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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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Thailand’s perilous roads claim the lives of 75 foreigners so far this year
Thailand’s deadly roads have claimed the lives of 75 foreigners so far this year. A further 2,886 foreigners were injured, according to data from Thai RSC, an accident information centre. Foreigners getting into road accidents in Thailand regularly make headlines but much more go unrecorded by the media. Data recorded from January 1 – February 15, 2023, reveals that 2,099…
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Disney launches special pop-up event at Asiatique The Riverfront
Walt Disney is celebrating its 100th anniversary with a special event at Asiatique The Riverfront in Bangkok next month. Wanlapa Trisorut, the Managing Director of Asset World Corporation, announced a business expansion plan that involves investing over 800 million baht in Asiatique The Riverfront. The goal is to transform the open-air mall into Bangkok’s largest riverside retail destination, catering to…
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Elderly German man dies in Pattaya motorbike crash
An elderly German man tragically died in a motorbike crash in Pattaya yesterday. Police and rescuers arrived at the scene on Soi 14 in the Naklua sub-district of Bang Lamung district. They found the man, 81 year old Hans Werner Schreiner, dead in a pool of blood on the road. Schreiner was lying upward, and suffered critical head injuries. Police…
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Patong Police bust Frenchman for hit-and-run that seriously injured woman
Patong police busted a Frenchman for a hit and run after a Thai pedestrian was seriously injured last week. The culprit, Naji Sami Bouakkz, hit a woman, 54 year old Maliwan Sarnrat, with his motorbike on Friday, February 10. The incident happened on Soi Sai Namyen. Bouakkz did not stop his motorbike after hitting Maliwan. Officers and rescuers rushed Maliwan…
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Four Thai teens win award for pioneering parasite-killing invention
Four high school students from Yala in southern Thailand won the New Gen Inventors Award 2023 for inventing a herbal product made from galangal leaves which kills parasites in raw foods in less than six minutes. Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha praised the children for creating a practical product from readily available herbs which will improve the Thai population’s physical…
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Pattaya to ban parking on beach side of road from March 1
Pattaya City is banning parking on the beach side of the road from March 1. Pattaya Mayor Poramase Ngampiches, says the move is in response to an increase in traffic issues after the city has seen more tourists arriving. According to The Pattaya News, the new rule stirred up social media reactions with many residents agreeing with the move. However,…
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Thailand’s deputy police chief “Big Joke” is unsure that missing baby is alive
Thailand’s deputy police chief “Big Joke,” says he is unsure that the missing eight month old baby who disappeared from his home is alive. However, Surachate Hakparn, better known as “Big Joke,” says he is quite sure that the baby’s parents know what happened. The parents of the missing baby, 19 year old Sitthichoke Saengsawang and 16 year old Philaiporn…
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Surf’s up in Hua Hin! Festival coming up
Surf’s up in Hua Hin! The annual Hua Hin Surf Festival is coming up next week in Thailand’s scenic seaside town. The event in Thailand brings together surfers, beach enthusiasts, and thrill seekers from all over the country. This year’s event is set to take place on February 25 to 26 at Khao Takiab beach and promises to be bigger…
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Thai activists want humiliating haircut punishments to stop in government schools
Thai activists want humiliating haircut punishments to stop in government schools after a teacher was accused of cutting at least 100 students’ hair. According to The Guardian, the activists are calling for clearer guidelines surrounding the haircut rule in government schools after the Ministry of Education revoked the decades-long haircut regulations. Now, the Ministry says schools can develop their own…
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Rare footage of the ‘unsinkable’ Titanic finally unveiled (video)
Titanic obsessives are in for a rare treat this week as never-seen-before video footage of the discovery of the supposed “unsinkable” vessel was yesterday released on YouTube. The video reveals 80 minutes of uncut footage showing the famous ship as seen by oceanographers in 1986. Watch it HERE: This uncut footage comes in time with the 25th anniversary re-release of…
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Thailand’s Wild Boar football team pays tribute to captain “Dom” after his sudden death
Thailand’s Wild Boar football team is paying tribute to Duangpetch “Dom” Promthep, 17, who died suddenly in England. As the captain of the 13 Wild Boars football team, “Dom” was rescued from the Tham Luang Cave in Chiang Rai back in 2018 after the cave flash-flooded leaving them trapped inside for 17 days. According to Khaosod English, the Associated Press…
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Mosquito bite in Thailand causes Dutchman to lose both legs
A Dutchman living in Nakhon Rathasima in Thailand is on a mission to spread awareness about “flesh-eating bacteria” (necrotising fasciitis) after a mosquito bite led to the amputation of his left leg and lower right leg. Long-term expat, 62 year old Ed Olieslagers from the Netherlands, went to the hospital in April last year after a mosquito bite became inflamed and…
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Russian forces putting Ukrainian children in re-education camps
A new report describes a dystopian nightmare, alleging Russia snatched thousands of Ukrainian children, intent on reprogramming them. The US-backed report published yesterday revealed that at least 6,000 Ukrainian children, and likely many more, have been held in Russian camps for political re-education. The report claims that there are at least 43 such camps, mostly in the disputed Crimea region of…
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Thai cave survivor ‘found unconscious in dormitory,’ says Coach Zico
The Wild Boars team captain ‘Dom‘ – one of 12 boys saved from a flooded cave in Thailand in 2018 – was found unconscious in his dormitory room in England on Sunday before tragically passing away on Tuesday, according to the foundation sponsoring his studies. President of the Zico Foundation, Kiatisuk “Coach Zico” Senamuang, told the press via Zoom that…
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Thailand’s diesel price set to drop
Thailand’s diesel price was set to drop yesterday. The country’s domestic price of diesel was expected to drop by 0.5 baht per litre, according to the Oil Fuel Fund Office (Offo). This is the second reduction in diesel prices this month, with another 0.5 baht per litre drop scheduled for February 22. Officials determined last week that the price would…
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Heroic doctor and nurse save panic attack passenger on Japan-Thailand flight
A quick-thinking doctor and nurse became heroes on a Japan to Thailand flight after they promptly administered aid to an anxious passenger suffering from a panic attack. Thai singer and actor Siwat “Tah” Sirichai shared the heartwarming story of two medical workers who went above and beyond the call of duty to save a passenger suffering from a panic attack…
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Hollywood’s golden era loses an icon, Raquel Welsh dies at 82
Raquel Welch, Hollywood icon, sex symbol, and trailblazer for modern-day action heroines, has died at the age of 82. The star, known for her sultry roles and sex symbol status, passed away on Wednesday morning after a brief illness. Welch’s career spanned over five decades, during which she appeared in more than 30 movies and 50 television shows. Her breakout…
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Thunderstorms in north Thailand, floods in Bangkok
The Thai Meteorological Department has issued a weather warning for thunderstorms in north Thailand until Friday. The met office expects temperatures to fall by up to 3 degrees Celsius and has cautioned residents to beware of big trees and unsafe advertising hoardings. The department advised farmers to prepare for crop damage. Meanwhile, the weather in Bangkok turned from swelteringly suffocating…
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Reckless Bangkok GrabBike rider kills motorcycle taxi man, flees scene
A reckless GrabBike rider crashed his vehicle into a motorcycle taxi rider and killed him on the Ratchadapisek Road in Bangkok in the early hours of this morning. The suspect fled the scene leaving his drunk, injured passenger with the dead body. Motorists on Ratchadapisek Road reported the accident to the Sutthisarn Police Station at about 5.30am today. Police officers…
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Pattaya gains condom vending machines
Sex in Sin City just got safer as condoms were loaded into vending machines in two areas of Pattaya in the Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand, yesterday. The initiative is part of the National Health Security Office’s new campaign “Love Bang Love Safety” which aims to tackle teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. The project is being piloted in Pattaya, the…
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5,000 year old tavern found in Iraq
Feel like your local pub is a bit old and dated? Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a tavern dating back almost 5,000 years in the ruins of ancient Lagash in southern Iraq. The site was uncovered in the northeast of the modern city of Nasiriyah by a US-Italian team. Southern Iraq was home to some of the earliest cities…
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Security guard unconscious in hospital after being assaulted by baseball bat wielding thug
A security guard from a village in the Klong Sam Wa district of Bangkok suffered critical injuries and is unconscious in hospital after a baseball bat-wielding thug beat him up without reason. The attacker’s father blamed the violent assault on his son’s depression. The video capturing the thug brutally beating the helpless security guard with a baseball bat was circulated…
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Alleged macau888 gambling kingpin Benz Daemon arrested upon return to Thailand
Wanted alleged macau888 gambling kingpin Benz Daemon was finally arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport upon his return to Thailand last night to face gambling and money laundering charges. Chaiwat Kajornboonthavorn, aka “Benz Daemon,” was arrested and detained for interrogation at 9.30pm after arriving in Bangkok on a Thai Airways flight from Hong Kong. He denies the charges filed against him. Benz…
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Thailand’s LGBTQ couples push for marriage equality on Valentine’s Day
Thailand’s LGBTQ couples pushed for marriage equality on Valentine’s Day yesterday. The 128 LGBTQ couples in Bangkok and Ayutthaya took part in a marriage registration campaign. Dusit District Office and Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University held the campaign at Suan Sunandha Palace, which was decorated for the event. Authorities are hoping that this campaign is a starting point in passing the…
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Jobseekers from the Philippines urged to be cautious when considering job offers overseas
Jobseekers from the Philippines are being urged to exercise caution when considering employment offers overseas. The Philippines government reported that illegal cross-country recruitment has been around for years with several Asian countries guilty of offering fake employment opportunities, trafficking individuals, and coercing applicants into working at fraudulent call centres. The Facebook page of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration Anti-Illegal Recruitment…
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Thai schoolgirl dies from electric shock while charging phone
In a series of events becoming too familiar in Thailand, a 13 year old schoolgirl was electrocuted while charging her phone and was found dead by her grandmother. A frayed extension cable is believed to be the cause. On Monday at 1.30pm, officers at Ban Na Police Station in Nakhon Nayok province were informed a child had died from an…
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Festival coming up at Sarasin Bridge in Phuket and Phang Nga
A festival is coming up at Sarasin Bridge, which connects Thailand’s island province of Phuket with Phang Nga province. This will be the 13th time the festival, called the ‘Baan Phi Muang Nong’ project, has been held. The festival will start on Friday, February 17, and last until Sunday, February 19. The festival will dazzle attendees with fireworks shows, live…
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The Crystal Grill House debuts at Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park
Press Release Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park and Asset World Corp Public Company Limited (AWC) is inviting guests to step into a glamorous world of gastronomy and mixology at The Crystal Grill House, a stylish departure from a traditional steak and seafood restaurant on the banks of the Chao Phraya, Bangkok’s historic “River of Kings.” Situated directly on the waterside…
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Papua militants release video of kidnapped NZ pilot
New footage has been released by the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), showing that New Zealand pilot, Philip Mehrtens, who was kidnapped last week, is alive and well. The video is the first proof of life since he was reportedly taken captive by Papua insurgents in the remote region of Nduga on Feb. 7. Last week, in the Indonesian…
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Health officials urged Pattaya teens to have safe sex on Valentine’s Day
In a city known as a sex hub, Pattaya’s health officials sent a message to the city’s teenagers on Valentine’s Day (yesterday). Health officials urged Pattaya teens to practice safe sex on Valentine’s Day. In a lecture to students at a school, the Public Health Department’s Nurse Na-anya Jantrakard urged sexually active teens to use condoms, to avoid sexually transmitted…
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