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 How much is Thai health insurance?
Health insurance in Thailand is essential for expats and locals, providing financial protection and access to quality care. Costs depend on age, health, and coverage level, with basic plans being cheaper but limited and comprehensive plans offering more benefits at...
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Why was this female reporter banned from Thai Government House? Posture or disinformation?
Controversy surrounds the banning of a female Thai reporter from Government House, with confusion whether she was banned for “inappropriate posture” or alleged disinformation in her reporting. The reporter for a Japanese news agency received the temporary ban after a press conference by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha on Tuesday. a spokesman from PM’s Office acknowledged the reporter’s “unbefitting body position” but…
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5 pro-democracy activists indicted for alleged violence against Queen’s liberty
Prosecutors indicted 5 pro-democracy activists today for attempting to “harm HM the Queen’s liberty” during a rally in Bangkok last year that happened to be along the same route as a royal motorcade. The charge for an “act of violence against the HM the Queen’s liberty” carries a minimum sentence of 16 years in prison. For serious attempts to harm…
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Quarantine period reduced to 10 days starting tomorrow
Starting tomorrow, quarantine will be reduced 10 days. Reports in Thai media say the quarantine will be reduced to 7 days for vaccinated tourists starting tomorrow as well, but Thai embassies in the US, UK and Australia only mention the 10 day quarantine. Those travelling from countries were the coronavirus has mutated will still need to quarantine for 14 days.…
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US State Department tells non-essential diplomats from Myanmar to leave
The US State Department is telling non-essential diplomats from Myanmar to leave, after hundreds of anti-coup protesters have been killed. Since the February 1 coup by Myanmar’s military, which removed leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy from elected power, more than 510 people have been killed. “The Burmese military has detained and deposed elected government officials.…
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PM says Thailand won’t turn away Burmese refugees, but reports say already 2,000 have been refused
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says Burmese refugees won’t be turned away, but reports say Thailand has already refused around 2,000 asylum seekers from entering. PM Prayut says the refugees would be let in on humanitarian grounds after more than 500 civilians have been killed since Myanmar’s junta took over in a coup on February 1. “Thailand will not turn them away.…
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Thai PM will consider waiving quarantine for vaccinated visitors to Phuket
The Thai PM says he’s willing to consider a call from the Phuket business community to allow vaccinated foreigners to bypass quarantine. Prayut Chan-o-cha says in order to compete with other countries popular with tourists, Phuket plans to re-open fully to vaccinated foreigners from July, meaning the government must make sure the country’s vaccine rollout is on track. “The point…
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Northern Thailand sees dangerous levels of pollution
Northern Thailand is seeing dangerous levels of pollution with PM2.5 dust particle levels exceeding the safety standard. Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai are the worst as they are both seeing over 50-micron PM2.5 dust particle levels. Wiang Pang Kham, a sub-district in Chiang Rai has recorded 247 microns, signaling extremely poor air quality. The Pollution Control Department said on its…
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Thanathorn acknowledges, responds to lèse majesté charge
The former leader of the now disbanded Future Forward Party has appeared at a Bangkok police station to face a charge of lèse majesté. Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, now leader of the Progressive Movement, appeared at Nang Loeng Police Station to acknowledge the charge, also known as section 112 of the Criminal Code. Section 112 makes it an offence to insult, defame,…
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Some Pattaya businesses oppose quick reopening to foreign tourists
While Pattaya tourist businesses are desperate for borders to reopen to foreign tourists, many local business owners oppose the rush to reopen Thailand. Boonanan Phattanasin, The president of the Pattaya Business and Tourism Association, which serves many businesses throughout Pattaya, points out that while international tourism benefits the local economy, domestic tourism is booming and businesses that cater to Thai…
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Phuket expects tourist from China in July, Europe end of year
Phuket is reopening to foreign tourists starting July 1 with the quarantine period waived for vaccinated travellers, but it’s likely that most of the tourists will be from China. Chartered flights are scheduled to begin in July from China, while European visitors are expected to start returning in winter. Phuket expects about 2 million visitors, mostly from China and Europe,…
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21 year old accused of defrauding more 100 people in surfskate board scam
A 21 year old Thai man is accused of cashing in on the new surfskate trend by allegedly scamming more than 100 people with damages valued at more than 2.7 million baht. Apparently, he advertised preorders for surfskate boards on Facebook and victims of the scam say they paid in full for the boards, but never received their orders. Surfskating,…
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Thailand jobs listings rise in February, labour force recovering from pandemic
After a pandemic-fueled unemployment freefall over the last year, costing 3 million people their jobs, February saw a big jump in employment demand for Thailand. Most job listings on the search platform JobsDV are for positions in the sales and customer service fields, followed by positions in the information technology field. Employment demand rose nearly 25% from the lowest periods…
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Woman warns of paying cash on delivery after being scammed
A woman is warning internet users to beware of accepting parcels by paying cash on delivery after being allegedly scammed. According to Thai Residents, the woman says she accepted a package without knowing she didn’t order it, paying 590 baht in cash. Once she opened the package, she saw a pink t-shirt with a note that said, “I am sorry,…
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Phuket wants Chinese tourists to jump-start sandbox scheme
Phuket wants Chinese tourists to jump – start its sandbox scheme which will let vaccinated international visitors enter the Andaman island without undergoing quarantine as of July 1. The targetting of Chinese visitors comes after data revealed that they contributed to 1/5 of the pre-Covid economy. The move to allow tourists to enter without undergoing quarantine is important as officials…
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Thai government denies backing Myanmar’s junta
Thailand’s government leaders are now denying backing Myanmar’s junta government 2 days after its military shot and killed over 100 Burmese citizens. PM Prayut made the announcement to the media yesterday at the Government House. “In what ways do we support Myanmar troops? Nobody supports use of violence against the people.” But recently, PM Prayut was accused of supplying rice…
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Thai Chamber of Commerce calls for vaccine delivery to be speeded up
The chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce says officials hope to reinvigorate the economy within 99 days, through a “Connect the Dots” policy. Sanan Angubolkul adds that the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines must be speeded up if the economy is to recover in that timeframe. “Thailand is slow in distributing vaccines. This will result in a slow economic recovery.”…
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Phuket unemployment rates rise, average monthly income drops
With the lack of foreign tourists visiting Phuket, many tourism-dependent businesses have suffered. Officials have reported a spike in unemployment in Phuket and say average monthly income has dropped down to 1,900 baht. Government officials are now discussing potential measures for economic rehabilitation on the island province as well as the so-called “sandbox” travel scheme, which is expected to help…
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1,000 foreign tourists expected to travel to Koh Samui in July
Koh Samui may have 1,000 foreign visitors arrive on the island in July. As part of the “sandbox” tourism scheme, also set to launch in Phuket on July 1, allows tourists who are vaccinated against Covid-19 to travel to specific destinations in Thailand that have reached herd immunity. Thailand just launched its vaccination campaign a month ago. Now, both Koh…
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Government ready to assist Thai businesses affected by Suez Canal blockage
The Thai government says it’s ready to help businesses affected by the blockage of the Ever Given cargo ship in Egypt’s Suez Canal. The 400-metre container ship was blown off course and got stuck sideways in the canal last Tuesday, leading to chaos in world shipping. The blockage in one of the world’s most significant trading routes has caused a…
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Thailand to improve safety for ziplining and adventure tourism
Looking ahead to the return of foreign tourists, Thailand tourism officials are planning to improve safety standards for adventure activities like ziplining in an effort to prevent accidents from happening and to gain tourist confidence. In 2019, a Canadian man died in a zipline incident in Chiang Mai. He was attached to the harness, ready for the 5 kilometre Flight…
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Phuket businesses welcome quarantine-free re-opening plan
Businesses on the southern island of Phuket have welcomed the government’s approval of a quarantine-free re-opening for vaccinated foreigners from July 1. From that date, Phuket will become the first province to waive mandatory quarantine for international arrivals who have been vaccinated against Covid-19. The re-opening is expected to generate over 84 billion baht. Like many parts of the country…
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Phetchaburi man bludgeons wife to death, shoots himself
A man in Phetchaburi allegedly bludgeoned his wife to death before committing suicide yesterday, according to local authorities. It appears that Wichai Leeka, a 43 year old auto tyre repairman, beat his young wife, 21 year old Thanthip Pothong to death with a steel bar, before using a shotgun to take his own life with a shot to the head.…
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Bank of Thailand wrestles with cryptocurrency adoption
The Bank of Thailand is wrestling with cryptocurrency – how to adopt its usage and how to regulate it in the face of growing popularity, along with all the dynamics surrounding the new ‘currencies’.. The BOT admits they’re struggling with balancing the innovation in the financial world and protecting investors in a volatile and unstable market. Digital currency fluctuates much…
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Can Koh Pha Ngan’s Full Moon Party recover from Covid-19 hiatus?
After a year long hiatus, can Thailand’s world-famous Full Moon Party recover, or will it evolve in the post-Covid-19 era? Before April last year, Haad Rin Beach on Koh Pha Ngan was invaded each full moon by backpackers and partygoers. The beach hummed to the thump, thump of the music and the buckets of exotic cocktails (and plenty of other…
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11 countries must still do full 14 day ASQ quarantine when travelling to Thailand
Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health has announced the names of 11 countries that have been deemed to be carrying new Covid-19 mutations. Any people arriving from these countries will still be required to do the full 14 day quarantine quarantine when they arrive in Thailand. From 1 April the quarantine period will be reduced, but with some restrictions remaining. Read…
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Crude oil imports to Thailand at lowest level since 2015
Crude oil imports to Thailand were down in 2020 to the lowest level since 2015, according to data from Thailand’s energy department. Total imports fell 19,000 barrels per day from 2019 figures, down to 837,000 barrels. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, domestic production also dropped along with the reduction in oil importing. Thai refineries decreased their production to 1 million…
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16 year old Thai may be jailed in alleged lèse-majesté case
A 16 year old Thai teenager may be jailed for alleged defamation against the Thai monarchy at a pro-democracy protest last Wednesday by wearing a crop-top with an anti-monarchy slogan written on his stomach. The teen is being charged under Thailand’s lèse-majesté law, informally called “Section 112”, the section that covers defaming, insulting or threatening members of the Thai royal…
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The cost of one stuck ship in the Suez Canal – rising costs of fuel, household goods, food
That container ship is still stuck in the Suez Canal. It’s created a huge traffic jam at either end – some 240 ships. Even if they clear the blockage (get the ship out of the way to let other ships pass) soon, it’s predicted to take most of April to clear the backlog. The cost to world shipping has been…
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Man who buys truck from auction finds 20 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine inside
A man who bought a truck from a Bangkok auction site got a hefty surprise after finding 20 kilograms of crystal meth (ice) in a secret compartment when he went to install a new audio system. He says the drugs were bundled in gold wrapping when he discovered them and immediately returned the truck to the auction in the Bang…
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Thailand’s methamphetamine trafficking increases after Myanmar coup
Thailand’s methamphetamine supply is facing a sharp rise out of Myanmar following the recent coup, opening the floodgates to an abundance of “yaba” pills. The Thai narcotics bureau seized over 80 million pills in the past 6 months alone, including a 20 million baht seizure recently, in part due to over-supply from the Covid-19 pandemic. But much more yaba is…
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