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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 Digital nomading in Chiang Mai? What US$1,000 a month really gets you
Chiang Mai has become a popular destination for digital nomads due to its low living costs, rich culture, and active remote work community. The city offers affordable housing, tasty food, reliable internet, and many co-working spaces, making it a great...
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Thailand ranks in top five economies for salary increases
PHOTO: iglu A report in Thailand Business News says Thailand is among the top five countries in the world for salary increases. The Annual Salary Trends Report, carried out by ECA (Employment Conditions Abroad) International, looked at salary trends for 60 countries and forecasts a 2020 salary increase of 4.1% for Thailand, up from 3.9% this year. In general, Asian nations…
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The curious tale of the second-hand BMW – Future Forward MP winds back the clock on events
PHOTO: For sale. One slightly used BMW Series 7 – SiamRath It won’t be the first time a dodgy second-hand car dealer has wound back the clock on a car. But this deal involved a sitting Future Forward MP as well, who is now trying to ‘wind back the clock’ on the series of events. A Swedish businessman has filed…
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Still clearing the krathongs – post Loy Krathong
PHOTO: Krathongs being cleared out of a lake at Saphan Hin in Phuket – Newshawk Phuket The clean up is still underway in many parts of Thailand following Monday’s Loy Krathong. ‘Favourite’ waterways are still being cleared of the pre-loved Krathong floats. The good news, authorities say there was a lot more natural products used in this years’ krathongs following…
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Russian nabbed for 7 year overstay in Samui
PHOTO: Matichon Online A Russian man has been arrested for overstaying his visa by 2,861 days, 7 years and 9 months. The man was arrested on Koh Samui. In a completely serendipitous inspection, immigration and tourist police were doing spot inspections on the island hen they were checking a man on Soi 3, off Maenam Road, in the north of…
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Thailand’s beaches now more expensive than European resorts – report
PHOTO: Ministry of Villas The cost of a holiday in popular Thai beach resorts is now on par with, or even higher than those in Greece, Italy, Spain, Turkey, and Egypt – all closer to home for Europeans with lower flight costs and less travel time. Diethelm Travel Group report that the cost of a five-star resort in Koh Samui,…
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Anti-corruption commission says government officials guilty of taking bribes in power plant agreement
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) is accusing the Thai government of accepting bribes from Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, the Japanese company awarded the contract to build a power plant in the southern Thai city of Nakhon Si Thammarat. NACC secretary-general, Worawit Sukboon, alleges that four government officials accepted a 20 million baht bribe from the Japanese firm in exchange for…
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School funding challenge for bilingual curriculum
The secretary-general of the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC), Amnat Wichayanuwat, says plans to introduce a bilingual school curriculum at all grade levels have thrown up an obstacle for meeting funding requirements. The bilingual curriculum plans were announced by the Education Minister last week in an effort to improve English proficiency among the Thai population. It’s hoped to…
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“Be water” and “Blossom everywhere”: Hong Kong protesters’ attempts to outsmart police
As the protests that have brought Hong Kong to a standstill show no signs of ending, demonstrators are employing new tactics in an attempt to overcome the police. AFP reports that flash-mobs are springing up across different parts of the city since Monday, as 7½ million people attempt to create as much chaos as possible. Shops continue to be ransacked,…
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University to allow transgender students to wear female uniforms
Chulalongkorn University has finally agreed to allow transgender students to the wear female uniforms. For Ince Jirapat, a transgender student, it was a dream come true. In November 2018, Jirapat, a student at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Education, was forbidden to wear a female uniform in class and was insulted by a lecturer. Jirapat turned to human rights activists, a…
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Court clerk arrested for shooting shooter
Police have arrested a legal clerk for shooting a defendant who opened fire in a courtroom, killing a plaintiff and his lawyer. Police say 22 year old Thanakorn Theerawaradom, a clerk to the plaintiff’s lawyers, was arrested Wednesday after he used a police officer’s gun to shoot and kill former police general Thanin Chantratip. This contradicts earlier reports that Thanin…
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Thais warned on Hong Kong travel
Hong Kong’s Thai Consular Office has issued a warning to travellers and Thais living there, of violent demonstrations that may be dangerous and disrupt public transport. The office tells Thai people to preparefor inconvenience, avoid protest areas and be very cautious. “Don’t photograph protesters or police, and refrain from doing anything that might be provocative,” the office warns Thais in…
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Hong Kong’s stocks drop amongst jittery sentiment and continued violence
Hong Kong’s government has closed down kindergartens, primary schools and secondary schools for the first time yesterday in the wake of escalating violence on Monday and Tuesday this week. Classes at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, which was the scene of protests and serious damage this week amid fires and petrol bombs thrown by protesters, is also cancelling classes…
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Driver of gas tanker falls asleep, ploughs into building in Chiang Rai
A driver of a gas tanker carrying nearly 50,000 litres of fuel had a lucky escape after he managed to plough the vehicle into a three-storey building in Chiang Rai province. The story, reported by Thai news outlet 77kaoded and shared by ThaiVisa, says the man fell asleep at the wheel of the tanker before crashing into Mekong View Plaza,…
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Pattaya mayor visits site of drainage work following complaints about traffic problems
Following numerous complaints about the effect of various work projects on city traffic, Pattaya’s mayor has visited one of the construction sites where a water drainage project is being completed. The Pattaya News says Mayor Sonthaya Khunplueam inspected the site on Sawang Fah Road in the Naklua area of the city, where the drainage project is taking place over an…
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Cooler in the north, more rain for the south
The north of Thailand is in for some thundershowers from today and for the next two days, as a result of another high-pressure system from China that is currently over the region. The showers will be followed by a further dip in temperatures and strong winds, according to a forecast issued by the Thailand Meteorological Department. Temperatures in the north…
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Sugar industry expert says banning of 3 agri-chemicals will severely damage business
The president of the Thailand Society of Sugarcane Technologists has criticised the recently- implemented ban on three agri-chemicals that were commonly used in the industry. The Nation reports that Dr Kitti Chunhawong insists the ban on Paraquat, Chlorpyrifos and Glyphosate will cripple business. “Currently Thailand is the world’s fifth sugar producer and second biggest exporter with more than 11 million…
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Police seek “copyright agents” for extortion
Police in Nakhon Ratchasima say they’re seeking a warrant to arrest “copyright agents” who attempted to extort dozens of vendors. The investigation is nearly complete and warrants will be issued by the end of this week. “We are waiting for documents from relevant copyright holders, and we have also established a committee to identify police officers accused of involvement,” according…
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Unconscious 4 year old rescued from locked car
Pattaya police got a report that a child was stuck in a car in front of a shopping mall. When they rushed to the scene a volunteer rescue team, they found a crowd surrounding a car, trying to wake up a sleeping four year old boy. The boy’s mother was there and was in fact the one to call for…
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Police general kills two, dies in courtroom land case drama
A retired senior policeman has shot dead the plaintiff and his lawyer before being fatally shot by police in a Chanthaburi courtroom. He wounded two other people accompanying the plaintiff. 67 year old police major general Thanin Chantratip was a defendant in a 10 year long civil lawsuit about land in Tha Mai district. He was in court for a…
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Three die following court shooting in Chanthaburi, two more injured
PHOTOS: Twitter/happykaekamon and Nalinee_OPLE Three people are now dead after aa retired police officer opened fire inside a Chanthaburi courtroom on Monday/ The gunman died yesterday after being shot by a lawyer for the opposing counsel. Police are investigating how so many guns got inside the courtroom. Chantaburi is south east of Bangkok, neighbouring Rayong. Before the incident, both parties…
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Pattaya purse snatcher arrested for robbing tourist
PHOTO: The Pattaya News A thief has been arrested in Pattaya for stealing a purse from a tourist unpacking luggage at a local resort. He has claims he needed the money for Loy Krathong. The incident happened last Saturday at a resort near the Nongprue public park. CCTV footage shows the suspect snatching the bag from a female tourist before speeding…
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Thai Airways offers One Pass One Price Value Card
In a first of what will surely be a prolonged period of promotions, Thai Airways is offering a One Pass One Price Value Card Package which will cover four economy class fares from Bangkok to some destinations in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar. Tickets start at 8,060 baht and are valid for trips from Bangkok to Phnom Penh, Siem Reap,…
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Increase in use of biodegradable krathongs pleases Bangkok governor
The eco-friendly message seems to be getting through as Bangkok Governor, Asawin Kwanmuang, reports an increase in the use of krathongs made from biodegradable materials. The Nation reports that following yesteday’s celebration of the Loy Krathong festival in the city, the governor praised residents for their use of environmentally-friendly krathongs, a marked departure from the use of Styrofoam and other…
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Government wants to extend ‘Eat, Spend, Shop’ economic stimulus plan
The government is seeking to extend the deadline for its economic stimulus package, “Eat, Spend, Shop” (Chim Shop Chai) to January 31. The Nation reports that the Finance Ministry is planning to ask Cabinet today to agree to an extension from the original deadline of December 31, in order to provide a further boost to spending and the economy over…
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Wall of graffiti art the longest landmark in northeast Thailand
More than 30 graffiti artists are being invited to celebrate the city of Nakhon Ratchasima, more commonly known as Korat. The Nation reports that the city’s Culture Office is inviting works on the theme of “Korat: the art city”. The move comes as the government named Korat, along with Krabi and Chiang Mai, as pilot cities for the arts. Korat…
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A blueprint for better recycling of PET bottles in SE Asia
LONG READ As leaders from around the world gather in Bangkok for the inaugural “SEA of Solutions: Partnership Week for Marine Plastic Pollution Prevention”, GA Circular has launched a new report “Full Circle: Accelerating the circular economy for post-consumer PET bottles in Southeast Asia”. The report provides for the first time, systematic and comparable baseline collection rates for PET bottles…
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Rare sighting of 5 metre manta ray in Similan Islands
A dive instructor has reported a sighting of a rare giant manta ray in the Similan Islands National Park in Phang Nga province. Somporn Kaewmaneechote from Sea Turtle Divers says he spotted the marine creature near Ta Chai island while accompanying a group of divers at a depth of about 26 metres. He says the ray was about four or…
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Argument over soft drink ends in death of 14 year old girl
A 14 year old girl has been shot and killed in Nakhon Si Thammarat in an argument between two grown men over a soft drink. It’s understood the girl’s father, Wichai Yisoonsaem, became angry when his neighbour, 27 year old Anusak Daengdet, helped himself to a soft drink but proceeded to pour it out for the family dog. The Chiang…
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Drunk man reports car stolen
A 50 year old man in the northern province of Lampang told police his car was stolen from a local petrol station. As it turned out, he was so drunk he couldn’t remember how he got to the station. He finally realized that a friend had dropped him off. The incident was shared on national television. The man called police…
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TAT opens 100 baht tourism scheme
TAT’s ambitious ‘฿100 Travel Around’ scheme opened yesterday. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has opened registration for its “100 Baht Travel Around” campaign. According to the TAT website, the project is to promote domestic tourism by providing 100 baht packages for domestic tours and rooms. Registration will only be open on the four “catchy dates” of 11-11 (November 11),…
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