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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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Man falls to his death inside CentralWorld, Bangkok
A 55 year old man has fallen four floors to his death at Central World shopping centre near the Ratchaprasong intersection on Sukhumvit Road in Bangkok’s Pathumwan district. The incident happened today just after midday. Pathumwan Police were informed of the incident at about 12.30pm. A video clip that’s been posted shows staff setting up a black tent to cover…
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Security stepped up for the end of Ramadan in Songkhla, Thailand
FILE PHOTO Police and troops are stepping up security in Songkhla and the southern province, especially the town of Hat Yai, ahead of the Eid al-Fitr festival – the end of the annual Ramadan – tomorrow (Wednesday). Today is the last day of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. A security source said intelligence agencies believed Muslim insurgents would…
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Phalang Pracharat unable to form Thai coalition – Democrats and Bhumjaithai sitting it out, for now
Close. But no majority. The black suits seemed appropriate for the dismal situation Thai politics faces. Phalang Pracharat, after more than two months of wrangling and negotiations, have been forced to concede that they don’t have the numbers to form a coalition as of this afternoon, repeating that their aim was to set up a stable government. As of this…
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Blacklisted Russian gets fake passport, returns to Thailand as Romanian, caught again
The case of the Russian who was blacklisted, deported from Thailand, then flies back to Thailand as a Romanian and moves to Koh Pha Ngan. It all seemed so clever, but was easily detected. The new chief of the Immigration Bureau, Lt-Gen Sompong Chingduang, announced the arrest of the man yesterday. Sergey Milentiy was previously based on the southern Gulf of…
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Man found hanged in Karon house, Phuket
The body of a man has been found hanged inside a house in Karon this morning. Karon Police were notified of the incident at the house in Soi Patak 9. Police and emergency responders arrived to find the body of a man who was later identified as 40 year old Sanit Janthorn, found hanged inside the house. Police believe that the…
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Twitter’s Thailand Top Ten – Q1 2019
Twitter continues to grow as a popular social App in Thailand. Now Twitter have announced their first ever brand index for Thailand – Top 10 Brands on Twitter in Thailand. Measured by engagement over the first quarter of the year (January 1 – March 31, 2019), here are the Top 10 Brands on Twitter in Thailand… 1. AIS (@AIS_Thailand) 2.…
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Bangkok’s Governor says Chatuchak is safe and repairs underway
PHOTO: TNA MCOT Bangkok’s governor says Chatuchak Weekend Market is safe and that there will be no damage to tourism at the Bangkok icon. Chatuchak, aka ‘JJ Market’, has more than 15,000 stalls and 11,500 vendors, divided up into 27 sections. It is the world’s largest and most diverse weekend market, with over 200,000+ visitors every weekend. A fire on Sunday…
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Goodbye iTunes, hello new dedicated Apps
In January 2001 Apple announced iTunes. It changed everything in the music industry and has gone on to spawn other more modern forms of music purchases and sharing. It was a true ‘disrupter’ for the time. Then, just eight months later would come the iPod which fundamentally changed the way we listen to music as well. Now Apple is introducing…
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Phuket’s new town planning code will radically change island
Thailand’s Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning is finalising sweeping new development regulations for Phuket. The island’s MICE industry is expected to be a big winner from the proposed changes (more below). In April the draft regulations were issued for public comment and it is expected the new set of rules will come into effect over the next…
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Airports of Thailand open bidding for new duty free contracts at three airports
Airports of Thailand (AoT) says they will finalise the bidding process to announce who will manage the commercial areas at three provincial airports – Phuket, Had Yai and Chiang Mai – on June 10. King Power Duty Free has had a stranglehold on the duty free concession areas of the country’s four main airports but are having to bid for…
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Thailand’s Maya Bay settles into an extended period of rest – VIDEO
You can look but you can’t touch. Maya Bay’s beach, closed last year to allow coral restoration and beach recovery, is likely to remain closed to visitors for many years, even up to five. The famous Koh Phi Phi Ley beach and bay, made famous in the 2000 movie The Beach, needs time for its ecology to fully recover years…
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Gunman shoots and kills village head in Narathiwat mosque
PHOTO: Nation Channel A gunman walked into the Ban Arware Mosque and shot dead the village head in Narathiwat’s Ra Ngae district last night, in southern Thailand. Stray bullets also injured a man praying next to the man at the mosque. Police report that 48 year old Pakruding Tohdeng, the village head of Ban Arwar in Tambon Mareubotok, was killed inside…
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More educated Thais earn more – SCB study
More education = higher salary. Siam Commercial Bank’s Economic Intelligence Unit has released a report that shows the more education you have, the more salary you will earn. The SCB think tank’s research paper indicates that the relationship between education and salary is clear and simple; education counts when you apply for a job. Also, don’t underestimate the GPA (Grade Point…
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30 False killer whales sighted of Koh Tao – VIDEO
PHOTO: DMCR VIDEO: Ban’s Diving Resort (Official Fan Page) About 30 of false killer whales sighted off Koh Tao, Surat Thani over the weekend. The Department of Marine and Coast Resources reported that they were notified from Ban’s Diving tours operator on Koh Tao that that they were on a speedboat with tourists just off the coast of Koh Tao.…
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UPDATE: Chatuchak Weekend Market fire, Bangkok
Bangkok’s governo, along with forensic officers, visited the world- famous Chatuchak market this morning to inspect damage caused by last night’s huge blaze that destroyed a total of 120 shops and damaged lots of others (revised up from 30 shops as reported earlier by The Thaiger). Meanwhile witnesses report that an explosion in an electrical transformer could have caused the…
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Thailand Events – June 2019
with The Sponsorship Experts – Paul Poole (South East Asia) There are no shortage of food related events in Bangkok in June but if you’re only going to go to one, the third installation of Taan Bangkok’s Chef Table series will see Khun Kanaporn “Aum” Chancherdsak, the owner of Trang’s renowned restaurant Trang Ko’e, showcase her meticulous cooking on June…
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Campaign to clear ‘Ghost Nets’ from Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar
A team of experienced divers from around the world have launched a campaign to clear lost and disused fishing nets, known as ghost nets, from the coral reefs in Myanmar’s Mergui Archipelago. Ghost nets, or ALDFG (abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear), include fishing nets, lines and traps which are left in the ocean and become entangled in rocks and…
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Thai Smile joins Star Alliance as ‘connecting partner’
Thai Smile Airways, the budget offshoot of Thai Airways, will become the “Connecting Partner” in the Star Alliance, the world’s largest airline network. Customers travelling on an itinerary which includes a transfer between a Star Alliance member airline and a Connecting Partner will be offered standard alliance benefits, such as the issue of a boarding passes for connecting flights at…
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Bangkok apartment-broker arrested for fraud
PHOTOS: Tourist Police Bureau A female apartment broker has been tracked down and arrested on fraud charges for swindling prospective tenants, both Thais and foreigners, and landlords out of 2.5 million baht. Tourist Police Bureau this weekend reports that 31 year old Pawinee Krainoonsing was wanted on an arrest warrant issued by the Bangkok South Criminal Court on April 30.…
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Russian injured after falling from rock taking selfie on Patong beach, Phuket
PHOTOS: Patong Surf Life Saving A female Russian tourist has been injured after falling from a rock on Patong beach while trying to take selfie-photo over the weekend. Patong Surf Life Saving report that they arrived at the scene to find the Russian woman laying on the beach. There were quite a few scratches on her body. Her friends said…
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HM The Queen celebrates her birthday today
Her Majesty Queen Suthida’s birthday is being celebrated across the country today. The Queen was born on June 3, 1978. She graduated from Assumption University’s School of Communication Arts in 2000, after which she served as a flight attendant on JAL ways and then, from 2003-2008, with Thai Airways International. The Nation reports that in 2010 she was an acting…
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2019 Dengue cases soar as Thailand enters monsoon season
Dengue fever cases have doubled in Thailand compared to the same time last year. 20,000 cases have been reported since January 25 this year. And health officials are wary as Thailand heads into the annual monsoon, the traditional peak period for dengue cases. The Chief of the Disease Control Department says the number of infections has doubled since figures for…
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Fire at Bangkok’s Chatuchak Weekend Market destroys 30 shops
PHOTO: JS 100 radio Bangkok’s famous Chatuchak weekend market caught fire near the Gate 1 area last night. Traffic Police and JS 100 traffic radio stations first reported the blaze around 9.15pm at the sprawling Chatuchak market, north of Bangkok’s main city area. The intense blaze took about an hour to bring under control. Many people reported on their social media…
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Five senior Pattaya police shuffled to desk jobs
PHOTO: “Surprise!” – Brazil Nightclub in South Pattaya Five police officers in Pattaya City have been unceremoniously transferred after two early morning raids on entertainment venues in their area. The pubs had been operating beyond legal hours, tolerated illicit drug use and allowed underage patrons on their premises. Here’s the Pattaya police walk of shame… Muang Pattaya Police Station superintendent…
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Bangkok’s pick-up-smashing angry aunties have their day in court
Bangkok’s famous, or infamous, ‘angry aunties’ (Thai PBS describes them as ‘female car vandals’) have had their day in court and have been handed out a suspended three month prison term by the Phra Khanong provincial court. In February last year the 57 and 61 year old sisters got busy on a pick-up truck that was parked in front of…
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Democrats meet one day before PM election to decide who to support
PHOTO: Democrat party spokesperson, Ramet Rattanachaweng Three sleeps to go before the Thai parliament meets to elect a new PM. The result of that vote is expected to favour the Palang Pracharat prime ministerial candidate, Prayut Chan-o-cha, the man who has been Thailand’s PM for the past five years. The Democrat party say they will decide on Tuesday, whether to…
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Just how many hazardous chemicals are going through Laem Chabang port?
“The containers were loaded with “dolls and toys” and there are no chemical substances present.” That was the first explanation we heard after the fire that happened last Saturday, May 25, when containers from the KMTC Hongkong burst into flames at Laem Chabang Port, south east of Bangkok. The port area is just to the north of Pattaya on the eastern…
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Two Pattaya pubs raided, 155 arrested over drug use
A total of 155 patrons have tested positive for drugs after raids on two popular Pattaya pubs early this morning. The pubs raided were Brazil Pattaya and 90’s Bar around 4am. Police say searches found a 9mm pistol with 16 rounds of ammunition, a knife, 62 packets of narcotics, including ecstasy, ketamine and crystal methamphetamine and drug-taking paraphernalia scattered over the…
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British man beaten up by Thai thugs in Pai for ‘interfering’ in an argument
PHOTOS: Daily News 37 year old Luke Benjamin Thornton has ended up in hospital in Chiang Mai after trying to break up a fight in Pai, north of Chiang Mai, on May 20. Daily News reports that Luke was trying to stop a fight between locals and tourists and was beaten unconscious with a wooden club and kicks. They reported that…
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Thailand’s export growth expectations revised down to just 3% in 2019
“Export trends are aligned with global sentiment and the outlook for other Asian countries, making export prospects murky because of the escalating trade war.” The government is massively revising down their export growth targets to just 3% this year from an earlier 8% growth estimate. Deputy PM Somkid Jatusripitak is blaming the global economic slowdown, the ongoing trade spat between the…
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