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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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Thailand News Today – Thursday, June 18
Covid-19 update: 6 new cases, all detected in quarantine (June 18) Breaking a 3 day streak of zero new cases, there’s been 6 new cases of Covid-19 over the last 24 hour period, all detected in state quarantine. 5 are male students, aged 23-26, who were asymptomatic and returned recently from Saudi Arabia. A 26 year old female student, who…
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Online marijuana dealer arrested in Nakhon Si Thammarat
Authorities in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat have arrested a young man whose online marijuana sales soared during the Covid-19 outbreak. Human trafficking suppression police today apprehended 24 year old Nanthapong Phuetsawanit at a house in tambon Sra Kaeo of Tha Sala district and confiscated 41 marijuana plants, 1.5 kilograms of dried marijuana, quantities of cannabis oil and…
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Aussie woman arrested for shoplifting in Chiang Mai – VIDEO
Police in the northern province of Chiang Mai yesterday announced the arrest of a 38 year old Australian woman who allegedly stole 6 inexpensive items from a store in tambon Chang Moi, in Mueang Chiang Mai district. “Emily C.” was traced after she got into a white Toyota Prius and returned to the hotel where she had been staying for…
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Illegal online gun dealer nabbed in Nonthaburi
Police in Nonthaburi province, on the northern outskirts of Bangkok, arrested a man this morning for selling guns illegally online, and seized 2 firearms found in his possession. Crime Suppression Division police raided a townhouse at Piyawararom housing estate in Bang Bua Thong district, acting on a tip it was the hideout of a man already wanted on an arrest…
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Thai LGBT advocates push for equal rights for same-sex marriage
LGBT equality advocates are calling on Thailand to allow same-sex marriage, asking that laws regarding marriage simply change the words “man and woman” so same-sex couples can have the same rights as traditional married couples. A Civil Partnership Bill allows same-sex couples to register in a civil union, but the so-called “partnerships” are not treated the same as marriages. If…
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“World Health Organisation is an unreliable source on health issues” – Thai doctor
With the Covid-19 crisis has all but passed in Thailand (today marks the 24th consecutive day without a local transmission), Thais now view the World Health Organisation as an unreliable source on health issues, at least according to a specialist at Bangkok’s Vichaiyut Hospital. He complains that the WHO is slow in providing information. “Especially when they inform the public…
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Australia to remain closed to nearly all but international students until next year
Australia’s trade minister said yesterday that the country is unlikely to reopen its borders to international arrivals until some time in 2021, but will look to relax entry rules for international students and other long-term visitors. The country has been largely successful in containing the spread of Covid-19, success which it attributes to curbs on international travel and tough social…
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Covid-19 update: 6 new cases, all detected in quarantine (June 18)
Breaking a 3 day streak of zero new cases, Dr Panprapa Yongtrakul, assistant spokeswoman for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration this morning announced 6 new cases of Covid-19 over the previous 24 hour period, all detected in state quarantine. Thailand has now reached 24 days without a domestically transmitted case. Of the 6 new cases, 5 are male students,…
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Resorts lower prices, offer promos for post-pandemic holidays
Hotels are ready to face off. After months of vacant rooms, prices are being cut to entice domestic tourists to book a post-pandemic holiday. Now provincial restrictions have been mostly removed Depending on the province and risk of coronavirus transmissions, some hotels were ordered to close their doors completely. Now restrictions are being lifted and domestic travel is picking up…
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“It’s 3 months now, when can we reopen?” – Pattaya bar owners
Today marks 3 straight months that Pattaya’s world famous – and vitally important to the city’s economy – nightlife and entertainment industry has been shuttered by the Thai Government. The industry was originally told to close “for 2 weeks” on March 18. But as the Covid-19 crisis escalated and fear and uncertainty grew worldwide, the closure was repeatedly extended, with…
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Minister promises fair investigation into transfer of hospital director amid corruption allegations
Following the transfer of the director of Khon Kaen hospital in north-east Thailand amid corruption allegations, Thailand’s Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says an investigation into the matter will be “fair and just”. Dr. Charnchai Chanvorachaikul was transferred to Prapokklao Hospital in the eastern province of Chanthaburi, following allegations, strongly denied, of misappropriation of hospital funds. He was initially replaced…
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Vietjet Air resumes 8 domestic routes
Budget carrier Vietjet Air is confirming it will launch 8 domestic routes from Danang in central Vietnam, Hai Phong, Hanoi and the tourist island of Phu Quoc. Starting tomorrow, the low-cost airline will launch services to four destinations from Danang in central Vietnam using a mix of A320s and A321s. It will fly from Danang to Buon Ma Thuot offering…
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Constitutional Court to hear petition against MP Thammanat Prompao’s political standing
MP and Deputy Agriculture Minister Thammanat Prompao is no stranger to controversy, and this week he appears to be back in the hot seat, again, as opposition MPs have filed a petition challenging his ministerial status and his post as an MP. Thailand’s Constitutional Court has accepted the petition for consideration. But the Court rejected the demand by the 51…
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Locals support young tourist stuck at Phrae forest retreat
A lot has happened in the past 4 months. Imagine being away from it all and staying in a forest in northern Thailand, picking mulberries. That’s what happened to an 18 year old Polish woman. She’s been stuck at a Phrae forest retreat since February. She’s secluded at the Mulberry Farm Denchai. The retreat’s Facebook page says the it’s for…
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Jilted uni student throws acid on ex girlfriend
A university student in Thailand’s southern Songkhla province has been arrested today and charged with physical assault and possessing a fake gun, after he splashed acid on his former girlfriend for rejecting him. 18 year old Nong Thawibboonphonwent went to see his 20 year old ex-girlfriend Rattiyakorn (surname withheld), around 10:30 last night at the convenience store where she works,…
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Thailand News Today – Wednesday, June 17
Pattaya officials threaten bars masquerading as restaurants with closure Following a number of inspections at various restaurants in the Pattaya area, police have cautioned venues not to pretend they’re restaurants when they’re actually just bars that have added some food. In what may also serve as a warning to businesses in the rest of the country, Pattaya authorities are threatening…
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Injured whale shark looks for help from divers – VIDEO
Video footage of a huge whale shark swimming toward a diving instructor while showing its tail that was caught in a rope has gone viral on the internet. The encounter took place near Koh Pha Ngan in the southern Surat Thani province last Saturday. A 3 metre long whale shark, injured by a rope tightening around its tail, swam toward…
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MP proposes legalising prostitution, sex toys to lower rape cases
An MP of the Thai Civilised Party MP yesterday proposed make prostitution and adult toys legal in Thailand, to help stem what appears to be a rising tide of rape cases in the country. Mongkolkit Suksintharanon, one of Thailand’s wealthiest politicians is an adviser and a member of a House committee assigned to to tackle the problem of rape in…
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Teacher sends questionnaire to students asking for their phone passwords and social media accounts
…and the school has since been forced to apologise. A teacher in Chiang Rai asked students to hand over passwords to their social media accounts and phones. But many have criticised the teacher saying it overstepped privacy boundaries. The school has since apologised and imposed stricter rules. The teacher gave students a questionnaire, asking them to fill out information about…
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Grounded Thai pilot now does motorbike food deliveries
“I have my motorbike, so I found my part time job. And now I am a food delivery man.” With many of the world’s international airlines grounded by the Covid-19 pandemic, many in the aviation industry, including even pilots, have been forced to find other ways to make a living. Here in Thailand, a ban on international arrivals remains in…
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Bangkok woman allegedly kills, mutilates father
Bangkok police have arrested a woman who they suspect of murdering her father and cutting off his genitals before fleeing the scene yesterday. She was found wandering on a street around 2.30am this morning. They also recovered the knife that they believe was used in the murder. The woman was semiconscious and unable to speak, and officers say they’ll let…
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Countdown! Thailand’s first satellite launch planned for Friday
Thailand’s air force will launch its first satellite this Friday, following months of delay. Dubbed Napa-1, it’s scheduled to be launched using an Ariane Vega rocket from a staging area in French Guyana in South America, according to a Royal Thai Air Force source. The launch was postponed 3 times, in September and December last year due to technical issues,…
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Pattaya officials threaten bars masquerading as restaurants with closure – VIDEO
Following a number of inspections at various restaurants in the Pattaya area, police have cautioned venues whose primary business is selling alcohol. In what may also serve as a warning to businesses in the rest of the country, Pattaya authorities are threatening some establishments with closure unless they meet the criteria for reopening. These include only serving alcohol to customers…
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PM, police issue warning to biker gangs, threaten renewed curfew
In a press briefing yesterday, the assistant national police chief issued a stern warning against “dek waen” (biker gangs), who have returned to the roads of Bangkok and some provinces after the national curfew was lifted Sunday. On Monday, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha issued a warning saying the government will reimpose the curfew if people fail to cooperate with Covid-19 control…
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Couple wins millions in lottery, husband’s age is the lucky number
Usually people hope just 1 of their lottery tickets will end up being a winner. A couple in Central Thailand had their lucky day when all 4 of their tickets brought in millions, adding up to a total of 24 million baht. On Monday, 60 year old Bunruan, a local teacher at Nakhon Sawan’s Wat Pho Si Temple School, and…
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Hua Hin bars request permission to reopen on trial basis
In what could set a precedent for the rest of the country, representatives of bar owners in Hua Hin, accompanied by the Mayor of Hua Hin, have submitted a request to authorities, requesting permission to reopen for a trial period. Citing the apparently successful suppression of the Covid-19 virus around Thailand, and the fact that most other businesses have been…
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Staff at Khon Kaen hospital call for transferred director to be reinstated
Following the transfer of Dr. Charnchai Chanvorachaikul, a former director at Khon Kaen hospital, in north-east Thailand, staff at the hospital are demanding their boss be reinstated in his role. Dr. Charnchai was transferred to the eastern province of Chanthaburi province amid, so far, unsubstantiated allegations of corruption. He has consistently denied the allegation that he accepted bribes from a…
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Woman demands monk apologise for killing her pregnant sister in Buriram
A Buddhist monk who stabbed a pregnant woman to death has been ordered to apologise by the woman’s sister. The monk, named as 57 year old Phra Um Deeruenrom, was the abbot of Wat Ban Nong Bua, in the northeastern province of Buriram, until his arrest and defrocking. He has confessed to murdering the woman, who it’s understood he was…
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Monk chases pregnant woman and kills her in Buriram
Investigating a fatal stabbing in Buriram yesterday, police now believe the woman who was stabbed by an Abbot, had been blackmailing him after having an affair. The fatal stabbing happened on a road near Ban Mai Charoensuk in Tum Yai, in northern Buriram yesterday afternoon, following a road incident. The victim, 36 year old “Lampai”, was 8 months pregnant Eyewitnesses…
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Tropical Storm Nuri and Andaman Sea monsoon cause heavy rains throughout Thailand
Tropical Storm Nuri ripped China’s Guangdong province over the weekend; its wider effects causing storms in Northern Thailand. And a strong southwest monsoon in the Andaman Sea brought on rainstorms in other parts of the country. Hundreds of homes have been damaged from the storms and many streets have flooded. From Udon Thani in the north to Surat Thani in…
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