Thailand News
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Sponsored How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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Thai police say plan to change uniforms ‘a waste of money’
Plans to change the uniforms of parliament police, 6 months after they were issued with new ones, have been put on hold after officers objected, calling it “a waste of taxpayers’ money.” Sixty parliament police officers gathered at the parliament building, in Dusit district, yesterday to submit a letter to the President of the National Assembly, Chuan Leekpai, to oppose…
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Thai PM faces fourth censure motion next month
The next political challenge for Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is next month when a censure motion is put to the lower house by opposition MPs. The debate is scheduled for July 18 – 22 and there is no certainty how the votes will eventually fall at this time. Renegade MPs, new political factions, the PMs falling popularity and a looming…
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Thais face death penalty if they take cannabis-related products into Indonesia
The Royal Thai Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, cautioned Thai people against taking cannabis and hemp into Indonesia as they could face the death penalty. The official Facebook page of the Royal Thai Embassy in Jakarta today uploaded a picture with a message saying, “The Royal Thai Embassy in Jakarta would like to warn Thai people not to carry cannabis, hemp,…
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Expect more wind and rain in most of Thailand
Don’t forget your umbrella when you leave the house, because Thailand’s wind and rain isn’t going away anytime soon. It is the wet season after all. The country’s meteorological department announced that thundershowers are expected across the country today, with isolated rains and gusty winds too. In Northern Thailand, there will be scattered thundershowers in the Mae Hong Son, Chiang…
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Breaking the glass ceiling: Thai hotels push for gender equality at women’s hospitality event
As a study reveals that 90% of general managers in Thai hotels are men, an important event in Phuket aims to understand why women still encounter barriers to career progression. Gender equality is high on the agenda for Thai hotels as a hospitality event held recently in Phuket addressed the imbalance in the industry in leadership positions for highly qualified…
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Energy Ministry encourages consumers to use charcoal stoves to combat gas hike
The Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency has a solution to solve the recent gas hike: use a charcoal stove if cooking gas is too expensive. The department’s official Facebook page yesterday uploaded a picture of a stove, with a caption saying ‘a charcoal stove is durable, helps save money, uses less charcoal, and offers a lot of heat.”…
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2 year old foreign child in ICU after Pit Bill attack in Pattaya, Thailand
A 2 year old foreign boy is being treated in the ICU after he was mauled by a Pit Bull in Pattaya on Monday. The young child suffered a broken jaw, torn cheeks, and an open wound on his head which required 200 stitches. At 4pm on Monday, a foreign nanny took 2 foreign boys – aged 2 and 4…
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Getting rid of masks and revised closing times in Thailand – waiting for official rubber stamp
Whilst we might be rid of the Thailand Pass on July 1, there appears to be an administrative delay to the changes in mask requirements and changes to the closing times. In clarifying new face mask guidelines, Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin, the spokesperson for CCSA says that all 77 provinces in Thailand would be redesignated as green zones. Previously there were…
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Thailand offers 5-year income tax exemption for foreign actors
The cabinet approved a 5-year personal income tax exemption for foreign film stars who earn income from foreign movies shot in Thailand. The government revealed they wanted to attract more film crews and expected the movie industry to generate about 17.5 billion baht over those 5 years. The PM’s Deputy Spokesperson, Ratchada Thanadirek, says that the government wants to encourage…
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Novices caught smoking cannabis kicked out of Thailand’s monkhood
A group of novice Buddhist monks were kicked out of the monkhood yesterday after they were caught smoking cannabis from a bong at a famous temple in Buriram province in northeast Thailand. The young men – who had been ordained for a total of 4 days – were taking part in a drug addiction programme jointly run by Thailand’s Buddhist…
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Thailand’s private bus sector threatens to axe services by 80%
Thailand’s private bus companies have threatened to axe services by up to 80% if the government does not allow them to raise fare prices in line with rising fuel costs. Twenty-seven of the nation’s private coach enterprises promised they will run a skeleton service of only 20% from July 1 unless the government allowed them to raise fares by 0.59…
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Today is the longest day of the year in Thailand
The sun will reign over the sky for almost 13 hours today in Thailand, making today (June 21) the longest day of the year. The extended sunlight hours mark the beginning of the summer season in the entire Northern Hemisphere, formally known as “The Summer Solstice.” The sun rose from the sky’s northeastern horizon at 5:51am this morning in Thailand,…
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Thai Army lifts ban on Lazada to help country boost economy
The Royal Thai Army has lifted a boycott of the e-commerce platform Lazada. The company, owned by the Alibaba Group, was banned from delivering parcels to military premises all over the country for 42 days because of an offensive advert that insulted the Thai Royal Family, and disabled people. Last month Lazada goods were banned from entering Royal Thai Army…
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Thai police given new power to arrest fine-avoiding motorists
A new regulation has given power to the Royal Thai Police to arrest people who fail to pay their driving penalties on time. Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, Pol Maj Gen Jirasan Kaewsaeng-ek, says if motorists do not pay their fines, a warrant for their arrest will be filed. If a motorist receives a ticket, either in person…
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Chinese woman dies in road accident in Bangkok
A young Chinese woman was struck and killed while crossing the road in Bangkok in the early hours of this morning. The woman was crossing over the 3 lane road at Ratchavipha intersection on Ratchadapisek Road in Chatuchak district when she was struck by a car at around 00:50am. Police are checking CCTV cameras to confirm the details of the…
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Thai PM to keep ‘special law’ despite opposition
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday dismissed accusations the nation’s emergency decree is only in place to control the anti-government protestors. Move Forward Party MP Rangsiman Rome on Sunday demanded the PM lift the special law, claiming it is only being used to take legal action against protesters rather than curbing the spread of the Covid-19. Rangsiman says the government had eased…
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Cathay Pacific plants 999 mangrove trees in Thailand
Hong Kong’s flag carrier Cathay Pacific has planted 999 mangrove trees in the Khlong Khon Mangrove Forest in Samut Songkram, central Thailand as part of its “1 Ticket, 1 Tree” initiative. The airline launched the initiative last year, committing to planting 1 tree for every plane ticket bought in a one-month period. About 50 volunteers, including Cathay Pacific staff and…
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Giant honey bees swarm home in southern Thailand
A man from Krabi, southern Thailand, was left terrified and thankfully unharmed after tens of thousands of giant honey bees – or Apis dorsata – swarmed his home on Sunday. Thailand’s giant honey bees have been called “the most dangerous stinging insects on earth” by Cornell University apiculturist Roger Morse. Somchai Kaewkasorn, a Department of Highways official, was watching television…
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Canadian woman killed by a truck in Kanchanaburi
A truck driver has been charged with negligent driving after allegedly killing a Canadian cyclist on Saturday. Pickup truck driver Chaiwat Chutoh hit Marnie Scott while she was out cycling with her husband, Joseph, on a bypass in Muang, a district in central Thailand’s Kanchanaburi province. The mother of two was killed instantly while trying to change lanes to do…
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Cannabis use is banned on Thai university campuses
The use of cannabis for recreation and cannabis-infused foods and beverages have been banned on the campuses of universities and agencies in Thailand announced the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation. MHESI Minister Anek Laothamatas signed a statement aimed at restricting the use of cannabis in those facilities with immediate effect. The tertiary education rollback is just the…
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A Cat Gave Me Covid: Vet in Thailand “first in the world” to catch Covid-19 from a cat
A cat sneezed in a veterinarian’s face and gave her Covid-19, according to a recent study conducted by Songkhla University in southern Thailand. Worldwide, no other cat-to-human cases have been reported. The case study reports that a father and son from Bangkok tested positive for Covid-19 back in August last year, but because there were no hospital beds available in…
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Russia-Ukraine conflict excuse for energy hike
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues to be the excuse by utilities suppliers to raise energy prices. The Energy Regulatory Commission today announced the power tariff would increase to a record high of 4.4 baht per kilowatt-hour (unit) between September and December meaning Thai residents face higher bills. The ERC says the higher power tariff, which is made up…
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Siam Piwat welcomes world’s women leaders at Global Summit of Women 2022
Press Release Thailand is hosting the 32nd Global Summit of Women 2022, or the world’s major international forum for the world’s women leaders, during June 23-25, 2022. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase the country’s readiness and capabilities to host an international-standard forum and the potential to become a “Global Destination” for international convention and tourism following the recovery of the…
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Foreigner stabbed in Pattaya refuses hospital treatment
An unidentified foreign man was stabbed near Walking Street in Pattaya in the early hours of yesterday morning. Despite bleeding heavily, the man refused to get his wounds treated at hospital. He refused to explain what happened or give personal details to the police. Eyewitnesses told police that a physical fight broke out between two foreign men who had been…
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Come fly with me in Thailand, with a face mask – OPINION
July 1 is looming as the day Thailand really opens up again, with all the ‘Covid’ paperwork (aka. The Thailand Pass) being binned. They’re even scrapping the TM6 form, at least in the short to medium term (maybe permanently?). But if you want a reminder about some of Thailand’s more hypocritical and absurd Covid restrictions, just go for a flight,…
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Thailand’s Criminal Court issues warrants for alleged Taiwan murder accomplices
The Thai man who murdered a pregnant woman and her husband in Taiwan might not have acted alone. Thailand’s Criminal Court has now issued arrest warrants for 2 alleged accomplices. Now, police from the Crime Suppression Division are on the hunt for the 2 alleged partners in crime. This news comes after the prime suspect, 35 year old “Santi”, handed…
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Poll shows that Thais like ‘soft power’
Thais are liking their government’s new ‘soft power’ promotion of the Kingdom to the rest of the world and to boost the local economy. The idea of soft promotion, or indirect promotion, took off after young rapper ‘Milli’ promoted the country’s signature sticky rice and mango dish in April. In the scheme, Thai authorities aim to promote the ‘5 Fs’…
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