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Sponsored Why long-term expats in Thailand say insurance is worth every baht
Thailand’s warm weather, low cost of living, and good healthcare attract many long-term expats, including retirees and remote workers. Life here feels easy and affordable, but medical costs can be high if something goes wrong. Private hospitals are popular because...
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Thai PM receives 3 finger salutes for his birthday from “well – wishers”
Thailand’s PM is celebrating his birthday with “well – wishers” displaying the 3 finger salute to his motorcade. The pro-democracy demonstrators didn’t hold back their displays of discontent as his motorcade made its way to the Government House. The Dern Thalu Fah, or Walk Through the Sky, demonstration group used loud speakers as they shouted, “Prayut, get out! Down with…
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Bus driver of student field trip arrested after police find 600 kilograms of methamphetamine onboard
A chartered bus driver, who recently took students on a field trip, was arrested after police found 600 kilograms of methamphetamine in the bus’ luggage compartment. 53 year old Amorn Chatawittayakul, the driver, was stopped at the Tha Yang intersection on Phetkasem Highway in Thailand’s central Petchaburi province at about 8pm last night. The bus was headed back from a…
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Krabi airport to double passenger capacity with new terminal
Krabi airport is planning to double its passenger handling capacity with a third terminal expected to open by October. The move is planned alongside the reopening of Thailand to international tourists. A new runway is also being built, costing almost 942 million baht. The Department of Aviation says the runway is expected to be completed on time and will increase…
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Spotted dolphin found cut open on Phuket beach, park officers investigate
National park officers in Phuket have launched an investigation after a spotted dolphin was found slashed open on the rocks on the shore of Sirinat National Park’s Ao Sai Khu bay. Its body had a deep gash across its head and another from its head to its tail. The spotted dolphins are classified as protected animals under Thailand’s Wildlife Conservation…
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Pattaya to hold logistics forum to renew efforts of making it a technology hub
Pattaya is holding a logistics forum next week with renewed hopes of making the city a major technology and convention hub. The forum will be held on March 25 at the Amari hotel, which will also feature an online format for those who cannot attend. Strict Covid-19 measures will be in place such as temperature checks, mandatory mask wearing, social…
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Pattaya bar owners waiting for CCSA to allow later closing hours
Pattaya bar owners are waiting for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration to allow businesses to close at later times, as a decision is expected today to reveal new provincial risk assessments. If Chon Buri province, which features Pattaya, is determined to be a “green” zone by the CCSA, the businesses would be allowed to stay open past midnight, with…
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Detained protest leaders taken out of their cells at 2am for Covid-19 testing, Justice Ministry says
The Ministry of Justice has denied that there were any sinister motives behind prison officers’ late-night attempts to remove 3 detained protest leaders from their cells. Fellow detainee and human rights lawyer, Anon Nampa, claims the multiple attempts to remove the activists, the latest of which took place at 2am, constituted intimidation. However, the ministry insists prison officers were attempting…
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Mother of drowned boy scout accuses school director of negligence
A woman is accusing a school director in the Isaan province Kalasin of negligence after her teenage son drowned during a boy scout challenge at a nearby swamp. Teachers did not notice 15 year old Noppakao Sita was missing. His body was found later that night at around 8pm after a long search by local divers. Teachers running the scout…
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More methamphetamine found on Thailand beach, suspected to be linked to sunken vessel
More packages of methamphetamine have washed up on a Thailand beach, this time on the shore of Koh Chang, an island in the Gulf of Thailand off the coast of Trat. Police have speculated that the drugs, all in similar packaging, may have been from a vessel that sank while carrying a shipment of drugs from Vietnam. In earlier reports,…
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Thai officials target alleged wildlife trade kingpin, seize 330 million baht worth of assets
In what some consider a major breakthrough in the ongoing crackdown on the illegal endangered species trade, Thai authorities targeted a suspected wildlife trafficking kingpin, freezing his bank accounts and seizing millions worth of assets. Thai officials say last Friday’s operation was aimed at the alleged kingpin of the illegal wildlife trade in Asia, Boonchai Bach, who is Vietnamese with…
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Most motorcycle accidents in Thailand involved cars cutting in front of traffic
Thai roads are among the most deadly in the world and most of the fatal accidents involve motorcycles. A recent study found that 80% of motorcycle accidents are related to cars cutting in front of oncoming traffic. Honda and Yamaha partnered with the Thailand Accident Research Centre, or TARC, for the “In-depth Accident Investigation in Thailand,” reviewing 1,000 motorcycle accidents…
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Department of Land Transport calls on drivers to use its mobile app to pay car tax
Thailand’s Department of Land Transport says drivers should use the department’s dedicated app to make their annual car tax payments. Yongyut Nakdaeng from the DLT says paying via the app will help reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission. Motorists will receive a receipt and their tax disc in the post within 5 days. Thai-speaking drivers can call the DLT hotline…
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Former immigration chief “Big Joke” back at Royal Thai Police
The former immigration chief known as “Big Joke” has been appointed by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha as advisor of the Royal Thai Police after a 2-year hiatus from law enforcement. Surachet Hakparn, nicknamed Big Joke by Thai media, suddenly fell from grace in back 2019 when he was sidelined into an inactive role without any published reason. He even ended up…
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2 more Bryde’s whales seen off Koh Samui in marine park
2 more Bryde’s whales are gracing the waters off Koh Samui, after tourists spotted the marine mammals in Ang Thong National Marine Park. Wichwut Jinto, the provincial governor says park officials heard about the sightings and went out to confirm them. The whales were swimming near the islands of Hanuman, Thai Plao, Hin Dap, Wua Kantang and Sam Sao. Wichawut…
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Italian man arrested at Bangkok pizzeria for allegedly sexually abusing a 3 year old
A 50 year old Italian man was arrested for allegedly sexually abusing a 3 year old girl. The child’s parents had filed a police complaint last month and police recently tracked down the suspect, arresting him yesterday at Lino Pizzaon Sala Thammasop Road in Bangkok’s Thawi Watthana district. The child’s parents say the man, identified as Aldo, had offered to…
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Thais ok with limiting Songkran water fights – Nida Poll
A recent poll has revealed that a majority of Thais are ok with limiting or banning this year’s Songkran water splashing activities. The National Institute of Development Administration conducted the poll via telephone interviews with around 1,315 people over the last 2 days. The Nida poll reported today that almost 44% of respondents said water splashing should be prohibited nationwide…
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Government warns of fake apps attempting to cash in on handout scheme
Thailand’s Labour Ministry has warned the public to be aware of fake mobile applications when registering for the government’s latest cash handout scheme. Spokeswoman Ratchada Thanadirek says that while a number of apps may be masquerading as registration platforms for the Mor33 Rao Rak Kan (“We Love Each Other”) campaign, registration is only possible via one official website. “The scheme…
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Protest leader asks court to look into late-night attempts to remove 2 activists from cells
Human rights lawyer and prominent pro-democracy activist, Anon Nampa, has called on the Criminal Court to investigate alleged attempts to remove 2 detained activists from their cells at Bangkok Remand Prison. Anon says the suspicious activity took place on Monday night, with a group of unidentified men trying 3 times to remove the activists, telling them they needed to be…
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Finance Minister says vaccination rollout will drive economic recovery
Thailand’s Finance Minister is pinning his hopes on the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines to kick-start the decimated economy. Arkhom Termpittayapaisith says the economy should begin to recover in the last quarter of the year, saying the government’s vaccination drive will boost the public’s confidence, leading to more domestic travel. The minister adds that he experienced no problems after receiving the…
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Krabi businesses battle to survive the tourist crisis | VIDEO
Ao Nang beach, usually a thriving hub for backpackers and day trippers, is doing it tough. But the local business people want you to know that it’s open for business and the area is still beautiful and more more pristine than ever. There are currently 5 airlines flying into Krabi at the moment, most with multiple flights each day. That…
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Bangkok Bank customers can now withdraw cash from 7/11 stores
Bangkok Bank is now offering its customers the option to withdraw money at 7/11 convenience stores after teaming up with the retail giant. The move to allow customers greater access to transactional services is to help those in rural areas get cash quickly without needing to go to the actual bank. So far, 12,500 7/11 stores nationwide are offering the…
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Thailand to hold cannabis forums on 420th day since legalisation
In light of the 420th day since cannabis was legalised in Thailand, the government is holding 2 forums next month to promote the use of marijuana for medical purposes. The events’ turn out is expected to be large as there is no charge to participate. Bangkok’s Carlton Hotel will host the first event on April 19-20 to mark World Cannabis…
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Watch your step, hundreds of red sea urchins wash up on Patong Beach
Hundreds of red sea urchins washed up on Phuket’s Patong Beach yesterday, prompting marine life experts to investigate and lifeguards to warn beachgoers to watch out their steps to avoid the sharp spines. Marine experts say the sea urchins are the same species that washed up on Patong beach earlier this month. On March 2, hundreds of the red sea…
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Transport Ministry to decide location of new southern land bridge by June
Thailand’s Transport Minister says the location of the much-discussed southern land bridge will be confirmed by June. Saksayam Chidchob says the bridge will provide a more convenient option for shipping goods between the Middle East and the Pacific region. According to a Bangkok Post report, the government is reviewing various locations in the province of Chumphon on the Gulf of…
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Cats seized in suspected drug network raid in Rayong to be auctioned off
Assets seized by police from criminal networks, which are then auctioned off to the public, usually include furniture, cars and sometimes land and property. Today, police seized 6 cats along with 35 million baht worth of assets suspected to be related to a major drug network in Rayong. The cats are set to be auctioned off by Thai police. One…
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Phuket officials warn public of crocodile spotted near Chalong pier
Officials in Phuket are warning residents near Chalong Pier of a crocodile sighting in the area over the weekend. Nation Thailand reports that Natchaphong Pranit from the Phuket Port Authority Office says the reptile was spotted in the water around 3pm on Saturday. “We advise operators of boat services and general public to exercise extra caution when entering the pier…
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A woman has been arrested for allegedly selling fake medical certificates online
A woman has been arrested for allegedly selling fake medical certificates online. The raid followed a tip-off that fake medical certificates were available to buy online via a Facebook page. The suspect said she earned between 250,000 to 500,000 baht a month from the sale of fake medical certificates. Niphaporn Ponghiran aged 33 was arrested at a house on Phetkasem…
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Pro-democracy leaders denied bail for 5th time
A group of pro-democracy protest leaders are being denied bail again for the 5th time by Thailand’s Criminal Court. The 4 leaders, known by their nicknames, as Penguin, Rung, Pai Dao Din, and Toto, were joined in court by attorneys and professors from Bangkok’s Mahidol and Thammasat University to request bail on the grounds that the leaders were still students…
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Koh Samui aims for quarantine-free travel starting in October
Koh Samui is aiming to offer quarantine-free travels for vaccinated visitors to the southern gulf island. Joining Phuket, the island is expected to be the first area in Surat Thani to test such quarantine-free entries for tourists as it features its own airport. Ratchaporn Poolsawadee, the president of the Tourism Association of Koh Samui, says he is hopeful that Samui…
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UK now advising its citizens to leave Myanmar in wake of escalating coup violence
After increasing violence in Myanmar, Britain is now advising its citizens to get out of the country virtually at the same time an UN expert is saying that the military is likely committing “crimes against humanity.” Military authorities are allegedly resorting to murdering protesters, even targetting rescue workers in the process. UN expert, Thomas Andrews, says at least 70 people…
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