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.
  • Pattaya NewsMan allegedly assaults another man for mocking his girlfriend, Chon Buri

    Man allegedly assaults another man for mocking his girlfriend, Chon Buri

    Yet another incident of violence has come to light in the Bang Lamung district of Chon Buri province this week. On Tuesday night, a man allegedly assaulted another man who he said mocked his girlfriend’s looks. A video by an eyewitness reportedly shows the suspect, 23 year old Kittithat Thongtae, and his girlfriend, charging at a motorcycle taxi rider and…

  • Phuket NewsUPDATE: Excavation banned on hill in Phuket, further investigation

    UPDATE: Excavation banned on hill in Phuket, further investigation

    THE LATEST After Thai media reported construction tools and trucks digging soil on a hill in Kamala, a town in Phuket, officials have banned any further excavation on the site. Kathu District Chief Siwat Rawangkul confirmed the ban when he and other officials revisited the site on Tuesday. He said that no government office has issued a building permit for…

  • Phuket NewsGerman tourist missing in Phuket

    German tourist missing in Phuket

    After a German tourist in Phuket was rescued after getting stuck between rocks last week, another German tourist in the island province is also in a tricky situation. The 76 year old woman, who so far has only been identified as Ms. Barbara, reportedly went missing from a hotel in Thalang district on Monday (May 9). This is reportedly the…

  • South Thailand NewsMan stabbed to death at wedding in southern Thailand

    Man stabbed to death at wedding in southern Thailand

    A man stabbed another man to death at a wedding party in Thailand’s southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat last night, according to police in Nopphitam district. Witnesses told police that the victim, 58 year old Diam Yangkaew, had been drinking with other guests at a table, when another man showed up on a motorcycle. They say the man walked…

  • Pattaya NewsMan allegedly threatens ex-girlfriend with gun in Chon Buri

    Man allegedly threatens ex-girlfriend with gun in Chon Buri

    A man allegedly pointed a gun at his ex-girlfriend’s face in the middle of a street in Chon Buri province earlier this week. The 18 year old woman and her 22 year old sister say that on Monday night, the ex-boyfriend followed them on a motorcycle before he pointed the gun at her face. They say he brought up their…

  • World NewsAustralia’s Great Barrier Reef facing “mass bleaching”

    Australia’s Great Barrier Reef facing “mass bleaching”

    Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, one of the most famous natural sites in the world, is suffering a mass bleaching event. Due to bleaching in 2016, 2017 and 2020, 66% of the reef’s coral was damaged. Bleaching occurs when rising ocean temperatures cause corals heat stress, and drain them of their colours. The UN threatened to lower the reef’s World Heritage…

  • Economy NewsNew wages for Thailand’s skilled workers

    New wages for Thailand’s skilled workers

    Thailand’s cabinet has approved new wages for construction workers, industrial arts workers and service workers. The new wages are expected to come into effect 90 days after the announcement was made on Tuesday. In the construction industry, tilers considered ‘level 1’ will earn 465 baht per day. Those considered level 2 will earn 550 baht a day. Level 3 tilers…

  • Phuket NewsOn May 14 and 29, children can get Pfizer vaccines at Phuket airport

    On May 14 and 29, children can get Pfizer vaccines at Phuket airport

    Phuket International Airport will have walk-in Pfizer vaccinations for children 5-11 years old on May 14 and 29. Parents can bring their children to get vaccinated at Terminal X (south of the international terminal) from 9am to noon on both dates. The Phuket Provincial Health Office’s Facebook post about the vaccinations includes a graphic that only mentions “shots 1, 2”…

  • Northern Thailand NewsStore owner in northern Thailand donates school uniforms to needy families

    Store owner in northern Thailand donates school uniforms to needy families

    As Thailand plans to reopen schools on May 17, a store owner in Northern Thailand’s province of Nakhon Sawan is donating old school uniforms to families who don’t have the money to buy their own. The store owner said that this is the second year the donation handout has been organised. He said that last year, there was a similar…

  • Bangkok NewsUpcoming campaign to urge Bangkok to vote in governor election

    Upcoming campaign to urge Bangkok to vote in governor election

    Just 2 weeks ahead of Bangkok’s election for a new governor, the Election Commission will launch a campaign tomorrow urging the public to vote. The elections are to be held on May 22. Tomorrow (Monday), the campaign will be held at City Hall, and trucks with loudspeakers will drive through all 50 of Bangkok’s districts. Speakers will urge people to…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket prepares reforestation activity for National Tree Day

    Phuket prepares reforestation activity for National Tree Day

    National Tree Day is coming up next Friday, May 13, and Phuket is getting ready to celebrate! Phuket authorities plan to host a public event where people can come and plant trees. The event will start at Wat Kosit Viharn Temple, off Thepkrasattri Road in Rassada, and move to Toh Sae National Forest reserve, which is behind the temple off…

  • Northern Thailand NewsMan in northern Thailand found dead under palm tree

    Man in northern Thailand found dead under palm tree

    A man in the northern Thai province of Phitsanulok was found lying dead under a palm tree this morning. The man’s relatives told police he had left his home early in the morning to tap palm milk, as he did every day. They got worried when he didn’t come back at 9am, so they went to search for him, and…

  • Crime NewsSouth African woman, jailed in Thailand, gets to speak to mother

    South African woman, jailed in Thailand, gets to speak to mother

    A young South African woman, 23 year old Ashley Oosthuizen, sentenced to life in a Thai prison has finally been able to speak to her mother after nearly 3 months of Covid ‘quarantine’ (as there was an outbreak in the prison). She was sentenced after being accused and convicted by a Thai court of accepting a package of MDMA at the Koh…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket officials investigate land excavation in Kamala hills

    Phuket officials investigate land excavation in Kamala hills

    After news broke on Thai media that a backhoe was seen digging soil and loading it onto trucks in Kamala, a town on the central west coast of Phuket, officials are now investigating what is suspected of being an illegal land excavation. Isra News Agency, the Thai media platform that first reported the incident, published photos on Thursday of what…

  • Pattaya NewsYoung girl gets leg stuck in Pattaya gutter, sparks debate

    Young girl gets leg stuck in Pattaya gutter, sparks debate

    A 12 year old girl fell into a gutter in Pattaya on Friday, which some bystanders claimed was not properly sealed and was an accident waiting to happen. Officers were able to help free the girl without injuring her in the process, however she was still transferred to a nearby hospital for observation. The incident happened in the parking lot…

  • Bangkok NewsTourists returning to Bangkok’s Khao San Road

    Tourists returning to Bangkok’s Khao San Road

    The president of a business operators association on Bangkok’s tourist-trap of Khao San Road says the tourism numbers are making a comeback. This news comes following Thailand Pass‘s eased entry requirements for foreign arrivals, making travelling to Thailand slightly less tedious since May 1. The president told the Bangkok Post that the number of tourists to the walking street still doesn’t…

  • World NewsAfter Indonesia’s export ban, palm oil producers promise price cap in Thailand

    After Indonesia’s export ban, palm oil producers promise price cap in Thailand

    In the midst of the global palm oil crisis following Indonesia’s export ban, palm oil farmers, extractors, and producers are promising Thailand’s Internal Trade department that they will cap the price on the product. The Internal Trade Department’s chief said the 3 groups were told that an export ban may be considered if palm oil stocks fall below 300,000 tonnes.…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket Covid-19 clinic to close down this month

    Phuket Covid-19 clinic to close down this month

    One Covid-19 clinic in Phuket is preparing to shut down on May 16, even though it only opened eight months ago in September last year. The Phuket Provincial Public Health Office announced the upcoming closure of Aunjai Clinic yesterday in a briefing, and on Facebook. The clinic was established to provide locals who tested positive for Covid-19 with advice, medicines,…

  • Bangkok NewsMan defecates in authority’s pickup truck in Bangkok area – VIDEO

    Man defecates in authority’s pickup truck in Bangkok area – VIDEO

    Finished your lunch or dinner? OK… A man ha defecated on the backseat of an authority’s pickup truck in Min Buri, on the outskirts of Bangkok yesterday. Yep, you read that right! The authorities had stopped the man because they wanted to confiscate his motorcycle and put it in their truck after he parked on the sidewalk. Thai media reports…

  • Pattaya NewsPolice visit Chon Buri immigration, warn staff “don’t take bribes”

    Police visit Chon Buri immigration, warn staff “don’t take bribes”

    Police have paid Chon Buri’s immigration office a rather tense visit on Thursday to deliver a 9 point checklist to staff. Thai media reported that #8 on the list of demands was “Get off your phones and don’t take bribes”, as ordered by the lieutenant general leading the visit. This news comes as Thailand prepares for an influx of international…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand officials still aiming for Covid-19 ‘endemic’ status in July

    Thailand officials still aiming for Covid-19 ‘endemic’ status in July

    Thailand’s officials say their goal remains to achieve endemic status for Covid-19 on July 1 if certain benchmarks continue to be met. Thailand’s deputy public health minister said in a speech that, if Covid-19 is declared an endemic, mask-wearing rules might ease depending on the Covid-19 situation in each area. In the plan for endemic status, the number of infections…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket and Andaman coast warned of storms and rough seas for next few days

    Phuket and Andaman coast warned of storms and rough seas for next few days

    A weather alert from last night by the Phuket Info Centre is warning of possible flash floods and “wild water flows” in Phuket, and other provinces on the Andaman coast. The stormy weather and high waves are predicted to last from today until Monday (May 7-9). Sailors in the Andaman Sea are being warned not to sail in areas with…

  • Thailand News5 elephants die after falling into sinkhole in Kanchanaburi

    5 elephants die after falling into sinkhole in Kanchanaburi

    In the latest tragedy for Thailand’s wildlife, 5 wild elephants were found dead in a national park in the western province of Kanchanaburi on Thursday. Even though they were just found this week, the elephants were estimated to have been dead for over 2 months after they fell into a natural sinkhole. The chief of Lam Khlong Ngu National Park…

  • World NewsBorder checkpoint between Thailand and Cambodia reopened

    Border checkpoint between Thailand and Cambodia reopened

    A checkpoint on the border between Thailand and Cambodia reopened today in the northeastern province of Surin. A line of cars began crossing the border this morning, and the crossing is now open to Thais and foreigners every day from 6am-10pm. This news comes on the same day as three Thailand – Malaysia border crossings have also reopened. The checkpoint,…

  • Bangkok NewsNew Japanese food export platform launched in Bangkok

    New Japanese food export platform launched in Bangkok

    Following Japanese PM Fumio Kishida’s visit to Thailand, Japan has launched a new platform in Bangkok. The platform, called Japan Food Export Platform, is meant to help boost exports of Japanese farm products and foodstuffs. At a meeting yesterday, Thailand’s Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Chalermchai Sri-on said that talks between the countries are “a good opportunity” to strengthen their agricultural…

  • Pattaya NewsOne Chon Buri municipality is neutering animals to have fewer strays

    One Chon Buri municipality is neutering animals to have fewer strays

    Officials in Chon Buri’s Bang Lamung municipality are having animals spayed in order to lower the number of strays in the area. Yesterday, vetrinarians from the municipality’s livestock development department spayed animals at a temple. The Bang Lamung district chief said the goal of the campaign is to stop both stray animals, and pets, from reproducing. The chief added that…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket official suggests drawing tourists with sharks

    Phuket official suggests drawing tourists with sharks

    After an animal, which some suspect was a shark, bit a child at a Phuket beach on this week, one official thinks sharks could be a cool new tourist attraction. Earlier, a lifeguard had voiced concern that if the attack was indeed a shark attack, this would impact tourism in the area. But Jutha Dumlak, the president of the Kamala…

  • EducationBeauty brand wants to end forced haircuts in Thailand’s schools

    Beauty brand wants to end forced haircuts in Thailand’s schools

    The Thai office of one American beauty brand wants to push Thai schools to ditch their mandatory haircuts for students. This news comes after the brand, Dove, has started working with Girl Guides, Thailand’s version of Girl Scouts, to empower women to reach their fullest potential. This week, Dove launched a campaign called #LetHerGrow, and released an ad about the…

  • World NewsJapan’s PM says entry restrictions to ease by next month

    Japan’s PM says entry restrictions to ease by next month

    Japan’s PM announced yesterday that in June, visitors can enter the country “as smoothly as other G-7 nations”. Apart from China, Japan is the last Asian country that still hasn’t opened its border to foreign tourists. Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the country has only been letting in foreigners who are either studying abroad, foreign dignitaries, or people…

  • Crime NewsThailand police arrest 7 for alleged forced fishing labour

    Thailand police arrest 7 for alleged forced fishing labour

    This morning, police arrested 7 people in 3 provinces across Thailand for allegedly supplying forced labour on fishing boats. This news comes after 3 Thai workers were repatriated from Malaysia in September last year, after being forced to work on a fishing boat, without oversight from authorities. The 7 arrested today were captured in raids in Samut Prakan, Nonthaburi, and…