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.
  • Phuket NewsOfficials bust Patong hookah venue over violations

    Officials bust Patong hookah venue over violations

    Officials busted a Patong hookah venue on Friday night following complaints. The raid at Crystal Club on Bangla Road was ordered by Phuket Governor Narong, along with other officials. During the raid at around 11.30pm, officials seized a total of 52 hookah sets along with shisha and other equipment, and handed it to police, The Phuket News reported. The officials…

  • Crime NewsThai police bust major drug smuggling operation, seize illegal substances bound for overseas

    Thai police bust major drug smuggling operation, seize illegal substances bound for overseas

    Thai police yesterday revealed the quantity of drugs seized since October of last year, which were intended for illicit transportation across borders. The Airport Interdiction Task Force (AITF) and the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) worked together to seize the drugs. Pol. Lt. Gen. Sarayut Sanguanphokai, the commissioner-general of the NSB, announced the results. The drugs seized since October 2022 included…

  • Phuket NewsChinese tourists bring Thai school uniform trend to famous spots in Phuket

    Chinese tourists bring Thai school uniform trend to famous spots in Phuket

    Chinese tourists have now brought the new trend of dressing up in Thai school uniforms to famous spots in downtown Phuket. These hotspots include Museum Phuket, ThaiRath reported yesterday. The museum is a well known landmark with its clock standing high above the main building. Chinese tourists also enjoyed taking photos of themselves dressed in Thai school uniforms at Chiang Mai…

  • Tourism NewsPattaya mayor attends Thailand tourism event in Germany

    Pattaya mayor attends Thailand tourism event in Germany

    Thailand continues to make its mark as a tourism destination across the globe. Pattaya’s mayor this week visited Germany to attend a Thailand tourism event. Mayor Poramase Ngampiches visited Berlin to attend the ‘Discover Thailand, Journey to Happiness.’ The tourism stimulus expo was set to run from March 9 to 11, Pattaya News reported. The event aimed to attract high-spending…

  • Thailand NewsBank of Thailand announces new biometric scans for mobile banking

    Bank of Thailand announces new biometric scans for mobile banking

    The Bank of Thailand announced new measures to protect consumers from cyber risks in mobile banking transactions. Biometric scans, such as facial scans, will be required for high-value transactions, including digital money transfers of over 50,000 baht per transaction, transfers over 200,000 baht per day, and credit transfer amounts of over 50,000 baht per transaction. Banks must adopt these measures…

  • Phuket NewsBody spotted off Phuket believed to be missing Romanian diver

    Body spotted off Phuket believed to be missing Romanian diver

    Nearly two months after the search for the Romanian diver who went missing at sea off Phuket ended, officials believe that his body has been found. A body was spotted floating off Phuket’s Koh Kaew island yesterday, The Phuket News reported. At 12.30pm, an unnamed boat captain told Chalong Police that he found a legless body in the water some…

  • Thailand NewsFamily of British man in coma needs help to bring him home from Thailand

    Family of British man in coma needs help to bring him home from Thailand

    A British man’s family is appealing for help to bring him home from Thailand, where he is fighting for his life following a terrible motorbike crash. The man, 32 year old Jay Bridgehouse from Stockport, travelled to Thailand for a chance to ‘chase his dreams’ and look for work, Manchester Evening News reported. But tragedy struck when a pickup truck ploughed…

  • Environment NewsPeople in central Thailand have no place to hide from landfill emissions

    People in central Thailand have no place to hide from landfill emissions

    Residents of Thailand’s central provinces of Lop Buri and Sa Kaeo have no place to hide from emissions caused by landfill fires. In Lop Buri’s Hua Samrong sub-district, residents complained about the foul smell and smoke emanating from the burning landfill operated by Tha Wung sub-district municipal office. The smoke and smell are said to be penetrating their homes, even…

  • Crime NewsThai officials arrest overstaying French woman in Koh Pha Ngan

    Thai officials arrest overstaying French woman in Koh Pha Ngan

    Thai officials arrested an overstaying French woman in Koh Pha Ngan this week. Sura Thani Immigration officers said in a Facebook post that they arrested the woman on Monday in front of the Bounty Resort on 85/1 Moo 8. The woman, 36 year old Myriam Naima Bakhoury, overstayed her visa by six days, the officers said. She was taken to…

  • LifestyleWhich 10 food names are the most commonly mispronounced?

    Which 10 food names are the most commonly mispronounced?

    Many people struggle to pronounce the names of certain foods. The rental property search engine Holidu has compiled a list of the top 10 most commonly mispronounced food names, along with their correct pronunciations. The list was published in Daily Mail on Wednesday. Researchers collected 100 foreign foods that many people have a tough time pronouncing. Then they found the…

  • Pattaya NewsChon Buri woman dies in motorbike crash, young daughter seriously injured

    Chon Buri woman dies in motorbike crash, young daughter seriously injured

    A tragic motorbike crash in the Sri Racha district of Chon Buri claimed the life of a woman and left her young daughter seriously injured. The incident occurred on Wednesday in the Nongkham sub-district. Rescuers and Nongkham Police arrived on the scene, where they found 41 year old Potjaman Chuklin and her seven year old daughter with severe injuries. Both…

  • Northern Thailand NewsThai plus-size pageant ladies have eating contest with an elephant

    Thai plus-size pageant ladies have eating contest with an elephant

    A group of Thai plus-size beauty pageant contestants partook in an eating contest with an elephant yesterday in the northeast Nakhon Ratchasima province. The Miss Jumbo Queen beauty pageant is not just about celebrating plus-size beauty, it also aims to boost Nakhon Ratchasima’s tourism and help society. The contestants are taking part in several charitable causes, one of which is…

  • Phuket NewsPatong Police still probing the cause of Belgian man’s death

    Patong Police still probing the cause of Belgian man’s death

    UPDATE Patong Police are still probing the cause of the death of a Belgian man reported on Wednesday. The Phuket Express reported yesterday that Patong Police are reviewing the incident to determine if the man did indeed slip and fall, as was reported earlier, or if his death was caused by a physical confrontation. The victim’s friend said they got in…

  • Bangkok NewsCelebrate the Holi festival coming up in Bangkok

    Celebrate the Holi festival coming up in Bangkok

    Indians around the world will soon mark the Hindu festival of Holi this weekend, and the festival is now coming to Bangkok! The festival, which marks the arrival of spring, love, and new life, will take place on March 12 at Bangkok World, located near the Siam Amazing Park entrance. The festival will be held from 1pm to 10pm. The…

  • Northern Thailand NewsThais on Lao border bear the brunt of haze crisis

    Thais on Lao border bear the brunt of haze crisis

    Residents living along the border of Laos in Thailand’s northeast Nakhon Phanom province are facing the brunt of the country’s haze crisis. PM2.5 levels reached 167 micrograms (MCG) per cubic metre in four districts yesterday, according to the city’s Office of Natural Resource and Environment. These districts include Muang, Bang Phaeng, Tha Uthen, and That Phanom. Any level above 50…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya bans airhorns at bars after noise complaints

    Pattaya bans airhorns at bars after noise complaints

    Pattaya‘s nightlife scene can get loud, and authorities are looking to deal with noise pollution. Pattaya City has now released a statement to the city’s bar operators with three regulations that they must fully follow by March 15. Among these regulations is the removal of air horns. The new regulations come after numerous Pattaya residents lamented to police about the…

  • Bangkok NewsThai netizens gush over photo of Harry Styles buying coconut juice in Bangkok

    Thai netizens gush over photo of Harry Styles buying coconut juice in Bangkok

    Thai netizens are gushing over a photo of British pop icon Harry Styles buying coconut juice in Bangkok‘s Siam area. A Thai netizen under the username pdulads posted the photo on Twitter yesterday with the caption… “Can’t believe it! I took a walk in this market after lunch and spotted Harry buying coconut juice.” The tweet already has 21,000 retweets…

  • Central Thailand NewsCollapsed crane on ‘cursed’ highway halts traffic in central Thailand

    Collapsed crane on ‘cursed’ highway halts traffic in central Thailand

    A collapsed crane blocked the outbound lane of Thailand’s “cursed” Rama II highway in the central Samut Sakhon province on Tuesday night. The collapsed crane caused traffic to come to a standstill, according to police. The incident occurred in front of a petrol station in the main city district. Construction workers took about half an hour to remove the crane…

  • Thailand NewsHelloFresh says no to Thai coconut milk due to forced monkey labour

    HelloFresh says no to Thai coconut milk due to forced monkey labour

    HelloFresh, the largest meal-kit provider in the US, announced it will no longer purchase coconut milk from Thailand. This bold new move comes after animal rights group PETA accused HelloFresh of selling coconut milk from farms using forced monkey labour, Axios reported yesterday. After a series of investigations, PETA reported that monkeys were being forced to pick heavy coconuts from tall…

  • Hua Hin NewsHua Hin beach launches twin campaigns to tackle smoking and jellyfish perils

    Hua Hin beach launches twin campaigns to tackle smoking and jellyfish perils

    Two campaigns dedicated to different causes took off at a Hua Hin beach on Tuesday. Officials launched an anti-smoking campaign, as well as a jellyfish awareness campaign. The Smoke-free Beach project, and the jellyfish awareness campaign, were launched at Hua Don beach in Khao Takiab. The campaigns aimed to educate tourists about the harmful effects of smoking on the environment,…

  • Phuket NewsBelgian man tragically dies after trying to defuse argument in Patong

    Belgian man tragically dies after trying to defuse argument in Patong

    A Belgian man tragically died after he reportedly tried to defuse an argument in Patong. The man’s friend told Patong Police that he had been in a heated argument with a Thai man at an apartment in Soi Nanai. The victim had been trying to stop the heated exchange, and for unknown reasons, he reportedly ran and slipped, hitting his…

  • Eastern Thailand NewsLandfill fire covers district of eastern Thailand province with smoke

    Landfill fire covers district of eastern Thailand province with smoke

    A landfill fire covered a district of a province in eastern Thailand with smoke on Monday. The thick blanket of smoke engulfed Sa Kaeo province’s main city district in the afternoon after the city’s main landfill caught fire. Nation Thailand reported yesterday that, as of press time, the fire still had not been fully extinguished due to heavy winds. It took…

  • LifestylePink trumpet trees decorate park in middle of Bangkok

    Pink trumpet trees decorate park in middle of Bangkok

    Nature enthusiasts and keen photographers, rejoice! Wachirabenchathat Park, also known as Suan Rot Fai, in the Chatuchak district of Bangkok, is currently decorated with gorgeous Tabebuia rosea or pink trumpet trees in full bloom, Sanook reported. For those who have been waiting for the park to transform from its usual green appearance to a picturesque pink, the wait is finally…

  • Eastern Thailand NewsDesperate elephants flee massive forest fires in eastern Thailand

    Desperate elephants flee massive forest fires in eastern Thailand

    Desperate wild elephants are fleeing massive forest fires in Thailand’s eastern Trat province. The fires have destroyed more than 2,500 rai of forests since February 26, and the poor creatures are trying to escape. A herd of 13 elephants in the Klong Kaew Waterfall National Park have started moving out, Naewna reported yesterday. Rangers flew a drone which spotted the…

  • GuidesFive powerful Thai women to know about on International Women’s Day

    Five powerful Thai women to know about on International Women’s Day

    Today is International Women’s Day, and people across the world are celebrating women’s achievements and triumphs over adversity. In Thailand, women still face a number of barriers to equality. The country has deeply entrenched problems with abuse and trafficking of women, maternity leave, and a range of other issues. Yet, Thailand has several prominent, powerful female leaders. Below are five who you…

  • Northern Thailand NewsIrate Thai man who set his own car on fire has absolutely no regrets

    Irate Thai man who set his own car on fire has absolutely no regrets

    An irate Thai man who set his car on fire in the northeast Udon Thani province has absolutely no regrets. The man, 58 year old Panya, set fire to his sedan on Sunday after continuing to experience problems with the car’s electrical system and trouble getting the car to start. The issues really ground Panya’s gears. When he wanted to…

  • Koh Samui NewsGerman man drowns at Koh Samui beach

    German man drowns at Koh Samui beach

    There’s been another tragic drowning at one of Thailand’s holiday paradises, this time the island of Koh Samui. A 58 year old German man drowned at Koh Samui‘s Chaweng Beach on Monday. Bo Phut Police said the tourist had gone into the water with his girlfriend. When his girlfriend got out of the water, she could not find her boyfriend…

  • Crime NewsThai navy busts Phuket umbrella operator for beach encroachment

    Thai navy busts Phuket umbrella operator for beach encroachment

    The Royal Thai Navy busted a Phuket umbrella operator for encroaching on a beach yesterday. The incident happened on Koh Racha Yai, an island off southern Phuket. The navy inspected the island yesterday and found the operator on Ao Pratok Beach. Twenty sets of umbrellas were seized, and the operator was arrested and brought to Chalong Police Station for further…

  • Environment NewsOfficials say 90% of northern Thailand’s hotspots caused by human activity

    Officials say 90% of northern Thailand’s hotspots caused by human activity

    The director-general of Thailand’s Pollution Control Department says around 90% of the hotspots in northern Thailand are caused by human activities. Director-General Pinsak Suraswadi said the PM2.5 atmospheric pollution in the region is expected to increase before it improves. Pinsak said that 90% of the hotspots were detected in conserved forests and that the problem would be worse between Saturday, March…

  • Thailand NewsThai netizens call out sentence for tiger killers as too lenient

    Thai netizens call out sentence for tiger killers as too lenient

    Thai netizens are calling out the recent sentencing for five hunters who killed a tiger mother and her cub last year as too lenient. Comments on a Facebook post by the Thai news outlet Story This Morning unleashed a wrath of anger from Thais. The over 100 comments included, “That’s it. Very little blame,” “Thai law is so weak,” and “Should…