News
Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.
-
Sponsored Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run
Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...
-
Rebel group PULO won’t engage in peace talks if independence is off the table
The leader of a rebel group in Thailand’s Deep South said the rebels will not engage in peace talks with the Thai government if the possibility of independence in Thailand’s southern border region is off the table. Under the framework of Thailand’s current constitution, the kingdom remains indivisible. The group’s leader Kasturi Makhota made the announcement days after his rebel…
-
Police raid illegal ‘casino’ on Koh Samui located near police station
Officers from Bor Put police station in Koh Samui raided an illegal “casino” located in the middle of the island yesterday evening. They were joined by the island’s mayor, Chayapon Intarasupa. Those running the operation allegedly allowed people to gamble in different games to win money, according to reports. Thai media reported that the illegal gambling centre was a one-story…
-
Thai virologist says Covid-19 does not affect the immune system like HIV does
A prominent Thai virologist has taken to Facebook to reassure people that Covid-19 does not destroy the immune system in the way the human immunodeficiency virus does. According to Dr Anan Jongkaewwattana, the Covid-19 virus affects T-cells in a similar manner to HIV, but the outcomes of both scenarios are completely different. The virologist from the National Centre for Genetic…
-
3 more women break their silence, adding to claims of Prinn’s alleged sexual abuse
More potential #MeToo victims are coming out of the closet, as Thailand faces what may be the largest sex scandal involving a senior politician. On Monday, another three women filed complaints with police against former Democrat deputy leader Prinn Panitchpakdi, for a total of eight women who have officially accused him of sexual misconduct, according to a report by the…
-
Health ministry sticking to plan to declare Covid-19 endemic by July
The Public Health Ministry says it’s on track to declare Covid-19 endemic in Thailand by July 1, despite a prediction of increased deaths, particularly among the elderly. The Bangkok Post reports that Dr Chakkarat Pitayowonganon from the Department of Disease Control says it will take between 2 and 4 weeks to determine if case numbers will reach over 100,000 a…
-
Health ministry stockpiles medication in anticipation of Covid-19 surge
Thailand’s health ministry has stocked up on Covid-19 treatment, in anticipation of a surge in infections following the Songkran holiday. Health minister Anutin Charnvirakul says hospitals are also standing by to treat at-risk patients, while those who are asymptomatic or only have mild symptoms can be treated at home. The Bangkok Post reports that around 110 million favipiravir pills have…
-
Service Hall at Don Mueang Airport collapses in storm
A thunderstorm hit Bangkok yesterday, causing the Service Hall at Don Mueang International airport to collapse. The hall was built just one year ago but hasn’t yet been used due to low levels of international travel throughout the pandemic. No injuries or deaths were reported. Luckily there was no one in there at the time. The walls of the Service…
-
Thailand feminists protest at Democrat party HQ, demand justice in ‘#MeToo’ scandal
Thai feminist groups banded together this morning to stage a protest in front of Democrat party headquarters, in the wake of a slew of sexual assault allegations against the party’s former deputy leader, Prinn Panitchpakdi. On Sunday, Bangkok’s South Criminal Court detained Prinn for 3 counts of sexual assault and harassment, before temporarily releasing him on bail, on the condition…
-
100 year old banyan tree falls down, kills 10 year old boy
A 10 year old boy was crushed to death by a 100 year old banyan tree which fell down this morning at a temple in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, southern Thailand. The boy was sitting near the tree studying online when the incident happened. The boy sadly died instantly when the tree fell on him, crushing him underneath. The boy’s…
-
Khon Kaen beauty queen says she was sexually assaulted by Grab driver
A Thai beauty contest winner has posted on Facebook claiming that she had been sexually assaulted by a Grab motorcycle taxi driver last Saturday in Khon Kaen, northeast Thailand. The beauty queen posted a screenshot of the Grab driver’s details online warning others against using his motorcycle taxi services. She has filed a police report at Khon Kaen City police…
-
Thai man and 78 year old foreign stepfather arrested over child sex abuse in Phuket
A Thai man and his foreign stepfather have been arrested for allegedly engaging in child sex crimes and sexual abuse in Phuket. Police say the Thai man pretended to be a swimming coach and lured male children less than 15 years old into swimming at his stepfather’s house for potential sexual exploits. More than 15 children were reportedly involved in…
-
Police arrest murder suspect on the run for 15 years in southern Thailand
Police arrested a man on suspicion of a murder which took place nearly 15 years ago this morning in Yala province, southern Thailand. Police found the suspect on the side of the road in Betong district and arrested him on a warrant issued by Chiang Rai Provincial Court back in 2007. Police believe the murder was a politically motivated attack.…
-
Bomb disposal officers need blood donations after explosion in southern Thailand
A double bomb attack in Pattani province in southern Thailand on Friday killed a fisherman and injured 3 explosive ordnance disposal officers, leaving 2 of them severely injured and in desperate need of blood donations. By the way, Songklanagarind Hospital invites the public to urgently donate blood of any type at the hospital (details below). Lt. Col. Thanongsak Jesa, an…
-
Monday Covid Update: 16,994 new cases; provincial totals
124 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 27,006 with 5,308 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 16,994 new Covid-19 cases and 25,910 recoveries. There are now 205,514 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
-
Teenagers in Thailand will be eligible to receive Pfizer booster jabs from May
Starting in May, teenagers in Thailand aged 12-17 will be allowed to get a Pfizer booster shot for Covid-19, provided they’ve received their second dose of a Covid vaccine within the past 6 months. The move is to boost students’ immunity to the virus ahead of new school year, which is set to begin next month, according to Dr. Opart…
-
5 senior Phuket police officers face discipline following video posted by lawyer
In the aftermath of a 3 minute video showing people partying and drinking at the Patong Bay Hill Resort Hotel, that was allegedly open past the current legal closing time of 11pm, 5 senior police from Patong police station have been ‘transferred’ to the provincial head office… sidelined to desk duties whilst the incident is being investigated. And when we…
-
Myanmar grants amnesty to 1,600 prisoners, no political detainees released
Myanmar’s military government granted amnesty to over 1,600 prisoners, including 42 foreigners, during the country’s New Year’s holiday from April 13-16. The figure is small compared to the 23,000 prisoners released during the holiday last year. Despite Myanmar’s ruling general’s promise to restore peace in the country this year, no political detainees were released. “As part of the celebration of…
-
Search for the missing continues as South Africa floods claim 443 lives
The search continues for dozens of people still missing following floods in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The death toll has now risen to 443 after heavy rains caused devastating floods and mudslides. According to a Reuters report, thousands have been left homeless, while homes have lost power and water. One of the country’s busiest ports, Durban, has had…
-
Academic says Omicron may have peaked in Thailand already
Last week some Thai doctors were predicting a ‘doomsday’ scenario with up to 100,000 new Covid infections pers day post-Songkran. Now there’s a new tune being sung… A science lecturer from Chulalongkorn University says he believes Thailand has actually passed its Omicron peak, as infections continue to trend downwards. In a Facebook post over the weekend, Jessada Denduangboripant referred to…
-
Thailand goes crazy for mango sticky rice, after Thai rapper Milli’s Coachella stunt
Mango sticky rice is in the international spotlight after a young Thai rapper promoted the popular dessert during her raunchy performance at the Coachella music festival. Now the Cultural Promotion Department is planning to propose that mango stick rice is “an intrinsic part of Thai culture”, to be included on the list of Thailand’s ‘UNESCO intangible cultural heritage’. The 19…
-
Health ministry advises work from home policy for 7 days after Songkran holiday
Thailand’s health ministry is advising businesses to have employees work from home for 7 days, according to Chakrarat Pittawawonganon from the Department of Disease Control. The advice is designed to prevent a surge in infections following the recent Songkran holiday. “Once the Songkran festival is over, the number of cases may increase by 20 – 30%.” According to a Bangkok…
-
UPDATE: Former Democrat deputy leader now temporarily released, Bangkok
THE LATEST After agreeing this morning to temporarily detain the former deputy leader of the Democrat political party, the Bangkok South Criminal Court has temporarily released Prinn Panitchpakdi on bail on the condition that he wouldn’t leave the country without the court’s permission. The former deputy leader posted bail surety of 700,000 baht. Thailand’s Immigration Bureau was to be informed…
-
Changes to the Thailand Pass, starting TODAY
New info posted on the Thailand Pass website. The slight changes, which starts today (Monday) according to the announcement, will now allow applicants to arrive on a different day to the date originally approved in their Thailand Pass application, as long as it’s no more than 7 days either side of the original date. If you are travelling to Thailand…
-
Patong Bay Hotel under investigation for late night parties, senior Phuket police sidelined
Five senior police officers at the Patong police station have been sidelined to ‘office duties’ at the provincial HQ after a video surfaced showing a popular hotel open way past the current curfew time in Phuket. The 11pm curfew in Phuket has been broadly ignored by the town’s nightlife which is battling to restart after nearly 2 year Covid hiatus.…
-
Thailand’s Defence Ministry says Yakuza member is not former PM’s son
Thailand’s Defence Ministry is calling ‘fake news’ on rumours that a former PM’s son is part of a yakuza gang after he was arrested in the US this month on suspicion of trafficking in drugs and weapons. The gang members were arrested for trafficking heroin and methamphetamine while trying to acquire surface-to-air missiles for rebel groups in Myanmar and Sri Lanka,…
-
UPDATE: Bangkok court approves detention of former Democrat deputy leader
UPDATE After over 20 women came forward this week accusing former politician Prinn Panitchpakdi of sexually harassing and assaulting them, the Bangkok South Criminal Court has now approved detention for Prinn this morning (Sunday). Three of the alleged victims lodged complaints with Lumpini police, and the police requested that Prinn be detained for further questioning about the allegations. Prinn attended…
-
Tiny kitten rescued from gutter in Chon Buri
On Friday, firefighters in Sri Racha district of Chon Buri province rescued a 3 month old kitten from a roadside gutter it had fallen into. A woman told The Pattaya News that she heard the cat crying from somewhere and discovered that the kitten was stuck in a gutter, so she called 199 for help. The firefighters said the gutter…
-
Pattaya mayoral hopeful vows to revive tourism and nightlife
The mayoral candidate for Pattaya’s We Love Pattaya party, Poramese Ngampiches, told the Associated Press yesterday that he wants the Chon Buri province to continue attracting tourists throughout the whole year. Bali Hai Pier officials say there are currently over 20,000 tourists a day visiting Koh Larn, and Poramese said he wants to keep up this momentum. Chon Buri, specifically Pattaya and…
-
Thailand’s PM Prayut orders health services to prepare for post-Songkran Covid spike
Government spokespersons announced yesterday that Thailand’s PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered the country’s health institutes to prepare for a spike in Covid-19 infections following the Songkran holiday, when people return to work. This includes the Ministry of Public Health, and other state agencies. Today, there are 128 new Covid-related deaths, and 17,775 new cases recorded. The number of new daily…
-
Alleged victim of sexual assault by politician withdraws from Bangkok election
A woman who is alleging former Democrat party deputy leader Prinn Panitchpakdi raped her, has announced yesterday she was withdrawing from the Bangkok city councillor election. The woman, Anna Vidhyaphum, said in a Facebook post that she wanted to show that her accusation against Prinn is not politically motivated. Anna’s party, The Ruam Thai United party, issued a statement yesterday…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.