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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 Do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?
Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...
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Thai-American US senator says women need to break through the glass ceiling
Thai-American United States Senator Ladda “Tammy” Duckworth says women – in both Thailand and the US – need to take on leadership roles and break through the glass ceiling. Her speech, recorded in Illinois and played back at the Bangkok Post International Forum 2020, comes at a time where groups of Thai women attending the ongoing pro-democracy protests are expressing…
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Thief makes off with over 500,000 baht in Bangkok bank robbery
A man who robbed a Bangkok branch of the Government Housing Bank at gunpoint has escaped with over 500,000 baht. Nation Thailand report that the robbery took place yesterday afternoon, at the bank’s Bangbon branch on Soi Ekachai 86 in the capital. A security guard at the branch told police that the thief jumped over the counter, before grabbing the…
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City officials plan to demolish abandoned Pattaya condo project
After years of talks, threats, and complaints, the abandoned Waterfront condo development at Pattaya’s Bali Hai pier looks set to be demolished. The Waterfront Suites and Residence is a half-finished condo project that was stalled in 2014 after safety inspectors discovered that the building’s fire escapes and elevator systems designs varied from the already approved construction designs. Read an earlier…
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Thai virologist says vaccinating 40 million Thais next year will be a challenge
A prominent Thai virologist has admitted that vaccinating 60% of the population against Covid-19 next year will not be easy. Dr Yong Pooworavan says this is because 40 million people receiving 2 doses each means the country needs access to 80 million doses. Yesterday, it was confirmed that Thailand hopes to begin production and administration of the AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine…
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Yellow ducks dominate at Bangkok pro-democracy rally
Yesterday’s anti-government protest at the headquarters of the Siam Commercial Bank in Bangkok was dominated by one prominent symbol – the yellow duck. Having been used at protests in Hong Kong earlier this year, the rubber duck has also become a regular feature at the Thai protests, a symbol of mutual support between both pro-democracy movements. At yesterday’s rally outside…
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Ex-Thai Airways official gets fat prison sentence for failing to pay excess baggage fees
You’ll never complain about excess baggage charges after reading this… The former chairperson for Thai Airways has been sentenced to 2 years in jail because he didn’t pay for 300 kilograms of excess baggage back in 2009. The Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases says Wallop Bhukkanasut abused his authority as chairperson by ordering airline staff to change…
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Thai PM insists martial law will not be used against protesters
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says he has no intention of resorting to martial law to put an end to the current political unrest, adding that existing laws provide enough scope for dealing with those who take matters into their own hand. The Bangkok Post reports that he was responding to reporters following a US-ASEAN Business Council meeting at the Ministry…
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Argentine football legend Diego Maradona dies at age 60
Argentine football legend Diego Maradona died yesterday at 60 years old. Maradona, known as one of the greatest football players of all time, suffered from a heart attack. Maradona scored the famous “Hand of God” goal and the “Goal of the Century” in the World Cup 1986 quarter-finals, defeating England 2-1. Maradona, then captain, was known for inspiring to win…
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Thailand News Today | No vaccine, no flight, protest latest, smoking ban | November 25
The latest on today’s protests and the background as to why the protesters moved from the Crown Property Bureau. All on Wednesday’s Thailand News Today. Protesters flip the location of today’s protest. Counter protests planned. Protesters moved the location of today’s protests to the the headquarters of Siam Commercial Bank in Bangkok. When protesters heard about a counter rally to…
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Health officials call for smoking to be banned in residential buildings in Thailand
Thai health officials are calling for a ban on smoking in residential buildings, such as condominiums, hotels, and dormitories. Those campaigning for a change in the law say it’s needed to protect the health of residents, and children in particular. Paisan Limsathit, from the Health Laws and Ethics Centre at Thamassat University, says residential buildings should be smoke-free in order…
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Police hunt armed man who robbed Chon Buri store of 200,000 baht worth of gold
Police in the city of Laem Chabang, the shipping port in the eastern province of Chon Buri, are hunting a suspect described as “armed and dangerous” following a robbery at a department store. Employees of the ‘Golden 99’ store were threatened at gunpoint before the man made off with gold valued at 200,000 baht. The 3 staff members were left…
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Traffic jams in Bangkok as police use containers to block protesters from Crown Property Bureau
The hashtag #รถติด, (traffic jam), was among Twitter’s top 3 trending hashtags this morning as Bangkok motorists battled congestion caused by the police’s attempts to block protesters from the Crown Property Bureau. First they used small portable metal barricades, then razor wire, then concrete blocks, then old buses. Now they’re going for the heavy “blockade” artillery – steel shipping containers.…
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Location of Bangkok rally changed from Crown Property Bureau to Siam Commercial Bank headquarters
Protest leaders from the United Front for Thammasat and Demonstration and the Free Youth Movement have confirmed that the location of today’s planned rally in Bangkok has been changed to the headquarters of Siam Commercial Bank. The protest had been due to take place at the Crown Property Bureau at 3.00pm. SCB is a Thai bank that was set up…
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UPDATE: Protesters flip the location of today’s protest. Counter protests planned.
UPDATE: The protesters have moved the location of today’s protests to the the headquarters of SCB (Siam Commercial Bank). SCB is a Thai bank that was set up under the auspices of the Crown Property Bureau. Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn is the largest single shareholder, owning 23.35% of SCB shares. ORIGINAL STORY: Stay away. That’s the orders from police as protesters are…
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Monk dies after jumping in front of speeding train in north-east Thailand
A monk has died after jumping on to rail tracks and into the path of an approaching train in the north-eastern province of Si Sa Ket, near the Cambodian border. The incident occurred at a provincial train station in front of horrified witnesses at around 10.30am yesterday. According to a Nation Thailand report, police say the 55 year old’s body…
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Department of Land Transport threatens hefty fines for customised vehicle headlights, taillights
The Department of Land Transport is warning motorists that they may face significant fines if they modify their vehicle’s headlights or taillights. Jantira Buruspat from the DLT says that customising a vehicle’s lights in a manner that contravenes either the Vehicle Act or the Land Transport Act can incur a fine of up to 50,000 baht. He says the reminder…
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Thailand eyes first half of 2021 for production of AstraZeneca vaccine
Thailand hopes to begin production and administration of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine during the first 6 months of 2021. As part of a technology-transfer agreement signed by the Thai government, Siam Bioscience will be provided with the information for vaccine production. It then hopes to register the vaccine with Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration within the next 6 months. The pharmaceutical…
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9 underage girls rescued from brothel posing as spa in central Thailand
Police in Nonthaburi, just north of Bangkok, have arrested 12 people and rescued 9 underage girls in a pre-dawn raid on an un-licenced spa that was a front for prostitution. The Bangkok Post reports that the raid took place at a spa on the city’s Rattanathibet Road early yesterday morning. Torsak Sukwimol from the Central Investigation Bureau says the raid…
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Thailand News Today | Holiday road toll, protests tomorrow, GDP recovery | November 24
There’s been some heavy downpours around sections of Bangkok over the past few days. We start with some video of the flooded streets. Then, into the news… 139 killed, 653 injured, as Thailand’s holiday weekend sees surge in road accidents The Ministry of Transport has confirmed that hundreds of road traffic accidents have taken place over Thailand’s 4 day holiday…
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No vaccine, no flight – Qantas will require international travellers to be vaccinated
Qantas, Australia’s national airline, is announcing a new requirement that all international travellers will need to have a vaccination against Covid-19 in a move that could become the norm for the world’s airline industry. Qantas CEO Alan Joyce says the Australian flag carrier would implement the measure once a coronavirus vaccine was made available to the public. “We are looking…
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Pandemic has washed away Pattaya’s “soapy” massage parlours
While the Covid pandemic has hit Thailand’s businesses hard, it has also washed away its not-so-legal soapy massage parlours after tourism has dried up its clientele. Such places, known as glorified brothels, have left many masseuses out of work as boards have barricaded the once booming establishments. Soapy Massage (àap-òp-nûat, อาบอบนวด, literally bath, steam, massage)… These are the bigger massage parlours where…
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5 month old Indian baby among 2 new imported cases of Covid
Today, Thailand’s CCSA reports 2 new imported cases of Covid, 1 of which is a 5 month old Indian baby girl, bringing the total number of cases to 3,922 with 0 new deaths. The Centre for Covid Situation Administration reported that the girl arrived on November 11 on the same flight as 2 previously confirmed cases. The baby tested positive…
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Bad Student protesters highlight patriarchal society where victims are blamed
After Saturday’s rally featuring the Bad Student group, some members have also began highlighting the patriarchal society of Thailand where obedience and submission runs rampant in educational institutions. 20 year old Nalinrat Tuthubthim bravely demonstrated the need for an open dialogue as she adorned an old school uniform while taping her mouth and holding a sign. “A teacher sexually assaulted…
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139 killed, 653 injured, as Thailand’s holiday weekend sees surge in road accidents
The Ministry of Transport has confirmed that hundreds of road traffic accidents have taken place over Thailand’s holiday weekend. 139 people have died and 653 have been injured in the course of the 4-day holiday, which was introduced to boost domestic tourism. The Pattaya News report that 455 car accidents have been recorded, with nearly 79% of them being caused…
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Technical issues force Singapore aircraft to land on Malaysian highway – VIDEO
A single-engine prop plane from Singapore has been forced to make an emergency landing on a Malaysian highway due to technical difficulties. A report in Coconuts says the aircraft touched down on the hard shoulder of a highway in Johor, as cars sped past. The 2 pilots on board are believed to be in stable condition. Chester Voo, CEO of…
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Phuket’s Soi Dog Foundation opens Humane Education Centre at Mai Khao shelter
The Soi Dog Foundation has officially opened its Humane Education Centre, the first of its kind in Thailand dedicated to the welfare of stray animals. The centre, located at the Soi Dog shelter in northern Phuket, forms part of the foundation’s Humane Education program. Rolled out in 2017, the program sees a team visit Thai schools to teach the next…
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Protester slammed for dressing as schoolgirl to highlight sexual harassment in Thai schools
2 government MPs have criticised a member of the “Bad Students” protest movement after she dressed as a schoolgirl to highlight sexual harassment in Thai schools. In an online protest, the activist donned a school uniform and held up a sign condemning sexual harassment in the Thai education system. Nation Thailand reports that while her actions have generally been supported…
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Finance Minister says Thailand’s GDP will take 2 years to recover
Thailand’s finance minister says the countrys GDP will take 2 years to recover the 9% it has lost since the Covid pandemic ravaged the economy. Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, the Finance Minister, says the economy would have expanded by 3% this year if it weren’t for the pandemic. “The pandemic crisis will make the economy contract by around 6% in 2020, therefore…
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2 Thai Covid-19 vaccines to proceed to human testing
Out of Thailand’s 7 potential Covid-19 vaccines, 2 have successfully completed the animal testing stage and will proceed to human testing. Dr Nakorn Premsri from the National Vaccine Institute says the 2 vaccines are the mRNA vaccine from the Chula Vaccine Research Centre and BioNet-Asia’s DNA vaccine. The Chula VRC candidate vaccine is expected to begin human trials in April…
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Police have yet to investigate illegal hiring of foreign teachers at international school in Phuket
Chalong police in Phuket say they have yet to start investigating the illegal hiring of foreign teachers at an international school in Rawai, south of the island. Palm House International School allegedly hired foreign teachers illegally in which 2 were arrested by Phuket Immigration police on November 4. Somkiet Sarasin, the leading investigator of the case, says the 2 Brits…
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