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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Sponsored Bangtao, Phuket: The neighbourhood expats and investors are eyeing in 2025
Bangtao didn't become Phuket’s most talked-about neighbourhood overnight. For a long time, it was a quiet place on the island’s west coast where locals walked their dogs at sunrise and tourists flocked to sunbathe along its eight-kilometre stretch of beach....
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Pro-active street vendor uses spray paint to create parking spot
Picture: Sakhon Online A picture posted to the online Samut Sakhon community has been making the rounds as it shows a local street vendor taking matters into his own hands. Frustrated by the lack of parking (which many Thailand food stall owners complain about), the unidentified man is pictured using a spray paint can to change the colour of the red…
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Six Chinese arrested for begging in Bangkok, Thailand
PHOTOS: Tourist Police | Immigration Bureau Six Chinese, in wheelchairs, have been arrested for begging in Bangkok. The Tourist Police Bureau reported yesterday that the arrests came after Tourist Police and the Immigration Officers found the Chinese disabled begging gang who were staying at a hotel on Soi Intharama. They headed out for begging at tourism spots around Bangkok in…
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Helicopter crashes in Nakhon Sawan
A helicopter from the Royal Rain-making and Agricultural Aviation Department has crash-landed while on a training flight in Nakhon Sawan, north of Bangkok, yesterday. The pilot, a co-pilot and a mechanic escaped with only minor injuries after the chopper crashed into an empty field and caught fire. Rescuers managed to extinguish the fire. Department officials said that the helicopter developed…
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Air pollution problems move to Khon Kaen
Pollution continues to choke the north-east province of Khon Kaen with the Air Quality Index reaching 187 yesterday, well beyond the “moderate” safety limit of 100. This morning it’s reading at 174. Associate Professor Dr Kittichai Triratanasirichai, a former president of Khon Kaen University, says the pollution in Khon Kaen had worsened mainly due to the burning of sugarcane and…
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PM, Bangkok Governor and environment board summoned to court over air pollution
The Thai PM, Bangkok’s governor Aswin Kwanmuang and the National Environment Board were summoned to the Central Administrative Court today over the PM2.5 air pollution crisis that has affected Greater Bangkok for nearly two months. The court will question Prayut, Aswin and members of the board in response to a complaint filed by the Stop Global Warming Association (SGWA) and…
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Russian tourist rescued from sea off Krabi
A 27 year old Russian tourist was pulled out of the water at Koh Lanta in Krabi early last night. Navy officers were notified by Koh Lanta Police that the 27 year old female Russian tourist Mariia Novikova had been rescued after being recovered from the waters off a beach in Koh Lanta. Five navy officers rushed into the water…
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Weather for February 7
Bangkok Partly cloudy. High 33ºC. Winds S at 10 to 15 km/h. Phuket Generally clear. High 32ºC. Winds SE at 10 to 15 km/h. Chiang Mai Generally clear. High 35ºC. Winds ESE and variable. Pattaya Partly cloudy. High 30ºC. Winds SSW at 15 to 25 km/h. Hua Hin Generally clear. High 32ºC. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 km/h. Ko…
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Air quality for Thailand – February 7
Central Thailand Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution. Northern Thailand Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is not likely to be affected. Southern Thailand Air quality is acceptable; however, for…
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Australian PM writes a second letter to Thai PM over al-Araibi case
The Australian Government is pouring on the pressure with Bangkok to immediately release Hakeem al-Araibi, with the Australian PM writing a second letter to his Thai counterpart saying he was disturbed to see Hakeem al-Araibi in shackles at the Criminal Court on Monday. “I’ve written to him again, because I was very disturbed at the appearance of Hakeem at the…
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Nakhon Ratchasima shoots himself after CNY celebrations
A Nakhon Ratchasima man has shot himself while his mother and sister were washing up in the next room following a Chinese New Year dinner in their shophouse. Police were alerted to the suicide at a house on Soi Pattana Prapa Community 2 in Nai Muang, Muang district at 6.45pm last night. They arrived to find Weerawat Phisitthapat’s body lying in…
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Vietnamese blogger has vanishes in Thailand – Radio Free Asia
PHOTO: Một Góc Nhìn Khác A Vietnamese blogger,Truong Duy Nhat, working for Radio Free Asia, has vanished after fleeing to Thailand. The news organisation has voiced its concerns today as rights activists share their fear that he had been abducted. AFP reports that Truong Duy Nhat, a weekly blogger for the Vietnamese service of Radio Free Asia, which aims to…
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75 year old burned to death while fighting plantation fire in Sa Kaew
A 75 year old has been burned to death while fighting a fire in Sa Kaew’s Aranyaprathet district last night. Sa Kaew is east of Bangkok on the Cambodian border. The incident happened in a eucalyptus plantation. District police received an alert at 8.30pm that the man, Boonsee Thamungmee, was killed at the plantation in Moo 6 village in Tambon…
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Chiang Mai top cops transferred after gambling den raid
Five leading police officers at the Muang Chiang Mai Police Station have been immediately side-lined to inactive posts. The transfers are pending a fact-finding probe of whether they had been negligent in their duties by allowing a gambling den to operate within the precinct. The police were transferred today and the probe result is expected within two weeks. Transferred are…
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Extradition of Hakeem al-Arabi to a third country being suggested by Thai FM
Diplomacy has wandered into the testy situation between Bahrain, Australia and Thailand in the case of jailed Bahraini footballer Hakeem al-Arabi. He remains in detention awaiting an extradition hearing in a Thai court. In a move to move the attention away from Thailand, Thai Foreign Minister Don Paramudvinai says Australia and Bahrain should hold talks to resolve the case by having him sent to…
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Police raid Nana area in Bangkok – seize sex toys and ‘viagra’ valued at 2 million baht
PHOTO: Daily News 2 million baht worth of sex toys, aphrodisiacs and fake viagra were seized last night (Tuesday) from ten stalls operating in the Nana area of Bangkok. Police teamed up with the military and protection services to execute the raid following several complaints by the public of the vendors (operating in soi 3/1 area) selling illegal items on…
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South Korean arrested in Bangkok over fake lottery website
PHOTO: Immigration Bureau A South Korean man has been arrested in Bangkok following an arrest alerted by Interpol for operating a fake lottery website. The Immigration Bureau say that the South Korean citizen, named SUNGHWA LEE, is the head of the gang that operated the fake lottery website. Many of the victims are South Korean. The cost of damages stolen from…
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Plastic garbage found inside dead sea turtle in Chon Buri
PHOTO: DMCR Plastic garbage has been found inside a dead green turtle on Bang Sane Beach in Chon Buri. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) says the green turtle was found on Bang Sane Beach in Chon Buri yesterday. The female turtle was 76.5 centimetres long and 72 centimetres wide. Its age is estimated around 25 to 30…
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Whale shark carcass found on Satun Beach
PHOTO: DMCR The body of a whale shark was discovered on a beach in Satun yesterday. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) is reporting that officials at the Mu Koh Paetra National Park in Satun were notified about the huge whale shark carcass that had been washed on a beach between Phang Ga Ya Bay and Ko Bulon…
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Air quality for Thailand – February 6
Central Thailand Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution. Northern Thailand Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is not likely to be affected. Southern Thailand Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants…
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Weather for February 6
Bangkok Partly cloudy. High 32ºC. Winds S at 15 to 25 km/h. Phuket Partly cloudy. High 31ºC. E winds shifting to SSW at 15 to 25 km/h. Chiang Mai Generally clear. High 35ºC. Winds SE and variable. Pattaya Scattered thunderstorms. High 30ºC. Winds SSW at 15 to 30 km/h. Chance of rain 80%. Hua Hin Morning thunderstorms. High 31ºC. Winds…
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Capsized speedboat found in Krabi
An unattended and capsized speedboat has been found at Koh Pakbia in Krabi. The head of national park at Mu Koh Hong was told that the speedboat was found capsized 50 metres from the shoreline in Koh Pakbia at 11am yesterday. No one else was around and there were no signs of obvious problems with the vessel. Krabi Marine Police…
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24 year old dies after e-cigarette explodes in his face
PHOTO: William Brown died in a Fort Worth hospital on January 29 – CNN CNN reports that a Texas man died of a massive stroke after the e-cigarette he was using exploded and tore his carotid artery. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s office says that William Brown died in a Fort Worth hospital on January 29. The death certificate says…
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“Australian ‘red notice’ led to the arrest of Hakeem al-Araibi”
PHOTO: South China Morning Post “Australia issuance of an Interpol red notice for former Bahraini footballer Hakeem al-Araibi that led to his arrest in Thailand”. This revelation from Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai. Bahrain, which issued an arrest warrant after finding him guilty of criminal charges in 2014, learnt about his overseas trip and requested Thailand to detain him, Don…
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Moken village fire – “destruction brings opportunities”
by Pratch Rujivanarom The devastation of the Moken village on Phang Nga’s Surin island last Sunday night can possibly be used as an opportunity to restore the traditional way of life for the sea gypsies. This assessment from academics after the blaze destroyed 61 houses and left 237 people homeless. Maitree Jongkraijug, a coordinator with Chumchontai Foundation, said the villagers…
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Hakeem Al-Araibi hobbles into court in leg irons – raises questions about his treatment in Thailand
The Corrections Department says they are permitted by law to place leg irons on former-Bahraini-footballer-turned-Australian-refugee Hakeem Al-Araibi. Al-Araibi, a resident of Australia where he holds also refugee status, appeared at the Criminal Court yesterday with his legs cuffed. He is fighting an extradition request from his former home country. The sight of Al-Araibi in leg irons drew a lot of…
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14 year old peeping tom gets caught in Thai gas station women’s bathroom
PHOTO: Sanook A Thai teen has been accused of lurking around a gas station bathroom and peeking under the women’s bathroom stall in Chon Buri, east of Bangkok. 21 year old Wipaporn Wongwijarn was shocked when she saw a pair of eyes peeking up at her from under the bathroom stall during a moment with nature. Furious, she stormed out…
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Hua Hin massage shops blocking the beach
PHOTO: Juckrit Chotphom The Hua Hin municipality says they’re going to investigate beach massage operators for encroaching on, and blocking, the popular beach in Prachuap Khiri Khan province. Clerk of the municipality, Jirawat Prammanee, says he ordered officials to check on the operators after seeing posts from a Hua Hin resident showing the beach obstructed by massage beds. Jirawat said…
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“Red buses are a rip-off. We’d rather use Grab or Uber” – Chiang Mai
A poll among Thai tourists in Chiang Mai is giving a big preference to local Uber and Grab services and the thumbs down to the northern city’s notorious ‘Rot Daeng’ or red buses. The Mae Jo poll shows that 76% of Thai tourists want to see the red vehicles reined in. While 78% say they’d rather use Grab or Uber for…
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Smoking rooms, and smokers, being kicked out of Thai airports
Ah yes, just finished that 11 hour flight from Europe and can’t wait to dash into the smoking room for a quick cigarette. In Thailand that’s no longer going to be possible. The AoT (Airports of Thailand) are scrapping the anachronistic smoking zones at all their airports, effective immediately. Smokers won’t be able to smoke in the ‘Smoking Rooms’ at…
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7-Eleven hands over a cash advance to a lady boy from retiree’s stolen credit card
FILE PHOTO ThaiVisa is reporting that an American retiree, living in Bangkok, claims a lady boy stole his wallet in Phuket. She then used his wallet to get a 13,550 baht cash advance at a local 7-Eleven store. The card was signed and the receipt issued to ‘Gregory M Field’ in English. But, explains ThaiVisa, the lady boy was handed…
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