News
Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.
-
Sponsored Why health insurance costs more each year and how expats in Thailand can save more money
Each year, many expats living in Thailand see their health insurance premiums go up and often without a clear reason. This can be frustrating, especially when you're trying to plan your budget. But by understanding why prices rise and learning...
-
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…
-
Sattahip resort ordered to close for land encroachment
A lesson that never seems to be learned time and time again in Thailand: if you’re breaking the law, maybe don’t advertise it on social media. A luxury resort in the Sattahip district of Chon Buri has been ordered to close due to land encroachment after recently posted advertisements on social media for sea-view rooms. Star Over Sea received the…
-
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…
-
Snake catcher wrangles king cobra at farang’s house in Krabi, Thailand (video)
A snake catcher makes wrangling a king cobra look like a piece of snake in a clip filmed at a farang’s house in Krabi, southern Thailand, last week. A foreigner living in the Ao Nang area of Krabi walked outside to find a venomous 3.5-metre-long king cobra (ngoo jong ang) lying in the garden in front of his one-storey house.…
-
Annual report finds Thai prisons well below international standards
An annual report has found that Thai prisons in 2022 were well below international standards. The no-governmental organisation, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Union for Civil Liberty released the report yesterday, according to Prachatai English. The report findings show that the aftermath of the Covid-19 outbreak led to authorities making little progress in implementing lessons learned…
-
Another meeting with French consul on French motorbikers in Phuket
There’s been yet another meeting with the French Consul in Phuket addressing the issue of dangerous motorbike driving by French nationals on the island. This is after the former French Consul in Phuket met with Patong Police over the issue just last month. The Honorary Consul of France in Phuket, Alain Faudot, along with the Consul at the French Embassy…
-
Blind transwoman overcomes adversity of being blind in Thailand
A Thai transwoman was praised by netizens for her courage and self-confidence as she fights to overcome the adversity of being blind in Thailand. She searched for her dream job, despite having a disability, in a bid to prove that blind people are as able as others. The 24 year old transwoman Chitsanucha “Grace” Krachornsook posted an advert on a…
-
Report says most migrants to Thailand are undocumented
A report by the International Organisation for Migration says most migrants in Thailand come for work and are largely undocumented. According to Thai PBS World, the organisation studied Cambodian and Myanmar migrants living in Tak, Rayong, Ranong, Chanthaburi, and Trat provinces between August and October 2022. It found that 92% of those migrants come to Thailand for work, with another…
-
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…
-
Two men in Indonesia face charges – one for masturbating in his car, the other for filming it
An incident in Indonesia may be a case of “snitches get stitches.” After filming and turning in a man caught masturbating in public in his car, the man who took the video may face pornography charges. Indonesia is not exactly known for its liberal stance on sex and morality and both the masturbator and his Peeping Tom videographer are facing…
-
14 year old girl shot dead in southern Thailand
A 14 year old girl was shot dead in front of a mosque in Pattani province in southern Thailand this morning. At 8.35am, officers at Yarang Police Station were notified of a shooting in front of Darul Nad Watul Islamiyah Mosque near Pracharak School in Moo 6, Puyook subdistrict, Mueang district. Police rushed to the scene to find that a…
-
Man defends himself after 7 fake ID cards with his identity used in crimes
A Thai man visited Lad Ya Police Station yesterday to defend himself after seven fake identification (ID) cards featuring his picture and personal information were used by criminals. The victim, Pakin Sookprapan, said he faces 12 criminal charges that he is unaware of. A picture of the fake ID cards was widely shared on Thai social media. The cards had…
-
Dead dolphin washes ashore in Koh Samui
Tragic news hit Koh Samui island yesterday when reports confirmed a dead dolphin was found washed ashore. The unfortunate discovery was made at Hua Thanon Beach in the Maret sub-district on the southeastern side of the island. The dead dolphin was reported to the Samui District Offices yesterday, prompting officers to investigate the incident. Upon arriving at the beach, the…
-
Oxford Dictionary lists ‘pad thai’ as an international word joining ‘sushi’ and ‘pizza’
Pad thai is a national dish of Thailand loved so much worldwide that it has made it into the online Oxford Dictionary, gaining the same international status as the words “sushi” and “pizza.” Under the category “Food” the website Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries defines pad thai as… “pad thai: noun “A dish from Thailand made with a type of noodles made…
-
Bridge over Bangkok’s Chao Phraya river to be officially completed next year
The eight-lane bridge over Bangkok’s Chao Phraya river is expected to be completed next year. The country’s widest river bridge will be completed this month, however, the bridge will need to pass inspections. According to ASEAN NOW, the Expressway Authority of Thailand says the 2-kilometre-long-cable-stayed bridge is expected to be officially inaugurated early next year. The bridge, which runs parallel…
-
Thailand’s air pollution leads to 200,000 hospital admissions in past week
Thailand’s current air pollution levels have led to 200,000 hospital admissions over the past week. As heavy find dust blankets the north, northeast and greater Bangkok, the Health Ministry says dust levels are at an unsafe level. The Ministry says those who were admitted to the hospital are suffering from pollution-related respiratory problems. Since the start of 2023, more than…
-
Thailand ranks low in freedom, democracy report
The latest report by a US non-profit organization ranked Thailand low in freedom and democracy, contradicting a Democracy Index poll last week. Washington-based Freedom House, an organization that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom, and human rights revealed Thailand has slightly improved but work still needs to be done. The US democracy research group said yesterday that Thailand…
-
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…
-
Pervy man caught taking upskirt videos on MRT Blue Line in Bangkok
A pervy man was pictured setting up a secret camera and taking upskirt videos of women on the MRT Blue Line in Bangkok on Wednesday. Yesterday, the citizen journalist watchdog page ‘Social Hunter Reborn V3’ posted pictures of a man who’d set up a secret camera on the floor of the MRT… “Warning to the women using the MRT Blue…
-
Traffic police caught on TikTok video punching motorcycle rider on road
A TikTok video has gone viral of a traffic police officer punching a motorcycle rider as she approached him at high speed on a road in the central province of Kanchanaburi. Luckily, the rider managed to maintain control of her vehicle and did not fall. The officer visited the victim yesterday to apologise and give her a gift. Footage from…
-
Oriental dollarbird falls from the sky in Bangkok due to suspected PM2.5 poisoning
A sick Oriental dollarbird fell from Bangkok‘s polluted sky near Lumpini Park on Wednesday. Veterinarians examined the bird to find that it was suffering from severe pneumonia in both lungs. They suspected it was caused by PM2.5 dust pollution poisoning. Kaset Sudecha, a veterinarian from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Kasetsart University, posted a photo of the bird on…
-
Thailand’s energy minister announces lower utility bills
With great power comes a huge electricity bill so the saying goes but not for much longer according to the Thailand energy minister. Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow yesterday announced Thailand’s utility bills were coming down. Supattanapong disclosed that electricity bills are expected to fall from May to August as the fuel tariff (Ft) dips following a decrease in the price…
-
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…
-
Pattaya Music Festival 2023 at Jomtien beach this weekend
The Pattaya Music Festival 2023 is being held at Jomtien beach this weekend (March 10-11) with about 20,000 people expected to attend. According to the Pattaya Mail, the main stage will be set up on Jomtien beach between Soi 7-8. The free concerts start at 5pm until midnight. Mayor Poramet says the city added a wider variety of music and…
-
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…
-
Big Joke crackdown on illegal Chinese businesses in Chiang Mai
The Deputy Commander of the Royal Thai Police, Surachate “Big Joke” Hakpark, announced plans to crackdown on illegal businesses in Chiang Mai, which are believed to have Chinese nationals behind them. Big Joke revealed the crackdown operation would begin within a week and focus on five to six businesses. During a press conference at Chiang Mai Provincial Police Office yesterday,…
-
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…
-
Dept of Corrections denies existence of ‘VIP rooms’ in Thai prisons
Contrary to allegations in the media that inmates in Thai prisons can buy their way into an air-conditioned, smoking room with unlimited TV, the Department of Corrections says there is no such thing as a VIP room when you’re behind bars in Thailand. On Tuesday, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Corrections Sitthi Suteewong said he would like to clarify several points…
-
Filmmakers of controversial Thai horror movie demand censors reverse decision (video)
The filmmakers of a controversial Thai horror movie banned by censors demanded they reverse the decision and hand more freedom to motion picture directors and producers. The Thai Film Censorship Board banned the horror flick Hoon Payon, slated for release in cinemas today, because of five “inappropriate” scenes that are said to be offensive toward the Buddhist faith. Censors demanded that…
-
Why Phuket is the best destination for wedding?
Press Release Phuket is one of the most beautiful destinations in the world and is perfect for a wedding. It offers a wide range of resorts and venues that can accommodate any budget and size of wedding. From beachfront villas to luxurious resorts, Phuket has something for everyone. With its stunning views, lush green landscape, and crystal clear waters, it…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.