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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 Is private health insurance in Thailand worth it? Real costs vs risks explained
Thailand has a strong healthcare system with both public and private options. Public hospitals offer affordable care, but many people, including expats, choose private health insurance for faster service, modern facilities, and more treatment choices. To decide if private health...
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Yellow peril – Mascot man fears family will waste lottery winnings
A man from Guangxi, one of China’s poorest provinces, recently dressed as a bright yellow mascot to collect his US$30.6 million lottery winnings so he could keep his identity a secret from the public – and his family. The man, identified only by nom de guerre Mr Li, won 219.4 million yuan (US$30.3 million, 1.1 billion baht) on the Guangxi Welfare…
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Married Thai woman hits younger lover with massive palimony claim
A young Thai man’s married older lover has responded with a massive palimony claim after he tried to break up with her. The lover also claims that the young man raped her. The 24 year old man, “A,” said he met the 46 year old woman last year when he got an internship at a train station. He said he…
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Singaporean dies in Kamala motorcycle crash
A Singaporean man died when he lost control of his motorbike on the coast road south of Kamala and crashed head-on into an oncoming truck yesterday. This follows this week’s death of an Australian resident, the death of a police officer in Bangkok, and the death of a passenger in a car driver by a Danish man last night in…
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Fight breaks out on island off Pattaya
A fight broke out in front of a resort on an island off Pattaya on Wednesday night between two groups of people. Security footage captured 6-8 people on motorbikes passing by the resort on Koh Larn and glancing back at another group that was marching toward them on foot. After the group on motorbikes exited the footage, the group was…
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TAT wants US tourists to ‘Feel Thailand’
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) yesterday revealed a deal to bring more tourists to the kingdom from the United States and boost the nation’s ailing economy. TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn announced the state-sponsored industry organized an event this week, Feel Thailand with Delta Air Lines and Korean Air, to take 50 US tour operators to popular tourist destinations in…
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FBI tells synagogues in New Jersey to keep safe after credible threat
The FBI is warning synagogues in the US state of New Jersey to keep safe after it says it has obtained credible threats online. The threats were apparently broad in scope, but the FBI has urged all synagogues to “take all security precautions to protect your community and facility.” According to NPR.org, the online threat did not target any specific…
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81-year-old Japanese man arrested for murder after pushing wife’s wheelchair into sea
Police arrested an 81-year-old Japanese man after he allegedly pushed his wheelchair-bound wife into the sea. The man, Hiroshi Fujiwara, was arrested in the Oiso, Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan with police saying he then admitted to killing his 79-year-old wife. Fujiwara said he was worn out from looking after her as she had been in a wheelchair for the past…
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New foreign land ownership law in Thailand can be scrapped if Thais don’t agree
If Thai people aren’t happy with the newly proposed foreign land ownership law in Thailand, the whole plan can be scrapped, said Minister of Interior General Anupong Paochinda in Parliament yesterday. “We can improve the regulation, such as by increasing the investment to 100 million baht. The plan can be scrapped if people have serious concerns. We won’t see it as…
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Thai artist scoops UOB Painting of the Year award
A Thai artist yesterday scooped the 41st UOB Painting of the Year award, one of the most prestigious competitions in Southeast Asia. Bangkok-born artist Chomrawi Suksom claimed the illustrious prize for his painting titled Dystopia and prize money of US$32,000. The work, created in oil, acrylic and foil on canvas artwork, is a detailed depiction of a world undergoing constant…
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Danish man crashes car into Chiang Mai moat, killing 1
A Danish man crashed a white sedan into Chiang Mai moat in northern Thailand in the early hours of this morning. He survived but his female Thai passenger could not escape the vehicle in time and drowned. A 30 year old Danish man was driving through Chiang Mai’s Mueang district “at a high speed” when he lost control, crashed into…
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Loy Krathong: the stories of the Thai holiday’s origins
If you live in Thailand, you’ve most likely heard of the Loy Krathong festival by now. You may likely be planning on going to a Loy Krathong float event to get a taste of the holiday. But how did this holiday come into being? Understanding the origins of Loy Krathong might help you understand its significance in the hearts of…
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Bangkok police arrest 15 scammers, seize US$1 million
Bangkok police arrested 15 suspected scammers involved in a barrage of illegal businesses, seizing assets worth more than over 42 million baht (US$1.1 million) yesterday. The arrests follow a series of disturbing incidents, including a raid on a nightclub disguised as a car wash in the Yannawa district, and the death of a tourist after a night out at a…
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Grab delivery drivers protest in Bangkok, Thailand
Around 800 Grab delivery drivers in green jackets gathered in Bangkok today to protest new policies implemented by the company which they say have significantly reduced their income. The protesters started outside Central World and later moved to Grab’s head office, completely blocking traffic on Phetchaburi Road. Recently, Grab introduced a “zoning system” which forces drivers to book a time…
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Motorcycle rider takes a nap in the middle of a main road
A weary motorcycle rider was awakened by a group of men after he slept on his parked motorcycle in the middle of a main road. The men recorded a video of the sleepy motorcycle rider and sent it to a local news Facebook page named Hear On Board (เฮียขับรถ). The video reveals the men trying to wake the man sleeping,…
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Biologist warns that upcoming Songkhla Lake Bridge construction will hurt dolphins
A marine biologist warned that a new bridge planned across Songkhla Lake will hurt the inhabitant Irrawaddy dolphins. Dolphins are considered a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The biologist, Thon Thamrongnawasawat, said the number of Irrawaddy dolphins in the lake is likely to drop every year. He noted that the future of dolphins is uncertain,…
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Activist charged with assault and child exploitation
Secretary-general of the Amphawa district Child Protection Foundation in Samut Sakhon Montree Sinthawichai, his wife and son, met police investigators at Amphawa district police station today to hear charges against them. Montree, better known as Khru Yun, is accused of assaulting children and using child labour. Previously, activists from the Zendai Foundation took children under Montree’s care to file a…
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Inaugural flight from Uzbekistan arrives in Phuket
An inaugural flight from Uzbekistan arrived in Phuket this morning. Sharq Airlines flight HH2203 arrived at Phuket International Airport from Uzbekistan’s capital city of Tashkent. The flight carried 238 passengers, who received HKT We Care waterproof bags from the airport, The Phuket Express reported. This news comes after Thai tourism officials announced last month that they were seeking more tourists…
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Lucky escape for children after pickup crashes into school bus, driver dies
Several school children and their bus driver escaped relatively unscathed after a pickup vehicle crashed into their school bus this morning. The pickup driver was killed in the collision in the Bang Khan district in southern Thailand. The two vehicles collided in front of Ban Lam Nao post office in tambon Ban Lam Nao. Police Captain Bunlue Mian-o, the deputy…
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Actor Ravi Patel to star in film set in Bangkok
American actor and director Ravi Patel is preparing to star as the villain in an upcoming film set in Bangkok. The film, Kiss of the Con Queen, follows a Bangkok-based actor who heads to Jakarta, Indonesia, for an audition to be the lead in a TV show. While in Jakarta, the actor discovers that a scam is being plotted against him,…
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Prisoner fakes his own death to escape cell in Pattaya, Thailand
An alleged thief faked his death yesterday in an attempt to escape his cell in Pattaya, Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand. However, the “dead” prisoner shot up like a bolt when suspecting rescue workers placed ammonia under his nose. Yesterday, officers from Pattaya City Police Station arrested and detained 53 year old Sayan [surname withheld] under suspicion of stealing 50,000…
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Starbucks makes its Laos debut with unique local touches
Starbucks today made its debut in Laos, the nation’s first store. The coffee shop opened in the Lao capital of Vientiane at Parkson Mall, an office and shopping development in the heart of the city. The new Starbucks hopes to contribute to Laos’ thriving coffee culture. The store’s architecture is uniquely Laotian, there is a handcrafted, textured door handle. The…
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11 provinces in Thailand warned to be aware of falling rocket parts
Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) today issued a warning to 11 provinces in Thailand to be aware of falling rocket parts from the sky on Saturday, November 5. A Thai researcher, and specialist on orbital mechanics from GISTDA, Sittporn Chamnarnsin, reported that a Chinese rocket, Longmarch 5B-4Y, is expected to fall from the sky on Saturday. The rocket…
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Section of Ratchadaphisek Road in Bangkok to close for 5 days for APEC Summit
As world leaders gather in Bangkok later this month for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, a stretch of Ratchadaphisek Road will be closed for public use for five days from November 14-18. The road will be closed from Asoke Intersection to Ratchada-Khlong Toei Intersection to make way for attendees of the APEC Summit, which will be held at the…
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Shelter warnings in Japan after North Korea conducts presumed failed IBCM test
UPDATE Tensions are continuing in the latest episode between North Korea and South Korea. North Korea today conducted what was believed to be a failed launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). A South Korean government source said the presumed Hwasong-17 ICBM successfully separated at the second stage, but is believed to have failed after that, and fell into the…
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How to not become another motorbike road death statistic in Thailand
While many have experience riding motorbikes, the driving situation in Thailand can be wildly different. As the kingdom’s roads are ranked as some of the most dangerous in the world, it helps to have your wits about you when driving. As a visitor to this beautiful country, keep in mind that you are, indeed, an outsider. This can be felt…
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Knife-wielding meth addict circles daycare centre in northeast Thailand
A man in a suspected meth-induced psychotic episode took a knife and circled a daycare centre in Non Suwan subdistrict, Buriram province, northeast Thailand yesterday morning. At around 9am, 30 year old Gongphon “Ming” Sehlah arrived at Non Suwan Child Development Centre armed with a knife and began walking around the centre. According to police, Ming entered a methamphetamine-induced psychotic…
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Thailand barters for cheapest World Cup broadcasting license
Slow but sure, government officials are getting there and confirm that footie lovers in Thailand can watch the FIFA World Cup 2022 for free. Government officials told Thai football fans not to panic and assured them they will secure the broadcasting license in time for the first match on November 20. Thailand football fans fear they will be the only…
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No gambling dens reported in Bangkok says police chief
Thailand’s new national police chief says he hasn’t received any reports of gambling dens in Bangkok since he was appointed as chief on October 1. This was in response to a group of gamblers who claimed that over 100 illegal gambling dens operate throughout the capital city. The group of gamblers claim that they were abducted and physically abused at a…
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US Federal Reserve hikes up interest rates again
The United States Federal Reserve approved yet another aggressive interest rate hike yesterday in their quest to combat persistent inflation which is at a 40-year high in America. It is the fourth consecutive 0.75% interest rate hike approved this year. The central bank has raised the policy rate from near zero in March to what is now between 3.75-4%. It…
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Professor tells US to sit and talk to China instead of warmongering
World-renowned United States Professor Jeffrey Sachs appealed to the presidents of China and the US to get around a table and talk before the globe is dragged into yet another war. The 67 year economist and best-selling author called on US President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping to sit down and discuss their future social, economic, and political plans…
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