News
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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Salvage effort on Samui ferry delayed due to bad weather
An operation to lift the sunken Raja company ferry from the seabed off Koh Samui has been delayed due to strong winds and high tide. The salvage operation is aimed at recovering the ferry and a number of garbage trucks it was transporting at the time of the sinking. The ferry sunk on the journey back from Samui to the…
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Protest calling on Thai Head of State reform set for September 19
Pro-democracy activists are planning a 2 day protest in Bangkok to call for Thai Monarchy reform and demand democracy. They’re calling it… “September 19: Return the power to civilians” (translated). Activists plan to gather at Thammasat University’s Tha Prachan campus at 2pm on September 19, camp out for the night and then march to the Government House at 8am the…
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Deserters from Burmese military confirm Rohingya massacres
2 army deserters from Myanmar have testified on video to the ritual slaughter of the country’s Rohingya Muslims, by order of the nation’s military – the Tatmadaw. 33 year old Myo Win Tun and 30 year old Zaw Naing Tun, are now believed to be in the custody of the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands, after fleeing to Myanmar’s…
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Tourism authority says Thailand must prepare for virus cases as part of re-opening
The Tourism Authority of Thailand says the country must re-open its borders by the last quarter of the year and prepare to manage new Covid-19 cases as a result. TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn says the impact of new cases can be contained with careful risk management. The reality of the situation is now sinking in as Thai officials are now…
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Rumours of a new coup “were pure nonsense” – Thai PM
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has scoffed at a range of rumours circulating in Thai media. Firstly he laughed off the reports of another military coup, telling a packed media conference yesterday that the rumours “were pure nonsense”. The ‘theory’ behind the rumour is that a staged coup d’état could help quash the rising tide of student and opposition protests. Thailand’s quasi…
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American and Thai in critical condition after motorbike incident in Pattaya
A US citizen has been hit by a motorbike around 1am on Pattaya’s Beach Road. The driver of the motorbike was also seriously injured in the incident. The American’s name has not been released by Police at this stage. When Sawang Boriboon Rescue responders arrived they found the American in shock with severe head injuries. But he was conscious at…
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Trials and tribulations 2. Returning to Thailand in the Covid era – a personal view
by guest writer David Jackson Part II in the series of articles from David who has been writing from his quarantine room. David waxes lyrical as even the tiniest moments seem larger than life in his 25 square metre cocoon… I begin writing this second article on Day 7 of my quarantine in a Bangkok hotel, so the sentence of…
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UPDATE: Win motorbike shooter turns himself in
A 55 year old motorbike taxi driver turned himself in after an alleged shootout in front of a Samut Prakan Big C. Witnesses say 2 groups of motorbike taxi drivers, known as win, allegedly fired shots at each other in a so-called turf war, according to Thai media. Somjet Pojaroen, a former assistant village headman who runs a motorbike taxi…
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Thailand is the fourth most searched-for destination for your next holiday
Since early 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic has stopped us from taking our holidays, or doing much travelling at all. But as travel restrictions ease, which destinations are coming out on top for our post-lockdown holidays? Official-esta.com has dusted off the calculator and checked the Google Search Volume data for the search terms “Flights to X” and “Holidays in X” to…
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One new Covid-19 case for Thailand today, a returnee from Japan
According to the CCSA, there is one new Covid-19 case in Thailand today. The man, currently in state quarantine, is a 38 year old Japanese film producer who travelled to Thailand from Japan on September 4. He has been serving his quarantine in an alternative state quarantine hotel in Bangkok. He tested positive for the novel coronavirus on September 7, but…
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Not so fast! Phuket’s plans to reopen slow down
“We have to rely on domestic tourism demand for now because we can’t reopen our borders yet. Some people in the area still haven’t accepted the idea… It doesn’t mean that we’re pulling the plug on the plan though.” Phuket is not going to be back up and running as soon as expected. Plans to let international tourists back in…
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Trials of Oxford Covid-19 vaccine paused after participant falls ill
Late-stage trials of a promising-sounding Covid-19 vaccine have been put on hold while researchers check out the exact cause of illness in one participant. The vaccine, being developed by Oxford University in the UK, in partnership with pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, was in phase 3 trials, involving 30,000 participants. Volunteers were drawn primarily from countries with high numbers of virus cases,…
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Snake bites teenager using the toilet
An 18 year old university student in Nonthaburi, just west of Bangkok, was bitten by a python while using the toilet. The 1 metre long python was in the toilet bowl when it bit the student’s penis, splattering blood all over the wall and toilet seat. Luckily the student is okay and only needed 3 stitches (which begs the question,…
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Phuket airport sees increase in domestic arrivals over long weekend
The general manager of Phuket airport, Thanee Chuangchoo, says domestic arrivals were on the up over the course of the recent 4 day holiday. The long weekend, from September 4 to 7, was brought in to replace the annual Songkran holiday in April, cancelled this year due to the Covid-19 lockdown. The jump in domestic arrivals will have provided some…
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No more beer and wine delivery, Thailand to ban online alcohol sales
There’s going to be a new ban on alcohol sales, but apparently just on so-called “electronic channels.” (We think this means purchasing through social media outlets and websites) For those who order craft beer that can’t be found at local stores, you might be out of luck. An announcement on the Royal Gazette says no more online alcohol sales. The…
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Investigation ongoing following armed robbery of Chinese tourists in Pattaya
Police are continuing their investigation after a gang broke into a luxury property in Pattaya and robbed the Chinese residents at gunpoint. The original report said the thieves stole around 10 million baht worth of cash and valuables. This amount has now been revised by officials, who estimate it at around 3 million baht. The incident took place in the…
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UPDATE: Motorbike taxi drivers have an alleged turf-war shootout
Motorbike taxi drivers allegedly had a turf-war shootout in front of a shopping centre in Samut Prakan, just southeast of Bangkok. The motorbike taxi drivers, known as “win” drivers, were allegedly fighting over a location for a win base outside the mall. No one was injured and the drivers took off shortly after shots were fired. The Big C shopping…
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Bangkok police prepare for mass university protest on September 19
Police in Bangkok say they’re gearing up for a large-scale student protest, set to take place at the Tha Prachan campus of Thammasat University on September 19. Pakkapong Pongpetra, Metropolitan Police Commissioner, says officials are not sure how many days the rally will go on for, or if those taking part plan to move from the campus to other parts…
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A Land Bridge or the Kra Canal for Thailand?
OPINION by guest writer Tony P Restall Why the land bridge idea will never work Much has been written about the long-proposed Thai or Kra Canal and the on and off decision to proceed, or not. Over the recent years several high-level committees have examined the economic benefits to establish a water connection by means of a canal linking the East…
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Hundreds of taxi drivers gather at Government House to present demands
Hundreds of taxi drivers have held a rally outside Government House in Bangkok, calling for 6 key demands to be met. Around 500 drivers attended the rally yesterday, submitting a petition addressed to the Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. It’s not the first time the strong taxi ‘union’ has banded together to push demands to improve their pay and conditions. The…
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Boy dies after 100 squat punishment, school apologises to the family
A student died sometime after being forced to do jump squats as punishment for not doing his homework. The school has ‘apologised’ to the family and said they take responsibility for the death. The 13 year old boy was sick for about a week and was even checked in to the hospital before going back to school last Thursday, according…
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Bangkok taxi driver stabbed, crashes into other cars
A Bangkok man has allegedly jumped into the backseat of a taxi and , once the taxi got going, started stabbing the driver early this morning, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle and crash into a motorbike and other cars. A man in the Thonburi district ran into heavy traffic on Charunsanitwong road. He tried opening the…
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Thailand’s oldest hippo turns 55 – VIDEO
Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday Mae Mali, Happy Birthday to you. Thailand’s oldest hippopotamus turned 55 today and celebrated with a party at a Chon Buri zoo. She even munched on a special “birthday cake.” Watermelons, carrots, bananas, pumpkin, dragon fruit and berries were placed in a design over a mound of grass. In the middle,…
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A new CEO for Phuket’s Thanyapura Sports & Health Resort
Thanyapura Sports & Health Resort in Thalang, Phuket, has named Edgar Toral Hernandez as its new CEO, effective from last week. He joined the company back in 2017 as an executive vice president. Before joining Thanyapura he worked in various senior operational roles in the hospitality and healthcare industries across Latin America, Europe and Asia. The appointment was announced by Thanyapura’s…
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Holiday weekend boosts tourism, brings in 8.8 billion baht
The extended 4 day holiday weekend circulated 8.8 billion baht in revenue after months of limited travel due to the coronavirus pandemic… the upbeat report from the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The drop in international tourism has crippled local economies dependent on the industry. The holiday weekend was a major boost. The Friday and Monday public holidays were announced as…
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Family say car crash monk is battling mental health issues
Relatives of the monk behind a car crash that killed 1 person in the north-eastern province of Roi Et say he has been suffering with mental health problems. The monk crashed his car into a power pole at the weekend, killing his male passenger, 82 year old Noi Chuenchom, and causing serious injury to a 36 year old female passenger,…
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Armed robbers in Pattaya target Chinese tourists in 10 million baht break-in
An armed gang of 5 men have broken into a luxury property in Pattaya, making off with around 10 million baht worth of cash and valuables. A group of Chinese tourists were staying in the property at the time, which is part of the Siam Royal View development, in the Bang Lamung district of Pattaya. A report in the Bangkok…
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Woman held on suspicion of murdering disabled father
Police in the central province of Lopburi have apprehended a woman they suspect is responsible for murdering her disabled father. The arrest comes after the 63 year old man’s body was found by the side of the road, not far from his home. Officers believe his daughter had help from a friend and speculated that substance abuse may have led…
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2 Burmese nationals arrested while crossing river into Thailand
Border forces have arrested 2 Burmese nationals as they were crossing a river in the northern province of Chiang Rai in an attempt to enter Thailand. There has been an increase in security patrols along the border with Myanmar in recent weeks, as the country experiences a spike in Covid-19 cases. There have been reports of Burmese nationals attempting to…
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Anti-corruption officials call on PM to reveal details of “Boss” inquiry
The Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand is calling on the Thai PM to disclose the findings of a recent inquiry into the handling of the “Boss” case. The hit-and-run case against Red Bull heir, Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, has been mired in controversy for years, and a decision in July to drop all charges was greeted with uproar around the country. The…
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