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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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Sponsored 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...
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Foreigners, particularly Russians, accused of working illegally in Phuket
The Phuket Information Centre (ศูนย์ข้อมูลภูเก็ต) Facebook page accused foreigners, particularly Russians, of operating illegal businesses and working illegally in Phuket. Phuket Information Centre Facebook page shared with its followers last Sunday, February 5, that… “A lot of foreigners stay and work in Phuket, both legally and illegally. Recently, a group of foreigners started a car rental business. They offered both…
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Bangkok Airways suspends Hat Yai and Da Nang routes until further notice
Regional airline Bangkok Airways based in Thailand announced the temporary suspension of two of its routes “until further notice.” Bangkok Airways will suspend all flights on the domestic Bangkok – Hat Yai route on March 1, 2023. International route Bangkok – Da Nang, in Vietnam, will be suspended from May 1, 2023. The airline did not reveal the reason for…
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Death toll rising on 7.8 earthquake in Turkey
The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck southeastern Turkey in the early hours of this morning has caused catastrophic destruction across both countries, leaving hundreds dead and many more injured. Some 650 people have been reported dead but the death toll is rising, with experts warning that aftershocks could continue for days or weeks. Tremors were also felt in Cyprus, Egypt,…
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‘Tame’ whale shark swims with tourists for 5 hours in eastern Thailand
A “tame” whale shark swam with tourists for five hours off the coast of Rayong province in eastern Thailand yesterday. Diving instructor Kru Off, from the Toy Boat Tour group, revealed that he took tourists out to Hin Pleng, a popular dive site about 13 nautical miles off the coast. As the tourists were swimming and looking at the coral,…
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Biggest crowd yet for Full Moon Party
Full Moon Party has completely returned to pre-Covid numbers, as tourists from around the world flocked to Haad Rin, Koh Pha Ngan for the massive knees-up. News reports estimated the crowd size to be anywhere between 20,000 to 50,000, and accommodations including hotels and hostels were almost fully booked at 99% capacity. The pier and boats were overwhelmed with large…
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Man accused of faking wife’s death for 10 million baht
A man has been arrested for fraud after allegedly faking the death of his wife to claim 10 million baht from life insurance companies. The man denied the charge and blamed his wife and brother-in-law instead. He did insist on paying back the insurance companies that were scammed. The Central Investigations Bureau (CIB) was notified about the fraud and after…
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Cambodia claims Louis Vuitton logo inspired by ancient Khmer art
A media outlet in Cambodia claims that the symbol on the famous Louis Vuitton logo is inspired by ancient Khmer art. Facebook page ‘Ebook Cambodia’ posted a photo of a classic Louis Vuitton handbag against an ancient Cambodian stone carving of an Apsara, a type of historical divine dancer known for exquisite costumes and captivating hand movements. The Apsara’s sarong…
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Thai customs end intrusive frisking of designer-brand wearers at airports
The Thai Customs Department has officially put an end to the embarrassing and intrusive practice of frisking travellers passing through border control with designer-brand items at airports. The department said the searches were a burden for travellers. According to the deputy director of the Customs Department, Phanthong Loykunlanan, the department has abolished frisking tourists to make travel more convenient. However,…
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Thai police can’t find alleged ‘macau888’ kingpin’s rare Lamborghini
UPDATE Police searched three locations in Thailand but the super rare Lamborghini they planned to seize from alleged macau888 gambling kingpin Benz Daemon today is nowhere to be found. Police did however seize other luxury cars belonging to various suspects in the case including Benz Daemon, who is believed to be in hiding in Hong Kong. Netizens are criticising the…
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Thailand’s tourism industry struggles to deal with chronic labour shortage
Thailand is facing a major crisis: the Land of Smiles’ tourism industry is struggling to deal with its chronic labour shortage. With over 11 million foreign tourists visiting Thailand since the country’s reopening in July 2022, the country is facing a major shortage of workers. According to data from the Labour Ministry, popular tourist destinations such as Phuket, Chiang Mai,…
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Anwar’s maiden visit to Thailand raises hopes for peace
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar’s maiden visit to Thailand this week has raised hopes for peace in the troubled south. Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was sworn in as the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia last year. The visit is expected to add momentum to the peace dialogue. Malaysia is the facilitator for the dialogue to end decades of conflict in Narathiwat,…
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Pattaya restaurant blamed for taking over public beach
A restaurant manager confessed to using public spaces at Na Jomtien Beach in Pattaya without permission to provide seating for their customers. Facebook page, PattayaWatchdog, posted a picture of nearly 30 tables on the beach, complete with decorative lamps to create an ideal romantic dinner setting. The caption said… “This is Na Jomtien Beach under the care of the Na…
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Russian plane engine catches fire on Phuket runway
A Russian tourist plane bound for Moscow faced a terrifying moment when its engine caught fire before takeoff at Phuket International Airport. The 309 passengers and 12 crew on board the 26 year old Boeing 767-306ER, operated by Azur Air, were forced to evacuate the aircraft. Footage from the scene shows flames bursting from the right engine of the Russian…
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AI chatbot steers British woman out of troubled marriage and into arms of lover
Artificial intelligence is omnipresent: it is in healthcare, enables problem-solving and, in one case, helped one unhappily married British woman to decide to divorce her husband. In maybe a world first, a woman sought the advice of OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot to navigate the treacherous waters of a failing marriage and a steamy affair. Sarah, a 37 year old tech worker…
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New twice daily bus links Pattaya and Hua Hin
Hua Hin and Pattaya have long been two popular destinations in Thailand for tourists and expats. Now a new service schedule will link the two cities with buses running twice a day between Pattaya and Hua Hin, beginning February 19. The two cities sit about 325 kilometres apart by road. Both cities are known for their stunning beaches, exciting nightlife, and…
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Thai police to seize rare Lamborghini from alleged ‘macau888’ gambling network kingpin
Thailand’s cyber police say they will seize a super rare Lamborghini owned by the alleged owner of the illegal online gambling network ‘macau888‘ today. The Lamborghini Mad Bull Liberty Walk Aventador V2 is one of only 50 in the world with an estimated value of 37 – 44 million baht. It is the only one in Thailand. The ‘Liberty Walk’…
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Marketing in Thailand as a Foreigner: Volume #5 The Best Practices, really?
Foreign marketers sometimes need to be bold enough to wear socks and sandals in a tropical country like Thailand to stand out. If you wonder why: READ HERE. Volume#5: The Best Practices, really? Anyone working for brands big enough is always approached with ‘THE PLATFORMS’. They will let you know all the best practices in the world that could rocket…
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Move Forward Party vows to take down ‘Three Por’ generals
Move Forward Party (MFP) leader Pita Limjaroenrat vows to end the powerful Three Por clique and rewrite Thailand‘s constitution. The 42 year old MP announced at a campaign event in Chiang Mai on Saturday that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, and Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda, were the root cause of Thailand’s problems and they need to…
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Canadian man’s luxury Pattaya villa gutted by fire
A fire gutted a Canadian man’s 20 million baht luxury villa in Pattaya, eastern Thailand, yesterday. Officers at Nong Prue Police Station were notified of a raging fire at a pool villa in Phu Thara village in Pattaya’s Bang Lamung district yesterday afternoon. Nong Prue Municipality firefighters deployed three fire engines and quickly got the flames under control. The fire…
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Earthquake rocks Turkey – buildings tumble and fear takes over (videos)
A massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southeast Turkey early this morning, sending shockwaves throughout the region and causing several buildings to crumble. The US Geological Survey reported that the earthquake was centred about 33 kilometres from Gaziantep, a major city, and had a depth of 18 kilometres. The disaster was felt in neighbouring provinces, as well as in Lebanon and…
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Singapore dating disaster – What price true friendship?
A man is seeking more than US$3 million (100 million baht) from a woman who claims that she just wants to be friends, saying the Singapore dating disaster caused him trauma and damaged his “stellar” reputation. There is little Thai people enjoy more than a laughable defamation case, and the Singapore dating disaster case being brought by “Kawshigan” promises hours of…
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“Transfer to an inactive post’ – punishment or paradise?
Bangkok’s recent spate of police “embarrassments” (cops caught committing crimes) has led to a spate of “transfer to an inactive post” (paid vacation) notices. If most of us commit a crime, we can expect the cops to show up and – very basically – throw us in jail. But rich people rarely go to jail, and cops, even less so.…
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Speedboat engulfed in flames sinks off Koh Samui, Thailand
A speedboat engulfed in flames sank off Thailand’s island of Koh Samui last night. According to the Thailand Maritime Enforcement Command Centre (Thai-MECC), the boat caught fire near the Bang Rak boat pier in tambon Bo Phut of Koh Samui district, at around midnight. The emergency response team arrived at the scene and found the two-engine speedboat, named the Silver…
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Former Thai lawyer allegedly involved in romance scam
A former Thai lawyer was allegedly involved in a romance scam. Police in the central Samut Prakan province caught the suspect, 43 year old Pongsakorn Supakornmongkolchai, in front of a gold shop on Sukhumvit Road in the main city district on Friday. The arrest was made by a joint effort of the Police Cyber Taskforce unit 5 and the Metropolitan…
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Tourist Police and Good Samaritan rescue American lost on Phuket trail
Phuket Tourist Police, with the help of a Good Samaritan, rescued an American man lost on a trail near the Krating Cape in Karon. According to the Phuket Tourist Police, the man, who has not been identified, called the Tourist Police call centre for assistance at 1155. He reported that he was walking along the trail and was unable to…
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US military shoots down Chinese spy balloon
The US military shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon over the Atlantic Ocean off the Eastern Seaboard of the United States yesterday according to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. President Joe Biden approved the operation, which resulted in a diplomatic fallout between Washington and Beijing. The balloon was first spotted in the sky over Montana earlier in the week and…
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All aboard the sushi terror train
A new terror, more scary than even the mighty Godzilla, has struck Tokyo: the sushi terror train. In sushiten across the city, petrified diners clutch their chopsticks with fingers stiffened in fear. Something’s fishy in the nigiri. Today’s Guardian tells how Japan’s signature cuisine is at the centre of a police investigation after customers at sushi-train restaurants posted video clips…
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Armed drug smugglers killed in clash with border rangers in Chiang Rai
Two armed drug smugglers were killed in a clash with border rangers in Chiang Rai along the Thai-Myanmar frontier on Thursday. Pha Muang Force spotted a small group of armed men with backpacks in the forest near Ban Huai Kra in the Mae Fa Luang district on Thursday evening. The officers told the men to stop for a search, but…
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Police on trail of “Four Brothers” gambling ring
Police raided properties across the country yesterday and arrested a prominent member of the “Four Brothers” gambling ring. Police were gathering evidence on the “four brothers” who have been accused by a TV actor of operating the gambling website macau888. Police led by Pol Maj Gen Wiwat Kamchamnan, deputy commissioner of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau, raided eight premises with…
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Thai parks boss sacked in corruption scandal
The head of Thailand’s national parks was sacked on Friday as an investigation into a cash-for-placement scandal engulfs the environmental body. Thai parks boss Rutchada Suriyakul Na Ayutya has been removed from his post to “pave the way for a transparent investigation” into corruption, at least according to Jatuporn Buruspat the Ministry permanent secretary. Any kind of thorough investigation is…
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