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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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Thailand delays introduction of new visa requirements for Taiwanese tourists
…and other proposed nationalities as well. Thailand has decided to postpone the requirement for Taiwanese travellers to present financial statements when applying online for a visa. The Taiwan News is reporting that the new requirements are being delayed until at least March, 2020. The Thailand Trade and Economic Office in Taipei has announced that online Taiwanese applicants for travel to…
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Less rain for the south, colder weather for the central and north
PHOTO: Get out the coats and warm underwear if you’re in the north The Thailand Meteorological Department today forecasts cooler weather for central and northern parts of the country, as a result of a strong high-pressure system over southern China that is causing temperatures to drop by 1 to 3 °C in some areas. The north and north-east is now…
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Taiwan challenges Thai government over new visa requirements for their citizens
The Taiwanese government says it’s concerned about new Thai government visa rules being imposed on its citizens travelling to Thailand. A new application scheme launched on November 29 by the Thailand Trade and Economic Office in Taipei now requires applicants to show evidence of sufficient funds for their trip. The requirement, which asks Taiwanese nationals to submit bank statements from…
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Thai Navy rush to contain oil slick in the Gulf – three rescued off sunken vessel
The Royal Thai Navy has sent two ships to prevent a 4 kilometre-long oil slick from advancing toward Thailand’s eastern Gulf coast. The vessels are equipped with skimmers, oil booms and oil dispersants contain the spill. The oil slick came from a sunken tanker, the Golden Bridge 2, that capsized and sank in high seas on December 3. It was about…
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Officials carry out spot-checks on silly-season gift baskets
PHOTO: 77jowo.com You’re only weeks away from receiving a few of those plastic-wrapped and ribboned baskets of unwanted goodies for the silly season – but do you wonder what’s inside most of them? Now officials are making a list and checking it twice… Officials in Bangkok are out and about checking those prized Christmas and New Year gift baskets to…
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Chinese man arrested trying to exit Thailand with fake Thai passport and ID
PHOTO: Immigration Police Fake ID – check. Fake passport – check. Able to speak Thai – Doh! Immigration officials in Sadao, on the souther Thai border with Malaysia, have busted a Chinese man as he attempted to leave the country using a fake Thai passport and ID card. Thai Residents reports that the man claimed to be a 47 year…
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Kind-hearted coffin seller turns a blind eye to repeated theft
PHOTO: MCOT “A coffin maker, who supplies Jamnong, says the store is left open at night, often with no staff in attendance.” The kind-hearted owner of a coffin shop in Buriram, north-east Thailand, has admitted he regularly has to deal with coffins being stolen from his premises, but can’t bring himself to file police reports against the perpetrators, as he…
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Thai officials criticised for serving up shark fin soup at Government party
PHOTOS: Thai PBS World Environmental groups are outraged after shark fin soup was served at an official Government party in a Bangkok hotel on Tuesday. The Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha attended the event. Thai PBS World reports that the soup was served at a gathering of various pro-government parties, as part of a menu that included steamed snow fish in…
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Wanted MP sneaks into Thai parliament for crucial vote
WANTED: Pol Lt-Gen Waipote Arpornrat Renegade fugitive MP Waipote Arpornrat escaped the notice of parliamentary police, and government MPs, when he managed to stroll in the Lower House parliamentary chamber undetected during Wednesday’s sitting. Arpornrat is a member of Palang Pracharat, the most prominent party of the ruling government coalition after jumping ship from the Pheu Thai party, He was stripped…
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Thai central bank calms businesses concerns over strong baht
The Bank of Thailand is attempting to quell business concerns over the strong baht, saying the currency will eventually reverse its upward trend and that more two-way movement in relation to the US dollar is expected in 2020. The central bank’s deputy governor Mathee Supapongse says that investors now see the baht as overvalued, given the kingdoms sluggish economic forecast…
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Jealous boyfriend arrested over triple murder in Chiang Rai – VIDEO
SCREENSHOT: YouTube Chiang Rai police have arrested a man for the murder of his girlfriend and her parents, all found shot dead. 27 year old Nawaratorn “Nuan” Kunasangkam is currently in custody over the murders. The victims were Udom Kimsi, his wife Nutcha Kimsi, and their 26 year old daughter Saowarot Kimsi, all from Chiang Rai. Their bodies were found by…
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Former Malaysian PM Najib presents his opening testimony
PHOTO: Voice of America Former Malaysian PM Najib Razak was in the witness box for the first time yesterday defending himself on criminal charges linked to a multibillion-dollar scandal at state fund 1MDB (1 Malaysia Development Bhd). Najib, who unexpectedly lost a general election last year to his former mentor and former Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad, is now facing dozens of…
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HADO introduces augmented reality e-sports at SHOW DC, Bangkok
It’s the first physical e-sports centre for Thailand and the largest in Southeast Asia. Bangkok’s SHOW DC is adding to its reputation as a state-of-the-art lifestyle and entertainment destination with the introduction of Thailand’s first physical e-sport centre. Originating in Japan, HADO is the world’s first physical, augmented reality technology, and FoodYum Company is introducing the new phenomenon to Thailand at…
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China retaliates on pro-democracy bill by imposing sanctions on US
PHOTO: South China Morning Post Following US President Trump’s signing of a bill to protect the rights of Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigners, China has hit back, with foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announcing a suspension of US warship visits and sanctions against American NGOs. “In response to the unreasonable behaviour of the US side, the Chinese government has decided to…
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Government extends time for payouts to storm victims
People affected by tropical storms ‘Podul’ or ‘Kajiki’ are now eligible to receive compensation up to March 31 next year, an extension from the original deadline of November 25. Deputy spokeswoman Ratchada Thanadirek says households in 32 provinces are entitled to receive 5,000 baht each, from an overall budget of 2.09 billion baht. Tropical storm Kajiki was a full on…
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Lost in translation – Karon seafood restaurant staff chase American customer
SCREENSHOT: เหยี่ยวข่าว ภูเก็ต Newshawk Phuket A post on the Facebook page ‘Newshawk Phuket’ has a 30 second video captioned ‘in Karon, what happened?This happened on December 2 at 4PM, on the road, in front of Karon Beach, Phuket’. The video shows a group of people running after a western man and attacking him. Today , Karon Police Superintendent, Pol Col…
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New Bangkok clinic dedicated to fixing surgery gone wrong
PHOTO: PlastyTalk The director of Yanhee Hospital in Bangkok says 50 million baht is being invested to create a centre dedicated to fixing botched surgical procedures. Dr Supot Sumritvanitcha says Yahnee Hospital will be the first facility in Thailand to offer this service. The Nation reports that the need has arisen due to illegal beauty clinics and other underground facilities…
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No tax on Chim Shop Chai stimulus package perks
The government will waive personal income tax on the financial privileges given to consumers under the Chim Shop Chai (Eat Shop Spend) economic stimulus programs that have been run over the past two months. This means the 1000 baht handout and the ‘cash-back’ rebate amounts won’t be subject to tax. The government spent 19 billion baht on the three phases…
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Six Chinese tourists hurt in speedboat crash near Koh Samet
PHOTO: Manager Online Thai media report that six people were taken to hospital in Rayong, east of Bangkok, after a speedboat carrying 11 Chinese tourists on a snorkelling trip collided with another boat. The incident happened just three or four nautical miles from the eastern holiday island of Koh Samet. The group were traveling from Pattaya with a Thai guide. Their…
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Couple realise they’d won the lottery when driving back to hometown in the north-east
PHOTO: Sanook A husband and wife were driving back to Yasothon Province in the north-east from Bangkok when they checked Sunday’s draw of the twice-monthly Thai Government lottery. They’d won the first prize! 6 million baht. The couple work as vendors at the Sampeng Market in ChinaTown, Bangkok. The winning numbers were 453522. 23 years old Methinee and her 34…
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Strong interest of foreign investors in Phuket’s resorts – JLL report
PHOTO: Dhawa Phuket “In the Asia Pacific, Phuket is one of the three hotel investment markets in the region that have been highlighted.” Buoyed by the rise of experience-driven travel and an affinity toward locally-inspired hotel offerings, resort assets remain a top target among investors. According to JLL Hotels & Hospitality’s Global Resort Report, resort sales accounted for 20% of…
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Skull and other human remains found near Bangkok construction site
PHOTO: Sanook A Bangkok labourer has discovered human remains in a forest behind the construction site where he works, south of the main city in Bang Na. Thai Residents reports that the man was on a day off and on his way to go fishing in a swamp in the forest when he came across the skull. Running back to the…
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Police shoot and kill major meth trafficker in Nakhon Si Thammarat
PHOTOS: Chiang Rai Times A Burmese drug trafficker has been shot dead in a gunfight with police in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat. The ambush was the result of a sting after police pretended to be buyers. Authorities raided a house rented by the suspect and found a tablet press, 11 kilograms of methamphetamine powder, 500,000 ‘speed’ pills…
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Civic groups threaten legal action over U-turn on farm-chemical ban
686 civic groups threaten to sue Industry Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit over the U-turn on banning three agri-chemicals. Thai PBS World reports that the groups are all in favour of the ban on paraquat, glyphosate and chlorpyrifos, which the National Hazardous Substances Committee (NHSC) recently agreed to ban. And then it changed its mind. They say they are working with a group…
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Thai victims’ group warns of mass protests against ‘military’ government
PHOTO: Adul Khiewboriboon, chairman of the Committee of Relatives of the Black May 1992 Victims A support group for families of victims of Thailand’s 1992 political unrest says the kingdom’s deteriorating political and economic environment could turn into violent street protests like those in Hong Kong. Adul Khiewboriboon, chairman of the Committee of Relatives of the Black May 1992 Victims, says…
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Another Chonburi man dies playing with charging phone
A 28 year old man has been killed by electric shock at at his home in Chonburi, the second this year. Police and rescuers found the body of 28 year old Kittisak Moonkitti on a mattress, with one hand on a cell phone, still attached to a GPO (electrical outlet). There were burn marks on the man’s hand. The victim’s…
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“The first quarter of 2020 looks terrible” – tourism in northern Thailand.
“Bookings in the north are down and the outlook for… the first quarter of 2020 looks terrible.” The head of the Northern Hoteliers’ Association based in Chiang Mai is painting a grim picture about the immediate future for tourism in northern Thailand. She was bemoaning that bookings in the north are down and the outlook for the end of this…
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Suvarnabhumi authorities passing the blame for long queues yesterday
PHOTO: Immigration Police A post about long waits and airport queues at Suvarnabhumi yesterday has sparked an immediate response from an immigration spokesperson today. Hundreds of people were queued up for hours in the departure areas, as they waited to be processed after checking in. The spokesman responded to reporters after claims on the Facebook page JS 100 Traffic Radio…
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The baht keeps surging – and other predictions for the Thai economy in 2020
The last time the Thai baht’s value against theUSD touched 29 baht/US dollar was back in 2013. But the currency appreciation situation was quite different then. Today it’s floating around 30 baht in its 22nd year as a floating international currency. How will all that affect the Thai economy in 2020? Now the strong baht is a result of the…
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Thais still strongly support national army conscription – Super Poll
PHOTO: Aljazeera.com Thais say they still support the current conscription laws to fill up the ranks of the Thai army. 82% of respondents to a Super Poll say that there is no better alternative to conscription when ensuring “national security” and that assistance is available to Thai people in cases of a natural disaster or civil unrest. (Numbers rounded off…
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