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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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Flights departing Hong Kong airport today, mostly on schedule
ORIGNAL PHOTO: Manan Vatsyayana Flights are now departing Hong Kong airport mostly on schedule this morning after two days of pro-democracy protester chaos and a disruptive sit-in that paralysed the movement of passengers and aircraft. Protesters blocked travellers from getting to their flights yesterday afternoon, before battling with riot police outside the terminals. The airport is being cleaned up and graffiti…
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Nine minor parties convinced to stick with government
PHOTO: Deputy Agriculture Minister Thammanat Prompao, somehow negotiated the dissident MPs back into the coalition Nine disaffected smaller parties in the governing coalition, who earlier threatened to break away to form an independent opposition bloc, have been convinced to stay in the Palang Pracharat coalition and have vowed to support the government. Ten single-MP parties showed signs of a rift…
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August 2 bombing suspects moved back to Bangkok as investigation continues
Two men suspected of involvement in the August 2 multiple Bangkok bombings have now been moved back to the capital after they were detained by police in the South. Police flew the pair back to Bangkok yesterday, where they remain in custody at Pathum Wan police station in central Bangkok. The two are suspects in the series of small blasts…
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Thai land prices appreciate average of 8.3%
Land prices around Thailand have risen by an average of 8.3%, whilst land in the Eastern Economic Corridor have appreciated by more than 10% – the new land appraisals will be implemented for tax collection purposes next year, according to Wilawan Veerakun, deputy director general of the Treasury Department. The price of parcels of land in Khampaeng Phet province has gone…
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Thai advertisers deserting Print, but love Cinema and Transit ads
Thai businesses are shunning newspapers and magazines for advertising, but still support cinema advertising and ‘transit’ media. Newspaper advertising spend dropped nearly 28%. Magazine spending wasn’t far behind dropping nearly 25%, year on year. Thailand’s advertising spend dropped 0.42% year on year in July to about 9.143 billion baht, according to Nielsen media report. The report says that only cinema,…
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BTS are breaking up…
…temporarily. The announcement about BTS was made on Twitter by their South Korean management company and label Big Hit Entertainment. Don’t stress AMRY, they’ll be back together in a couple of months! Big Hit says the kings of pop need time to regroup and recharge their batteries. The announcement followed another dazzling display of their finely-tuned pop skills at the Lotte…
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Air Asia celebrates ASEAN Day with a special Airbus A320
AirAsia introduced a ‘Sustainable ASEAN’ colour-scheme on a new Airbus A320 to mark ASEAN Day celebrations last week. Thailand is the Chair for ASEAN, the ten country south east asian trading bloc, for 2019. Alongside the ASEAN Chairmanship logo, the livery features the best of ASEAN tourism icons, helping to advance and support AirAsia’s sustainability partnership with ASEAN nations and…
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Thailand tightens the screws on TM30 reporting, petition ongoing
Nearly 5,000 Thai expats have now signed a petition pleading for modification or abolition of the TM30 immigration form. The well-organised petition calling for changes to the form is an unusual step for expats who, most of the time, keep their head down and out of the daily operations of the Land of Smiles. For its part, Thai Immigration says…
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AMLO warns about fake investment certificate
The Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) Acting Secretary General is warning that there has been a group creating fake English certificates, claiming that it comes from the AMLO and being sold to foreign companies. The scammers would approach the foreign companies that expect to invest in Thailand and tell them that they need the certificate from AMLO. So far, there’s already…
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Pattaya bar owner arrested on human trafficking and prostitution charges
ORIGINAL PHOTO: INN News A bar owner in Pattaya has been arrested on Saturday whilst on the run from police trying to arrest her over a string of human-trafficking and prostitution charges. The Anti-Human Trafficking Division eventually arrested the 31 year old Pattaya bar owner, also known as ‘Sudarat’, ‘Om Leelabut’, and ‘Nanthachai’. Sudarat had an arrest warrant out in…
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Parts of Erawan Waterfall closed as tourists injured
The Erawan National Waterfall officials have closed off the tier 6 and 7 levels of the popular waterfall due to continuous rain up to the weekend which made the hiking trail extremely slippery. Some tourists slipped and were injured. On Sunday there were many tourists slipping while on their way to tier 6 and 7 of the waterfall. A rescue team…
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Myanmar’s death toll from landslides and floods reaches 59
Vast regions of south and sout-eastern Myanmar are inundated with floodwaters that have already forced more than 80,000 to flee their homes. The death toll from a massive landslide has now hit 59. Rescue and recovery teams have worked right through the weekend, with additional downpours and deep mud hindering progress as the stench of decaying bodies worsened. There are…
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Thai coalition will meet with disgruntled MPs today
PHOTO: Thai PM praying he can glue back all the pieces of the Palang Pracharat coalition after weekend defection threats With defections threatened from disgruntled minor coalition partners, Palang Pracharat has been shocked into coming up with packages of party positions to try and ‘keep them happy’ amidst threats to the coalition’s majority. The Palang Pracharath Party is looking to…
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Airport shutdown tarnishes Hong Kong’s business image
PHOTO & VIDEO: Bill Barnett, c9hotelworks.com Thousands of supporters of the largely leaderless pro-democracy protest movement descended on the Hong Kong Airport terminal yesterday in an effort to get the message out to the world about their struggle and the harsh tactics used by police. They achieved that result whilst testing the resolve of Beijing, accusing the protest organisers of…
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Thailand’s longest wooden bridge under threat of collapse after rains soak west
The famous Mon (Uttamanusorn) Bridge in Kanchanaburi in Thailand’s west, the country’s longest wooden bridge, is being watched around the clock by the Thai army for fear that it may collapse under the force of strong currents in the Songkalia River and a huge amount of debris which is piling up against the bridge’s superstructure. Uttamanusorn Bridge (Thai: สะพานอุตตมานุสรณ์; lit:…
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Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, The Queen Mother, makes merit on her 87th birthday
Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother, enjoyed a private merit making ceremony in the Chitralada Palace in Bangkok to celebrate her 87th birthday anniversary yesterday (August 12th) She was accompanied by His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua, Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana, Somdech Phra Kanishthadhiraj Chao Krom Somdech Phra Debaratnarajsuda Chao Fa Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Somdet Phrachao Nong Nang Thoe…
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HK protesters test China’s resolve – The latest from Hong Kong Airport
Latest information out of the Hong Kong Airport which has been virtually shut down because of the ongoing protests. All flights grounded: All departing flights have been cancelled in Hong Kong, as thousands of demonstrators descend on the city’s International Airport earlier Monday. Alleged police brutality: A small number of protesters have been demonstrating at the airport all weekend, but…
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3 Burmese workers dead following collapse at VIP Condo construction site in Rawai
Two workers have been found dead following yesterday’s collapse at the construction site of the VIP Mercury and VIP Galaxy condo and villa site in Rawai. The two migrant workers were trapped under scaffolding that collapsed bringing the death toll to 3. Eight others were hurt. The site was going to be the showroom for the VIP Galaxy villas being constructed…
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US-China trade war accelerates formation of RCEP trade bloc
The escalation of the trade war between China and the US might help push forward negotiations of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) free trade agreement. RCEP, once formed, will be the largest trading bloc in the world. Trade ministers from China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and the 10 ASEAN member states met in Beijing last weekend for…
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Radisson brand add another Phuket hotel to its portfolio
The Radisson Hotel Group has signed a deal for a 222 key mixed-use hotel on Phuket’s north west coast at Mai Khao. Set to open in early 2023, the hotel has sales and leaseback units under a hotel residences program. Radisson Phuket Mai Khao Beach is being developed by Thai-Chinese Property Holdings. Phuket’s ongoing development surge continues to attract Chinese…
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Myanmar flood toll reaches 51 – 4,000 houses submerged
PHOTOS: Myanmar Times Burmese troops have been deployed to flood-hit parts of Myanmar to help with relief efforts after rising flood waters have left thousands stranded, mostly in the southern parts of the country. The death toll from the landslide has jumped to 51. This year’s monsoonal floods have tested the government’s ability to respond after a the fatal landslides…
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Scaffolding collapse at VIP Mercury Condominium in Rawai, Phuket kills 1
PHOTOS: Antonio Patong A three storey building and scaffolding collapsed in Rawai at 2.15pm Sunday afternoon, killing one person and injuring many other workers. The construction site is for the VIP Mercury Condominium project on Wiset Road in Rawai – near the Rawai Municipality Office heading towards Nai Harn Beach Park (map below). Eight people were rushed to Chalong Hospital, Vachira…
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Three herbicides will be banned in Thailand this year
“When we eat fish from a river or stream contaminated with chemicals, we will ingest the chemicals. It is a food chain.” Three hazardous herbicides, widely used in Thailand, will be banned before the end of this year. Deputy Agriculture Minister Manunya Thaiseth says the three herbicides are strongly opposed by consumer, civic groups and environmentalists. Yesterday she ordered a suspension of…
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Floods and landslides in southern Myanmar – at least 41 dead
PHOTOS: SBS News The latest in the flood situation in southern Myanmar… • Continuous monsoon rain since the start of the month has resulted to flooding in several areas in Southern Myanmar – Ayeyarwady, Bago, Kayin, Mon, and Tanintharyi. • According to the Department of Disaster Management, a rain-induced landslide occurred in a village in Paung Township (Mon State) on…
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Mystery fire at construction site of The Base Central Condo in Phuket
PHOTO: Bliz Lincoln Investigators have not yet determined the cause of the fire that broke out at a building site behind Central Floresta yesterday afternoon. The fire caused the road, running behind the shopping mall – Muang Naka Road – on the same road as Headstart international school, to be closed off to traffic for several hours as emergency services…
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Survey says: Thai taxi users disagree with fare hike
“35% agree with the fare hike, reasoning that it could reduce the problem of taxi drivers refusing customers.” A Nida Poll reports that 81% of respondents are unhappy with the new taxi fares that will raise the immobile rate (sitting in the traffic) from 2 baht per minute to 3 baht per minute. The poll reveals the results of a…
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Phuket police tracking down snatch & grab thief
PHOTOS: Phuket Hotnews A couple from Malaysia, 44 year old N Shiyamala Navaratnam and 45 year old Sivakumar Patchymuthu, reported to Saku police that they had been robbed near Nai Yang Beach, near the Phuket Airport. The incident happened on August 8. They told police they were riding a motorcycle heading back to their hotel between the beach road and…
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Typhoon Lekima leaves at least 30 people dead, 5 million more affected
PHOTO: China Daily/ANN At least 30 people are reported dead from the deadly typhoon in East China’s Zhejiang province. Another 20 people are missing and the death toll is expected to rise. Most of the deaths occurred in Yongjia county where torrential downpours caused a landslide that blocked rivers. The barrier lake bursted and flooded people away. Twenty two people…
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Air Asia welcomes new-age long-haul A330 neo to its fleet
AirAsia has taken delivery of its first Airbus A330neo aircraft, to be operated by its long-haul affiliate, AirAsia X Thailand. The new aircraft, leased from Avolon, will be joined by a second of the type later this year, Airbus says. Air Asia says the A330neo brings a step-change in fuel efficiency for AirAsia’s long haul operations. The new generation A330neo (New…
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New transport minister backtracks on previous government’s van upgrade policy
The previous government was hellbent on upgrading many of the country’s old vans to new buses and min-buses. The proposals, and the decline of August 13, was met with a lot of opposition with public transport operators who would have to take on the new investment in upgrading equipment. The previous government’s intentions were to improve the levels of safety…
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