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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 9 most common health issues covered by insurance for expats in Thailand
Thailand is a popular destination for expats due to its affordable lifestyle and excellent healthcare system. However, settling in a new country often brings health concerns. To ensure you’re covered for the most common medical needs, understanding what expat health...
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Another Uyghur refugee dies after 9 years in Thailand detention centre
Human rights groups are urging Thai authorities once more to end forced prolonged detention for Uyghur refugees following the death of a Uyghur man who spent nine years inside a detention centre in Bangkok, Thailand. Mettohti Matturson, a 40 year old Uyghur refugee from Xinjiang in China, died of suspected liver failure at Bangkok’s Suan Phlu Immigration Centre (IDC) on…
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Chinese tourists return for May Day holidays, boosting international bookings
After a long hiatus due to travel restrictions and pandemic-related concerns, Chinese tourists are gearing up for international travel once again. According to DidaTravel, a tech-driven global travel distribution company, Chinese travellers are eager to explore the world and bookings for trips abroad are recovering fast. The upcoming May Day holiday, which runs from April 29 until May 3 and…
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Unusual ventilation break-in shocks Thai homeowners
A recent burglary in Thailand has drawn attention due to its unusual method of entry and the theft of assets worth around 2 million baht (US$60,000). The thieves entered the home through the bathroom ventilation system on the second floor and also stole the entire server of the closed-circuit television (CCTV) system installed in the house. According to the homeowner’s…
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Elephant moves fallen tree blocking road in Thailand (video)
An elephant moved a fallen tree blocking the Lampang – Phrae Road in northern Thailand during a storm on Monday, allowing traffic to resume as normal. The moment was captured on Facebook Live. The owner of the elephant, Weerawat Triyot, said that he was on his way back to Chaiyaphum province after taking his 16 year old elephant Dan Siam…
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Thai and German nationals arrested for smuggling drugs into Koh Pha Ngan
Thai authorities arrested a Thai national and a German man on Monday for smuggling drugs into Koh Pha Ngan in the southern province of Surat Thani. The arrest was made after the officers found drugs hidden in scented candles delivered from Germany. The Permanent Secretary of the Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), Wichai Chaimongkon, released details of the arrests,…
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Man caught smuggling 45 crab-eating macaques out of Thailand
A Thai man was arrested on a highway in Udon Thani province in northeastern Thailand yesterday with 45 crab-eating macaques stuffed into 13 boxes inside his car. He confessed that he was taking the monkeys to the border to be smuggled into neighbouring countries, most likely to be experimented on or killed for their brains. The monkey trafficker, 44 year…
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Laotian woman arrested in Pattaya for overstaying visa by three years
During a routine inspection at a Pattaya nightclub, local police arrested a Laotian woman who had overstayed her visa by three years. The arrest took place last night at Club Panda, a popular establishment on Walking Street. The inspection occurred around 10pm yesterday when law enforcement officials entered the establishment and found 160 patrons, both local Thais and foreign nationals.…
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Over 800,000 Bangkok residents register for early voting in May 14 General Election
Some 800,000 citizens in Bangkok have registered to cast their ballots ahead of the May 14 General Election, as they intend to engage in early voting on May 7. Among the 2.35 million voters nationwide who have registered for advance voting, numerous are located in Thailand’s capital city, with 74 polling stations available. The largest number of early voters registered…
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Thai politician foresees Phuket and Phang Nga as new global business centres
Thailand’s Phuket and Phang Nga provinces, according to an imaginative proposal by Thai politician, Settha Taweesin, could become the new global business destinations and potentially draw in talented individuals from around the world to work in these areas while simultaneously enjoying the natural beauty and tourist attractions on offer. Settha Taweesin, a candidate for prime minister representing the Pheu Thai…
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Child prodigy creates mesmerizing Sak Yant tattoo in Khon Kaen, Thailand
The skills of a child prodigy went viral on Thai social media after he created a traditional Thai tattoo (or Sak Yant) on a customer in the Isaan province of Khon Kaen. The 10 year old child prodigy, Nakrob “Puen” Sooksusi, is considered the youngest tattoo artist in Thailand. Sak Yant is a popular form of tattoo art in Thailand.…
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Lululemon to open store in Thailand this July
Canadian athletic apparel, accessories, and footwear brand lululemon athletica will open a store in CentralWorld in Bangkok this July. It will be the brand’s first store in Thailand. The brand did not give an exact date in July for the store’s opening on CentralWorld’s first floor opposite H&M Home – joining the mall’s newly-opened American burger joint Shake Shack. Lululemon…
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Thailand plans to relocate macaque monkeys from Phra Nakhon Khiri historical park
Phetchaburi authorities are currently working on a plan to relocate the large and mischievous macaque population at the Phra Nakhon Khiri historical park, better known as Khao Wang, to a place where they can live a more natural life and cause no disturbance to the peace, provincial governor Natthachai Nampoonsuksan announced on May 1. The number of monkeys in the…
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Singapore ignores UN’s pleas and executes man over 1kg of cannabis
Singapore ignored pleas from the United Nations and executed a man this morning found guilty of conspiring to traffic 1 kilogramme of cannabis. At dawn, 46 year old Tangaraju Suppiah was hanged at Changi Prison in eastern Singapore, the Singapore Prison Service reported. His family received his body and a death certificate at the prison this morning. Tangaraju was sentenced…
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Increase in international fights expected for Hua Hin Airport this year
The number of international flights to and from Hua Hin Airport is expected to increase in the near future, according to John LaRoche, CEO of the Phoenix Group, which is leading the upgrade of the airport. Speaking at the recent meeting of the Royal Coast Riviera Club on Friday, April 21, LaRoche said that despite various setbacks, including the pandemic,…
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Crafty Chiang Mai tuk tuk drivers paint pavement yellow to avoid traffic fines
Crafty Tuk Tuk drivers were caught on camera painting yellow paint over the red lines on the pavement in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand so they could park their three-wheeled vehicles next to Tha Phae Gate without getting traffic fines. Red and white means absolutely no parking, whereas yellow and white means parking there temporarily is permitted. In a short…
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Chinese doctor arrested for selling herbal medicine without permit
Thai authorities arrested a Chinese doctor for selling herbal medicine in Thailand without a permit and seized 60,000 herbal medicine tablets and pharmaceutical machines. The Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released details of the Chinese doctor’s arrest during a press conference yesterday. The 45 year old doctor, Lijun Cheung, reportedly operated a clinic…
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India’s girl power: Newborn tops population milestone
India has officially become the world’s most populous nation, with a newborn baby girl marking the milestone moment. Manu Bala, a 22 year old housewife, gave birth to her as-yet-unnamed daughter in a government hospital in the country’s Himalayan region on Monday. The mother and her child were among the more than 67,000 born across India that day when the United…
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China accelerates nuclear arsenal expansion amid potential future conflicts with the US
China’s nuclear arsenal is expanding at an unprecedented rate, with experts suggesting that the nation is increasingly focusing on the potential for future conflicts with the United States. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China’s stockpile currently comprises around 350 warheads, a small number compared to the US and Russia. However, the Pentagon has predicted that this…
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Kenyan mass graves prompt calls to regulate religious cults
Kenyan self-styled pastor Paul Mackenzie Nthenge sparked shock and outrage in the country after leading his followers into the forest near the coastal town of Malindi, allegedly convincing them to starve to death to meet God. The Good News International Church closed in 2019 after Nthenge claimed that Jesus told him his work had come to an end. However, authorities…
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EU to unveil major pharmaceutical reform for cheaper drugs and faster access
The European Union is set to announce significant reforms to its pharmaceutical regulations today, aiming to reduce costs, prevent drug shortages, and expedite the introduction of new medicines. These changes represent the EU’s most extensive overhaul of pharmaceutical legislation in two decades, partly inspired by the benefits of more streamlined processes, joint action, and improved transparency observed during the Covid-19…
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New Balance kicks out of Thailand
American sports footwear brand New Balance closed all of its stores in Thailand after the contract with its importer and distributor in Thailand, CRC Sports, expired. CRC Sports, a retail company under the Central Group, was established on December 26, 1996, with a registered capital of 370 million baht. It operated under the Supersports brand and offered sports products. According…
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Pattaya tourism boom leads to a traffic nightmare
As tourism in Pattaya continues to recover at an incredible pace, the city is faced with a downside – heavy traffic. Two significant bottlenecks were observed this month: one on Thepprasit Road, close to the Kaan and Colosseum theatres, and another on Second Road close to the South Road intersection. Additionally, areas such as Soi Regional Land in south Pattaya…
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Girlfriend of Australian tourist found dead in Thai police custody suspects foul play
UPDATE The girlfriend of the Australian man who was found dead inside the detention room at a police station in Phuket, southern Thailand, on Monday says her boyfriend was “not suicidal” and had every intention of returning to his family. Police arrested 31 year old Matthew Michael Winder for being drunk and disorderly at around 5.45am and detained him at…
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Kanit Sangsubhan joins Palang Pracharath Party to boost southern Thailand’s economy
The Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) recently announced the appointment of Kanit Sangsubhan, previously a special adviser to the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Office, as a member of its economic team. This move is intended to bolster the economy in Thailand’s southern border provinces. PPRP leader Prawit Wongsuwon expressed his delight at welcoming Kanit as a key member of the party,…
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Japanese startup loses communication with lunar lander, assumes mission failure
A Japanese start-up hoping to realise the first private Moon landing announced today that it had lost contact with its spacecraft, suggesting a disappointing outcome for the ambitious mission. Ispace confirmed that communication with the unmanned Hakuto-R lunar lander could not be re-established after the expected time of landing, signifying a premature end for a mission launched from the United…
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British American Tobacco to pay over US$600m for violating US sanctions on North Korea
British American Tobacco (BAT) agreed to pay over US$600 million to settle allegations that it sold cigarette materials to North Korea for a decade in breach of United States sanctions, the US Justice Department announced yesterday. This is the harshest action ever taken by US authorities against a company for violating North Korean sanctions, with BAT’s Singapore subsidiary agreeing to…
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Suspected serial killer arrested for the deaths of 8 victims
Suspected serial killer Sararat “Am” Rangsiwuthaporn, believed to be responsible for the deaths of eight victims, was arrested by Police yesterday. The suspect, Am, denied all allegations, despite the mountain of evidence provided by the victims’ relatives. The arrest of Am was made following the death of Siriporn “Koy” Khanwong on Friday, April 14. Koy collapsed and died while releasing…
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Krabi shop owner demands cops ‘make an example’ of thieving tourist (video)
An angry shop owner is demanding that police “make an example” out of a tourist who stole clothes from her shop in the town of Ao Nang in Krabi province. The owner told Ao Nang Police that over the weekend, a female foreign tourist came to her shop alone. She said the tourist took clothes off a mannequin before dashing…
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Thailand detects 6 new cases of Omicron XBB.1.16 subvariant and one XBB.1.16.1
Thailand‘s Department of Medical Sciences announced yesterday that it has identified six new cases of the Omicron XBB.1.16 subvariant, as well as one case of the closely related XBB.1.16.1 subvariant. This brings the total number of people in the kingdom infected with the XBB.1.16 subvariant to 34. The department’s director-general, Supakit Sirilak, confirmed that XBB.1.16 is responsible for 9.8% of…
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Thai Senate committee discusses foreign satellite regulations
The Thai Senate committee yesterday met to focus on information technology, communication, and telecommunications and convened to discuss the proposed changes by the state telecommunications regulatory body regarding the regulations governing the utilisation of foreign-owned satellites to offer domestic telecommunications services. The gathering presided over by General Anantaporn Kanchanarat, focused on assessing concerns and suggestions raised by the National Broadcasting…
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