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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 How much does it cost to see a doctor in Thailand?
Thailand is known for its high-quality yet affordable healthcare system, but how much does it really cost to see a doctor? As an expat, this question might be crucial for budgeting your health needs. The answer depends on whether you...
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Top travel destinations grapple with re-opening during the pandemic
Tourism, not only in Thailand, but all over the world, was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Hotels shut down. Tour companies closed. Airplanes grounded. Millions lost their jobs. Before diving into Thailand’s tourism situation, here’s a quick look at what’s going on in some of the world’s top tourist spots… DUBAI Dubai, with its huge chunks of expats and…
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Man arrested for allegedly killing baby step-daughter who wouldn’t stop crying
A 25 year old man has been arrested in the eastern town of Si Racha, after he allegedly confessed to killing his 1 year old step-daughter because she wouldn’t stop crying. The Pattaya News reports that Worakit Jitprasong told police he didn’t mean to kill the child, only to stop her crying. Officers who arrived at the property in the…
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US issues sanctions against Myanmar after coup
US President Joe Biden is issuing sanctions against Myanmar’s military regime after it staged a coup which saw the country’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi placed under arrest along with other senior members of the National League for Democracy. The executive order will prevent Myanmar’s generals from accessing US $1 billion in assets in the US while keeping…
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Human trials of Thailand’s Covid-19 vaccine to begin next month
Thailand’s Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, says the first stage of human trials of a locally-produced vaccine will get underway next month. The jab is a joint collaboration between the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation and the Faculty of Tropical Medicine of Mahidol University. It’s understood the vaccine has performed satisfactorily in animal testing, showing an ability to stimulate immunity. Pannee Pitisutthitgan from…
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Myanmar military commander pens letter to Thai PM
Myanmar military commander is opening a line of communication with Thailand’s PM Prayut Chan-o-cha detailing why a coup was staged to seize power after a democratic election in the state. Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing explained why the Tatmadaw had to stage a coup and asked for help to support democracy. He alleged that fraud took place in the November 8…
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Phuket’s tourism representatives petition PM over ban on local vaccine purchase
Representatives from various tourism associations on the southern island of Phuket have reacted with dismay to a government ban on local administrations and the private sector purchasing Covid-19 vaccines. In January, the Public Health Minister stated that the government was not opposed to local authorities purchasing their own vaccine supplies, provided the jabs had been approved by the Food and…
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Pro-democracy groups vow to intensify rallies in 2021, aim for 2 million protesters a day
Pro-democracy activists have pledged to continue and increase their protest action this year, aiming for 2 million protesters a day. The Bangkok Post reports that protest leader Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, aka “Rung”, confirmed the intention yesterday, a day after 4 fellow activists were denied bail by the Criminal Court in Bangkok. Around 1,000 protesters gathered at the Pathumwan intersection in the…
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Thailand News Today | Violence in soap operas and SPM Shopping Mall scam update | February 10
The governor of the eastern province of Rayong has given the go-ahead for bars and other entertainment venues to re-open after they were closed at the start of January to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The province has now gone 9 days without any new Covid-19 infections. On February 1 Rayong’s Covid zone status was changed from red to orange.…
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Police raid Chon Buri bar and arrest 28 people for allegedly violating the Emergency Decree
Police raided a bar in Chon Buri and arrested 28 people for allegedly violating disease control measures. The bar was open past 11pm, the closing time for entertainment venues under emergency control measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Police raided the bar around 1am after a call from a local resident. Along with the bar owner, 8 employees and…
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CCSA Update: 157 new Covid-19 cases and 1 death
157 new Covid-19 cases and 1 new death were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. Thailand now has 4,909 active cases. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported a total of 23,903 Covid-19 infections and 80 coronavirus-related deaths. Out of the 157 new cases, 106 cases were detected in active…
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Thai Public Health Ministry starts cannabis cultivation project in Buri Ram
A cannabis cultivation project is being launched by Thailand’s Public Health Ministry in the Isaan province Buri Ram. 6 cannabis plants will be given to each member of the local Non Malai Community Enterprise as a pilot project on commercial cultivation of cannabis, according to the director of the ministry’s cannabis research group, Kitti Losuwannarak. Cannabis flowers and buds will…
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North Korea steals $300 million USD in cryptocurrency for nuclear weapons – UN report
Hackers in North Korea stole cryptocurrency worth more than $300 million USD to pay the government’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, according to a confidential report by United Nations experts monitoring sanctions on the country’s capital Pyongyang. From 2019 to November 2020, North Korea stole around $316.4 million USD worth of “virtual assets,” according to AFP, which obtained a copy…
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Bars, nightlife, re-open in Rayong after 9 days with no new cases of Covid-19
The governor of the eastern Thai province of Rayong has given the go-ahead for bars and other entertainment venues to re-open after they were closed to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The province has now gone 9 days without a new case of the virus. On February 1, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration changed Rayong’s status from red to…
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Outrage on Twitter as rape scenes continue to be portrayed in Thai soap operas
It’s a debate that’s been raging in Thailand for years now, and yet, little appears to have changed. The portrayal of rape in Thai soap operas, done in a manner which critics say normalises sexual assault and victim blaming, is once more under fire. Thai PBS World reports that yesterday, the hashtag #ข่มขืนผ่านจอพอกันที (#NoMoreRapeOnScreen) became the fastest trending hashtag on…
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Bangkok police say over 1,000 officers to be deployed at MBK Skywalk rally today
The deputy chief of Bangkok’s Metropolitan Police says 1,085 police officers have been lined up to deal with today’s planned rally at the MBK Skywalk over the Pathumwan Intersection in the capital. Piya Tawichai says 7 companies of officers will be deployed to manage the 5pm gathering, which has been organised by pro-democracy group Ratsadon. “3 of the companies will…
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200 people file complaints with Pattaya police after losing money from alleged pyramid scheme
Pattaya police say 200 people have filed complaints after losing money to the dodgy online money-making app by “SPM Shopping Mall,” which appears to be a huge pyramid scheme. This week alone, 70 people, Thai nationals and foreigners, filed complaints with Pattaya City Police. Officers suspect around 10,000 people in Thailand fell victim to the scam, losing millions of baht…
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Health Minister hits back at accusations of vaccine “failure”
Thailand’s Public Health Minister has refuted accusations that the government has failed to procure Covid-19 vaccines in a timely manner, demanding that the media stop confusing the public. A somewhat vexed Anutin Charnvirakul says Thailand cannot be compared with other countries as the Kingdom now has a deal to produce the AstraZeneca vaccine locally. This will make it easier to…
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Thailand aims for 30% electric vehicle production by 2030
By 2030, Thailand aims to have 30% of car production to be electric vehicles in an effort to minimise air pollution as the air quality in a number of provinces in Thailand, especially Bangkok and Chiang Mai, has been at levels classified as unhealthy and even hazardous in reports by IQAir. Electric vehicles would include cars, motorbikes and buses. Industry…
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Man arrested for allegedly shooting and killing a police officer outside a petrol station
A 23 year old man was arrested for allegedly shooting and killing a police officer outside a petrol station station in Suphan Buri. The 53 year old police officer, who was wearing civilian clothes, had approached a group who were drinking outside the PTT station, telling them to turn down the music and advising them to go home, a witness…
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Thailand News Today | Chinese vaccine on the way to Thailand | February 9
The Criminal Court has rejected a bid by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society to remove a piece of online footage that criticises the government’s Covid-19 vaccine rollout, or more precisely the lack of a Covid-19 vaccine roll out. The former leader of the Future Forward Party, Thanathorn, took to Facebook to live stream his thoughts on the…
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World Tourism hotspots re-opening – success or failure? | VIDEO
The world of tourism has been turned upside down, not just in Thailand but around the world. Globally, it’s certainly the hardest hit industry from the coronavirus pandemic, shutting down hotels, tour companies, grounding aeroplanes and putting millions out of work. Before we look at the latest situation, and predictions for Thailand, let’s take a quick tour of some of…
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Huge pyramid scheme and scam uncovered involving 1000s of people | VIDEO
Tens of thousands of people across Thailand woke up over the past 24 hours that they have been victims of a dodgy online money-making app concocted by the “SPM Shopping Mall” through the website www.shopping.baironghj.com This is roughly how it works… Victims would transfer money to to a Thai account… all online. The app promised returns of up to a…
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Teenagers killed in motorbike accident with 18-wheel trailer truck in Chon Buri
2 teenagers were killed in a motorbike accident in Chon Buri after a 18-wheel trailer truck quickly changed lanes to avoid another vehicle, hitting the bike and running over a rider. The body of a 14 year old student was found trapped under the trailer truck. The other 13 year old student died on the way to a local hospital.…
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A year after Thailand’s deadliest mass shooting a victim still gets medical treatment
A year after the deadliest mass shooting in Thailand, where a Royal Thai Army soldier shot and killed 31 people and injured 58, a victim is still being treated. Along with regular doctors appointments and weekly rehabilitation sessions, 27 year old Jirattikarn Nobthai has an upcoming operation to treat his wounds from the shooting last year. The gunman, 32 year…
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UN human right experts speak out against Thailand’s “severe” use of lèse majesté law
United Nations human rights experts are speaking out against Thailand’s “severe” use of the lèse majesté law, saying the law is used to “curtail criticism of the monarchy” and it has no place in a democratic country. There has been an increase in the use of the lèse majesté law since the rise of the student-led pro-democracy movement last…
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Bangkok and Phuket in top 15 list of places people most want to visit when travel re-opens
The Thai capital, Bangkok, and the southern island of Phuket have come in at number 8 and number 14 respectively, in TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards 2021. The awards list the most popular worldwide destinations prior to the Covid-19 pandemic and the places people most want to return to once travel opens up again. According to a press release from the…
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Officials brainstorm ideas to revive Phuket tourism
Government officials and business representatives on the resort island of Phuket have been busy brainstorming various proposals to revive tourism, with many calling for quarantine requirements to be waived for vaccinated foreigners. The Bangkok Post reports that Bhummikitti Raktaengam from the Phuket Tourism Association says foreign tourists who can prove they’ve been vaccinated against Covid-19 should be allowed to enter…
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Health officials say 50% of Thais will receive Covid-19 vaccine this year
The chief of the Department of Disease Control, part of the Ministry of Public Health, says plans are underway to vaccinate 30 million Thais by the end of 2021. Opas Karnkawinpong says thousands of public and community hospitals across the country will be involved in the national vaccine rollout, with vaccines distributed from central storage sites at the Department of…
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Thai school director resigns after sexual abuse and firearms charges
The school director who pulled out a gun during a school assembly amid allegations that he sexually abused a student has resigned. After a student’s mother filed a police complaint accusing the director of rape and depriving a child of parental protection, 60 year old Sayan Chaleephol made a public apology at a school assembly for his “personal problem” and…
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Cannabis and pandan Thai sweets to be added to Bangkok dessert shop’s menu
Cannabis will soon be on the menu at a Bangkok dessert shop. Kanom Siam is adding cannabis leaves to their pandan and coconut pancakes. And no, the pancakes won’t get you high. The shop posted a photo on Facebook of the bright green desserts with a cannabis leaf on top. They say the dessert has an aroma of pandan mixed…
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