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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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    Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run

    Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...

  • Man bitten by camel while feeding animals at temple

    Man bitten by camel while feeding animals at temple

    A camel at a zoo inside Bang Kung Temple in Samut Songkram province in central Thailand bit a Thai man’s ear while he was turning his back to it to feed a buffalo in a nearby cage. The victim, 32 year old Worachat Borriboon, recounted his experience at the temple on May 25 to the media. Worachat explained that he suddenly…

  • Heavy rain benefits Thai farmers, boosts rice planting in Nakhon Ratchasima area

    Heavy rain benefits Thai farmers, boosts rice planting in Nakhon Ratchasima area

    Heavy rains in Nakhon Ratchasima province have resulted in flooded fields, signalling good news for farmers who are now preparing the land for rice cultivation in the Phimai district. A forecast from the Lower Northeastern Meteorology Centre predicts continued downpours and strong gusts of wind in the region. Alongside this weather forecast, a low-pressure area spanning across Cambodia and the…

  • Japan prepares to destroy North Korean satellite-launching missile

    Japan prepares to destroy North Korean satellite-launching missile

    Japan is preparing to intercept any North Korean missile that enters its territory, according to a statement from the country’s defence ministry. This announcement comes after North Korea informed Japan of its intention to launch a satellite between May 31 and June 11. The defence ministry stated it would use its Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) or Patriot Missile PAC-3 to destroy…

  • Indian official drains dam searching for lost phone during selfie mishap

    Indian official drains dam searching for lost phone during selfie mishap

    Indian official suspended after draining millions of litres from a local reservoir to retrieve a dropped mobile phone while taking a selfie, causing controversy and disciplinary action for involved personnel. Rajesh Vishwas, a 32 year old food safety officer, accidentally dropped his Samsung S23 Ultra worth 39,900 baht (US$1,144) in a three-metre deep reservoir during a picnic with friends. Despite…

  • Thai election uncertainty raises concerns for small business owners

    Thai election uncertainty raises concerns for small business owners

    A record 39 million Thai citizens participated in the recent general election, with the Move Forward Party (MFP) emerging victorious. However, the recently amended constitution poses challenges for non-military political parties, and the MFP-led coalition still requires additional upper-house votes to secure the 376 seats needed for leadership. This has raised concerns about Thailand‘s political future and its economic prospects.…

  • Experience-based learning at Dusit Thani College: the key to success in hospitality

    Experience-based learning at Dusit Thani College: the key to success in hospitality

    Graduates from Dusit Thani College, the forefront of higher education in culinary arts, hotel management, and tourism of Thailand and the ASEAN region, as well as a subsidiary of a five-star global hospitality chain Dusit International, are usually complimented by their employers that despite being a fresh graduate, they possess professionalism which is the readiness to work in the real…

  • Update: Canadian hitman extradited to Thailand over Indian gangster’s murder in Phuket

    Update: Canadian hitman extradited to Thailand over Indian gangster’s murder in Phuket

    Matthew Dupre, an alleged contract killer implicated in the murder of Canadian-Indian gangster Jimi Sandhu, back in February 2022, has been discreetly extradited to Thailand to face charges. The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) announced that the Alberta Court in Canada agreed to send Dupre back to Thailand to face legal proceedings. Royal Thai Airforce Officers travelled to Vancouver to escort the…

  • BREAKING: Man takes his child hostage at school in southern Thailand

    BREAKING: Man takes his child hostage at school in southern Thailand

    A Thai man has reportedly taken his own child hostage at Phubodin Pittayalai School in the Lang Suan district of Chum Phon province in the southern part of Thailand. ThaiRath reported that a Thai man entered a school with a rifle at around 7am today, looking for his child. Once he found his child, both left the school together. Officers…

  • Thailand advances in clean energy and carbon credit trading

    Thailand advances in clean energy and carbon credit trading

    Thailand is making significant strides in clean energy development as the government and businesses collaborate on various projects aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Initiatives such as increasing the use of renewable energy sources for electricity generation and promoting electric vehicles (EVs) are helping create new environmentally friendly businesses. Companies that do not adhere to eco-friendly practices may face penalties,…

  • Turkey’s strategic significance grows amid Ukraine war and global leader congratulations

    Turkey’s strategic significance grows amid Ukraine war and global leader congratulations

    Turkey’s strategic significance on the global stage has become increasingly apparent amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, as evidenced by the swift congratulations extended to Recep Tayyip Erdogan following his recent election victory. Russian President Vladimir Putin was among the first to congratulate Erdogan, highlighting the Turkish leader’s “independent foreign policy” as a factor in his win. This policy includes…

  • Erdogan wins third term, opposition bruised, Putin celebrates

    Erdogan wins third term, opposition bruised, Putin celebrates

    Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent election victory in Turkey has left pollsters and analysts surprised, as they had predicted a closer race with opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu. With a difference of just four percentage points, Erdogan begins his third term in office, leading a strategically important NATO nation. Most voters chose Erdogan, a seasoned autocrat, over Kilicdaroglu, an untested democrat who…

  • Teenage twins arrested for sexually assaulting girls under 15 years old

    Teenage twins arrested for sexually assaulting girls under 15 years old

    The twins aged 19 years old were arrested yesterday, May 18, after luring and sexually assaulting several girls aged under 15 years old in Ratchaburi province in central Thailand. This disturbing incident follows a history of criminal offences by the twins. One of them was only released from prison last year. The officers from Police Cyber Taskforce and Metropolitan Police…

  • Couple arrested as major drug agents in Bangkok, dealer’s house reveals party drugs

    Couple arrested as major drug agents in Bangkok, dealer’s house reveals party drugs

    Police in Thailand arrested a major drug trafficking agent and two of his subordinates, seizing 708 grams of crystal methamphetamine, 940 grams of ketamine, 285 ecstasy pills, and several bags of the party drug, Happy Water. The suspects, part of a larger drug network, targeted party-goers in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, and Chon Buri provinces. The operation was led by Pol.Maj.Gen. Nawin Sinthurat,…

  • Thai lottery buffs get a buzz out of bees for June 1 draw

    Thai lottery buffs get a buzz out of bees for June 1 draw

    A compilation of noteworthy Thai lottery numbers from various sources ahead of the June 1 draw is making a buzz online, as netizens share their preferred combinations in hopes of winning big. The car registration of a Thai resident became the focus of superstitious Thais after a swarm of bees swiftly established a hive on the parked car. Several people…

  • Fat cat survives after falling from 6th floor, breaking car window

    Fat cat survives after falling from 6th floor, breaking car window

    A fat cat managed to survive a fall from the sixth floor of a condominium in Bangkok, breaking the rear window of a car parked below. The car owner, upon discovering that the mischievous culprit was an adorable and overweight feline weighing 8.5 kilograms, graciously forgave the fat cat. The owner of the broken rear car window, Apiwat Toyothaka, shared a…

  • Toyota motor Thailand bracing for car sales slump amidst political uncertainty

    Toyota motor Thailand bracing for car sales slump amidst political uncertainty

    Toyota Motor Thailand predicts a further decline in car sales this month due to the ongoing political uncertainty surrounding the formation of a new government and its policies. Thailand held a General Election on May 14, with the Move Forward Party (MFP) securing the most seats in the House of Representatives. However, it is still uncertain whether the party can…

  • Thai election fallout hits SET, investors dump big-cap stocks

    Thai election fallout hits SET, investors dump big-cap stocks

    Despite initial optimism that the General Election could reverse the “sell in May” phenomenon, the recent poll sent the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) index into a tailspin, dipping 3% the first week after the election. Political uncertainties have triggered an outflow of funds, worsening the situation for Asia’s worst-performing bourse this year. The market capitalisation of the SET has…

  • Kuwaiti man flees from rescuers and police on busy Bangkok motorway

    Kuwaiti man flees from rescuers and police on busy Bangkok motorway

    A Kuwaiti man caused a commotion on a motorway near Bangkok when he attempted to evade both rescuers and police officers due to a lack of passport and visa documentation. The head of the motorway rescue team, Withun Chanpuangsen, spoke exclusively to Channel 7 about the incident. Withun revealed that the Kuwaiti man, aged in his late 30s or early…

  • Thai residents use ancient ceremony for lottery prediction

    Thai residents use ancient ceremony for lottery prediction

    Residents in Prachin Buri, Thailand, took part in a two-day ceremony involving a legendary giant spider to predict lottery numbers. They hope to win in Thursday’s June 1 draw, as the ritual has proven successful, reportedly bringing good fortune in lottery prediction. On May 28, villagers performed the lottery prediction ritual using a legendary spider at the Non Somboon house in…

  • Fraudster nabbed after swindling millions in Bangkok investment scheme

    Fraudster nabbed after swindling millions in Bangkok investment scheme

    A woman sought for her alleged involvement in a fraudulent investment scheme was apprehended yesterday after evading capture for nine months. The 55 year old suspect, Pimpicha Suthornsupisal, stands accused of deceiving numerous individuals, resulting in millions of baht in losses. The arrest took place in a car park within a dormitory complex located in Bangkok’s Sai Mai district. Pimpicha,…

  • Bangkok governor urges land tax review as city revenues plummet

    Bangkok governor urges land tax review as city revenues plummet

    Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has urged the incoming government to reevaluate the recently implemented land and building tax rules, as the city’s revenues have seen a significant decline since the new rates were introduced earlier this year. Previously, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) set the land and building tax rate at 12.5% of the income generated by a plot of…

  • Temasek cuts staff pay after failed FTX crypto investment

    Temasek cuts staff pay after failed FTX crypto investment

    Singapore-based investment company Temasek has announced that its investment team and senior management experienced a reduction in compensation following the firm’s failed investment in cryptocurrency company FTX. Temasek Chairman Lim Boon Heng stated that despite no misconduct by the investment team, they took collective accountability for the outcome. In November, Temasek Holdings revealed that it would write down its US$275…

  • Man arrested for alleged murder of girlfriend at Isaan resort

    Man arrested for alleged murder of girlfriend at Isaan resort

    Police detained a 47 year old man for the alleged murder of his 21 year old girlfriend at a resort in the Isaan province of Buriram. The man confessed to physically assaulting the woman but said he did not expect her to die. The incident took place at a resort in Lam Plai Mart district of Buriram province on Wednesday,…

  • US to import Thai pomelos, Australia greenlights cooked duck imports

    US to import Thai pomelos, Australia greenlights cooked duck imports

    The United States is set to import Thai pomelos next month, while Australia has granted permission to import cooked duck from Thailand after years of negotiation, as announced by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives. Rapeepat Chantarasriwong, the director-general of the Department of Agriculture, revealed that the US approved the import of irradiated fresh pomelos from Thailand without any strain…

  • Tour boat ablaze in central Thailand

    Tour boat ablaze in central Thailand

    A tour boat, which was a modified cargo barge made of teak wood, caught fire while docked at a pier in the main city district of Thailand’s central Ayutthaya province early this morning. Fortunately, no casualties were reported, Bangkok Post reported. The incident occurred around 1am at a boat pier near Wat Phanan Choeng in tambon Khlong Suan Phlu. Upon…

  • Thailand sees 1 million Chinese tourists from January to May 18

    Thailand sees 1 million Chinese tourists from January to May 18

    Between January and May 18, Thailand welcomed 1 million Chinese tourists, following China’s border reopening, a government official reported. The Thai government is optimistic about achieving its target of five million Chinese visitors this year, with an expected spending of 446 billion baht. Government spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri announced in a statement that the number of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand has…

  • Pattaya schools drop scout uniform mandate to ease financial strain

    Pattaya schools drop scout uniform mandate to ease financial strain

    In Pattaya, officials have recently instructed all educational institutions under their authority to remove the mandate for students to wear scout and girl scout uniforms. This decision is in line with similar actions taken by other institutions across the country. The announcement was made through the ‘Pattaya Direct Line’ Facebook account following a statement by the Mayor of Pattaya, to…

  • Bangkok couple on motorcycle fall into canal and die, leaving 10-month-old orphaned

    Bangkok couple on motorcycle fall into canal and die, leaving 10-month-old orphaned

    A tragic accident claimed the lives of a young married couple who fell into a canal while riding their motorcycle in Bangkok, leaving their 10-month old baby orphaned. Police are investigating the incident, checking CCTV footage to determine the cause of the accident. The incident occurred near Vibhavadi Rangsit Road in the Ratchada area of Din Daeng district. A grey…

  • Large cobra invades Thai home, residents rush to buy lottery tickets

    Large cobra invades Thai home, residents rush to buy lottery tickets

    A large cobra was found in a house in Thailand‘s northern Phayao province, resulting in local disaster prevention officers quickly arriving to capture and release it. Meanwhile, residents rushed to buy lottery tickets featuring the house number, hoping for good fortune in the upcoming draw today. Officers from the Phayao Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department were alerted by Thanita Chaisukkoson,…

  • Thai student tests positive for meth, believes it’s from skin whitening supplement

    Thai student tests positive for meth, believes it’s from skin whitening supplement

    A 19 year old Thai student‘s admission to a pharmacy faculty at a university is jeopardised after she tested positive for methamphetamine, which she believes was in a skin whitening supplement she ordered from TikTok. The girl’s mother, a 45 year old woman from the northeast Buriram province, is distraught over the situation. The girl, who is preparing to begin…