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.
-
Sponsored Digital nomading in Chiang Mai? What US$1,000 a month really gets you
Chiang Mai has become a popular destination for digital nomads due to its low living costs, rich culture, and active remote work community. The city offers affordable housing, tasty food, reliable internet, and many co-working spaces, making it a great...
-
Thailand wins “most popular destination” and other awards from Chinese travel magazines
Many Chinese travel magazines are calling Thailand a top tourist destination, even if it’s very difficult for the Chinese to travel at this time. The Travel Weekly China Award called Thailand “The most anticipated destination- short haul.” WITrip Magazine called it “2021 most popular overseas travel destination.” Online Travel Agent Thong Cheng called it “the most popular destination.” The Tourism…
-
Chon Buri police report new amphetamine being trafficked in Thailand
Police in Chon Buri say they’ve come across an amphetamine pill they haven’t seen before. The new illicit drug, seized in the province’s Pan Thong district, appears to be coated with substances making it looks “shimmering and glossy”. The authorities are now warning people about the unknown substance as it may have serious and unpredictable effects on the body. The police’s…
-
Mother of eye doctor killed at Bangkok zebra crossing calls for justice
Justice is being called on Thailand’s traffic laws system by the mother of the doctor who was fatally hit by a police officer’s Ducati while walking on a zebra crossing in Bangkok’s Phaya Thai area 2 weeks ago. A petition was sent to a parliamentary law committee yesterday. The appeal was addressed to the House law committee by the mother of…
-
Calls for investigation into Bangkok governor candidate’s “unusual wealth”
The candidate running for Bangkok governor, who drew attention when he claimed to have studied engineering under Albert Einstein’s grandson, is now in the spotlight for his “unusual wealth,” according to Thai media reports. An anonymous person leaked information showing that the candidate’s assets increased to 245 million baht within one year. The House Anti-Corruption and Misconduct Committee, led by…
-
Three injured including two bomb squad officers injured in Songkhla’s bomb blast
While investigating the scene in Songkhla’s Chana district where a fisherman lost his leg when he stepped on a bomb buried underground, two explosive ordnance disposal personnel at the investigation site sustained serious injuries when another bomb exploded. They were working near a railway bridge near Ban Na subdistrict under the surveillance of police and soldiers where three militants were killed the…
-
Philippines passes bill to crackdown fake social media accounts, fraud
The Philippines has passed a bill that will require social media users to register their identities and phone numbers when opening new accounts in a bid to combat online abuse and misinformation, according to a senator this week. The move comes ahead of a general election in May, in which a president, legislators, and thousands of political roles will be…
-
Thailand says Myanmar observers will not participate in Cobra Gold exercises
Myanmar military observers will not participate in this year’s 41st Cobra Gold military exercise, which will take place from February 20 to March 5, according to Lt Gen Chitchanok Nujjaya, Director of Joint Operations. He said the decision was made by both Thailand and the US since there was not enough time to prepare for Myanmar’s participation. Although there were…
-
A night with the Junkies! Phuket’s Junkyard Theatre.
By Barry Daniel As a quiet, bookish type I’ve only taken LSD a few dozen times, but my recent Saturday night at the Underwood Art Factory Junkyard Theatre Show was far better than any other trip I’ve experienced! Half way along Phuket’s By-Pass Road in the middle of the island, lies the Underwood Art Factory’s psychedelic parallel universe which has…
-
Vietnam plans for full reopening in March or April, PM pushes for preparations
Following moves in other Southeast Asian countries to gradually reopen borders to foreign tourists, Vietnam is set to reopen to fully vaccinated tourists around March or April of this year. The country’s PM Pham Minh Chinh says the country needs to prepare to reopen safety, which will be either at the end of March or by the end of April,…
-
Security captures fourth Songkhla insurgent after long siege
Security forces captured the fourth insurgent after three others tried to escape from their hiding spot in Chana, a district of Songkla. The insurgent hid in a house, even though local religious and community leaders begged him to surrender. After a pause, there were gunshots again in the evening. Security forces then moved in. The insurgent had an M16 rifle,…
-
NFTs explained – What is it and how does it work
NFTs has been gaining popularity over the past two years. From art and music to Jack Dorsey’s first tweet and toilet paper, these digital assets are selling for up to millions of dollars. In December 2021, an anonymous artist Pak sold 266,445 shares of his NFT Merge for $91.8 million on Nifty Gateway. He is now known as the most…
-
Kids aged 3-5 in one Northeastern school get exam points deducted if they cry
Kids aged three to five years old taking an entrance exam to one preschool in Maha Sarakham, a Northeastern province, get three points deducted from the exam if they cry during it. The school’s director told Thai PBS the policy was created to make sure the exam was fair because when some children cried, it distracted other children. The director…
-
Foreigner steals 3,600 baht from Phuket cab driver
A Phuket cab driver caught a foreigner stealing 3,600 baht from his cab on camera last Sunday, January 30. The driver works for the inDriver app. He had stopped to get out of the car for a bathroom break when the foreign man snatched the cash into his pocket from the centre console between the two front seats. The driver…
-
Bangkok airport warns passengers not to travel abroad with more than 30 face masks
Suvarnabhumi Airport is warning passengers not to travel abroad with more than 30 face masks, according to Thai media. Only passengers with medical certifications will be allowed to carry up to 50 masks onboard. No one is allowed to send face masks out of the kingdom except those who have received approval. For those travelling out of the country, face…
-
Thai navy lieutenant arrested for allegedly installing cameras in women’s bathroom
The 54 year old Lieutenant Commander from the Royal Thai Navy was arrested for allegedly installing hidden cameras inside bathrooms at an IT department in a Chon Buri hospital. Maintenance staff found the cameras hidden in the bathroom ceiling. Reports say more than 1,000 videos were recorded on the cameras, which were apparently up for more than six years. The…
-
Phuket vice governor says water shortage not a concern
Phuket’s vice governor announced yesterday in a meeting that even though the island’s rainfall was below average in 2021, there was still lots of water from the three main reservoirs, and water shortage is “not a concern.” He said plans still need to be made to prevent water shortages in Phuket, though. Phuket had severe water shortages in 2019 and…
-
UPDATE: Indonesia welcomes fully vaxxed travellers with 5 day quarantine from today
Fully vaxxed and dreaming of white beaches? Starting from today, Indonesia welcomes you with a reduced quarantine of 5 days. You might even be able to book a direct flight to Bali this month, if you’re traveling from select countries. For those with a single jab, the duration of quarantine is reduced from 10 to 7 days. Ministry of Coordinating…
-
Thailand to discuss travel bubble with China and Malaysia this month
Thai tourism officials plan to hold talks with their counterparts in Malaysia and China for travel bubble schemes allowing quarantine-free travel between the countries. Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, shared with Thai media that the ministry plans to talk with the two Asian counties about a sealed route this month. Piphat says they plan to start discussions with China…
-
Anonymous complaint against Bangkok governor candidate causes probe
The House committee on corruption and misconduct prevention and suppression plans to probe a Bangkok candidate for governor after an anonymous party sent a complaint to the House committee chairman last month. The complaint said the candidate’s wealth was unusual, and he had committed wrongdoing. A committee spokesperson said the probe will start soon. The candidate, Suchatvee Suwansawat, said he…
-
Rock in Naga Cave looks like mythical snake, drives up tourism in Bueng Kan
A giant rock in Naga Cave, located in the Bueng Kan province of Northeastern Thailand, has bumps that look like snake scales. The rock is said to look like Naga, a mythical serpent that Northeastern Thais believe brings rain to their crops. The rock is now drawing tourism to Bueng Kan, and 20 hotels in the Bueng Khong Long district…
-
Covid-19 vaccination begins for Malaysian children between the ages of 5 and 11
Malaysian children between the ages of 5 and 11 are now being given a Covid-19 vaccine as officials try to boost immunity in the very young. According to a Reuters report, yelps of pain could be heard at a vaccination centre in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, where young kids waited nervously beside their parents. Despite a degree of anxiety in…
-
Another day, another data breach: Thai students’ data hacked, sold on dark web
The personal information of over 23,000 students has been stolen as a result of the Thai University Central Admission System being hacked. According to a Bangkok Post report, the security breach has been confirmed by the Council of University Presidents of Thailand. It’s understood the data, which pertains to over 23,000 students who took part in last year’s exams, has…
-
9 children get blood disorder after eating sausages from illegal Chon Buri factory
Nine children have methemoglobinemia, a blood disorder, after they ate sausages from one factory in Chon Buri. Local police and officials from the Food and Drug Administration inspected the factory and talked to the owner after labels on the factory’s products matched what the children had eaten. The owner admitted to producing sausage products for five years without a permit.…
-
“Thailand Digital Arts Festival 2022” at ICONSIAM – NFT
Press Release The First Digital Art Debut in Thailand and Asia 5-20 March 2022 at ICONSIAM (Bangkok, 2 February 2022) “Thailand Digital Arts Festival 2022” (TDAF 2022) will mark Thailand’s and Asia’s first and largest digital art showcase that features over 1,300 art pieces from 130 celebrated Thai artists. The event is a joint force between Siam Piwat Co., Ltd,…
-
Thailand’s health minister says there’s no legal requirement to wear a face mask
Legally, we can’t force you to do it, but just do it, okay? That seems to be the message from Thailand’s Public Health Minister in relation to the wearing of face masks. According to a report from the National News Bureau of Thailand, Anutin Charnvirakul has confirmed there’s no legal mandate for the wearing of face masks…. at least that’s…
-
Phuket officials comment on recent ‘taxi’ fiasco – everything except taxi meters
It’s the public, especially tourists’, “misunderstanding” of the way taxis fares are charged on the island of Phuket that is the problem. That’s the explanation from Phuket Land Transport Chief Jaturong Kaewkasi during an interview on an island radio station this week. The Phuket Land Transport has responded to last week’s viral video clip when a Thai man posted the altercation…
-
New Zealand announces 5 step border reopening plan, starting this month
New Zealand is slowly starting to ease restrictions and gradually reopen borders. The country announced a five-step plan for loosening some of the world’s most restrictive Covid-19 measures, starting with allowing citizens in Australia, who have been fully vaccinated, to travel back home at the end of the month. Vaccinated travellers will be free to enter on March 13, according…
-
Thai customs officials have dogs sniff for pork at Laos border to prevent smuggling
Thai customs and livestock officials now have trained dogs sniffing for pork that could be smuggled over the Laos border. This news comes after about 300 kilograms of pork were found at a dump near the moon river yesterday. Officials think a pork trader who hoarded too much pork might have dumped it there. They have deployed the dogs at…
-
Infected inmate escapee from Koh Samui Hospital surrenders, says he got hungry
The inmate infected with Covid-19 who escaped from Koh Samui Hospital has reportedly surrendered to police. Apparently, he turned himself in to police because he got hungry. With prisons and correctional facilities requiring a quarantine period for all new inmates, and with a number of them testing positive for Covid-19, there has been an increase in prisoner escapes, according to…
-
Security guards allegedly stab resident to death at Bangkok housing project
Yesterday, the police officers from Tian Tale Metropolitan Police Station arrested three security guards suspected of killing a resident at a state dormitory of the National Housing Authorities project in Bang Khun Tian, Bangkok. Officer seized weapons and say the suspects confessed to killing the resident, claiming they didn’t mean to murder him, they just wanted to get revenge because…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.