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.
-
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...
-
AirAsia X expands medium-haul routes from Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur
Air Asia X group (AAX) – including Malaysia AirAsia X and Thai AirAsia X – announced an expansion of medium-haul services out of Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur to meet the ever-growing demand. CEO of AAX Tony Fernandes says the airline is “well and truly back.” The low-cost airline has “reactivated” 175 pilots and 285 cabin crew who were furloughed during…
-
Thai MP to swim across Chao Phraya River for charity
A Member of Parliament from the Thai Civilized Party, Mongkolkit “Tae” Suksintharanon, will swim across the Chao Phraya River on Loy Kratong Day to raise money for the victims of floods in Thailand. On Saturday, October 22, Thai actor and singer, Pakin “Tono” Khamwilaisak swam across the Mekong River under his project named One Man and the River to raise…
-
Drunk SWAT policeman shoots man 9 times at nightclub in southern Thailand
A drunk Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) police officer shot dead a man inside a nightclub in Trang province, southern Thailand, at around 1am today. The SWAT officer fired 11 shots in total with a 9mm gun. Two more nightclub revellers caught in the gunfire were injured. At 1.13am, officers from Mueang Trang Police Station received a report that a…
-
Thai doctor kidnapped in Africa returns home
A well-known Thai doctor who was kidnapped in Mali last month returns home today after being released by his captors. The 49 year old surgeon, Nopparat “Song” Rattanawaraha, was kidnapped while travelling near the Republic of Mali border in West Africa and held captive for 25 days. His captives let him go yesterday after he raised six million baht (US$156,000)…
-
VIDEO: Krabi resident secretly films gambling den
A resident in Krabi’s main city district secretly filmed a gambling den, Thai media reported on Sunday. The blurry footage shows a crowd of people in a big house around a table. The video recorder said the house belongs to a former politician, although they did not specify who. However, some gamblers insisted that said the house belongs to a…
-
Refrigerator saves fisherman’s life in southern Thailand
A refrigerator saved a young fisherman’s life when his boat sank off the coast of Krabi province, southern Thailand, on Sunday. He lay in the fridge and floated for six hours until he was rescued by a passing fishing boat. On Sunday, 33 year old Anat Massoyot from Village 3, Nong Thale subdistrict, Mueang district took his long-tail boat out…
-
Rishi Sunak becomes first Asian UK PM
Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak will be the UK’s next prime minister after winning the Conservative Party leadership contest. His nearest rival Penny Mordaunt dropped out of the race in the final minutes before nominations closed. The 42 year old will become the UK’s first British Asian PM. Nearly 200 Conservative MPs backed the former chancellor ahead of…
-
The Coming War on China
As President Xi Jinping secured an unprecedented third term as Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader yesterday The Coming War on China draws ever closer, predicts award-winning journalist John Pilger. In Pilger’s thought-provoking documentary, The Coming War on China, he notes the United States, backed by Western mainstream media (MSM), has been “beating the drums of war and the world has…
-
Kathu illegal excavation investigated as possible factor in landslide
Phuket continues to be rocked by the fallout from storms, flooding and landslides. One landslide has been cleared enough in Patong Hill to allow pedestrians to cross. Another has led to the agreement to demolish an abandoned hotel near a bypass in Ratsada town. And authorities are now investigating if an illegal excavation led to a landslide that threatened the…
-
Abandoned Phuket hotel to be demolished after landslide
Phuket continues to be rocked by the fallout from storms, flooding and landslides. One landslide has been cleared enough in Patong Hill to allow pedestrians to cross. Another has led to the agreement to demolish an abandoned hotel near a bypass in Ratsada town. And authorities are now investigating if an illegal excavation led to a landslide that threatened the…
-
Thai golf superstar Atthaya goes close in S Korea
Perhaps the hottest property in women’s golf today is rising Thai star Atthaya Thitikul, one of the game’s brightest prospects. Not yet 20 years old and she has already claimed multiple victories on the Ladies European Tour. Atthaya hit a 9-under 63 on Thursday to set a tournament record at the BMW Ladies Championship at Oak Valley Country Club in…
-
Patong Hill opened to foot traffic only after landslides
Phuket continues to be rocked by the fallout from storms, flooding and landslides. One landslide has been cleared enough in Patong Hill to allow pedestrians to cross. Another has led to an agreement to demolish an abandoned hotel near a bypass in Ratsada town. And authorities are now investigating if an illegal excavation led to a landslide that threatened the…
-
Missing Russian tourist seen exiting the sea, search continues
New information in the continuing search for the Russian woman who disappeared in Phuket suggests she may not have drowned at sea, as previously thought. Elena Rusradchenko, the 53 year old Russian woman, was reportedly spotted coming out of the waters at Nai Thon Beach around noon on Thursday. Lifeguards had called for all swimmers to get out of the…
-
No chance of parole for Bangkok’s imprisoned gorilla
After the latest round of public outcry, authorities claim for the umpteenth time that little can be done about gorilla Bua Noi, 33 years old, confined to a small cell in a Bangkok shopping mall. According to Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa, the owners are free to continue doing as they please with the beast they have kept…
-
Tragedy as parents drown saving their two children
The parents of two young children died in a drowning tragedy yesterday afternoon while trying to save their kids from a similar fate in southern Thailand. Witnesses revealed the family of five, 38 year old father Teerawut Phaosen, his 38 year old wife Piyanut, her 10 year daughter Kewarin, 8 year old son Phumpat, and Piyanut’s 40 year old sister…
-
Do business smoothly in Thailand with BizWings accounting firm
Sponsored Meet BizWings (Thailand) Co Ltd., an accounting firm ready to support you and set you up for success in doing business in Thailand. It doesn’t matter whether you’re just starting out, have an established company, or you’ve been around the block a few times. Being a foreign business owner in Thailand, you will be faced with numerous problems. One…
-
Academics in Thailand welcome President Xi’s third term
Academics in Thailand welcomed news yesterday that Chinese leader President Xi Jinping secured an historic third five-year term as general secretary of the ruling Chinese Communist Party. President Xi’s third term will be viewed as undemocratic and autocratic by the Western powers but Thailand’s top boffins believe continuation is the key which will benefit the kingdom and ASEAN countries. Thai…
-
Govt set up complaints hotline about pricey veggies
Noticed an increase in the price of vegetables? So has the government and that is why a complaints hotline has been set up for consumers to log their gripes. The Commerce Ministry’s Department of Internal Trade (DIT) yesterday made known it will monitor increases in the nation’s vegetable prices and promises to come up with measures to control prices. DIT…
-
Phuket floods – pedestrians, field hospital, royal donations
Phuket is expediting provisional repairs to the road over Patong Hill, technically Phrabarami Road (Route 4029). The route was closed to traffic after last Wednesday’s landslide. The plan includes allowing pedestrians to use the road as soon as it is safe. There will be staff on hand to help and people must walk on the shoulder only. Parking areas and…
-
Local artists revive Bangkok’s historical waterside
Along Klong Bang Luang – once a busy canal in Bangkok – people are often drawn to a pagoda in the middle of an old teak house, its battered surface is covered in moss and creepers, along with some obvious traces of a bygone era. Formerly part of Kamphaeng Bangchak temple, the pagoda has been the centrepiece of “The Artist’s…
-
‘A Million Thanks to the Malaysians’ – for tolerating Thai trains
The “Amazing Thailand, A Million Thanks to the Malaysians” event in Kuala Lumpur thanked the Malaysian travel industry for promoting Thailand as a preferred destination. Tourism Authority of Thailand deputy governor Tanes Petsuwan said… “Malaysia has been the number one visitor source market to Thailand so far this year accounting for over 1 million arrivals from January to mid-October. This…
-
Thai car racing gangs of five or more warned of jail time if caught
Thai street car racing gangs of five or more are being warned that they will face jail time and large fines if they are caught gathering. The superintendent of Prachachuen police station sent out the warning, saying even if they have not started racing, those in groups will be arrested for illegal racing. Land Transport and Excise department officials accompanied…
-
China’s former leader Hu Jintao leaves congress due to illness
China’s former leader Hu Jintao, 79, left the closing ceremony of the Communist Party of China’s congress yesterday after reportedly feeling sick. The meeting of the CCP marked the setting of the third term for current president Xi Jinping. According to The Straits Times, the state-sponsored Xinhua news agency tweeted late last night that the former leader was “not feeling…
-
Tono raises 40 million baht in charity swim across Mekong
How much money would it take for you to swim across the Mekong? For actor-singer superstar Pakin “Tono” Kumwilaisak it was 40 million baht – the amount he raised for a charity swim yesterday. The generous celebrity took to the waters in Nakhon Phanom to swim across the mighty Mekong and land in Laos after a journey of over 1…
-
Southern Thais prefer PM Prayut over other candidates in recent poll
A new poll is revealing that southern Thais prefer Prayut Chan-o-cha for the post of prime minister over other politicians. The National Institute of Development Administration polled on October 17-20, on 2,001 eligible voters. The voters were from all levels of education, occupations and incomes, and were aged 18 and over. According to Bangkok Post, the poll was summarised as…
-
Richard Branson invited to Singapore debate after criticising country’s death penalty
After criticising Singapore’s death penalty, British billionaire Richard Branson has been invited to a live, televised debate in the country. Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs clapped back at Branson’s criticisms saying he made false assertions in his recent blog post about the country’s drug policies and the death penalty. K Shanmugam, Singapore’s minister would be debating with Branson if he…
-
Grand scam – Beware of fake banknotes circulating in Udon Thani
Police are warning the public against counterfeit 1,000-baht banknotes that have been found circulating in the sweaty expat paradise of Udon Thani province. Police spokesman Pol Maj Gen Archayon Kraithong said there had been several reports of counterfeit bills in the province. Two cases were posted to social media, the first involving a barbecue restaurant and another at a grocery…
-
Now he has wings – Red Bull boss Mateschitz passes after long illness
Red Bull co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz has died aged 78. The Austrian billionaire, a hero in Thailand and patriarch of Red Bull’s Formula One team, had been battling a long-term illness. Mateschitz was the driving force behind the transformation of Red Bull from a sketchy Thai energy drink to the global market leader in a sector which he created more or…
-
But is it art? Thailand’s NFT makers turn pixels into profit
Visitors to Than Bok Khorani National Park stand at one end of a 3,000-year continuum of creative endeavour that extends from the dusty dank caves of Krabi to the high-class sale rooms of Bangkok. When Pablo Picasso died in 1973 at 91, he is estimated to have completed 13,500 paintings (not sketches and cartoons, actual paintings) and around 100,000 prints…
-
Man overpays taxi 253,000 baht, driver returns it
Rushing to transfer payment to a taxi driver, a Thai passenger hit a few extra buttons and didn’t notice he overpaid his cab fare. One thousand times more than the fare. After accidentally transferring 253,303 baht for a 253 baht taxi ride, the driver has been commended for returning the gargantuan erroneous tip. The Thai passenger hailed the taxi on…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.