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...
-
Algeria and Tunisia wildfires reinforce the tone of IPCC findings on Africa
The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report outlines the severity of the global climate crisis. According to the UN body, the crisis poses not only a policy problem but a global political challenge. Some analysts have been quick to question the difference between the latest IPCC assessment and those over three decades, But experts in Africa see a…
-
How Mekong River is turning into a new flashpoint in Indo-Pacific
For several years, US politicians have adopted the Japanese slogan of a “free and open Indo-Pacific,” calling for international law to apply over disputes in the South China Sea, in which China is accused of acting aggressively. Earlier this month, during the East Asia Summit foreign ministers’ meeting, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for “a free and open…
-
Afghanistan: Taliban offensive puts Iran in a bind
Iran has been beefing up its military presence along its border with Afghanistan since early May when US-led foreign troops began their total withdrawal from the war-torn nation and the Taliban started an aggressive offensive against Afghan government forces. Since last weekend, Iranian border guards have been on constant alert as Taliban fighters stand guard on the other side of…
-
GPO pauses antigen test kits deal after skimping accusations
After a scathing letter from the Rural Doctors Society accusing the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation of basing their decision solely on price with no concern for quality or accuracy, the GPO walked back their plan to buy 8.5 million antigen test kits from Lepu Medical Technology of China. The purchase will be delayed in order to test the quality of the…
-
Expert: Half of Thailand infected in 100 days without vaccines
Amid the growing outcry from the scientific community to reroute AstraZeneca vaccines set for export to urgently vaccinate people in Thailand, one expert warns of the harrowing possibility that half of Thailand’s 70 million people could get Covid-19 if we don’t vaccinate at least 40 million people within the next 100 days. Dr Manoon Leechawengwongs, a leading expert and specialist…
-
Phuket Sandbox Express Bus to be ended August 16
On the back of the news that the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand has approved airlines to schedule charter flights in and out of Phuket, officials announced that the Sandbox Express Bus set up last week to transport Phuket Sandbox travellers to their exit flights from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport will be discontinued after August 16. The bus was set up…
-
Government delays purchase of antigen tests following quality concerns
The planned purchase by the Government Pharmaceutical Organization of 8.5 million antigen test kits, which cost 70 baht each, has been delayed as the quality of the tests has come into question. The permanent secretary for health and GPO chairperson, Dr Kiatiphum Wongrajit, said today that “an organisation” had mentioned concerns about the quality of the tests in the media.…
-
Phuket man shot in leg and hit with baseball bat, police investigate
Phuket police are investigating an assault in Patong where a man was shot in the leg and smashed in the head with a baseball bat. The Patong Police learned of the assault through a 191 national police hotline just before 6 pm yesterday following a report from rescue workers where they took a wounded man to the Patong hospital The…
-
Covid UPDATE: 147 deaths, 22,782 infections, provincial totals
Today the Thai public health department has announced 22,782 new infections, 375 of those from Thai prisons, along with 147 new Covid-related deaths in the past 24 hours. 23,649 patients have been released from hospitals or field hospitals as well. 209,028 patients remain under state care, but 68,335 infected people are in home or community isolation. 5,495 patients are listed…
-
Bangkok Protester that had hand injured from firecracker tests positive for Covid
A man who recently attended a pro-democracy protest in Bangkok and had a hand “blown off” as he was trying to throw a firework has Covid, says police. Kissana Phatthanacharoen, the deputy spokesperson for the Royal Thai Police Office, said last night that the 14 year old would-be-firecracker-thrower tested positive for Covid while receiving medical attention for his severely injured…
-
Possible charges for parents of vandals may be coming, police silent on use of rubber bullets/tear gas
Police are contemplating pursuing legal action against the parents of young protesters that allegedly vandalised public property while attending the recent pro-democracy protests in Bangkok. The police kept silent on their use of rubber bullets and tear gas. Piya Tavichai, the Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner, announced at a press briefing today that multiple suspected vandals are teenagers that have been…
-
Bangkok mother and son arrested for fraud
Yesterday, a mother and son were arrested in Bangkok after the son allegedly pretended to sell discounted AirPods online while using his mother’s account for transferring funds. The unnamed 33 year old son had posted on Facebook that he had AirPods for sale at 5,500 baht a pop, a sale from their “normal” retail price of 8,900 baht. However, the…
-
Photo of 3 year old Covid patient caring for infected father in ICU goes viral
A hospital doctor has thanked social media users who prayed for a 3 year old girl and her father, both of whom were infected with Covid-19. Nation Thailand reports that Anuchit Niyompattama, a pulmonary and critical care specialist in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima, posted a moving photo of the child caring for her father. The girl had drawn…
-
Phuket murder suspect charged with attempted rape
Yesterday, Phuket police charged Teerawat Thothip, the 27 year old accused of killing a Swiss tourist, with attempted rape. The commissioner of Provincial Police Region 8, Kitrat Phanphet, says there is enough evidence to substantiate an attempted rape charge against Teerawat. Last Saturday, Teerawat was arrested following the police’s discovery of Nicole Sauvain-Weisskopf’s body 2 days prior. Kitrat says the…
-
Phuket officials identify “risky” tourist spots following holidaymaker’s murder
Following the murder of a Swiss tourist at an isolated waterfall on the island of Phuket last week, officials have been busy identifying other potential danger spots. Nation Thailand reports that the Phuket sandbox command centre has named 6 locations that could pose a risk to tourists. Provincial governor Narong Woonciew has called on local authorities to tighten security at…
-
Tourism officials to launch major Phuket marketing campaign overseas
Following the recent murder of a Swiss tourist, and the US government advising citizens to avoid travel to Thailand, Phuket’s tourism sector faces some serious challenges. The southern island re-opened to international tourists on July 1 under its sandbox scheme but now officials fear that may be in jeopardy. The Bangkok Post reports that the Tourism Authority of Thailand is…
-
Covid UPDATE Thursday: 147 Covid-related deaths, 22,782 infections
Today the Thai public health department has announced 22,782 new infections, 375 of those from Thai prisons, along with 147 new Covid-related deaths in the past 24 hours. 23,649 patients have been released from hospitals or field hospitals as well. 209,028 patients remain under state care, but 68,335 infected people are in home or community isolation. 5,495 patients are listed…
-
Ferry between Pattaya and Hua Hin permanently cancelled
With travel restrictions for dark red zones limiting flights and bus services, ferries are not immune from the economic damages of Covid-19 either. The ferry service running between Hua Hin and Pattaya hasn’t been operating since last year due to Covid-19, but it now appears it will not ever restart. Royal Passenger Liner Co was operating as the sole operator…
-
Will Romania step up anti-LGBTQ legislation like Hungary?
Many Romanians probably do not know what the letters LGBTQ stand for, and this is hardly surprising given that sexual orientation and gender identity have not played a major role in the country’s public debate in recent years. Although a referendum seeking to prevent same-sex marriage from ever being legalized was held in 2018 after being championed by the Romanian…
-
Phuket Town Fresh Market closed for 1 week for Covid-19
Following an outbreak of Covid-19 infections, officials have closed down the Phuket Town Fresh Market 1 and surrounding area for 1 week as well as the Downtown Plaza market for 11 days until August 22. The decision to close the markets stems from a cluster last Wednesday where 27 Covid-19 infections were uncovered at the market, which pushed Phuket to…
-
Tigray: War at the expense of women
As the death toll rises and crimes abound, the civil war in Tigray is becoming ever more of a humanitarian disaster — particularly for women, who are being raped en masse. SOURCE: DW News
-
Niger: Convincing displaced people to return home
More than 130,000 people have fled the Diffa region. Baroua was a Boko Haram target. Niger encourages people to return home. The government plans to resettle 18 more towns. Those who return to Baroua will start from scratch. It’s not only about security guarantees. Going back to Baroua means economic uncertainties. Children will have to attend schools in another city.…
-
Thailand: Growing COVID crisis heats up political tension
As Thailand continues to battle its most severe wave of COVID infections yet,frustration is mounting over the government’s poor handling of a delta variant-fueled surge, a sluggish vaccine rollout and the heavy toll that the pandemic restrictions are having on the battered economy. High-risk areas including the capital Bangkok and its surrounding provinces have been in lockdown since mid-July, while…
-
India: Suspected rape of Dalit girl puts spotlight on caste violence
The alleged rape, murder and forced cremation of a 9-year-old girl in the Indian capital recently has once again put the spotlight on the gruesome sexual crimes against women in the country, as well the treatment of those on the lowest rung of the nation’s rigid caste system, from which the girl hailed. According to authorities, the girl told her…
-
Madagascar’s worst drought in decades
It has not rained in Madagascar for months and parasites have affected staple crops, leading to rising food prices and leaving families with nothing to eat. In its latest Hunger Hotspots report for 2021, the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) says acute food insecurity in southern Madagascar “is expected to push 14,000 people into catastrophic acute food insecurity by…
-
Press lawsuit to stop police from using rubber bullets rejected
After being injured by rubber bullets police fired at protesters despite being clearly marked as members of the press, a journalist with Plus Seven and a photographer from The Matter filed a lawsuit against the police. Now the Civil Court has responded, throwing out their petition to stop police from using rubber bullets as part of crowd control during protests.…
-
Julian Assange: US still pushing for extradition
Assange has not been a free man for 11 years: that is 4,000 days and nights. He celebrated his last three birthdays in London’s high-security Belmarsh Prison, which is often referred to as the “British Guantanamo” for its tough conditions. All applications for bail or a release into house arrest have been denied. So, the Australian journalist and activist remains incarcerated as he awaits the decision on whether or not the…
-
Absar Alam: ‘State of press freedom completely rotten in Pakistan’
Pakistani authorities briefly detained two journalists in Lahore last week. Absar Alam, a prominent media figure who was shot in Islamabad earlier this year, explains why journalists are routinely targeted in the South Asian country. SOURCE: DW News
-
Nakhon Si Thammarat man arrested for allegedly possessing 2 illegal firearms
Today, a man in the Southern Thai province of Nakhon Si Thammarat was arrested after police searched his dwelling and located 2 firearms. Serm Kwannimit, the deputy provincial police chief, says, officers were responding to information that military-grade weapons were being sold at 20 year old Teeradet “Bang Jack” Chuhai’s house. Police found an AK-47 assault rifle and a 9mm…
-
Heavy rain causes flash flood in Surat Thani
Raging currents of flood swept away the roof of a shop at Surat Thani province. Due to heavy rain, water from the Nuea Khlong waterfall flowed down the mountain yesterday, flooding some houses in Wiang Sa District. Southern parts of Thailand get by far the most rain, with around 2,400 millimeters every year, compared with the central and northern regions…
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.