Hot News
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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’s tourism sector is asking for an additional 1 billion baht budget
The Thai tourism sector has asked for an additional budget of about 1 billion baht to boost the Thai economy in hopes of making 265 billion baht (from inbound tourists). The tourism sector says they should be able to secure at least 80 million domestic trips, gaining 215 billion baht, alone. Then, they predict, the international market will see 1…
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Thailand agrees to build economic community with China
The doom and gloom of the nation’s economy were put to one side momentarily as Thailand and China agreed to build an “economic community with a shared future”, providing a much-needed boost to the kingdom’s prosperity. Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met at Government House yesterday to discuss greater trade, economic cooperation, investment, and connectivity…
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Government panel now fears negative effect of cannabis on tourism
The decriminalisation of cannabis could actually severely damage tourism in Thailand, according to a House committee discussing the 2023 fiscal year budget bill. The committee spokesperson said that a meeting yesterday was discussing money allocation for the Ministry of Public Health when the debate topic turned to the effect of legalised cannabis on the budget. Members of the committee fear…
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Pattaya karaoke bar closed after social media exposes sex services
Widespread prostitution may well be Thailand’s worst kept secret, with sex services being covertly offered in a variety of venues across the country such as bars, clubs, and massage shops. But a karaoke shop in Pattaya has temporarily shut down after social media post outed the well-known sex for sale secret. Though the official name of the venue was not…
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Major floods hit Australia
Heavy rains have caused major floods in the suburbs of Sydney, Australia. Authorities have warned that the crisis could last until early next week. Already over 85,000 people in New South Wales, most in Sydney’s western suburbs, have been asked to either evacuate or warned they might receive evacuation orders. Australia’s PM Anthony Albanese announced today that flood victims will…
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Series of earthquakes strike 500km away from Thailand’s Andaman coast
A series of continuous 4.0 – 4.9 magnitude earthquakes struck the Andaman and Nicobar islands for a period of 3 days, 506 kilometres away from Thailand’s Andaman coast. More than 40 tremors occurred, beginning July 4 at 6:00am and continuing until this morning, July 6. The epicentre of the tremors was only 10 kilometres deep, making the chance of a…
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200 new electric buses will be in service in the Thai capital
The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority will partner with private companies to run over 200 electric buses to increase capacity so it can transport up to a million people each day. The new electric buses are also part of the city’s efforts to upgrade its old bus services and reduce Bangkok’s overall carbon footprint. The new electric bus system will rapidly…
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Thai man escapes with life after love triangle shootout
A Thai man escaped with his life after an argument with his girlfriend turned into a scene from a gangster movie. Teerapan Mulma got into a row with his girlfriend at a party on Sunday, July 3 at Pattaya Waterworks Authority in Pattaya, which spiraled into a shootout. The 34 year old was enjoying drinks with his girlfriend and a…
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Insurance companies in uproar over Covid scam by clients
In a bizarre twist of fate, insurance companies are crying wolf after being scammed out of 500 million baht from a Covid-19 insurance scheme. Evidence has emerged that thousands of people who bought the “Found, Paid, Done” Covid-19 insurance scheme submitted fake documents for compensation totalling an estimated 500 million baht. The president of the Thai General Insurance Association, Anon…
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Thai police arrest ‘Mr. Underpants:’ The serial thief in the white briefs
Today, the Royal Thai Police finally arrested a serial mobile phone thief known as “Mr. Underpants.” Mr. Underpants broke into 9 BANANA mobile phone shops in locations all over Thailand, stealing thousands of mobile phones in total. Every time, he wore only his pants. Mr. Underpants broke into BANANA branches in Yala, Hat Yai, Patthalung, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Si Thammarat,…
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Customs seizes 175 million baht of ketamine heading to Taiwan
In a huge drug bust, ketamine with a street value of 175 million baht was seized by customs officials in Bangkok, stopping the drugs from leaving the country. The officials recovered 50 kilogrammes of ketamine at Bangkok Port that were scheduled to be sent illegally to Taiwan. The Customs Department uncovered the criminal drug shipment at the port right before…
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Suitcases packed as Thais get ready for domestic travel
The number of locals planning their vacations is predicted to spike for the first time since the pandemic broke out over 2 years ago. The President of the Tourism Council of Thailand, Chamnan Srisawat, predicts there will be a high number of Thai nationals travelling domestically in the third quarter of 2022 thanks to the easing of restrictions and regulations…
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Popular Thai lottery ticket app to get 2 million more tickets
With the high demand for the government’s legal lottery tickets sold online, the Government Lottery Office will likely add 2 million more tickets to its digital distribution system, Pao Tang, for the draw on August 1. The director-general of the Revenue Department, Lawaron Saengsanit, says that people are buying more tickets. “The latest sales were faster than expected and reflect…
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“Khao San Road should be a cannabis hotspot to boost tourism” – local businessman
“The chance for the government to use cannabis to boost tourism shouldn’t be turned down.” The words of a local Khao San Road businessman who sees an opportunity in the government’s recent announcement to decriminalise cannabis products. President of the Khao San Road Businesses Association, Sanga Ruengwattanakul says that foreign visitors passing through the infamous party strip “could be encouraged…
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Confused car finds itself driving a steep narrow pedestrian bridge
We’ve all been there, driving along, spaced-out, and minding our own business, when we suddenly find ourselves driving on a pedestrian path with motorbikes honking and warning us. If this scenario hasn’t happened to you consider yourself luckier than a driver in Samut Sakhon, who ended up haplessly driving a car halfway across a narrow bridge intended only for pedestrians…
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Ukrainian woman caught smuggling 116 live tortoises from Tanzania into Thailand
Police arrested a Ukrainian woman at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday after airport security found 116 live tortoises in her luggage. The woman smuggled the protected wildlife on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to Bangkok, transiting in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia along the way. Yesterday at 2:40pm, Chief of the Wildlife Checkpoint at Suvarnabhumi Airport Sathon…
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Suspect caught in mass shooting at American Independence Day celebration
Yesterday was the 4th of July, American Independence Day, but in Chicago’s Highland Park suburb, celebrations were marred by an all-too-familiar American phenomenon: a mass shooting. Police have now taken a suspect into custody for an attack on a 4th of July parade where a man opened fire with a high-powered rifle, killing 6 people and injuring at least 36…
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2 Thai men face 20 years in jail for illegal felling of protected trees
Two men face up to 20 years in prison and a 2 billion baht fine after being arrested for the illegal felling of one of Thailand’s most protected trees in the Sangkha district. Acting on a tipoff, a police team swooped on a clearing in Huay Samran forest, south of Moo 10 village in tambon Thepraksa, to find the 2…
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Bangkok taxi driver arrested a 7th time for random knife attacks
A motorbike taxi driver in Bangkok was arrested for criminal damage, again, with the police claiming it was due to their favourite new scapegoat, marijuana. He was taken into custody yesterday along with his Honda Wave motorbike, a 60 centimetre piece of wood, and a 16 centimetre long Sparta knife, both of which the taxi driver had been wielding in…
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PM Prayut accelerates progress at Bangkok’s Benjaketti Forest Park
Before Her Majesty, the Queen Mother Sirikit’s birthday on August 12, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered agencies to speed up the progress of Benjakitti Forest Park. The development of Benjakitti Park is part of the government’s efforts to raise the number of public green spaces in Bangkok to a level that is acceptable on a global scale. “Once the development…
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PETA awards animal-themed vegan donuts to BKK customs staff
PETA Asia, the regional arm of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, has delivered dozens of wildlife-themed vegan doughnuts to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport’s wildlife checkpoint and customs staff. Last week the BKK airport staff seized 109 live animals, including 2 white porcupines, 2 armadillos, 20 snakes, 35 turtles, and 50 chameleons. All the animals were hidden inside the suitcases of 2…
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Drug bonfire set alight today fuelled with 40 tonnes of illicit narcotics
Illicit drugs, valued at about 25 billion baht, are set to go up in smoke over the next 2 days. The confiscated drugs, which have been stored in a Food and Drug Administration location, are going to be creating some interesting smoke fumes for people living downwind of the FDA’s Bang Pu industrial facility in Samut Prakan. Some 40 tonnes…
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Thai energy chief suggests senators shed suits to save energy
The Deputy PM and Energy Minister, Supattanapong Punmeechaow, has urged the nation’s senators to be energy-saving role models for Thailand. The 62 year old MP has suggested every senator should avoid wearing suits to reduce the use of air-conditioning in Parliament. During today’s senate meeting at the Parliament House senators, Sakon Satjayanit and Suradet Jirathiticharoen raised questions about solutions to…
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Student’s body ripped in half in freak motorbike accident in central Thailand
A 20 year old engineering student died in a motorbike accident at around 8am this morning in Pathum Thani province, central Thailand. Police found the man’s body completely ripped into two pieces after he crashed into a power pole. Witnesses said they saw the man waiting at a red light on the Rangsit – Nakhon Nayok road outside Nattawan village.…
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BKK Airport reports increase in flights after Thailand Pass nixed
Since the elimination of the Thailand Pass complicating entry into Thailand, flights and passengers have increased at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport by about 10% on average. July 1 saw the lifting of travel restrictions, including the need to apply in advance for a Thailand Pass, which the government touted as opening the floodgates to a surge of international travellers, predicting 3…
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Teen killed and 2 year old in critical condition after motorcycle tragedy
A teenage boy has died and a 2 year old child is in critical condition after an accident yesterday at a motorcycle racing charity event near Krapang Surin Public Park in the southern province of Trang. A motorcycle racer lost control and crashed into the watching crowd alongside the racing track causing 1 death and injuries to 7 people. Sixteen-year-old…
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Hang on! BTS booty post draws viral attention to train etiquette
“Does it have to be that tight?” a user asked after a post by the Bangkok Mass Transit System went viral. The comment was one of over 500 at the time of this writing in response to an eye-catching post on BTS’s Facebook page asking people not to lean on the handrail poles on trains and featuring a shocking image…
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AirAsia Thailand resumes Bangkok – Hong Kong flights, pilots new China route
In August, Thai AirAsia will resume direct flights between Bangkok and Hong Kong. The airline will also pilot a special flight to Guangzhou in China this month, on July 13. Thai AirAsia is a joint venture between Thailand’s Asia Aviation and budget Malaysian airline AirAsia. The airline will operate weekly flights between Bangkok’s Don Muang International Airport and Hong Kong…
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Family of trampled woman calls for UK ban on elephant parks ads
More than 20 years after a British woman was trampled to death at Nong Nooch Village Elephant Show in Thailand, her family is frustrated that elephant shows and rides are still being advertised and promoted in the UK. Andrea Taylor was just 20 years old in 2000 when an elephant charged into the crowd, killing her and injuring her sister…
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Pickup truck explosion kills 2 in Bangkok
On Saturday morning, a pickup truck crashed into the barrier in the middle of a 4 lane road in Bangkok and exploded. Witnesses saw 2 men escape the vehicle, but both men got caught in the flames and died at the scene. At 6:30am on Saturday, fire engines from Thanon Chan Fire Station were called to put out a fire…
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