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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 Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run
Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...
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Thai motorcycle taxi rider rips off Malaysian tourist
A Thai motorcycle taxi rider in the southern province of Songkla said he ripped off a Malaysian tourist because his washing machine was broken. The rider claims it is the first time he overcharged a customer after demanding 500 baht from the stranded tourist for a trip that is only two kilometres. A member of the Hat Yai Municipality Council…
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Thaksin suggests 3 month ‘amnesty’ to register illegal guns in Thailand
Ousted former Prime Minister of Thailand Thaksin Shinawatra suggests that the government hold a three month amnesty period in which illegal gun owners can register. Then, police should crack down on the illicit gun trade in Thailand, said Thaksin. Exiled Thaksin addressed the issues of guns and drugs from his home in Dubai on his weekly talk show, in response…
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Off-duty officer reportedly carried gun and “acted eratically” in Phuket
An off-duty police officer was reportedly spotted walking around carrying a gun and “acting erratically” in a Phuket housing estate, according to residents. The residents told police they saw the Phang Nga Police officer, 27 year old Corporal Korn, at the estate in Thalang district on Monday morning. Thalang Police Chief Colonel Pisit Chuenpet said police were first alerted about…
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BOT to mount rescue of crumbling baht
The Bank of Thailand (BOT) is attempting to steer the baht and the economy through some tricky times. As the government is apparently out of ideas to jump-start the economy due to high debt, the responsibility has fallen to the central bank. The central bank’s recent move to raise the key policy rate by 0.25 percentage points to 1% has, however,…
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Funeral for victims of daycare centre massacre in pictures
Three temples held royally-sponsored funeral and cremation ceremonies today for the victims of the massacre at a daycare centre in Nong Bua Lamphu province in northeast Thailand on Thursday. Toys, bicycles, flowers, fruit, and incense were laid out in front of wreaths adorned with pictures and names of the victims, who were mostly young children. Locals from over 6000 households…
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Woman arrested for operating illegal dental clinic from her car
A woman was arrested yesterday for operating an illegal dental clinic out of her car in a parking lot outside of a shopping mall in Bangkok. Officers from the Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD) were notified about the illegal dental clinic and its adverts on Thai social media. The fake clinic, named the Fashionable Brace Shop, by sister Ploy from…
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Political activist finds refuge in noodles shop after being shunned by family
A noodles shop in Bangkok has provided a safe refuge for a political activist ostracised by her family who disagrees with her views. Talented artist Thorpad Autta-a-nan uploaded a drawing to her Instagram account that some zealous monarchists may consider offensive. The drawing certainly offended her family and as a result, the 27 year old artist was shunned by her…
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Russian President Vladimir Putin accepts invitation to APEC meeting in Thailand
Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed his attendance at the upcoming Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting which will be held in Bangkok next month from November 18-19, according to Minister of Foreign Affairs Don Pramudwinai. The Russian Federation is one of APEC’s 21 members. Putin attended an APEC summit hosted by Thailand 19 years ago in 2003. More than 30 countries…
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Drug-addled cabbie faces jail for driving under the influence
A drug-addled cabbie faces time in jail for dangerous driving while allegedly under the influence of narcotics in the Kathu district of Phuket. A motorcycle rider brought to light the drug-taking cab driver’s antics after becoming a victim of his erratic behaviour on the road. The taxi driver scolded the motorcycle rider after the latter complained. He said… “Don’t butt…
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Missing boat racers found dead in northeast Thailand
UPDATE The three boat racers who went missing in northeast Thailand after their boat capsized on Sunday have been found dead. Two bodies were found at the foot of the Tum Lam Chi bridge in Maha Sarakham’s main city district. They were about 4 kilometres away from where the boat crashed into a pillar of the bridge. A fisherman found…
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Loan shark shoots debtor 8 times in the head in southern Thailand
A loan shark chose revenge over repayments on Sunday when he shot a debtor eight times in the head outside a tea shop in Songkhla province in southern Thailand. At 8pm, officers at Khuan Meed Police Station received a call that someone had been shot dead in the Chana district. Police found the body of 42 year old Chusit [surname…
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Baby elephant found hungry and lost in eastern Thailand
A baby elephant has been found hungry and lost at a wildlife sanctuary in eastern Thailand on Sunday. Officials found the poor little elephant lost from its mother in the early hours of the morning at the Khao Soi Dao wildlife sanctuary in Chanthaburi province. From an examination, the elephant was found to be about one week old, Matichon reported.…
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Beware of snakes when the Chao Phraya river overflows, officials warn
As Bangkok and Pathum Thani prepare for the Chao Phraya river to overflow, officials warn people affected by floods to look out for poisonous snakes, scorpions, and centipedes. Water levels in the Chao Phraya river are reaching breaking point in lower central Thailand. The river is teeming with snakes which will flood into urban areas when the river overflows, warns…
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BMTA replaces mushroom seat on Bangkok public bus
UPDATE The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) today apologised to the city’s passengers after a story of mushrooms growing out of a public bus seat went viral on Thai social media. The picture of the mushroom-growing seat, posted by political activist Jatuporn “New” Saenueng, drew complaints from Thai netizens. The BMTA responded to the criticism on its official Facebook page…
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Non profit donates cremation ceremony uniforms to child massacre victims
A non-profit organization is donating dream job uniforms to the children who lost their lives last Thursday as a result of the daycare centre massacre in Nong Bua Lamphu province. The gunman, Panya Kamrab, a 34-year-old former policeman, killed 37 people including his wife and son before turning a gun on himself. Those who survived the killing spree are in…
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3 boat racers missing in NE Thailand after boat capsizes
Three boat racers went missing in Thailand’s northeast province of Maha Sarakham on Sunday. The In-Plaeng boat capsized when it hit a pillar of the Tha Tum Lam Chi bridge, just after it had passed the finish line. There were 40 people on the boat altogether. Another boat came to help, but three oarsmen were missing from the boat that…
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TAT going green to smash a Guinness World Record
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is calling on all diving enthusiasts to help smash an official Guinness World Record. The TAT wants tourists and residents to get involved in their Go Green Active drive, a conservation diving event at Phuket’s famous Patong Beach between November 18 and November 20. The TAT wants to set a new Guinness World Records…
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Worshippers wade through floods to get to temple in central Thailand
Buddhist worshipers in central Thailand are journeying through massive floods to get to their temple. The water level around the Wat Ban Phat temple in Ayutthaya province’s Bang Pa-in district is up to 1.5 metres. Worshippers are taking boats to get to the temple. Photos by Nation Thailand show temple-goers crossing a rather rickety-looking wooden walkway. The water level in…
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PM Prayut declares war on drugs to prevent mass shootings in Thailand
Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha declared a war on drugs and a clampdown on gun control laws after a massacre at a daycare centre in northeast Thailand sparked urgent calls for change on Thursday. A former police sergeant facing trial for drug charges murdered 37 people – including 24 children under six years old – at a daycare centre in…
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Pickup driver arrested after killing Bangkok road sweeper
UPDATE Police arrested a pickup driver involved in the hit-and-run incident that killed a Bangkok road sweeper yesterday morning. Officers managed to get the man after the driver took his vehicle to get repaired at a local garage in the area. Police revealed three pieces of evidence were left at the scene, a black bumper bar and broken parts from…
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Hot to trot at the Pattaya Bikini Beach Race?
Are you hot to trot? Do you have a bikini bod to die for or just an average Joe or Jane who likes to keep fit and have a good time? Well, you’re in luck because the Pattaya International Bikini Beach Race 2022 ticks all of those boxes. Men and women of all shapes and sizes are welcome to take…
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5 survivors of northeast Thailand massacre on road to recovery
Five survivors of the horrific daycare centre massacre in northeast Thailand last week are on the road to recovery. These include three children and two adults. Four of the survivors are in intensive care units at Nong Bua Lam Phu Hospital, while one is at Udon Thani Hospital. One boy, Kanpong Suana, or Nong Kan, is moving after he underwent…
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Thais arrested for making 9,000 fake US$100 bills
Cyberpolice today reported that a Thai man and a Thai woman were arrested for making fake US$100 bills worth US$900,000 or 34 million baht. A United States Secret Service officer from the US Embassy in Bangkok ran a check over the bills and reported that they were very realistic. The Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, Torsak Sookwimon, reported…
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Flooding in Ubon Ratchathani province is dangerous
Thai media today reported the flood situation in the Isaan province of Ubon Ratchathani is deadly serious and dangerous. The flood situation in Ubon Ratchathani is getting worse said reports. The water level is quickly increasing and almost the whole province is affected. Agricultural areas, roads, and bridges have been destroyed while some houses are underwater. Yesterday, one of the…
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ICONSIAM, G-U Creative join hands to stage huge Thai-Japan music festival
More than 100 Thai and Japanese pop music groups and talents will descend to the ICONSIAM for the greatest concert festival of the year. The Thai-Japan Iconic Music Fest 2022, is scheduled to take place at the River Park and Charoen Nakhon Hall on the M Floor of Bangkok’s world-class riverside shopping destination, from 21 to 23 October 2022. The…
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Island in eastern Thailand listed in ‘Top 100 Green Destination Stories’
A small island in eastern Thailand has been listed in the Green Destination Foundation’s Top 100 Green Destination 2022 Stories. The island of Koh Mak is located off Trat province. The Green Destinations Foundation is based in the Netherlands, and is dedicated to sustainable tourism. Koh Mak’s story is titled, “Koh Mak, the journey to becoming the first low carbon…
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Room to shroom on Bangkok public buses
A fungi picture of mushrooms growing out of the seat of a public bus in Bangkok has gone viral on Thai social media. Some netizens made fun of pictures saying shitake happens while others were more serious saying enough is enough, time to refurbish Thai public buses. Political activist Jatuporn “New” Saeoueng posted the picture of the mushrooms growing out…
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Thai man arrested for posing as police officer
A Thai man was arrested on Friday after he tried to fulfil his dream job – impersonating a police officer. The 30 year old man, Kamfon Kunlachart, in full police uniform, reported himself ready for work to the superintendent at a police station in the Din Daeng district of Bangkok at 9.30am on Friday, October 7. Kamfon met with the…
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Thai man robbed by cannabis dealer at knife-point in Pattaya
A Thai man filed a complaint with police after he was allegedly forced to strip naked as he was being robbed at knife-point by a cannabis dealer in Pattaya. The suspect was arrested but denied all allegations, saying they were friends and he would never rob a friend. Anukun Sichan filed the complaint at Mueng Pattaya Police Station yesterday at 8pm.…
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Indian tourist in Pattaya reportedly missing over US$6,000
An Indian tourist in Pattaya is reportedly missing over US$6,000 after staying at a hotel in the city for just two days, The Pattaya News reported yesterday. The man, 45 year old Vivek Singhal, told Pattaya officials that he had arrived at his hotel on October 5. Two days later he realised that the US$6,600 he had left in the…
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