- Thailand News
Thailand greenlights legal casinos to boost tourism and economy
In a game-changing move, the Thai Cabinet has given the nod to a draft bill that would legalise gambling and casinos, aiming to turbocharge tourism, job creation, and investment. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra announced the bold move today, January 13, heralding a new era for the country’s economy. Under the government’s ambitious plan, the legislation, soon to be debated in…
- Business News
Noodle no more: Ramen shops fold under rising costs (video)
In an unprecedented wave of financial distress, a record number of ramen noodle eateries in Japan went belly up in 2024, unable to stomach the soaring ingredient and utility costs without raising their own prices. Research firm Teikoku Databank Ltd has revealed that insolvencies with liabilities of at least 10 million yen (approximately 2.2 million baht) surged by more than…
- Thailand News
Taxing tunes: Music giant pitches cut to boost Thailand’s soft power
Thailand’s largest music company made a bold appeal to the government for a corporate tax reduction in the entertainment sector, arguing it could supercharge the industry and bolster the nation’s soft power ambitions. GMM Music Plc CEO Phawit Chitrakorn paints a picture of an industry that thrives on slim profit margins, clocking in at a modest average of 10%. Phawit…
- Thailand News
Golden opportunity: NHSO extends care to new Thai citizens
The National Health Security Office (NHSO) is set to expand its groundbreaking universal healthcare initiative through its gold card scheme to at least 480,000 ethnic individuals poised to receive Thai citizenship from the government. NHSO Deputy Secretary Yuphadee Sirisinsuk revealed that the ambitious plan is designed to extend healthcare benefits to all Thai citizens, including those in the process of…
- Thailand News
Belgian kite surfer’s final flight: Tragedy strikes in Khao Kalok
A Belgian kite surfer lost his life after being swept away by a massive wave and trapped headfirst in a rocky crevice at Khao Kalok near Pran Buri. Despite valiant rescue efforts, his life was tragically cut short as he remained pinned 4 metres deep amidst the unforgiving rocks. Pak Nam Pran Police Radio Centre today, January 13, received an…
- Phuket News
17 arrested: Phuket police roll the dice on illegal gambling
Phuket City police swooped down on an illegal gambling den in Phuket Town on 12 January, bagging 17 people in the process of a dramatic after-dark sting. The raid, executed with precision by officers in tandem with provincial police, caught the crooks red-handed at a residence on Soi Wichit Songkhram 4, just after 9pm. Upon arrival, officers immediately sensed something…
- Thailand News
Making waves: Miss Grand Roi Et turns up heat with sexy swimwear
The Miss Grand Roi Et 2025 beauty pageant ignited quite a stir, thanks to a daring choice of swimwear that sent social media into a frenzied meltdown. Contestants strutted their stuff in swimsuits that some deemed trendy but others branded as inappropriate because they aren’t practical to wear for a swim. Held on Saturday, January 11, the pageant didn’t shy…
- Bangkok News
Clearing the air: Bangkok takes a breather with work-from-home push
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt today is rolling out a novel work-from-home initiative alongside a push to expand the clean air shelter project in more schools, all in a bid to tackle the city’s relentless PM2.5 pollution problem. The 58 year old city chief noted a breath of fresh air yesterday, January 12, with improved air quality in Bangkok, as PM2.5 levels…
- Pattaya News
Pattaya on pause: Plan ahead or lose the booze
Local officials in Pattaya issued a gentle reminder to plan carefully for upcoming events in the city including the Chon Buri local elections and the booze bans. Locals, visitors and tourists in Pattaya should mark their calendars as the region is likely to go dry from 5pm on January 31 to 5pm on February 1. While the exact date hasn’t…
- Pattaya News
Drunk foreign tourist injured in Pattaya motorbike collision
Chaos erupted in the early hours of today on Pattaya Third Road as a foreign tourist, suspected to be under the influence of alcohol, was mowed down by a motorcyclist, leaving him with head injuries. At precisely 12.10am, today, January 13, Pattaya police were alerted to the scene, swiftly co-ordinating with the dedicated Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan rescue team to attend…
- Thailand News
Tying the Thai: Same-sex love wins big in the Land of Smiles
Love takes centre stage in the Land of Smiles as same-sex couples across Thailand can legally say “I do” at any district office nationwide and even at Thai embassies abroad starting from January 23. This monumental shift comes thanks to the groundbreaking tying the Thai: love wins big in the Land of Smiles, granting same-sex couples the same legal rights…
- Thailand News
Miss Universe’s world up in flames as home burns in Los Angeles
Heartbreak has struck former Miss Universe Porntip Nakhirunkanok as her cherished Malibu home, where she raised her family, was completely destroyed in the devastating Los Angeles wildfires. For more than 25 years, this house was more than just bricks and mortar, it was a treasure trove of memories. In a poignant Instagram post under her handle @bui.simon, the 56 year…
- Business News
Central Pattana’s 500 million baht Chinese New Year splash
Central Pattana Plc (CPN) isn’t playing small this Chinese New Year as they, together with Central Department Store Co Ltd (CDS), unleash a mega 500-million-baht spending spree on their dazzling The Great Chinese New Year bash. Running from now until February 6, this vibrant celebration is expected to dazzle at Central malls nationwide, including the ever-busy Esplanade Ratchada. Leading the…
- Thailand News
Vapes on a plane: Tourists nabbed for vape on Nok Air flight (video)
Three unruly tourists caused quite a stir aboard a Nok Air flight when they audaciously started vaping mid-flight, leaving fellow passengers astounded. The high-altitude hijinks happened on Sunday, January 5 on flight DD-532, winging its way from Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport to Phuket. One passenger’s quick-thinking video capture shows the offbeat antics, with one man brazenly puffing away and…
- Thailand News
Fuel for thought: Thailand sees shift in consumer petrol gears
Thailand’s engines are revving as fuel consumption takes a notable 2% leap, in line with the country’s economic growth, which is pegged at a healthy 2.6% to 2.7% for 2024. The Department of Energy Business reveals that from January to November, Thais guzzled an average of 155 million litres of fuel daily. Turning heads in the petrol station queue is…
- Thailand News
Casino kingpins eye Thailand: Melco’s big gamble on Bangkok
Macau gambling giant Melco Resorts & Entertainment is rolling the dice on Thailand, as they devise plans to dive headfirst into the country’s booming tourism scene and cultural tapestry. With whispers of legalised gambling on the horizon, this move could be a jackpot for the casino giants. At the helm, Lawrence Ho, Melco Chairman and CEO, is singing the praises…
- Thailand News
Icy blast from China set to leave Thailand shivering
Thailand is set to shiver as a fresh surge of cold air sweeps down from China, bringing a biting chill and blustery winds across the nation. The Meteorological Department of Thailand (TMD) sounded the alarm for plummeting temperatures with strong gusts and heavy rain expected to drench six provinces in the south. Brace yourselves, the north and northeast are in…
- Bangkok News
Chinese nationals lose 13 million baht in Bangkok crypto scam
Three Chinese nationals found themselves swindled out of a staggering 13 million baht in a brazen Bangkok cash-for-crypto sting. The drama kicked off on yesterday afternoon, January 9, in the city’s bustling Huai Khwang district. At 3.30pm, the scene was set at a house on Pracharat Bampen 12 Road, where Huang Guang, an unsuspecting Chinese visitor, claims he was robbed.…
- Phuket News
PM pledges to polish Phuket into a top-tier tourist hotspot
Phuket is turning up the glamour stakes as Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra unveils ambitious plans to transform the island into a premier tourist magnet. On her whirlwind visit to the sun-drenched southern province, the Thai premier set out a bold vision to tackle key issues facing the beloved getaway, from sorting out traffic snarls to bolstering its allure as a…
- Bangkok News
Bangkok’s traffic gridlock gets a tech-tock fix
Bangkok’s notorious traffic mayhem is finally seeing a breakthrough, thanks to a two-year tech overhaul that’s got commuters breathing a sigh of relief. According to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), the implementation of Area Traffic Control (ATC) technology has slashed journey times in the city’s busiest areas by a remarkable 25%. This traffic-taming triumph comes courtesy of the ATC system,…
- Pattaya News
Police thwart Thai woman’s suicide attempt in Pattaya
Tense drama unfolded in Pattaya on Tuesday as police were alerted to a young woman’s suicide attempt after she tried to leap from a five-storey building near the bustling Walking Street. Responding with urgency, the Pattaya police, along with the Sawang Boriboon Foundation’s rescue teams and emergency services, raced to the scene on Tuesday, January 7, swiftly inflating an air…
- Thailand News
Doc sniffs out men with big noses have large penises (video)
A doctor claims that she can tell the size of a man’s penis by looking at his nose, dismissing age-old myths surrounding hand and foot dimensions. Dr Rena Malik, a urologist from California, made waves during an appearance on the Diary of a CEO podcast. She discussed compelling evidence that, contrary to popular belief, men’s noses might hold the secret…
- Pattaya News
Brit expats in Thailand warned of scams targeting bank accounts
A chief of police issued a warning to retirees in Thailand after two British expats in Pattaya were targetted by scammers attempting to drain their bank accounts. Police Lieutenant Colonel Saksit Choobunrueang yesterday, January 8, announced that the elderly are being targetted by scam gangs because of their limited knowledge of technology. The two British pensioners reached out to their…
- Thailand News
Lost and found: American’s wild Thai tale ends without a scratch
An American pensioner met with an unexpected adventure in northern Thailand but thanks to the swift action of Mae Hong Son’s Tourist Police, rescue volunteers, and local villagers, he made it out unscathed. The 68 year old man from the United States, was saved from the depths of the Doi Thong forest near Ya Po village, and he couldn’t be…
- Thailand News
Mahout charged for elephant goring Spanish woman in Thailand
Police in Thailand have charged the mahout responsible for the elephant that gored a Spanish woman to death last week in Koh Yao. The deadly incident has since ramped up intense scrutiny of Thailand’s elephant tourism industry. The 38 year old mahout, Theerayut Inthaphudkij, faces charges of negligence causing death after a tragic accident involving the 22 year old Spanish tourist…
- Pattaya News
Sloshed and splashed: Tipsy Thai man makes waves in Pattaya
Pattaya officials sounded the alarm yesterday after a booze-soaked escapade by a local Thai man made waves in front of the Amari Hotel. The drunken Thai man, clearly under the influence, took a less-than-graceful plunge into the sea, leaving onlookers in disbelief. Pattaya City municipal officers dashed to the scene, only to find the soggy thrill-seeker showing all the signs…
- Thailand News
Thailand tourism China-ing bright with visitor boom
Hold onto your tuk tuks, folks, Thailand’s tourism scene is making a triumphant comeback, with Chinese travellers leading the charge of foreign visitors. Thanks to more lenient visa rules, and especially to Thailand’s Chinese friends, the Land of Smiles is grinning wider than ever. The South China Morning Post reported that an impressive 35.5 million international jet-setters flocked to Thailand…
- Thailand News
Thai police rescue missing Chinese actor from trafficking gang
Missing Chinese actor Wang Xing was dramatically rescued by Thai police yesterday after being abducted by a human trafficking gang while on the Thai-Myanmar border. Wang Xing, known to fans as Xingxing, vanished on January 3 after departing Shanghai Pudong Airport for Thailand in what he believed was an acting gig along the border. Last seen in Mae Sot, the…
- Thailand News
Heavy plans: ‘Fat’ Aussie dad jets to Thailand to shed the load
A “fat” Aussie dad is set to embark on a weight loss journey quite like no other after some cutting remarks by one of his children. Jimmy Mitchell is packing his bags and leaving behind his wife and two young sons for a ten-week stint in Thailand, all in the name of shedding pounds. The radical retreat comes after a…
- Phuket News
British family mourns tragic holiday heartbreak in Thailand
A British family are reeling from the heartbreaking loss of a family member who met a tragic end in a motorbike crash while holidaying in Thailand. Corey Beavis, a “larger than life” young man from Barry, South Wales, died in a motorcycle accident on Saturday, January 4, in Phuket. The crash has left his 28 year old twin brother Liam,…
