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Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.
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Thai deputy health minister expects Covid-19 to be over by the end of the year
Thailand’s deputy health minister says he hopes to see an end to Covid-19 by the end of this year, despite the risk of new variants. Satit Pitutecha made his prediction yesterday, saying Thailand is proceeding with its plan to declare the virus endemic. The World Health Organisation has yet to make any recommendation on according the virus endemic status. According…
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Chon Buri monk claims illegal drugs helped him meditate
Another monk scandal in Thailand! Police in the Nong Yai district of Chon Buri have busted a local monk with 6 methamphetamine pills, as well as a bag of crystal methamphetamine or ‘ice’. The police found the drugs in a temple raid earlier this week after locals alerted them about a monk who they were concerned was taking illegal drugs.…
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Former US president George W Bush accidentally refers to “unjustified” war in Iraq
Doh! Is this the Freudian slip to beat all Freudian slips? Former US President George W Bush has accidentally referred to the invasion of Iraq as “brutal” and “unjustified”. The former US president was discussing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but instead of saying Ukraine, the wrong country’s name slipped out. He swiftly corrected himself, shaking his head while the audience…
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PM defends government’s performance, wants to move Thailand forward
The Thai PM has defended his government’s performance since seizing power in a military coup 8 years ago. According to a Bangkok Post report, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says he’s led Thailand through “crisis after crisis” and is doing his best to move the country forward. The PM says at the time he seized power, the nation was deeply divided and…
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SAIJAI homecare launch English language online bookings in Bangkok and Phuket
Thailand’s fast-growing online homecare marketplace SAIJAI has added an English language, on-demand booking option. Greater Bangkok and Phuket are the first two areas in the country now where customers can tap into a wide selection of caregivers. Services provided by SAIJAI include maids, babysitters, elderly care, tutors, drivers, and home beauty. The pandemic resulted in high unemployment in Thailand’s service…
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Proposal for new “green zone” provinces goes before CCSA today
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry has submitted a proposal to classify some provinces as “green zones”. The proposal will be considered by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration when it meets today. Kiattiphum Wongrajit from the health ministry says the proposal involves adjusting the Covid-19 colour-coded zoning, which currently has provinces listed as yellow (high surveillance) or blue “tourism” zones. The…
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What’s behind CP’s successful Metaverse campaign?
Press Release The world’s most crowded Fan Party in Metaverse with 1,500 registrants in the first 15 minutes. #CPBolognaMewTaverseParty reached 1st rank in Thai, Vietnam, and Singapore and was ranked 3rd in worldwide trends. 1.5 Million hashtags were used within 30 minutes of launching. All of these happened at the CP Bologna Mewtaverse’s, CP Foods’ Metaverse Event, massive success backed…
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Thai AirAsia X becomes third airline in Thailand to file for bankruptcy
Thai AirAsia X, the international low-cost carrier under the AirAsia umbrella, has had its bankruptcy claim accepted by a Thai court. This makes it the third airline in Thailand, along with Nok Air and Thai Airways, to file for bankruptcy since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. TAAX director, Tassapon Bijleveld, says all existing bookings will be honoured, including flights…
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Thai man injured in turbulence demands airline to take responsibility
A Thai man demands an airline to take responsibility for injuries that he said were caused by turbulence during a flight from Nakhon Si Thammarat to Bangkok yesterday evening. He said his lower back and coccyx were in “agony,” but when he expressed the wish to go to hospital, he was allegedly told to pay for the expenses himself. The…
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Canadian man arrested for stealing traffic barriers in Chiang Mai
Police have arrested a Canadian expat in Chiang Mai after driving his car around the city to steal metal traffic barriers. Yes, traffic barriers. 69 year old Ronald John Price was arrested today on Ratchadamnoen Road in Chiang Mai. According to reports, Mr. Price covered his face whilst stealing metal traffic barriers from around the province. He drove his sedan…
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Wife dies, husband in coma after eating poisonous mushrooms in northeast Thailand
A couple from Udon Thani in northeast Thailand made a curry from mushrooms they picked from the jungle on Tuesday, May 17, but the mushrooms turned out to be poisonous. The wife died from poisoning in the early hours of yesterday morning and her husband is currently in a coma in an Intensive Care Unit. The man’s mother, who lives…
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Thailand’s health officials say flu shots available for 36% of ‘vulnerable’ people
Thailand’s health officials are calling on elderly people and other vulnerable groups to get free flu shots from government clinics. The country’s National Health Security Office considers 7 groups of people ‘vulnerable’. These include women over four months pregnant, children 6 months to 2 years old, people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, people with asthma, people with heart disease, people…
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Monitor lizard stuck in water pump causes flood in Bangkok
After hours of heavy rain, deep floods disrupted traffic in the Bang Khen area of Bangkok yesterday afternoon. At first, officials from the Bureau of Drainage couldn’t understand why four pumps designed to pump flood water out of the road had stopped working. When they checked the machinery, they found a huge monitor lizard – or “tua hia” in Thai…
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Thai-Chinese gang arrested for dating app scam at Chiang Mai’s luxury resort
Police yesterday revealed that a Thai-Chinese gang had been arrested in Chaing Mai for operating illegal dating scam activities after a tip off. Police apprehended 24 people after a member of the public alerted authorities to a group of Chinese men behaving suspiciously at the luxury Chaing Mai holiday resort. The gang included 20 Chinese and 4 Thai, 2 of…
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Russian woman assaulted in Chon Buri
A Russian woman was assaulted last night in Bang Lamung district of Chon Buri. A driver found the woman, 38 year old Elena Zyalkova, bleeding as she walked along the road to Mab Prachan reservoir. Police from Nong Prue municipality examined Elena and found she had head injuries, bruises on her neck, and abrasions all over her body. She was…
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Chon Buri man allegedly attacks neighbour for asking about parcel
Chon Buri’s Bang Lamung district is always buzzing about with drama it seems. A man in Bang Lamung said yesterday that his next-door neighbour hit him in the head twice with his motorbike helmet, after he went to the neighbour’s room to ask him about a Lazada delivery he was waiting for. The victim, 34 year old Kongnouanhak Dang, was…
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Cambodian fishermen release a monster stingray back into the Mekong River
HOW big was the stingray?! An enormous freshwater stingray was rescued and released in a Cambodian section of the Mekong River on May 5 after being ensnared earlier by local fishermen. The monster fish was 4 metres long and weighed around 180 kilograms. Brown on the top and a shade of white on the bottom, the fish usually along the…
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VIDEO: Estonian model faces deportation from Bali for criticising “corrupt” police
In a video posted on social media, an Estonian model accused Balinese police of corruption and extorting foreign tourists. The comments could get the model deported, or worse, put in Balinese prison if they are considered to break Indonesia’s strict public deception and defamation laws. Estonian beauty pageant contestant Valerie Vasilieva complained about her experience on the Indonesian island of…
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Thai officials vow to solve household debt problem at Phuket event
Thai officials held a ‘Household Debt Reconciliation Fair’ in Phuket yesterday. At the event, Thailand’s Minister of Justice Somsak Thepsutin said the government has designated 2022 as the “Year of Solving Household Debt”. He said that 2,810 people had registered for the event. Somsak said that several government departments have organised events to “facilitate the mediation process of household debts…
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15 year old Thai student seriously injured after being stabbed at school
A 15 year old male student is in serious condition after being stabbed several times by a fellow student at school. The incident happened because a long-running conflict between the two and follows an argument the day before. Yesterday, at 8.40 am, a Mathayom 3, or grade 9, student at a school in the southern province of Songkhla was reportedly…
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Nok Air gamble fails to take off costing airline millions
Low-cost budget airline Nok Air’s gamble of investing in a special route to boost tourism has backfired to the tune of 40 million baht. The Thai airline, which mostly operates domestic services out of Don Mueang International Airport, introduced the Bangkok to Betong route in February but plan to scrap it in July after suffering heavy losses. The Betong International…
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Stolen gold found scattered in northern Thailand
After a robber stole several pricy items from a gold shop earlier this week, police found 7 trays of gold ornaments in the middle of a river in northern Thailand’s Tak province. Local people showed the gold to police after they spotted it on an islet in the middle of Ping River in the main city district. The locals also…
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Chon Buri man shot and killed trying to collect debt
A man in Chon Buri’s Sattahip district has confessed to shooting and killing another man who tried to collect a large debt from him. 45 year old Kanpongpisut Yaichaingnua told police on Monday that he killed the man at a restaurant. Kanpongpisut’s stepdaughter told the police that the victim, 50 year old Pairoj Runroj, had come to the restaurant to…
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Political activist has bail denied over missing pay slip
A bail application from monarchy reform activist Tantawan Tuatulanon has been rejected over a missing pay slip. Thai PBS World reports that the Criminal Court denied a bail application submitted by Move Forward leader, Pita Limjaroenrat. The reason given was that Pita had not submitted his MP’s pay slip with the application. According to the court, Pita needed to provide…
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Health officials urge vulnerable groups to get free flu vaccine
People in vulnerable health groups are being urged to take up the free flu vaccine being offered at government clinics. Jakkrit Ngowsiri from the National Health Security Office says his office is working with the Department of Disease Control to offer 4.2 million doses of the flu vaccine to 7 vulnerable groups, between May 1 and August 31. The vaccine…
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Thai airlines say recovery being held up by high fuel prices
The head of commercial operations at Thai Lion Air says high oil prices continue to hinder recovery in the aviation sector. Nuntaporn Komonsittivate says that, while tourism is slowly improving since the easing of entry restrictions, airlines are still struggling. “The airline business has grappled with the pandemic for more than 2 years. Oil prices account for 30% of operational…
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Health Ministry to propose “green zones” where bars, nightlife could re-open
Bars and entertainment venues are demanding the right to re-open for business, with reports the Public Health Ministry could allow this in some provinces it would designate as “green zones”. The Bangkok Post reports that owners of nightlife venues will meet with Supoj Malaniyom from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration today. According to Khathawut Thongthai from the Association of…
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Bangkok University to stream classes by Bill Clinton, Natalie Portman, Gordon Ramsay
Bangkok University is the first in the world to collaborate with MasterClass to provide over 150 streamed online classes by internationally renowned celebrities and experts in various fields. The university hopes the unconventional learning style will inspire students to develop their own skills, foster their creativity, improve their performance and set them up for success. Students will get the chance…
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Experienced developer goes bigger and better
Urban dwellers are now looking to escape to spacious villas offering unparalleled luxury as global tourism slowly comes to life and Thailand’s border gradually opens up. Phuket, an island home to Thailand’s most luxurious and beautiful villas, captures many eyeballs. Let’s talk about one of Phuket’s most experienced developers, Trichada’s new project- Trichada Breeze. Just three weeks into the soft…
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Karma in Kalasin: Man steals drain cover then drives his car into the hole
A thief from Kalasin province in northeast Thailand got a taste of his own medicine today after he stole a drain cover and proceeded to drive his pickup truck into the open hole. He was forced to request help from municipality officers, who instantly recognised him as the thief from CCTV footage, detained him and handed him over to the…
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