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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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Sponsored How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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Potential Thai scammers race to close mule bank accounts as new cybercrime law enacted
Potential Thai scammers, particularly in Nakhon Phanom province, are racing to close suspected mule bank accounts after a new cybercrime law was enacted. According to the Pattaya Mail, the new law took effect on March 17, deeming that those who open a bank account or register a SIM card for a third party for illegal use will face jail time…
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After a walk on the beach, Russian tourists get lost in Phuket jungle
A walk on the beach turned into a disaster for two Russian tourists who ended up getting lost in a Phuket jungle on Tuesday night. The head of Sirinat National Park, Sorasak Rananan, said the park received a notification from the Phuket Tourist Police at 10pm that two tourists were lost near the Sai Koo Mountain in the area of…
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‘Thai Hot Guys’ Malaysian nightclub event during Ramadan cancelled after intense backlash
A Malaysian nightclub has cancelled a ‘Thai Hot Guys’ event after receiving massive backlash from the public as the event was scheduled to occur during the Islamic holiday of Ramadan. Apparently, juicy Thai men parading around half-naked in lingerie wasn’t what those celebrating Ramadan, which is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, had in mind. As Ramadan is a…
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Thailand’s leading Fintech “DeeMoney” unveils new strategy “Owndee” with better rates, faster, and easier transfers
DeeMoney is Thailand’s No 1 money transfer service licensed by BoT DeeMoney aims to be NeoBank offering comprehensive cross-border payment and money transfer services on digital platforms that best address target customers’ demand In 2022, DeeMoney emerged as a dominant fintech player in the non-bank money transfer sector, with overall transactions exceeding 3 million transactions with a volume over 50…
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Angry Thai man stabs wife to death after dispute over saving water
An angry Thai husband stabbed his wife to death at their home in the northern province of Mae Hong Sorn. The man was reportedly angry after the woman advised him to conserve the water for the upcoming dry season. Police officers and locals are now on the hunt for the murderer who fled into the forest after the incident. Officers…
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Phuket motorbike accident kills woman, seriously injures man
Another tragic motorbike accident has claimed a life in Phuket. A motorbike accident killed a woman and seriously injured a man on Phuket’s Patong-Kamala road last night. Police were notified of the accident at 9.50pm, The Phuket News reported. Police and emergency responders arrived on the scene about 100 metres away from Panya restaurant. There, they found a blue and…
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Ex-military ranger opens fire in central Thailand, 2 dead 3 injured, standoff with police continues
A frenzied gunman who is an ex-military ranger opened fire in Phetchaburi province in lower central Thailand this afternoon, killing two people and injuring three more. Gunfire continues to erupt from the house where he is hiding in an ongoing standoff with police. More than 40 young children have been evacuated from a nearby daycare centre. Over 100 police officers…
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PM Prayut cuts ribbon on new ferry service to boost tourism in Thailand
Caretaker Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha celebrated his 69th birthday in style yesterday by cutting the ribbon to officially open a new river ferry service to connect Thailand and Malaysia. The ferry service will transport passengers, cargo and vehicles across the Ko Lok River, connecting Tak Bai Customs House in Thailand with Pengkalan Kubor Customs House in Malaysia. The Narathiwat…
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Phuket is the backdrop of new season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip
The famous island paradise of Phuket is the stunning backdrop for the third season of the popular US reality TV series, The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip. Premiering exclusively on Peacock streaming service tomorrow, March 23, the show will feature a new group of eight fan-favourite housewives from various cities, who will come together for an unforgettable trip to Thailand.…
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Bangkok Police seize over 5 million baht of fake brand products from Indian mafia store
Bangkok Police conducted a raid on counterfeit band name products at a store on the third floor of MBK shopping mall in Bangkok today and seized goods worth over 5 million baht. The store was reported to be operated by an Indian mafia gang called Babu. The Department of Intellectual Property Protection was alerted to the activities of the Babu…
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Beagles sniff out smuggled Chinese duck at Bangkok Airport
Thailand‘s sharp-nosed sniffer beagles strike again, this time detecting 7 kilogrammes of illegally imported raw duck at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport that arrived on a flight from China. Sniffer dogs from the Department of Livestock’s Quarantine and Inspection Canine Unit were on duty at the airport looking for any illegal movement of live wildlife and animal carcasses when they uncovered the…
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Phuket Food Festival coming up next week
Foodies will rejoice to know that the Phuket Food Festival is coming up next week. This will be the 25th time the festival has been held. The Phuket City Delicious Food Festival 2023 will be held at the Saphan Hin Center Stage area from March 28 to April 3. The festival will be open to visitors from 4pm to 11pm…
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Really Cool Airlines to fly by 2023 close, schedule in June
New carrier Really Cool Airlines is set to take off in Thailand by the end of this year, according to its CEO, Patee Sarasin. The airline will focus on international flights and is expected to help boost the country’s aviation industry, which has been hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. The company will announce its flight routes by the end…
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Police nab Chinese kidnapper at airport before he flees Thailand, 2 hostages saved
Police arrested a Chinese man before he boarded a flight out of Thailand last night. He is one of three men who abducted a Chinese woman and her brother-in-law in Pattaya on Monday for a ransom of 4.7 million baht. The two hostages were saved by police and returned home at 2am today. On Monday, 33 year old Ma Mingshan…
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Thai businesses expect minimal effect from US Bank collapse
Thai businesses are optimistic that they will experience only minimal impact from the collapse of US banks. A recent survey by the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) interviewed 600 business owners to gauge the economic damage of the US banking turmoil. The survey found that 73.5% believe the effects of the US banking crisis will have only…
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Passport rip leaves TikTok creator unable to fly to Thailand
A passport rip left a TikTok creator unable to fly to Thailand. Arabella Leat’s holiday plans to Thailand with her mum were ruined due to the small rip on her passport, the UK tabloid Daily Star reported. The young woman was left disappointed and unable to board her flight after airport staff deemed her passport unfit for travel. Arabella posted a TikTok…
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Angry Thai man crashes car into PPRP election poster
An angry Thai man was prosecuted for damaging an election campaign poster belonging to the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP). He deliberately crashed his pickup into the poster. The suspect’s family revealed he was angry at the party because his request for unemployment compensation was rejected. With the General Election set to take place on May 14, every political party has begun…
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A gorilla’s plight in Thailand continues after 30 years in a concrete hell
A gorilla’s disturbing plight in Thailand continues after staying alone atop a Bangkok shopping mall in a zoo that resembles a concrete hell. Bua Noi, dubbed the “world’s loneliest gorilla” has spent 30 years alone at the top of the Bangkok shopping mall of Pata. Over the years, protests and pressure from celebrity campaigners, such as Cher, have not seemed…
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Russian man arrested in Koh Pha Ngan for overstaying visa 993 days
An unidentified Russian man has reportedly been arrested on the island of Koh Pha Ngan for overstaying his visa by 993 days or over 2.5 years. According to TPN National, the 34 year old man was arrested and taken to the Koh Pha Ngan Police Station to face charges of overstaying and will be deported. The arrest followed the Surat…
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First charter flight from Mahan, Iran makes its way to Phuket
The first charter flight from Mahan, Iran, made its way to Phuket on Monday. Mahan Air flight W557/IRM057 landed at Phuket International Airport at 2.30pm. As tourism from the Middle East continues to be a major target market for Thailand, the new charter flight network was warmly welcomed. Officials and staff were on hand to greet passengers as they walked…
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German pedophile arrested for producing child pornography in Pattaya
Thailand’s Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) arrested a German pedophile for shooting and distributing child pornography involving his teenage stepdaughter from his home in Pattaya. The 76 year old perverted expat, Wilfried Wilms, was taken into custody on Saturday, March 18 following an alert from the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, which traced child pornography back to Wilms’s Meet4U and…
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Thailand welcomes 5.5 million foreign tourists so far this year
In the first three months of 2023, more than 5.5 million foreign tourists entered Thailand, generating over 200 billion baht for the economy, government spokesperson Trisulee Trisoranakul reported this morning. Between January 1 and March 18, 5,578,721 foreign tourists arrived in Thailand, generating 215 billion baht in tourism revenue, according to data provided by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.…
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Bear intrudes village in northeast Thailand
A sun bear wandered out of the forest and into a village in Chaiyaphum province in northeast Thailand yesterday. It took rescue workers five hours to trap the wild animal. Atnoonm, residents of Ban Huai Ruam village in Moo 2, Wang Thong subdistrict, Phakdi Chumphon district reported that a sun bear (“bear-dog” in Thai language) had strayed out of the…
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Former German police officer found dead in his house in Chon Buri
Police conducted an investigation at a house in the Satthip district of Chon Buri yesterday after the body of a 66 year old former German police officer was found dead in the kitchen. It is believed that the man succumbed to a chronic disease more than 10 days before being discovered. The deceased was identified as German man Scutt Axel,…
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Phuket Marine Police bust jet ski operators over licenses
Jet skiing is a popular activity for tourists in Phuket, but not all operators seem to be following the rules. The Phuket Marine Police last week busted jet ski operators for crimes involving improper licenses. This news comes as the police have been ramping up jet ski inspections at popular tourist beaches. The six operators on Bang Tao Beach were…
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3 police arrested for kidnapping Chinese man and Thai woman
Din Daeng Police Station apprehended three police officers from Immigration Division 1 yesterday following allegations made by a Thai woman that they kidnapped and extorted 1 million baht from a Chinese man. The three suspects denied the accusations, and one officer involved in the incident is currently on the run. According to the complaint filed by a 38 year old…
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Regents International School Pattaya announces new school principal
Regents International School Pattaya is delighted to announce that Ms. Amos Turner-Wardell, the current Head of Secondary School, has been promoted as the new School Principal effective February 2023. For the past 5 years at Regents International School Pattaya, as the Head of Secondary, Ms. Amos has been central to the development and success of the school and her international…
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2 killed and 3 rescued in boat collision near Koh Samui
A fishing boat and an oil tanker collided near Koh Samui, an island in the southern province of Surat Thani. Three of the five fishermen were rescued, while the other two died. The Fisheries Checkpoint Management Centre Region 7 in Surat Thani notified the relevant departments at 2.20pm yesterday that the fishing boat named Talay Nam Chok 8 (Lucky Sea…
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Thai and Indian couple allegedly scammed Americans of over 3 billion baht (video)
A Thai and Indian couple allegedly scammed Americans of over 3 billion baht. Police arrested the couple after raiding a house in Bang Lamung district in Pattaya yesterday at around 10am. Officers raided that house following a notification from the US Embassy stating that the house was being used as a hideout by scammers. The raid was conducted by a…
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Winnie the Pooh movie banned in Hong Kong amid President Xi links (video)
The British horror film Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey has been cancelled by Hong Kong prompting speculation that the movie was pulled because of the resemblance between the character and Chinese President Xi Jinping. It’s not the first time China has scrapped a movie. US netizens made such comparisons between Winnie the Pooh and President Xi when the latter…
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