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 Do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?
Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...
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Finance ministry to consider incentives to stimulate shopping, retail sector
Thailand’s finance minister says his ministry is ready to consider retailers’ proposals for tax breaks on shopping to stimulate domestic spending. The ministry has assigned related agencies, including the Fiscal Policy Office, the Revenue Department and the Excise Department, to examine the possibilities, Uttama Savanayana said yesterday. His remarks come after retailers asked the government to apply a shopping tax break…
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Police investigate alleged Banyin prison break, kidnapping plot
In yet another twist to a criminal case that stretches credulity, the Crime Suppression Division is investigating an alleged jailbreak plot by murder suspect Banyin Tangpakorn involving a threat to kidnap the wife of a prison chief. A source at the CSD told reporters of the investigation yesterday. Banyin, a former MP, deputy commerce minister and police lieutenant, is in…
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Travel bubbles to initially exclude tourists
“20,000 foreign businesspeople, Thai work permit holders, and international school students and teachers have registered to return to Thailand.” Health Minister and deputy PM Anutin Charnvirakul says Thailand’s “travel bubble” scheme will open first to business groups and international-school teachers who can be easily tracked, and not to the world’s tourists. He made the announcement after a meeting with Japanese…
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U-tapao and Eastern Airport City deal officially signed
The deal for a public/private partnership for the U-tapao International Airport and Eastern Airport City projects has been officially signed. The agreement is between the Eastern Economic Corridor Office of Thailand and U-tapao International Aviation Company. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha chaired the signing ceremony yesterday at Government House. The deal is for a major infrastructure project to upgrade U-tapao, which serves…
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Tourism minister says pandemic provides “opportunity to reset tourism sector”
Needless to say, Thailand’s tourism sector, considered a lifeline to an already battered economy, has been ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic. Now the government is rethinking its strategy for the Covid era… The new tourism revival strategy is “quality over quantity”, target big spenders seeking privacy and social distancing, rather than try to attract large numbers of visitors. In an…
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Government considering unlocking music venues, meetings today
Thailand’s often flamboyant and occasionally controversial Public Health Minister and Deputy PM, Anutin Charnvirakul, spoke to reporters this morning after significant recent media coverage of the estimated 100,000 musicians still out of work due to the continued closure of the entertainment and nightlife industry. Anutin says he himself was once a musician (yeah, we can see that…) and he “feels for…
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224 arrested in another Mae Sot gambling raid
Police raided a large and sophisticated online gambling operation, arresting more than 200 people at a hotel in the Mae Sot district in Northern Thailand, close to the Burmese border, as part of an on-going investigation into Chinese-related online gambling. Apparently, there was a crackdown on the illegal gambling in the Myanmar town Myawaddy, causing those involved to flee to…
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Woman runs drug syndicate from Bangkok prison
Police cracked down on a drug network allegedly and discovered that it was being run by a female inmate in the Bangkok Remand Prison, using a gold shop to launder more than 3 billion baht in illegal drug money. The woman, Daorueng Somsaeng, as well as 9 other inmates in various jails and prisons across Thailand, are facing money laundering…
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International medical hub proposed by outgoing Phuket governor
Local Thai media reported that Phuket has proposed a new project called “The International Medical and Public Health Service” to create more long term financial security and diversification, and value-added tourism in Phuket, as the island has taken a heavy financial hit due to the effects of Covid-19 pandemic. The project will use state owned property near the Tha…
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British expat petitions government to help desperate elephants, handlers
The closure of elephant camps and sanctuary-style tourist attraction throughout the northeastern provinces has left thousands of elephants facing starvation. Some have made the long march back to their home villages, where their arrival is creating more problems than it solves. Susan Field, a British citizen living in Koh Samui, yesterday presented a petition with nearly 65,000 signatures to the Thai…
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Clean up Bangkok waterways: Report on littering, get paid
Need some extra cash? Catch someone dumping garbage into Bangkok canals and half the money in fines will go to you. The effort is to clean up the so-called “Venice of East” which has so much trash, city officials say it’s scary. The maximum fine is 10,000 baht, so potentially you could get up to 5,000 baht for one report. To…
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Somkid outlines a bright future for Thai economy
Thailand is poised to soar in the global market with heightened investment attraction and a massive budget earmarked to rejuvenate the economy in the fourth quarter, as the Covid-19 pandemic eases, according to Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak. Mr Somkid says the government also plans to enhance financial cooperation with China and Hong Kong that will lead to business expansion…
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Illegal online gun dealer nabbed in Nonthaburi
Police in Nonthaburi province, on the northern outskirts of Bangkok, arrested a man this morning for selling guns illegally online, and seized 2 firearms found in his possession. Crime Suppression Division police raided a townhouse at Piyawararom housing estate in Bang Bua Thong district, acting on a tip it was the hideout of a man already wanted on an arrest…
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CAAC chief: International flights unlikely before September
Dashing hopes that international arrivals (code for ‘tourist flights’) could resume on July 1, Thailand’s senior civilian aviation regulator says that they’re are likely to resume as late as September. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand’s director says none of the airlines he’s met expressed any interest in resuming international flights next month, when the order shutting down the country’s…
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Thai LGBT advocates push for equal rights for same-sex marriage
LGBT equality advocates are calling on Thailand to allow same-sex marriage, asking that laws regarding marriage simply change the words “man and woman” so same-sex couples can have the same rights as traditional married couples. A Civil Partnership Bill allows same-sex couples to register in a civil union, but the so-called “partnerships” are not treated the same as marriages. If…
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International flight talks resume as “travel bubble” debate rages on
“There must be thorough discussions, which may continue into next month.” As the Thai government mulls the possibility of “travel bubbles” with countries where Covid-19 appears under control, aviation representatives are talking with commercial airlines about a potential return to international services. Limited domestic flights have been operating again since May, with the exception of Phuket, which resumed its domestic…
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“It’s 3 months now, when can we reopen?” – Pattaya bar owners
Today marks 3 straight months that Pattaya’s world famous – and vitally important to the city’s economy – nightlife and entertainment industry has been shuttered by the Thai Government. The industry was originally told to close “for 2 weeks” on March 18. But as the Covid-19 crisis escalated and fear and uncertainty grew worldwide, the closure was repeatedly extended, with…
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Property investors offered access to Thai developer discounts – Thaiger Flash Sale
PROPERTY EVENT Today is the start of The Thaiger Property Flash Sale. It’s only for 24 hours (starting at midday today). The Thaiger has teamed up with fazwaz.com for this first-of-a-kind event. When in a buyer’s market, that demand should be catered for, with discount offerings a key driver of success. The level of discount will depend on the developers’…
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Thai government still working on criteria for travel bubble arrangements
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says he has appointed “two senior figures” to determine the criteria for “travel bubble” agreements with other countries. According to a report in Nation Thailand, the Public Health ministry’s permanent secretary Dr Supakit Sirilak, and the director-general of the Department of Disease Control, Dr. Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai, will set the conditions that must be met for…
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Travel bubble idea up in the air, no foreign tourists anytime soon
Don’t get your hopes up about international travel. Tourism in and out of Thailand won’t be happening anytime soon, officials said yesterday. The idea of “travel bubbles” has floated by, but the plans are still up in the air. The public health minister says he’ll propose a solid plan next week. The Thai government is making it clear that they…
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Locals support young tourist stuck at Phrae forest retreat
A lot has happened in the past 4 months. Imagine being away from it all and staying in a forest in northern Thailand, picking mulberries. That’s what happened to an 18 year old Polish woman. She’s been stuck at a Phrae forest retreat since February. She’s secluded at the Mulberry Farm Denchai. The retreat’s Facebook page says the it’s for…
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Injured whale shark looks for help from divers – VIDEO
Video footage of a huge whale shark swimming toward a diving instructor while showing its tail that was caught in a rope has gone viral on the internet. The encounter took place near Koh Pha Ngan in the southern Surat Thani province last Saturday. A 3 metre long whale shark, injured by a rope tightening around its tail, swam toward…
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MP proposes legalising prostitution, sex toys to lower rape cases
An MP of the Thai Civilised Party MP yesterday proposed make prostitution and adult toys legal in Thailand, to help stem what appears to be a rising tide of rape cases in the country. Mongkolkit Suksintharanon, one of Thailand’s wealthiest politicians is an adviser and a member of a House committee assigned to to tackle the problem of rape in…
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Nightly curfew lifted, illegal motorbike racers back on the streets
Illegal motorbike street racers, known as ‘dek waen’, are back on the road right after the nightly curfew was lifted last Sunday. Police recently arrested 6 young racers in the southern province of Songkhla, but officials are warning others to slow down and abide by traffic laws as Thai media reports “dek waen are back on Bangkok streets”. Royal Thai…
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Countdown! Thailand’s first satellite launch planned for Friday
Thailand’s air force will launch its first satellite this Friday, following months of delay. Dubbed Napa-1, it’s scheduled to be launched using an Ariane Vega rocket from a staging area in French Guyana in South America, according to a Royal Thai Air Force source. The launch was postponed 3 times, in September and December last year due to technical issues,…
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Billions of baht thrown at domestic tourism
The coronavirus pandemic has nearly killed tourism in Thailand. Now, Thai authorities are giving some life to domestic travel by rewarding health volunteers with a free holiday as well as subsidising hotel and transportation costs. 3 stimulus packages worth 22.4 billion baht are planned to boost up the industry and are set to run from July to October. The money comes…
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Couple wins millions in lottery, husband’s age is the lucky number
Usually people hope just 1 of their lottery tickets will end up being a winner. A couple in Central Thailand had their lucky day when all 4 of their tickets brought in millions, adding up to a total of 24 million baht. On Monday, 60 year old Bunruan, a local teacher at Nakhon Sawan’s Wat Pho Si Temple School, and…
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Not so fast, Thailand’s international flight ban might be extended
Commercial international flights may have to wait a little longer to get back in the air. Scheduled international flights in and out of Thailand were geared to take off by July 1, but aviation authorities are wary about opening the country back up again. They say, if anything, those traveling for business will be the first group allowed to enter…
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Love for driving fast leads to fatal crash
Shortly after expressing his love for driving fast, a young man has died in a high speed motorcycle crash in Bangkok. He wrote on Facebook yesterday saying that when riding solo… “I can go as fast as I wish.” 2 hours later, he died. A witness said the 21 year old motorcyclist from Lopburi was speeding by when he smashed…
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His Majesty doesn’t want Thailand to use the lèse-majesté law
His Majesty the King does not want to use Thailand’s strict lèse-majesté laws, which make it a crime to insult or criticise the royal family, but Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says people should still be careful what they say about the Thai monarchy. While the PM says the lèse-majesté law will not be used, other similar laws can still be…
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