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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Bamboo Island in Krabi floods with rising sea level
The sea level has risen up to 30 centimetres and caused flooding at Bamboo Island (Koh Mai Pai) in Krabi yesterday (June 18). Red flags have been put along the beach. Officers of Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, stationed at Koh Mai Pai, have set red flags along the beach to prevent swimmers going into the water…
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Regional: Thailand pitching ambitious plan to co-host 2034 World Cup
PHOTO: stadiumastro.com The 2018 event has barely started and local pundits are already pondering a pitch for the 2034 World Cup, 16 years away! The Straits Times is reporting that Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam are set to launch a bid to joint host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, according to reports. Speaking at an event held on June 16, Fifa…
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Phuket: Areas to have water shut off for one week
The Phuket Water Authority (PWA) has announced that water supply in some areas of Patong, Kata and Karon will be shut off from 9am to 5pm on June 25 to July 2. Water will be shut off while work is being carried out conducting maintenance on the Reverse Osmosis (RO) water pumping station in Karon. Areas to be affected are…
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Chao Fah West road closure for Chalong Underpass construction
Parts of Chao Fa West Road will close at night from June 29 to July 28 as the the Chalong Underpass construction staggers along. A meeting was held yesterday (June 18) at the Phuket Highway Office hosted by Phuket Vice Governor Snith Sriwihok and Phuket Highway Office Chief Somwang Lohanut. Vice Governor Snith says, “Traffic problems during the peak hours…
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Ride4Kids – Interview with Romeo Perthuis
PHOTO: Romeo presenting Ride4Kids Organiser Donna Toon with a cheque for money raised at a fund-raiser at his school, Headstart International. Romeo speaks to Tim Newton on Saturday night at the welcome home dinner at Mezzos. Read more about Romeo’s involvement in the Ride4Kids HERE.
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Visa hassles for South African teachers
PHOTO: Study Abroad By Eric Haeg According to an official announcement from the Thai Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, citizens from South Africa, “are advised to apply for visa (sic.) at the Royal Thai Embassy or Royal Thai Consulate-General in their respective countries if they do not reside in Malaysia.” This list also includes citizens of dozens of other African, Middle…
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Chiang Mai: Controversial housing estate to be ringed with ‘No Man’s Land’ signs
The Government brokered a deal where all but four apartments would have to be removed las month. Yet people are now living in the 45 houses on the slopes of Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai. So what’s going on? The Doi Suthep Forest Reclamation Network said it would post “No Man’s Land” signs around the Chiang Mai mountain housing estate…
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Samui: Woman arrested for running illegal dental clinic
Of all the things you probably wouldn’t ever want to use – a self-taught dentist. So thanks to the police on Samui for tracking down this alleged ‘cosmetic tooth doctor’. A self-taught dental practitioner has been arrested on Koh Samui yesterday (Sunday) for opening an illegal clinic to attach fashion braces for clients. Pol Lt-Colonel Sompol Buranathet, deputy commander of…
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APEX launch Phuket’s most exclusive address
The Residences at Sheraton Phuket Grand Bay on Phuket’s east coast, a four billion baht development, includes a 5-star Sheraton resort and Phuket’s first Sheraton-branded residences of which 70% are already sold. Panoramic views across Po Bay to Ao Phang Nga National Park and the Phi Phi Islands beyond are what greet residents and visitors to Phuket’s most exclusive residential…
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Monkey move to islands postponed due to inclement weather
The task to move some of the migrating monkeys to Koh Payu in Paklok has been postponed due to strong wind and waves while the monkey sterilisations continue. Some sterilised monkeys will be released in Rassada today (June 18). 38 long-tailed macaques were caught at Soi Tha Chin in Rassada last Friday (June 15). Water tanks were also installed on…
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Controlled use of kratom and marijuana to be decriminalised
By Pratch Rujivanarom There may be a time in the near future where local police aren’t required to chase around and arrest people using kratom and marijuana, in some situation and in small quantities. Decriminalisation has worked in some countries where it is followed by solid public education. How will Thailand handle decriminalisation of these drugs? New narcotics laws to…
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Bangkok: 30 sex offenders nabbed at Thai airports since the start of 2018
Thai Immigration are reporting successes using the new Advance Passenger Processing System where warnings come up on the screens of Immigration staff as people are processed on arrival at Thai airports. Daily News is reporting that Thai Immigration says 30 sex offenders have been arrested at five Thai airports since the start of this year. They claim that this represents about…
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ASEAN commits to tackling Dengue
The ASEAN region is the most vulnerable to the threat of potentially-fatal dengue fever, according to the World Health Organisation. Last year, more than 425,000 people in ASEAN nations came down with the disease, the highest number of any region in the world. ASEAN nations have stood united in their initiatives against dengue fever and for eight years now, June…
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Chonburi: Emotions spill onto the streets during World Cup match
Where there’s a World Cup match playing at a pub, there’s going to be alcohol. And where there’s long games there’s going to be some pent-up emotions. According to Sanook, violence erupted between a group of Thai and Chinese men during the Argentina vs Iceland World Cup match on Saturday night in Phanat Nikom, north of Pattaya and east of…
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Coastal erosion experts ringing alarm bells
“This is a big problem needing urgent solution.” Erosion is eating away five metres of land every year along a combined 42 kilometre long stretch of Thailand’s coastline. The situation is now so serious that a consulting firm is proposing that the government invoke an already-passed environmental law to protect the hard-hit coasts. Kittipoj Permpul, a public-participation expert at a consulting…
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38 more monkeys captured in Rassada, water tanks installed on Koh Tanan
Water tanks are now being installed on Monkey Islands and 38 monkeys have been captured in Rassada for sterilisation in the ongoing Monkey move from Phuket to uninhabited outlying islands. 38 long-tailed macaques were caught at Soi Tha Chin in Rassada on Friday (June 15). Water tanks were also installed on Koh Tanan in Paklok last week. Pongchart Chouehorm, the…
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Chonburi school hazing ceremony – Grounds for concern
School hazing ceremonies are a part of Thai culture. At schools it can be as innocent as the Wai Khru ceremony where students prostrate themselves in front of their teachers to show respect, to the more colourful ceremonies devised by older students and lecturers at universities which have also drawn concern from sections of Thai society. It’s all part of…
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Police hunting for arsonist who allegedly torched ex-girlfriend’s car
Police are hunting for an arsonist who set a Mitsubishi Mirage on fire in Chalong yesterday morning (June 17). Chalong Police were notified of the incident at Baan Nakok in Chalong. Police and firefighters arrived at the scene to find a black Mitsubishi Mirage completely gutted by fire. It took about 20 minutes to put out the fire. The car…
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Phuket storm tears down trees and power poles
“This is the strongest wind he has ever seen.” Heavy rains and strong wind across Phuket yesterday (June 17) have caused trees and power cables to be torn down across the island. At about noon, a big banyan tree, aged around 100 years, fell down and blocked Narisorn Road in Phuket Town. 56 year old Wuttichart Na Pangchang says, “While…
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Wife missing after pickup is swept into a Ranong canal
By Kanita Seetong Storms, high winds and flash flooding have wreaked havoc across the Andaman region over recent days. Flash floods have swept a pickup into a canal in Ranong’s Suk Samran district last night (Saturday), with one of the victims missing and feared dead. Ranong’s disaster prevention and mitigation chief Kittipon Wuttipongpat said the accident happened near the Wang…
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Bangkok: Be brave to speak, get better jobs and a better social life
(Translated) Young Thais students are still being subjected to a largely rote learning style of education. But some young Bangkokians are speaking out about widening their education and life to embrace the English language as well. And some Universities say they’re on the right track. tnamcot.com is reporting that Thais who are speaking English and conversing with foreigners have big advantages…
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Thai economic growth forecast projections up to 6% – World Bank
The World Bank is looking to boost projections for growth in the Thai economy. In the last financial quarter, expansion of the Thai economy hit a five-year high. Ulrich Zachau, the World Bank’s director for Thailand and regional partnerships, says that a stable outlook and signs that Thai business is investing again domestically are among the positive factors for the…
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Is a fresh crackdown on alcohol-related sales and businesses on the way?
The Thai junta is warning that it intends to enforce harsh measures regulating the advertising and promotion of alcohol, in a move that will affect thousands of businesses throughout the country. Details of the law, which affected business claim is vague and open to interpretation, are provided below. There has been a number of raids on pubs, clubs and hotels…
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Kim’s trip to Singapore – it’s a travel doco you just have to see!
Days after the summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump in Singapore, North Korean editors have been hard at work preparing this feast of propaganda/documentary about Kim’s visit. It starts by describing him as a “respected world leader” but it gets better with behind the scenes moments of Kim’s visit to Singapore. The enthusiastic narrator, whilst we…
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Monkey chase in Chalong
Whilst mischievous monkeys are being rounded up and sent to uninhabited islands around Phuket, one has found its way into a Chalong residential area. A monkey was found running around homes in Chalong yesterday (June 16). Officers of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) stationed at Chalong Municipality were notified at 10.05am that a monkey was searching for…
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Phuket Governor warns of heavy rains and possible flooding
Following the heavy rain, Phuket’s Governor, Norrapat Plodthong, is expressing his concerns yesterday about more flash flooding. “According to the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) Office of the Southern West Coast, from yesterday (June 16) until Wednesday (June 20). There is a Southwest monsoon that is affecting the Andaman Sea as well as the whole west coast of southern Thailand.” “The…
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Bangkok: A car and 500 motorcycle seized in road racing crackdown
Police in Samut Prakan province, just south east of central Bangkok city, have seized a car and some 500 motorcycles in a crack down on road racing last night (Friday). Pol Maj-General Surachet Hakpal said police from 14 police stations in Samut Prakan set up road checkpoints to check for vehicles that were illegally modified for racing. They impounded a…
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Pattaya: Pump Up Dance Club raided
PHOTO: Pump Up Club/Facebook Police raided a dance club pub in Pattaya early this morning (Saturday) for remaining open past the legal closing time and arrested 19 people over alleged drug abuse. Police from Pattaya Police station and the Tourist Police division 2 raided the Pump UP Pattaya pub at 3am after receiving complaints from residents of the neighbourhood that…
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Bangkok: Another 50 foreigners arrested in weekly immigration shakedown
In the latest of the weekly crackdowns on illegal immigrants, police in Bangkok have rounded up another 50 foreigners, for overstaying their visas and entering the Kingdom without the correct documentation. The Tourist police joined forces with other police agencies to search 87 areas around the country on Friday night and arrested 50 foreigners, mostly for overstaying their visa and…
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