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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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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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It’s in the jeans – Iconic pants mined from rich seam of racism
When a pair of filthy old Levi’s blue jeans dating back to the 1880s was found in an abandoned mine in the former Wild West by self-described “denim archaeologist” Michael Harris, he knew immediately they were something special. The vintage pants were sold at Durango Vintage Festivus, a four-day celebration of denim on the outskirts of Aztec, N.M. for $87,400…
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Liz Truss quits as UK PM after only 44 days
Liz Truss has resigned as UK Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party after less than five weeks in charge. The 47 year old only yesterday said she “was a fighter and not a quitter” at Prime Minister’s Questions but she has resigned after only 44 days as the UK PM. Truss said she could not deliver the mandate…
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PM 2.5 pollution is on the rise in Thailand, warns health official
Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 pollution is on the rise in Thailand, especially in Bangkok, warns Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health Dr Opas Karnkawinpong. PM 2.5 particulates are tiny dust particles so small that thousands of them can fit into one full stop. Inhaling PM 2.5 is detrimental to human health as the minuscule particles travel deep into…
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Pattaya pool villa gunmen surrender
UPDATE The five gunmen who allegedly opened fire at a Pattaya pool villa on Tuesday last night surrendered to police, The Pattaya News reported. The first three men to turn themselves in were 23 year old Saralan “Top” Yodthat, 24 year old Boonrit “Chooi” Chitma, and 29 year old Jirarot “Rang” Wattana. Police seized a Glock 19 handgun and two…
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Pattaya’s efforts to get tough on graffiti not going so well
Pattaya’s efforts to get tough on graffiti don’t appear to be going so well. The city’s Deputy Mayor Manote Nongyai promised on September 30 that he would go after vandals and people plastering advertisements on public property. Nongyai had said that electrical transformer cabinets around Pattaya were being defaced by spray paint and advertisements. But three weeks on, the intended…
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Thailand to combat its methamphetamine crisis with cannabis
Thailand is going to attempt to fix its methamphetamine crisis with another formally-illegal drug, cannabis. In a recent study, meth addicts in Thailand were given CBD oil under their tongues to treat withdrawal symptoms, and the results were promising. Today, acting Director General of the Medical Department Dr Thongchai Kiratthihathayakhon said that methamphetamine is “Thailand’s biggest problem.” Meth-induced psychosis is…
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Iran making moves to help train Russian forces, US sources say
US intelligence sources say Iran is making moves to help train Russian forces in Crimea, CNN reported. The Islamic Republic sent military personnel to Crimea, a territory occupied by Russia, according to two intelligence sources. The sources say Iran’s military personnel are training Russia’s military on the use of Iranian-made drones. This news comes after Russia launched “kamikaze drones” into…
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Trump answers questions over alleged rape of journalist
Former US President Donald Trump yesterday answered questions under oath about the alleged rape of a journalist in the mid-1990s. The US journalist, author, and columnist, Elizabeth Jean Carroll, alleges she was raped in the Bergdorf Goodman luxury department store in New York in the mid-1990s. Carroll discusses the reported assault in her book, What Do We Need Men For?:…
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“Interview” with Iranian climber believed to be forced confession
A video interview with an Iranian climber who competed in Korea without her hijab is believed to be one of the Islamic Republic’s notorious forced confessions. Forced confessions are a tactic the Iranian government uses against journalists, activists, and others who deviate from Iran’s strict religious laws. In the interview with 33 year old Elnaz Rekabi on the state media…
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Ganja galore: Over 1,000 cannabis clinics have opened this year in Thailand
It is ganja galore as Thailand has seen over 1,000 cannabis clinics open this year alone. According to Bangkok Post, the public health ministry noted that out of 1,026 clinics opened this year, 929 are run directly by the ministry. But, to prevent unwanted consequences of the plant’s legalisation, the ministry says such clinics are also doubling as research units.…
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India issues licenses for nasal Covid-19 vaccine
With Covid-19 under control to some extent, preventing transmission is the aim of next-generation vaccines. Many believe those vaccines will be delivered through a nasal inhaler. The mode of delivery could stop transmission by creating immunity where the virus enters the body. India already has a nasal vaccine, though its effectiveness is unknown, and it was designed in the US.…
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Phuket police say residents should avoid Patong
Phuket’s floods are continuing to ravage the island province. Phuket police are urging residents to stay at home unless they have an emergency. The police also say that Phuket dwellers should avoid going to Patong, The Phuket Express reported. The road leading to Patong Hill suffered from a landslide last night, and another one this morning. Police had to redirect…
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Illegal immigrants sneak into Thailand in modified pickup truck
Police were stunned when they found two illegal immigrants squeezed under the cargo bed of a modified pickup truck in Tak province, northern Thailand, yesterday. As KhaoSod put it, “nice idea, but illegal.” A “spy” informed the police that two Thai men in a pickup truck were carrying illegal immigrants who had just snuck across the border from Myanmar into Thailand.…
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Out of the shadow – India’s Congress Party appoints non-Gandhi president
India’s Congress Party has appointed its first president in 24 years who is not from the Gandhi dynasty, to reverse its collapse in popularity and take on the apparently unassailable BJP. Octogenarian Mallikarjun Kharge, a flunky at the decadent court of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty which rules the party, defeated rival Shashi Tharo, a stripling at a mere 66 years of…
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Iran arrests 14 foreigners, blames “thugs” linked to “foreign enemies” for protests over woman’s death
Iran has arrested 14 foreigners for their alleged involvement in anti-government protests over the recent death of a young woman in police custody. The government blamed the recent protests as being linked to thugs and foreign enemies. American, French, and British citizens were among those arrested, according to Japan Today. The semi-official Fars news agency, which is believed to be…
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Residents shocked by fire on Pattaya soi
Residents and tourists were shocked by a fire that broke out in Pattaya yesterday. The fire started after an excavator got tangled with cable wires on Soi Buakhao 15, The Pattaya News reported. A witness said the excavator had been working on a drainage project on the soi when its arm got tangled in the wires above it. Firefighters managed…
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Indonesia temporarily bans syrup-based meds for children after discovering fatal ingredient
Indonesia has temporarily banned syrup-based medicines for children after some were found to contain a fatal ingredient. According to The Straits Times, the health ministry is investigating paracetamol syrups that contain diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol ingredients. Those ingredients have been linked to fatal acute kidney injury in children according to the health ministry. The country has seen a spike…
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California ophthalmologist removes 23 contact lens from patient’s eye
A doctor in the United States has removed 23 contact lenses from the eye of a patient who “forgot to take them out” for almost a month. The woman kept putting new lenses in every morning without removing the set from the day before. Dr Katerina Kurteeva posted pictures of her teasing the lenses from underneath a woman’s eyelid. According…
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Where to buy cheap cannabis in Bangkok
Where to buy cheap cannabis in Bangkok Bangkok is brimming with cannabis cafes and dispensaries selling high-quality, imported buds of every strain of marijuana under the sun, which can often come with a hefty price tag. Hidden away, there are some lesser-known spots selling decent quality, Thai-grown cheap cannabis in Bangkok. The major cannabis cafes in Bangkok are appealing as…
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Attack on master complainer was wrong says Deputy PM
The violent attack on Thailand’s master complainer, Srisuwan Janya, by another activist was denounced yesterday by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon. The well-known publicity-seeking Srisuwan was attacked at a press conference he organised outside the Central Investigation Bureau announcing he was going to file a complaint with the police against comedian Udom “Nose” Taepanich. Srisuwan believes Nose Udom’s remarks,…
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My bitch’s slave – Are you in your pet’s power?
Japanese researchers have found that female dogs can recognise different types of humans and naturally seek out the more competent when they’re in trouble. According to scientists at Kyoto University, dogs make their views known through facial expressions and body language. Dog owners are said to let themselves go in front of their pets, according to the UK’s Mirror newspaper.…
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Irish MEP slams EU & West hypocrisy over Russia
An Irish MEP yesterday let rip at fellow members of the European Union and the West over their hypocrisy regarding the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Mick Wallace, in a passionate speech inside the European Parliament building in Brussels, highlighted the double standards of the EU, the West and its allies with its attitude toward Russian terrorism and the terrorism…
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New Zealand gangster arrested in Thailand handed to FBI
UPDATE The New Zealand gangster who was arrested in central Thailand has now been handed over to the FBI for prosecution, Thai police said yesterday. The gangster, 43 year old Shane Ngakuru, had been on the run from the FBI and New Zealand Police. Ngakuru is a high-ranking member of the Comancheros Motorcycle Club gang. He was allegedly involved in…
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VIDEO: 4.2 magnitude earthquake shakes Chiang Mai, northern Thailand
Residents of Chiang Mai province in northern Thailand were awoken at 4.26am today by a 4.2 magnitude earthquake. No injuries or deaths have been reported. The tremor lasted about three seconds and no aftershocks have been felt so far. Many felt strong shaking as the epicentre had a shallow depth of only two kilometres in the Mae subdistrict in the…
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Drug cartel steals seized drugs, car, and guns from red-faced police
In a scene more reminiscent of the Keystone Cops, narcotics suppression police were left red-faced after drugs they seized from a trafficker in the southern province of Songkla were stolen back by a drug cartel. And, just for good measure, the drug cartel stole their police car, guns and phones as well. The Deputy Chief of the Songkhla Provincial Administrative…
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“Big Joke” says he needs 2 more days to catch Pattaya pool villa gunmen
UPDATE The Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn, says he needs just two more days to catch the five gunmen who allegedly opened fire at a Pattaya pool villa yesterday morning. Surachate visited the scene of the crime yesterday and reviewed CCTV footage. He said he already knew the identities of the gunmen, and they…
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Centi-millionaires: how rich is REALLY rich?
Are you rich? Super rich? The world’s first global study on the ultra-rich found a surprising amount of centi-millionaires – people with more than US$100 million in investible assets. A startling 25,490 of these super wealthy and powerful people pepper the globe. The number of heirs, CEOs, tech gurus and finance moguls worth over $100 million doubled amid a period…
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Brand Shinawatra – choice of a new generation?
In today’s Bangkok Post, former senator and member of the National Reform Council Prasarn Marukpitak looks forward to the forthcoming election with still more than six months to go. According to Prasarn, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, youngest daughter of Thaksin, is increasingly popular, far more so than ageing veterans such as Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Pheu Thai is now loudly protesting that…
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Top 5 Beauty procedures to keep in mind when in Thailand
In the past decade, Thailand has become an important hub for the beauty industry in Southeast Asia. Thanks to its innovative and advanced medical centres, people from all around the globe flock to the Land of Smiles to go under the knife. A wide range of cosmetic procedures is available in Thailand, from hair transplants to liposuction. But if you’re…
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Naked women on fishing trip ads surrender to police
UPDATE The two women featured naked in a sexy fishing trip advert in the Bang Saray sub-district in Chon Buri surrendered themselves to the police. The women said they only did it to gain followers on social media, adding they do not offer sex services or fishing trips. The two women visited Sattahip Police Station today after their post went…
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