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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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Police on the prowl for scam gang after Thai teen commits suicide
Police are on the prowl for a scamming gang after a teenage boy committed suicide in Thailand’s central Nonthaburi province. The boy, 15 year old Arthit, hung himself in a wooded area in the Pakkret district on Sunday. Arthit left a note apologising to his mother for stealing up to 15,000 baht from her purse. Investigators later found that criminals…
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Thailand informs airlines about removal of Covid-19 vaccine rule
Unvaccinated travellers heading to Thailand can now feel at ease knowing airlines around the world have been informed that Thailand no longer requires arrivals to prove they are vaccinated against Covid-19. Thailand momentarily reintroduced the two-dose Covid vaccine entry requirement with barely any notice as a measure to mitigate the risk of importing a caseload of coronavirus from China, which…
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Piracy in decline around the world
The Covid-19 pandemic has been rough on everyone. But as we focus on rebuilding tourism and the economy, spare a moment in your thoughts for Jack Sparrow. A new report says that last year worldwide pirate activity was at its lowest since 2008, and possibly since 1992. Piracy and robbery on the high seas are at their lowest levels since…
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Male prostitute threatens to kill woman in Isaan
A lonely, fearful woman in the Isaan province of Udon Thani filed a complaint with the police after a male prostitute stole from her, murdered her dog, and threatened to kill her. The 32 year old woman named Boom told the media that… “I’m embarrassed to talk about this, but I think this is too much, and I have to…
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Soapy king makes PM Prayut’s inauguration slippy
Former soapy king turned amateur super-sleuth Chuwit Kamolvisit tried to gatecrash Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s inauguration into United Thai Nation (UTN) Party yesterday. PM Prayut officially joined the UTN Party yesterday where he gave an impassioned speech on how he values the democratisation process, seemingly forgetting that he toppled the democratic process when seizing power in a 2014 army coup.…
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Bangkok City Hall assesses Covid readiness
With travel increases to Thailand, and with the reopening of China, comes the risk of spreading Covid-19. Bangkok City Hall is taking steps to ensure that visitors can enjoy their stay while keeping themselves and others safe as they brace for an influx of tourists. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt tasked his deputy governors with conducting a full assessment of the…
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Chinese tourists trickling in after reopening
With a back and forth over Covid-19 restrictions, as China opens its doors for its citizens to travel outbound again, the wave of the coveted Chinese tourist demographic has been nothing more than a trickle. The first arrivals in three years on a direct flight from China to Thailand landed in Bangkok on January 8, with 200 enthusiastic travellers. After Covid…
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Iran sentences young footballer to 16 years for ‘enmity against God’
Iran’s regime sentenced a young footballer to 16 years of imprisonment for “enmity against God,” several news outlets reported yesterday. The footballer, 26 year old Amir Nasr-Azadani, participated in protests against Iran’s theocratic regime last year, which began after Iranian authorities murdered a young woman for allegedly showing too much of her hair. Nasr-Azadani was found guilty of “partaking in…
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Thai gold necklace thief arrested after fleeing to Myanmar
The Thai thief was arrested by Burmese police officers yesterday after stealing a 150,000 baht gold necklace from a shop in the northern province of Chiang Rai and escaping by swimming to Myanmar. The theft happened at a gold shop named Seri Phan in the Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai on November 26 last year. The male thief pretended…
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Thai army shoots dead 6 foreign ketamine traffickers
Thai paramilitary rangers shot dead six drug traffickers smuggling 300 kilograms of ketamine into Thailand in the forests of Chiang Mai province near the border of Myanmar at 3am today. In the dead of night in the dense jungle, Thai paramilitary rangers crossed paths with “foreign drug traffickers” in Mon Pin subdistrict in Chiang Mai’s Fang district. The rangers reported that…
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Two 10 year old schoolchildren killed after reckless sedan crashes into school bus
Two 10 year old schoolchildren were killed and another 19 were injured after a reckless sedan driver crashed into a school bus. The smash caused a collision between a school bus and a minibus on a road in the northern province of Phichit. The incident happened on the Phichit-Saklek Road in the Mueang district of Phichit at 5.30pm yesterday, January…
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Violent monk flees scene after leaving teenage girl for dead
A violent monk is on the run after attacking his 17 year old granddaughter with a hammer and leaving her for dead at a temple in the Isaan province of Ubon Ratchathani last Saturday. Police believe that a letter found at the scene suggests the monk had a crush on the girl and was jealous of a friendship she’d recently…
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British man claims he was tortured by Thai police
A British man claims he was tortured by Thai police for seven days straight in Phuket, southern Thailand when his holiday abroad went gravely wrong. British authorities have launched an investigation into the alleged abuse, reports FirstPost. He allegedly sustained broken ribs, bruised limbs, septic infections, swollen wrists, and lost four teeth in the ordeal. The victim, 51 year old Carl…
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What makes Amari Phuket a private tropical paradise?
Sponsored Phuket’s crystal clear waters, stunning beaches, and vibrant nightlife make it an unrivalled travel destination in Thailand. What’s more, the island is renowned for its stunning resorts, boasting luxurious amenities and spectacular views of the Andaman Sea. Amari Phuket, one of Phuket’s luxurious 5-star beach resorts, sets itself apart as a private paradise. But what differentiates it? Private yet…
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Thailand’s second-hand car sales industry predicted to rise modestly
The Association of Used Car (AUC) predicts the second-hand car market in Thailand will increase by 15% this year despite the ongoing shortage of semiconductors needed for the production of new vehicles. The worldwide shortage of semiconductors is exacerbated by a political game of cat and mouse between China and Taiwan. Taiwan is largely known as the semiconductor capital of…
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Tourism Authority of Thailand plans first roadshow in China after pandemic
Now that China has lifted travel restrictions for its citizens, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is once again tapping into the Chinese tourism market. TAT is planning a roadshow in China during the third week of February. This will be the first roadshow after the Covid-19 pandemic, according to TAT’s Regional Director of East Asia Chuwit Sirivejkul. The roadshow…
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Unleash the power of Thai Cuisine: 7 health benefits of a Thai diet
The Thai diet is a healthy and nutritious way to eat. It is full of flavorful dishes that are rich in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. It is also low in sodium, bad cholesterol, and fat, making it a great choice for anyone looking to lose weight or improve their overall health. The Thai diet also contains anti-inflammatory ingredients, which…
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Charred corpse discovered in sugarcane field in Thailand
A sugarcane harvester found a charred human corpse in the middle of a sugarcane field in Suphan Buri province in central Thailand yesterday. Officers at U Thong Police Station were informed that a dead body was found at a sugarcane plantation in Chorakhe Samphan district and rushed to the scene to investigate with rescue workers. Officers found the body of…
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2 Russian men report money missing from safe in Pattaya hotel
Two Russian men filed complaints with the police after nearly 140,000 baht disappeared from safety boxes in a hotel in Pattaya. Investigating officers reported there is no traces of the thief because the hotel’s CCTV cameras were all broken. The two Russian men, Natalina Chernova and Oleg Gipke, filed a complaint at Mueng Pattaya Police Station on Saturday, January 7…
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Man lives in a tree for 3 years due to financial embarrassment
A Thai man in the Isaan province of Udon Thani has been living in a tree for three years due to financial embarrassment. A provincial official offered him a new house on the ground and food, but he refused. He insisted on staying in the tree until officials find him a job. The 38 year old man, Charlie, constructed a…
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Elephant brutally kills mahout in southern Thailand
An elephant went into a violent frenzy and killed its mahout (elephant trainer) in Phang Nga province in southern Thailand yesterday. Officials believe that Jojo the elephant turned on its owner because it was fed up with work. Jojo both trampled on his owner and stabbed him with his tusks numerous times, said rescue workers. Officers from Kapong Police Station…
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Fans boo Thai royal anthem at Blackpink concert
K-pop band Blackpink kicked off their world tour in Bangkok on Saturday to a chorus of boos. Thai media reported video clips released on social media shows fans booing as the Thai royal anthem played on stage as the words “Please pay your respects to His Majesty the King” appeared on the screen before the band took to the stage. Prachatai English…
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Bomb threat against Jetstar flight in Japan (video)
A caller who appeared to be based in Germany made a bomb threat against a Jetstar flight in Japan on Saturday. The suspect called Narita Airport on Saturday morning in Japan time and said in English that he had planted a bomb on Jetstar Flight 501, according to the airline operator. The flight was headed to Fukuoka from Narita. Jetstar…
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Thailand U-turns on Covid-19 vaccine entry requirement
Just days after Thailand reintroduced the two-dose Covid-19 vaccine entry requirement, Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says the requirement will be dropped with immediate effect. However, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has informed airlines globally that unvaccinated tourists must provide either proof of recovery from Covid in the past six months or a doctor’s note explaining why they are…
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Foreign tourists rescued from sinking long-tail boat in southern Thailand (video)
A Thai tour guide’s long-tail boat carrying two foreign tourists sank in the waters of Krabi province in southern Thailand, on Saturday. Luckily, nearby boats and national park officials were able to rescue them just in time. The ship’s 43 year old captain, Prasit Sansamut, took two foreign tourists – their nationalities unspecified – out on a long-tail boat to…
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Burglar snatches almost 100,000 baht from Hong Kong tourist’s Pattaya villa
Pattaya’s thefts against tourists seem to never end… A burglar snatched almost 100,000 baht from a Hong Kong tourist’s rented Pattaya villa on Friday night, according to the victim. The victim’s villa is located in Jomtien Beach. The victim, Ng Ho Hin, told police the thief also nabbed a Bluetooth speaker. Hin said he had been out all day, and…
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6 victims injured after Bentley crashes into two cars
A millionaire driver crashed his luxury Bentley car into an SUV and a fire rescue pickup on the Chalerm Maha Nakhon Expressway in Bangkok in the early hours of Sunday, which left six victims injured. The driver fled from the scene and refused to take an alcohol test. A 53 year old businessman, Suthat Siwapiromrat, crashed his grey Bentley sedan…
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Indonesian couple’s suicide note requests no investigation
An apparent double suicide in Indonesia is raising eyebrows as the deceased left a surprising suicide note. The couple was found dead, fully clothed in bed and holding hands after allegedly poisoning themselves. In what appears to be a suicide note the couple left behind, they asked that their death not be investigated. According to police in Ciputat, South Tangerang…
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After year of cryptocurrency turmoil, investors see long winter ahead
After a year of cryptocurrency turmoil, exchanges and investors are hoping for at least a rebound in 2023. Last year’s volatility tested even the truest of believers as exchanges and funds went into meltdown. Valuations collapsed, enterprises folded and thousands of people lost their jobs. Can the industry reemerge stronger than ever? Can it reemerge at all? After a cruel…
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Drunk British tourist allegedly destroys prized albino buffalo sculpture in Bangkok
A drunk, British tourist allegedly destroyed a giant albino buffalo sculpture exhibited in the Sam Yan area of Bangkok at the weekend. At 2am on Saturday, a group of drunk British and German tourists passed by the Bangkok Art Biennale 2022 art exhibition outside Samyan Mitrtown in Bangkok. This year, the concept of the exhibition is “CHAOS: CALM” and features…
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