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.
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Pattaya tourist found dead in rental room
Pattaya police found a tourist dead in his rented room, lying naked near the door to his bedroom, near a large pool of blood. There were also spots of blood in the bathroom, and the man’s neck was reportedly wounded. The man’s name and nationality have not yet been reported, however officers from Pattaya Police Station believe he is 40-60…
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Car bomb and gun battle at immigration building on Thai/Myanmar border
A car bomb and a gun fight wreaked havoc in Myawaddy Township in Myanmar last night. The car bomb, suspected to have been left in a pickup truck, exploded at an immigration building near the border with Tak province in Thailand. The remains of the pickup truck suspected of carrying the bomb were found near a border checkpoint. After the…
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Visa Options and Paying Tax as a Foreigner in Thailand
What are the current visa options available for foreigners to work in Thailand? How does a foreigner pay tax while working from Thailand? What visa should you be applying for before considering to move to Thailand? Tim newton sits with Ben hart from Integrity Legal to find out more about visa and tax in Thailand.
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Phuket Yacht destroyed in fire, damage valued around 16 million baht
A massive on-board fire has destroyed and sank a yacht at the Yacht Haven Marina in Phuket’s Thalang province yesterday. Officials who inspected the 12 metre catamaran believe the fire may have been caused by an electrical short-circuit, however a further investigation is still underway. No passengers were on the vessel when it was scorched, and no injuries were reported.…
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South Korea to allow eating at movie theatres, indoor gyms
Following South Korea’s move last week to lift several Covid-19 restrictions, the country’s PM announced on Friday that next week, people will be allowed to eat in many public spaces that were earlier prevented due to the country’s Covid restrictions. These include movie theatres, indoor gyms, religious centres, trains, and busses. The PM, Kim Boo-kyum, says the government will consult…
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In Thailand, more than half of children who die from Covid-19 are under 5
In January, over half of the children who died in Thailand from Covid-19 were under 5 years old, and therefore too young to be vaccinated (under current Thai health guidelines). Meanwhile, the number of deaths from Covid-19 continue to worry health officials following the Songkran holiday, according to a Chulalongkorn University lecturer. The lecturer, Dr. Thira Worathanarat, wrote in a…
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Hong Kong to let in non-residents starting May 1, but with quarantine
After lifting suspensions on flights from 9 overseas locations on April 1, Hong Kong now plans to let in non-residents from all countries starting May 1. In the past month, average daily arrivals have risen in the territory to about 1,200 from a meagre 300, according to the Hong Kong government’s Covid website. The ban on non-residents has been in…
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The Ultimate Blind Taste Test | Cheese Edition
Join Natty & Jay for a quick sit down at Vivin Grocery & Bistro in Ekkamai to try 9 locally produced cheeses.
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Thailand Pass – Am I fully vaccinated? The fine print.
With the changes to the Thailand Pass, scheduled to kick on from May 1 (after the changes have been detailed and endorsed by Royal Gazette), there will only be 2 categories of people coming into Thailand, vaccinated and unvaccinated. There will be no Test & Go or Sandbox programs. So what is considered ‘fully vaccinated’? • Information about the changes…
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Thailand drops all pre and on-arrival testing, banks on a tourist surge after May 1
The CCSA has approved the biggest easing of entry requirements for fully vaccinated travellers (Thai and foreign) starting May 1, but awaiting official publication in the Royal Gazette, expected early next week. There will be no more Test & Go or Sandbox programs, and there’s now more options for unvaccinated travellers. The only 2 options for arriving travellers will simply…
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Gunman intimidates at least one tourist in Patong
A gunman has intimidated at least one tourist in Patong in Phuket yesterday. Local CCTV footage and eyewitness statements helped police officers at Patong Police Station track down the gunman, 25 year old Kittipong Chanthawong, nicknamed ‘Bank’. Bank had allegedly accosted the unnamed tourist on Bangla Road. Bank surrendered to police near a water shop next to a university. Police…
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Chon Buri husband and wife arrested over contaminated sausages
A Chon Buri husband and wife have been arrested for producing contaminated sausages and food. The couple reportedly admitted to the charges of offending various Food Health and Safety Acts by producing unlicensed food with no labels. The two suspects so far are only identified as 38 year old Mr. Sinart, and Ms. Raktawee, who’s age is not reported. Now,…
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Thailand Pass Q&A – your questions answered
There are many changes now to the Thailand Pass. Love it or hate it, the ‘pass’ remains. But the process for entry to Thailand is now MUCH easier after May 1 and will surely spur a much-needed revival of tourism back to the country. Tim is here for a Saturday morning ‘catch up’ and to answer your questions on the…
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Thailand’s venues to be allowed to ‘officially’ serve alcohol slightly later
Along with several back-peddles for the Thailand Pass, Thailand’s CCSA announced yesterday it also plans to ease another Covid-19 restriction- the alcohol curfew. Restaurants, and ‘restaurants’, will be able to serve alcohol until midnight, instead of 11pm. Like the Thailand Pass changes, the alcohol curfew change is set to start on May 1. Thailand’s 11pm alcohol curfew has given venue managers…
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Thailand agrees to fund Zinc-ion batteries for electric vehicles
A Thai tech executive director says Thailand’s government has agreed to fund 192 billion baht to asset finding for the development and production of zinc-ion batteries for electric vehicles. The executive director of the National Science and Technology Development Agency says the funding will go to the agency for the project. The Thai government has swung their full support around…
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Thailand’s Prayut switcharoo… praises rapper Milli
Even though Thailand’s PM Prayut Chan-o-cha filed defamation charges against rapper Milli last year, via the Computer Crimes Act, the PM is now suddenly praising Milli following her random sticky rice and mango stunt at Coachella. The government chief whip said that the prime minister appreciates Danupha’s (her Thai name) performance, which caused sticky rice and mango to sell out at…
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Fancy mango sticky rice? Try these delicious sticky rice desserts
The simple yet incredibly delicious combination of sticky rice and mango (mango sticky rice) has caught the world’s attention following a famous Thai rapper, Milli’s remarkable performance at Coachella, where she devours the beloved Thai dessert on stage. Since then, the mango sticky rice vendor’s sales have gone through the roof! Evidently, many of us caught the so-called “mango sticky…
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BREAKING: Thailand drops PCR test on arrival, no SHA hotel, ATK test ‘optional’
Thailand’s CCSA has just announced major changes to the county’s Test & Go program, part of the broader Thailand Pass. International travellers will no longer need to take a PCR test on arrival. The requirement to book an SHA+ hotel as part of the Test & Go entry scheme is also dropped under today’s CCSA decision. On April 1 pre-travel…
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BREAKING: Thailand ENDS Test & Go and Sandbox, changes for unvaccinated travellers
Thailand plans to scrap its unpopular Test & Go entry scheme, opting instead to adopt the simplified categories of “vaccinated” and “unvaccinated” for international travellers arriving in the kingdom. The actual Thailand Pass – the online pre-registration system – will remain, although the paperwork has been vastly simplified by these changes. The CCSA announced those major changes, among others, about…
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Man in eastern Thailand tries to sell motorcycle to shop it was stolen from
A man in Thailand’s eastern province of Trat was (rather embarrassingly) busted when he tried to sell a used motorcycle to a shop it was stolen from two weeks before. The man told police in questioning that he got the bike from a friend in Laem Ngob district, who told him to sell it, and they would split the money. But the…
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Chiang Rai business and tourism sectors weigh reopening Myanmar border bridge
A Chiang Rai commerce official hosted a meeting yesterday for business and tourism sectors to discuss reopening the Mae Sai district’s border crossing with Myanmar. The first Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge connecting the two countries there has been closed ever since Covid-19 hit Thailand in 2020. Since then, Mae Sai has lost a hundred billion baht per year, according to Pakaimas…
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Thai street food seller comes up with Mango Pad Kra Pao to follow Mango Sticky Rice fever
WARNING: This looks spicy!! To keep up with the current mango fever in Thailand, a food seller has offered a fusion dish, Mango Pad Kra Pao, and invited his customers to try it. The dish went viral on Thai social media, and many tried cooking it at home. The young Thai rapper, Danupa “Milli” Kanateerakul, created the mango fever in…
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No quarantine for unvaccinated travellers in Thailand and other countries
International travellers who are unvaccinated for Covid-19 will soon be able to enter Thailand by air without quarantine, as long as they provide a negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours of departure. They’ll just need to upload their negative test result onto the Thailand Pass system before boarding their flight. Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration on Friday…
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Surging violence at Al Aqsa mosque, Israel and Palestine
A new round of violence has broken out between Palestinians and the Israeli forces. Witnesses say this morning, young Palestinians threw rocks at Israeli police stationed at a gate outside the Al Aqsa mosque compound. The mosque is a sensitive spot between Israelis and Palestinians due to religious tensions. After the Palestinians threw rocks, the police, dressed in full riot…
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Former Phuket prison to transform into spooky tourist attraction
An old Phuket prison no longer housing inmates is now set to become a spooky tourist attraction, providing visitors with a “Twilight Zone” experience. Phuket Prison was built in Phuket Town about 120 years ago, and Phuket officials now plan to turn it into a ‘live museum’ to teach both tourists and locals about its history. In addition to the…
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Court lifts 4 year hijab ban at Pattani school
The court has lifted a ban on hijabs set four years ago at a school in Pattani, southern Thailand. The school claimed that wearing a hijab – or Islamic headscarf – to school went against the Education Ministry’s regulations. Four years of court battles between the school and parents finally ended yesterday when the Yala Administrative Court announced a ruling…
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BREAKING: Big Thailand Pass changes
Tim will talk about Big Thailand Pass changes that Thailand drops PCR test on arrival, no SHA hotel, ATK test ‘optional’.
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Queen of England gets personalised Barbie doll on 96th birthday
As Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 96th birthday and 70 years on the throne yesterday — i.e. “Platinum Jubilee” — toymaker Mattel delivered a plastic fantastic present: a special Barbie doll in the queen’s likeness. According to the company, the doll sports a replica of the Queen’s wedding day tiara, as well as blue and pink ribbons after those her…
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Prison guard under investigation for blackmail
After a guard at the Thonburi Women’s Correctional Institute in Bangkok was suspected of corruption and bribery, an investigation is now underway. In return for alleged special treatment, the guard wanted money from the family of a prisoner. The guard, who has not been named, is now suspended during the investigation and will be fired if proven guilty. Somsak Thepsuthin,…
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Pattaya tourist claims thieves in ‘sexy dresses’ stole his 33,000 baht necklace
An Indian tourist in Pattaya claims that last night, a Thai woman, and a ‘transgender individual’, who both wore ‘sexy dresses’, stole his gold necklace worth about 33,000 baht. The tourist, 45 year old Sathishkumar Govindarju, told The Pattaya News the pair also tried to convince him to sleep with them. “I was walking along the road alone, returning from a…
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