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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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Tuesday Covid Update: 18,943 new cases; provincial totals
69 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 23,369 with 1,671 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 18,943 new Covid-19 cases and 25,005 recoveries. There are now 224,328 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Som tum seller arrested for allegedly luring Thai women into sex work in Malaysia
A som tum vendor in Bangkok was arrested on sex trafficking charges for allegedly luring a woman into prostitution in Malaysia. The victim had contacted the Royal Thai Embassy in Malaysia for help after she got caught up in a prostitution ring. Authorities helped send her back to Thailand. The victim provided information to the Anti Human Trafficking Division, saying…
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Motocross rider dies, another injured after falling from cliff in Chiang Mai
A motocross rider died and another was severely injured after driving off a cliff in Chiang Mai and falling more than 50 metres. The two were on a motocross trip from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and were driving near the scenic village Mae Kampong and up to a mountain viewpoint when they fell from the cliff. The riders were going…
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Bangkok governor summoned by PM, asked to explain Covid treatment complaints
The governor of Bangkok has been summoned by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and asked to explain why residents in the capital are unable to access Covid-19 treatment. According to a Nation Thailand report, Governor Aswin Kwanmuang met with the PM and was asked to explain the complaints from Bangkok patients. Addressing the media, the PM confirmed the meeting took place at…
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Bali re-opens to vaccinated foreign arrivals following lifting of quarantine
The Indonesian island of Bali has welcomed its first international tourists after dropping a mandatory quarantine requirement. As Covid-19 cases in the country continue to drop, officials are easing entry restrictions, hoping to welcome back the tourists who visited in their millions, pre-pandemic. According to a Reuters report, the island welcomed 6.2 million overseas visitors in 2019. Bali first re-opened…
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Will Songkran be wet or dry? CCSA to discuss restrictions on March 18
The question of whether or not to allow massive water fights to celebrate Songkran, the Thai New Year, will be discussed on March 18 at a Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration meeting. The celebrations with water guns and splashing have been called off for the past two years to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Recently, the Department of Disease Control…
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Booking.com predicts bumpy recovery for travel in Asia-Pacific region
Online travel agency Booking.com says travel in the Asia-Pacific region will be slow to recover as a number of countries adopt a more cautious approach to re-opening. Laura Houldsworth, MD for Asia-Pacific, says while some countries in Southeast Asia are starting to re-open, with various levels of paperwork and restrictions, most North Asian destinations still have significant entry restrictions in…
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US government tells citizens to avoid travel to Hong Kong, New Zealand – and Thailand
Americans are being told to avoid travel to Thailand, Hong Kong, and New Zealand, due to the rise in Covid-19 infections in each country. According to a Reuters report, the travel advisory was issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has raised its travel alert for Thailand to “Level Four: Very High”. In total, the US…
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The Backpacker Murders Of Koh Tao. What Really Happened There?
We’ve all heard about the 2014 backpacker murders of two British tourists in Koh Tao, Thailand. Although Koh Tao is one of the most beautiful islands in Thailand, it has always been shrouded by a dark mystery. What really happened there? Tim Newton talks with Sue Buchanan on her new upcoming book ‘The curse of the turtle’ which is regarding…
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Wild bull attack injures two park rangers in Phetchabun
A wild bull charged at a group of five park rangers patrolling in Tat Mok National Park in Phetchabun province on Sunday afternoon. The bull hit squadron leader Woraphot Piraksa head-on, knocking out some of his teeth and injuring his face, mouth and body. Team member Jiraphong Nakrabum was also injured. The team made it to Phetchabun hospital by Sunday…
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Monk survives 50 metre fall inside mountain cave in Kanchanaburi
A monk fell 50 metres down into a cave and was rescued after a 10-hour mission. Reports say 29 year old Phra Thada was descending into the cave when a rope on the ladder snapped, hurling him down to the cave floor. He suffered serious injuries to his hips and legs. The monk, from a temple in the Khlong San…
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Excessive news consumption causes stress – Thailand’s Department of Mental Health
Don’t read too much news, at least that’s what Thailand’s Department of Mental Health is saying. The spokesperson told the media the department concerned with Thais that obsessively monitoring the news and social media updates to the point of stress, particularly while major events are occurring. The warning from the department comes at a time when the investigation into the…
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Monk gives residents 200 baht each after winning 18 million baht lottery
A monk won the top Thai government lottery prize of 18 million baht and is now giving the money away to locals, other temples, and various organisations. The monk in the northern province Nakhon Phanom says he doesn’t usually buy lottery tickets as monks shouldn’t join any kinds of gambling, but says he recently bought a ticket to help a…
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Event Announcement: Sustainable solutions for Southeast Asia’s recovery to be held on 16-17 March
Press Release The Southeast Asia Development Symposium (SEADS) 2022—Sustainable Solutions for Southeast Asia’s Recovery will be held on the 16th and 17th of March by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). SEADS 2022 brings together a powerful lineup of thought leaders, decision-makers, and insight influencers to discuss new insights, innovative solutions, and policy responses that can help Southeast Asian nations “build…
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UKRAINE UPDATES: Russia allows civilians to flee — to Russia, as 95% of its amassed forces now in Ukraine; China to provide humanitarian aid
Here’s the latest headlines from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine… • Russian sate media has announced a new ceasefire proposal, which would allow civilians to flee key cities via humanitarian corridors. But the Ukrainian government has denounced the plan as “immoral,” as civilians in Kyiv would be offered safe passage north to Belarus, while those in Kharkiv would have a corridor…
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Cannabis is Thailand’s “secret weapon” to bring back tourists, health official says
One public health official says Thailand has a “secret weapon” to bring back tourists… It’s cannabis. Some experts and officials hope that decriminalising marijuana, alongside declaring Covid-19 as endemic, will help tourism in Thailand bounce back to pre-pandemic levels. The public health official made the statement over the weekend at a medical marijuana conference at Surin’s Rajamangala University of Technology.…
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Homeless man allegedly stabs Japanese man in Bangkok’s Nana area
Police officers arrested a Thai man for stabbing a Japanese expat in Bangkok’s Nana area on Sukhumvit Soi 13. Reports say the suspect ran down to Soi 19 with a bloody knife still in his hand. An officer shot him with a stun gun before detaining him. On Saturday, the man allegedly stabbed the 36 year old Japanese businessman in…
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Bystander struck in the head by rubber bullet in Bangkok rally dies
A 64 year old man who had been struck by a rubber bullet fired during one of the violent clashes with police at Bangkok’s Din Daeng area back in August died after several months of being bedridden. The Din Daeng area had been the site of numerous clashes between police and anti-government protesters, particularly a young group called “Thalugas” which…
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Prices for instant noodles, condensed milk to rise next month
Prices for instant noodles and condensed milk are set to rise next month as the Ukraine-Russia conflict has affected imports and exports in Thailand, according to the Ministry of Thai Commerce. The ministry says that the situation could cause inflation, but says the state would try to control the price of food and necessary products as much as possible. Commerce…
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Asia News Today | Shares in Asia-Pacific decline & oil prices to surge
Shares in Asia-Pacific have declined in today’s trade as oil prices continue to surge, with the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war continuing to weigh heavily on investor sentiment. The Hang Seng led losses across the region, dropping more than 4% at one point before a small bounce back. Shares of HSBC plummeted 6%. China’s Shanghai composite shed 1.42% and the Shenzhen composite…
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Monday Covid Update: 21,162 new cases; provincial totals
65 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 23,300 with 1,602 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 21,162 new Covid-19 cases and 23,159 recoveries. There are now 230,459 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Global oil prices hit 14-year high as Western nations consider import ban on Russian oil
Global oil prices have risen more than 6%, surging to the highest prices since 2008 on Monday, as the US and European allies consider an import ban on Russian oil. Meanwhile, fears of a global oil supply shortage are being further compounded by the delay of Iranian crude’s potential return to global markets, as the Kremlin demands a guarantee that…
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National police chief suspects Tangmo’s death was an accident
Thailand’s national police chief says the death of actress Tangmo seems to have been an accident. He says evidence shows the death of the celebrity in Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River appears to have been an accident. An autopsy report shows the actress died from drowning. Her body also had a large cut on her leg, possibly from the speedboat’s propellor.…
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Hospital in Bangkok interrupts funeral, says they accidentally gave the wrong corpse
Staff from a hospital in Bangkok interrupted a funeral right before the cremation ceremony to tell the family that they had accidentally given them the wrong corpse. After discovering that the wrong corpse had been given away, staff from the Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok quickly went to the ceremony and told the family “the corpses were switched!” The husband of…
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Thai police ask Canadian court not to grant bail to Jimi Sandhu murder suspect
Police in Thailand are asking a Canadian court to refuse a bail application for a man wanted for murder on the southern island of Phuket. Canadian national Matthew Dupre is 1 of 2 suspects wanted for the murder of Indian gang member Jimi Singh Sandhu, who was gunned down outside his Rawai villa on February 4. Dupre and his alleged…
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“Joe Ferrari” objects to presence of human rights observers at torture-murder trial
Former police chief Thitisan Utthanaphon is calling for human rights observers to be blocked from attending his trial for torture and murder. Thitisan, who has been nicknamed “Joe Ferrari” because of the lavish lifestyle he lived and the luxury cars he accumulated while on a policeman’s salary, has asked the Criminal Court to stop the rights observers from attending his…
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Body of Australian cricket legend to be flown home following autopsy
Police on Koh Samui say the body of Australian cricket player, Shane Warne, will be flown home for a state funeral once the autopsy is completed. The 52-year-old was found dead at a villa on the island on Friday, a day after he arrived. The player is thought to have died of a heart attack. According to a Bangkok Post…
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Health ministry says Covid-19 could be considered endemic in Thailand by July
Thailand’s health ministry believes the Covid-19 situation will have improved sufficiently for the illness to be considered endemic by July. According to a Nation Thailand report, government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana says the situation continues to improve, paving the way for the virus to be moved from pandemic to endemic status by the middle of the year. He adds that PM…
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Amidst boycott of Russia, Putin threatens Ukrainian ‘statehood’
Amidst a boycott of Russia by several international corporations, Russian president Vladimir Putin threatened the existence of Ukrainian statehood yesterday. “The current (Ukrainian) authorities must understand that if they continue to do what they are doing, they are putting in question the future of Ukrainian statehood”. The most recent high profile boycott of Russia involves Mastercard and Visa suspending operations…
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UPDATE: Shane Warne’s death, “blood found in villa”
UPDATE: Thai Police have reported a “large amount of blood” found in the room of Shane Warne at the rented villa he was staying at in Koh Samui. Despite the latest revelations Police don’t believe there was any foul-play involved in Mr. Warne’s demise. New photographs have emerged of the room where Mr. Warne was staying at the Samujana Villas…
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