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Thailand banks on foreign investment to power economic surge
Bangkok Bank remains bullish on a surge in foreign direct investment (FDI) into Thailand, anticipating it will turbocharge the nation’s economy in the coming years despite global uncertainties. At the 2025 ASEAN Business Forum helmed by the bank last Thursday, Bangkok Bank President Chartsiri Sophonpanich unveiled striking figures: Thailand’s investment applications soared by 35% in 2024, hitting a decade peak…
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Population decline: Thailand’s birth rate hits 75-year low
Mahidol University highlighted a significant demographic issue as Thailand recorded fewer than 500,000 births in a year for the first time in 75 years. In 2024, the country registered only 462,240 births, a marked decrease from 519,000 in 2023. Associate Professor Chalermpol Chamchan from Mahidol’s Institute for Population and Social Research noted that this is the fourth consecutive year where…
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Scammer poses as doctor to request explicit images from Thai patient
A scammer posing as a doctor contacted a Thai mother who had recently had a baby for explicit images of her post-birth wounds. Fortunately, the victim refused to share any explicit images. The incident prompted a warning from an obstetrics and gynaecology clinic, Doctor Pemika Clinic, in the Isaan province of Nakhon Ratchasima urging patients to beware of impersonators. The clinic…
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French mafia chaos: Phuket residents slam tourists’ alley blockade (video)
A fiery video posted on the popular Facebook page โหดจัง จังหวัดภูเก็ต has ignited outrage, branding a group of foreign tourists as the “French Mafia” for blocking a public alley with their motorcycles in Phuket. The clip, accompanied by a stinging caption, lambasted the tourists for their arrogant behaviour and questioned the local police’s inaction. “Admin would like to question #PatongPolice: are…
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Body of foreign man found in sea off Jomtien Beach
The body of a foreign man was found floating in the sea near Jomtien Beach, Pattaya yesterday afternoon. At 1.30pm, yesterday, January 16, Pattaya police officers were alerted to the presence of a foreign man’s body floating face-down in the sea near Jomtien Beach, opposite Soi Jomtien 14. Police officers, along with rescue workers from the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Foundation promptly…
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Chinese housekeeper suspected in 100 million baht theft in Pattaya
Police suspect a Chinese housekeeper is behind a theft at the house of a Chinese businessman in Pattaya, resulting in a loss exceeding 100 million baht. Officers from Huay Yai Police Station were called to the house in the Bang Lamung district of Pattaya at 1.30am yesterday, January 16, to investigate the theft. The two-storey luxury house is located on a…
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Thai cop boyfriend charged over woman’s tragic death
Tragedy struck when 24 year old woman was found dead after allegedly jumping from a pickup truck, but mounting evidence points to a darker truth involving her Thai cop boyfriend. Police Lance Corporal Kittipoom now faces serious charges relating to murder and drug abuse. Grieving and searching for answers, the victim’s mother, 62 year old Eungporn, and her sister, 32…
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Tying the knot: Pattaya hosts free LGBTQ+ weddings
Royal Garden Plaza Pattaya is gearing up to host a significant event on Valentine’s Day, February 14, marking Thailand’s historic Marriage Equality Law with free wedding ceremonies for LGBTQ+ couples. Pattaya Marriage Equality Celebration 2025 honours the law’s official enactment on January 23, with support from Pattaya City and various partners. Seven LGBTQ+ couples will be chosen to have their…
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Phuket man arrested for sexually exploiting young boys
The Phuket Provincial Administration Promotion Office arrested a Thai man for sexually assaulting more than 10 young boys and distributing explicit videos of the victims on X (formerly Twitter). More than 1,400 indecent videos were found in his possession. Officials received a tip-off from the non-governmental organisation Scientia that a 15 year old victim sought help from the organisation after…
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Fire in Bangkok’s Min Buri destroys warehouse and 8 vehicles
A fire broke out in Soi Rom Klao 7, Min Buri district, Bangkok, spreading to a chemical storage warehouse and destroying eight vehicles, including six cars and two motorcycles. The incident occurred at 3.05am today, January 17, when the Rama 199 Radio Centre was alerted to a grass fire in Rom Klao 7, Saen Saep subdistrict, Min Buri district. Upon…
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Thai minister demands Shinawatra family forfeit Alpine Golf land
Thai Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who also leads the Bhumjaithai Party, announced yesterday that the Shinawatra family’s ownership of extensive land at Alpine Golf and Sports Club should be rescinded. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is connected to these holdings through familial ties. Anutin stated that Chamnanwit Terat, the Deputy Permanent Secretary for the Interior, must ensure the revocation is completed…
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Phuket netizens slams half-naked foreign man on red baht bus
Thai netizens criticised a foreign man after a photograph of him standing half-naked on a red baht bus in Phuket circulated on Thai social media platforms. The Phuket Times shared the images yesterday, January 16, with a caption that read, “#Patong. A foreign tourist pulled his shorts down and revealed his bottom. Doesn’t care about anyone.” The two images shared…
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Roti rebellion: Thai police rescue Burmese teenager from trafficking
In a harrowing tale of courage and justice, a Burmese teenager hailed the Government of Thailand for rescuing him from a nightmare of forced labour and trafficking. The 17 year old’s ordeal ended with the conviction of his captor in Bangkok last year, bringing a glimmer of hope to the youth as he waits to return home to Myanmar. The…
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Herd mentality: Thai activists stomp on elephant birth control plan
Conservationists gathered yesterday to oppose the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment’s proposal to administer birth control injections to wild elephants. The Soo Phua Chang Network, advocating for elephants, convened at the ministry, urging a delay in the plan until comprehensive studies and reviews of the contraceptive injections are completed. They presented their petition to Minister Chalermchai Sri-on, and Naraphat…
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Plane stupid! Australian man’s flight crash threat lands him in jail
A disgruntled Australian man found himself behind bars after making a chilling threat to kill everyone at 35,000 feet. His off-the-cuff remark about crashing a plane left airport officials with no choice but to take him seriously. Marli Curtis Philip Moncrieff embarked on what he thought would be a dream holiday from Perth to the sunny shores of Phuket with…
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What to do in Bangkok this weekend (January 17 to 19)
The cool weather’s sticking around, so it’s the perfect excuse to get outside this weekend. As you’d expect, Bangkok never runs out of things to do. Art exhibitions? A festival in the park? Maybe a garden market? There’s so much happening right now that the only hard part is deciding what to do. So, to help you with your weekend…
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Thai man shoots cat with harpoon, allegedly to eat it
Police are searching for a Thai man who shot a cat with a harpoon in the Isaan province of Buriram, allegedly intending to eat the animal. The cat’s right eye was left blind following the severe attack. The 68 year old Thai man, Narong Sookprasert, brought the injured cat, Kuay Tiew (meaning noodles), in a cage to a shelter at…
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Bangkok steals top spot for Chinese New Year celebrations
Bangkok has emerged as the top destination for Thai and foreign tourists planning to celebrate Chinese New Year in Thailand, according to data from the digital travel platform Agoda. The vibrant capital outshone other popular spots, with accommodation searches surging ahead of the festivities starting January 29. Agoda revealed yesterday, January 15, that Bangkok topped the list for Thai tourists,…
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Bangkok cracks down on smoky buses amid pollution crisis
To tackle Bangkok’s escalating air pollution, city officials inspected public buses for black smoke emissions at the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority’s (BMTA) Sathuphradit Depot on Tuesday, January 14. The initiative, led by Phonprom Wikitset, Advisor to the Governor of Bangkok, and Prapat Luangsirinapa, Director of the Environmental Office, aimed to address the city’s fine particulate matter (PM2.5) crisis. The inspections…
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PM perfects ‘Salaam’ greeting on helicopter to Muslim south
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra prepared for a visit to Thailand’s southern Muslim-majority provinces by practising the universal Islamic greeting, “as-salaam alaykum” (peace be upon you), aboard an air force helicopter. Assisted by Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong, the PM repeated the greeting several times to perfect her pronunciation. “I practised this earlier too, but I want to get it just right.”…
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British fraudster nabbed in land scam at Bangkok airport
A British national was arrested at Suvarnabhumi International Airport upon returning to Thailand, accused of orchestrating an elaborate property fraud worth nearly 20 million baht. Officers from the Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECD), led by Police Colonel Theeraphast Yangyuen and Police Lieutenant Colonel Woraphot Lalitjirakul, apprehended the 57 year old British man, Quentin (surname withheld) yesterday, January 15 under an…
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South Thailand unrest: Defence chief demands strategy overhaul
Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Minister of Defence Phumtham Wechayachai called for a bold rethink of Thailand’s southern border strategy following a recent motorcycle bomb attack in Pattani that left defence volunteers and civilians injured. In a scathing critique of current measures, Phumtham urged the National Security Council (NSC) to replace the ineffective cycle of lifting and reinstating emergency decrees with a more…
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Chaos on Pattaya Beach: Drunk tourists fuel brawls in hotspot
Pattaya Beach, known for its stunning coastline and electrifying nightlife, is grappling with a surge in alcohol-fuelled brawls involving unruly tourists. Once a haven for relaxation and revelry, the iconic destination has seen a troubling rise in disruptive incidents, leaving locals and officials concerned about the city’s reputation. Reports reveal that drunken altercations have become an all-too-common sight, particularly after…
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Family feud in Prachin Buri leaves man critically injured
A family dispute in Prachin Buri province resulted in a severe injury when a 20 year old man allegedly shot his 36 year old brother-in-law, with a homemade firearm. The incident took place yesterday, January 15, in front of a house in Mueang Nadi district, but the family has not disclosed the reason behind the altercation. Police Lieutenant Colonel Yutthaphum Damrongtham…
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Thai man attacks Swiss man with cue stick over pool game dispute
A Thai man attacked a Swiss tourist with a cue stick at a bar in Pattaya, accusing the foreigner of cheating during a game of pool. Rescuers from the Sawang Borriboon Dhammstan Foundation responded to the incident at a bar on Soi Khao Ta Lo in Bang Lamung district, Pattaya, last night, January 15, following reports of a physical altercation.…
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Customs seizes 256 tonnes of smuggled e-waste at Thai port
Thai Customs officials uncovered a haul of over 256 tonnes of hazardous electronic waste smuggled into the country from Japan and Hong Kong via Laem Chabang Port. The seizure, announced at a press conference by Customs spokesperson Panthong Loykulnanta, highlights ongoing efforts to combat illegal waste imports under Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s directive to prioritise public health and environmental safety.…
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Ex-police officer caught selling modified BB guns as firearms
A former police officer was apprehended for modifying and assembling BB gun parts into firearms capable of shooting live ammunition and selling them upon request. Yesterday, January 15, police from Sai Noi district, Nonthaburi province, arrested 55 year old former Border Patrol Police officer, Manut Wongsuwan. The arrest took place in a department store car park in Sai Noi, where…
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Second post-mortem to be conducted on death of Indian woman
A chilling twist has emerged in the alleged murder of a 32 year old Indian woman whose body was flown back to India from Thailand late Tuesday night, January 14. Lucknow police, acting on her family’s complaint, are set to conduct a second post-mortem today to uncover the truth behind her suspicious demise. The woman, Priyanka Sharma’s husband, city-based doctor…
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Israel to open 13,000 agriculture jobs for Thai workers
Some 13,000 jobs in the agriculture sector are set to be made available for Thai workers, as announced by Israeli Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Avi Dichter. In recent discussions held in Jerusalem, senior Thai officials, including Labour Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn and Department of Employment Director General Somchai Morakotsriwan, met with Dichter. The Thai delegation visited Beit Hilkia Moshav on…
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Chiang Rai schools warn over child abduction vehicle alert
A warning has been issued regarding a suspected child abduction vehicle, leading to the closure of schools and increased vigilance among locals in Chiang Rai. The alert follows reports of a suspicious man attempting to abduct children yesterday, January 15. Bunsong Tinaree, the district chief of Mueang Chiang Rai, announced an urgent radio message, labelled as ChR.0118/01, to the local…
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