Tara Abhasakun

A Thai-American dual citizen, Tara has reported news and spoken on a number of human rights and cultural news issues in Thailand. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in history from The College of Wooster. She interned at Southeast Asia Globe, and has written for a number of outlets. Tara reports on a range of Thailand news issues.
  • Bangkok NewsBangkok employee sacked for “sleeping” at work when he actually fainted

    Bangkok employee sacked for “sleeping” at work when he actually fainted

    A Bangkok sales assistant has been fired after fainting on the job. A colleague sent a photo of him unconscious to his boss, Thai media reported this week. The boss believed the employee had been sleeping on the job and sacked him. The man who fainted, 22 year old Srithanalert, worked as a sales assistant in a furniture shop. He…

  • Thailand NewsElephants kill 2 park rangers in Thailand in 3 days

    Elephants kill 2 park rangers in Thailand in 3 days

    Elephants have killed two park rangers in Thailand over a three-day period, with one incident on September 11, and the other on September 13. The first incident occurred in a village near the Thap Lan National Park in Thailand’s central Prachinburi province. Villagers tried to push a hungry elephant back into the park after it showed up in the village…

  • Pattaya NewsTeen escapes house fire in Pattaya by climbing balcony

    Teen escapes house fire in Pattaya by climbing balcony

    A Pattaya teenager climbed down from his balcony to just barely escape a fire that broke out in his home in the early hours of Monday morning. The boy, 16 year old Poramet Soratavorn, sensed the smell of smoke when he was on the second floor of his house in Royal Park Village on Thepprasit Road. Poramet ran downstairs to find…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket school director denies assault allegations

    Phuket school director denies assault allegations

    UPDATE The Phuket school director who last week was accused of physically assaulting an eight year old is denying the allegations. This news comes after a relative of the boy claimed that on September 8, the director pushed the boy’s head into a wall. He also allegedly used his hands to forcefully open her nephew’s mouth. The Phuket Provincial Educational…

  • Pattaya NewsMajor floods hit hundreds of houses in Chon Buri’s Sri Racha district

    Major floods hit hundreds of houses in Chon Buri’s Sri Racha district

    Hundreds of houses and buildings were flooded last night in the Sri Racha district of the eastern Chon Buri province. Water levels reportedly reached almost 30 centimetres in some areas, causing traffic problems, particularly for small vehicles. In one village, the water level reached 50-60 centimetres, since the area was located near a canal. On top of the heavy rain,…

  • Krabi NewsWith Maya Bay closed to tourists, a group of dolphins shows up

    With Maya Bay closed to tourists, a group of dolphins shows up

    Krabi’s iconic Maya Bay has been closed for the past few months to help its wildlife recover, and it appears to be working. On Friday, a group of about 10 bottlenose dolphins were spotted in the south of the Maya Bay by Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Koh Phi Phi National Park staff. Maya Bay has been closed since August…

  • Bangkok NewsRice farmer accuses Bangkok authorities of flooding his field

    Rice farmer accuses Bangkok authorities of flooding his field

    A rice farmer accused the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) of releasing water into his field. The farmer, Dacha Nutalai, is the vice president of the Bangkok Agriculturalist Association. Dacha made a video of his rice field in Nong Chok district on Friday, showing viewers that the water in the field was up to his waist. The angry farmer said that…

  • Central Thailand NewsThai irrigation official transferred following Rangsit floods

    Thai irrigation official transferred following Rangsit floods

    An irrigation official in Thailand’s central province of Pathum Thani has been transferred from his regular work after floods wreaked havoc on the Rangsit district this week. The official, Bowdaeng Takaew, is the director of the Southern Rangsit Operation and Maintenance Project. The reason for Bowdaeng’s transfer hasn’t yet been specified, but it is believed that the transfer is due…

  • Thailand NewsMan stabbed on Pattaya’s Jomtien Beach reportedly over noise dispute

    Man stabbed on Pattaya’s Jomtien Beach reportedly over noise dispute

    A man stabbed another man on Pattaya’s Jomtien Beach in the early hours of yesterday morning. Witnesses said the man stabbed the victim, 34 year old Narintorn, over a dispute about Narintorn talking too loudly. The witnesses said that Narintorn had been drinking on the beach when a man who had been sleeping in a tent walked out of the…

  • Economy NewsRice exporters say Thailand needs new rice breeds to be competitive

    Rice exporters say Thailand needs new rice breeds to be competitive

    Rice exporters have said that Thailand needs new breeds of rice to compete in the global rice market. The president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association said yesterday that Thailand tends to set its rice prices too high for its quality, which is why the country’s rice export volume has continued to drop. The president, Charoen Laothamatas, said that new…

  • Pattaya NewsMentally ill man in Chon Buri sets himself on fire

    Mentally ill man in Chon Buri sets himself on fire

    Mental illness is devastating for many people, and it certainly was for one Chon Buri man in a harrowing incident yesterday morning. The man, 32 year old ‘Eak,’ set himself on fire in front of his home in the main city district after soaking himself in oil. Eak’s older brother said that Eak suffered from mental illness because he used…

  • Thailand NewsUPDATE: 100 stranded elephants returned to park in northeast Thailand

    UPDATE: 100 stranded elephants returned to park in northeast Thailand

    UPDATE Over 100 wild elephants have been returned to a national park after about 40 of them were found devouring farmers’ crops this week in the northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province. The gentle giants had been spotted looking for food in the Khao Pradu community, feasting on rice, sugarcane, and corn. The farmers said they had munched 60 rai of crops…

  • Pattaya NewsGolf tour operator donates to Pattaya Orphanage

    Golf tour operator donates to Pattaya Orphanage

    The golf tour operator Golfasian pitched in to help Pattaya children in need. Golfers in Thailand this week for Gulfasian’s Pattaya Men’s Open and other competitions have now donated 18,200 baht to the Pattaya Orphanage. The orphanage wrote on a news update on their website on September 7… “Representatives of Golfasian Co., Ltd., Bangkok, for supporting children at the Pattaya…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket woman says school director injured her nephew

    Phuket woman says school director injured her nephew

    A grandmother says that a director of a private school in Phuket’s main city district has assaulted and injured her eight year old nephew. The woman says that on Thursday, September 8, the director held her nephew’s head against the wall before knocking him into the wall. He also allegedly used his hands to forcefully open her nephew’s mouth. The…

  • Tourism NewsVenues surveyed in Thailand say they make the most money at later hours

    Venues surveyed in Thailand say they make the most money at later hours

    Night venues recently surveyed by Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Ministry made known that tourists spend the most money in the early hours of the morning. The venues surveyed were located in the tourist hotspots of Koh Samui, Phang Nga, and Khao San Road in Bangkok. Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn told the press yesterday… “The results suggested that tourists…

  • Phuket NewsSuspected gun producer in Phang Nga on the loose

    Suspected gun producer in Phang Nga on the loose

    A suspected gun producer in Thailand’s southern Phang Nga province is on the loose. Phang Nga Police raided a house in Tai Mueang district this week, where they found several handmade handguns, bullets, and gun parts. But the suspect, 27 year old Kittiphon Patnark, was nowhere to be found. Police Commander Major General Thammanoon Prayuenyong told associated Thai media that…

  • Pattaya NewsAnother jerk steals donation money in Pattaya

    Another jerk steals donation money in Pattaya

    Another massive jerk stole donation money in Pattaya after a similar incident happened just last month. The latest thief broke into a woman’s room through her front window. The burglar stole 1,000 baht that the woman had planned to donate to a local temple. The victim said he also stole two amulets. The incident happened on Soi Krom Tan Man…

  • Thailand NewsThailand joins the world in honouring Queen Elizabeth II

    Thailand joins the world in honouring Queen Elizabeth II

    Thailand is joining the world in honouring the UK’s Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away yesterday. The Thai government has now ordered all departments to lower their flags to half mast for three days in her honour, starting on September 11. The Queen had had warm relations with Thailand’s late King, His Majesty Bhumibol Adulyadej. In the past, she had…

  • Pattaya News2 baby elephants born at garden in Pattaya

    2 baby elephants born at garden in Pattaya

    A botanical garden in Pattaya welcomed two adorable new members to its community on September 3. Two baby elephants were born at the Nongnooch Garden Pattaya, which currently cares for 57 elephants. The latest additions to Nongnooch’s elephant family are named Phang Wara Pim, and Phang Manoch. They are the first two calves of 2022. A monk blessed the little…

  • World News9 climbers die on Russian volcano

    9 climbers die on Russian volcano

    Nine climbers tragically died this week on a journey up a 4,750 metre high volcano in Russia. Klyuchevskaya Sopka is the highest volcano in Eurasia. Five of the nine people who tragically perished fell to their deaths on Sunday. Russian officials reported that another three died the next morning. This is out of a group of 12 people who had…

  • Thailand NewsFire breaks out at Indian restaurant in Patong

    Fire breaks out at Indian restaurant in Patong

    A fire broke out at an Indian restaurant in Phuket’s famous tourist town of Patong in the early hours of this morning. Firefighters rushed to the restaurant on Taweewong Road to find it ablaze. The firefighters took 40 minutes to bring the flames under control. The restaurant was damaged, but luckily no injuries were reported. The restaurant owner said there…

  • Thailand NewsYou can now submit Thai name ideas for a star and a planet

    You can now submit Thai name ideas for a star and a planet

    Astronomy lovers out there can now submit ideas for Thai names for a star and a planet. The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand is seeking Thai name submissions as part of an international contest. The contest by the International Astronomical Union is titled “NameExpoWorlds 2022.” The contest aims to name planets and stars outside the solar system that have…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket man arrested after allegedly beating ex with iron rod in May

    Phuket man arrested after allegedly beating ex with iron rod in May

    Justice is finally being served on one Phuket man who allegedly beat his ex-girlfriend and her friend with an iron rod and held them against their will back in May. Police arrested the 26 year old man, named Worawat, at his residence in Chalong town on Monday. The man, Worawat, allegedly messaged his girlfriend on May 21, asking her to…

  • Phuket NewsIntoxicated Phuket man whacks cars and houses with iron bar

    Intoxicated Phuket man whacks cars and houses with iron bar

    An intoxicated Phuket man yesterday wreaked havoc in a housing estate in Phuket’s main city district. The man went around whacking cars and houses in an estate with an iron bar that had a sharp end. Residents alerted Wichit Police of the carnage the man caused to damage cars and houses, and the police arrived on the scene to find…

  • Central Thailand NewsCultural officer in central Thailand caught stealing govt money

    Cultural officer in central Thailand caught stealing govt money

    Another story of corruption in Thailand… A cultural officer in Thailand’s central Ayutthaya province was caught yesterday stealing government money meant to pay for a religious ceremony. The provincial cultural officer, 58 year old Chureeporn, worked with a friend, so far only known as “B,” to steal 80,000 baht from the government. Chureeporn drafted a proposal for the government to…

  • World NewsPakistan flood death toll rises, agencies warn country needs long-term aid

    Pakistan flood death toll rises, agencies warn country needs long-term aid

    The death toll from Pakistan’s devastating floods continues to rise, and things are getting worse. The official death toll now stands at 1,325, including 466 children. Up to 33 million people have been affected by the floods. Pakistan’s total population is 220.9 million. Now, UN officials are warning that Pakistan’s situation is likely to keep going downhill. The country is…

  • Bangkok NewsPolice punish (some of) Bangkok’s school rival fighters

    Police punish (some of) Bangkok’s school rival fighters

    After about 110 students from two rival schools brawled in the middle of Bangkok last month, some of the youngsters are now facing the consequences. About 60 students from Pathumwan Institute of Technology clashed with about 50 students from the Rajamangala University of Technology in the area of Bangkok’s national stadium on August 25. The stadium is located in the…

  • Eastern Thailand NewsVIDEO: 15 students on truck in eastern Thailand get caught in flood

    VIDEO: 15 students on truck in eastern Thailand get caught in flood

    Fifteen students on a songthaew truck in Thailand’s eastern province of Rayong got caught in a flood in the main city district. The students had been on their way to school in the morning when run-off flooded the truck. The water level quickly rose to the middle of the truck’s height. One student tried to get out of the truck,…

  • World NewsJustin Bieber postpones rest of world tour due to health issues

    Justin Bieber postpones rest of world tour due to health issues

    Pop sensation Justin Bieber yesterday announced that he is postponing the rest of his Justice World Tour due to health issues. Bieber had revealed earlier this year that he suffers from Ramsay-Hunt Syndrome, which has made his face partially paralysed. In an Instagram story yesterday, he wrote that performing on tour in Europe has exhausted him. He said that because…

  • Crime NewsThai druggie claims he threw rocks at cars because ghosts bullied him

    Thai druggie claims he threw rocks at cars because ghosts bullied him

    Ahh, another ordinary day in Thailand… A druggie in central Thailand’s Suphan Buri province claims he hurled rocks at cars because ghosts and big cars were bullying him. Police arrested the man, Saranpat Boonchuay, on Monday night after two drivers in U Thong district complained that a man on a blue motorcycle had thrown rocks at their cars. A truck’s…