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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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German man saved from 2nd-floor jump in Pattaya
A German man was saved after trying to jump from a second floor room in South Pattaya yesterday. Pattaya police were notified of the incident at 12:30pm yesterday. Police, emergency responders and local media rushed the scene. The 60 year old German man, identified as Nolte Uwe, was sitting on the balcony of a room on the second floor of a…
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Terminal 21 Korat, scene of mass shooting, reopens with prayers
Four days after the mass shooting that left dead and more than 50 injured, the public turned out this morning to reopen Terminal 21 shopping centre in Nakhon Ratchasima, the scene of the carnage, in hope of raising spirits. Terminal 21 in Korat reopened its doors today to thousands of people who came to pray and make offerings to more…
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Coronavirus UPDATE – sharp increase in cases, UK officials battle to contain a new threat
There’s been a sharp spike in new cases of coronavirus, principally in the central Chinese province of Hubei. There are now 60,373 world cases, 59,805 in China. 1,369 people have died and over 6,000 recovered. 242 new deaths were recorded yesterday, the deadliest day since the start of the outbreak. So what’s behind the big rise? It’s not actually a spike…
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Khon Kaen monk arrested, disrobed after bomb threat
A monk in the northeastern province of Khon Khaen has been arrested and disrobed after giving false information to police. The monk called the 191 emergency line and stated that a bomb had been placed inside a hotel. He later claimed that the information was to make officers “more aware.” Police arrested 30 year old monk “Santisuk” in the province’s…
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Teen kills friend with homemade gun
A 17 year old boy is dead after he was accidentally shot by a friend with a homemade hand gun in the western province of Kanchanaburi. His teenage friend was showing off the gun to a group of friends early Wednesday morning. Police say the shooting was reported about 4:20am and occurred in a rented room in Kanchanaburi. Police and…
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From Star Trek to the Galaxy Z Flip phone – a new foldable comes to Thailand
The $1,500 Motorola RAZR flip phone, a sort of ‘smartphone’ version of its original 2004 market favourite, was twice the cost of an iPhone 11, looked cool but had a small battery and plastic screen. It was a throwback to the earlier design but with a foldable screen, the latest ‘thaeng’ in the smart-phone world. Now there’s the new Galaxy…
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Dead infant discovered in Pattaya
Police are investigating the death of a newborn boy after his body was found dumped in front of a house in Pattaya. Barking dogs alerted neighbors. Pattaya City Police were notified of the incident at 8pm yesterday. Police, rescue workers and reporters rushed to the scene to find the body of a male infant. Its umbilical cord was also found…
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“Forgotten tourists” enjoy Pattaya
Pattaya’s Chinese golden goose has officially flown the coop, and hotels are cheaper, traffic is better and maybe even the service has improved a bit. With China’s group travel ban to fight the spread of the coronavirus, Pattaya has the feel of low season even though the calendar says otherwise. But while business owners moan, ask any of the Indian,…
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MICE sector to get 200 million baht in relief funding
Thailand’s government will provide relief funding for the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions) sector after it declined by half due to the coronavirus outbreak. The cabinet approved the extra budget last week. The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), together with the Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC) and listed companies, will provide 200 million baht in cash incentives to promote…
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Third unidentified foreigner found dead in Pattaya
The body of an unidentified foreign man was found floating in Pattaya Bay yesterday with an 8 kilogram rock tied to his neck. Pattaya City Police were notified of the incident at 1pm. It is the third case of an unidentified foreigner’s death in a week in the resort town Police, divers and reporters rushed into the sea off Koh…
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UPDATE: 12 year old boy shoots friend dead in Kalasin
A thirteen year old boy is dead in the northeastern province of Kalasin, after being shot by a friend playing with his father’s gun. Police and medical services were called to a house in Nong Kung Sri district on Sunday morning after the boy was shot, local media report. Police say that three boys were playing when one boy, aged…
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Myanmar tourism increases a massive 40% in 2019
Myanmar has ranked highest among the world’s 20 quickest-growing travel destinations over the past 12 months. The report from the United Nations World Tourism Organisation. Vietnam and The Philippines are also regional winners over the past year that made it into the top 10 best performing emerging travel destinations. Myanmar Tourism Marketing, part of the Myanmar Tourism Federation, reports that…
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Jordanian man arrested for charging “protection money”
Immigration Police have arrested a Jordanian man in Bangkok for extortion, according to local media. 24 year old “Ali” collected protection money from other Jordanians and Middle Eastern foreigners staying illegally in Thailand, claiming to have government connections and “friends in high places.” Foreigners working or staying illegally paid him in the belief that they were protected. The suspect was…
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You’re not welcome here! Thai Health Minister refuses request to berth in Thailand
The Holland-US “MS Westerdam” cruise ship has been refused docking permission at Laem Chabang Port in Chonburi, south east of Bangkok, after having been turned away by three other countries who were concerned about the spread of coronavirus. Referring to the company’s website, which stated that Thailand would allow the ship to dock at Laem Chabang Port last Thursday, Deputy…
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Slain policemen honoured in Royal ceremony
The two policemen who died ending the shooting rampage in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima were honourably received in a royally sponsored bathing ceremony in Bangkok yesterday. The bodies of Captain Trakul Tha-asa and Senior Sergeant Major Petcharat Kamchadpai, both 35 years old, were transported on ceremonial trucks from Nakhon Ratchasima to Bangkok, their coffins covered with the national…
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Land mine severs man’s foot in Phrae
A man in the northern province of Phrae had his foot blown off by a land mine yesterday morning while cutting bamboo. Police say the incident occurred at about 8am in a community forest. A medical team and a bomb squad were sent to the scene to investigate. 21 year old Yossakorn Chuchart told police that he and his father,…
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HM The King offers condolences, grants royal patronage of funerals
“The government is profoundly saddened by the mass shooting and would like to extend its moral support to all Thais and the people of Korat.” This morning the Thai PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha made a statement across the Thai television pool. He passed on a message from His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Her Majesty Queen Suthida who expressed their…
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Government officials wear black today, Korat residents grieve
Thailand’s cabinet ministers and officials at Government House will be wearing black clothing today as the Kingdom wakes to the first full work day since the Korat massacre – a mass shooting that has left at least 30 people dead, including the gunman. Government officials will officially mourn the innocent people killed in the north-eastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima and…
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Irishman found dead in Pattaya
An Irish man has been found dead in a room at a condominium in Pattaya. Police were notified of the discovery Sunday night. Police, emergency responders and reporters rushed to the room, which was locked from the inside. Inside they found the naked body of an Irish man around 50 years old, identified as Peter Alexander Campbell, on the bed.…
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UPDATE: Phuket speedboats crash: 2 children dead, 22 injured – VIDEO
“…both boat drivers have been charged with reckless driving causing death and injury.” Two Russian children have died and some 22 people were injured following a high-speed speedboat collision off Phuket’s east coast just before 8am this morning. The incident occurred in the channel linking Phuket’s two main east coast marinas with the Phang Nga Bay on the east side of…
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PM orders security review for nation’s armouries in wake of mass shooting
The death toll from the weekend’s shooting rampage in Korat has climbed 30, with 57 others injured. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, himself a general, yesterday ordered a review of security at the nation’s armouries. “If we had fully followed the standard security procedure, we would have been able to mitigate the degree of violence in this incident. Even if we insisted…
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Thai PM orders tighter controls on guns at military bases – 30 dead, 57 injured
“He was able to broadcast, unhindered, for nearly 5 hours before his stream was eventually taken down.” 30 people are now confirmed dead (including the gunman) as a result of Saturday’s Korat massacre, 57 people were injured. Thailand’s Prime Minister General Prayut Cha-o-cha listed the sad toll when facing the media yesterday. He also ordered a review of security measures…
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Tourism minister mulls adding new tourist levies
The Ministry of Tourism and Sport is mulling the idea of collecting levies from international tourists for the “renovation of tourism attractions and natural resources”, as well as providing insurance benefits specifically for tourists. The Minister noted that the high numbers of tourists traipesing over the same well-worn paths and attractions, especially natural and historical treasures, also carried a high…
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Thai media under fire for disobeying orders to “tone down” Korat massacre coverage
Thailand’s media is under fire from the government’s telecommunications regulator, the NBTC (National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission). Cable TV and other news channels, who ignored official orders to stop broadcasting and streaming of Saturday evening’s lockdown and storming of the Terminal 21 shopping centre in Korat, have been informed they “will face consequences”. Some of the north east’s cable news outlets…
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Rare leatherback turtle lays eggs in Phuket’s Mai Khao
Officials of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources and army personnel rushed to build a fence at Mai Khao Beach on Friday after learning from a village headman that a leatherback sea turtle laid eggs there. The area is located in the Sirinart Marine National Park, one kilometre north of Phuket’s airport. Officials built the fence and posted army…
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Soldiers seize 100 kilograms of crystal meth in Chiang Mai
A clash with drug runners in Chiang Mai province today resulted in the seizure of around 100 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as “ice,” valued at about 100 million baht. Soldiers, acting on a tip-off, laid an ambush and were waiting for the drug runners. About 10 smugglers are thought to have been wounded in the the clash, which…
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PM to launch “Green City” intiative
The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC) will officially launch the “Green City Initiative by MOAC” campaign at Siam Paragon Shopping Complex in downtown Bangkok today. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha will preside over the official opening ceremony, which will include distribution of seedlings of six plants known to be effective in absorbing pollution. The goal is to tackle air pollution caused…
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Gunman killed in Korat shopping centre – 25 dead, more than 40 injured
Police report that the Thai army soldier, who shot and killed at least 25 people in a shooting spree in the Korat shopping centre, has been shot dead in an assault by the Hanuman special forces division. Police sources said the 32 year old gunman was shot dead in the “Zone A” area of the shopping mall basement. Another news source is…
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UPDATE: Elite forces storm Terminal 21, gunman holding hostages – VIDEO
Following the shootings of innocent civilians by a Thai army sniper earlier this evening in Korat, north eastern Thailand, elite police and army forces of the Crime Suppression Division and Lop Buri-based Special Forces arrived at Terminal 21 shopping mall an hour ago. (Video of their arrival at Terminal 21 below) The armed gunman is believed to be still be…
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UPDATE: Thai army shooter shot his commander before going on Korat rampage
A confirmed 12 people have been shot dead, some social media are already reporting up to 20 may have been shot dead. Many more are injured after a Thai army soldier, identified as Sergeant Major Jakraphanth Thomma, went on a shooting rampage this afternoon in Korat, Nakhon Ratchasima. The mass shootings are said to have started around 5.30 this afternoon.…
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