In a stride toward improved public transport, the Pheu Thai-led coalition under the Department of Rail Transport has begun unravelling the intricacies of standardizing a flat fare of 20 baht per trip on Bangkok’s electric train network, according to a department insider. The conclusions of this investigation will be offered to the incoming administration at the start of its mandate. The department insider informs that there are essentially two scenarios in review. The first plan proposes introducing a flat fare of 20 baht per trip exclusively for low-income individuals, specifically those in possession of a state welfare card. The alternative plan entails extending the flat rate to all travellers on the electric train network in the capital, without any distinctions. The implementation of the initial scenario would be more financially feasible, as the government would simply have to fund trips made by state welfare cardholders. Currently, 31,019 welfare cardholders rely…
THAI.NEWS - Thailand Breaking News
The freshly-inducted Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin organised a high-profile meeting with the representatives of eight key airlines on a recent Monday, to strategise ways to maximise profits from the upswing in tourist influx expected in the forthcoming holiday season. The representatives in question were: CEO of Thai Airways International, Chai Eamsiri; CEO of Thai VietJet Air, Woranate Laprabang; CEO of Thai AirAsia, Santisuk Klongchaiya; CEO of Thai AirAsia X, Tassapon Bijleveld; Acting CEO of Thai Smile Airways, Chaiyong Rattanapaisansuk; CEO of Bangkok Airways, Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth; CEO of Thai Lion Air, Aswin Yangkirativorn; and CEO of Nok Air, Wutthiphum Jurangkool. Kerati Kijmanawat, the director of Airports of Thailand (AOT), and Suttipong Kongpool, the director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), were other distinguished attendees of the important discussion. The meeting served as a platform for Prime Minister Srettha to acquaint himself with the latest developments in domestic and international…
In the wee hours of Tuesday morning, amidst the shadows of the bustling city, the Pattaya police in collaboration with investigators from the Metropolitan Police Division 5 executed a successful raid on three hotel rooms nestled within Pattaya Sai 3 road, Bang Lamung district. It wasn’t just any raid. Thirteen members of a Vietnamese online gambling syndicate joined hands for unlawful activities had their operation exposed by this decisive action. Like a scene pulled straight from a crime procedural, when the authorities entered the hotel rooms, they uncovered a well-oiled machine of illicit online gambling. Thirteen Vietnamese men – the puppet masters behind this elaborate operation – were taken into custody. This was no small-time band of miscreants, the evidence seized from the premise – 25 high-end computers and 58 smartphones along with other menacing paraphernalia – pointed to a large-scale operation expertly managed and conducted with an alarming efficiency.…
Accompanied by cybercrime investigators, esteemed TV news anchor Orakan Jivakiet, dressed in pristine white, recently took up a heart-wrenching case revolving around the lucrative realm of cryptocurrencies. The complainant, a 66-year-old government pensioner, claimed a loss of an astounding 20 million baht within a short span of two months, with the orchestrator of the scam allegedly posing as the respected news anchor herself on the popular social network, Facebook. It was a lamentable tale of deceptive online traps, as the elderly man, drawn into the intertwined web of intrigue and the prospect of exponential financial growth, lost his extensive savings to his false confidante. His quest to gain substantial returns through cryptocurrency investments saw him transferring about 20 million baht in a series of 33 transactions across 10 different banking accounts. The case was duly reported to the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB), where detailed discussions with the victim ensued,…
In the heart of Yarang district, Patanni – as the moon sat high in the sky and the peaceful locals tucked safely into their beds, a horrific ambush wasfalling onto the brave security forces. At exact 10.50 pm in front of the Tambon Yarang Municipal office on Yarang-Mayo Road, tragedy struck. Precisely calculated and executed with chilling precision, assailants rained down a shower of terror that the peaceful district of Yarang would remember for years to come. A sturdy, four-door police pickup truck, a swift police motorcyclist, and a daring duo of defense volunteers aboard a motorcycle hemmed the streets. Together, they were a formidable force to be reckoned with – a comforting presence for the villagers asleep in their homes. Little did they know that their peaceful night-patrol would end in a rain of terror thought only possible in the darkest of nightmares. Without warning and showing no mercy,…
In the heart of the buzzing metropolis of Bangkok, outside the imposing South Bangkok Criminal Court, three formidable figures in the world of human rights, Angkhana Neelapaijit, Puttanee Kangkun and Thanaporn Saleephol, were photographed on May 24, 2023, alongside their attorneys. The accusations against them could only be characterized as daunting: defamation charges brought forward by Thammakaset, a prominent poultry company with deep roots in the farming industry. When the verdict finally came, the dissipated tension gave way to relief but not satisfaction. Despite being cleared of the criminal charges, the triumphant trio expressed their dissatisfaction at the laws that allowed such a scenario to unfold. The events stemmed from their revealing posts regarding grueling working hours and debilitating conditions at a poultry farm under the dominion of Thammakaset. It was 2019, and the internet was aflame with their revelations. The farm, unfortunately, was just the tip of the iceberg…
The current situation of Thailand’s labor market is at a concerning turn, as per a recent report released by an authoritative agency. With the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic gradually lifting, one might’ve been hopeful for a promising employment landscape. However, the reality paints a starkly different picture with new university graduates facing the possibility of accepting jobs below their qualifications or even starting with lesser incomes. Despite the tangible progress in the pandemic-induced employment crisis, climbing out of the hole seems to be taking a slower pace in Thailand. The broad issue seems to revolve around a critical mismatch of qualifications, especially concerning university graduates, within the country’s labor market. Some glaring statistics come from Thailand’s Board of Investment (BOI) figures showing a distinctly decreased demand for university graduates in 2022 compared to four years ago in 2018. The BOI statements reveal a bizarre trend: businesses hired nearly 95,566…
Thavorn Thunjai, the influential deputy director-general of Thailand’s Fisheries Department, revealed on a sunny Monday morning gathering that they are fully aware of the public’s growing anxiety surrounding recent news. The talk of the town was Japan’s proposed plan to discharge wastewater from its infamous Fukushima nuclear power plant into the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Looking back to March 11, 2011, a day that has been etched deeply into our collective memory, a violent earthquake pushed its way through, triggering an overwhelming tsunami that marred the landscape. The crucial emergency generators at the Fukushima power plant were battered in the chaos, resulting in a cascading loss of power. This devastating sequence of events snowballed into three catastrophic nuclear meltdowns, the ignition of three hydrogen explosions, and unleashed a wave of radioactive pollution that has still yet to fully recede. Despite the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) granting permission…
A day in the peaceful town of Nang Rong in Buriram province, dramatically skewed from its tranquil aura into a horrifying spectacle of violence when an acid attack took place around 2pm. The scene of the ghastly act was quite ironical – a food stall, typically a place of comfort located less than half a kilometer away from Nang Rong Police Station. Taking center stage in this grim episode is an unfortunate 18-year-old girl named Nattikarn, who bore the brunt of the assault. In the blink of an eye, she found herself grappling with excruciating pain, her face and body suffering grievous injuries from the malevolent acid burns, a spectacle too ghastly to depict. Her companions, a 63-year-old woman called Ta, owner of the food stall and presumably the poor girl’s grandmother, and Wivat, a man of 40, also fell victims to the attackers. Thankfully, Ta sustained minor burns to…
In the quaint community of Selaphum district’s tambon Klang, nestled within Thailand’s Roi Et, whispers of a shocking incident ripped through conversations like a bout of sharp thunder. A spirited young eighth-grader named Lalida found herself trapped in a grim spectacle that turned the rhythm of her life upside down. This pre-teen found herself locked in combat with a monstrous disease known as rhabdomyolysis, an ailment marked by breakdown of muscle tissue – the echoes of her ordeal still reverberate through her tiny hamlet. Rhabdomyolysis, a condition as severe as it is unusual, gripped Lalida fiercely and showed no mercy. Confined to the solitude of her room, robbed of her ability to walk, the echoes of her forced laughter supplanted by hushed whispers of concern, Lalida’s reality had transformed tragically. A singular event, as appalling as it was avoidable, had shattered her peace. The source of her plight lay nestled…