Thailand News
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Retirees in Thailand are increasingly seeing the importance of health insurance in protecting their well-being during retirement. With insurance requirements for retirement visas and rising healthcare costs, many are moving away from short-term plans and choosing long-term coverage. Long-term health...
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Pattaya police raid convenience store selling illegal vapes, seize 600 items
In a late-night operation on August 30, at 12.36am, Banglamung Police executed a raid on a commercial property located at 112/13-14, Soi Phornprapanimit 2, Pattaya. Led by Police Colonel Sarawut Nootnarut, with assistance from Police Lieutenant Colonel Kornphong Sukwisit and Police Sub-Lieutenant Thongthawat Phonlakhon, the police targeted a convenience store that was covertly functioning as a comprehensive electronic cigarette outlet.…
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Middle Eastern tourists in serious Pattaya motorcycle crash
A motorcycle accident involving a group of Middle Eastern tourists took place on Sukhumvit Road near Makro Pattaya in the early hours of August 30. The crash, reported at 3.06am, resulted in two people suffering serious injuries and significant damage to two motorcycles. The Pattaya Sawang Boriboon Rescue Unit was quick to respond to the scene. They discovered a white…
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Khon Kaen police raid karaoke bar, 23 test positive for drugs
In Khon Kaen, police conducted an early morning raid on a karaoke bar yesterday, August 30, discovering 23 patrons who tested positive for drug use. The venue’s owner is now facing charges as a result of the suspected narcotics event. The raid was prompted by reports that the bar allowed tourists to consume Happy Water, a cocktail containing drugs like…
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Bangkok protest set for today against Pheu Thai’s government formation
The United Power of the Land to Protect Sovereignty and its supporters are set to convene at Victory Monument in Bangkok today, August 31, opposing the Pheu Thai Party’s efforts to form a new government. This decision follows the Constitutional Court’s ruling on August 29, which removed Paetongtarn Shinawatra from the prime ministerial candidacy due to a leaked phone call…
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Driver found dead in parked car at Pathum Thani petrol station
A security guard at a petrol station in Pathum Thani discovered a driver mysteriously deceased inside a stationary Toyota Fortuner, prompting an urgent call to police for investigation. The vehicle had been parked since the evening without moving. At 2.30am today, August 31, Police Lieutenant Rapeepong Boonphuaphan, an investigator from Pratunam Chulalongkorn Police Station, received a report of a death…
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Snake at doorstep turns into fortune-telling sign for lucky numbers
A man was intrigued by a green pit viper that repeatedly coiled at his doorstep for three consecutive nights. This unusual occurrence prompted neighbours to ask for his house number, hoping to use it for lottery predictions. The incident began on August 28, when a Facebook user posted a video of the snake coiled on a shelf at his front…
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Crane collapse on Rama 2 Road injures three, causes power outage
A construction crane collapsed on Rama 2 Road, dropping a 3-tonne metal beam onto a passing pickup truck, severely damaging it and trapping two occupants. Emergency services responded promptly at 2.30am today, August 31, following a report received by Police Lieutenant Colonel Suwit Moolsongkiat of Mueang Samut Sakhon Police Station. The incident occurred during elevated road construction at kilometre 27,…
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Heavy rain alert as tropical depression affects Thai provinces
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has issued its eighth notice regarding the tropical depression Nong Fa, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall across several Thai provinces. Residents are urged to be cautious of flash floods and forest run-off from today, August 31, to tomorrow, September 1. At 4am today, August 31, the intense low-pressure area, which had weakened from…
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Tipsy trouble: Bangkok man arrested for fake shooting report
A Bangkok man is facing legal trouble after drunkenly phoning in a bogus shooting report that sent emergency teams scrambling to a non-existent crime scene. The bizarre incident began late on Wednesday, August 27, when a call was placed to the 191 emergency hotline claiming that a woman had opened fire outside a clinic in Sai Mai district, injuring multiple…
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Southern Thailand’s Phi Phi boardwalk faces repair delays
Frustrated locals and business owners on Phi Phi Don in Krabi say officials are dragging their feet over repairs to the island’s main boardwalk, more than a year after storms tore it apart. The boardwalk, a vital route linking Ton Sai Bay pier with the island, was wrecked by fierce winds and waves in July last year. Since then, tourists…
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Surin father pleads for return of son taken for deportation
A devastated father in Surin has pleaded for the return of his Cambodian wife and 13 year old son after immigration police removed the boy from school and placed him in a shelter for deportation. The incident unfolded yesterday, August 29, in Bua Chet district when officers arrived at the school and escorted the boy away, citing a lack of…
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Lottery fever grips central Thailand at giant Buddha shrine
With the national lottery draw just around the corner, fortune-seekers have been flocking to Wat Klang Bang Phra in Nakhon Pathom province, hoping to strike it rich with a little divine help. Crowds gathered at the temple in Nakhon Chai Si district, where the towering 30-metre Luang Pho Somwang Buddha statue has become a magnet for those chasing lucky numbers.…
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Nok Air ordered to halt international flights over safety
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has directed Nok Air to pause its international flight operations and halt route expansion due to safety concerns. The airline, however, clarified that an issue with an aircraft engine has already been addressed by replacing it. Currently, Nok Air is not conducting international flights due to the low travel season. During peak times,…
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Pattaya approves 258 million baht boost for hospital and health
Pattaya is splashing out on healthcare, with more than 258 million baht approved to keep hospital services running and ensure residents and tourists have access to quality treatment. The green light came during the city council’s third ordinary meeting of the year, chaired by Council President Banlue Kullavanich and attended by Mayor Poramet Ngampichet, deputy mayors, and senior officials. The…
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Anutin pushes plan for interim government with allies
Thailand’s political chessboard has been thrown into fresh turmoil as Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul declared his readiness to lead an interim government, with crucial backing from the opposition People’s Party. The move comes after the Constitutional Court removed Paetongtarn Shinawatra from the premiership, leaving the country in limbo. Anutin confirmed yesterday, August 29, that his party is canvassing support from…
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M81 motorway to Kanchanaburi planned for opening by year’s end
Drivers could soon slash their journey from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi to under an hour, with the long-awaited M81 motorway on track to open before the end of the year. The Department of Highways confirmed that the 96-kilometre route, stretching from Bang Yai in Nonthaburi to Kanchanaburi, is now in its final stages. Director-General Apirat Chaiwongnoi said only finishing touches remain,…
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Gun stunt in forest exposes Phuket drug kingpin
A Burmese drug dealer has been arrested in Phuket after a video of him firing a gun in a mangrove forest went viral, leading police straight to his stash of meth, cash and weapons. The suspect, identified as 34 year old Nge Htwe Don, known by the alias Mr Screw, was caught after posting a video of himself practising with…
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Thailand grants royal pardon to jailed activists and artists
Thailand has released several high-profile prisoners jailed under the controversial lese majeste law following royal pardons issued earlier this year, with activists, artists, and even a mother jailed while pregnant among those walking free. The mass release, which began on Wednesday, August 27, was confirmed by the Corrections Department. Those freed include those convicted under Section 112 of the Criminal…
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Speeding pickup kills biker in deadly Phang Nga U-turn crash
A speeding pickup truck ploughed into a motorcyclist at a U-turn in Khao Lak, Phang Nga province, on Thursday, killing the rider instantly in a horrific crash. The fatal collision occurred at around 5.15pm on August 28 near the Kukkak Subdistrict Health Centre on Phetkasem Road, heading towards Thai Mueang district. Police at Khao Lak Station were alerted to the…
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Thailand storm alert: Tropical system barrels in with torrential rain
Thailand is bracing for a wet and wild week ahead as heavy rain, flash floods, and runoff threaten large parts of the country, just days after storm Kajiki wreaked havoc. The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has warned of intensifying rainfall from today, August 30, through to Wednesday, September 3, with the northern and northeastern regions set to take the hardest…
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Body of missing Thai man found buried in Nakhon Si Thammarat mountain
The family of a missing Thai man eventually discovered his body buried on a mountain in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat. Five drug suspects confessed to killing him over a dispute within their illegal business dealings. The family of 35 year old Patipon “Film” Pithak filed a missing person report at Chang Klang Police Station on July 17…
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PM out: Paetongtarn booted over Hun Sen audio scandal
Thailand’s Constitutional Court today removed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office, ruling she committed serious ethical violations in a leaked audio clip with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen. At 9.30am today, August 29, the nine judges, led by court president Nakarin Mektrairat, convened to deliberate the petition lodged by 36 senators and endorsed by the Senate President. The complaint alleged…
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Police officer denies involvement after uniform found in gambling den
A police officer, whose uniform was discovered during a gambling den raid in the Don Mueang district of Bangkok, denied ever gambling but admitted to meeting a friend who worked as a security guard at the venue. Officers from the district administrative office raided the gambling house in Don Mueang on Wednesday, August 27. The establishment has been raided more…
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Indian tourists turn Pattaya songthaew into dance floor
Pattaya’s famous Beach Road was turned into an impromptu party zone this week after a group of Indian tourists transformed a songthaew into their very own mobile nightclub, blasting Bollywood music and dancing under the neon glow of the city’s nightlife. Videos posted online show the tourists standing on the back of the pickup truck, arms raised in the air,…
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Aussie found dead on Phuket hotel bed with weed and Viagra
A 36 year old Australian man has been found dead in his hotel room in Phuket, with police investigating whether a suspected drug overdose was the cause. Chalong Police were called to the scene at a hotel on Soi Ta-iad at around 2.30pm on Wednesday, August 27, after staff reported discovering the man lying motionless on his bed. Police Lieutenant…
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Pheu Thai on edge as court rules on Paetongtarn case
Tensions are running high in Thai politics as the Constitutional Court prepares to rule on suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s fate, with the Pheu Thai Party adopting a cautious wait-and-see stance. Speaking at Government House today, August 29, PM’s Office Minister and Pheu Thai list-MP Chousak Sirinil said the party had made no contingency plans in the event of an…
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Royal closure: Sanam Luang shut down for big Bangkok facelift
Bangkok’s historic Sanam Luang has been closed off for a major makeover, with city officials confirming the popular site will be out of action until mid-November. The Phra Nakhon District Office announced the temporary closure from August 25 to November 15, citing the need for significant renovations after years of heavy use had left damage across the lawn and parking…
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Russian man arrested on Koh Samui over Phuket cryptocurrency robbery
Police arrested a Russian man on Koh Samui, an island in Surat Thani, for his involvement in a cryptocurrency robbery that took place in Phuket on August 26. The 28 year old Russian victim, Aleksandr, filed a complaint at Chalong Police Station in Phuket, reporting that he had lost cryptocurrency worth 35,000 USDT, or about 1.2 million baht, to four…
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Runaway truck wheel on Pathum Thani road leaves Thai nurse fight for life
A male Thai nurse sustained serious injuries after a truck wheel smashed into his SUV on a road in Pathum Thani province near Bangkok yesterday, August 28. Officers from Khu Bang Luang Police Station investigated the accident, which occurred on the Pathum Thani–Lat Lum Kaeo Road at 9.30am. The Por Teck Tung Rescue Foundation also responded, as the Thai driver,…
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Caught out: Suspected Phuket cat burglar faces fresh charges
A suspected cat burglar already behind bars in Phang Nga is now staring down more charges in Phuket, after police linked him to a string of break-ins in Wichit and Chalong. Wichit Police Chief, Colonel Somsak Thongkliang, confirmed yesterday, August 28, that investigators are pushing the Phuket Provincial Court to issue an arrest warrant for the suspect, identified only as…
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