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Muay Thai, sepak takraw to showcase at Bangkok Sports Festival
Muay Thai, sepak takraw to showcase at Bangkok Sports Festival
FESTIVAL: The Bangkok Sports Festival will be held at CentralWorld Square from April 17-19, organisers said on Saturday (Apr 8).
Phuket readies for Songkran long weekend
Phuket readies for Songkran long weekend
PHUKET: Government offices across Phuket will shut down this Friday (April 13) as the nation heads into a four-day holiday for the Thai New Year Songkran holidays.
Unfinished tunnel opens to ease traffic snarls
Unfinished tunnel opens to ease traffic snarls
PRACHIN BURI / NAKHON RATCHASIMA: The Department of Highways will temporarily open an under-construction tunnel linking Thap Lan National Park and Khao Yai National Park beginning tomorrow (Apr 10) to accommodate a mass of motorists before and during the Songkran festival.
11 drug plants ‘churn out 20m pills a day’
11 drug plants ‘churn out 20m pills a day’
BANGKOK: The Narcotics Suppression Bureau admitted yesterday (Apr 8) that at least 11 drug manufacturing facilities were located “near Thailand’s northern border” with a combined daily production capacity of more than 20 million pills.
Nai Yang House for Rent
Nai Yang House for Rent
Quiet, modern, furnished 2 bedroom, ensuite bathrooms, kitchen, AC, internet, TV, 700m from Nai Yang beach.
There’s never any guarantee of a catch
There’s never any guarantee of a catch
FISHING: Welcome to sweaty April me hearties.
All About Buddhism: A look back at the history of Thai New Year celebrations
All About Buddhism: A look back at the history of Thai New Year celebrations
If you’re visiting Thailand as a tourist, chances are you’re in town to celebrate Songkran. Songkran is the word for the traditional Thai New Year.
Power to the people
Power to the people
INDIA: Deepa Bhoir used to sit in darkness outside her island home and stare at Mumbai glowing in the distance. Now she stays up late watching soap operas – one of millions of Indians whose lives have been transformed by a drive to get power to every corner of the country.
China sperm bank demands loyalty to Communist Party
China sperm bank demands loyalty to Communist Party
One of the largest sperm banks in Beijing has set loyalty to the Communist Party as a prerequisite for donors, in a sign that China's increasing emphasis on ideological training is being extended to the womb.
Sculptor Arnaud Nazare-Aga talks about his quest to spread happiness
Sculptor Arnaud Nazare-Aga talks about his quest to spread happiness
Artist in residence at Kata Rocks, Arnaud Nazare-Aga, has extended the extraordinary exhibition of his captivating handmade sculptures.
Patong hotel files B100mn defamation counter-complaint against Thai Army
Patong hotel files B100mn defamation counter-complaint against Thai Army
PHUKET: The Patong resort embroiled in a spat with Phuket-based soldiers over extortion claims and now facing criminal defamation charges is now threatening to file a counter-claim of defamation against the Royal Thai Army seeking their own damages to the tune of B100 million.
Apps to help you create charming vintage videos for your social media
Apps to help you create charming vintage videos for your social media
If you are an avid user of social media, especially the Instagram platform, chances are that lately you have noticed vintage video apps seem to be all the rage.
Warning issued over household debt
Warning issued over household debt
BANGKOK: Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) research house the Economic Intelligence Center (EIC) has raised a warning flag about a potential re-acceleration in household debt after the household debt-to-GDP ratio at the end of 2017 edged up for the first time in two years.
Phuket Opinion: Protecting the prize jewels
Phuket Opinion: Protecting the prize jewels
PHUKET: The news that national parks officials have resolved to forbid tourists from entering Maya Bay – the crown jewel of Had Nopparat Thara – Phi Phi Island National Park – during a June-September “recovery period” and to limit visitor number during the tourism high season has been well received as a positive step.
Facebook to verify identities, require labels for political ads
Facebook to verify identities, require labels for political ads
Facebook announced Friday (Apr 6) it will require political ads on its platform to state who is paying for the message and would verify the identity of the payer, in a bid to curb outside election interference. The social network, which is under fire for enabling manipulation of its platform in the 2016 election, said the new policy would require any messages for candidates or public issues to include the label "political ad" with the name of the person or entity paying for it. Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg said the change will mean "we will hire thousands of more people" to get the new system in place ahead of US midterm elections in November. "We're starting this in the US and expanding to the rest of the world in the coming months," Zuckerberg said on his Facebook page. "These steps by themselves won't stop all people trying to game the system. But they will make it a lot harder for anyone to do what the Russians did during the 2016 election and use fake accounts and pages to run ads." A separate Facebook statement said the changes would help improve transparency and accountability of the network around political campaigns. "We believe that when you visit a page or see an ad on Facebook, it should be clear who it's coming from," the statement said. To get authorized by Facebook, "advertisers will need to confirm their identity and location," the statement said. "Advertisers will be prohibited from running political ads – electoral or issue-based – until they are authorized." Facebook made the announcement as Zuckerberg prepared to appear before Congress next week to answer questions about the harvesting of personal data on 87 million users by Cambridge Analytica, a British political consultancy working for Donald Trump's presidential campaign. The move also comes amid concerns that Russian-sponsored entities delivered Facebook ads designed to create discord and confusion ahead of the election and that firms like Cambridge Analytica created messages based on psychographic profiles gleaned from the platform to influence voters.   Sandberg's apology Separately, Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg offered fresh apologies to users for failing to do enough on privacy and data protection. "We know that we did not do enough to protect people's data," Sandberg told National Public Radio. "I'm really sorry for that. Mark is really sorry for that, and what we're doing now is taking really firm action." Sandberg said Facebook first became aware in 2015 that Cambridge Analytica had obtained user data from a researcher who put up a poll on the social network. "When we received word that this researcher gave the data to Cambridge Analytica, they assured us it was deleted," she said. "We did not follow up and confirm, and that's on us -- and particularly once they were active in the election, we should have done that." Sandberg was asked by NBC television's "Today Show" if other cases of user data misuse could be expected. "We're doing an investigation, we're going to do audits and yes, we think it's possible, that's why we're doing the audit," she said. Sandberg said Facebook also should have been more proactive in dealing with Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. "That was something we should have caught, we should have known about," she told NPR. "We didn't. Now we've learned." The firestorm over the improper data shared has sparked calls for investigations on both sides of the Atlantic. In Brussels, a European Union spokesman said Facebook confirmed that up to 2.7 million people in the EU may have been affected by the personal data scandal. "We will study the letter (from Facebook) in more detail, but it is already clear that this will need further follow-up discussions with Facebook," spokesman Christopher Wigand said.
Royal Thai Consulate General in Penang to re-open on Monday
Royal Thai Consulate General in Penang to re-open on Monday
PHUKET: The Royal Thai Consulate General in Penang, Malaysia has announced that it will re-open this coming Monday (Apr 9).
BCIS’s vision of maintaining excellence is visible in all its endeavours
BCIS’s vision of maintaining excellence is visible in all its endeavours
Berda Claude International School (BCIS) was founded with one core philosophy – Education changes the world. This simple, yet powerful tenet drives the management and teachers forward, with a focus on providing comprehensive academics as well as extracurricular experiences for students in any field they pursue.
Royal Thai Navy officer found dead in his home
Royal Thai Navy officer found dead in his home
PHUKET: A Royal Thai Navy official was found dead in his house near Promthep Cape yesterday afternoon (Apr 6) after his colleague was unable to contact him for two days.
QSI Director Rob Peters’ focus is firmly on quality over quantity
QSI Director Rob Peters’ focus is firmly on quality over quantity
For Rob Peters, taking the helm as Director of QSI International School Phuket in July 2017 was a big shift from his previous posting.
Russian woman slashes her throat in suicide attempt at Patong 7-Eleven
Russian woman slashes her throat in suicide attempt at Patong 7-Eleven
PHUKET: A Russian woman was saved from bleeding to death after she used a knife to repeatedly slash her throat while inside a Patong 7-Eleven yesterday morning (Apr 6). The woman, a 41-year old Russian national was wearing black pants and yellow vest as she entered the 7-Eleven store at Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd at 8:33am on April 6. She was standing in front of the drinks refrigerator when she began to use a knife to cut her throat. Staff at the spoke to her in a failed attempt to prevent her from hurting herself. The incident was caught on the stores CCTV and by 7-Eleven staff on their mobile phone. Despite the staff’s pleas for her to stop she continued to slash at her neck causing condiderable blood loss. She didn’t stop cutting herself until Patong police and Kusoldharm rescue workers arrived on the scene and were were able to prevent her from causing further injury to herself. The woman was initially taken to Patong Hospital for treatment, before being transported to Vachira Hospital. Maj Ekkachai Siri from the Phuket Tourist Police said, “Now the Russian tourist is recovering at Vachira Hospital. She is in a stable condition but she has declined to communicate with police yet. “Police will delay any further questions to find out the motives behind this incident until she gets better, then we will talk to her.”