Thailand Voice

This is a review of what happened in Thailand during the last week based on topics that I tweeted. You can follow me live for latest news about Thailand @RichardBarrow . I have also started a new version of my Bangkok Dangerous Map as there have been more…

This is a review of what happened in Thailand during the last week based on topics that I tweeted. You can follow me live for latest news about Thailand @RichardBarrow . Weekend 16th-18th July 2010 US names new Thailand envoy http://j.mp/bWKMFJ Democrats, …

A recent survey of 23,088 Thai students from Pathom 5 up to doctorate level in all provinces across Thailand show that more students are turning to alcohol. According to the survey, the average age of drinking students is 19 years. The youngest drinker is only 10 years old. Up to 56.7 per cent…

Some 50 red shirts converged at Ratchaprasong intersection late yesterday [11 July] afternoon in defiance of the emergency decree and created a small commotion – repeatedly shouting “People have been killed here!” and “The military shot people!” The group, led by prominent red shirt Sombat Boon-ngam-anong, 42, who was released after being…

According to an article in the Bangkok Post, the Fine Arts Department plans to register 25 sites as areas of historical interest in Thailand this year. Most of the sites are in Bangkok and many are Buddhist temples, although there are also palaces and residences. Registration will entitle them to …

Bangkok people give alms to Thai monks during a joint mass prayer at Lumphini Park in Bangkok on May 26, 2010 to bless the Nation a week after a deadly anti-government protest crackdown. Thai authorities extended the curfew in Bangkok and 23 provinces for four nights, as they seek to restore order following…

On the evening of Wednesday 19th May I went to visit the Ratchaprasong Rally Site again. I was there the other day before the 3 p.m. deadline to leave and I wanted to see how many people had stayed. And …

What do smartphones, Twitter and the Red Shirt rallies in Bangkok have in common? The answer is simple. It has at times meant the difference between life and death for foreign tourists and expats in Bangkok. Maybe a little melodramatic, but it has a grain…

Our next island on day 3 of the TAT trip was Koh Tarutao. This is the largest in the group of 51 islands in the national marine park. It is 26.5 km long and 11 km wide. The island is covered in green rain forests and surrounded by sandy beaches. The topography is mainly mountainous. We only…

I am not sure about you but it is getting a bit boring with all the news about the red shirt protests. So, how about some fun pictures of children playing Songkran? While the adults in Bangkok are waging war against each other, the children of the nation have…

(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 …

The security of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva’s residence has been beefed up with more special police and K-9 dogs. Screening at a checkpoint near the house has been strengthened. More closed-circuit TV cameras have been installed and there are now more police motorcycle patrols. (Manager/The Nation) …

Thai police arrange seized ivory before a press conference in Bangkok at the National Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division of the police department on Wednesday Jan 20, 2010. Thai police said Wednesday that they have arrested two people accused of dealing in illegal African ivory, a day after an American and a Thai …

Well, about a few weeks back it was my turn, the first in years actually, to do a visa run to Vientiane, Laos. And I did the visa run on my own and not with some over-priced Visa Run trip company. Thinking back, the…

Thailand’s first population census was conducted in 1909 by the Ministry of Interior. Four subsequent censuses followed in 1919, 1929, 1937 and 1947. Since 1960, the National Statistical Office (NSO) has been responsible for undertaking population censuses every ten years under the 1952 Statistical Act (revised in 1965…

The annual National Children’s Day for Thailand took place today. Children are considered as the most valuable resource of the country. There is a Thai saying that goes, “Children are the future of the nation, if the children are intelligent, the country will be prosperous.” To help stimulate children to…

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 …

The fifth day of the seven dangerous New Year holidays saw 41 people killed and 460 others injured, bringing the cumulative casualty count for the long holiday to 279 and 3,185. Deputy Permanent Secretary for Interior Ministry Wibul Sanguanpong told a press conference at the…

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…

Thailand’s Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva (C) waves the national flag and sings the national anthem in front of a portrait of King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Bangkok December 4, 2009. The King will turn 82 on December 5. (Reuters) Thais gather and sing the songs around the portrait King Bhumibol Adulyadej …

In September, the Thai government started a new project called “United Thais – Strong Thailand” with the intention to promote unity and patriotism. Thai people normally sing or at least stand for the national anthem twice a day at 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. It is broadcast on all television and radio stations and…

An estimated 50,000 people from all around Samut Prakan came together on 20th November 2009 to sing the national anthem at the City Hall Plaza. The event was broadcast live across the nation. (paknam.com) For more pictures visit ThailandQA.com or

“ไทยสามัคคี ไทยเข้มแข็ง” SINGING OF NATIONAL ANTHEM : An estimated 50,000 people from all around Samut Prakan came together on 20th November 2009 to sing the national anthem at the City Hall Plaza. The event was broadcast live across the nation. จังหวัดสมุทรปราการร่วมร้องเพลงชาติไทย นายสุรชัย ขันอาสา ผู้ว่าราชการจังหวัดสมุทรปราการ เป็นประธานในกิจกรรมไทยสามัคคี ไทยเข้มแข็ง ร่วมร้องเพลงชาติกับประชาชนชาวสมุทรปราการทั้งสองฝั่งแม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา Pictures

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…

Many activities will be held both in Bangkok and the provinces to celebrate the 8th cycle or the 96th birthday anniversary of His Holiness Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara, the Supreme Patriarch, from late September to the end of October 2009. The Supreme Patriarch will turn 96 on October 3. For Thai people, the…

Keigo Zato, a nine-year-boy living in Thailand all his life, and his Japanese father were tearfully reunited at the Suvarnabhumi Airport Friday afternoon. The Japanese father, Katsumi, arrived on the Japan Airlines Flight JO/JL 717 at 3:05 pm. Keigo walked to his father and hugged and kissed …

The Ministry of Culture has planned many cultural activities to promote Thai culture and stimulate confidence in Thailand among international tourists and investors. Culture Minister Teera Slukpetch said that Thailand, in the eyes of in the world community, is a land of peace and that Thai people are generous and apply…

The Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board has issued a report on Thailand’s social outlook in the second quarter of 2009. The report, which was acknowledged by the Cabinet, covers four major areas, namely the quality of human resources, social…

A couple of weeks ago I went to Mae Sa waterfalls on the edge of Doi Suthep-Pui National Park . On the way back, I noticed a sign saying Tad Mok waterfall, 9 km . It was already too late to make the little side trip so I postponed the …

This wonderful little gorge on the Khan river is one of my favourite weekend getaways. I didn’t have anything special in mind when heading out there this afternoon, just dangling my feet in the water, having a little swim, reading my book, taking a few pictures in the green …

Look, but don’t touch – these Thailand ‘pretty girls’ could be on a scammer) Once known as the Land of Smiles, pitiable Thailand is now turning into the world’s most infamous Land of Scams – and this year in particular we have been inundated again and again and…

Thailand celebrates Her Majesty the Queen’s birthday today with many activities to pay tribute to the “Mother of the Land.” Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has urged the people to conduct good deeds in order to show gratitude to Her Majesty, who has contributed tremendously to …

Well, just a short while back I decided on the spur of the moment to pack our bags and get a short flight to somewhere…… and that somewhere was to be Penang Island in Malaysia. The wife, Su, and I went to Hong Kong over the Songkran holidays in April, …

The following are national days in Thailand though none of them are celebrated as public holidays. National Children’s Day – 2nd Saturday of January วันเด็กแห่งชาติ (Wan Dek Haeng Chat) Widely celebrated, especially by governmental agencies, with many activities for children. Observed on this day since 1965; was observed on …

Suvarnabhumi International Airport has been receiving a lot of bad publicity lately. We all know very well about the taxi scam where the drivers refuse to turn on the meter or dump you in the middle of nowhere if you try to kick up a fuss…

In Thailand, July 29th every year is celebrated as National Thai Language Day. However, a recent poll showed that 85.3 per cent of people surveyed in Bangkok and its neighbouring provinces were not aware of Thai language day. The survey also revealed some shocking results. According to the poll, 84.9 per cent of people …

A staff member at the Ayutthaya, Thailand Elephant Kraal look at three elephants painted to resemble Pandas. Thailand is experiencing a panda craze with the recent birth of a baby at the Chiang Mai, Thailand Zoo. The elephants were painted…

Beyond a doubt, ASTV, backed by the People’s Alliance of Democracy (PAD) has escalated in popularity more than any other TV channel in Thailand in 2009. This is due of course to precise unbiased news reports which particularly penetrate the essence of Thai politics and offer the audience a real chance to get the …

When visiting Krabi town, you may have wondered about that high, steep mountain range covered in mist in the distance. It is 1400-metre tall Khao Phanom Benja (also spelled Bencha), or Five-point Prostration Mountain, as Thais say the shape of the mountain …

They will never learn. The Bank Of Thailand, the thai central bank, lost all credibility mid january, when it announced the recovery … When actually the thai economy was plunging , very deep ! Bank of Thailand (BoT) deputy governor Atchana Waiquamdee on Wednesday voiced confidence that the country’s … Read full story >>>