News
Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.
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Sponsored Why traders in Thailand are choosing EC Markets for gold and forex trading
Gold and forex trading have long been favourites among investors in Thailand, but why are so many traders now turning to EC Markets? The answer lies in a combination of tight spreads, ultra-fast execution, Thai baht (THB) deposit support, and...
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You’re not welcome here! Thai Health Minister refuses request to berth in Thailand
The Holland-US “MS Westerdam” cruise ship has been refused docking permission at Laem Chabang Port in Chonburi, south east of Bangkok, after having been turned away by three other countries who were concerned about the spread of coronavirus. Referring to the company’s website, which stated that Thailand would allow the ship to dock at Laem Chabang Port last Thursday, Deputy…
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Slain policemen honoured in Royal ceremony
The two policemen who died ending the shooting rampage in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima were honourably received in a royally sponsored bathing ceremony in Bangkok yesterday. The bodies of Captain Trakul Tha-asa and Senior Sergeant Major Petcharat Kamchadpai, both 35 years old, were transported on ceremonial trucks from Nakhon Ratchasima to Bangkok, their coffins covered with the national…
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Land mine severs man’s foot in Phrae
A man in the northern province of Phrae had his foot blown off by a land mine yesterday morning while cutting bamboo. Police say the incident occurred at about 8am in a community forest. A medical team and a bomb squad were sent to the scene to investigate. 21 year old Yossakorn Chuchart told police that he and his father,…
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Thai Marine chief visits Phuket, bans boat captains, two Russian children dead
“If you see any unsafe boat, unsafe pier, dangerous boat driver, please inform the Marine Department hotline 1199.” The Thai Marine Department Chief visited Phuket yesterday afternoon for a full briefing following yesterday morning’s tragic speedboat crash that killed two Russian children, a 6 and 12 year old, and injuring up to 20 passengers around 7.50am. The incident happened in…
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Government officials wear black today, Korat residents grieve
Thailand’s cabinet ministers and officials at Government House will be wearing black clothing today as the Kingdom wakes to the first full work day since the Korat massacre – a mass shooting that has left at least 30 people dead, including the gunman. Government officials will officially mourn the innocent people killed in the north-eastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima and…
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Irishman found dead in Pattaya
An Irish man has been found dead in a room at a condominium in Pattaya. Police were notified of the discovery Sunday night. Police, emergency responders and reporters rushed to the room, which was locked from the inside. Inside they found the naked body of an Irish man around 50 years old, identified as Peter Alexander Campbell, on the bed.…
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UPDATE: Phuket speedboats crash: 2 children dead, 22 injured – VIDEO
“…both boat drivers have been charged with reckless driving causing death and injury.” Two Russian children have died and some 22 people were injured following a high-speed speedboat collision off Phuket’s east coast just before 8am this morning. The incident occurred in the channel linking Phuket’s two main east coast marinas with the Phang Nga Bay on the east side of…
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Korat massacre – Shooter’s mother was unable to get into the shopping centre
More information is now coming to light over some of the background operations at play during the Saturday evening search for a crazed gunman, now dead, who was responsible for the killing of at least 30 people and wounding 58 others. Some of the 30 or so people currently in hospital are reported to be in critical condition… the final…
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Thai PM orders tighter controls on guns at military bases – 30 dead, 57 injured
“He was able to broadcast, unhindered, for nearly 5 hours before his stream was eventually taken down.” 30 people are now confirmed dead (including the gunman) as a result of Saturday’s Korat massacre, 57 people were injured. Thailand’s Prime Minister General Prayut Cha-o-cha listed the sad toll when facing the media yesterday. He also ordered a review of security measures…
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Tourism minister mulls adding new tourist levies
The Ministry of Tourism and Sport is mulling the idea of collecting levies from international tourists for the “renovation of tourism attractions and natural resources”, as well as providing insurance benefits specifically for tourists. The Minister noted that the high numbers of tourists traipesing over the same well-worn paths and attractions, especially natural and historical treasures, also carried a high…
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Thai media under fire for disobeying orders to “tone down” Korat massacre coverage
Thailand’s media is under fire from the government’s telecommunications regulator, the NBTC (National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission). Cable TV and other news channels, who ignored official orders to stop broadcasting and streaming of Saturday evening’s lockdown and storming of the Terminal 21 shopping centre in Korat, have been informed they “will face consequences”. Some of the north east’s cable news outlets…
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New criteria push the number of suspected virus cases to 615
The director-general of the Department of Disease Control (DDC) said on Friday there were 615 people in Thailand suspected of carrying the 2019-nCoV coronavirus. He attributed the rise in suspected cases to updated criteria generating more details and redefining the term “suspected.” The number of confirmed cases has risen to 32 as of today, 10 of whom have recovered and…
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Soldiers seize 100 kilograms of crystal meth in Chiang Mai
A clash with drug runners in Chiang Mai province today resulted in the seizure of around 100 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as “ice,” valued at about 100 million baht. Soldiers, acting on a tip-off, laid an ambush and were waiting for the drug runners. About 10 smugglers are thought to have been wounded in the the clash, which…
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PM to launch “Green City” intiative
The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC) will officially launch the “Green City Initiative by MOAC” campaign at Siam Paragon Shopping Complex in downtown Bangkok today. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha will preside over the official opening ceremony, which will include distribution of seedlings of six plants known to be effective in absorbing pollution. The goal is to tackle air pollution caused…
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Gunman killed in Korat shopping centre – 25 dead, more than 40 injured
Police report that the Thai army soldier, who shot and killed at least 25 people in a shooting spree in the Korat shopping centre, has been shot dead in an assault by the Hanuman special forces division. Police sources said the 32 year old gunman was shot dead in the “Zone A” area of the shopping mall basement. Another news source is…
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UPDATE: Makha Bucha Day massacre – 25 killed, 31 injured
Hundreds of people were evacuated from Korat’s Terminal 21 shopping mall by late last night following a late afternoon shooting spree that’s currently claimed the lives of 25 and another 31 injured. As of this morning the gunman is still holed up in the shopping mall, apparently with hostages. The shopping centre, and surrounding areas, remains in complete lockdown and…
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UPDATE: Thai army shooter shot his commander before going on Korat rampage
A confirmed 12 people have been shot dead, some social media are already reporting up to 20 may have been shot dead. Many more are injured after a Thai army soldier, identified as Sergeant Major Jakraphanth Thomma, went on a shooting rampage this afternoon in Korat, Nakhon Ratchasima. The mass shootings are said to have started around 5.30 this afternoon.…
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UPDATE: Thai Army soldier still at large in Terminal 21, Korat – Killed upwards of 12
As we update the story about the crazed Thai Army sniper going on a rampage around Korat in Nakhon Ratchasima, north east Thailand this afternoon, this is the latest information we have… • A Thai soldier allegedly killed his commanding officer before gunning down a reported 12 people. He was livestreaming the the entire incident as he slaughtered innocent people…
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Thai Army sniper goes on shooting rampage in Korat – up to 20 shot and killed
UPDATE: A police and army detachment is currently searching for an army sniper in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Korat city centre. The solider has shot dead at least 12 people late this afternoon. The city is in virtual lockdown as security officials are trying to clear the areas around the crime scene. The gunman was live-streaming the entire incident and taking selfies…
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Court suspends Chao Phraya promenade project
A court has ruled that Bangkok City Hall’s project to build a promenade along both sides of the Chao Phraya River is illegal, and on Wednesday ordered a temporary suspension of works. The Administrative Court ruled that the 14 billion baht project, which comprises two elevated walkways complete with a bicycle lane running for 57 kilometres along both sides of…
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44th Chiang Mai Flower Festival in full bloom
The Chiang Mai Flower Festival kicked off at the city’s Suan Buak Had park yesterday. Mayor Tassanai Buranupakorn officially opened the festival which he hopes will bring much-needed tourists to the city. Tassanai said Suan Buak Had was Chiang Mai’s first public park and has always been the location of the annual Flower Festival, now in its 44th year. This…
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Second unidentified foreigner falls to death in Pattaya
An unidentified foreigner is dead after falling from a luxury hotel in Pattaya early this morning, the second such incident in a week. Emergency responders were notified of the incident at the luxury hotel on Pattaya Second Road near the Dolphin Roundabout and Terminal 21 Mall. They arrived at the scene to find the body of the foreigner, around 50…
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Northern Thailand warned to brace for stormy weather
Thunderstorms and high winds are forecast for Thailand’s North and Northeast. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) is warning northern and northeastern provinces to brace for stormy weather from tomorrow to Thursday. DDPM director-general Monton Sudprasert said yesterday that high pressure from China and strong winds from the west will create thunderstorms, high winds and harsh weather. Provinces…
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Makha Bucha Day – Why does Thailand have a public holiday?
For Thai buddhists the day is a day of reflection and visits to the temple. For many others it’s a day of alcohol abstinence. In fact there is always a 24 hour alcohol ban imposed on the day, from midnight to midnight. Buddhist commemorations make up a number of the public holidays on the Thai calendar, among them is Makha…
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Biker decapitated in Lampang
Police and rescue services in the northern Lampang province were confronted with a gruesome scene after the driver of a Kawasaki Z650 hit a metal lamp post in the middle of a downward section on the Lampang-Chiang Mai superhighway. The biker’s head, out of its helmet, was on one side of the road, his body on the other. The biker…
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1 killed, 1 injured as plane hits tug at Don Mueang – VIDEO
One employee is dead and another injured after an accident this morning at Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport. A Nok Air plane hit a tug towing it to the passenger ramp at Don Mueang airport, killing the tug driver and injuring another employee. The incident occurred around 8am. Don Mueang’s general manager told reporters that Nok Air flight DD6458, bound for…
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Austrian man dies in Patong condo fall
A 68 year old Austrian man is dead after falling from his 12th floor condominium in Patong. His body was found at about 10 last night, on the ground outside the Patong Night Plaza condominium, where police say he lived alone. According to his passport he entered Thailand on December 19 on a 90 day visa. Blood pressure diabetes medications…
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Deputy village chief in trouble over racy Facebook photos
What was she thinking?! A deputy village chief in the central province of Ang Thong has found herself in hot water after her sexy Facebook photos were shared online yesterday, Khao Sod reports. “I think what she did was a disgrace for our religious and community leaders, who must take action against her,” wrote one Facebook busybody member, who posted…
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New bikes must meet Euro 4 emissions standards
A new government policy, which will take effect on March 29, requires all new motorbikes sold in Thailand to meet Euro 4 emissions standards. Officials of the Thai Industrial Standards Institute met yesterday with representatives of more than 40 motorbike manufacturers, including Honda and Yamaha, informing them of the requirements. The measure is intended to help tackle Thailand’s PM2.5 dust…
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3 dead, 179 injured in Istanbul aircrash
Three people are dead and 179 injured, some seriously after a Pegasus Airlines plane heading into Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen Airport skidded off the end of a wet runway and broke into three pieces upon landing yesterday. Turkey’s health minister Fahrettin Koca told reporters that three died in hospital, with 179 of the 183 aboard wounded. Ali Yerlikaya, Istanbul’s governor, says…
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