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.
  • World NewsDengue fever breaks out in Singapore

    Dengue fever breaks out in Singapore

    Dengue fever has broken out in Singapore, as the number of cases has already climbed to more than double the number throughout all of 2021. The city-state’s peak dengue season usually begins on June 1. A spokesperson for Singapore’s Ministry of Health told CNN that on May 28 this year, Singapore already had about 11,670 cases. Throughout all of 2021,…

  • Phuket NewsMan dies after being swept out to sea in Phuket

    Man dies after being swept out to sea in Phuket

    A man in Phuket’s Thalang district has died after being swept out to sea when he went fishing near a beach earlier this week. Rescuers found the man’s body between several giant rocks near Banana Beach on Monday (June 6). The man’s girlfriend said he had been fishing on a rock on Sunday as she accompanied him. When a huge…

  • Thailand NewsEven Thailand’s monkeys don’t have monkeypox

    Even Thailand’s monkeys don’t have monkeypox

    Thai officials have now run tens of thousands of tests for monkeypox on monkeys throughout Thailand (we’re not quite sure why). There have so far been 25,000 tests, out of 50,000 monkeys in 222 locations across the country. Yesterday, a veterinarian at the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Phattarapol Mee-on, announced that all the tests have turned…

  • Phuket NewsNewborn baby allegedly has broken arm after staying in Phuket hospital

    Newborn baby allegedly has broken arm after staying in Phuket hospital

    A new mother in Phuket is dealing with a horrifying situation after a nurse informed her that her baby had a broken arm. The baby has had to stay in the hospital since she was born on May 23, and a doctor said she choked on amniotic fluid and needed a lung X-ray. The mother, 30 year old Aujchara Jantararat,…

  • World NewsSingapore is looking to Thailand and other countries for its chicken supplies

    Singapore is looking to Thailand and other countries for its chicken supplies

    Singapore’s chicken supply is depending on Thailand, plus a few other countries, after Malaysia banned poultry exports last month. Before the ban, about a third of Singapore’s chicken came from Malaysia. In a country that takes its Chicken Rice meal VERY seriously, the situation has become an acute supply chain shortage in the island nation. Singaporean Minister of State for…

  • World NewsThree charged over rape of a mother of two on a train in Pakistan

    Three charged over rape of a mother of two on a train in Pakistan

    Three men in Pakistan have been arrested over the rape of a woman on a train from Karachi to Multan on May 27. Pakistan’s railway ministry reported that the men asked the woman to move to a carriage with air conditioning, before they attacked her on the moving train. One of the accused is a ticket checker for the train.…

  • World NewsStarving Rohingyas found in South Thailand national park

    Starving Rohingyas found in South Thailand national park

    The chief of a national park in south Thailand announced yesterday (Saturday) that 59 Rohingya migrants had appeared on a beach there .The chief, Phanpong Kongkaeo, said his assistant alerted him that the 59 people appear to be starving and had no food or supplies with them. Phanpong said he has ordered food and drinking water for them. Tarutao National…

  • Tourism NewsAnother tourism goal for Thailand – 3,000 Indian tourists a day

    Another tourism goal for Thailand – 3,000 Indian tourists a day

    Thailand’s tourism authorities seem to announce a new goal every day. While the Tourism Authority of Thailand is aiming for Saudi and Australian tourists in Phuket, TAT has also announced a goal last week for Thailand as a whole: 3,000 Indian tourists a day. The TAT is aiming to meet its goal through various promotional campaigns and special travel incentives.…

  • Northern Thailand NewsPolice investigate blast in Northeast Thailand that killed lecturer

    Police investigate blast in Northeast Thailand that killed lecturer

    Police in Northeast Thailand are investigating a blast that tragically killed a university lecturer in Sakhon Nakhon province’s city district on Friday. Police say the lecturer, 41 year old Pichai Srimanta, was killed when doing a research project to extract oil from plastic waste at a garbage dump, where the explosion happened. A worker who witnessed the tragedy said the extraction…

  • Phuket NewsDolphin washes up on Phang Nga beach, likely from strong waves

    Dolphin washes up on Phang Nga beach, likely from strong waves

    Locals discovered a dolphin washed up on the shore of a beach in Phang Nga province yesterday, just north of Phuket. A local man tipped off the Royal Thai Navy about the dolphin, and officials from the navy and the Sea Turtle Conservation Centre arrived on the scene. The dolphin was then transferred to the Phuket Marine Biological Centre in…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya woman allegedly runs off with boyfriend’s belongings

    Pattaya woman allegedly runs off with boyfriend’s belongings

    A woman in Pattaya has allegedly run off with several of her boyfriend’s belongings, after he let her stay in his condo while he was in Germany. A 41 year old German national under the psyudonym ‘Peter’ told reporters he had returned to his condo in Pattaya after travel restrictions eased, planning to surprise his girlfriend ‘Fah’. He said he…

  • World NewsUnited States CDC says over 700 cases of monkeypox worldwide

    United States CDC says over 700 cases of monkeypox worldwide

    The United State’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention announced yesterday that it knew of over 700 cases of monkeypox worldwide. The CDC said there were 21 cases in the US. Today the number of cases, worldwide has reached nearly 900. Although 14 of the cases in the US are thought to be travel-linked, CDC officials say that at least…

  • World NewsJapan facing rise in ‘Long Covid’ cases

    Japan facing rise in ‘Long Covid’ cases

    Japan is seeing a number of people report having so-called ‘Long Covid’ symptoms, including fatigue, coughing and memory memory loss. Tokyo’s metropolitan government found that of the 2,039 people reporting Long Covid symptoms, 97% only had mild symptoms when they were infected with the coronavirus between January and April. 74% had no underlying disease, and more than 70% were aged…

  • South Thailand NewsPub fight in South Thailand leaves 3 dead

    Pub fight in South Thailand leaves 3 dead

    Three men were killed in a pub fight in South Thailand’s Nakhon Si Thammarat province in the early hours of the morning yesterday. Another man was seriously injured in the fight, which occurred in the main city district. City police said 2 rival groups were gathered at the pub’s car park after visiting the pub, when the deadly exchange began.…

  • Pattaya NewsBaby of rare endangered species born at Chon Buri zoo

    Baby of rare endangered species born at Chon Buri zoo

    Members of the rare endangered tapir species have welcomed a new little member at a zoo in Sri Racha district of Chon Buri province. Although some think tapirs look like pigs with small trunks, they are actually related to horses and rhinos. The new tapir baby was born last month in Khao Kheo Open Zoo, although his birth was only…

  • Thailand TravelPhuket hopes to attract Saudi and Australian tourists

    Phuket hopes to attract Saudi and Australian tourists

    After Thai tourism officials’ major efforts to attract Saudi tourists to the Kingdom, Phuket’s tourism industry is hoping to bring in more Saudi tourists to the island province. It also hopes to draw more Australian tourists – a staple of the island’s tourism market for 30 years. The director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Sydney office, Suladda Sarutilavan, said…

  • Bangkok NewsDon’t forget Bangkok’s first real Pride parade tomorrow

    Don’t forget Bangkok’s first real Pride parade tomorrow

    In case you didn’t know, Bangkok will hold its first real Pride parade tomorrow (Sunday), Bangkok Naruemit Pride, as a celebration of Thailand’s LGBT+ community. The parade is set to start at 4pm at Maha Uma Devi Temple, a Hindu temple sometimes called ‘Wat Khaek’ or ‘South Asian temple’ in Thai slang. The temple is located on Pan Road and…

  • Thailand NewsThai authorities say 12 people who were in contact with monkeypox are low-risk

    Thai authorities say 12 people who were in contact with monkeypox are low-risk

    Thailand’s Department of Disease Control says 12 people who came into contact with a confirmed monkeypox patient earlier this week are low-risk, since they don’t have symptoms. A passenger with monkeypox was in Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport for 2 hours before he caught a flight to Australia, where he was confirmed to have the virus. The DDC said today that there…

  • Crime NewsThai police and organisations award people money for videos of traffic violators

    Thai police and organisations award people money for videos of traffic violators

    As part of a road safety campaign, Royal Thai Police collaborated with several organisations and companies to award people with cash for video clips of traffic violations. During the “7 Dangerous Days” of Thailand’s Songkran holiday, when the number of road deaths usually spikes, drivers took dashboard videos of other drivers violating traffic laws. The winners earned prize money from…

  • World NewsShooting in Oklahoma kills 4

    Shooting in Oklahoma kills 4

    After a school shooting in Texas rocked global headlines last week and destroyed the lives of the victim’s families in Uvalde, Texas, there’s been another shooting in the neighbouring state of Oklahoma in the US. The shooter shot and killed 4 people in a medical building on a hospital campus in Tulsa yesterday before shooting himself dead. Tulsa Police Department…

  • Tourism NewsAfter Middle East, Thailand’s TAT brings tourism road show to Europe

    After Middle East, Thailand’s TAT brings tourism road show to Europe

    After the Tourism Authority of Thailand travelled to Saudi Arabia in a roadshow last month, the TAT has now brought its tourism campaign to Europe. From May 23-25, the TAT travelled to 3 European countries to promote its campaign “Visit Thailand Year 2022: Amazing New Chapters”. The campaign promotes medical tourism, beaches, and shopping in Thailand. In the European roadshow,…

  • South Thailand NewsPolice investigate whether killing in South Thailand was insurgency related

    Police investigate whether killing in South Thailand was insurgency related

    Police in southern Thailand are investigating whether a recent killing was related to a personal conflict, or the ongoing ‘South Thailand Insurgency’. Officers in Bannang Sata district Yala province found a man’s body in a fruit orchard yesterday. The body, identified as 43 year old Buraheng Roya, was lying near a motorcycle among the fruit trees. The police said Buraheng…

  • Pattaya NewsPopular tourist island off Pattaya adds hundreds of security cameras

    Popular tourist island off Pattaya adds hundreds of security cameras

    Officials on Koh Larn, a popular tourist island off Pattaya, are stepping up security measures. The municipality has installed 200 CCTV security cameras at 7 beaches around the island. Meanwhile, authorities are working on renovating a pier on Koh Larn. Pattaya Deputy Manager Kiattisak Sriwongchai said the installation is almost finished, and the cameras will be fully working early this…

  • World NewsMore Laotians travelling to Thailand for business, travel, and fuel?

    More Laotians travelling to Thailand for business, travel, and fuel?

    More Laotians have been travelling to Thailand ever since the Nong Khai border checkpoint reopened. Before travel restrictions lifted, there were about 300 Laotians visiting Thailand per day. Now, that number has soared to about 2,000 Laotians per day, according the the head of customs control at Nong Khai Customs House, Pakin Tiabkam. Pakin said 30,000 foreigners crossed the Nong…

  • Crime NewsAs Thailand opens more, police prepare for more international crime

    As Thailand opens more, police prepare for more international crime

    A senior Thai police inspector told Thai media that Royal Thai Police plans to redouble its efforts to fight international crime as the country opens up more and more with the ease in Covid-19 restrictions. The inspector, General Wisanu Prasatthongosot, told Daily News that Thailand is located at a crossroads in the region that makes it an ideal spot for international crimes…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket authorities close Covid-19 field hospital

    Phuket authorities close Covid-19 field hospital

    In a grand ceremony yesterday, Phuket authorities closed up a field hospital set up for people who tested positive for Covid-19. The field hospital was at Phuket Rajabhat University in the island province’s main city district. The deputy director of the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office, Padungkiat Utokasenee, led the closing ceremony. Between August 2021 and March 2022, the field…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya, the land of sex, drugs, and film production?

    Pattaya, the land of sex, drugs, and film production?

    Pattaya is known for a lot of things- drug busts, violent fights, and other various scandals. But one Thai government agency is hoping to make Pattaya a “City of Film” in the next 5 years, between 2022 and 2027. Can Thailand’s Sin City become a movie-making destination? Thailand’s Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration is promoting the tourist hotspot as…

  • Bangkok NewsBangkok named one of the world’s worst cities for work-life balance

    Bangkok named one of the world’s worst cities for work-life balance

    Bangkok is just barely above the bottom of a list of 100 cities across the globe ranked for their work-life balance. Thailand’s capital came in at 96th place on the list. The 4 cities in the world with a worse work-life balance than Bangkok are Sao Paolo, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, and Cape Town. On the flipside, the cities with the…

  • Tourism NewsThailand’s tourism ranking drops down a notch

    Thailand’s tourism ranking drops down a notch

    Thailand’s place on a list of countries ranked for travel and tourism development has fallen a notch below where it stood last year. Thailand fell from it’s spot in 35th place out of 117 countries in 2021, to 36th place, on the Travel and Tourism Development Index. The index is based on scores from 1-7, where 1 is the worst…

  • South Thailand NewsSouthern Thai man sentenced to almost 5 decades for terrorism and other charges

    Southern Thai man sentenced to almost 5 decades for terrorism and other charges

    Southern Thailand doesn’t look like it’s headed towards peace any time soon. In the latest report on violence in the region, a man in Yala province has been sentenced to 46 years in prison yesterday after he was charged with terrorism, criminal association, and violating the firearms and explosives law. The man, along with 8 other people, was found guilty…