Hot News
-
Sponsored How much travel insurance should cost you in Thailand (By trip length)
When planning a trip to Thailand, travel insurance is a smart investment that can save you from unexpected costs. Whether it’s medical expenses, lost luggage, or trip cancellations, the right coverage can provide peace of mind and financial protection against...
-
Phuket’s BigGym allegedly closes 2 branches for good, doesn’t reimburse members
Yesterday, in Phuket, a joint complaint was filed by 36 gym goers after the fitness centre, BigGym reportedly closed 2 branches, allegedly without notifying their patrons that they were about to shut down. The complainants say they lost over 3.5 million baht in membership fees. The members filed their complaints against BigGym with the Phuket City Police. One member,” Mr…
-
Officers surprise drug suspect with birthday cake in Nakhon Si Thammarat
Officers in Nakhon Si Thammarat surprised a man who was detained on drug charges with a birthday cake. Police who arrested the man looked at his ID card and noticed it was his birthday. The 33 year old man claims says he had never blown candles on a birthday cake before. The man was driving his motorcycle when he noticed…
-
20 year old arrested for online alternative vaccine scam
A 20 year old man was arrested in Prachin Buri province after allegedly swindling at least around 50 people online in a fake vaccine scam. The man was arrested by the Technology Crime Suppression Division on Tuesday after using Facebook to collect orders for Covid-19 alternative vaccines that didn’t exist. This is the second vaccine scam in the province in…
-
Expat arrested on drug charges allegedly claims to be a local “Robin Hood”
A British national arrested in Chiang Mai for allegedly selling drugs apparently claims to be a local “Robin Hood,” using money he obtained from the rich through illegal acts to give to those in need. Reports in Thai media say the man claims to have spent 1 million baht to buy things for children and villagers who have been affected…
-
Phuket police arrest 2 men and seize more than 160,000 methamphetamine pills
Police in Phuket arrested two men on drug charges and seized more than 160,000 methamphetamine pills. Officers from the Tha Chatchai station searched a two-storey home in Mai Khao and found thousands of methamphetamine tablets, known by the Thai street name “ya ba,” which translates to “crazy drug.” Officers say they found 60 orange pills which were branded with the…
-
31 anti-government activists granted conditional release
The Central Criminal Court has granted 31 anti-government protesters conditional release on the basis that they are not considered flight risks. The activists include Jatupat Boonpattararaksa, aka, “Pai Dao Din”, and have been in custody since their arrest in front of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau in Bangkok on Sunday and Monday. According to a Thai PBS World report, the protesters…
-
Ban on mass gatherings published in Royal Gazette ahead of anti-government protests this weekend
A new order has been published in the Royal Gazette banning all mass gatherings, including rallies, protests, and assemblies. The order was published last night, ahead of planned anti-government demonstrations in Bangkok this weekend. The order is being implemented under the Emergency Decree, which has now been extended 13 times since its introduction in March 2020. According to a Pattaya…
-
Phuket lays on Suvarnabhumi bus service for stranded sandbox tourists
The governor of Phuket has announced that a special bus service will transport stranded sandbox tourists from the southern island to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. As a result of the cancellation of domestic flights, sandbox visitors who had plans to visit elsewhere in Thailand after their 14 days on Phuket now find themselves stuck. Governor Narong Wunsiew says a dedicated bus…
-
Air Asia technician arrested for allegedly stealing electronics
Bangkok Police have arrested a technical who worked for Air Asia for allegedly stealing multiple pieces of electrical equipment. The thefts had been discovered after Air Asia had noticed the equipment was missing. Officials then checked CCTV and saw 27 year old Preecha Inthachai allegedly putting items in a bag. Don Muang police then arrested Preecha and searched his home…
-
Phuket tourism sector calls for island to be “green-listed” for foreign tourists – VIDEO
The executive chairman of the Banyan Tree Group is calling for Phuket to be given “green” status, promoting the island as a safe haven for foreign tourists. Singaporean KP Ho was addressing the Phuket Sandbox Summit via video-conference when he called on European airlines, business leaders, and officials to differentiate the southern island from the rest of Thailand. According to…
-
Thailand’s foreign tourist numbers expected to plummet during 2021
Tourism officials have repeated a bleak prediction that international arrivals in Thailand are likely to drop to an all-time low this year. According to a Bangkok Post report, Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says foreign visitors to the Kingdom may only number 500,000 this year. “If the ongoing outbreak continues past September, the total number of foreign tourists this year might…
-
Phang Nga reopening and “Phuket Sandbox” island hop extensions postponed
The Phang Nga’s reopening to travellers from overseas has been postponed until August 15, and the “7+7 Island Hopping” extension to the “Phuket Sandbox,” which includes a sealed route to Phang Nga, has been postponed indefinitely. The province’s reopening to foreign tourists under the “Phang Nga Prompt” campaign was initially set for August 1, but the scheme has not yet…
-
Teenagers arrested for allegedly running underage prostitution racket
Two teenagers were arrested for allegedly running a prostitution racket where underage girls would provide sexual services. The 16 year old and the 19 year old were arrested at a hotel in Kanchanaburi’s Muang district by a task force investigating human trafficking. Officers also say they rescued two 15 year olds who were at the hotel and were hired to…
-
PM’s daughters get letter asking them to tell their father to resign
A joint letter was sent to PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s twin daughters Tanya and Nittha, asking them to relay the message to their father that he should resign because of his mismanagement of the Covid situation. The letter was sent by the daughters’ former classmates and was addressed to “Ms Ploy” and “Ms Ploen”. The former classmates’, Class 40 of the Communication…
-
Official detained after spreading rumour of planned coup to oust PM
Following a rumour that a military coup to remove PM Prayut Chan-o-cha from office was in the works, a state official has been detained, accused of spreading fake news. The Bangkok Post reports that deputy police spokesman Kissana Phathanacharoen has confirmed that a man has been detained for questioning in the central province of Chachoengsao, where he has admitted to…
-
Thai AirAsia suspends flights, cuts salaries as financial woes continue
As Thailand’s airlines continue to struggle with the financial fallout from Covid-19, Thai AirAsia has suspended all flights for this month. The carrier is also cutting staff salaries or deferring partial or whole payment until September. According to a Bangkok Post report, the airline’s financial woes are worsening as low passenger numbers show no sign of improving and cash flow…
-
August flight plans: Bangkok Airways, Nok Air, Thai Lion
With lockdowns, sealed provinces, travel restrictions and ever-changing updates due to the continuously growing Covid-19 infections around the country, struggling airlines are scrambling to keep up. AirAsia was the first earlier this month to cancel all domestic flights, and other local airlines quickly followed suit. Yesterday Bangkok Airways cut nearly all of their domestic flights, extending their flight suspension until…
-
Facebook fake news post suggesting a coup faces prosecution
While pressure has been mounting against PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, a Facebook user posted a false claim that an army had captured the Prime Minister and is staging a coup and is now facing charges. The story was posted midday yesterday and seemed to detail a coup attempt, alleging that 300 military members from Lop Buri were already holding PM Prayut…
-
Phuket Sandbox Covid-19 infections: 35 today, 209 this week
35 new Covid-19 infections pushed rolling 7-day total in Phuket to 209, more than doubling the feared 90 per week that would trigger Sandbox reconsideration according to the original official plans. When the total first passed the 90 infection threshold and surpassed 100, the Department of Disease Control declared that the overall situation was still far from critical and the…
-
Police nab 600kg heroin drug bust, year’s biggest in Northeast
The largest haul of heroin in Thailand’s Northeast region this year was intercepted today when authorities impounded 600 kilogrammes of compressed heroin in Nakhon Phanom. The chief of Provincial Police Region 4 confirmed that the stash with a street value of at least 2 billion baht was seized late last night by local police in possession of a suspected drug…
-
Buri Ram pig stable converted into gambling den: 22 arrests follow
Recently, the northeastern Thai province Buri Ram had a gambling den busted. It reportedly used to be a pig stable, but forward thinking/criminal-minded residents had renovated it to allegedly serve as a gambling den. Police arrested 22 people. 53 year old “Chakrabongse” and 21 associates were arrested. Reportedly, they were sitting close together and no one was wearing a mask.…
-
Domestic travel to Phuket all but banned starting August 2
The Phuket government has found itself in a precarious predicament, caught between domestic and international tourism. While walking a tightrope between local and international, authorities have just announced what essentially amounts to a domestic lockout with new travel restrictions into Phuket going into effect on August 3. The Sandbox scheme is a critical step for international tourism to finally return…
-
Methamphetamine pills hidden in instant noodle packets delivered for Covid patient
Methamphetamine pills were found in packages of instant noodles that were dropped off yesterday morning for a Covid-19 patient being treated at Sanam Hospital in Nan, a province in northern Thailand bordering Laos. A young man, believed to be around 20 to 25 years old, came by the hospital to deliver the instant noodles to his 25 year old friend…
-
Experience Phuket’s Islands with 5 Star Marine
Phuket and Krabi’s seascapes are famous for a reason. Boasting serene white beaches and untouched limestone karats, it’s an experience you don’t want to miss. With 5 Star Marine, its surrounding islands are easier to explore than ever. In the comfort of your own VIP speedboat, take in hidden bays, caves and lagoons, or visit deserted beaches off the beaten track. Luxury and…
-
Police investigate hackers selling stolen vaccine appointments
Amid vaccine scarcity in Thailand’s slow rollout, and a tumultuous registration process with changing systems and tiny sign-up windows, people have taken to desperate means to get vaccinated. People posing as doctors online sold fake vaccine appointments, and authorities accused members of the Hi-So elite of renting motorbike taxi vests to pose as taxi drivers who are given priority for…
-
Marine police seize 30 kilograms of methamphetmine from squid fishing boat
Marine police seized 30 kilograms of methamphetamine from a squid fishing boat drifting between Koh Tarutao off Thailand’s Satun coast and Malaysia’s Langkawi Island. One person was on the boat. The man, who is a Satun resident, was detained and taken to the mainland for interrogation. Reports do not say what charges the man faces. Officers were dispatched to Koh…
-
Exploring Phuket’s islands with 5 Star Marine’s Captain’s Choice | VIDEO
Phuket and nearby island beaches are always here, despite the different seasons. So, even when you visit in the rainy season, with so many beaches to experience, you can always find one to enjoy. At this time of year, travellers might need to dodge the occasional heavy shower. It happens. But most of the time the rain is brief… and…
-
Thousands of inmates granted royal pardon on HM the King’s birthday
On his 69th birthday, HM the King granted a royal pardon to more than 200,000 prison inmates and convicts on house arrest. 35,000 of them from 143 prisons will be released on parole while prison sentences for the others will be reduced. Under the 2021 Royal Pardon Royal Decree imposed today, pardons will be granted within the next 120 days,…
-
Hong Kong officials seize 61 kilograms of heroin shipped from Bangkok
Hong Kong customs officials seized 61 kilograms of heroin found hidden in instant rice vermicelli seasoning packets in a shipment from Bangkok. Following up on orders to work with foreign agencies on drug trafficking, the Office of the Narcotics Control Board is requesting more information from Hong Kong authorities on the case. Customs officials in Hong Kong seized the drugs…
-
Attorney General still plans to indict Red Bull Heir, cites new ‘evidence’
Today, The Office of Attorney General reaffirmed the long-gestating indictment against Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, heir to the Redbull empire. The OAG cites new evidence against Vorayuth for allegedly killing a police officer in a hit and run incident. The “new evidence” was not specified. The plans to still indict Vorayuth were announced by the deputy spokesperson for the OAG, Prayut…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.