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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 Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run
Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...
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Thief’s fiery hand sanitiser ploy nets 1.7 million baht loot from Bangkok gold shop
In a daring solo heist, a robber invaded a gold shop in the Saimai area of Bangkok. Threatening to torch the shop by sprinkling hand sanitiser all around, the brazen thief caused shop staff to scatter, enabling him to pilfer gold worth 1.7 million baht, amounting to 48 baht of gold. The incident happened at 6.50pm yesterday. Bangkok police are…
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Unholy exodus: Monks, novices, and altar boy expelled for unveiling corrupt abbot
Eight monks, along with novices and an altar boy were expelled from the Saeng Tham Khiri Monastery after they exposed the cloister’s corrupt abbot. As a result, they find themselves homeless, embarking on a directionless journey in Chachoengsao, located in south-central Thailand. Sympathetic locals residing in the Panom Sarakham district of Chachoengsao implored the Thai media to assist the Buddhist…
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Field of fire: Suspected drug dealer’s clash ends in fatal shot in northern Thailand
A suspected drug dealer was fatally shot after a gunfight in a secluded rice field in the Amnat Charoen Province, Thailand. Having previously fled law enforcement, the 36 year old man was discovered in his hideout yesterday. A local police officer, Natthawut Kampan, and his team from the Hua Taphan Police Station received a tip about a wanted criminal hiding…
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Rolled dice: Police shuffled as casino thrives under their watch in Chiang Mai
Five police officers were transferred for recklessness after allowing gambling dens to operate under their noses following a Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA) raid at the 89 CLUB Casino, in Chiang Mai province. The raid was conducted following a complaint filed by the Ministry of Interior. A resident urged the ministry to investigate a casino in Chiang Mai where over…
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Building dreams: Concrete ideas flow at Pattaya villa meet for Zenith Residences
In a groundbreaking development, a meeting was held yesterday morning to discuss innovative concrete solutions for the construction of the new Zenith Residences Pattaya, a luxury housing project comprising seven large residences. This project is set to introduce construction materials and technical solutions that have never been used before in Thailand’s residential construction sector. The meeting’s focal point was the…
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High-stakes crackdown: Chiang Mai’s administrative ace raids gambling dens
Chiang Mai administrative team, led by Ronnarong Tipsiri, swooped on several prominent gambling dens operating in the heart of the city. After a collaborative operation involving over 40 officers from various entities, they arrested 104 people behind an operation that had a daily turnover of over 1 million baht (US$28,530). This decisive action took place yesterday, in response to multiple…
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Tragic twist: Teenager shoots parents with father’s firearm in northeast Thailand
Police apprehended an 18 year old man who shot his parents with his father’s gun at the family residence in the Mukdaharn province of northeastern Thailand. Community leader Saenee Promwicha reached out to the Meaung Mukdaharn Police officers yesterday afternoon after the teenage gunman, Pee, shot his parents at home. Police rushed to the scene with a rescue team and…
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Rosewood heist: Kalasin governor on trail of million-baht theft culprits
The Governor of Kalasin is on the hunt for the perpetrators involved in the theft of over 1 million baht valued Rosewood evidence from the Itue municipal office. Investigations yielded ties to six civil servants who reportedly shifted the evidence using a crane. It was brought to the attention of the Governor, Suphasit Kocharoenyot, and Lieutenant Colonel Kritthiphum Homhuan, the…
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Unprecedented alliance: Thailand and China team up against transnational cybercrime
In a move aimed at suffocating transnational crime, call centre scams and cybercrime, the governments of Thailand and China have come together in an unprecedented cooperative collaboration. Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon yesterday played host to Xu Ganlu, the Vice Minister of Public Security and the hand at the helm of the National Immigration Administration of China. The primary…
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Pheu Thai candidate Srettha sues over tax evasion allegations from Chuwit
In a recent turn of events surrounding the Pheu Thai Party, Srettha Thavisin, the prime ministerial candidate, commanded his legal counsel to start a legal battle against the well-known whistleblower Chuwit Kamolvisit. This move comes in response to allegations raised by Chuwit that Srettha was complicit in tax evasion incidents related to land acquisitions by the property giant, Sansiri Plc.…
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Thai doctor cautions against Streptococcus suis infection from undercooked pork
Highlighting the perils associated with consuming raw or undercooked pork, Thai cardiologist, Nopnath Tiarracht Suwann, recently posted a timely warning on Facebook, Kan Nop. He shared the examples of five patients contracting Streptococcus suis septicemia, a life-threatening infection colloquially known as swine meningitis, within just eight days of this month at Khon Kaen Hospital where he practices. “During my service…
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Abandoned but not alone: Thai family rescues woman and baby
A Thai family shared a heart-wrenching story of how they helped a Thai woman and her six month old baby get home after her husband abandoned them mid-journey in the central province of Samut Sakhon. Weerawat Nuanphaka shared pictures and videos of the moment when he and his wife, Chayaphat, escorted the woman and her baby home on Facebook. “I…
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Jasmine flower prices double ahead of Mother’s Day celebrations
In the run-up to the upcoming Mother’s Day festival, people often give dear old mum jasmine flowers to show appreciation for their mother’s kindness, affection and love. But capitalism means that as the demand for jasmine has risen sharply, prices for the flower are also surging. At the Jor Jae market today, in Pimai Sub-district, Nakhon Ratchasima, 61 year old…
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Thai sex pest blames mental health issue for sexually harassing underage schoolgirls
Police finally swooped to arrest a Thai sex pest who harassed a number of underage schoolgirls in Bangkok after an intense two-week search. On arrest, the deviant blamed mental health issues as the reason for his perverted behaviour. In July, several schoolgirls in Bangkok fell victim to the Thai pervert, later identified as 35 year old Jirayut Phomhom. According to…
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Untimely death in a boarding house stirs unsettling urban lore
Residents around a local boarding house today were taken aback when a delivery man was discovered dead in his room, having seemingly passed away three days prior. The gruesome discovery left his sole neighbour unnerved and motivated to seek new residences, while at the same time reviving the old saying about death heralded by the call of a barn owl.…
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Brawl of hearts: In love and war, Indian men clash for Thai maiden in Pattaya
British writer John Lyly once wrote “All is fair in love and war,” but try saying that to two groups of Indian men who brawled in the street in a bid to win the heart of a fair Thai maiden on Southern Pattaya Road last night. According to an eyewitness who shared the account with Channel 3, a heated altercation…
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Kuwaiti tourists hinder medics following motorbike accident
In the early hours today, a frustrating incident unfolded in South Pattaya where a group of over 100 Kuwaiti tourists became an obstacle for rescue services attending to their injured companion. The group insisted on personally escorting their friend onto the ambulance, thereby hindering the work of the paramedics. Sawang Boriboon, a local rescue team, received a report of a motorbike…
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Pattaya UFO spotting instills joy instead of panic and fear
A rare sight in Thailand, a UFO turned heads in Pattaya on Monday. With a whimsical glint of humour lighting up the coast, shocked eyebrows were raised, and smiles crept onto the faces of onlookers as the peculiar sight came into view. An “Unidentified Flying Object” was reported coursing along the popular thoroughfare of Pattaya Klang Road. Yet, instead of…
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Dog’s ‘pawsitive’ intuition: Abandoned newborn found in black bag thanks to heroic pet
A newborn girl, hastily packed into a black bag and dumped near a wall, was saved just in time, thanks to a family pet, a dog named Pong, whose unusual growling led the family to the infant. This bizarre event took place today opposite the Nong Khai Police Station. In the Hin Ngom sub-district of Muaeng Nong Khai district, Nong…
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Koh Samui anticipates 34 billion baht mainland bridge by 2028
Plans to establish a land link to the island of Koh Samui have been in the works for years but now the Express Authority of Thailand (EXAT) held their first public orientation hearing about the Samui Bridge. The blueprint for this project showcases a 20-kilometre bridge, slated for construction in 2028, to connect Koh Samui to the mainland. EXAT chief…
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Italian banks face US$10 billion loss as new tax rattles market
An unforeseen tax on banks’ extraordinary profits, instigated by Italy’s conservative regime, has taken markets by surprise, causing an approximately US$10 billion decline in Italian lenders’ market value. The proclamation came late Monday night from Matteo Salvini, the Deputy Prime Minister, stating a 40% levy on excess gains from banks would be levied as part of a comprehensive decree ratified…
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Rice price hikes worry restaurant owners, some pass costs to diners
Rice prices have begun to climb, causing restaurateurs concern about the cost of producing made-to-order meals. Despite this, some restaurants have opted not to increase prices, sympathising with their customers. They are instead appealing to the government to control the cost. The Ministry of Commerce directed related agencies to balance rice prices after a lull in rainfall from El Niño…
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Temple scam: Thai abbot & Chinese nationals caught in 273 million baht fake amulet scheme
The Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police (RTP) made public that the RTP seized 273 million baht from a Thai abbot and a group of Chinese nationals for selling fake amulets to Chinese tourists at the Buddhist monastery called Kaho Chi Chan or Big Buddha Mountain in Chon Buri province. More than 20 Thai and Chinese people are under…
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Woman in Wuhan buffet caught contaminating nearby diner’s dish
Of all the places to pull a stunt involving unsanitary food handling, Wuhan, China – where Covid-19 originated – seems like the worst choice. But at a buffet restaurant in Wuhan, in the Hubei Province, a woman caused public revulsion by sneaking leftover food into the dishes of a neighbouring diner. The incident has stirred up controversy and led to…
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Highway halt: Thai woman nabbed for fake license plate and forgery in Bangkok
Thai Highway Police yesterday swooped to arrest a 37 year old woman and charged her with forgery of official documents and using a fake license plate on her car in Bangkok. The arrest took place at the bridge crossing Khlong Phraya Suren Canal, Karnchanapisek Road, heading into Bangna, Ongkharak District, Sai Mai District, Bangkok. She was driving a black BMW…
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Thai man’s tragic end at shooting range in Rayong
A Thai man took his own life in a shocking scene at a shooting range in Rayong province, Thailand. The suicidal man rented a 9mm gun, immediately aimed the pistol at his head and pulled the trigger after receiving safety instructions from one of the range instructors. He later died in hospital after the event. Police are promptly investigating the…
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Road collision: Two motorcyclists dead in suspected hit and run involving luxury car in Bangkok
A high-speed road collision on a Bangkok road in the early hours of this morning left two motorcyclists dead. The police are looking into the role of a luxury car seen speeding from the scene. At around 1am, Wat Phraya Krai Police Station officers rushed to the scene on Soi Charoen Krung 84 in Bang Kho Laem District. They were…
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Forest refuge: Thai locals lend hand to Vietnamese man’s escape from scam gang
Kindhearted locals helped a Vietnamese man after he escaped from a scam call centre gang in Cambodia and hid in a forest in the Isaan province of Surin in Thailand. Locals encountered the 18 year old Vietnamese man, Ngo Dong Hao, in the forest yesterday morning and took the teenager to Surin Provincial Immigration Bureau. He did not have a passport…
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Unseen but not unnoticed: Invisible thief raids temple charity box, caught on CCTV
A naked thief with the gift of invisibility was caught on CCTV stealing money from a charity box at Lhem Tai Temple in the central province of Chachoengsao in the early hours of yesterday morning. The abbot of the temple, 62 year old Jamlong, revealed to Channel 3 that a fellow monk, 52 year old Chantapon, woke up at about…
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Thai rains trigger landslides and floods disrupting northern tourism
A slew of torrential Thai rains has instigated landslides and flash floods causing demolition to the roads in the northern regions of Nan and Mae Hong Son, as well as the western regions of Tak and Kanchanaburi. The Thai rains, relentless in their downpour, have been hitting the regions of Pua and Bo Kluea which are situated in Nan province.…
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