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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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Sailor floating in Gulf of Thailand for 60 hours rescued by navy
The Royal Thai Navy found another HTMS Sukhothai crew member alive floating near Koh Talu in the Gulf of Thailand this afternoon, reports ThaiRath. The sailor drifted in the sea amid high waves and strong winds for 60 hours after the warship sank, 19 nautical miles off the coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan province, on Sunday night. Navy vessel HTMS…
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Iconic Bangkok road sees staff shortage as tourists return
An iconic Bangkok road is seeing a staff shortage as tourists return. Bangkok’s Khao San Road, renowned as a hotspot for backpackers, is seeing a comeback in tourism after the Covid-19 pandemic took them down. Now, hotels, bars, and other businesses on the road are almost at pre-pandemic levels. Business operators report that their businesses are back to 90% to…
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DTAM to cannabis vendors: New Year’s weed parties illegal
For those who were planning a more mellow New Year’s Eve celebration, lighting up a joint and saying goodbye to 2022, the government has a strong warning for you. The Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (DTAM) cautioned cannabis vendors not to take part in or organise New Year’s Eve smoke parties. The Ministry of Public Health says that…
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Alcohol banned from festive gift baskets in Thailand
Pre-made gift baskets are a hit in Thailand for all special occasions and are especially popular around the Christmas and New Year holidays. But the Ministry of Commerce would like to remind the country’s merchants that selling alcohol as part of a gift set is against the law in Thailand. Anyone who fails to comply with the law will face…
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Bangkok chosen as Asia’s 2nd most cycling-friendly city
Netizens are not convinced with the Independent‘s selection of Bangkok as Asia’s 2nd most cycling-friendly city. Singapore ranked in first place, followed by Bangkok, Osaka in Japan, Xiamen in China, Taipei in Taiwan, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and Beijing in China. Bangkok is a “fantastic city for cycling” thanks to Lumphini Park, Benjakitti Park, and the city’s “brilliant guided cycling…
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California earthquake leaves tens of thousands without electricity, 2 deaths
A California earthquake with a 6.4 magnitude has left tens of thousands without electricity and has reportedly taken two lives. The earthquake occurred before dawn on Tuesday, damaging roads, water systems and homes. At least 11 were reported injured as well as two deaths from “medical emergencies.” The quake struck at 2:30am PST and was followed by around 80 aftershocks.…
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Motorbike driver killed by bus after skidding on oil stain in Bangkok
A motorist fell from his motorbike after skidding on an oil stain on Bangkok‘s busy Sukhumvit Road yesterday morning. He was struck and killed by an oncoming public bus. The man, whose identity has not been reported, was hit by public bus No.98 from Huai Kwang to Bang Na near the entrance of Sukhumvit Soi 53 and Thong Lor BTS…
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Thai taxi drivers receive record amount of complaints
The Department of Land Transport received 93,474 complaints about public transport in Thailand this year. Taxi drivers were complained about the most, receiving an impressive 14,158 complaints. Most of the complaints were about bad manners, dangerous driving, refusing passengers, illegal licenses, and illicit taxi metres. Between October 1, 2022, and September 30, 2022, the department’s Passenger Protection and Complaint Centre…
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Thai wildlife workers rush to aid stressed elephant rescued from smugglers
Thai wildlife workers are rushing to aid a highly stressed elephant rescued from smugglers. Border police and national park officials caught two smugglers in the Huay Yang district in the western Prachuap Khiri Khan province on Sunday. The authorities arrested the two men. They are identified as 28 year old Thai national Phongsak Huakaew, and 28 year old Myanmar national…
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Drivers switch places in moving bus in western Thailand, 11 tourists injured
Ten foreign tourists and one Thai passenger were injured in a bus crash in Phetchaburi province in western Thailand at around 3am yesterday. Two drivers tried to switch seats while the vehicle was still moving, causing the bus to crash into a power pole, they admitted to the police. The white tour bus, travelling from Surat Thani to Bangkok, was carrying…
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What is the average English teacher salary in Thailand?
Teaching in Thailand is a great opportunity to experience a new culture, explore a new country, and make a lasting impact on students’ lives. The cost of living is low, the scenery is beautiful, and the people are friendly. So, you might wonder. What is the average English teacher’s salary in Thailand? An ESL teacher in Thailand can typically make…
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Navy ship sinks in Thailand: ‘There weren’t enough life jackets on board’
In a race against time, the Royal Thai Navy continues their search today for missing crew members from the HTMS Sukhothai which sank off the coast of Thailand on Sunday night. So far, the navy’s HTMS Kraburi has brought ashore the bodies of six crew members found floating in the sea. The navy is still searching for 23 missing sailors.…
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Phuket gets ready for New Year road safety campaign ‘Seven Days of Danger’
Phuket is getting ready for the annual road safety campaign known as ‘Seven Days of Danger.’ The campaign will be held around the New Year from December 29 to January 4. Phuket Vice Governor Anupap Rodkwan chaired a meeting about the campaign at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday. Officials will use various strategies to improve road safety during the campaign. These…
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What $150,000 buys you for a 2 bedroom condo in Bangkok
If you are looking for what $150,000 buys you for a 2-bedroom condo in Bangkok, you have come to the perfect place! For those looking for an affordable place to live, finding a two-bedroom condo at $150,000 in Bangkok is certainly possible. With a growing number of condominiums available in the city, and with many of them offering competitive prices,…
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Navy ship sinks in Gulf of Thailand: 77 rescued, 4 dead, 24 missing
UPDATE 4 In a press release this afternoon, the Royal Thai Navy reported the results of their continued search for missing sailors from the HTMS Sukhothai which sank in the Gulf of Thailand on Sunday. On Sunday night, 75 crew members were rescued from the sinking ship. Navy vessels have since found two more sailors alive in the Gulf of…
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Floods hit Malaysia hard, tens of thousands displaced
Floods are hitting Malaysia hard leaving tens of thousands of people displaced. As of last night, 45,000 victims had been evacuated to relief centres in five states in Malaysia’s peninsula. The state of Terengganu was hit the hardest, with 29,717 victims from 8,214 families evacuated. The district most impacted in Terengganu was Kemaman, with 8,375 victims from 2,109 families evacuated. There…
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Burmese workers in Bangkok protest for 600 baht minimum wage
Burmese migrants rallied in Bangkok yesterday, on International Migrants Day, to ask the government to increase the minimum wage to 600 baht per day and care about the rights of migrant workers in Thailand. More than 100 Burmese citizens under the group name “Bright Future” gathered outside the Embassy of Myanmar near Saint Louis BTS Station at 2pm. Burmese migrants…
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Trafficking rears ugly head again after group of Thais escapes slavery in Cambodia
Southeast Asia’s trafficking problem is rearing its ugly head again, after a group of Thais managed to escape slavery for a Chinese call centre gang in Cambodia today. The call centre is located in the border town of Krong Bavet. The group of seven Thais posted a Facebook Live video asking for help early this morning. A woman said they…
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Thai man reportedly intoxicated injures Russian motorcyclist in Pattaya crash
A reportedly intoxicated Thai man severely injured a Russian motorcyclist in a crash in Pattaya early this morning. Rescuers arrived at the scene on Soi Jomtien 11 to find the Russian man severely injured and bleeding. The rescuers found the man’s motorcycle nearby. They rushed him to the nearest hospital. The rescuers found the Thai pickup truck driver, 34 year…
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Twitter poll respondents tell Musk to step down, so he changes rules
Elon Musk’s Twitter has been the definition of a hot mess. After the latest round of controversies, Musk – now fallen to the world’s second richest man – launched a poll asking if he should step down. When the poll didn’t go the way he planned (or did it?!), he changed the rules of who could participate in future polls.…
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Thousands attend run-walk in Chon Buri to raise money for children’s organisations
Thousands of Chon Buri dwellers attended a running and walking event for a good cause on Sunday. The event, titled the ‘SVT Run 2022 Charity For Kids,’ raised money for two children’s organisations. One organisation, Baan Jing Jai, is an orphanage. The other organisation, Baan Kru Ja, is a centre helping children victims of abuse and trafficking. Over 2000 people turned…
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Anutin promises no 4am curfew; Tourism Ministry suggests Bangla Road trial
The chances of a 4am national nightlife curfew are looking dim. Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul says his ministry strongly opposes the measure. Meanwhile, proponent Minister of Tourism and Sports Pipat Ratchakitprakarn has reduced his campaign from a nationwide extension to just making Bangla Road in Phuket a pilot area for the 4am curfew. The Ministry of Tourism had…
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Corpse found in Bangkok water tank might not be a murder case
UPDATE A 27 year old woman from Myanmar believes the corpse discovered in a water tank in Bangkok yesterday is her deceased sister. She does not believe her sister was murdered. Wen, who rents a room next to the disused building where the corpse was discovered, asked police to see the body and inspect the scene as she believed it…
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Gunman kills 5 in condo shooting near Toronto
A gunman killed five people in a shooting at a condominium near Toronto, Canada. The gunman, 73 year old Francesco Velli, fatally shot five people before police killed him. The incident happened in the city of Vaughan on Sunday night. The five people who Velli brutally killed include three men and two women. Velli also injured a 66 year old…
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Taxi drives off forgetting Norwegian tourist at petrol station in Thailand
A Norwegian man took a taxi from Trat to Bangkok yesterday afternoon. After stopping at a petrol station in Chon Buri province to buy snacks, the driver drove off without him. The cabby drove 60 kilometres before realising his passenger had vanished. A Thai woman at the petrol station on the Setthakit Chon Buri – Baan Bueng Road saw the…
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Punishment uncertain for boy who threw cat from 22nd floor
What is the appropriate punishment for a 10 year old boy for remorselessly throwing a cat out of a 22nd story window? That’s what authorities and web commentators are grappling with in Singapore after the horrific incident was caught on security video last week. The disturbing video captured a young boy picking up a neighbourhood black cat named Panther on…
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Dining carriages and catering trolleys return to Thai trains
Dining carriages and catering trolleys are back in service on Thailand’s trains after a two-year hiatus, according to the State Railway of Thailand (SRT). The SRT suspended all food and drink services in April 2020 to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Certain busy routes stop running completely to prevent outbreaks of the virus. However, Thailand is slowly but surely moving…
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Navy rescues German man with heart failure from cruise ship in Gulf of Thailand
Officers from the Royal Thai Navy battled against strong waves to help a German man who suffered from heart failure on a cruise ship in Thailand‘s waters last night. The MEIN SCHIFF 5 cruise ship departed from Chon Buri province and was headed for Singapore when 73 year old passenger Bernd Joachim Max Thiele, of German nationality, fell unwell about…
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China releases first Covid fatality rates after loosening restrictions
China is reporting its first fatality rates after the recent loosening of Covid restrictions. According to CNBC, three people died over the weekend after contracting Covid-19 marking the first fatalities since the last report in May. All three were aged 87 to 91 and lived in Beijing. Last Sunday alone, Beijing reported more than 26,000 infections, both symptomatic and asymptomatic.…
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As Thailand’s large waves rage, officials raise red flags on Hua Hin beaches
As large waves rage in the Gulf of Thailand, officials have raised red flags at Hua Hin’s beaches. Officials said people are strictly prohibited from venturing into the sea while the red warning flags are raised, Hua Hin Today reported yesterday. Some beach vendors and restaurants have also closed due to the waves, and the local fishing boat fleet remained ashore.…
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