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 Why is Bangkok's air quality so bad?
Imagine waking up early in Bangkok and you see all the beautiful morning fog from your balcony, but as you sip your coffee you realise it's just Bangkok's air pollution that's making the sun rise aesthetic. Ranked as the 36th...
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TAT proposes 4am closing time at nightspots to promote tourism…ummmmm
The Thai government are coming up with new ideas to actually lure people to visit Thailand. Go figure!?! Now the Tourism Authority of Thailand is suggesting to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports to extend the closing hours of night entertainment establishments in Thailand’s party zones by another 2 hours, from 2am until 4am. Of course, in most of the…
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Thief steals from a Pattaya bar’s merit money tree
CCTV surveillance footage from the Bart Navy Bar on Pattaya Beach Road reveals a thief crawling in and stealing from the merit making money tree in the bar. The We Love Pattaya Facebook page describes the thief as a “sinner”. https://web.facebook.com/welovepattaya58/videos/903025310064062/ The time stamp indicates that the”sinner” was operational around 4.30am yesterday (Monday) morning. The bar in Soi 7 Pattaya…
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Scrap metal merchant arrested over stolen rail track pins causing train derailment
PHOTOS: Twitter@pr.railway A scrap metal shop owner has been arrested for stealing rail track ‘pins’ that were responsible for the derailment of a railway carriages heading south from Bangkok to Chumpon province yesterday. The derailment happened in the Phetchaburi province. The incident happened yesterday (Monday) just after midday and took the rest of the day and evening to lift the…
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Greater Pattaya hosts hotel and tourism forum
On Thursday, September 5 a hotel and tourism market update event covering Greater Pattaya will be held at the Holiday Inn Pattaya. Jointly organised by industry leaders STR, Horwath HTL, C9 Hotelworks and the AMCHAM Thailand, the event will feature key hospitality operating and performance metrics. A special panel on the emerging trend of hotel residences will include senior executives from…
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Thai Tourism Minister pushes ahead with visa-free entry for Indian, Chinese visitors
PHOTO: ThaiVisa Despite criticism from both the Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai and Deputy Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, the Tourism and Sports Minister says he will push on with plans for visa-free entry for Chinese and Indian tourists. Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn plans to put the proposal to Cabinet on August 20, despite the national security concerns of both ministers. “I…
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Environment Ministry wants to increase dugong populations by 50% over a decade
“Dr. Thon Thamrongnawasawat says that trash in the seas was the main cause of the death of many endangered marine species.” Pinsak Suraswadi, deputy director-general of the Marine and Coastal Resources Department, says the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment wants to increase the population of dugong in Thailand’s waters by 50% in the next ten years. The effort will…
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Thailand’s Koh Chang by numbers, another island on the rise
by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com Despite being one of the country’s biggest islands in the Gulf of Thailand, Koh Chang has remained somewhat off the mass tourism development footprint. C9 Hotelworks has taken a look into what makes the island tick in their newly released Koh Chang Tourism Market Review. Koh Chang is off the coast of Trat in far…
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‘One Night In Bangkok’. The song, 35 years later
PHOTO: Doi Kuro, Bangkok 1980 When ‘One Night In Bangkok’ was released in 1984 it was an unlikely hit- the opening song from a (at the time) little-known stage pop-opera called ‘Chess’. The song made Number 1 in South Africa, West Germany, Switzerland and Australia, and Number 3 in Canada and the United States. It has remained a staple of…
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Thai foreign minister criticises visa waiver proposal
The Foreign Ministry opposes the Tourism and Sports Ministry’s proposal to waive visas for Indian and Chinese tourists, calling it a “risk to national security”. The proposal was put forward at a meeting last Friday, as part of a series of measures to boost the economy through an injection of over 300 billion baht in tourism. It would permit Chinese and…
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Koh Samui looks to promotions to bolster dwindling foreign tourist numbers
The president of the Tourism Association of Koh Samui says that foreigner numbers visiting the Gulf island have crashed in the first half of 2019. He says they’re trying to swing their focus to Thai travellers and other promotions to make up the difference. Foreign visitors to Koh Samui in the past have been mostly from Germany, China, Eastern Europe,…
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“Government stimulus package for Thai economy is unsustainable”
PHOTO: Wikipedia Anusorn Tamajai, an economist from Rangsit University, says he expects the proposed package to make little difference and has declared it unsustainable. The package, which should be approved this week, is worth 370 billion baht and includes cash handouts for farmers and low-income earners, grants for children, incentives for domestic travelers, and tax incentives for small businesses. It’s…
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Calls for total ban on use of single-use plastic bags
PHOTO: World Wildlife Fund The death of baby dugong Mariam, which was found to be caused from problems associated with plastic bags blocking her digestive system, has brought about renewed calls for stricter control, or a complete ban, on the use of single-use plastic bags. Marine scientist, and vice dean of the Faculty of Fisheries of Kasetsart University, Dr. Thon…
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25 year old dugong washes ashore in Krabi
PHOTO: Sitthichai Sikhawat A 240 kilogram, 2.6 metre long adult male dugong has been found dead after being washed up on Rai Lay Bay in Krabi yesterday afternoon. The announcement was made by Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park head Worapot Limlom. The dugong, thought to be around 25 years old, was swept ashore at Ton Sai Beach…
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PM calls for Thai Army’s support on drought, security and tourist safety
The Thai PM has chaired the first Defence Assembly session in his role of Minister of Defence, urging the armed forces to support the government’s work in realising policies such as cybersecurity enhancement, drought mitigation, and tourist safety. In the first Defence Assembly session, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha urged leaders of the armed forces and related departments to work in unison…
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Australian bailed bikie boss refused entry into Thailand
SCREENGRAB: 9news.com.au The leader of an Australian outlaw motorcycle gang, Mick Murray, was turned around at the border in Thailand, despite his bail conditions allowing him to leave Australia for travel. The Comanchero bikie gang president, facing more than 100 fraud charges, had his bail conditions varied by the Melbourne Magistrates Court last Wednesday so he could travel to Thailand…
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Chinese and Indians to be offered visa free arrival for 15 days in Thailand
The Tourism and Sports Minister says he’ll seek cabinet approval to offer visa exemptions to visitors from China and India for one year. Already Chinese tourists have a visa-on-arrival fees exemption. The current promotion is set to end on October 31 this year. If the new visa exemption is approved by cabinet it will start on November 1 and run…
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Thai farmers reluctant to scale down use of ‘toxic’ herbicides
Thai farmers say they oppose the proposed bans on herbicides paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos. The Thai government plans to phase out three chemical weed killers, widely used by Thai farmers, by the end of this year. Farmers say they oppose the restrictions of use because the chemicals provide higher crop yields, according to Thai PBS who headed out into the…
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Phuket villager braves the surf to rescue tangled turtle
A local villager in Phuket’s north has risked his own life to retrieve a young sea turtle caught up in fishermen’s netting. The turtle was spotted, caught up in the branches of a fallen tree along the shores of Mai Khao beach. The monsoon was kicking up big waves and it’s unlikely the locals knew how to swim, especially in…
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Marium, the baby dugong internet star, dies. Plastic found in stomach.
The orphaned female baby dugong, winning the hearts of many and helping to educate Thais about the importance of the local dugong population, has died with plastic waste lining its stomach, prompting a surge of mourning on social media. Marium was found in April off the coast of Krabi, southern Thailand, and photos of her nuzzling marine biologists quickly went…
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Mariam the young Krabi dugong dies
PHOTO: กรมทรัพยากรทางทะเลและชายฝั่ง The Phuket Marine Biological Centre has announced the sad news about the special young dugong ‘Mariam’, who was found in Krabi back on April 26. Young Mariam died earlier today. The centre posted on its official Facebook page that the vet team found that she’d stopped breathing and her pulse had stopped as well, so they brought her…
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Nine Chinese criminals rounded up for extradition back to China
FILE PHOTO: Thai Immigration Chief Pol Lt-General Sompong Chingduang Nine Chinese nationals have been taken into custody after seeking refuge in Thailand, wanted by Chinese authorities for alleged crimes in China. Thai Immigration officials report that the nine have caused damages valued around 5 billion baht to the Chinese government. Immigration police chief Pol Lt-General Sompong Chingduang said the Thai…
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Which flight route makes the most money in the world?
The world of aviation now has its first billion dollar route. That’s a flight route that makes more money for an airline than any other. And for the first time that route has breached the one billion dollar ceiling – British Airways’ service between London Heathrow and New York’s JFK. OAG has come up with a list of the routes…
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Habitat Group honoured with ten awards at 2019 PropertyGuru Thailand Property Awards
PHOTO: Winners, the Habitat Group lead by CEO, Mr. Chanin Vanijwongse Thailand’s premium property-for-investment developer, Habitat Group, has received high acclaim at the 2019 PropertyGuru Thailand Property Awards being honoured with ten awards, including the highly coveted Best Boutique Developer. In addition, Habitat Group’s flagship Walden brand and its expertise in developing properties for investment were recognised with multiple awards…
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You’ve read the social media, now watch the TM30 debate in Bangkok – VIDEO
A panel of Thai and foreign experts and commentators came together yesterday to discuss the enforcement of immigration rules, government policies and concerns, and recent shifts in official procedures and attitudes. They attempted to clarify the TM30 reporting process, analyse its impact and discuss the future of this unpopular law. The speakers were… • Pol. Maj. Gen. Patipat Suban Na…
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Tollway company says ‘no’ to Bangkok motorway discounts
PHOTO: Thai PBS Expressway and motorway operators say there will be no further discounting of the country’s toll fees. Bangkok Expressways & Metro Public Company says the proposal by the new Transport Minister for expressway tolls to be cut by an average of 5-10 baht is not going to happen. The company claims they have already helped the government over…
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Couple cry foul after ‘turbo switch’ found in Bangkok taxi – VIDEO
PHOTOS & VIDEO: Facebook/Kaew Nutnaree A Bangkok couple has complained to police about a taxi driver ‘turbo charging’ their fare with the flick of a switch. Their story was told on the Facebook page “Kaew Nutnaree”. The couple arrived at Don Muang International Airport on Tuesday and caught a cab to take them to On Nut (Sukhumvit Soi 77). They…
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“It’s really not that hard” – panel discussion on Thai immigration form TM30
PHOTO: ThaiVisa A panel discussion about the controversial TM30 form was held yesterday at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Bangkok. The panel line-up included Sebastian Brousseau from Isaan Lawyers who has been involved in the recent online petition which called for TM30 to be abolished. Also Richard Barrow, blogger and long-term expat, made a presentation calling for “clarity and consistency” in the…
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Electronic monitoring bracelet probe told to report back by August 23
The Thai Justice Ministry permanent secretary Wisit Wisitsora-at has set a deadline of August 23 for a probe into allegations that the Chinese electronic monitoring ankle or wrist bracelets, rented by the Department of Probation, can be removed by the parolled offenders without the department being alerted. Wisit, who was assigned to set up a committee to check the EM…
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7 year old elephant dies after being hit by truck
PHOTO: Twitter/@fm91trafficpro A 7 year old wild elephant has died whilst it was being taken to an animal hospital in Nakhon Pathom after being hit by a truck in Chon Buri early this morning. The female elephant weighed about 3 tonne and was following her mother at the time, according to a message on social media. The elephant was hit…
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Nation Multimedia Group aims to counter tech ‘disruption’
PHOTO: NMG group chief, Shine Bunnag Thailand’s media giant Nation Multimedia Group say they are poised to ride the new “digital wave” to tide over the industry disruption brought about by technology, group chief Shine Bunnag said while outlining his vision. Shine, who is chairman of NMG’s executive committee, said in an interview with Krungthep Turakij newspaper that with the…
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