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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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Former Thai beauty queen faces fraud charges over bogus property rental
A beautiful businesswoman and former beauty queen stands accused of fraud and misleading the public after she allegedly rented out a house that she didn’t own. The arrest of Tetshinee (surname withheld) was made today, January 16, following orders from senior police officers. The 43 year old was charged with deceiving the public and importing false data into a computer system,…
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Thailand’s chat commerce predicted to hit 1.14 trillion baht by 2028
Chat commerce in Thailand is expected to reach a staggering 1.14 trillion baht by 2028, according to predictions by Line Thailand. This substantial increase, up from 462 billion baht in 2023, represents a compound annual growth rate of 19.2%. Jirat Watanakarin, who heads e-commerce growth and strategy at Line Thailand, said Thailand is one of the world’s largest markets in…
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97 year old woman’s 3.4 million baht stolen by assistant in Thailand
A 24 year old man has been arrested for stealing over 3.4 million baht (US$96,840) from an 97 year old woman. The arrest of the accused, Thanapat (surname withheld), was executed today (January 16), by Police Lieutenant Colonel Piyaphong Wongketuchai, the head of Ban Pong Police Station in Ratchaburi Province, along with his investigative team. The stolen money was spent…
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Thailand and Palestine to join forces to free Thai hostages
Thailand and Palestine promised to take their 12-year relationship to new heights with discussions on tourism and trade between Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-nukara and Walid Abu Ali, Ambassador of the State of Palestine. Both sides conveyed their pleasure at the strong Thai-Palestinian relations that have flourished since August 1, 2012. With the Thai embassy in Amman, Jordan, assuming control of…
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Hotel maid arrested in Patong for snatching 140,000 baht from foreign guests
A Swiss man and two Cyprus nationals found money missing from their rooms at Patong, Phuket on December 27 last year. The man reported to Patong Police that US$700 (24,600 baht) had gone missing from his room at The Great Hotel on Sirirat Road, Patong, Kathu District. Two more similar incidents were subsequently reported on January 6 by Konstantnos and…
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Zipmex risks losing license over liquidity issues and inadequate management
Zipmex, a digital asset exchange operator, is facing a potential revocation of its business licence from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) if it fails to resolve its liquidity problem within a fortnight. This issue arises as the company’s capital fund has fallen below the regulator’s minimum standards. The SEC board urged Zipmex to overhaul its operations, blaming the company’s…
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Prominent Thai loan shark arrested for illegal pawnbroking business
A 66 year old Sunthorn from the province of Nakhon Si Thammarat, known as a prominent loan shark, was arrested for running an illegal pawnbroking business, lending money with an annual interest rate of 36%. The authorities seized 31 vehicles, warning debtors that they could become criminal suspects. Yesterday, at Na Bon Police Station in the Nakhon Si Thammarat province,…
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9 year old Thai boy accused of sexually assaulting dog
A Thai grandfather is seeking justice for his nine year old grandson after his school teacher in the Chamni district of the Isaan province of Buriram accused the boy of sexually assaulting a dog. As a consequence, the boy has been banned from attending school. The 58 year old grandfather, named Lhong, asked Channel 3 to spread the story of…
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Thailand to tackle declining birth rate as national issue
Cholnan Srikaew, the Public Health Minister, announced the government’s intent to prioritise the country’s dwindling birth rate as a national issue. In a response to Senator Ampol Chindawattana’s query regarding the falling birth rate, Cholnan explained that the challenge isn’t straightforward to address due to shifting priorities and socioeconomic values. The government, however, recognised the urgency of the situation, given…
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Work from Bangkok home possible due to increased PM2.5 pollution
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) struck a deal with civic groups, proposing work from home plan for 50,000 of the city’s workers if PM2.5 intensity hits the red level for three consecutive days, declared Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt. The 57 year old city chief, in a strategic morning meeting with top-tier administrators, addressed the escalating PM2.5 dust crisis throttling the…
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Brutal murder of Pattaya ride-hail driver sparks 18-kilometre police chase
A brutal murder in Pattaya led to a police chase spanning over 18 kilometres after a 31 year old Grab and Bolt driver, named Thanathip, was found dead from stab wounds before his body was burnt with four tyres in an apparent effort to cover the crime. The suspects, believed to be a 22 year old man named Wa and…
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Thai hotel sector sees pre-pandemic level investment surge
Thailand’s hotel sector is undergoing a resurgence in investment mirroring pre-pandemic levels, with the boost being propelled by an increase in hotel conversions and an uptick in bank lending, because of a hopeful tourism market. The information is according to C9 Hotelworks, a hospitality consultancy firm. The firm’s managing director, Bill Barnett, reported an upbeat market and investment sentiment, thanking…
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13 year old Thai boy nabbed for stealing phone of Turkish tourist in Pattaya
An overwhelmed Turkish tourist thanked Mueang Pattaya Police Station officers for the swift arrest of a 13 year old Thai boy who stole his mobile phone. The theft took place at 4.30am yesterday, January 15, while Police Sergeant Major Thatsanai Termphon from the Mueang Pattaya Police Station was on duty at a police booth on Jomtien Beach Road. Thatsanai heard…
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High-speed chase in Sisaket ends with seizure of 90,000 meth pills worth 600,000 baht
In a dramatic turn of events, a high-speed chase unfolded as law enforcement pursued and arrested a man and woman, seizing 90,000 methamphetamine pills near Khao Phra Wihan National Park. A high-speed chase led by law enforcement officers ended in the arrest of a 26 year old man and 19 year old woman, in a parking lot at the Khao…
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Thai woman exposes call centre scam gang, forcing sex services for freedom
A Thai woman filed a complaint against a Thai man who deceived her into working for a scam call centre in Cambodia and forced her into prostitution in exchange for her freedom. Her complaint led to the arrest of the deceptive Thai man and the rescue of two other victims. The 25 year old victim filed a complaint against the…
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Thailand’s education system needs urgent overhaul to meet trade, investment demands
The pressing need for Thailand to expedite its educational development to match trade and investment needs has been highlighted by Poonpong Naiyanapakorn, director-general of the Trade Policy and Strategy Office (TPSO). The dynamic and rapidly evolving nature of the contemporary trade, investment, and technological sectors necessitates a workforce equipped with adaptable skills and thinking capabilities. Poonpong detailed that despite some…
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Cyber crime costs Thailand 6.76 billion baht in 70 days
Cyber crime inflicted a devastating blow to Thailand’s economy with losses amounting to 6.76 billion baht (US$192 million) within a span of 70 days, as reported by the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB). Despite a decline in call centre scams, there was a noted surge in scams related to the struggling economy, including those promising additional income and fraudulent loan…
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Thai government contemplates extending humanitarian aid to Myanmar
A military source revealed that the Thai government is deliberating on extending widespread humanitarian aid to assist the vulnerable populations in Myanmar. Additionally, Thailand is considering hosting discussions with the leader of Myanmar and ethnic minority factions to resolve the country’s crisis. The Thai prime minister, Srettha Thavisin, has been engaged in conversations with Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-nukara and the…
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Thai education: Foundations and milestones under King Rama V’s Reign
This Teacher’s Day, let’s journey back in time to delve into the establishment of the first Thai schools, both royal and public, dating back to the reign of King Rama V. These institutions have survived to this day, marking a significant milestone in the country’s education history. King Rama V, after ascending the throne in 1868, observed the importance of…
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Bangkok braces for rising dust pollution, considers work-from-home scenario
Bangkok’s City Hall is on high alert as it keeps a close watch on the escalating ultra-fine dust pollution levels. The governor, Chadchart Sittipunt, raised the possibility of initiating a work-from-home programme if alarmingly unsafe levels persist for three days in a row. Chadchart yesterday indicated that a warning would be disseminated through the City Hall’s network, which boasts over…
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Royal Thai Navy honours Krom Luang Chumphon with tribute walk-run event
The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) yesterday staged an event titled Walk-Run in Tribute to His Royal Highness Krom Luang 100 Years Apakorn Day. The event was inaugurated by Admiral Adung Phan-iam, Commander of the RTN, along with His Royal Highness Chiyakorn Apakorn Sesavej Chairman of the Apakorn Foundation. The event took place at the Navy Command Headquarters, Wang Nanthana Nayan…
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Tao Ngoi’s tortoise statue: Thailand’s new hotspot for lottery enthusiasts
The famed Tortoise Statue of Tao Ngoii has become a hot spot for lottery enthusiasts seeking lucky numbers after its landscape was revitalised. The changes, which took place at the end of 2023 in the Tao Ngoi public park, have turned the area into a flourishing tourist attraction. The park is home to two large Naga sculptures located near the…
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Phuket community gathers for fun-filled Children’s Day celebrations
Phuket was brimming with joy and laughter yesterday as the community gathered to commemorate Children’s Day. A plethora of activities were arranged throughout the island, transforming the usually serene atmosphere into a vibrant, lively carnival for the younger generation. In a heartwarming gesture, Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat and his wife, Busadee Suwannarat, opened the doors of the Provincial Hall to…
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Rare event in northern Thailand sparks lottery number hunt
In an unusual occurrence in Surin province, a steel tree branch pierced through the trunk of a peacock tree, sparking the interest of local lottery enthusiasts. The unique event, witnessed by 74 year old Sai Wansiri and other villagers, took place in the forest next to a paddy field in Nong Sai village. The villagers, armed with flowers, incense sticks,…
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Oink oink: Unidentified man allegedly rapes pregnant pig in Buriram
An unidentified man allegedly raped a pregnant pig in a pen at a Thai woman’s home leaving residents living in fear in the Chalerm Phra Kiat district in the Isaan province of Buriram. Concerns grew among locals in the area after a 40 year old pig owner named Kong, revealed a shocking story to Channel 3. Kong explained that she…
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Thai data privacy watchdog uncovers massive breach involving over 5,000 organisations
Thailand’s Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) recently uncovered a significant privacy breach involving 5,261 organisations. Among these, a majority of 4,886 were government agencies from both central and local sectors. The lapse in data protection was observed between November 9 of the previous year and January 12. The violations were primarily due to excessively revealing personal data on various websites…
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Glove wars: Public Warehouse Organisation gears up for legal battle over undelivered goods
The Public Warehouse Organisation (PWO) is currently embarking on a legal battle against its former director and six other officials for undelivered gloves. The lawsuit is centred around the return of a 2 billion baht deposit that was paid for a 112 billion baht rubber glove purchase during the Covid-19 pandemic, which was never delivered. Kriangsak Prateepvisut, the PWO director,…
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Blood quest: Phuket seeks lifelines as blood centres make urgent appeal
As the Thai island of Phuket launches into another year, the Phuket Regional Blood Centre (Phuket RBC) and the Phuket Blood Bank at Vachira Phuket Hospital have once again put the call out for blood donations. This initiative, run by the Phuket branch of the Thai Red Cross Society, kicked off its annual campaign, spanning the full breadth of January and…
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19 year old Thai faces 5 charges for pimping out 13 year old boy
Police arrested a 19 year old Thai man in Bangkok on Saturday night, on five charges of pimping out a 13 year old boy. Patrol and Special Operation Division officers received a tip-off on January 13 that the teenager, 19 year old Peeraphat Bootcham, was procuring boys aged under 15 years old to provide sex services. Peeraphat advertised the services…
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