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.
  • Bangkok NewsVIDEO: Bangkok exhibition celebrates Thai-Saudi relations at Islamic centre

    VIDEO: Bangkok exhibition celebrates Thai-Saudi relations at Islamic centre

    A new exhibition in Bangkok is celebrating Thai-Saudi relations after the two nations rekindled relations with each other this year following decades of bitterness. The exhibition, titled the “Thai-Saudi Bridge Exhibition,” is being held at the Foundation of Islamic Centre of Thailand until Thursday, August 31. The exhibition is open from 11am to 5pm. The exhibition aims to educate the…

  • Central Thailand NewsThai man reportedly stressed at work found stabbed to death in car

    Thai man reportedly stressed at work found stabbed to death in car

    A Thai man who had reportedly been stressed at work was found stabbed to death in his car yesterday morning in the central province of Nonthaburi. The man, 30 year old Jetsit, was found in Bang Kruai district with two stab wounds in his neck, and seven on the left side of the chest. The police also found two knives…

  • Koh Samui NewsVietnamese man to be deported after robbing Dutchman on Koh Samui

    Vietnamese man to be deported after robbing Dutchman on Koh Samui

    A Vietnamese man who stole 15,000 baht and an iPhone from a Dutch tourist on Koh Samui is set to be deported after he faces penalties. The suspect, Tueng, snatched the iPhone and cash from the victim’s bag at an entertainment venue, according to Bo Phut Police. The victim, 25 year old Hanifi Mert, filed a complaint on August 20.…

  • Crime NewsMasseuse claims she trafficked teen girls to feed her own children

    Masseuse claims she trafficked teen girls to feed her own children

    Thai police yesterday arrested a masseuse who reportedly says she trafficked two teenage girls to feed her own two children. Officers from the Anti Trafficking in Persons Division arrested the woman in the eastern province of Rayong. Police said the woman, 28 year old Kwansiri Krathuanrat, had allegedly exploited two orphaned girls who were 13 and 16 years old. The…

  • Pattaya NewsNew rules drafted for Pattaya’s sea-walking tourists

    New rules drafted for Pattaya’s sea-walking tourists

    Pattaya has drafted some new rules this week for ‘sea-walker’ tourists, a.k.a divers to protect its coral reefs. If the rules take effect, there will be codified underwater zones where divers can walk. These zones should have no coral, if possible. If it’s not possible to create entire zones with no coral, then divers won’t be allowed to come within…

  • Thailand NewsIn push for religious harmony, Thailand recognises more churches

    In push for religious harmony, Thailand recognises more churches

    In a push for religious harmony, Thailand has officially recognised three Catholic churches in the kingdom this week. The Ministry of Culture officially approved the churches on August 23, after the churches had reportedly waited 93 years for recognition. The newly approved churches are: Saint Thomas the Apostle Church in Bangkok, Saint Monica Church in Nan Province, and Saint Joseph…

  • Tourism NewsThailand welcomed over 4 million foreign tourists this year, officials say

    Thailand welcomed over 4 million foreign tourists this year, officials say

    A Thai government spokesperson has said today that over 4 million foreign tourists have entered the kingdom this year. He said this number is expected to jump to 4.5 million within this month. The top five countries with the most tourists coming to Thailand, in order, are: Malaysia, India, Laos, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. The spokesperson, Anucha Burapachaisri, said…

  • Thailand NewsThailand’s sixth monkeypox patient says symptoms started while she was in Qatar

    Thailand’s sixth monkeypox patient says symptoms started while she was in Qatar

    A young woman in Thailand’s northeast province of Maha Sarakham is the kingdom’s sixth confirmed monkeypox patient, the Department for Disease and Control (DDC) announced yesterday. The 21 year old woman says her symptoms started while she was in Qatar for work. The woman had worked as a masseuse in Qatar and said that while she was there, she started…

  • Politics NewsThai Deputy Education Minister accused of encroaching on national park, suspended

    Thai Deputy Education Minister accused of encroaching on national park, suspended

    Thailand’s Deputy Education Minister has been accused of encroaching on a national park in central Thailand. Today the Supreme Court has suspended the deputy minister, Kanokwan Wilawan, from her duties, Thai media reported. The country’s National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) said that Kanokwan obtained a deed in 2002 for 30 rai of land in the central province of Prachin Buri, in…

  • Central Thailand NewsUPDATE: National park in central Thailand closes 5 waterfalls due to flash floods

    UPDATE: National park in central Thailand closes 5 waterfalls due to flash floods

    UPDATE The national park in central Thailand, where a waterfall was devastated by flash floods this week, has closed five waterfalls as rain continues to pour down. Khao Yai National Park announced the closure in a Facebook post today. The Haew Narok waterfall, the park’s largest, will be closed until September 30. Meanwhile, four other waterfalls will be closed until…

  • Thailand Weather UpdatesMore stormy weather headed for central and eastern Thailand

    More stormy weather headed for central and eastern Thailand

    More stormy weather is headed for central and eastern Thailand this weekend and will last until August 31. Thundershowers and isolated heavy to very heavy rains are expected in several provinces, including Nakhon Nayok, Prachinburi, Sa Kaeo, Chachoengsao, Chonburi (Pattaya), Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat. From Saturday to Wednesday (August 27-31), scattered thundershowers are expected. Southwesterly winds are expected to blow…

  • Pattaya NewsJerk steals donation money from Pattaya noodle restaurant

    Jerk steals donation money from Pattaya noodle restaurant

    A massive jerk has snatched money off of a donation tree at a Pattaya noodle restaurant this week. CCTV caught the thief breaking through a thin wall of the restaurant on Monday night, before grabbing the cash from the donation tree worth 2,000 baht. The suspect wore shorts and a t-shirt. The disheartened restaurant owner, 36 year old Chotika Chantakot,…

  • Pattaya NewsLast weekend of Pattaya Music Festival starts tonight

    Last weekend of Pattaya Music Festival starts tonight

    Tonight and tomorrow night (Friday and Saturday) are your last chances to experience the Pattaya Music Festival if you haven’t already! For the next two nights, the festival will go out with a bang on Pattaya Central Beach, and Koh Larn. Tonight there will be performances on Central Beach by pop-rock artists and bands Polycat, Tattoo Colour, Getsunova, and Cocktail.…

  • Koh Samui NewsKoh Samui man busted for allegedly opening illegal venue

    Koh Samui man busted for allegedly opening illegal venue

    One Koh Samui man’s new entertainment venue, which he named ‘Dream Land,’ has turned into the scene of his worst nightmare. Officers from Bo Phut Police station raided Dream Land yesterday, and the owner now faces charges of opening the venue without a permit. The man, 45 year old Puwanai, also faces charges of selling alcohol over the legal time…

  • Pattaya NewsMore tourists are heading to Pattaya, but spending less cash, mayor says

    More tourists are heading to Pattaya, but spending less cash, mayor says

    As Thailand slowly rises from the ashes of Covid-19’s economic destruction, more foreign tourists are heading to Pattaya. The catch? They’re spending less money, according to the city’s mayor Poramet Ngampichet. Pattaya’s changing demographics in tourism may have something to do with the spending differences. The mayor said on Tuesday that this year, the million foreign tourists that have arrived…

  • World NewsFormer UK ambassador and husband reported detained in Myanmar

    Former UK ambassador and husband reported detained in Myanmar

    The former UK ambassador to Myanmar and her husband have been detained in Yangon, two anonymous sources reported today. A spokesperson for the Burmese junta did not answer calls from Reuters seeking comment on the situation. A British embassy spokesperson has said the embassy is concerned about the arrest. She said… “We are in contact with the local authorities and are…

  • Central Thailand NewsWaterfall and national parks in central Thailand devastated by flash floods

    Waterfall and national parks in central Thailand devastated by flash floods

    A waterfall and two national parks in central Thailand’s Nakhon Nayok province have been devastated by flash floods since yesterday. A large amount of reddish brown water poured down into Nang Rong Waterfall in Khao Yai National Park. The waterfall’s water level rose to over half a metre, submerging a bridge. At another national park in the province, water levels…

  • Covid-19 NewsThai authorities approve Pfizer for children under 5

    Thai authorities approve Pfizer for children under 5

    Thai authorities have approved Pfizer’s Comirnaty Covid-19 vaccines for children between six months old to under five years old. The secretary-general of the country’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the approval yesterday. For children in this age range, the dose will be adjusted to 10 micrograms per dose. For children 5-11 years old, the dose is 30mcg. Eight weeks…

  • Koh Samui NewsKoh Samui dwellers tell government to hurry & build bridge to mainland

    Koh Samui dwellers tell government to hurry & build bridge to mainland

    Residents of Thailand’s island of Koh Samui are calling on the government to hurry up and build a bridge connecting the island to the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat. Thai media reported yesterday that a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed to construct the bridge. Koh Samui dwellers are keeping a close eye on the bridge projects since ferry…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket landlord denies sexual assaulting his female tenant

    Phuket landlord denies sexual assaulting his female tenant

    A Phuket landlord is denying accusations that he sexually assaulted one of his female tenants in a dormitory. The woman, 26 year old Kwanruethai, told police that her landlord, 50 year old Sasin, got into her room at night with a spare key, and started touching her hips and private parts while she was sleeping. Kwanruethai said she woke up…

  • Thailand NewsKuwaiti man allegedly motorbike racing in Pattaya loses middle finger in crash

    Kuwaiti man allegedly motorbike racing in Pattaya loses middle finger in crash

    A young Kuwaiti man who was allegedly motorbike racing in Pattaya had a rather nasty crash on an overpass in the early hours of this morning. A taxi driver revealed he saw the man, 19 year old Faisal, driving fast in a group of four-five people. He said Faisal then crashed into his taxi from the front and then slammed…

  • Phuket NewsLocal man discovers skeleton at viewpoint in Phuket Town

    Local man discovers skeleton at viewpoint in Phuket Town

    A local man going to plant coconut trees near a viewpoint in Phuket’s main city district stumbled upon something quite unexpected – a skeleton. The local man found the male skeleton covered with a cloth at the Khao Khad Viewpoint in the Wichit neighbourhood on August 20. The uniform on the skeleton was reportedly similar to a security guard’s uniform.…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya locals gather to promote road safety

    Pattaya locals gather to promote road safety

    A crowd of about 200 locals in east Pattaya gathered at a school on Monday to raise awareness about Thailand’s problems with road safety. Speakers discussed the kingdom’s poor driver training, and the even worse enforcement of motorcycle helmets, which riders often don’t wear. Among the crowd was Chon Buri Deputy Governor Naris Niramaiwong, along with teachers, students, and volunteers.…

  • World NewsFloods wreak havoc on northern India, killing over 30 people

    Floods wreak havoc on northern India, killing over 30 people

    Floods are wreaking havoc on two of India’s northern states, destroying homes and leaving people stranded. Since August 19, at least 32 people in Uttarakhand state and Himachal Pradesh state have been killed in floods and landslides, often due to houses collapsing in the floods. In the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh, 27 people have been killed, and six were…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket man rescued after falling overboard due to strong waves

    Phuket man rescued after falling overboard due to strong waves

    A Phuket man was rescued earlier this week after a close call when he fell off his boat due to strong waves. The boat crew member, 43 year old Eakkarat Limsomboon, said he fell into the sea near Kaew Noi Island after the boat swayed and an ice box hit him. Luckily, the Royal Thai Navy sent out a search…

  • Bangkok NewsBangkok governor wants to control crowds at train stations after accident

    Bangkok governor wants to control crowds at train stations after accident

    Following the accident where 27 people got injured falling down an escalator, Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt is looking to decrease overcrowding at train stations. The governor said that one possibility could be to limit the number of people that can enter crowded stations. Chadchart said this would possibly be an option pending consultation with train operators. Chadchart said today that…

  • Central Thailand NewsPolice seize fake designer products worth 50 million baht in central Thailand

    Police seize fake designer products worth 50 million baht in central Thailand

    Thai police yesterday seized 50 million baht worth of fake “designer” products in the central province of Nakhon Nayok. Officers from the Department of Special Investigation found 60,000-70,000 fake products following raids on 15 warehouses in the main city district. The products had counterfeit logos of some of the world’s most famous, pricey brands, including Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Coach,…

  • Phuket NewsJealous boyfriend who shot girlfriend on the loose in Phang Nga

    Jealous boyfriend who shot girlfriend on the loose in Phang Nga

    Yet another jealous boyfriend has shot his girlfriend in Thailand, this time in the southern province of Phang Nga. The man, 20 year old Chakrabongse, shot both his girlfriend and her friend as they were leaving the restrooms of a PTT petrol station. Police said the two women had just gone to a restaurant, and they had stopped to use…

  • Krabi NewsKrabi tour boat captain missing after falling into ocean

    Krabi tour boat captain missing after falling into ocean

    A tour boat captain in Thailand’s southern Krabi province has gone missing after falling into the ocean during a tour on Friday. The captain, 27 year old Apichart Boonrat, had been at the helm of a long tail boat between Yaman Island and Rok Island when he fell in, according to marine police. There had also been 14 tourists and…

  • Bangkok NewsEscalator accident at Bangkok train station leaves 27 injured

    Escalator accident at Bangkok train station leaves 27 injured

    Twenty-seven people were injured last night after a group of teenagers fell down an escalator at a Bangkok train station. Rescuers from Ruam Katanyu Foundation said earlier that the escalator at BTS Surasak station malfunctioned. But police say the accident was caused by someone slipping and falling down the stairs. BTS has now released a statement saying that an initial…