Thailand News
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Sponsored 5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)
Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...
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Thai Army’s Channel 5 spreads fake news on Russian attack in Ukraine
Earlier this week, two anchors of the Thai army-owned TV station Channel 5 falsely stated that Ukrainians “faked casualties” in a broadcast of their Lao Khao Khon (เล่าข่าวข้น). The footage was actually from a climate change protest in Austria last month where activists lay on the ground with body bags as a demonstration. From the original clip that went viral…
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Tourism officials recommend that tourists be allowed to enter without registering for Thailand Pass
Tourism officials are urging the government to allow tourists to enter the country without registering for a Thailand Pass. Officials have requested that the requirement be lifted in the next phase of easing restrictions, but no proposal for the government has been drafted. Travellers entering the country through the Test & Go and Sandbox scheme must register for entry using…
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Phuket’s tuna industry falling behind, Phuket VP calls to train fishermen
In a meeting yesterday, Phuket’s Vice Governor Pichet said the provincial government wants fishermen to develop stronger skills with tuna and tuna fishing practices. He said strict fishing laws have already lowered the number of tuna caught in the province. Another issue is that Thailand doesn’t have proper tuna fishing boats. VP Pichet said amendments to current laws on which…
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Friday Covid Update: 23,834 new cases; provincial totals
54 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 23,124 with 1,426 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 23,834 new Covid-19 cases and 19,351 recoveries. There are now 227,843 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Bangkok criminal court won’t let activist study on scholarship in Germany
A student activist facing lèse majesté charges won’t be allowed to study in Germany with a scholarship for a post-graduate program. Ravisara, nicknamed Dear, was charged when she read a statement in German in front of the German Embassy in Bangkok in 2020. When Dear applied to leave the country for a prestigious scholarship program, The Bangkok South Criminal Court…
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Thai tourist rescued after going into cardiac arrest while diving near Koh Lipe
A Thai man was rescued after he lost consciousness and went into cardiac arrest while diving at a spot by Koh Yang, an island near the popular tourist destination Koh Lipe in the southern province Satun. The 62 year old man was unconscious when he was pulled to the surface of the water. He was later sent by helicopter to…
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Woman arrested on charges of trafficking to UAE, one of six suspects
Police in Chachoengsao, a province east of Bangkok, arrested a woman suspected of tricking another woman into working as a prostitute in the United Arab Emirates. She is one of six suspects in the case. The alleged victim told authorities she was invited to work as a masseuse at a spa in Dubai. The woman who invited her was called…
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Woman allegedly stabs husband’s penis with a harpoon after heated argument
A woman allegedly stabbed her husband’s penis with a harpoon after a heated argument. Thai media reports that the woman stabbed him in his genitals and twisted the spear, just like “catching a fish.” The man drove a motorbike to his mother’s house and went to the hospital the next day where he got more than 17 stitches. Thai reporters…
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Court acquits final 3 accused in zero-dollar tourism case, citing insufficient evidence
The final 3 defendants in a zero-dollar tourism scam exposed in 2016 were acquitted by the Thai Supreme Court yesterday. The court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to prove the case against the 3. The zero-dollar tourism scam involved cheap package tours for Chinese tourists, who would be accommodated in cheap hotels, and taken to certain restaurants and on…
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Thai health officials predict daily case count of 40,000 – 50,000 by mid-April
The Department of Disease Control says Thailand’s daily new Covid cases could reach between 40,000 and 50,000 by the middle of next month. Health officials warn that infections could even rise to 100,000 if current restrictions are eased. According to a Thai PBS World report, officials have called for strict adherence to Level 4 restrictions, particularly in restaurants, bars, and…
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More Thai volunteers sign up to fight Russian forces in Ukraine
Thai nationals, moved by footage of the conflict in Ukraine, are signing up to defend the country following the Russian invasion. Last week, the embassy of Ukraine posted on its Facebook page, appealing to foreigners to help the country fight the Russian offensive. According to a Bangkok Post report, a notice outside the embassy in Bangkok requests applicants to submit…
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US and Thai authorities search for body of missing WWII pilot
Thai and US authorities joined the mission to search for an American pilot who went missing more than 70 years ago during World War II. The pilot was flying a P-38 Lightning, a single-seated fighter aircraft, and officials suspect he went down in the northern province Lampang. Thailand promised to support the US mission to bring every soldier back home.…
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Hungry monkeys overrun Isaan town, raiding homes and roaming in roads
Hungry monkeys have been causing problems for residents in the northeastern province Amnat Charoen. Not hundreds, but thousands of monkeys have moved from a nearby forest to the residential area in search of food, many raiding houses and roaming into the roads, some getting hit by oncoming cars. Residents in the Pana district shared with Thai media that around 2,000…
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“Neo Pattaya” projects move forward to enhance the coastal city
“Neo Pattaya” projects are in the works to develop key areas and enhancing the coastal city with the goal to promote it as a top tourist destination. The “Old Town Na Klua” project will makeover the fishing community while the “Neo Koh Larn” project includes improvements to utilities, piers, waste, water consumption and treatment systems. Developments to the Pattaya City…
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Thailand national Covid-19 hotline gets over 70,000 calls a day, system “overwhelmed”
People testing positive for Covid-19 are overwhelming Thailand’s national Covid-19 hotline with calls, despite the majority of people infected with Omicron having mild or no symptoms. The National Health Security Office announced today that there are now over 70,000 calls a day, and this is “exceeding the system capability”. The highest ever number of calls came on Tuesday, with 70,300…
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TAT launches “Holideals” travel promotions with digital tokens as payment
In a new marketing campaign by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, people will be able to use digital tokens to buy travel packages and vouchers. The “Thailand Holideals” offers packages and vouchers for hotels, restaurants, spas, and for recreational activities. This is the first time the Thai travel industry has allowed travellers pay using digital tokens. The Deputy Manager of…
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Thursday Covid Update: 23,618 new cases; provincial totals
49 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 23,070 with 1,372 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 23,618 new Covid-19 cases and 18,939 recoveries. There are now 223,414 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Elephant carcass missing ivory tusks found at Songkhla national park
The remains of an elephant missing its ivory tusks were found by national park authorities at a mountain in the southern province Songkhla. Officials suspect the elephant was killed by those involved in the illegal ivory trade. Locals found the bones of the elephant on a mountain in the Pa Kabang Reserved Forest in the province’s Sabayoi district. National park…
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Phuket international school petitions against slaughterhouse being built nearby
On Tuesday, administrators from an international school in Phuket submitted a petition to the province’s governor against a slaughterhouse being built within 400 metres of the school. The administrators claimed construction of the slaughterhouse would have “long term environmental effects” on people in the area. The slaughterhouse is planned to be 300-400 metres from the school. A report by Phuket’s…
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Thai government promises to eradicate forced prison labour following exposé
The Thai government has vowed to end forced labour in the country’s prisons, following an exposé by the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The foundation’s investigation revealed shocking abuses in the Thai prison system, with inmates forced to make fishing nets for private companies for as little as 30 baht a month. Some said they did not get paid at all. Prisoners…
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Former Thai airman signs up to fight Russian forces in Ukraine
A former member of the Royal Thai Air Force is volunteering to fight alongside the Ukrainians defending their country against a Russian invasion. According to a Coconuts report, the former airman, who gives his name only as Chanapong, turned up at the Ukrainian embassy in Bangkok yesterday, saying he was there to enlist. “I want the Ukrainian people to know…
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Thick smog in Mae Hong Son causes pilot carrying acting US ambassador to detour
Due to poor visibility caused by haze above Mae Hong Son airport in nothern Thailand, a private plane flying the acting US ambassador this morning cancelled a landing and returned to Chiang Mai International Airport. Smog has been a longstanding problem in northern Thailand and kicks up every year during burning season from February to April. Today, the local air…
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Thai police raid home suspected of running illegal Korean gambling site
Thai police raided a home suspected of being the headquarters for an illegal gambling website that swindled more than 100 million baht from Korean victims. Officers arrested four South Korean men and a Thai woman who was renting the home in Samut Prakan, just southeast of Bangkok. The suspects face charges of organising, advertising, and inviting people to join gambling without…
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Tangmo: Top Thai crime investigator debunks witness claims, calls for truth
A former top police crime investigator has come out of retirement to dismiss the story of Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong’s death, as put forth by her so-called friends, and call for the truth to come out. In a video interview with Nation Thailand, Kamronwit Toopkrajang, former Lt-General and Commissioner at the Metropolitan Police Bureau, is seen sitting on a boat analyzing…
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3 metre long snakes found while clearing land in Bangkok
Not one, but three pythons, each around three metres long, were found in an unoccupied plot of land in Bangkok. A worker was using a backhoe to clear the area when he stumbled across the large snakes. Rescuers also found another python and a green viper. They suspect at least 10 more snakes are in the area. The area in in…
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Renewed calls to ditch Thailand Pass and PCR test on arrival
Key figures in Thailand’s tourism industry have renewed their calls for the Thailand Pass and PCR testing on arrival to be scrapped. The sector is now concerned about the potential impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on future tourism numbers. According to a Bangkok Post report, hoteliers now say they fear the invasion could see international arrivals dropping to 10%…
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Thai Buddhist monk hosts funeral for himself as lesson about death
A Buddhist monk made headlines in Thailand when he invited residents in the northern province Phittanulok to a funeral… his funeral. The abbot at a local temple is alive and well, but wanted the ceremony to send a message to his followers that death is normal and just a part of life. The funeral at the Pothiyan Temple followed traditional…
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Phuket prisoner who escaped put back in jail
On Monday night, prison wardens recaptured a prisoner who escaped Phuket Provincial Prison. The Phuket News didn’t specify when the man was first imprisoned or when he escaped, but reported that he was in remand pending trial for robbery. After he was found at a friend’s house, he was taken back into custody yesterday. The man is identified as Jamnien…
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Thai couple arrested for allegedly running fake travel agency advertising trips in Krabi
A couple was arrested in Bangkok for allegedly running a fake travel agency advertising tour packages in the southern province Krabi off the Andaman coast. Reports say the couple had been doing the scam for seven years, scamming tourists out of a total of 100 million baht. Tour packages with accommodation included were advertised on Facebook for costing 2,500 baht…
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Autopsy report shows TV actress Tangmo drowned
An autopsy report indicates that TV actress Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong drowned. Forensic examiners also noted that there the large cut on her leg was likely caused by the speedboat’s propeller. (Bangkok Post and Thai PBS have published differing facts about which leg was cut) The other people on the speedboat last Thursday night when Tangmo drowned in Bangkok’s Chao Phraya…
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