News

The high-speed train project to link up three major airports is still mired in land expropriation and eviction problems concerning 20% of the land required for construction despite it being expected to begin operation in five years. If the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) fails to ...

Rayong residents have raised concerns about pollution and the empty promises that the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) project might bring. Their concerns, they said yesterday, were based on the lesson they learned from the Eastern Seaboard Development programme more than 30 years ago.  “When the Eastern Seaboard ...

As one of Thailand’s foremost marine conservation photographers, Sirachai “Shin” Arunrugstichai sees on a daily basis dead baby sharks discarded as trash by fishing trawlers, tourist speedboats crushing coral, and dead whales cut open and full of plastic. “We are prostituting our resources for others to ...

Although Thailand is still lagging behind other countries in developing cannabis-based medication, Thai medical researchers hope frozen knowledge could be renewed and extended to serve patients’ needs, especially in the field of traditional medicine. The latest progress on medical cannabis was shared with participants in a ...

Thailand’s new national parks will impose stricter penalties to further limit the rights of Thai farmers and indigenous people, land rights activists and analysts said on Friday, after a series of convictions highlighted their vulnerability. Under the National Parks Act, which was unveiled by the government ...

Thailand’s crackdown on exploitation and slavery in its multi-billion dollar fishing industry will only succeed if its neighbours step up and adopt anti-trafficking laws, said a labour rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee. Thai fishing vessels are increasingly registering in nearby countries to avoid scrutiny ...

Thailand’s Wildlife protection activists are calling for the suspension of the Ministry of Commerce’s new law allowing elephants to be exported overseas. Joining the campaign, the Chartthaipattana Party’s director Nikorn Chamnong said that people are confused as to why the regulations have been changed, after live ...

Forest encroachers caught clearing land or burning trees, in any of Thailand’s national parks or gardens, in order to occupy the land, will soon face jail terms of up to 20 years and/or a fine of as much as two million baht under the new ...

Highly flamable toxic chemicals that were not declared were found inside the burnt cargo at Laem Chabang Seaport in Chon Buri province, the Thailand Port Auth- ority disclosed. After the fire broke out onboard the South Korean ship KMTC Hongkong while docking at Laem Chabang Seaport ...

Suriyan “Hook” Kla-thalae, a 36-year-old Moken born on Koh Surin, keeps dreaming that he’ll get his community’s boat, known as a kabang, back out on the Andaman Sea.  But it remains anchored on shore on the island, which lies 60 kilometres off the Phang Nga coast, ...