Thailand

  • Hot NewsGold mine reopens in northern Thailand to the dismay of residents

    Gold mine reopens in northern Thailand to the dismay of residents

    A gold mine has reopened in northern Thailand shocking locals who say the mine had poisoned their livestock, produce, and themselves. According to the Straits Times, the Chatree complex in Pichit province was closed more than six years ago due to health and environmental concerns. Now, despite legal disputes and protests by villagers, the controversial gold mine is back in…

  • Koh Samui NewsBangkok Airways to launch Koh Samui – Hong Kong route

    Bangkok Airways to launch Koh Samui – Hong Kong route

    Bangkok Airways revealed plans to launch a direct route between Koh Samui in Thailand and Hong Kong, aiming to “generate more revenue from foreign customers.” President of Bangkok Airways Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth revealed that a nonstop Koh Samui – Hong Kong flight is in the works and could launch sometime this year. The airline has also entered discussions to lease more…

  • Thai LifeThailand lottery winner thanks Buddha with 100 pig’s heads

    Thailand lottery winner thanks Buddha with 100 pig’s heads

    A Thai lottery winner today laid out 100 pig’s heads in front of the famous 30-metre-tall Buddha statue at Wat Klang Bang Phra Temple in Nakhon Pathom province in central Thailand. The lucky winner, Panu Nawisamphan from Samut Prakan province, did not reveal how much money he won in the government lottery. Panu said his offering of 100 pig’s heads…

  • Tourism NewsBangkok ranks 5th on Airbnb’s top trending global travel spots in 2023

    Bangkok ranks 5th on Airbnb’s top trending global travel spots in 2023

    Airbnb‘s latest data shows that Bangkok has emerged as one of the top global travel spots for 2023, coming in fifth on its list of top trending destinations. The Thai capital is No.5 on Airbnb’s list of top trending global travel spots in 2023, however, this is a slight drop since it was No.1 in the third quarter of last year.…

  • Pattaya NewsBeachgoers find giant sea turtle carcass in Pattaya

    Beachgoers find giant sea turtle carcass in Pattaya

    While there’s been a lot of happy news about turtles in Phang Nga recently, there’s unfortunately been some sad turtle news in Pattaya. A giant sea turtle carcass washed up on Pattaya Beach on Tuesday. Beachgoers noticed the carcass and detected a foul odour in the early hours of the morning. They promptly informed the authorities of the discovery. Officials…

  • Thailand NewsTaiwanese woman wins 3kg chicken rice eating challenge in Bangkok

    Taiwanese woman wins 3kg chicken rice eating challenge in Bangkok

    A Taiwanese woman shrugged aside the well-worn slogan “pleasure on the lips, lifetime on the hips” to emerge victorious in a food challenge at a restaurant in Bangkok. The foodie devoured 3 kilogrammes of chicken and rice in just 35 minutes, making her the 37th winner of the challenge since it was launched 10 years ago. The chicken rice shop,…

  • Thailand NewsAirports of Thailand to invest 37 billion baht in Don Mueang Airport

    Airports of Thailand to invest 37 billion baht in Don Mueang Airport

    Airports of Thailand (AOT) is ready to invest US$1 billion (36.8 billion baht) to improve and expand the capacity of the low-cost terminal of Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport, AOT announced yesterday. AOT plans to increase capacity from 30 million to 40 million passengers per year by 2029, with construction beginning this year, according to a statement from AOT. The project…

  • Thailand NewsThailand’s leading Muslim cleric announces the start of Ramadan

    Thailand’s leading Muslim cleric announces the start of Ramadan

    Thailand’s leading Muslim cleric announced the start of Ramadan yesterday. The cleric, Sheikul Islam Aziz Phitakkumpon, said… “As announced to Thai Muslims across the country to sight the new crescent moon after sunset on Wednesday, March 22, to mark the first day of Ramadan AH 1444. It has been confirmed that the new crescent moon has been sighted. So I…

  • Phuket NewsTour bus crash on Patong Hill seriously injures driver

    Tour bus crash on Patong Hill seriously injures driver

    A tour bus crashed into a power pole on Patong Hill early this morning, with the driver suffering serious injuries to his leg. The bus slammed into a power pole on the final curve heading into Patong on Phra Baramee Road at around 5am, The Phuket News reported. Police and rescuers arrived on the scene to find the red Phiphairat…

  • Thailand News3 year old boy dies after being trapped in car for 2 hours

    3 year old boy dies after being trapped in car for 2 hours

    A three year old boy suffocated to death after being trapped in his mother’s car in the Isaan province of Buriram. A rescue team attempted to save the child’s life but he died on the way to the hospital. Baan Bua Municipality Rescue Team rushed to a local restaurant in the Baan Bua sub-district of Buriram yesterday at 3pm after…

  • Crime NewsPattaya ping pong bomb hooligans injure 2 women

    Pattaya ping pong bomb hooligans injure 2 women

    A group of teenage hooligans in Pattaya threw ping pong bombs at two women in the early hours of this morning, leaving them with injuries. The victims, 30 year old Nantawan Kosakun and 20 year old Saowalak Kanpratuyod, were riding their motorcycles home on Sukhumvit Road in North Pattaya. At around 1am, a group of approximately 10 teenagers on five…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya Zumba lovers raise 100,000 baht for disabled boy

    Pattaya Zumba lovers raise 100,000 baht for disabled boy

    Zumba is a fun activity to stay in shape, but this week, Zumba lovers in Pattaya also used the activity to raise money for a good cause. The street food market The Smile Land Pattaya, located on Phettrakul Road in Bang Lamung District, hosted an event, ‘Zumba Charity Party,’ on Monday. The Muscle Factory Pattaya gym sponsored the event, Pattaya…

  • Thailand News6 Vietnamese timber smugglers arrested in Isaan wildlife sanctuary

    6 Vietnamese timber smugglers arrested in Isaan wildlife sanctuary

    Wildlife rangers and officers from Chaiyaphum Police Station arrested six Vietnamese timber smugglers at the weekend at Phu Khiao Wildlife Sanctuary in Chaiyaphum province in the Isaan region of Thailand. The suppression of the Vietnamese timber smuggling gangs started last year after Phu Khiao Wildlife Sanctuary wildlife rangers were notified that a group of Vietnamese men entered the sanctuary to…

  • Hot NewsRecovered Caesium-137 cannister ‘not a threat to local Thai produce’

    Recovered Caesium-137 cannister ‘not a threat to local Thai produce’

    Thai officials say the recently recovered Caesium-137 canister is not a threat to local produce, despite it being smelted. The concerns over the effects of the tube’s radioactive properties were raised as contaminated furnace dust was discovered at a steel plant in Prachin Buri’s Kabin Buri district this week. Out of fear, customers cancelled purchase orders of fruit from the province,…

  • EducationUNICEF urges Thailand to invest in its children’s education or suffer

    UNICEF urges Thailand to invest in its children’s education or suffer

    UNICEF urges Thailand to invest in its children’s education for the socioeconomic prosperity of the country. The humanitarian organization made the plea on the back of a report which revealed a large majority of Thai students drop out of education halfway through. Kyungsun Kim, director of UNICEF Thailand, said the number of Thais who are “not in education, employment or…

  • Thailand NewsBurmese migrant worker killed by fallen lamppost in Thailand

    Burmese migrant worker killed by fallen lamppost in Thailand

    A lamppost toppled onto and killed a young Burmese migrant worker at a worker’s camp in Samut Prakan province, just south of Bangkok in central Thailand, yesterday morning. At 11.30am, officers at Bang Phli Police Station, doctors from Bang Phli Hospital and rescue workers from the Ruam Katanyu Foundation were called to a construction site in the Bang Phli Yai…

  • Crime NewsAfter Patong bar bust, police on the prowl for human trafficking in Pattaya (video)

    After Patong bar bust, police on the prowl for human trafficking in Pattaya (video)

    After the Patong bar bust that made headlines last week, police are on the prowl for human trafficking in Pattaya. Police on Tuesday night carried out a joint operation in a bid to prevent human trafficking, illegal drugs, minors, and the carrying of weapons in nightspots in the area. The operation involved a police team comprised of officers from Pattaya…

  • Thailand NewsThai police shoot dead Phetchaburi gunman after 14 hour standoff, 3 dead, 3 injured

    Thai police shoot dead Phetchaburi gunman after 14 hour standoff, 3 dead, 3 injured

    UPDATE At 4am, SWAT police shot dead the ex-military ranger who went on a gun rampage yesterday killing three people and injuring three more in Petchaburi province in lower central Thailand. Pol. Lt. Gen. Thanayut Wuthiratanayong said that after 14 hours of failed negotiations, the gunman showed no signs of surrender so the police took decisive action to kill him…

  • Crime NewsMonks on drugs: two monks busted at abandoned Phuket hotel

    Monks on drugs: two monks busted at abandoned Phuket hotel

    For the umpteenth time in Thailand, monks have been busted for having a little too much fun. Two monks were found at an abandoned Phuket hotel on Tuesday, with both testing positive for illegal drugs. A village headman and a head monk found the monks at the abandoned hotel in the Thalang district. The monks were originally from a temple…

  • NewsTST pledge to reform military, abolish conscription, a voter winner with Thailand’s youth

    TST pledge to reform military, abolish conscription, a voter winner with Thailand’s youth

    The Thai Sang Thai Party (TST) pledges to reform Thailand‘s military and abolish conscription if they are elected in the upcoming General Election on May 14. This move appears to be aimed at attracting young voters who are often reluctant to undergo military service due to the fear of losing productive years, harsh training, poor welfare, and hazing. Under the…

  • Thailand NewsSafari park in Thailand responds to bungee cord incident that nearly killed Hong Kong tourist

    Safari park in Thailand responds to bungee cord incident that nearly killed Hong Kong tourist

    UPDATE Today, staff from Chang Thai Thappraya Safari Park in Pattaya, Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand, commented on the broken bungee cord incident that nearly killed a tourist from Hong Kong last month. The bungee jump operator, 41 year old Natthaphon Yokcharoen, took reporters to see the scene of the incident, a platform about 30 metres high above a lake. Nattaphon…

  • Thailand NewsAngry Thai man stabs wife to death after dispute over saving water

    Angry Thai man stabs wife to death after dispute over saving water

    An angry Thai husband stabbed his wife to death at their home in the northern province of Mae Hong Sorn. The man was reportedly angry after the woman advised him to conserve the water for the upcoming dry season. Police officers and locals are now on the hunt for the murderer who fled into the forest after the incident. Officers…

  • Road deathsPhuket motorbike accident kills woman, seriously injures man

    Phuket motorbike accident kills woman, seriously injures man

    Another tragic motorbike accident has claimed a life in Phuket. A motorbike accident killed a woman and seriously injured a man on Phuket’s Patong-Kamala road last night. Police were notified of the accident at 9.50pm, The Phuket News reported. Police and emergency responders arrived on the scene about 100 metres away from Panya restaurant. There, they found a blue and…

  • Crime NewsEx-military ranger opens fire in central Thailand, 2 dead 3 injured, standoff with police continues

    Ex-military ranger opens fire in central Thailand, 2 dead 3 injured, standoff with police continues

    A frenzied gunman who is an ex-military ranger opened fire in Phetchaburi province in lower central Thailand this afternoon, killing two people and injuring three more. Gunfire continues to erupt from the house where he is hiding in an ongoing standoff with police. More than 40 young children have been evacuated from a nearby daycare centre. Over 100 police officers…

  • Tourism NewsChinese tourists walk around Chiang Mai in traditional Thai clothes

    Chinese tourists walk around Chiang Mai in traditional Thai clothes

    Chinese tourists in Chiang Mai are walking around in traditional Thai clothes during their sightseeing tours. After three years of travel restrictions due to Covid-19, Chinese tourists have returned to Thailand with a thirst for authentic experiences. This has created a trend in which Chinese tourists stand out in their finery at historical temples and other attractions in the northern…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket is the backdrop of new season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip

    Phuket is the backdrop of new season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip

    The famous island paradise of Phuket is the stunning backdrop for the third season of the popular US reality TV series, The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip. Premiering exclusively on Peacock streaming service tomorrow, March 23, the show will feature a new group of eight fan-favourite housewives from various cities, who will come together for an unforgettable trip to Thailand.…

  • Thailand NewsBangkok Police seize over 5 million baht of fake brand products from Indian mafia store

    Bangkok Police seize over 5 million baht of fake brand products from Indian mafia store

    Bangkok Police conducted a raid on counterfeit band name products at a store on the third floor of MBK shopping mall in Bangkok today and seized goods worth over 5 million baht. The store was reported to be operated by an Indian mafia gang called Babu. The Department of Intellectual Property Protection was alerted to the activities of the Babu…

  • Crime NewsBeagles sniff out smuggled Chinese duck at Bangkok Airport

    Beagles sniff out smuggled Chinese duck at Bangkok Airport

    Thailand‘s sharp-nosed sniffer beagles strike again, this time detecting 7 kilogrammes of illegally imported raw duck at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport that arrived on a flight from China. Sniffer dogs from the Department of Livestock’s Quarantine and Inspection Canine Unit were on duty at the airport looking for any illegal movement of live wildlife and animal carcasses when they uncovered the…

  • Crime NewsPolice nab Chinese kidnapper at airport before he flees Thailand, 2 hostages saved

    Police nab Chinese kidnapper at airport before he flees Thailand, 2 hostages saved

    Police arrested a Chinese man before he boarded a flight out of Thailand last night. He is one of three men who abducted a Chinese woman and her brother-in-law in Pattaya on Monday for a ransom of 4.7 million baht. The two hostages were saved by police and returned home at 2am today. On Monday, 33 year old Ma Mingshan…

  • Thailand NewsPassport rip leaves TikTok creator unable to fly to Thailand

    Passport rip leaves TikTok creator unable to fly to Thailand

    A passport rip left a TikTok creator unable to fly to Thailand. Arabella Leat’s holiday plans to Thailand with her mum were ruined due to the small rip on her passport, the UK tabloid Daily Star reported. The young woman was left disappointed and unable to board her flight after airport staff deemed her passport unfit for travel. Arabella posted a TikTok…