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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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Chatuchak Market revitalisation planned by BMA and SRT
Once a bustling centre of commerce and socialising, Chatuchak Market has been much quieter since reopening after being closed down because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Now the State Railway of Thailand is cooperating with local authorities in Bangkok and City Hall to try to revive the famous market back to its previous thriving glory. As with most of the tourism…
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BA.2.75 Omicron sub-variant causing “concern” for authorities in SE Asia
The UN and the World Health Organisation is actively following a new sub-lineage designated BA.2.75, another variant of the Omicron derivative of Covid-19 (SARS-CoV-2 ). It was first detected in India and has since been found in 10 other countries. The Director-General of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Ghebreyesus, noted that new Covid-19 infections, globally, have increased nearly 30% over…
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Father & 7 year old son shot as gang warfare erupts in Pattaya
A 7 year old child and his father were shot as gang warfare erupted on the streets of Banglamung district at the weekend. The father and son were caught in the crossfire as two rival gangs of teenagers clashed in a Pattaya neighbourhood on Saturday night. The neck of the boy, Nong Moodaeng, was grazed by a bullet while his…
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Woman’s corpse “naked and covered in bite marks” found in northeast Thailand
Police have launched a murder investigation after a 55 year old woman’s body was found “naked and covered in bite marks” at a house in Buriram province, northeast Thailand, yesterday. The prime suspect in the case so far is the woman’s husband, who mysteriously disappeared around the time of the murder. Officers from Phuttaisong Police Station rushed to a two-story…
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Driver allegedly drunk in fatal car crash in Pattaya
One man died and another was seriously injured yesterday in an alleged drunk-driving incident in the Sri Racha district, between Chon Buri and Pattaya. Driver Somsak Phuchanha was killed instantly after his car crashed into a road barrier causing an electricity pole to collapse onto his vehicle while driving home from a music concert yesterday morning in the Sri Racha…
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Soggy pizza and long hours of waiting – 4 years since the Tham Luang cave rescue
“There were times when kilometres underground standing in waist-deep water, we’d be eating a piece of soft pizza in a break… two guys from different countries, different cultures.” Four years ago, yesterday, the last group of four football players from the Chiang Rai Mu Pa (Wild Boar) team were brought out of the Tham Luang Caves. It took three days,…
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Thailand happy to be pawn in US, China economic war
Thailand still appears to be a pawn in the ongoing economic war between the US and China – or is it? US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Thailand PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, and Foreign Affairs Minister, Don Pramudwinai, on Sunday, as part of his Southeast Asia tour. The Thai PM welcomed the US diplomat and stated his happiness in…
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Flash flood warning issued for 22 provinces of Thailand
Thailand’s Office of the National Water Resources warns that 22 provinces of Thailand are at risk of heavy rain and flash flooding this week, from July 11 – July 15. Areas at risk of flooding include… Northern Thailand Phayao Province, especially Chiang Kam District, Pong District, Pu Sang District and Ngao District. Lampang Province, especially Chae Hom District, Mueang Pan…
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Raising King and Queen Pillars Ceremony near Lieb Tang Rodfai Road in Pattaya
On Friday morning, July 8th, a traditional Thai ceremony took place near the Lieb Tang Rodfai Road in Pattaya to celebrate the rise of eight pillars of a new Eastern Economic Corridor development project (EEC), where five luxury villas and a hotel are scheduled to be constructed. The architect responsible, Mario Kleff, and his construction company Wandeegroup Asia Co. Ltd.,…
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Spanish woman drowns in eastern Thailand, French man missing
A Spanish woman drowned this morning near the island of Koh Chang, located in Trat province in the Gulf of Thailand. The 21 year old woman’s body was found floating a few hundred metres from the island’s Lonely Beach. Her companion, a 22 year old French man, remains missing. The pair had reportedly gone swimming off Lonely Beach during rough…
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Man who shot former Japanese PM reveals hateful motivation
The man who shot former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe has told investigators that he thought Abe was linked to a group that he hated. The man, 41 year old Tetsuya Yamagami, shot Abe during a campaign speech in Nara, western Japan, on Friday. Police have not yet named the group that Yamagami says he hates. Japanese media reported, however, that…
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A jump in Thailand’s Consumer Confidence Index
Thailand’s economy is slowly but surely making a comeback after being devastated by Covid-19 restrictions. Last week, the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce reported that Thailand’s Consumer Confidence Index had risen. The country’s CCI rose from 40.2 to 41.6 in June, the UTCC said. This news comes after Thailand’s CCI had been in decline for several months. April’s…
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Thaiger Charity feat. Bangkok Community Help Foundation
We had the wonderful opportunity to join Bangkok Community Help Foundation to distribute 300 survivor bags that contained food essentials to a community very much in need in On Nut Bangkok. We also had a look into the current living conditions and the garbage re-cycling work they do to make ends meet. With the help of our Thaiger members, viewers…
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Officials say Thailand’s Covid-19 cases to peak in September
Thai officials announced Friday that the number of Covid-19 cases in the country is expected to start rising next week. The CCSA said that in September, the number is expected to hit a peak. The CCSA added, however, that if people follow the Public Health Ministry’s suggestions to avoid crowded spaces and public gatherings, daily infections will start dropping from…
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Sri Lanka PM offers to resign amidst enraged protests
Sri Lanka’s PM offered to resign yesterday, even though he only took office in May, 2 months ago. PM Ranil Wickremesinghe’s offer to resign comes after protestors set his home on fire yesterday. Neither the PM nor the president were inside the house when the protestors set the fire. Meanwhile, over 100,000 enraged protestors also stormed the presidential palace yesterday.…
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Prachin Buri shocked by suicide of local official’s wife
The wife of a local Prachin Buri official was found dead in a car of an apparent suicide with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The chairman of the Tambon Administration Organisation’s wife was found lifeless inside a vehicle that was in the car park of a department store on Saturday afternoon. The gunshot and death were reported to police in Muang…
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Buddha Days, Full Moon Party brings 5-day holiday surge to Surat
The Southern Thailand province of Surat Thani – home to Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan, and Koh Tao – is set to see a money-making surge of travellers during next week’s 5-day holiday. The Surat Thani office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand is estimating over 70,000 visitors generating about 833 million baht in tourism revenue for the province. The…
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Mobile app connects tourists to police & Thai rap song threat to national security | Weekend Update
TAT promotes ‘I Lert U’ mobile app to connect tourists to police, Court bans rap song for being a threat to Thailand’s national security, Thailand tourism: India No.1 country sending tourists and nearly 1 million people approved to grow the green in Thailand. All this and your questions answered on Sundays weekend update.
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Thai woman thought she had found true love, only to end up behind bars.
Fifty year old Chamanun Phetporee thought she had found the love of her life. A man claiming to be a doctor in Afghanistan messaged her on Linkedin in 2019, and sparks flew, at least for Chamanun. She and her new long-distance love, who called himself ‘Dr Andrew Chang’ began to message each other for hours every night. Little did she…
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“I strongly urge the Health Minister to reveal the actual number of new Covid cases” – Thai doctor
A Thai physician is calling out Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health, claiming they are not publishing accurate data on the actual number of Covid-19 infections. He claims that there is a cover up of the real numbers currently being disclosed to the public. The Deputy Minister of Health Dr Sathit Pitutecha claims that the actual number of current infections is…
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Elon Musk goes cold on Twitter buy-out
After announcing in April that he planned to buy Twitter, the richest person on earth has once again sent the world reeling. Elon Musk has now announced that he is ditching his plan to buy Twitter. Musk alleged that the change in plan is due to Twitter making several breaches of the agreement. Musk said Twitter did not provide enough…
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Court bans rap song for being a threat to Thailand’s national security
A rap song has been banned by the Court for being seditious and a threat to Thailand’s national security. The song, Patiroob (meaning reform), by Rap Against Dictatorship, was blocked on the YouTube platform as a result of a Ministry of Digital Economy and Society petition to the Court that it should be prohibited under the terms of the Computer…
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Extradition for Nigerian wanted for alleged murder of Thai woman on hold
A Nigerian man wanted for the murder of a Thai woman has been told he must remain in detention until Canada gets assurances from Thailand he won’t face the death penalty if extradited. The Nigerian, allegedly identified as John Odoemenam but using a fake South African passport with the name, Mzwakhe Memela, and also known as Prince Michael Obi, last…
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Thailand tourism: India No.1 country sending tourists
The government has been extremely focused on tourism numbers and recovery in the post-pandemic world and the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration reported that 2.2 million visitors have entered Thailand so far this year, over 10% of them from India. More travellers have come from India in the first half of this year than any other country in the world.…
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Emergency Decree extended, but vows not to infringe on freedoms
The Emergency Decree, declared throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, has officially been extended for another 2 months. The decree which declares that Thailand is in an official state of emergency was set to expire on July 31, but this extension covers from August 1 to September 30. This is the 19th time the Emergency Decree has been extended. Prolonging the decree…
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TAT promotes I Lert U mobile app to connect tourists to police
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has issued a press release touting the Tourist Police I Lert U mobile application and encouraging visitors to download it. The app was launched on December 15 to allow tourists quick access to emergency response and general assistance, and yesterday’s press release was intended to raise awareness of the application as tourism begins to ramp…
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Wealth decreasing among top 50 richest in Thailand
While the wealth of the 50 richest people in Thailand has fallen nearly 6% to a collective US$151 billion, Forbes Asia has announced at the top 10 richest people in the country remain in mostly the same ranking. Charoen Pokphand Group’s Chiaravanont brothers saw their wealth decrease by nearly US$3.7 billion this year but still remain the richest in Thailand…
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Thailand Post increases rates, pilots 24-hour delivery services
The good news is that Thailand Post will begin 24-hour delivery services, but the bad news is that mail rates have gone up. The new round-the-clock delivery and pick-up service will begin as a pilot project from Thailand Post’s main sorting facility in Chaeng Wattana servicing Laksi, Pak Kret, and Ram Inthra areas. The rate hike is the first in…
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Police bring home 6 Thai women forced into prostitution in Myanmar
Police brought home 6 Thai women who posted videos on social media to say they had been forced into prostitution in Myanmar and needed help. The police picked up the women from the Thailand – Myanmar Friendship Bridge in Mae Sai district, Chiang Rai province, after coordinating with Burmese authorities. The group includes 31 year old Nanny from Nonthaburi, 25…
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Bangkok chief answers residents’ call after rats as big as cats take over
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt answered a call by residents in the Din Daeng district after their community became infested with rats. The problem became public knowledge after a woman posted a video on her TikTok account, panadda010, featuring hundreds of rats running around the community area. The woman said, “They will climb over me very soon. I’m still in shock.”…
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