Thailand
- Thailand News
Thai mental health officials want psychiatric drugs listed as essential meds
The number of cases of major depressive disorders (MDD) is rising in Thailand, and officials are looking for solutions. The country’s Mental Health Department is looking to push for the inclusion of psychiatric drugs on Thailand’s list of essential medicines. The department’s director-general said they will coordinate with the National Health Security office to promote this. The director-general, Dr Amporn…
- Thailand News
2 Thai knights in shining armour aid lost foreign child in Pattaya
Two Thai men became knights in shining armour when they went to assist a young foreign girl lost, wandering alone late at night down a dark quiet road in Pattaya. Thai netizens hailed their efforts to overcome a difficult situation and help a frightened child. One of the men, 23 year old Phoommiphat Chaichana, posted a video of the incident…
- Thailand Weather Updates
Tropical Storm Noru hits northeast Thailand, 1 dead, 2 injured
Tropical Storm Noru hit northeast Thailand yesterday causing heavy rainfall, strong winds, and flash flooding in several provinces. A tree fell onto a car in Srisaket, killing one man and injuring two more people. At 6.55pm, officers from Huai Thap Than Police Station were informed that a tree had fallen onto a car near Huai Yang Lake. Police and rescue…
- Phuket News
American tourist allegedly assaulted outside Patong bar
An American tourist was allegedly assaulted in Phuket’s tourist hotspot town of Patong early yesterday morning. The 35 year old man had wounds on his face, and one of his middle fingers. The man had been at a bar on Bangla Road, where he was reportedly very drunk. He had been with a 24 year old Russian woman. Staff had…
- Phuket News
Phuket dwellers honour 10th Lunar Month
Temples across Phuket have honoured Thailand’s tenth lunar month with food offerings, and traditional puppets. Festivals are held for the tenth lunar month between September and October. During the festival, people offer food to their family members who have died. It is believed that during this time, the spirits of deceased people can come to meet with their relatives. Puppets…
- Thailand News
Thai govt owes 100 million baht to hospitality industry
An MP from the Democrat Party revealed that the Thai government owes about 100 million baht to hundreds of hotels across Thailand that joined the tourism-boosting campaign “We Travel Together.” The We Travel Together campaign was launched two years ago to boost Thai tourism affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The initiative offered a 40% discount on hotels, flights, or food…
- Crime News
BMA reveals Bangkok druggies buy yaba online
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) yesterday revealed that the majority of the capital’s drug users are of a young working age and they buy their illegal narcotics online. The Deputy Permanent Secretary of the BMA, Wantanee Wattana, reported that the statistics gathered between October 2020 and August 2022 showed that most drug users among the capital’s residents were aged between…
- Phuket News
Delivery driver & customer brawl over payment in Phuket
A delivery driver and a customer brawled over some payment in Phuket’s town of Chalong at the weekend. The customer, Sorasak, said he had ordered food to be delivered through an online service. Phuket Provincial Police said that during the delivery, “There was an error in the transmission location coordinates.” When the driver, Adisak, finally arrived with Sorasak’s food, the…
- Visa Information
Thailand to extend Smart Visa scheme to draw talent
Thailand is extending its Smart Visa scheme, aiming to draw in more talent to the kingdom. While the scheme used to cover 13 industries, the Thai cabinet yesterday approved extending the scheme to cover 18. Since 2018, Thailand has offered a SMART visa for foreigners who wish to work or invest in the following industries… Next Generation Automotive Affluent, Medical…
- Cannabis
Can I take cannabis on domestic flights in Thailand?
Thailand legalised getting high. But can I carry ganja in the sky? In June, Thailand removed cannabis from its list of illicit narcotics. Dispensaries, cafes, and even weed delivery services popped up overnight, transforming the Land of Smiles into a stoner’s Disneyland. Every part of the cannabis plant became legal to possess, including the most important tetrahydrocannabinol-rich flowers (“weed”). Extracts…
- Thailand News
Thailand pays 3.8 billion baht for first train hub in hospital
A budget of 3.8 billion baht has been approved to build Thailand’s first train station inside a hospital. The train station is intended to serve as a transportation hub with a medical centre at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok. The deputy spokesperson of the Prime Minister’s Office, Ratchada Thanadirek, reported yesterday that the very first train station for health and public…
- South Thailand News
English teacher’s body found in South Thailand
An English teacher’s body has been found last night in South Thailand’s Nakhon Si Thammarat province. The Danish man, 66 year old Devyd Haier, was found lying on his bed wearing only a pair of yellow shorts. He was found at his residence in a commercial building in the main city district. Devyd’s close friend said that when the two…
- Pattaya News
Thai lotto winners reward ghosts with pricey Japanese feast
Two 10-million baht lottery winners spent 300,000 baht of their fortune turning a graveyard in Chon Buri into a Japanese restaurant to reward ghosts for giving them the lucky numbers. The couple yesterday evening transformed the Tri Kunnatham Foundation graveyard in the Nong Ree sub-district of Chon Buri province into a pop-up sushi bar and served Japanese food to 5,000…
- Chiang Mai News
Popular Chiang Mai waterfall closed due to flooding
A popular waterfall for tourists in Chiang Mai has closed due to flooding, the National News Bureau of Thailand reported on Monday. The waterfall is located in Doi Inthanon National Park. Floodwaters have also strongly damaged several stores in the Chom Thong district, according to park officials. Locals from the nearby Khun Khun Klang village were seen moving their belongings…
- World News
Embassy warns citizens not to take cannabis from Thailand into Malaysia
The Malaysian Embassy in Thailand sent out a warning to remind citizens that taking cannabis across the border into Malaysia is illegal. Thailand became the first Southeast Asian country to decriminalise the plant back in June, which is now widely accessible in every nook and cranny of the nation. As soon as Thailand legalised weed, the Malaysian government banned its citizens…
- Thailand News
Knife-wielding tuk tuk driver says he is the victim in brawl over passengers
An 84 year old tuk tuk driver claimed that he was attacked by younger drivers because of a row over passengers. The alleged offenders defended themselves saying they were threatened by a knife first. The elderly tuk tuk driver, Pichit Sawanwijit, filed a complaint at Mueng Udon Thani Police Station saying he was attacked by three younger tuk tuk drivers…
- Pattaya News
Crocodile found skinned on Chon Buri beach
Animal protection services are looking into the case of a crocodile carcass found skinned on a beach in Chon Buri province. The 1 metre long skinned croc was found on September 24 on Pha Daeng Beach in Sri Racha district. The poor croc had been skinned from its neck to the tip of its tail. An anonymous local who found…
- Thailand News
Politicians urged to wear Thai suits to save energy
A Thai minister urged politicians and government officials to avoid wearing suits and ties and opt for Thai-fabric clothes instead. The minister says Thai fabric is suited to the kingdom’s climate and would help the government save energy. The Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Varawut Silpa-archa, said at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting that he wants to introduce energy-saving measures to…
- Economy News
Thai baht plunges to 38 against US dollar for first time in 16 years
The volatile Thai baht has depreciated to 38 against the US dollar even faster than foreseen by economists. The last time the baht reached 38 to the dollar was 16 years and two months ago on July 26, 2006. The baht has hit the 38 mark even earlier than expected by the Head of Capital at Kasikorn Bank Kobsidthi Silpachai,…
- Northern Thailand News
Naga Fireball Festival is coming to Isaan on October 10
Organisers of the annual Naga Fireball Festival are hoping the gala will once again recapture the imagination of all visitors after a couple of barren Covid-19 pandemic years. The festival is back in the Isaan province of Nong Khai on October 10 and promotors are predicting a bonanza event that will help boost the provincial economy by 70% to 80%.…
- Thailand News
Off-duty officer fires shots & fights with Bangkok cabbie
A road rage incident between a Bangkok taxi driver and an allegedly drunk off-duty police officer saw shots fired and a bout of fisticuffs on the hard shoulder of a motorway. The taxi driver, Thongchai Baanyam, filed a complaint with the police soon after the incident in Bangkok last night. The 42 year old told police that the reportedly drunk…
- Thailand News
Venomous snake emerges from parcel at sorting office in Thailand
An extremely venomous snake escaped from a parcel at a sorting office in Kanchanaburi province, western Thailand, yesterday. One has to ask, what did the intended receiver do to deserve such a life-threatening package? Post office staff said the one-metre long stripy snake slithered out from a pile of parcels at the sorting office in Tha Muang district. When staff…
- Technology News
Line Man Wongnai now Thailand’s largest tech startup
Line Man Wongnai became Thailand’s largest tech startup by valuation thanks to a new round of funding. Singapore sovereign wealth fund, Capital Market Company (GIC), led the latest funding round that managed to raise 10.1 billion baht for the Thai food delivery app and in doing so made it Thailand’s latest unicorn company. Line, Taiwan Mobile, BRV Capital Management and PTT…
- Thailand News
Customer buys brand new Honda PCX motorbike with coins in eastern Thailand
Employees at a motorbike shop in Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand, couldn’t believe it when a customer asked if he could pay for a brand spanking new Honda PCX – for a price of 102,500 baht – with coins. Most people in Thailand have a pile of pennies they don’t know what to do with, but not nearly enough to…
- Thailand News
American told to stop riding go-kart in Chiang Mai
Police and residents in Chiang Mai urged an American man to stop riding his yellow single-seat go-kart on a public road after highlighting the danger he poses to himself and others. A dash cam video of the yellow single-seat go-kart was uploaded to Thai social media on September 21. The kart is seen dashing down the left lane of the…
- Thailand News
Thailand legalises abortion up to 20 weeks
Thailand is extending the legal limit of abortion from 12 to 20 weeks. The new law will come into effect 30 days after its announcement by the Ministry of Public Health in the Royal Gazette, which was published yesterday, September 26. The new law stipulates that pregnant women in Thailand may legally abort a pregnancy up to 20 weeks so…
- Crime News
Foreign gang allegedly extorts Russian couple of crypto worth US$50k in Thailand
A Russian couple in Koh Samui in southern Thailand claims that a gang of six foreign men – including Russians, Kazakhs and a German – extorted them of cryptocurrency worth US$50,000, or 1.89 million baht. On Sunday, 31 year old Evgeny Abdullin and his wife Ekaterina Abdullin filed a complaint at Koh Samui Police Station. The couple said that six…
- Thailand News
Shopee Thailand to lay off about 10% of employees
Shopee started a major restructuring charge and it includes plans to lay off more employees of Shopee Thailand. About 10% of jobs will be cut, and it is expected to affect about 100 employees. The Singaporean multinational technology company, a subsidiary of Sea Limited, has restructured its business in many countries this year to make the company more self-sufficient, they…
- Thailand News
Dogs abandoned by foreigner in Chiang Mai are adopted
UPDATE The two Thai ridgeback dogs, which were said to have been abandoned by a foreign owner in Chiang Mai, were adopted by a Thai family. The dogs will be moved to a new home in the nearby province of Lampang. Thai dog lovers who live in the same village, Nam Pueng Village, contacted the owner of the house where…
- World News
Burmese beauty queen granted safe haven in Canada
The former Burmese beauty queen denied entry to Thailand last week has been granted a safe haven in Canada. The 23 year old Han Lay tried to seek asylum in Thailand last Thursday when she landed at Suvarnabhumi Airport from Vietnam after being allegedly targeted by the Myanmar ruling military junta following a speech she made during the Miss Grand International 2020…
