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    Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run

    Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...

  • Bangkok drug party raid sparks debate over privacy and policy

    Bangkok drug party raid sparks debate over privacy and policy

    A recent police raid on an exclusive gay party in Bangkok’s Watthana district has sparked significant debate over privacy concerns and the effectiveness of drug policies. During the raid, which took place on December 8, officers discovered that more than half of the 124 attendees tested positive for drugs, leading to their mandatory rehabilitation. The incident has drawn criticism from…

  • Thailand launches UAVs to protect endangered dugongs

    Thailand launches UAVs to protect endangered dugongs

    Efforts to preserve the dugong population have intensified following the recent discovery of several deceased specimens. Natural Resources and Environment Minister, Chalermchai Sri-on, announced a series of new measures aimed at safeguarding these unique marine mammals, whose survival is threatened by the disappearance of seagrass meadows—an essential food source for the world’s only herbivorous marine mammal. The decline of seagrass…

  • Korat researchers turn agricultural waste into ceramic gemstones

    Korat researchers turn agricultural waste into ceramic gemstones

    Researchers at Suranaree University of Technology (SUT) have made a groundbreaking discovery by transforming agricultural waste into highly valuable ceramic gemstones. This innovative research, conducted by senior students at the Institute of Engineering’s School of Ceramic Engineering, has resulted in a product priced 6,000 times higher than the original waste material. The team, consisting of Parnpailin Jaichuei, Chatcha Chuma, and…

  • 32 injured in Russian tourist bus crash at Pattaya toll gate (video)

    32 injured in Russian tourist bus crash at Pattaya toll gate (video)

    A Russian tourist bus crashed at a toll gate in Pattaya yesterday, December 2, resulting in 32 injuries. The incident is suspected to have been caused by a brake system failure. The Sawang Borriboon Dhammastan Rescue Foundation and Mueang Pattaya Police Station were alerted to the accident at the Pong Toll Gate at around 6.50pm. Two vehicles were damaged at…

  • What to do in Bangkok this weekend (January 3 to 5)

    What to do in Bangkok this weekend (January 3 to 5)

    It’s the first weekend of 2025! If you’re like us, you probably have plenty you want to do this weekend in Bangkok. Should you kick off your New Year’s resolutions, like starting meditation or going for a run? Or should you keep the celebrations going with delicious feasts and dancing the night away? If you’re in Bangkok, why choose? You…

  • Travel deals galore: 30th International Travel Fair boosts tourism

    Travel deals galore: 30th International Travel Fair boosts tourism

    The Thai International Travel Fair (TITF) is back with a bang, promising to be bigger and better than ever. From January 16 to 19, the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok will transform into a bustling hub of global tourism as the 30th edition of this iconic event unfolds. Organised by the Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA), TITF#30 is…

  • Thai woman shares Bolt driver watches porn throughout her ride

    Thai woman shares Bolt driver watches porn throughout her ride

    A Thai woman took to a Facebook group to issue a warning and seek legal advice after her Bolt motorcycle rider watched porn videos throughout her journey. The 18 year old victim shared her story on the Facebook group คนขับ Bolt drivers Thailand มอเตอร์ไซค์ (เท่านั้น), which translates to Thailand Bolt Motorcycle Riders (Only), yesterday, January 1. She recounted the incident…

  • Family disputes suicide claim in security guard’s mysterious death

    Family disputes suicide claim in security guard’s mysterious death

    The family of a missing Thai security guard is seeking justice following his mysterious death at an abandoned house in the central province of Kanchanaburi, which police officers ruled as suicide. The family of the 57 year old security guard, Daeng, reached out to Channel 8, urging a further investigation into his death. Daeng had reportedly been missing for seven…

  • Mentally ill ex-boxer arrested for fatal punch on security guard

    Mentally ill ex-boxer arrested for fatal punch on security guard

    Police arrested a mentally ill former Thai boxer after he fatally punched a security guard during a party in the Isaan province of Sakon Nakhon yesterday, January 1. A video of the fatal incident was shared on Facebook by the account ดอกสะแบง คืนถิ่น, accompanied by the caption, “Where are you from? Why are you such a thug?” The video depicted…

  • Woman searches for Cambodian worker’s daughter in Rayong

    Woman searches for Cambodian worker’s daughter in Rayong

    A 51 year old woman from the Nongtapang community in Ban Khai district, Rayong, expressed deep concern after discovering that a Cambodian worker, whom she had employed for two years, had taken her (the worker’s) four and a half year old daughter and disappeared. The Cambodian worker, who lived with her husband and young daughter in a rented room 600…

  • Tour bus rage: Driver slams into SUV over parking row in Pattaya

    Tour bus rage: Driver slams into SUV over parking row in Pattaya

    A jaw-dropping video from Pattaya has gone viral, showing a tour bus intentionally smashing into an orange SUV during a heated parking dispute. The dramatic incident unfolded on Monday, December 30 near a hotel on North Pattaya Road, Naklua, leaving onlookers stunned. The chaos began when 35 year old O, a ride-hailing driver for Bolt and Grab, briefly parked his…

  • Tattoo shop owner arrested for shotgun standoff on Koh Phangan

    Tattoo shop owner arrested for shotgun standoff on Koh Phangan

    A tattoo shop owner turned new year celebrations into a nightmare on Koh Phangan, as shocking footage reveals him brandishing a shotgun and terrorising tourists in the early hours of New Year’s Day. The perpetrator, 49 year old Denchai from Phatthalung province, was caught on security cameras at 2.56am yesterday, January 1, outside a massage shop in Krung Thai Soi,…

  • Police trainee accidentally shoots and kills himself and relative

    Police trainee accidentally shoots and kills himself and relative

    A police trainee in the northern province of Chiang Mai accidentally shot and killed himself and a relative while drinking alcohol and playing with a firearm on December 29, last year. Officers from Fang Police Station were called to a house in the Mae Ka sub-district, Fang district, Chiang Mai, to investigate the accidental fatal shooting. Upon arrival, officers found…

  • Moo Deng: Thailand’s personality of the year

    Moo Deng: Thailand’s personality of the year

    Time magazine’s annual selection for Person of the Year often reflects on the individuals who have captured global attention. While it is usually presidents and influential figures, it is clear here in Thailand who truly deserves the title. Forget the political icons—our beloved Moo Deng, the pint-sized pygmy hippo, has captured hearts, taken over social media, and established herself as…

  • Thailand expands 30-baht healthcare scheme nationwide

    Thailand expands 30-baht healthcare scheme nationwide

    Thailand has extended its Treatment Anywhere 30-baht universal healthcare scheme to cover the entire nation, with the initiative now active in the remaining 31 provinces. This marks the completion of the scheme’s fourth and final phase since being introduced by the National Health Security Office (NHSO). According to Athaporn Limpanylers, deputy secretary-general of the NHSO, the initiative now encompasses all…

  • Move over, Alpha: Generation Beta is here to shake things up

    Move over, Alpha: Generation Beta is here to shake things up

    A seismic generational shift has just unfolded, ringing in 2025 with the farewell of Generation Alpha and the arrival of the highly anticipated Generation Beta. Generation Alpha, comprising those born between 2010 and 2024, grew up in a whirlwind of technological innovation and societal upheaval. From the global Covid-19 pandemic to the rise of artificial intelligence, this mini-millennial cohort has…

  • Bullet fired in celebration narrowly misses woman in Sri Banphot

    Bullet fired in celebration narrowly misses woman in Sri Banphot

    A shocking incident unfolded when a bullet fired into the sky during new year celebrations came crashing through the roof, narrowly missing a woman’s head in Sri Banphot, Phatthalung. A 36 year old woman reported the incident to the Sri Banphot Police Station, presenting the bullet as evidence. The event occurred just minutes after midnight, during the new year countdown,…

  • Toddler injured by firecracker during new year celebrations in Trang

    Toddler injured by firecracker during new year celebrations in Trang

    A one year old toddler named Sky suffered severe injuries after being struck by a firecracker thrown by teenagers during New Year’s Eve celebrations at Pak Meng Beach, Sikao district, Trang province. The incident, which left the child with serious wounds requiring seven stitches and a bruised lung, led to his transfer to Trang Hospital for further treatment. His 25…

  • Disturbed man allegedly butchers dog for sale in Udon Thani

    Disturbed man allegedly butchers dog for sale in Udon Thani

    A shocking incident unfolded yesterday in Udon Thani’s Ban Dung district when a disturbed individual allegedly killed a dog and displayed its butchered remains for sale. The dog, believed to have fled in panic due to new year fireworks, fell victim to the man’s disturbed behaviour. Upon receiving reports from concerned residents, Werapol, the administrator of the Bandung Update Facebook page,…

  • Thai-foreign couple lose 3 million baht in Phuket home robbery

    Thai-foreign couple lose 3 million baht in Phuket home robbery

    A Thai woman and her foreign husband in Phuket sought help from the police after losing 3 million baht in cash and gold during a home robbery on New Year’s Eve, December 31. The local news Facebook page Phuket Hotnews reported the robbery yesterday, January 1. The theft reportedly occurred in a village on Soi Nayai in the Chalong sub-district,…

  • Monk in Buriram caught using drugs after tip-off

    Monk in Buriram caught using drugs after tip-off

    A monk was apprehended for drug use and allegedly deceiving a young boy at a temple in Buriram, following a tip-off from a concerned citizen. The citizen presented video evidence of the monk’s drug use, prompting police to investigate further. The incident occurred yesterday, January 1, when law enforcement, led by Visanu Arpornpong, Chief of Prakhon Chai Police Station, coordinated…

  • Teen accidentally shoots himself in Buriram clash

    Teen accidentally shoots himself in Buriram clash

    An 18 year old man from Buriram tragically died after accidentally shooting himself on a motorcycle trip to a rival’s village, intending to cause chaos with a homemade gun and a ping pong bomb. This incident occurred as the young man, referred to as A, was on a motorcycle with a friend, heading towards a rival group’s village. As they…

  • South Korean man causes chaos, steals pickup, and crashes it in Chon Buri

    South Korean man causes chaos, steals pickup, and crashes it in Chon Buri

    Police arrested a South Korean man who went on a rampage along the Bypass Road in Chon Buri province yesterday, January 1. The man reportedly damaged several vehicles, stole a Thai man’s car, and subsequently crashed it. The Sawang Borribun Dhammastan Rescue Foundation was alerted to a car accident and fire on Highway 36, also known as the Chon Buri-Rayong…

  • Bangkok gridlock: Holidaymakers return with dried goods

    Bangkok gridlock: Holidaymakers return with dried goods

    The roads leading back to Bangkok have become increasingly crowded as northeastern Thai residents return after celebrating new year festivities with their families in the provinces. Traffic reporters noted heavy congestion throughout the day on the Friendship Highway, which saw a steady stream of cars heading towards the capital. Although some sections of the road experienced smoother traffic flow, minor…

  • Pattaya horror: Foreigner’s body found wedged in drainpipe

    Pattaya horror: Foreigner’s body found wedged in drainpipe

    Pattaya police faced a puzzling situation when they were alerted to the discovery of a foreigner’s body near a Naklua resort on December 30. The body was found in an unusual and alarming position, folded and wedged into a drainpipe measuring 50 by 50 centimetres, with the legs pointing upward, sparking immediate concern. Officers quickly secured the area to conduct…

  • Thailand tourism earns 1.66 trillion baht from 35 million visitors

    Thailand tourism earns 1.66 trillion baht from 35 million visitors

    Thailand welcomed over 35 million travellers in 2024, with visitors contributing more than 1.6 trillion baht (US$46.8 billion) to the economy, reported the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. Tourism Minister Sorawong Thienthong announced that from January 1 to December 29, a total of 35.32 million people visited the country, spending 1.66 trillion baht (US$48.5 billion). Chinese tourists led the influx…

  • Japanese man vows to behave after arguing with Thai police over lantern ban

    Japanese man vows to behave after arguing with Thai police over lantern ban

    A Japanese man issued an apology after arguing with and attempting to assault a Thai police officer who warned him against floating a lantern in the city centre of Chiang Mai. The attempted assault came to public attention after the Facebook page เจ๊มอย v+ (Jmoi v+) shared footage of the incident yesterday, January 1. The incident reportedly occurred on December 31,…

  • Thai woman’s Chinese boyfriend assaulted by Pattaya guards

    Thai woman’s Chinese boyfriend assaulted by Pattaya guards

    A Thai woman has come forward with allegations regarding an incident involving her boyfriend at a nightclub on Pattaya’s Walking Street. In the early hours of December 31, she reported that her Chinese boyfriend was allegedly assaulted by security guards at the venue. The incident reportedly took place on December 27. The woman, 27 year old Bee, provided media outlets…

  • Deadly inmate brawl disrupts new year at Pattani Prison

    Deadly inmate brawl disrupts new year at Pattani Prison

    Chaos erupted at Pattani Prison as a brawl among inmates left one dead and 12 injured. The altercation, involving sharp metal weapons, followed a heated dispute during an internal football match yesterday. Pattani’s police force quickly responded to the incident that marred the new year celebrations. Upon receiving reports of a violent clash at the central prison in Pattani, police…

  • Road danger: Thailand’s new year accidents claim 215 lives

    Road danger: Thailand’s new year accidents claim 215 lives

    Over the new year holiday in Thailand, traffic accidents resulted in the tragic loss of 215 lives and injured 1,354 people. This data, covering the period from December 27 to 31, highlights the dangers of road travel during festive seasons. Somsak Thepsutin, Thailand’s Public Health Minister, reported that these casualties stemmed from 1,398 accidents over the five days. Both Bangkok…