Tara Abhasakun

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 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…

  • Tourism NewsThailand welcomed 2.14 million international tourists last month

    Thailand welcomed 2.14 million international tourists last month

    Thailand welcomed 2.14 million international tourists in January, data from the tourism ministry showed today. The data showed a small decline from the previous month. The top three source markets last month were Malaysia with 288,745 tourists, Russia with 202,759 tourists, and South Korea 169,462 tourists. However, the return of travellers from China, following the removal of Covid-19 restrictions, helped…

  • 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…

  • Phuket NewsGroup rallies in Patong for end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

    Group rallies in Patong for end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

    A group rallied in Patong on Saturday, calling for an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The group of around 30 people gathered a year and one day after Russia first invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The demonstrators, many of whom were Ukrainians and Russians, held placards with slogans in English and Russian, The Phuket News reported. Slogans included…

  • 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…

  • Pattaya NewsThai-Bangladeshis commemorate International Mother Language Day in Pattaya

    Thai-Bangladeshis commemorate International Mother Language Day in Pattaya

    Thai-Bangladeshis gathered on Wednesday to commemorate International Mother Language Day in Pattaya. The community commemorated the day at the Unique Regency Hotel on Pratumnak Soi 5. Dozens of residents, esteemed guests, and other members of the Pattaya Thai-Bangladeshi Community attended the event. International Mother Language Day is globally observed and formally recognised by the United Nations. The day aims to…

  • 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…

  • LifestyleGet your groove on at Thailand’s biggest reggae festival

    Get your groove on at Thailand’s biggest reggae festival

    Get your groove on at Thailand’s biggest reggae festival, coming up next month in the beach town of Cha-am. The Sunset Beach Music Festival 2023 will feature some of the biggest names in the industry, Thailand’s reggae and ska fans can expect to have a blast. The festival will be held at the Baan Mai Bon Hat resort on Bang…

  • 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…

  • Crime NewsBiological father of missing baby in Thailand to be charged with statutory rape

    Biological father of missing baby in Thailand to be charged with statutory rape

    The disturbing case surrounding a missing eight-month old baby in central Thailand’s Nakhon Pathom province is continuing. The baby’s biological father, 55 year old ‘Jae,’ is to be charged with statutory rape of the baby’s mother, 16 year old Philaiporn Korcharoen. The baby, Torsak, is reported to have been missing since February 5. On February 17, Thai media reported that…

  • 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…

  • Thailand NewsRare trees bloom with beautiful flowers on Thai-Lao border

    Rare trees bloom with beautiful flowers on Thai-Lao border

    Rare trees are blooming with beautiful flowers at a national park on northern Thailand’s border with Laos. The Doi Phukha National Park in Nan province is currently a sight to behold as the rare Chompoo Phu Kha trees have burst into bloom. The trees display white-pink flowers that grow in long bunches once a year from the end of February…

  • 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…

  • Pattaya NewsChon Buri pickup truck crash kills elderly man and injures 4 others

    Chon Buri pickup truck crash kills elderly man and injures 4 others

    A Chon Buri pickup truck crash killed one person and injured four others on Monday. The crash happened when one pickup truck rear-ended another on 344 Road in the Nong Phai Kaeo sub-district of Ban Bueng district. Rescuers arrived on the scene to find a grey Mitsubishi with a demolished bumper and a bronze Toyota Revo lying upside down. Rescuers…

  • Economy News‘Eat more rice!’ Thai officials tell youth

    ‘Eat more rice!’ Thai officials tell youth

    “Eat more rice!” Thai officials are telling the country’s youth. The Thai Commerce Ministry wants young people to eat more rice. The ministry launched a campaign after a study showed that Thailand’s consumption of rice had fallen. The department launched the “Thai Kids Enjoy Thai Rice” roadshow, visiting 10 schools and weekend markets, Nation Thailand reported yesterday. The Thai Rice…

  • Tourism NewsThai tourism association says number of Chinese tour groups still unexpectedly low

    Thai tourism association says number of Chinese tour groups still unexpectedly low

    A Thai tourism association says the number of Chinese tour groups making their way to the Land of Smiles is still unexpectedly low. The president of the Thai Association of Tourism Businesses (ATTA), Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, said the number of Chinese tour groups travelling to Thailand remains unexpectedly low due to a lack of flights. Instead, most Chinese arrivals in Thailand…

  • Phuket NewsNew bridge will connect 2 sub-districts in Phuket

    New bridge will connect 2 sub-districts in Phuket

    A new bridge will connect two sub-districts in Phuket‘s main city district. The bridge will connect the Wichit and Chalong sub-districts. On a visit to Phuket last week, Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn stopped by Mudong Canal, where the bridge is set to be built. Phiphat said the bridge will be 8 metres wide, and 280 metres long. Phiphat…

  • South Thailand NewsMan runs race in South Thailand wearing Forrest Gump costume

    Man runs race in South Thailand wearing Forrest Gump costume

    Run Forrest run! One participant in a 160 kilometre race in South Thailand made a splash with his unique attire. The man donned a Forrest Gump costume, complete with a plaid shirt, khaki pants, and a red cap, to the Amazean Jungle Thailand by UTMB 2023. The photo of the runner taken at the starting line in Betong district of…