Thailand News
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Sponsored 5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)
Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...
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More than 600 endangered or prohibited animals seized at Suvarnabhumi Airport
Wildlife officials and the Thai Customs Department have seized more than 600 endangered or prohibited animals at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. The animals were delivered from a middle east country via Egypt Air. The information about the sender hasn’t been reported at this stage of the investigation. Yesterday, the Manager of the Wildlife Checkpoint at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Yossathon Kongngen, told…
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Sleepy driver crashes into truck, rebounds into canal, doesn’t escape in time
A man died in a serious road accident in Pathum Thani province, central Thailand, at around 6:30am this morning. Thought to be asleep at the wheel, he crashed into a 6 wheel truck, flinging his car into a canal. He didn’t escape the car in time and died at the scene. The truck driver tried to swerve the car, but…
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Friday Covid Update: 7,779 new cases; provincial totals
56 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 29,367 with 7,669 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 7,779 new Covid-19 cases and 9,286 recoveries. There are now 75,864 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of the new cases recorded…
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Thailand’s public health officials proposing ‘Endemic Sandboxes’ to legally reopen nightlife
Thailand is getting closer and closer to the endemic phase of its Covid response. Achingly slow but now with at least a proposal to be tabled at the next CCSA meeting. The Ministry of Public Health will propose ‘Endemic Sandboxes’ as a plan to allow entertainment venues to legally reopen in 3 tourist islands including Phuket, Koh Chang, and Koh…
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First day of Thailand’s rainy season: heavy rain warning for 36 provinces
Today, May 13, marks the first day of Thailand’s rainy season. A low pressure cell from upper Vietnam is expected to cause heavy rain and potential flash flooding in 36 provinces in the kingdom. The Meteorological Department advises people to be aware of the dangers caused by heavy rainfall. Sailors, especially on the Andaman Coast, should expect tall waves and…
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Depressed delivery driver kills himself by jumping off a Bangkok bridge
A delivery worker who worked for Lalamove, 31 year old Wicharn Pimthikor, jumped from Bhumibol I Bridge on Wednesday afternoon. He had parked his motorcycle on the bridge before deciding to jump. His body was later found floating in the Chao Praya River. A ferry operator said he was on duty nearby when he heard a big splash, like something…
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Suspects allegedly drug and rob Kuwaiti tourist in Bangkok
Two suspects allegedly drugged a Kuwaiti tourist before stealing about 200,000 baht from him, around US$5,700, in Bangkok in March, although they were only arrested yesterday. The victim said the suspects took him to a hotel on Bangkok’s famous Sukhumvit road to have sex. He said he was then drugged, and became unconscious. When he woke up, he saw that…
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UPDATE: New details emerge on missing German tourist in Phuket
THE LATEST Phuket police are still on the lookout for the German tourist who reportedly went missing from a hotel in Thalang district on Monday (May 9). The 76 year old woman was originally only identified as Ms. Barbara, however the Thalang district police chief has now told The Phuket Express that her full name is Barbara Elisabeth Monika Glag…
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Democrat candidate in Bangkok election promises to tackle flooding if elected
A candidate in Bangkok’s upcoming governor election is saying he will tackle the city’s flooding problem if he is elected. The candidate, Suchatvee Suwansawat, from Thailand’s Democrat Party, said at a campaign event yesterday that electric water pumps must be set up across Bangkok, because dredging and flood control reservoirs are not enough. Bangkok has had a chronic problem with…
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The Bikini Beach Race to take place in Pattaya this October
Central Festival Pattaya Beach has confirmed its annual running event, the Bikini Beach Race 2022. The event is run on the beach in front of the Central Festival shopping centre on October 29 this year. The Bikini Beach Race was actually held last year, even though the Covid-19 prevention rules weren’t relaxed, as they are this year (let’s hope it…
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Phuket’s THB4.5 Billion Andamanda Project Set to Open
Thailand’s newest integrated resort, the Andamanda Phuket will soft open next week on 21st May 2022. Styled as a leisure and entertainment offering, a water park debut will be the first phase of a larger development by Thailand’s Proud Group with a total investment of THB4.5 billion (USD134 million). Andamanda will bring a world-class attraction to the resort island featuring…
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Thursday Covid Update: 8,019 new cases; provincial totals
59 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 29,311 with 7,613 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 8,019 new Covid-19 cases and 8,807 recoveries. There are now 77,427 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of the new cases recorded today,…
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Travellers will still have to wear face masks post-endemic phase in Thailand
As the number of Covid-19 cases in Thailand continues to decrease, the National Communicable Diseases Committee has started talking about post-pandemic measures or lingering preventative measure when the coronavirus is declared endemic in Thailand, including any requirement for travellers to wear face masks, according to Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. Speaking to Thai media yesterday, he claimed that, with public collaboration…
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UPDATE: Authorities find Isaan cult also selling food and snacks online
Following the report on the raid of the hidden cult compound in the Isaan province Chaiyaphum last week, authorities visited the make-shift for a second time and found they were also operating a semi-commercial food business to make a living. The ‘cult’ distributes food products like chilli paste, fermented fish and snacks but without registration with the Food and Drug Administration,…
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UPDATE: Excavation banned on hill in Phuket, further investigation
THE LATEST After Thai media reported construction tools and trucks digging soil on a hill in Kamala, a town in Phuket, officials have banned any further excavation on the site. Kathu District Chief Siwat Rawangkul confirmed the ban when he and other officials revisited the site on Tuesday. He said that no government office has issued a building permit for…
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Man who released cobras at Bangkok intersection slaps political activist in the face
A man who made headlines two months ago for releasing cobras and cutting his wrists at a busy intersection in Bangkok has gained more attention for slapping a political activist in the face at a protest in Bangkok. ‘K Hundred Million’, a real estate businessman, said he slapped the woman because she insulted Thailand’s royal family. The incident happened on…
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German tourist missing in Phuket
After a German tourist in Phuket was rescued after getting stuck between rocks last week, another German tourist in the island province is also in a tricky situation. The 76 year old woman, who so far has only been identified as Ms. Barbara, reportedly went missing from a hotel in Thalang district on Monday (May 9). This is reportedly the…
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Man stabbed to death at wedding in southern Thailand
A man stabbed another man to death at a wedding party in Thailand’s southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat last night, according to police in Nopphitam district. Witnesses told police that the victim, 58 year old Diam Yangkaew, had been drinking with other guests at a table, when another man showed up on a motorcycle. They say the man walked…
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UPDATE: Thai woman spends 300k baht on wedding but groom doesn’t turn up
UPDATE: Today, Namthip got stood up by her no-show groom Ek for a second time. Namthip and her lawyer went to Nadi Police Station in Prachinburi this morning to try and get some money back from Ek after he didn’t turn up to his wedding, leaving Namthip’s family to foot the 300,000 baht bill for the wedding arrangements. Lt. Cl.…
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‘Yellow shirt’ leaders facing possible prison sentence
The Thai Appeals Court has upheld a previous court decision over the involvement of 5 key Thai politicians and activists in violent 2008 demonstrations. A Thai TV news presenter and 3 former leaders of the disbanded People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), widely known as the “Yellow Shirts”, face a year in jail without suspension over their involvement in the 2008…
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New wages for Thailand’s skilled workers
Thailand’s cabinet has approved new wages for construction workers, industrial arts workers and service workers. The new wages are expected to come into effect 90 days after the announcement was made on Tuesday. In the construction industry, tilers considered ‘level 1’ will earn 465 baht per day. Those considered level 2 will earn 550 baht a day. Level 3 tilers…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 7,650 new cases; provincial totals
56 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 29,252 with 7,554 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 7,650 new Covid-19 cases and 9,322 recoveries. There are now 78,274 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of the new cases recorded…
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On May 14 and 29, children can get Pfizer vaccines at Phuket airport
Phuket International Airport will have walk-in Pfizer vaccinations for children 5-11 years old on May 14 and 29. Parents can bring their children to get vaccinated at Terminal X (south of the international terminal) from 9am to noon on both dates. The Phuket Provincial Health Office’s Facebook post about the vaccinations includes a graphic that only mentions “shots 1, 2”…
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Some Thailand Post services to China suspended due to Covid-19 restrictions
Thailand Post says it’s had to suspend some postal services to China, as a result of the country’s strict Covid-19 measures. The service cites airline restrictions and strict lockdowns in China as the reason for the suspension. For the time being, according to a Nation Thailand report, no letters or parcels can be sent to China via EMS World or…
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“Get ready for Covid-19 to be declared endemic”
The Thai PM has ordered all provincial administrations to prepare for Covid-19 being declared endemic, by creating operation plans for their own provinces. According to government spokesman, Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, the PM’s order follows the decision to downgrade Thailand’s Covid-19 alert from Level 4 to Level 3, with the prospect of declaring the coronavirus ‘endemic’ sometime soon. Nation Thailand reports that…
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Thailand’s government will likely keep diesel subsidies
After much drama and anxiety over announcements that Thailand’s diesel price could eventually jump to 40 baht per litre, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has announced yesterday that the government will likely extend its subsidy programme that is due to end on May 20. The current subsidy has helped keep the price at about 32 baht per litre, even though the actual…
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Thai PM slams controversial and “unacceptable” Lazada advert
The Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, has joined the hysteria surrounding a now-deleted advert from online shopping platform, Lazada. The ad, in the form of a video, features online influencers, Nara Aniwat and Thidaporn “Nurat” Chaokuwiang. Thidaporn is seated in a wheelchair and dressed in traditional Thai costume. In the clip, Nara accuses Thidaporn, who plays the role of her mother…
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Minister of Digital Economy and Society wants 42 websites banned
Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, the Minister of Digital Economy and Society, has asked the court to ban access to 42 websites including YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook pages that are spreading the controversial Lazada advert. He was responding to a contracted ad on e-commerse platform Lazada, where 2 influencers, Nara Aniwat and Thidaporn “Nurat” Chaokuwiang wear hi-so clothing, who royalists deemed to be…
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Elderly woman killed by toddy palm fruit in northeast Thailand
The body of an elderly lady was found lying face down beneath a palm tree in a rice paddy in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima this morning. The woman, 78 year old Dee Namchanad, was out cutting down toddy palm fruit to sell at the market when the fruit hit her in the head and killed her. A 6…
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Dog kills its owner’s sister in Phuket
A woman was found dead with bite marks on her neck at her home in Phuket in southern Thailand this morning. She was taking care of her brother’s two Thai ridgeback dogs while he was away on a business trip to Bangkok. One of the dogs had traces of blood on its mouth and fur. Police found 38 year old…
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