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.
  • Phuket NewsWoman searches for sister who went missing on Phuket trip

    Woman searches for sister who went missing on Phuket trip

    A woman is searching for her sister, who she says went missing on a trip from Bangkok to Phuket. The woman, ​​Prangthip Kottathum, says her sister, 27 year old Vannapa Bamrab, went missing on April 11. ​​Prangthip​ filed a missing person report to Hua Mak Police Station on Thursday, April 13, Khao Phuket reported. Pranthip said that Vannapa called one…

  • Pattaya NewsOops! Cardi B rips hotpants onstage while twerking in Pattaya

    Oops! Cardi B rips hotpants onstage while twerking in Pattaya

    It turns out, even American celebrities have wild nights in Pattaya. A twerking session in Pattaya went massively wrong for music sensation Cardi B after her hotpants ripped onstage, news outlets reported yesterday. This was at the event Rolling Loud Thailand 2023. The event began in Pattaya on Thursday and lasts until today (Saturday). Footage from Daily Mail shows the 30 year…

  • Thailand NewsMum of British backpacker who died in Thailand warns of signs of dengue fever

    Mum of British backpacker who died in Thailand warns of signs of dengue fever

    The mum of a British backpacker who died in Thailand in 2016 is warning others to spot the signs of dengue fever that her son experienced before his tragic death. Her son, 21 year old Bob Toulson-Burke, died just two weeks after developing flu-like symptoms while travelling. Bob’s mother, Jayne, told Evening Standard yesterday that his symptoms included headaches, nausea,…

  • Crime NewsPhuket kitchen staffer stabs colleague to death

    Phuket kitchen staffer stabs colleague to death

    A Phuket kitchen staffer stabbed his colleague to death in the car park of a well-known hotel in Cherng Talay on Thursday, The Phuket Express and The Phuket News reported last night. The suspect, 20 year old Sarayut stabbed 23 year old Roongroj, in the stomach. Cherng Talay Police rushed to the scene after being informed of the incident at around 4.30pm. Upon arriving…

  • Tourism NewsTAT expects Phuket to generate at least 4.5 billion baht during Songkran

    TAT expects Phuket to generate at least 4.5 billion baht during Songkran

    The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) expects Phuket to generate at least 4.5 billion baht during the Songkran Festival, with over 200,000 tourists expected to visit the island province. The director of TAT’s Phuket Office, Lertchai Wangtrakundee, stated that 84% of hotel rooms have already been booked from April 13 to April 16. Additionally, 258 international flights with 48,302 passengers…

  • Tourism NewsTourism Authority of Thailand pushing for 150,000 Saudi tourists this year

    Tourism Authority of Thailand pushing for 150,000 Saudi tourists this year

    Thailand continues to set new tourism goals. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is now pushing for 150,000 Saudi tourists this year, according to Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, TAT’s deputy governor of Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas. The improved diplomatic relations between Thailand and Saudi Arabia have had a very positive impact on Thailand’s tourism sector, Siripakorn said. There…

  • Crime NewsBangkok rescue volunteers brawl over territory

    Bangkok rescue volunteers brawl over territory

    It turns out, turf battles happen even among rescue volunteers. Rescue volunteer teams from Ruamkatanyu and Petchkasem foundations brawled over territory on Monday night following a motorcycle accident on Bamrung Road, TV Channel 7 reported. The teams initially attempted to negotiate but the talks turned into an argument, leading to members of both groups attacking each other. More rescuers from both…

  • World NewsSex traffickers held Southeast Asian women captive in South Korea

    Sex traffickers held Southeast Asian women captive in South Korea

    Sex traffickers held four Southeast Asian women captive on South Korea‘s Jeju Island. Jeju provincial police said they arrested four subjects who allegedly held the women, The Korean Herald and Asia News Network reported yesterday. The suspects included a Korean bar owner in his 40s, his Chinese wife, and two other accomplices. The suspects were sent to the prosecutor’s office. The victims…

  • Tourism NewsEntry fees to Thailand’s Phi Phi islands reeling in 1 million baht a day

    Entry fees to Thailand’s Phi Phi islands reeling in 1 million baht a day

    Entry fees to Thailand’s Phi-Phi islands have been reeling in about 1 million baht a day for the country’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, since the introduction of the e-ticketing system last July. Revenue from entry fees has increased by 20 to 30% to an average of 1 million baht per day, amounting to a total of 137…

  • World NewsExiled Chinese Christians arrive safely in US from Thailand

    Exiled Chinese Christians arrive safely in US from Thailand

    A group of exiled Chinese Christians, who feared persecution if they were sent back to China, arrived safely in the United States. The group had been detained for overstaying their visas in Thailand, where they had been trying to arrange formal passage to the US. The group arrested included 63 members of China’s Mayflower Church. The group believed that Chinese…

  • Thailand NewsBritish tourists to Thailand: Are you really covered? Travel insurance warning for medical emergencies

    British tourists to Thailand: Are you really covered? Travel insurance warning for medical emergencies

    British tourists travelling to Thailand are being warned that their travel insurance policies may not cover them in the event of a medical emergency. Most travel insurance is not designed to cover life-saving operations or expensive repatriation. The Association of British Insurers pointed out that 17% of all overseas claims are rejected due to lack of documentation, and the average…

  • Crime NewsTwo separate shootings rock South Thailand, claiming 5 victims

    Two separate shootings rock South Thailand, claiming 5 victims

    Two separate shootings rocked South Thailand yesterday, claiming a total of five victims. In Surat Thani province, an unidentified gunman shot four people dead at a house, including two former village heads and his wife. The gunman attacked the victims at a house in Khiri Rat Dikhom district. Police identified three of the victims as former village headman Thammarong Nilniyom,…

  • Crime NewsPattaya cops arrest British man and Thai woman suspected of trafficking

    Pattaya cops arrest British man and Thai woman suspected of trafficking

    Pattaya cops arrested a British man and a Thai woman suspected of human trafficking, the Daily Mail reported on Friday. Officers raided the Flirt bar on Soi 6 Road, known for its many sex bars, on April 5. There, they arrested a British man named William Reece, and a 31 year old Thai woman named Jaranya Deeppair. Officers said that arrest…

  • Pattaya NewsTerrible crash in Chon Buri kills 4, including pregnant worker

    Terrible crash in Chon Buri kills 4, including pregnant worker

    A terrible crash on Motorway Route 7 in Chon Buri killed four people early this morning, including a pregnant worker. The accident occurred when a van carrying migrant workers rear-ended a trailer truck on the Pattaya-inbound lane in the Nong Khang Khok sub-district of the main city district. Rescuers and police rushed to the scene to find a passenger van…

  • Environment NewsWork from home measure in Chiang Mai continues today and tomorrow

    Work from home measure in Chiang Mai continues today and tomorrow

    Chiang Mai’s air pollution problem is continuing to wreak havoc on the province. Chiang Mai‘s work from home measure, introduced by the provincial administration yesterday will continue until tomorrow (Sunday), Thai PBS reported. This is due to the PM2.5 pollution problem in the province, which has not improved. Governor Nirat Pongsitthavorn announced that the public will be informed if there…

  • Crime NewsPhuket authorities catch third illegal Chinese worker this week

    Phuket authorities catch third illegal Chinese worker this week

    Phuket authorities caught an illegal Chinese worker at Phuket International Airport last night. The unnamed man is the third illegal Chinese worker caught at the airport this week. Phuket Immigration checkpoint reported the incident in a Facebook post today. According to the post, the man was arrested at around 7.15pm in the ‘tour parking lot.’ The man was handed over…

  • World NewsOfficial says 1,000 Myanmar refugees voluntarily returned home from Thailand

    Official says 1,000 Myanmar refugees voluntarily returned home from Thailand

    After thousands of refugees fled Myanmar to Thailand due to the latest outbreak of violence, the deputy governor of Tak province, Surapol Wongsukphisarn, said yesterday that around 1,000 refugees had voluntarily returned home. This news comes after it was reported yesterday morning that thousands of people seeking refuge in Tak’s Mae Sot and Mae Ramat districts. The heavy fighting in…

  • Crime NewsPhuket Police arrest Ukrainian woman for spray painting slogans at viewpoint

    Phuket Police arrest Ukrainian woman for spray painting slogans at viewpoint

    Phuket Police yesterday morning arrested a Ukrainian woman for spray painting slogans critical of Russia at a popular viewpoint. The 34 year old woman spray painted “#Russia is a terrorist state,” and “#Russia” on rocks and a bench at Khao Khad Viewpoint in the Wichit sub-district of Phuket’s main city district. Wichit Police tracked the woman down through CCTV footage.…

  • Road deathsCrash kills Pattaya couple on motorbike

    Crash kills Pattaya couple on motorbike

    Last night, a couple from Pattaya lost their lives in a motorcycle accident. The deceased were identified as Santisuk Sae-tan, a 31 year old man, and Chatchawan Kangwanwuthikul, a 31 year old woman. The tragic incident occurred at approximately 8pm on a road situated in front of Khao Mai Kaew temple. Rescuers arrived on the scene to find that a…

  • Crime NewsPolice find remains in South Thailand believed to be missing official

    Police find remains in South Thailand believed to be missing official

    Police and paramilitary rangers found human remains in South Thailand yesterday morning, which are believed to be those of a missing local official. The authorities found the bones on a cliff in Moo 6 village of Sri Sakhorn district in Pattani province. Along with the bones, they found the ID card of the chief of the Tambon Don Administrative Organisation,…

  • Crime NewsProminent Thai doctor a suspect in case surrounding Chinese surrogacy gang

    Prominent Thai doctor a suspect in case surrounding Chinese surrogacy gang

    A prominent Thai doctor is a suspect in a case surrounding a Chinese surrogacy gang, Nation Thailand reported yesterday. This news comes after police raided a five-storey building in Bangkok’s Silom area on Tuesday, and found that a gang of Chinese and Myanmar nationals were holding two Chinese men for ransom. Police said the two victims were using the building to…

  • Koh Samui NewsGerman woman injured after falling at Koh Samui waterfall

    German woman injured after falling at Koh Samui waterfall

    A tourist from Germany sustained injuries while visiting Koh Samui, one of Thailand‘s beautiful tropical destinations. The incident occurred when a German woman fell at a waterfall on Koh Samui, Na Mueang 2 Waterfall, and it took rescue teams and officials over 20 minutes to reach her location on foot. The team found the woman, 38 year old Sina Dahmann,…

  • Phuket News48 baby sea turtles successfully hatch in Phang Nga

    48 baby sea turtles successfully hatch in Phang Nga

    In some uplifting news, 48 baby leatherback sea turtles successfully hatched in Phang Nga‘s Tai Mueang district, The Phuket Express reported yesterday. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) confirmed the good news, saying the turtles made their way into the sea. According to the DMCR, 48 of the eggs successfully hatched and the baby turtles were able to…

  • Crime NewsKorean overstayer in Pattaya fakes abduction to get money for Thai girlfriend

    Korean overstayer in Pattaya fakes abduction to get money for Thai girlfriend

    Some people take very desperate measures to get money. A Korean overstayer in Pattaya faked his own abduction to get money for his Thai girlfriend‘s expenses. Unfortunately for him, things didn’t go according to plan. The young man, 24 year old Kim Hyeongil, lied to his parents that he had been kidnapped before he was about to board a flight…

  • World NewsDNA results are in for Polish woman who claimed to be Madeleine McCann

    DNA results are in for Polish woman who claimed to be Madeleine McCann

    The DNA results are in for the Polish woman who in February claimed to be Madeleine McCann, the toddler who disappeared on a family vacation in Portugal in 2007. The woman, 21 year old Julia Wendell, is not the missing girl, according to a DNA test. In a statement posted on Instagram, Wendell’s spokesperson, psychic medium Dr Fia Johansson, said…

  • Crime NewsMurder of Chinese student in Thailand was reportedly over rejection

    Murder of Chinese student in Thailand was reportedly over rejection

    The murder of a 22 year old Chinese student in Thailand was motivated by rejection, media reported yesterday. New information has come to light in the case of Jin Can, a Chinese student who was reported kidnapped for ransom, and her body was later found in a banana plantation in the Bang Yai district in the central Nonthaburi province. According…

  • Crime NewsThai police find body believed to be kidnapped Chinese woman

    Thai police find body believed to be kidnapped Chinese woman

    In the central province of Nonthaburi, Thai authorities discovered a body that they suspect to be that of a Chinese woman who was abducted, inside a banana plantation. The body was found in the Bang Yai sub-district of Bang Yai district yesterday. The victim, believed to be a Chinese student named Jin Can, had reportedly been kidnapped for ransom before…

  • Thailand NewsThailand’s 45-day visa exemption is back to 30 days

    Thailand’s 45-day visa exemption is back to 30 days

    Thailand’s 45-day visa exemption is back down to 30 days for visitors to the kingdom from a list of around 60 countries. Starting from April 1 (yesterday), visitors from mainland Europe, the UK, the US, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and other countries will only be granted a 30-day stay in Thailand if they choose to enter the country without obtaining a…

  • Pattaya NewsMore than 20 Chon Buri teens brawl on Bang Saen beach, tourists flee

    More than 20 Chon Buri teens brawl on Bang Saen beach, tourists flee

    More than 20 Chon Buri teens brawled on Bang Saen beach on Thursday night, causing horrified tourists to flee the area. The rowdy teen boys reportedly fought at a crowded tourist spot on the beach, attacking each other with kitchen utensils and wooden sticks while shouting and cursing. Horrified tourists fled the area out of fear for their safety. A…

  • Phuket NewsPhang Nga arsonist unashamed after burning down floating restaurant

    Phang Nga arsonist unashamed after burning down floating restaurant

    A shameless arsonist showed no compassion after destroying a floating restaurant in Phang Nga on Friday. Takua Thung Police arrived at the restaurant located on a canal in Baan Chong Nuea in Kalai sub-district of Takua Thung district and found it engulfed in flames, with the suspect, 31 year old Wanat Looklek, watching it burn. Wanat admitted to police that…