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 NewsPattaya cops arrest British man and Thai woman suspected of trafficking

    Pattaya cops arrest British man and Thai woman suspected of trafficking

    Pattaya cops arrested a British man and a Thai woman suspected of human trafficking, the Daily Mail reported on Friday. Officers raided the Flirt bar on Soi 6 Road, known for its many sex bars, on April 5. There, they arrested a British man named William Reece, and a 31 year old Thai woman named Jaranya Deeppair. Officers said that arrest…

  • Pattaya NewsTerrible crash in Chon Buri kills 4, including pregnant worker

    Terrible crash in Chon Buri kills 4, including pregnant worker

    A terrible crash on Motorway Route 7 in Chon Buri killed four people early this morning, including a pregnant worker. The accident occurred when a van carrying migrant workers rear-ended a trailer truck on the Pattaya-inbound lane in the Nong Khang Khok sub-district of the main city district. Rescuers and police rushed to the scene to find a passenger van…

  • Environment NewsWork from home measure in Chiang Mai continues today and tomorrow

    Work from home measure in Chiang Mai continues today and tomorrow

    Chiang Mai’s air pollution problem is continuing to wreak havoc on the province. Chiang Mai‘s work from home measure, introduced by the provincial administration yesterday will continue until tomorrow (Sunday), Thai PBS reported. This is due to the PM2.5 pollution problem in the province, which has not improved. Governor Nirat Pongsitthavorn announced that the public will be informed if there…

  • Crime NewsPhuket authorities catch third illegal Chinese worker this week

    Phuket authorities catch third illegal Chinese worker this week

    Phuket authorities caught an illegal Chinese worker at Phuket International Airport last night. The unnamed man is the third illegal Chinese worker caught at the airport this week. Phuket Immigration checkpoint reported the incident in a Facebook post today. According to the post, the man was arrested at around 7.15pm in the ‘tour parking lot.’ The man was handed over…

  • World NewsOfficial says 1,000 Myanmar refugees voluntarily returned home from Thailand

    Official says 1,000 Myanmar refugees voluntarily returned home from Thailand

    After thousands of refugees fled Myanmar to Thailand due to the latest outbreak of violence, the deputy governor of Tak province, Surapol Wongsukphisarn, said yesterday that around 1,000 refugees had voluntarily returned home. This news comes after it was reported yesterday morning that thousands of people seeking refuge in Tak’s Mae Sot and Mae Ramat districts. The heavy fighting in…

  • Crime NewsPhuket Police arrest Ukrainian woman for spray painting slogans at viewpoint

    Phuket Police arrest Ukrainian woman for spray painting slogans at viewpoint

    Phuket Police yesterday morning arrested a Ukrainian woman for spray painting slogans critical of Russia at a popular viewpoint. The 34 year old woman spray painted “#Russia is a terrorist state,” and “#Russia” on rocks and a bench at Khao Khad Viewpoint in the Wichit sub-district of Phuket’s main city district. Wichit Police tracked the woman down through CCTV footage.…

  • Road deathsCrash kills Pattaya couple on motorbike

    Crash kills Pattaya couple on motorbike

    Last night, a couple from Pattaya lost their lives in a motorcycle accident. The deceased were identified as Santisuk Sae-tan, a 31 year old man, and Chatchawan Kangwanwuthikul, a 31 year old woman. The tragic incident occurred at approximately 8pm on a road situated in front of Khao Mai Kaew temple. Rescuers arrived on the scene to find that a…

  • Crime NewsPolice find remains in South Thailand believed to be missing official

    Police find remains in South Thailand believed to be missing official

    Police and paramilitary rangers found human remains in South Thailand yesterday morning, which are believed to be those of a missing local official. The authorities found the bones on a cliff in Moo 6 village of Sri Sakhorn district in Pattani province. Along with the bones, they found the ID card of the chief of the Tambon Don Administrative Organisation,…

  • Crime NewsProminent Thai doctor a suspect in case surrounding Chinese surrogacy gang

    Prominent Thai doctor a suspect in case surrounding Chinese surrogacy gang

    A prominent Thai doctor is a suspect in a case surrounding a Chinese surrogacy gang, Nation Thailand reported yesterday. This news comes after police raided a five-storey building in Bangkok’s Silom area on Tuesday, and found that a gang of Chinese and Myanmar nationals were holding two Chinese men for ransom. Police said the two victims were using the building to…

  • Koh Samui NewsGerman woman injured after falling at Koh Samui waterfall

    German woman injured after falling at Koh Samui waterfall

    A tourist from Germany sustained injuries while visiting Koh Samui, one of Thailand‘s beautiful tropical destinations. The incident occurred when a German woman fell at a waterfall on Koh Samui, Na Mueang 2 Waterfall, and it took rescue teams and officials over 20 minutes to reach her location on foot. The team found the woman, 38 year old Sina Dahmann,…

  • Phuket News48 baby sea turtles successfully hatch in Phang Nga

    48 baby sea turtles successfully hatch in Phang Nga

    In some uplifting news, 48 baby leatherback sea turtles successfully hatched in Phang Nga‘s Tai Mueang district, The Phuket Express reported yesterday. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) confirmed the good news, saying the turtles made their way into the sea. According to the DMCR, 48 of the eggs successfully hatched and the baby turtles were able to…

  • Crime NewsKorean overstayer in Pattaya fakes abduction to get money for Thai girlfriend

    Korean overstayer in Pattaya fakes abduction to get money for Thai girlfriend

    Some people take very desperate measures to get money. A Korean overstayer in Pattaya faked his own abduction to get money for his Thai girlfriend‘s expenses. Unfortunately for him, things didn’t go according to plan. The young man, 24 year old Kim Hyeongil, lied to his parents that he had been kidnapped before he was about to board a flight…

  • World NewsDNA results are in for Polish woman who claimed to be Madeleine McCann

    DNA results are in for Polish woman who claimed to be Madeleine McCann

    The DNA results are in for the Polish woman who in February claimed to be Madeleine McCann, the toddler who disappeared on a family vacation in Portugal in 2007. The woman, 21 year old Julia Wendell, is not the missing girl, according to a DNA test. In a statement posted on Instagram, Wendell’s spokesperson, psychic medium Dr Fia Johansson, said…

  • Crime NewsMurder of Chinese student in Thailand was reportedly over rejection

    Murder of Chinese student in Thailand was reportedly over rejection

    The murder of a 22 year old Chinese student in Thailand was motivated by rejection, media reported yesterday. New information has come to light in the case of Jin Can, a Chinese student who was reported kidnapped for ransom, and her body was later found in a banana plantation in the Bang Yai district in the central Nonthaburi province. According…

  • Crime NewsThai police find body believed to be kidnapped Chinese woman

    Thai police find body believed to be kidnapped Chinese woman

    In the central province of Nonthaburi, Thai authorities discovered a body that they suspect to be that of a Chinese woman who was abducted, inside a banana plantation. The body was found in the Bang Yai sub-district of Bang Yai district yesterday. The victim, believed to be a Chinese student named Jin Can, had reportedly been kidnapped for ransom before…

  • Thailand NewsThailand’s 45-day visa exemption is back to 30 days

    Thailand’s 45-day visa exemption is back to 30 days

    Thailand’s 45-day visa exemption is back down to 30 days for visitors to the kingdom from a list of around 60 countries. Starting from April 1 (yesterday), visitors from mainland Europe, the UK, the US, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and other countries will only be granted a 30-day stay in Thailand if they choose to enter the country without obtaining a…

  • Pattaya NewsMore than 20 Chon Buri teens brawl on Bang Saen beach, tourists flee

    More than 20 Chon Buri teens brawl on Bang Saen beach, tourists flee

    More than 20 Chon Buri teens brawled on Bang Saen beach on Thursday night, causing horrified tourists to flee the area. The rowdy teen boys reportedly fought at a crowded tourist spot on the beach, attacking each other with kitchen utensils and wooden sticks while shouting and cursing. Horrified tourists fled the area out of fear for their safety. A…

  • Phuket NewsPhang Nga arsonist unashamed after burning down floating restaurant

    Phang Nga arsonist unashamed after burning down floating restaurant

    A shameless arsonist showed no compassion after destroying a floating restaurant in Phang Nga on Friday. Takua Thung Police arrived at the restaurant located on a canal in Baan Chong Nuea in Kalai sub-district of Takua Thung district and found it engulfed in flames, with the suspect, 31 year old Wanat Looklek, watching it burn. Wanat admitted to police that…

  • Chiang Mai NewsChiang Mai national park fire kills firefighting volunteer

    Chiang Mai national park fire kills firefighting volunteer

    A forest fire at a Chiang Mai national park tragically killed a firefighting volunteer on Friday. The volunteer, 39 year old Wichai Thimakham from Mae Rim district, was found dead in Khun Khan National Park. His death was apparently due to suffocation, Thai PBS reported. The acting director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Atthaphon Charoenchansa, said Wichai…

  • Road deathsPattaya motorcyclist crashes and dies after talking on phone with girlfriend

    Pattaya motorcyclist crashes and dies after talking on phone with girlfriend

    A tragic incident occurred in Pattaya on Thursday night when a motorcyclist talking on the phone with his girlfriend crashed into the rear of a parked sedan and died. Rescuers arrived on the scene to find the victim, 30 year old Chavanin Treesakorn, seriously injured on Road No. 331 in Chon Buri’s Bang Lamung district, inbound to Sattahip district. The…

  • Songkran News4,500 daily bus trips coming up during Thailand’s Songkran holidays

    4,500 daily bus trips coming up during Thailand’s Songkran holidays

    Travel lovers can look forward to 4,500 daily bus trips during Thailand’s Songkran holidays. The Transport Company announced that it will be operating 4,500 daily trips on state-owned and private buses and vans during the Songkran holidays. The company will carry people from Bangkok back to other provinces. The Songkran Festival, which takes place from April 13 to 15, is…

  • Crime NewsUptick in prosecutions against Asian foreign workers in Thailand

    Uptick in prosecutions against Asian foreign workers in Thailand

    Thailand has seen an uptick in prosecutions of Asian foreign workers for illegal employment in the country, according to a report by the Department of Employment (DoE). The report covered the period from October 2022 to March 2023. The report revealed that 685 employment venues were prosecuted and a total of 1,550 people prosecuted. The majority of people prosecuted were…

  • Crime NewsThai cops indicted over extortion case with Taiwanese actress

    Thai cops indicted over extortion case with Taiwanese actress

    Six Thai cops have been indicted by public prosecutors in the Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases for allegedly extorting money from a Taiwanese actress in exchange for dropping charges against her, Thai PBS reported yesterday. The officers are from Bangkok’s Huai Khwang Police Station. According to Kosonlavat Intujunyong, deputy spokesman for the Office of the Attorney-General, the six…

  • Phuket NewsThree foreigners in Patong restaurant brawl fined 2,000 baht each

    Three foreigners in Patong restaurant brawl fined 2,000 baht each

    Three foreigners who were involved in the Patong restaurant brawl this week have been fined 2,000 baht each, according to an update from the Phuket Provincial Police. Yesterday, it was reported that a customer, 34 year old Australian national ‘Karen,‘ admitted that he started the dispute by throwing a water bottle at two restaurant staffers because he thought they were…

  • Pattaya NewsWire mesh impales Pattaya tourist’s ankle

    Wire mesh impales Pattaya tourist’s ankle

    A wire mesh impaled a Pattaya tourist’s ankle on Tuesday night. The tourist, 42 year old Rayong resident Sirima Khummode, said she was walking to buy food on Thepprasit Road at around 9pm. She said she accidentally stepped on some protruding iron wire mesh on the footpath. The wire penetrated Sirima’s ankle, and she screamed for help from passersby. Rescuers…

  • Road deathsPhuket crash kills foreigner, the 35th road death on island this year

    Phuket crash kills foreigner, the 35th road death on island this year

    Phuket’s number of road deaths reached 35 this year after a motorcycle crash killed a foreigner early this morning. The accident happened on Karon Beach Road on Phuket’s west coast at about 2.28am, according to Ruamjai Rescue Foundation. Rescuers and emergency medical service teams arrived on the scene to find a garbage truck parked on the side of the road.…

  • LifestyleUNESCO recognises performance style from South Thailand

    UNESCO recognises performance style from South Thailand

    UNESCO has recognised a unique performance style from South Thailand. The organisation’s Facebook page posted a cover photo of a Nora performer, with the caption, “We are #LivingHeritage.” Nora has deep cultural and social significance for southern Thais. It is known for its unique style of singing and dancing. Nora performers are known for their signature long, curled metal fingernail…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket rescuers find body of man who jumped from bridge

    Phuket rescuers find body of man who jumped from bridge

    Phuket rescuers on Wednesday found the body of a man who jumped from the Thep Krasattri Bridge. Kusoldharm rescuers recovered the body, and the man’s wife confirmed that the body was her husband’s. The rescuers found the body floating about 1 kilometre away from the bridge, The Phuket Express reported. The names of the man and the wife were being…

  • Crime NewsAnother Dutch national arrested in Phuket for illegally entering Thailand

    Another Dutch national arrested in Phuket for illegally entering Thailand

    A Dutch national was arrested in Phuket for illegally entering and staying in Thailand, on the same day that another citizen of the Netherlands was arrested in Phuket for the same crime. The Immigration Office at Phuket International Airport said that over the past weekend, it arrested a 61 year old Dutchman. The man was apprehended at the Immigration checkpoint…

  • Crime NewsCops arrest Iraqi in Pattaya who overstayed visa by 8 years

    Cops arrest Iraqi in Pattaya who overstayed visa by 8 years

    Cops arrested an Iraqi man in Pattaya who overstayed his visa for more than eight years. Chon Buri Immigration and Pattaya Police arrested the man at his house in Pattaya’s Map Yai Lia community on Tuesday. The man was sitting in front of his house when the cops showed up. The man turned pale and fainted when he saw the…