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 How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
-
Online system to control cannabis bud sales will be ready next year
The Department of Thai Traditional and Complementary Medicine (DTAM) is launching an online system to control the sale of cannabis buds next year. Buyers must be over 20 years old and present their ID cards before purchasing. While the official Cannabis Act was under process, different rules and restrictions were gradually introduced to prevent people under the age of 20,…
-
Snakes have clitorises, scientists discover
In perhaps the most random development you’ll hear about today, scientists discovered that female snakes have clitorises. In a study published yesterday in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, researchers found that snakes have two individual clitorises, called hemiclitores. The hemiclitores are separated by tissue and hidden by the skin on the underside of the tail. The study’s…
-
Best neighborhoods to reside in Bangkok in 2023
Bangkok is one of the most exciting cities in the world and a great place to live. With its vibrant culture, amazing food, and friendly people, there is something for everyone. From the bustling streets of Chinatown to the chic shopping malls of Sukhumvit, Bangkok has something to offer for all types of lifestyles. Whether you’re looking for vibrant nightlife,…
-
BREAKING NEWS: Thailand’s Princess Bajrakitiyabha hospitalised due to heart condition
Thailand’s Princess Bajrakitiyabha has been hospitalised due to a heart condition, according to a statement issued today by the Royal Household Bureau. Princess Bajrakitiyabha lost consciousness due to her condition while she was competing in the army’s Working Dog Championship by Royal Thai Army 2022 in the northeast Nakhon Ratchasima province yesterday, the statement said. The 44 year old was…
-
For Tesla Thailand, all bumpy roads lead to China
For newly-minted Tesla Thailand, there’s a bumpy road ahead, and it leads back to China. Tesla began sales in Thailand, just over a week ago, offering its popular Model 3 and Model Y at prices that compete with rivals like BYD. The company staged a glitzy showcase of its plans at Bangkok’s Siam Paragon mall with vehicles to be delivered…
-
Police raid Pattaya club, find no license
Police in Pattaya seem to believe that tourists crave the safety and security of club raids each night. That was the reason given for the latest in a long series of nearly nightly raids on clubs and nightlife entertainment venues last night. In the early hours of this morning, police shut down a club that was operating after legal hours…
-
Phuket was Thailand’s top tourist spot this year
The world-renowned island province of Phuket was Thailand’s top tourism spot in the first 10 months of 2022. From January to October, Phuket drew 2.32 million international tourists to its shores, followed by Chon Buri with 975,026 tourists, Surat Thani with 606,812 tourists, Songkhla with 581,808 tourists, and Chiang Mai with 496,111 tourists. Deputy government spokesperson Tipanan Sirichana said today…
-
6 year old girl sexually assaulted by classmate
The mother of a 6 year old girl filed a complaint with a non-profit organization after her daughter was sexually assaulted by a classmate at Wat Sri Kongkaram School in the central province of Samut Prakarn. The 31 year old mother, Nuch, yesterday informed the Pavena Foundation for Children and Women about her daughter’s sexual assault on November 30. Nuch…
-
Covid precautions for New Year’s Eve in Bangkok
Nobody wants to hear it, but Covid-19 numbers are on the rise in Thailand, stoking governmental fears around the approaching New Year’s Eve festivities. Officials in Bangkok announced that New Year’s Eve countdown parties will be allowed to be thrown as planned, but face masks will be required wherever crowds gather. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration will be laying out clear guidelines…
-
Emotional man holds daughter hostage in bid to win back his estranged wife
An emotional man tried to hold his eight year old daughter hostage at school in the Nang Rong district in the Isaan province of Buriram in a bid to win back his estranged wife after she asked for a divorce. A teacher notified the police when the 35 year old father broke down crying in the classroom. Police managed to apprehend…
-
Massive surge of Japanese restaurants in Thailand
There’s been a massive surge of Japanese restaurants in Thailand, according to the Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro). Jetro said yesterday that it recorded 5,325 Japanese restaurants in Thailand this year. This is 955 more restaurants than the 4,370 in 2021. In 2022, the number of Japanese restaurants in Thailand rose 21.9% above the number in the previous year, the…
-
Police seize 2.5 billion baht in Mekong drug raids
Police seized almost 2.5 billion baht worth of assets after raids across eight provinces in northeast Thailand. The Narcotics Control Agency piloted the arrest of the Mekong Spirit Network, a large drug trafficking group. Deputy national police chief Chinnaphat Sarasin said drug squad officers raided 30 locations across eight provinces. During the raids, they seized 2.5 billion baht (US$70 million) in…
-
‘Bus full of prostitutes’ disgusts Berlusconi’s Monza millennials
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi plans to arrange “ a bus full of prostitutes” for his Monza side if they manage to beat top Serie A rivals. At a Tuesday Christmas dinner with the Monza players Berlusconi, 86 years old, said… “If you win against one of these top teams, I’ll bring a bus of whores into the locker…
-
Thai navy officer arrested for drug smuggling in Isaan
A Thai navy officer was arrested in the Sattahip district of Chon Buri after the police found he was involved in a drug smuggling ring in the Isaan province of Nong Khai. The president of the Help Crime Victim Club, Atchariya Ruangrattanapong, filed a complaint to the commissioner of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) on October 25 pointing out that…
-
Russians still biggest tourist group in Phuket, peak expected during holidays
Russians remain Phuket’s biggest tourist group, and the island resort’s tourism is expected to peak during the holidays, according to the president of the Southern Thai Hotels Association, Sueksit Suwannadissakun, who believes the peak of tourism High Season will be between December 24 to January 5. About 57% of hotels in the island province reopened in October, jumping to 70%…
-
Ratchaburi locals urge foreign tourists to wear face masks
Residents in the central province of Ratchaburi urge foreign tourists to wear face masks while travelling in Thailand because the Covid-19 situation is expected to be more serious during the High Season. Channel 3 reported that they received a complaint from locals in Ratchaburi about the use of face masks among foreign tourists. Locals said that most Thai people still…
-
Court awards torture victim 6.7 million baht
Justice was served today as a woman and her two accomplices were sentenced by the court to over 14 years in jail and fined millions of baht after ruthlessly torturing a male victim. The Sing Buri Provincial Court handed down the ruling yesterday for the horrific crime against her employee uncovered one year ago. Last year the brother of the…
-
Security guard accidentally shot dead by his pen gun
A Hua Hin Airport security guard accidentally shot and killed himself with a pen gun in the western province of Phetchaburi last night. He accidentally dropped the gun on the floor and it went off, shooting him dead. Officers from Cha-am Police Station and medical workers from Cha-am Hospital rushed to the house in the Cha-am district of Phetchaburi after…
-
Thai-led human trafficking sent 1,000 victims to Finland
About 1,000 Thai people were scammed in a human trafficking plot that sent them to Finland to work. Officials from the Thai police force teamed up with their Finnish counterparts to bust the ring that was enticing Thai people to Finland to pick fruit and trick them into indentured servitude. The scheme invited Thai workers to travel abroad to Finland…
-
Whale with broken spine makes last journey of 3,000 miles by performing breaststroke
A whale with a broken spine has apparently defied all odds after journeying 3,000 miles by performing the breaststroke. The humpback whale, nicknamed Moon, was spotted off the coast of British Columbia with a visibly crooked lower body that researchers say was caused by being hit by a boat. But, the whale persevered by doing the breaststroke for a whopping…
-
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried arrested in Bahamas for fraud
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried has been arrested for fraud in the Bahamas with a judge denying his bail. US prosecutors allege he committed fraud and violated campaign finance laws. His bail was denied based because he is considered a “great” flight risk. A judge ordered him to be sent to the Bahamas’ department of corrections until February 8, 2023. Bankman-Fried…
-
13 online gambling houses raided, 1 billion baht assets seized
Cyber police raided 13 online gambling houses in Bangkok and Chiang Rai and seized money and assets worth over 1 billion baht including cash, luxury cars, watches, designer bags, and plots of land. Police reported details of the arrests at a press conference yesterday, December 13. The ball started rolling on smashing the illegal operation when the officers spotted a…
-
Coffee shop conned by in-person overpayment scam
A coffee shop in Bangkok learned the hard way about a new twist on the classic overpayment scam. They somehow did not suspect the con when a smartly dressed man entered their shop and placed an order for a whopping 550 coffees, put into bottles. An overpayment scam is when somebody makes a payment for more than the actual cost…
-
Ultimate guide to the best Thailand bitcoin jackpot games
Who said Crypto was dead? It’s merely the ‘Crypto-Winter’ we’re living through now! So for those who didn’t yet sell everything at a huge loss, what can you do with all these bitcoins and other cryptos that will help you to recover or grow your digital wealth? Why gamble it all at some ‘digital casino’ of course and watch it…
-
Chiang Mai officials steal Thai Identity for Chinese woman
A district chief, village chief, community leader and a resident in the Chiang Dao district of Chiang Mai province have been charged with stealing a Thai identity to create a Thai ID card for a Chinese woman. Each member of the fraudulent group received 800,000 baht for processing the ID card. Police stumbled on the stolen identity case while investigating…
-
For the gazillionth time, transgender thieves steal from Indian man in Pattaya
For what seems like the gazillionth time this year, transgender thieves have stolen cash and belongings from an Indian man in Pattaya. The two thieves snatched a wallet and a mobile phone from the 50 year old expat and restaurant owner on Pattaya Beach Road early yesterday morning. The unnamed man told Pattaya police that two transgender individuals had tried…
-
Vendors propose doubling space for chairs and umbrellas on Patong Beach
Authorities are figuring out a solution to find a balance between unrestricted beach space and the availability of sun loungers and beach umbrellas on Patong Beach. Vendors who rent these lounge chairs for customers to bask on the beach have asked for the space designated to them to be increased. They say there’s too much demand from tourists and not…
-
Woman returns home to Mali after birthing 9 babies
Last year a woman from Mali gave birth to a baby in a hospital in Morocco. And then another. And another. And another and another and another and another and another and another. In total, the woman became the proud mother of a record-setting nine children – the world’s first nonuplets. Yesterday, the woman and her new brood of babies…
-
FTI threatens to raise prices if govt hikes energy costs
It appears tourism won’t be the only thing on the rise in Thailand next year. Thai industries appear to be holding the government to account, threatening they will hike prices if the price of electricity is raised in the new year. Entrepreneurs under the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) warned it will increase product prices by 5-12% if the government…
-
Thieves ransack a Patong rental house
Thieves ransacked a rental house in Patong, stealing almost everything including doors and window panes. The house owner, 44 year Phatsamon Chompanat, reported the incident to Patong Police on Monday. Phatsamon said she had left her house locked when she left Phuket two years ago. She said she occasionally came back to visit the house to clean it. When she went…
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.