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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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Each year, many expats living in Thailand see their health insurance premiums go up and often without a clear reason. This can be frustrating, especially when you're trying to plan your budget. But by understanding why prices rise and learning...
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Trade negotiations with EFTA set to boost Thai GDP
The Trade Negotiations Department of the Commerce Ministry gears up for the seventh round of trade negotiations with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), to seal the deal by mid-2024. The announcement was made by Auramon Supthaweethum, the director-general of the department, who confirmed that the negotiations will take place from November 6 to November 9 in Geneva, Switzerland. The…
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Sugar prices clampdown: Thai Government enforces caps amid production cost hike
The Thai government yesterday resolved to regulate sugar prices to lessen the burden on the public. The Minister of Commerce, Phumtham Wechayachai, expressed confidence that the move will not cause controversy with Brazil. Following the weekly cabinet session, Phumtham disclosed that the government had decided to set a limit on the ex-factory prices for granulated sugar at 19 baht per…
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Snake catching fiasco: Man’s hilarious mistake with palm frond goes viral
A man’s humorous display of catching a snake barehanded left viewers laughing out loud. The clip, which ends up as a comedy sketch, caused viewers to gasp and burst into raucous laughter. The video, shared on social media, shows a young man walking in a resort’s walkway when he stumbles upon a cobra rearing its head menacingly. However, he remains…
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Thunderstorm warning: TMD issues alert for 30 provinces, including Bangkok
The Thailand Meteorological Department (TMD) issued a thunderstorm warning in 30 provinces including Bangkok, with South Thailand being the hardest hit. Citizens are advised to be alert for potential flash floods and forest runoff. At 5am today, a 24 hour forecast reveals that high atmospheric pressure or a mass of cool air from China has spread to cover northern Thailand.…
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Thai-Ghanaian football player condemns racist Thai referee
A half-Thai, half-Ghanaian Prachin Buri City football player condemned a racist Thai referee who allegedly called him a “ni**a!” The drama erupted after the match between Prachin Buri City FC and Pluakdaeng United FC on October 29. Prachin Buri City FC player Abdulkordiri Hamit, also known as Abdul, posted on his Pog Dul Facebook account what happened. “I can understand…
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Vietnamese woman video records hospital stay before childbirth on TikToK
A 26 year old Vietnamese woman has become a viral sensation on TikTok after sharing images of her hospital stay while awaiting childbirth. The photos, which revealed a relaxed atmosphere with Yen’s mother and mother-in-law present, suggested that the visit was more akin to a leisurely trip than a tense anticipation of labour. In one of the pictures, the pregnant…
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Sirens sour the silence: Silom hotel’s plea ignites global social media symphony
An escalating drama unfolded as a hotel in the Silom area penned a letter to a foundation requesting the discontinuation of ambulance siren noise. The hotel cites the disturbance and nuisance caused by the loud sirens, thereby interrupting the leisure time of the guests. The revelation of this issue by the Thai press stirred up a global social media storm. The…
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Foiled in gold: Chinese-led scam gang’s Aurora of deception comes to light
A Chinese-led gang operating an elaborate gold investment scam, falsely using the name of a trusted jewellery manufacturer, Aurora Design, has been busted by Thai police. The scheme is reported to have an estimated 1.2 billion baht in circulation. Over the past week, police conducted raids on 21 locations across Bangkok, Chon Buri, and Chiang Mai, arresting 26 suspects, among…
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Thailand’s fitness deficit: Running endorsed to get the nation moving
Recent statistics from this year reveal that only 62% of the Thai population engage in sufficient physical activities, while over 38% don’t. To encourage an active lifestyle, Social Marketing Thaihealth (SMT) and its network have endorsed running as an affordable and accessible form of exercise. SMT and the Thai Health Day Run believe that running can pave the way for…
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Vanishing act: Thai man’s disappearance sparks monk’s mystical ceremony
A 49 year old Thai man mysteriously vanished from his home in the early hours of October 26 leading to a monk’s mystical ceremony to find him. Residents from Mo 9, Nern Phayom, Thung Pho, Nong Chang, Uthai Thani, and neighbouring villages were joined by over 30 officials in a desperate search that lasted four days. Their journey led them…
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Prescription for drama: Accused mistress denies love affair, claims she is a nurse
A Thai woman accused her husband of cheating and conspiring with his mistress to file a lawsuit against her. The accused woman denies being her husband’s lover, insisting that she is only his nurse. The 52 year old wife, Naruecha “Sida” Kamutyothin, gave an interview to Channel 3 yesterday, October 30, explaining that she married her husband, Jade, and have…
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New Thai law: Less meth tablets, more help – addicts eligible for treatment, not jail
Thailand‘s Public Health Ministry is set to roll out a new regulation, enabling individuals found with less than ten methamphetamine tablets to be seen as drug addicts, making them eligible for treatment over imprisonment, according to Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew. This significant shift in policy was revealed yesterday during a ministry meeting centred on drug suppression efforts for the fiscal year 2024.…
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Chinese firm faces backlash over controversial punishment video provoking online outrage
A video showing a controversial disciplinary method by a company in Sichuan, China, sparked online outrage. The footage revealed a female employee crying while pouring water on the head of an individual, with a queue of colleagues waiting their turn to do the same. The viral video stirred up a heated debate among Chinese netizens, with many criticising the act as…
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Artistic intrigue: Thai national artist’s chilly encounter with graffiti mysteries
A compelling story about Chalermchai Kositpipat, a Thai national artist, has been shared on the Facebook page Little Mouse on the Cold Mountain Peak. The narrative unfolds in the chilly Chiang Rai province, near Wat Rong Khun, where an anonymous group painted graffiti on a wall. One night, a group covertly began to create street art on a wall opposite…
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Thailand Ministry of Labour: Refund for Thai workers who paid for return from Israel
Thai workers who fled unrest in Israel and bought their return tickets can now apply for a refund, according to the Ministry of Labour‘s Secretary, Pairoj Chotikasathien. This is in response to the recent conflict in Israel that has impacted Thai workers in the country. Thai workers who have returned from Israel since October 7, can now request reimbursement for…
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Drive-by drama: Gunman targets hospital in Japanese shootout
A doctor and a patient were shot this afternoon by a gunman on a motorcycle at a Japanese hospital in Toda, Saitama Prefecture. Police reported that the suspect gunman was holed up in a post office in the neighbouring city of Warabi. The suspect gunman entered the post office at approximately 2.15pm. The police have confirmed that both victims, a…
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Golden opportunity gone wrong: Burmese man arrested for gold necklace heist
Police arrested a Burmese man for stealing a gold necklace worth 65,000 baht from a Thai woman in the northern province of Chiang Mai. The 42 year old victim, surnamed Oil, filed a complaint at Mueang Chiang Mai Police Station on October 29, saying a man snatched a gold necklace she was wearing and fled at around 4am. The theft…
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Flare for trouble: Thai teen’s homemade firework mishap douses floating lantern festival
An incident at a floating lantern festival in Khelang Nakorn led to a young man severely injuring his hand with a homemade firework. The unfortunate event unfolded yesterday evening around 8pm. Emergency services from Amarin responded swiftly to calls for assistance from the festival, held at the Wang River Sports Field in the Fon Village, Chom Phu, Lampang. The injured…
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Deputy Interior Minister’s whirlwind day: Prayers, fire, and fashion in Bangkok
Deputy Interior Minister Chada Thaiseth started his day with religious activities, then assisted in a fire incident during the day, and ended it at a fashion show in Bangkok, showcasing his versatile persona. The deputy interior minister revealed the incident of rescuing an elderly woman from a burning building in Uthai Thani yesterday. While attending a merit-making event yesterday, he…
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Brothers’ bittersweet lift: Sons carry sick mother to hospital in bamboo basket
A heartwarming incident unfolded as two sons, a 58 year old man surnamed Chen, and 55 year old Li carried their 89 year old elderly mother to the hospital when she fell ill on October 23 in Chongqing, China. Yet, the sight of the elderly mother being carried in a large bamboo basket due to her motion sickness and headache from…
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As Phuket tourism market recovers, a potential “carmageddon” infrastructure crisis looms
Phuket hotels experienced promising momentum for the first half of 2023, which has set an optimistic path for the remainder of the year. At the mid-year juncture, international and domestic flight volume was already up 75% over total flights in 2022. Russia and China led the way as the two top tourism source markets in the first six months of…
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Teenagers posing as junior police threaten resident with knives and a bomb
Two teenagers narrowly escaped a violent confrontation after falsely claiming they were junior police officers. Armed with knives and a ping-pong bomb, they threatened a resident before fleeing the scene on a motorcycle. The quick response of local police prevented any further escalation. The incident occurred last night at around 11.30pm local time, according to Thanit Thapakdi, Deputy Investigating Officer…
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Suicide of Wild Boar footballer sparks nationwide query into mental health support
The tragic suicide of Dom, a member of the “Wild Boar” football team, has left many with questions. As per a report by the BBC, Dom, full name Duangpetch Promthep, was one of the 13 individuals from the football team who were trapped in the Tham Luang cave and died eight months after his rescue. The cause of his death…
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Major roles for crime suppression in Thailand delegated by police chief in a reshuffle of positions
The Thai National Police Chief today issued an order to delegate responsibilities to 11 special crime suppression centres. The order, number 600/2023, dated October 28, assigned Roy Ingkaphairoj, the Deputy National Police Chief, as the head of the Anti-Money Laundering Centre of the National Police Office. Under Roy’s supervision, Ittipon Atchariyapradit, the Assistant National Police Chief, will serve as the…
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72 year old American trail runner found safe in Chiang Mai’s national forest reserve
The 72 year old American trail runner who vanished in the national forest reserve of Pa San Sai, Chiang Mai, has been found. Reach Mikob, an American national, was reported missing during a nature trip with 20 friends. He was located by the head of Pong village, Manop Boonsiri, and subsequently taken to a Chiang Mai hospital for a health…
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Grab cross-border delivery of chicken rice on TikTok revealed as hoax
A Green-clad Grab delivery worker hopping on a plane to Singapore to transport a customer’s chicken rice order in Thailand turned out to be a hoax. A TikTok video depicting the scenario went viral, with a spokesperson for Grab Singapore confirming to The Straits Times that the video was created independently by a public individual, and the featured delivery partner…
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Hong Kong temple tells Thai tourists to stop sticking gold leaf on prayer wheel
There has been a call for Thai tourists to stop adhering gold leaf to an ancient prayer wheel at a temple in Hong Kong. A Thai tour guide‘s Facebook post drew attention to the unusual practice, suggesting that the temple’s authorities had said it was the work of Thai visitors. The act of sticking gold leaf to the wheel is…
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Karen tribe woman gives birth at Tak province border patrol checkpoint
A pregnant woman from the Karen tribe gave birth at a border patrol checkpoint in Tak province, as she was unable to reach a hospital in time due to the remote location of her home. The birth, which took place today, at 7am, was overseen by a team of rangers from the 35th Border Patrol unit and health officers from the…
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Foreign man found dead with 4 stab wounds at hotel in Phuket
A maid discovered the dead body of a foreign man with stab wounds to the neck in a hotel room in Phuket. There were no signs of theft or struggle. A substance similar to crystal meth was found in the bathroom. The hotel maid reported her shocking discovery to officers at Cheng Talay Police Station at around 9.30am yesterday, October…
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Bangkok’s secret sting: Counterfeit goods crackdown hits Yannawa’s underbelly
Bangkok witnessed an undercover operation led by the Thai Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECD) that unfolded on Saturday, October 28. The day marked a significant blow to the counterfeit product industry, as a considerable quantity of fake goods including watches and handbags, counterfeit trademarks, and fabricated warranties, were seized in Yannawa, a district in the heart of Bangkok. The culprit…
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