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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Sponsored The 5 best luxury villa rentals in Koh Samui by The Luxury Signature
Koh Samui has long been known as one of the world’s finest luxury travel destinations. Its pristine beaches, lush landscapes, and crystal-clear waters create an idyllic setting that attracts travellers seeking an escape from the everyday grind. And opting to...
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Competition to name dugong calf in Phuket
PHOTO: กรมทรัพยากรทางทะเลและชายฝั่ง The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources in Phuket is inviting members of the public to participate in a contest to name an orphaned baby dugong, found stranded on a beach in Krabi. The dugong calf is now under the care of DMCR vets to save rare marine animals in Phuket. Jatuporn Buruspat, the department’s director-general visited the…
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Final cabinet posts will contribute to frailty of new Thai government
Before the ink is even dry on the Cabinet list, and before the newly formed government has even sat, along with its PM, rumours continue to swirl over the viability of the Palang Pracharat Coalition and it’s ability to govern. Dean of the National Institute of Development Administration’s School of Social and Environmental Development, Phichai Ratnatilaka Na Bukhet, is quoted…
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Pattaya netizens concerned over dead dolphin found by fishermen
Video of a dead dolphin offshore from the coastal city of Pattaya, east of Bangkok, has upset locals. The video shows the dolphin floating in the waters between Pattaya and Koh Larn in the Gulf of Thailand. The Pattaya Mail reports that the mammal became tangled in a fishing net, with the rope caught in its mouth. The net was cut…
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Mariam the baby dugong ‘goes live’ soon
PHOTO: Hannaret Hripai and Srichai Anuraktichai Officials started installing six CCTVs along the coast of Koh Libong in Trang province today so that netizens will be able to monitor the life of Mariam, the baby dugong that was found washed up on a Krabi Beach in May. Residents and visitors will now be able to ‘bay sit’ (or dugong sit)…
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Bangkok’s BTS becoming too expensive for Thai passengers
The ultra-useful BTS network around Bangkok is becoming too expensive for many Thais, and is more expensive than international equivalents. The BTS Skytrain system is already too costly when compared to basic wages in Thailand, according to a recent research paper by the The Thailand Development Research Institute. It says that low-income earners can only afford to pay 11.7 baht…
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Airbnb estimates direct economic impact in Thailand exceeds 33.8 billion baht
• 80 percent of local Airbnb hosts saying they recommend restaurants and cafes to guests • Airbnb guests saying that 46% of their spending occurs in the neighbourhood where they stay. According to new survey findings and an analysis of internal data released today, Airbnb’s host and guest community generated over 33.8 billion baht in estimated direct economic impact in…
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The Kings Cup Scrabble competition is on in Bangkok
The 34th Brand’s International Scrabble Championships will be held at Central Westgate in Bang Yai, Bangkok, for four days starting today running through to Sunday, July 7. It’s one of the largest Scrabble tournaments in the world, in terms of the number of players, drawing as many as 8,000 players. Thailand has produced two world champions as well as many top…
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Ja New thanks those that support him and updates his health
PHOTO: Facebook/Sirawith Seritiwat Thai political activist Sirawith Seritiwat, aka. Ja New, has posted on his Facebook page for the first time since last Thursday’s brutal attack in Bangkok. In the post, typed by a friend, Sirawith says that he was touched by everyone’s kindness, acknowledging the activity relating to his case and calling for justice both inside and outside parliament.…
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British expat catches world’s biggest carp in Thailand
PHOTO: Bournemouth News 42 year old John Harvey from the UK has caught a fish that was THAT big! The world’s largest carp was a Siamese carp weighing 232lbs (105 kilograms). It beats the old record by 10lbs (4.5 kilograms). John was fishing at the Palm Tree Lagoon at Chedi Hak, just west of Bangkok. The property investor from the UK…
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89 year old Trang grandmother raped by 71 year old neighbour
PHOTOS: Daily News A 71 year old man in Trang has been arrested after confessing to raping an 89 year old neighbour. Daily News reports that Palian police arrived to find that the woman’s granddaughter, Naphawan, had already taken matters into her own hands and beaten up Yap Chaiphak. She admitted to police that she had hit Yap repeatedly with…
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Sukhumvit Gallery showcases images from a bygone era in Bangkok
The Hyatt Regency Bangkok Sukhumvit has launched a photo gallery and Artistic Afternoon Tea themed around Sukhumvit’s rich history. The new photo gallery, in one of Bangkok’s most culturally diverse areas, is giving guests a glimpse into another era with a permanent exhibition on the history of Bangkok’s most important boulevards – Sukhumvit Road. Sukhumvit Gallery, located on the fourth…
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‘No problems’ in the Palang Pracharat Party – Thai PM
Move on, nothing to see here… The Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says there is no problem in the Palang Pracharat party which would warrant his intervention. Asked yesterday by waiting reporters whether he will step in to address conflicts in the coalition alliance, caused by the Palang Pracharat’s ‘Sam Mitr’ faction’, the PM snapped back “What problem? No problem.” Interior…
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Blackwater at Phuket’s Nai Harn beach due to ‘natural causes’
‘Blackwater’ has returned at one of Phuket’s favourite beaches, this time in the lagoon behind Nai Harn beach, which flushes out naturally when the tide conditions are right. For now, it is dammed up by the sand and has developed into an ugly cesspool for passersby to see. Responding to complaints from local residents, Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos has denied…
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Another baby Dugong found on a Krabi beach
PHOTO: Thai Rath Another lost baby dugong has been rescued after being found injured in Krabi. The baby dugong was found washed up on the shores in Klongthom District, Krabi yesterday (June 1) and was rescued by the officials from the Phuket Marine Biological Centre (PMBC). Thai Rath reports that the baby dugong had a lot of scratches on it…
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Cha-Am blackwater flowing into the beach is “natural in origin” – District Chief
PHOTOS: Daily News The Cha-Am district chief and a posse of officials have inspected a patch of ‘black water’ flowing into the Gulf of Thailand after social media posts showed “sewage” flowing into the sea at a beach north of Hua Hin. Not surprisingly, and without evidence, Khajornsak Somboon admitted the offensive outflow was “smelly” but denied it was effluent from…
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Mall Group shopping centres to charge customers 1 baht for a plastic bag
PHOTO: Mall Group The Mall Group, that runs some of Bangkok’s leading shopping centres, including Bluport in Hua Hin, will charge customers for plastic bags from July 3. The initiative is to mark International Plastic Bag Free Day which falls on July 3. They are the first Thai retail company to take the bold step. Customers will be encouraged not to…
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BKK passenger arrivals expected to surge to 200,000 a day in October
Amid gloomy forecasts and predictions for Thailand’s tourist industry, some good news out of the country’s largest airport, Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. The number of passengers arriving at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok is expected to rise to 200,000 a day when the ‘winter season’ starts in October. The airport’s general manager Wing Commander Suthirawat Suwanawat says the arrival of flights and…
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Thai PM hints at a ‘solution nobody wanted’ if he can’t solve Cabinet squabbles
Yesterday’s mea culpa by the Thai PM Prayut, rather than providing a reassuring tone for the Thai electorate, has ended up stirring up rumours of another coup. Though the aim of the apology was to help mend the ongoing struggles within the Palang Pracharat Party over cabinet positions (let alone the other 19 parties involved in the pro-junta bloc), Prayut…
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Hawksbill sea turtle killed by plastic waste in Gulf of Thailand
by Pratch Rujivanarom A hawksbill sea turtle which was found washed ashore Pattaya’s Na Jomtien Beach is just the latest victim of the Thailand severe marine debris problem . The Royal Thai Navy’s Sea Turtle Conservation Centre found the rotting carcass on Chon Buri’s Na Jomtien Beach on Sunday. An autopsy reveals that the turtle’s stomach was full of plastic…
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The Tesla of Thailand takes on the big car-makers
There are less than 1,500 battery-powered vehicles in Thailand. Thai billionaire Somphote Ahunai wants to change that with his Energy Absolute. He envisions a total closed universe where he makes the cars, builds the charging stations, then provides the electricity to power the charging stations. The popularity of motorcycles and the busy streets of South East Asia cities are just…
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Tourism Authority of Thailand downgrades revenue from tourism in 2019
The Tourism Authority of Thailand is being forced to revise down its tourism revenue growth projections for 2019, but they’ve only cut their projections .5% from 10% growth predicted earlier this year, down to 9.5% growth instead. They still believe that the tourist numbers will settle and will reach 40.2 million for this year but this is down from their…
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Thai PM apologises for weekend bickering from Palang Pracharat factions
FILE PHOTO The Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has issued an apology and expressed “discomfort” over Palang Pracharat’s internal bickering that has dominated headlines over the weekend. The Prime Minister returned from the G20 meetings in Japan yesterday. The former leader of the NCPO, former PM, and now newly selected PM by the new parliament, is pledging to do his best.…
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China starts to roll out epic 8K TV technology on the back of 5G
HD TV was a huge step up (most of what we still watch on our TVs is HD – high definition). 4K provided us with almost ‘cinematic’ experiences of detail and quality (most modern cinemas use a 5K format… there are variations). Now the Chinese, using the latest 5G technology, are talking of broadcasting an 8K picture quality experience. China…
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Thai PM heading to Phuket to officially open the Chalong Underpass
PHOTO: Guy (Charlie) LIDUREAU The Thai PM is heading to Phuket to officiate at the opening of the long-awaited Chalong Underpass next week, as well as attend some other meetings during the day. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha will open the Chalong Underpass on Monday, July 8. Both lanes of the new underpass will be closed during the ceremony from 7-10am. The construction…
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Thai authorities moot compulsory travel insurance for travellers
PHOTO: South East Asia Backpacker Magazine The Thai Office of the Insurance Commission says they expect to introduce compulsory travel insurance for visitors to Thailand by the end of 2019. It would be charged to tourists who arrive without travel insurance and go into a ‘fund’ to be used to pay for repatriation costs in the event of misadventure. The…
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British travellers to Thailand make more insurance claims than any other country
According to a survey, the ‘Travel Smart Insurance Index’ recently released by the UK Post Office, more British travellers to Thailand made insurance claims for medical costs of repatriation after visiting Thailand than any other country. According to the report, the Post Office teamed up with the Centre for Economic & Business Research and analysed 17,295 claims from its Travel…
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Deputy PM expresses ‘regret’ over the brutal attack on political activist ‘Ja New’
Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan has expressed regret over the brutal attack on political activist Sirawith Seritiwat, or Ja New, and ordered the national police chief, Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda, to hold an urgent meeting with the metropolitan police commissioner to discuss the incident and to intensify efforts to track down the perpetrators, as well as the mastermind behind the assault,…
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Fewer Nordic expats renewing their visas to stay in Thailand
by Gregers Møller Website ScandAsia.com and writer Gregers Møller reports that nordic expats – business people, on retirement or family-based Thai visas, renewing their visas this year – has dropped by around 10% this year. He reports “This is the first decline in 12 years. If the trend continues, there will only be 861 Nordic people on a business visa left…
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Phuket’s tourist evolution – Diversity is the best option Part 2
by Guest Writer Our guest writer has been managing resorts around Phuket for two decades and has represented his brand at international expos along with promotions for Phuket over the years. His knowledge is first-hand and steeped in local experience. He has asked to remain anonymous. Read Part 1 of the report HERE. In Part 1 of the article we…
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‘Fahsai’ is the new Miss Thailand Universe
Thai-Canadian Paweensuda ‘Fahsai’ Drouin has been crowned Miss Thailand Universe 2019. Judges chose 26 year old Paweensuda, 26 from more than 50 other contestants in the pageant’s final round at the Thunder Dome in Bangkok last night (Saturday). Miriam Sornprommas was first runner-up and Thanatchaphon Boonsang second runner-up. Paweensuda is 180 centimetres tall, was born and raised in Canada and her…
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