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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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49 year old Israeli, deported after dismembering wife in Bangkok, arrested in eastern Thailand
PHOTO: INN News The immigration chief told media yesterday that an Israeli man convicted for dismembering his wife and dumping her body parts back in 2004, has been caught in Sa Kaew’s Aranyaprathet district, near the Cambodian border, at the Rong Kleua market. 49 year old Eli Cohen was sentenced to life in prison in December 2004 for murdering his wife,…
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Police raid Soi 6 bar in Pattaya, undercover prostitution and underage sex
Police in Pattaya have raided the Coming Bar in Soi 6. They allegedly uncovered evidence of prostitution and underage sex on the premises. Authorities noted that prostitution was available at the venue and had 18 women available to service customers, one girl was found to be 17 years old. The venue had rooms available above the bar for customers. A…
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Banned. Thai airports cracking down what you can take on board
Thailand’s CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) is urging airports to more strictly enforce security regulations that would prohibit a longer list of things being taken aboard. The upgraded ban covers foods, liquids and cosmetics that are now limited to containers that have a capacity of no more than 100 millilitres (a tenth of a litre). These items will be restricted and…
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Pedestrian and motorbike driver injured in Pattaya collision
PHOTOS: Pattaya Law Enforcement A pedestrian and a motorbike driver both have sustained injuries after an incident near Central Festival Pattaya yesterday. Pattaya Law Enforcement reports that the male foreign pedestrian sustained injuries after being hit by a motorbike in front of Central Festival Pattaya. The motorbike driver also sustained injuries as a result of the collision. They were both…
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Truck spraying stepped up to prevent swine fever from entering Thailand
Officials at the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge border checkpoint are stepping spraying and checking trucks in an attempt to prevent African Swine Fever from spreading into Thailand from bordering countries.Officials are targeting the trucks as they return from delivering live and slaughtered pigs to neighbouring nations. Chief of the Nong Khai animal quarantine office, Jongcharoen Maksuwan, says officials ramped up the…
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Thai Air Asia pulling the plug on its Chiang Rai-Singapore service?
from ttrweekly.com The Thai AirAsia’s direct flight between Chiang Rai and Singapore is unlikely to survive. That’s the outlook of travel website ttrweekly.com Launched early 2019 with little fanfare, the new international route was one of four direct services that use Chiang Rai as a hub. The others were direct flights to Kuala Lumpur, Macau and Phuket. So what’s gone…
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Tougher laws and bigger fines for taxi drivers who reject passengers
Mai dai! Taxi drivers who say ‘no’ to passengers will soon be liable to a fine of 5,000 baht. That’s up from 2,000 baht. Taxi drivers, especially in Bangkok, are notorious for rejecting fares when the passenger’s travel plans doesn’t suit the driver’s, especially at times near the change of shifts. The owner of the taxi will now face a…
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Suvarnabhumi’s ‘fast track’ scam exposed – AoT crackdown on Thailand’s biggest airport
After allegations of massive fraud in the use of Thailand’s largest airport’s Premium Lanes at immigration, Airports of Thailand (AoT) are cracking down on the use of the so-called ‘fast lanes’ and the hawkers profiting from the reselling of the service. Only first and business class passengers, plus passengers with special needs, will be permitted to use the Premium Lane…
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Chiang Mai’s red bus drivers plan mass protest against Grab
The war to dominate Chiang Mai’s local public transport sector is hotting up with the drivers of the city’s Rot Daeng vans (red song taews) planning a mass protest against the growing popularity of the Grab Taxis. Sanook reports that Bunniam Buntha, representing Chiang Mai’s Rot Daeng drivers, says they plan to assemble the 2,465 members in a mass protest. Sanook…
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Weather warning for Thailand’s southern provinces
Thailand’s wet-season is forecast to be ‘wet’ in the south for the next few days. The Thai Meteorological Department has issued its 3rd consecutive weather warning in the past 24 hours to alert residents of heavy rain in the Southern provinces, strong winds and high seas. In the latest warning issued this morning at 6am, the TMD reported that, until June…
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Phang Nga governor declares flood disaster zones in Thailand’s south
PHOTOS: ศูนย์ปฏิบัติการข้อมูล The Phang Nga provincial administration has declared five flooded districts in the province as disaster zones to speed up assistance to affected residents. Phang Nga’s governor Siripat Pattanakul said the districts of Kapong, Thay Muang, Takua Pa, Muang and Takua Thung are now declared disaster zones following weekend flooding that’s affected 1,700 people from 442 families. Localised heavy…
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Boeing sued by more than 400 pilots in class action over 737 MAX ‘cover-up’
More than 400 pilots are involved in a class action against the US manufacturer of the 737 MAX seeking damages over what they allege was Boeing’s “unprecedented cover-up” of the “known design flaws” of the latest incarnation of its top-selling jet. • A plaintiff lodged claims against Boeing on behalf of hundreds of pilot peers alleging the company “knowingly” covered…
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Truck carrying 30,000 bottles of beer rolls over
PHOTO: INN News A 22 wheeler truck has flipped on its side in Chachoengsao, east of Bangkok. The truck was carrying 30,240 bottles of a famous brand of Thai beer. The driver was 53 year old Tas Nirankum from Chaiyaphum Province. Tas reported that he was on Suwinthawong 304 Road delivering 2,520 boxes of beer to Chonburi from Khon Kaen Province.…
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Swiss driver faces charges after motorcyclist dies in Rawai
A motorbike driver has died after colliding into the side of a sedan whose driver was a Swiss man in Rawai over the weekend. The Swiss driver is facing charges. Chalong Police were notified of the incident on Wiset Road in Rawai opposite the Macro Store, just south of the Chalong Underpass, on Saturday afternoon. Police and emergency responders arrived…
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ASEAN takeaways – 34th Summit in Bangkok
PHOTO: Thai PBS Time to say goodbye. The leaders, minders, security details, media and staff all head back to the ten ASEAN nations following a non-controversial Bangkok Summit held over the weekend, as well as regional plenaries held last Thursday and Friday. The expensive crockery is being put away, the hundreds of flags neatly folded, the chairs stacked and stored,…
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Polls show Thai voters sick of endless bickering over Cabinet posts
Exactly three months now since the national election for a new parliament and still no announcement of a parliamentary majority, government or ministries. But two surveys are a strong indication of Thai voter weariness over the drawn-out process of establishing a ministerial Cabinet. A NIDA (National Institute of Development Administration) poll shows most people (46.4%) complain that their elected representatives…
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Van driver and nine passengers injured in Songkhla van accident
A passenger van driver and nine passengers have been injured after the vehicle careered off the Asian Highway in Songkhla around lunchtime today. When emergency responders arrived they found the van driver unconscious behind the wheel. All nine passengers had been injured. Three of them, one with a broken arm, were taken to the Narakin Hospital. The incident happened just after…
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ASEAN’s bid for the 2034 World Cup
Today’s last day of the ASEAN Summit in Bangkok is considering a proposal, from the foreign ministers of the ten member nations to submit a bid to host the football World Cup in 2034. The only Asian hosts of the World Cup so far have been Japan and South Korea, in 2002. Thailand’s Foreign Minister, Don Pramudwinai, says the proposal…
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The Korean Wave – a tsunami of cultural opportunity for ASEAN
BTS, Blackpink, ASEAN, K-Pop by The Star Online – Asia News Network TV drama, pop music, culture, food. The ‘Korean Wave’ is on its way. The Korean Wave was the hot topic at the ASEAN-Korea Media Forum held in Seoul recently, with experts saying that it has, in fact, enhanced cultural exchanges between the republic and the entire region. Korean…
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Myanmar government turns off telecoms in Rhakine State
Burmese authorities have ordered telecommunications companies in Myanmar to shut down internet services in the conflict-torn Rhakine State in western Myanmar. Government soldiers (Tatmadaw) are in a long term civil struggle with ‘ethnic rebels’. Telenor Group announced that the Ministry of Transport and Communications commanded all communication companies to “temporarily” suspend internet services in nine townships in Rakhine and neighbouring…
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Miracle at Tham Luang – The Thailand cave drama unfolds, a year on
On June 23, a year ago, only a few northern Thai locals and serious cave enthusiasts knew much about the Tham Luang Caves in Mae Sai district, about an hour’s drive from Chiang Rai. But on that sunny afternoon, following their regular football practice, a group of 12 players and their coach, decided to have a quick excursion to the…
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Phuket’s perfect plane-spotting selfie
Mai Khao Beach, any day day of the year. People are assembling, not to swim, but to take photos of planes taking off from the Phuket International Airport. Every 5-10 minutes planes will come and go making Mai Khao Beach one of Asia’s top plane spotting locations. For now, you can still capture your special moment with a plane, taking…
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ASEAN agrees on common ground for world’s largest trade bloc, RCEP
ASEAN members reached common ground on the mega economic trade bloc, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) during their meeting in Bangkok yesterday. RCEP will cover nearly half of the global economy. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership is a free trade agreement (FTA) between the ten member states of ASEAN – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam –…
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Summit this afternoon, banquet tonight – ASEAN leaders assemble in Bangkok
The 34th ASEAN Summit got down to the main agenda today Saturday as leaders from various ASEAN countries arrived in Bangkok for the regional talk-fest. This morning leaders who were in attendance at the Athenee Hotel were Malaysian PM Mahathir Bin Mohamad, Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah, Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President of The Philippines Rodrigo Duterte, Laos PM…
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ASEAN’s main conferences on today in Bangkok
The 34th ASEAN Summit started yesterday with various break-out meetings before the main leaders’ meeting takes place today and tomorrow. Wireless Road (Witthaya Road) is closed Saturday and Sunday as part of the weekend’s security arrangements. Mr. Don Pramudwinai, Minister of Foreign Affairs, delivered a speech at the opening of the ASEAN Women Entrepreneurs Network Meeting, one of the important…
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Thai Airways sneaks into Top Ten. Skytrax World’s Best Airlines Awards 2019.
PHOTO: A Thai Airways Airbus A380 Qatar Airways is the world’s best airline in the 2019 Skytrax World Airline Awards. Last year’s winner Singapore Airlines, has been relegated to second place. Asian airlines have taken six of the top ten spots with Thai Airways, despite their local woes, just sneaking into the Top Ten. The Skytrax awards are the most prestigious…
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73 Burmese and 4 ethnic Rohingya intercepted on their way to Malaysia
PHOTO: Thai PBS Two passenger vans have been intercepted by police along the Asian Highway in Surat Thani, southern Thailand. There were 42 illegal Burmese migrant workers travelling in the two vans. The vans were transferring the migrants, including three women, from the Prachuap Khiri Khan border crossing to Yala in Thailand’s deep south on the border of Malaysia. The…
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Water shut-off along parts of Phuket’s west coast
The Phuket Provincial Waterworks Authority says the mains water supply will be shut off around Patong, Karon and Kata from today until next Friday (June 28). Areas mostly affected will be homes and residences in elevated areas. Works are being carried out on the water-treatment plant in Karon. The water supply to the affected areas will be shut off from 9am to…
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Australian goes off the rails after being arrested by Pattaya Police – VIDEO
PHOTO: 77JOWO An abusive Australian has been filmed resisting arrest after being stopped by police in Pattaya. Police intervened and arrested Constantine Anagnostou for his ‘chaotic behaviour’ at an intersection on Pratumnak Hill. A 5 minute video shared by Pattaya News showed Mr. Anagnostou swearing at police officers after claiming that one of the officers had assaulted him. It starts off…
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Thailand’s exports plunge 5.8% in May
Thai exports have declined 5.8% for the month of May 2019. The value of May’s exports is 648 billion baht. The Commerce Ministry says in their report today that the contraction is mostly influenced by global factors including ongoing trade tensions between US and China and tighter global financial conditions, and specific factors of each country and region, political uncertainty…
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