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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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Arrested Lop Buri murder suspect was a provincial headmaster
The director (headmaster) of a Sing Buri school is now in police custody as a suspect in the case of the lone of being the lone gunman in a gold shop robbery at the Robinson’s Shopping Centre in Lop Buri province on January 9. Three people, including a two year old boy, were shot and killed, another four were injured…
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School headmaster arrested and charged over the Lop Buri gold shop shootings
Police have arrested a man in conjunction with the Lopburi gold shop shootings on January 9. The man is a 38 years old school headmaster from Sing Buri, the adjoining province to the west of Lop Buri in central Thailand. Police report that he has confessed to the shooting of the customers and staff, resulting in three deaths, including a two year old…
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Strong waves drags pickup and jet ski into the sea in Chonburi
Strong waves have dragged a pickup truck and jet ski into the sea yesterday morning along the shores of Chonburi province, near Pattaya. At around 10:30am, 24 year old Phontawit Pradap used a pickup truck to tow a jet ski from the beach to the water in Saen Suk subdistrict. While he was towing the jet ski along the shore, a…
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Survey shows that Thais feel “less safe”
A recent survey by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University, the Suan Dusit Poll, shows that Thais are more concerned about their safety than ever before, citing the country’s economic woes as the reason. The poll was conducted from January 15-18 on 1,365 people throughout the Kingdom of varying education levels and occupations. The survey followed a spate of serious crimes in…
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First US case of Coronavirus spooks stock market, death toll up to six
Medical authorities around the globe are scrambling to prevent the spread of a deadly outbreak of a new Coronavirus. It started in Wuhan, central China, and is now spreading beyond Wuhan’s and China’s borders. There has now been cases detected in Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, South Korea and, today the US where a case was confirmed in Washington State. Centres of…
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Pattaya man in coma after being shot in argument with ex-girlfriend’s father
A man remains in a coma in Pattaya after sustaining serious injuries from a gunshot during an argument with his ex-girlfriend’s father on Saturday night. Police and emergency responders arrived at the scene in Banglamung district to find 29 year old Anucha Jansrithong with a gunshot wound. 20 year old Phonthip Ployboot told police that Anucha is her ex-boyfriend and alleged…
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Opposition will ask NACC to probe Thai PM on three counts
Seven of Thailand’s opposition parties are demanding that the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) investigate Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha for allegedly breaching the law on three issues. They claim… • The Prime Minister failed to state the sources of the Government’s revenue in its policy statement presented to parliament last year. • The process of selection of senators was illegal due…
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Thailand’s Future Forward party cleared in surprise Court verdict
The Constitutional Court have beaten their own schedule for a verdict by announcing late this morning a decision that cleared the Future Forward Party of charges that it was attempting to undermine “the democratic system under the monarchy”. The ruling is one of the few that have come out on the side of Government opposition parties in Thailand, and is considered…
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Suspected British Coronavirus patient, confirmed NOT to have the virus – UPDATE
It’s now been confirmed that a British man, in critical condition in a Thai Hospital, has not contracted the Chinese Coronavirus. Ashley Shorley, who was holidaying on Koh Phi Phi at the time, became seriously ill with a “flu virus” on December 27. He was rushed by boat (reported as a sea plane in other media) to Phuket where his condition worsened. He…
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5 drown after passenger boat sinks in Uttradit’s Sirikit reservoir – UPDATE
(UPDATE: 7:07am, the Thai-language daily Khao Sod now reports the number of drowned at 5) One passenger has drowned and four others remain missing (presumed drowned) after their boat struck a submerged tree stump and capsized on Sirikit Dam in the northern province of Uttradit, near the border of Laos. Rescue workers recovered five passengers and the boat’s skipper from…
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Citizens help arrest Burmese man breaking into Bangkok ATM
Breaking into an ATM in broad daylight might not be the best idea, as a Burmese man learned yesterday after his arrest Monday in Bangkok. Officers from the Klong Tan Police Station were called and went to the location to discover the man wearing a black tank top and jeans holding a crowbar, which he was using to tear apart…
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32 year old British patient recovering in Phuket, suspected Coronavirus victim
UPDATE HERE. A British tourist is reported to be fighting for his life in a Phuket hospital. He could be the first Western victim of the coronavirus strain sweeping through China, according to Doctors at the hospital, but is yet to be confirmed. This latest coronavirus, related to the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome)…
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Coronavirus spreads north and south in China – 139 new cases reported
Another 139 new cases of a flu-like disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus in China has shocked health officials. There’s also been a third confirmed death reported today. Worse, the outbreak has now spread beyond Wuhan in central China where the virus was first identified. There have been cases reported in Beijing, a province next door to Shanghai and…
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Bangkok IT mall fire sparks evacuation
A fire broke out at a Bangkok mall on Sunday, leading to the evacuation of the Fortune Town IT Mall building on Ratchadaphisek Road. No deaths or injuries were reported. Fortune Town is a popular shopping destination for IT and electronics enthusiasts, opposite Central World Plaza and located directly above the Rama 9 MRT station. Traffic Radio reported the fire at…
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Police question suspect in Lop Buri gold shop shootings
Police in the northeastern province of Nong Khai are confident they’ve identified a suspect in the January 9 gold shop robbery and shooting in the central Lop Buri province that killed three people, including a two-year boy, and injured four others. The man was summoned for questioning. National police chief Chakthip Chaijinda says that the man, whose identity is currently…
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North eastern villagers protest fishy smells from seafood factory wastewater
Villagers in the northern Khon Kaen province are complaining of a seafood “factory” that has been dumping foul smelling wastewater into public drains. Hundreds gathered in the Mueang Kao subdistrict’s Sirirat Village to plea for help from local agencies. The smelly black water spills out from the drains, stinking up homes, and has even travelled into locals fields. Thousands of villagers…
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Future Forward prepare for probable disbandment by the Thai Constitutional Court
The Future Forward Party is bracing itself for, what they expect, will end up in the disbandment of their political party when the Constitution Court meets tomorrow. Over the weekend the party’s secretary-general Piyabutr Saengkanokkul denied accusations that his party is trying to overthrow the Thai regime, an allegation made by Dr. Natthaporn Toprayoon, a former advisor to the chief…
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40-love. Police track down porn producers at a Bangkok university tennis court
The police are searching for an amorous couple who were filmed engaging in sex outdoors in the Bang Khen area, northern Bangkok. Police suspect that film’s producer and the ‘actors’ were making content for a porn site, or subscribers to a chat group. Officers have been examining footage (over and over) from CCTV to try and find clues about the…
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Suspect questioned over the fatal gold heist at Aurora Gold Shop in Lop Buri
A suspect has been summoned for questioning in Thailand’s north-eastern province of Nong Khai, just south of the Laos border. It’s believed he may be the man who shot and killed three people, and injured four others during a gold shop heist on January 9 in Lop Buri province. The man, whose identity has not been disclosed, matches the suspect’s…
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The year’s first leatherback turtle hatchling emerges in Phang Nga
Officials from the coastal National Park in Phang Nga, southern Thailand, are delighted after the first leatherback turtle hatchling hatched and emerged from the nest. Whilst it was headed to the Andaman Sea, marine officials took it to a nursery to be raised, giving it a much higher chance of survival when it is eventually released to the sea. According to…
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82 year old Frenchman killed in motorbike crash with ATV in Phuket
An elderly French man has died after an American woman lost control of her all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and crashed into his motorcycle in Chalong, southern Phuket. The woman was seriously injured. Police say the incident occurred on Soi Klum Yang in Chalong around 4pm on Thursday. The crash involved a red ATV, and a black motorcycle ridden by the 82 year…
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Dutchman jailed for 100 years in Thailand for money laundering is released
A Dutch citizen who was jailed for 100 years in Thailand, is now on his way home after years of campaigning for his release. His sentence was reduced to 75 years on appeal and later to 50 years by the Supreme court. Johan van Laarhoven, who ran several cannabis “coffee shops” in Holland, was jailed in Thailand for money laundering, along…
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Tour bus crash in northern Thailand injures 8
Eight people are injured, one seriously, after a tour bus crashed in northern Thailand’s northern Nan Province yesterday morning. The bus skidded into a mountain slope at a curve in the main city district. Thai media report that the bus was found lying on its side when police and rescue workers arrived at the scene. The 32 year old driver, Yutthapong…
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30 million in lottery windfall to central Thailand winning tickets
There’s been three big winners for last Friday’s bi-monthly Thai Government Lottery in Thailand’s central provinces. The winning numbers for the latest draw on January 17 were 491774 with winnings of 6 million baht up for grabs for every winning ticket. 73 year old Prakob Pansaior from Jaturas District in Chaiyaphum Province was the first winner. As soon as he realised…
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Forecasts for Bangkok property 2020
A supply influx of new office space is on the way while the overall retail industry faces low consumer confidence. But, in 2019, the number of Chinese tourists to Thailand has started recovering, says CBRE, an international property consultant. Bangkok Office Market The office market in Bangkok continues to perform strongly for this, but CBRE identifies challenges that are heading…
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Second death in China from virus concerns officials with the CNY holidays looming
“At least 41 people have now been diagnosed as being infected this latest flu-like strain.” Medical officials in China’s Wuhan city have announced that another man had died after being infected by the new coronavirus strain. Thailand and Japan have now reported new cases of a the Chinese Coronavirus that has already killed two and infected at least 40 in…
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Nearly 300 bone fragments found in Bangkok pond, police searching for more bodies
288 bone fragments have been retrieved from a pond near the home of a man who was charged last week with murdering his girlfriend and concealing the corpse. Forensic police have now identified most of the bones as ‘human’. The bones are currently being examined at Siriroj Hospital. Up to 20 divers were involved in yesterday’s grisly search. Divers found…
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Three massive condo developments along Phuket’s up-market Layan Beach
by Bill Barnett – c9hotelworks.com Two new condo developments are going ahead in the Layan Beach area of Phuket’s up-market west-coast beach strip. And there’s another one underway next to the Dream Beach Club at the northern end of the Layan beach strip. All in all, another 1,200+ keys added to the available rooms along the Bang Tao/Layan Beach area.…
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Minor International battles Marriott over popular Phuket hotel property in court
Marriott International, the American international hotel company, has failed in its bid to secure an injunction in a Thai court to stop a legal claim filed by the Minor International group. Minor International (MINT) says that its subsidiary MI Squared Ltd had filed a legal claim in a Thai court against Marriott International and the Thai subsidiary Luxury Hotels &…
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Bangkok’s vacant land owners growing fruit and vegetables to evade vacant-land tax
A loophole in land tax around Bangkok (actually everywhere in Thailand) is having an unexpected side effect, mostly good. Many vacant property owners in Bangkok are growing fruit and vegetables to escape the newly launched tax on their undeveloped land. For example, Banana trees are now growing on an expensive piece of land near Naradhiwat-Rajanagarindra Road. To avoid the new…
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