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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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Alleged drug dealer from Estonia arrested in Chon Buri after hiding for 4 years
An alleged drug dealer who managed to hide from police for 4 years has now been arrested in Bang Lamung district of Chon Buri province last week. Police arrested him for having a visa that expired in 2018. The alleged dealer, 39 year old Estonian national Janno Ojaste, was sentenced to three years in prison and a 4,000 baht fine…
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Policeman suspended after kicking, stomping on 2 handcuffed teenagers
A police officer at Sam Phran station in the central province of Nakhon Pathom has been suspended after video footage emerged of him and another officer assaulting 2 teenagers. According to a Bangkok Post report, both victims were handcuffed at the time and the video footage shows they were on the ground. Chaiyapoj Khotsamrarn, deputy crime suppression chief at Sam…
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Teenage gunman goes on rampage killing 19 children and 2 adults at a Texas primary school
Nineteen children and 2 adults have been shot dead at a Texas elementary school. The 18 year old gunman burst into the Robb Elementary School in the city of Uvalde just before noon on Tuesday, Texas time, and opened fire on students aged between 5 and 11, fatally shooting 19 victims before making his escape. The alleged shooter, identified by Texas…
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19 children, 2 teachers killed as gunman opens fire at primary school in Texas
The death toll in this tragic mass shooting may rise. We will update the story through the day. 19 young children and 2 teachers have been shot dead at another school shooting in the US, this time at a primary school in the state of Texas. According to an AFP report, an 18 year old gunman entered the school, in…
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Health ministry asks international airports to screen for monkeypox symptoms
Thailand’s deputy health minister says the country’s international airports are being asked to screen arrivals for monkeypox symptoms. According to Sathit Pitutecha, the screening will apply in particular to travellers from 17 countries where cases of the virus have been reported. “Each airport has a disease control unit and officials will intensify measures against monkeypox by being more vigilant.” The…
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Why you should study Thai to explore Thailand
Sponsored Thailand has always been known as one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. Why? The land of smiles has so much to offer: tranquil beaches, never-ending options of cuisines, majestic temples and scenery, rich history, and cultural and archaeological sites. There is never enough time to get to know and explore Thailand fully. But, how do you make…
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Thai cult’s food products tested – feces, bacteria and mould detected
An update on the hidden cult commune in the Isaan province of Chaiyaphum… Local health authorities found the cult was operating a food businesses and seized all of the products for further investigation. The test results showed that the food samples from the group contained excessive amounts of mould, Coliform and bacteria, usually found in feces. At the start of…
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Thailand could drop its mask mandate by mid-June, says Ministry of Public Health
After two years of compulsory mask-wearing in indoor and outdoor spaces, Thailand aims to drop its mask mandate by mid-June, according to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health Dr. Kiattipoom Wongrachit. At a conference held today at Diamond Plaza hotel in Surat Thani, southern Thailand, Kiattipoom said the ministry is considering dropping the compulsory mandate as soon…
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Fowl play by Malaysian cartels forces government to ban export of poultry
The Malaysia government yesterday revealed it is banning the export of all poultry from the country while it investigates the illegal activity of cartels controlling the price and shipment of its produce. Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob made it known Malaysia will halt the exports of 3.6 million chickens a month from June 1, to investigate the cartel pricing allegations.…
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British Embassy sparks controversy in Indonesia by raising LGBT+ flag
The British Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, hoisted a rainbow LGBT+ flag last week to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia on May 17. However, Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs have called the action “highly insensitive” to Indonesian people and have urged other foreign officials not to follow suit. The British Embassy posted a photo of the raised…
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Phuket opens new prison facility with more space as demand increases
The Department of Correction has officially opened a new prison in Phuket in response to the increasing number of inmates. The new prison has much more space compared to the former, notoriously small, prison facility in Phuket Town. The inmates have now been moved from the old prison to their new, hopefully temporary, home. The prison has nearly 3,000 inmates…
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Commerce Ministry says Thais should sell to Chinese customers on TikTok
The Ministry of Commerce has come up with a cunning plan that Thai people could make more money by selling products, especially clothes, to Chinese people via the popular TikTok app. The ministry also came up with tips and ideas for Thai sellers who want to win new Chinese customers on TikTok. Yesterday, the Director-General of the Department of International…
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AirAsia plane lands on wrong runway in Bangkok
Today, Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority – or CAAT – reported a “serious incident” which took place earlier this month. On May 4, an AirAsia Airbus A320-200 landed on the wrong runway at Bangkok’s Don Muang Airport. The Thai AirAsia aircraft departed Ranong city at 12:43 and landed on Don Muang’s unassigned 21L runway at 13:36, instead of the 21R runway…
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The QUAD Summit in Tokyo – what is QUAD, who’s attending and what are they talking about?
Leaders of the US, Australia, Japan and India are meeting today at the QUAD Summit 2022 in Tokyo to discuss the ever-growing economic influence of China in the region, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and India’s ongoing trade war and relationship with Russia. US President Joe Biden yesterday stoked regional political fires, prior to today’s summit, during a media conference with…
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Luxury Parliamentary Club open for Thai MPs with spa, karaoke and massage rooms
The recently opened Parliament House of Thailand will have a new luxury Parliamentary Club for House of Representatives MPs and Senators to relax, with a spa, massage, karaoke room, fitness, gyms, ballroom dance and other recreation activities. Yesterday, the Chairman of the Senate committee to Organise Activities for Social Benefit and Recreational Activities of the Senate, Peerasak Porchit, took Thai…
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Thailand defends human trafficking record
Thailand yesterday defended its human trafficking record and hit back at US accusations that the illegal transportation of people is a critical national problem. A Thai delegation, led by Chettaphan Maksamphan, director-general of the Department of American and South Pacific Affairs, met with US Department of State officials in Washington last week to discuss the matter ahead of the 2022…
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Dozens of Rohingya die off Myanmar coast after boat capsizes on way to Malaysia
A boat carrying at least 90 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar’s Rakhine state to Malaysia capsized off the coast of Myanmar on Saturday, killing at least 14 people, mostly children. More than 50 passengers remain missing after the boat capsized during a storm and 23 survivors were detained by police in Pathein district in Myanmar’s Ayeryarwady region. The UN reports that…
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Thai man held hostage by Laos bandits found dead in Mekong River
The body of a Thai man held hostage by Laos bandits has been fished out of the Mekong River. Kingpai Khattiyanond washed ashore in Muang district, Nakhon Phanom province on Sunday, where his dead, bloated, tattooed body was found bound and gagged. The 35 year old man was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and black trousers, his hands were tied…
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Thailand’s genomics centre to launch monkeypox tests in next 2 weeks
The Centre of Medical Genomics from Ramathibodi Hospital is developing a Monkeypox test from the genetic codes obtained from Portugal and Belgium. The test will provide the result within 24 hours, and it is expected to be ready for use in the next 2 weeks. The official Facebook page of the Centre of Medical Genomics announced on May 21 that…
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Cruise ships set to return to Phuket for first time since pandemic
All aboard! The southern Thai island of Phuket is set to welcome back the cruise ships, for the first time since the start of the Covid pandemic. According to a Bangkok Post report, the Spectrum of the Seas will dock in Phuket next month. Pichet Songtan from the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre Region 3 says officials have given the…
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Fire on Philippines ferry kills 7 passengers, 120 rescued, 7 still missing
A fire on a passenger ferry in the Philippines has left 7 people dead, with another 7 still missing. According to an AFP report, 120 have been rescued so far. The fire broke out on the Mercraft 2 at around 6.30am local time yesterday (5.30am Thai time). The ferry, which has a 186-passenger capacity, was transporting 134 passengers and crew…
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Thai tourism officials aiming for 50% hotel occupancy rate this year
Tourism officials in Thailand have set a target of 50% hotel occupancy this year, in order to revive the tourism sector, following a further easing of restrictions from June 1. According to Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, hotel occupancy dropped to 29% during 2020 and then plunged to 14% in 2021. It needs to climb back…
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NGO representatives gather at UN in Bangkok to protest draft control law
Representatives of various non-profit organisations have gathered at the United Nations’ headquarters in Bangkok to oppose a draft law being considered by the government. Under the law, the government would have more control over public gatherings and be able to monitor the financial transactions of NGOs. A group of non-profit organisations are calling for the draft law to be ditched,…
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Thailand introduces strict screening for arrivals from countries with monkeypox
With more cases of monkeypox being reported in the UK and elsewhere, officials in Thailand are ramping up health screening for overseas arrivals. Just as Covid-19 entry restrictions are being eased, international travellers will need to complete a health declaration card on arrival in the kingdom. According to a Bangkok Post report, the card will have a QR code, which…
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Biden threatens military action against China
Not content with provoking Russia by having NATO troops camped all along the Ukraine borders, US President Joe Biden is threatening to do the same with China. Biden today threatened military action if China were to invade Taiwan, despite having few recently public-stated comments from Beijing to support his comments. The 79 year old says the burden to protect Taiwan is…
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Thai Airways to auction off Boeing 737-400 Airframe via Facebook Live
After reporting a net loss of nearly 3.4 billion baht on revenue in Q1, cash-strapped Thai Airways are continuing their online yard sale in a bid to make some extra money. This time, the airline is auctioning off an entire Boeing 737-400 airframe via Facebook Live on their page TG Warehouse Sale this Wednesday, May 25, at 3pm. A TG…
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Group of 69 students stuck in the jungle for 2 days in western Thailand
A group of 69 student volunteers camping in the middle of Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary in Kanchanaburi province in western Thailand were safely evacuated by a team of local residents after getting stuck in the dense Thai jungle for two days. Several days of heavy rain caused flash flooding which blocked their only route out of the jungle by…
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Phuket to scoop 20 million baht booty a day after Patong gets green light to party
Cha-ching! The familiar sound of the cash register is about to ring once again after pubs, bars, and entertainment venues at Patong beach got the green light to reopen. Patong Entertainment Association expects to earn between 10 to 20 million baht per night after the beach resort on the west coast of Phuket Island got the go-ahead to reopen its…
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Thai woman fined 54,000 baht at airport after entering country with designer brands
A Thai woman has had an expensive lesson in Thai import duties after having had designer-brand clothing “challenged” at Suvarnabhumi Airport. She was fined 54,000 baht as she arrived at the airport from overseas when customs officials questioned her wearing expensive designer brands and travelling with luxury products in her luggage. The woman, now based in South Korea, was stopped…
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Thailand urges people to stop consuming bushmeat to help avoid monkeypox
Thailand is urging people to avoid the consumption of bushmeat and the import of animals from unidentified countries after the recent small outbreaks of monkeypox. The Department of Disease Control has acknowledged the danger posed by monkeypox but insist no cases of the disease have been detected in Thailand. The Thai government instructed the Public Health Ministry to set up and…
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