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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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Thailand ranks 9th in 10 Cheapest Places to Live list by Forbes
Thailand and Italy secured joint 9th place in Forbes magazine’s list “Quit Your Job and Move Abroad: 10 Cheapest Places to Live” list published on Monday. Forbes compiled a list of desirable locations to live aimed not only at retirees but anyone who wants to quit their job, pack up shop and start a new life for an affordable price……
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VIDEO: Indian restaurant owner attacked for ‘stealing customers’ in Thailand
A Thai-born Indian man was attacked on Saturday after opening an Indian restaurant in close proximity to another Indian restaurant in Krabi province in southern Thailand. The victim, Wirent Tiwari, was welcoming customers into his restaurant when he was suddenly attacked by an Indian man. The attacker screamed “I’ll kill you! Then bury you in the ground!” as he slapped,…
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Infected Chinese tourist escapes quarantine in South Korea
South Korean police are searching for a Covid-19 infected Chinese tourist who escaped from a quarantine hotel last Friday. The South Korean news website, KBS News, reported yesterday that local police have been unable to track down the 41 year old Chinese man who escaped Covid quarantine. The website revealed that the man entered the country via the Incheon International…
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‘Buffalo’ Suttipong’s trash-talk tarnishes Phuket’s reputation
The trash-talk of Interior Ministry Permanent Secretary Suttipong Juljarern tarnishes Phuket’s reputation, according to the president of the Phuket Lawyers Association. As the highest-ranking civil servant at the Interior Ministry, Suttipong can’t seem to keep his foot out of his mouth or his name out of the headlines. The latest of the senior servant’s woes comes as people in Phuket…
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Couple injured after their motorcycle collides with sedan
A foreigner and his Thai wife were seriously injured after a white sedan crashed into their motorcycle last night when they made a U-turn at Samerng Intersection in Chiang Mai province. A witness reported the collision to the Hang Dong Police Station at 7pm yesterday, January 4. The accident happened in front of a convenience store at the Samerng Intersection on…
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PM Prayut proud of Thailand’s pineapples
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha‘s face lit up with joy when he heard that Thailand is the biggest exporter of canned pineapple in the world, according to government spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri. PM Prayut was “delighted” when the Agriculture Ministry informed him that Thailand holds a 32% share in the global canned pineapple market – the biggest in the world – valued…
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VIDEO: The WHO accuses China of massaging Covid data
The World Health Organization (WHO) accused China of not being transparent about the true impact of the coronavirus outbreak in the Chinese mainland or about its death toll. The WHO believes Beijing is massaging data since it removed its strict restrictions and mass-testing last month. Mike Ryan, the WHO’s emergencies director, said… “We believe that the current numbers being published…
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Man arrested for forcing woman to perform oral sex in mini bus
Police arrested a man who forced a woman to perform oral sex on him in a mini bus in the central province of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya. The driver of a mini bus immediately filed a complaint with the police after the female victim notified him about the sexual assault when she got out of the vehicle at her destination.…
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Malaysia responds to China’s lifted Covid restrictions with plans to tighten borders
Malaysia is responding to China’s recently lifted Covid-19 restrictions with plans to tighten its borders. The Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, announced the country’s plans as fears mount over another Covid wave due to China. According to the Straits Times, the Cabinet is choosing to prioritise health over the economy. “We will control and tighten (our borders) even more, including (travellers) from…
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Former US funeral home director gets 20 years in slammer for selling dead body parts
A former US funeral home director in the state of Colorado has been jailed for 20 years after being found guilty of selling dead body parts. The former director, Megan Hess, 46, pleaded guilty to defrauding relatives of the dead by dissecting 560 corpses and selling them without permission. Hess operated a funeral home named Sunset Mesa in Montrose, Colorado.…
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Chinese tourist surge may be small, trains may help
After a flurry of excitement over the return of Chinese tourists, perhaps tempered a bit by Covid-19 worries amidst a huge outbreak there, industry experts are predicting a smaller surge this Chinese New Year. The Association of Thai Travel Agents says that many large tour groups popular in China have not confirmed trips until the country makes an official announcement…
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Video of alleged Chinese Triad drug raid in October released
A new video has surfaced of a drug raid at Jinling nightclub in Bangkok from October that was part of a crackdown on illegal Chinese triad activity. The video was released by controversial politician and soapy massage pioneer Chuwit Kamolvisit who has been active in efforts to curb Chinese gang activity in Bangkok. The raid in October nabbed 104 people…
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National Park officials condemned for allowing sailboat to destroy Krabi reef
Thai netizens condemned National Park officials for failing to do their job after seeing images of a tourist sailboat destroying a coral reef in the southern province of Krabi. Yesterday, January 3, the environmental activist Facebook page Monsoon Garbage Thailand posted photos of a white sailboat docking over the coral reef near Yawasam Island. The page explained that the island…
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Reckless driver surrenders to police after running over taxi rider
A reckless sedan driver fled from the scene of a deliberate crash after smashing into a motorcycle taxi rider and dragging him about five metres on a road in Bangkok. The motorcyclist was injured in the collision but miraculously survived. Another motorcycle rider chased after the negligent motorist but could not catch him. CCTV at the Phasi Charoen Canal Intersection…
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King of Malaysia queues up for KFC
The King of Malaysia and his family were spotted queuing up for some of Colonel Sanders’ finger lickin’ chicken at a KFC branch at a Petronas gas station in Petaling Jaya city in Selangor state on Thursday. Malaysia’s Royal Palace, the Istana Negara, posted photos on Facebook of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah – aka Abdullah…
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Thais can apply for a digital ID next week
Thai nationals using public services provided by government agencies will be able to apply for a digital ID card next Tuesday, January 10. Deputy government spokesperson Traisuree Taisaranakul announced the digital ID will apply to agencies under the Internal Affairs Ministry first and then expanded to other government and private agencies, such as commercial banks. The policy will primarily focus…
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Lost 6 year old boy helped home after 6-kilometre cycle ride
A six year old boy who had cycled nearly 30 kilometers from his grandparents to his mother’s home in another district of Udon Thani returned home safely after getting lost. He was helped home by a government official after six kilometres of cycling. A community chief in the Baan Chiang sub-district of Udon Thani revealed the boy’s story to Thai…
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Love affair between Japanese porn star and Thailand goes on
The love affair between a Japanese porn star and Thailand continues. Adult movie star Rae Lil Black is back in the Land of Smiles to try and find a Thai husband, so she says. The 26 year old actress arrived in the kingdom on December 10 last year. Since then, the smoking-hot actress has been pictured in several locations boosting…
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Southern Thailand’s Hat Yai railway targeted again
Train services between Hat Yai and Khlong Ngae in southern Thailand‘s Songkhla province were temporarily suspended again yesterday when officials discovered that several parts of the railway track had been removed by suspected insurgents. Services on the railway, which connects Hat Yai in southern Thailand to Padang Besar in Malaysia, resumed on New Year’s Day after the track was repaired…
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Man lying on a roadside for 6 days survives accident
A man who was injured in a motorcycle accident survived for six days while lying on the roadside before being rescued in Udon Thani’s Isaan province. The injured man, Withawat Nanthapetch, went missing on December 29 of last year after he went to a bar to drink with friends. A bar security camera captured the 22 year old walking out…
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Police arrest two Russians for begging on the streets of southern Thailand
Thai police arrested two Russian men yesterday for begging on the streets of Surat Thani in southern Thailand. The men held signs saying they are fleeing war in Russia. Surat Thani Immigration officers, tourist police officers, and officials from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security jointly arrested 36 year old Evgenii Malakhov and 32 year old Alexander Kulikov…
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TikTok video of nurses drinking in hospital spurs investigation
Officials responded after TikTok videos went viral showing nurses in a hospital drinking and partying. The hospital was not named but the Thailand Nursing and Midwifery Council (TNMC) announced that they were launching a probe into the incident after several video clips were uploaded to the popular social media app. The video has since been removed, but many shocked and…
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Furious passengers on Thai Smile Airways flight grounded for 2 hours
Furious Thai Smile Airways passengers filed a complaint with the Airport of Thailand (AOT) after they were made to wait on a plane at Suvarnabhumi Airport for two hours because of a lack of shuttle buses and drivers. One of the passengers, Amornrat Viriyaroj, shared her experience on Facebook. On Monday, Amornrat travelled from Chaing Rai to Bangkok with Thai Smile…
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China threatens retaliation over restrictions on Chinese tourists
China is striking back as governments around the world are making policies for Chinese tourists entering their countries. A massive Covid-19 wave has been surging through the mainland, but January 8 reopening plans are still in place allowing a huge tourism demographic of Chinese tourists to flock to holiday destinations worldwide. But not only that! China is threatening countermeasures against…
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Indian tourists cancel Thailand trips after govt impose Covid test
The Thai Hotels Association last night reported that tourists from India are cancelling trips to Thailand in their droves after their government insisted that returning travellers produce a negative Covid-19 test before reentering the country. The new mandate has come as a shock to Indian holidaymakers as the rest of the world contemplates what to do with returning Chinese tourists.…
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Uncovering the Hidden Gems of Thailand’s Islands
Thailand is a beautiful place to visit. It has been home to all sorts of tourist attractions, amazing landscapes, beaches, and nightlife you’ll remember. There are many islands and they hide all sorts of things making Thailand a place that you need to visit. Thai people enjoy lots of different things in their free time and just like anyone else…
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Phuket focuses on foreigners causing motorbike accidents
As Thailand sees the tail end of the dreaded “Seven Days of Danger” where road accidents and death tend to spike over the new year holiday, officials in Phuket are focusing on the number of accidents involving foreigners on their roads. At this morning’s daily briefing at the Phuket Provincial Hall, officials said that foreigners on holiday renting motorbikes and…
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Famous dance teacher arrested for sexual assault allegation
Police arrested a well-known Thai dance instructor, Chutidate Thongyoo after sexual assault allegations were made by an underage teenage boy. The teacher denied the allegations. The teenager filed a complaint with the police alleging that he had been sexually harassed by the 60 year old teacher, also known as Thiam, on September 16 last year. The boy revealed he was…
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16 year old boy dies after playing Russian roulette
A 16 year old boy was found dead at an abandoned house in the Nong Chok district of Bangkok. The teenage boy’s two friends said they were playing Russian roulette and he shot himself. Officers from Lam Hin Police Station and a rescue team were notified about the shooting at 10.40pm last night and rushed to the abandoned house situated…
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Thai baht and Singapore dollar battle for strongest regional currency
China is reopening its borders, pushing economists to predict that an influx of Chinese tourists to Thailand will propel the Thai baht into Southeast Asia’s reigning currency in 2023. But the baht has one regional competitor: the trusty Singapore dollar. Thailand’s economy heavily depends on tourism revenue. In 2019, Chinese tourists made up over 40% of the 40 million tourist…
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