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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18 Bangkok motorbike taxi drivers get prison for 2019 mass brawl killing a bystander
18 motorbike taxi drivers are sentenced to prison for their involvement in a mass street fight in June 2019 where a bystander was killed by a stray bullet. Bangkok’s Prakhonong Court handed down prison sentences ranging from 5 years to more than 27 years, according to Thai media. The fight broke out between two gangs of win drivers, named by…
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Election Commission to investigate charges that Progressive Movement is run as a political party
Political activist Srisuwan Janya is accusing the Progressive Movement of being run like a political party, with its leaders campaigning for members in local elections, in violation of the Political Party Act. The claim has prompted the Election Commission to launch an investigation into the movement. The movement was formed by Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, Piyabutr Saengkanokkul and Pannika Wanich, after their…
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Protest planned for courthouse tomorrow as verdict on PM’s residence expected
The Ratsadon (People’s Party) movement is planning a protest outside the Constitutional Court tomorrow as a verdict is handed down in relation to PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s occupancy of a military residence, despite his retirement from the army. The ruling is expected at 3.00pm tomorrow and comes as a result of a petition lodged by opposition MPs in March, in which…
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Pro-democracy protest leaders hear lèse majesté charges
Pro-democracy protest leaders reported to police today to hear lèse majesté charges which carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison for insulting or defaming the Thai Monarchy. The ongoing protests have opened discussion questioning the Thai Monarchy, a move considered taboo in Thai society and also risky as “insulting” or “defaming” statements could violate the lèse majesté law…
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Children injured on Hua Hin carnival ride, no safety certification submitted
3 children were injured when a carnival ride malfunctioned at the Hua Hin Red Cross Festival in Prachuap Khiri Khan. The required safety certification was not submitted and local officials are investigating, according to Mayor Nopphon Wutthikul. Carnival rides now are closed for the duration of the festival. “Preliminary inspection revealed that they had yet to submit safety certification signed…
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Man arrested for allegedly robbing 500,000 baht from Bangkok bank
Police arrested a man for alleged armed robbery at a Government Housing Bank in Bangkok. 46 year old Phaiboon Sara allegedly used a gun to threaten bank tellers and take off with 500,000 baht in cash. Police reviewed the bank’s security camera footage and tracked down Phaiboon, arresting him at his home in Samut Prakan. Phaiboon allegedly told police that…
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Twitter suspends Thai royalist linked account which spread pro-government propaganda
A Thai royalist-linked account was suspended on Twitter following a review by Reuters reporters that found the account spread posts in favour of His Majesty the King and the monarchy in what appeared to be a tactic to sway the public opinion. While ongoing protests are calling on monarchy reform with statements considered unprecedented and taboo in Thai society, Reuters…
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Ban on sales and promotion of alcohol online starts December 7
From December 7 you’ll no longer, officially, be able to purchase alcohol online in Thailand, according to a posting in the Royal Gazette back in September, the Thai government will prohibit the sales and promotion of alcoholic drinks on every online platform from December 7. The ban includes direct sales, promotion and introduction of alcoholic products online, but will not…
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Pattaya firework party lights up the weekend | VIDEO
After much anticipation, the Pattaya Fireworks Festival lit up the sky this past weekend, delighting spectators with beautiful night beachside spectacle. More importantly, it was the first time Pattaya was packed with tourists since March this year, albeit mostly Thai tourists. The event program was packed with long fireworks shows with hotels offering promotions for advanced bookings in an attempt…
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Thai netizens say pro-government royalists carried out Wednesday’s protest shootings
Thailand’s netizens are refuting police’s claims that pro-democracy protesters carried out Wednesday’s rally shootings. The shootings occurred at the rally site near Bangkok’s Siam Commerical Bank head office, where the rally site was originally planned but was then moved after protesters tried to avoid a clash with pro-government royalists. However, shots were fired, with police arresting a suspect on charges…
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Thai protests to continue in full force into December in line with symbolic calendar events
The pro-democracy protests are set to continue well into December, according to Thai security officials. Officials have been preparing to cope with a rise in anti-government activities as symbolic calendar events are coming up. Today the United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration group says a protest will take place outside the 1st Infantry Battalion on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road in Phaya…
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Pro-democracy rally leaders questioned over usage of donated funds after injuries
Pro-democracy rally leaders are being questioned by followers over the usage of donation funds after a volunteer protest guard was shot and injured. Netizens took to social media to ask what “fairy godmother” Inthira “Sine” Charoenpura and Pakorn “Hia Bung” Pornchewangkurn were buying with the donation money, prompting them to make an announcement on Thursday. The announcement came after the…
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Protesters suing Thai PM, police and officials over State of Emergency in October
Protesters and human rights lawyers are officially suing the Thai PM, a deputy PM and other members of the government and police for 3.5 million baht in damages. The lawsuits cover the declaration of a state of emergency that was imposed for a week during October following a major protest where a royal motorcade drove into the path of a…
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More protest rallies today and tomorrow around Bangkok
If you think the current spate of rallies are ruling out of steam, think again. Yesterday’s large protest around the Lat Phrao intersection on Phahon Yothin Road was just the first of 3 days of planned protests around Bangkok and Samut Prakan. Protesters yesterday described their action as an “anti-coup drill”, claiming that the coup “chatter” continued and that they would…
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Shooter from Bangkok SCB protest surrenders to police
A man accused of shooting at anti-government protesters at a rally in Bangkok on Wednesday has admitted the charge and surrendered to police. Peerawut Kunamonkan delivered his 25 year old son, Passapong, to police at Phaholyothin station in the capital yesterday. He faces charges of attempted murder, shooting in public, and illegally carrying a gun and ammunition. According to a…
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“Bad Students” protest group urges pupils to ditch their uniforms
School students are being urged to ditch their uniforms and wear their own clothes from the start of the new term next week. The “Bad Students” protest group has posted an appeal on Twitter, calling on students to wear what they want. “Finally, we can discard the obsolete uniforms and have the freedom to wear personal clothes. To all students,…
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Thousands gather in Bangkok for “anti-coup” protest picnic
Around 5,000 pro-democracy activists gathered at the Lat Phrao intersection in the Chatuchak district of Bangkok last night, to oppose any potential coup, a situation continually denied by the current PM. Last night’s gathering took the form of a picnic, at which mainly north-eastern dishes were served. Protesters described it as a rehearsal against military intervention, with one 18 year…
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Local singer dies after crashing his car while on a video call
A Thai singer died after crashing his car into a lamppost while on a video call with his girlfriend. Thai media did not report on the estimated speed, but photos of the wreckage show severe damage. The roof ripped off the Toyota Altis and the car is almost unrecognisable. 23 year old Akkarachai, known as Ice, was found dead at…
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9 arrested for allegedly embezzling more than 2.8 billion baht from Railway Club Cooperative funds
Police arrested 9 people involved in the Railway Club Cooperative, including the former chief, on collusion charges for allegedly approving loans behind closed doors to embezzle a total of 2.8 billion baht from members’ funds. Officers from the Central Investigation Bureau have been investigating since June 30 of last year. Investigators say the suspects approved loans without calling meetings for…
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Protected hornbill dies from gunshot wound, 2 suspects in police custody
A protected great hornbill died after 5 days of medical treatment for a severe gunshot wound. 2 suspects are now in police custody and officers have seized a .22 calibre rifle, according to Thai PBS. A tourist found the injured bird near the Khiriphet waterfall on Koh Chang. The hornbill, known in Thai as a nok nguek, was treated at…
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International travel in 2021 is unpredictable – Tourism Authority of Thailand
The future of Thailand’s travel industry is “opaque”, according to Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn. For once the usually over-optimistic TAT has made a completely honest assessment of the current situation. “There are unpredictable factors that come into play when trying to determine how 2021 will pan out, like the availability of a Covid-19 vaccine, the number of…
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Economic concerns put Bangkok’s ban on 10-wheel trucks on hold
Officials in Bangkok have decided to delay a proposed ban on 10 wheel trucks in light of the current economic challenges affecting the transportation and industrial sectors. The proposed ban was aimed at reducing PM2.5 air pollution in the capital and was expected to come into force from December 1 – 28. Particulates – also known as atmospheric aerosol particles,…
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Deputy PM refutes claim that using lèse majesté law damages Monarchy
Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngam has dismissed claims that invoking Thailand’s strict lèse majesté law is damaging to the Monarchy. He insists the law has been in use for years and can be applied in the case of current protesters who violate it through their public speeches. Wissanu was responding to a claim from renowned academic Sulak Sivaraksa, who has slammed…
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Monk arrested for alleged involvement in large methamphetamine delivery
Police arrested a monk on drug charges and seized 4.8 million methamphetamine pills from a resort in the Central Thailand province Chai Nat. The man, a senior monk from Chiang Rai, was allegedly hired to help deliver large qualities methamphetamine 3 times and paid 300,000 baht per delivery. The monk allegedly told police that he needed the money to enroll…
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Thai officials approve transfer of 3 Iranians involved in 2012 botched bomb plot in Bangkok
Thai authorities are transferring 3 Iranian inmates to Tehran. The inmates were involved in the 2012 failed bomb plot, which Israeli and Thai officials say, was targeted at Israeli diplomats in Bangkok. According to Iranian state TV, the transfer was a swap. The report says 33 year old British-Australian Kylie Moore-Gilbert, who was incarcerated for the past 2 years on…
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Krabi man arrested for animal abuse after allegedly killing pet dogs
A Krabi man was arrested on animal abuse charges after he allegedly shot and killed his pet dogs. The non-profit Watchdog Thailand filed a police complaint yesterday with a statement from a witness. Police arrested 39 year old Surasak Kongduang at his home in Krabi’s Muang district. Surasak allegedly admitted to police that he shot both his pet dogs in…
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Thief makes off with over 500,000 baht in Bangkok bank robbery
A man who robbed a Bangkok branch of the Government Housing Bank at gunpoint has escaped with over 500,000 baht. Nation Thailand report that the robbery took place yesterday afternoon, at the bank’s Bangbon branch on Soi Ekachai 86 in the capital. A security guard at the branch told police that the thief jumped over the counter, before grabbing the…
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Cannabis with very low THC content to be allowed in cosmetics and herbal products
The Food and Drug Administration is drafting a new regulation to allow cannabis and hemp to be used in cosmetics and food products… just not the parts of the plant like the buds that are known to cause euphoric effects. The move is intended to allow cannabis and hemp to be used for production of textiles, garments, medicines and herbal…
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Thai PM insists martial law will not be used against protesters
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says he has no intention of resorting to martial law to put an end to the current political unrest, adding that existing laws provide enough scope for dealing with those who take matters into their own hand. The Bangkok Post reports that he was responding to reporters following a US-ASEAN Business Council meeting at the Ministry…
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An explosion and gunshots fired at last night’s protest outside the Siam Commercial Bank HQ
More reports of shootings at anti-government protests last night. The venue for yesterday’s rally was switched on Tuesday night and police, all prepared for a large protest outside the the Crown Property Office, were thin on the ground at the new venue. 2 people were injured in last night’s incident. Shots were reportedly fired at anti-government protesters at the end…
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