Thailand News
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Phuket officials rules entry fee legal but condemn racist behaviour
Officials from the Phuket Provincial Commerce Office addressed public backlash after a souvenir shop owner was filmed making a racist gesture towards a Chinese tourist and charging an entry fee of 40 baht. The controversy erupted after a video of the owner of a ceramic and souvenir shop called “Positive Thinking” went viral on the Chinese social media platform Douyin.…
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Earthquake hits Chiang Rai, no damage or injuries reported
An earthquake was recorded in Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district at 9.37am today, February 16, with residents in some areas reporting brief shaking, while district officials said there were no reports of serious damage or injuries. The tremor occurred at a depth of about three kilometres and was recorded at coordinates 20.304 degrees north and 99.957 degrees east. The time…
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PM2.5 expected to rise during Chinese New Year, PCD says
Thailand’s Pollution Control Department (PCD) has urged the public to adjust Chinese New Year practices to reduce smoke and PM2.5 exposure, warning today, February 16, that incense, firecrackers and burning joss paper can release harmful pollutants. Surin Wongkitthamrong, director-general of the Pollution Control Department, said the burning involved in these traditions is often a byproduct of incomplete combustion. This can…
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Udon Thani man says he faces threat after posting vote-buying video
A Thai man in Udon Thani said he received a threat of violence after reporting alleged vote-buying involving a candidate for the Member of Parliament (MP) from the Bhumjaithai Party. The allegation emerged after the man, identified only as Waeng, shared footage of a canvasser distributing 500 baht to residents. Waeng said he was among those who accepted the money…
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2 Thai police among 10 suspects stealing cash and cannabis trees from vendor
A cannabis vendor in Pathum Thani accused a group of 10 men, including at least two police officers, of falsely claiming his business was operating without a permit before stealing 800,000 baht in cash and cannabis trees valued at more than 2.2 million baht from his home. The case emerged after the 22 year old vendor shared his account and…
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Tan Ichitan taken to hospital after stage fall at Chon Buri festival
Tan Phasakornnatee, the managing director of Ichitan Group PCL, was taken to a hospital early today, February 16, after falling from a concert stage at the WONDER ONE Music Festival at Khao Chi Chan in Chon Buri’s Sattahip district. The incident happened at about midnight during the festival’s final night at Khao Chi Chan, in Na Jomtien subdistrict, Sattahip district,…
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Phuket shop owner criticised for racist gesture against Chinese tourist
An elderly shop owner in Phuket faces criticism for her racist behaviour toward a Chinese tourist in a viral video shared on the Douyin platform. The clip showed an elderly Thai woman, described as the shop owner, arguing with a Chinese woman. In the footage, the shop owner in a red dress is seen shouting and making gestures including sticking…
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Pattaya man allegedly shoots himself in face while cleaning gun
A Thai man is in critical condition after he was shot in the face at his home in Pattaya while cleaning a firearm, with police saying they have not ruled out whether the incident was an accident caused by recklessness or involved other motives. Bang Lamung Police Station officers and rescuers from the Sawang Borriboon Dhammastan Foundation were called to…
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Thailand News | over 30 injured in Trang double-decker bus crash, China announces rules for autonomous vehicles (self-driving cars)
In today’s news, a deadly bus crash in Trang, mass arrests in Krabi for illegal work permits, a Pattaya culture clash, and China’s new rules for self-driving cars. Over 30 Injured in Trang Double-Decker Bus Crash More than 30 people were injured in a serious road accident in Trang province when a double-decker tourist bus lost control and crashed into…
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Chinese man arrested for scamming Pattaya student out of 1.9 million baht
Pattaya police arrested a Malaysian-born Chinese man for swindling more than 1.9 million baht from a Thai university student in a call centre scam. The 20 year old student filed a complaint with Mueang Pattaya Police Station on February 10, saying he was contacted by someone posing as an employee of a mobile service provider. The caller accused him of…
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February 16 weather: Cool mornings up north, more rain in South Thailand
Thailand will see morning fog and changeable conditions today, February 16, as a weak high-pressure system continues to cover the north, the northeast and the South China Sea, according to the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD). Cool mornings are forecast in the North and Northeast, while isolated thundershowers are expected in the Central region, including Bangkok and surrounding areas, as well…
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Drone carrying explosive crashes near Thai-Myanmar border
Thai military and security officials inspected a residential property in Mae Sot district, Tak province, today, February 16, after an unmanned aerial vehicle carrying an improvised explosive device was found inside the premises. Tak soldiers from the Ratchamanu Task Force, along with administrative officials and Border Patrol Police in Mae Sot, responded after an unmanned drone was found inside the…
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Cambodian soldiers accused of setting border forest fires for cover
A Thai Facebook page has claimed that Cambodian soldiers are deliberately setting fires along the frontline forest areas to obscure visibility and move troops and equipment, amid tensions along the Thai-Cambodian border. The page, Army Military Force, alleged that Cambodian troops were cooperating with local villagers to ignite forest fires, describing the actions not as agricultural clearing but as a “tactical…
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Russian manager and Burmese worker held at Phuket illegal hookah bar
Police in Phuket raided a foreign-owned bar in Thalang district for operating without a permit, opening beyond permitted hours and providing hookah to customers, leading to the arrest of a Russian manager and a Burmese worker. Administrative officers carried out the raid at Safari Lounge Bar at 12.45am yesterday, February 15, after residents reported suspected illegal activity. The venue is…
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Five hurt after alleged assault by concert security in Udon Thani
Five people were injured after a late-night confrontation between concertgoers and security guards at a beer garden event at a shopping centre near Udon Thani railway station shortly after midnight on February 14. A Facebook user identified as “การ์ตูน หัวเขียง” posted a video clip of the incident, claiming he and his friends were assaulted by security guards following the event.…
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Teen rider tragically killed in Nonthaburi motorcycle crash
A 16 year old motorcycle rider died after losing control of his bike and colliding with a car before being run over by a cement truck in Mueang district, Nonthaburi province, at 5.20pm on February 14. Police from Rattanathibet police station and a medical examiner from the Institute of Forensic Science were dispatched to the scene near the U-turn at…
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Seven bomb blasts in Narathiwat linked to insurgent activity
In Narathiwat province, seven minor bomb explosions occurred from Saturday night into Sunday morning in Yi-ngo and Rangae districts. Authorities suspect the incidents are linked to insurgents aiming to provoke unrest ahead of the Muslim Ramadan fast. The first explosion took place around 11pm on Saturday when a bomb hidden in a rubbish bin exploded outside a motorcycle repair shop…
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Over 30 injured in Trang double-decker bus crash
Today, on February 15, a double-decker bus accident occurred on the Trang-Krabi road opposite a school in Na Wong subdistrict, Huai Yot district, Trang province, injuring over 30 passengers. Police and various emergency services, including approximately 20 rescue vehicles from nearby districts, responded swiftly to the scene. The Phuket-Betong route bus was found overturned on its side in a roadside…
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Thai–Chinese high-speed rail project reaches 51.74% completion
Thailand’s Thai–Chinese high-speed rail project has reached 51.74% completion in its first phase, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) confirmed during a Senate transport committee visit to Chiang Rak Noi railway station in Ayutthaya. Acting SRT governor Anan Phonimdaeng provided the progress update, stating that construction on the Klang Dong–Pang Asok and Sikhiu–Kut Chik sections has already been completed. Work…
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Older adults vulnerable to online romance scams due to loneliness
Loneliness and reduced threat detection abilities are key factors behind the growing number of elderly victims of online romance scams, according to an academic from Thammasat University. Monin Techawachirakul, an associate professor in the Psychology Department at the Faculty of Liberal Arts, said older people often experience emotional voids, particularly after the death of a spouse or separation from their…
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Thai police replace fines with flowers for Valentine’s Day
Yesterday, on February 14 at 10.30am, Police Colonel Phattana Ropru, head of Don Hua Lo Police Station, together with traffic police officers, set up a checkpoint on Don Hua Lo–Thong Khung Road in front of the Don Hua Lo Municipality in Mueang district, Chon Buri. The operation was carried out as part of routine efforts to maintain traffic discipline and…
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Pattaya Beach operation targets homeless and beggars
Pattaya City officials carried out an operation along Pattaya Beach yesterday, February 12, to regulate homeless people and others staying overnight in the area, while urging the public to stop giving money to beggars. The operation took place at Pattaya Beach in Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri, led by Deputy Mayor Damrongkiat Pinijkarn with teams from the Department of Social…
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Thai masseuse in Germany sued for providing ‘special service’ without consent
A Thai masseuse in Germany has to pay €1,000 in compensation to a male client after she sexually assaulted him by providing “special services” without consent. The complainant, a 26 year old German software engineer, identified only as Ben, reported the sexual assault to police two days after it occurred at a massage shop on Osloer Straße in Berlin. The…
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Election ballot barcode prompts debate over traceability
Questions have been raised about an election ballot barcode after an Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) official said it is used as a security control measure, while separate comments raised concerns that ballots could be traceable. Yesterday, February 12, at the ECT Office, Acting Sub Lieutenant Phasakorn Siriphokyaporn, deputy secretary-general of the ECT, responded to public grievances about barcodes on…
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Taiwanese man arrested for unlicensed dental clinic in Phuket
Police raided an unlicensed dental clinic in Phuket yesterday, February 12, and arrested a Taiwanese man accused of providing treatment without permission. Wichit Police Station officers, working with the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office, carried out the operation at 6.10pm at Sunrise Smile Dental Clinic, located on the second floor of a building behind a department store in Wichit sub-district, Mueang district,…
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Women accuse undertaker of sexual abuse during cleansing ritual
Two women yesterday, February 12, filed complaints with the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) in Bangkok against a well-known undertaker in Ang Thong, accusing him of sexually abusing them during ritual cleansing ceremonies to remove black magic and misfortune. At 2pm, paranormal investigator Jiraphan “Mor Pla” Phetkhao accompanied the two alleged victims to meet Police Major General Charoonkiat Pankaew, deputy commissioner…
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Songkhla teacher denies mistreating student as motive for fatal shooting
A male teacher denied claims that he mistreated the younger sister of an 18 year old gunman in a fatal shooting at Phatongprathan Kiriwat School in Hat Yai district, Songkhla, on Wednesday, February 11. The teenage suspect, Khemmanan, also known as Khem, entered the school at about 4pm and held students and teachers hostage before opening the fire. The principal,…
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Police seize M16 rifles and grenades in Nakhon Si Thammarat raid
Police in Nakhon Si Thammarat arrested three men and seized military-grade weapons during a raid on a house in Thung Song district yesterday, February 12, as part of a crackdown on online arms trafficking. The announcement was made by Nakhon Si Thammarat Provincial Police following an operation carried out under national policy directives to suppress crime involving firearms and explosives.…
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Nine foreigners busted in Phuket luxury villa poker raid
Police in Phuket arrested nine foreign nationals at a luxury villa in Rawai on February 11 after uncovering an illegal poker operation promoted through Instagram that required players to pay 20,000 baht per session. Officers had received information that a group of foreigners were advertising poker games via an Instagram account named Poker Level. The promotional messages, written in Russian,…
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ECT rejects Chon Buri vote recount request, cites lack of corruption evidence
The Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) formally rejected a request for a vote recount in Chon Buri’s District 1, stating there was no concrete evidence to support allegations of corruption. On February 9, a group of voters gathered at a badminton court in Chon Buri province, which had been used to store ballots from the District 1 polling station, after…
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