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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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Thai government introduces new TM30T, to keep track of Thais
PHOTO: One of the new test shopping centre locations for the new Waer Areuw program The Thai government is introducing a new method of cracking down on home-made criminals. In a reversal of its former policy “Good guys in, bad guys in”, the government’s criminal enhancement department is phasing in the new laws that will require Thai to report their…
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Myanmar adopts NASA’s malaria-predicting tech
“Several drug-resistant strains of Malaria are taking hold across south east Asia and it is feared these could migrate to Africa where more than 90% of cases globally occur.” NASA is developing a new technique to forecast malaria outbreaks in Myanmar from space, as the emergence of new drug-resistant strains in Southeast Asia threatens efforts to wipe out the deadly…
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“Don’t extend opening hours to 4am” – Tourist zones
“Think again about extending pub opening hours to 4am in tourist areas”. That’s the advice from Dr Mohamed Fahmy Tale, an advocate for alcohol control, directed to Thailand’s tourism minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn. Manager Online says that he wants the government to focus more on safety rather than encouraging more drinking. The Tourism and Sports Minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, had proposed an extension…
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Murder accused under police hospital watch to face charges “soon”
Police confirm that a man accused of killing his 21 year old girlfriend is currently undergoing hospital treatment after trying to take his own life but will soon be brought to court to face charges. Krissanachok “Ole Wanjeab” Chaichana, aged 30, attempted suicide after killing his girlfriend during an argument. He was arrested in the victim’s car, while drinking toilet…
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UN director says more needs to be done to fight corruption in Thailand
The chief of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Renaud Meyer, is calling on Thailand’s lawmakers to do more to fight corruption. While acknowledging the country’s efforts so far, he says certain influential figures and groups are a stumbling block to creating a less corrupt society. He was speaking at a conference jointly organised by the UNDP, along with the…
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Thai Government fails to properly address flood victims – Thanathorn
FILE PHOTO Embattled Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit has slammed the government for its handling of the current flood situation in the north-east and central Thailand. Speaking in a panel debate on amendment of the Constitution at Khon Kaen University on Sunday, he said he had visited people in Yasothon and Roi Et provinces in past days. He found…
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A drop in Thai visitors to Hong Kong as protests continue
PHOTO: Booking.com The ongoing pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong are taking a toll on visitor numbers, with a drop in the number of Thai visitors staying overnight in the territory, according to the Hong Kong Immigration Department. The Bangkok Post reports that the number for July has dropped by 6.6% compared to July 2018. However, the number of single-day visitors…
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Opposition says Thammanat should not have been appointed minister
PHOTO: Bangkok Post “It is old stuff from the opposing political group. I know all of them. Don’t pay any attention to them. I do not give them any importance.” A government opposition spokesman, Adisorn Piangkate, says he would not have appointed Captain Thammanat Prompow as deputy agriculture minister if he were the PM due to the minister’s “tainted record”. He…
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Thailand’s War on Sugar, taxes double
The Excise Department says that taxes on sugary drinks will double from October 1, with drinks containing 10 to 14 grams of sugar being taxed at 1 baht per 100 millilitres instead of 0.5 baht per 100 millilitre. But he promises this higher tax won’t be passed on to consumers. Nattakorn Utensut, the department’s deputy spokesman, says most producers of…
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China’s exports fell last month in lead up to next month’s trade talks
China’s exports fell 1% on-year last month amid the bruising trade war with the US that is disrupting markets in the world’s top two economies. The drop comes after a surprise 3.3% rebound in July despite the year-long battle with the US and weakening global demand. But economists cited by Bloomberg had forecast a 2.2% rise ahead of the release of…
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Government not tackling Thailand’s economic woes – poll
Most people regard the government of Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha as lacking the capacity to tackle economic woes – this, the latest results from yesterday’s NIDA poll. The NIDA Poll, prepared by the National Institute of Development Administration, asked 1,260 respondents nationwide about their opinions on the current state of political play. The Nida Poll found that 46.7%t of the…
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HM Queen Sirikit returns to hospital for examination
Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother, has been admitted to Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok for follow-up examinations. According to the announcement from the Bureau of the Royal Household, which was issued yesterday, the Queen Mother was admitted to Chulalongkorn University on Saturday on the advice of doctors for a previously scheduled follow-up on her condition and some additional examinations.…
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Weekend flooding threatens provinces in the Chao Phraya basin
PHOTO: tna.mcot.net The Royal Irrigation Department has issued an urgent flood alert for seven provinces as more water is released from the reservoirs feeding the Chao Phraya dam at Chai Nat province in central Thailand (map below). Residents in the seven provinces are being advised to monitor water levels closely as the water is released. Uthai Thani, Chai Nat, Sing…
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Morning peak chaos in Tokyo after typhoon Faxai passes through
by Kyoko Hasegawa, PHOTOS: AFP “Authorities said more than 2,000 people had taken refuge in shelters opened to accommodate those complying with the evacuation advisories.” A powerful typhoon that battered Tokyo overnight with ferocious winds and driving rain caused is causing commuter this morning, with trains halted and more than 100 flights cancelled. Typhoon Faxai, packing winds of up to…
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Flood waters reach Roi Et in Thailand’s north-east
PHOTOS: Thai Rath Run-off from last week’s heavy rains around Khon Kaen and parts of the north-east, have now made their way to the province of Roi-Et, south east of Khon Kaen. A large number of households and farming areas are now flooded after concrete barriers in Nong Hin Village of Panomprai District were breached by strong currents, according to…
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Suicide bomber explodes bomb at Philippine army base, Jolo Island
PHOTO: AFP/Ted Aljibe “No group has yet claimed the attack, which came a day after an IS-claimed bombing wounded eight at a market on the island of Mindanao.” A suicide bomber, dressed in a traditional Muslim woman’s abaya gown, has died after detonating a bomb outside a military camp in the southern Philippines. No other casualties were reported, authorities said.…
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Police arrest Chiang Rai woman with thousands of counterfeit US$100 bills
PHOTOS: Facebook/32nd Border Patrol Police Counterfeit US dollar banknotes valued more than 16 million baht have been seized at a Chiang Rai house after police organised a sting. A 54 year old woman was arrested over the matter last Thursday. The sting followed a tip off to border patrol police about the fake USD notes being circulated around tambon Rim…
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“If you want to shoot me, get on with it,” British grandmother
A British woman facing the firing squad in Indonesia told British reporters from her Bali prison “if you want to shoot me get on with it”. She faces execution for drug smuggling. The 62 year old drug mule grandmother has abandoned any further legal battles to avoid a date with the firing squad. Lindsay Sandiford was sentenced to death for attempting…
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Non! French say no to a Brexit extension beyond October 31
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian says the French government has rejected any further delays to Britain’s exit from the EU, now scheduled for October 31. He acknowledged that the issue is now clouded by the political turmoil in London. The past week of turmoil in the British parliament has forced MPs to cross the floor and bring about three…
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Dengue fever in Thailand: 3 dead in Bangkok since January 2019
PHOTO: Tripsavvy.com Bangkok Metropolitan Administration governor Aswin Kwanmuang says 4,903 residents have been infected with the dengue virus so far this year, with 3 deaths. In 2011, there were 10 deaths, with 8,699 having contracted the virus, so while there has been noticeable improvement, the current rate of infection is still worrying. Governor Aswin says that the areas which have…
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450 vaping-related cases now reported in the US, 3 deaths, possible links to THC
…and US health officials are trying to isolate the possible causes and if they can link the cases to any particular chemical or product vapers use. Vaping is currently illegal in Thailand with tourists prevented bringing in vaping-related products and refills, and crackdowns on local sellers frequent. Meanwhile, US health officials say they’re now aware of at least 450 possible…
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Phuket’s Katathani Beach Resort land under investigation
The Katathani Phuket Beach Resort, sprawled along Kata Noi’s small beach on Phuket, is the latest subject of investigation by the Phuket Provincial Land Office. The investigation team has been given 30 days to complete its review by the Phuket Governor. The latest investigations are the latest in a tit-for-tat battle between the owners of the Katathani Phuket Beach Resort…
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What goes up must come down – the battle of the baht
Newton’s law looms over the Thai baht. Meanwhile, the Thai baht continues to be the best performing currency in Asia. The Thai currency is riding a 6-year high against the USD and, this year, has surged 8% against the US currency. But the strong baht is causing knock-on effects to the rest of the Thai economy, battering exports and stifling tourist…
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Suvarnabhumi baggage handler arrested over 20,000 baht theft
PHOTO: sanook.com A South Korean tourist was savvy enough to photograph all her holiday money before travelling to Thialand. Her precaution has led to the arrest of a baggage handler at Suvarnabhumi. The South Korean woman took the precaution of photographing all her Thai baht before putting it in a wallet in checked luggage on her flight. When Lee Soyeong travelled…
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Tortured ‘Joker’, spurned Polanski, win top prizes at Venice film festival
“Joaquin Phoenix has remade Batman’s arch-enemy as a “Method psycho, a troublemaker so intense in his cuckoo hostility that even as you’re gawking at his violence, you still feel his pain”. “Joker”, a daring take on the comic book villain starring Joaquin Phoenix, won the Golden Lion for best film at the Venice film festival with Roman Polanski controversially taking…
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The China Syndrome, south east Asia’s tourism dilemma
PHOTO: Lunar New Year celebrations in Bali – Jakarta Post “When China sneezes, the rest of south east asia catches a cold.” From quiet markets in Malaysia, empty rooms in Hanoi’s hotels and barren beaches in Bali, China’s economic slowdown and weakening yuan are sending shockwaves felt across south east Asia’s vacation belt. Thailand is just one of many countries…
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Burmese man stabbed to death by ‘friend’ in Patong, Phuket
PHOTO: Phuket People’s Voice Patong Police have arrested 18 year old Robier Aaron, from Myanmar, after he stabbed another Burmese man, 23 year old ‘Johnny’, to death. The incident happened on Friday night (September 6) at around 9pm in front of a restaurant on Phangmuang Sai Gor Road. Police received a report about the attack and found Johnny’s body stabbed…
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Welcome to Wat Samphran, unlike any Thai temple you’ve seen
The Emerald Buddha? The Grand Palace? Khao San Road? A cruise on the Chao Phraya? And now for something completely different. It’s big, it’s pink and it’s unlike any temple you’ve ever seen. Wat Samphran, aka. The Dragon Temple, is located about 40 kilometres west of the city centre of Bangkok in Nakhon Pathom. Somehow this excessive architectural wonder has…
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Boeing suspends testing of new long-haul 777 jet
“A source close to the matter said a door of the plane blew out during the test.” by Luc Olinga Boeing is suspending testing on its new long-haul 777X aircraft, yet another setback as the US aviation giant tries to rebound from the 737 MAX crisis. The so-called “final load” tests are part of the aircraft certification process, overseen by…
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Ride-sharing services to be legal in Thailand by 2020
PHOTO: Grab Thailand’s Transport Minister says that regulatory guidelines have been drafted to pave the way for legalising ride-hailing services by March next year. Ride-hailing organisations currently operate in “legal limbo”, often finding themselves stopped and fined for not being properly registered. New guidelines will require drivers to have a public driver’s licence, vehicles to be registered and equipped with…
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