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Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.
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Sponsored Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run
Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...
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Two Texas women who allegedly helped stab woman to death arrested in Cambodia
Two women who allegedly helped stab another women to death in Texas in 2020 were caught in Cambodia last week. They had fled to Cambodia after they escaped house arrest in December. The women are Nina Marano and Lisa Dykes. Marano is 50 years old, and Dykes is 58. The woman they allegedly helped murder, Marisela Botello-Valadez, was 23. One…
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3 metre long snakes found while clearing land in Bangkok
Not one, but three pythons, each around three metres long, were found in an unoccupied plot of land in Bangkok. A worker was using a backhoe to clear the area when he stumbled across the large snakes. Rescuers also found another python and a green viper. They suspect at least 10 more snakes are in the area. The area in in…
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Renewed calls to ditch Thailand Pass and PCR test on arrival
Key figures in Thailand’s tourism industry have renewed their calls for the Thailand Pass and PCR testing on arrival to be scrapped. The sector is now concerned about the potential impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on future tourism numbers. According to a Bangkok Post report, hoteliers now say they fear the invasion could see international arrivals dropping to 10%…
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Thai Buddhist monk hosts funeral for himself as lesson about death
A Buddhist monk made headlines in Thailand when he invited residents in the northern province Phittanulok to a funeral… his funeral. The abbot at a local temple is alive and well, but wanted the ceremony to send a message to his followers that death is normal and just a part of life. The funeral at the Pothiyan Temple followed traditional…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 22,197 new cases; provincial totals
45 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 23,021 with 1,323 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 22,197 new Covid-19 cases and 19,093 recoveries. There are now 218,784 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Ukrainian and Russian tourists in Thailand face problems with financial transactions, travel
Many Ukrainian and Russian tourists in Thailand have been facing problems with financial transactions and travel following measures launched by various countries banning and blocking services by Russian banks and close airspace to Russian aircraft. Having arrived in Thailand, in the thousands, during February, they’ve now found themselves somewhat stranded by both fallout from the international sanctions as well as…
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38 Thais evacuated from Ukraine to Bangkok, 58 more arriving today
The first group of 38 Thai citizens evacuated from the Ukraine arrived in Bangkok this morning. Thailand’s embassy in Warsaw, Poland, posted on Facebook yesterday saying another 58 Thais will arrive midday today from Warsaw. Those who arrived this morning were taken to be isolated and an infectious diseases institute in Nonthaburi. There they wait for the results of Covid-19…
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Asia News Today | Japanese government “on alert” for local provocations, here comes 6G”
The Japanese government says it’s on alert for any provocations in East Asia… specifically from China, Russia and North Korea. In addition to North Korea’s launch of a ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan last Sunday, military exercises conducted by China and Russia are becoming more active in the waters and airspace around Japan over the past 3 months,…
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Autopsy report shows TV actress Tangmo drowned
An autopsy report indicates that TV actress Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong drowned. Forensic examiners also noted that there the large cut on her leg was likely caused by the speedboat’s propeller. (Bangkok Post and Thai PBS have published differing facts about which leg was cut) The other people on the speedboat last Thursday night when Tangmo drowned in Bangkok’s Chao Phraya…
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Thai officials warn prisons over forced fishing net labour
Following a December investigation by Thomson Reuters Foundation about abuse of Thai prisoners forced to make fishing nets, officials are warning prisons. The investigation found that prison guards beat prisoners who didn’t meet certain targets, and disallowed them to shower. Prisoners were also not paid minimum wage, and sometimes not paid at all. In February, 31 Thai and international rights…
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Biden condemns Putin, praises Ukrainian people in State of the Union address
Read the opening pages of US President Joe Biden’s prepared speech for his State of the Union address to lawmakers on Tuesday night at the Capitol, in which he addresses the most urgent situation: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its threat on the free world… PRESIDENT BIDEN: Madam Speaker, Madam Vice President, our First Lady and Second Gentleman. Members of…
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Australian officials find $55 million worth of meth and heroin in shipment from Thailand
Border police in Australia have uncovered AU$55 million worth of smuggled meth and heroin in a shipment from Thailand, according to a report from the Australian Associated Press. The shipment was concealed in boxes of green tea and magnets and discovered at Melbourne Airport. The 27 boxes had been shipped from Thailand on February 19 and came to light when…
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Thais can now work in Saudi Arabia
As of yesterday, Thai workers can now work in Saudi Arabia, and will be protected by Saudi laws. Thailand’s cabinet approved two draft agreements about this yesterday, which will last for five years. They will be extended for another five years unless one or both parties decide against it. Both countries will cooperate to make sure recruitment and employment is…
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Students with Covid-19 can sit university aptitude tests with doctor’s consent
Government officials have decided that students infected with Covid-19 who need to sit university aptitude tests can do so at specially-prepared sites, if their doctor agrees. Education Minister Treenuch Thienthong says pre-university students who need to sit the General Aptitude Test/Professional and Academic Aptitude Test, scheduled for March 12 – 15, as well as other tests on March 19 and…
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National park officers rescue 5 German tourists lost in Koh Phang Ngan forest
Officers from the Than Sadet National Park on Koh Phang Ngan have rescued a group of 5 German tourists after they got lost yesterday while on a forest hike. The 4 women and 1 man had been doing the Khao Ra hike, which takes in the highest peak on the island, when heavy rainfall caused them to get lost. A…
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Tourism authorities greet first Saudi direct arrivals, plan new schemes
The Tourism Authority of Thailand greeted Saudi tourist arrivals with traditional Thai performances and a water salute on Monday. The flight was the first direct flight to Thailand from Saudi Arabia in 32 years landed in Bangkok, at Suvarnabhumi Airport. This flight symbolised the recent reconciliation between Thailand and Saudi Arabia after decades of frosty relations following the Blue Diamond…
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Government launches outpatient service as it prepares to make Covid-19 endemic
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry has launched a new outpatient treatment scheme for Covid-19, as it prepares to transition the virus to endemic status. Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit says the Outpatient under Self-Isolation scheme should replace the current home isolation programme for most patients. According to a Bangkok Post report, Kiattiphum says around 95% of cases are now either asymptomatic or have…
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Thailand-India air travel bubble gets the greenlight to start this month
Thai and Indian airlines are now allowed to offer flights through the travel bubble scheme between the two countries, allowing citizens and visa holders to travel between Thailand and India. Reports say Thai officials have been in talks with their counterparts in India for the past month. India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation has confirmed on its website that India has created an…
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Ukraine Embassy in Thailand asks for donations to support its citizens, save lives
The Embassy of Ukraine in Thailand is seeking donations to support Ukraine and to save lives following Russia’s invasion. The embassy made a post on its Facebook page saying two special accounts in Thai baht have been opened to support the efforts. Donations can be made to Bangkok Bank account 911-0-20757-9. The embassy says “each donation matters.” Both Ukrainian and…
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Cabinet approves budget to make Phuket a “world class health destination”
Thai officials plan to make Phuket a “world class health destination.” The Cabinet just approved a 1.411 billion baht budget to develop health and wellness centres on the island and improve medical services. Over 45 acres of state-owned land in Phuket will be used to develop health centres and facilities. The project was expected to take four years to complete…
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Indonesia evacuates citizens from Ukraine to safety in Poland, Romania
Indonesia has evacuated 31 Indonesian nationals residing in Ukraine into neighbouring Poland and Romania, where they are awaiting repatriation flights, as Russia’s attack on Ukraine enters its fifth day. A group of 25 Indonesians were evacuated from Odessa in southern Ukraine and arrived in Romania on Sunday, The Jakarta Post reported. Another group of 6 Indonesians and 1 foreign spouse…
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MP questions submarine purchase from China, says it will be delivered without an engine
A MP from the Pheu Thai Party claims that the submarine that the government recently brought from China will be delivered without an engine after issues with a German supplier. The MP, and also Pheu Thai party leader, Yuttapong Charasathien, is criticising the 12.42 billion baht submarine purchase from a Chinese firm, saying the “deal lacked transparency”. Yuttapong says the…
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First flights of Thai evacuees from Ukraine to arrive on Wednesday
As Russia’s attack on Ukraine enters its fifth day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says around a hundred Thai citizens evacuated from the country are set to arrive in Thailand on Wednesday in a first round of repatriation flights. The ministry said the first group of 38 Thai evacuees would depart from Bucharest today and arrive in Thailand on Thai…
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Foreigner’s body found on Koh Larn beach off the coast of Pattaya
A man’s body was found on a beach on Koh Larn, an island off the coast of Pattaya, this morning. Police have not identified the body, but claim the man “is a foreigner”. At around 8am, the man’s body was found on the island’s Tien Beach. There were wounds on his right eye and eyebrow, and he was wearing two…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 20,420 new cases; provincial totals
43 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,976 with 1,278 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 20,420 new Covid-19 cases and 18,297 recoveries. There are now 215,725 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Tangmo’s friend reenacts incident for police to show how the actress fell in the Chao Phraya River
A friend of the Thai actress who was found dead in the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok reenacted the celebrity’s fall off the speedboat today. The friend claims the actress, Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong, fell in the river while she was trying to pee off the back of the speedboat. Many people, including Tangmo’s mother, have questioned the claims and suspect…
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Asia News Today | Asian countries start ramping up pressure on Russia
Asia-Pacific market have risen today as investors navigated the changing situation in Russia and Ukraine.Japan’s Nikkei 225 gained 1.4%. The S&P 200 in Australia was up 1.2%. In South Korea markets are closed for a holiday today. Chinese tech giant Baidu is also expected to announce its fourth-quarter results today…. pundits are expecting a softer Q4 than expected.China’s official manufacturing…
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Thai scientists say “anti-Covid-19” nasal spray will be available later this year
A new “anti-Covid-19” nasal spray is being developed by Thai scientists and the medication, which is said to prevent a coronavirus infection, is expected to be available to the public later this year. In studies using lab animals, the nasal spray has been shown to block the virus from entering the body. The Health Systems Research Institute, Silpakorn University, Chulalongkorn University,…
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Hoteliers asked to issue refunds to Test & Go travellers for Day 5 packages
With the government scrapping the Day 5 requirements for Test & Go travellers, more than 2,000 hotels and their partner hospitals or test centres are being asked to refund the costs of a night stay with Covid-19 RT-PCR testing. Under the revised entry requirements, travellers can take a self-administered antigen test instead of a PCR test on the fifth day…
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Human rights lawyer Anon Nampa granted 3-month conditional bail
Political activist and human rights lawyer, Anon Nampa, has been granted bail by the Bangkok South Criminal Court. The Ratsadon pro-democracy group leader has been in custody for over 200 days, on charges of lèse majesté and other charges related to political protests. His temporary release was tweeted by Norasate Nanongtoom of Thai Lawyers for Human Rights. According to Norasate,…
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