News
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 Bangtao, Phuket: The neighbourhood expats and investors are eyeing in 2025
Bangtao didn't become Phuket’s most talked-about neighbourhood overnight. For a long time, it was a quiet place on the island’s west coast where locals walked their dogs at sunrise and tourists flocked to sunbathe along its eight-kilometre stretch of beach....
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Cooler weather surprises central & northern Thailand
PHOTO: The Pinoy Legacy Thais in many provinces are surprised about the sudden cool spell that has brought them relief from the sweltering summer heat. According to the Meteorological Department, Thailand’s summer officially began on March 3 (we admit to being totally unaware how they arrive at this date). But instead of experiencing almost unbearable heat, as they expect to,…
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We’re in for a bumper Songkran this year
Economists are predicting a bumper Songkran festival this year due to a number of factors. he University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce’s Centre for Economic and Business Forecasting says surveys indicate that Thai new year revellers are showing greater willingness to spend more this year. They estimate there will be 3-5% growth in spending which they predict will bring…
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Vendors hit back at criticism of Bangkok’s Mae Klong market
by Kachorn Phonimthai Vendors at Mae Klong, also known as Rom Hup – one of Thailand’s landmark markets – have defended its quirkiness and surroundings after coming under criticism online. They have spoken up to defend the world-famous market after several foreigners made critical comments on a BBC News video clip titled “The train that drives through a market”. Uploaded…
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Natnicha killed in car crash in Ayutthaya
An actress was killed when her BMW car crashed into a tree on a roadside in Ayutthaya province on Saturday morning. 21 year old Natnicha Cherdchubupphakaree died when her car plunged into the roadside on highway No 9 on the Saraburi-bound side in Tambon Chiang Rak Noi, Bang Pa-in district. Police suspect the car was speeding and lost control as…
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The economic impact of closing down Maya Bay for four months
So what impact will closing down Maya Bay for four months have? Will it be cataclysmic for Phi Phi and Krabi tourism? Will tourist operators survive? Pullawat Pitigraisorn from SCB’s Economic Intelligence Centre has done the sums and estimates that tourist earnings for Krabi Province will only suffer a 6 percent drop as tourists will continue to come to the…
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Phuket OrBorJor introduces 34 beach lifeguards for 5 beaches in Thalang
Phuket’s Governor Plodthong, together with an armada of local authorities and media, hosted an opening ceremony for the operation of Thalang Beach Lifeguards on April 5. “There are a lot of tourists that drown or get harmed from accidents in the sea every year because they either don’t understand the red flags, can’t or don’t read the warning signs, the…
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Boracay’s closure sparks global travel fallout
By Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com The biggest worldwide tourism story going is that of the trending closure of the iconic resort island of Boracay in the Philippines. In a bold move President Rodrigo Duterte who termed the island a “cesspool” is banning tourist visits from April 26 through October 25. For an island that last year hosted over 2 million…
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Merging Thailand’s emergency phone numbers to 191
Gen. Chakthip Chaijindra, chief of Thai Police, says they are setting up a new emergency service centre to bring together all the nation’s mergence hotlines into just one. The whole of Thailand will have just a single emergency hotline – 191. The call centre and emergency response system will co-ordinate responses to all distress calls for crimes, emergencies, fires or traffic…
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1 killed, 11 injured in Lampang bus crash
A bus hostess was killed and 11 passengers were injured when a Bangkok-Chiang Rai bus ran off the road and hit trees early today (Friday). Police said the accident happened at 5am on the Ngao-Song road in Ban Poh village in Tambon Ban Pong in Lampang’s Ngow district. The bus hostess, Penpit Jarujit, died at the scene. The 11 injured…
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Pattaya’s Belarusian sex coach charged with prostitution
FILE PHOTO Anastasia Vashukevich, (AKA Nastya Rybka) the Belarusian ‘sex expert’ who claims to have insider dirt on Russian attempts to meddle in the US election, has been charged with prostitution. Last month she went public asking the US to help her out from her predicament, detained in a Thai prison in Bangkok, in exchanged for information on alleged ties between…
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41 year old Singaporean arrested following Scoot bomb hoax
PHOTO: Kevin Lim A 41 year old man has been arrested for making a false bomb threat on board a Scoot flight from Singapore to Hat Yai, Songkhla, which resulted in the plane returning to Changi Airport. Flight TR634, which left Changi Airport at 1.20pm on Thursday (April 5), was escorted back by two Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF)…
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Police getting ready for Songkran – national initiatives to increase safety over the holiday
The Royal Thai Police are launching various safety and security measures, including a vacation home-watch scheme, for the upcoming Songkran holidays. Among the measures are preparedness of the Bangkok-based 191 Emergency Call Centre (Phanfa), which is in the process of being upgraded to a national-level centre linking related agencies to ensure help arrives within 10 minutes of a call. Tourist…
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French citizen arrested in Pattaya allegedly seeking to profit from child porn
A 64 year old French man, wanted by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), was arrested yesterday (Thursday) on charges related to child pornography in Chon Buri province. The arrest of suspect Rachid Abdel Kader, and the search of his house in Soi Rung Land in Southern Pattaya, involved a collaboration between the FBI, Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation…
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Drug crackdown in Krabi’s palm oil plantation
A man and a woman in Krabi have been arrested in an palm oil plantation with more than 2,000 amphetamine pills, 83 grams of methamphetamine, 500 millilitre of Kratom leave water and a gun alongside their assets valued at about 1 million Baht. The 29 year old man, Athorn Luknoi, was arrested with 208 amphtamine pills, 0.72 grams of methamphetamine…
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Scoot airline flight returns to Singapore after alleged bomb threat
File Photo Channel News Asia is reporting that budget carrier Scoot Airlines say that one of its flights bound for Thailand has returned safely to Singapore after an alleged bomb threat. Scoot say flight TR634, heading for Hat Yai, was escorted back by Singapore’s air force and that the airline was “working closely with the authorities” for necessary follow-up to ensure…
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Search is on for a new contractor to complete Phuket Provincial Hall construction
Phuket’s Vice Governor, Thavorn Kongkaew, has updated the media about the new Provincial Hall project after the previous contractor has had their contract cancelled. They are searching for a new contractor to complete the construction that is now way past it its projected completion date. “The previous contractor had their contract cancelled because they couldn’t work within the deadlines and…
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Chinese tourist drowns in Patong
A 56 year old Chinese man, Teng Yiding, has drowned in the waters off Patong Beach. Patong police received a report about the drowning yesterday (April 4) and rushed to the scene. He drowned near a hotel on Taweewong Road in Patong. His son, Yang Yongpeng, told the police that they are a family of 5 that arrived in Phuket…
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Robbery gone wrong in Soi Ta-iad
A 39 year old robber, Chatchai Sittipanya, tried to rob a hotel room in Soi Ta-iad (Soi Muay Thai) without realising that the whole street is renowned for Muay Thai and MMA training. Everything was going well until he was confronted by the person occupying the room he was trying to rob. He ended up by getting man-handled and locked…
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Transparent Government. Where does Thailand rank?
Japan has the most open government system in Asia, according to the recently released World Justice Project. Thailand leads countries like China and Malaysia when it comes to transparent government. Globally, Thailand ranks 68th in the ranking. The report measures whether country’s basic laws and information on legal rights are publicly available, presented in simple language and if there is…
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4th set of turtle eggs found on Miang Island, Similan National Park
More than 106 turtle eggs have been found on Nui Beach, Miang Island in the Similan National Park. This is the 4th time on Miang Island and the 2nd time at Nui Beach that turtles have chosen to lay their eggs there. Today, the Chief of Mo Koh Similan National Park in Kuraburi District, Ruamsin Manajongprasert, said that the forest…
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Krabi vendors are revolting – Officials try to arrest beach vendors on Ao Nang beach
Officials from the Tambon Ao Nang Municipality had to call on other government agencies to send reinforcements to help crackdown on vendors hawking to foreign tourists at Ao Nang beach in Krabi’s Muang district. Video of vendors chasing Tambon officials from the beach shows vendors were not happy with officials walking into ‘their’ workplace and asking them to tone down…
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20% of Yala men reporting for the conscription lottery test positive for drugs
It’s conscription season where Thai men over 21 have to submit for the annual lottery. Military personnel were shocked to find a hidden problem with Yala’s young men who fronted up for the military conscription lottery yesterday. More than 100 young men appearing for the first day of military conscription in Muang Yala on Tuesday tested positive for illicit drugs,…
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Narathiwat policeman shot whilst PM heads to Pattani in the south
A police captain has been shot dead in Narathiwat’s Sungai Padi district this morning in what is believed to be another insurgent attack. Pol Capt Wutthisak Poonsawat was killed behind the house of his mother-in-law in Tambon Sakor in Sungai Padi at 8am. Wutthisak, a deputy inspector of Sakor police, went to the house to take care of his fighting…
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Confidence riding high – Thai economy continues to surpass forecasts
Confidence is riding high according to the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking. They report that the private sector remains confident about Thailand’s economic growth of 4.5% being maintained as exports and tourism continue to rise. But the Committee warns that the private sector is being spooked by potential fall out from the ramping up of trade disputes…
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Python found after eating villager’s chickens in Krabi
A 4 metre long python has been found in the Lamtab District of Krabi yesterday (April 3) after it ate a few chickens that belong to a local man. Earlier, he said he also found a smaller python getting into his fishing trawl cage in a camel nearby. The Tek Ka Jee Kung Koh Lamtub Rescue Team received a report…
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Thai Meteorology warns about bad weather from tomorrow
The TMD are warning residents in the North, Northeast, and Central regions of Thailand, including Bangkok, as well as the East of summer thunderstorms with gusty winds, possible hail and isolated heavy rain tomorrow and Friday. In yesterday’s weather warning the Thai Meteorological Department says a high-pressure system from China would cover upper Thailand and a westerly trough would prevail…
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Five things you need to know about the Phuket Smart Bus
It’s here, it’s the start of Phuket’s public transport revolution. It’s backed by people that have the resources and the ‘smarts’ to make the initiative a success. The initial route of Phuket Smart Bus will be followed up with new routes in the future. The organisers recognise that there are a few wrinkles to be ironed out. We’ll keep you…
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“Junta has a report card for each and every critic” – Vanchai
Veteran journalist Vanchai Tantivitayapitak posted on Facebook on Monday that the ruling junta has a “report card” for each and every critic who is influential on social media, and will pay them a visit after a certain limit was reached. The post came after his resignation at the end of March from news station PPTV, where he was a senior…
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Won’t lift the ban. Might amend it – PM Prayut
PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha has dismissed a concerted call by major political parties to lift a controversial junta order that prevents political activities. He said the directive “may be amended on certain issues” in order to help get rid of “administrative problems” raised by the various existing and new parties. Prayut, in his capacity as head of the National Council…
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Transgender beauty queen is a hit at annual military lottery
Isaree ‘Nat’ Mungman, who was crowned Miss Trans Universe 2018 and Miss Beauty Boy 2018, joined the military lottery in Khao Panom District, in Krabi. The annual lottery applies to all Thai men aged 21 – 26. The lottery randomly selects men for compulsory military service for two years. But there are a number of exemptions. The unexpected arrival of…
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