Thailand Voice

The red shirt protests have been going on in Bangkok for 4-5 days now. Countless thousands of protesters have been camped out along the Royal Avenue. The news hasn’t received that much attention yet in the international press, mainly because there hasn’t been any violence. Thailand is not like other countries …

A total of 5,000 red guards are believed to be deployed at the rally site in Bangkok and at 30 other locations in the area. This includes 200 mobile units on motorcycle. They will be providing protection to the red shirts at the rally and also intercepting…

The Thai government over the past few years have been so focussed on first the yellow shirts and then the red shirts that hardly anyone has noticed the rampant increase of drug use in Thailand. It is almost getting to epidemic proportions …

It is probably not a good idea to venture outside at the moment if you are living in some areas of Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Chiang Rai, Lampang, Lumpoon, Maehongson, Nan, Phayao and Chiang Mai due to the bad air quality. You should also consider wearing face masks in Chachoengsao, Nonthaburi, Samut…

A few days ago, a user called “musicxpresso” put up for sale on ebay a wanted poster for Thaksin and his wife for a mere 99 cents. The photo showed the massive banner used as the backdrop for one of the yellow shirts stages while they occupied the Government House area. However, if you read…

Khan Kluay was a smash hit Thai cartoon when it was first released in Thailand in May 2006. It was the first Thai cartoon made at international standard and did very well in the domestic market. The little blue elephant, called Khan Kluay, was very popular with Thai children of all ages. I know…

(The crime scene of almost every Farang ‘murder’ in Pattaya – the infamous Pattaya hotel balcony) As a Farang in Thailand we have all heard some of the most laughable quack-wack Thailand myths: ladyboys who have coaxed clients back to their rooms only to drug ‘em and cut out …

Even for those who have never stepped a foot in the Land of Noodle Soup & Nose Jobs, chances are they’ve heard some classic Thailand myth worthy of an editorial column in the most sensational European tabloid. So worthy actually, …

Kayasit Pissawongprakan, Director General of the Office of the Thai Attorney General, center, is surrounded by reporters after a news conference at his office in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, Jan. 29, 2010. Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thuagsuban refused on comment on the pending decision by public prosecutors to drop all …

The central province of Suphan Buri, about 107 kilometers from Bangkok by car, is holding its major cultural event, “Don Chedi Memorial and Red Cross Fair,” from now until February 1. The two-week fair takes place in the Don Chedi Memorial compound in Don …

A Thai military personnel secures the gates of the office of Thailand’s army chief in central Bangkok. (Reuters) A Thai soldier checks the weapon of a fellow soldier as he stands guard outside the Bangkok army base, housing the office of army commander-in-…

(Would be extremely difficult to get these two mixed up – but Mrs Clampton did) Due to the positive feedback from the last blog “The Legendary Edith Clampton (Mrs)” , I think it’s only fair to write up a part 2 and include some of the readers’ responses – some…

On reading the title, most of you are probably wondering “Who the heck is she?” Well, she was one of Thailand’s most well-known farang names during the early to mid 1990’s; a name that was highly controversial, but in the stupidest way possible (She even has her very own Wikipedia entry). So, who was…

When I first came to Thailand fifteen years ago there wasn’t really that much in the way of English media. All we had at the time were two national newspapers in English and a few programmes on television if we tuned in to …

It is that time of year again when we do a quick review of the past year. Today I am going to look back at some of the more popular news photos from Thailand on our sister blog www.thaiphotoblogs.com . One of the most popular pictures…

ตรวจแนวเขื่อนริมแม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา FLOODING CONTROL INSPECTION: Mr. Surachai Kanasa, the Governor of Samut Prakan, went on an inspection on 1st December 2009, to check the measures being taken to prevent high tide floods in the city. He also discussed with Mr. Amnuay Rassamitat, Chief Executive of…

Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn (R) of Thailand tours a rice field at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) during a visit in the town of Los Banos, Laguna province south of Manila on November 17, 2009. Princess Sirindhorn is here to lead in the celebrations of the institute’s…

As the fireworks and firecrackers are going on non-stop for the third day running, and the city is celebrating with the biggest and most colourful parade of the loy krathong festivities, I am at home listening from a safe…

The “Chulalongkorn Day or “Piya Maharaj Day” is considered as the memorial day for King Chulalongkorn, or King Rama V, which falls on 23 October every year. King Chulalongkorn the Great was one of the most important kings of the Chakri Dynasty. The most prominent contribution he made was slavery abolition as well…

(63 Longwood Avenue: the first home of Prince Bhumibhol, the future King of Thailand. Photo courtesy of KTBF ) Quite incredibly most Thais who I have ever spoken to haven’t known where the present king of Thailand, King Bhumibol Adulyadej was born. For…

People are already planning their holidays in Thailand for 2010 and so we thought we would help out by letting you know the dates of the main events and holidays. I know so many people keep asking “When is Loy Krathong…

A Gallery by Kittisak Butdeewong Fortunately, I have had the opportunity recently, for the second time, to assist a good friend of mine, artist, Kittisak Butdeewong with most of the Thai> English language preparations for his latest gallery. Kittisak, hailing from the north-eastern rural province …

This is continuing my interview with Peter Robinson, who is probably better known in Thailand as “Phra Farang”, the foreign monk. (Click here for part one.) Peter spent ten years as a monk before finally disrobing in order to spend more time with…

Just into part one only, but Big Trouble in Tourist Thailand, the UK documentary series on Bravo TV, has already caused much controversy, and especially in regards to the Phuket jetski scam that Richard has just blogged about. Thanks to the raw footage, one typical jetski scammer is…

Thailand is in big trouble again. Its tourism industry was already facing disaster last year with the prolonged airport closure. Things looked like it was starting to get better but the situation has just been going from bad to worse. This year Thailand has received a lot of negative press from the …

Today is an auspicious day in Thailand for all Thai people. Today is the ninth day of the ninth month of the ninth year in the 21st Century which translates as 09 09 09. The number nine in Thai is ” gao ” which sounds similar to another word which means…

Another chapter in the life of Panrit “Gor” Daoruang” has come to an end with his release from prison after serving his full three years for dug possession. Gor shot to international fame during his teenage years for his stories …

On Friday morning, customs officials at Suvarnabhumi Airport invited us to a press conference to see the 2,000 kilos of ivory that they had recently seized. The shipment came in from Uganda and Kenya and include 316 pieces of tusks which were…

(Click here to read about the boat trip to Sakhla) Sakhla Village (ban sakhla), in Phra Samut Chedi District of Samut Prakan, dates back to the late Sukhothai period. Its original name was “Ban Sao Kla” which refers to the women of the area that bravely fought off the Burmese…

American John Yettaw (C) arrives in Thailand’s military airbase in Bangkok August 16, 2009. A U.S. senator met Myanmar’s top general and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, while arranging the release of prisoner Yettaw on a weekend mission that offered a rare opening …