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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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Myanmar kleptocracy boosts rhino horn trafficking
Rhino horn trafficking remains a severe problem that needs to be addressed with a new sense of urgency. During 2012-2021, more than 7.5 tons of rhino horn was seized in 674 incidents Asian rhino horns are less frequently seized than African, but there have been several recent reports of Indian rhino horns being seized at border points in Myanmar and…
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Business exodus from China will ensure Southeast Asia will flourish
One of Thailand’s leading business executives believes Southeast Asia will flourish on the back of Chinese President Xi Jinping securing an unprecedented third term as leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The reelection of President Xi as CCP leader tightened his grip on the mainland and also ensured an exodus of businesses looking to relocate from China to Southeast…
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Phuket vehicle crash kills Russians and Thai
A motorbike and car crash in Phuket killed a Russian man, Russian woman, and a Thai woman in the early hours of this morning. The three lives were tragically taken after a big bike, a motorbike, and a taxi car all collided in the town of Rawai. Rescuers arrived to find the damaged vehicles scattered over the road. Nearby, they…
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Thailand vs. Vietnam travel guide
Thinking of going to Thailand or Vietnam and wondering about some of the differences between the two? Here, we have a short guide on the major differences between two of Southeast Asia’s most popular destinations. From different cuisines to top attractions, both countries offer amazing experiences for even the most well-travelled visitors. 1. History and culture Vietnam has a French…
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Married Thai woman hits younger lover with massive palimony claim
A young Thai man’s married older lover has responded with a massive palimony claim after he tried to break up with her. The lover also claims that the young man raped her. The 24 year old man, “A,” said he met the 46 year old woman last year when he got an internship at a train station. He said he…
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Singaporean dies in Kamala motorcycle crash
A Singaporean man died when he lost control of his motorbike on the coast road south of Kamala and crashed head-on into an oncoming truck yesterday. This follows this week’s death of an Australian resident, the death of a police officer in Bangkok, and the death of a passenger in a car driver by a Danish man last night in…
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Fight breaks out on island off Pattaya
A fight broke out in front of a resort on an island off Pattaya on Wednesday night between two groups of people. Security footage captured 6-8 people on motorbikes passing by the resort on Koh Larn and glancing back at another group that was marching toward them on foot. After the group on motorbikes exited the footage, the group was…
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Explore Thailand through augmented reality
“Rediscover Thailand” is a brand new augmented reality (AR) experience launched jointly by Meta and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). The TAT believes the innovative technology will inspire tourists to pursue meaningful and sustainable travel in the future. The AR experience highlights some of Thailand’s key tourist attractions and natural wonders as well as unique cultural experiences such as…
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FBI tells synagogues in New Jersey to keep safe after credible threat
The FBI is warning synagogues in the US state of New Jersey to keep safe after it says it has obtained credible threats online. The threats were apparently broad in scope, but the FBI has urged all synagogues to “take all security precautions to protect your community and facility.” According to NPR.org, the online threat did not target any specific…
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81-year-old Japanese man arrested for murder after pushing wife’s wheelchair into sea
Police arrested an 81-year-old Japanese man after he allegedly pushed his wheelchair-bound wife into the sea. The man, Hiroshi Fujiwara, was arrested in the Oiso, Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan with police saying he then admitted to killing his 79-year-old wife. Fujiwara said he was worn out from looking after her as she had been in a wheelchair for the past…
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New foreign land ownership law in Thailand can be scrapped if Thais don’t agree
If Thai people aren’t happy with the newly proposed foreign land ownership law in Thailand, the whole plan can be scrapped, said Minister of Interior General Anupong Paochinda in Parliament yesterday. “We can improve the regulation, such as by increasing the investment to 100 million baht. The plan can be scrapped if people have serious concerns. We won’t see it as…
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VIDEO: Korean tourist in Pattaya says transgender person pickpocketed him
Even though Pattaya’s thieves have largely targeted Indian tourists this year, it appears that when picking targets, people of all nationalities are fair game. A Korean tourist in Pattaya told police that a transgender person pickpocketed him on a beach on Wednesday night. The tourist, 43 year old Sanghyeon Lee, said he was walking on Pattaya Beach with friends when…
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Danish man crashes car into Chiang Mai moat, killing 1
A Danish man crashed a white sedan into Chiang Mai moat in northern Thailand in the early hours of this morning. He survived but his female Thai passenger could not escape the vehicle in time and drowned. A 30 year old Danish man was driving through Chiang Mai’s Mueang district “at a high speed” when he lost control, crashed into…
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Loy Krathong: the stories of the Thai holiday’s origins
If you live in Thailand, you’ve most likely heard of the Loy Krathong festival by now. You may likely be planning on going to a Loy Krathong float event to get a taste of the holiday. But how did this holiday come into being? Understanding the origins of Loy Krathong might help you understand its significance in the hearts of…
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Bangkok police arrest 15 scammers, seize US$1 million
Bangkok police arrested 15 suspected scammers involved in a barrage of illegal businesses, seizing assets worth more than over 42 million baht (US$1.1 million) yesterday. The arrests follow a series of disturbing incidents, including a raid on a nightclub disguised as a car wash in the Yannawa district, and the death of a tourist after a night out at a…
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Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan shot in assassination attempt
Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been shot during a suspected assassination attempt. Khan is said not to be in any immediate danger. Shots were fired near Khan’s convoy yesterday, just as the former PM was about to address party workers in Wazirabad, Gujranwala in the country’s east. Khan has been at the head of a march on Islamabad…
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Motorcycle rider takes a nap in the middle of a main road
A weary motorcycle rider was awakened by a group of men after he slept on his parked motorcycle in the middle of a main road. The men recorded a video of the sleepy motorcycle rider and sent it to a local news Facebook page named Hear On Board (เฮียขับรถ). The video reveals the men trying to wake the man sleeping,…
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Biologist warns that upcoming Songkhla Lake Bridge construction will hurt dolphins
A marine biologist warned that a new bridge planned across Songkhla Lake will hurt the inhabitant Irrawaddy dolphins. Dolphins are considered a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The biologist, Thon Thamrongnawasawat, said the number of Irrawaddy dolphins in the lake is likely to drop every year. He noted that the future of dolphins is uncertain,…
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Activist charged with assault and child exploitation
Secretary-general of the Amphawa district Child Protection Foundation in Samut Sakhon Montree Sinthawichai, his wife and son, met police investigators at Amphawa district police station today to hear charges against them. Montree, better known as Khru Yun, is accused of assaulting children and using child labour. Previously, activists from the Zendai Foundation took children under Montree’s care to file a…
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Thai man narrowly survives bite from his pet monocled cobra
A Thai man is warning exotic pet lovers not to “play with fire” after he narrowly survived a bite from his pet snake. Doctors had to amputate the man’s finger to save his life after he “trusted” his monocled cobra – a deadly venomous snake – to slither on his hands. The anonymous snake lover, Mr A, posted on Facebook…
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Lucky escape for children after pickup crashes into school bus, driver dies
Several school children and their bus driver escaped relatively unscathed after a pickup vehicle crashed into their school bus this morning. The pickup driver was killed in the collision in the Bang Khan district in southern Thailand. The two vehicles collided in front of Ban Lam Nao post office in tambon Ban Lam Nao. Police Captain Bunlue Mian-o, the deputy…
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Actor Ravi Patel to star in film set in Bangkok
American actor and director Ravi Patel is preparing to star as the villain in an upcoming film set in Bangkok. The film, Kiss of the Con Queen, follows a Bangkok-based actor who heads to Jakarta, Indonesia, for an audition to be the lead in a TV show. While in Jakarta, the actor discovers that a scam is being plotted against him,…
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Prisoner fakes his own death to escape cell in Pattaya, Thailand
An alleged thief faked his death yesterday in an attempt to escape his cell in Pattaya, Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand. However, the “dead” prisoner shot up like a bolt when suspecting rescue workers placed ammonia under his nose. Yesterday, officers from Pattaya City Police Station arrested and detained 53 year old Sayan [surname withheld] under suspicion of stealing 50,000…
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Truck passenger throws firecrackers at other cars
Netizens demanded police arrest a male passenger of a truck who threw firecrackers at other cars on the road in the central province of Rayong. Sanook reported that the video of a passenger on a white truck throwing a firecracker on the road was circulating on Thai social media last night at 10pm. The video does not provide a clear…
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11 provinces in Thailand warned to be aware of falling rocket parts
Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) today issued a warning to 11 provinces in Thailand to be aware of falling rocket parts from the sky on Saturday, November 5. A Thai researcher, and specialist on orbital mechanics from GISTDA, Sittporn Chamnarnsin, reported that a Chinese rocket, Longmarch 5B-4Y, is expected to fall from the sky on Saturday. The rocket…
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Section of Ratchadaphisek Road in Bangkok to close for 5 days for APEC Summit
As world leaders gather in Bangkok later this month for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, a stretch of Ratchadaphisek Road will be closed for public use for five days from November 14-18. The road will be closed from Asoke Intersection to Ratchada-Khlong Toei Intersection to make way for attendees of the APEC Summit, which will be held at the…
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Shelter warnings in Japan after North Korea conducts presumed failed IBCM test
UPDATE Tensions are continuing in the latest episode between North Korea and South Korea. North Korea today conducted what was believed to be a failed launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). A South Korean government source said the presumed Hwasong-17 ICBM successfully separated at the second stage, but is believed to have failed after that, and fell into the…
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Man arrested for selling homemade guns
A Thai man was arrested yesterday for making homemade guns and selling them via e-commerce platforms. The man revealed that he learned how to produce the barrels from social media. Police raided the home of Phuwadon Rakthinderm in the Kung district of the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat and arrested the 34 year old for producing and selling firearms…
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Knife-wielding meth addict circles daycare centre in northeast Thailand
A man in a suspected meth-induced psychotic episode took a knife and circled a daycare centre in Non Suwan subdistrict, Buriram province, northeast Thailand yesterday morning. At around 9am, 30 year old Gongphon “Ming” Sehlah arrived at Non Suwan Child Development Centre armed with a knife and began walking around the centre. According to police, Ming entered a methamphetamine-induced psychotic…
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Thailand barters for cheapest World Cup broadcasting license
Slow but sure, government officials are getting there and confirm that footie lovers in Thailand can watch the FIFA World Cup 2022 for free. Government officials told Thai football fans not to panic and assured them they will secure the broadcasting license in time for the first match on November 20. Thailand football fans fear they will be the only…
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