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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 Bangtao, Phuket: The neighbourhood expats and investors are eyeing in 2025
Bangtao didn't become Phuket’s most talked-about neighbourhood overnight. For a long time, it was a quiet place on the island’s west coast where locals walked their dogs at sunrise and tourists flocked to sunbathe along its eight-kilometre stretch of beach....
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Election Commission discussing prime minister term limit today
With what many believe to be the end of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s eight-year term limit just three days away, the Election Commission will discuss today the legal debate over if he can remain in the prime minister seat in any capacity beyond August 24. That date marks eight years since PM Prayut took office, and the current constitution allows a…
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Krabi tour boat captain missing after falling into ocean
A tour boat captain in Thailand’s southern Krabi province has gone missing after falling into the ocean during a tour on Friday. The captain, 27 year old Apichart Boonrat, had been at the helm of a long tail boat between Yaman Island and Rok Island when he fell in, according to marine police. There had also been 14 tourists and…
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Escalator accident at Bangkok train station leaves 27 injured
Twenty-seven people were injured last night after a group of teenagers fell down an escalator at a Bangkok train station. Rescuers from Ruam Katanyu Foundation said earlier that the escalator at BTS Surasak station malfunctioned. But police say the accident was caused by someone slipping and falling down the stairs. BTS has now released a statement saying that an initial…
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Phuket car suddenly catches fire
A car suddenly caught fire yesterday in the town of Chalong in Phuket. Firefighters rushed to the scene near the junction of Soi Ta-ied and Chao Fa East Road, to find the front of the Mazda sedan ablaze. Luckily, they were able to get the fire under control in only four minutes, and no injuries were reported. Still, the flames…
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Policewoman blames mental illness for torturing her maid
A policewoman facing accusations of torturing a female soldier who worked as her maid, turned herself in yesterday, claiming she has mental health issues. The twisted tale involved a 43 year old policewoman with the Special Branch Bureau claiming to be a senator’s wife and manipulating a 30 year old woman to work in indentured servitude for several years. The…
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100 masseuses in Phuket complain of 150 baht massage shop
Local massage shops in Phuket are complaining that another massage shop allegedly owned by a foreigner is offering unfair and possibly illegal half-price services. A coalition of about 100 masseuses banded together to file an official complaint, gathering at Phuket Provincial City Hall to ask for action from authorities on the matter. Karon Traditional Thai Massage Community Enterprise Group led…
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Food fair coming up in Phuket
The town of Kathu in Phuket is hosting a healthy food fair later this month. The seventh annual food fair and healthy market will take place from August 25-27. The fair will include a cooking competition, a music competition from students, family running, and live music. There will also be free massages, free cat and dog sterilizations, free haircuts, and…
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Baldwin deflects blame, expects no charges over gun accident
In a rare interview regarding the tragic gun accident on the set of his film “Rust” which left the cinematographer dead, Alec Baldwin deflected blame and said he didn’t believe anyone would be criminally charged over the incident. The accident happened when a prop gun that Baldwin was to fire toward the camera somehow was loaded with live ammunition which…
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CCSA to dissolve with end of Emergency Decree October 1
After over two and a half years, it’s finally time to say goodbye to our old friend, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announced that the Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations which has been in effect since March 24, 2020, and created the CCSA to cope with the coronavirus pandemic, will not be extended…
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ISIS member involved in plot that killed Americans gets sentenced for life
Justice was served yesterday for one of the bloodthirsty savages of ISIS. The ISIS member, 34 year old former British national El Shafee Elsheikh, had been part of a plot to take hostages, which led to the killings of four Americans in Syria. Those slain included journalist James Foley and aid worker Kayla Mueller. ISIS members notoriously beheaded Foley in…
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Six children rushed to hospital after bridge collapses in South Thailand
Yesterday was a terrifying day for a group of 50 fifth graders and teachers on a nature field trip in South Thailand. As the group was walking across a bridge in the Chian Yai district of Nakhon Si Thammarat province, the bridge collapsed, causing everyone to fall into the water below. Six children were rushed to nearby hospitals for their…
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Unpaid Cambodia casino workers swim home to Vietnam
In Cambodia, about 40 Vietnamese workers fled alleged slave labour conditions in a casino, swimming to freedom across the border. The staff fled the Golden Phoenix Entertainment Casino, located in the border province of Kandal in Cambodia, making a daring escape past security and through a river to reach freedom in Vietnam. The few dozen Vietnamese employees said they were…
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10 things that can make expats life way easier in Thailand (2022)
Thailand is a popular place for expats from around the world to settle because of the affordable luxury lifestyle it offers. Living here you get to enjoy spectacular scenery, comfortable tropical weather, delectable inexpensive cuisine and low-cost living. Moving to Thailand is also like stepping into a gorgeous paradise if you are coming from a very cold country, On the…
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Prime suspect in Pattaya’s thefts against Indian tourists arrested
There’s been a major development in the chaos this year around thieves stealing from Indian tourists in Pattaya. One of the prime suspects has been arrested on August 15, police reported yesterday. Tourist Police Colonel Somchai Theerapatphaisarn said the suspect, named Frame, is a transgender individual. Somchai said Frame had fled to Bangkok, and they have allegedly confessed to multiple…
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261 billion baht profits in 2022 for AirAsia X
Many airlines have been fighting to stay afloat amid a downturn in tourism and sky-high operating costs but one airline, AirAsia X, reported a profit of 261 billion baht for the fiscal year that ended on June 20, 2022. The net profit for the year was weakened by the fourth quarter recorded a net loss of 5.19 billion baht, compared…
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Why plant-based foods are the superior diet ft. Root the Future | Thaiger Podcast Ep.3
Joanna and Max, Founders of Root the future, Thailand’s largest plant-based and sustainable community. They’re on a mission to raise awareness about sustainability and plant-based foods through various community-building activities and charity runs, Shining light on environmental issues and providing a platform for many sustainable living establishments to make an impact in Thailand.
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Giant monitor lizard climbs up power pole to escape pack of dogs in central Thailand
A ginormous Asian water monitor lizard was chased up a communication pole by a pack of dogs at a village in Sara Buri province, central Thailand, yesterday. The giant reptile clambered up the pole when it got chased and bitten by a pack of stray dogs, but then it got stuck and had to be rescued. The “Tua Hia” –…
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“Drink more booze” Japan urges youth with new contest
Japan’s alcohol sales have gone way down since Covid-19 restrictions, and the government is desperate to bring them up again. Numbers show that Japan’s young drink quite significantly less than its old. While about 30% of people in their 40s to 60s drink regularly, only 7.8% of people in their 20s do. Meanwhile, sales at Japan’s pubs were cut in…
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CCSA leaves entertainment venues in limbo over 4am closing
Hotels on Khao San Road in Bangkok were ready to offer special hotel room rates of 500 baht per night to guests if the government extended closing time to 4am. Unfortunately, no decision has been made and it’s left bar, restaurant, and hotel owners in limbo. The Tourism and Sports Minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, revealed last week that he would seek…
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Tourists by locals in Bangkok: mad, bad, and dangerous to know
Pre-Covid-19 Bangkok was the most visited city in the world according to Mastercard’s Global Destination Cities Index. The Land of Smiles’ capital city attracted about 23 million visitors, more than any of the globe’s favourite other destinations including Paris, London, and Singapore. But ever wondered what the locals think of millions of farangs who visit the metropolis? The Latvian-based independent…
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Shooting after comedy show in central Thailand, 1 seriously injured
A comedy show has turned into a not-so-funny night. A shooting has been reported after a comedy show at a bar in central Thailand. One customer was shot and rushed to a local hospital seriously injured. The shooting happened in the early hours of Thursday morning in the main city district of Ratchaburi province. The bar had hosted two famous…
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UPDATE: Woman who allegedly abused a soldier is a police officer
UPDATE The employer who allegedly abused a female soldier and claimed to be a senator’s wife is actually a police officer. According to one media source, the woman is the mistress of a senator, not his wife. The Spokesperson of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, Teerapong Pattamasing Na Ayutthaya, confirmed yesterday that the victim was a real soldier. Teerapong said…
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Police shoot and kill major drug trafficker in Kanchanaburi
Police have shot and killed a major drug trafficker in the western province of Kanchanaburi, Thai media reported yesterday. The trafficker, a 30 year old man known as ‘Mot Daodam’ had been a major distributor of narcotics in Kanchanaburi, as well as Ratchaburi. Ratchaburi police found out about Mot Daodam through small-time dealers they had arrested. A team of Ratchaburi…
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RTN’s ocean conservation activity accused of spoiling ecosystem
A Royal Thai Navy marine conservation activity day has set social media on fire. Thai netizens heavily criticised RTN’s activity day, which charged people money to take part, saying it did not improve the environment or create environmental awareness, but it destroyed the ecosystem. The RTN and the Royal Thai Marine Corps came under fire after their conservation activity day…
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Angry tourists demand refunds from tour operators in Thailand
Dozens of angry tourists are demanding refunds from Thai tour companies after they were denied entry into South Korea. The Thai Tourism Department acknowledged they had received complaints from 67 Thai travellers between August 5 and August 17 saying they had not been compensated by Thai tour companies to the tune of 1.4 million baht. The department’s deputy director-general, Jaturon…
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Motorbike taxi driver saves teenager from suicide in eastern Thailand
A motorbike taxi driver stopped an 18 year old woman from jumping off an overpass in Sriracha, Chon Buri province, on Tuesday. “Ked” recently discovered she was pregnant and said that her boyfriend forced her to take abortion medication before dumping her on the side of the road while she was heavily bleeding. The motorbike taxi driver, 60 year old Noppadol…
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UPDATE: BRN insurgents admits to Deep South bombings
UPDATE The insurgent group Barisan Revolusi Nasional Melayu Patani (BRN) announced on its Facebook page that they were behind this week’s bomb explosions in the Deep South provinces. The BRN group said it was an act against capitalism that affected local businesses. Yesterday, the official Facebook page of the group expressed condolences for the death and loss. They said group…
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Alleged kidnapper arrested, girl reunited with parents after months
A man who allegedly kidnapped a young girl in Phuket in February was arrested in South Thailand on Tuesday. The victim, a 13 year old girl, has been reunited with her parents. The suspect, 33 year old Somsak, allegedly kidnapped the girl on Rawai Beach in the main city district of Phuket, where she had been selling flowers. The girl’s…
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Father tragically drowns while fishing in Chon Buri pond
A Chon Buri woman tragically lost her father, after he drowned in a deserted pond in the main city district yesterday. The woman, 22 year old Maneemol, went to look for her father, 54 year old Kwanjai after she noticed he had been out fishing for an unusually long time. Maneemol arrived at the pond to find her father’s bucket…
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South African’s life sentence reduced to 33 years for drug trafficking in Thailand
Koh Samui Court decided to reduce 23 year old Ashley Oosthuizen’s life sentence to 33.4 years at a hearing on Wednesday. Ashley, from South Africa, is behind bars in Nakhon Si Thammarat province in southern Thailand for signing for a package containing MDMA at a restaurant in Koh Samui in late 2020. She was found guilty of international drug trafficking.…
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