- Bangkok News
Thailand flexes soft power with food and film frenzy
Suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra declared Thailand’s creative soft power the key to global influence at a major Bangkok forum. Speaking yesterday, July 8, at the second annual SPLASH – Soft Power Forum 2025, held at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, Paetongtarn pulled no punches about the government’s ambitions to elevate Thailand’s soft power to dazzling new heights. “Creative culture…
- Phuket News
Disaster at sea: RTN drills for shipwreck chaos off Phuket
Phuket is gearing up to tackle maritime catastrophes head-on, staging an elaborate simulation of a passenger ship disaster that could save lives when real tragedy strikes. The Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre Region 3 (Thai-MECC 3), based at the Royal Thai Navy (RTN)’s Third Naval Area Command at Cape Panwa, spearheaded the operation yesterday, July 8, in Phuket Town as…
- Thailand News
Thailand nominates traditional dress for UNESCO heritage status
The Ministry of Culture has formally proposed the traditional Thai costume, Chud Thai, as an intangible cultural heritage item for consideration by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). The proposal is set to be reviewed in 2026. The ministry has dismissed as “baseless” the social media rumours suggesting that Cambodia‘s nomination for its traditional weddings would include…
- Thailand News
Rare Asiatic golden cat filmed in South Thailand national park (video)
A camera trap hidden deep in Khao Luang National Park in Nakhon Si Thammarat captured rare footage of the endangered Asiatic golden cat striding through its natural habitat. Park Chief Haritchai Ritchooay revealed yesterday, July 8, that the scientific team and Patrol Unit 2 were behind the remarkable discovery. The image offers a glimpse into the rich biodiversity thriving in…
- Thailand News
Thailand’s blind elephant becomes loving sanctuary grandma (video)
A once-reclusive elephant who spent years shunning contact has undergone a heart-melting transformation, capturing hearts around the world. Jokia, a blind elephant who survived Thailand’s brutal logging trade, had long preferred her own company, traumatised by a past she couldn’t forget. Rescued by the Save Elephant Foundation, she spent years wandering alone, too wary to bond with her kind. “She…
- Bangkok News
Bangkok unveils 47km canal walkway for safer commuting
Bangkok is stepping up its game with an ambitious plan to reinvent urban commuting—a sprawling 47.5-kilometre walkway and cycle path project that promises to make getting around safer, greener, and more enjoyable than ever before. Yesterday, July 7, Deputy Governor Wisanu Subsompon showcased the Saen Saeb Canal footpath and bike lane extension during a media tour, underlining the city’s drive…
- Bangkok News
Chinese scammer busted in Bangkok credit card hacking spree
Thailand’s cyber cops have smashed a slick Chinese-led scam that tricked unsuspecting victims into handing over their credit card details and OTPs—fuelling a shopping spree that funded a shadowy cryptocurrency operation. The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) announced that their Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) had arrested Ma, a 35 year old Chinese national, who masterminded the scheme from a hotel…
- Thailand News
Monkey business banned: Thai coconuts go cruelty-free
Thailand’s coconut industry is finally cracking down on a controversial practice that has tarnished its reputation worldwide: using monkeys to harvest coconuts. In a landmark move to rescue its image and secure farmers’ livelihoods, the Thai Coconut Industry Group has joined forces with the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) to ban monkey labour once and for all. The country’s coconut…
- Bangkok News
Bangkok trains slash fares to 20 baht from October 1
Bangkok commuters are in for a welcome surprise as the government announced that, starting October 1, all electric train fares will be capped at just 20 baht per ride – a bold move to ease living costs and get more people on board the capital’s rails. Speaking today, July 8, government spokesperson Jirayu Huangsap confirmed that the Cabinet had unanimously…
- Thailand News
Nature’s surprise: Rare panda crab spotted in Thai national park
A rare panda crab, known locally as the Sirindhorn Crab, has been spotted crawling across a remote waterfall in the Panoen Thung area at Kaeng Krachan National Park, showcasing the extraordinary biodiversity thriving in Thailand’s western forests. The discovery, shared on the park’s Facebook page on Sunday, July 6, delighted conservationists and nature lovers. The park’s post featured stunning photos…
- Thailand News
Thailand plans ‘Buddhist bank’ as temple scandals explode
Thailand’s temples are facing their biggest credibility crisis in decades, with lurid scandals and financial misconduct battering public faith. Now, a senior minister has unveiled a bold plan to clean up the mess — by setting up a Buddhist bank to keep temples’ money in check. Speaking on his first day in office yesterday, July 7, Suchart Tancharoen, minister attached…
- Bangkok News
Casino chaos: Thailand scraps gambling bill amid turmoil
Thailand’s rollercoaster ride to legalise casinos has come to a screeching halt, as the government announced it will withdraw the hotly debated Entertainment Complex Bill following fierce public backlash and a fresh wave of political upheaval. Yesterday, July 7, Chief Government Whip Visuth Chainaroon confirmed that a motion to pull the bill from the current parliamentary session will be raised…
- Phuket News
Booze bonanza: Phuket bars cleared to serve on holidays
Thirsty tourists and locals can breathe a sigh of relief, Phuket’s bars and entertainment venues have been officially cleared to serve alcohol this Asarnha Bucha Day and on other major Buddhist holidays, the island’s top cop has confirmed. Confusion erupted earlier this week when a bar in Koh Kaew, which doesn’t sit squarely in a designated tourist area, was warned…
- Business News
Bacon backlash: Cheap US pork threatens Thai farmers
Thailand’s pig farmers are squealing in protest, warning the government that a flood of cheap American pork could cripple the nation’s entire agricultural sector and push thousands into poverty overnight. Yesterday, July 7, the National Swine Raisers Association (NSRA) issued a fiery statement urging officials to abandon any plans to open Thailand’s market to pork, offal and related products from…
- Thailand News
Rabies deaths in Thailand triple with dogs as primary source
The Department of Disease Control (DDC) reported a threefold increase in rabies-related deaths in Thailand this year. Of these cases, 90% were contracted from dogs and 10% from cats. Yesterday, July 7, Dr Phanumart Yanawetaskul, Director General of the Department of Disease Control, announced that seven fatalities have occurred in Chon Buri, Sisaket, Chachoengsao, Nakhon Ratchasima, Tak, and Rayong. This…
- Bangkok News
Cambodia-Thailand scam empire busted in mega police raid
A notorious crime boss running a luxury scam empire from Cambodia is on the run after Thai police swooped on 19 locations in an explosive crackdown on a sprawling transnational syndicate. Officers from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) stormed properties across Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Chon Buri today, July 8, in coordinated raids aimed at dismantling the network behind…
- Phuket News
Thai Vietjet launches cheap Mumbai-Phuket flights
Holidaymakers dreaming of sun-soaked Phuket get ready to pack your bags – budget airline Thai VietJet Air is turning up the heat on the India-Thailand travel scene with a brand new direct flight from Mumbai to the island paradise. The low-cost carrier, part of the larger VietJet Aviation Group, is set to launch the highly anticipated route in August, giving…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya teen savagely battered by machete-wielding gang
A teenage cannabis shop worker in Pattaya is living in fear after a brutal ambush by machete-wielding thugs left him battered, bloodied and terrified to return to work. Nineteen-year-old Ananda Klangnongsang stepped forward to share his ordeal after the vicious attack, which took place at around 10.06pm on July 5 outside the shop where he works in Soi Kor Phai,…
- Thailand News
Thai royal award celebrates Vietnam’s top teachers
Vietnam’s star educators are basking in the royal spotlight after a Thai delegation arrived to celebrate their achievements and ramp up educational ties across Asia. From July 6 to 8, a high-profile delegation from the Princess Maha Chakri Award Foundation (PMCAF), led by Chairman Dr Krissanapong Kirtikara, visited Vietnam to meet past award winners, promote regional cooperation and prepare for…
- Thailand News
Thai officer accused of land encroachment on self-help settlement
Thailand’s Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS) requested police action regarding an alleged land encroachment involving a prominent police officer in Ubon Ratchathani. Police Senior Sergeant Major Yutthaphon Srisompong, popularly known online as “Johnny the Enforcer,” owns a resort in Lam Dom Noi. The land on which the resort is built has been designated by the ministry as…
- Pattaya News
Man stabbed by wife in Pattaya after domestic dispute (video)
In Pattaya, a domestic dispute turned violent when a man was stabbed by his wife following a heated argument, with the entire incident captured on CCTV. The confrontation unfolded at 5pm on Thursday, July 3, in front of a series of rental rooms opposite Soi Kor Pai 10 in South Pattaya. Police Lieutenant Colonel Suchart Dusadee, an investigator from Pattaya…
- Thailand News
Gambling despair: Buriram student drowns after losing savings
A night of heartbreak ended in tragedy when a 21 year old university student leapt into a canal and drowned after losing his savings to online gambling. The harrowing incident unfolded yesterday, July 4, in Buriram municipality. Police Lieutenant Suphot Tukkraok was alerted to the drowning and immediately coordinated with the Buriram rescue diving team to search for the young…
- Pattaya News
Driver dozes off: 18-wheeler chaos clogs Chon Buri highway
Motorists were left fuming in a bumper-to-bumper snarl yesterday morning after a colossal chemical truck toppled over, shutting down a busy stretch of Highway 36 in Chon Buri. The drama unfolded around 11am yesterday, July 4, near the entrance to Ban Khlong Yai Monastery in Pong subdistrict. An 18-wheeler Hino truck, white and lumbering under the weight of dozens of…
- Pattaya News
Chinese man joins ‘Pattaya Flying Club’ in latest tragic fall
A young Chinese man fell from a six-storey building in Pattaya, resulting in his death. The incident occurred at a hotel on Soi Paniadchang, North Pattaya, and raised suspicions of its use as a call centre operation base. Police Lieutenant Anirut Jehrao of Pattaya Police Station received the report yesterday, July 4, and coordinated with Police Colonel Ekkachai Sratongyu and…
- Pattaya News
Bryde’s whales delight tourists at Bang Saen Beach, Chon Buri
The tranquil shores of Bang Saen Beach in Chon Buri’s Saensuk district experienced a buzz of excitement yesterday when three Bryde’s whales, including a mother and her two calves, were spotted near Wonnapha Beach. Captured on a mobile phone by local fishermen, the video showed the whales playfully pursuing small fish, with seagulls diving for escaping prey adding to the…
- Business News
Thai US tax talks stall as Vietnam races ahead
Thailand’s hopes of clinching a breakthrough tax agreement with the United States have hit a stumbling block, leaving officials scrambling for solutions—and exporters nervously watching from the sidelines. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira admitted yesterday, July 4, that the much-anticipated deal remains out of reach despite days of high-level negotiations in Washington. Speaking during a stopover in…
- Bangkok News
Thailand’s interior minister launches nationwide anti-drug campaign
Interior Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has committed to a comprehensive nationwide campaign to address narcotics, crime syndicates, and mafia-style figures, highlighting the drug crisis as a significant threat to national security. Phumtham, currently acting as prime minister, outlined these policies to senior ministry officials and provincial governors across the country on his inaugural day at the Ministry of Interior. He underscored…
- Pattaya News
Foreign worker crackdown: 17 nabbed in Chon Buri street job sting
It was a morning of raids, arrests and shocked shopfronts as Thai police swooped in on street vendors and salons suspected of illegally employing foreign workers. The Chon Buri Employment Office, led by Phuwakorn Toshingkhon, teamed up with the Provincial Labour Office under Chalermphon Niamsakul and the Internal Security Operations Command yesterday, July 4, to launch a sweeping inspection operation…
- Thailand News
RTAF helicopter makes emergency landing on school field
It was a day the children of Roi Et will never forget—when a roaring Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) helicopter swooped out of a stormy sky and touched down right on their school field. The drama unfolded on Thursday afternoon, July 3, at Ban Kham Pha-Ung School, Pracharat Bamrung, in Pho Chai district. According to the school’s official social media…
- Bangkok News
Thailand denies imminent artefact return to Cambodia
Suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has refuted claims that Thailand is on the verge of transferring 20 ancient artefacts to Cambodia. Yesterday, July 4, speaking as the new culture minister, Paetongtarn clarified that 23 artefacts were returned to Cambodia in 2015 following confirmation of their origins. Although the Cabinet approved in principle the return of another 20 artefacts related to…
