Click here to read our May 2014 News.

In Chiang Mai Military Officers are already scouring every market in the city to search for the red buffalo t-shirts. The buffalo symbolize the Red Shirt movement, the cockroach on the shirt refers to the RedShirts' nickname for the Democrat Party. According to the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), the shirts violate the reconciliation. As far as we know (until the time of writing), the following motivs do not (yet) violate the reconciliation.

It's Durian time! Some like the King of Fruits, some hate the fruit because of its strong odour. I remember the time, only a few years ago, when I had to pay 35 Baht for a kilo of Durian, but today we have to pay a lot more:

• Soi Chaiyabruek 2:
  50 Baht
• Jomtien Soi 5:
  55 Baht
• Naklua Soi Photisarn:
  60 Baht
• Pattaya North Road:
  65 - 70 Baht
• At Shopping Centers in Central Pattaya:
  Up to 110 Baht

A Durian contains a high amount of sugar, vitamin C, potassium, and the serotonergic amino acid tryptophan, and is a good source of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

Do you really think of sex 7'200 times each waking day? Tom Stafford, a Lecturer in Psychology and Cognitive Science for the Department of Psychology of the University of Sheffield (UK), looks into one of the world's most controversial research.

Thailand's Public Health Ministry claims that about 500'000 Thai people are infected with HIV but only half of them know they have the virus and receive treatment. Through its nationwide hospitals the Public Health Ministry is offering two free-of-charge HIV tests to each person a year and provides comprehensive services relating to HIV and Aids, including counselling, examination and treatment with antiretroviral drugs.

Spike from Pattaya Days has been looking for a house to purchase. Read his report.

Following the lifting of curfew in Bangkok and the rest of the country Bangkok's Mass Transport systems known as Airport Rail Link, BTS Skytrain and MRT Subway (Bangkok's Metro) resumed their normal service hours from 06:00 until 24:00.

Today, at about 21:00, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) announced the lifting of curfew nationwide with immediate effect. Nevertheless, the National Council for Peace and Order(NCPO) continues to keep martial law in place to maintain peace and order.

Thaweep Saengkrachang, chief of the Tambon Tapong Administration Organisation, said that Mae Rumphueng Beach in Muang district of Rayong province remains closed to tourists due to concerns about oil spills. About 60 soldiers joined officials to clean up one of the most popular beaches in Rayong province. Sunee Piyapunpong, deputy director-general of the Pollution Control Department, still could not confirm if the slick was diesel or fuel oil. Officials from local organisations and the department were trying to find out where the slick came from.

Bangkok politician Sathorn Muangsiri, a Democrat Party city councillor representing Bang Khunthian district, admitted on Monday that he and his relatives had their names printed on garbage bins provided by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), but claimed that it was all in the public interest. Printing of his name on the bins did not violate any regulation. Politicians did so in many districts because they wanted local people to know them. Somchai Chatsakulpen, deputy director of Bangkok's department of environment, said that last year the department had paid out 500 million Baht for 400'000 new bins, e.g. 1'220 Baht/each... It's all in the public's interest, isn't it?

Nok Air, THAI's budget airline, announced the launch of twice-daily services from its Bangkok hub at Don Mueang airport to Khon Kaen on July 1st, 2014.

Today, at about 22:00, Thailand's National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) lifted curfew in Phetchburi's Cha-am district, Prachuab Khiri Khan's Hua Hin district, Krabi and Pang Nga provinces, effective immediately.

Thailand's Military Junta decided to exempts Koh Pha Ngan's Full Moon Party from curfew For more information please click here.

A combined police and military task force arrested 73 out of 108 members of Phuket's so called taxi mafia. The operation began yesterday morning, ended at about 14:00 and involved a total of 1'150 officers. Information gathered by a police task force showed that there were 287 taxi queues and 3'594 illegal black-plate taxis. About 70 taxi queues were operated by influential (e.g. untouchably) groups. Provincial Police Region 8 will try to protect and safeguard Phuket's tourism, improving its standards to a point acceptable by all sides, Pol Lt Gen Panya Mamen, commissioner of Provincial Police Region 8 said. Today Police continued their campaign to smash Phuket's notorious taxi and tuktuk cartels by destroying illegal taxi stands in Cherng Talay, KataKaron and Kamala. Included in the current crackdown are the kickbacks that taxi and tuktuk drivers receive in bringing tourists to specific shops. These shops usually overcharge the tourists. Pattaya City Hall should invite Phuket's successful taskforce to clean-up this corrupt City too... Arrested Phuket Taxi Driver has 100 Million Baht in Bank, says Police.

General Prayuth Chan-ocha, the chief of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), signed an announcement ending immediately the night curfew in Pattaya, Phuket and on Koh Samui.

On June 1st Thailand's Department of Land Transport introduced a tougher driving licence examination in a bid to boost road safety. Over 200 applicants took the new test at Chiang Mai's transport office after undergoing a training session last Friday. More than 90% of them have failed the multiple-choice tests under new rules. Only a small number of applicants passed the knowledge test, with one applicant answering all 50 questions correctly. The questions for the tests are available on the Department's Website to allow applicants to prepare for the exam.

Malaysia's Islamic affairs minister, Jamil Khir Baharom, said in a statement that 11 chocolate bar samples from Cadbury's factory tested negative for pork DNA in tests by Islamic authorities. Nevertheless, the halal certification for the two types of bars will remain suspended until further tests and investigations can be done. Saudi Arabia has withdrawn Cadbury chocolate bars from the market for tests to ensure the products do not contain traces of pig DNA. Indonesian authorities announced to carry out tests on Cadbury chocolate too. Pork is strictly banned in Islam.

Thailand's Department of Land Transport introduced a tougher driving licence examination from today in a bid to boost road safety. Department chief Asdsathai Rattanadilok Na Phuket claims that 80% of road accidents nationwide were caused by a lack of discipline and alertness on the part of drivers. Test comprises questions randomly selected from a pool of 1'000. The questions are available on the Department's Website to allow applicants to prepare for the exam.

Chaowalit Jariyayanyong, chief of traffic and commute design, says Pattaya City Hall can put up traffic signs and lights, but it's up to the police to enforce the law. But as all our tourists know, our Police is lazy. They don't do their duties. Read the Report published by Pattaya Mail

Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh warned tourists to be extra careful of freelance prostitutes. Read the Story published by Pattaya Mail

Pattaya Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome promises that City Hall will remove old sign poles and signs not complying with international standards. Since many years Pattaya News Flash pillories Pattaya's nonprofessional traffic signs. City Hall already corrected the stupid traffic light display on Pattaya's North Road. Read the full Report published by Pattaya Mail

Yesterday at about 04:00 Navy and Police Officers rounded up another 60 alleged prostitutes on Pattaya's Beach Promenade. It's end of month and known as Pay Day among Beach Road's Coconut Ghosts. After being arrested the offenders usually have to pay a registration fee of 100 Baht to the officer(s) before being released. Without registration, the fee our lovely police collect is 500 Baht. In the eyes of our Police the crackdowns will protect tourists and improve the image of Pattaya in this world... The Expats' scheme of things is different: The actions raise the aggressiveness among the prostitutes.

Today at about 01:00 Navy and Police Officers rounded up 70 alleged prostitutes on Pattaya's Beach Promenade and the City's world famous Walking Street. Police announced the crackdown would continue to protect tourists from being robbed.

NCPO has been ordered to take control of the transportation services in Pattaya. To improve the image of Pattaya, Police have to clamp down the mafia and its illegal motor bike taxi stations, the NCPO says. According to City Hall, Pattaya has 1'091 registered motorcycle taxi and 2'500 unregistered ones... Pattaya News Flash reports since more than a decade that the motorcycle mafia illegally occupies public places and parking lots. Nothing ever happened...

Pattaya's Taxi Cooperative runs into problems: Its ex-president, Apidech Ruengsak, doesn't like to step down after completing his term in office. Thinnakorn Kerdpol has been elected as the new president of the Taxi Cooperative, but Apidech Ruengsak insistes that he would stay in office 20 members of Pattaya's Taxi Cooperative complained to Maj.Gen. Nat Intarajaroen, the commander of the 14th military circle, the Governor of the Military Junta.

Provincial Police Region 8 cracked down on Phuket's mafia-controlled taxi services and arrested 109 suspects, including Tawee Thongchaem, the Mayor at Kata-Karon Municipality and four other local politicians: Itthiporn Sangkaeo, Sompong Dabpech, Weerasak Anekwongsawas, and Wanchai Saetan.

Yesterday Morning our Police raided (once again) Mike Shopping Mall and Mike Department Store on Pattaya's Beach Road. The shops are known to sell counterfeit branded items since decades, and from time to time our lovely police visite them to 'combat' the crime, to size some items and to arrest the resellers. This time Police Major General Sanit announced the seizure of 3'100 branded items, with an estimated retail value of 2.5 Million Baht, and the arrest of 21 people. It's the same stupid game as usual: Police arrest the 'small people' only, not the men controlling and/or managing the criminal business. As long as our Police doesn't shut down the outlets completely they show the entire world that Thailand isn't really interested to stop the production and the distribution of counterfeit goods. Mostly the confiscated goods reappear within the next 24 hours. The General already confirmed that further raids (of the same stupidity) will take place in Pattaya. Surat Mekavarakul, the CEO of the Mike Group of Companies, is a honourable member of Pattaya's Society. He not only runs a the two shops on Pattaya Beach Road but also a handful of hotels in Pattaya and Bangkok as well as Mike Orchid Villas. Mike's outlets do not distribute the fake goods themself, they simply sublease the outlets to the offenders...

Pattaya's Police is greeting gangsters with hugs - they were former Pattaya Cops - and let them go... With the help of the Army's coup, the case now appears to have been shelved. Read the full Report published by Pattaya Mail

Pattaya's Police is greeting gangsters with hugs - they were former Pattaya Cops - and let them go... With the help of the Army's coup, the case now appears to have been shelved. Read the full Report published by Pattaya Mail

Pattaya's new acting Superintendent Police Colonel Supathee Boonkrong claimed during yesterday's meeting at City Hall that corruption and other bad practices is a thing of the past at Pattaya Police Station. Police Colonel Supathee (also known as Supatee) is also the Deputy Commander of Chonburi Provincial Police. He was assigned to the position by the Acting Region 2 Police Commissioner because of his good record of solving crimes and working within the confines of the Law. Colonel Supathee claimed that the previous team of senior officers at Pattaya Police station were corrupt and did not provide the standard of service expected by a Police Officer. A special focus was placed on the work of the Traffic Police who will be expected to enforce Traffic Laws to a higher standard and will be expected to set-up higher numbers of checkpoints around the City without inconveniencing innocent motorists by creating traffic jams, Colonel Supathee said. We have a few suggestions:

• enforce the helmetlaw
• enforce the helmet law among students
• fine parking sinners
• arrest traffic light ignoramuses
• arrest speeders
• discipline Mini Van drivers
• remove motorcycle lenders from public places
• arrest Jet Sky vendors
• prevent overloading boats
• fine Baht Bus drivers ignoring Bus Stops
• fine businesses occupying Bus Stops
• teach officers to smile

Thank you Colonel!

Pattaya's former Superintendent, Police Colonel Supachai Phuikaewkhum, is still looking over Pattaya, Jomtien and Naklua on Billboards placed around the City. General Prayuth Chan-ocha and his National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) transfered the Colonel to an inactive post on May 28th, 2014. TiP (This is Pattaya)