Hot News
Stay updated with the latest Hot News in Thailand, featuring in-depth reporting and analysis of local events and goings on! We bring you breaking news, in-depth reports, and exclusive interviews covering a wide range of Thailand-focused topics, from Crime and Politics to Tourism and Business.
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Activist Penguin transferred to hospital due to hunger strike
On the 46th day of his hunger strike in jail, activist student Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak has been checked into Ramathibodi Hospital to treat his weakening body. He was transferred from Bangkok Remand Prison after signs that his body was having trouble recovering from the food deprivation. After dropping 12.5 kilogrammes from 107 to 94.5 kg due to his hunger strike,…
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Thailand’s airlines getting airport fee waivers to help with rehabilitation
Thailand’s airlines are getting airport fee waivers to help with rehabilitation efforts until March 31 of next year. The latest aid is part of a slew of measures to boost the aviation industry after Covid-19 left it in shambles. The Civil Aviation Board is also letting the airlines claim refunds for airport fees previously paid before the new measures were…
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Popular Thai comedian Kom Chauncheun dies of Covid-19
Covid-19 claimed the life of Kom Chauncheun, a popular Thai comedian, who died this morning after an 18-day hospital stay. The comedian tested positive for the Coronavirus 18 days ago and checked into the hospital immediately after. He had been treated at a private hospital but transferred to Ramathibodhi Hospital, a government-run facility as his condition worsened. On Thursday Kom…
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Concerns raised over Thai PM’s new Covid powers
Concerns are being raised over Thailand’s PM being handed sweeping Covid powers which could promote an increase in real or perceived “authoritarianism”. Critics say he could assert even more control under the guise of handling the pandemic. The newly appointed powers were published in the official Royal Gazette, which detailed 31 laws now being under direct control of PM Prayut…
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Draft law on NGOs still cause for concern for activism groups
Tension continues to build over Thailand’s proposed draft law that broadly defines and strictly regulates NGOs that government officials tout as bringing transparency, but critics say stifle activism and freedom. The Draft Act on the Operations of Not-For-Profit Organisations would broadly define what constitutes an NGO and require many activism organisations and groups that may speak out in opposition to…
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Police in Phuket seize 100,000 methamphetamine pills, women arrested on drug charges
Police in Phuket arrested 2 women on drug charges and seized a package containing 100,000 methamphetamine pills, 200 grams of crystal methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia. Police say they received a tip about women suspected of selling methamphetamine and pills known as “ya ba,” meaning “crazy drug” in Thai. Officers tracked down 38 year old Ladawan ‘Mod’ Chuengyang and 24 year old…
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Samui tourism official calls for inter-provincial travel ban to flatten the curve prior to July re-opening
The president of the Tourism Association of Koh Samui says the island is still pinning its hopes on a July 1 re-opening for vaccinated foreign tourists. Ratchaporn Poolsawadee remains optimistic, despite Thailand now battling a third wave of Covid-19, with Samui reporting 50 infections. He says vaccines are being rolled out out on Samui, although a number of doses have…
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Taxi driver relieves stress by shooting slingshot at cars and shops
Life is pretty stressful lately, but there are right and wrong ways to relieve that stress. A taxi driver in Bangkok chose the wrong way to blow off steam: shooting at cars, buses and restaurants with a slingshot. The 48 year old driver Phaiwan Aechaiyaphum was arrested by the Metropolitan Police Bureau last night at his Suksawat-area room. He is…
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Officers seized 31 million baht in cash and assets in 20 drug trafficking raids
In a major crackdown on a suspect drug network run by a woman in Northern Thailand, officers raided 20 locations in the Eastern region and seized cash as well as other assets valued at a total of 31 million baht. Thailand’s Office of the Narcotics Control Board launched an investigation back in October into a suspected drug network said to…
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All foreigners eligible for Covid-19 vaccine under Thailand’s vaccination plan, eventually
All expats living in Thailand are eligible to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, according to deputy spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Natapanu Nopakun. He says Thailand plans to roll out a “massive vaccination plan” to vaccinate all people who are living in Thailand, including foreign residents. “All people residing in Thailand, regardless of nationality, are eligible to receive the…
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Opium and Heroin seized at Chiang Mai checkpoint
500 grams of heroin and 50 kilograms of raw opium were seized at a Chiang Mai checkpoint by Pha Muang Force soldiers. The cache was confiscated Tuesday evening in the Chai Prakan district’s Pha Hong checkpoint in Tambun Si Dong Yen. The soldiers stopped 2 drivers who aroused suspicion and who promptly fled when stopped. The motorcycle was left with…
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Health declining for jailed protestors on hunger strike
Continuing their hunger strike, 2 leaders in the pro-democracy demonstrations that were jailed for speaking out against the king’s power are experiencing declining health. Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak and Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul stopped eating over the last few weeks in protest against the denial of bail as they sit in jail waiting to be tried using Thailand’s harsh lese majeste laws…
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Opposition calls for the Thai PM to stand down, Democrats re-iterate their support
Seizing the opportunity, Thailand’s opposition political parties are taking advantage of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s current poor standing amidst a crisis of high Covid infections and botched vaccine roll out. Opposition parties jointly issued a statement demanding the PM’s resignation. Among a list of general failures, they also accused PM Prayut of “causing irreversible damage to the nation”. The opposition bloc, led…
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Phuket closes Sarasin bridge at night to give fatigued health workers a break
Phuket is closing the Sarasin bridge nightly to give fatigued health workers a break after working nonstop to screen travellers for Covid-19. Only those operating emergency service vehicles will be allowed to use the bridge from 11pm to 5am. The checkpoint was previously open 24 hours a day, but since there were only a few travellers during the night, Vice…
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Nuns arrested for allegedly scamming hundreds out of a total of 10 million baht
Police arrested 3 Buddhist nuns at a meditation centre in Thailand’s Isaan region for allegedly scamming more than 400 people, promising returns to those who invested in a fund for the poor. Victims say the nuns took off with a total of around 10 million baht. A nun at the centre claims those who made merit would receive returns, but…
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Thai Airways employee union push against forming a new airline
Plans to create a new national airline to replace the struggling Thai Airways are meeting oppositions from the employee union. The union insists that Thai Airways is a known brand worldwide and has contributed significantly to the economy of Thailand and deserves aid and rehabilitation. In the past, Thailand’s flagship international airline spent years as a state-owned property until the…
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Police crackdown on 3 drug networks in Northern Thailand, local politician on the run
In an effort to suppress drug trafficking during the Covid-19 pandemic, police are cracking down on 3 suspected networks in Northern Thailand, including one linked to a local politician who is now on the run. In the busts, police confiscated assets valued at a total of 30.5 million baht. Police are still investigating drug cases linked to the head of…
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Petition calling for Anutin’s resignation exceeds signature target, new target set
A petition hosted on Change.org, demanding the resignation of Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, has surpassed an initial target of 200,000 signatures. The target has now been increased to 300,000, with over 211,600 having signed at the time of writing. Anutin has been widely criticised for his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, with signatories demanding the reins be handed over…
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BTS Skytrain to take Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to court over 30 billion baht debt
With the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration unable to pay its 30 billion baht debt for the BTS Skytrain’s Green Line extension, the Bangkok Mass Transit System is preparing to take the issue to court. The 30 billion baht owed to the Skytrain operator includes costs incurred while operating the Green Line as well as other related expenses dating back to 2018,…
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Koh Samet to close from today for at least 2 weeks, Koh Chang may follow
The island of Koh Samet, in Thailand’s eastern Rayong province, is closing to visitors and non-residents for at least 14 days to help stop the spread of Covid-19. The province saw 21 new infections yesterday, with at least 1 being linked to Koh Samet. The shuttering is effective as of today with another popular island, Koh Chang, also possibly following…
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Hua Hin to submit October re-opening plan for government approval
The seaside town of Hua Hin, on the Gulf of Thailand, is working on a proposal to welcome vaccinated foreign tourists from October. Krod Rojanastien, from the Thai Chamber of Commerce, says the Hua Hin Recharge campaign aims to include the resort town in the government’s re-opening plan. He says the area has already earned a reputation for wellness holidays…
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Tuesday’s full moon will be a SUPER full moon
Tonight there will be a full moon. But not just ANY full moon, a SUPER full moon. Whoooaaa! Whilst Koh Pha Ngan’s monthly full moon party has been shelved for the meantime, we can still appreciate this monthly phenomenon (well, not quite monthly). The The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand says that the April astronomical phenomenon coincides with the…
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Thailand’s “problem foreigners” who don’t wear masks. Really?! | VIDEO
UPDATE: Even the Thai PM has been fined for not wearing a mask at a meeting at Government House yesterday. Phuket’s vice governor has stirred the pot by singling out, what he described as, “problem foreigners” who weren’t wearing their mask in public. Over the past week there has been renewed attention to the wearing of masks at all times…
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German and Thai arrested for allegedly selling methamphetamine to undercover officer
Narcotics suppression police arrested a German man and a Thai national in Pattaya for allegedly selling crystal methamphetamine. An undercover police officer had transferred money to 59 year old Claus Mike Haberstroh’s bank account and went by a home in the tambon Nong Prue to pick up the drugs. The suspects allegedly handed the undercover agent 39.16 grammes of crystal…
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Government insists Phuket re-opening will go ahead as planned
The Thai government is adamant the planned re-opening of the southern island of Phuket to vaccinated foreign tourists will go ahead. However, with Covid-19 infections rising across the country, some tourism operators say they need more clarification on how. Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit insists the “Phuket sandbox” model is on track for July 1. “We have neither cancelled nor changed…
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Top 10 busiest airports: Atlanta bumped as China dominates list
After 22 consecutive years as the busiest airport in the world, Atlanta slips to number 2 while China and the United States dominated the entire top 10 list of the 2020 world’s busiest airports. With the covid-19 pandemic stifling travel around the world all the airports on the list saw massive drops in passengers and rankings climbed and fell and…
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Clubhouse app a new platform for political debate
Clubhouse, a popular audio social media app, is attracting political debates, despite the Thai government threatening prosecution under the Computer Crime Act. The law forbids posting against the monarchy or government, but the app creates a perfect channel for government and politicians to directly connect to targeted social groups. The appeal of the Clubhouse app comes in its exclusivity, as…
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Pedigree cats seized in drug raid find new home with “cat lady”
A cat lady has taken in 6 pedigree cats who were auctioned off yesterday after their owner was arrested in a drug raid. The auction proceeds went to the Narcotic Control Fund, which organises drug raids. The 6 cats, consisting of 5 Scottish Folds and 1 Bengal breed, were sold to Nutch Prasopsin, who owns a Facebok fan page called,…
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Top 10 most useful apps in Thailand for expats and tourists
Apps have changed the way we do a lot of daily, ordinary, tasks. Living in Thailand ,we have bench tested a range of apps and decided on the Top 10 most useful apps currently available, most of them are free, or have a free version. So many previously complicated or time-consuming tasks are now so much simpler, and sitting in…
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Biochar could solve smoke pollution problem in Chiang Mai
The emerging technology of biochar may be at the forefront of dealing with Chiang Mai and its globally infamous smoke and air pollution. After another terrible burn season where the air quality was rated among the worst in the world, Chiang Mai is often rated the most polluted city in the world. As scientists worldwide tackle climate change, Chiang Mai…
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