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.
  • Crime NewsLatest Patong drug crackdown finds staffers all testing negative

    Latest Patong drug crackdown finds staffers all testing negative

    The latest Patong drug crackdown on Bangla Road found that all staffers tested negative for drug use. The most recent round of drug tests on the popular nightlife hotspot road was conducted on Tuesday night. A team from the Kathu district conducted the “random” tests on 85 staffers, including 35 men and 50 women. According to Patong Police Chief Colonel…

  • Thailand NewsMassive surge of Japanese restaurants in Thailand

    Massive surge of Japanese restaurants in Thailand

    There’s been a massive surge of Japanese restaurants in Thailand, according to the Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro). Jetro said yesterday that it recorded 5,325 Japanese restaurants in Thailand this year. This is 955 more restaurants than the 4,370 in 2021. In 2022, the number of Japanese restaurants in Thailand rose 21.9% above the number in the previous year, the…

  • Tourism NewsRussians still biggest tourist group in Phuket, peak expected during holidays

    Russians still biggest tourist group in Phuket, peak expected during holidays

    Russians remain Phuket’s biggest tourist group, and the island resort’s tourism is expected to peak during the holidays, according to the president of the Southern Thai Hotels Association, Sueksit Suwannadissakun, who believes the peak of tourism High Season will be between December 24 to January 5. About 57% of hotels in the island province reopened in October, jumping to 70%…

  • International EducationInternational schools in Hua Hin to send your kids to

    International schools in Hua Hin to send your kids to

    For many expats in Thailand, choosing an international school to send their child to is one of their most important priorities. Hua Hin, a seaside city with a laidback atmosphere, might be a great environment for your kid. In Hua Hin, there are four international schools that promise students a rigorous education, along with an excellent and nurturing experience. We’ll…

  • Pattaya NewsFor the gazillionth time, transgender thieves steal from Indian man in Pattaya

    For the gazillionth time, transgender thieves steal from Indian man in Pattaya

    For what seems like the gazillionth time this year, transgender thieves have stolen cash and belongings from an Indian man in Pattaya. The two thieves snatched a wallet and a mobile phone from the 50 year old expat and restaurant owner on Pattaya Beach Road early yesterday morning. The unnamed man told Pattaya police that two transgender individuals had tried…

  • World NewsGlobal football union ‘shocked and sickened’ that Iranian player could be executed

    Global football union ‘shocked and sickened’ that Iranian player could be executed

    UPDATE The global football players’ union FIFPRO took to Twitter yesterday to announce that it was “shocked and sickened” that Iranian football player Amir Nasr-Azadani faces execution. The tweet read… “FIFPRO is shocked and sickened by reports that professional footballer Amir Nasr-Azadani faces execution in Iran after campaigning for women’s rights and basic freedom in his country. We stand in solidarity…

  • Phuket NewsThieves ransack a Patong rental house

    Thieves ransack a Patong rental house

    Thieves ransacked a rental house in Patong, stealing almost everything including doors and window panes. The house owner, 44 year Phatsamon Chompanat, reported the incident to Patong Police on Monday. Phatsamon said she had left her house locked when she left Phuket two years ago. She said she occasionally came back to visit the house to clean it. When she went…

  • Crime NewsWoman allegedly nabs 100,000 baht from gullible man in Pattaya

    Woman allegedly nabs 100,000 baht from gullible man in Pattaya

    Another dating app crime has occurred in Thailand, this time in Pattaya. A woman allegedly nabbed money and valuables worth 100,000 baht from a man she met via a dating app. The victim targeted, Jack, told Pattaya City Police yesterday that he thought he had met a nice woman named ‘Plaeng.’ Jack said that he and Plaeng talked for a…

  • Thailand NewsThailand’s flag carrier airline discusses adding 20 twin-aisle jets

    Thailand’s flag carrier airline discusses adding 20 twin-aisle jets

    Thailand’s flag carrier airline is chatting with plane makers about adding about 20 twin-aisle jets as people across the globe are travelling once again. Thai Airways held talks with Boeing Co about the matter recently, according to sources who asked not to be identified. The sources said that the negotiations were fluid and might not amount to a deal, Bloomberg…

  • Pattaya NewsTrance music festival coming up in Pattaya next year

    Trance music festival coming up in Pattaya next year

    An exciting trance music festival is coming up in Pattaya next year. The ‘Unkonscious Festival’ will be held from February 7-10, 2023, according to a post on the event’s Facebook page. The festival will bring attendees back to the trance scene of the 90s and is said to be the biggest trance festival in Asia. The lineup is as follows:…

  • World NewsYoung police officers killed in battle with gunmen in rural Australia

    Young police officers killed in battle with gunmen in rural Australia

    Young police officers were tragically killed in a battle with gunmen in rural Australia yesterday. Four officers had gone to investigate a missing person at a property in Wieambilla, Queensland when the gunmen ambushed them. The gunmen fatally shot two officers as soon as they arrived. The battle continued, and a neighbour who came to the scene was also killed…

  • Thailand NewsPolice on the prowl for heroin suspect who escaped from Kanchanaburi station

    Police on the prowl for heroin suspect who escaped from Kanchanaburi station

    Police are on the prowl for a runaway heroin suspect who escaped from a station in Kanchanaburi province. The suspect, 20 year old Saksit ‘Phet’ Nongkum, escaped from Phanom Thuan police station on Saturday, Thai media reported. Phet escaped after he was taken out of his cell for further questioning. He asked to get a drink of water in front…

  • World NewsYoung Iranian footballer at risk of being executed

    Young Iranian footballer at risk of being executed

    A young Iranian footballer is at risk of being executed amidst the country’s uprising against its regime. The young man, 26 year old Amir Nasr-Azadani, is a former member of three different teams in Iran. The Iranian state news broadcaster IRIB released a video on November 20 of the forced confessions of three people accused of being involved in the murders…

  • Tourism NewsTransport officials expect tens of thousands of bus travellers in Thailand during three-day weekend.

    Transport officials expect tens of thousands of bus travellers in Thailand during three-day weekend.

    Transport officials expect tens of thousands of domestic bus travellers in Thailand during the three-day weekend from December 10-12. The managing director of the state-run Transport Co Ltd., Sanyalak Panwattanalikhit, said the company has about 3,000 trips to facilitate during these days. Sanyalak said that over 227,386 people travelled during the last long weekend from December 2-5, for Thai Father’s Day.…

  • Phuket NewsChinese tourist found dead in Phuket

    Chinese tourist found dead in Phuket

    A Chinese tourist has been found dead in Phuket yesterday. The 46 year old woman was found hanging from a durian tree in the Sakhu district, The Phuket News reported. A local woman, 60 year old Churaiwan Lengyi, told police she found the Chinese woman’s body when she went out to check if her laundry had dried. She alerted a…

  • Phuket NewsOfficials say no to floating lanterns and fireworks on Patong Beach

    Officials say no to floating lanterns and fireworks on Patong Beach

    Officials aren’t liking floating lanterns and fireworks on Patong Beach. On Wednesday night, officials were alerted that vendors were welling these items on the beach, according to Kathu District Chief Siwat Rawangkul. A team led by Siwat then inspected the beach to crack down on people selling and using the items. The team then found stashes of lanterns and fireworks…

  • Pattaya News‘Pattaya Coffee on the Beach’ festival coming up tomorrow

    ‘Pattaya Coffee on the Beach’ festival coming up tomorrow

    Pattaya coffee enthusiasts have a special treat coming up tomorrow. The Pattaya Coffee on the Beach Festival 2022 will be held from December 10-11, Saturday to Sunday, on North Pattaya Beach. The festival will be held from 8am to 8pm each day, The Pattaya News reported. The festival is set to include over 60 cafes, food stalls, and activities on…

  • Crime NewsThai traffickers trick man into prostitution in Dubai

    Thai traffickers trick man into prostitution in Dubai

    Thailand’s cruel sex traffickers have struck again. The victim, a man only identified as ‘B,’ said the three traffickers told him he would work as a massage therapist in Dubai last year. On top of a monthly 80,000 baht salary, B was promised free food and accommodation, as well as a free flight. But B was in for a horrific…

  • China NewsChina says Covid has weakened as it announces loosening of strict policies

    China says Covid has weakened as it announces loosening of strict policies

    China is saying that Covid has weakened in the country after it announced yesterday that it would end the forced centralised quarantine. This will allow people who only have mild Covid-19 to isolate at home, and there will be more freedom to travel around the country. The Chinese Communist Party’s People’s Daily newspaper said today that China has taken the…

  • South Thailand NewsWhale washes up on beach in South Thailand

    Whale washes up on beach in South Thailand

    A whale washed up on a beach in South Thailand’s Narathiwat province on Monday. Locals, rescuers, and police helped to push the whale back into the sea at Naratat Beach. However, the whale washed up again two hours later about 500 metres away. Officials from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources believed that the whale might have been sick,…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya officials continue to struggle with homeless problem

    Pattaya officials continue to struggle with homeless problem

    Pattaya officials are continuing to struggle with the city’s homelessness issues. On Tuesday, Pattaya’s deputy mayor inspected a homeless encampment under Motorway Route 7, after nearby residents complained about the growing number of homeless people. Deputy Mayor Wuttisak Rueimkitkan said he found three to four makeshift tents at the encampment. He said one family included a father and his two…

  • LifestyleBird watching event coming up at Thai forest park

    Bird watching event coming up at Thai forest park

    Bird watchers in Thailand have an exciting upcoming event to look forward to. The Khao Nang Phanthurat Forest Park is holding the ‘Bird Walk @KhaoNangPhanthurat’ on Saturday, December 17. The park is located in the Cha-am district of Thailand’s central Petchaburi province. Attendance is free, but space is limited to 30 people. A guide will lead participants on an adventure…

  • Northern Thailand NewsBorder patrol sergeant in northeast Thailand kills colleague

    Border patrol sergeant in northeast Thailand kills colleague

    A border patrol sergeant in Thailand’s northeast province of Khon Kaen killed his colleague on Monday by shooting him five times. The incident happened at the Border Patrol Police Division Region 2 compound. The culprit, 49 year old Sergeant Major Chuchart Pluakkhiao, shot and killed 44 year old Sergeant Major Pichit Saenkan, according to the Khon Kaen provincial police commander.…

  • South Thailand NewsVIDEO: Desperate Rohingyas dying on boat off South Thailand

    VIDEO: Desperate Rohingyas dying on boat off South Thailand

    A video is circling on social media of a group of desperate Rohingyas crowded onto a boat off South Thailand’s Ranong province. Over 200 people were on the boat, and 18 people died on the harrowing journey, a Rohingya aid coordinator told Thai PBS. The boat first left Bangladesh in late November. The aid coordinator, Rayid Ali, said the boat has…

  • Environment NewsOver 100 tonnes of garbage estimated near Phuket Fishing Port

    Over 100 tonnes of garbage estimated near Phuket Fishing Port

    Over 100 tonnes of garbage are estimated to have accumulated in a village near Phuket Fishing Port in Ratsada. The garbage has been building up for over 20 years and was recently brought to light through social media posts. The director-general of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR), Atthaphon Charoenchansa, visited the village yesterday. Attaphon spoke to villagers…

  • Phuket NewsPhang Nga officials find more leatherback turtle eggs

    Phang Nga officials find more leatherback turtle eggs

    Turtle nesting season is well on its way in Phang Nga. Phang Nga officials found more leatherback turtle eggs, after finding over 118 of them on the same beach last month. On Wednesday, officials from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) said they found more nests on Bang Khwan Beach, about 500 metres from the previous nest. However, the…

  • Bangkok NewsFireworks to dazzle Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River area on New Year’s Eve

    Fireworks to dazzle Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River area on New Year’s Eve

    Bangkok fireworks lovers have a new treat awaiting them on New Year’s Eve. Fireworks will dazzle the capital’s Chao Phraya River area during the countdown. Bangkok’s largest shopping mall, ICON SIAM, is hosting the event, Amazing Thailand Countdown 2023, at Icon Siam River Park on December 31. The event’s theme is “win the world for Thailand.” The firework displays will be…

  • Crime NewsNew details unfolding over alleged assault by Pattaya loan sharks

    New details unfolding over alleged assault by Pattaya loan sharks

    UPDATE New details are unfolding around a Pattaya woman who on Monday, November 28 alleged that loan sharks had abducted and assaulted her. The woman, 21 year old Tasneeporn Youngram, said that four loan sharks forced her into a car on Soi Paniad Chang in Bang Lamung. She said they then brought her to a deserted road, where they beat…

  • EducationA guide to the costs of international schools in Thailand

    A guide to the costs of international schools in Thailand

    We all know that Thailand’s international schools are expensive. But exactly how much do they cost? The annual tuition fees of international schools in Thai may vary significantly from 150,000 baht to 900,000 baht. This guide will dive into the tuition costs of five international schools in Thailand. The list includes schools in locations across the country. We will explore…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket officials once again report finding no human trafficking on fishing boats

    Phuket officials once again report finding no human trafficking on fishing boats

    Phuket officials reported once again they found no evidence of human trafficking on fishing boats. Officials conducted a series of random interviews at Rassada Pier in the main city district yesterday. They inspected a total of seven boats with 249 workers. Some 117 workers were Thai, and 130 were from Vietnam and Laos. Officials confirmed that they did not discover…