Hot News
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Sponsored Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run
Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...
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What to do in Bangkok this weekend (June 20 to 22)
How’s your June so far? Bangkok in June is a mood of its own. The air is thick with the promise of rain, but just as often the clouds break into brilliant light. If you’ve been pacing your room or scrolling through social media trying to figure out what to do, we’ve rounded up seven very good reasons to step…
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Pink Line plunge: Ridership nosedives 68% after fares kick in
It was all aboard the ghost train on Tuesday, as passenger numbers on Bangkok’s extended Pink Line dropped a staggering 68% overnight — the moment commuters were asked to pay. The Department of Rail Transport revealed the dramatic fall in ridership just one day after the end of the Pink Line’s free test-run period. The extended two-station line to Muang…
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Singaporean duo busted in Thai sex trafficking crackdown
Two Singaporean men have been arrested in Thailand in a cross-border crackdown on a transnational sex trafficking syndicate that allegedly exploited foreign women and funnelled illicit earnings between countries. The suspects, aged 36 and 38, were apprehended on Tuesday, June 17, following a joint operation between the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Thailand’s Royal Thai Police (RTP). A 50 year…
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Pattaya panic: Chinese tourists ditch Thailand for Japan
Pattaya’s golden days with Chinese tourists may be fading fast, and local tourism operators are sounding the alarm. Once a firm favourite with Chinese travellers, Pattaya is now seeing a steady drop in visitors from the mainland, with Japan quickly emerging as their top choice instead. The shift is rattling Thailand’s tourism industry, where Chinese tourists have long made up…
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Bangkok’s new mega road to Don Mueang set to open this month
Bangkok drivers are in for a traffic breakthrough as a major new link road connecting Vibhavadi Rangsit and Phahon Yothin roads nears completion — and it’s set to open by the end of the month. The Bang Khen District Office confirmed the much-anticipated infrastructure upgrade is in its final inspection phase, with workers putting the finishing touches on what’s expected…
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Bank robbery thwarted by brave security guard in Buriram
A courageous Thai security guard successfully thwarted a knife-wielding thief attempting to rob a bank in the Isaan province of Buriram yesterday, June 18. Officers from Nonsuwan Police Station received an emergency alarm from the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives, Nonsuwan branch, and rushed to the scene. Upon arrival, they found the suspect, 38 year old Somphon, already subdued…
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Elderly man arrested for illegal excavation in Chiang Mai
An arrest has been made of a 70 year old man, accused of operating an illegal soil excavation site in Chiang Mai’s San Kamphaeng district, which has caused disturbance for over 20 years. Police seized equipment, including two excavators and three dump trucks, at the site located in Buakkang subdistrict. Ayree has been suspected of operating the excavation site without…
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Thai government pays 750k baht to families of tortured conscripts
The Thai government awarded 750,000 baht per family to the relatives of two conscripts who died from torture. Today, June 19, at 9am, at the Ministry of Justice on Cherng Watthana Road, Police Colonel Tawee Sodsong, the justice minister, presided over the compensation ceremony for the victims’ families under the Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act 2022.…
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Transwoman throws wig, cries for help after fleeing scam gang in Cambodia
A Thai transwoman caused a commotion after she and her boyfriend were arrested for illegally crossing the border from Cambodia, claiming that she did not join a call centre scam operation but instead the gang deceived her. Immigration officers apprehended the transwoman and her boyfriend at the Khlong Luek Border Checkpoint in Aranyaprathet district, Sa Kaeo province, at around 4pm…
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Clip leak scandal: Paetongtarn says ‘This isn’t the time to fight’
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra publicly apologised after an explosive leaked audio clip of her private conversation with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen sparked a diplomatic firestorm. In an urgent press conference, the Thai PM addressed the nation and confirmed she had no idea the conversation was being recorded, let alone that it would be released to the public. “I didn’t…
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Teen motorcyclist dies in Bang Pakong road collision
A tragic accident occurred yesterday involving a teen motorcyclist who lost control and collided with a barrier, resulting in fatal injuries. The incident, which also involved a car, took place yesterday, June 18, around 10.30pm on Bang Na-Trat Road, outbound to Bangkok, in Bang Samak subdistrict, Bang Pakong district, Chachoengsao province. Police Lieutenant Veerawat Khunsuk, Deputy Inspector of Bang Pakong…
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Thai restaurants struggle with 400 baht minimum wage hike
The Thai Restaurant Association expressed concern about the impact of the recent decision to raise the daily minimum wage to 400 baht on the already struggling restaurant sector. This adjustment, effective from July 1, will apply to all workers in Bangkok and is extended to employees in most hotels and entertainment venues across the country. Currently, the minimum wage in…
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Police sergeant dismissed for reckless driving and firearm breach
A police sergeant has been dismissed from duty following an incident involving reckless driving and brandishing a firearm on Rama IV Road in Bangkok. The officer is alleged to have exhibited behaviour that constitutes a severe breach of discipline. Around 2.30pm, Tuesday, June 17, Thong Lo police received a report from the radio centre about a man driving erratically and…
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Thai political instability threatens economy amid US tariff concerns
Political instability between Thailand’s ruling Pheu Thai Party and its coalition partner, the Bhumjaithai Party, is expected to further weaken investor confidence. This comes amid threats of a 36% US tariff on Thai exports. Poonyawat Sreesing, a senior economist at Siam Commercial Bank’s Economic Intelligence Centre (SCB EIC), highlighted that the Thai economy has been enduring political uncertainty for some…
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The ‘Ultimate Fitness Force 2025’ concludes with a bang
Fitness First Thailand created an exhilarating phenomenon of the year, reaffirming its position as a global fitness leader after collaborating with ICONSIAM and Les Mills Asia Pacific to organise the “Ultimate Fitness Force 2025.” This grand group fitness extravaganza previously took place on June 7 to 8, at TRUE ICON HALL, ICONSIAM. A massive number of participants flocked to showcase…
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Bangkok woman arrested for selling husband’s ammunition online
Bangkok investigators detained a 33 year old woman for selling her husband’s ammunition online without his knowledge. Police charged her with illegal distribution and possession of ammunition. The arrest occurred yesterday, June 18 at Thaniya Soi 2 in Bangkok following an undercover operation. On June 12, around 1am, officials discovered a Facebook post in the group Food and Goods in Rama…
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Thai father arrested for assaulting daughter with bamboo stick
A Thai father in Chachoengsao province has been taken into custody for allegedly assaulting his young daughter with a bamboo stick. The incident occurred after the daughter, a primary school student, was too scared to use the bathroom at night due to a fear of ghosts. The situation came to light when a teacher visited the family’s home and reported…
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High alert: Phuket to zone out cannabis amid tourist backlash
Phuket officials are cracking down on the island’s cannabis free-for-all, announcing plans to restrict where weed can be sold and smoked after a flood of complaints from locals and tourists. Governor Sophon Suwannarat revealed on Tuesday, June 17, that local officials are pushing to create designated “green zones” for cannabis sales and consumption. The move aims to control the island’s…
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Man in Prachuap Khiri Khan arrested for drug possession
Following suspicions from neighbours about a man who seemed to own luxury motorcycles without a visible job, police arrested a man known as Ball in Prachuap Khiri Khan. Officers discovered over 700 methamphetamine pills and drug paraphernalia, also seizing three vehicles. Today, June 19, Police Colonel Phaitoon Promkhian, together with Pol. Col. Khranchit Khawattachai, and other local police officials, conducted…
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Thailand drought relief cash halted amid graft claims
A massive 51 billion baht drought relief fund has been frozen amid explosive claims of political meddling and potential budget abuse, sparking fears over delayed aid for struggling communities. Deputy Prime Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong confirmed this week that the Budget Bureau has issued a formal notice halting the disbursement of funds earmarked under the 2025 fiscal mid-year budget for water…
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Police arrest 33 migrants in Kanchanaburi smuggling bust
Police and administrative officials in Kanchanaburi successfully apprehended a group involved in smuggling migrant workers. The operation yesterday, June 18, resulted in the arrest of 33 undocumented migrants who were found hiding at a meditation centre in Mueang district. During a routine surveillance operation, Kanchanaburi Highway Police identified two suspicious vehicles on Highway 323, heading towards the city. The vehicles,…
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Ex-Bangkok MP jailed after Supreme Court slams defamation plea
A disgraced ex-Bangkok MP has been marched off to jail after Thailand’s Supreme Court upheld a defamation conviction linked to a fiery hospital confrontation. Sira Jenjaka, once a high-profile figure for the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), was sentenced yesterday, June 18, to six months and 20 days in prison without suspension, following a long-running feud with Mongkutwattana Hospital director Majoe…
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54 arrested in Bang Yai raid on illegal gambling den
Police and administrative officials conducted a raid on a dragon-tiger gambling den in Bang Yai, arresting 54 gamblers and seizing 218,340 baht. This is the second such raid in the area within a fortnight. Yesterday, June 18, at 3pm, Kiattisak Trongsiri, Governor of Nonthaburi, along with Police Major General Kittithane Thananantawisin, Commander of Nonthaburi Provincial Police, and other officials led…
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Chinese grey businesses under fire in Thailand over steel scam
A wave of shady Chinese-owned factories is wreaking havoc on Thailand’s economy — and the environment — as the government launches a crackdown on so-called “grey businesses” operating illegally under the radar for years. Industry Minister Akanat Promphan declared war on unlawful foreign-owned industrial operations, particularly in the steel and recycling sectors. Under his “Sud Soi” campaign — meaning “all…
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Paet’s all, folks! Thai PM’s Instagram post sparks political meltdown
Thailand’s embattled Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is facing the worst political crisis of her short premiership, after an emotional Instagram post backfired spectacularly and her ruling coalition began to collapse around her. PM Paetongtarn posted a cryptic message to her Instagram story at 8am, today, June 19: “People are not pretending to be sad, but pretending to be okay.” Less…
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High-ranking cop medic linked to ghost patient drug fraud
A senior police psychiatrist has landed in hot water after police uncovered a twisted drug racket involving the identities of hundreds of dead patients. Police Colonel Anchulee Theerawongpaisal, a psychiatrist at Police General Hospital in Bangkok, was arrested last week after alprazolam, a powerful anti-anxiety drug, worth millions of baht was found stashed inside her police accommodation. The bombshell case…
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Bhumjaithai Party exits from govt over PM phone call scandal
The Bhumjaithai Party, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul,, announced its withdrawal from the governing coalition yesterday, June 18, in the wake of the leaked phone call scandal involving Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. PM Paetongtarn admitted that she had held a private phone conversation with former Cambodian PM Hun Sen. The call, a portion of which…
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Cambodian workers defy Hun Sen’s call amid border crisis
A fierce diplomatic row between Thailand and Cambodia is putting hundreds of thousands of Cambodian migrant workers in the spotlight — but many are refusing to budge. Tensions flared this month after Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen made an extraordinary plea, urging his countrymen working in Thailand to return home, promising jobs and vocational training. The former prime minister’s appeal…
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Thunderstorms forecast for 52 Thai provinces amid monsoon
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has sounded an urgent warning for a whopping 52 provinces, as a fierce south-westerly monsoon barrels its way across the Andaman Sea, sweeping into Thailand and the Gulf of Thailand. Forecasters are predicting wild thunderstorms, with churning seas set to whip up waves topping 2metres. Holidaymakers and locals alike are being urged to take extra…
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Kiddie-begging gang smashed in Pattaya child trafficking sting
A gang of heartless traffickers has been busted in Pattaya for exploiting children as young as 15 to beg and flog trinkets on the city’s infamous Walking Street, with cops rescuing nine kids and arresting seven Cambodians in a major crackdown. Tourist Police bosses announced the sting yesterday, June 18, hailing it as a huge blow to a sickening child…
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