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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 Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run
Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...
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Police chief suspended as Pattaya pool villa suspects fess up
The chief of Chon Buri police has been suspended pending an investigation into his connections with fake suspects organised to confess to an assault and shooting case at a Pattaya pool villa in central Pattaya last month. National police chief Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas transferred Pol Maj Gen Kittanate Thanananthavisin to an inactive post at the Royal Thai Police Department…
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Thai elephant given to Sri Lanka lives unhealthy life & works hard
Animal rights protection organisation RARE Sri Lanka urges Thailand to reclaim the Thai elephant they gave them 20 years ago because the animal is suffering at the hands of its owners. RARE Sri Lanka told Thairath that the Thai elephant, Sak Surin or Mathu Raja, was given to Sri Lanka as a gift in 2001. The Thai elephant was requested…
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Gambling den security guard says no shoot out occurred
A security guard robbed during a shoot-out last week at a Samut Prakan gambling den has reported to the police. Wutthipong Khotsaen was wanted for unlawful possession of a weapon and discharging it illegally in a public place. The 28 year old Wutthipong reported to Muang police station, on Monday. The shoot-out came to light when the community Facebook page…
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NEON Countdown EDM Festival comes to Bangkok
Making plans for New Year’s Eve? Love dance music? Read on. This year, Bangkok will celebrate New Year’s Eve with the NEON Countdown, a three-day EDM festival. The event is gathering big names in electronic music from around the world. They just announced their first lineup. World-famous DJs like Afrojack, Alan Walker, Axwell, Da Tweekaz, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike,…
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Firefighters fear building collapse after footwear factory fire in central Thailand
A fire raged through Summit Footwear Factory in Samut Prakan province in central Thailand for five hours last night. Firefighters closed the road in fear the building could collapse, causing ongoing congestion along the Bang Na – Trat Highway. Hundreds of employees escaped through fire exits when the blaze started around 5.30pm at the factory, which produces Aerosoft Footwear, in Bang…
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Donki drops ads on premium Thai rice after making Thais angry
Japanese supermarket Don Don Donki dropped an advertisement for premium Thai rice at one of its Bangkok branches after some Thai people got offended by the messages in the ads. A Thai man posted a picture of the price tag and an advertisement banner of some jasmine rice at the Don Don Donki Supermarket in Bangkok on Facebook on Monday,…
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Frenchman missing after hiking in Khao Sok National Park
The search is on for a French tourist that has been missing for five days since going on a hike around Khao Sok National Park. The man said on Saturday morning that he was going for a walk in the jungle and has not been seen since. The man was officially reported as missing yesterday. The 30 year old Gollio…
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After heavy floods, Patong Hill road reopens to some traffic
While officials now believe it will take months to fully repair the storm-damaged motorway over Patong Hill, the road has been partially reopened to limited traffic this morning. The reopening comes after a night of heavy rain caused flash flooding all around the island. Kathu and Phuket Town were particularly hard-hit by the torrential downpours. Amid the heavy rains in…
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Thailand pushes digital payments, rejects US dollar in move towards cashless society
The Bank of Thailand and central banks in four more southeast Asian countries are creating a cross-border payment zone using QR codes so that southeast Asians can make international payments digitally without having to convert and reconvert to US dollars. The bank hopes to bolster the use of digital payments to halve the amount of cash in circulation in Thailand…
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Asia at the FIFA World Cup, Part 2 – The Best
As Thai football fans scratch around for a team to follow at the FIFA World Cup and the government scratches around for a billion baht to pay for it, what makes one country so good at the beautiful game, and the country next door bad? South Korea are the best at football in East Asia, with Japan not so far…
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THAI Airways makes resurgence with addition of nine more aeroplanes next year
THAI Airways International Plc (THAI), is making a resurgence after it says 60% of its pre-pandemic fleet has resumed service. The company says nine more aeroplanes will be in service next year as the country’s flag carrier says an increase in travel has helped the ailing carrier. Thai Smile Airways, a subsidiary of THAI has also made a resurgence as…
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Free concert with renowned Russian Jazz artist coming to Phuket
Jazz lovers in Phuket will soon have an opportunity to attend a free concert with a renowned Russian jazz artist, Igor Butman. Butman is known as a virtuoso saxophonist. The concert, titled “Igor Butman and Friends,” will be held at Karon Beach on Friday, December 13, at 6.45pm. The concert is being held as part of the 125th anniversary of…
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Thailand to issue one-year visas for medical tourists
Thailand is trying to attract more rich tourists by promoting itself as a destination for medical treatment, with hospital operators such as Bangkok Dusit Medical Services and Bumrungrad Hospital among the companies expected to profit the most from the new visa. The latest attempt to lure so-called high-quality visitors comes with just as many unfathomable restrictions as previous attempts to…
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Pattaya man says friends attacked him with a knife
A young Pattaya man says his friends attacked him with a knife. The man, 27 year old Comephee Thungkhun, said the group came to his house in Nong Prue on Sunday night. Comephee said the attackers bludgeoned him with a stick and slit his forehead with a knife. Comephee’s mother told police her son was yelling for help before he…
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Russian missile allegedly kills two in Poland, sparks possible NATO involvement
Fears mount over NATO involvement after a Russian missile allegedly landed in a Poland village, killing two citizens. According to CNN, it is unclear why the missile fell in Poland, and where the missile was fired from. It landed outside the rural Polish village of Przewodow, at around the same time Russia launched its biggest wave of missile attacks on…
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British sex offender extradited from Thailand imprisoned in Scotland
UPDATE The British man who fled to Thailand after being convicted of possessing over 60,000 indecent images of children in 2014 has been imprisoned in Scotland. On Monday, Hamilton Sheriff Court jailed 46 year old William Dempster, from Tayside, for 18 months and placed him on the sex offenders’ register. Dempster was found guilty in 2014 but absconded to Thailand…
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Residents furious 20 million baht rest area on Thailand Riviera Road abandoned
Residents are up in arms about a motorway services station and rest area that has been abandoned on the Thailand Riviera Road in the southern province of Chumphon. The Riviera Road was part of a government project in 2009 which tried to level up the coast of the southern provinces of Thailand and make it a must-visit destination for tourists…
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PHUKET TASTIVAL festival coming up
Another one of Phuket’s food festivals is coming up this week. The festival, titled PHUKET TASTIVAL Seafood & Gastronomy: Dive Thru Seafood, will be held from November 17-21. The festival will be held at Patong Beach at the Dolphin Public Park (Loma Park) from 11am to 8pm each day. Locals and tourists alike can taste fresh seafood, and there will…
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HelloFresh accused of using coconut milk made using monkey labour in Thailand
PETA Asia urges HelloFresh – a global meal-kit company – to “do the right thing” and stop using coconut milk made using monkey labour in Thailand. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) says HelloFresh’s coconut milk is supplied by Suree and Aroy-D, two brands that PETA says have admitted to using monkey labour in their coconut milk production.…
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Covid-19 infections up 12.8% last week
Despite everyone in Thailand – and the rest of the world – being bored of it, Covid-19 is still here. Last week, new Covid infections in Thailand rose 12.8%. The greatest leaps were seen in tourist areas and Bangkok. In the last week, an average of six people per day died of the coronavirus, while 3,166 people were admitted to…
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Police search for naked tourist riding a motorcycle in public
Police officers in the north-central province of Phetchabun are searching for a Thai tourist who was featured on a viral video riding a motorcycle naked on a public road. Local News Phetchabun (ข่าวท้องถิ่นเพชรบูรณ์) posted a video of two male tourists on a motorcycle last night. The male rider wore clothes but his passenger was naked aside from a helmet and…
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Police seize four tiger cubs in northeast Thailand
Police and national park officials arrested a Thai couple and seized four tiger cubs worth 2 million baht this morning in Mukdahan province in northeast Thailand. Despite officers luring the couple to arrest by posing as interested customers, they panicked and told police they planned on raising the tigers themselves. Just a few months ago, the mastermind behind the seizure,…
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Baby #8 billion: Manila marks world population milestone
Calling someone “one in a million” just doesn’t have the same strength that it used to. The world population has now hit eight billion people. And who is the lucky eight billionth person? It’s hard to say exactly, but a newborn baby girl in Manila has been chosen as the eight billionth global citizen for this new population milestone. Vinice…
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Island off Pattaya sees 20,000 tourists over weekend
An island off Pattaya well known as a vacation hotspot saw at least 20,000 tourists over the past weekend. The cluster of young and old tourists swarmed to the island of Koh Larn, flocking to its Ta Waen Beach. The tourists enjoyed traditional Thai massage, as well as food, umbrellas, and other services offered at the beach. Pattaya City has…
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New moves to criminalise cannabis shrugged off by Anutin
Amid moves to walk back the legalisation of cannabis, Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul shrugged off the attempt to criminalise the herb again. Anutin, who also serves as deputy prime minister, says that the debate over cannabis is decided and done. Opponents of legalisation are pushing for cannabis to be reclassified as a Type 5 narcotic, which would be…
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Northeast Thai teen dies after falling from building
A teenager in northeast Thailand tragically died after falling from his school’s building on November 10. Thai media reported that this recent death came after a few similar cases in Nakhon Ratchasima province this year. The teenager who died was a 14 year old boy. His body was found on the ground next to the school building in the main…
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Koh Samui’s Hash House Harriers to celebrate 1000th run December 3rd
Koh Samui’s Hash House Harriers are celebrating their 1000th run on the island. Perhaps it isn’t just a celebration of conquering the wild jungles of Koh Samui, but rather a celebration of forged international friendships over the 25 years that the run has operated on the island. As the group normally features around 20-30 participants for each of its Saturday…
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Press covering APEC treated to free Thai massage
The Thai government has been tripping over itself to put its best foot forward as they host the APEC summit in Bangkok this week. From cracking down on troublesome illegal immigrants, to cleaning up roads and repainting streets, and even poorly-spelt welcome signs, officials are pulling out all the stops. Now, members of the press covering APEC will be treated…
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Joe Ferrari revealed to have 1.3 billion baht in assets
By now, it is well known that disgraced and murderous Pol Col Thitisan “Joe Ferrari” Utthanaphon amassed a fortune in luxury cars and suspicious wealth. But today, the National Anti-Corruption Commission put a price tag on it: 1.3 billion baht. The staggering net worth was announced as the NACC argues a court appeal should be allowed to confiscate and liquidate his…
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Rare Asian golden cat spotted in northeast Thailand
Yesterday, Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary posted photos on Facebook of a rare Asian golden cat spotted strolling through a road in Chaiyaphum province in northeast Thailand. In the Thai language, the Asian golden cat is called Suea Fai (Fire Tiger). The species is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to habitat loss and…
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