Caitlin Ashworth

Caitlin Ashworth is a writer from the United States who has lived in Thailand since 2018. She graduated from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and media studies in 2016. She was a reporter for the Daily Hampshire Gazette In Massachusetts. She also interned at the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia and Sarasota Herald-Tribune in Florida.
  • Thailand News1,202 gambling websites to be blocked in Thailand

    1,202 gambling websites to be blocked in Thailand

    Thailand is cracking down on online gambling websites. Internet providers will have 15 days to block 1,202 gambling websites before charges are pressed for violating Thailand’s Computer Crime Act. Although gambling is technically illegal in Thailand, underground and online gambling thrives in pockets of the country. The Digital Economy and Society Ministry was ordered by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to crack…

  • Thailand NewsVan passengers hospitalised after gas leak on the way to Roi Et

    Van passengers hospitalised after gas leak on the way to Roi Et

    Passengers in a van leaving from Bangkok ended up in the hospital after a gas leak went unnoticed. Many passengers began to feel dizzy and nauseous. Some had difficultly breathing before falling unconscious. Some passengers were even found foaming at the mouth. The 34 year old driver, identified as Jakpong, was hired to drive the passengers from Bangkok to the…

  • Thailand NewsNonthaburi teacher allegedly beat students, witnesses may face charges -VIDEO

    Nonthaburi teacher allegedly beat students, witnesses may face charges -VIDEO

    After a private school teacher in Nonthaburi was caught on camera allegedly beating kindergarten students, education officials are looking to press charges on every teacher that witnessed the alleged abuse and did not step in to stop her. A surveillance camera footage at the Sarasas Witaed Ratchaphruek School shows the teacher pushing the 3 year old student down to the…

  • Visa InformationUpdate on rumoured extension of Thailand’s visa amnesty

    Update on rumoured extension of Thailand’s visa amnesty

    UPDATE: There has been no confirmation of the rumour that was circulating earlier today. Some publications even said it was a “done thin” but that is not true. The latest developments… Speaking to khaosodenglish.com, Col. Phakkhaphong Saiubon told them that an extension should be officially announced this week and that “those who failed to renew their stay after the September…

  • Economy NewsDeputy PM says 2 years until Thailand’s economy is back to normal

    Deputy PM says 2 years until Thailand’s economy is back to normal

    It’s going to be another 2 years until Thailand’s economy is back on track, according to Deputy PM Supattanapong Punmeechaow. At least that’s the amount of time he expects it will take to get the economy back to “normal levels” from before the coronavirus pandemic. The coronavirus crisis crippled economies across the globe. The Covid-19 pandemic is already the worst…

  • Thailand NewsThailand’s first cancer medicine factory expected to cut drug costs in half

    Thailand’s first cancer medicine factory expected to cut drug costs in half

    The government just sealed the deal to build Thailand’s first factory to produce cancer-treating medicine and chemicals, a move that is expected to cut treatment drug costs in half. Buying imported cancer-treating drugs is expensive. Thailand spends about 21 billion baht per year on imported cancer medicine, according to Deputy PM and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. The local factory is intended…

  • Covid-19 News2 returnees in quarantine catch Covid-19 a second time

    2 returnees in quarantine catch Covid-19 a second time

    Health officials say 2 people in state quarantine tested positive for Covid-19, apparently catching the virus for a second time. A 42 year old Thai man recently tested positive for Covid-19 while in Chon Buri state quarantine after returning from Singapore. He first caught the virus a few months ago while in Singapore. He didn’t need hospital treatment and quarantined…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya men allegedly posed as police officers, extorted 50,000 baht from a woman

    Pattaya men allegedly posed as police officers, extorted 50,000 baht from a woman

    A group of 4 men in Pattaya allegedly posed as police officers and extorted 50,000 baht from a woman. The 20 year old woman says the men claiming to be police officers raided her condominium and a friend visiting had drugs in his possession. In the report filed with Pattaya City Police, the woman says the men asked both her…

  • Thailand News982 lèse majesté social media posts cited in police complaint

    982 lèse majesté social media posts cited in police complaint

    Nearly 1,000 so called lèse majesté posts on social media have been cited in a police complaint for allegedly violating Thailand’s Computer Crime Act, some allegedly criticising and insulting the Thai Monarchy. The complaints were filed by Digital Economy and Society Minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta. The police report says the social media posts were shared during the pro-democracy protest over the…

  • Crime NewsArmed men allegedly steal more than 100,000 baht from Ayutthaya monk

    Armed men allegedly steal more than 100,000 baht from Ayutthaya monk

    Police are searching for men who allegedly robbed a monk at an Ayutthaya temple, taking off with more than 100,000 baht in cash. Thai media reports that 2 of the men have been arrested and police are still searching for the other 2 men. The monk was in his room at the Dokmai Buddhist Temple when he heard dogs barking.…

  • Economy News70% of Phuket’s tourism businesses are closed, many for good

    70% of Phuket’s tourism businesses are closed, many for good

    Most tourism businesses in Phuket have closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and they probably won’t be up and running again until foreign tourists are let back in Thailand. Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew says around 70% of tourism businesses have closed, most of them just temporarily, but some have shut down permanently. But the statistics are not quite that simple,…

  • Road deathsBangkok DJ dies in high speed crash on notorious ‘death road’

    Bangkok DJ dies in high speed crash on notorious ‘death road’

    A well known local DJ died early this morning in a high speed car crash on a Bangkok road bend nicknamed “Curve of 100 Deaths.” Police say his car’s speedometer was found stuck at 200 kilometres per hour. Police suspect 33 year old Annop Poonsripattana was going around a curve when he lost control of the car due to the…

  • Thailand NewsNew army chief declares he’ll protect Thailand’s monarchy and restore peace

    New army chief declares he’ll protect Thailand’s monarchy and restore peace

    At a time of mass pro-democracy protests, with some activists facing charges for criticising the role of the Thai head of state, the new army chief says he pledges to restore peace and protect the country’s monarchy. In a ceremony formerly saying farewell to retiring generals, incoming army chief Narongphan Jitkaewtae said he would restore peace and be loyal to the Thai Monarchy.…

  • Economy NewsMinistry of Labour, CP Foods to hire 8,000 graduates to help reduce unemployment

    Ministry of Labour, CP Foods to hire 8,000 graduates to help reduce unemployment

    To help reduce unemployment and boost the economy after the pandemic, 8,000 graduates will be hired by the company Charoen Pokphand Foods, known as CP Foods. Thailand’s Ministry of Labour recently signed a memorandum of agreement with the company. 4,000 of those jobs will be in Bangkok and metropolitan areas while the other 4,000 more in the upcountry. The job…

  • Thailand NewsEmpire strikes back: Thai royalists oppose constitution changes

    Empire strikes back: Thai royalists oppose constitution changes

    Just after proposed constitutional amendments, backed by pro-democracy supporters, were submitted to the Thai parliament, the Thai Pakdee royalist group filed a petition with 130,000 signatures saying they are against making changes to the constitution. Pro-democracy activists have been demanding a rewrite of the Thai constitution at protests over the past few months. The nonprofit organisation Internet Law Reform Dialogue,…

  • Thailand NewsWoman allegedly shot husband until gun ran out of bullets

    Woman allegedly shot husband until gun ran out of bullets

    A woman allegedly shot her husband multiple times until her gun ran out of bullets, killing him. When police arrived, 33 year old Julalak Longlalerng had a gun in her hand and was holding her 11 month old child. She told police the baby was not near the shooting. The husband’s body was found outside the house in Trang. Police say…

  • Crime News2 million methamphetamine pills found in parked truck

    2 million methamphetamine pills found in parked truck

    Police found more than 2 million methamphetamine pills in a truck parked at petrol station at Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Bang Saphan Noy district. Police are still looking for the driver. The Narcotics Suppression Bureau alerted local police about a truck in the area suspected of trafficking drugs. Police spotted a truck that matched the description and saw it turning in…

  • Phuket NewsNewborn baby found on bench in Phuket

    Newborn baby found on bench in Phuket

    A newborn baby was found on a bench at a neighborhood by Phuket’s Patong Road. The baby boy was wrapped in cloth and left inside a reusable shopping bag. The bag also had a bottle of milk, diapers and clothing. A woman walking by early in the morning heard the baby crying. She followed the cries and found the baby…

  • Thailand NewsLoose electrical wire causes passing motorbike to burst into flames – VIDEO

    Loose electrical wire causes passing motorbike to burst into flames – VIDEO

    A hanging electrical wire caused a passing motorbike to burst into flames, injuring a 25 year old and a 15 year old. Pathum Thani locals had put 2 chairs out in the road as a warning for the hanging wire. But the chairs weren’t enough to signal the motorbike driver to change lanes. The 25 year old teacher drove straight into…

  • Crime News240 kilograms of marijuana found in truck after police chase, driver still on the run

    240 kilograms of marijuana found in truck after police chase, driver still on the run

    Border patrol officers chased a pickup truck and seized 240 kilograms of marijuana they say was smuggled across the Thai-Laos border. In the chase, the driver allegedly drove into oncoming traffic, hitting another car before ditching his vehicle and running off. Officers say they believe the marijuana was smuggled across the Mekong River from Laos and then it was piled…

  • Economy News4 Thai banks to be investigated for “suspicious transfers” after FinCEN files report

    4 Thai banks to be investigated for “suspicious transfers” after FinCEN files report

    4 Thai banks are being investigated after an international money laundering report said the Thai banks had “suspicious financial transactions.” The report found 92 “suspicious” transactions in and out of Thailand totalling to $9,558,752 USD received in Thailand and $31,750,000 USD sent out. Files were allegedly leaked from the US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, known as FinCEN, and journalists from…

  • Thailand NewsThai sex workers push for prostitution decriminalisation

    Thai sex workers push for prostitution decriminalisation

    “The Royal Thai Police says just last year more than 24,000 people were arrested.” Prostitution could become further decriminalised in Thailand. A petition is being passed around calling on the government to stop arresting and fining sex workers. The Empower Foundation, which supports sex worker, is trying to collect 10,000 signatures before they send it to parliament. ‘EMPOWER’, aka. the…

  • Thailand NewsIsaan woman finds her husband and 2 sons dead in well

    Isaan woman finds her husband and 2 sons dead in well

    A woman found the bodies of her husband and 2 sons in the bottom of a well in the Isaan province Chaiyaphum. The father and his sons reportedly went to repair the family farm’s well, but did not return. 56 year old Thong-in says her husband and sons went to repair the well in the morning. They didn’t come back…

  • Covid-19 NewsTeen near the Thai-Myanmar border tests positive for Covid-19

    Teen near the Thai-Myanmar border tests positive for Covid-19

    A Burmese teenager who lives near the Thai-Myanmar border tested positive for Covid-19. Now, Thai border patrol officers are tightening security even more to make sure Myanmar’s outbreak doesn’t cross the border and cause a second wave in Thailand. The 17 year old Burmese boy tested positive for Covid-19 last week. Reports say the teen was in Myanmar’s Payatongsu district,…

  • Visa InformationWork permits for top tier Thailand Elite Card members

    Work permits for top tier Thailand Elite Card members

    In an effort to give the economy an extra boost, the government will discuss adding work permit privileges for top tier Thailand Elite Card members who invest a minimum of $1 million USD in Thailand. The scheme will draw more investment to Thailand, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, or TAT, governor Yuthasak Supasorn. While the types of investments…

  • Bangkok NewsBangkok nightclub busted for underage drinking

    Bangkok nightclub busted for underage drinking

    A Bangkok nightclub was raided last night when police arrested numerous underage drinkers after city officials received a complaint about “unlawful assembly”. Police say many of the 50 people at the nightclub were under Thailand’s legal drinking age of 20 years old. They added that the patrons at the venue did not abide by Covid-19 prevention rules like wearing a…

  • Thailand NewsWin driver allegedly ran red light, hits teenage motorbiker

    Win driver allegedly ran red light, hits teenage motorbiker

    A Thai motorbike taxi driver, known as a ‘win’ driver, allegedly ran a red light and ran into a teenage student driving on Sukhumvit Road in Chon Buri’s Sattahip district. The 58 year old win driver and the 18 year old student were both taken to the hospital. Emergency responders did not report on the extent of their injuries. The student,…

  • Thailand NewsNavy divers find captain’s body after boat sank in weekend storm

    Navy divers find captain’s body after boat sank in weekend storm

    The body of a fishing boat captain trapped in sunken wreckage was found by Royal Thai Navy divers. The man’s boat sank during a weekend storm at the Surin Islands National Park, an archipelago of 5 islands in the Andaman Sea around 55 kilometres from the Phang Nga province coast. The “Chan Udome Sombat 8” fishing boat reportedly sank around…

  • Thailand Protest NewsProtest leaders face charges for violating Thailand’s lèse majesté law and for installing the plaque

    Protest leaders face charges for violating Thailand’s lèse majesté law and for installing the plaque

    Leaders of the weekend’s pro-democracy protest in Bangkok are facing charges for violating Thailand’s lèse majesté laws and installing a symbolic plaque at a “registered historical site”. Police filed complaints against 10 to possibly more than 16 protesters. It’s unclear how many protesters will be charged, but the Royal Thai Police spokesperson Piya Uthayo says charges will be pressed against…

  • Crime NewsPolice officer allegedly shot and killed a woman at a Bangkok temple

    Police officer allegedly shot and killed a woman at a Bangkok temple

    A police officer allegedly shot and killed a woman making merit at a Bangkok temple yesterday. The 35 year old police officer, Siriwan Sumredsilpa, turned herself in to police. Siriwan allegedly approached the 39 year old woman from behind and shot her 4 times in the head. She was making merit that morning at the Nimmanoradee Temple in Bangkok around 7am…