THAI.NEWS - Thailand Breaking News

A massive explosion shook the small town of Muang in Samut Songkhram on Tuesday morning, as the oil tanker Smooth Sea 22 caught fire at a nearby dockyard. The boat had been undergoing regular maintenance at Ruammitr Dockyard in tambon Laem Yai, and thankfully all of its tanks were empty at the time of the blast. Unfortunately, the damage caused was still immense, with glass window panes being shattered in houses located up to several kilometres away. Efforts quickly began to contain the blaze, however eight workers from the dockyard were missing in the aftermath, leaving local residents and the authorities deeply concerned. The Marine Department is now investigating the cause of the fire and has launched a full search to locate the missing dockyard workers. In a statement they said: “We are doing all we can to put this incident behind us as soon as possible and to ensure…

Koh Samui Bridge Project to Be Studied The Expressway Authority of Thailand (Exat) is preparing to study the feasibility of building a bridge linking mainland Thailand to the picturesque island of Koh Samui. Exat governor Surachet Laophulsuk recently visited the island to research the proposed bridge site and gain insight from locals on the project. The potential bridge, if approved, is expected to start construction in 2028 and set to be completed two years later. Mr. Surachet, during a lecture to local administrative organisations, the municipal office, state offices and local tourism businesses, discussed the importance of providing Koh Samui with an overland transport option. The forum heard how the current only modes of travel, air and boat connection, cannot guarantee 24-hour access to the island, especially during the rainy season. This travel limitation works against the island’s high-value tourism and public health in emergency cases. Many of the local…

Bangkok has not abandoned its responsibility to care for Benchakitti Forest Park, said governor Chadchart Sittipunt on Monday, in response to public complaints about wilting trees in the park. Several trees in the 300-rai public park in Klong Toei district are drooping, indicating a lack of watering and proper care, according to photos widely shared on social media. On Sunday, the Facebook page “Benchakitti Forest Park” posted photos of volunteer soldiers spraying water on the park’s trees. The posts prompted netizens to wonder why the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) was failing to maintain the park. Chadchart responded on Monday by stating that park maintenance had been outsourced. “Benchakitti Park is managed by a private company because it also serves as a learning center and has a complex design,” Chadchart explained. “Taking care of such a delicate public park is not the same as maintaining a golf course, where grass and…

The French Embassy in Thailand has started a new cultural exchange program called “Sawasdee France” to strengthen the countries’ long-standing relationship. A party was held at the French Embassy over the weekend to kick off the program. There, businesses, educational institutions, and members of the Franco-Thai community set up booths and displays for the public to look at. People could also look at the art around the ambassador’s house. Eve Lubin, the French Embassy’s Counsellor for Culture and Cooperation, said that the embassy has been working to encourage the exchange of arts and culture between the two countries since 2004. At first, this was done through an event called La Fete (“The Party”). It has now decided to add more to what it has to offer. “It was a big success, but over time we saw that the activities went beyond parties and art swaps,” she said. “Through [Sawasdee France],…

The Highways Department has completed a 699.54 million baht upgrade of a critical section of Highway No. 1 in Phayao province to improve transportation and tourism in the North. The department announced that it had completed the repaving of 27.88 kilometers of the four-lane highway known as the Phaholyothin highway. The highway is a vital link between Thailand and Laos. According to officials, the highway has been repaved from kilometer marker 814+000 to 881+325, passing through Ngao district in Lampang, Muang and Mae Jai districts in Phayao, and Phan district in Chiang Rai. Each side of the road has two 3.50 metre wide lanes. The asphalt became 15 centimetres thicker as a result of the upgrade. The Highways Department stated that the highway had been upgraded to improve safety because it connects Thailand and Laos. The upgrade is also part of the government’s strategy to hasten Thailand’s entry into the…

Heartbreaking news emerged today of the death of five year-old tiger Vichit, who was found in a creek in Mae Wong National Park in Kamphaeng Phet. The tiger, originally born in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, had strayed from its habitat before tragically passing away. Rungroj Asavakultarin, chief of Nakhon Sawan’s Protected Areas Regional Office 12, informed officials that rangers had discovered the carcass near a creek on January 9th. A veterinary team then examined the body at the Mae Wong National Park Office and found several wounds on the tiger’s body and neck, broken front ankles and traces of other animal fangs. Pimchanok Songmongkol, the vet who conducted the examination, said the tiger was male and weighed approximately 100 kilos. She further confirmed that the tiger had been dead for about three days and had begun to decay, with flies and worms visible in the wounds. The cause of…

Amidst the political uncertainty in China, the real estate markets in Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand are becoming increasingly attractive to Chinese nationals wanting to flee the motherland. Over the past three years, the Chinese have sought to buy new homes and stay in SE Asia, however, their plans have been halted due to the pandemic. However, the recent “will of the people” movement in China to liberalize the country has many excited and running towards new opportunities in the region. This “run culture” has been driven by the Chinese millennial cohort, who are mostly high-net-worth individuals looking for better-quality of life and to escape the “merciless parenting environment” found in China

In a stunning clash of law enforcement and drug traffickers in Chiang Rai province, five suspected drug smugglers were killed and almost 500,000 methamphetamine pills were seized after an intense firefight. A military patrol of the Pha Muang Task Force came across the suspected smugglers carrying backpacks in the morning hours of Thursday in the area where the forested borders of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet. When the task force attempted to search the individuals, the group of five opened fire, resulting in an intense five-minute firefight. The Pha Muang Task Force reported that the suspects were killed and no Thai soldiers were injured. Premchai Premkamol, an officer with the task force, told AFP news agency “Narcotics have been very prevalent at the border but recently there has been an order from the commander to step up law enforcement efforts.” The skirmish in Chiang Rai follows two similar incidents in…