Hot News
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Sponsored Why long-term expats in Thailand say insurance is worth every baht
Thailand’s warm weather, low cost of living, and good healthcare attract many long-term expats, including retirees and remote workers. Life here feels easy and affordable, but medical costs can be high if something goes wrong. Private hospitals are popular because...
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Bangkok nightclub has special booth to vet and upcharge foreigners
A Bangkok nightclub has set up what resembles an immigration counter outside the venue to check foreigners’ IDs and make them pay up before entering. At BarBarBar in Thong Lor, Thais get in free, but foreigners are asked to step aside to the booth and either pay 500 baht or buy a bottle of alcohol before entering the venue. Bouncers…
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A further threat to PM’s leadership as court set to rule in military housing case
The leadership of Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha could be under threat, and not just from the tens of thousands of activists calling for his resignation. On December 2, the Constitutional Court will rule in a case that accuses the PM of abusing his power by occupying a military-owned residence, despite the fact that he retired from the army 6 years…
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Protesters use red letter boxes to receive petitions calling for reform of the Thai Monarchy
With police blocking their attempts to reach the Palace’s Household Bureau in Bangkok last night, anti-government protesters dropped their petitions and hand-written letters, calling for reform of the Thai Monarchy, into 4 ‘letter boxes’ instead. After the activists had brought the plastic red letter boxes with them, and, with police preventing them from marching to the Grand Palace, used them…
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Investors see opportunity in Pattaya hotel market
Although travel restrictions are still tight, investors see potential opportunities in Pattaya’s hotel market. Many are reimagining the 2021 market by focusing on domestic demand. Property consultancy JLL says the ongoing Eastern Economic Corridor development comes into play. U-Tapao International Airport in Rayong expanding to increase capacity by 5 million passengers and a high speed rail is in the works…
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Men arrested for allegedly stealing 15 big bikes
After a number of bike bikes went missing in Samut Sakhon’s Krathum Baen district, just southwest of Bangkok, police arrested 2 people for allegedly stealing the bikes and selling them to buyers at the Thai-Myanmar border. Police first arrested a man Thai media reports as Nattapol back in September. Police say Nattapol admitted to the charges and tipped police off…
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Protesters face water cannons as they deliver thousands of letters to HM the King – VIDEO
Police turned the water cannons on thousands of protesters again as they marched to the Grand Palace to symbolically deliver hand-written letters to the Thai King. Thai media reports the crowd numbers were up to 10,000 – 12,000. Police say the crowd was around 7,000. The protesters were again demanding the resignation of the Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, a new…
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52 year old Russian head-butted by Thai protest leader in Pattaya
A small protest gathering in Pattaya’s Jomtien Beach last night turned ugly when one of the protest leaders targeted and assaulted a 52 year old Russian expat who was watching on with his 10 year old daughter and Thai wife. The tall Thai man in the floral shirt, named as Narathiwat “Kane” Khamma, became agitated and started yelling obscenities at…
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3 protesters injured as police turn on the water cannons again at last night’s protest
For a second time Thai police have turned their high pressure water cannons on protesters. This evening police aimed the water cannon at the anti-government protesters in an effort to stop them from continuing their march to the Royal Household Bureau at the Grand Palace. 3 protesters were injured in the exchange and were taken to hospital in an ambulance.…
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Play 18 holes during your quarantine in Thailand – new STV proposal
Quarantine, whilst wandering around a golf course, maintaining social distancing of course. That’s the latest STV proposal tabled for consideration by the CCSA to expand the current Special Tourist Visa and quarantine restrictions for golf tourists who may visit Thailand and do their quarantine in a secure golf course, whilst enjoying a few rounds at the same time. The proposal…
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Bangkok Pride Parade demands reforms and rights for sex workers
The Thai LGBT community was joined by anti-government protesters in yesterday’s Pride Parade in Bangkok, which travelled from Sam Yan intersection to Silom. The parade took on a more political tone this year and was calling for democracy and equal rights, amid the usual demands for the resignation of Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and reforms to the role of the…
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Police were waiting at the thief’s home after a bungled Bangkok gold shop robbery
Note to aspiring gold thieves – leave your ID card at home before you head out for the robbery. One gold thief has learned the hard way after accidentally dropping his ID card in the gold shop as he was rushing to escape. The incident happened last Thursday at 11am at a gold shop inside the Tesco Lotus Phatthanakan. Central Bangkok…
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Changes proposed to dress codes, haircuts and gender identity for Thai students
The ‘Bad Student’ campaign and its withering attacks on the Thai education minister appear to have hit their mark. The Education Ministry has now announced amended regulations that cover dress codes and haircuts for students after a 4 month campaign. The Bad Student protests have been under-reported due to the larger protest movements, but have seen hundreds of students conducting…
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Phuket & Koh Samui face financial ruin in the short to medium term – VIDEO
Phuket and Samui are both islands, fed mostly by arrivals at their international airports. Of course, both remain closed and the islands are trying to survive on a dribble of domestic tourists. And there’s no sign of hope any time soon for the future. Bill Barnett is ‘Mr Hotel & Hospitality’ for Thailand and the region. What does he see…
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The Phuket ‘light rail’ may end up being an electric bus instead
The Phuket mass rapid transport system, aka. Phuket Light Rail and Phuket Tram, is receiving more attention as the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand mull more changes to the design. The initial route, which would run from the Phuket Airport, follow the main north/south artery, Thepkasattri Road, then through Phuket Town and on to Chalong circle, has a projected…
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Police brace for large anti-government rally at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument on Sunday
A protest rally planned for the Democracy Monument on Ratchadamnoen Avenue tomorrow afternoon is shaping up to be the largest gathering up to date. Since July, anti-government rallies have been building, in number and frequency, with a consistent list of demands outlined in a 10 point manifesto. These, broadly, call for the resignation of Thailand’s PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, the dissolution…
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Pent-up demand for outbound Thai travel sparks new travel bubble talks
Travel bubbles are back on the table as countries in the region battle to find some safe solution to their tourist shortfall. Thailand, in particular, earns such a high proportion of its GDP from travel and tourism, that it is seeing a major financial shortfall after closing its borders. This, in the context of no new Special Tourist Visa applications…
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Man allegedly beats wife and son to death before attacking neighbour
A 50 year old man has been arrested for allegedly killing his wife and son, then setting their bodies on fire at their home in Nakhon Pathom, in central Thailand. Phan Thopa is facing charges of murder and arson as well as physical assault causing injury after he chased after a neighbour and hit her with a hammer, breaking her arm.…
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Thai TV debate: Royalist accuses Jewish Americans of funding pro-democracy protests
A debate between a royalist and a pro-democracy supporter got heated and turned into shouting during a broadcast on a Thai news channel. In one bizarre exchange, the royalist spokesperson accused Jewish Americans of backing the pro-democracy movement. The ongoing political protests, calling on government and monarchy reformation, has led to a divide in Thailand with a split between those…
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10 day quarantine proposal passes first stage of approval
A health sub-committee of the government’s Covid-19 task force has approved a reduction in quarantine from 14 days to 10, for visitors arriving from “safe” countries. They would be those that are at a similar risk level to Thailand, or slightly higher. Those arriving from countries considered “high risk” will still need to carry out 14 days’ quarantine. The proposal…
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Alleged robber drops ID card while running off with 110,000 baht in gold
An alleged gold shop robber dropped his Thai identification card as he ran off with 2 gold necklaces worth more than 110,000 baht. The suspect, a food delivery driver, allegedly stole the jewelry from a gold store at a Tesco Lotus in Bangkok’s Phattanakarn district. Shop employees say a man wearing a hat and face mask asked to see 2…
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Thai Airways to auction off 34 used passenger aircrafts
Anyone want to buy an airplane? In the midst of tackling bankruptcy, Thai Airways is auctioning off 34 old passenger aircrafts. The aircrafts are around 12 to nearly 30 years old and are sold on an “as-is, where is” condition. The airline has been strapped for cash. As part of a debt rehabilitation plan, nearly 5,000 employees – a fourth…
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PM says he’d be happy to step aside if someone better comes along
The Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, says he’d have no problem stepping down if someone better could take over, adding that he’s tired of all the power now. “If in the future, there is a person who is better, more capable and more honest than me, similarly honest, (he or she) would continue the work and be in charge of the…
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Thailand considering no-quarantine travel bubble with China
With no new Special Tourist Visa applications for November, the Thai government is considering a no-quarantine travel bubble plan with China. Officials hope that if approved, the scheme could be put into operation in time for Chinese New Year in February. China currently has 22 low-risk provinces, as they have not recorded a Covid-19 case in over 150 days. The…
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Foreign minister meets with Phuket-based diplomats to discuss the island’s future
The Thai Foreign Minister and Deputy PM, Don Pramudwinai, has met with a group of European and Asian diplomats based in Phuket to discuss the future of the southern island province. Attendees came together to talk about economic stimulus measures that could help Phuket, which has been hit hard by Covid-19 travel restrictions and the closure of Thailand’s borders. According…
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Homeless hermit crabs in Koh Lanta need seashell donations
Hermit crabs on Moo Koh Lanta Marine National Park have been seen making homes out of broken glass bottles and other pieces of trash. With the shortage of shells on the Krabi beaches, park officials have launched a project called “Returning Homes to Hermit Crabs.” The park made a post on Facebook with photo a hermit crab that appears to…
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Young Thais say political divide has caused conflict with their parents
The ongoing political protests have led to a new, raw divide in Thailand with a split between a younger generation demanding democracy and an older generation trying to protect Thailand’s Monarchy. Student-led protests continue to call for reform of the government and the country’s monarchy. They’ve spoken up about topics considered “unprecedented” in Thai society. Royalists, generally an older generation,…
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3 stores investigated for potential fraud in government co-payment scheme
Officials are investigating 3 businesses for possibly de-frauding the government under the “Let’s Go Halves” stimulus scheme introduced last month. The co-payment plan launched on October 16 in an effort to boost domestic spending. Under the scheme, 10 million citizens can avail of discounts on purchases at participating stores of up to 150 baht a day, capped at 3,000 baht…
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More websites get the Pornhub treatment as Thailand blocks a further 209 “offensive” and “misleading” sites
The Digital Economy and Society Ministry is on a roll, announcing plans to cut access to a further 209 websites following a block on adult website Pornhub. However, the names of the “misleading” or “offensive” websites which have incurred the ministry’s wrath have not been confirmed. Earlier this week, a group gathered outside the DES ministry offices to protest against…
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CIA cannot grant asylum to Thai activists, US Embassy says conspiracy theories are false
Some claim pro-democracy leaders have applied for political asylum in the United States and the CIA is helping them out, but the US Embassy in Bangkok says it’s not true and the claim isn’t even in line with the process for asylum in America. Bangkok Post spoke with a US Embassy representative on the phone who says the claims about…
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Urgent plan to reduce PM2.5 – National Environment Board
With the air pollutant PM2.5 rising to harmful levels in some areas of Bangkok and increasing in other cities, the National Environment Board has approved an urgent plan. Pollution Control Department chief Atthaphon Charoenchansa says the plan has 12 measures to tackle pollution. It will be submitted to the Cabinet for review. A “pollution information centre” will be formed with…
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