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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 Why retirees in Thailand are choosing long-term health insurance over quick fixes
Retirees in Thailand are increasingly seeing the importance of health insurance in protecting their well-being during retirement. With insurance requirements for retirement visas and rising healthcare costs, many are moving away from short-term plans and choosing long-term coverage. Long-term health...
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HelloFresh accused of using coconut milk made using monkey labour in Thailand
PETA Asia urges HelloFresh – a global meal-kit company – to “do the right thing” and stop using coconut milk made using monkey labour in Thailand. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) says HelloFresh’s coconut milk is supplied by Suree and Aroy-D, two brands that PETA says have admitted to using monkey labour in their coconut milk production.…
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Covid-19 infections up 12.8% last week
Despite everyone in Thailand – and the rest of the world – being bored of it, Covid-19 is still here. Last week, new Covid infections in Thailand rose 12.8%. The greatest leaps were seen in tourist areas and Bangkok. In the last week, an average of six people per day died of the coronavirus, while 3,166 people were admitted to…
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Fisherman finds dead dugong in Krabi
In a tragedy for Thailand’s animal lovers, a fisherman found a dead dugong in the southern Krabi province on Sunday. The fisherman found the dugong in the sea and pulled it up onto a pier. A consultant of the Krabi Fishermen Association said the dugong was a male, and around three years old. He said it weighed 100 kilograms and…
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Police search for naked tourist riding a motorcycle in public
Police officers in the north-central province of Phetchabun are searching for a Thai tourist who was featured on a viral video riding a motorcycle naked on a public road. Local News Phetchabun (ข่าวท้à¸à¸‡à¸–ิ่นเพชรบูรณ์) posted a video of two male tourists on a motorcycle last night. The male rider wore clothes but his passenger was naked aside from a helmet and…
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Baby #8 billion: Manila marks world population milestone
Calling someone “one in a million” just doesn’t have the same strength that it used to. The world population has now hit eight billion people. And who is the lucky eight billionth person? It’s hard to say exactly, but a newborn baby girl in Manila has been chosen as the eight billionth global citizen for this new population milestone. Vinice…
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Island off Pattaya sees 20,000 tourists over weekend
An island off Pattaya well known as a vacation hotspot saw at least 20,000 tourists over the past weekend. The cluster of young and old tourists swarmed to the island of Koh Larn, flocking to its Ta Waen Beach. The tourists enjoyed traditional Thai massage, as well as food, umbrellas, and other services offered at the beach. Pattaya City has…
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Rude passport office director blames customers for system failure making them miss flights
A furious Thai woman complained at one of the nation’s passport offices in Bangkok after she paid 3,000 baht for a special express passport service but still missed her flight. More than 100 people queued at the Department of Consular Affairs in Bangkok until 7pm yesterday with several customers missing their flights because they could not get a passport on time.…
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New moves to criminalise cannabis shrugged off by Anutin
Amid moves to walk back the legalisation of cannabis, Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul shrugged off the attempt to criminalise the herb again. Anutin, who also serves as deputy prime minister, says that the debate over cannabis is decided and done. Opponents of legalisation are pushing for cannabis to be reclassified as a Type 5 narcotic, which would be…
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Koh Samui’s Hash House Harriers to celebrate 1000th run December 3rd
Koh Samui’s Hash House Harriers are celebrating their 1000th run on the island. Perhaps it isn’t just a celebration of conquering the wild jungles of Koh Samui, but rather a celebration of forged international friendships over the 25 years that the run has operated on the island. As the group normally features around 20-30 participants for each of its Saturday…
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Press covering APEC treated to free Thai massage
The Thai government has been tripping over itself to put its best foot forward as they host the APEC summit in Bangkok this week. From cracking down on troublesome illegal immigrants, to cleaning up roads and repainting streets, and even poorly-spelt welcome signs, officials are pulling out all the stops. Now, members of the press covering APEC will be treated…
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House fire kills family of 3 and 12 pets in central Thailand
A blazing fire engulfed a house in Pathum Thani province in central Thailand last night killing a couple, their one year old child, and 12 pets. At 1am today, officers from Thanya Buri Police Station were informed of a house fire in Pruksa Village Khlong 8 in Thanya Buri district. Police, firefighters, and rescue workers from the Por Teck Thung…
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Joe Ferrari revealed to have 1.3 billion baht in assets
By now, it is well known that disgraced and murderous Pol Col Thitisan “Joe Ferrari” Utthanaphon amassed a fortune in luxury cars and suspicious wealth. But today, the National Anti-Corruption Commission put a price tag on it: 1.3 billion baht. The staggering net worth was announced as the NACC argues a court appeal should be allowed to confiscate and liquidate his…
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Woman warns others after being stalked by creepy taxi driver
A woman driver issued a warning to others after she was stalked by a taxi driver to her home in Pathum Thani province near Bangkok. The cab driver denied the accusation saying he was hired by an unknown person to follow her. The woman, Thitichaya (surname reserved), said she was stalked by a taxi driver for over 10 kilometres. The…
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Locals queue to get access to their homes during APEC meeting
Residents and workers close to the APEC meeting location, Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC), queued up at Lumphini Police Station yesterday to get official passes to get access to the area. Yesterday was the last day Lumphini Police Station issued passes to residents or those who work in the area. Motorcycle taxis, taxi drivers, and food delivery riders were…
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Cambodian PM Hun Sen contracts Covid-19 prior to APEC Summit in Thailand
The Prime Minister of Cambodia Hun Sen tested positive for Covid-19 today meaning he will not be able to attend the APEC Summit in Bangkok this week as planned. He has had close contact with numerous world leaders in the past week. Hun Sen reported the positive test result this morning after hosting the ASEAN Summit in Cambodia between November…
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Wrong spelling of ‘Welcom’ spotted on APEC banners
Thailand has made great efforts to ensure this week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting goes smoothly, unfortunately, a double gaff by one of the government departments has left the nation red-faced. Dignitaries, VIPs, and visitors to the APEC Summit yesterday were greeted by banners along the Chalong Rat Expressway which read “Welcom to APEC 2022.” But that’s not all. If…
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A million tourists have arrived in Phang Nga this year
A million tourists have made the trip to Thailand’s holiday hotspot province of Phang Nga this year. Phang Nga’s millionth foreign tourist, Veronika Labajova from Slovakia, was welcomed with gifts from tourism officials on November 6. Now, Phang Nga has set a goal of drawing up to 10 million tourists next year. Governor Ekkarat Leesen spoke on Saturday at the launch…
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Small earthquake shakes Chiang Rai in northern Thailand
A small earthquake struck along the Thai – Myanmar border in the Chiang Rai province in northern Thailand in the early hours of this morning, according to the Meteorological Department. No injuries or damages have been reported. At 3.38am, the department‘s Earthquake Surveillance Division reported that a 3.2 magnitude earthquake with a depth of 3 kilometres occurred in the Mae Salong…
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US agrees to improve dialogue with China at G20 Summit
It appears United States President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping listened to the sensible words of US Professor Jeffrey Sachs at the G20 Summit in Indonesia yesterday and sat around a table to talk instead of dragging the globe into yet another war. Both presidents met cordially ahead of the summit, in Bali, shook hands, posed for the cameras,…
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Japanese couple’s Lantern Festival romantic marriage proposal ends in drama
A romantic moment during the marriage proposal of a Japanese couple turned into a scary drama. A Japanese man chose the Yi Peng Lantern Festival in Chiang Mai as the location to propose to his loving girlfriend but the romantic moment was almost ruined when low-flying lanterns crashed into them and almost set them on fire. The marriage proposal video…
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Alec Baldwin sues 4 over gun death on his movie set
Over a year after the tragic death of a cinematographer on the set of an Alec Baldwin film, the actor and producer who faces lawsuits over the incident has filed a countersuit against four people involved in the incident. In the suit, he accuses the four of negligence for giving him a gun loaded with a real bullet in it.…
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Malaysian tourists host luxury motor show in Thailand’s Betong town
The poor state of Thailand’s roads may have scuppered plans for a group of Malaysian tourists to enjoy a driving tour in their luxury cars but all was not lost as they decided to showcase them for driving enthusiasts instead at a homemade motor show. Thirty-three Malaysian tourists were set for a road trip in the Betong district of Thailand…
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Thai FDA warns against drinking erectile dysfunction coffee
Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned the public against consuming “Gomax Coffee,” a product advertised as treating erectile dysfunction. The FDA said consuming the coffee risks blindness and heart failure. Today, the FDA reported the results of their product testing on “Gomax Coffee” – serial number 122046610023 – produced by PY Intergroup Col, Ltd., in Nonthaburi province and distributed…
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Tourists not keen on travelling to Hong Kong under current restrictions
It was thought that the relaxation of pre-pandemic measures in Hong Kong would see tourists flocking back but that’s not the case. Travel agents in Hong Kong revealed there is still a dearth of visitors to the special administrative region of China despite the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions. Hong Kong travel agencies made known that tourists are coming back in…
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Road repair on Patong Hill may take more than 2 months
The extensive road damage due to landslides on Patong Hill is now expected to take longer to repair than the original 45-day prediction. Pounding rains and land erosion have severely damaged the road which has been closed and opened several times to varying degrees in an attempt to allow people to pass between Patong and Kathu. After heavy rains caused…
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3 teen boys kidnapped, tortured, and forced to perform oral sex by sadistic gang
Three teen boys were kidnapped, tortured, and forced to engage in gay sex against their will at gunpoint by a sadistic gang of teenagers at a house in the Hua Mark area of Bangkok. The victims suffered burns on their penises, were forced to drink urine, take part in oral sex, and fight with each other. Only one offender has been…
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Police arrest man for sexually assaulting two street dogs in Pattaya, Thailand
A Thai man was arrested and detained for sexually assaulting two dogs last night in Pattaya, Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand. Officers from Nong Prue Police Station received a call from a warehouse security guard who said a drunk man was “committing indecent acts” on a dog near the entrance of Soi Nong Mai Kaen 12 in Pattaya’s Nong Prue…
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Police officer talks suicidal Burmese man off bridge
A quick-thinking and compassionate police officer saved the life of a suicidal Burmese man in Bangkok. The Burmese man named Adee climbed onto the ledge of the Petch Uthai Road bridge in downtown Bangkok, distraught and threatening to jump to his death. It was an officer from the Makkasan Police who managed to talk him down. Adee had walked onto…
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Over 200 outlaw motorcycle riders arrested in Phetchabun
More than 200 touring motorcycle riders on a philanthropic mission to help poor schoolchildren were arrested while travelling in the north-central province of Phetchabun after they broke several traffic laws and caused a public nuisance. The altruistic group, called the No Shower Trip (ทริปน้ำไม่à¸à¸²à¸š), revealed they gathered to ride to a school in a rural area and deliver classroom equipment…
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Phuket pickup truck racers fined
UPDATE Pickup truck drivers who went viral in a video for racing on a Phuket road last week have been fined. Three racers presented themselves at Phuket City Police Station on Friday and admitted that they were the drivers in the viral clips. The three men have now been fined 2,000 baht each. They are facing charges of causing loud…
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