Stories tagged with news
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Pair of insolent cobras still at large
In true B-horror movie style, in a Saathip neighbourhood near Pattaya, Thailand, two king cobra snakes have been effectively terrorizing the village children since the end of August.
The fact that the two deadly snakes were purportedly chasing down local children in the street was first made public when 60-year old Pratuan Wuttipo contacted the local radio station to request assistance in capturing the cheeky reptiles who she said had hunting down kids on August 27th.
She told the Rochana Thammasathan Foundation Radio Center that residents were staying indoors after dark for fear of the marauding ophidians. The response by rescue workers was to clear away the thick grass from beside the roadside with an excavator, but when the machine broke down during the process, the eagerly superstitious locals were sure it was the work of the demon serpents.
One report states that Pattarpol Kongbuntam, a 10-year old neighbourhood boy was peacefully riding his bicycle home from school when the roaming reptilian freebooters lunged form the street-side and rose and hissed at the boy.
Sightings have been reported on a daily basis of the pair of malevolent crusaders slithering across roads, under houses, yet remain under the protection of whichever baleful spirit sent them as they remain at large.
Posted by: DaveB on 21 Sep 2007, 09:53 -
Cambodia: 10th Anniversary of Leadership Tussle
It's 10 years since three days of fighting between supporters of the country's two main political figureheads led to bloodshed. With Prince Norodom Ranariddh in self-imposed exile in France, prime minister Hun Sen's victory seems more secure than ever before. The anniversary is not being officially marked in Cambodia. BBC NEWS has the story.
Posted by: Watt on 06 Jul 2007, 16:42 -
Baht May Rise to 30/US$
A currency expert believes the Thai Baht would rise to 30 to the US dollar if the Bank of Thailand (BOT) ceased intervening in the level of the currency. Exporters are urging the central bank to slow the Baht's appreciation. The Nation carries the story.
Here are the historical rates of the Baht since January 2007.
Posted by: Watt on 05 Jul 2007, 10:01 -
Asean: Smoking Kills 1 Million a Year in the Region
Records show that 1 million people die from smoking-related diseases every year in the Asean countries. Anti-tobacco lobbyists are urging the governments of Southeast Asia to ban smoking in all indoor workplaces, and they have been gaining traction at the WHO conference in Bangkok. The proposal is expected to be officially approved by the full conference before it concludes Friday. Bangkok Post has more details.
Posted by: Watt on 04 Jul 2007, 16:48 -
Thailand: New Cyber Law Due
The Information and Communications Technology Ministry of Thailand has bto date blocked more than 10,000 websites accused of carrying inappropriate materials. In near future, web site will not be blocked like this. A new law will come into effect under which any banning of websites will be done by court order only. The Nation has more detail.
Posted by: Watt on 03 Jul 2007, 14:21 -
Thailand: Limit Cigarette Ads on Internet
According to an article in The Nation Thailand has proposed an international effort to control cigarette ads and sales on the Internet at an international WHO meeting in Bangkok.
Posted by: Watt on 03 Jul 2007, 10:21 -
Phuket Police seize methamphetamine from local dealers
As reported in the Phuket Gazette, a significant raid on a local drug cartel saw Phuket Provincial Police seize 115, 000 baht in cash and 1,384 ya bah pills, a type of methamphetamine. It was a dramatic event involving a car chase and exchange of gunfire.
The eventual raid begun with a routine arrest of a local man on June 18th. The man, who was in possession of two ya bah pills, subsequently gave up the name of his supplier and police conducted a sting operation when they arranged to buy 20 pills from the dealer the next day.
When the operation took place and the arrest was made, police noticed a tuk-tuk speeding off and when pursued, the driver fired two gunshots at the police.
He initially eluded the authorities, and eventually crashed through the roof of a house, offering his ID card as collateral for the damage to the stunned family. The family turned in the man’s ID to police and he was later apprehended.
Sayam Jamjantra then gave up the name of another supplier where police seized 100,000 baht in cash and a Glock 17 semi-automatic gun.
Police say there are many such drug rings on the island and they will continue to investigate.
Posted by: DaveB on 28 Jun 2007, 13:29 -
THAI: Not So Smooth As Silk
Thai Airways may be struggling to live up to its famed "Smooth as Silk" slogan if the latest list of passenger complaints is anything to judge by. Despite the global popularity fo Thai cuisine, food quality tops the list of complaints in April, with inflight entertainment and cabin-crew service following close on the list. Meals on flights ex-Bangkok came in for particular criticism according to the story carried by the Bangkok Post.
While THAI offer many interesting and attractive promotions they should look to improve their services to grow sales in the long term.
Posted by: Watt on 26 Jun 2007, 14:05 -
Private Businesses Encouraged to Make Beautiful Roads
According to Thais News, the Phuket Highway Office has invited local enterprises to help in the beautification of road No. 402 from Bang Ku to Darasamut junction. The road beautification project is expected to add colour to the island for the next high season.
Posted by: Toony on 26 Jun 2007, 12:59 -
Man City Takeover: Money Matters
Manchester City football club's board of director is backing the £81.6m takeover bid from former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra despite the freezing of his assets in Thailand. Thaksin has gone on record as saying that the events in Thailand won't affect Man City deal. However Thailand authorities are set to investigate the source of the funds behind Thaksin's offer.
The BBC is reporting that Sven-Goran Eriksson will be the new Man City manager. Meanwhile The Nation are questioning where the money comes from and whether the Manchester City deal can help Thaksin's flagging fortunes?.
Posted by: Watt on 25 Jun 2007, 14:24 -
US Army Patches Made in Thailand
The American company which won a contact to manufacture shoulder patches for US military uniforms may actually have produced them in Thailand but attached a "Made in USA" label. Criminal charges have been laid against the company. The Bangkok Post has details.
Posted by: Watt on 21 Jun 2007, 09:52 -
Man City Bid or Mind Game
The future of Manchester city football club is still in doubt--it's not clear if they'll accept a take over deal by ousted Thai PM Thaksin Shinnawatra or have to find the other investors for the troubled club. The take-over story started a few months ago, though whether it's based on a passion for football or shrewd political wranglings is a matter of debate. And the situation is muddied further by ongoing legal moves against Thaksin.
Although the BBC reports that the Man City deal is still on track, most Man City supporters appear more concerned about who will be their new manager rather than who will own the club. (Man City supportors share their opinions on BBC's 606). As far as that's concerned, the rumour mill is already rolling.
Posted by: Watt on 20 Jun 2007, 14:08 -
Thailand Exempts Neighbours' Agricultural Products from Duties
Government spokesman Yongyuth Mayalarp told the MCOT News that Thai government has agreed to exempt the import tariffs for agricultural goods from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam as part of the economic cooperation projects under the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) which we mentioned yesterday.
Posted by: Toony on 20 Jun 2007, 13:51 -
$690 Million in Aid for Cambodia's 2007
Hang Choun Naron, a senior official in the Cambodian finance Ministry, told reporters that Cambodia's international donors have pledged $690 million in aid for 2007, as a result of the country's good performance over the last year. This is a 15 percent increase on the previous year. The announcement follows a major donors conference. The money will be spent on education, health care, improving infrastructure, rural development and agriculture. Reuters outlet AlertNet has the report.
Posted by: Toony on 20 Jun 2007, 10:00 -
Another Earthquake In Chiangmai
A 4.5 magnitude earthquake struck Chiang Mai with epicenter in Mae Rim district at noon local time today. The Nation and Bangkok Post have the details.
This one was a lot smaller than the one which struck Laos on 16 May.
Posted by: Toony on 19 Jun 2007, 13:02 -
No Birthday Songs for Suu Kyi in Burma
Today is Aung San Suu Kyi's 62nd birthday, and also "Women of Burma day" in her honour. Though there are no public celebrations in Burma, there have been some events in Bangkok. Unfortunately Suu Kyi must celebrate the day alone, under her ongoing house arrest.
The Nation carries some reactions of Burmese women to the day and The Burma Campaign UK is encouraging continued actions to help Suu Kyi find freedom.
Posted by: Watt on 19 Jun 2007, 10:10 -
Vietnam Cooperates with Neighbours to Boost Rice Exports
The People's Daily Online carries details of the cooperation agreement between Vietnam and the other countries of the five-way Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy to boost rice exports. The strategy focuses on the transfer of farming techniques to improve quality across the board, and the sharing of market insights to increase competitiveness.
VietNamNet Bridge has a few more details courtesy of Viet Nam News.
Posted by: Toony on 19 Jun 2007, 08:31 -
New Helicopters for Thai Navy
According to a press release from Sikorsky Aircraft, the Thai Navy has decided to buy two MH60S Knighthawk helicopters for around 2 billion baht including spares, support and training. The two helicopters are due for delivery in 2009. The Bangkok Post has details.
Posted by: Toony on 18 Jun 2007, 16:04 -
Sea Around Koh Racha Resort Island to be Zoned
Pinsak Suraswadi, director for preservation and restoration at the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources explained to the Bangkok Post that the sea around Koh Racha island two hours from Phuket island will be zoned to help protect the coral reef and marine resources near the island. The coral reef is currently graded between moderately healthy and deteriorating, and has been suffering due to a lack of controls and competing interests in the area. The Bangkok Post has full details.
Posted by: Toony on 18 Jun 2007, 10:35 -
Paperless Ticketing Coming to Lao Airlines
Lao Airlines has signed up with Amadeus' e-Retail system which is an e-commerce global booking solution to implement e-ticketing. This system will also allow travellers to make their reservations online from the convenience of home or an internet café. Once the system is up and running, Lao Airlines will confirm with IATA guidelines to be 100% paperless ticketing by 2008.
Lao Airlines links Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Pakse with major cities in the region. Asia travel tips has some more details.
Posted by: Toony on 15 Jun 2007, 13:21