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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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Driver hits and kills pedestrian on dimly lit Pattaya road
A driver hit and killed a pedestrian crossing a dimly lit Pattaya road on Wednesday night, in Thailand‘s latest road tragedy. Bang Lamung police arrived on the scene in front of Soi Bang Lamung 12 to find the victim, a 46 year old man named Paiboon Tongmo, dead on the road. The driver, 27 year old Sila Narinnok, was in…
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Thailand to extradite alleged Malaysian scammer to China
A Thai court ordered a wanted alleged Malaysian scammer to be extradited to China to face charges related to fraud on Wednesday. Both Malaysia and China requested the repatriation of Tedy Teow Wooi Huat, the founder of the Mobility Beyond Imagination Group (MBI), after he was allegedly linked to numerous scams, reports the Straits Times. Penang-born Teow attended a virtual…
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Phuket police volunteer faces drunk driving charges
A Phuket police volunteer faces drunk driving charges after he and a medical staffer collided on their motorbikes. The incident happened on Korsimbi Road near the Rang Hill in Talad Nuea market in Phuket’s main city district. Rescuers arrived on the scene to find both men injured, with their motorbikes damaged. One of the injured men was 52 year old…
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Daughter who stole 250 million baht ordered to pay compensation
The daughter who stole over 250 million baht from her sick mother in Thailand has been ordered to pay more than 200 million baht (US$6 million) in compensation to the bedridden woman. In the suit filed by Huay Sriwirat against her daughter Mawadee Sriwirat, The Phra Khanong Civil Court has ordered Mawadee, two Kasikornbank employees, and a Kasikornbank bank to…
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‘Tuhao’ and 40 others indicted on multiple charges
Chinese businessman “Tuhao” and 40 accomplices were indicted in Bangkok on Thursday on a wide variety of charges, including drug trafficking and money laundering. The indictment of Chaiyanat “Tuhao” Kornchayanant comes after attorney-general Naree Tantasathien gave the go-ahead. The AG ordered the Office of Narcotics Litigation to arraign Chaiyanat and the other suspects at the Bangkok South Criminal Court. Charges…
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Taliban forces Afghan shopkeepers to cover mannequins’ faces
The Taliban is forcing Afghan shopkeepers to cover mannequins’ faces. Mannequins in women’s clothing shops across Kabul now have cloth and bags covering their faces, the Associated Press reported on Monday. The Taliban initially wanted the mannequins beheaded. While some shopkeepers obeyed, others weren’t having it. Shopkeepers complained that they would not be able to advertise their clothes, or that…
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Subdistrict accountant swindles 15 million baht in government funds
An accountant for Lad Yao subdistrict in Nakhon Sawan province, central Thailand, was arrested yesterday for swindling 15 million baht in government funds to pay back her gambling debt and repay loan sharks. Police officers from the Office of Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) arrested a female accountant, 41 year old Phatchara, at the Lad Yao sub-district office in Nakhon…
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Do you still need Covid-19 travel insurance to enter Thailand? Here’s what you need to know
With its stunning white sandy beaches, majestic temples, and delectable cuisine, Thailand is a paradise waiting to be explored. And if you’ve been dreaming of visiting the Land of Smiles during the pandemic, it’s time to start dusting off those suitcases and planning that dream vacation! After months (years!) of stringent restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, travellers looking to…
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Military reform top of electioneering agenda
Military reform has been at the top of this weeks electioneering agenda. Pheu Thai and Move Forward both want to see widespread reform of the military, including the ending of conscription. Though the move will be popular among younger Thais, it is not universally supported. Both Thai Sang Thai and the Democrat Party believe that military conscription is necessary and…
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Passengers left waiting hours at Bangkok’s new central train station
The opening of Bangkok‘s new central train station Bangkok Aphiwat Central Station did not go so smoothly yesterday with the first service to Chiang Mai departing three hours later than scheduled and many more delayed services. BBC Thai and CH7 report that services were delayed to await the arrival of Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob, who was rather late to an…
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Statue mixing Hindu and Buddhist themes draws tourist in northeast Thailand
Tourists and worshippers alike are oohing and aahing at a statue in northeast Thailand that combines Hindu and Buddhist themes. The Sri Suk Ganesha statue in Udon Thani province portrays the Hindu deity Ganesha, sitting on the coils of Naga, a Thai serpent god. Naga’s nine heads stare down at Ganesha, who holds several objects in his eight hands. Worshippers…
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Ferris wheel cabin door falls off and knocks out Isaan man
A young Thai man was attending the Red Cross Fair in Buriram province, northeast Thailand, last week when a 20 kilogramme Ferris wheel cabin door fell on top of him from a height of 10 metres and knocked him out. A rescue team rushed to the event in Lam Prai Mart district to give first aid to 21 year old…
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Woman working at karaoke bar in Thailand vanishes in suspicious circumstances
Police are trying to locate a woman who went missing in strange circumstances after leaving the karaoke bar she works at with a male customer five days ago in Leoi province in northeast Thailand. The manager at Bai Fern Karaoke Bar filed a missing persons report with the police on Wednesday, January 18, three days after 38 year old Phantiwa…
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Custodied cryptocurrencies to see new regulations in Thailand
Custodied cryptocurrencies will see new regulations in Thailand. The Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand issued new measures which require companies offering crypto custody services to “establish a digital wallet management system to accommodate efficient custody of digital assets and keys and ensure the safety of clients’ assets.” The new regulations went into effect on January 16th. The new measures…
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Andaz brand debuts in Thailand with the opening of Andaz Pattaya jomtien beach
Press Release CHICAGO (January 16, 2023) – Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today the opening of Andaz Pattaya Jomtien Beach, marking the debut of the Andaz brand in Thailand. Nestled across over 15 acres (6.4 hectares) of stunning beachfront land, amid mature trees and gardens overlooking the Gulf of Thailand, this luxury lifestyle resort provides a myriad of ways…
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Southeast Asia’s biggest railway station opens to passengers
Southeast Asia’s biggest railway station officially began operations yesterday, a potential new age of train travel in Thailand. The cost of the new terminal, including the station, tracks and a connecting station for Bangkok’s mass transit system, was around US$1 billion (30 billion baht). Officially, the station’s name is Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal, a name bestowed by the king,…
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Phuket cops raid nightclub gambling den
Phuket cops raided a nightclub gambling den in the island province’s main city district in the early hours of yesterday morning. Phuket City Police sent an officer to monitor the situation at the nightclub near Surin Circle (known as Fountain Circle) on Rassada Road in Talad Yai market. The officer informed his team that people were gambling at the club.…
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Millions of Chinese head home to countryside despite Xi’s Covid worries
Millions of Chinese residents are headed back home for the Chinese New Year despite President Xi Jinping’s worries about Covid spreading through rural areas. Xi said he was “concerned” about the countryside’s ability to handle a surge in Covid infections, but China’s transport authorities are predicting more than two billion trips will be made this month and into next month.…
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Passengers at Bangkok’s main train terminal to get help from new robots
Passengers at Bangkok’s Krung Thep Aphiwat Train Terminal will be getting help from new service robots. The massive train station, formerly known as Bang Sue Grand Station, will feature six robots which can communicate in English, Thai and Chinese. The robots can guide passengers to certain locations in the train station such as the food centre, ticket booths, and taxis.…
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Thailand welcomes 900,000 foreign tourists during Jan 1-15
In the first half of January, Thailand welcomed a grand total of 913,013 foreign tourists, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Governor of the TAT Yuthasak Supsasorn revealed that Russia has overtaken Malaysia as the Number 1 tourism market… Foreign Arrivals in Thailand by Nationality January 1 – 15, 2023 Russians (99,593) Malaysians (89,461) South Koreans (47,471) Indians…
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Man found dead after cycling nearly 70 kilometres to find job
A man was found dead at a bus stop in the Isaan province of Roi Et after cycling nearly 70 kilometres to find a job. It is believed he had a heart attack. Locals also reported that he got hit by a car the day before he died but refused treatment. Officers from Mueang Roi Et Police Station were notified…
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Thai man uses soy sauce to fake suicide, hoping to win wife back
A Thai man used soy sauce to fake suicide on Monday in hopes of winning back his wife and son. The man, 50 year old Watchara, was estranged from his wife, 40 year old Pla, due to conflicts between the couple. He lives in the southern Chumphon province, while she lives in Pattaya. On Monday, Watchara travelled to Pattaya, hoping…
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New public park in Bangkok to open after removal of 2 squatters
A new public park in Bangkok is opening soon. The construction of Pathum Wananurak Park was finished five years ago but it has never been opened to the public because two squatting families refused to move off the land. Pathum Wananurak Park is located next to CentralWorld shopping mall. The park took over a residential area called Rong Poon Community…
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Rare clouded leopard struts its stuff in Thailand’s new wildlife safe haven
In the mountains of Kanchanaburi in western Thailand, hidden cameras are capturing more and more clouded leopards, Indo-Chinese tigers, gaurs, and other wildlife. Recognising the importance of the conservation of Thailand’s wildlife, Thailand’s Treasury Department is preparing to declare an area of land covering 219,000 rai of land a non-hunting area. The huge conservation area – covering Si Sawat and…
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Thai man claims he fell asleep before car ended up on wall in Bangkok
A Thai man claimed he fell asleep while driving before his car ended up on top of a barrier wall of an off-ramp to Rama IV Road in Bangkok yesterday. The car’s rear ended up on top of the off-ramp’s restraining barrier, while the front was smashed into the expressway. The driver, Atthapol Yolsophon, sustained minor injuries, and rescuers rushed…
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Thailand still needs thousands more tourism workers
Thailand still needs thousands more tourism workers than it already has. The kingdom’s Labour Ministry recently surveyed the labour demands of 32,359 tourism operators in 60 provinces. The ministry found that out of all the operators, 1,817 businesses needed a total of 9,763 more workers. Employers need receptionists, porters, waiters, cleaners and housemaids, chefs, kitchen workers, cashiers, and accountants. The…
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Volunteer teaching English to underprivileged children in Bangkok
Bangkok Community Help Foundation runs a weekly volunteer-led class that aims to teach English and improve the lives of underprivileged children in the Klong Toei area of the city. Children learn new English vocabulary, play games, dance Zumba, and do arts and crafts projects in a fun environment. At the end of each class, students are provided with a hot…
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Burmese migrant worker killed en route to Malaysia
A Burmese man was killed and six others were injured this morning when a Toyota Fortuner bound for the Malaysian border rear-ended a truck in the Tha Chana district in the north of Surat Thani province in the early hours. The accident occurred at the 120-kilometre marker on southbound Highway 4. Police and rescue workers arriving on the scene found…
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8 million MOPH webpages hacked by gambling websites
The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) closed approximately eight million official government-related webpages after they were hacked by illegal gambling websites. MOPH Information and Communication Technology Centre Director Anan Kanoksin told Thai media that illicit online gambling websites have been illegally squatting on government platforms after they sat idle for months. The illegal gambling websites were able to squat on…
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Teen shoots dead rival with 800 baht gun in central Thailand
A Thai teenager used a gun he ordered from the Internet for 800 baht to shoot dead his rival in Samut Prakan province in central Thailand on Friday morning. The 17 year old culprit, Champ, killed 28 year old Kittisak, a YouTuber and former vocational student, with a single gunshot wound to the chest through his back at his own…
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