Bangkok

Bangkok ranked sixth in the Top 10 Cities in the World for expats in 2022 in an InterNations poll. InterNations is a global social network for expats that operates both online and offline in 420 cities across the world. The network provides insider information on many expat destinations and also allows expat communities in each city to share and exchange their experiences. InterNations recently launched the Expat City Ranking 2022 on its website. The rank was created by the votes from over 12,000 members across the world, and Bangkok came in sixth place. What do expats think about Bangkok? Some 79% of them are happy with living in the city, 69% are happy with the cost of living, 66% are happy with their jobs in the city, 68% are happy with their work-life balance, 82% are happy with the quality of medical care, and 54% says it is easy for them to make new friends in Bangkok. This year, the city was also ranked No.5 on the language learning platform Preply ‘s … [Read more...] about Bangkok ranked No.6 in the top 10 best cities for expats

Bangkok ’s pollution problem is rearing its ugly head once again. Environmental police arrested and charged seven people over illegal dumping at 16 sites in the Thai capital. The chief of the Crime Suppression Division ordered environmental police to inspect 16 spots, following reports of illegal dumping causing foul-smelling air. The dumping also reportedly led to the spreading of germs to nearby land areas and water sources. The team inspected three sites in Lat Krabang and Saphan Sung districts, two sites each in Min Buri, Nong Khaem, and Suan Luang districts, and one each in Prawet, Khlong Sam Wa, Bueng Kum, and Bang Khae districts. The officers arrested four men and three women. The four men arrested were: 27 year old Abhisit, 29 year old Pattaporn, 42 year old Kittisak, and 61 year old Parn. The three women arrested were: 28 year old Nongrak, 40 year old Buathai, and 48 year old Chanya. The suspects reportedly told police that they had negotiated … [Read more...] about Environmental police arrest 7 over illegal dumping in Bangkok

Sathien Setthasit - A + A (Dec 1): CJ Express Group Co, a retail chain founded by energy drink tycoon Sathien Setthasit, is considering an initial public offering in Bangkok to raise at least US$500 million, according to people familiar with the matter. The Thai supermarket company whose biggest shareholder is also Carabao Group Pcl’s chief executive officer is working with advisers on an offering that could take place as soon as next year, the people said, asking not to be identified as the information is private. CJ Express’s IPO could raise US$500 million to US$800 million, one of the people said. Discussions are ongoing and details of the potential offering such as size and timing could change, the people said. A representative for CJ Express didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. First-time share sales in Thailand have proved relatively resilient amid a global slowdown in capital raising, with firms raising nearly US$4 billion so far this … [Read more...] about Carabao founder’s CJ Express weighs US$500 mil Thai IPO, sources say

- A + A (Dec 1): Tesla Inc will launch in Thailand on Dec 7, becoming the latest electric-vehicle (EV) maker to enter the the Southeast Asian market that is positioning to be a global EV production hub. Tesla will hold a launch event next week in Bangkok's prestigious Siam Paragon shopping mall, according to a media invite from a third-party public relations firm on Thursday. The EV maker had previously advertised more than a dozen jobs for its Thai operations. The launch comes as EV competition has been heating up in Thailand, the largest auto manufacturing hub in Southeast Asia, especially with Chinese players such as Great Wall Motor, BYD, and Hozon. Tesla's Thai unit was registered in April with a capital of 253 million baht (RM32.04 million), according to the Thai commerce ministry's database. … [Read more...] about Tesla set to challenge Chinese EV makers with Thailand launch

The Tourism Authority of Thailand ( TAT ) launched a travel package called ‘Amazing New Chapters: Discover Luxperience in Thailand’ aimed at high-end South Korean travellers. The deal combines business class tickets to Bangkok on Asiana Airlines and a stay at the five-star Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok, which costs around 12,000 baht per night. The TAT hopes to make Thailand a desirable destination for South Koreans by targeting luxury tourists, long-stayers, honeymooners, couples, millennials, and families with the campaign. Discover Luxperience is part of the TAT’s wider campaign Visit Thailand Year 2022-23: Amazing New Chapters, featuring five-star hotels, premium rooftop bars, Michelin-starred restaurants, cruises, fancy car rentals, and private yachts and helicopters. Director of TAT Seoul Office Jiranee Poonnayom said… “This new initiative is designed to appeal to affluent and luxury travellers from South Korea who are interested in experiencing Thailand’s new and … [Read more...] about TAT launches luxury travel package to Thailand for rich South Korean tourists

Chinese gangs in Thailand are in more trouble as police arrested another suspected gang boss in Bangkok Wednesday. Teams of police raided 34 locations in eight provinces, at the behest of deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn. Big Joke, as Surachate is playfully known, said that in Samut Prakan, a company was identified as owning a private aircraft connected with Chinese businessman Chaiyanat “Tuhao” Kornchayanant. According to the Bangkok Post, the company also owns more than 80 tour buses and a hotel worth 700 million baht. Tuhao turned himself in to the police last week over his alleged involvement in the drug trade. During Wednesday’s operation, police raided three companies in Huai Kwang district of Bangkok and detained a Chinese national Chen Zhaohui – known as Tony – at Belle Condominium on Rama 9 road on charges of supporting or colluding in running a business operated illegally by foreign nationals. The arrest of Tony followed the raid on a … [Read more...] about Chinese gangs in Thailand take another hit as “Tony” falls

Police launched a murder investigation after finding the body of a missing woman tied to a water pump inside a lake in Prachuap Khiri Khan province in western Thailand . Last night, police found the body of a woman estimated to be around 30 years old submerged in a lake in Moo 4, Ang Thong subdistrict, Thap Sakae district. Her body was tied to a water pump with blankets to keep it weighed down. Police suspected the victim could be Supaporn “Peg” Bootket, a local woman who went missing two weeks ago. Peg’s aunt Jaran Muennin went to see the corpse in the middle of the night and confirmed it was her sister’s daughter, identifying her by a tattoo she has on the middle of her back. While relatives have confirmed her identity, police say that her identity has not yet been officially confirmed. This morning, Prachuap Khiri Khan Provincial Police and officers from Thap Sakae Police Station took a 25 year old man who lives 50 metres away from the lake into custody for … [Read more...] about Body of missing woman found tied to water pump in western Thailand

A private jet is the latest addition to the Thai police’s shiny collection of assets seized from Tuhao the notorious Chinese gangster. Thai police – led by Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn – seized Tuhao’s private jet at Bo Fai Airport in Hua Hin , Prachuap Khiri Khan province, western Thailand , yesterday. Police found that the “HS-HAO” plane was owned by Modern Latex Co, one of Tuhao’s eight money-laundering-disguised-as-businesses operations in Phuket, which were all seized by police yesterday. Once the jet was officially linked to Tuhao, police were able to seize it, said Big Joke. Big Joke said sniffer dogs were checking the plane for drugs and officers were collecting forensic evidence from the jet. Police added that they had seized even more of Tuhao’s assets including luxury properties in Samut Prakan province in central Thailand. After raiding 34 locations nationwide, police have now seized around 5 billion baht’s worth of Tuhao’s assets including three … [Read more...] about Big Joke seizes Tuhao’s private jet in Hua Hin

Emma C. Bunker’s name is hard to avoid when strolling through the Denver Art Museum’s fifth-floor galleries. Visitors entering the Southeast Asian wing are welcomed to the Bunker Gallery, her name displayed in large white lettering, lit up on the forest green wall. The scholar’s gifts are featured in nearly every Asian art exhibit, which showcase exquisite wonders from across the continent: Palanquin hooks from Cambodia, mythical birds from Indonesia, bronze bracelets from Iran, tiles with lotus heads from Turkey. After Bunker’s death last year at 90, the museum dedicated an Asian art acquisition fund in her honor, celebrating six decades of contributions to a collection the museum touts as “one of the finest of its kind in North America.” A longtime museum consultant and leading scholar, Bunker helped assemble the Denver institution’s 7,000-piece Asian art collection through her relationships with some of the world’s biggest antiquities collectors. But those close … [Read more...] about How the Denver Art Museum became a “laundromat” for stolen Asian relics