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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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Thailand News Today | BKK nurses infected, Burmese Covid strain, Boss case drama | December 10
Welcome to Jett Gunther hosting Thailand News Today. It’s a public holiday in Thailand. Covid-19 infected nurses are staff at Bangkok’s BNH Hospital Although reports are fairly vague about the recent Covid-19 cases involving Bangkok medical workers, the BNH Hospital in Silom, Bangkok confirms that 6 of its staff members tested positive for the coronavirus. The hospital says preventative measures…
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Public health officers investigate mussel seller after alleged food poisoning death
Public health officers are investigating a mussel seller in the Isaan province Mukdahan, which borders Laos, after a man developed food poisoning symptoms sometime after eating the mussels and died. 35 year old Watchara Mada and his father ate the mussels last week. Although his father ate the mussels, Watchara “feasted” on the shellfish, according to his mother, 52 year old…
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4 men arrested for alleged involvement in police officer killing in Pattani
After a large-scale manhunt, police and military investigators arrested 4 men for their alleged involvement in the murder of a police officer in the southern province Pattani, an area with ongoing insurgent violence. The police officer was riding his motorcycle when he was shot by a pillion rider on another bike. The rider, dressed in women’s clothes and wearing a…
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Protesters gather at Bangkok’s United Nations, call to abolish lèse majesté law
Pro-democracy protesters gathered in front of the United Nations building in Bangkok, calling on the organisation to step in after many activists were recently arrested for allegedly violating Thailand’s controversial lèse majesté law. The law carries prison sentences from 3 to 15 years for insulting or defamatory statements about the Thai Monarchy. Activists say the law violates human rights. Today’s protest…
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Renowned social activist says PM should learn from Black May aftermath and resign
A leading academic and social critic says PM Prayut Chan-o-cha should take a leaf out former PM Suchinda Kraprayoon’s book and resign. Sulak Sivaraksa was referring to the aftermath of the bloody Black May crackdown on protesters, which led to Suchinda’s resignation. Sulak was speaking at a ceremony in Santiporn Park in Bangkok, where a monument to those who died…
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Today is Constitution Day in Thailand. What does the day commemorate?
Today is Constitution Day in Thailand, bang in the middle of calls for a rewrite of the document and demands for the role of the Thai monarch to be codified in a new Thai Constitution. The day commemorates 20 different Thai Charters that have been scrapped and re-written since the Siamese Revolution in 1932. It’s a public holiday around Thailand.…
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PM says fight against corruption to remain a top priority
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has promised improved anti-corruption measures, saying the fight against graft will remain on the agenda as Thailand’s level of transparency improves. He was speaking via video conference to mark International Anti-Corruption Day yesterday. The PM says all sectors and organisations should be thanked for working to tackle corruption and has called on Thai nationals to put society’s…
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Video of foreigner’s road rage in Pathum Thani gets mixed reaction from Thais
A video of a foreigner lashing out after a motorbike accident, yelling and hitting a Thai motorbike driver for pulling out in front of him and causing him to crash, has gotten a mixed reaction from Thais (you MUST watch it… below). The incident also caught media attention and Thairath made a post on Facebook pairing the clip from the…
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Thai medic claims Burmese coronavirus a different strain, spreads 20% faster
Dr Prasit Watanapa from the Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital says the coronavirus currently circulating in Myanmar is a different strain and is being transmitted 20% faster than the one detected in Wuhan at the start of the pandemic. The Wuhan strain is known as D614, whereas the more virulent strain currently found in Western countries is G614. Prasit…
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2 people suffer allergic reaction following Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine in the UK
2 UK health care workers who received the new Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine on Tuesday, the first group of people to receive the approved vaccine against Covid-19 in the western world, have suffered adverse reactions. The 2 cases were out of the 1000s who have already received the new vaccine. The National Health Service issued a warning yesterday that people “with a…
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YouTube to block misleading content alleging voter fraud in US election
YouTube says that it is removing any content alleging widespread voter fraud that could have influenced the outcome of the 2020 US presidential election. In the wake of case after case being thrown out of State courts, and even a ruling from the US Supreme Court, there is yet to be any evidence produced to indicate voter fraud or tampering…
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Monopoly comes to Phuket, but don’t Go To Jail!
You may not be able to physically visit the world famous holiday island right now, but you can buy and trade property along it’s best known streets – all whilst sitting at home and playing Phuket Monopoly with your family. You can also get “free parking”, usually at a premium in Phuket’s most popular towns. But make sure you don’t…
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Around 3.11 million travellers expected to spend 12.6 billion baht during long weekend
Around 3.11 million Thai people are expected to travel during the 4-day weekend which starts tomorrow. The travellers are expected to spend 12.6 billion baht and boost the hotel occupancy rate up by 40%, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn. Although, less people are expected to travel to Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai, with many cancelling…
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UPDATE: 5 men arrested for allegedly abducting foreigner in Bangkok
UPDATE: 5 men were arrested for allegedly kidnapping a 43 year old Chinese businessman, forcing him into a white Mitsubishi Champ sedan on Sukhumvit 39 in Bangkok’s Phrom Phong area. The abduction was allegedly over a lawsuit filed by the businessman, who had invested in several spas, against one of the suspects who is a construction contractor. Apparently, the contractor…
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Thai senators warn United States politicians not to interfere with Thai affairs
Thai senators are warning United States senators not to meddle in Thai politics and affairs. The warning comes at a time of ongoing pro-democracy protests with calls for monarchy reformation, a taboo and controversial subject in Thai society. They say interference in Thai affairs will hurt Thai-US relations which date back around 200 years. The warning follows a resolution introduced…
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Grab driver fired for photo holding a gun, threatening to social media users
A now-fired Grab driver might face criminal charges after he made posts on social media with threatening messages and a photo of himself holding a gun while wearing the company’s jacket. Grab Thailand says they’ve suspended the driver’s account on the ride-sharing and food delivery mobile application for violating the company’s security and safety protocols. Grab says the driver used…
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Driver killed after car hits barrier, plummets off Bang Na Expressway
A 30 year old man has died, after the car he was driving crashed into a barrier and then plunged off an expressway, landing on its roof on the road below. Nation Thailand reports that the incident occurred on the Burapha Withi (Bang Na) Expressway, in the central province of Samut Prakan, just after midnight last night. The man has…
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775 million baht earmarked for revival of Pattaya tourism industry
Officials in Pattaya are planning 2 development schemes, at a combined cost of 775 million baht, with hopes of reviving the city’s decimated tourism industry. The proposals have been named Neo Koh Lan and Old Town Na Klua, and will consist of 32 projects, which will be developed over the next 3 financial years. The Bangkok Post reports that funds…
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PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s legal team to review new activist movement
A new movement, at least their “branding”, by the pro-democracy activist group Free Youth has caught the attention of many after it posted a new logo that resembles the Communist party’s hammer and sickle symbol, either by design or co-incidence. It has also caught PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s attention who says he’s asked his legal team to look into the new campaign…
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Thai government urged to support foreign property buyers with additional incentives
The Thailand Development Research Institute is calling on the government to support foreign property investors, by allowing them to bid for residential units. Nonarit Bisonyabut from the TDRI says the measure would be aimed at off-setting a shortfall in local demand. With foreigners usually having higher purchasing power than Thais, he adds that the number of units offered for bidding…
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Health minister blasts illegal returnees, downplays epidemic rumours
The Public Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, has slammed a group of Thai nationals who crossed the border from Myanmar illegally, bypassing health checks and quarantine. At least 10 Thai women employed at a hotel and entertainment complex in Myanmar have tested positive for Covid-19 since their illegal return to the Kingdom. Thailand now has a total of 39 cases linked…
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All countries welcome – Thailand open for business
Come one, come all. In response to the dismally low take-up of the Special Tourist Visa, the Thai government has U-turned on a stipulation that only those from “low-risk” countries can apply. The visa is now available to all, regardless of the Covid-19 situation in their country. However, all arrivals are still subject to mandatory 14 day quarantine – which…
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Thailand News Today | Cannabis tourism, Covid in Chiang Rai, PM visits south | Dec 8
Passengers from Chiang Rai-Bangkok flights considered “low-risk” The passengers from 4 flights between Chiang Rai and Bangkok are considered at “low risk” of contracting Covid-19, according to a statement from the Public Health Ministry. But the ministry, through an abundance of caution, is asking all passengers to self-monitor for the next 14 days, and report any symptoms such as fever,…
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19 protest guards arrested for removing barbed wire from public street
19 volunteer guards associated with the pro-democracy protests were arrested last night for allegedly stealing government property after they removed barbed wire that was partially blocking a pedestrian bridge in Bangkok’s Phaya Thai district. The barbed wire may have been left behind by authorities after protests in October. The guards, known as WeVo, meaning “We Volunteer,” are associated with the…
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4 health care workers in Bangkok test positive for Covid-19
4 health care workers tested positive for Covid-19 after working at alternative state quarantine facilities and hospitals in Bangkok. The medical personnel, ages 25 to 40, tested positive on December 4 and 5 after reporting symptoms of a fever and headache. Public health officials are investigating the cases to see if there were any slip-ups in quarantine protocols. Medical personnel…
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Pet wildcat lost in Phuket, Russian family offers 50,000 baht reward
Be on the lookout for an African wildcat in Phuket. A Russian family’s pet serval cat “Julie” is missing and they’re offering a 50,000 baht reward to anyone with information that leads to the cat’s return. The cat is large with markings that resemble a cheetah. Julie was last seen in the Surin Beach area. The cat’s owner, Aliona Lissone,…
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Police officer shot to death by suspected insurgent in Pattani
A police officer was shot to death by a suspected insurgent while driving his motorcycle in Southern province Pattani. The suspect, dressed as a woman with a long head scarf and riding pillion on another bike, pulled out a M16 assault rifle and opened fire, surveillance camera footage shows. The officer fell to the ground near the Kok Pho District…
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Man gets life sentence for fatal shooting of ex-wife at Bangkok beauty clinic
A 28 year old man, who fatally shot his ex-wife and injured her colleague at their place of work, has been sentenced to life in prison. Danusorn Numcharoen was originally sentenced to death at yesterday’s hearing in Bangkok’s Criminal Court, with the sentence commuted to life imprisonment because he confessed. He must also pay compensation to the victim’s family, set…
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Air Asia to focus on ASEAN expansion, as CEO expresses cautious optimism for 2021
Air Asia’s chief executive, Tony Fernandes, says the low-cost carrier is planning to expand its presence in Southeast Asia and is in talks to form 3 new airlines. He points out that people still want to travel, and that demand makes him hopeful air travel could be back to its pre-Covid numbers within 6 – 12 months. “At the right…
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How to buy gold in Thailand – from bracelets to baht
Jett Gunther visits Bangkok’s Chinatown and discusses why you should buy gold in Thailand, and how. Bangkok is home to one of the largest Chinatowns in the world, and the Chinese love gold! Not only is gold highly regarded as a sacred metal, gold has held its value for thousands of years! In the past 20 years alone, the price…
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