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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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23 Rohingya rescued from human trafficking operation in Tak
Police and soldiers rescued 23 Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority that predominantly lives in Myanmar, from a human tracking ring based out of 2 locations in the northern Thai province of Tak. The rescue happened yesterday. The operation is a result of the police determining that human traffickers had smuggled multiple Rohingya from the Myanmar border into Thailand. At one…
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NACC nearing conclusion in case of police allegedly smuggling liquor
The National Anti-Corruption Commission is nearing a conclusion in their case of police planes being allegedly used to smuggle liquor out of Hat Yai, a southern Thai province, to Bangkok, says deputy secretary general of the commission, Niwatchai Kasemmongkol. Niwatchai’s comments are in response to a post on the Facebook page “@Watchdog.ACT”, which brought up the investigation into the case.…
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Nakhon Si Thammarat named Thailand’s most murderous province
Nakhon Si Thammarat, a southern Thai province, is proving worrisome for the Crime Suppression police as they have named the area the country’s most murderous province since the start of 2021. Police suspect the abundance of households that possess guns is partially to blame for the high murder rate. The Crime Suppression police have expressed their alarm at the number…
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CCSA monitoring developments in next 2 weeks to decide next steps
An advisor to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration says what happens in the next 2 weeks is crucial to determining any further easing of restrictions. According to a Bangkok Post report, Dr Udom Kachintorn says there is unlikely to be any further relaxing of measures until officials are sure the situation is under control. Udom says the easing of…
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Student launches campaign to stop demolition of iconic Bangkok cinema
A campaign to save Bangkok’s iconic Scala Cinema and prevent its demolition to make way for a shopping centre is garnering significant online support. The Bangkok Post reports that many netizens are backing the campaign started by a student and his friends. Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal launched the campaign following news that the Scala was to be demolished to make way for…
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Fire breaks out at Pattaya nightclub, millions of baht in damage estimated
A nightclub caught on fire last night on Walking Street in Pattaya. Officials estimate the fire has caused millions of baht in damage. The fire happened at the Nashaa nightclub around 9:30pm, last night. There were no reported injuries or fatalities as a result of the fire. More than 10 Fire department units attacked the blaze, which could be spotted…
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Monday Covid Update: 132 deaths and 12,583 new cases
132 coronavirus-related deaths and 12,583 new Covid-19 cases were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA has recorded 16,304 recoveries. There are currently 132,113 patients in Thailand being treated for the coronavirus. In the latest and most severe wave of the virus, first recorded on April 1, the…
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Thai PM calls on state agencies to disburse allocated funds quickly to revive economy
The Thai PM is calling on state agencies to inject funds into the economy for the new fiscal year in October, in order to help its recovery. According to a Bangkok Post report, deputy government spokesperson Traisuree Taisaranakul says budget spending is vital to the revival of an economy decimated by Covid-19. “In light of the pandemic, the state budget…
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Return of 2-ballot voting system could prove a threat to PM’s future
The future of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and that of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party is in question due to the return of the 2-ballot voting system. The Bangkok Post reports that Parliament has approved a charter amendment bill that proposed a return to the system. According to the report, the voting system could prove an advantage to the Pheu Thai…
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Digital Health Pass for Covid-19 safety rolling out now
The Public Health Ministry has launched the Digital Health Pass through the Mor Prom app and it will likely become a part of everyday life in Thailand. All residents in Thailand are encouraged to download it right away, though there have been some problems already. But the Thai government is pushing ahead with the hopes of creating Covid-free zones across…
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Police arrest 78 protesters, bystanders, medics and minors
Last night, protesters and crowd control police met at Din Daeng in a heated confrontation that resulted in 78 people being arrested including bystanders, volunteer medics, and even underage people. Those who were taken into custody were held in several different police facilities, and the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights observed and reported on the arrests. They said 20 people…
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German election: What’s at stake for India?
At the end of October 2019, German Chancellor Angela Merkel embarked on one of her last major international visits before the pandemic struck. Accompanied by a dozen key government officials, as well as a high-profile business delegation, Merkel traveled to India with the specific goal to “deepen and consolidate” a relationship that has undoubtedly grown in importance since she became…
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Crash wakes family as a drunk driver plows into their house
A family in Bang Lamung got a rude awakening when a pickup truck lost control and smashed through the front of their house late last night. The crash happened around midnight during curfew hours for Chon Buri, and fortunately, the children and adults inside the house had already gone to bed when the accident occurred. The crash involved a grey…
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Koh Samui partiers fined 10,000 baht, commuted 15-day sentence
In an update to our story yesterday regarding an illegal birthday party on Koh Samui that saw 48 partiers taken into custody, charges have apparently been filed against 44 party attendees. A report in Thai media said 44 of the 48 partiers at Maithy Pool Lounge & Restaurant inside a luxury resort in the hills behind Bangrak on the northeast…
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COVID-19 Sunday afternoon Update, provincial totals
180 coronavirus-related deaths and 14,029 new Covid-19 cases were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In the past 24-hours since the last count, the CCSA has recorded 15,742 recoveries. There are now 135,966 people in Thailand currently receiving treatment for the coronavirus. In the latest and most severe wave of Covid-19, first recorded on April 1, the…
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2 new Covid-19 deaths in Phuket, only 15% of hospital beds open
2 new deaths and a reduction in total hospital beds lead the bad news on Covid-19 for Phuket today. The daily infections have held steady with 230 new infections, a few less than yesterday, but marking the 13th day in a row with infections above 200 per day. The total deaths in the last 8 days stands at 19, one…
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14 Burmese migrant workers arrested in Songkhla
14 Burmese migrant workers were arrested yesterday in Songkhla, a southern Thai province. They were on the Thai border opposite Malaysia’s Kedah State. The migrants were arrested in 2 groups. One group was arrested yesterday afternoon after a Toyota truck was stopped along the border at the Rai Tok village. Officials discovered 7 Burmese migrant workers inside, 4 men and…
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Market closes for 4 days in Nakhon Ratchasima following discovery of Covid cluster
Talad Suranaree, a market that specialises in agricultural fare in the northeastern Thai province of Nakhon Ratchasima, is closed from today until next Wednesday after nearly 80 traders tested positive for Covid. The provincial communicable disease committee announced the closure, today. 1,444 traders from the market were tested on Friday and the results came out yesterday, which showed 79 people…
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NIDA poll suggests many Thais don’t think Prayut will be PM again
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s current term as prime minister might be his last, says the respondents to a new survey by the National Institute of Development Administration. The NIDA poll was taken from September 6 to September 9 by phone. 1,310 people, 18 and older, of various levels of education and different occupations throughout the country were queried on their opinions…
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2 dogs found dead in Pattaya, owner suspects poisoning
2 dogs have been discovered dead in Pattaya, a city in Chon Buri. The owner of the dogs suspects they were poisoned. The dogs, a golden Labrador about 8 months old, and a pit bull about 5 months old were found dead in front of a house in Nongprue. Residents discovered the dogs foaming at their mouths and seemingly immobile.…
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Captain arrested in Samut Sakhon for allegedly not paying workers
A boat captain suspected of mistreating 6 Cambodian workers and depriving them of their wages has been arrested in Samut Sakhon, a central Thai province, following his nearly 5 years on the lam. The 59 year old captain identified only as Somwang was arrested at a shopping centre. Somwang faces charges of colluding in human trafficking by forcing labour, as…
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Sunday Covid Update: 180 deaths 14,029 new cases
180 coronavirus-related deaths and 14,029 new Covid-19 cases were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. In the past 24-hours since the last count, the CCSA has recorded 15,742 recoveries. There are now 135,966 people in Thailand currently receiving treatment for the coronavirus. In the latest and most severe wave of Covid-19, first recorded on April 1, the…
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Italy: Palermo puts migrant children center stage
When the Rainbow Choir reunited for its first rehearsals after the pandemic last summer, the sense of excitement was palpable. “Louder,” bellowed the ensemble’s maestro, snapping his fingers as he paced around the room. The young singers needed little encouragement — grinning in unison, they soared through another verse of an Italian movie soundtrack. Run by the Teatro Massimo, Palermo’s…
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48 arrested at Covid-19 violating luxury Koh Samui birthday party
Yet another illegal gathering, a party on Koh Samui, was busted by police for breaking the Covid-19 emergency restrictions. Early this morning, police raided Maithy Pool Lounge & Restaurant at a luxury resort in the hills behind Bangrak on the northeast corner of the island and arrested 48 people having a birthday party in defiance of Covid-19 rules. 27 foreigners…
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Study shows 99.7% of Bangkok wearing masks properly
While anti-mask sentiment can seem widespread and popular on social media, a new survey shows that, in Bangkok at least, almost 100% of people are wearing their masks. The surprising “AI Mask” project by the Ministry of Higher Education Science Research and Innovation found that 99.7% of Bangkok residents were not only wearing their masks but wearing them correctly. The…
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Covid-19 AFTERNOON UPDATE Saturday: provincial totals
Covid-19 infections and deaths have been fairly consistent over the past week but today’s 253 deaths reported over the last 24 hours is a disappointing jump from the 189 deaths reported yesterday. The number of daily Covid-19 infections remained steadily around the 15,000 mark for more than a week, with the past 24 hours seeing 15,191 infections. 726 of those…
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Police launch mobile Covid-19 testing for officers and families
Considered high-risk for contracting Covid-19 due to their frequent close interaction with the public, the Royal Thai Police launched a proactive screening campaign for officers and their family members to be tested for Covid-19. Mobile testing units have been dispatched from police headquarters to provide antigen tests to stations, starting with Bangkok. The national police force has created 10 mobile…
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Kidnapped baby Nong Gina was not sexually assaulted
After the bizarre excuse given for Nong Gina’s kidnapping, that the 2 year old was left at a cave as a sacrifice to the nature spirits, police and missing persons groups suspected more sinister motivations. Police are looking into the possibility that a human trafficking network had targeted Nong Gina, and questioned 3 additional suspects. Now after a physical examination,…
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Phuket: Record 4 Covid-19 deaths in 1 day, hospitals nearly full
A record number of Covid-19 fatalities in Phuket today as last night’s Phuket Provincial Public Health Office report confirmed 4 deaths in 1 day. That marks 17 deaths in one week in Phuket, nearly doubling the total of deaths since the third wave of Covid-19 took hold at the beginning of April. In the 5 months since the start of…
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Covid-19 UPDATE Saturday: 253 deaths, rate of infections steady
Covid-19 infections and deaths have been fairly consistent over the past week but today’s 253 deaths reported over the last 24 hours is a disappointing jump from the 189 deaths reported yesterday. The number of daily Covid-19 infections remained steadily around the 15,000 mark for more than a week, with the past 24 hours seeing 15,191 infections. 726 of those…
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