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Sponsored Is private health insurance in Thailand worth it? Real costs vs risks explained
Thailand has a strong healthcare system with both public and private options. Public hospitals offer affordable care, but many people, including expats, choose private health insurance for faster service, modern facilities, and more treatment choices. To decide if private health...
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The Thaiger’s World Cup 2022 wallchart – free to download and print so you don’t miss a single match in Qatar
With the World Cup 2022 just days away, The Thaiger has put together a wallchart fixture planner to help you stay on top of the seemingly endless run of matches. Using our wallchart, you can track every group stage game with teams, dates, and times (in Thai time, of course). Then you can just fill in the teams and scores…
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New moves to criminalise cannabis shrugged off by Anutin
Amid moves to walk back the legalisation of cannabis, Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul shrugged off the attempt to criminalise the herb again. Anutin, who also serves as deputy prime minister, says that the debate over cannabis is decided and done. Opponents of legalisation are pushing for cannabis to be reclassified as a Type 5 narcotic, which would be…
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Press covering APEC treated to free Thai massage
The Thai government has been tripping over itself to put its best foot forward as they host the APEC summit in Bangkok this week. From cracking down on troublesome illegal immigrants, to cleaning up roads and repainting streets, and even poorly-spelt welcome signs, officials are pulling out all the stops. Now, members of the press covering APEC will be treated…
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Police seize over 2 million meth pills in central Thailand
Police seized over two million meth pills, along with other drugs, in Thailand’s central Lop Buri province on Saturday. Officers from the Narcotics Suppression Bureau confiscated 2,200,000 meth pills, and 40,000 Erimin 5 pills. Erimin is a hypnotic drug. Police said the drug bust came after police were alerted that a large number of drugs were being transferred from a…
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Woman warns others after being stalked by creepy taxi driver
A woman driver issued a warning to others after she was stalked by a taxi driver to her home in Pathum Thani province near Bangkok. The cab driver denied the accusation saying he was hired by an unknown person to follow her. The woman, Thitichaya (surname reserved), said she was stalked by a taxi driver for over 10 kilometres. The…
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Wrong spelling of ‘Welcom’ spotted on APEC banners
Thailand has made great efforts to ensure this week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting goes smoothly, unfortunately, a double gaff by one of the government departments has left the nation red-faced. Dignitaries, VIPs, and visitors to the APEC Summit yesterday were greeted by banners along the Chalong Rat Expressway which read “Welcom to APEC 2022.” But that’s not all. If…
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High hotel occupancy in northern Thai province as golden flowers bloom
There’s been a high hotel occupancy in Thailand’s northern province of Mae Hong Son now that its signature golden flowers are in bloom. The provincial tourism office chief said that hotels and resorts are reporting up to 75% occupancy. This, he said, is a much higher occupancy rate than the rates seen during other times of the year. Tourists are…
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Gen Z, Trump, and the US midterm election
With the US midterm election results, Democrats celebrated a narrow victory over Republicans. This was after a Democratic senator won in the state of Nevada, ensuring that Democrats would at least keep a 50-50 majority in the Senate, with VP Kamala Harris holding the deciding tie-breaking vote. The win for Democrats came after the Republicans had hoped for a ‘red-wave’…
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3 teen boys kidnapped, tortured, and forced to perform oral sex by sadistic gang
Three teen boys were kidnapped, tortured, and forced to engage in gay sex against their will at gunpoint by a sadistic gang of teenagers at a house in the Hua Mark area of Bangkok. The victims suffered burns on their penises, were forced to drink urine, take part in oral sex, and fight with each other. Only one offender has been…
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Police arrest man for sexually assaulting two street dogs in Pattaya, Thailand
A Thai man was arrested and detained for sexually assaulting two dogs last night in Pattaya, Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand. Officers from Nong Prue Police Station received a call from a warehouse security guard who said a drunk man was “committing indecent acts” on a dog near the entrance of Soi Nong Mai Kaen 12 in Pattaya’s Nong Prue…
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Police plan new approach to drug problems in South Pattaya
Pattaya Police are planning a new approach to drug problems in one neighbourhood of the city. Police will push for rehabilitation over arreststoo deal with drug issues in the Thappraya community in South Pattaya. The community surrounds the Bali Hai flyover, under which many homeless people and drug users have encamped. These residents were invited to a meeting with local…
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SpiceJet launches new direct flight between Thailand and India
Budget Indian airline SpiceJet launched direct flights between Pune in India and Bangkok in Thailand operating four days per week. SpiceJet also flies directly from Bangkok to Delhi and Kolkata. A Boeing 737 will operate the Pune – Bangkok service on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Flight SG 82 will depart from the sprawling Indian city of Pune, just south of…
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Phuket pickup truck racers fined
UPDATE Pickup truck drivers who went viral in a video for racing on a Phuket road last week have been fined. Three racers presented themselves at Phuket City Police Station on Friday and admitted that they were the drivers in the viral clips. The three men have now been fined 2,000 baht each. They are facing charges of causing loud…
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Airlines ask passengers to arrive early for flights during APEC Summit in Bangkok
Passengers flying out of Don Mueang Airport or Suvarnabhumi Airport between November 14-20 should arrive earlier than usual to facilitate delays caused by the APEC Summit which will be held in Bangkok this week. Nok Air requests that passengers arrive at least three hours ahead of their departure time for international flights and two hours ahead of their scheduled departure…
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TAT promotes Thailand on London bus
Tourism officials launched a new campaign promoting sunny Thailand in cloudy London as winter approaches. A London double-decker bus now has the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)’s “amazing THAILAND” logo written across it in pink. Beneath the logo are images of boats in the sea, with the hashtags #AmazingThailand and #AlwaysWarm, as seen in photos by Pattaya Mail. TAT’s new…
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Immigration cracks down on illegal foreigners ahead of APEC
With the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit getting underway, the Immigration Bureau is increasing security at all international airports in Thailand. The crackdown has already netted several foreign scammers hiding out within the kingdom. They are vowing increased scrutiny of those entering the country and a closer watch over suspicious foreigners who are already here. Immigration authorities have already blocked…
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PM calls on Thai citizens to help APEC delegates have a smooth summit
Thailand’s Prime Minister is calling on Thais to help APEC delegates have a smooth summit by being good hosts. Prayut Chan-o-cha says the kingdom is ready to host the special summit on November 18. According to Thai PBS World, Prayut asked all parties to ensure orderliness throughout the summit and its related meetings. “This is an event of national importance.”…
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Four dead, 38 injured after bomb rips through busy Istanbul street
A busy Istanbul street has people reeling after a bomb ripped through it and killed four people. Thirty-eight more were injured when the explosion hit, sending people running from the blast. Ambulances rushed to Istiklal Avenue, a central road in the city. According to The Straits Times, state broadcaster TRT and state-owned Anadolu agency say it is not known who detonated…
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Thailand leading race in climate change ahead of COP27
It is fitting ahead of the COP27 in Egypt that little Thailand appears to be leading the race in climate change. Last week more than 90 heads of state and an estimated 35,000 representatives of 190 countries gathered at the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt to discuss how to limit global temperature rises and…
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Pattaya venue may be closed after repeated drug raids
An entertainment venue that has been raided and shut down several times, may now be permanently closed after the latest raid. Pattaya Police did not name the nightclub but reported that the venue was found to be operating illegally and after hours, with drugs found inside, during a routine patrol of the entertainment district of Bang Lamung. Pattaya Police were accompanied…
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Young travellers spend locally, raise tourism awareness
While Thailand has based their tourism strategy solely on attracting wealthy, mostly older tourists, an official with Tourism Australia has cautioned the world not to underestimate the value of young travellers. At the 2022 World Travel Market in London, the regional general manager for the UK and Northern Europe of Tourism Australia spoke about the importance of young backpackers. She…
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German man on overstay arrested for guns, drugs
Police arrested a Thai woman and a German man on overstay in Patong with drugs and weapons. They were found and taken into custody on Friday after the man sent a threatening image of a gun on the LINE app. Police did not reveal how long ago the man’s stamp in his passport had expired, only confirming that he had…
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Top Samut Prakan cops transferred in shooting cover up
Four top cops in Samut Prakan province, an area well-known for illicit gambling, have been put on gardening leave following a shooting at an illegal gambling den. Pol Col Termrat Jindawat, the station chief, was among those moved to an empty desk in the police operations centre after he claimed he had not been informed about the incident. The others…
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Aeroflot adds 14 more weekly Russian flights to Phuket
Less than two weeks after Russian airlines made their triumphant return to Phuket, Aeroflot has announced an increase in direct flights to the island. The flagship airline of Russia announced yesterday that it would be adding 14 new flights a week from Russia to Phuket. The exact start date of these new flights has not yet been confirmed, but the…
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FTX crypto exchange files for bankruptcy
The American crypto exchange FTX filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy today following several days of turmoil amid a failed buyout. Founder and CEO Sam Bankman-Fried announced his official resignation yesterday. The cryptocurrency world has been severely shaken by the second-largest exchange collapsing. In 2020, FTX was valued at only a few hundred million US dollars but skyrocketed to a US$1…
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Despite poor Republican election showing, Trump expected to announce presidential bid Tuesday
Amidst a host of hotly contested races in the United States midterm elections, former President Donald Trump is expected to announce his run for president in 2024. Longtime advisor Jason Miller said yesterday that Trump is expected to officially throw his hat in the ring for the 2024 race on Tuesday, despite a relatively poor showing for his Republican Party,…
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57k passengers – 49k international – arriving at Suvarnabhumi daily
Tourism is ramping up in Thailand. Bangkok’s primary airport and the main international hub of Thailand, Suvarnabhumi Airport, reported 57,000 international travellers arriving on Thursday. That number is inching shockingly close to 60,000 people a day that was arriving each day before the Covid-19 pandemic. The National reported that 25 international flights arrived, with 49,000 out of the 57,000 total…
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Cannabis flower bud now a controlled substance with restrictions
The walk-backs have begun for the unrestricted cannabis swell in Thailand. In a new edict coming into effect today, the Ministry of Public Health has tightened the rules on who can grow and sell cannabis, and where. The new edict, already published in the Royal Gazette making it official, now supersedes the original announcement legalising and decriminalising cannabis on June…
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4am curfew proposal protested by drunk driver victims
Entertainment venue and nightlife operators are fervently pushing for a 4am closing time and have gained support from many key government officials. But a protest outside Government House pushed back against a later curfew, fueled by victims of drunk drivers and a coalition of anti-drink driving activists. The 4am curfew extension is expected to be officially proposed to the Cabinet…
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Phuket prison cookery contest stirs the taste buds
Inmates at Phuket prison have been learning new cooking skills and taking part in a cookery contest to prepare them for release. Street Food Cooking Contest to Build a Career (Season 2) event, organised by Phuket Provincial Probation Office concluded the food and nutrition department of Phuket Polytechnic College Thursday. Judging the contest, Phiphat Wongteerakijkosol, director of the probation office,…
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