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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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Sponsored Bangtao, Phuket: The neighbourhood expats and investors are eyeing in 2025
Bangtao didn't become Phuket’s most talked-about neighbourhood overnight. For a long time, it was a quiet place on the island’s west coast where locals walked their dogs at sunrise and tourists flocked to sunbathe along its eight-kilometre stretch of beach....
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Faulty tsunami buoy off Phuket’s coast doesn’t affect Thailand’s early warning system
Phuket’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation assured that despite a malfunction in one of the tsunami buoys deployed in the Andaman Sea, the country’s tsunami early warning system remains fully operational. The faulty buoy, identified as No.23461, is 340 kilometres off Phuket’s coast and ceased transmitting signals last Wednesday, as the Foundation of National Disaster Warning Council reported. The…
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Deputy Transport Minister strategises to enhance Chiang Mai’s transport systems
Surapong Piyachote, the Deputy Transport Minister, made a strategic visit to Chiang Mai yesterday to deliberate on the ministry’s endeavour to enhance the efficiency of the province’s transport systems. The meeting included Nirat Pongsitthaworn, the Chiang Mai Governor, along with representatives from corresponding sectors. Surapong emphasised the importance of optimising the province’s transportation system for the city’s economy, particularly in…
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Man tragically ends life in stranger’s home in Bang Phli district
A shocking and tragic incident occurred in Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan province, as a 26 year old man from Buriram province took his life at a stranger’s home. The incident was reported yesterday, January 8, by Deputy Police Lieutenant Colonel Anan Thongleua of the Bang Phli Police Station. On arrival at the scene, authorities found the young man,…
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Unusual cremation leaves woman’s skull intact in Thai temple
An unusual incident occurred at Wat Wang Boraphet in Uthai Thani province, where the skull of Jamrus Pachuthai, an 80 year old woman, remained almost intact after her cremation, while the rest of her body turned to ashes. This peculiar event took place at 4.30pm yesterday (January 8). The abbot of the temple, Phra Khru Uthitthamakhun, recounted that after the…
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Passing doctor saves man’s life after severe Sukhumvit Road accident
A dire road accident took place on Sukhumvit Road, Sattahip district, Chon Buri that left a 52 year old Thai man in critical condition. The incident occurred yesterday (January 8) at a distance of about 100 metres from the Bang Saray intersection. Swift medical intervention by a doctor passing by, Pajaree Wiangkaeo, played a crucial role in saving the man’s…
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Sattahip district disturbance: Son assaults mother in Chon Buri
Chon Buri’s Sattahip district was the scene of a distressing incident yesterday, as police were called to a domestic disturbance at Yung Thong Village. The commotion was reportedly caused by a 26 year old man, Hassadayu, who had assaulted his 49 year old mother, Tadsamalee, and wrought extensive damage within their family home. Upon their arrival, the police found Hassadayu…
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Man reunites with Bolivian nanny after 45 years through social media
A heartwarming video captured the attention of social media as a Spanish man reunited with his Bolivian nanny for the first time in 45 years. The man, Juanito Jonsson, originally from Sweden and the youngest of three siblings, sought out his former caretaker, Ana Jimenez, via social media. Born to missionary parents, Jonsson moved to Bolivia in 1970. There, his…
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Unidentified man found dead, neck bound with wire and wrists handcuffed in southern Thailand
A Thai farmer stumbled upon the dead body of an unidentified man in a roadside forest in the southern province of Chumphon. The man’s neck was bound with an electric wire and his two wrists were handcuffed. The farmer, 58 year old Sunan, told Channel 3 that he took his cows to the spot every day in the morning and…
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US set for decisive week on Bitcoin ETFs
The final phase of a multi-year endeavour to introduce Bitcoin-backed exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the United States is set to climax this week, faced with a series of crucial deadlines. Bloomberg News reports that all aspiring Bitcoin ETF issuers have until today, January 8, in Washington to present any late amendments to their pending applications. Moreover, the US Securities and…
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Phuket governor proposes 191 million baht infrastructure and digital modernisation plan
It was a bustling day at Phuket Provincial Hall last Friday as local government office chiefs and private sector representatives gathered to confirm a series of new infrastructure developments to be proposed at the upcoming mobile Cabinet meeting in Ranong on January 22-23. At the helm of this ambitious endeavour is Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat, who intends to seek approval…
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Thai man linked to major fraud case arrested in Bangkok
Bangkok police apprehended a 57 year old Thai man linked to a sizeable fraud case going back almost ten years. Raveeroj Rithchoteanan, had been previously incarcerated in Angola for his involvement in a significant fraud scheme. The arrest took place on Sunday at a hotel in Wang Thonglang district, with Raveeroj accused of swindling a businessman out of 22 million…
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Thai girls aged 5 and 6 allegedly raped by 4 boys aged 8 to 13
A Thai mother sought justice for her five and six year old daughters, who were allegedly raped by four boys aged between eight and 13 in an abandoned house in the Mae Ai district in the northern province of Chiang Mai. The mother of the two young victims filed a complaint at Mae Ai Police Station stating that the sexual…
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Fatal family feud over land inheritance shocks Nonthaburi, Thailand
A deadly family feud over land inheritance escalated into a brutal shooting in front of a house in Nonthaburi, Thailand, resulting in two fatalities. The incident occurred at 9.30am today, January 8, when local police and volunteer rescue workers were dispatched to a violent scene in the Ban Mai district of Bang Yai. The victims were identified as 60 year…
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American wanted for sharing explicit videos and abusing Thai women
Three Thai women reached out to the Pavena Foundation for Children and Women after a perverted American man with anger issues they connected with on a dating app shared explicit pornographic videos, blackmailed, physically assaulted them and stole their valuables. Foundation founder Paveena Hongsakul accompanied one of the three victims to the Royal Thai Police (RTP) Sports Club to file…
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Man with methamphetamine detained by Thai charity team
In a recent operation by the special operations team from the Thung Yai Charity Faith Samakkhi Foundation, a man was apprehended in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province after his substance abuse led to destructive and delusional behaviour. The individual, who had been consuming methamphetamine daily, was reported to have caused substantial damage to his home and was suffering from severe hallucinations.…
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Tesla crash causes 12-car pileup, driver faces drink driving charges
A Tesla driver, who holds an advisory council position in the Traffic Police of Mueang Phitsanulok, yesterday caused a 12-car pileup on Mitrphap Road, in front of a hotpot restaurant. The initial alcohol test showed a high percentage reading of 194 milligrams. The suspect was initially charged with damaging other people’s property. The accident involved a silver Tesla careening into…
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Phuket’s air quality under threat as haze season approaches
Grey skies are looming over Thailand’s popular tourist destination of Phuket despite the air quality remaining at a moderate level during the first week of January. The Pollution Control Department (PCD) has already flagged concerns as predictions suggest the annual haze might arrive earlier than expected this year. According to the World Air Quality Index project (AQICN), the concentration of hazardous PM2.5…
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Thai PM challenges central bank over interest rate hikes
Thailand Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who also holds the position of Minister of Finance, openly expressed his discontent with the Bank of Thailand’s decision to increase interest rates amidst a period of prolonged negative inflation. This move, according to the Thai prime minister, is detrimental to the nation’s economic well-being and disproportionately affects those on lower incomes and small to…
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Saowapa Vocational College freezes the competition with top prize in Harbin snow sculpture showdown
Three Thai vocational student teams took part in the international snow sculpture competition in Harbin, China, with Saowapa Vocational College scooping first prize. Teams from Saraburi and Surat Thani Vocational Colleges both secured third place. Prapat Ratanarun, Deputy Secretary of the Vocational Education Commission, revealed that the Office of the Vocational Education Commission (OVEC) sent three vocational student teams to…
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Record PM 2.5 dust levels hit Thailand with Bangkok and Samut Songkhram worst affected
Today saw the highest PM 2.5 dust levels this year in Thailand, with Samut Songkhram and Bangkok exceeding all other areas. The Geoinformatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA), in collaboration with the National Research Office, the Pollution Control Department, Kasetsart University, and Chiang Mai University, revealed that 38 provinces exceeded standard PM 2.5 dust levels, impacting health. The PM…
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Six month old girl’s unstoppable crying caused by 4cm hair embedded in foot
The persistent crying of a six month old girl was attributed to a 4-centimetre-long hair embedded in her foot. Her mother hurriedly took her to the hospital, where doctors were perplexed about how the hair became lodged. They cautioned against attempting to remove such foreign objects independently The mother, a young woman from Hubei province, China, carried her six month…
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Thai village in panic as deranged man with fake gun goes berserk
A man, seemingly deranged and carrying a fake gun, caused panic in the Sirikarnjan village in Bang Samak, Bang Pakong, Chachoengsao province when he was seen shaking the fences of every home and shouting. The incident, captured on CCTV, took place around 4am today, January 8. Aged between 30 and 35 years old, the man was eventually taken into custody…
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High travel costs and weak flight capacity challenge Thailand’s domestic tourism targets
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) revealed that the government’s target of accruing 1.08 trillion baht (US$30.9 trillion) in revenue from domestic tourism this year may be challenging to achieve due to high travel costs and weak flight capacity. The target set by the TAT for the domestic market is 200 million trips this year, matching the 2019 levels. However,…
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American woman discovers husband’s affair with her mother
Interior designer Lasee Jen from Indiana, United States, was left heartbroken upon discovering her husband’s infidelity. The affair, however, was not with a stranger but with Jen’s very own mother. Disclosing this shocking incident on TikTok, Jen’s story has since amassed over 2.7 million views. The events unfolded 14 years ago, shortly after Jen had given birth to a daughter…
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Weather update: Northern Thailand braces for chill as storms threaten the south
TheMeteorological Department of Thailand (TMD)forecasted another drop in temperatures across northern Thailand, with the weather ranging from cool to cold, particularly in the mountainous areas. Meanwhile, cloud cover has been observed in Bangkok. In contrast, the southern region has been issued a warning for storm conditions affecting nine provinces. A mass of cold air or high-pressure area continues to cover…
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2 armed robbers flee after shooting homeowner and stealing 235,000 baht of gold
Police are searching for two armed robbers who shot a homeowner and stole gold necklaces and a mobile phone from his family members at a house in the Ramkamhaeng neighbourhood of Bangkok. The crime was committed yesterday, January 7, and the loss totalled 264,000 baht. Wang Thong Lang Police Station officers were alerted to the shooting and robbery at a…
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National Telecom to develop cloud managed platform amid rising demand
The Digital Economy and Society Ministry has commissioned National Telecom (NT), the state telecom enterprise, to create a Cloud Managed Platform (CMP). This development comes in response to the substantial demand among state agencies for a central portal to access services from any cloud provider. Ministry’s Deputy Permanent Secretary Nattapon Nattasomboon announced that NT received an allocation of 600 million…
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Mentally ill novice forced to quit monkhood after masturbating in bus and police station
Police yesterday forced a mentally ill Thai novice to leave the monkhood and continue treatment after he was caught masturbating on a bus and at a police station in the Isaan province of Udon Thani. A security guard at Udon Thani Bus Terminal 1 reported the indecent act by a 23 year old novice named Sakda to Mueang Udon Thani…
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Mysterious death in Patong: Thai woman’s tragic demise investigated by police
A disturbing incident unfolded on Saturday in the heart of Phuket’s bustling tourist area, Patong, where a Thai woman lost her life under mysterious circumstances. Patong Police are diligently probing the matter, which took place at a local hotel, involving a New Zealand man. The incident came to light at approximately 1.40pm, on January 6 when employees of a hotel…
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Thai man arrested for rape and murder of 75 year old woman in Isaan
Police arrested a local man yesterday for the brutal rape and murder of a 75 year old Thai woman in the Isaan province of Sa Kaeo. The victim’s grandson, 27 year old Sittichai, discovered the dead body of his grandmother, 75 year old Boonnam Cherngkhao, in a sugar cane field near an abandoned car showroom in the Sa Kaeo province…
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