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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 Do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?
Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...
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The dangers of 5G – coming to a mobile phone near you
MONTAGE: The Thaiger 5G, the next generation of mobile phone technology is coming, within months here in Thailand. It will continue to roll out over the next few years, replacing the earlier 4G technology. Along with any new technology there’s also valid concerns about potential health risk of this new, more powerful network. There’s also been a lot of misinformation…
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Green Day heading back to BKK in 2020
Green Day, five-time Grammy Award winners, are embarking on a global tour in 2020, including a stop-over in Bangkok during March. The rock ‘n’ roll Hall of Fame inductees will perform a series of concerts throughout Europe, UK, North America and Asia. “Green Day Live in Bangkok” takes place on March 11, 2020 at Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani. But…
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30 dolphins greet visitors to Similan Islands
Tourists were treated to the sight of a school of dolphins in the Similan Islands off the Phang Nga coast on Sunday. Tour organisers said that around 30 dolphins swam close to the boat six or seven miles offshore, creating excitement for passengers. It was the first time dolphins had been seen in the vicinity since October 15. The Similan…
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Asia leads the world in medical tourism
Over the past ten years, Asia has become a favourite destination for medical tourism for people from around the world. Besides the white sand beaches, historic monuments and rich cultural legacy, healthcare in Asia is now a major attraction. From transplants and surgeries to dental procedures and botox, people are turning to Asia. But what makes Asia the most popular…
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Whale freed by drilling team in Gulf of Thailand
On Saturday six drilling team members at Erawan offshore field spent about 30 minutes cutting a rope tied to the tail of a Bryde’s whale that apparently swam towards the structure seeking help, according to the Bangkok Post. The rope was believed to have been tied to its tail by fishermen after the whale became trapped in a net, but…
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3 killed as car skids into canal
A man and two women were killed after a car skidded off a road and plunged into a roadside canal in Phimai district of Nakhon Ratchasima on Sunday afternoon, according to police. Police and rescuers rushed to the scene after being informed of the accident, which occurred at about 2.50pm. At the scene, they found Toyota car submerged upside down…
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Phuket hotels slashing the price of rooms
by Sophie Deviller Hotels on Thailand’s most popular holiday island are being forced to slash prices, with rooms left vacant and beaches sparse as Thailand’s tourism chiefs struggle with a plunge in Chinese visitors caused by the US trade war and a stronger baht. Phuket was the most visited destination in the country last year, after Bangkok, and a good gauge of…
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500 people own 36% of equity in Thai companies
Roughly 36% of Thailand’s corporate equity is held by just 500 people, highlighting wealth inequality in the Kingdom, according to a study released by the Bank of Thailand’s research institute. Each of these 500 amass some 3.1 billion baht (102 million USD) per year in company profits, according to the report from the Puey Ungphakorn Institute for Economic Research. In…
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The 15th Mai Khao Marine Turtle fun run attracts more than 4,000 runners
4,000 runners from Thailand and overseas took part in the 15th Mai Khao Marine Turtle Fun Run and Half Marathon 2019 yesterday, starting from the Phuket Gateway. The event is expected to raise 700,000 baht for the charity, now in its 15th year. The money raised goes towards to The Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation, which is committed to protecting…
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‘Phang Nga Bay and Beyond’ exhibition by Marilyn Band at Mom Tri’s WOK Gallery Kitchen in November
The Art exhibition “Phang Nga Bay and Beyond” by Marilyn Band is being held at Mom Tri’s WOK Gallery Kitchen, Chalong, Kata Hill, Phuket from November 30, 2019 – January 31, 2020. The opening will take place on Saturday November 30, 2019 at 6.30 pm. Artist’s Statement “For the current exhibition, I am presenting recent work, a more abstract expression…
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Thai app will ease expat immigration woes and make 90 day reporting simple
The “OSS Foreigner” app is coming, and you will be able to use it for 90 day reporting, according to the Secretary-General at the office of the PM. Dr Kobsak Pootrakool says the planned app can be used for all immigration reporting, including 90 day reports, adding that typing in the required data and uploading a selfie will accomplish the…
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PM will act on opposition’s recommendations
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Saturday that he was satisfied with the deliberations over the budget bill in the previous two days and promised to act on the constructive suggestions offered by opposition parties. Regarding the 400 billion baht allocated for the Central Fund, the Prime Minister admitted that the figure seems high, but it actually isn’t when measured…
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Russian wanted by Interpol arrested in Thailand
A Russian man wanted by Interpol was arrested in Chonburi on Saturday. 52-year-old “Sergey” is wanted in relation to a case involving fraud amounting to more than 20 million baht. Immigration police were notified on 25 September by an anonymous citizen, who claimed that there was a Russian man with an arrest warrant in his name in Russia. Thai Police…
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Crystal meth worth 500 million baht seized
Acting on a tip-off, police and narcotic suppression officers in Tak province on 18 Oct seized 1.5 tons of crystal methamphetamine, better known as ice, worth more than 500 million baht, according to the Thai-language Khao Sod newspaper. The drugs were hidden under metal sheets in the back of an 18-wheel truck. Photo : SAQ News The truck driver and…
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Foreigner arrested for exchange counter robbery
A foreign man was arrested after robbing a currency exchange counter in a Bangkok bank on 16 October. Police worked with Immigration officers and the tourist police to arrest the man, whose nationality has yet to be confirmed. The man walked to a Government Savings Bank Currency Exchange Counter before pulling out a knife and threatening a clerk. He then…
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PM defends the 80 billion baht munition spend
PHOTO: The Nation Speaking to the House of Representatives’ budget debate for the 2020 financial year yesterday, PM and Minister of Defence Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha defended the expenditure for the Defence Ministry. He claimed they must reserve a budget of 70-80 billion baht for buying munitions and vehicles for defense purposes. “This money is part of the Ministry of Defense’s…
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Another illegal concrete structure has to be removed from Thai national park
PHOTO: ชมรมstrong-จิตพอเพียงต้านทุจริต จังหวัดนครศรีธรรมราช A website run by anti-corruption activists has posted a picture of a concrete platform built into a Nakhon Si Thammarat waterfall by food vendors, accusing authorities of failing in their duty to prevent such encroachment. This is the second pouring of concrete encroaching into the creek pointed out by police for immediate removal over the past week.…
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The stakes are high, the deliberations continue – Parliamentary Brexit vote
Call it Super Saturday, call it Deal or No Deal, call it the most important day in recent UK history. Today (Saturday) the UK House of Commons will gather on a Saturday, the first time for decades. Golf games have been postponed, polo sticks will have to gather dust and the cleaner’s been told to come back on Sunday. Earlier…
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The body of an unidentified foreigner found floating south of Pattaya
A fisherman has recovered a body, thought to be a foreigner, from the Gulf of Thailand off Sattahip. Na Jomtien Police were notified of the body by 24 year old Teerapong Boonwat, a fishing boat captain plying the waters around Sattahip, south of Pattaya. Mr. Boonwat had recovered the body found floating near Koh Ped (Duck Island), about three nautical…
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Opposition hits out at government’s military spending in 2020 budget
PHOTO: Reuters | The Business Times The opposition is accusing the government of being more concerned with military arms than the daily struggles of Thai citizens. During a debate in Parliament on the budget bill, the government was accused of caring more about the growth in military spending than citizens’ financial woes. The opposition levied the attack after PM General…
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Southern Thailand braces for rough weather and rain
The Thailand Meteorological Department issued a weather warning for southern Thailand with torrential rain forecast to hit the region throughout the weekend. The heavy monsoon over the Gulf of Thailand and south of the country is being blamed for the rough weather, with the TMD predicting flash flooding in many areas. (Phuket, Hat Yai and Hua Hin’s forecast below) “Waves are…
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Thailand’s swift response to the ‘fall armyworm’ pest
OPINION: Somsak Samanwong – Regional Technical Educator for APAC, Corteva Agriscience. PHOTO: East-East Seed In Thailand, corn is an indispensable staple crop, used as an important source of feed for a thriving poultry and livestock industry. About 1.04 million hectares of our land is used to produce corn, with this year’s yields estimated at a record high of 5.3 million tonnes.…
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Thai Abbot accused of sexually abusing teen novice
A 51 year old Buddhist monk is accused of detaining a 13 year old novice monk and sexually abusing him, allegedly forcing him to give oral sex. The novice monk’s father accompanied the teenager to file a complaint at the Nong Khao police station in Kanchanaburi, western Thailand, this week. The novice, identifying himself only as Nat, claims the abbot…
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Johnson tells MPs that there is ‘no better outcome’ than his Brexit plan
by Robin Millard British PM Boris Johnson is warning British MPs there was “no better outcome” to the tortuous Brexit process than his divorce deal, as he scrambles to get MPs behind the agreement ahead of today’s knife-edge vote in parliament (Saturday UK time). Johnson is urging lawmakers to back the “fantastic” terms he struck with EU leaders and let…
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Pattaya City’s Police Chief dies from sudden heart attack on way to Bangkok
PHOTOS: The Pattaya News The Pattaya City Police Chief Col. Atinan Nuchanart has died from a heart attack yesterday morning (Friday) while he was on the way to a meeting. 59 year old Col Atinan was the Pattaya City Police Acting Chief, new in the position, and died at the Chonburi Hospital from a heart attack. Yesterday morning he and his…
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Local residents and vendors demand action on Pattaya Beach erosion
PHOTOS: The Pattaya News Recent heavy rains over the past week in Pattaya have caused significant deep erosion and gaping holes on Pattaya Beach that have now been sitting in plain view for nearly a week. The situation is an unsightly embarrassment and a potential hazard for tourists, according to local residents and beach vendors. The Pattaya News reports that,…
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Charter court will hand down ruling on Thanathorn share case on November 20
PHOTO: Thai PBS World The Thai Constitutional Court is set to issue a ruling in Future Forward party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit’s media share ownership case on November 20. The court wrapped up its inquiry yesterday with the questioning of ten defence witnesses, including Thanathorn who arrived at the court greeted by well-wishers. Thanathorn, who held 675,000 shares in V-Luck Media, has…
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Soi Dog assisting displaced animals in flood-ravaged north east Thailand
PHOTO: Fox News The record flooding in September in the province of Ubon Ratchathani, north east Thailand, lead to the destruction of many homes, the fleeing of hundreds of people to safe areas and the subsequent leaving behind of many owned pets, as well as the displacement of a large number of stray animals who live in the area. The…
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Future Forward’s Thanathorn in court over alleged media share holdings
by Dene-Hern Chen The charismatic frontman of Thailand’s anti-military parliamentary bloc appeared in court today accused of breaching election rules by holding media shares. The case could see him barred from politics and jailed for up to 10 years. 40 year old Thai billionaire Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit has rattled Thailand’s arch-royalist establishment since seizing the political limelight with his caustic take…
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Local investor sentiment dampened by Brexit woes and slump in Chinese economy
The British pound fell today as investors fret over PM Boris Johnson’s chances of pushing his Brexit deal through the British parliament, while Asian markets were mostly down after data showed China’s economy expanded at its slowest pace in nearly three decades. The pound rallied almost to US$1.30 yesterday following news that negotiators had hammered out an agreement that would…
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