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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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19 year old caught transporting drugs to Korat in a hired taxi
PHOTOS: The Nation A young man has been arrested after being allegedly found with methamphetamine pills, marijuana and a gun in a taxi at a checkpoint in Nakhon Ratchasima. Police say he had hired a Bangkok taxi to take him, along with the drugs, to a client in Buri Ram. Pol Lt Col Ronnarong Surathot, deputy commander of Chokchai police…
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Exemption of visa on arrival fees to boost Chinese New Year
The exemption of fees for visa on arrival is expected is expected to boost Chinese arrivals during the Chinese New Year festival. The National News Bureau of Thailand is reporting that visitors from 21 countries are getting their visa on arrival fee waived until April 30, 2019. Those 21 countries are Andora, Bulgaria, Bhutan, China, Taiwan, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Fiji, India, Kazakhstan,…
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Burmese human-trafficking suspect escapes from Songkhla police cell
PHOTOS: The Nation A Burmese suspect has broken free from a detention room at a police station in Songkhla today where he was detained pending a human trafficking investigation. Police say 27 year old Zaw Win somehow unlocked the padlock on the detention cell at the Bang Klam police station in Bang Klam district at about 7am this morning. A…
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Belarusian ‘sex trainer’ deported from Thailand
Anastasia Vashukevich, aka. Nastya Rybka, the Belarusian model who claimed she had ‘dirt’ on Donald Trump and Russian efforts to help win the US Presidency, has been shipped off to the airport and deported from Thailand. She was convicted of participating in a “sex training course”. “I want to get a bed. I want to get a bed so much! I have been sleeping…
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Chiang Mai: The good, bad and ugly
PHOTO: TakeMeTour Post Magazine has published it’s ‘review’ of Chiang Mai, with the “good, bad and ugly sides to Thailand’s second city”. Here are some of their main points… The good There are more than 300 temples in Chiang Mai; they outnumber 7/11 stores, which takes some doing in Thailand. Situated in the heart of the old city, Wat Phra…
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Up to 10K baht paid to Thai women for marriage license
PHOTO: Immigration Bureau Indian men have been paying up to 10,000 Baht to Thai women for a marriage license. Thairath is reporting that Immigration chief Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn says, “Many Thai women have been paid to get married with Indian men without any intention of a physical relationship.” “Indian men are using the marriage license as a means to apply…
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Burmese man shot after allegedly attacking policeman with knife
A Burmese man has been shot and injured after allegedly attacking a policeman with a knife yesterday afternoon. Police claim 45 year old Saw Luimia attacked a policeman at a road checkpoint in Tambon Mae Ngow of Mae Hong Son’s Khun Yuam district at about 2.20pm. Mae Hong Son is in the far north west of Thailand on the Myanmar border.…
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Foreign teacher to be deported after his arrest over rape in Pathum Thani
PHOTOS: Immigration Bureau / Lamlukka Police Station The male Pakistani teacher, who was charged with rape this week in Pathum Thani, is to be deported. The Immigration Bureau Office reports that Immigration chief Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn headed to Lamlukka Police Station in Pathum Thani where the Pakistani man, a teacher and psychologist, had been arrested. Read more about the case HERE.…
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Air quality for Thailand – January 17
Northern Thailand Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution. Central Thailand Everyone may begin to experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects Southern Thailand Air quality is considered satisfactory, and air pollution…
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Two Chinese arrested after fellow Chinese assaulted in Pattaya
Two Chinese men have been arrested early this morning for allegedly assaulting a compatriot in Pattaya. Police said 28 year old Zhang Hongxing and 33 year old Cao Lei were arrested at 1.30am while fleeing in two vehicles. Cao and Zhang, in separate cars, were stopped at the North Pattaya Road before they turned onto Sukhumvit Road. Police blocked the…
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Weather for January 17
Bangkok Generally clear. High 33ºC. Winds ENE at 15 to 25 km/h. Phuket Thunderstorms developing in the afternoon. High 31ºC. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 km/h. Chance of rain 100%. Chiang Mai Generally clear. High 30ºC. Winds SE and variable. Pattaya City Partly cloudy. High 32ºC. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 km/h. Ko Samui Thunderstorms. High 24ºC. Winds…
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Five metre king cobra caught with bare hands in Krabi
A 20 kilogram, 5 metre king cobra has been caught by a skilled rescue worker with his bare hands in Krabi. Ao Nang rescue workers were notified that a king cobra was hiding near a local house in Krabi City. It took about 10 minutes for rescue workers to find the king cobra. 37 year old Sutee Naewhart, who found…
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Australian police arrest flight crew over drug smuggling
PHOTO: Part of the drug haul seized by the AFP – Australia’s ABC News Malaysia’s Malindo Air have been caught up un an international drug smuggling case as some of their air crew are now accused of helping to smuggle heroin and methamphetamine worth millions of dollars from Asia to Australian cities. Australian Federal Police (AFP) have now arrested two flight…
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Election 2019: Put it in your calendar – March 10
PHOTO: Protesters in Bangkok demanding the Thai Government announce election dates Bets are on for a March 10 election date as the Prime Minister has, for the first time, admitted that the election can no longer be held on February 24. But nothing official has yet been announced. Under the constitution, the general election must be completed within 150 days…
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New tsunami warning buoy installed off Phuket
A tsunami-warning buoy, valued at 12 million baht, is to be installed off the coast of Phuket, to replace the one that had been broken two years ago. It replaces one that hasn’t been working for 18 months. Two buoys were originally placed several hundred kilometres offshore in the original tsunami warning system following the 2004 Boxing Day tragedy. The…
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Real police charge three Filipino women working for ‘fake’ charity in Pattaya
PHOTO: Chaiyot Pupattanapong Pattaya police arrested three Filipino women for collecting donations from tourists for an ‘imaginary’ children’s foundation. The three women, 38 year old Ruthie Espina Babila, 50 year old Jessica Bayutas Ortega and 55 year old Belinda Austria Toledo claimed to represent the ‘Children’s Joy Foundation’. They were arrested while collection donations outside a restaurant in Pattaya today. Two…
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Bangkok smog: Police on the lookout for dirty exhaust from vehicles
by Khanathit Srihirundaj It’s either a knee-jerk reaction, media stunt or something we hope to see a lot more of. Checking vehicles with plumes of dirty smoke coming out of their exhaust. To help curb fine-particle dust pollution in Bangkok, traffic police have increased the number of checkpoints where they will check vehicles spewing black exhaust smoke. The number of…
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Six metre king cobra caught by rescue workers in Trang – VIDEO
VIDEO/PHOTOS: หน่วยกู้ภัยบรรเทาวังวิเศษ A 20 kilogram, 6 metres king cobra has been caught in Trang by rescue workers. 77 Kaoded news reports that Sikao Police in Trang were notified of the incident at a house at 4.45pm yesterday. Police decided it wasn’t quite in their work contract and contacted rescue workers who headed to the house. Sawai Kaewjuea, a rescue worker, led his…
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The internet booms and print languishes in 2019 advertising spend
Thailand’s Digital advertising market spend is poised to reach 124 billion baht in 2019. That’s a growth of nearly 5%. But newspapers, magazines, Cable TV and radio are on the nose as marketers stick with terrestrial TV and ramp up their digital portfolios. “Digital media is expected to grow 20% and is will nearly equal the value of TV advertising…
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Bangkok smog: Chatuchak school closes for the rest of the week
A kindergarten in Chatuchak, to the north of central Bangkok, has suspended classes because of air pollution that has landed Bangkok in the top 10 list of worst-polluted cities. Bangkok still lags far behind some of the world’s most polluted cities, including the Afghani capital Kabul (at 576), Delhi in India (306) and Mongolia’s Ulaanbaatar (300). But the Top 10…
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Crisis meetings in Bangkok today over smog solutions
PHOTOS: The Nation Urgent meetings are being held in Bangkok today to address the acute smog problems in the capital. The Pollution Control Department and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration are gathering today in their latest efforts to battle with the persistent smog while dust particles continue to blanket the capital with smog levels alarming locals and causing tourists to cancel their…
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Baby elephant dies from horrific wounds after being caught in hunter’s trap
A baby elephant has died after a hunter abandoned her, tied up to a fence in a forest in Rayong. The little elephant died after suffering from horrific wounds. The elephant, only one month old, was found by villagers in Rayong tied up to a fence with a rope cutting deep into her ankle. Read the story of her discovery…
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Bangkok smog: Oil refineries being asked to upgrade quality of diesel
It won’t be a short-term solution but it is a worthwhile long-term part of the important changes that will have to be made. But nothing concrete yet. In yet another attempt to ease the health hazards posed by PM2.5 dust particles in Bangkok’s air, the Energy Business Department plans to hold a meeting with oil refineries this week about the…
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Phuket police launch search for man in Facebook post pointing a gun at his head
Last night Phuket Police launched a manhunt after a photo of a man pointing gun at his head went viral in social media. The Phuket City Police took about five hours to find the house after the photo of the man, who was pointing a gun at his head, along with a depressing message, was posted on the man’s social…
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77 year old Swedish tourist rescued at Patong Beach – VIDEO
PHOTOS/VIDEO: Patong Lifeguard Lifeguards at Patong Beach rescued a 77 year old Swedish male tourist from drowning after he lost consciousness whilst in the water. Lifeguards pulled the Swedish tourist, Berlin Goran, out of the water after he passed out whilst swimming at the beach. Head of Patong lifeguard Somprasong Sangchart says, “We saw other swimmers wave their hands and…
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Bangkok smog to hit Thailand in the tourism pocket
Bangkok’s air pollution problems will take a hefty toll on the Thai economy unless authorities can effectively clear the city’s air and find some long-term solutions to smog. A Kasikorn Research Centre analysis says the smog could cost Thailand 6.6 billion baht in losses for the healthcare and tourism sectors due to the impact of air pollution. The analysis says…
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Weather for January 16
Bangkok Morning clouds followed by afternoon sun. High 33ºC. Winds NE at 10 to 15 km/h. Chiang Mai Generally clear. High 30ºC. Winds ESE and variable. Phuket Afternoon showers. High 31ºC. Winds NNE and variable. Chance of rain 40%. Ko Samui Thundershowers. High 25ºC. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 km/h. Chance of rain 40%. Pattaya Partly cloudy. High 32ºC.…
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Thai ‘hijacking’ elephants get GPS collar trackers
PHOTO: WWF A new project has been launched in the restricted forest areas of eastern Thailand where wildlife officials are putting tracking collars on elephants to help mitigate potential conflict with farmers and local villagers. The first three collars were placed on three elephants in Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary. The collars were imported from South Africa with aid…
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Thai-owned Dusit D2 Hotel under fire in Nairobi
PHOTO: Google Maps Two explosions and gunfire have been heard amid an apparent attack at an upscale hotel and office complex in Kenyan capital Nairobi. News just in from independent.co.uk “We are under attack,” another person in an office inside a complex in the DusitD2 hotel told Reuters, then hung up. Local television showed smoke rising from the area. “I…
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The big ‘fake’ Indian wedding
A police crackdown had led to the arrest of 28 people involved in a marriage scam for Indian nationals who seek to stay in Thailand long term. The suspects include a 53 year old Thai-Indian man who acted as a marriage broker and prepared the documents needed, while the other 27 are Thai women who were allegedly paid 8,000-10,000 baht…
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