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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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Daily trains begin between Malaysian border and Bangkok
With Covid-19 policies winding down in Thailand, many expats may be faced once again with the dreaded border runs that many types of visas require. A little good news though – the State Railway of Thailand is adding two new trains running from Bangkok to the popular Malaysian border crossing town of Padang Besar. The route kicked off yesterday. Last…
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Virologist predicts most of Thailand will have had Covid by 2023
If avoiding the coronavirus feels futile at this point, maybe it is. According to one of the country’s top virologists, by about the end of this year, nearly everyone in Thailand will have been infected with Covid-19. The chief of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at the Department of Paediatrics of Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine Yong Poovorawan…
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Bangkok gets 20 new electric buses next week
Finally, some good news for commuters as the government delivers its promise to introduce electric buses in Bangkok a week tomorrow. Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob yesterday announced that the department plans to introduce 20 electric buses for Line No 2-38, previously known as the No. 8 route from Memorial Bridge to Happy Land. Saksayam revealed the buses will start operating…
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Armed robber escapes with gold worth 800,000 baht in Thailand
Ban Pong Police is on the lookout for an armed robber who held up a gold shop inside Big C in Baan Pong district and got away with about 800,000 baht worth of gold. Police made known the robber barged his way into the Aurora gold shop at 6.40pm, located on the Ban Pong-Sam Krachab Intersection Road in the municipality…
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Woman escapes death after car hit by fallen debris in Bangkok
Contractors face a heavy compensation claim after a woman escaped death when some loose tarpaulin smashed into the car she was driving in Bangkok’s Bang Khunthien district. The woman, Thichakorn Photalay, was driving down Rama II Road to her home in Samut Sakhon’s Mahachai area last night when a large piece of tarpaulin full of rainwater fell off an expressway…
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Thai paramilitary ranger kills two, injures one after row in bar
A Thai paramilitary ranger faces prison after killing two people and injuring one after a row broke out in the early hours of this morning in a bar in the Muang district in the southern border province. The 25 year old ranger, Hadchaicharn (surname withheld), shot and killed one man, stabbed a woman to death, and shot and injured another…
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Unexplained plane mysteriously sitting in a field in Bali
In a strange story out of Bali, locals are trying to figure out the origin of a Boeing 737 plane that appeared in a field. The abandoned plane mysteriously showed up in a field in a limestone quarry by Pandawa Beach, a popular beach on the posh southern tip of the island. So far no one has come forward to…
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Thailand getting high on cannabis boost to tourist economy
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha recently reported the government is expecting about 10 million tourists to hit the kingdom before the end of the year and it reports are true, most of them plan on getting high. The Thai government removed cannabis and hemp plants from its banned narcotics list on June 9 leaving people in Thailand free to grow and…
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Thailand’s economy grows but it still misses China’s cash
A new poll revealed Thailand’s economy grew at its fastest in a year over the last quarter but the kingdom’s outlook is still threatened by the high cost of living and China’s decision to maintain a zero-Covid-19 policy. The Thai economy grew largely because of tourism and the government’s decision to relax entry rules into Thailand such as the Thai…
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Three bars shut down in Bangkok lacking licenses, Covid safety
Possibly in the wake of the deadly fire at Mountain B Pub which prompted inspections of entertainment venues across Thailand, particularly in Bangkok, police shut down three bars in popular capital hotspots for operating illegally. Otto Bar in Sukhumvit Soi 22 and Emerald Club and Krystal Club, both in Thong Lor were shut down yesterday. Otto Bar was shut down…
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‘Democracy Must Go On:’ Protestors have three demands for Thailand’s government
Hundreds of pro-democracy demonstrators gathered at the Naga Courtyard at Thammasat University’s Rangsit campus in Pathum Thani province, central Thailand, yesterday to join a peaceful rally hosted by the student council entitled ‘Democracy Must Go On.’ Protestors demand three things from the Thai government… Resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha A people’s constitution Reformation of the monarchy under a democratic…
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Bangkok OAP arrested after slapstick armed robbery of gold shop
An old-aged pensioner dramatically gasped “It’s the end of the road” after police arrested him for the armed robbery of a gold shop which was pure slapstick in the Bang Kae District of Bangkok. The 70 year old man stole 17 gold necklaces from the Yaowarat MGold store in what was arguably the slowest robbery and getaway in stickup history.…
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Hong Kong seizes 20 million baht of heroin hidden in Thai kickboxing pads
The Customs Office of Hong Kong proved it packs a punch when it seized 20 million baht of heroin hidden in kickboxing pads imported from Thailand and arrested a 40 year old man in the process. The government of Hong Kong reported yesterday that 5 kilograms of heroin, worth about 20 million baht, were seized at Chek Lap Kok International…
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Nigerian and Vietnamese couple found dead linked to drug trade
The two foreign nationals found buried in a forest in northeast Thailand last month might have been linked to the drug trade, according to the national police. The couple, a 38 year old Nigerian man and a 33 year old Vietnamese woman was found buried in a forest in Nakhon Ratchasima province on July 28. Today, Thailand’s national police chief…
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Thailand workers could earn over 100,000 baht in Saudi Arabia
Workers can expect to earn monthly salaries of over 100,000 baht when Saudi Arabia opens its doors to Thailand later this year Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin made it known yesterday that Thailand has agreed to fill the skilled and semi-skilled workers’ void in Saudi Arabia after the kingdoms patched up a 30-year feud. Saudi Arabia cut trade and diplomatic ties…
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Mountain B victims to be compensated by Thailand govt
Families of victims of the Mountain B fire tragedy in Chon Buri last week will each receive 110,000 baht compensation from the government, the Thai Justice Minister announced. The tragedy claimed its 17th victim this morning, Lt. Cl. Palitdet Chumngern, a marine in the Royal Thai Navy, died at 7.54am at Sririraj Hospital. A Thai Ministry of Justice meeting yesterday…
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Free noodles for beach cleaners after Pattaya Music Festival mess
Music festivals are fun, but they often create heaps of trash. One Pattaya noodle vendor felt sympathy for some beach cleaners dealing with the mess from the Pattaya Music Festival this past weekend. So she decided to treat them to her noodles for free. The vendor, 51 year old Walaiphan, said she saw how hard everyone was working to clean…
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CCSA to give thumbs up to 4am licensing in Thailand next week
The Tourism and Sports Minister yesterday revealed the department needs Centre of Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) approval before it can extend licensing hours from 2am to 4am. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn acknowledged that many people don’t want opening hours extended across the country but the minister insists it is necessary for the greater economic good of Thailand. The extended entertainment hours apply…
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Lots of Hong Kongers are searching for flights to Bangkok
Lots of Hong Kongers have been searching for flights to Bangkok ever since their government announced fewer quarantine days on Monday. From now on, people travelling to Hong Kong will only be required to quarantine in a hotel for three nights, down from seven. The day the government announced this, flight searches out of the territory jumped by 290%, and…
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Death toll of Mountain B fire rises to 17
Another person injured in the Mountain B fire died in hospital this morning, raising the total death toll of the tragedy to 17. The blaze which swept through the nightclub in Sattahip district, Chon Buri province, happened a week ago today. Lt. Cl. Palitdet Chumngern, a marine in the Royal Thai Navy, died at 7.54am this morning at Sririraj Hospital,…
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Covid-19 “hospitel” isolation in Thailand to end September 1
One option for Covid-19 patients with no or mild symptoms in Thailand is to check into a hotel designated for Covid-19 isolation, known as a “hospitel,” but not for much longer. The remaining “hospitels” are set to change back to regular hotels on September 1, according to the Director-General of the Department of Health Service Support Dr Thares Krasaniyarawiwong. The…
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UPDATE: Chon Buri police couldn’t find victim of car crash… on the back seat
UPDATE The Director of the Inter-City Motorway Division, Highway Department, Thanasak Wongthanakijcharoen, defended his highway officers after they were criticised for their slapstick approach to a car crash investigation which couldn’t find the body of the dead driver in the rear of the vehicle. The director said his team didn’t look for the driver’s corpse because it is a department…
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Pre-op trans men’s anger after Bangkok breast removal broker scams them out 4 million baht
Five pre-op transgender men approached a lawyer for help after a breast removal surgery broker scammed them out of 4 million baht. The born females who identify as men are just five of about 25 to have made complaints about the broker, a transgender man, who took their money, and booked surgery but did not pay the clinic for the…
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BKFC THAILAND 3: Moment of truth set for September 3
Press Release Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) Thailand presented by Singha is set to return with an electrifying third event on Saturday, September 3, 2022, live from the world-famous Rajadamnern Stadium in Bangkok. The event is set to begin at 6:00 PM ICT/11:00 AM GMT/7:00 AM EST, and will be available worldwide on the BKFC app. Book for the event…
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UPDATE: Sri Lanka’s exiled president allowed temporary Thailand stay, with conditions
UPDATE Sri Lanka’s exiled president Gotabaya Rajapaksa will be allowed to stay in Thailand for 90 days, according to Thailand’s Deputy PM Don Pramudwinai. Don is also Thailand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. Don told Thai media that he understands Sri Lankans are angry at their former president, and he stressed that Gotabaya will only be allowed to stay for a…
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UPDATE: Thailand introduces fine for not wearing seat belt in the back seat
UPDATE: The Royal Thai Police will go easy on people who break the new seat belt law “in the early phase” according to Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau Pol. Maj. Gen. Jirasan Kaewsaeng-ek. The officer confirmed yesterday that from September 5, the driver and all passengers – including those in the back seat – are required by law…
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Another new virus found in China reportedly spread from shrews
After the global disaster of Covid-19, another new virus has been reported in China, known as the “Langya” virus. On Tuesday, 35 people were reported to be infected with Langya in eastern China. The virus is believed to have spread from shrews, and tests have detected it in 71 out of 262 shrews, 27% of the shrews tested. Symptoms of…
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Modernform opens up a space of inspiration at its new home on Soi Sukhumvit 49
Press Release Modernform Group Public Company Limited, Thailand’s leading office and home furniture brand, invites everyone to find inspiration to fulfil their lifestyle needs at its new showroom, which is unlike anything you have seen. To create its new showroom, the brand has turned a heritage house into a lifestyle community right in the heart of Bangkok. Based on a design…
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Robots now serving people at Thai restaurant chain
Robots are now serving people at a Thai restaurant chain. S&P, the bakery and restaurant chain, is using robots as a way to cope with skyrocketing costs while keeping its prices down. Each restaurant usually employs 10 staff. S&P’s operator company, SET-listed S&P Syndicate Plc, currently operates 460 production hubs around the country. Its goal is to operate 480 by…
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Patiphan explains to police: It was my twin brother Patiphat!
In what seems like a scene from a movie with a lazy plot, a man in Nakhon Ratchasima says his upstanding life has been ruined by his criminal twin brother. Patiphan and Patiphat Kaeowaem were split up when they were babies and their lives took radically different directions. Born to a poor family, when they were just two months old,…
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