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.
  • Economy News

    Floods could take a toll on Thailand’s rice industry

    Floods could take a toll on Thailand’s rice industry. The honorary president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, Chookiat Ophaswongse, says it’s too early to estimate the value of damages since floods are still happening in many parts of the country. However, the Kasikorn Research Center estimates that the floods from August and October may cause around 2.9-3.1 billion baht…

  • Thailand News

    Arrest warrant for Thai activist who missed court hearing over lese majeste

    Bangkok’s Southern Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for a young Thai activist and dance teacher after she failed to attend a court meeting over lese majeste charges. The woman, 29 year old Kanlaymon “Mint” was scheduled to appear in court on October 4, but failed to show up. She had been granted bail, and the person who bailed…

  • Pattaya News

    Pattaya thief nabs pricy gold jewellery in broad daylight

    There’s been another gold jewellery theft in Pattaya, but this time, a few things are different from the usual stories. No ladyboys or tourists were involved, and the theft happened in broad daylight. The thief yesterday managed to steal a gold necklace and ring worth 46,000 baht from 54 year old Kulab Tansanthiayu, The Pattaya News reported. Kulab said the…

  • World News

    Russia launches “kamikaze drones” into Ukraine capital

    Russia launched “kamikaze drones” into Ukraine’s capital city of Kyiv this morning. This news comes just after Russia’s President Vladimir Putin claimed on Friday that there was no need for massive strikes on Ukraine. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that at least one person, a woman, has been killed in the attacks, Al Jazeera reported. Klitschko said another person remains under…

  • Bangkok News

    Thailand’s 11th monkeypox patient confirmed in Bangkok

    Thailand’s 11th monkeypox patient has been confirmed in Bangkok. The acting director-general of the Department of Disease Control (DDC) said today that the patient is a 40 year old masseur. The masseur returned to Bangkok from Qatar on Saturday. The DDC’s acting director-general, Dr Tares Krassanairawiwong, said the man started getting a fever and blisters on his hands and legs…

  • Phuket News

    Strong winds interrupt island tourism in Phang Nga

    Strong winds are interrupting travel to the Similan and Surin islands off Thailand’s southern Phang Nga province. The Similan Islands National Park chief announced on Saturday that the winds were making boat trips dangerous. Day trips to the islands have been halted from October 16-18, forcing several operators to cancel trips this weekend, Amarin TV reported. This news came on…

  • Environment News

    Phuket officials say contaminated seawater found last week not a hazard

    Phuket officials insist that the contaminated seawater found last week in the south of the island has not caused environmental damage. The contaminated water was reportedly spotted near the Chalong Pier on October 13. It was spotted south of the pier leading to the Phi Phi Islands. After the contaminated water was reported, the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources…

  • Pattaya News

    Pattaya woman allegedly assaults Indian landlord over keycard fine

    A woman staying at a hotel in Pattaya has allegedly assaulted her Indian landlord over a fine for losing her keycard, The Pattaya News reported on Saturday. The incident reportedly happened at the Honest Room Hotel in the Bang Lamung district. The woman allegedly hit the landlord, 53 year old Hitesh Shan, in the face with a metal hand sanitiser…

  • World News

    Actresses, politicians, and women around the world cut hair in solidarity with Iran

    Women around the world are cutting their hair in solidarity with Iranian women fighting for their rights. Iranians have been protesting continuously ever since a young woman died on September 16 after being arrested by the country’s “morality police” three days before. The woman, 22 year old Mahsa Amini, was arrested for supposedly not wearing her hijab properly, with her…

  • Crime News

    Drug test results announced for Phuket’s defense volunteers

    There’s been a drug testing campaign for defense volunteers in Phuket this week. The police chief of Phuket’s main city district led the campaign. The chief, Suwit Suriyawong, said that all the defense volunteers tested negative for drugs. He told The Phuket Express… “The campaign is to ensure that these defense volunteers who are working with us are not involved…

  • World News

    Vietnam’s breathtaking views, cliffs, rock formations

    Five cliffs and rock formations offer breathtaking views for outdoor adventurers headed to Vietnam. The cliffs are located in the northeastern Quang Ninh province, the northern Yen Bai province, the northwest Lao Cai province, the northern Hà Giang province, and the northwest Son La province. Located in Quang Ninh province is a rock formation on Da Chong Mountain. It is…

  • Tourism News

    Airline flight capacity is up, Thai tourism officials hopeful

    Airline flight capacity has shot up, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand. The aviation authority said that seat capacity from October to March next year went up by 74.2%, to 573,538 seats per week from the summer schedule. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is aiming to achieve the government’s goal of 1.5 trillion baht in revenue from…

  • Phuket News

    Off-duty officer reportedly carried gun and “acted eratically” in Phuket

    An off-duty police officer was reportedly spotted walking around carrying a gun and “acting erratically” in a Phuket housing estate, according to residents. The residents told police they saw the Phang Nga Police officer, 27 year old Corporal Korn, at the estate in Thalang district on Monday morning. Thalang Police Chief Colonel Pisit Chuenpet said police were first alerted about…

  • Crime News

    Three separate incidents involving men with or on drugs reported in Phuket

    Three separate incidents involving men with or on drugs have been reported in Phuket in the past few days. The first incident occurred in the main city district over the weekend, the second incident happened in the Thalang district early yesterday morning, and the third incident occurred in Kathu yesterday morning. Phuket City District A man who reportedly tried to…

  • World News

    Singapore Air announces new policy for pregnant stewardesses

    Singapore Air announced a new policy for pregnant stewardesses. Stewardesses who become pregnant will now be able to keep their jobs at Singapore Air, the airline said in a statement. The statement said that pregnant cabin crew members can now choose to work in “a temporary ground attachment.” The statement said crew members can resume flying duties after maternity leave. Singapore…

  • Northern Thailand News

    Missing boat racers found dead in northeast Thailand

    UPDATE The three boat racers who went missing in northeast Thailand after their boat capsized on Sunday have been found dead. Two bodies were found at the foot of the Tum Lam Chi bridge in Maha Sarakham’s main city district. They were about 4 kilometres away from where the boat crashed into a pillar of the bridge. A fisherman found…

  • Northern Thailand News

    3 boat racers missing in NE Thailand after boat capsizes

    Three boat racers went missing in Thailand’s northeast province of Maha Sarakham on Sunday. The In-Plaeng boat capsized when it hit a pillar of the Tha Tum Lam Chi bridge, just after it had passed the finish line. There were 40 people on the boat altogether. Another boat came to help, but three oarsmen were missing from the boat that…

  • Thailand Weather Updates

    Worshippers wade through floods to get to temple in central Thailand

    Buddhist worshipers in central Thailand are journeying through massive floods to get to their temple. The water level around the Wat Ban Phat temple in Ayutthaya province’s Bang Pa-in district is up to 1.5 metres. Worshippers are taking boats to get to the temple. Photos by Nation Thailand show temple-goers crossing a rather rickety-looking wooden walkway. The water level in…

  • World News

    Flights from Myanmar arrive in Phuket

    A Burmese airline launched a new flight from Yangon to Phuket International Airport. The flight will run on Thursdays and Sundays. Myanmar Airways International introduced the flight at a press briefing, the Bangkok Post reported yesterday. The new flight aims to help migrant workers and long-stay tourists. Migrant workers in Phuket who wish to return home can purchase a one-way ticket…

  • Northern Thailand News

    5 survivors of northeast Thailand massacre on road to recovery

    Five survivors of the horrific daycare centre massacre in northeast Thailand last week are on the road to recovery. These include three children and two adults. Four of the survivors are in intensive care units at Nong Bua Lam Phu Hospital, while one is at Udon Thani Hospital. One boy, Kanpong Suana, or Nong Kan, is moving after he underwent…

  • Crime News

    Intoxicated Phuket man carries chicken around all night long

    An intoxicated Phuket man had a wild night carrying around something rather… random. The man was caught on Saturday morning after walking around carrying knives and a chicken all night long on Coconut Island off the main city district. Police caught the man, 37 year old Jaran, who had reportedly scared residents. Jaran had two knives, a chicken, and an…

  • Pattaya News

    Indian tourist in Pattaya reportedly missing over US$6,000

    An Indian tourist in Pattaya is reportedly missing over US$6,000 after staying at a hotel in the city for just two days, The Pattaya News reported yesterday. The man, 45 year old Vivek Singhal, told Pattaya officials that he had arrived at his hotel on October 5. Two days later he realised that the US$6,600 he had left in the…

  • Bangkok News

    “Black Sunday” flash mob protest on Bangkok BTS

    Protesters staged a flash mob against PM Prayut Chan-o-cha on a Bangkok BTS train yesterday, The Standard reported. The demonstrators held placards with messages including “Prayut may be some people’s hope but he is the despair of the nation.” The protesters were dressed in black, and some also wore black sunglasses. The flash mob’s leader, Sombat Boonngamanong, said the “Black…

  • Bangkok News

    Bangkok taxi driver miraculously unharmed after tree falls on his car

    A Bangkok taxi driver miraculously escaped unharmed after a tree came crashing down on his taxi during a storm, Sanook reported on Friday. The driver parked his car along the gate at Chulalongkorn University, as he waited for his girlfriend who worked there. The driver was in his car during the heavy rainstorm when suddenly, he heard the loud sound…

  • World News

    Burmese junta sentences Japanese journalist for sedition and other charges

    The Burmese junta sentenced a Japanese journalist for sedition violating a law on electronic communications. The media reported that Toru Kubota, a 26 year old photographer and documentary filmmaker, was arrested at a protest in the South Dagon Township in the southeastern area of Yangon on July 30. The report said he was arrested while gathering information for his documentary. The…

  • Pattaya News

    Pattaya dwellers want public restrooms built faster at pier

    Pattaya dwellers want public restrooms at one pier to be built faster. Construction on the restrooms at the Bali Hai Pier has reportedly stalled. The restrooms were supposed to be built on June 14, 2021, after the construction began in December 2020. The budget for the project had been 3.88 million baht, according to local media. But the 32 restrooms…

  • Phuket News

    AI upgrade planned for pier in Phuket

    A new renovation is being planned for a pier in Phuket, complete with an AI system. The Deputy Chief of the Phuket Provincial Administration (OrBorJor) said they aim to improve service and safety for tourists. The chief, Thiwat Sridokbua, said… “One of the plans is to include an AI System and add more CCTV cameras with security control rooms. Long…

  • Crime News

    Massacre in Thailand raises questions on gun control

    In the aftermath of the horrific massacre at a daycare centre in northeast Thailand yesterday, questions have been raised about the kingdom’s gun control laws. The murderer, 34 year old former police officer Panya Kamrap, had been fired due to his addiction to drugs. Many Thai people have been unimpressed with Deputy PM Prawit’s response to tackling gun and drug…

  • Northern Thailand News

    The world mourns mass shooting at northeast Thailand daycare centre

    People around the world are mourning with Thailand after a former police officer shot and stabbed to death at least 37 people at a daycare centre yesterday, before killing himself. The sickening crime that happened in the northeastern Nong Bua Lamphu province has now drawn grief and condemnation across the globe. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan released a statement…

  • Northern Thailand News

    Hip businesses in northeast Thai province offer tasty food and fun experiences

    Three hip businesses in Thailand’s northeast province of Nakhon Ratchasima are offering tasty locally made foods, and fun experiences. One business is the Green Me Organic Farm. Visitors can take a tour of the farm and harvest organic vegetables. There is also a farm-stay accommodation with six rooms available. Visitors can also buy organic vegetables, products, dishes, and drinks at…