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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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Human Rights Watch calls on Thai protesters on hunger strike to be released
From Human Rights Watch… (Published as provided) Thai authorities should immediately drop the charges and release pro-democracy activists detained for insulting the monarchy (lese majeste), Human Rights Watch said today. Two of the activists, Netiporn “Bung” Sanesangkhom and Nutthanit “Bai Por” Duangmusit, have been on a hunger strike since June 2, 2022, to protest their pretrial detention at Bangkok’s Central…
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Bangkok chief insists no entertainment events will be cancelled
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt insists that no public entertainment events will be cancelled in the city despite pleas from the Ministry of Public Health. The 56 year old city chief said that cancelling any upcoming events without reason would cause panic among the people. The Public Health Permanent Secretary, Kiattiphum Wongrajit, informed the media that he wanted to meet Chadchart…
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Thailand could generate up to US$65 billion in tourism revenue next year, says TAT
Yesterday, the Tourism Authority of Thailand said the country’s tourism industry could generate up to US$65 billion, or 2.38 trillion baht, next year. The revenue could equate to around 80% of pre-pandemic tourism revenue, said Governor of the TAT Yuthasak Supasorn. Comparatively, the TAT expects Thailand to actualise 1.5 trillion baht in tourism revenue this year. Yuthasak expects Thailand to…
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Doubts over Thailand’s 2028 completion date for high speed rail link
Despite last week’s announcement that the high-speed railway from Bangkok to the Laos border would be completed by 2028, there remain lingering doubts about whether the Thai government is fully committed to the project, valued at about US$12 billion. Questions are being raised about perceived benefits to Thailand or how the government can recover any of the costs. The new…
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Jealous husband slits wife’s throat after row over 500 baht
A jealous husband slit his wife’s throat in a row over money in her restaurant in the middle of a market in the central province of Ang Thong before attempting to commit suicide. Ekkachai Lomrai used a chef knife to murder his wife, Patcha Poonthongkam, in Sawaeng Ha Market on Sawaeng Ha – Pho Thong Road in Ang Thong, after…
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Police investigate death of British man found in Pattaya canal
Thai police are investigating the mysterious death of a British expat found dead yesterday morning face down in the Najomtien drainage canal in Pattaya. Richard Wayne Moorcroft is believed to have slipped when out jogging, banged his head, knocked himself unconscious, and slid into the canal. The 63 year old was dressed in jogging clothing when he was found at…
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Thai anti-corruption body names names over Thai Airways Rolls Royce engine scandal
Part of the debacle Thai Airways finds itself in now harks back to poor decisions made 30 years ago with some “expensive” aircraft engine purchases. Since then there have been numerous investigations and serious charges levelled against Rolls Royce over payments made to Thai Airways personnel. Rolls Royce has since settled over the case following an investigation by the British…
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Thai PM faces uncertain outcome as censure debate kicks off today
The four day censure debate kicks off today, with the Thai PM and his cabinet ministers, targeted for censure, confident they will emerge unscathed. The actual no confidence motion will be put to the vote on Saturday after four days of drilling from opposition MPs. The weekly Cabinet meeting was moved back to yesterday to accommodate the week of parliamentary…
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Thai military commanders asked to explain secret budget used by senior officers
Senior officers from the Defence Ministry, and the Royal Thai Armed Forces, say its nearly 2,000,000,000 baht budget would be used reasonably to protect the country. But members of the Extraordinary Committee asked about the secret budget and urged senior officers to reveal more detail about the plan to the public. The Extraordinary Committee met this morning to consider the…
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Muay Thai fighter declared ‘brain dead’ after boxing match with Frenchman
A Muay Thai boxer named Phanphet Phadungchai has been in a state of brain death for three days after being knocked out by a French boxer during a match on Friday. His family reported that he is no longer being treated with stimulant medication but is still using a ventilator to breathe, contrary to reports online which stated that his…
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Kanchana Buri Skywalk to open in old town next year
Kanchana Buri is hoping to boost their tourism numbers higher by lifting their tourists higher with a 15-metre tall skywalk. The project has been in the works for a long time, with construction woes delaying the opening again and again, but the bridge with its scenic views is now set to be opened at the beginning of 2023. The skywalk…
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Pegasus spyware found on phones of activists in Thailand
A new report has revealed that dozens of Thai democracy activists were targeted by an Israeli spyware programme called Pegasus during the height of intense anti-government protests over the past two years. The joint report, by the Thai NGO iLaw, Digital Reach, and The Citizen Lab, claims that the phones of 30 activists, academics, lawyers, and NGO workers, mostly connected to civil…
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Motorcycle taxi rider treats customer to farewell steak dinner
A Thai motorcycle taxi rider treated one of his regular passengers to a farewell steak dinner in the central province of Sara Buri as a thank you for years of loyalty before she jetted off to university. The 20 year old female passenger, Thanyarate “Stamp” Rungklang, posted a video of the dinner she shared with 61 year old motorcycle taxi…
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Thai tutor arrested for making child porn with boys
An alleged pedophile wanted by the US and Thai Cyber police has finally been tracked down and arrested thanks to a local boxing gym owner. If found guilty the 20 year old part time teacher faces between three and 10 years imprisonment and a fine between 60,000 baht and 100,000 baht. The tutor, named Mai, sexually assaulted children between the…
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Alcohol ban tightening in homeless centre after in-house murder
The Chon Buri Homeless Protection Centre is vowing to crack down on their alcohol ban after a drunk homeless man used a broken booze bottle to kill another homeless man. The bizarre and grisly murder carried out by the intoxicated tenant has prompted the centre to tighten up enforcement of the alcohol ban already in place in the shelter. The…
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Thieves steal VIP chairs from Liverpool – Man U match in Bangkok
Police have arrested a man under suspicion of stealing VIP chairs reserved for Liverpool and Manchester United players from Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok on Saturday morning. CCTV footage reveals two nonchalant men wheeling four dugout chairs, valued at 400,000 baht, out of the stadium at 6am. Two of the chairs were used by Manchester United reserve players and two by…
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12 Thai women fear being sued by the wife of a love rat who seduced them
Twelve Thai women fear they are going to be sued by the wife of a charming love rat who conned them into a sexual relationship. The 12 women, aged between 40 – 60 years old, have approached a lawyer for advice after discovering a man they met on social media is married. The 60 year old man, named Pu, told…
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Amazing Dark Sky Thailand programme by TAT to boost stargazing
If you’re looking for the next big thing for Thailand, the Tourism Authority of Thailand suggests looking up. The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand has teamed up with the TAT to launch the new Amazing Dark Sky Thailand, which focuses on attracting those who appreciated staring up at the night sky. In a country whose main concern with celestial…
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Striped dolphin dies in Patong after washing ashore injured
A striped dolphin has died after beaching itself in Patong despite local rescuers’ best efforts. The dolphin was found after having washed up on shore with a serious injury and was reported first to the Patong Police just before 5:30pm yesterday. Kathu district lifeguards were the first to spot the striped dolphin as it came ashore and when they saw…
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‘Oh, bother!’ Thai govt patrol team stumble upon 20 million baht Winnie the Pooh ecstasy haul
Drug smugglers would be right in thinking “Oh, bother!” after a narcotics enforcement team stumbled upon a 20 million baht drug haul of ecstasy tablets shaped as the fictional teddy bear Winnie the Pooh. It appears nothing is sacred anymore if drug dealers are disguising their narcotics as fictional cartoon characters. The drug haul prompts a dozen of Pooh memes,…
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UPDATE: Bangkok taxi driver pulls out knife on Singaporean tourists
UPDATE: Police punish Bangkok taxi driver who intimidated Singaporean tourists The Bangkok taxi driver who intimidated two Singaporean tourists has been ordered to pay 3,000 baht in fines, had his driving license suspended for three months, and must attend a three-hour training course about taxi rules and regulations in Thailand. Thailand’s Department of Land Transport and officers from Suvarnabhumi Airport…
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Thai Health Ministry urges Bangkok to reduce activities to curb Covid spread
The Ministry of Public Health will meet with Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt today to discuss a new Covid-19 prevention plan and whether public gatherings should be reduced to curb the recent spike in coronavirus cases in the city. The Public Health Permanent Secretary, Kiattiphum Wongrajit, and Chadchart will meet this afternoon and discuss a strategy to prevent the spread of…
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UPDATE: Crashed army helicopter gets into another accident in southern Thailand
UPDATE: Crashed army helicopter gets into another accident in southern Thailand The Royal Thai army’s Blackhawk which crashed into a rubber plantation in Songkhla on Friday got into a second accident on the roads in Phatthalung province yesterday. The helicopter wreckage was loaded onto an army trailer which collided with another trailer on the Hat Yai – Phattalung road at…
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More lockdowns in China add to economic woes
China has now reported the highest number of coronavirus cases since May. Millions are now in lockdown, despite a relatively low number of actually reported infections. China reported 450 cases on Saturday, up from 432 a day earlier. Today there have only been 154 new infections reported. Epidemiologists outside of China predict that there is a broad under-reporting of infections…
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Thais swarm to new digital lottery tickets
The move of the official bi-monthly Thai lottery to a digital form continues apace. Thais are showing their increasing preference to purchase their lottery tickets through the “Pao Tang” app, instead of through the traditional street lottery vendors. The 7.1 million new digital lottery tickets for the August 1 draw are now available and can be bought 24/7 at the…
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Bangkok governor under pressure to limit crowds over rising Covid infections
Conversations are hotting up between Thailand’s public Health Ministry and the new Bangkok governor over rising numbers of Covid-19 cases, mostly fuelled by the recent BA.4 and BA.4 sub-variants of Omicron (a variant of SARS-Cov-2). The call comes at a time when the variant is causing a new surge of Covid infections in Europe, the UK and US, also Brazil,…
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Elderly woman near Bangkok dies of Covid-19 after request declined
An elderly woman near Bangkok has died of Covid-19 after a hospital allegedly declined her family’s request for an ambulance. The incident happened in Nonthaburi, a province bordering Bangkok. A foundation that tried to help the 82 year old woman said that she had several health other conditions as well. These included diabetes, high blood pressure, and chronic kidney disease…
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Molnupiravir should not be bought online and used, FDA warns
Self-administering the Covid-19 drug Molnupiravir can be dangerous, according to a new warning by the Thai Food a Drug Administration. The FDA announced that people should not purchase Molnupiravir independently and should only take the drug that has been used to treat Covid symptoms after consultation with a doctor or other medical professional who can prescribe proper usage. The Secretary…
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Hold the stink: New Korat durian fruit strain doesn’t smell bad
They call it the “king of fruit” but not everyone is a loyal subject to the durian, known for its distinctly stinky smell. But now there may be a way around that terrible smell as a new strain of durian developed in Korat is being hailed as a non-smelly version of the famous large fruit. The northeastern province of Nakhon…
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Phuket woman rushed to hospital after jumping from bridge
A Phuket woman has been rushed to a hospital after jumping from a bridge into a canal in the island province’s main city district this morning. Rescue workers pulled the 31 year old woman out of the shallow water, and took her to a nearby hospital. Details about her injuries have not yet been reported, though. The woman had jumped…
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