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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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1 foreigner dead, another critical after drowning tragedy at Phuket’s Kata Beach
A foreigner drowned in the sea off Kata Beach in Phuket yesterday, August 21, while another foreigner survived but was left in a critical condition. Phuket Times Facebook page reported the incident in the evening, although it reportedly occurred earlier in the afternoon. Witnesses said locals managed to pull both foreigners from the water, but one had already died. The…
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Pattaya leaders aid bedridden and elderly in city push
Pattaya officials carried out a targeted welfare operation in Naklua yesterday, delivering aid to bedridden patients and elderly residents. Yesterday, August 20, Deputy Mayor Thitipan Petchtrakul and Pattaya City Council President Banlue Kullavanij hit the streets of Naklua, delivering essential aid to three of the area’s most vulnerable residents. Accompanied by fellow council members and officers from the Social Welfare…
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Kitten rescued from school pillar after four days in Thong Pha Phum
A kitten trapped inside a school pillar in Thong Pha Phum for four days has been rescued. On August 20, Sarawut Sritandorn, the mayor of Thong Pha Phum, was informed by teacher Acting Sub Lieutenant Panitta Klinchuen, also known as Teacher Tae, that a kitten was stuck inside a school building pillar. Upon receiving the report, he directed Teerasak Ritthiwong…
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Buriram woman sentenced to 332 years for embassy job scam
A court in Buriram has sentenced a 28 year old woman known as Oi to 830 years in prison for fraudulently posing as an embassy official and deceiving 166 workers into believing they would be employed in Australia. The scam resulted in losses exceeding 10 million baht (US$307,210). The workers, from Phutthaisong district in Buriram province, reported the incident to…
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Gun-toting dad smashes woman’s face in Pattaya diner row
A furious father sparked chaos in Pattaya after pistol-whipping a woman and firing a shot into the air during a restaurant clash. The shocking incident occurred on Sunday, August 17, on Soi Phothisan 8, but the suspect was arrested three days later after police obtained damning CCTV evidence. At 5pm yesterday, August 20, officers from Bang Lamung Police Station raided…
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Cambodian landmine, not artillery, causes explosion near temple
The Second Army Region has clarified that reports of Cambodian forces firing artillery at a base near Ta Kwai Temple are unfounded. It is suspected that a Cambodian soldier triggered a landmine that the Cambodian side had secretly placed behind the temple. Residents are urged not to panic over these rumours. Yesterday, August 20, journalists reported that the Second Army…
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Bitten by bravery: Cobra strikes back in Phuket
A Thai security guard in Phuket ended up needing hospital treatment after being bitten by a highly venomous king cobra moments after capturing it with his bare hands. The shocking encounter unfolded in Kamala yesterday afternoon, August 20, when the guard bravely bagged the enormous reptile. But his moment of triumph quickly turned sour when the cobra lashed out and…
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Boy hospitalised after dog attack prompts compensation dispute
A six year old boy was bitten by a neighbour’s dog while playing in front of his home, leading to serious injuries that required hospitalisation. The dog’s owner has offered 20,000 baht (US$615) in compensation, payable in five instalments, but the boy’s mother fears this will not cover the medical expenses. The incident was highlighted by the Facebook page Kamphaeng…
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Foreign volunteer allegedly threatened for helping patients in Thai AIDs temple
A former foreign volunteer at Phra Bat Nampu Temple claimed that she faced a death threat allegedly because her work improved the health of AIDS patients, resulting in reduced donations to the temple. Phra Bat Nampu Temple in the central province of Lop Buri and its abbot, Alongkot, have come under public scrutiny, not for its patient care efforts, but…
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Pheu Thai shuts down Prayut comeback rumours
Rumours of a shocking political U-turn have been flatly denied by the Pheu Thai Party, following claims they planned to nominate former coup leader and ex-Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha as their next candidate for premier. Slamming the speculation as fake news, Pheu Thai Secretary-General Sorawong Thienthong told reporters the rumour had nothing to do with the party and dismissed…
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Chiang Mai cops bust 700kg Taiwan-bound ‘Durian’ meth haul
A major drug bust in Chiang Mai has sent shockwaves through Thai law enforcement after police intercepted 700 kilogrammes of methamphetamine hidden in sacks marked with the bizarre branding “Durian.” The massive haul was discovered in the early hours of Monday, August 18, at around 1.12am, when police patrolling Ban Pa Bong Ngam in the Chiang Dao district stopped a…
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Free flights frenzy: Tourists lured with 700 million baht giveaway
Thailand is betting big on tourism, with a 700 million baht budget set aside to hand out free domestic flights to foreign travellers. The government is rolling out a bold plan to lure at least 200,000 more international tourists into Thailand’s heartland by offering free domestic air tickets. Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong confirmed today, August 20, that he…
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Glass door shatters at Bangkok mall, injuring children
A Thai woman issued a warning on social media after her daughter and nephew were injured when a glass door shattered at a shopping mall in Silom, Bangkok. The woman shared dashcam footage of the incident, along with photographs of the scene, on the Facebook page Drama-addict yesterday, August 19. The page published her account, which read… “Hi, I have something…
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Phone found at border reportedly proves Cambodia’s use of landmines
Thai soldiers discovered a Cambodian soldier’s mobile phone while clearing landmines in a forested border area, uncovering what they claim is substantial evidence of Cambodia’s use of the landmines. The Royal Thai Navy’s Humanitarian Mine Action Unit was carrying out landmine clearance in the Phu Makhuea area of Surin province on August 19 when they found the phone, allegedly belonging…
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Media chiefs unite in Phuket to shape future broadcasts
Phuket has rolled out the red carpet for the world’s media chiefs, hosting the 23rd Annual General Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD). The three-day forum, which opened yesterday, August 19, at the Beyond Kata Hotel, has drawn more than 100 senior delegates from 24 countries under the banner Media Power: Building People, Creating Peace, and Forwarding…
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British tourist faces 10 years over Pattaya death crash
A British tourist is staring at a decade behind bars after a Thai woman he allegedly struck while pulling a motorbike stunt in Pattaya died in hospital. The 22 year old British national, Brandon Mills, from Doncaster, was riding a rented scooter on one wheel when he ploughed into 49 year old Churairat Petchraksa outside a bar on Thursday, August…
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EEC Travel Mart puts Thailand’s tourism in the spotlight
Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) provinces have pulled out all the stops to turbocharge the country’s tourism industry, unveiling a high-powered showcase billed as a game-changer for the region. The EEC Travel Mart, staged yesterday, August 19, at the Nong Nooch Pattaya International Convention and Exhibition Centre, brought together hundreds of top names from the tourism sector. Business leaders, hoteliers,…
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Cambodian singer bans his songs inspired by Thai tunes
Cambodian singer Chorn Sovannreach has announced a ban on seven of his own songs, acknowledging they were inspired by Thai tunes. He incorporated Cambodian lyrics into these songs, which have been part of his repertoire for several years. The seven songs in question are: “មួយខែដប់ថ្ងៃ” (inspired by “Kwan Jai Pee Luang” by Luang Kai), “ជួបដើម្បីបែក” (inspired by “Mae Wa” by…
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Thai Michelin-starred chef Jay Fai fined for unclear crab omelette pricing
The Ministry of Commerce fined the renowned 1-star restaurant owner, Jay Fai, 2,000 baht following a complaint from a YouTuber over the unclear pricing of her signature dish, the crab omelette. The well-known Thai YouTuber based in the UK, Pitchaya “Peachii” Chaychana, posted on X on August 15 that she and her friends were charged 4,000 baht for the crab…
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Pattaya cement scandal: Contractor fined for drain dump
When it comes to environmental blunders, few things anger Pattaya residents more than contractors treating the city’s drains like a rubbish tip. That frustration boiled over this week when municipal officers caught a contractor red-handed pouring cement wastewater directly into a public drain on Pattaya Beach Soi 4. The man was hauled into City Hall and slapped with a 2,000…
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Thai hotel group sues over 400 baht wage hike challenge
The Thai Hotels Association (THA) is planning to file a lawsuit against the tripartite wage committee in the Administrative Court, aiming to challenge the 400 baht minimum wage increase, which it argues burdens hotels in secondary tourism areas. THA president Thienprasit Chaiyapatranun stated that the association’s committee has already agreed to proceed with the legal action, pending a consensus from…
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Tragedy in Uthai Thani as man drowns in pond accident
In Uthai Thani, a 42 year old man tragically drowned after slipping into a pond while urinating at its edge. Emergency services retrieved his body as family members, including his wife and son, mourned at the scene. The local village headman revealed the deceased had visited him earlier, saying he was there to say goodbye, which he now believes was…
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Thai man arrested for 8 million baht gold robbery in Samut Prakan
Police yesterday, August 19, arrested a Thai man who stole over 8 million baht worth of gold accessories from a shop in Samut Prakan province near Bangkok. Only about 4.5 million baht worth of gold was recovered. A male thief dressed in a delivery rider’s uniform robbed a gold shop in a shopping mall in the Bang Bo neighbourhood of…
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Phuket’s power shift: New governor steps in
Phuket is bracing for a major leadership change. From October 1, Saransak Srikruaneth will take the reins as governor, replacing Sophon Suwannarat, who bows out after a turbulent two-year term. The Cabinet confirmed Saransak’s appointment on Monday, August 18, following his transfer from the Ministry of Interior’s Inspector General’s office. For Sophon, whose retirement begins on September 30, the end…
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Foreign tourists involved in Patong assault await medical report for charges
Patong Police are currently awaiting a medical report before proceeding with charges against foreign tourists involved in a violent incident with a Thai motorbike rental operator in Patong. The assault, which occurred on August 10, involved six people identified as Arab. The suspects were reportedly arrested by August 14, following a video of the attack being shown to Nirat Phongsitthaworn,…
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Thai interest rate cut fuels stock market surge
Thailand’s stock market has been handed a shot of adrenaline after the Bank of Thailand (BoT) slashed its policy rate by 25 basis points to 1.50%, a move analysts say could send the SET index surging to 1,370 points by the year’s end. Market watchers hailed the rate cut as the start of “a policy-led re-rating phase” that will redirect…
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Temple robbery in Udon Thani: 6,500 baht stolen
A monk’s residence at Sri Khun Mueang Temple, Udon Thani, was broken into, resulting in the theft of money and electronics. The incident occurred early in the morning when the monk was attending a morning prayer session. Police Major Chakrapong Tongtam, an investigator at Mueang Udon Thani Police Station, along with the Pirun investigative team, responded to a report of…
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Phuket masseuse claims Egyptian employer forces daily oral sex
A Thai masseuse in Phuket accused her former Egyptian employer of forcing her and other female workers to perform oral sex on him daily. The 36 year old masseuse urged the Phuket Times Facebook page to share her story publicly as a warning to women considering relocating to work in Phuket as she once did. She stated that she now has…
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Monk falls from 10-metre cliff at Surin temple, stable in hospital
A 66 year old monk, Prasert Sathale, from Wat Khao Sala Utthathanacharo in Surin province fell from a 10-metre cliff at the temple premises while clearing leaves. Rescue teams from Bua Chet district and Tadan in Sangkha district responded promptly and transported him to Bua Chet Hospital, where he is now in stable condition. The incident was reported yesterday, August…
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Electric car plunges into canal in Nakhon Sawan, driver escapes
A driver using GPS to find a café encountered an unexpected hazard when his electric car veered off an uneven road, plunging into an irrigation canal in Nakhon Sawan province. The incident occurred on August 18 in the evening. Fortunately, the driver escaped unharmed before the current carried the vehicle approximately 50 metres downstream, where it eventually sank 2 metres…
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