News
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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Russell Crowe to question Bangkok governor candidates live on TV
On Thursday May 19, Russell Crowe and six other celebrities will ask questions to seven Bangkok governor candidates live on TV prior to the election which will be held on Sunday, May 22. From 4:15pm – 6pm on Thursday, Channel 7HD will air the live programme “22 May: Deciding Bangkok’s Fate” hosted by Tin Chokkamolkij. Seven Bangkok governor candidates will…
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Superstitious Cambodian PM to change his date of birth
Superstitious Cambodian PM, Hun Sen, announced today that he will change his legal date of birth from April 4, 1951, to his actual date of birth on August 5, 1952. The 69 year old former military commander decided to change the date of his birth after his older brother passed away earlier this month from a heart attack. Cambodia’s longest-serving…
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Top 10 Best Ways To Avoid Condo Hotel Property Rip-Offs
One recent topic of discussion in Thailand’s real estate circles has been about how possible defaults in the condo hotel or investment sector can have a negative impact on the industry. Based on my own two decades of experience with C9 Hotelworks in branded residences in Thailand and throughout Asia Pacific, I thought it might be helpful to give some…
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Water park pool slashed causing a flood at gated community
A knife-wielding hoodlum caused chaos at the SansaNook water park in Samut Prakan, just south of Bangkok, by sinking a blade into a huge artificial pool resulting in a flood to a nearby gated community. Water park staff alerted owner Nathapong Pathaveesathian to the vandalism on Sunday just before 7pm after residents complained their homes were being flooded. Nathapong arrived…
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Newest and widest Chao Phraya cable-stayed bridge to open in 2022
The Expressway Authority of Thailand has provided an update on the development of the newest and widest Chao Phraya cable-stayed bridge, saying the new bridge is expected to open for use sometime later this year. The department would ask HM King Vachiralongkorn to officiate at the opening and provide his auspicious name to the bridge, Rama 10. EXAT says that…
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Laos experiencing a petrol crisis due to high inflation
The Lao government denied there was a national petrol crisis despite calling an emergency meeting and hours’ long queues witnessed throughout the country’s filling stations. The government, who import the majority of its petroleum from Thailand, scheduled an emergency meeting to discuss the country’s inflation, panic buying and why a large number of petrol stations were closed last week in…
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14 year old student takes her own life after teacher expels her from school
A 14 year old female student in the southern province of Songkhla has committed suicide after a teacher expelled her from school because of her financial and family problems. Thai media reported that a 14 year old female student decided to hang herself at a house in Songkhla province on May 13. Her friends told police that she had problems…
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Stop plucking the endangered ‘penis plant’, urges Cambodian government
A phallic-looking plant is at risk of extinction in Cambodia because people keep plucking it out of the ground to take selfies with it. After a video of some women picking the “penis plant” went viral on social media, the Cambodian government has issued a statement asking citizens to leave the endangered penis plant in the ground where it belongs.…
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Thai woman complains after Pattaya laundry service overcharges for foreign BF – VIDEO
A Thai woman is complaining about a local laundry overcharging for services on social media. Her foreign boyfriend was charged 500 baht for only 11 pieces of clothes at a laundry shop in the city. On May 15, the woman posted in a Facebook group named พัทยา or ‘Pattaya’, saying… “My boyfriend bought 7 shirts, 2 short pants, and 3…
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Northeast Thailand sees worst floods in 10 years
Many areas of Thailand have experienced heavy rain and flash flooding since monsoon season began on Friday. Yesterday, two hours of continuous heavy rain caused flash flooding in Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeast Thailand. A pottery village in Chok Chai district experienced the heaviest flooding to occur in 10 years. Hook 31 Rescue Team deployed boats to evacuate villagers and their…
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6 million baht worth of gold stolen in Northern Thailand
Police are on the lookout for an armed robber who fled the crime scene with nearly 6 million baht worth of gold from a Big C Supermarket in Tak, Northern Thailand, on Sunday. The robber burst into the popular superstore, withdrew a handgun, demanded cash and several trays of gold jewelry, before making his escape on a white Yamaha motorbike…
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Tuesday Covid Update: 3,893 new cases; provincial totals
38 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 29,550 with 7,852 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 3,893 new Covid-19 cases and 7,323 recoveries. There are now 63,337 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of the new cases recorded today,…
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Ronald not ‘Lovin’ It’ as fast-food giant McDonald’s legs it from Russia
Shares in McDonald’s restaurants plummeted yesterday losing billions on the stock exchange following the US fast-food giant’s decision to pull out of Russia in the wake of the Ukraine invasion. The US multinational temporarily closed all of its outlets in March after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, setting off a chain of unrivaled economic sanctions against the former Soviet…
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Thai woman struck dead by lightning in cow field
A farmer was killed by a lightning strike in a cow field in Buriram province, northeast Thailand, yesterday evening. The 53 year old woman was herding her cows into their cowshed to escape the storm when she was struck. Wanida (surname reserved) was out working in the fields with her 53 year old relative Thongbai (surname reserved) when it started…
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Kremlin says Russia willing to supply North Korea with Covid-19 vaccines
A Kremlin spokesperson says Russia is willing to consider any request from North Korea for Covid-19 vaccines. According to a Reuters report, Dmitry Peskov says that if such a request is made, it will be responded to promptly. “North Korean comrades are well aware of our various inoculations; they are aware of our extensive experience with Covid. If there are…
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Thai woman survives fall from 26th floor
A Thai woman is seriously injured after falling from the 26th floor of a condominium in Bangkok at around 2am on Sunday. Rescue teams arrived at the scene within 5 minutes, but the woman had to wait until 4am to receive treatment at the hospital, according to the rescue team. The woman suffered multiple broken bones. Erawan Emergency Centre took…
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Thai schools will no longer have to close if Covid-19 infection detected
Thai schools will no longer have to close if a student, teacher, or staff member tests positive for Covid-19, according to the Department of Health. The department’s deputy director-general, Sarawut Boonsook, has confirmed the new policy as the new school term gets underway today. According to a Thai PBS World report, if a student, teacher, or school staff member is…
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Second US shooting in 2 days leaves 1 dead and 4 seriously injured in California
A shooting at a church around 70 kilometres outside Los Angeles, California, has left 1 person dead and 4 critically injured. It comes just a day after a man opened fire and gunned down 10 people at a supermarket in New York state. According to media reports, the second US mass shooting in as many days took place at the…
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Tourism officials aiming for 80 million domestic trips in first half of 2022
With Covid infections going down, the hopes of tourism officials are going up, according to a Bangkok Post report. Thapanee Kiatphaibool from the Tourism Authority of Thailand is feeling optimistic about domestic travel this year. She says the TAT expects around 80 million domestic trips to be undertaken in the first half of 2022. “The TAT aims to tally 40…
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In Thailand, Covid numbers plummet, but restrictions remain
Thailand registered 5,238 new Covid infections and 40 new Covid-related deaths over the last 24 hours, another day of drops in numbers since the Omicron variant hit its peak on April 1 with 28,379 infections in a 24 hour period. Yesterday there were 6,094 new infections and 51 deaths. But the number of deaths from Covid-19 has been stubbornly consistently…
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UPDATE: German woman found in Phuket
UPDATE: The missing German woman, who had been missing for 7 days, has now been found. 75 year old tourist Barbara Elisabeth Monika Glag Lange was found safe in the the Sirinat National Park along the northern west coast of Phuket. Last week it was reported that the lady had headed off for a morning walk from her hotel in Mai…
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More Thai national parks to close to allow for recovery during monsoon season
The national parks at Mu Koh Similan and Mu Koh Surin have joined Mu Koh Lanta in Krabi province in closing for the monsoon season. The famous tourist attraction of Maya Bay, on Koh Phi Phi Leh, kicked things off recently, when officials announced that it would once again close to allow the bay’s fragile eco-system to recover. Maya Bay re-opened…
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TripAdvisor’s 2022 Best of the Best Awards includes 2 Thai hotels
Online travel company, TripAdvisor, has released its list of the 25 best hotels in the world for 2022 and it includes 2 Thai properties. The “Traveller’s Choice 2022 – Best of the Best Awards” ranks the Pimalai Resort and Spa, on Koh Lanta, in Krabi province, at number 12 and Sukhumvit Park – Marriott Executive Apartments in Bangkok at number…
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Survey shows fear of side-effects preventing Thai parents from vaccinating children
The chief of Thailand’s Health Services Department has expressed concern that parents are refusing to vaccinate their children against Covid-19, due to a fear of side-effects. Dr Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai was responding to a survey that shows many parents won’t vaccinate their kids as they’re more concerned about the effects of the vaccine than the effects of the virus. According to…
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Elderly German woman still missing in Phuket as search enters seventh day
Search parties in Phuket are still no closer to finding an elderly German woman who has now been missing for 7 days. Barbara Elisabeth Monika Glag Lange is thought to have Alzheimer’s, according to a Nation Thailand report. She disappeared from her hotel in Mai Khao, north of Phuket International Airport, last Monday. District officials, village chiefs, as well as…
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Studies show Omicron infection in vaccinated people “turbo-charges” immunity
Contracting the Omicron variant (of Covid-19) while fully vaccinated could boost your immunity to the extent that it can fight off a variety of coronavirus variants, according to new research. The findings were revealed in 2 US studies from the University of Washington and from vaccine producer BioNTech. If backed up by real-world data, this could be a sign that…
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Thai Golf website has 36% jump in views since borders reopen
As the Tourism Authority of Thailand starts to ramp up its overseas campaigns to encourage international travellers to fly to Thailand, one sector, Golf, is already seeing a jump in activity. Since the recent announcement of the relaxing of Thailand Pass entry regulations, many international golf vacationers have shown a keen interest in playing a few rounds in the Land…
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Visakha Bucha Day 2022. Today is the substitute public holiday.
Today is the substitute public holiday to mark Visakha Bucha Day, the most significant and sacred day in the Buddhist calendar. Sunday was the actual day, according to the Buddhist calendar, but as it fell on a weekend, today is the actual public holiday. On either days, Buddhist Thais will visit their local temples and participate in rituals and ceremonies.…
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Yet another allegation of sexual crimes against Thailand’s Prinn
In the latest allegation against Thailand’s now infamous former deputy leader of the Democrat Party, a woman is accusing Prinn Panitchpakdi of indecent exposure in a restaurant in 2013, and rape in 2014. The alleged rape cannot be investigated because the victim didn’t report it within months of when it happened, and yet, police say they will summon Prinn to…
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Thailand’s officials announce fewest daily Covid-19 cases in months
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry has announced a major drop in the country’s daily Covid-19 case load today (Sunday). The registered 6,094 cases within the past 24 hours are the fewest the country has seen since January 6. Yesterday, a total of 70,775 people were receiving Covid-19 treatment, including 25,527 in hospitals. Out of the 25,527 people being hospitalised, 1,304 were…
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