Hot News
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Sponsored 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...
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Mauna Loa, world’s largest volcano, erupts for the first time in 40 years
After sitting dormant for nearly 40 years, the largest active volcano in the world erupted in Hawaii. Emergency crews were put on high alert yesterday as the Hawaiian volcano Mauna Loa corrupted late Sunday night. The lava flow was minor and contained, but a further eruption for any changes to the situation could easily threaten nearby inhabitants. The United States…
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Thailand tourism may see a decline next year
Despite conflicting optimistic predictions, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is warning that Thai tourism may take a sharp downturn next year. While international travellers are flocking to Thailand now, industry experts fear that it may be a flood of pent-up demand and, by next year, all those who waited through the whole pandemic to get to Thailand will have…
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Hundreds of thousands of meth pills seized in Songkhla
Thailand’s meth problem is rearing its ugly head again, this time in the Southern province of Songkhla. Narcotics control police seized about 400,000 meth pills from a rented room in the Bang Klam district on Sunday. The suspect, 28 year old Athiwat, allegedly told police that he had stored 15 consignments of about 200,000 meth pills, also known as Yaba,…
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Raid finds all monks on drugs in Phetchabun temple
Monks behaving badly has become a common trend in Thailand. Reports of monks stealing cars, fighting, and sneaking out for booze and sex have been increasing in recent months. One temple was found to be inhabited by illegal Cambodian immigrants posing as monks and soliciting cash donations to buy drugs. Now one small temple in Phetchabun has been left empty…
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Airports of Thailand streamlining procedures, adding staff
With the first real High Season since the Covid-19 pandemic getting underway, Airports of Thailand is streamlining procedures and adding staff. Minister of Transport Saksayam Chidchob inspected Thailand’s main hub, Suvarnabhumi Airport, to evaluate how prepared the airport is for a sharp increase in tourists. One major focus for airport readiness for an influx of tourists is crowd bottlenecking at…
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Man claims he thought illegal whale bones were wood
After being arrested for possessing parts of a whale skeleton last week, a French man in Rawai countered the charges. He claims that the person who sold him the bones told him they were made out of wood and were not real whale bones. The man, identified as Mr Alain, told police that he had no idea he had illegal…
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Pattaya’s Walk and Eat food festival coming up
Foodies in Pattaya have something to look forward to. The city’s Walk and Eat food festival is coming up, after being cancelled or restricted for years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The long festival will run from December 10 to January 29 at the Naklua fish market in Old Town Naklua. Attendees can sample tasty local dishes, and enjoy concerts…
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Cat out of the bag – Stowaway found in JFK passenger’s luggage
Security staff at John F. Kennedy International Airport were shocked this weekend to discover a live cat hiding inside someone’s luggage. The discovery was made as the bag passed through the airport X-ray machine and the outline of the cat could be clearly seen. After spotting a cat, security staff took the case to one side for further investigation. The…
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Football fans riot in Brussels after Belgium defeat
Football fans rioted in Brussels after a hugely disappointing Belgium was defeated by a mediocre Morocco team at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Police sealed off parts of the centre of Brussels and used a water cannon and tear gas to disperse crowds on Sunday, following trouble during and after Morocco’s 2-0 win over Belgium at the World Cup.…
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TAT holds Amazing Thailand Fest 2022 in India
Thailand’s tourism officials held another event to draw visitors to the Land of Smiles, this time in India. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), in cooperation with Team Thailand in India, held the ‘Amazing Thailand Fest 2022’ in New Deli from November 25-27. The event was part of TAT’s campaign Visit Thailand Year 2022: Amazing New Chapters. The festival displayed…
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New direct flight between Muscat and Bangkok
The Sultanate of Oman today announced the introduction of a direct flight between Muscat and Bangkok. From Sunday, December 18, Oman’s budget airline SalamAir will fly directly between Muscat and Bangkok three times per week. Flights from Muscat depart on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Fridays, while return flights from Bangkok are scheduled for Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Bangkok is SalamAir’s second…
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Man arrested in South Thailand for attempted murder in Phuket
A man has been arrested in South Thailand’s Phatthalung province for attempted murder in Phuket four years ago. The man, 23 year old Thanakorn Phontha, was wanted on arrest warrants issued in January and August 2018. Officers found Thanakorn in his house on Moo 7 in the Srinakarin district, after finding through an investigation that he had been hiding in…
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Pattaya International Fireworks Festival meets goal of over 100,000 spectators
The Pattaya International Fireworks Festival 2022 has come to a close, and officials say the festival was a success. Pattaya Mayor Poramase Ngampiches said the festival met its goal of bringing back tourists to boost Pattaya’s economy. As expected, the festival drew over 100,000 spectators. Although there were some major traffic delays, there were no reports of other issues during…
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Bank of Thailand to raise interest rates on Wednesday
Bank of Thailand (BOT) Governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput today announced interest rates will be raised on Wednesday to deal with potential inflation increases. Governor Sethaput is expected to raise interest rates by a modest quarter-point to take the benchmark rate to 1.25% underscoring ongoing worries about growth in Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy. Thailand’s economy lagged its Southeast Asia contemporaries and is…
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Raids on drinking and gambling dens expose Chinese influence
Raids on illegal drinking and gambling dens in Bangkok and Pattaya have done little to solve the problem. Rather, they have drawn attention to the number of Chinese nationals involved in Thailand’s burgeoning organised crime scene. But don’t worry, celebrity sleuth “Big Joke” is on it. Deputy national police chief Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn is ready to prosecute and extradite…
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Cruise brings 600 tourists to Koh Samui
After three years of pandemic-induced quiet, Koh Samui welcomed back its first major cruise ship. Viking Cruises included Koh Samui in their Secrets of Southeast Asia cruise, stopping on Sunday for some 600 passengers to come ashore and explore the Thai tourist island. The large vessel was welcomed as it docked at Nathon Pier on the west coast of Koh…
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Thai gold necklace thief escapes arrest by swimming to Myanmar
A thief stole a gold necklace worth about 150,000 baht from a shop near a police station in Chiang Rai and then escaped arrest by embarking on a death-defying swim across a snake-infested river to Myanmar. Khaosod reported that the theft happened on Saturday, November 26, at a gold shop named Seri Phan in the Mae Sai district of Chiang…
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People of China protest on streets over mainland’s zero-Covid policy
The people of China appear to have had enough of the mainland’s zero-Covid policy. Incredibly, the usually deferential Chinese people were on the streets calling for their nation’s leader, President Xi Jinping, to stand down. It wasn’t anarchy on the mainland streets over the weekend but it wasn’t far off as hundreds of people in several major cities clashed with…
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Iranian Kurdish football player arrested after speaking out
Iranian authorities arrested a former member of the country’s national football team on November 24. Voria Ghafouri was arrested for “insulting the national soccer team and propagandising against the government,” Iranian media reported. Ghafouri, who was not chosen to go to the World Cup, is a member of Iran’s Kurdish ethnic minority. He recently called for an end to the…
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Angry woman sets fire to her boyfriend’s Pattaya room
A Thai woman in Pattaya gave new meaning to the phrase “in the heat of passion.” After accusing her boyfriend of having an affair, the enraged woman set fire to his rented apartment room. The incident took place early yesterday morning in Nong Prue. At about 1.30am, Nong Prue Police were notified of a fire in a rental room on…
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Why aren’t tourists returning to Khao San Road?
The past few years have been dark for tourism in Thailand and around the world. The Covid-19 global pandemic closed borders and killed tourism in so many crucial areas. Khao San Road, the vibrant, bustling backpacker haven of Thailand’s capital city of Bangkok quickly fell into a desolate ghost town. Now, the last pandemic restrictions have been lifted, and the…
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A burglar, in a hole, in the roof, in the night
A Nakhon Si Thammarat burglar, well-known to authorities, who dropped in from the ceiling rather than breaking in through a window or door was taken to the police by his long-suffering mother following his latest exploits. At about 2am the morning before, a thief had dropped in from the roof of a teacher’s home in the district and demanded 500…
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Drug policy outlines by PM, cash rewards to police in busts
The Thai government held an event outlining its plan for stopping the spread of narcotics while simultaneously presenting police with the same sort of reward kickbacks that allowed disgraced police officer Joe Ferrari to amass extreme wealth on a small salary. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha released Thailand’s new urgent narcotics action plan in a special event to discuss drugs in the kingdom.…
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World Cup to be shown in Thai prison
If you’re a huge fan of crime, but also a huge fan of football, you may have been discouraged from pulling off any heists for fear of missing the FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar. Don’t worry, now you can go out and commit that crime! The director-general of the Corrections Department has announced the World Cup will be shown in…
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Russian invasion takes Thailand’s tourism forces by surprise
The Russians are coming! The recent mass Russian invasion of Thailand has taken the country’s tourism forces completely by surprise. Unexpected numbers of tourists from the war-torn county have tourism operators scrambling to cope with an army of independent travellers, more than capable of looking after themselves, and left commentators scrambling to occupy the moral high ground. Despite the ongoing…
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Late night drinking hopes dashed by Alcohol Control Committee
The dream of boozing late into the early hours of the morning is dead, at least for now. The Thai Alcohol Control Committee ruled against the proposal to extend the legal hours for alcohol sales until 4am. The ruling was made after a widespread push gained momentum and support from politicians and business operators, especially in tourist areas. The committee…
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Thai Airways appoint new CEO
Thai Airways appointed CFO Chai Eamsiri as CEO. Chai will take up his new role on February 1. Chai was chosen from 53 internal and external candidates, including domestic and international aviation executives. The recruitment processes involved psychometric testing for leadership capability. Applicants also presented their vision for the company to the selection committee. With an MBA from Kasetsart University…
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Private jet in ‘Tuhao’ case still flying free
The private jet in the “Tuhao” case has not been seized by authorities. The Office of the Narcotics Control Board’s (ONCB) Wichai Chaimongkol yesterday denied that the office had seized the private jet being serviced at Bo Fai airfield in Prachuap Khiri Khan. Chaiyanat Kornchayanant – alias Tuhao, aka “rich guy” – will have his assets seized if the ONCB…
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VIDEO: Naked Russian man walks around with erection in Koh Samui
A naked Russian man was spotted cavorting in Koh Samui yesterday. According to witness Justin Ross Lee, an American expat, the drunk man had somehow managed to find himself in the Secret Garden beach resort mixing with shocked leisure seekers. Lee told The Thaiger… “A drunk guy who was speaking Russian was walking on the beach naked with an erection…
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E-San Music Festival draws thousands to northeast Thailand this weekend
E-san Music Festival returns for a 10th time in Khon Kaen province in northeast Thailand this weekend. At least 100,000 people are expected to attend. The hippie festival, dubbed “Thailand’s Woodstock,” draws Thais and foreign tourists to Khon Kaen year-in-and-year-out. Usually, E-san Music Festival is held at the province’s giant Ubonratana Dam in the Phu Wiang district. However, the dam…
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