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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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Sponsored Digital nomading in Chiang Mai? What US$1,000 a month really gets you
Chiang Mai has become a popular destination for digital nomads due to its low living costs, rich culture, and active remote work community. The city offers affordable housing, tasty food, reliable internet, and many co-working spaces, making it a great...
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Indonesia, Malaysia unite against EU palm oil discrimination law
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has urged for stronger cooperation with Malaysia to combat perceived discrimination against their palm oil products, as new European Union legislation threatens to impact exports. The EU enacted a law earlier this year prohibiting the import of commodities linked to deforestation, which is expected to adversely affect the palm oil industry. Indonesia and Malaysia are the…
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Niall Horan reveals fear of going out after One Direction fan chases
One Direction star Niall Horan has confessed that he felt “afraid” to go out after experiencing relentless pursuit by fans during the band’s touring days. The 29-year-old Irish singer-songwriter opened up to Cosmopolitan UK about the challenges of touring with the globally famous boy band, which also included Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, and Zayn Malik. Horan recalled the…
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Caroline Lucas to step down as Green Party’s only MP
Caroline Lucas, former leader of the Green Party and the first Green MP in the House of Commons, has announced her decision not to stand for re-election at the next general election. In a letter to her Brighton Pavilion constituents, the 62-year-old MP expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to serve the community and highlighted the increasing urgency of environmental…
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Met Police chief apologises to LGBT+ community for force’s homophobic failings
Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, has issued an apology to LGBT+ activist Peter Tatchell and the wider community for the force’s historical homophobic failings. The apology comes in the wake of a report by Baroness Casey in March, which exposed racism, misogyny, and homophobia within the Met Police. Tatchell described the apology as a “ground-breaking step forward” and hopes…
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Rain reigns: Nakhon Ratchasima’s reservoirs overflow with joy as planting season gets a splashy boost
Heavy rainfall in Nakhon Ratchasima provided a significant boost to the province’s reservoirs, ensuring sufficient water management during the planting season. The unexpected downpour is due to a high-pressure system affecting Thai provinces and neighbouring countries and is predicted to continue until June 10. In the lower north-eastern region, the heavy monsoon resulted in a 70% chance of thunderstorms and heavy…
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Thai father threatens school shooting over kindergarten bullying
A Thai father of a kindergarten student was fined 5,000 baht for threatening a school shooting following online messages claiming his son was being bullied. The 30 year old father in Rayong province posted the threats in a LINE group chat, causing concern among other parents and resulting in a police investigation. On June 6 at around 9pm, the father,…
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Phuket lifeguards warn of poisonous jellyfish on island beaches
Phuket Lifeguard Service has issued an official warning to beachgoers and swimmers about the presence of poisonous jellyfish in the waters surrounding the island. The alert comes after several Portuguese man-o-war jellyfish was found washed up along the west coast beaches in recent days. A photo of one such jellyfish was posted on the Phuket Lifeguard Service’s official Facebook account,…
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Asia-Pacific aviation recovery boosted by China’s early reopening
Asia-Pacific aviation is set for a gradual recovery this year, with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) citing China’s earlier-than-expected reopening as a significant boost for the industry. Philip Goh, IATA’s Vice-President for Asia-Pacific, noted that revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) for the region in April reached 82% of the corresponding period in 2019. Domestic RPK has already surpassed 2019 levels,…
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Afghan students struggle as India cancels visas amid Taliban takeover
For two years, Yasmeen Azimi, a 22-year-old Afghan student, has been struggling to obtain a visa to continue her studies in India. Despite being admitted to a postgraduate programme in political science at Chandigarh University under a scholarship from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) in January 2021, her visa application has been rejected three times. India’s Ministry of…
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Singapore officials apologise for comedian’s MH370 joke in New York
Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and High Commissioner to Malaysia Vanu Gopala Menon have issued apologies following a controversial joke made by Singapore-born comedian Jocelyn Chia about the disappearance of MH370. The incident occurred during Chia’s performance at the Comedy Cellar in New York, where she joked about the rivalry between Singapore and Malaysia, using the tragedy of MH370 as…
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Two women killed as motorbike swerves to avoid truck and is crushed by trailer
Two women were tragically killed when their motorcycle collided with a trailer after swerving to avoid a pick-up truck making a U-turn on a road in Sadao district of Thailand’s Songkhla province. The victims, believed to be Myanmar migrant workers who were 25 to 30 years old, were run over by the trailer. Between last night and this morning, officers…
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World Ocean Day highlights alarming growth of plastic waste in seas
Annually, approximately 400 million tonnes of plastic products are manufactured globally, with nearly half utilised for single-use items such as shopping bags, cups, and packaging materials. It is estimated that 8 million to 10 million tonnes of these plastics end up in the ocean each year, covering an area of 11,000 square kilometres when flattened to the thickness of a…
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Thai GDP growth at risk as new government formation faces delays
Concerns are rising within the private sector as the potential delay in the formation of Thailand’s new government could lead to a decline in the country’s GDP growth to 1-2%. Kriengkrai Thiennukul, chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries, stated that the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) is closely monitoring the political situation. A new government…
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AI tool reads doctor notes to predict patient outcomes with high accuracy
An AI tool developed by a team at NYU Grossman School of Medicine has shown the ability to read doctors’ notes and accurately predict patients’ risk of death, readmission to hospital, and other significant outcomes. The software, called NYUTron, is currently being used at affiliated hospitals throughout New York, with the aim of becoming a standard part of health care.…
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Selangor FC demolish Kelantan United 7-1 with del Valle’s hattrick
Selangor FC made a remarkable comeback from their previous 0-1 defeat to PDRM FC, as they triumphed over Kelantan United FC (KUFC) with a stunning 7-1 victory in a Super League match at the Sultan Muhammad IV Stadium in Kota Baru. Selangor’s Colombian player Ayron del Valle, 35, was the star of the show, scoring a hat trick and contributing…
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Singapore FM condemns Jocelyn Chia’s MH370 joke, apologises to Malaysians
Singapore’s Foreign Minister, Vivian Balakrishnan, criticised stand-up comedian Jocelyn Chia on Twitter for her insensitive and offensive remarks about Malaysia during a recent performance. Chia, a Singapore-born performer, made jokes about Malaysia’s development and the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, sparking outrage in Malaysia. “I am appalled by her horrendous statements. She certainly does not speak for Singaporeans. We treasure…
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Man City face Inter Milan in Champions League final for treble
Manchester City’s reign over English football is undeniable, having secured numerous trophies under Pep Guardiola’s management. Now, they have the opportunity to conquer Europe as they face Inter Milan in the upcoming Champions League final on Saturday. Guardiola has already brought 11 trophies to the club in seven years, including the recent FA Cup victory against Manchester United and a…
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Umno Women chief backs unity government, urges bigger roles for females
The Umno Women chief, Datuk Seri Noraini Ahmad, has stated that the Malay party’s decision to join forces with its long-standing political rivals to form a unity government demonstrates its commitment to prioritising national interest. Addressing over a thousand Umno women delegates at the Umno general assembly 2023 in Kuala Lumpur, Noraini emphasised that the political partnership is evidence of…
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Telegraph Media Group faces sale over £1bn unpaid debt
The Telegraph Media Group, which owns The Daily and Sunday Telegraph newspapers and The Spectator magazine, is facing potential sale due to unpaid debt, according to a recent statement. Bank of Scotland, the lender, explained that it had no choice but to appoint a receiver over B.UK. Limited, the Bermuda-based holding company for the Telegraph Media Group, as the debt…
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Drunken British man flings bicycle through glass door after mobile phone meltdown in Krabi
Police apprehended a British man who launched a bicycle into the glass door of a house on Koh Lanta, an island in Krabi province in southern Thailand. He admitted being intoxicated and angry after losing his mobile phone. A 20 year old Thai woman, Kanittha Kokyai, filed a complaint at Koh Lanta Police Station saying that a foreign man caused damage…
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Putin accuses Ukraine of barbaric act in dam destruction causing floods
On June 8, tensions escalated as Russian President Vladimir Putin labelled Ukraine’s destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam a “barbaric act.” The incident has resulted in widespread flooding and accusations from Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Moscow was behind the dam’s destruction. Zelenskyy also claimed that Russia-backed forces were struggling to evacuate residents in the affected areas. Russian troops reportedly…
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Zelenskyy accuses Russia of shelling rescuers amid Ukraine flood crisis
The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has accused Russian forces of targeting emergency workers attempting to rescue flood victims in the aftermath of the Nova Kakhovka dam’s destruction. In his nightly address, Zelenskyy revealed that over 2,000 people have been saved from flooding in the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions. He contrasted this with the Russian-occupied areas, where he claimed Moscow’s forces…
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Staley denies Epstein ties, blames JPMorgan in sex trafficking lawsuits
Jes Staley, the former JPMorgan Chase & Co executive, has officially denied any involvement in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking activities and pointed the finger at JPMorgan for maintaining him as a client. In recent filings at a Manhattan federal court, Staley claimed that his interactions with Epstein were not the direct cause of any damages JPMorgan might face in the…
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Pattaya Police raid illegal karaoke bar, arrest owner and 5 Myanmar nationals
Pattaya City Police officers last night raided an unlicensed karaoke bar, catching five Myanmar nationals working there without the proper permits. The police have charged the bar’s caretaker and the five employees with various legal violations, including operating without official permission and selling alcohol unauthorised. During the operation, led by Surachet Eneksri, the deputy chief of Pattaya City Police Station,…
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Love grenade: Cadet’s affair with girlfriend’s mother detonates 10 million baht lawsuit
A cadet has been sued for 2 million yuan (9,781 million baht) after having an affair with his girlfriend’s mother, resulting in the collapse of the family’s marriage. The affair was discovered via explicit messages and images shared between the pair on Instagram. The Mirror Media reports that a military cadet in Taiwan had an illicit relationship with his girlfriend’s…
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Indian squatters run bar and rent rooms in abandoned Pattaya building
A 30 year old Thai man has filed a complaint with the Pattaya Police Station concerning an Indian national’s illegal occupation of a commercial building he owns. The man, who had not checked the building in five years, discovered a dance club and rental rooms inside the four-storey establishment. Upon investigation, police found a counter for the dance club and…
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BEC World targets leading content provider status amid digital disruption
BEC World, the operator of Thailand‘s Channel 3, is embarking on a transformation to become a leading content provider and expand its revenue streams in the digital content platform and global content licensing sectors. Surin Krittayaphongphun, president of TV business and executive director at BEC World, said this strategic move aims to ensure the company’s survival and sustainable growth in…
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Thai teen’s chilling confession to child murder due to non-stop crying
An 18 year old Thai man yesterday allegedly confessed to killing his sister-in-law’s two month old baby. The teenager said he did it because the baby would not stop crying. The two month old baby, Kantaphon “Nikhun” Kaesorn, was reported missing at 8am on Tuesday, June 6. Tragically, the baby was found dead in the canal in the Pak Kret…
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Trump targeted in classified documents probe after presidency
US prosecutors have informed Donald Trump’s legal team that the former president is under investigation for his handling of classified documents after leaving office, as reported by multiple US news outlets. The notification, issued by the office of special counsel Jack Smith, allows Trump the opportunity to present his own evidence before a grand jury, though it does not guarantee…
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TKC partners with European firms for Thai smart city and building projects
Turnkey Communication Services (TKC), a digital solutions provider listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand, has announced a partnership with three European tech companies to develop smart buildings and smart cities in Thailand. This collaboration supports the Thai government’s digital transformation roadmap and aims to deliver integrated solutions for people flow management systems, using 3D sensors and artificial intelligence (AI)…
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