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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 How much travel insurance should cost you in Thailand (By trip length)
When planning a trip to Thailand, travel insurance is a smart investment that can save you from unexpected costs. Whether it’s medical expenses, lost luggage, or trip cancellations, the right coverage can provide peace of mind and financial protection against...
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11 provinces in Thailand warned to be aware of falling rocket parts
Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) today issued a warning to 11 provinces in Thailand to be aware of falling rocket parts from the sky on Saturday, November 5. A Thai researcher, and specialist on orbital mechanics from GISTDA, Sittporn Chamnarnsin, reported that a Chinese rocket, Longmarch 5B-4Y, is expected to fall from the sky on Saturday. The rocket…
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Section of Ratchadaphisek Road in Bangkok to close for 5 days for APEC Summit
As world leaders gather in Bangkok later this month for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, a stretch of Ratchadaphisek Road will be closed for public use for five days from November 14-18. The road will be closed from Asoke Intersection to Ratchada-Khlong Toei Intersection to make way for attendees of the APEC Summit, which will be held at the…
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Shelter warnings in Japan after North Korea conducts presumed failed IBCM test
UPDATE Tensions are continuing in the latest episode between North Korea and South Korea. North Korea today conducted what was believed to be a failed launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). A South Korean government source said the presumed Hwasong-17 ICBM successfully separated at the second stage, but is believed to have failed after that, and fell into the…
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Man arrested for selling homemade guns
A Thai man was arrested yesterday for making homemade guns and selling them via e-commerce platforms. The man revealed that he learned how to produce the barrels from social media. Police raided the home of Phuwadon Rakthinderm in the Kung district of the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat and arrested the 34 year old for producing and selling firearms…
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Knife-wielding meth addict circles daycare centre in northeast Thailand
A man in a suspected meth-induced psychotic episode took a knife and circled a daycare centre in Non Suwan subdistrict, Buriram province, northeast Thailand yesterday morning. At around 9am, 30 year old Gongphon “Ming” Sehlah arrived at Non Suwan Child Development Centre armed with a knife and began walking around the centre. According to police, Ming entered a methamphetamine-induced psychotic…
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Thailand barters for cheapest World Cup broadcasting license
Slow but sure, government officials are getting there and confirm that footie lovers in Thailand can watch the FIFA World Cup 2022 for free. Government officials told Thai football fans not to panic and assured them they will secure the broadcasting license in time for the first match on November 20. Thailand football fans fear they will be the only…
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No gambling dens reported in Bangkok says police chief
Thailand’s new national police chief says he hasn’t received any reports of gambling dens in Bangkok since he was appointed as chief on October 1. This was in response to a group of gamblers who claimed that over 100 illegal gambling dens operate throughout the capital city. The group of gamblers claim that they were abducted and physically abused at a…
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Aussie surf star dies in Pattaya motorcycle crash
A well-known Australian surfboard designer has died after crashing his motorcycle in Chon Buri. Kym Thompson smashed into an electricity pole while avoiding a truck turning at a junction on November 1. CCTV shows how Thompson was flung from his bike and skidded along the road. Rescuers said the entrepreneur died at the scene having broken his neck, arms and…
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Professor tells US to sit and talk to China instead of warmongering
World-renowned United States Professor Jeffrey Sachs appealed to the presidents of China and the US to get around a table and talk before the globe is dragged into yet another war. The 67 year economist and best-selling author called on US President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping to sit down and discuss their future social, economic, and political plans…
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Monk on the run – Police seek abbot over sex offences, theft
Police are hunting the deputy abbot of a temple on the Lao border in connection with alleged sexual assaults on teenage novices and the disappearance of more than 1 million baht (US$26,000) from the temple’s bank account. Pol Maj Gen Piyapan Pattarapongsin, commander of Nan provincial police, said an arrest warrant for Thanet Thanamangkhalo had been issued involving charges of…
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Partygoer electrocuted to death in Chiang Mai, Thailand
A young man was electrocuted to death in Chiang Mai province, northern Thailand, on Tuesday night. He leaned on an electric fence in a car park upon leaving a famous bar with his friends. CCTV footage captured the incident. The 26 year old man is pictured leaving Tha Chang Pub in Chiang Mai’s Mueang district with a group of friends…
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Oktoberfest back in Bangkok after 2 years
Oktoberfest is heading back to Bangkok after being postponed for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The historic Bavarian beer festival will be held on November 3-4 (today and tomorrow), at Sofitel Bangkok’s grand ballroom, from 6pm to 1am. Attendees will wear traditional Bavarian clothing, and eat mouthwatering sausages, braised pork legs, pretzels, sauerkraut, and butter-grilled chicken. In Germany,…
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China to join Thailand in cracking down on transnational crimes
China has pledged to assist Thailand in cracking down on transnational crimes, according to a Facebook post by the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok. The embassy acknowledged several criminal cases that were subject to Thai police investigations. It says the Chinese government places importance on law enforcement and the suppression of illegal narcotics, indecent acts, and gambling. Now, the embassy says…
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Intruder who attacked US House Speaker’s husband says it was a suicide misison
The intruder who broke into US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s home and severely injured her husband, says it was a suicide mission. David DePape hit Paul Pelosi in the head with a hammer, leaving him unconscious in a pool of blood leaving him to be hospitalised with a skull fracture. DePape was captured and arrested, telling police that he was…
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Halloween crowd surge casualties prompt raid on Seoul’s police headquarters
After a deadly crowd surge at a Seoul Halloween event left at least 156 people dead, special investigators are raiding the city’s police headquarters. Records released of emergency calls warning that the crowds of Halloween party-goers were becoming too big, prompted the investigation as authorities say police had four hours of advanced warning. Eight locations were searched including the Seoul Metropolitan…
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Police raid 4 Phuket venues for underage drinking
Raids in Phuket last night saw police targeting businesses accused of selling alcohol to minors. Police say they received numerous complaints that some venues in the area were selling alcohol to children. The legal age for drinking in Thailand is 20 years old. Last night officials from many local and provincial police forces and government departments descended on a number…
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Smart patrols boost population of Thailand’s tigers
Thailand stands alone in Southeast Asia by boosting its wild tiger population. Tigers have lost some 95% of their historical range and there are now only about 4,000 or so left in the wild. Sadly, only two countries – India and Thailand – are working to protect the populations of wild tigers in government reserves. Thailand is now home to…
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Superstitious Thai woman has not cut her hair for 10 years
A 50 year old Thai woman revealed she has not cut her hair for more than 10 years because she is scared of evil spirits. Residents in the woman’s community, meanwhile, believe her hair is special, can prevent bad luck, and keep people safe from danger. Several Thai media platforms reported the unusual story of the 50 year old woman,…
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Tourism Authority of Thailand: 18 million tourists in 2023
After arriving tourist numbers crossed seven million last month, inching toward the goal of 10 million for the year, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is making middle-of-the-road projections for 2023. While they don’t believe that Thailand will see anything like the 40 million tourists per year they saw before Covid, the TAT is estimating 18 million international arrivals next…
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Thailand Cannabis Travel Guide
The legalisation of cannabis in Thailand in June brought a whole new meaning to the term ‘High Season.’ Tourists are welcome to buy and consume cannabis in Thailand, so long as they are over 20 years old and not pregnant or breastfeeding. But smoking weed in Thailand is just the tip of the iceberg. The legalisation of the versatile plant…
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Woman crawls off plane in Bangkok after allegedly being told to pay for wheelchair
A video has gone viral of an Australian woman crawling off an aeroplane that landed in Bangkok. The woman, Natalie Curtis, says the flight attendant told her she would have to pay to be wheeled off the aircraft to her wheelchair. Curtis said she was offered a special wheelchair that fits in plane aisles when boarding her flight from Singapore…
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Thailand to serve noodles with sandworm sauce at APEC meeting
Thailand plans to welcome the globe’s most eminent leaders and dignitaries at the upcoming APEC meeting with some noodles and sandworm sauce. Thailand is the host of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2022 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC) in Bangkok between November 18 and 19, and it plans to serve up a rare treat. The kingdom held…
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North Korean missile lands near South’s waters for first time, South retaliates
A missile from North Korea today landed close to South Korean waters for the first time since the countries split in 1945, according to South Korean officials. Since then, South Korea retaliated by launching missiles in return. This latest tit-for-tat conflict began after North Korea fired at least 10 missiles to the east and west of the Korean Peninsula. The…
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Australia to sign human trafficking treaty with Thailand
Thailand is set to sign a deal with Australia to counter human trafficking. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is to meet Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong in Bangkok today, as Wong continues her friendship tour of the Pacific. The deal comes as Australia actively seeks deeper engagement with Southeast Asia. The pair are expected to sign off on Australia’s support…
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Twitter, Instagram, Facebook all see hiccups
Social media has always been a crapshoot of information, updates from friends, conspiracy theories, racism and hate speech, and photos of your favourite holidays and foods. But recently, platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook themselves have become a part of the hot mess that they contain. Elon Musk bought Twitter and is publicly arguing with horror author Stephen King over…
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69 flights rescheduled due to Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai International Airport has rescheduled 69 flights to avoid danger from flying objects during the Lantern Festival between November 8 and 9. The airport has cancelled 55 flights, rescheduled 14, and is offering six special flights to support passengers. The Lantern Festival or Yi Peng Festival in Chaing Mai is a Thai northern cultural activity involving locals flying lanterns…
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Tourism officials plan big campaigns for Chiang Mai
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has several big campaigns planned to draw visitors to the world-renowned province of Chiang Mai during the High Season from November to March. One campaign is titled, “Northern Charm of the Past.” This campaign is centred around the culture of the historic Lanna Kingdom, which Chiang Mai used to be part of. The campaign…
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Colourful Bangkok 2022 – 3 months of arts and concerts
One of the policies of Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt is finally coming to fruition as the city readies itself for several cultural events over the next three months under the Colourful Bangkok 2022 banner. The Colourful Bangkok 2022 project is just one of the 214 campaign policies promised by Chadchart as he ran for mayor earlier this year and one…
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Banged up abroad – Sweden’s escaped cobra slips home
A king cobra that escaped from his new home in a Swedish aquarium turned up back in his terrarium about a week after he made his daring midnight escape. Skansen Aquarium in Stockholm said in a Facebook post that the cobra, named Sir Vas, or Sir Hiss (before being clumsily rebranded “Houdini”) had returned of his own free will. The deadly…
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Too big to fail: Full Moon Party revives Koh Pha Ngan
In the US, the phrase “too big to fail” is applied to financial institutions whose defaulting would cause the national or even global economy to collapse. So these institutions receive bailouts to keep them afloat in times of economic crisis. In Thailand, our too-big-to-fail institution might be the Full Moon Party. The legendary party, running for nearly 40 years on…
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