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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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Man finds body with gunshot wound behind his house in central Thailand
A Thai man filed a complaint with the police after he discovered a body with a gunshot wound in a banana plantation located behind his house in the central province of Ratchaburi, central Thailand. Officers from Baan Pong Police Station, medical workers from Baan Pong Hospital, and Ruam Jai Kan Kuson Rescue Team were alerted about the body and rushed…
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Foreign tourist drowns at Pattaya Beach
A foreign tourist of unknown nationality tragically drowned at Pattaya Beach in Chon Buri province in eastern Thailand yesterday. At 2pm, the Sawang Boriboon Thammasat Rescue Foundation was informed that a foreign tourist was pulled out from the water at Pattaya Beach in Nong Prue subdistrict, Bang Lamung district. Rescue workers found a Western male estimated to be between 55…
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Thailand to dissolve Parliament today ahead of election
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has submitted a decree to dissolve Thailand’s Parliament before the upcoming election in May. The dissolution will come into effect upon its publication in the Royal Gazette, which is expected today. The decree requires approval from Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn. At 9.20am today, government spokesperson Wissanu Krea-ngam said that the date for the election will be…
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Shameless Bangkok taxi driver swindles foreigner at Suvarnabhumi Airport
Another Bangkok taxi driver has brought shame to the capital by swindling a foreign customer at Suvarnabhumi International Airport. The driver has been subsequently banned for life from picking up passengers at Bangkok’s premier airport and authorities say his license could be revoked. The unnamed taxi driver last week allegedly used a fake list of fares to cheat a Taiwanese…
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Police arrest 2 “doctors” at 2 clinics without licenses
Some things you might be able to fake without a proper license but two men were arrested for allegedly working as doctors without licenses in Bangkok and Pathum Thani. Their clinics were raided by Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD) yesterday. The first clinic, located in the Lat Krabang district of Bangkok, was busted for operating without a permit. The clinic…
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Police nab 3 Chinese nationals for kidnapping, extortion
Police arrested three Chinese nationals in Thailand for allegedly kidnapping and extorting about 3.2 million baht from a Chinese woman. Officers arrested two men and a woman at a hotel in the Aranyaprathet district of Sa Kaeo province. A 23 year old Chinese woman studying for a bachelor’s degree filed a complaint with the Thong Lor police on Friday. In…
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Chinese ambassador visits Phuket as tourism surges
Chinese tourist arrivals are expected to surge to over 300,000 in April, according to the Chinese ambassador to Thailand, Han Zhiqiang. The ambassador made a courtesy visit to Phuket governor Narong Woonciew at the Provincial Hall on Saturday, where the two worked to strengthen ties between Thailand and China and increase tourism to Phuket and beyond. Narong and the Chinese…
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Sea turtle eggs continue to pop up across Phang Nga
Nature and animal lovers will delight at the news that sea turtle eggs are continuing to pop up across Thailand’s Phang Nga province. On Friday, locals came across sea turtle eggs on Das Beach on the island of Koh Ra. The island is located in the Koh Phra-Thong sub-district of the Khura Buri district. Officials from the Department of Marine…
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Donald Trump faces arrest, but is back on Facebook
This weekend marked some highs and lows for former US President Donald Trump. Just one day after announcing his supposedly-triumphant return to Facebook, Trump claims that he expects to be arrested this coming Tuesday. It would mark the first time in US history that a president was arrested or faced criminal charges while occupying the White House or after leaving…
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Healthy Station: improving Bangkok resident life
The Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) has expressed concern over the physical and mental health of Bangkok residents. They have launched the “Healthy Station” project which aims to promote a healthy lifestyle among Bangkok residents by utilizing public spaces. Bangkok is not the healthiest environment to live in, with toxic dust and pollution, eternal traffic jams and the high stress of…
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Chiang Mai hailstorm brings down power poles and billboards
A hailstorm in Chiang Mai brought down power poles and billboards yesterday. Hailstones were reportedly the size of baht coins. According to Matichon, the entire downtown area was covered with hailstones as the rain continued to fall. The strong winds started around 3.30 pm, followed by a downpour of hailstones and rain, and then another wave of hail. Locals and…
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Foreign owner of Patong bar in trafficking scandal flees thailand
UPDATE The foreign owner of the Patong bar at the centre of a recent sex trafficking scandal fled Thailand to Laos, according to the Deputy Commander of the Royal Thai Police, Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn. Big Joke arrived in Phuket yesterday to follow up on the case. He said the bar is related to a network of bars in Bangkok…
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Australian tourist dies at famous cave in Krabi
An Australian tourist tragically died at a famous cave in Krabi yesterday. The 70 year old man died after his gruelling journey to the Tiger Cave, which involves a 1,260-step stair-climb. Rescuers and a doctor took over an hour to walk up the steps after they were alerted that a tourist was unconscious at the cave. The doctor who arrived…
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New bill to legalise sex work proposed
The Thai government is drafting a bill to legalise sex work to protect sex workers from exploitation. The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS) has proposed the bill, which will also limit the minimum age to provide or buy the service. According to Narong Jaihan, a lecturer from the Faculty of Law at Thammasat University, sex workers under…
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Low reserves of Rh negative blood raise concerns for foreigners in Thailand
Low reserves of Rh negative blood are raising concerns for foreigners in Thailand. While only 0.3% of the Thai population has Rh negative blood, around 15% of the UK and European population has the blood type. This shortage has resulted in concerning shortages of Rh negative blood in blood banks across Southeast Asia. Visitors to the region who have had…
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Samui Open Beach Volleyball Tournament boosts sports tourism
With tourism back in full swing, a variety of diverse events and activities are taking place in tourism hotspots, offering variety to tourists and locals alike. Koh Samui recently hosted a successful volleyball tournament that organisers hope will boost sports tourism to Thailand. The 5th annual Samui Open Beach Volleyball Tournament took place from March 10 to 12, at the…
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Thai officials seek to promote Muslim-friendly tourism
Thai officials are seeking to promote Muslim-friendly tourism in the kingdom. In a recent focus group discussion on Islamic tourism in Phuket province, the Department of Tourism (DoT) and private sectors reviewed strategies to attract Muslim visitors, NNT reported yesterday. The DoT’s Tourist Attractions Development Division Director, Athuek Phrasenmoon, said the global tourism industry recognises Muslim tourists as a fast-growing…
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ICC issues war crimes arrest warrant for Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been accused of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine as part of his invasion, and as a consequence, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant on war crimes charges. That means if Putin crosses into any territory belonging to the court’s 123 member states they are required to arrest him and…
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Missing Caesium-137 cylinder spotted at car wash
If you stole a cylinder of an isotope that is a main contributor to the total radiation released during nuclear accidents, would you throw it in your truck and go about your normal day? Authorities searching for a capsule of Caesium-137 believed to be stolen from a power plant in Prachin Buri on February 23 are following up on a…
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Thai man killed in fight with wife’s lover outside police station
In a tragic love triangle tale, a Thai man lost his life after getting into a fight with his wife’s lover in front of a police station in Nonthaburi province near Bangkok on Wednesday night. According to the witnesses, 41 year old man named Suwat took his wife, 30 year old Bee, and her lover, 35 year old Wichai Phatyen to…
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Exploring new cultures Ft.keis one | Thaiger Podcast EP.28
https://youtu.be/RcsbMPSATM4 Adam Jones aka. keis one This Youtube Creator from Sydney, Australia decided to give up the 9-5 grind and travel, to experience new cultures, travel and live in different countries around the world. One of the most recognizable and successful expat Youtubers in Thailand, you might have seen keis one around Youtube or simply just out on one of…
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Jealous Thai man shoots ex-girlfriend in the head when she refuses to take him back
A jealous Thai man shot his ex-girlfriend in the head this morning in Nakhon Pathom province, central Thailand after she refused to take him back. At 10am, officers at Kamphaeng Saen Police Station were informed that someone was shot and seriously injured at a house in Sa Si Mum subdistrict, reports KhaoSod. The victim, 27 year old Anuthida, was shot in…
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Phuket restaurant caught selling stonefish, known to be venomous
Yet another Phuket restaurant has been caught selling a protected fish, this time a stonefish, which is known as the most venomous fish in the world. Yesterday, officials from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) Phuket Office received a tip-off that the restaurant, located in Rawai sub-district in Phuket’s main city district, was selling protected marine animals. Officials…
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Thai siblings take framed picture of dead father to the cinema
Thai siblings recently went viral on TikTok after they took a picture of their dead father to the cinema to watch the third sequel of his favourite movie. Thai TikToker Naphat Thongsukdee posted a video of when she and her brother took their father’s framed picture to watch a movie on her TikTok account @papapat.p yesterday. She wrote in the…
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Over 50% of Gen Z in Asia, and world, suffers with poor mental health
The latest findings from the annual AXA Study of Mind Health and Wellbeing 2023 have revealed that over 50% of Gen Z (aged 18-24) suffer from poor mental health in Asia and across the globe. Around the world, 53% of Gen Z is experiencing poor mental health, according to the survey. The survey reported that half of Gen Z in…
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Thai man ‘nearly dies’ from replacing water with kratom tea
A Thai man says he “nearly died” after replacing drinking water with kratom tea. Now, he’s warning others against abusing the formally-illegal plant. Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a tropical evergreen tree native to Southeast Asia. The leaves of the kratom tree are known for their opioid and stimulant-like effects. Leaves of the kratom tree have been used for centuries in Thailand,…
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Pattaya island Koh Larn draws in 130,000 tourists this month
Pattaya‘s picturesque island of Koh Larn is proving to be a hit with tourists this month, with over 130,000 tourists flocking to the island. Officials expect this number to rise as Chinese tourists start to return to the area. Pattaya Deputy Mayor Manote Nongyai said on Wednesday, March 15, that Koh Larn saw an average of 10,000 visitors per day…
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Debt plagues even Thailand’s lucky lottery jackpot winners
A Thai woman who sells eggs at a market in Prachin Buri province, central Thailand, won the first prize of six million baht in the government lottery yesterday, but it’s still not enough to pay off her 10 million baht debt. Upon realising she won the lottery, Siriphan aka “Amy” gave away 500 trays of chicken and duck eggs at Kong…
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Phuket thief nabs German tourist’s mobile phone
There’s been another theft against a tourist in Thailand, this time in Phuket. A Phuket thief nabbed a German tourist’s mobile phone yesterday morning. The thief snatched the victim’s mobile phone on Soi Cherng Talay. The victim was a 56 year old German man named Haugg Fred. After receiving a report at about 9.50am, Cherng Talay Police arrived on the…
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Songkran water fights are returning to Pattaya
It’s time to hold on to your water guns and get ready to make a splash after the Pattaya mayor announced that the Songkran festival will go ahead in the city this year. The mayor made it clear that it’s going to be a soaking good time. That’s right, folks, the water fights are back on! The Facebook page Direct Line…
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