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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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    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...

  • Thai AirAsia resumes Bangkok – Macau flights

    Thai AirAsia resumes Bangkok – Macau flights

    Budget airline Thai AirAsia has resumed direct flights between Bangkok and Macau in China, operating the route four times per week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Thai police may have busted the macau888 gambling website, but never mind, Thais can now gamble legally by flying direct to Macau on Thai AirAsia. Thai AirAsia is the only airline servicing the…

  • Aeroplane makes emergency landing in Phuket

    Aeroplane makes emergency landing in Phuket

    An aeroplane made an emergency landing in Phuket yesterday. The Thai Smile Airways Airbus A320 made the landing at Phuket International Airport at 1pm due to engine problems. The Phuket Info Center, which operates under the Phuket Provincial Office, confirmed the incident today. According to the centre’s report, the A320 made a “hard landing” with a tailstrike on the runway.…

  • Restoration of Maya Bay balances tourism, sustainability

    Restoration of Maya Bay balances tourism, sustainability

    The restoration of Maya Bay, Thailand, balances tourism with sustainability. Phi Phi Islands’ tropical paradise, made famous by Leonardo DiCaprio’s movie The Beach, has drastically reduced visitor numbers, and sea life is flourishing. The beach was closed in 2018 and before the pandemic hit, and in many respects, the past two years without pressure from great numbers of visitors have…

  • Survey finds Thai tourism enterprises unprepared for foreign tourists

    Survey finds Thai tourism enterprises unprepared for foreign tourists

    A nationwide survey has revealed that most small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Thailand are not prepared for the return of foreign tourists this year. Conducted by the Office of Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion (OSMEP), the survey questioned 572 business owners from six regions on their readiness for the upcoming tourist season and found that many are more reliant…

  • Thai rubber should tap into the sex toy market, says agriculture minister

    Thai rubber should tap into the sex toy market, says agriculture minister

    Thailand could make a killing if the country’s world-class rubber industry tapped into the sex toy market, according to Minister of Agriculture Chalermchai Sri-on. The minister posted a compelling argument on Facebook which would require a big revision of Thailand’s archaic laws if it came to fruition. The kingdom’s illegal sex industry is hiding in plain sight, sex toys included.…

  • Biological father of missing baby in Thailand to be charged with statutory rape

    Biological father of missing baby in Thailand to be charged with statutory rape

    The disturbing case surrounding a missing eight-month old baby in central Thailand’s Nakhon Pathom province is continuing. The baby’s biological father, 55 year old ‘Jae,’ is to be charged with statutory rape of the baby’s mother, 16 year old Philaiporn Korcharoen. The baby, Torsak, is reported to have been missing since February 5. On February 17, Thai media reported that…

  • 3 Thais arrested for smuggling of 14 Chinese citizens

    3 Thais arrested for smuggling of 14 Chinese citizens

    Police yesterday arrested two Thai men and a Thai woman on Phahonyothin Road in the central province of Nakhon Sawan for people trafficking. The group were spotted using three vehicles to smuggle 14 Chinese citizens without passports from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Traffic officers from Mueang Nakhon Sawan Police Station stopped three sedans for a random alcohol test at 4am…

  • Experience luxury at these 8 Bangkok riverside hotels

    Experience luxury at these 8 Bangkok riverside hotels

    Bangkok has some of the most amazing hotels in the world, and those located near the Chao Phraya River are amongst the best. Whether you’re looking for an unforgettable stay or a memorable experience, Bangkok’s riverside hotels offer something for everyone. From luxurious resorts with breathtaking views to chic boutique hotels with incredible amenities, let’s take a look at the…

  • Mesmerising cultural festival coming up in central Thailand

    Mesmerising cultural festival coming up in central Thailand

    A mesmerising cultural festival is coming up in central Thailand. The 36th Phra Nakhon Khiri Festival is set to take place in Phetchaburi province from March 17 to 26, and it is an event not to be missed. The annual festival celebrates the rich history and traditions of the region and will be held around Phra Nakhon Khiri park, also…

  • Thai woman says human skull’s teeth belong to her missing husband

    Thai woman says human skull’s teeth belong to her missing husband

    A fisherman pulled a human skull from a canal in Buriram province in northeast Thailand yesterday. A local woman says she knows the skull belongs to her missing husband because she clearly remembers his teeth. Yesterday, officers at Ban Dan Police Station received a call from a fisherman who found a human skull submerged in the Lam Takhong canal to…

  • Canada’s Prime Minister warns of China election interference

    Canada’s Prime Minister warns of China election interference

    Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, is warning of election interference by China. Trudeau says that foreign interference in elections is a very serious issue and his country must be on guard against it. His statement comes after a media report detailing China’s intentions to influence the outcome of the 2021 election. Relations between the two countries have been increasingly strained…

  • Man accidently shot and killed cousin and injured 2 year old niece

    Man accidently shot and killed cousin and injured 2 year old niece

    In a tragic incident, a man accidentally shot his cousin and her two year old daughter, mistaking them for intruders. The shooting resulted in the death of the woman, while the child was critically injured and is currently receiving treatment in intensive care. The shooting incident occurred last night at 9.30pm in a longan plantation in the central province of…

  • Tubing in northern Thailand bustling with foreign tourists

    Tubing in northern Thailand bustling with foreign tourists

    A Thai TikToker recently shared a video of foreign tourists enjoying a tubing adventure along the Pai River in Mae Hong Son, a northern province of Thailand. Thai netizens were overwhelmed by the video, saying it was a sign the kingdom is well on the way to economic recovery and tourism is booming once more. @roritarkratair posted the video yesterday…

  • UN denounces Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, proposes history-making resolution amid war anniversary

    UN denounces Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, proposes history-making resolution amid war anniversary

    The United Nations is denouncing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine amid the one-year anniversary of the war while members reportedly voted on a history-making resolution. According to Reuters, both Ukraine and Russia lobbied countries at the UN for backing ahead of a vote by the General Assembly. The US says the new resolution will “go down in history.” The General Assembly…

  • Thai Airways to trial biometric check-in at Suvarnabhumi Airport

    Thai Airways to trial biometric check-in at Suvarnabhumi Airport

    Airports of Thailand (AOT) chose flag carrier Thai Airways to trial a new biometric check-in service at Suvarnabhumi Airport, starting on their Bangkok – Singapore route. AOT hopes that bolstering facial recognition technology will streamline the check-in process and reduce waiting times. From now until April 30, passengers on daily THAI flight TG409 from Bangkok to Singapore can check in…

  • US fighter pilot’s mid-air selfie with alleged Chinese spy balloon released

    US fighter pilot’s mid-air selfie with alleged Chinese spy balloon released

    A US fighter pilot is going viral after taking a selfie mid-air with an alleged Chinese spy balloon. Although the alleged spy balloon was shot down earlier this month, the US Department of Defence just released the selfie. The photo shows the fighter pilot in a selfie from the cockpit of a U-2 spy plane as it flew over the…

  • Phuket vice governor reports over 500 motorbike accidents in 2 months involving tourists

    Phuket vice governor reports over 500 motorbike accidents in 2 months involving tourists

    Phuket’s vice governor reported that over 500 motorbike accidents have occurred in the area involving foreign tourists in the past two months. Phuket Vice Governor Anuphap led a meeting on the increasingly pressing issue yesterday. Anuphap said many of the accidents involved foreign tourists who had rented motorbikes. He said… “Eighty percent of them do not have driving licenses, some…

  • Phuket officials say dry season won’t see water shortage this year

    Phuket officials say dry season won’t see water shortage this year

    Phuket officials are confident that the dry season won’t see a water shortage this year. The predictions came after the Phuket Water Resources Sub-Committee met yesterday over the impact of water shortages in previous years. According to The Phuket News, Vice Governor Amnuay says that since Phuket had a lot of rain during last year’s wet season, the water reservoirs…

  • Thailand extradites fatal hit-and-run suspect to the US (video)

    Thailand extradites fatal hit-and-run suspect to the US (video)

    Upon request of the FBI, Thailand yesterday extradited the prime suspect in a hit-and-run case that claimed the life of a young Michigan State University student back to the US to face prosecution. The accused, 57 year old Tubtim “Sue” Howson, is believed to have hit and killed 22 year old Ben Kable with her BMW 320i in Oakland Township…

  • Man swindled out of 5 million baht by a trusted friend

    Man swindled out of 5 million baht by a trusted friend

    A man filed a complaint with the local police department after being swindled out of 5 million baht by a friend. It was later revealed that this so-called friend of his had previously served a prison sentence for seven counts of theft and fraud. The 39 year old victim, Trirat “Bird” Liwsiri-anan, filed a complaint at Mueang Pattalung Police Station…

  • 50 year old case solved involving American murderer who became a monk in Thailand

    50 year old case solved involving American murderer who became a monk in Thailand

    American authorities have finally solved a case from 50 years ago involving an American man who murdered a teacher, before moving to Thailand to become a monk. Authorities in the eastern state of Vermont solved the case thanks to a discarded cigarette butt. The case involved the killing of Rita Curran, a 24 year old teacher who was strangled to death…

  • New species of orchid found in S.Thailand

    New species of orchid found in S.Thailand

    A team of botanists from Prince of Songkla University have described a new species of orchid, Aphyllorchis periactinantha, at the Paribatra waterfall in Ton Nga Chang wildlife sanctuary in the southern province of Songkhla. A team of scientists led by Sahut Chantanaorrapint, a professor from Prince of Songkla University biology department first identified the new species. Sahut said the Paribatra…

  • Thailand bans standing up on songthaews, drivers aren’t happy

    Thailand bans standing up on songthaews, drivers aren’t happy

    Thailand introduced a law on Friday which requires passengers to sit down when travelling on a songthaew, a popular form of public transport. However, songthaew drivers say the law is detrimental to their livelihoods and are worried it could lead to extortion. A songthaew is a passenger vehicle converted from a pickup truck with two rows of seats. Songthaews have…

  • Rare trees bloom with beautiful flowers on Thai-Lao border

    Rare trees bloom with beautiful flowers on Thai-Lao border

    Rare trees are blooming with beautiful flowers at a national park on northern Thailand’s border with Laos. The Doi Phukha National Park in Nan province is currently a sight to behold as the rare Chompoo Phu Kha trees have burst into bloom. The trees display white-pink flowers that grow in long bunches once a year from the end of February…

  • Blind circus crocodile caught after 5 day chase in Thailand

    Blind circus crocodile caught after 5 day chase in Thailand

    A blind show crocodile escaped on its way to the circus and made a break for it into the Ping River in Nakhon Sawan province in central Thailand on Friday. Crocodile catchers were hot on the croc’s heels but the 2.8-metre-long beast just wouldn’t surrender. Five days later, the female croc – who is nicknamed “Blindy” – was finally caught and marched…

  • 4 bodies with gunshot wounds found in southern Thailand

    4 bodies with gunshot wounds found in southern Thailand

    Residents in the southern province of Narathiwas found the lifeless bodies of three people with gunshot wounds in a sedan truck submerged in the Juerae Lake yesterday. This morning, another dead body was found near the scene. The authorities have reason to believe that the two incidents are interconnected. Buketa Police Station received distressing reports from residents who had discovered…

  • Thai Cyber Police nab 3 more suspects in macau888 case

    Thai Cyber Police nab 3 more suspects in macau888 case

    Thai Cyber Police nabbed three more suspects in the case involving the macau888 gambling network. Officers from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) raided two spots in Bangkok, and one in the northeast province of Sakhon Nakhon, Thai PBS reported yesterday. Police found two women in a room of a condominium in Bangkok’s Phahonyothin area. One of the women was…

  • Thailand’s sex industry was created for foreigners, right? Wrong! (video)

    Thailand’s sex industry was created for foreigners, right? Wrong! (video)

    Thailand’s sex industry was created exclusively for foreign tourists, right? Wrong! It is a myth Thailand’s sex industry was exclusively made for tourists. It was set up for Thai people. There are hundreds of “Love Motels” spread across the country, and it’s not foreigners who commonly go there. There’s even a term for a casual sex partner, “Gik,” which is…

  • ‘Eat more rice!’ Thai officials tell youth

    ‘Eat more rice!’ Thai officials tell youth

    “Eat more rice!” Thai officials are telling the country’s youth. The Thai Commerce Ministry wants young people to eat more rice. The ministry launched a campaign after a study showed that Thailand’s consumption of rice had fallen. The department launched the “Thai Kids Enjoy Thai Rice” roadshow, visiting 10 schools and weekend markets, Nation Thailand reported yesterday. The Thai Rice…

  • South Korean human trafficking leader arrested in Pattaya

    South Korean human trafficking leader arrested in Pattaya

    A leader in the human trafficking trade from South Korea was arrested yesterday at a luxury condominium in Pattaya. He was charged with operating an illicit massage parlour in Busan and luring Thai women into sex work. The South Korean criminal boss, identified as 50 year old Cho, was arrested at a luxury condominium on Pattaya Sai Sam Road yesterday…