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 NewsPhuket man who slit father’s throat faces murder charges

    Phuket man who slit father’s throat faces murder charges

    UPDATE The Phuket man who slit his father’s throat on Monday now faces charges of murder. The man, 26 year old Arnon Kammanochart, slit the throat of his father, 51 year old Uthai Kammanochart, in Thalang district. Arnon claimed that he was defending himself from his father. He said his father physically attacked him when he didn’t have money for…

  • Pattaya News“Big Joke” holds press conference in Pattaya over Chinese abduction case

    “Big Joke” holds press conference in Pattaya over Chinese abduction case

    Following last month’s abduction of a Chinese man in Pattaya by other Chinese nationals, Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn, held a press conference in the city on Monday. The two abductors cut off the pinky finger of the victim, 41 year old Ren Haibd. They also sent a video to Ren’s 20 year old…

  • Thailand NewsThais among Asian stars ranked on Top Face of the Years 2022

    Thais among Asian stars ranked on Top Face of the Years 2022

    Thais are on a list of Asian stars in the Top Face of the Years 2022,” ranked by a Twitter account named 100 the best face. The list was compiled by counting Twitter users’ comments, likes or shares with the hashtag #topfaceoftheyears2022. At the top of the list is Kim Taehyung, a member of the world sensation K-pop band BTS.…

  • Northern Thailand NewsDistrict in northeast Thailand organising two-month long “Christmas Festival”

    District in northeast Thailand organising two-month long “Christmas Festival”

    Do you ever wish Christmas lasted longer? Well, your wish might come true if you visit one district in northeast Thailand. Phu Ruea district in Loei province will soon hold the “Christmas Festival” at the Phu Ruea Christmas Courtyard, at the entrance to the Phu Ruea National Park. The festival will be held from November 25 until January 31. The opening…

  • Thailand Protest NewsThai activists and politician show support for protester blinded by rubber bullet

    Thai activists and politician show support for protester blinded by rubber bullet

    Thai activists and a politician showed their support for a protester blinded in one eye by a rubber bullet last week. This was after police fired rubber bullets at protesters at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre on November 18. The man blinded was Phayu Daodin, a graduate of Khon Kaen University’s Faculty of Law. He has lost sight in his…

  • Tourism NewsCharter flights to Phuket and Pattaya filled with Russian tourists

    Charter flights to Phuket and Pattaya filled with Russian tourists

    Charter flights to Thailand’s hotspots of Phuket and Pattaya are being filled with Russian tourists. The chairman of the Chonburi Council of Tourism Industry, Thanet Suparashasrangsi, said… “The Azur Airline will start bringing in charter flights from November 26 on B757 carriers, which can hold about 202 passengers and will improve the number of tourists in Pattaya significantly.” Russia’s Ikar…

  • Phuket NewsSon slits father’s throat in Phuket, allegedly in self defence

    Son slits father’s throat in Phuket, allegedly in self defence

    A man in Phuket allegedly killed his father in a violent incident over cigarette money. The man, 26 year old Arnon Kammanochart, slit the throat of his father, 51 year old Uthai Kammanochart, in Thalang district yesterday evening. Arnon said that he was defending himself. Arnon told Thalang Police that his father asked him to buy cigarettes. Arnon said he…

  • LifestyleThe evolution of Thanksgiving in a multicultural America

    The evolution of Thanksgiving in a multicultural America

    If you have American friends, you’ve probably heard of Thanksgiving. You probably know that it’s a day when Americans gather with their extended families, and eat a big feast of turkey and other foods. How has this iconic American holiday evolved? How are Thanksgiving traditions changing in an increasingly multicultural America? Controversial origins The story behind Thanksgiving is a touchy…

  • World NewsNorth Korea leader brings 9 year old daughter to missile launch

    North Korea leader brings 9 year old daughter to missile launch

    North Korea leader Kim Jong Un brought an unexpected guest to a missile launch – his nine year old daughter. Kim took his daughter Ju Ae to the launch of a “new type” of intercontinental ballistic missile on Friday. Before the rather unusual daddy-daughter day out, Ju Ae’s existence had not previously been confirmed. Kim said the test was meant…

  • Phuket NewsRowdy monkeys moved on Phuket island

    Rowdy monkeys moved on Phuket island

    Two rowdy monkeys on an island off Phuket have been moved to the far side of the island after bothering residents. The two macaques had been disturbing locals and causing trouble, according to the head of Khao Phra Thaeo Nature and Wildlife Education Center Pongchart Chuahom. Officers from a rescue foundation of the Khao Phra Thaeo Non-hunting Area arrived on…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya man assaults intoxicated man, reportedly for catcalling at his girlfriend

    Pattaya man assaults intoxicated man, reportedly for catcalling at his girlfriend

    Another late-night violent incident took place in Pattaya at around midnight on Saturday. A man physically assaulted an intoxicated man in front of Soi Ko Phai on 1/1, before fleeing the scene. An unnamed witness said the attacker assaulted the victim after the victim catcalled at, whistled at, or made a sexually suggestive comment to the attacker’s girlfriend. The injured…

  • Thailand NewsBody of teen jet skier found in Kanchanaburi reservoir

    Body of teen jet skier found in Kanchanaburi reservoir

    The body of a teenager who tragically perished in a jet ski accident has been found in a Kanchanaburi reservoir on Saturday. The young man, 18 year old Mawin Netdecha from Bangkok, had been jet skiing with a friend at the Srinakarin Dam reservoir on October 24. He then fell out of his jet ski and went missing. Rescuers searched…

  • LifestyleArtists sell work at Phuket exhibition to help underprivileged children

    Artists sell work at Phuket exhibition to help underprivileged children

    Several artists are selling their work at an exhibition in Phuket, with proceeds going to help underprivileged children. The 1st Andaman Art Creation exhibition opened on November 18 and will run until November 30. It is being held at Central Floresta in Kathu. The exhibition includes over 80 items from 50 artists. The proceeds will go to children in the…

  • Crime NewsThai police form centre to suppress World Cup gambling

    Thai police form centre to suppress World Cup gambling

    Thai police have set up a gambling suppression centre amid the FIFA World Cup football tournament. The centre will operate until December 18, Thai media reported yesterday. Almost all forms of gambling are illegal under Thai law, and police are concerned that football fans will gamble on World Cup results. Thai police will also take the following steps: Both uniformed…

  • Phuket NewsTurtle lays over 100 eggs in Phang Nga, marking the start of nesting season

    Turtle lays over 100 eggs in Phang Nga, marking the start of nesting season

    A sea turtle marked the start of nesting season by laying over 100 eggs in Phang Nga yesterday. Officials from the Khok Kloi area found the nest of 118 eggs, with track marks from the turtle, a Bang Khwan Beach. The officials confirmed that a leatherback sea turtle had laid the eggs. Out of the 118 eggs, 106 were fertile…

  • Tourism NewsPattaya International Fireworks Festival coming up next week

    Pattaya International Fireworks Festival coming up next week

    Fireworks lovers should mark their calendars for the Pattaya International Fireworks Festival coming up next week. The festival will be held from November 25-26 on Pattaya Beach, and the fireworks will light up the entire city. Pattaya Mayor Poramase Ngampiches says the festival will feature more than 600 street stalls selling all kinds of items. There will be pyrotechnic teams…

  • Pattaya NewsVIDEO: Indian tourist reports theft by Pattaya sex worker, gets informed he broke law too

    VIDEO: Indian tourist reports theft by Pattaya sex worker, gets informed he broke law too

    The conflict between Indian tourists and transgender thieves in Pattaya rages on… An Indian tourist’s night went completely wrong after the sex worker he hired turned out to be a transgender woman. The unnamed tourist said he hired a stranger whom he originally thought was a woman to go to his hotel room on Soi 8 in Bang Lamung. But…

  • World NewsNorth Korea warns US of a “fiercer” military response, launches another missile

    North Korea warns US of a “fiercer” military response, launches another missile

    North Korea has warned the US of a “fiercer military response” to the US’s defence ties with South Korea and Japan. North Korea also launched yet another ballistic missile yesterday. The missile was fired towards North Korea’s eastern waters, according to officials in Seoul. North Korea said in its statement that the warning was in response to trilateral talks between…

  • Hua Hin NewsBakery in Hua Hin reveals tasty Christmas day buffet menu

    Bakery in Hua Hin reveals tasty Christmas day buffet menu

    A bakery in Thailand’s tourist hotspot of Hua Hin has revealed its tasty Christmas day buffet menu. Andreanna’s Bakery, located in Khao Takiab, has listed several delicious dishes. The special buffet lunch menu is available from 12-pm on Christmas Day, and costs 1,299 baht for as much as you can eat. Starters will include French onion soup with cheese croute.…

  • LifestyleSeveral Thai street food eateries earn spots on 2023 Michelin Guide list

    Several Thai street food eateries earn spots on 2023 Michelin Guide list

    Thailand’s culinary scene is making waves. It was announced yesterday that 189 street food eateries across the kingdom have made it to the 2023 Michelin Guide’s Bib Gourmand list. Out of the 189 restaurants and eateries that made it to the list, 84 were street food eateries, and 105 were restaurants. Michelin Guide’s international director, Gwendal Poullennec, said the high…

  • Covid-19 NewsThai FDA to go after misleading ads for nasal spray supposedly preventing Covid

    Thai FDA to go after misleading ads for nasal spray supposedly preventing Covid

    Thailand’s FDA is going after misleading ads that make it appear that a nasal spray can prevent or heal Covid-19. The FDA is currently gathering evidence to take legal action. The FDA’s deputy secretary-general said today that Besuto Qlears nasal spray has an instruction for people to use it when they develop cold or flu-like symptoms. The deputy secretary-general said…

  • World NewsBurmese junta to release former UK ambassador, Australian economist, and Japanese journalist

    Burmese junta to release former UK ambassador, Australian economist, and Japanese journalist

    The Burmese junta is set to release a former UK ambassador, an Australian economist, and a Japanese journalist who have been detained in Myanmar. The three are being released under amnesty which includes over 6,000 other prisoners. Former UK ambassador Vicky Bowman was arrested with her husband on August 24, and the two were sentenced to a year in prison. Reuters…

  • Pattaya NewsIndian tourists injured in fight with ganja seller on Pattaya’s Walking Street

    Indian tourists injured in fight with ganja seller on Pattaya’s Walking Street

    Indian tourists were injured in a fight with a ganja seller on Pattaya’s Walking Street. The fight broke out in the early hours of the morning on November 14. The weed seller said the tourists had bought ice cream from a shop near his stall when they came to sit down at one of his tables. The seller said the…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket restaurant managers arrested for selling parrotfish

    Phuket restaurant managers arrested for selling parrotfish

    There’s been another parrotfish incident in Thailand, this time in Phuket. Three restaurant managers on the island province have been busted for selling parrotfish, a protected animal in Thailand. Officers inspected restaurants in Karon on Tuesday and Wednesday. The three restaurants inspected were Chic Restaurant, found with nine parrotfish, Bounty Seafood, found with five parrotfish, and Ton Tan Seafood, found…

  • Phuket NewsNew direct flight from Oman makes its way to Phuket

    New direct flight from Oman makes its way to Phuket

    A new direct flight from Oman made its way to Phuket International Airport on Monday. The Oman Air flight arrived in Phuket from Muscat, Oman’s capital. The flight carried a total of 162 passengers, who received HKT souvenirs upon arrival, The Phuket Express reported. Phuket has seen a number of new direct flights arrive recently. The flagship airline of Russia…

  • LifestyleThe spiritual significance of lotus flowers in Thailand

    The spiritual significance of lotus flowers in Thailand

    If you live in Thailand, you’ve probably noticed the country’s scenic lotus flowers blooming in ponds across the kingdom. These flowers add a great deal of beauty to Thailand’s scenery. But did you know that lotuses also hold significance in Thai Buddhism? Lotuses grow from mud, and are therefore believed to symbolise growing toward light and warmth, and rising above…

  • Crime NewsPhuket man caught with meth pills at checkpoint

    Phuket man caught with meth pills at checkpoint

    In the midst of Phuket’s recent spate of drug crackdowns and busts, a man has been caught with meth pills at a checkpoint in Thalang district. The man, 36 year old Pongpan, was caught with 107 meth pills at the Phuket Checkpoint in the Mai Khao sub-district earlier this week. The police had been alerted earlier that the suspect who…

  • Crime NewsDespite floods, Patong drug crackdown continues

    Despite floods, Patong drug crackdown continues

    Despite heavy floods in Phuket, police are continuing to crack down on drugs in Patong, particularly on Bangla Road. Last night, Patong Police and Kathu district officials conducted random drug tests on the road. The team targeted touts working on the road who are registered as living in Kathu. The team tested 117 people out of the 195 on its…

  • Tourism NewsLush lotus flowers in Northern Thai province draw tourists

    Lush lotus flowers in Northern Thai province draw tourists

    Lush pink lotus flowers in one northern Thai province are drawing tourists to the area. Bueng Boraphet, a lake and swamp in Nakhon Sawan province, currently has lotuses covering an area of over 100 rai. A staffer at the Bueng Boraphet Wildlife Sanctuary Office said the lotuses have been blooming since early this month. The staffer said the lotuses are…

  • South Thailand NewsSouth Thailand province welcomes first female Muslim governor

    South Thailand province welcomes first female Muslim governor

    One South Thailand province welcomed its first female Muslim governor yesterday. The new governor of Pattani, 57 year old Pateemoh Sadeeyamu, is the former deputy governor of Narathiwat, and Yala provinces. Several prominent people in the community hailed the appointment of Pateemoh as the governor of Pattani. One former lecturer at Prince of Songkhla University said that Pateemoh has extensive…