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.
  • Pattaya NewsChon Buri man attacks beachgoer with knife

    Chon Buri man attacks beachgoer with knife

    A Chon Buri man attacked a beachgoer with a knife in the Sri Racha district on Monday night. The attacker pulled up in a white pickup truck, and suddenly jumped out and cut the victim’s elbow with a knife, according to the victim. The incident happened at an early Loy Krathong site on Ban Laem Chabang Beach. After cutting the…

  • Economy NewsOver 3 million people in Thailand living below poverty line, census shows

    Over 3 million people in Thailand living below poverty line, census shows

    Over 3 million people in Thailand were living below the poverty line as of January this year, according to a government census agency. The Thai People Map and Analytics Platform (TPMAP) surveyed 36.1 million people across Thailand and found that 3.44 million were living without their basic needs being met. This categorised them as poor. The survey found that 1.02…

  • Tourism NewsFirst LOT Polish Airlines flight arrives in Phuket

    First LOT Polish Airlines flight arrives in Phuket

    Phuket International airport welcomed its first LOT Polish Airlines flight yesterday. The flight carried 252 passengers from Warsaw to Phuket. Officials and staff greeted the passengers and handed them HKT We Care souvenirs upon arrival, The Phuket Express reported. This news comes after an inaugural flight from Uzbekistan arrived in Phuket on Sharq Airlines just last week. The flight carried…

  • World NewsWhat are US midterm elections?

    What are US midterm elections?

    US midterm elections are elections held during the middle of a president’s four-year term in office (so two years into their term). These elections are held on the Tuesday after the first Monday of November, which means today. During midterms, all 435 seats in the US House of Representatives are up for election. This year, 35 out of the 100…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya NGO to hold fundraiser for abused and trafficked women

    Pattaya NGO to hold fundraiser for abused and trafficked women

    An NGO in Pattaya is holding a fundraising event for abused and trafficked women this Friday, November 11. The event, titled “Fashion Rocks, will be hosted by the Rotary Club of Pattaya International at the Pattaya Hilton Hotel. The event’s Facebook page says it starts at 5pm. The fashion show aims to raise funds for children, young women, girls, and…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya Police taking safety precautions for Loy Krathong festival

    Pattaya Police taking safety precautions for Loy Krathong festival

    Pattaya Police are taking safety precautions for the Loy Krathong festivals coming up tonight. Police held a meeting yesterday about safety measures. The safety measures include: banning all sky lanterns, fireworks, alcohol, and smoking (including cannabis), and ensuring nightlife and entertainment venues close at their legal times between midnight and 2am depending on what zone the venue falls into. Checkpoints…

  • Phuket NewsNew Zealand expat arrested in Phuket over weapons, including explosives

    New Zealand expat arrested in Phuket over weapons, including explosives

    A New Zealand expat has been arrested in Phuket for possessing several weapons, including 11 explosives. The man, 63 year old Gareth Alan Davies, was also found to have 19 guns and ammunition in his house in the Kathu district. Region 8 Police Commander Surapong Thanomjit said that Davies had claimed that the weapons were just collectables. But Commander Surapong…

  • Pattaya NewsEgyptian men who allegedly stole mobile phones from Pattaya guest house arrested

    Egyptian men who allegedly stole mobile phones from Pattaya guest house arrested

    UPDATE Three men who allegedly worked together to steal two mobile phones from a Pattaya guest house have been arrested. CCTV footage showed the second and third suspects walking down Pattaya Second Road the night before. The first and second suspects were also seen heading down Pattaya Second Road to Pattaya Central Road after they left the guest house. The…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya man runs away after plunging pickup truck into pond

    Pattaya man runs away after plunging pickup truck into pond

    A Pattaya man ran away after plunging his pickup truck into a pond yesterday evening. The driver, 39 year old Suphan Pangphimai, had been speeding when he attempted to make a curve and plunged through a fence and into a lotus pond in Chon Buri’s Nong Prue district. Suphan was uninjured, and he swam out of the pond, and fled…

  • World News“India’s first voter” has died

    “India’s first voter” has died

    A retired teacher labeled “India’s first voter” died on Saturday morning. The man, Shyam Saran Negi, passed away at 106 years old. Shyam is believed to have been the first person to cast a ballot after India gained independence from the British, and held its first election in 1951. Ever since then, he has voted in every one of India’s…

  • Tourism NewsHundreds of tourists climb Chiang Mai mountain for glorious sunrise view

    Hundreds of tourists climb Chiang Mai mountain for glorious sunrise view

    The glorious view of one mountain in Thailand’s iconic northern province of Chiang Mai drew hundreds of tourists yesterday. The tourists crowded the summit of the 1,100-metre peak to watch the sunrise through the mountain’s misty fog. The mountain now expects to see more visitors in the coming months, since Thais like the cool new year temperatures and the Covid-19…

  • World NewsVIDEO: 19 killed in Tanzania plane crash

    VIDEO: 19 killed in Tanzania plane crash

    Nineteen people were killed in a plane crash in Tanzania yesterday, major news outlets reported. The plane was headed to the town of Bukoba from Tanzania’s commercial capital Dar es Salaam when it crashed into Lake Victoria. Rescuers rushed to the scene and coordinated with nearby boat operators. Video footage shows the plane almost completely submerged in the water, with only…

  • World NewsArmed and Distressed Cambodian soldier crosses Thai border

    Armed and Distressed Cambodian soldier crosses Thai border

    An armed and distressed Cambodian soldier drove through a checkpoint and crossed the border into Thailand’s eastern province of Sa Kaeo on Saturday night. The soldier, Colonel Sok Banpol, drove his car to an intersection and parked there. The Cambodian soldier remained in his car until Sunday morning. Sok’s relatives arrived on the scene to try to convince him to…

  • Bangkok NewsCricket ice cream, anyone? Another quirky food at APEC Summit in Bangkok

    Cricket ice cream, anyone? Another quirky food at APEC Summit in Bangkok

    On top of noodles with sandworm sauce, another adventurous food is competing at the APEC Summit in Bangkok this month: cricket ice cream. The cricket ice cream is one of several “future foods” competing in the “plate to planet” competition. The competition’s website describes the ice cream, called ProTim Magnet, as a Magnum-style ice cream. It is made with crickets,…

  • Crime NewsPolice remove illegal food and drink venues at Phuket beach

    Police remove illegal food and drink venues at Phuket beach

    Police have on Wednesday removed illegal food and drink venues from a beach in Phuket‘s Thalang district. The police found three venues on Layan Beach that were providing food and drinks, as well as beach chairs, sunbeds, and umbrellas. Two people who said they were owners of two of the outlets were arrested for seeling alcohol without permission, and violating…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket vehicle crash kills Russians and Thai

    Phuket vehicle crash kills Russians and Thai

    A motorbike and car crash in Phuket killed a Russian man, Russian woman, and a Thai woman in the early hours of this morning. The three lives were tragically taken after a big bike, a motorbike, and a taxi car all collided in the town of Rawai. Rescuers arrived to find the damaged vehicles scattered over the road. Nearby, they…

  • Pattaya NewsFight breaks out on island off Pattaya

    Fight breaks out on island off Pattaya

    A fight broke out in front of a resort on an island off Pattaya on Wednesday night between two groups of people. Security footage captured 6-8 people on motorbikes passing by the resort on Koh Larn and glancing back at another group that was marching toward them on foot. After the group on motorbikes exited the footage, the group was…

  • Crime NewsVIDEO: Korean tourist in Pattaya says transgender person pickpocketed him

    VIDEO: Korean tourist in Pattaya says transgender person pickpocketed him

    Even though Pattaya’s thieves have largely targeted Indian tourists this year, it appears that when picking targets, people of all nationalities are fair game. A Korean tourist in Pattaya told police that a transgender person pickpocketed him on a beach on Wednesday night. The tourist, 43 year old Sanghyeon Lee, said he was walking on Pattaya Beach with friends when…

  • LifestyleLoy Krathong: the stories of the Thai holiday’s origins

    Loy Krathong: the stories of the Thai holiday’s origins

    If you live in Thailand, you’ve most likely heard of the Loy Krathong festival by now. You may likely be planning on going to a Loy Krathong float event to get a taste of the holiday. But how did this holiday come into being? Understanding the origins of Loy Krathong might help you understand its significance in the hearts of…

  • South Thailand NewsBiologist warns that upcoming Songkhla Lake Bridge construction will hurt dolphins

    Biologist warns that upcoming Songkhla Lake Bridge construction will hurt dolphins

    A marine biologist warned that a new bridge planned across Songkhla Lake will hurt the inhabitant Irrawaddy dolphins. Dolphins are considered a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The biologist, Thon Thamrongnawasawat, said the number of Irrawaddy dolphins in the lake is likely to drop every year. He noted that the future of dolphins is uncertain,…

  • Bangkok NewsActor Ravi Patel to star in film set in Bangkok

    Actor Ravi Patel to star in film set in Bangkok

    American actor and director Ravi Patel is preparing to star as the villain in an upcoming film set in Bangkok. The film, Kiss of the Con Queen, follows a Bangkok-based actor who heads to Jakarta, Indonesia, for an audition to be the lead in a TV show. While in Jakarta, the actor discovers that a scam is being plotted against him,…

  • World NewsStarbucks makes its Laos debut with unique local touches

    Starbucks makes its Laos debut with unique local touches

    Starbucks today made its debut in Laos, the nation’s first store. The coffee shop opened in the Lao capital of Vientiane at Parkson Mall, an office and shopping development in the heart of the city. The new Starbucks hopes to contribute to Laos’ thriving coffee culture. The store’s architecture is uniquely Laotian, there is a handcrafted, textured door handle. The…

  • World NewsShelter warnings in Japan after North Korea conducts presumed failed IBCM test

    Shelter warnings in Japan after North Korea conducts presumed failed IBCM test

    UPDATE Tensions are continuing in the latest episode between North Korea and South Korea. North Korea today conducted what was believed to be a failed launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). A South Korean government source said the presumed Hwasong-17 ICBM successfully separated at the second stage, but is believed to have failed after that, and fell into the…

  • Bangkok NewsNo gambling dens reported in Bangkok says police chief

    No gambling dens reported in Bangkok says police chief

    Thailand’s new national police chief says he hasn’t received any reports of gambling dens in Bangkok since he was appointed as chief on October 1. This was in response to a group of gamblers who claimed that over 100 illegal gambling dens operate throughout the capital city. The group of gamblers claim that they were abducted and physically abused at a…

  • Phuket NewsSnarky Phuket man claims stealing ex-girlfriend’s car was just a joke

    Snarky Phuket man claims stealing ex-girlfriend’s car was just a joke

    A snarky Phuket man claims that he only stole his ex-girlfriend’s car as a joke. The 54 year old Somsak, stole the car on October 30 from his former girlfriend’s house in a housing estate in the Wichit sub-district of the main city district. Sopawan said she parked the sedan near her house before finding out in the morning that…

  • Bangkok NewsWoman crawls off plane in Bangkok after allegedly being told to pay for wheelchair

    Woman crawls off plane in Bangkok after allegedly being told to pay for wheelchair

    A video has gone viral of an Australian woman crawling off an aeroplane that landed in Bangkok. The woman, Natalie Curtis, says the flight attendant told her she would have to pay to be wheeled off the aircraft to her wheelchair. Curtis said she was offered a special wheelchair that fits in plane aisles when boarding her flight from Singapore…

  • World NewsNorth Korean missile lands near South’s waters for first time, South retaliates

    North Korean missile lands near South’s waters for first time, South retaliates

    A missile from North Korea today landed close to South Korean waters for the first time since the countries split in 1945, according to South Korean officials. Since then, South Korea retaliated by launching missiles in return. This latest tit-for-tat conflict began after North Korea fired at least 10 missiles to the east and west of the Korean Peninsula. The…

  • Pattaya NewsVandalised tourist service centre gets makeover in Pattaya

    Vandalised tourist service centre gets makeover in Pattaya

    An abandoned vandalised tourist service centre in Pattaya has been cleaned up after several crimes in the area. Pattaya Police, along with City Councilman Nikom Sangkaew, worked together to change the light bulbs and clean up the police box opposite the Royal Garden Plaza on Beach Road. The box has barely offered any services since 2019. Photos by Pattaya Mail…

  • Krabi NewsStunning natural scenery on newly reopened Krabi islands

    Stunning natural scenery on newly reopened Krabi islands

    Nature looks stunning on several islands in Krabi that reopened on October 15 after being closed for restoration for several months. The Mu Ko Lanta National Park is made up of several islands, which boast breathtaking beaches, waterfalls, and other natural wonders. Since the park reopened, staff have continued conservation efforts. A few days after the reopening, park officials held…

  • Koh Samui NewsNaked Brit in Koh Samui wants everyone to “meet with God”

    Naked Brit in Koh Samui wants everyone to “meet with God”

    A naked British tourist in Koh Samui reportedly has some strange goals for the world. Koh Samui police found the man in the sea at Baan Mae Nam Beach over the Halloween weekend. Boat operators struggled to help get the man out of the water, and the man even grabbed one operator, shoved him under the water and tried to…