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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 Why retirees in Thailand are choosing long-term health insurance over quick fixes
Retirees in Thailand are increasingly seeing the importance of health insurance in protecting their well-being during retirement. With insurance requirements for retirement visas and rising healthcare costs, many are moving away from short-term plans and choosing long-term coverage. Long-term health...
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2 female Thai party leaders emerge as strong PM candidates
While King Charles III effortlessly ascended to the throne upon the death of England’s Queen Elizabeth II this week, the path to the prime ministership in Thailand will be a bit more protracted and messy. Two women have emerged as top candidates for Prime Minister, with Thai Sang Thai Party’s Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan so far polling above Pheu Thai Party…
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Hong Kong speech therapists jailed over children’s books
Five speech therapists in Hong Kong have been accused of brainwashing children after they wrote children’s books involving sheep and wolves. The five therapists, who are all between 25-28 years old, have been sentenced to 19 months each in prison. The books tell stories about a village of sheep trying to stop a pack of wolves from invading their home.…
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Patong: 100m profits with 4am curfew for venues, Chiang Mai residents oppose it
The pressure has been mounting for the government to raise the curfew to help entertainment venues boost earnings as tourism returns to Thailand. But some residents disturbed by noise living near bars in Chiang Mai are calling for the opposite. The Patong Entertainment Business Association estimates that extending closing hours from 2am to 4am for nightlife entertainment venues could raise…
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Major floods hit hundreds of houses in Chon Buri’s Sri Racha district
Hundreds of houses and buildings were flooded last night in the Sri Racha district of the eastern Chon Buri province. Water levels reportedly reached almost 30 centimetres in some areas, causing traffic problems, particularly for small vehicles. In one village, the water level reached 50-60 centimetres, since the area was located near a canal. On top of the heavy rain,…
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With Maya Bay closed to tourists, a group of dolphins shows up
Krabi’s iconic Maya Bay has been closed for the past few months to help its wildlife recover, and it appears to be working. On Friday, a group of about 10 bottlenose dolphins were spotted in the south of the Maya Bay by Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Koh Phi Phi National Park staff. Maya Bay has been closed since August…
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Rice farmer accuses Bangkok authorities of flooding his field
A rice farmer accused the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) of releasing water into his field. The farmer, Dacha Nutalai, is the vice president of the Bangkok Agriculturalist Association. Dacha made a video of his rice field in Nong Chok district on Friday, showing viewers that the water in the field was up to his waist. The angry farmer said that…
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New ferry cruise between Pattaya and Samui completes test run
Last night, Samui Cruise hosted a launch party in Koh Samui after its test run for a new cruise ferry route between Koh Samui and Pattaya. The service is expected to launch later in the month though exact departure dates have not been set. The boat journey takes about 12 hours in each direction and is planned to depart at…
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Thai irrigation official transferred following Rangsit floods
An irrigation official in Thailand’s central province of Pathum Thani has been transferred from his regular work after floods wreaked havoc on the Rangsit district this week. The official, Bowdaeng Takaew, is the director of the Southern Rangsit Operation and Maintenance Project. The reason for Bowdaeng’s transfer hasn’t yet been specified, but it is believed that the transfer is due…
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NE Thai man kills fiancé & himself after discussing engagement ceremony
A man in northeast Thailand yesterday shot and killed his fiance and himself after the couple had reportedly met to talk about their engagement ceremony. The bodies of the man, 62 year old Thongsai, and his girlfriend, 39 year old Kritsana, were found on a cassava plantation. Kritsana’s sister told police that Kritsana had gotten home from work when Thongsai…
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Man stabbed on Pattaya’s Jomtien Beach reportedly over noise dispute
A man stabbed another man on Pattaya’s Jomtien Beach in the early hours of yesterday morning. Witnesses said the man stabbed the victim, 34 year old Narintorn, over a dispute about Narintorn talking too loudly. The witnesses said that Narintorn had been drinking on the beach when a man who had been sleeping in a tent walked out of the…
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Favipiravir found ineffective against Covid-19 & causes gout
The bad news for Favipiravir is that a new study found it to be ineffective in the treatment of Covid-19 infections. And more bad news, it can also cause gout. The study was released in the Clinical Infectious Diseases Journal on August 6, and Thai respiratory specialist Dr Manoon Leechawengongs of Vichaiyut Hospital posted on Facebook Friday that Thailand needs…
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Coffin floats through the flooded streets of Bangkok
Flood waters can be deadly, but locals in Saphan Mai, located in the northern part of Bangkok, were shocked by the sight of a coffin floating by in the floodwaters that swept through the streets. The floating coffin was captured on videos and posted on social media where it quickly went viral. People may have feared and questioned: Is it…
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Mentally ill man in Chon Buri sets himself on fire
Mental illness is devastating for many people, and it certainly was for one Chon Buri man in a harrowing incident yesterday morning. The man, 32 year old ‘Eak,’ set himself on fire in front of his home in the main city district after soaking himself in oil. Eak’s older brother said that Eak suffered from mental illness because he used…
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UPDATE: 100 stranded elephants returned to park in northeast Thailand
UPDATE Over 100 wild elephants have been returned to a national park after about 40 of them were found devouring farmers’ crops this week in the northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province. The gentle giants had been spotted looking for food in the Khao Pradu community, feasting on rice, sugarcane, and corn. The farmers said they had munched 60 rai of crops…
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Earthquake rocks Indonesia in Papua, on New Guinea
An earthquake measuring a magnitude of 6.2 on the Richter scale shook the island of New Guinea in the Papua province of Indonesia. It was the fourth in a row today as the Western New Guinea region has been tremoring throughout the morning. Previous quakes measured magnitudes of 5.1 first just after midnight this morning, then 5.9 at 6.44am, followed…
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UPDATE: Phuket Police order investigation into allegedly abusive school director
UPDATE Phuket Provincial Police have ordered an investigation into reports that a school director physically assaulted an eight year old boy. A relative of the boy had said that the school director on Thursday, September 8 pushed the boy’s head into a wall. He also allegedly used his hands to forcefully open her nephew’s mouth. The boy’s mother, 30 year…
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Dead baby girl in a plastic bag found in Phuket temple
A dead newborn baby girl was left in a black plastic bag at a temple in Kathu in Phuket and police are searching for answers. The bag with the baby’s remains was found yesterday at Wat Anuphat Kritsadaram in Thung Thong in Kathu, with police receiving a call at around 5pm to report it. Three monks walking through the area…
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Phuket woman says school director injured her nephew
A grandmother says that a director of a private school in Phuket’s main city district has assaulted and injured her eight year old nephew. The woman says that on Thursday, September 8, the director held her nephew’s head against the wall before knocking him into the wall. He also allegedly used his hands to forcefully open her nephew’s mouth. The…
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Four Points By Sheraton Phuket Patong Beach Resort unveils 2nd anniversary celebration offers
Press Release Four Points by Sheraton Phuket Patong Beach Resort is celebrating its 2nd anniversary with a variety of great value F&B and room promotions. The only Marriott resort in Patong located steps away from the beach, Four Points by Sheraton Phuket Patong Beach Resort is an oasis of tranquillity and the perfect relaxing resort for couples, groups of friends…
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Koh Samui seeks special approval to sell alcohol after hours
The President of Koh Samui Tourism Promotion urged the government to introduce a special rule to allow the island to sell alcohol after hours. In Thailand, alcoholic beverages, both in restaurants and shops, are only allowed to be sold from 11am to 2pm and from 5pm to 12am. The President of Koh Samui Tourism Promotion, Ratchaporn Poonsawat, believes this is…
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Upset Japanese man climbs up abandoned house in Pattaya
A distressed Japanese man in Pattaya climbed onto the roof of an abandoned house on Thappraya Road after drinking heavily on Wednesday night. The man refused to talk to police at first, saying he only wanted to talk to the Japanese embassy. Pattaya Police spent an hour convincing the man to come down, as he sat there despite heavy rain.…
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Woman gives birth in pickup truck as floods block hospital entrance in eastern Thailand
A Laotian woman gave birth in the back of a Toyota pickup truck on Sukhumvit Road in Rayong province, eastern Thailand, this morning. She gave birth right outside the hospital, but couldn’t get in because the entrance was completely flooded. Rayong has been hit particularly hard by the heavy rainfall and flash flooding experienced in Thailand this week. Today at…
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Bare knuckle boxer flashes boobs after Bangkok victory
Aussie bare knuckle boxer Tai Emery is set to make a fortune after she bared her boobs following a triumphant victory over her opponent in Bangkok last weekend. Emery celebrated after beating Rung-Arun Khunchai in a Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship contest by flashing her breasts on Saturday. The former electrician delivered a right upper-cut and a left hook that left…
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Herd of 40 wild elephants devour 60 rai of crops in northeast Thailand
Drone images reveal a herd of more than 40 elephants roaming in a forest just four kilometres away from a farming community in Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeast Thailand. Farmers say the hungry herd have devoured 60 rai of crops in one week, feasting on rice, sugarcane, and corn. The elephants came out of the forest at Thap Lan National Park,…
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Russian minister appreciates Thailand’s neutrality over Ukraine
The Deputy Prime Minister, and Foreign Affairs Minister of Thailand, Don Pramudwinai, visited Russia this week to celebrate the 125th anniversary of friendship between the two nations and invited President Vladimir Putin to attend Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings in Thailand in November. Don traveled to Moscow on Wednesday to meet the Foreign Minister of Russia, Sergey Lavrov. After the…
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Thailand joins the world in honouring Queen Elizabeth II
Thailand is joining the world in honouring the UK’s Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away yesterday. The Thai government has now ordered all departments to lower their flags to half mast for three days in her honour, starting on September 11. The Queen had had warm relations with Thailand’s late King, His Majesty Bhumibol Adulyadej. In the past, she had…
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Train smashes into car in eastern Thailand, 1 killed, 3 seriously injured
A car crashed through a barrier and was hit by a train in Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand, at 2am today. One woman was killed in the crash and three more people are seriously injured. Officers at Don Hua Lo Police Station received a report at 2am that a train had hit a car where the road and railway track…
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Koh Chang locals urged to evacuate as more rain predicted
Koh Chang residents in the lowlands and foothills of the island have urged people to evacuate the area after learning more heavy rain is predicted to hit the area following a two-days’ deluge that brought floods and landslides. Heavy rain hit Koh Chang island in Trat province in the eastern part of Thailand on Wednesday and continued for two days.…
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2 baby elephants born at garden in Pattaya
A botanical garden in Pattaya welcomed two adorable new members to its community on September 3. Two baby elephants were born at the Nongnooch Garden Pattaya, which currently cares for 57 elephants. The latest additions to Nongnooch’s elephant family are named Phang Wara Pim, and Phang Manoch. They are the first two calves of 2022. A monk blessed the little…
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Thailand’s MICE industry continues to flourish
Thailand’s resurgence in the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism industry continues to flourish with over 100,000 gatherings recorded this year. The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) reported the nation catalogued about 69,000 arrivals of groups coming from abroad between April to June 2022. The TCEB estimate over 4,000 MICE arrivals this month and predict about 31,000 more…
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