Hot News
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Sponsored Siam Paragon's 'The Luxury Watch Destination' presents exclusive showcase of luxury timepieces
Siam Paragon reaffirms its positioning as the "Luxury Watch Destination," Thailand’s epicentre of over 43 prestigious watch brands. This underscores the confidence of leading watch houses and Siam Paragon’s commitment to delivering world-class and unparalleled experiences to the customers continuously....
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UPDATE: Gunman holds two people hostage on Bangkok bus
UPDATE: The man who allegedly hit a bus conductor in the head with a gun and held two people hostage at gunpoint told police he was stressed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Coconuts Bangkok. The suspect, Pheeranat Saengchan, who is around 23 or 24 years old, also tested positive for drugs. He was charged with drug use and coercion…
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Police arrest 35 protesters after clash at Bangkok’s Din Daeng intersection
In another clash with riot police at Bangkok’s Din Dang intersection, where numerous protests against the government have taken place, at least 35 protesters were arrested yesterday. A report from the Bangkok Post says a group of young activists on motorcycles called “Mob Thalugaz,” which means “mob that goes through tear gas,” drove to the intersection at around 5pm and…
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Police investigate claims that officer accidentally killed a man in extortion attempt
The Royal Thai Police are looking into a report that claims a police officer from the northern Thai province Nakhon Sawan accidentally killed a suspect while the officer was attempting to extort the suspect for 2 million baht. The investigation came about after celebrity lawyer Decha Kittiwittayanan publicised the claim on Facebook. Decha’s post stated the case starts with the…
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Man holds 2 people hostage on Bangkok Bus, driver allegedly dips out early to do paperwork
A 24 year old man commandeered a Bangkok bus with a gun holding the conductor and a passenger hostage last night. The gunman surrendered early this morning after a standoff that took hours to resolve with Lat Phrao police. The negotiations reportedly sped up when the man’s mother talked him into surrendering. Police were notified at 9:30 last night that…
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Pattaya reopening plan for September 1 unlikely to happen
Chiang Mai, which recently reported that, due to the Covid-19 situation and slow vaccination, they will delay their planned September reopening to October at the earliest, like many tourism areas that have seen plans to welcome back international tourists dashed by the intensity of the pandemic in Thailand. Now Pattaya has also acknowledged that their plan for reopening on September…
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Charming Chiang Mai plan to reopen pushed to October or later
With Covid-19 still running rampant in Thailand, several tourist locations that were anticipating reopening in August or September are revising their plans to push back until October or later. Officials say that Chiang Mai will now delay their plans to reopen to international tourists due to Covid-19 issues. The deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand announced yesterday that…
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Koh Samui flights resume Wednesday despite Covid-19
The Samui Plus international reopening plan has seen a fraction of the success of the Phuket Sandbox reopening and were hampered by the grounding of nearly all domestic flights in Thailand, despite an exception for Sandbox flights. Now the province that’s home to Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao will continue the Samui Plus programme and expects flights to…
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650 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine found off Trang’s coast
650 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine has been found off the coast of Kantang which is in the southern Thai province of Trang. Reportedly, the methamphetamine was loaded into fertiliser sacks which were then tied to barrels that floated along the sea. An unnamed marine generator vessel alerted officials to the suspicious buoy like objects that were floating between Koh Laoliang…
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24 arrested at illegal party in Koh Samui luxury villa
Perhaps people are getting fed up with Covid-19 restrictions keeping them isolated and unable to socialize and party. Or maybe the police are cracking down more on the illegal parties that often become Covid-19 clusters or superspreader events. Either way, stories of private parties in violation of Covid-19 Emergency Decree restrictions being busted seem to be cropping up more and…
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Phuket Sandbox order revises rules to cancel or modify
A new updated Phuket Provincial Order revises the international reopening scheme to include the new Sandbox 7+7 program but also slips in a revision to the parameters for cancellation or modification of the Phuket Sandbox. The order issued yesterday mostly revises the rules to include conditions for travelling to other destinations in Thailand after the first 7 days in Phuket.…
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Airlines pushing for September reopening for domestic flights
Struggling airlines are backing a push to reopen domestic flights in September from Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport, a hub for low-cost carriers. Negotiations are in progress with the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, and budget airlines to create travel and safety regulations to resume flights. Airlines are struggling to remain liquid as nearly all domestic…
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Police officers seen dining in restaurant despite Covid-19 rules
A picture and story have gone viral on Thai social media where people complained about the inequality in who has to follow rules and who doesn’t. The uproar was caused by 2 police officers who were spotted dining in a local restaurant in Bangkok despite continued Covid-19 restrictions prohibiting dine-in service. The police officers were identified to be from the…
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OnlyFans to ban “sexually explicit” content from October 1
OnlyFans has become a popular website for amateurs creating adult content to earn money, but a statement issued by the company that now boasts over 2 million content creators and 130 million users says they will be banning “sexually explicit” content starting October 1. Products and services often don’t end up becoming popular for their original intended uses. Coca Cola…
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Teenagers arrested for handing out small bombs at Bangkok protest
Police arrested three teenagers for allegedly distributing ping pong bombs at Sunday’s protest in Bangkok’s Din Dang area. Officers say the teenagers had added more gunpowder to the explosives to make them more powerful. Police seized 75 ping pong bombs from a suspect’s home. The teenagers allegedly told police that they had purchased the 100 ping bombs from a factory…
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Protester injured and loses sight in one eye, family plans legal action
A 29 year old protester injured in a Bangkok rally last week has lost sight in one eye. Tanat Thanakitamnuay’s family says his right eye was hit by a “blunt cylindrical object” – which Coconuts Bangkok says was a tear gas canister – tearing the cornea, rupturing the eyeball, and causing his retina to peel off. Several protesters have been injured…
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Former Future Forward leader Thanathorn faces new lese majeste charges
Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the leader of the now-dissolved Future Forward Party, is facing new trouble with 2 new lese majeste charges. The charges come from statements he made months ago about AstraZeneca being produced domestically in Thailand by Siam Bioscience, a company wholly owned by a subsidiary of Crown Property Bureau. Section 112 of the Criminal Code, also known as the…
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Immigration police arrest man for allegedly laundering money for drug trafficking syndicate
A 31 year old man from India was arrested by Thai immigration police for allegedly laundering money for an international drug trafficking syndicate in Southern Thailand. Officers say the man has been buying gold with money obtained through the illegal drug trade and opened an electrical appliance store in Bangkok’s Pahurat area as a cover for the money laundering operations.…
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Thailand planning travel bubble with South Korea once Covid crisis eases
Thailand plans to launch a travel bubble arrangement with South Korea once the Covid-19 situation improves, according to tourism officials. The Tourism Authority of Thailand says the plan would allow for quarantine-free travel between the 2 countries, with hopes it will provide Thailand with a much-needed tourism boost. The plan has been confirmed by the TAT’s Thanet Petchsuwan, who will…
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Amnesty International demands investigation into shooting of protesters
Amnesty International Thailand is calling for a full investigation into the shooting of young anti-government protesters, with 1 teenager currently in a coma. The unnamed 15 year old was shot in the back of the neck, while a 14 and 16 year old were also shot. The father of the 14 year old has already filed a police complaint. However,…
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Flights from Phuket to Bangkok to resume for sandbox tourists next month
Domestic flights from Phuket to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports are set to resume next month, according to the Transport Ministry. The Bangkok Post reports that the flights are being given the green light to facilitate the travel needs of tourists in Phuket as part of the island’s sandbox re-opening scheme. On July 21, the Civil Aviation Authority of…
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60 of 155 national parks reopened across Thailand
With Covid-19 closing or prohibiting many things people love about Thailand – nightlife, massage shops, cheap drinks, even some beaches – the country’s natural beauty is once again be available for people to enjoy. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has reopened 60 of the 155 national parks across all of Thailand from now until further notice.…
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Police arrest man for allegedly robbing Bangkok gold shop, threatening owner with fake gun
Thai police arrested a man yesterday for allegedly robbing a gold shop and running off with a gold necklace valued at more than 50,000 baht in Bangkok’s Udomsuk area. He allegedly used a fake gun to threaten the shop owner and fled the scene on a motorbike with no license plate. After reviewing surveillance camera, footage police were able to…
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Happy Paradise plan to welcome tourists, encourage spending
In an attempt to boost revenues and welcome more tourists to the Phuket Sandbox and beyond, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has launched a “Happy Paradise” programme. The plan aims at creating activities and excitement for Sandbox travellers and has kicked off with 1,000 Happy Paradise Welcome Kits. The program helps to invigorate not just Phuket arrivals, but also travellers…
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Betong Airport in Yala is almost ready to be southernmost Airport
Thailand’s southernmost province is set to open Thailand’s southernmost airport as the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand is nearing completion of safety inspections for Betong International Airport in Yala province. The CAAT is doing safety and security inspections now, which will be followed by a license and certification that will allow commercial flights to operate in and out of the…
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Vietjet to launch 4 direct cross-country routes from September
From next month, Vietjet will resume a number of domestic routes between Thai provinces without the need to connect in Bangkok. The carrier is promoting 4 routes for around 389 baht when taxes and other fees are factored in. According to TTR Weekly, the airline has dropped its 1pm – 3pm booking window so passengers now have more time to…
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Parit’s bail request rejected, after activist allegedly contracted Covid-19 in prison
A bail application for jailed political activist Parit Chiwarak, aka, “Penguin”, has been rejected, with his lawyer saying he has also tested positive for Covid-19. 7 other activists had their bail requests rejected at the same hearing. All 8 have been charged over an anti-government protest at police headquarters in the central province of Pathum Thani on August 2. According…
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CCSA approves Sputnik vaccine, allowing Russian Sandboxers
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration quietly okayed the Russian Sputnik vaccine as one of the accepted vaccine brands for international travellers entering Sandbox destinations in Thailand. The vaccine had previously failed to receive approval from the Food and Drug Administration for import and use in Thailand. The Department of Disease Control is now expected to approve the order from…
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Grenade found outside local politician’s home in Prachin Buri
A grenade was found in front of a local politician’s home in the central province Prachin Buri, east of Bangkok. The chief of the Kham Tanot Administrative Organization, 53 year old Suchart Dejsupha, said he was in a meeting when he received a message from his daughter with a photo of what appeared to be a bomb outside his house. Police…
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Man arrested for allegedly stealing plants valued at 18,500 baht
Police arrested a man who allegedly stole four expensive potted plants from outside a home in the eastern province Sa Kaeo. Officers say the plants are valued at 18,500 baht. The stolen plants include the Dieffenbachia valued at 7,000 baht, Variegated Arrowhead Vine valued at 3,500 baht, Syngonium Pink Spot valued at 3,000 baht, and the Monstera Thai Constellation valued…
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Family of Phuket murder suspect does not plan to request bail
The family of Teerawat Thothip, the man who allegedly killed 57 year old Swiss national Nicole Sauvain-Weisskopf, does not plan to request bail for him. Region 8 Police Commander Kitrat Panpetch confirmed the family does not plan to file for bail. Nicole’s half-naked body was found earlier this month in a creek near Ao Yon Waterfall. Her shorts and shoes…
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