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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 Bangtao, Phuket: The neighbourhood expats and investors are eyeing in 2025
Bangtao didn't become Phuket’s most talked-about neighbourhood overnight. For a long time, it was a quiet place on the island’s west coast where locals walked their dogs at sunrise and tourists flocked to sunbathe along its eight-kilometre stretch of beach....
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Thais swarm to new digital lottery tickets
The move of the official bi-monthly Thai lottery to a digital form continues apace. Thais are showing their increasing preference to purchase their lottery tickets through the “Pao Tang” app, instead of through the traditional street lottery vendors. The 7.1 million new digital lottery tickets for the August 1 draw are now available and can be bought 24/7 at the…
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Bangkok governor under pressure to limit crowds over rising Covid infections
Conversations are hotting up between Thailand’s public Health Ministry and the new Bangkok governor over rising numbers of Covid-19 cases, mostly fuelled by the recent BA.4 and BA.4 sub-variants of Omicron (a variant of SARS-Cov-2). The call comes at a time when the variant is causing a new surge of Covid infections in Europe, the UK and US, also Brazil,…
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Elderly woman near Bangkok dies of Covid-19 after request declined
An elderly woman near Bangkok has died of Covid-19 after a hospital allegedly declined her family’s request for an ambulance. The incident happened in Nonthaburi, a province bordering Bangkok. A foundation that tried to help the 82 year old woman said that she had several health other conditions as well. These included diabetes, high blood pressure, and chronic kidney disease…
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Molnupiravir should not be bought online and used, FDA warns
Self-administering the Covid-19 drug Molnupiravir can be dangerous, according to a new warning by the Thai Food a Drug Administration. The FDA announced that people should not purchase Molnupiravir independently and should only take the drug that has been used to treat Covid symptoms after consultation with a doctor or other medical professional who can prescribe proper usage. The Secretary…
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Hold the stink: New Korat durian fruit strain doesn’t smell bad
They call it the “king of fruit” but not everyone is a loyal subject to the durian, known for its distinctly stinky smell. But now there may be a way around that terrible smell as a new strain of durian developed in Korat is being hailed as a non-smelly version of the famous large fruit. The northeastern province of Nakhon…
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Phuket woman rushed to hospital after jumping from bridge
A Phuket woman has been rushed to a hospital after jumping from a bridge into a canal in the island province’s main city district this morning. Rescue workers pulled the 31 year old woman out of the shallow water, and took her to a nearby hospital. Details about her injuries have not yet been reported, though. The woman had jumped…
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Koh Pha Ngan springs back into gear with the July Full Moon Party
This holiday weekend hosted the largest Full Moon Party since February of 2019 before the pandemic, with the biggest crowd the beach and venues of Haad Rin on Koh Pha Ngan have seen since the party restarted tentatively in November 2021. Some estimated as many as 20,000 people flooded the island to take part in the festivities – the first…
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Pending bill to name NYC neighbourhood ‘Little Thailand’
Thailand is continuing to make its mark far beyond the kingdom’s borders. New York City’s city council has approved a bill to name one neighbourhood ‘Little Thailand.’ The neighbourhood, located in the borough of Queens, is already called this name informally, as it has several Thai restaurants and businesses. The council member who sponsored the bill, Shekar Krishnan, said… “The…
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Full Moon Party draws 20,000 & Robin Hood in Underpants
Owning land as a foreigner in Thailand. Robin Hood in underpants, more details of the man handing out phones to the poor. Full moon party and drowning incidents in Phuket has got people on alert. All this and more of your questions answered on todays weekend update.
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Russian billionaire’s superyacht Samui visit spurs hope of wealthy tourists
The arrival of a few mega billionaires to the tourist island of Koh Samui and surrounding islands has sparked hope that Thailand will begin to see a rise in wealthy travellers again. Perhaps now that Covid-19 restrictions are finally mostly lifted, several luxury superyacht vessels have been spotted arriving on the shores of Samui. Most notably, Alexander Alexandrovich Svetakov, a…
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Japan hits record high in Covid-19 cases
Japan’s number of Covid-19 infections climbed to a new record yesterday. While Japan’s previous peak was 104,169 cases in February, yesterday, there were 110,600 cases. In Tokyo, 18,919 new cases were confirmed. The city’s metropolitan government raised its Covid alert to the highest of four levels. Most cases are mild and don’t require hospital treatment. As the country moves on…
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Bangkok doctor warns of lung infections from new Covid-19 sub-variant
One Bangkok doctor is warning the public of lung infections associated with the new sub-variant of Covid-19. The doctor, Nithipat Jearakul, is the head of Siriraj Hospital’s Department of Respiratory Disease and Tuberculosis. Nithipat says that the BA.5 subvariant of Omicron is as harmful to the lungs as the previous Delta variant. However, most people with lung infections are part…
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Public grieves loss of doctor who drowned trying to save tourist in Phuket
Many are grieving the loss of a doctor who drowned while trying to save a tourist from drowning in Phuket. The doctor, 55 year old Surasit Pongaohapan, had rushed to rescue a British tourist from drowning on his honeymoon at Phuket’s Kata Beach. Witnesses say Surasit had been sitting on the beach before he rushed into the water to help.…
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Sleeping driver unharmed after seemingly deadly crash
Yesterday morning saw what looked to be a grizzly car crash in Nakhon Si Thammarat but, surprisingly, the driver walked away unharmed. A pickup truck brimming with durian fruit smashed into a power pole on the highway yesterday morning after the driver fell asleep at the wheel. A man from Phang Nga had been driving down Highway 41 in Thung…
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Thailand says no to North Korean martial art at SEA Games
Thailand is saying no to a North Korean martial art that will be included at the 2023 Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia. Cambodia has said that North Korean-style taekwondo is one of the 39 sports that will be featured at the Games. The vice president of the Olympic Committee of Thailand has said that Thailand will not send any athletes…
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After drownings, Phuket governor calls to step up safety
In the aftermath of a drowning incident this week, Phuket’s Governor Narong is pushing to increase safety measures. Narong visited Patong Beach for an inspection yesterday (Friday), saying he wished to support the lifeguards working there. Red flags have been posted at the beach, and lifeguards are stationed to closely monitor tourists’ safety, according to the National News Bureau of…
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Thailand’s Public Health Ministry urges 10 day quarantine
Thailand’s public health authorities are pushing people to follow the 10-day quarantine period if they test positive for Covid-19. A spokesman for the Public Health Ministry, Dr Rungrueng Kitphati, said that if people have to leave their homes, such as for hospital trips, they must wear masks. Rungrueng added that outpatients should also stay in well-ventilated rooms, away from others,…
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Thousands evacuated as wildfires blaze across Europe
Thousands of Europeans from several countries have been evacuated as wildfires are burning down homes. The fires spread through Portugal, Spain, France, and Croatia earlier this week. Now, helicopters are being deployed to help put out the fires. About 10,000 people were evacuated from campsites around the town of Landiras in southwestern France. Fires have now burnt about 5,300 hectares…
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PTT top revenue-earning company in Thailand in 2021
In news that is likely not surprising but probably very frustrating, amid soaring fuel prices, petrol company PTT has topped the list as the highest revenue corporation in Thailand for 2021. The national oil and gas conglomerate breakdancing 1 trillion baht over the last year no doubt thanks in part to huge inflation in the price of oil that has…
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Train service resumed from Hat Yai to border town Padang Besar
With borders finally reopened, the train between Southern Thailand town of Hat Yai and the Malaysian border town of Padang Besar has resumed service. The train had ceased operation more than two years ago when international borders closed during the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, passengers can once again take rail service to the border between Malaysia and Thailand…
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High rankings for Thailand in tourism, food, economy and health
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently announced a variety of awards and high rankings number bestowed upon Thailand over the past year. They proudly proclaimed the kingdom’s favourable ratings in over 14 different categories and surveys on Thursday. The country itself won nods over the past year in tourism, livability, happiness, Covid-19 response, safety, and more. Bangkok received accolades for…
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Hotel cleaner finds Canadian man’s body in Pattaya field
A hotel maid discovered a Canadian man’s body in a grass field in Pattaya yesterday. The cleaner, 54 year old Da, said she had gone to the field behind the Leelawadee Hotel to pick plants. She then noticed a bad smell and followed the odour until she saw a body. At first, she thought the body might have been a…
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130 statues unearthed on display at Emerald Buddha temple
While digging to build a water drainage system just outside the Emerald Buddha temple in Bangkok, workers uncovered about 130 statues made out of stone that are over 100 years old. The sculptures were stumbled upon and the area was excavated by the Fine Arts Department with the treasure trove of lost art recovered and put on display nearby the…
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Chon Buri man allegedly sexually abused his daughter for 9 years
A Chon Buri man allegedly sexually abused his daughter for 9 years and stopped her stop going to school because he was afraid she would get a boyfriend. A neighbour found out about the abuse when he saw the 16 year old girl sitting on the side of the road and crying earlier this week. The neighbour then began to…
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Three Uyghurs escape from detention centre in Thailand
Thai police are still searching for three Uyghur men who escaped from an immigration detention centre in Prachuap Khiri Khan province, 200 miles south of Bangkok, on Monday. The trio – 25 year old Ali, 30 year old Abdulla and 29 year old Abdullah – broke out of their cell on Monday morning by using a sharp tool to cut…
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Thai Cabinet to introduce rape and sexual harassment prevention plan
Following the recent spate of sex scandals involving Thai politicians, the Cabinet announced it intends to introduce measures to cut out sexual harassment in the workplace. The former deputy leader of the Democratic Party, Prinn Panitchpakdi, was accused of rape and sexual abuse by more than 10 victims in April, with the case still ongoing. More recently, this week Move…
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Phuket lifeguards save 2 tourists at same beach where another 2 drowned
Lifeguards at Phuket’s Kata Beach saved two foreign tourists from drowning yesterday, the same day that another two people drowned there. The lifeguards rescued a man and a woman around 35 years old. They were choking on water before being taken to the Chalong Hospital in Phuket’s main city district. The tourists have both reportedly recovered in the hospital. They…
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Army helicopter crashes in southern Thailand
At around 9am this morning, a Blackhawk army helicopter crashed in a rubber plantation in Songkhla province with seven military personnel inside. The commander of the 4th Army Region sustained serious injuries and six others suffered minor injuries in the crash. No casualties were reported. The Blackhawk took off from Sena Narong Military Camp in Hat Yai district, Songkhla province,…
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Full Moon Party in South Thailand Tonight, Bangkok Airways flights full
Another Full Moon Party in South Thailand’s island of Koh Pha Ngan is happening tonight (Friday) amidst the country’s five-day holiday. Thai news outlet Naewna reported that all Bangkok Airways flights to Koh Samui Airport were filled to capacity today. Many tourists fly there before making their way to Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani province. The tourists are mainly…
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VIDEO: Bangkok taxi driver pulls out knife on Singaporean tourists
Video evidence reveals a Bangkok taxi driver pulling a knife out from the pocket of the driver’s seat door to intimidate two Singaporean tourists, who had accused him of not giving them enough change. Although Bangkok taxis are supposed to be metered, the tourists said they had agreed a price of 400 baht for their journey to Suvarnabhumi airport. However,…
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