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.
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33 million baht budget for Bangkok train station sign smells like corruption
Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob smells corruption coming from a 33 million baht budget for a new sign at Bangkok‘s central train station, whose name is changing from “Bang Sue Junction” to “Bangkok Apiwat Central Station.” The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) allegedly signed a contract approving a budget of 33,169,726.39 baht for a new sign to reflect the train station’s…
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16 year old boy dies after playing Russian roulette
A 16 year old boy was found dead at an abandoned house in the Nong Chok district of Bangkok. The teenage boy’s two friends said they were playing Russian roulette and he shot himself. Officers from Lam Hin Police Station and a rescue team were notified about the shooting at 10.40pm last night and rushed to the abandoned house situated…
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Thai baht and Singapore dollar battle for strongest regional currency
China is reopening its borders, pushing economists to predict that an influx of Chinese tourists to Thailand will propel the Thai baht into Southeast Asia’s reigning currency in 2023. But the baht has one regional competitor: the trusty Singapore dollar. Thailand’s economy heavily depends on tourism revenue. In 2019, Chinese tourists made up over 40% of the 40 million tourist…
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Monk under fire over bizarre pebbles ritual
A monk from a temple in Chon Buri is under fire over his bizarre ritual of putting small pebbles onto the eyes of his followers. The monk believes the stones are relics of the Lord Buddha, have magical powers, and do not hurt anyone. A video and pictures of the strange ritual emerged on Facebook and TikTok. It shows 69…
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Taxi driver arrested for beating a motorcycle rider with baseball bat
Police arrested a taxi driver in the Isaan province of Khon Kaen after he beat a motorcycle rider with a baseball bat and fled the scene. The victim was hit by another car as he lay on the road in the central province of Pathum Thani and remains in hospital. The taxi driver claimed he attacked the victim in self-defence.…
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Fisherman reels in body of young student in northern Thailand
A fisherman pulled ashore the body of a 21 year old woman from the Nan River in Phitsanulok province in northern Thailand this morning. At 10.30am, officers from Mueang Phitsanulok Police Station received a report that a young woman’s body was found by a fisherman on the Naresuan Bridge over the Nan river in front of Wat Ratchaburana. Police, doctors…
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Muay Thai fighter laughs off sexual assault in video
A well-known Muay Thai fighter joked and showed no remorse after uploading videos of sexually assaulting women at a friend’s birthday party. Thaworn Sudchanham, also known as Wanchalong PK Saenchai, was slammed for his inappropriate behaviour by a British campaigner against gender-based violence, and by many others, after videos emerged of him sexually assaulting women at a party. Thaworn uploaded…
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Twelve vehicle crash injures 26 people in northeast Thailand
On the sixth day of Thailand‘s “Seven Dangerous Days,” a crash involving 12 vehicles on the Friendship Highway in Nakhon Ratchasima province in Isaan left 26 people injured. At 1am, officers from Nong Sarai Police Station received a report of a multiple-vehicle accident outside a dog shelter on the inbound Mittraphap Road, known as the Friendship Highway, in Pak Chong district.…
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Phuket chosen as pilot province to promote organic tourism
The popular holiday resort of Phuket has been chosen as a pilot province to promote organic tourism. The Thai Organic Consumer Association (TOCA) revealed it wants to boost organic tourism in the province in an effort to connect hotels and consumers with farmers digitally and introduce incentive reward programmes. TOCA President Arrut Navaraj believes that information transparency would benefit everyone…
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Thailand – Malaysia shuttle train resumes service after bombings
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) resumed train services between Thailand and Malaysia with the utmost security on Sunday after suspending the service for 28 days following two consecutive bombings that killed three people last month. The SRT is running two round trips per day between Hat Yai in Songkhla province to Padang Besar in Malaysia’s Perlis state. On December…
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Top ten fake news stories in Thailand 2022
Before New Year’s Eve, we recounted the top ten news stories that generated the most buzz on Thai social media. But what about the stories last year that weren’t true, didn’t exist, or simply didn’t happen? Thai PBS World reported yesterday that the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society released a top ten fake news story list. 10. N-Dro, a…
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Man arrested for stealing Royal Thai Armed Forces bus
Police arrested a man for stealing a Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF) bus and driving it to Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi Airports to pick up some imaginary diplomats. Police reported the thief has a criminal history of drugs but did not reveal the result of his drug test. An officer from the Support Services Department under the RTARF filed a complaint…
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Young British woman ‘may never walk again’ after fall from balcony in Thailand
A young British tourist is seriously injured and remains in hospital in Thailand after falling from a balcony on the popular party island of Koh Pha Ngan. Maddi Neale-Shankster, a 21 year old beautician from Coventry in England, suffered a fractured spine and is receiving treatment to drain fluid from her chest following the accident. The beautician travelled to Thailand with…
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Thai restaurant develops Flu-Shot Soup to prevent flu and Covid-19
A Thai restaurant in the United States has cooked up a tasty dish to feed its hungry customers and at the same time found a remedy to prevent them from getting flu and Covid-19 – Flu-Shot Soup! The family-owned Thai restaurant, Taste of Thailand, in Denver, Colorado, developed the special recipe some 20 years ago but it only came to…
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Man fails to outrun train on motorbike, dies
If you’ve ever thought about trying to outrun a train… Don’t. Yesterday in Pattaya, a man thought he could probably make it across the tracks before an oncoming train reached the crossing. He thought he could outrun the train, and he was wrong. The man was killed when Train #5101 en route to the Sattahip district nearby in Chon Buri…
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Banks deny wrongdoing in Jeffrey Epstein lawsuit
Two major banks are denying any legal responsibilities in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking after two victims filed lawsuits against them. American bank JPMorgan Chase and German-based Deutsche Bank requested that the federal court drops the suit that claims the banks should have known of Epstein’s illegal sexual escapades and therefore bear some responsibility for the abuse that occurred. Epstein was…
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Electric vehicles to hit the accelerator this year, says FTI
The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) predicts a bold future for Thailand’s electric vehicle (EV) industry, unlike the International Monetary Fund which believes the kingdom is heading for a recession. The FTI reckons the EV industry will hit the accelerator this year and sell between 25,000, to 35,000 cars, reports Bangkok Post. But, to achieve that target the EV industry…
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5 Things You Need to know before Befriending or Dating a Thai
In this episode of This is Thailand, Natty Warisa will share with you 5 top cultural tips that a non-Thai would need to know before befriending or dating a Thai person. Thailand is the most conservative country and abides by a unique set of unwritten rules. Listen till the end to find out what all of the quirky Thai customs…
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IMF predicts a recession in Thailand
The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts Thailand and Southeast Asian countries will suffer from recession this year along with the rest of the world. Kristalina Georgieva believes a third of the global economy will be in recession this year, including Thailand, and Vietnam. The 69 year old Bulgarian economist reckons 2023 will be “tougher” than last year…
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Speaker predicts mass election corruption
Thailand’s House Speaker Chuan Leekpai warned that the country can expect to see mass corruption in the upcoming general election. He said on Sunday that money will be a powerful influence in this year’s election and vote-buying will be rampant. To support his claim, Chuan points to the amount of campaigning that has been going on in the southern provinces…
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Chinese tourists banned from entering Morocco
Thailand may have stretched out its welcoming arms to China but the same can’t be said of other countries, especially Morocco which has banned all mainland tourists from entering the African country. Thailand Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn on Saturday was quoted as saying that his ministry was “very pleased to learn that China will implement new border control…
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Proposed national uniforms to make traffic police approachable
The Deputy National Police Chief of Thailand recognizes that the Thai police have a reputation issue. He wants to take action to make police seem more approachable, friendly and organized. To do so, he’s calling for a change to the uniform the traffic police wear. After travelling around the country and inspecting police stations in various locations, he found that the…
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Talking With Gary Butler About How ‘The Roaming Cook’ Began
Gary Butler is an Englishman who creates fun and informative videos about the street food of Bangkok on his YouTube channel. He takes viewers on an exciting culinary journey, exploring the diverse range of dishes available in the city’s bustling street markets. With a keen eye for detail, Butler expertly captures the colors, aromas, and flavors of Thai cuisine, giving…
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HTMS Sukhothai chief engineer ashore when disaster struck
As the crew of the doomed HTMS Sukhothai headed for Chumphon on December 18, the ship’s chief engineer was not among them. According to Vice Admiral Pichai Lorchusakul, commander of the First Naval Area Command Saturday, the Sukhothai was heading for Chumphon on December 18 without its chief engineer on board. The ship has a normal complement of 106, but the…
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Deputy PM’s cunning plan to remain in power? There isn’t one
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon has a cunning plan to remain in power. The plan is so cunning that there is no plan. No, it’s not an episode of Blackadder. Deputy PM Prawit reckons the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) will remain in office after the May 7 election this year without having to woo the electorate. The Pheu Thai Party was out…
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Tragic hero – lifeguard, 10 year old, drowned in new year beach tragedy
The body of a 10 year old girl who had been swept away by strong waves from a Songkhla beach, was found washed ashore this morning, near the scene of the new year beach tragedy. Rescue teams searched the area throughout last night and this morning for the lost child who was washed away as she was playing with two…
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Local vets unable to save Koh Pha Ngan green sea turtle
The injured green sea turtle washed ashore on Koh Pha Ngan on Friday night died of its injuries, according to the local vets who were unable to save the injured chelonian. Quickly on the scene, a group of conservation volunteers, Phangan Sea Guardians, was alerted by villagers who came across the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) on Chaloklum Beach and rushed…
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Indian passengers to be charged over air rage incident on Bangkok-Kolkata flight
Police in India reported that two of the men involved in the air rage incident on a flight from Bangkok to Kolkata will be charged. Bidhannagar City Police, in Kolkata, drew up a First Information Report and slapped an Indian Penal Code charge on the men of assault, wrongful restraint, and criminal intimidation, after a complaint by the Bureau of…
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Covid-19 screening not necessary for China arrivals
The Department of Disease Control (DDC) met on Saturday to assess the Covid-19 situation in China and the border reopening on January 8. Covid-19 screening tests for arrivals from China might not be necessary for the time being although vaccination documents will be checked Tares Krassanairawiwong, DDC director-general, said nearly five million visitors from China are expected this year while…
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Thailand gains research base in Antarctica
Thailand has sent scientists to join the Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition since 2016. Now a China-Thailand research base in Antarctica has been set up at China’s Great Wall Station. Thailand cannot go to Antarctica alone because the kingdom is not a member of the Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1959. China, South Korea, Japan, and India are the four consultative…
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