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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Man accused of faking wife’s death for 10 million baht
A man has been arrested for fraud after allegedly faking the death of his wife to claim 10 million baht from life insurance companies. The man denied the charge and blamed his wife and brother-in-law instead. He did insist on paying back the insurance companies that were scammed. The Central Investigations Bureau (CIB) was notified about the fraud and after…
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Prayut goes right to Top News birthday party
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha typically runs from the media spotlight, so it came as quite a surprise when he popped up at the Top News birthday party to celebrate the far-right outlet‘s anniversary last week. Inviting viewers to watch Top News – Thailand’s answer to the Breitbart News Network – PM Gen Prayut said that the channel “presents the news…
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Thai customs end intrusive frisking of designer-brand wearers at airports
The Thai Customs Department has officially put an end to the embarrassing and intrusive practice of frisking travellers passing through border control with designer-brand items at airports. The department said the searches were a burden for travellers. According to the deputy director of the Customs Department, Phanthong Loykunlanan, the department has abolished frisking tourists to make travel more convenient. However,…
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Thai police can’t find alleged ‘macau888’ kingpin’s rare Lamborghini
UPDATE Police searched three locations in Thailand but the super rare Lamborghini they planned to seize from alleged macau888 gambling kingpin Benz Daemon today is nowhere to be found. Police did however seize other luxury cars belonging to various suspects in the case including Benz Daemon, who is believed to be in hiding in Hong Kong. Netizens are criticising the…
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Russian plane engine catches fire on Phuket runway
A Russian tourist plane bound for Moscow faced a terrifying moment when its engine caught fire before takeoff at Phuket International Airport. The 309 passengers and 12 crew on board the 26 year old Boeing 767-306ER, operated by Azur Air, were forced to evacuate the aircraft. Footage from the scene shows flames bursting from the right engine of the Russian…
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AI chatbot steers British woman out of troubled marriage and into arms of lover
Artificial intelligence is omnipresent: it is in healthcare, enables problem-solving and, in one case, helped one unhappily married British woman to decide to divorce her husband. In maybe a world first, a woman sought the advice of OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot to navigate the treacherous waters of a failing marriage and a steamy affair. Sarah, a 37 year old tech worker…
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Spending on IT in Thailand to grow 4%
Spending on IT in Thailand is expected to grow by more than 4% in 2023, slightly slower than last year and weighed down by a projected contraction in spending on new phones. Growth this year is projected to be almost twice the global rate of 2.4%. John-David Lovelock of the research firm Gartner said… “Inflation, skills shortages and supply chain…
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New twice daily bus links Pattaya and Hua Hin
Hua Hin and Pattaya have long been two popular destinations in Thailand for tourists and expats. Now a new service schedule will link the two cities with buses running twice a day between Pattaya and Hua Hin, beginning February 19. The two cities sit about 325 kilometres apart by road. Both cities are known for their stunning beaches, exciting nightlife, and…
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Thai police to seize rare Lamborghini from alleged ‘macau888’ gambling network kingpin
Thailand’s cyber police say they will seize a super rare Lamborghini owned by the alleged owner of the illegal online gambling network ‘macau888‘ today. The Lamborghini Mad Bull Liberty Walk Aventador V2 is one of only 50 in the world with an estimated value of 37 – 44 million baht. It is the only one in Thailand. The ‘Liberty Walk’…
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Move Forward Party vows to take down ‘Three Por’ generals
Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat vows to end the powerful Three Por clique and rewrite Thailand‘s constitution. The 42 year old MP announced at a campaign event in Chiang Mai on Saturday that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, and Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda, were the root cause of Thailand’s problems and they need to…
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Earthquake rocks Turkey – buildings tumble and fear takes over (videos)
A massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southeast Turkey early this morning, sending shockwaves throughout the region and causing several buildings to crumble. The US Geological Survey reported that the earthquake was centred about 33 kilometres from Gaziantep, a major city, and had a depth of 18 kilometres. The disaster was felt in neighbouring provinces, as well as in Lebanon and…
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Thailand’s taxi troubles: Tourists slam overpriced rides and shoddy service
Thailand‘s taxi services have received a poor rating in a recent survey conducted by the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT), with foreign tourists slamming the country’s taxis for overpriced fares and shoddy service. The survey, which was conducted on 200 foreign tourists during the final quarter of 2022, showed a rating of just 3.5 out of 5 for taxi services…
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“Transfer to an inactive post’ – punishment or paradise?
Bangkok’s recent spate of police “embarrassments” (cops caught committing crimes) has led to a spate of “transfer to an inactive post” (paid vacation) notices. If most of us commit a crime, we can expect the cops to show up and – very basically – throw us in jail. But rich people rarely go to jail, and cops, even less so.…
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Former Thai lawyer allegedly involved in romance scam
A former Thai lawyer was allegedly involved in a romance scam. Police in the central Samut Prakan province caught the suspect, 43 year old Pongsakorn Supakornmongkolchai, in front of a gold shop on Sukhumvit Road in the main city district on Friday. The arrest was made by a joint effort of the Police Cyber Taskforce unit 5 and the Metropolitan…
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Russian tourists lend a hand by cleaning Koh Samui beach
A group of Russian tourists demonstrated their environmental responsibility this week by lending a hand to clean up a beach on Koh Samui. On the morning of January 31, a group of Russian tourists helped to collect garbage from Baan Mae Nam Beach before enjoying their day swimming, sunbathing, and exercising. The Phuket Express reported the cleanup yesterday. The tourists found a…
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Is kaeng som the worst dish in Thailand?
Is an innocent soup, kaeng som, really the worst dish in Thailand? Thai foodies have, once again, taken the bait set for them by another bizarre “Best of” listicle generated by the unsupervised children working at Taste Atlas. This week’s deliberately insulting clickbait is a listicle called 100 Worst-Rated Dishes in the World, and the chosen dish of despair for…
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Concern over rapid passage of media control bill
Concern is growing among Thai media professionals that the government is rushing through a media control bill under the guise of “ethics.” Supan Rakchuea, president of the News Broadcast Council of Thailand, told Thai PBS on Friday that the government appears unusually keen to pass the bill. Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan wrote to Parliament President Chuan Leekpai on September…
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Police on trail of “Four Brothers” gambling ring
Police raided properties across the country yesterday and arrested a prominent member of the “Four Brothers” gambling ring. Police were gathering evidence on the “four brothers” who have been accused by a TV actor of operating the gambling website macau888. Police led by Pol Maj Gen Wiwat Kamchamnan, deputy commissioner of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau, raided eight premises with…
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Thai parks boss sacked in corruption scandal
The head of Thailand’s national parks was sacked on Friday as an investigation into a cash-for-placement scandal engulfs the environmental body. Thai parks boss Rutchada Suriyakul Na Ayutya has been removed from his post to “pave the way for a transparent investigation” into corruption, at least according to Jatuporn Buruspat the Ministry permanent secretary. Any kind of thorough investigation is…
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Phuket police bust Nigerian overstayers
Phuket police busted Nigerian overstayers in at least two areas of the island province yesterday. Officers from Phuket Immigration and the Phuket Tourist Police caught the group of four men in Chalong and Rawai. Phuket Tourist Police Deputy Chief Lieutenant Colonel Ekachai Siri said that “good citizens” had alerted police that the men were involved in illegal activities such as…
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Haze Pollution Forces School Closures in Bangkok
Haze pollution is devastating Thailand’s capital city of Bangkok, and forced several schools to close yesterday. Schools such as Chulalongkorn University Demonstration Secondary School and Jindabamrung School temporarily closed their doors due to the respiratory impact on students and announced reopening on Monday. The Education Ministry has established coordination centres to monitor the PM2.5 situation and schools can exercise discretion…
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Thai celebrities duped out of 20 million baht in online toy scam, 300 victims speak out
Leading Thai celebrities were scammed out of over 20 million baht in a massive online toy scam, joining more than 300 other victims. Twenty representatives filed a complaint to the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) yesterday. The group of 20 victims were led by 40 year old Phiphitpon Pookkanasood, a famous Thai singer from the band named Jetset’er. Phiphitpon revealed that…
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Police bust Belarusian man in Phuket for allegedly stealing cash, crypto from Russians
UPDATE Police busted a Belarusian man in Phuket who allegedly helped to steal tens of thousands of dollars in cash and cryptocurrency from Russians in the island province. The man, 36 year old Georgi Gavrylchyk, was allegedly part of a group of three suspects who attacked two Russians on Soi Cherng Talay 16 for US$20,000 in cash, and US$25,000 in a crypto…
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Desperate father vanishes with son after falling for 100,000 baht job scam in Isaan
A man in the Isaan province of Burriram disappeared with his three-year-old son after the family fell victim to a 100,000 baht overseas job scam. The man’s wife, 34 year old Wassana yesterday filed a complaint at None Suwan Police Station after her 35 year old husband Autthapon, and their three year old child, Arkon, vanished into thin air. Wassana…
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Bangkok’s Jodd Fairs market is relocating
Famous night market Jodd Fairs in the Rama 9 area of Bangkok will be relocating to Ratchada at the end of the year. The new night market is expected to open in January 2024. In November 2021, the famous Talat Rot Fai Ratchada (Train Night Market Ratchada) which permanently closed during the Covid-19 pandemic made a comeback under the rebranded…
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New RTN frigate to cost 15 billion baht
The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) wants 15 billion baht (about US $460 million) over the next five years to buy a new frigate. The new RTN frigate is to be built in Thailand. A previous RTN frigate, HTMS Sukhothai, is under 50 metres of water off the coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan. The ship sank on December 18 last year.…
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Chiang Mai authorities seize millions of Yaba pills, along with raw opium
Chiang Mai authorities made a significant drug bust in the northern province of Chiang Mai. Two members of a drug caravan were arrested and 5.7 million Yaba pills and 6.6 kilograms of raw opium were seized following a clash with soldiers along the Thai-Myanmar border in the Chiang Dao district. The bust took place on Wednesday night when two military…
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Bangkok’s New Chinatown comes back to life as Chinese tourists flock back
Bangkok‘s New Chinatown is once again buzzing with life as Chinese tourists flock back to the bustling neighbourhood after a two-year lull due to the pandemic. Stretching from Huai Khwang intersection to Pracha Uthit Road, New Chinatown (not to be confused with the original Chinatown in the Yaowarat area) is a hub of activity with eateries, shops, and street stalls…
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Famous TiKTok star arrested for dangerous hitchhiking
A famous TikTok star was arrested today after putting his life at risk dodging in and out of moving cars as he hitchhiked on the Ang Thong-Sing Buri Road in the central province of Ang Thong. Aun is a local celebrity due to his widely shared funny videos on social media but despite his fame, he has struggled with mental…
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Thai police return 6.5 million baht Richard Mille watch to Vietnamese tourist
Not all Thai police are bad eggs as proven by Lumpini Police officers who managed to reunite a Vietnamese tourist with an expensive Richard Mille wristwatch that he lost in Bangkok on Wednesday night. A Vietnamese tourist took a taxi from a hotel in the Lumpini area of Bangkok to Asiatique on the river. Later on, he ordered a private…
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