy-police-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 May 2018 07:01:07 +0000 The latest Porsche Cayenne continues its hybrid ambitions in a manner that should further satisfy potential punters of luxury SUVs. It comes as no surprise why the Cayenne has become a bread-winning model for Porsche in Thailand despite the brand’s established image with sports cars like the legendary 911 Carrera. After all, the Cayenne is a large SUV offering high levels of practicality and features a high-riding body that so many people these days have come to like. And like how so many other... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/2146324/porsche-cayenne-e-hybrid-has-winning-edge-suvs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/2146324/porsche-cayenne-e-hybrid-has-winning-edge-suvs?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 May 2018 04:02:00 +0000 By Wassayos Ngamkham A French cybercrime gang leader wanted for hacking into customers’ accounts at a bank in England and demanding a ransom was caught in Thailand’s Samui district, Surat Thani. Joint teams of the country’s Crime Suppression Division police, forensic officials, French embassy officials and French police raided three locations looking for him — one on Koh Samui and two in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Pak Chong district.   The team, led by Pol Col Phumin Poompanmuang, commander of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2146740/french-cybercrime-gang-boss-caught-thailand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2146740/french-cybercrime-gang-boss-caught-thailand?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 May 2018 07:00:26 +0000 By Apinya Wipatayotin Thailand’ Phuket province will hold a public meeting next month to come up with ways to deal with a growing monkey population that has become menace to residents and tourists. The meeting will be open to residents, representatives from the tourist industry, provincial officials and animal lovers to exchange ideas and propose solutions, said a source from the provincial panel set up to deal with the problem. Horde of hungry monkeys plundering Thai villages and temple The... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2146213/public-decide-fate-trouble-making-monkeys-thailand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2146213/public-decide-fate-trouble-making-monkeys-thailand?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 May 2018 08:15:00 +0000 Young women seen in a video clip forcing themselves to smile while handing garlands to Chinese tourists at Bangkok’s Don Mueang airport apologised for damaging the image of Thai tourism. The Tourist Police Bureau said the reception staff and their employer met Pol Maj Gen Surachet “Big Joke” Hakpal, deputy commissioner of the bureau, to express the apology and to state they would improve services. The video went viral on Monday. It showed the reception staff in traditional Thai clothing draping... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2145657/smile-forcing-tour-reception-staff-thailand-apologise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2145657/smile-forcing-tour-reception-staff-thailand-apologise?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 May 2018 04:07:01 +0000 By Apinya Wipatayotin The first phase of clinical tests for an affordable Hepatitis C treatment has yielded a high cure rate, according to Thailand’s Department of Disease Control. Started in 2016, the clinical trial testing the combined set of Sofosbuvir+Ravidasvir with 81 patients showed 97 per cent of them reacted positively to the treatment, Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai, chief of the Department of Disease Control (DDC) says. Chinese biotech firm Ascletis first to apply for Hong Kong IPO... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2145192/low-cost-hepatitis-c-cure-showing-good-results-thailand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2145192/low-cost-hepatitis-c-cure-showing-good-results-thailand?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 May 2018 09:06:06 +0000 Mandarin Oriental Bangkok is to showcase the sumptuous biodiversity of Peruvian cuisine by world-acclaimed chef Gastón Acurio of Astrid y Gastón restaurant from May 17 to 19. A Peruvian native, Acurio is also a writer, entrepreneur and one of the best known ambassadors of Peruvian cuisine to the world. He is responsible for helping shape the contemporary cuisine of Peru to what it is today. How Gaggan Anand rose from a ‘poor child of India’ to become a world-famous chef Full of energy and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/travel-food/article/2144712/mandarin-oriental-bangkok-showcase-peruvian-cuisine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/travel-food/article/2144712/mandarin-oriental-bangkok-showcase-peruvian-cuisine?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 May 2018 03:01:36 +0000 By Apinya Wipatayotin Siriraj Hospital announced Wednesday it conducted a successful heart, liver and kidney transplant on a 26-year-old man who had lived with chronic organ diseases for almost two decades. This operation is thought to be the first of its kind in Asia, and the 15th in the world, according to the hospital. The 12-hour operation, carried out on December 3, was performed by a team led by Dr Yongyut Sirivatanauksorn, vice director of Siriraj Hospital. The recipient, Rachanond... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2144486/first-asia-thai-hospital-conducts-first-triple-organ?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2144486/first-asia-thai-hospital-conducts-first-triple-organ?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 May 2018 05:39:38 +0000 More than 150 Asian attacks by Roaming Mantis, a new Android malware that steals user information, have been detected. The malware, identified by researchers of cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab, gives attackers full control over the compromised Android device. Between February and April 2018, researchers found the malware in more than 150 user networks, mainly in South Korea, Bangladesh and Japan, but there are likely many more victims. Researchers believe that a cybercriminal group looking for... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/2144322/roaming-mantis-malware-loose-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/2144322/roaming-mantis-malware-loose-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 May 2018 06:58:28 +0000 By Sunthorn Pongpao The return of an ancient brick taken as a souvenir from the famous Wat Chaiwatthanaram in Thailand’s Ayutthaya Historical Park is proof that superstitious belief helps protect the old Buddhist temple, according to the park’s director Sukanya Baonerd. The person who stole it admitted their action had brought nothing but bad luck and ill health, Ms Sukanya said. The Thai visitor to the ancient temple had later sent back the brick back to the park office, together with flowers,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2143486/thief-sends-back-brick-he-stole-thai-temple-saying-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2143486/thief-sends-back-brick-he-stole-thai-temple-saying-it?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Apr 2018 06:37:23 +0000 Suchit Leesa-Nguansuk Cybersecurity threats in Thailand are intensifying, the country’s ranking dropping last year to 18th-worst from 25th in 2016, with cryptojacking in particular on the rise, says Symantec, a leading information security firm. “Cybersecurity threats in Thailand worsened in 2017, compared with 2016, because there were more connected devices and higher interest in cryptocurrencies and exchanges,” said Sherif El-Nabawi, senior director for Asia-Pacific system engineering. Citing... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2140073/cybersecurity-threats-are-rise-thailand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2140073/cybersecurity-threats-are-rise-thailand?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Apr 2018 06:27:55 +0000 By Chinnawat Singha A man arrested for beating an elderly monk to death and fleeing in a stolen temple vehicle told police they had argued over payment of bets made on boxing matches on TV, and he lost his temper. Makhata Seesai, 38, was caught at a relative’s house in the district of Wichian Buri in the northern province of Phetchabun in Thailand and later taken back to the city of Phitsanulok for a crime re-enactment. Angry residents and monks gathered to watch the re-enactment and loudly put... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2139633/man-admits-beating-monk-death-thailand-over-boxing-wager?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2139633/man-admits-beating-monk-death-thailand-over-boxing-wager?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Mar 2018 06:04:12 +0000 The Supreme Court has voided a 670,000 baht (US$21,453) debt in favour of a long defaulting borrower because of a sarcastic message the creditor posted on Facebook. Lawyer Kerdpol Kaewpol wrote on his Facebook page night that the creditor appeared to be very annoyed with the debtor, and wrote a sarcastic note to the debtor saying that the total debt of 670,000 baht plus interest had been written off so that the borrower debtor could be debt free. Later, the creditor went to court with the loan... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2139426/sarcastic-facebook-comment-costs-creditor-us21000-loan-thai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2139426/sarcastic-facebook-comment-costs-creditor-us21000-loan-thai?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Mar 2018 05:30:08 +0000 By King-oua Laohong Eleven low-ranking police officers have cried foul over an order forcing them to pay more than 2,000 baht (US$64) each to buy a new air-conditioner for their bosses’ office at Phahon Yothin Police Station. Pol Sgt Loesak Nonkhunthot, one of the 11 officers, filed their complaint Tuesday with the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC). In the petition letter, they accused two police inspectors of ordering lower-rank colleagues to chip in money for a 25,000-baht... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2139286/thai-police-ordered-fund-bosses-office-air-conditioners?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2139286/thai-police-ordered-fund-bosses-office-air-conditioners?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Mar 2018 07:42:04 +0000 By Pattanpong Sripiachai A 76-year-old Buddhist monk, the abbot and only person living at a temple in a northeast Thai forest harbouring more than a thousand precious trees that is also part of a royal project to promote conservation, is calling for help in his fight with a transnational logging gang. After receiving numerous death threats, Luang Pu Kittiphong Kittisophon, the abbot of Wat Pa Kham Sawang temple in tambon Nakham in Si Songkhram district, has formally petitioned local authorities... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2138867/thai-monk-appeals-help-lone-fight-against-loggers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2138867/thai-monk-appeals-help-lone-fight-against-loggers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Mar 2018 03:14:27 +0000 The government has solved more than 90 per cent of the complaints lodged with the administration, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has claimed. Gen Prayuth was speaking to villagers, who came to greet him during his visit to tambon Hua Na of Nong Bua Lam Phu’s Muang district. “The government has accepted all the complaints,” said Gen Prayuth, adding 4,000-5,000 complaints on various issues in general, including graft, were lodged with the administration every month. “We have solved more than 90... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2138604/over-90-cent-peoples-woes-solved-thai-prime-minister-claims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2138604/over-90-cent-peoples-woes-solved-thai-prime-minister-claims?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Mar 2018 07:08:03 +0000 By Gregory Morrissey and Penchan Charoensuthipan Authorities in Thailand are telling women to avoid dressing in ‘sexy’ outfits as they try to prevent sexual harassment or sex assault cases during next month’s Songkran festival. Department of Local Administration department director-general Sutthipong Chulcharoen said local bodies would arrange alcohol-free zones for revellers and launch campaigns to encourage tourists, particularly women, to dress appropriately so they do not fall victim to sex... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2138349/avoid-sexual-assault-dont-be-sexy-says-thai-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2138349/avoid-sexual-assault-dont-be-sexy-says-thai-government?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Mar 2018 04:29:44 +0000 By Nanat Suchiva Thai people spend an average of 2.4 hours watching YouTube each day, reflecting opportunities for brands and advertisers, says YouTube Thailand. YouTube Thailand, an affiliate company of the world’s top video streaming platform, reports that 46 million Thais watch YouTube. People in urban areas average 2.4 hours a day and spend 70 minutes per visit, while those in rural areas spend 2.1 hours a day and 60 minutes per visit. Ben King, Google Thailand’s country director, said... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2138211/thais-spend-one-tenth-their-day-watching-youtube?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2138211/thais-spend-one-tenth-their-day-watching-youtube?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Mar 2018 07:55:18 +0000 The Prayut Chan-o-cha government in Thailand will be unable to combat corruption as it is so deep-rooted, respondents told a poll by Bangkok’s Suan Dusit Rajabhat University. The poll was conducted on March 13-17 among 1,157 people throughout the country and suggests the public has little confidence in the government’s boast that it can tackle the scourge. The survey sought people’s opinions on corruption cases involving several government agencies currently in the news. Asked whether they think... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2137793/thailands-corruption-too-ingrained-society-fix-according?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2137793/thailands-corruption-too-ingrained-society-fix-according?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Mar 2018 04:10:32 +0000 By Taam Yingcharoen Mahidol University in Salaya, Thailand and the Thai Health Promotion Foundation yesterday unveiled a mobile application called “Teen Minds” to help parents understand their children. The app provides information and resources for parents to use such as a 24-hour chat service where experts are on standby to provide support and advice on family problems. App users can read useful articles hand-picked by the university and the foundation. The application also provides a forum... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2135060/new-app-developed-thailand-help-parents-understand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2135060/new-app-developed-thailand-help-parents-understand?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Feb 2018 06:57:23 +0000 By Kanana Katharangsiporn Drive past the Sukhumvit-Asoke intersection in Bangkok and you may have noticed a new hoarding has come up in the past few days advertising a special discount for buyers of a high-end condominium project on Sathon Road that until recently was being touted as having been 100 per cent sold out. This is not a stand-alone case. If you dig deeper you will find that the demand for property in Thailand, especially in the capital Bangkok, has slowed down over the past couple of... https://www.scmp.com/property/international/article/2134735/bangkok-condominium-market-heavily-oversupplied-unlikely-come?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/property/international/article/2134735/bangkok-condominium-market-heavily-oversupplied-unlikely-come?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Feb 2018 11:02:54 +0000 By Suchit Leesa-Nguansuk E-commerce spending in Thailand has inched higher, but is still lower than the global average. Thailand’s average e-commerce spending per user for consumer goods is US$248 (7,782 baht), compared with the global median of US$833 (26,141 baht), according to a study by social media management platform Hootsuite and global agency We Are Social. Some 52 per cent of the Thai population who buy items online do so via mobile phone (m-commerce), behind only South Korea at 58 per... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/2133941/lagging-e-commerce-spending-inches-thailand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/2133941/lagging-e-commerce-spending-inches-thailand?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Feb 2018 05:58:10 +0000 By Pratuan Kajonwuthinan A NokAir plane made an emergency landing at Sakon airport in Thailand after flames were seen coming from one of its two engines and the propeller stopped turning shortly after take-off. Flight DD9407,  a Bombardier Q400 carrying 84 passengers, left Sakon Nakhon airport about 3.10pm yesterday, due to arrive at Don Mueang airport at 4.35pm. A few minutes later it suddenly turned back to Sakon Nakhon airport and made an emergency landing. Some passengers were transferred to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2133823/plane-flaming-engine-makes-emergency-landing-thailand-84?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2133823/plane-flaming-engine-makes-emergency-landing-thailand-84?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Feb 2018 08:52:35 +0000 By Apinya Wipatayotin Thailand’s Pollution Control Department (PCD) has set a target of eradicating plastic cap seals on drinking water bottles by the end of this year. A cap seal is the small plastic strip attached to the cap that must be peeled off before the bottle can be opened. Studies have found that bottles without them pose no greater risk to hygiene. The PCD has received firm commitments from five big players in the commercial bottled water sector that they will cease using cap seals by... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2133357/thailand-axe-water-bottle-seals-end-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2133357/thailand-axe-water-bottle-seals-end-year?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Feb 2018 08:13:00 +0000 By Aekarach Sattaburuth Drones and Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment are among new surveillance technology being considered for use in hunting down suspects, an issue slated for police reform, according to a panel studying judicial reform in Thailand. These technologies can be employed to track down criminal suspects in certain circumstances, said Manit Suksomjit, a spokesman for the national reform committee in charge of the justice process, which includes police affairs. The approach... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2132580/cops-mull-eye-sky-drones-spy-suspects-thailand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2132580/cops-mull-eye-sky-drones-spy-suspects-thailand?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Feb 2018 09:16:40 +0000 By Piyarach Chongcharoen Construction tycoon Premchai Karnasuta has been arrested for allegedly hunting wildlife in the World Heritage Thungyai Naresuan sanctuary in Thailand’s Kanchanaburi province. Park rangers arrested Mr Premchai, the 63-year-old president of the huge SET-listed construction company Italian-Thai Development (ITD), in a no-camping area of Huai Pachee forest in the western part of the Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary in tambon Chalae of Thong Pha Phum district late on... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2132238/thai-construction-boss-charged-hunting-sanctuary?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2132238/thai-construction-boss-charged-hunting-sanctuary?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Feb 2018 07:20:32 +0000 By Suchit Leesa-Nguansuk Thailand has become the world’s leading hotspot for cryptocurrency mining malware, according to Palo Alto Networks, a network and enterprise security firm. Cryptocurrency-focused threats should be a focus of intelligence and preventive efforts for all defenders in 2018, as attackers have already introduced more large-scale attacks globally, Christopher Budd wrote on the Palo Alto Networks blog. The company found that XRMig, software that is used to mine the monero... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2131594/thailand-number-one-worlds-malware-mining-hotspot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2131594/thailand-number-one-worlds-malware-mining-hotspot?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Feb 2018 09:08:52 +0000 By Sitthipoj Kebui A Frenchman suspected of colluding with his Thai girlfriend to murder her former Italian boyfriend has admitted killing the man during a fight, police say. Amaury Rigaud, 33, told police he slashed and stabbed Giuseppe de Stefani, 61, to death while the two quarreled and fought over 38-year-old Rujira Klaylamai, according to Bung Na Rang police chief Chaisathian Manichak who conducted the interrogation. After the killing, de Stefani was dismembered and burned on a bonfire made... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2131378/frenchman-owns-killing-lovers-italian-husband-say-thai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2131378/frenchman-owns-killing-lovers-italian-husband-say-thai?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Jan 2018 07:36:38 +0000 By Gary Boyle A traffic policeman based at Bangkok’s Lumpini station has been dismissed from the force and faces “drastic action” for allegedly trying to extort a Canadian national by placing drugs in his possession. Pol Maj Gen Mongkhol Warunno, chief of the Metropolitan Police Division 5, signed the order dismissing Pol Snr Sgt Maj Cherdchai Phuchuaytuam on Monday. Pol Snr Sgt Maj Cherchai, 46, of Lumpini police station, and an alleged accomplice, Chakrit Teeluay, 37, were arrested at a room... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2131219/thai-policeman-sacked-accused-framing-and-extorting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2131219/thai-policeman-sacked-accused-framing-and-extorting?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Jan 2018 09:04:48 +0000 By Supoj Wancharoen Bangkok’s air pollution exceeded health safety levels on five of the last eight days, brought on by still and stagnant air, the Thailand Pollution Control Department reported. The amount of fine particulates up to 2.5 micrometres in diameter had exceeded the safety limit of 50 microgrammes per cubic metre of air these five days, Thaloengsak Phetsuwan, air and noise quality director of the department, said.   These stagnant conditions normally occurred for a short period in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2130542/bangkok-air-pollution-harmful-levels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2130542/bangkok-air-pollution-harmful-levels?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Jan 2018 07:23:19 +0000 By Chaiyot Pupattanapong The Fisheries Department in Thailand plans to prohibit the fishing of seahorses in Thai waters after the small marine fish were found grilled on skewers for sale to Chinese tourists at a floating market in Pattaya. The department has sent officials to investigate whether they were farmed or fished from the wild, said its deputy director-general, Umaporn Pimolbutr. Until that is confirmed, vendors have been urged not to sell them, she added. Thailand agreed to suspend... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2130360/seahorse-kebabs-thailand-spur-fishing-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2130360/seahorse-kebabs-thailand-spur-fishing-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jan 2018 07:55:25 +0000 By Sanoh Worarak More than 3,000 hungry monkeys are rampaging through houses and monks’ living quarters at two villages in Thailand’s Sisaket province. Packs of wild long-tailed macaques are seen making their way along local roads at villages Moo 1 and Moo 11 every day. Some aggressively invade homes in their search for food, forcing householders to stand guard, and to close windows and doors, to keep them out. Undeterred, the monkeys have managed to enter houses through ventilators in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2130052/horde-hungry-monkeys-plundering-thai-villages-and-temple?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2130052/horde-hungry-monkeys-plundering-thai-villages-and-temple?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Jan 2018 10:03:42 +0000 By Assawin Pakkawan Veterinarians from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation and Prince of Songkla University in Thailand are trying to save a 20-year-old tiger suffering from a two-kilogramme tumour that has already affected its organs. The officials operated on the female tiger, named Or Noi 5, at the Tone Nga Chang Wildlife Sanctuary in Hat Yai district. Thanit Nooyim, a local conservation director, said on Sunday that the department took the tiger into its care... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2130003/attempt-thailand-save-tiger-two-kilo-tumour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2130003/attempt-thailand-save-tiger-two-kilo-tumour?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Jan 2018 06:46:38 +0000 By King-oua Laohong Sixteen inmates found guilty of illegally making guns have been chosen to join a project aimed at sharpening their weapon-making skills to support the defence industry and smooth their return to society. The project will “light their way” to a more positive future, Corrections Department chief Naras Savestanan said as he presided over an orientation ceremony before their two-week training, conducted by experts from the Army Ordnance Department at Bang Kwang Central... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2128485/gun-making-inmates-serve-thailand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2128485/gun-making-inmates-serve-thailand?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Jan 2018 08:30:30 +0000 By Lamonphet Apisitniran Thailand’s Digital Economy and Society (DE) Ministry plans to set up a cybersecurity agency and hacker training centre to serve Thailand’s digital economy, says DE Minister Pichet Durongkaveroj. The government is focusing on digital and IT security because it is very important for the country’s protection, he said. “Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is interested in and wants Thailand to set up these centres for the future, as many countries have a security agency centre... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2127822/thailands-digital-ministry-plans-cybersecurity-agency?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2127822/thailands-digital-ministry-plans-cybersecurity-agency?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Jan 2018 08:30:24 +0000