The Beer Bar

From Pattaya News A Turkish tourist in Pattaya was reportedly bound and robbed by three men who fled with his laptop and cryptocurrency. At 3:36 AM on January 14th, Pattaya police received a report of a tourist being robbed. The incident occurred at a condominium in Soi Wat Boon Kanjanaram in Pattaya. Upon receiving the report, officers and The Pattaya News team rushed to the scene. At the scene, the victim, an unidentified Turkish tourist, was found visibly shaken. The condominium’s security staff had already assisted him. The victim informed police that three unknown male suspects had abducted him, tied his hands behind his back, and bound his ankles befor…

From Pattaya News Banglamung, Chonburi – A fierce forest fire erupted at 9:30 p.m. on January 15th, 2025, along a mountain range in Village 4 in the Pong Subdistrict of Banglamung District in Chonburi Province, to the east of Pattaya. The blaze, which has spread extensively, threatens a nearby monastery, prompting urgent action from local authorities and community members. Emergency services, including fire trucks, have been dispatched to the scene to combat the fire, which shows no signs of abating. Local officials are working diligently to prevent the fire from reaching the monastery, with disciples and villagers assisting by clearing leaves and grass…

From The Thaiger Thailand is making bold moves to attract wealthy foreigners and digital nomads by easing visa restrictions to position the country as a global hub for long-term residency. The Cabinet approved sweeping changes to its Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa programme, streamlining the application process and eliminating outdated Smart visa categories, a Government House source revealed. The revised LTR visa rules target three key groups: remote workers, wealthy global citizens, and dependents of LTR visa holders. The most significant change includes lowering the income requirement for remote workers’ employers from an annual revenue of US$150 million …

From The Thaiger Hotels and airlines are experiencing widespread cancellations from Chinese tour groups ahead of the Chinese New Year holiday, with independent tourist bookings also slowing due to safety concerns in Thailand. Eason Chan, a singer and actor from Hong Kong, cancelled a planned concert in Thailand last week, citing safety concerns for Chinese fans visiting the country. Additionally, Hong Kong’s Security Bureau dispatched a task force to Thailand to investigate incidents involving their citizens being enticed into job scams in Southeast Asia. Natthriya Thaweevong, Permanent Secretary for Tourism and Sports, stated that Hong Kong security offici…

From Thailand News Agency Thai cabinet has approved in principle a draft bill to establish integrated entertainment complexes, a move aimed at boosting tourism, stimulating the economy, and addressing illegal gambling. The cabinet endorsed the draft bill on integrated entertainment complexes proposed by the Ministry of Finance, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra announced after the cabinet meeting on Monday. The initiative aims to boost tourism and investment while tackling existing illegal gambling activities, contributing positively to society and promoting sustainable tourism, aligning with the government’s policy of creating “man-made” tourist destin…

From Thailand News Agency Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has banned the sale of new OPPO and Realme smartphone models found to have pre-installed unauthorized loan applications. The move follows complaints from consumers who discovered the “Fineasy” and “Happy Loan” apps embedded in their devices without their consent and with no option to uninstall them, according to Trairat Viriyasirikul, Deputy Secretary-General and Acting Secretary-General of the NBTC. Representatives from Possefy Group Company Limited, the importer and distributor of OPPO phones, and Protha Company Limited, the importer and distributor of Real…

I was reading in the papers that Thailand is not only refusing to grant asylum to Chinese Uyghurs, but is preparing them to send them back to China, where they almost certainly will face death or worse at the hands of the Chinese. I know that there are quite a few readers who now live in Thailand, so I'm wondering if someone closer to the issue knows why the Thai government is behaving like this. Are they that afraid of the Chinese? I wonder if the Uyghurs would have fared better in Vietnam. My husband and I remembered from our trip to Vietnam that the Vietnamese recounted their bravery "We beat the French, we beat the Americans, we beat the Chinese. We're not afraid of a…

From Pattaya Mail The government has issued a warning about fraudulent schemes on TikTok, cautioning that state-owned banks and funds do not offer loans through the platform. Authorities are urging citizens to verify website links and avoid sharing unverified information. The Royal Thai Police and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES) are investigating and preparing legal action against individuals spreading false news. Officials have identified an increase in online scams, with fake advertisements posing as state-backed loan offers among the most concerning. A prominent example involves claims that the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Coo…

NOTE -- The Thailand Tourist Police app can be downloaded at your app store site. From Khaosod English Thai police are intensifying efforts to restore confidence in the country’s tourism safety following recent incidents involving foreign tourists, including the high-profile case of Chinese actor Wang Xing, who was lured by a call center gang through Thailand to a neighboring country. National Police Chief Pol. Gen. Kitt-rat Panpetch has established the Tourist Safety Operations Center (TSOC), with Pol. Gen. Prakhuab Wongsuk appointed as director. The center aims to coordinate security measures nationwide between local police forces and tourist police to s…

From Bangkok Post A Bangkok taxi driver reportedly used a fruit knife to slash a passenger’s face after he slammed the car door in response to the driver's refusal to serve his group. According to reports, the incident happened in Silom area early Saturday morning when a group of three men and a woman hailed the taxi and asked the driver to take them to Thong Lor area. When the driver refused to go because of traffic congestion, one of the passengers reportedly slammed the passenger door to express frustration. The angered driver then jumped out of his cab and an argument ensued. The taxi driver drew a fruit knife and slashed the face of the man who s…

From Bangkok Post A former Cambodian opposition MP was shot dead by a motorcyclist near Wat Bowonniwet Vihara in Phra Nakhon district of Bangkok on Tuesday evening. Lim Kimya, 73, died at the scene. Officers with the Metropolitan Police Bureau have launched a manhunt for the assassin. Police said surveillance camera video from the scene showed a man riding a red Honda Wave 100 motorcycle, licence plate number 845, wearing a helmet, long jeans and a grey short-sleeved shirt with a bag across the front. It is believed that a gun was hidden in the bag. The deceased, who held Cambodian and French nationality, had reportedly travelled to Bangkok by bus from…

NOTE -- Visited Papaya Vintage (see below) on last trip. Recommended if you've got the time. From The Telegraph Talad Rod Fai is a great place to browse an evening away, with countless eateries, bars and tents selling handicrafts - MANJIK PHOTOGRAPHY Thais love shopping, and the sheer variety of items on offer can be as overwhelming as it is exhilarating. Clothes and textiles, jewellery, electronic hardware and DVDs (not all of them above board) are among the things you'll find. Chatuchak Weekend Market One of the world's largest open-air markets, so huge that an electric train (free of charge) whisks visitors about. Some 15,000 stalls sell furnitu…

From Pattaya News Authorities seized 996 Bitcoin mining machines in Chonburi for allegedly stealing massive amounts of electricity, causing damages worth hundreds of millions of baht. Police and electricity officials seized the mining machines from a company, publicly identified by police as JIT Co., Ltd, located in Phanat Nikhom district, Chonburi, after discovering the company was illegally using a massive amount of electricity to operate a large-scale Bitcoin mining farm. The raid took place in Na Wang Hin subdistrict on Wednesday, January 8th. Pol Maj Gen Montri Thetkhan, Commander of the Crime Suppression Division, revealed that JIT Co., Ltd. was …

From Bangkok Post A clip of a suspected Thai national plummeting to his death from an 18-storey building in the Cambodian border town of Poipet due to the stress of working for a call centre gang has outraged netizens who are demanding more action be taken on the issue. The CCTV camera footage was shared yesterday by the Drama-addict and "Kor Kae Khon Thammada" Facebook pages. It showed a man falling from the building at around 11pm on Wednesday. The man is believed to have been making his escape before he fell from the 14th floor. His body landed on a car parked in front of the building. He died instantly. An unnamed source claims there were at least …

https://www.cirium.com/thoughtcloud/most-on-time-airlines-airports-2024-revealed-cirium/ "...Aeromexico claimed the prestigious title of the most On-Time “Global Airline” in 2024, achieving an impressive On-Time performance rate of 86.70%. Saudia followed closely as the runner-up with 86.35%, while Delta Air Lines secured third place with 83.46%, continuing to showcase its operational reliability on the world stage...".

From Bangkok Post The temperature in Bangkok is expected to drop to a low of 15°C on Monday, lasting until Tuesday. Seree Supharathit, director of the Centre for Climate Change and Disaster at Rangsit University, on Sunday said temperatures were expected to drop over the next couple of days. Temperatures will fall by an additional 2-3°C, with the lowest in Bangkok and its adjacent areas possibly reaching 15°C. In the upper northern and northeastern regions, temperatures could drop to around 12°C. This cool weather is expected to last until around Jan 20, before starting to warm up. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2933371/bangkok-te…

From Pattaya News On January 7th, 2025, Thai authorities successfully rescued Chinese actor Wang Xing, also known as XingXing, who had been trafficked to Myanmar after disappearing from Mae Sot, Tak, on January 3rd. Wang Xing, renowned for his roles in popular Chinese action films and romantic comedies, was reportedly lured to Thailand with promises of a legitimate acting contract. However, he was instead forced into scammer training across the border. The ordeal began when Xing was contacted via WeChat by fellow Chinese individuals posing as representatives of a well-known Thai entertainment company. Believing the offer was genuine, he traveled to T…

I've been interested in a cruise around Indonesia, but most of the ones I see are scheduled to go during their monsoon/rainy season. This one is scheduled to hit Indonesia in early January, at the peak of the rainy season! https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruises/itinerary/8-night-bali-adventure-holiday-from-singapore-on-ovation/OV08SIN-349797265?sail-date=2025-12-28&currency=USD&country=USA#step=0 Bali gets 39 cm of rain in January, with rain being present on most days. Why would anyone spend big $$ on flights and cruises when a soggy time is almost guaranteed? This website says it's the worst time to go to most of Indonesia (including Bali and Java…

From Washington Post By Shira Ovide A Tech Friend reader asked that deceptively tricky question. While experts I spoke to weren’t unanimous on whether websites or apps are the better choice for your security and privacy, most of them picked the web — with caveats. That shouldn’t discourage you from using apps. But if you’re doing something on your phone only occasionally — buying from an unfamiliar shopping site or browsing for home insurance — it’s probably smarter and safer to use the company’s website rather than its app. Why websites generally beat apps The mobile app stores from Apple and Google inspect apps for safety. T…

From Bangkok Post PHUKET - A Russian man has told police he was attacked and robbed of US$700 in cash, about 20,000 baht, by another man speaking Russian in his hotel room in Phuket on Sunday night. The victim, whose details were not released, told police he was sleeping in a room at the hotel in tambon Karon of Muang district and was awoken about 8pm by someone knocking on the door. He said when he answered the door a Russian-speaking foreigner forced his way into the room and punched him in the face several times, and he fell to the floor, according to Karon station chief Pol Col Khundet Na Nongkhai. The victim said he could not fight back because …

From Khaosod English Phlapphla Chai police have apprehended two Iranian nationals following a robbery of a Vietnamese tourist in the bustling Bangkok’s Yaowarat, while a third suspect remains at large. On January 6th at approximately 10:45 PM, a 27-year-old Vietnamese tourist sought police assistance near Royal Hotel on Yaowarat Road in Bangkok’s Samphanthawong district. The incident unfolded as the victim’s friend was pursuing three suspects – two men and a woman. Police officers joined the chase and successfully arrested two of the perpetrators, who were unable to communicate in Thai and required an English interpreter at Phlapphla Chai 2 Police Station. …

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/showbiz-tv/vivienne-hospitalised-3-times-month-30714606 "The Vivienne previously opened up about battling a severe addiction to ketamine - with doctors telling the star he was on the brink of death before he turned his life around. The Drag Race UK champion, who was born James Lee Williams, has sadly passed away aged just 32. His death was announced in a sad statement on Sunday night (January 5). It read: "It is with immense sadness that we let you know our beloved James Lee Williams - The Vivienne, has passed this weekend. James was an incredibly loved, warm-hearted and amazing person. "Their family are heartbroken at the loss o…

From The Thaiger/ Business Insider The Embassy of Thailand rolled out the e-visa carpet for nine African nations on January 1 in a further bid to boost tourism. The popular e-visa programme is designed to bolster security and streamline the application process, as reported by VisaGuide.World. By simplifying the visa procedure, Thailand hopes to lure more visitors, vital for its thriving tourism sector. While Thailand’s tourism is heavily concentrated in major hubs like Bangkok, Phuket, and Chiang Mai, the rest of the country sees far fewer visitors, reported The South African. The Kingdom of Thailand offers a range of visas, including tourist visas, sp…

As far as I am aware grindr is not banned in Malaysia, I have seen others here using it without any problem. (without knowing thier service provider) Let me explain and see if you can help. We are currently in Penang. Hubby and I have 3 phones. 2 samsung galaxy S24 Ultra which we both use day to day. Service provided by Hotlink on both S24 phones. Our phones are updated at every opportunity, we know how to stay updated with our software. All of our phone apps are all updated very regularly 1 Samsung A15 which is our spare phone. Service provided by U mobile All prepaid, unlimited data month to month. We don't have any wifi…