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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Royal Thai Police to take legal action against 21 officers in “Boss” case
The Royal Thai Police says it accepts the findings of a recently concluded inquiry into the “Boss” fiasco and will begin legal proceedings against 21 of the Police officers involved. The Bangkok Post reports that RTP representatives Jaruwat Waisaya and Kissana Phathanacharoen confirmed the move at a press briefing yesterday, adding that national police chief Chakthip Chaijinda will take charge…
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Foreigners arrested over eco-vandalism off Koh Phangan
A Hungarian and Dutch man have been arrested for picking up sea animals and taking photos with them whilst diving off Koh Phangan in the Gulf of Thailand. They then posted them on social media, probably oblivious to their potentially criminal act. Police described the two as “long-stayers on Koh Phangan”. Their selfies sparked plenty of outrage from Thai netizens…
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Australia falls into a recession, global economies at a loss
“Our record run of 28 consecutive years of economic growth has now officially come to an end. The cause: a once-in-a-century pandemic.” Just about everyone hit from the coronavirus pandemic. Businesses closed. Many lost their jobs. Paychecks were cut. Economies across the globe slipped into recession and Australia is now added to that list. The country reported it has sunk…
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Southern Thailand insurgents ambush police vehicle
A group of insurgents allegedly shot up a police vehicle while it was travelling in the southern province Narathiwat, which borders Malaysia. 50 bullet casings were found on the ground after the ambush. Luckily, the 5 police officers, including the province’s deputy police chief, were not injured. The police vehicle was equipped with bullet proof windows and the body of…
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Don Mueang falling below passenger goal
Despite the return to the skies by many of Thailand’s domestic airlines – Thai Air Asia, Thai Lion Air, Thai VietJet, Nok Air Thai Smile, Bangkok Air – Don Mueang Airport has been quiet with only a third of the passengers they’re used to. The Bangkok airport, mostly serving the budget airlines, is even falling below the conservative goals they…
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Body found with gunshot wound, police open murder investigation
Police have opened a murder investigation after a man’s body was found in a drain in the southern province Nakhon Si Thammarat, southern Thailand. He had a gunshot wound to his head and officers say he was shot from a close range. His hands were found handcuffed behind his back. A local was fishing at the Tha Rua-Hua Trud canal…
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Concerns over Covid surge in Myanmar prompt increased security at Tak border
The northern province of Tak has stepped up security along the Myanmar border amid concerns about Covid-19 numbers in the neighbouring country. The move comes as 2 schools in the western province of Prachuap Khiri Khan have had to temporarily close due to a number of students reporting a fever and the revelation that they had crossed the Thai-Myanmar border…
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Philippine president says “kill the drug traffickers”
“If it’s drugs, you shoot and kill. That’s the arrangement.” Philippine police have been ordered to kill those caught trafficking drugs. Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte said publicly during a Cabinet meeting that he wanted a revised crackdown on the country’s drug trafficking. The country’s leader is known for his strong anti-drug and hard-ball stance on drug dealing and trafficking, backed…
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Expats arrested after posing for selfies while handling protected sea creatures
A Dutch man and a Hungarian national are in custody after picking up protected sea creatures while diving off Koh Pha Ngan in the southern province of Surat Thani. Nation Thailand reports that the Hungarian man, named as Attila Ott, is a scuba diving instructor, who owns the Pink Panther Scuba Dive Club on the island. The Dutch man has…
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Malaysia bans citizens from high risk countries
While all international tourists are banned from entering Malaysia for the rest of the year, the country is also restricting citizens from India, Indonesia and the Philippines. Those countries have reported a high number of coronavirus cases and the numbers continue to go up. Foreign tourists have been banned since March and will be until the end of the year.…
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Eva Air pushes back Phuket flights to July 2021
A new timetable from Taiwan’s Eva Air indicates a delay to the planned resumption of direct flights between Taipei and Phuket, which had recently been tentatively pencilled in for March 2021. The new schedule now lists the flights as operating from July 1 next year with the airline’s website taking bookings from that date. The delay is indicative of the…
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Evidence of Thai Airways’ corruption, mismanagement, sent to Finance Ministry
The Finance Ministry has received 18 documents that show evidence of corruption and mismanagement at Thai Airways. The evidence was submitted by a Transport Ministry panel on corruption, pending a full investigation into “shady dealings” at the battered national carrier. The airline is currently undergoing a rehabilitation process, having filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this year. It’s understood the former…
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Man’s body found at Chon Buri beach, police suspect drowning
A 25 year old man was found dead at Na Jomtien beach in Chon Buri yesterday. Police say they believe the man drowned while diving for shells. Police identified the Thai man as Chaiwat Poeprasert. His mother told police her son went out to sea on his boat to look for shells. She noticed Chaiwat had been gone for a…
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A glimmer of hope for expats unable to satisfy minimum income requirements
September 26 looms as a dark day for many foreigners who have been unable to sort out a way to either leave the country or stay in Thailand. But at least one Thai immigration office appears to be discussing some leniency in this crazy time. Phuket Immigration has specifically addressed the issue for foreigners on a non-immigrant B (Business) visa…
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Vietnam ready to take off, international flights start this month
Vietnam is gearing up for international flights and some trips are planned to start as early as this month. The country’s Civil Aviation Authority says they’re set to start international flights on September 15 after being put on pause for the past 5 months. The authority’s director says travellers will need to quarantine for 14 days upon entering Vietnam. Japan…
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Student union president arrested in Bangkok for July rally
The president of the Student Union of Thailand was arrested while in a taxi on her way to class in Bangkok. This comes after a string of arrests police have made on political activists with many charges relating to the pro-democracy protest in July. 21 year old Jutatip Sirikhan video recorded her arrest and posted it live on her Facebook…
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Hua Hin schools close after students get fever, families crossed Myanmar border
Class is cancelled for a week at 2 schools after some students reported a high fever. School officials discovered many Burmese students and parents have been crossing the Thai-Myanmar border. The Thai government recently told immigration police to patrol the country’s natural borders such as along jungles and rivers after Myanmar reported a spike in coronavirus cases. The 2 Prachuap…
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Woman’s body found floating down Bangkok river
A woman’s body was found floating in the Chao Phraya River today. Her body was wrapped in plastic bags and emergency responders say she had critical injuries. The body was found near the Tha Din Daeng pier in Bangkok. The call came from 61 year old Sahaphop Kruekrat who saw the bag floating in the river and noticed human legs were…
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Malaysia closed to tourists for the rest of the year
Planning a trip to Malaysia? You’ll probably have to wait until 2021, at this stage anyway. The country just announced travel restrictions will be in place until New Years Eve 2020 and tourists won’t be allowed to visit until then. The country’s Recovery Movement Control Order is in place until December 31. Foreigners on a social visit pass, or tourist…
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Wow! TAT says they’ll give expats 500 baht to boost tourism
Where would you go with 500 baht? Probably not very far. The Tourism Authority of Thailand says they’re going to hand out 500 baht discount for each trip they take. TAT says they hope that the 2 million baht budget scheme will help stimulate domestic tourism. The 500 baht is expected to encourage the expats to “travel in the country…
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Police ordered to keep traffic moving after heavy flooding during Bangkok’s peak
Traffic police in Bangkok are being instructed to keep the capital’s roads clear after heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding from around 2am this morning. Krisana Pattanajaroen, deputy spokesman for the Royal Thai Police, says officers have been tasked with preventing traffic jams, particularly along Bangkok’s busiest thoroughfares, as well as removing any potential obstacles. The heavy rains started early in…
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Bangkok is getting smarter: 4 districts focused in urban plan
Bangkok is becoming a so-called “smart city” with an urban development plan focused on making improvements to city technology and infrastructure. The National Charter of Thailand says they’re focusing on 4 districts: Chinatown, Asoke, Rattanakosin Island and Tao Poon. For the Yaowarat district, or Chinatown, 580 metres will become a “web of transport” under the plan funded by the Thailand…
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Major fire destroys luxury property and furniture warehouse in Pattaya – VIDEO
A huge fire in north Pattaya has destroyed a 6-storey luxury home and a warehouse previously used for the sale and storage of antique furniture. The Pattaya News reports that the blaze broke out at around 1am last night, engulfing the building, which was located near the Sukhumvit highway. It’s understood the warehouse was part of a complex that also…
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Health Minister insists chemical ban must stay, as farmers plead for compromise
As disagreement continues over the current ban on paraquat and chlorpyrifos, Thailand’s farmers are calling for a compromise. Both paraquat (herbicide) and chlorpyrifos (pesticide) were popular in Thai agriculture until a controversial ban this year. But the farmers, who support a proposal by the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry that the ban be overturned, say the proposed alternatives simply don’t work.…
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PM confirms negligence in officials’ handling of “Boss” case
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says it’s clear that negligence played a part in the handling of hit-and-run charges against Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya. The Red Bull heir was facing numerous charges following a 2012 hit-and-run in Bangkok, in which a police officer died after being dragged under a Ferrari being driven by Vorayuth. He failed to appear for no fewer than 8…
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Facebook responds to proposed media laws in Australia with a threat to ban sharing of news posts
The media wars are heating up in Australia as a battle between Facebook and other tech platforms line up against traditional media providers and the Australian Government. Facebook is now threatening to block both the users and media organisations in Australia sharing news stories, if the Australian government’s plan to demand Facebook, Instagram, Google, etc to pay for content goes ahead.…
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Popular Thai teenage game streamer killed in motorcycle crash
A well-known teenage game streamer died after he crashed his Ducati motorcycle while riding with a group of his friends. The 17 year old, Chanon Chuchart, made videos playing popular games like Grand Theft Auto V. He has more than 11,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel Omnuay Studio and his Facebook has more than 100,000 followers. Witnesses told local TV…
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Home-grown cannabis bill ready for parliament review
Cannabis could be grown at home, if a draft revision to the Thai Narcotics Act is passed. Those who want to grow cannabis, both for personal use or to sell, would need permission from the Food and Drug Administration. The bill is ready to be reviewed by parliament. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says he is going to keep pushing…
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Thailand is prepared for a 2nd wave of the coronavirus, health officials say
Thailand is prepared for a second wave of the coronavirus, according to the country’s public health officials. While there hasn’t been any local transmissions recently, numbers are on the rise in other countries and Thailand’s hospitals have stocked up on supplies to be prepared for any potential second outbreak of Covid-19. A 29 year old British woman tested positive for…
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Toilet and bathroom destroyed as septic tank explodes – 1 person injured
A Lampang loo has exploded, blowing out the bathroom door and a hole in the roof. One female family member was injured in the explosion. The Sawang Nakorn Lampang Thammasathan volunteer rescuers arrived at the commercial premises in downtown Lampang on Sunday. The downstairs area was rented by a company selling cleaning equipment. Lampang is just south of Chiang Mai. The…
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