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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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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...
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Krabi village declared rabies control zone
After a dog has tested positive to the deadly rabies virus, a district livestock development office in Krabi province today (Monday) designated the village a rabies control zone. Narong Boonphan, chief livestock development officer of Lamthap district, said the Moo 3 village in Tambon Thung Sai Thong announced the designation after a dog tested positive on April 19. Narong also…
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New 101 villa luxury property heading to Mai Khao, Phuket
PHOTO: Viagens e Férias Global hospitality group Melia Hotels International has signed a new 101 villa luxury property in Mai Khao, Phuket. The developer of the property is the Phuket Villa Group. Each of the hotel villas feature private pools. Slated for 2021, the group will enter the Phuket market with an exclusive luxury resort on the idealic Mai Khao beach, at the…
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Jack Ma opens the door to Thailand’s markets
To the people sitting in the audience it looked like Jack Ma had pulled off a piece of modern day wizardry, selling 80,000 Thai durians in 60 seconds. Gone in 60 seconds indeed! His much publicised visit to Thailand and meetings with the Thai PM and other ministers, signing of MOUs and various media appearances have drawn awe as well…
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Pattaya swingers party interrupted by authorities
Authorities raided a swingers party in Pattaya over the weekend. The party was held in a hotel in Chon Buri’s Bang Lamung district. When officials raided the hotel late on Saturday night, they found many foreigners openly engaging in ‘swinging’ and group sex. There were 14 couples who came from many countries including the United States, Canada, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Germany,…
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Thais likely to pay more for health under new reforms
A part of of the country’s upcoming national healthcare reform, Thais will definitely have to pay more for any extra medical services or medicines they want. Dr Seree Tuchinda, who heads the national healthcare reform committee, says, “for example, if you want medicines that are not on the national drug list, you will be charged.” Seree said the reform will…
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Nigerian arrested as police track down ‘romance scam’ gang
PHOTOS: The Nation Tourist police are hunting for conspirators in a “romance scam” gang after they arrested a 32 year old Nigerian who allegedly lured a Thai woman in Lampang province into wiring him nearly 100,000 baht. Pol Maj-General Surachet Hakparn from the Tourist Police Bureau says that the suspect, Emery Henry Ogba, was a member of a gang believed…
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Body found 500 metres offshore from Saphan Hin, Phuket
A man’s body was found today floating in the sea behind the canals near Wat Sansuk near Saphan Hin. At this stage police are unsure who the person is or what was the cause of his death. There was no ID found on the man when he was discovered. Local villagers spotted the body earlier and alerted police. Foundation volunteers…
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Big increases in BKK airport arrivals for 2018 Songkran
Nearly 7 percent additional passengers flew into Suvarnabhumi Airport and 12 percent into Don Mueang this year to celebrate the Songkran festival, compared to last year’s passenger traffic. The Immigration Bureau deputy spokesman Pol Colonel Choengron Rimpadee says that 683,260 passengers arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport from April 12 and 16. “The number marks a 6.96 per cent increase from Songkran 2017.…
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Krabi drug suspect killed in police shootout
FILE PHOTO A drug suspect has been shot dead late last night (Saturday) in a shootout with police in Krabi province. Police identified the suspect as 38 year old Suriya Thokong who had walked out of jail just two years ago after serving a jail term related to drug charges. An ongoing investigation suggested that Suriya may have returned to…
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Foreigners detained in Pattaya sex orgy raid
PHOTO: Siamchon News More raids in Pattaya after police and authorities raided a ‘sex party’ being held at a hotel allegedly managed by a 53 year old Chinese man. Local police, immigration officers and Tourist Police carried out the raid after reports that the 30 room hotel located in the Nong Prue area was being used to host sex and…
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Thailand for the Trump/Kim Summit. Why not?
US President Donald Trump and North Korea premier and dear leader Kim Jong-un are going to have an historic summit. But they need somewhere to meet – somewhere neutral, somewhere safe, somewhere where there’s good food, somewhere both parties will agree to. Trump/Kim Issue #1 – Where to hold the meeting. Now Thailand’s Deputy PM Gen Prawit Wongsuwon has stepped up…
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Reform committee might go for complete rewrite of National Police Bill
Thailand’s police are under the spotlight. Along with many other aspects of long-existing work cultures, the Thai police culture is now coming under scrutiny from both ends – the NCPO who want real change and opposition forces who see the Thai police as facilitators of much of the country’s corruption problems. The country’s law reform committee has been tackling the…
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Two cars scratched for parking at ‘VIP’ parking at Phuket airport
A Facebook user named Jingabell Thunramon posted pictures of two cars with a long scratch, one of them had a handwritten note saying ‘Thank you for parking right at P1 VIP’. The Facebook user described that the first car belongs to her friend who parked on the 5th floor of the parking building. The car was scratched on the day…
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121 arrested over BKK bike mods
Police have arrested 121 motorcyclists picked up on the streets of the capital last night (Friday). They’ve been charged with illegally modifying their motorcycles for road racing. Deputy Tourist Police commissioner Pol Maj-General Surachet Hakpal said the suspects were arrested at checkpoints on major roads under the jurisdiction of 11 police stations of Metropolitan Police Division 8. According to police,…
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5 people dead following storms in 36 provinces
5 people are dead and 3,758 homes in 36 provinces have been damaged by storms over the past week. The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department director-general Chayapol Thitisak reported on the damage yesterday. He reported that relief aid, including home repair assistance and distribution of relief bags has been provided by Army, local administrative officials and related agencies. 655 villages…
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How many Thai durians can Alibaba sell in one minute?
Thai durian sold like hot cakes after Jack Ma showed the magic of e-commerce during his visit to Thailand by selling 80,000 golden pillow durians on his online platform T-mall within one minute. One minute! While Ma was in Thailand to make a mega-deal on investment on Thursday, Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong gifted the founder of China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba…
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Did ‘The Beach’ vandalise the beach at Maya Bay?
A judgment is expected to be handed down in July after the Civil Court’s environmental division has finished hearing evidence from the Thai plaintiff and the US defendant over the controversial filming of Hollywood movie The Beach. The film starred Leonardo DiCaprio and was partly filmed at Krabi’s Maya Bay in 1998. (Phuket’s On On Hotel was used as the…
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Alibaba to invest 11 billion baht in Thailand
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group has committed to invest a combined 11 billion baht in Thailand in a move that PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says could benefit the country’s small farmers and rural enterprises due to the firm’s expertise in diverse technology. “Jack Ma (Alibaba’s co-founder and executive chairman) told me he does not solely look for profits because Alibaba already…
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The Brunei woman who drowned in Krabi is not from Brunei’s Royal Family
The 60 year old woman from Brunei, PG HJH Jamilah PG HJ Othman, who drowned near Gai Island in Krabi (story HERE) was reported as being a member of Brunei’s Royal Family. Since that report the Royal Thai Police’s deputy spokesman Pol Col Krissana Pattanacharoen clarified that the woman was not member of the royal family of Brunei Darussalam as…
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Four bull sharks sighted off beach south of Hua Hin
Four bull sharks have been sighted in the sea near Khao Tao, near Wat Tham Khao Tao, about ten kilometres south of Hua Hin, by authorities conducting searches with patrol boats and drones. Thipamas Upnoi, the director of the Marine and Coastal Resources and Development Centre at the Central Gulf of Thailand says the operation started yesterday and has so…
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The ‘dirty’ coffee from Vietnam contains manganese dioxide
PHOTO: Dak Nong Police Further to yesterday’s revelation about fake coffee being manufactured and sold from a make-shift factory in Vietnam, this analysis from a Chemist at the Vietnam National University. Associate Professor Tran Hong Con, a chemistry expert from the Vietnam National University, says the black substance found in D batteries is a toxic chemical called manganese dioxide. Manganese dioxide…
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5 young revellers killed, 4 injured as pickup flips in Sa Kaeo during local Songkran celebrations
Five teenagers have been killed and four others injured after a speeding pickup truck returning from Sa Kaeo’s Songkran celebration flipped and slid into a roadside ditch last night. Sa Kaeo’s Songkran celebration was held yesterday (Thursday), later than other provinces. Pol Colonel Setthanat Timwat, commander of Wang Nam Yen police station, said the accident happened at 9.50pm on Khao…
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Officials seize 12 tonnes of fake ‘coffee’ laced with hazardous materials
Here’s something to contemplate next time you’re about to enjoy your next caffeine-fix. Vietnam’s Tuoi Tre News daily newspaper is reporting that a family-run coffee producer in Vietnam’s Dak Nong province has been caught manufacturing coffee laced with harmful ingredients from used batteries, dirt and rock dust and black dye. Vietnamese authorities say they seized about 12 tonnes of dangerous…
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Krabi wedding parade carries 2 million baht dowry
A parade of 6 trucks and trailers to celebrate the wedding of a local couple in Lamtab District, Krabi, drew a lot of attention from people in the area. The groom is 32 year old Tharapong Srisuk, who is a former sub-district chief and the bride is 27 year old Pitchaya Boonmuang. The trailers decorated with flowers carried the groom,…
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Police make two arrests over travel scams
The owner of a Thai tour company has been arrested for deceiving 33 tourists left abandoned in Osaka, Japan last February. Tourist Police deputy chief Pol Maj Gen Surachet Hakpal says that 35 year old Sonthaya Phosri had been arrested the day before under a warrant issued by the Thonburi district court. He was charged with cheating 33 Thai tourists…
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Brunei woman drowns in Ao Nang, Krabi
A 60 year old Brunei woman, PG HJH Jamilah PG HJ Othman, drowned at Gai Island in the Had Nopparat Thara National Park – Mu Ko Phi Phi. Apparently she lost consciousness whilst wearing a life vest swimming in the water yesterday (April 18). Her husband went to Krabi Hospital to pick up her body today (April 19) for the…
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Big drug crackdown in Thalang
Thalang police have arrested a local drug dealer, 24 year old Saowarak ‘Tah’ Oamsin, with 4,548 amphetamine pills and 136.55 grams of crystal methamphetamine. She was arrested in a house in Paklok after police received a report from undercover officers in the area that she was selling drugs to local juveniles regularly. At the house, police found the drugs, a…
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Soi Dog mobile clinic at Nai Harn Lake
Rawai’s Mayor visited Soi Dog’s Phuket mobile clinic at Nai Harn Lake Park today (April 18) to observe the work and progress of sterilisation and vaccination programs for the area. The mobile unit has been operating since April 9 until April 27 and it’s still not too late to bring your dogs and cats to be sterilised and vaccinated at…
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66 more foreigners arrested in nationwide crackdown
FILE PHOTO: The Nation Tourist police have arrested 66 more foreigners during crackdowns around the country last night (Wednesday). Pol Maj-General Surachet Hakpal, deputy tourist police chief spoke whilst in Soi Cowboy off Sukhumvit Road early this morning to announce the results of the operation. He said 11 foreigners were arrested for overstaying their visas and 51 others for unlawfully…
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Phuket airport runway to be closed for maintenance
Phuket International Airport Director, Petch Chancharoen, has announced that some runways and taxiways will be closed from April 27 – May 8 for 6 hours each day for cleaning and maintenance. The closing time of the runways and taxiways will start 30 minutes after midnight – 06.30am on each of the repair days. Also, the taxiway “P” will be closed…
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