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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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Bangkok’s Ying Charoen wet market reopens after fire
Most of the Ying Charoen market in Bangkok’s Bang Khen district reopened after fire destroyed about 160 stalls. Earlier estimates put the number at around 50 stalls. No injuries were reported. The blaze in the 30 rai compound reportedly began at a bakery at about 3am and quickly spread to nearby stalls. It took firefighters about 2 hours to control…
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HK man arrested for allegedly stabbing officer in security law protests
Police in Hong Kong arrested a man aboard a flight to London this morning on suspicion of stabbing a police officer during protests of the Chinese territory’s new security law. About 370 people were arrested during and after yesterday’s protests against the new laws, imposed by China to curb activities surrounding the anti-government protests that have racked Hong Kong for…
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Uruguay’s Covid-19 Policy of “freedom with responsibility” shows success
To the Government of Uruguay’s relief, their policy of “independence with responsibility” in the containment of the Covid-19 pandemic seems to have been successful… so far. Yesterday, when Europe opened its borders to 15 countries, Uruguay became the only Latin American country to be included. With less than 1,000 registered Covid-19 cases and just 27 deaths, the 3.4 million-plus nation is…
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Pattaya’s Sukhawadee House burns… AGAIN – VIDEO
Pattaya’s venerable tourist attraction Sukhawadee House, a repository of Buddhist relics and artifacts, caught fire late last night, AGAIN. The second time in a day. A fire raged through the complex yesterday morning on the first day it was to reopen after closing for nearly 4 months due to the Covid-19 response. Firefighters were again notified of the second fire…
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Australia and UK may offer a safe haven to Hong Kong citizens
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says Australia is “actively considering” providing a safe haven for Hong Kong citizens to migrate to the country after controversial national security laws enforced by China have come into effect. Yesterday, hundreds of people were arrested after protesters took to the streets to protest the new laws introduced by China to suppress dissidents. When asked…
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Kanchanaburi park officials remove entry ban for foreigners
A ban on foreigners visiting the Srinakarin Dam National Park in the western province of Kanchanaburi has been rescinded. Park officials say both foreigners and Thais are now welcome to enjoy the park as it re-opens to visitors. A report in Khaosod English says the ban on foreigners was originally announced on the park’s official Facebook page two weeks ago.…
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Thai nightlife grapples with “new normal”
Thailand’s nightlife scene is grappling with a ‘new normal’ as changes upon its recent reopening see facemasks joining the normal bikini wear in red-light districts across the Kingdom. After being forced to close for more than 3 months in order to stop the spread of Covid-19, bars, karaoke venues and massage parlours are in the latest category of businesses allowed to…
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Tesla becomes the world’s most valuable car maker
Tesla has become the world’s most valuable carmaker, surpassing Japan’s Toyota after its stock rose to a record high. Shares in Tesla hit US$1,134 on Wednesday before dropping before the close, leaving it with a market cap of $209.47 billion (£ 165 billion), around $4 billion higher than Toyota’s existing market value. Shares in the electric car maker have risen…
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Customers help woman detained for shoplifting school uniforms
Customers have come to the aid of a woman after she was detained for shoplifting school uniforms for her children in southern Thailand. The woman says she is struggling financially due to the Covid-19 pandemic and had no choice but to shoplift as she is unable to afford the cost of the uniforms. The woman, aged 26, was with her…
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Thai Airways to shed only 5% of employees, while appointing new president
Debt-ridden Thai Airways has confirmed that it will only shed 5% of its 20,000 employees as part of its reorganisation. The former president of the carrier’s labour union says he met with the rehab panel, along with union and airline staff representatives, with the panel now aiming to cut only 5% of the airline’s workforce-down from the initial target of…
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Nightlife operators warned: follow the rules or face closure
Bangkok police have issued a stern warning to nightlife venue operators… follow the rules or be closed again. National police chief Chaktip Chaijinda has instructed officers to make sure entertainment venue operators comply with disease control regulations and that both service providers and customers understand the “new normal.” The warning comes after a meeting of senior city police, the Health…
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World travel business faces slow recovery – UN report
Plenty of businesses are suffering and recovery will be slow, and lumpy. One of the hardest hit, and probably one of the most difficult industries to re-start, is the world travel business. Hotels, airlines, tour companies, travel agencies and online booking systems… and the millions of people employed to make all those work together as a working machine. Now a…
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Are BTS the world’s biggest band?
Simple answer, yes. But there are still people that have never heard of the group or might have been living under a rock for a few years. The South Korean group has risen up through the ranks of K-Pop, somewhat of a musical blood sport, since 2013. From their almost unnoticed debut as pimply hip-hop ‘try hards’, the 7 members are…
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Up to 2.7 million Thai travel, hospitality and tourism workers unemployed by September
The president of the Thai Tourism Industry Council says confidence among Thailand’s tourism business operators fell to the lowest level in a decade during the second quarter this year, with about 2.6 million workers already unemployed and about another 100,000 expected to be laid off in Q3 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The gloomy forecast is the result…
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iPhone 12 may not be sold with charger or headphones
If you looking to buy the latest iPhone, the iPhone 12, it may be good to know that you may be getting less than you bargained for. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who spoke to Apple blog 9to5Mac, Apple is looking to drop accessories such as iPhone charging cable, adaptor or headphones so it can sell its next-generation phone at a similar…
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“We Tour Together” launched to boost domestic tourism
The government has announced its “Rao Thieu Duaykan” (We Tour Together) program, created as a stimulus boost to domestic tourism and help the travel and hospitality sectors battered by closures and bans in reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic. From July 15, Thai citizens can apply for a government subsidy to cover part of their hotel and dining expenses when travelling…
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Bangkok Skytrain cancels seat spacing measures
Bangkok’s BTS Skytrain network has cancelled its seat spacing measures in order to increase passenger numbers after schools and colleges reopened today. Bangkok Mass Transit System’s CEO says social distancing measures have been relaxed to boost convenience for passengers. All BTS carriages had crosses on seating to separate seated passengers but had done nothing to keep standing passengers apart. Stations…
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Chon Buri police arrest knife-wielding man allegedly high on methamphetamine – VIDEO
Police in Chon Buri’s Banglamung district have arrested a 48 year old man for allegedly threatening local residents and officers with a knife. The man reportedly tested positive for methamphetamine. The captain of the Nong Prue police told The Pattaya News they arrested 48 year old Sumet Hongjaroen from the northeastern Phetchabun province. He is accused of “erratically brandishing a…
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Harvey Weinstein lawsuit reaches US$19 million settlement
The New York Attorney General has announced that an agreement had been reached to settle two sexual misconduct lawsuits on behalf of multiple women against Harvey Weinstein for almost $19 million on Tuesday. This did not sit well with the lawyers representing six of the women who made accusations against the jailed former film producer, describing the proposed deal a “sellout”…
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Major Pattaya tourist attraction Sukhawadee House gutted by fire
A favourite Pattaya tourist attraction, Sukhawadee House, was gutted by fire this morning, just as it was about to reopen after being closed for 4 months by the Covid-19 lockdown. The fire started in the ornate Buddhabaramee building and quickly spread to the main building. Fire engines and crews rushed to the 80 rai compound in Bang Lamung district after…
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Japanese man earns master’s degree in ninja studies
A Japanese man has become the first person in the world to hold a master’s degree in ninja studies. Genichi Mitsuhashi, aged 45, completed the courses which involved learning basic martial arts and climbing mountains in a stealthy way. He spent the last two years at Mie University studying the history, traditions, and fighting techniques of ninjas, including mysterious agents…
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Thailand sets new guidelines to govern “medical tourism”
Thailand’s medical community is rolling out a set of guidelines for medical tourism as the country prepares to open its borders to international visitors. According to the director-general of the Department of Health Service Support, yesterday’s first meeting of the medical hub committee resulted in 3 decisions. The first outcome from the meeting set a new policy pertaining to quarantine…
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Officials raid 2 Phuket casinos, arresting 87 illegal gamblers
Officials have raided 2 Phuket casinos resulting in 87 people being arrested for allegedly gambling after the island’s provincial police received complaints of gambling dens operating around the clock – a violation of the current Emergency Decree which bans crowds. The first raid took place at about 3:30 pm and was at a casino in tambon Talat Nua of Muang…
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Phuket’s (in)famous “Soi Bangla” district reopens today
Today is the official reopening of Phuket’s famous (or infamous) “Soi Bangla” nightlife district, but only about 20% of venues say they’re reopening during this early stage. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration announced yesterday that all night entertainment venues may reopen but must strictly adhere to health guidelines set out to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin,…
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Chinese scientists find new flu strain similar to 2009 swine flu
Chinese scientists have identified a new strain of the flu similar to the 2009 swine flu, saying it has the potential to become a pandemic in China. The researchers are concerned that it may further mutate so that it can spread easily from person to person and trigger a global outbreak. While this is not an immediate problem, they say, it…
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Back to school – Thai school kids head back to class
School’s back. Thai school children are returning to their classes in school rooms around the country to be re-united with their teachers who have been just a thumbnail on a Zoom conference call for the past three months. The reopening of schools is nationwide, for all levels of public and private schools. Since mid-March, all schools in Thailand have been closed…
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Two men in custody after British man’s motorbike stolen in Pattaya – VIDEO
Two men are in custody, after being accused of stealing a motorbike from Jomtien Beach in Pattaya. The bike’s owner, 53 year old British national, Davidson Fraser, had parked the bike between Soi Jomtien 6 and 7, in order to go exercising. He returned sometime later to find the bike gone, so he filed a report with the Pattaya Police.…
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International charity exposes Thailand’s abuse of elephants for tourist trade
The international non-profit organisation, World Animal Protection, has released distressing video footage that blows the lid open on the cruelty involved in the use of Thai elephants for the tourist trade. The footage, secretly filmed at several unnamed camps over two years, shows how elephants are beaten into submission so they will perform tricks for tourists. The training begins when…
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Australia uses national flower for new marketing logo
Australia is replacing its international marketing logo with the nation’s wattle flower to represent the country during trade missions and business exchange programs. Trade Minister Simon Birmingham is giving the green light to change the logo from the current one which displays two boomerangs surrounding the words “Australian Unlimited”. The new logo features the letters “AU” on top of a gold…
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Thailand re-opens its international borders today
Thailand is lifting its ban on international flights on July 1. But before you dust off the suitcase and book your flight, there are still many restrictions on the return of foreigners into the country. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand says the ban on international flights is being lifted from July 1 but “conditions for re-entry apply”. “People entering Thailand…
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