- Thailand News
Thailand eyes kratom crackdown amid abuse fears
Thailand’s justice minister has vowed to rein in kratom abuse after nationwide reports of users mixing the herbal drink with narcotics. Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong said new regulations may soon be introduced to restrict kratom leaf sales, following talks with Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin earlier this week. “On August 20, I discussed with the public health minister the necessity…
- Bangkok News
Thaksin faces jail as court drops royal insult verdict
Thailand’s political soap opera enters a tense new chapter as the Criminal Court delivers its long-awaited verdict today in the lese majeste case against former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, exactly two years after his dramatic return from exile. Security is being ramped up around the courthouse, with media crews banned from entering without prior approval. Reporters will be allowed to…
- Thailand Weather Updates
Thailand drenched in heavy downpour brought on by monsoon
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has issued a warning for heavy rainfall expected in 41 provinces, including Bangkok, where up to 70% of the area is expected to be affected. Residents are advised to be cautious of potential hazards due to the significant rainfall. Heavy rain is anticipated in certain areas across Thailand, with particularly severe conditions forecasted for the…
- Phuket News
Phuket holiday turns tragic as Russian vanishes at sea
A late-night beach swim turned into a nightmare for a Russian couple in Phuket, after a powerful wave dragged the man into the sea, sparking a desperate search effort. The incident occurred shortly after midnight today, August 21, near a secluded stretch of coastline between Banana Beach and Nai Thon Beach in northern Phuket. Sakhu Police identified the missing man…
- Bangkok News
Paetongtarn’s fate fast-tracked in leaked clip scandal
The political heat just got hotter for suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, as Thailand’s top court fast-tracks her potential disqualification over a controversial leaked audio clip. At 10.30am today, August 21, the Constitutional Court began hearing witness testimony in a case brought by 36 senators who claim the prime minister violated ethical standards in a private conversation with Cambodian Senate…
- Finance
New Thai tax plan could cost expats their perks
Thailand is preparing to flip its tax system on its head, and expats could soon be caught in the crossfire. By 2027, the government plans to roll out a negative income tax, a major shift in how financial aid is delivered. Instead of handing out subsidies to broad social groups, the new system will offer direct payments to those who…
- Bangkok News
Fake tower, real scam: Korean man busted in Bangkok SMS sting
A South Korean scammer took mobile fraud to the streets of Bangkok before cyber cops caught him with a fake cell tower in his car. On Tuesday, August 19, 35 year old Kim Do-yeong was arrested at Pracha Songkroah Intersection in Din Daeng district while driving a Toyota sedan loaded with a false base station (FBS) device. The high-tech kit…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya Film Festival goes big with ghosts, guns and AI
Get ready for thrills, screams and cinema under the stars. Pattaya Film Festival 2025 is rolling out the red carpet from August 28 to 30 with an ambitious line-up of screenings, seminars and spooky showings in unexpected locations, including a temple. The event, held at SF Cinema Central Marina, marks the city’s latest push to brand itself as a film…
- Transport News
Suvarnabhumi super expansion to handle 120 million flyers
Suvarnabhumi Airport is about to get supersized. Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) has updated its master plan to double the airport’s capacity. The revised target is to handle up to 120 million passengers annually as part of a bold new development push. According to acting AoT president Paweena Jariyathitipong, over 70% of this year’s master plan study is now complete…
- Business News
Cambodian labour exodus sparks robot rush in Thai factories
Thailand’s factories are facing a labour crunch, and robots may soon be clocking in. A drop in Cambodian workers due to a simmering territorial dispute has forced Thai manufacturers to hurry automation plans, according to the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI). The exodus of Cambodian labourers has hit sectors such as construction and agribusiness, where low-cost, manual labour is essential.…
- Thailand News
Defence boost: Thailand seals Gripen jet deal with Sweden
Thailand is gearing up to formalise a major fighter jet deal with Sweden, just days after revealing its warplanes were used in real combat for the first time. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the agreement’s first phase will be signed next Tuesday, August 26, during a high-level visit to Sweden, led by Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa. According to Ministry…
- Bangkok News
Bangkok buildings rattle as 5.4 quake strikes off Myanmar
Office workers fled, lamps swung, and nerves were tested as a powerful earthquake sent tremors through Bangkok high-rises this morning. Thailand’s Earthquake Observation Division reported a 5.4-magnitude earthquake at 9.58am today, August 21, centred 10 kilometres underground in the Andaman Sea, roughly 211 kilometres southwest of Mae Sot district in Tak province. The tremors were felt across multiple districts in…
- South Thailand News
Car bomb rips through Narathiwat checkpoint, 1 injured
Terror returned to Thailand’s Deep South last night when a car bomb exploded at a security checkpoint in Narathiwat’s Tak Bai district, injuring a defence volunteer and triggering a brief gun battle. The attack unfolded at around 8.15pm yesterday, August 20, in Sala Mai subdistrict, where local volunteers were manning a regular security post. According to police reports, the explosion…
- Aviation News
Air Serbia eyes Bangkok return after decades-long break
Thailand could soon welcome more Balkan tourists directly, as Air Serbia considers reviving long-haul winter flights to Bangkok, a destination not served from Belgrade since the collapse of Yugoslavia. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) confirmed it’s in talks with the airline as part of a push to boost direct air access from the Balkan region. TAT’s marketing representative for…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya leaders aid bedridden and elderly in city push
Pattaya officials carried out a targeted welfare operation in Naklua yesterday, delivering aid to bedridden patients and elderly residents. Yesterday, August 20, Deputy Mayor Thitipan Petchtrakul and Pattaya City Council President Banlue Kullavanij hit the streets of Naklua, delivering essential aid to three of the area’s most vulnerable residents. Accompanied by fellow council members and officers from the Social Welfare…
- Pattaya News
Gun-toting dad smashes woman’s face in Pattaya diner row
A furious father sparked chaos in Pattaya after pistol-whipping a woman and firing a shot into the air during a restaurant clash. The shocking incident occurred on Sunday, August 17, on Soi Phothisan 8, but the suspect was arrested three days later after police obtained damning CCTV evidence. At 5pm yesterday, August 20, officers from Bang Lamung Police Station raided…
- Bangkok News
Pheu Thai shuts down Prayut comeback rumours
Rumours of a shocking political U-turn have been flatly denied by the Pheu Thai Party, following claims they planned to nominate former coup leader and ex-Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha as their next candidate for premier. Slamming the speculation as fake news, Pheu Thai Secretary-General Sorawong Thienthong told reporters the rumour had nothing to do with the party and dismissed…
- Chiang Mai News
Chiang Mai cops bust 700kg Taiwan-bound ‘Durian’ meth haul
A major drug bust in Chiang Mai has sent shockwaves through Thai law enforcement after police intercepted 700 kilogrammes of methamphetamine hidden in sacks marked with the bizarre branding “Durian.” The massive haul was discovered in the early hours of Monday, August 18, at around 1.12am, when police patrolling Ban Pa Bong Ngam in the Chiang Dao district stopped a…
- Aviation News
Free flights frenzy: Tourists lured with 700 million baht giveaway
Thailand is betting big on tourism, with a 700 million baht budget set aside to hand out free domestic flights to foreign travellers. The government is rolling out a bold plan to lure at least 200,000 more international tourists into Thailand’s heartland by offering free domestic air tickets. Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong confirmed today, August 20, that he…
- Bangkok News
Bangkok’s ‘green lung’ boosted by Thai-Norwegian push
Bangkok’s “green lung” is breathing easier thanks to Bangchak Corporation’s bold reforestation push, now earning praise from the Thai-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce (TNCC). The chamber, which counts Bangchak as a premium member, has put the energy giant’s environmental mission in the spotlight as it drives sustainability and biodiversity work in Bang Kachao, Samut Prakan province. Bangchak, led by Senior Executive…
- Pattaya News
British tourist faces 10 years over Pattaya death crash
A British tourist is staring at a decade behind bars after a Thai woman he allegedly struck while pulling a motorbike stunt in Pattaya died in hospital. The 22 year old British national, Brandon Mills, from Doncaster, was riding a rented scooter on one wheel when he ploughed into 49 year old Churairat Petchraksa outside a bar on Thursday, August…
- Aviation News
Pattaya Airways turbocharges tourism with new jets
Thailand’s skies are about to get busier—and easier—as Pattaya Airways takes delivery of three ATR72 turboprop aircraft, a move aimed at fuelling domestic travel and making multi-city trips across the kingdom a breeze. The expansion, set to kick off in December, strengthens Thailand’s tourism rebound by adding more routes and increasing flight frequencies between major hubs and emerging hotspots. “These…
- Pattaya News
EEC Travel Mart puts Thailand’s tourism in the spotlight
Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) provinces have pulled out all the stops to turbocharge the country’s tourism industry, unveiling a high-powered showcase billed as a game-changer for the region. The EEC Travel Mart, staged yesterday, August 19, at the Nong Nooch Pattaya International Convention and Exhibition Centre, brought together hundreds of top names from the tourism sector. Business leaders, hoteliers,…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya cement scandal: Contractor fined for drain dump
When it comes to environmental blunders, few things anger Pattaya residents more than contractors treating the city’s drains like a rubbish tip. That frustration boiled over this week when municipal officers caught a contractor red-handed pouring cement wastewater directly into a public drain on Pattaya Beach Soi 4. The man was hauled into City Hall and slapped with a 2,000…
- Phuket News
Phuket’s power shift: New governor steps in
Phuket is bracing for a major leadership change. From October 1, Saransak Srikruaneth will take the reins as governor, replacing Sophon Suwannarat, who bows out after a turbulent two-year term. The Cabinet confirmed Saransak’s appointment on Monday, August 18, following his transfer from the Ministry of Interior’s Inspector General’s office. For Sophon, whose retirement begins on September 30, the end…
- Business News
Thai interest rate cut fuels stock market surge
Thailand’s stock market has been handed a shot of adrenaline after the Bank of Thailand (BoT) slashed its policy rate by 25 basis points to 1.50%, a move analysts say could send the SET index surging to 1,370 points by the year’s end. Market watchers hailed the rate cut as the start of “a policy-led re-rating phase” that will redirect…
- Thailand News
Thai hospitals probed over fake migrant health certificates
Private hospitals in Thailand are facing a scandal after allegations surfaced that they have been issuing fake health certificates to migrant workers without carrying out proper medical checks. Deputy Public Health Minister Chaichana Dechdecho announced yesterday, August 19, that two to three hospitals are under investigation, with early evidence suggesting doctors signed off on the fraudulent certificates without conducting blood…
- Bangkok News
Paetongtarn skips Cabinet again as court date looms
Thailand’s suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is facing the fight of her political life—and she’s staying silent. For the second week running, Paetongtarn skipped yesterday’s weekly Cabinet meeting, fuelling speculation as she prepares to take the stand in an explosive ethics case linked to a leaked phone call. The 38 year old leader, who also holds the post of culture…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya car scam swindles Indian owner, vehicle vanishes
A luxury rental car has vanished without a trace in Pattaya, leaving its owner—an Indian businessman—crying foul and calling it the work of professional scammers. Yesterday, August 19 at 11.30pm, 54 year old Prem Kumar walked into Pattaya City Police Station to file a complaint. He reported that a white-and-black Toyota, bearing licence plate JPH 9160 Chon Buri, had been…
- Phuket News
Patong police stalled as ‘Arab’ tourist gang walks free
Patong Police are under mounting scrutiny as they continue to delay charges against six foreign tourists, described in official reports as “Arab,” who were allegedly involved in the brutal beating of a Thai motorbike rental operator. The attack, which took place on August 10, left the victim hospitalised with a broken jaw and broken ribs. The case only gained traction…
