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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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8 cobras invade elderly lady’s home in Central Thailand
An elderly lady from the central Thai province of Nakhon Si Ayutthaya found eight cobras slithering around her house. 77 year old Cherry Puangrod was at her home in Bang Pa-in district alone yesterday evening when she walked into the bathroom and saw a cobra from the corner of her eye. Cherry ran out of the house to get her…
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Monk flees from temple after residents spot him stealing underwear
A Thai TV star searched the quarters of a monk accused of stealing ladies’ underwear and found both men’s and women’s underwear in the monk’s luggage. The couple living nearby the temple in the central province of Chachoengsao checked the CCTV footage after the wife’s underwear went missing and say they saw a monk taking the panties off a hanger…
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Three fishermen found clinging to a foam crate in the middle of the sea
Three fishermen were found clinging to a foam crate in the middle of the ocean yesterday by another group of fishermen after their boat sank in the middle of the night. Facebook user Yuranan Thongprem posted at 10:04am yesterday: “A bit of an exciting story. We took our boat out to go deep-sea fishing and saw a foam crate far…
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Friday Covid Update: 26,050 new cases; provincial totals
69 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 24,648 with 2,950 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 26,050 new Covid-19 cases and 22,219 recoveries. There are now 244,111 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Bangkok man arrested for allegedly luring boys into porn, believed to be part of ring
Today, police arrested a Bangkok man they believe is involved in a child pornography ring. The arrest was part of a raid in four spots today, which are Bangkok, Ang Thong, Chaiyaphum and Kanchanaburi. A police major general said police started investigating the ring when a child pornography suspect was arrested in the northeastern province of Nakhon Phanom in February.…
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Two Thai women allegedly drug tourist at Bangkok hotel, steal US$4,000
A foreign tourist who took two Thai women back to his hotel room in Bangkok was reportedly drugged and robbed. The women allegedly took off with US$4,000 and 15,000 baht in cash as well as other belongings. It is believed that drugs were mixed in the man’s coffee cup. The tourist, who is a firefighter from Kuwait, travelled to Thailand…
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Asia News Today | North Korea missile launch rattles US/South Korea & Myanmar’s ‘sniper’ squads
North Korea has fired its first intercontinental ballistic missile in more than four years. Well, that’s what Japan’s defence ministry is calling it. The suspected ICBM flew to an altitude of 6,000 kilometres and a distance of just over 1000 kilometres, flying around 70 minutes before splashing down in waters off Japan’s western coast yesterday. The provocative test is North…
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Drunk man stabs sister to death in argument over his drinking, Chon Buri
Sri Racha police report that a drunk man appeared completely remorseless after he stabbed his sister to death in their hotel room in Sri Racha in Chonburi province. The man stabbed his sister multiple times in the head. Sri Racha Police were notified about the stabbing on Wednesday. The man is now in custody at the Nong Kham Police Station,…
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Thai and Cambodian officers raid two offices of alleged call centre scams
Thai and Cambodian authorities raided two offices of an alleged call centre scam operation in Cambodia. 61 Thai and Chinese suspects were arrested. The officer also found a dialogue or conversation script that each scammer followed and used to lure victims into transferring money. Yesterday, the Thai Police Cyber Taskforce and officers in Cambodia raided two suspected scam call centre…
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To splash or not to splash? Bangkok mulls Songkran parties on Khao San Road, after tourism industry rebuke
Fret not, splash happy expats. The tourism industry is fighting for your right to a Songkran water fight. Now the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is mulling whether to allow Songkran water splashing festivities to be held on Khao San Road, after the CCSA’s unpopular announcement banning water splashing activities for a third consecutive year sparked much backlash from local businesses last…
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Thai government pushes use of electric vehicles to reduce carbon emissions
The Thai government has approved a budget of 3 billion baht to subsidise the price of electric vehicles and has installed free-to-use EV charging stations at Benjakitti Park in Bangkok to promote the shift to a low carbon society. The spokesperson for the prime minister, Thanakorn Wangboonkongchan, announced today that PM Prayut Chan-o-cha aims to promote electric vehicles and make…
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Owner of Phuket’s Sri Panwa luxury resort crashes again, Bentley engulfed in flames
A year after a serious car accident, the owner of Phuket’s Sri Panwa resort was in another accident where he lost control of his Bentley as he drove around a bend, causing it to flip multiple times. He and his friends were able to escape the car before it was engulfed in flames. No one was injured. The owner of…
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UKRAINE UPDATES: Zelensky says EU acted late, pleads for membership; Nato sends battalions to eastern Europe
As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its second month, here’s the latest headlines… • World leaders have been holding a round of emergency summits in Brussels. NATO, the European Council and the G7 are reportedly seeking to unify their response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The US has announced new sanctions on Russia, as well as assistance for Ukrainian refugees.…
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Petrol station attendant in Bangkok loses leg after being hit by another car while servicing
A petrol station attendant in Bangkok had to get his leg amputated after a car slammed into him and another car while he was filling up the gas. A driver, who had little experience behind the wheel, lost control of her new car, crashing into another car and the attendant. She had just bought the car that day and Thai…
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Is Vietnam opening its borders to international visitors?
Press Release Vietnam is one of the most visited countries in Southeast Asia. Before the pandemic shutting the international borders of countries around the world, Vietnam was regularly competing with Thailand for being the most popular destination in the entire region. Once the coronavirus proved to be here for the long haul, the government had to make the difficult decision…
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Human rights official claims DNA tests infringe on Lahu hilltribe, Chiang Mai
In 2021, soldiers and police found large amounts of illegal drugs on the border in Fang district of Chiang Mai, according to a member of the National Human Rights Commission. The soldiers and police investigated nearby areas, which happened to be where 51 Lahu hilltribe members lived. The authorities then collected DNA samples from the 51 residents, suspecting they might…
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Police in Isaan Thailand search for man allegedly caught skinning a cat
Villagers in the Isaan province Udon Thani are being advised to look after their pets after a woman said she came across a man skinning a cat outside a nearby temple. The man fled, leaving only the cat skin at the scene. Police are now searching for the man. The village chief spoke with Thai media about the incident, saying…
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Thai government signs procurement deal for 2 million Paxlovid tablets
Thailand’s Department of Medical Services has signed a deal with Pfizer to purchase 2 million Paxlovid tablets for the treatment of Covid-19. This equates to 50 treatment courses of the anti-viral medication, with delivery expected next month, according to a Thai PBS World report. DMS director Dr. Somsak Akksilp says that clinical trials have shown the drug can reduce the…
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Criminal Court acquits 6 over 2015 Bangkok terror plot, cites lack of evidence
Thailand’s Criminal Court acquitted six people yesterday over a Bangkok terrorism plot in 2015. The court cited a lack of evidence. The former suspects allegedly hired someone to bomb several spots including Lumpini Park, Chatuchak MRT station, and the Criminal Court. The person they allegedly hired didn’t go through with the attacks, according to prosecutors. The charges included running an…
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Reward offered for reporting people who spread fake Covid news in Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai tourism operators are offering gift vouchers to anyone who can provide information that leads to the arrest of people spreading news about the city’s Covid-19 situation. Concerned that such false accounts could jeopardise Songkran tourism in the northern city, businesses have come together to offer vouchers worth up to 50,000 baht. According to a Nation Thailand report, tourism…
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Test & Go, Thailand Pass could be gone by June if no Covid surge after Songkran
Thailand’s tourism minister says if there’s no surge in Covid cases following next month’s Songkran holiday, entry restrictions could be eased further. According to a Bangkok Post report, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says Test & Go and Thailand Pass could be scrapped from June 1, if there’s no spike in Covid cases or deaths after the Thai New Year holiday. Phiphat is…
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Thailand cuts quarantine for unvaccinated travellers to 5 days
Starting April 1, the mandatory quarantine period for unvaccinated travellers entering Thailand will be reduced to five days. Travellers will also no longer need to take a pre-departure PCR Covid-19 test. The new requirements are pending publication in the Royal Gazette and the official announcement is expected to be published at the end of the month. Unvaccinated travellers can enter…
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Talk of opening a casino in Bangkok with relaxed entry rules for foreigners
The future of casinos in Thailand might be marketed toward foreign tourists. A government committee discussing the legalisation of gambling, which has been long practised by Thais behind closed doors, are discussing the possibility of opening the first casino in Bangkok and then expanding to open casinos in other tourist destinations. Officials are considering making entry rules far more strict…
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Endangered tiger tracked by Thai wildlife officials dies aged 9
An endangered tiger known as ‘Thanakorn’ who lived in a national park in the northern province of Uthai Thani has died at age nine. The news was posted yesterday on Thailand Tiger Project’s Facebook page. On Tuesday evening, Thailand Tiger Project received an electronic notification saying “expiration detected” linked to an ID number belonging to Thanakorn the tiger. The team…
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New report “Nowhere is Safe” accuses Myanmar of sniper attacks
A human rights group, along with Yale Law School’s Scholl Center, accuse Myanmar’s junta chief of creating a special command that deployed snipers to kill unarmed protestors. The groups say this was to create fear. The Scholl Center and Fortify Rights investigated leaked documents and 128 testimonies from survivors, medical workers, witnesses and former military and police personnel, on violence…
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UKRAINE UPDATES: Ukraine counter offensives prevail; Nato, G7 & EU convene in Brussels; US condemns Russian ‘war crimes’
As Russia’s war against Ukraine marks one month today, here’s the latest headlines… • The Ukrainian Navy claims they have destroyed a large Russian ship in the Russian-occupied port of Berdyansk in southeastern Ukraine. Social media videos show a large fire with secondary explosions in the port. Berdyansk is roughly 70 kilometres southwest of Mariupol on the Azov Sea. The…
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Singapore to end pandemic-era restrictions, embrace ‘living with covid’ strategy
Singapore is set to end most of its Covid-19 restrictions starting next Tuesday, March 29, as the country shifts from a pandemic to an endemic state of mind — learning to live with Covid, instead of trying to eliminate it. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced the significant policy changes in a national address on Thursday… “Our fight against COVID-19…
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Pattaya mayor donates 100,000 baht of his own money to fix children’s playground
The mayor of Pattaya attended a ceremony on Koh Larn on Monday to present a children’s playground on the island fixed and refurbished. The mayor donated 100,000 baht of his own money to the project, calling it a ‘gift’ to the children of Koh Larn. The mayor, Sontaya Khunpluem, said many children on the island don’t have the same entertainment…
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Asia News Today | Ukraine hails Japan’s stand against Russia
Search and rescue teams in the southern region of Wuzhou, China, have located one of two black boxes from the China Eastern flight that nosedived into remote hills on Monday. Zhu Tao, the director of the aviation safety office at the Civil Aviation Administration of China, says the black box found yesterday is likely the cockpit voice recorder. The China…
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Thursday Covid Update: 27,024 new cases; provincial totals
82 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 24,579 with 2,881 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 27,024 new Covid-19 cases and 23,721 recoveries. There are now 240,349 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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