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.
To keep up with the hottest news, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media.
-
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?...
-
“The Thai economy is teetering on recession” – Kasikorn Bank
A financial analyst is sounding the warning bells saying that the Thai economy is on the verge of a recession while the baht will remain strong. The head of capital markets research at Kasikorn Bank, Kobsidthi Silpachai, says all eyes will be on Thailand’s economic growth to see if it slows in the fourth quarter, compared to the third. The economy…
-
Taiwan’s Eva Air adds direct flights to Phuket from next April
by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com As the tourist demographic matures and evolves, so does the airline mix landing in Phuket. Now Phuket’s direct international airlift is set to increase again with non-stop flights from Taipei, Taiwan on Eva Air. The island’s airline traffic is already almost booked out for the next few months with Phuket International Airport officials asking airlines…
-
Thai government introduces property stimulus package
PHOTO: homeservicerayong.com “Buyers must earn no more than 100,000 baht a month and be registered on the Revenue Department’s tax database.” Thailand’s Finance Ministry spokesman Lavaron Sangsnit says that the three major housing associations are ready to support the government’s latest stimulus measures to support home purchases. There was a meeting between Ministry officials and the Housing Business Association, Thai Real…
-
Thai household debt hits all-time high of 340K baht per house
Household debt in Thailand is at a record high. A survey carried out by the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce shows that household debt has increased by 7.4% since this time last year and now sits at a record high of 340,000 baht. The survey was carried out between November 11-23, canvassing 1,201 people around the country. The…
-
Thailand Charter Week a great success for Thai yachting industry
Organisers of the Thailand Charter Week hope to make next year’s event even bigger after this month’s successful inaugural edition at Phuket Yacht Haven. Yachts hosted familiarisation cruises around Phang Nga Bay and surrounding areas. The second edition is being held from November 14-18, 2020. Many of the world’s most renowned brokerage houses, Asia’s leading charter companies and Thailand-based yacht service…
-
Two Aussies, Nigerian and Thai arrested with a kilogram of crystal meth – VIDEO
PHOTO: Pattaya ‘Drug Cartel’ Sting Operation Two Australians, a Nigerian and a Thai woman have been arrested in Pattaya with a kilogram of crystal methamphetamine valued at 350,000 baht. A team of police raided a home in the Nong Prue district and arrested 46 year old Jamie Robert Hansom and 58 year old Steven Brett Hovi, both Australian, 38 year old…
-
Soi Dog reaches new milestone – neutering 100,000 animals in one year
“The day we see no suffering of stray animals on the streets and the eradication of rabies in Thailand.” That’s the long-term goals of the Soi Dog Foundation. The non-profit organisation has made great strides towards these so far in 2019 by surpassing 100,000 stray dog and cat sterilisations in a calendar year for the first time in its history,…
-
Member of committee to ban farm chemicals quits in protest over U-turn
PHOTO: Assoc. Prof. Jiraporn Limpananont Pongspaj Samranvejporn – Thai PBS World The Thai Industry Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit is being challenged over his claims of a “unanimous vote of support” to overturn the decision to ban the controversial agri-chemicals. A member of the National Hazardous Substances Committee, that oversaw the original ban on the agri-chemicals paraquat, chlorpyrifos and glyphosate, has resigned in…
-
Over 50% of businesses ignoring orders on wastewater release into central Thailand canal
PHOTO: Iloilo Wanderer The Pollution Control Department says over 50% of businesses are ignoring orders regarding the discharge of wastewater into Klong Saen Saeb. The canal connects Bangkok’s Chao Phraya river with the central Thailand provinces of Prachinburi and Chachoengsao. The Nation reports that between 2016 and 2019, over 289 establishments out of 600 have stuck to the rules issued…
-
“New” committee reverses ban on farm chemicals
The Thai government will lift the proposed ban on the herbicide glyphosate, and delay the ban on paraquat and the pesticide chlorpyrifos for six months. It’s an astonishing turn of events given the extensive public debate and insistence by some government ministers that it WON’T reverse the ban under any circumstances. Just two days ago Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s…
-
Thailand unlikely to abolish the draft
Thai Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon says military conscription won’t be scrapped any time soon, as there aren’t enough volunteers signing up for service. Prawit told reporters conscription is meant to avoid manpower shortfalls, but admitted that conscripts represent a small percentage of all recruits, appearing to contradict himself. “If conscription is abolished and something untoward happens to Thailand, there won’t be…
-
Parliament removes support banner from FFP’s offices
PHOTOS: Facebook Parliamentary officials have taken down a large signed banner supporting the Future Forward party’s leader leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit from the door to the party parliamentary offices, saying it was “inappropriate.” Last week Thanathorn was stripped of his MP status by the Constitutional Court. He was stripped of status for owning shares in a media company when he registered…
-
All national highways in Thailand to have four lanes by 2022
Thailand’s Highways Department says all national highways in the country will be four-lane roads, two lanes in each direction, within three years. Daily News says the Director-General of the Highways Department, Sarawut Songsiwilai, made the announcement yesterday. Sarawut says the expansion will mean the country’s highways are better prepared to accommodate an increase in traffic using the network. It’s understood…
-
From 2020, all Thai national park visitors must take their rubbish with them
From January 1, visitors to any of Thailand’s national parks must carry their own garbage bags and take their trash with them when they leave. Thai PBS World reports that this latest measure is being put in place following the death of a wild deer in Kun Sathan national park in northern Thailand. The deer was found to have 7…
-
10 months later, no action to catch Bea’s murderer – Phuket
PHOTO: Dimitrios ‘Dim’ Chairopoulo, wanted and believed to be living in Greece “We are all in desperate need of some answers so that justice can be served for the family.” It’s been over 10 months since the murder of a local Phuket beautician 43 year old Niramon ‘Bea’ Aewkaew. But her alleged Greek murderer Dimitrios ‘Dim’ Chairopoulos remains on the…
-
MD on the run – arrest warrant out for owner of company constructing petrol station in Phuket
PHOTOS: Phuket Hotnews The owner of a company responsible for the collapsed petrol station under construction in Thalang, Phuket, is on the run. Seven people died and two others injured when the concrete pillars gave way to a concrete slab, crushing those below. Chuchart Plasuwan is the 44 year old MD of the The Blue Phuket Co Ltd. The incident…
-
Over 500 complaints lodged against fake Thai tour agent
…who scammed victims out of 31 million baht. A fake package tour agency who used social media to scam customers out of a total of 31 million baht now has 514 complaints lodged against it, with 100 complaints lodged with the Vice Minister of Justice yesterday. The complaints were lodged at the ministry’s offices in Chaeng Watthana, Bangkok. The Nation…
-
Thailand to export additional 1 million tonnes of rice to China
PHOTO: asia.nikkei.com The Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister says he aims to increase exports of Thai rice to China by another 1 million tonnes. The Nation reports that Chalermchai Sri-on says a second list of approved Thai rice manufacturers has been provided to China, with officials there pledging to finalise the country’s import scheme registration as soon as possible. Minister Chalermchai…
-
Thailand signs 3 MoUs with South Korea during PM’s visit
PHOTO: Thai PBS World Thailand has signed three MoUs (Memorandum of Understanding) with South Korea during PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s official visit, taking place from November 24-27 for the 2019 ASEAN – Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit. Thai PBS World reports that the three agreements were signed yesterday, the first being between Thailand’s Ministry of Higher Education Science, Research and Innovation…
-
Chinese man stabbed to death in Bangkok office
PHOTO: khaosod.co.th Police are investigating the death of a Chinese man found murdered at his visa service office on the first floor of a Bangkok apartment in Huai Khwang. Police found 54 year old Fang Yang Zen dead, face down at a blood drenched table in the office. There were more than ten cuts on his face and neck, and a…
-
Criminal Court upholds bail for former park chief Chaiwat
PHOTO: Former chief of Kaeng Krachan national park, Chaiwat Limlikhit-aksorn (left), and Karen activist Polajee “Billy” Rakchongcharoen (right) The Criminal Court has rejected a request to withdraw the bail of former Kaeng Krachan park chief Chaiwat Limlikhit-akson and three others. The four are suspected in the murder of Karen activist Porlajee “Billy” Rakchongcharoen about five years ago. In the request…
-
Health minister: No delays on agri-chemical bans
PHOTO: CNA The Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has reiterated there will be no delay to the ban on paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos, set to come into effect next week. Anutin, also deputy PM, reasserted the Health Ministry’s backing of the National Hazardous Substances Committee ban, even though the Department of Agriculture has proposed delaying it for six months to…
-
Business friend finds body parts in Bangkok refrigerator
Police have made a grisly discovery at a house in Bangkok where a woman’s dismembered body has been found in a refrigerator, and her son shot in the head. One of the woman’s business friends made the discovery and alerted police. Police attended the townhouse in the Thonburi area, on the west banks of the Chao Phraya. Inside the refrigerator…
-
Swiss score two firsts at the Laguna Phuket Triathlon
PHOTO: Ruedi Wild crossing the finish line in yesterday’s men’s triathlon event Strong performances by Swiss’ athletes Ruedi Wild and Imogen Simmonds game them firsts at the 26th Laguna Phuket Triathlon yesterday (November 24). Finishing first to claim his third Phuket Triathlon championship, Wild crossed the finish line at 02:21:07, just two minutes before his toughest contender, Michael Raelert of…
-
Thai air pollution crisis spiralling out of control
Leading academics say the Thai government is simply not equipped to prevent the air pollution crisis “spinning out of control”. Despite ambitious proclamations, like the publicly announced goal to solve the problem by 2022, lawmakers continue to downplay threats to human health and allow conflicts of interest to prevent real advances toward solutions. During a smog crisis in Bangkok earlier…
-
Thais are tightening their belts and spending less – survey
“Nearly 70% said they’ve reduced spending on things like travel, shopping, parties and luxury goods.” Thais are tightening their belts and reducing their spending to weather the country’s growing stumbling economy, according to a Dusit Poll survey. The poll was conducted November 19-23 and surveyed 1,174 people from across Thailand. When asked how they’ve cut back, nearly 70% said they’ve…
-
Representative of the owner of collapsed building visits the victims in Phuket
PHOTOS: Phuket Hotnews On November 23, the owner of the petrol station project, where the concrete structure collapsed on Thursday, killing 7 people and injuring two, sent a representative of the project to visit the injured and the families of the deceased. The incident occurred on November 21 at about 1pm. The victims were the contractors and workers of the…
-
British fugitive extradited to the UK after being nabbed in Thailand last month
A British fugitive, who caused 140,000 pounds (GBP) of damage in a ram-raid in Devon, UK , has been extradited back to Britain after 18 months on the run in Thailand, following an arrest late last month. 43 year old Dylan Taylor or Torquay was found guilty of burglary in June 2018. After he absconded to Thailand, he was sentenced…
-
Child porn website based in Chiang Mai busted
Chiang Mai police have arrested the operator of a child pornography website in a raid on his condominium in the northern city. Police and the Thailand Internet Crimes Against Children unit apprehended 24 year old Thai national Korakot Chulthong on Saturday. They also seized seized three mobile phones, a laptop computer, two portable disk drives, bank passbooks and ATM cards.…
-
Thailand improves marine pollution ranking
Thailand’s ranking among the 20 biggest marine plastic plastic polluters has improved by four places, from sixth to tenth, as ranked by Mass of Mismanaged Plastic Waste. The permanent secretary for natural resources and environment says the improvement is largely thanks to government initiatives and the efforts of the public and the private sector in reducing single-use plastic bags and…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.