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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Chiang Mai tourism slowdown takes a toll on local businesses
Chiang Mai’s tourism industry has drastically slowed down from the lack of travel due to the affects of the Covid-19 pandemic – the lockdowns and the travel restrictions. Tourists “vanished” during the April lockdown, according to president of the Tourism Association of Chiang Mai, Anantorn Hochindarat. Now, as the chilly, cool season approaches, when the northern province is the most popular…
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Protest leader Arnon calls impromptu demo to push for release of activists
Anti-government protest leader Arnon Nampa took to social media yesterday to call on fellow activists to assemble at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre for a pre-protest protest. They are demanding the release of 21 arrested protesters who were rounded up by police yesterday whilst setting up for today’s scheduled rally around the Democracy Monument. In a live broadcast on…
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More arrests made in major online gambling operation bust
Police arrested an alleged online gambling operator and 3 others allegedly involved in running 9 illegal gambling websites that brought in millions of baht. The recent arrest follows a bust earlier this month where police arrested 25 Thai nationals in Chiang Rai and Nonthaburi, a suburb just north of Bangkok, who were allegedly involved in running illegal websites. An arrest…
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Royal Thai Police form new bureau to investigate cybercrime
The Royal Thai Police have formed a new organisation to investigate cyber-related crimes. Commissioner of the new Cybercrime Investigation Bureau, Kornchai Klaiklueng, says they will work with international counterparts, but officers need to train first before dealing with transnational cybercrime investigations. The bureau is short on staff and still needs to recruit more officers before it can begin operations, according…
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Domestic tourism survey indicates long road to recovery
“Entrepreneurs in the tourism industry need to adjust their strategy to suit consumer behaviour in the new normal era.” A government survey looking at the travel habits of domestic tourists indicates an uphill struggle for the tourism industry’s recovery. Pimchanok Vonkorpon, from the Commerce Ministry’s Trade Policy and Strategy Office says around a quarter of those surveyed travelled during weekends…
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Thai police to verify “Boss” whereabouts with UAE embassy
Following recent reports that the elusive Red Bull heir, Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, is living in Dubai, Thai police say they’re writing to the UAE embassy to verify the claims (the embassy is in Witthayu road… we can send you the address if you need so you can ‘drop in’ and have a chat). Boss is wanted in relation to a…
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Toilets might be a problem at tomorrow’s pro-democracy rally
The pesky issue of student’s Numbers 1s and Number 2s has become a potential problem for protest organisers. Toilets might be hard to find at tomorrow’s pro-democracy rally. Activists say the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is refusing to provide mobile toilets for the rally at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument. (Although in the past, protest organisers have arranged the toilets for their events.)…
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Barriers to be installed at train crossings nationwide in wake of Chachoengsao tragedy – VIDEO
Following a major collision between a train and a bus in the eastern province of Chachoengsao on Sunday, officials plan to review and install barriers at train crossings around the country. 18 people died and 44 were injured when a freight train collided with a chartered bus near Khlong Kwaeng Klan railway station. It’s understood the bus passengers were on…
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Kratom a step closer to legalisation for medicinal use
Kratom, a plant known for its psychotropic and relaxing effects, is in the process of being legalised in Thailand for medicinal use. The Cabinet just approved the Justice Ministry’s bill to amend the Kratom Act which would legalise production as well as importation and exportation of kratom. The bill will be forwarded to the Office of the Council of State…
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Where’s Boss? Wanted Red Bull heir spotted in Dubai
Some say they’ve spotted the wanted Red Bull heir in Dubai. Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya has an Interpol Red Notice out for his arrest and is wanted for allegedly killing a police officer in 2012 when he sped his Ferrari through Bangkok’s Thong Lo area, allegedly running over and dragging the police officer down the street. While Thai media reported the…
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Covid-19 could lead to a crisis worse than the 1997 Asian financial crisis
With debt relief measures set to expire this month, Thailand’s financial woes, brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, might end up being worse that the 1997 Asian financial crisis, known in Thailand as the Tom Yam Kung crisis, according to the Bangkok Commercial Asset Management. The 1997 Asian financial crisis started in Thailand with the financial collapse of the Thai…
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UPDATE: Broken railway crossing signal contributed to fatal bus-train collision east of Bangkok
A broken crossing signal led to the fatal collision yesterday, where a freight train smashed into a charter bus, killing 18 bus passengers and injuring another 44. Officials from the department as well as the State Railway of Thailand governor visited the site after the accident and say the broken crossing signal “contributed to the fatal incident”. The bus was…
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Woman arrested for scamming 500 Burmese workers, promising visa extensions
A woman has been arrested after allegedly promising more than 500 Burmese workers that she could extend their visas, collecting a total of more 6 million baht from the workers for her apparent “services.” The more than 500 workers filed a report with police after the woman allegedly falsely advertised that she could issue the Burmese migrants new passports and…
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Man arrested for posing as air force pilot, conning woman out of 800,000 baht
A 44 year old man has been arrested in the northern province of Sukothai, after claiming to be a pilot with the Royal Thai Air Force and cheating his girlfriend out of 800,000 baht. Thai Residents reports that the man, named only as Prapol, denies all the charges against him. The victim, named only as Miss A, says she met…
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Thailand’s land bridge plan still floating
Deputy government spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul says the government is still mulling the idea of a land bridge between the southern provinces of Ranong and Chumphon. The project’s aim would be to improve the infrastructure in the region by connecting the Gulf of Thailand directly with the Andaman Sea, “thereby making the Kingdom more competitive”. In a report in the Bangkok…
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Chiang Mai woman arrested for allegedly hiring hitman to kill her ex-husband
A 63 year old Chiang Mai woman has been arrested for allegedly hiring a hitman to kill her ex-husband because she wanted his life insurance payout. Bualoi Tala is also being investigated for her alleged involvement in other possible murders after a number of people died after being poisoned and Bualoi received payouts from their life insurance policies. Police say…
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The Pattaya to Hua Hin bridge. Government discusses 900 billion baht investment.
The government is looking into a so-called “Thai Bridge” that would connect Pattaya to Hua Hin, an estimated 900 billion baht investment. The project would be part of the Eastern Economic Corridor development plan aimed at improving the transportation and infrastructure in Thailand. The 900 billion baht investment is expected to take 10 years to financially implement, according to chairperson…
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UPDATE: 18 dead, 44 injured, bus collides with train in Chachoengsao
A bus has collided with a train next to Khlong Kwaeng Klan railway station, killing 18 passengers and injuring 44. The incident happened just after 8am this morning. The chartered bus was carrying some 60 factory workers to a Buddhist ceremony and was crossing a railway track when it was struck by a freight train headed to Samut Prakhan, south of…
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German politician raises questions about the status of Thailand’s Head of State
German politicians have raised questions in parliament about the status of Thailand’s Head of State as a part time resident in the state of Bavaria, after protests in Thailand have continued to make international news, drawing attention to Thailand and the Thai government’s fragile political situation. Frithjof Schmidt, from Germany’s Green Party, has questioned the German Foreign Ministry about its…
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New Bangkok BTS line to start running in December
A new Bangkok public transport monorail extension, the BTS Gold Line, is expected to start running before the end of the year. The scheduled run is the first phase of the BTS Gold Line to be rolled out along the Chao Phraya River in the Bang Phlad district. The new 1.72 kilometre BTS line will link Krung Thon Buriskytrain station…
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Bangkok residents not satisfied with floodwater management-Nida Poll
Bangkok residents are largely unsatisfied with the floodwater management in the capital, according to a recent poll. The National Institute of Development Administration conducted the poll on October 6-7 with 1,322 respondents from various levels of education and occupations. Almost 60% of people say they are not satisfied with 33% of those saying poor preparation and flood management contributed to…
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UPDATE: 18 dead, 44 injured, bus collides with train in Chachoengsao
A bus has collided with a train next to Khlong Kwaeng Klan railway station, killing 18 passengers and injuring 44. The incident happened just after 8am this morning. Earlier it was reported in Thai PBS World that 20 people had died. The incident in Chachoengsao province, about 50 kilometres east of Bangkok, occurred as passengers were on their way to…
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Bangkok police warn protesters not to block King’s motorcade in October 14 protest
Bangkok police are warning political demonstrators not to block His Majesty the King’s motorcade in their upcoming protest event on October 14. Thailand’s King is set to preside over the graduation ceremony for Level 6 and 9 Pali scholars at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Thailand’s deputy national police chief, Damrongsak Kittiprapat, says to cope with the demonstration, police…
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Minor International Chairman calls for major overhaul of Thailand’s ASQ
Minor International’s outspoken Chairman, Bill Heinecke, has penned an open letter to Thailand’s Public Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul. The thrust of the letter is that the current ASQ and general quarantine requirements and restrictions, is making any recovery of the country’s tourism and hospitality industry. Minor hotels have already serviced 2,500 guest as part of the Thai government’s Alternative State…
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China’s economy expected to grow 1.6% in 2020 – World Bank
Much the world is currently seeing continuing surges of new Covid-19 cases, some countries are well into their 2nd wave. Meanwhile China is quietly getting it’s industrial engine and economy going again as new cases. In fact China’s number of ‘active cases’ has been dropping since April, and now is fewer than 200 total cases across the country. Along with…
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Progressive Movement party to recruit 32 local candidates for December local elections
The Progressive Movement (code for “the-new-Future-Forward-party”), says it will recruit 32 local candidates for the upcoming December elections. Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the movement’s leader, and former Future Forward Party MP, says more provinces could be added later to the Provincial Administrative Organisation election. The party will use the slogan “Changing Thailand starts at home” for its campaign. The Move Forward Party…
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Is it time for Thailand to restart its tourist industry? – SURVEY
It’s been 10 months since the first murmurings of a novel coronavirus emerged in China. Since then there’s been an unprecedented effort to control or contain the disease by governments around the world – some more successful in their efforts than others. Covid-19 has also had more words written about it, more conspiracy theories and more debate than any other…
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“Low-risk” tourists could see quarantine period cut in half upon arrival
Low-risk tourists entering Thailand under the Special Tourist Visa could see mandatory quarantine period cut in half down to 7 days, according to the Public Health Ministry. Tanarak Plipat, the deputy director-general of the Department of Disease Control under the ministry says the current quarantine system, however, must be “redesigned” if such measures are in place. “Seven-day quarantine is possible…
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Phuket police to use hospital blood tests to confirm drivers’ alcohol levels
Phuket police are using hospital blood tests to confirm drivers’ alcohol levels after the national police chief suspended checkpoints due to “transparency issues”. Arayapan Pukbuakhao, the island’s police deputy commander, is warning that police will continue to arrest and charge drink drivers despite the absence of roadside tests. All roadside blood alcohol checkpoints were cancelled last weekend through to October…
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Thai woman arrested for offering fake visa services to hundreds of migrant workers
A 45 year old Thai woman has been arrested after offering fake visa services 10 hundreds of migrant workers, valued about 7 million baht. The woman, Wassana Wongkhamjan, was arrested at her house where police found around 40 passports and receipts inside. The house was the registered address of KPS Management Company. Wassana denied the public fraud charge saying she…
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