Hot News
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Sponsored This Christmas, give the gift of health: essential options for expats in Thailand
The holiday season is here, bringing warmth, joy, and a chance to reflect on the year gone by. As an expat in Thailand, this Christmas is a great time to invest in something that truly matters: health. Whether for you...
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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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Be a private island castaway on Koh Munnork, Thailand | VIDEO
Stranded on your very own private island in Thailand. Well, not quite stranded. Chris takes us on a tour of the relatively tiny Koh Munnork (Munnork Island), off the coast of Rayong in east Thailand. The prices for a stay on the private island vary and usually start around 10,000 baht a night but there’s always promotions on and, depending…
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Attorney, university professors seek bail for leaders of pro-democracy Ratsadon group
An attorney, along with university professors, are seeking the release of pro-democracy leaders from jail by requesting bail at Thailand’s Criminal Court. The attorney from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, Kritsadang Nutcharas, joined with professors from Bangkok’s Thammasat and Mahidol universities to request the release of 3 of the Ratsadon group’s core members. Kritsadang says the families of Rung, Penguin,…
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Aging American expat “living the dream” in Phuket on US $2,500 a month
An American says he is living the dream in paradise in Phuket for only US$2,500 a month. 70 year old Pete Bowen arrived in Thailand back in 2009 with only a suitcase and guitar after self-admittedly making an impulsive decision to sell his house and belongings and move across the world to look for a place in which he could…
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The end is in sight: CCSA hints at October for lifting restrictions, re-opening Thailand
The Thai government’s Covid-19 task force says that, provided people continue to cooperate with efforts to keep the virus suppressed, the country will re-open fully by October and all restrictions will be lifted. The announcement brings a ray of hope to many, not least everyone in the tourism sector. Apisamai Srirangson from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration acknowledges that…
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12 people face charges over illegal online gambling operation in Bangkok
12 people are facing charges over allegedly running an illegal online gambling operation out of a Bangkok home. Police say they found evidence that the group was running the gambling operation on several different websites under the name of NUTSGAME-TH. After investigating further, they say they found evidence of the group transferring money to Hong Kong, which is illegal under…
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Thailand tourism officials talk of potential travel bubble with China
With restrictions in Beijing easing and plans to issue digital Covid-19 vaccination certificates to Chinese nationals, there may soon be a travel bubble between Thailand and China, allowing those vaccinated against the coronavirus to travel between the countries without quarantine. Just yesterday, the Chinese government announced it would issue the digital certificates to help citizens travelling overseas, a move that…
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Over 250,000 receive eye and nose medical treatment due to pollution in northern provinces
Over 250,000 people are feeling the burn after receiving treatment for eye and nose problems due to pollution in Thailand’s northern provinces. Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai, director-general of the Department of Health, says the medical issues are due to excessive PM2.5 dust particles in the atmosphere as a result of local wildfires that have produced heavy smog. He says that the seasonal…
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This year Thailand gets 6 days to celebrate Songkran holiday
The Thai new year of Songkran is being extended to 6 days of water fights according to the Cabinet after approving the holiday to run from April 10 to 15. Culture Minister Itthiphol Kunplome says details of the holiday will be sent to the Centre For Covid-19 Situation Administration for approval as he says Songkran participants will probably be allowed…
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Owner of dog who allegedly bit young girl in Phuket says 100,000 baht compensation request is too much
The owner of a dog, who allegedly bit a young girl in Phuket town, is saying a 100,000 baht compensation request is too much. The 15 year old girl says she was bitten by the dog on her left leg after chasing her on her way to Satree Phuket School. 32 year old Chotika Kansuya, filed a complaint to the…
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Thai man in Pattaya arrested for allegedly selling e-cig vaping products
A Thai man is under arrest in Pattaya for allegedly selling e-cigarettes and vaping products, after concerned citizens tipped off Banglamung police. The products were allegedly being sold in the Naklua market, according to the Banglamung Administrative Chief Officer, Phonchai Sangeiad who reportedly talked to Pattaya News. “We are cracking down on electronic cigarettes in the area overall as part…
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Thai government considers expanding Bangkok prisons due to many visitors supporting political prisoners
With a number of people facing charges related to their involvement in political protests, the Thai government is looking into expanding prisons to help reduce overcrowding, particularly for visits. Thailand’s justice minister Somsak Thepsuthin told reporters that Bangkok Remand Prison and Klong Prem Central Prison are becoming congested with families and other people who visit the prisons to support the…
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Reduced quarantine approved for some foreign arrivals
The Thai government has agreed to reduce mandatory quarantine for certain categories of arrivals from overseas. The national committee on communicable diseases, which falls under the umbrella of the Public Health Ministry, has approved the measure based on the fact that a global vaccination drive is leading to a gradual reduction in case numbers. According to a Nation Thailand report,…
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Speed limit on Thailand’s highways increased to 120 kilometres an hour
It’s official – the maximum speed limit on 4-lane highways in Thailand has been increased to 120 kilometres per hour, with the new regulation published in the Royal Gazette yesterday. Previously 90 kilometres per hour, Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob says the increase in the maximum speed limit is aimed at improving the flow of traffic in line with conditions, while…
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Thailand government hopes to reopen by October
Thailand is hoping to open its doors to the world by October this year, according to an assistant spokesperson at the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. But there are still several hoops to jump through, with the spokesperson treading carefully with her words. Apisamai Srirangsan made the announcement but said the revelation was just a goal and “not a set…
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Foreign students can take part in political gatherings as long as they follow the law
Thailand’s Immigration Bureau is clarifying that foreign students can, indeed, take part in political gatherings provided they follow the law. The news comes after The Asian Institute of Technology sent an email to its students saying it respected freedom of expression but was conveying a request from Thai immigration for foreign students not to join protests. The email also allegedly…
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Jealous man stabs ex-girlfriend to death at dental office in Ratchaburi
A lover’s quarrel has ended with a man under arrest after allegedly using a 10 centimetre long knife to stab and kill his ex-girlfriend at a dental office in central Ratchaburi province. 38 year old Kaewmorakot Netniam was found dead on the 2nd floor of the Ban Sing Tantakam Dental Clinic, with multiple stab wounds, by police and a doctor…
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Anti-government activists moved to Bangkok’s Thon Buri prison
Officials say 3 protest leaders have been transferred from Bangkok Remand Prison to Thon Buri Prison, in the Bang Bon district of the capital, to avoid overcrowding. Panupong Jadnok (“Mike”), Piyarat Chongthep (“Toto’’) and Jatupat Boonpattararaksa (“Pai Dao Din’’) underwent processing and health checks in the reception area of Thon Buri prison before entering 14-day quarantine. The Bangkok Post reports…
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Chiang Mai’s air pollution sends over 30,000 to hospital, ranked worst in world today
Air pollution in Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand, is allegedly responsible for over 30,000 people visiting the hospital seeking treatment for respiratory illnesses. The city, known for its burning season, that blankets the air with smoke, has recently taken the top spot of having the worst air quality in the world. The IQ AirVisual air monitoring website listed Chiang Mai…
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Thai tiger park faces permanent closure amid wildlife smuggling allegations
The threat of permanent closure hangs over a tiger park in the north-eastern province of Mukdahan, due to the alleged illegal smuggling of tiger cubs. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has brought charges against Mukda Tiger Park & Farm, also known as Mukda Suan Sua, and ordered the facility to close for 30 days. The DNP…
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Thailand to reduce quarantine to 7 days, meeting to confirm next Monday | VIDEO
ASQ, changes for people arriving in Thailand. After 12 months of forcing foreign travellers into a 14 day mandatory stay in a hotel, at their expense, as part of the Alternative State Quarantine program… better know as the ASQ… the Thai government have slightly relented in a revised ASQ. The updated quarantine is a response to immense pressure from the…
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Officials mull over new guidelines for this year’s Songkran water festival
With Thailand’s massive water festival, Songkran, set to go on next month, officials are now mulling over potential guidelines to help reduce the risk of Covid-19. The culture minister says there is talk of setting up so-called “water play” areas that allow the water fights and splashes with a Covid-19 check-in at the entrance. Pattaya News says face shields, goggles…
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Woman’s charred remains found near northern Thailand rubber plantation
The charred remains of a 19 year old woman was found near a rubber plantation in Phitsanulok, a province in northern Thailand. Police say the woman’s 18 year old boyfriend, a murder suspect, turned himself in. Jularat Kongkaew was reported missing on February 27. She had left her home the previous afternoon with her boyfriend, a Mathayom 6 student (equivalent…
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Travellers undergoing yacht quarantine to wear wristbands to track location and monitor health
Foreign tourists travelling to Thailand by yacht and undergoing the mandatory quarantine period onboard the vessel will be asked to wear a smart wristband to monitor their health and track their location. The Digital Economy Promotion Agency teamed up with Advanced Info Service, known as AIS, and Phuket tourism operators to launch the so-called “Digital Yacht Quarantine” programme. Apparently, tourist…
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Economic think-tank says the future of tourism in Thailand hangs on vaccination
The research division of Thailand’s Kasikorn Bank says everything hangs on vaccination strategies, both here and abroad. Kevalin Wangpichayasuk from the Kasikorn Research Centre says the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines globally will have a significant impact on the recovery of tourism in the Kingdom, with 2 million foreign tourists expected to arrive in the last quarter of the year. However,…
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Slow return of foreign tourism makes more redundancies inevitable – Airlines Association of Thailand
The president of the Airlines Association of Thailand says further layoffs in the sector are inevitable, due to the slow return of international tourism. In a Bangkok Post report, Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth says the sluggish revival of foreign tourism, now not expected until the last quarter of the year, means all carriers continue to face financial hardship. And while there was…
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Local Thai politician arrested after allegedly firing shots at a pub
A local politician allegedly shot 4 people at a pub in Nakhon Phanom. Witnesses told the Bangkok Post that the man started firing shots at throughout the pub because he was drunk and unhappy with the table service. Police arrested 58 year old Paisal Saengnarai, who is a kamnan, the governing official of a tambon or sub district. Witnesses say…
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3 men arrested over alleged murder of drug business colleague
3 men have been arrested in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat and charged with the murder of a fourth man. The Pattaya News reports that an unnamed 46 year old Thai man, allegedly involved in a drugs-related business with the 3 suspects, was shot dead in a rubber plantation in the southern province of Surat Thani. Police have…
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Pro-democracy activist hit with 6 million baht fine for removal of plants at rally site
Protest leader Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, aka “Rung”, has been hit with a fine of nearly 6 million baht, after removing plants at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument. Panusaya and 5 other activists have been charged with removing plants placed as decoration around the monument, during a political rally on February 13. She says Samran Rat police station has ordered her to pay 5.9…
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Thailand’s pro-democracy activists ignore emergency decree warnings over weekend
Ignoring a police warning not to violate the emergency decree, pro-democracy activists gathered in their hundreds at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument yesterday. Although the anti-government protests have kicked off again after a 2 month hiatus, the numbers are well down on last years crowds, now measuring more in the hundreds than the thousands. The Bangkok Post reports that members of the…
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