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 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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Italy’s ‘Bonny & Clyde’ arrested in Pattaya, Thailand
Local Chon Buri police have caught up with two Italians who have been on an Interpol red notice since 2012 after they fled Italy after being sentenced to eight years in jail for fraud. 58 year old Francesco Galdelli had been parading himself as George Clooney chewing investors into buying into his bogus clothes business. His wife, 45 year old…
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Burasari opens second Phuket hotel on Coconut Island
PHOTO: Original Vision Island Escape by Burasari, the second Phuket hotel from the Thai-based group, will have a soft opening this September. Located on Koh Maphrao (also known as Coconut Island), the initial product will be 15 villas. By December this year, the full inventory of 180 rooms and 40 villas will be operational. With Island Escape, Burasari Group will operate eight…
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Two arrested on human trafficking charges in Koh Samui
Two suspects have been arrested on human-trafficking charges for allegedly prostituting girls under the age of 18 on Koh Samui, under the guise of operating a karaoke bar. 18 year old ‘ladyboy’ Chaiyasit Nijkham and 28 year old Sukanya Phadaeng were arrested in a raid when undercover officers visited the bar as customers. While at the bar, the officers were…
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US Navy veteran locked up in Thai prison, family pleas for help
by Lauren Talarico A US Navy veteran from Texas remains locked up in a Thai prison for something his family says he didn’t do. Derrick Keller was arrested on August 20, 2018. But his family says the allegations against him are not true and they desperately want him home. Derrick Keller’s family doesn’t know what to do next after their…
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change.org petition calls on Phuket locals to take action on construction dump
Locals have launched a petition on Change.org to draw attention to a construction dump operating in central Phuket, in the suburb of Cherng Talay, which adjoins the coastal towns of Bang Tao, Layan and Surin. We print the article verbatim, spelling and all. The article is titled “Close burning dump near Laguna Phuket” and has been penned in English and Russian…
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Formal complaint made about Phuket OrBorTor chief for inaction over environmental issues
Danai Yardee and Chamroon Kerndum, representing a group of Phuket environmental groups, have made a formal complaint against Cherng Talay President Ma ‘Ann Samran. The complaint calls for investigation into the construction of an anti-erosion sea wall at Surin Beach, unfinished wastewater treatment plants and alleged tampering of evidence. A report by IsraNews.org says they’ve filed a complaint with Department…
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True Digital Park opens in Sukhumvit 101 Road, Bangkok
Under the concept of ‘One Roof, All Possibilities’, the new True Digital Park is now ready to support the country in driving the digital economy. The “Work Space” is a workplace and digital innovation development space. The True Digital Park says they will collaborate with government agencies, enterprises and global tech giants including The National Innovation Agency, Digital Economy Promotion Agency,…
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British Hua Hin bar owner overstays visa by eight years
Prachuap Khiri Khan immigration officials have arrested a 50 year old British expat, Michael Gary Doyle. His passport expired in 2011 and he’d overstayed his welcome for 2,917 days since June of that year. He was arrested at his house in Phoonsuk Road, Hua Hin. Banmuang reports that Mr. Doyle was the owner/operator of a beer bar in Hua Hin and…
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Bangkok pair arrested over 4 million baht scam
PHOTO: Facebook/csdthai A 19 year old has been arrested in Bangkok over a social media scam. She, and an accomplice, allegedly hacked in Line and Facebook accounts and were able to scam over 100 users to transfer money. Bangkok Post has named the pair as 19 year old Naruemol Lamperngmee and 48 year old Samart Yoosop. Crime Suppression police caught…
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Bangkok and Singapore jump in rankings for world living costs
Bangkok is now the 63rd most expensive location in a new cost of living survey for expats. Singapore has experienced a big rise in the rankings, becoming the 12th most expensive location in the world for expatriates. Lee Quane, regional director for Asia at ECA International says that Bangkok has risen 100 places in just the last five years. “We have…
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Laotian ladyboy arrested for stealing from Finnish tourist in Pattaya
PHOTOS: Pattaya Tourist Police A Laotian, a Finn, one was a ladyboy and it happened in Pattaya. Tourist Police in Pattaya have arrested a Laotian ladyboy who stole property from a Finnish tourist’s bag at Pattaya’s Walking Street last night. Pattaya Tourist Police report that on-duty police who were stationed at Pattaya Walking Street immediately arrested the Laotian ladyboy who…
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More internal bickering for Democrats over split of cabinet seats
Democrat party MPs find themselves again torn over important decisions.. This time the party is split over the sharing of eight cabinet posts allocated to them by their leading coalition partner, Palang Pracharat. Last week the decided to side with the pro-Junta Palang Pracharat party to vote Prayut Chan-o-cha into the PM position. They’d campaigned on ensuring that Prayut wouldn’t…
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Administrative Court rejects private hospitals’ plea to remove caps on pricing
Thailand’s private hospital sector has failed to win respite from an order controlling their medical prices, after the Supreme Administrative Court turned down their request. The court made the decision saying that the order will not cause irreversible damages to the hospitals even though an injunction has not been issued yet. The Private Hospital Association, together with 42 private hospitals,…
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Thai PM acts on illegal and unlicensed hotels and accommodation
Owners of shop-houses, rented properties, even entire floors of condos – running them as defacto hotels – are about to get the Article 44 treatment. The PM, acting in his capacity as the head of the NCPO (in the days before it is dissolved), says he will bring an estimated 20,000 illegal hotels and accommodations around the country under control…
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Visa run to Penang – a personal experience in Thailand (2019)
This story was one person’s experience of the visa process in Penang. It should not be regarded as ‘typical’ or even used as a guide. But we provide Jim’s journey as warning to do your homework before embarking on getting or renewing your visa. Be aware that this seemingly simple trip to the former ‘Pearl of the Orient’ in Malaysia…
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Red swimming flags out at Koh Hong in Krabi
Red flags have been dusted off and set up along the beach at Koh Hong in Ao Luek, Krabi today. In an unrelated story, dead fish have also been found along a beach in Ao Nang, Krabi. National park officers at Mu Koh Hong in Krabi have planted the red flags along the beach to warn swimmers not to go…
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Motorbike passenger dies, crushed under truck in Bangkok
PHOTOS: Phetkasem Foundation A motorbike passenger has died after colliding with a pickup truck and then being crushed by a passing truck in Bangkok. Police News report that Kannayao Police were notified of the incident on Ramintra Road last night. Police and emergency responders arrived to find a damaged motorbike and pickup truck. The truck was still sitting in the…
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Pattaya International Music Festival 2019 – Make it a date
This year the annual Pattaya Music Festival takes place on June 14 and 15 along Pattaya Beach Road, Pattaya. Dates were postponed to June, instead of March as in previous years, so that the event is held as part of the 60th anniversary of Pattaya tourism. Started in 2002, the Pattaya International Music Festival is a celebration of music. It’s one…
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Police seeking two men over Bang Na gang shooting
by Kornkamon Aksorndech – The Nation Police are seeking the arrest of two men over last Monday’s shooting of a rival gang in Soi Lasalle 19 in Bangkok’s Bang Na district. Officers say the long-haired suspect, caught on video, is 30 year old Prasertsak Singsopa, and 19 year old Peerapol Poungburi. Their alleged accomplice, 30 year old Jaturong Eiumtuam, turned himself…
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Poll shows most respondents don’t believe Future Forward bribe claims
PHOTO: prachatai.com More than 53% of respondents to a recent poll don’t believe the claim that the Future Forward party made in the days before last week’s parliametrary vote for the PM, that they had been offered millions of baht for their supporting votes. At the time some Future Forward Ps went public claims they were offered amounts as high…
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Grab motorbike rider gets slashed by ‘win’ driver
PHOTO: Facebook/Ratsita View A Grab rider had been assaulted by a knife-wielding motorcycle taxi rider in Bangkok. He had his lip slashed in the attack in the Banthat Thong district. He was not armed at the time. Daily News report that Pathumwan police say the attack occurred on May 12 and investigations are still continuing. The Grab rider has only been able…
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Melbourne named as first non-US city to be an Uber flying-taxi testbed
Flying cars. Long awaited, a thing of 1950s editions of Popular Mechanics and sci-fi, now a small step closer to reality. Uber, the worldwide ride-sharing App, say it is going to use Melbourne, Australia as the first non-US city for its new aerial transportation service. They’ve even claimed 2023 as their launch date for the initiative. Melbourne joins Dallas and…
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Electric vehicles on the rise but the take up is slow in Thailand
“Two trends will develop in Southeast Asia. The first is new operators of EV taxi fleets such as cars and motorcycles, and the second is electric buses for public transport.” Justin Wu, head of Asia-Pacific for Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) says the electric vehicles (EVs) remain expensive and unaffordable for individual buyers in Thailand and ASEAN. Mr. Wu says…
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German motorbike driver dies on Patong Hill, Phuket
A German motorbike driver has died at the scene after colliding with a pickup truck travelling down Patong Hill in Phuket. The Kathu police were notified of the accident on Monday night on Phra Baramee Road, on the Kathu side of the notoriously dangerous Patong hill road. Police and emergency responders arrived to find the damaged motorbike. Nearby they found…
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Huawei running 5G testbeds in Thailand
China phone-giant Huawei, along with Thailand’s Digital Economy and Society Ministry and interested partners, is now turning the much-awaited 5G Testbed into a reality. As the first and only vendor so far to deliver the 5G network to Thailand’s 5G Testbed in the Eastern Economic Corridor in Sri Racha, Huawei is providing a platform that will be used for end-to-end…
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Grab or Uber, or Red Buses? Tourist poll in Chiang Mai.
Thai tourists in Chiang Mai have been polled in the The Mae Jo survey checking on the popularity of public transport options around the northern city. There were 423 respondents to the poll carried out between January 9-23. So who did the Thai tourists prefer? Uber and Grab or local red buses (Rot Daeng)? 76% of Thai tourists want to see…
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Preparing for the floods and Thailand’s wet season
The current deputy PM and Defense Minister, Prawit Wongsuwan, has instructed administrative, military and police officers to better prepare for flooding in all regions of the country this wet season. The call went out following severe flooding around the capital last Friday afternoon. Authorities have been instructed to prepare for the prevention and containment of torrential waters, landslides and flooding…
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Spurned, sacked employee goes on 15 month spending spree with stolen credit card
What do you do if you’re fired from your job? Use the bosses company credit card and go on a spending spree. This woman acted criminally, but the company she stole from should be arrested for stupidity! A 32 year old woman, Thamolwan Konthong, took revenge by stealing her former boss’s credit card and racking up a 6 million baht…
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Man charged with shooting girlfriend’s relatives in Rawai, Phuket
A man has been charged with shooting his girlfriend’s relatives after failing to reconcile with his girlfriend in Rawai, Phuket. Chalong Police were notified of the incident at a house on Patak Road in Rawai yesterday. Police and emergency responders arrived to find two people injured from gun shot wounds – 40 year old Saksit Eiamsamran and 22 year old Pongsakorn…
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Thai PM receives royal endorsement. Negotiations on hold for today’s ceremonies.
Thailand’s new Prime Minister, the old one but now elected by the new parliament last Wednesday, is reported to have agreed to the ministerial post quotas Palang Pracharath promised to the Democrat and Bhumjaithai parties. Prayut Chan-o-cha has reportedly invited all coalition partners to stop squabbling and attend the swearing-in ceremony for him to formerly take the post of PM in…
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