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.
  • Environment NewsPhuket officials respond to black water at beach

    Phuket officials respond to black water at beach

    UPDATE Phuket officials have responded to the incident involving black water flowing into the sea at a beach. The black wastewater at Karon Beach near Nong Harn Lake came to officials’ attention on Sunday. A report by the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department said the water was “causing tourists to panic and run away from the sea.” Officers from…

  • Tourism NewsThailand gears up to welcome more cruise ships

    Thailand gears up to welcome more cruise ships

    Thailand is gearing up to welcome more cruise ships. The country is making efforts to improve existing ports, and building new ones, according to government spokesperson Anucha Buraphachaisri. Today, Anucha cited data from the Tourism and Sports Ministry, revealing that cruises are becoming increasingly popular among tourists. Some 1,800 to 2,400 tourists arrive in Thailand on cruise ships every year…

  • Pattaya NewsFinnish expat found dead with throat cut in Chon Buri

    Finnish expat found dead with throat cut in Chon Buri

    A Finnish expat was found dead with his throat cut in Thailand’s Chon Buri province this morning. His Thai wife, 49 year old Aranya Srisaeng, told police that she was the first person to find the body of her husband, 57 year old Markku Tapanni Karjalainen. His death was reported at 8.30am. Karjalainen had lived with Aranya in a single-storey…

  • Thailand NewsThailand’s Phetchaburi immigration office to move next month

    Thailand’s Phetchaburi immigration office to move next month

    Thailand’s Phetchaburi Immigration office is set to move to a new location next month. The office will move from its current location in Tha Yang to a new office in Cha-am, with the opening date scheduled for March 20, 2023. The new location will be situated in Khao Yai sub-district, near Khao Nang Phanthurat Forest Park, and is expected to offer…

  • Bangkok NewsCollapsed crane kills Cambodian worker at Bangkok construction site

    Collapsed crane kills Cambodian worker at Bangkok construction site

    Tragedy struck at a construction site in the Chatuchak district of Bangkok yesterday when a tower crane collapsed and killed a Cambodian worker. Thai news outlet Channel 7 reported that the crane’s sling was broken, causing the crane’s arm to crash down on the worker, 31 year old Sophanna. Two other Cambodian workers were injured in the incident. One of the…

  • Environment NewsPhuket residents call on authorities to investigate black water at beach

    Phuket residents call on authorities to investigate black water at beach

    Phuket residents are calling on authorities to investigate after foul-smelling black water was found flowing into the sea at a beach. On Sunday, residents and tourists were shocked to find lots of black water pouring into the sea at Karon Beach near Nong Harn Lake. Swimmers rushed out of the sea after seeing the black water. According to The Phuket…

  • Bangkok NewsBangkok police help Chinese tourist get phone back after she left it in a cab

    Bangkok police help Chinese tourist get phone back after she left it in a cab

    Bangkok police helped a Chinese tourist get her phone back after she accidentally left it in a cab. The incident happened on Friday at around 5.45pm near Bangkok’s Ratchaprasong intersection. Chinese national Wang Chunhua notified Lumpini Police Station about her missing phone through the SOS system under the Smart Safety Zone initiative. After receiving the report, officers went to the…

  • Crime NewsMan accuses Ukrainian in Phuket of working illegally as taxi driver

    Man accuses Ukrainian in Phuket of working illegally as taxi driver

    A man accused a Ukrainian national in Phuket of working illegally as a taxi driver. The accuser recorded a video of a Ukrainian man, 35 year old Andril Mindalin, parking a passenger van on a side street in Patong. Four people were in the back of the van, The Phuket News reported. The man who recorded the video accused Mindalin…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya club that burned down in 2021 not allowed to reopen

    Pattaya club that burned down in 2021 not allowed to reopen

    A Pattaya club that burned down in 2021 won’t be allowed to reopen. The city plans to sue the owner of the Nashaa Club, which caught fire three times that year, Pattaya Mail reported today. The Nashaa Club was an Indian club on Pattaya‘s Walking Street. Pattaya officials have claimed that the club is one of 101 buildings illegally encroaching onto seafront…

  • Pattaya NewsCruise ship brings over 2,000 European tourists to Koh Samui and Chon Buri

    Cruise ship brings over 2,000 European tourists to Koh Samui and Chon Buri

    A cruise ship brought over 2,000 European tourists to Thailand’s lush holiday paradise of Koh Samui, before heading to Chon Buri province. The 2,409 tourists and 924 crew members arrived at Koh Samui‘s Na Thon Pier on Saturday on a Mein Schiff 5 cruise ship. The tourists would enjoy a one-day trip before heading to Sri Racha district of Chon…

  • Thailand NewsCar crash in Kanchanaburi kills German tourist and Thai driver

    Car crash in Kanchanaburi kills German tourist and Thai driver

    A car crash in Kanchanaburi province tragically killed a German tourist and a Thai tour van driver yesterday in Sai Yok district. The incident took place at around 6pm near kilometre marker 127+800 on Highway 323 (Sai Yok-Thong Pha Phum), near Moo 4 village in tambon Tha Sao. The crash happened when a Toyota Fortuner veered across the middle line…

  • Environment NewsThai national park wins prestigious environmental award

    Thai national park wins prestigious environmental award

    Thailand struggles to maintain its environment due to pollution, but some national parks are fighting to protect the country’s natural beauty. A national park in Thailand‘s Prachuap Khirik Khan province won a prestigious environmental award. The country’s Department of Environmental Quality Promotion and the Department of National Parks awarded Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park with the Green National Park…

  • Pattaya NewsScammers nab 16 million baht from Chon Buri businessman through app

    Scammers nab 16 million baht from Chon Buri businessman through app

    Thailand’s scammers have struck again, nabbing 16 million baht from a Chon Buri businessman through an app. They used what they claimed was an Internal Trade Department app to take control of the victim’s phone. The victim, 40 year old Watchara Srichuengcharoenchai, said one of the scammers called him on Friday, claiming to be an official from Internal Trade Department.…

  • Crime NewsPhuket police bust another bar over legal closing time

    Phuket police bust another bar over legal closing time

    Phuket police busted another bar over the legal closing time. Officers from Mueang Phuket District and Wichit Police raided Phuket a bar in the Wichit sub-district of the main city district in the early hours of Friday morning. This was after concerned citizens complained that the bar was opened past the legal closing time. The cops arrested the bar’s manager,…

  • Bangkok NewsCompany ranks Bangkok 30th best city in the world, 2nd best in ASEAN

    Company ranks Bangkok 30th best city in the world, 2nd best in ASEAN

    Thailand’s capital city of Bangkok has been ranked high lately on several lists of cities in a number of different areas. Now, a famous tourism consulting company, Resonance Consultancy, has named the Bangkok the 30th best city in the world, and the second best in ASEAN. A Thai government spokesperson, Anucha Burapachaisri, announced on the ranking on Saturday. Resonance Consultancy…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya teen motorcyclist seriously injures pedestrian

    Pattaya teen motorcyclist seriously injures pedestrian

    A Pattaya teen motorcyclist seriously injured a pedestrian on Wednesday night. Rescuers rushed to the scene on Soi Bun Samphan 13 to find the victim, a 49 year old woman named Pornthip Kiatkamonchai, lying in the middle of the road. The rescuers found the rider, a 15 year old boy, with only very slight injuries. The rescuers said the boy…

  • Phuket NewsOfficials find illegal houses encroaching on Phuket mangrove area

    Officials find illegal houses encroaching on Phuket mangrove area

    Officials found illegal houses encroaching on a protected mangrove area in Phuket. The team of officers from the Mangrove Resource Conservation Division of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) found the six illegal houses on Wednesday. The team found the illegal houses on Soi Rong Foam in Moo 1 in Ratsada. The houses had been built in an…

  • Tourism NewsTAT expects roadshow to help bring 5 million Chinese tourists to Thailand this year

    TAT expects roadshow to help bring 5 million Chinese tourists to Thailand this year

    Earlier this week, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) launched its ‘Amazing Thailand Amazing New Chapters Roadshow to China 2023.’ The roadshow began on 21 February in Shanghai and later moved to Chengdu and Guangzhou. TAT expects the roadshow to help it reach its goal of welcoming 5 million tourists to Thailand this year. The roadshow aimed to create business…

  • Crime NewsBig Joke to visit America to discuss Thailand’s human trafficking ranking

    Big Joke to visit America to discuss Thailand’s human trafficking ranking

    Deputy National Police Chief General Surachate Hakparn, aka ‘Big Joke,’ is set to visit America to discuss Thailand’s human trafficking ranking. Big Joke is answering questions from American officials about Thailand’s efforts to tackle human trafficking, before the US releases its annual Trafficking In Persons (TIP) report in July, Nation Thailand reported. Countries are ranked on their efforts to fight…

  • Crime NewsCops raid Phuket bar operating past closing time

    Cops raid Phuket bar operating past closing time

    Cops raided a Phuket bar that was reportedly opening and selling alcohol past the legal closing time. A team from Mueang Phuket District and Phuket City Police raided the bar at 1.09am on Wednesday, 77 Kaoded reported. The bar is located on Chana Jaroen Road in the Talad Yai sub-district of the main city district. The team found over 200…

  • World NewsCambodian woman finds success selling Thai stir-fried ice cream

    Cambodian woman finds success selling Thai stir-fried ice cream

    A Cambodian woman has found success by selling Thai-style stir-fried ice cream in her country. The woman, Ouk Chanvoleak, learned how to make the dessert in Thailand before opening her business on Pub Street in Siem Reap in 2014. The street food, also known as rolled ice cream, grew popular in Thailand around 2012. However, starting the business was not…

  • Crime NewsPathetic Pattaya thief claims he financially struggles due to partying

    Pathetic Pattaya thief claims he financially struggles due to partying

    A pathetic Pattaya thief claimed he financially struggled due to spending his money on partying. Police caught the man, 31 year old Wasan Kerdmongkol from Chaiyaphum province, trying to steal money from an ATM at a gas station in Pattaya. The cops had been alerted by a Good Samaritan. Wasan used steel-cutting pliers, a crowbar, and safety glasses, in an…

  • Phuket NewsAeroplane makes emergency landing in Phuket

    Aeroplane makes emergency landing in Phuket

    An aeroplane made an emergency landing in Phuket yesterday. The Thai Smile Airways Airbus A320 made the landing at Phuket International Airport at 1pm due to engine problems. The Phuket Info Center, which operates under the Phuket Provincial Office, confirmed the incident today. According to the centre’s report, the A320 made a “hard landing” with a tailstrike on the runway.…

  • Tourism NewsSurvey finds Thai tourism enterprises unprepared for foreign tourists

    Survey finds Thai tourism enterprises unprepared for foreign tourists

    A nationwide survey has revealed that most small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Thailand are not prepared for the return of foreign tourists this year. Conducted by the Office of Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion (OSMEP), the survey questioned 572 business owners from six regions on their readiness for the upcoming tourist season and found that many are more reliant…

  • LifestyleMesmerising cultural festival coming up in central Thailand

    Mesmerising cultural festival coming up in central Thailand

    A mesmerising cultural festival is coming up in central Thailand. The 36th Phra Nakhon Khiri Festival is set to take place in Phetchaburi province from March 17 to 26, and it is an event not to be missed. The annual festival celebrates the rich history and traditions of the region and will be held around Phra Nakhon Khiri park, also…

  • Crime NewsPolice arrest Russian man and Thai woman in Patong over cannabis and work permits

    Police arrest Russian man and Thai woman in Patong over cannabis and work permits

    Police arrested a Russian man and a Thai woman in Patong over cannabis and work permits. This was after Kathu District Chief Thitiwat Boonkit led a team to inspect cannabis shops in Patong, The Phuket Express reported yesterday. The Thai woman, identified as 39 year old Apiradee Hanyek, was accused of selling cannabis buds without a permit. Some 175 bags…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket vice governor reports over 500 motorbike accidents in 2 months involving tourists

    Phuket vice governor reports over 500 motorbike accidents in 2 months involving tourists

    Phuket’s vice governor reported that over 500 motorbike accidents have occurred in the area involving foreign tourists in the past two months. Phuket Vice Governor Anuphap led a meeting on the increasingly pressing issue yesterday. Anuphap said many of the accidents involved foreign tourists who had rented motorbikes. He said… “Eighty percent of them do not have driving licenses, some…

  • Crime News50 year old case solved involving American murderer who became a monk in Thailand

    50 year old case solved involving American murderer who became a monk in Thailand

    American authorities have finally solved a case from 50 years ago involving an American man who murdered a teacher, before moving to Thailand to become a monk. Authorities in the eastern state of Vermont solved the case thanks to a discarded cigarette butt. The case involved the killing of Rita Curran, a 24 year old teacher who was strangled to death…

  • Environment NewsThailand to ban all plastic waste imports in 2025

    Thailand to ban all plastic waste imports in 2025

    Thailand has taken a significant step toward reducing its plastic waste by announcing a complete ban on plastic waste imports from January 1, 2025. The decision, made by the Thai Cabinet today, is part of the country’s ongoing efforts to tackle the escalating problem of plastic waste, which is contributing to environmental degradation and posing a threat to human health.…

  • Crime NewsThai Cyber Police nab 3 more suspects in macau888 case

    Thai Cyber Police nab 3 more suspects in macau888 case

    Thai Cyber Police nabbed three more suspects in the case involving the macau888 gambling network. Officers from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) raided two spots in Bangkok, and one in the northeast province of Sakhon Nakhon, Thai PBS reported yesterday. Police found two women in a room of a condominium in Bangkok’s Phahonyothin area. One of the women was…

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