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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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Putin declares Mariupol ‘liberated’ despite Ukrainian troops, civilians holding out
Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed victory in the port city of Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine. He declared it “liberated” despite more than a thousand civilians and Ukrainian troops still inside a massive steel plant. Winning the largest battle in the war in Ukraine is the type of moral victory the Russian leader wants to deliver on the eve of…
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“Don’t wait, get checked”: Free lung cancer X-rays in Bangkok until Sunday
You can get a free lung X-ray scan on the first floor at CentralWorld in Bangkok until Sunday. Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Thailand, so one hospital is running a campaign called “Don’t Wait, Get Checked” to try to detect lung cancer in its early stages. With the help of AI technology, you can…
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CCSA meets today to consider further easing of Covid entry restrictions
The government’s Covid-19 task force meets today to consider the further easing of Thailand’s entry restrictions. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration will also discuss the possible re-opening of all land border checkpoints, as well as reviewing the colour-coding of provinces based on their infection rates. Nation Thailand reports that Supoj Malaniyom from the CCSA says officials will consider a…
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Thailand’s Prayut urges schools to follow Covid-19 measures
Ahead of the upcoming new school semester, Thailand’s PM Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday called on schools to follow so-called ‘6-6-7’ safety measures for Covid-19. The first six measures of the plan include well known precautions such as social distancing, wearing masks, washing hands, and temperature checks. The next six measures include school check-in and check-out, surveys and examinations, and self-quarantine. The…
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Blue by Alain Ducasse ranked No. 25 on list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants
Press Release He did it! The key player of Blue by Alain Ducasse, Executive Chef Wilfrid Hocquet, had two goals for the restaurant when it opened. The first one he scored within the first year of opening doors. And now, he has made good on his second goal, with the restaurant being ranked at No. 25 on Asia’s 50 Best…
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Koh Phang Ngan looking beyond Full Moon parties to more sustainable tourism
The Koh Phang Ngan Hotel and Tourism Association says the island is looking beyond its legendary full moon parties and aiming for more sustainable tourism. The association’s president, Chantana Limsuwan, says the island hopes to welcome 100,000 visitors this year, following the easing of travel restrictions. The Bangkok Post reports that the Full Moon Party on April 16, coupled with…
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Chon Buri field worker believed to have died of heat stroke
A Chon Buri worker was found lying dead in the cassava field where he worked in Phanat Nikhom district yesterday. His co-worker, who found him, said she found his tractor still running with no one around it, so she went to check, and found the man lying completely motionless. Police suspect that the man, 58 year old Seree Hiranrat, died…
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UPDATE: Autopsy indicates political activist ‘likely’ to have committed suicide
Following a report on the mysterious death of a political activist and finance officer of the Move Forward Party, the autopsy indicates he died due to a lack of oxygen. His mother has conceded that her child could have committed suicide, but she still couldn’t think of any reasons why he would have done so. The body of 27 year…
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Cambodia reduces quarantine for unvaccinated visitors from 2 weeks to 1
Starting yesterday, visitors to Cambodia, who are not fully vaccinated, will only have to quarantine for one week, and not two. Cambodia’s health ministry said air travellers not fully vaccinated must take antigen tests on their last day of quarantine. The country has eased Covid-19 restrictions in the past month, and officially stopped requiring Covid-19 tests upon entry for vaccinated…
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Lost cat with a 300,000 baht reward FOUND near home in Nonthaburi
Who let the cat out? A chubby kitty who ran away has wandered back home all on her own (as some cats do). Manee, a Scottish Fold, had been missing since Sunday, until 1am yesterday, when a security guard at a residential compound in Nonthaburi province, north of Bangkok, spotted her and she dashed into a neighbour’s home. She was…
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Members of Thailand’s Move Forward Party banned from renewing passports
A member of Thailand’s Move Forward Party told the press today that she and two other party members had been banned from renewing their passports on suspicion that they have committed treason. MFP member Pannika Wanich made the announcement after meeting with Phaya Thai police today, who she said made the order for the ban. The Department of Consular Affairs…
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Two Ukrainian fugitives arrested in Phuket over US tax evasion scandal
Two Ukrainian nationals wanted for fraud and tax evasion in the US were arrested in Phuket on Tuesday. The men fled to Thailand after warrants for their arrest were issued in Florida earlier this month. The pair are accused of providing employment for hundreds of illegal immigrants in America from 2007 – 2021 and evading $10 million in employment taxes.…
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Pandemic economic impact hits Phuket hotels as 73% of new projects put on hold
Island’s transaction market heats up as owners face liquidity issues, while broad tourism sentiment wanes PHUKET, THAILAND: Thailand’s battered hotel sector is showing increased signs of fatigue as the global pandemic enters its third year. Nowhere is this more apparent than the resort island of Phuket, where over 73% per cent of new hotel developments either lay dormant or have…
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Instant noodles replace flowers at unusual Thai funeral
Bouquets of instant noodles replaced flowers at an unusual funeral today at a temple in Phitsanulok province, northern Thailand. In a magnificent display, hundreds of sachets of Mama noodles and other dried foods were arranged like flowers around the coffin. Prabhali Konghoon, who died peacefully at age 68, had unique wishes for his funeral which his relatives carried out for…
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UPDATE: Daughter has contacted missing family, police suspect economic hardship
Following the report on the missing family in the central province of Sukhothai, Thai media has updated the story that the daughter has been able to contact her family today and everyone was safe. However, she didn’t share more details about where her family was or why they had been impossible to contact. Police speculate that it may have been…
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Southern Thailand province gets a wave of income from Full Moon Party, Songkran
Thailand’s southern province of Surat Thani saw a wave of tourism income generated during the Songkran holiday. Many tourists came to the province for the famous Full Moon Party on Kho Pha Ngan, among other tourist attractions. Tourism officials said the province gathered up a total of 895.7 million baht from 83,000 visitors between April 13-17. The income is up…
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Village chief kills thief who stole his chickens
A village headman shot and killed a thief who allegedly stole his chickens at around 6am this morning in Songkhla province, southern Thailand. The shooter said the man was threatening him with a machete so he shot him three times in the chest out of self-defence. Police are speaking with eyewitnesses to determine what happened. When police arrived at the…
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Thailand’s diesel price expected to spike starting May 1
Even though Thailand’s energy minister vowed last month to keep the 30 baht per litre cap on diesel prices until the end of May, officials now expect the diesel price to start pushing 35-36 baht per litre by the start of May. The director of the Energy Policy and Planning Office says all agencies have been instructed to plan how…
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Police seize 100 fake visa documents and work permits offered for Thais to work aboard
The Immigration Bureau reports that they raided a Bangkok company that allegedly offered fake documents and visas for Thai people who wanted to work aboard. The officers say they found counterfeit documents for submitting to the embassy and fake work permits for applying for work with more than 60 companies in foreign countries. Yesterday, the immigration police reported that their…
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Half a million travellers passed through Suvarnabhumi Airport during Songkran
During the Songkran holiday, the number of travellers passing through Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) more than doubled. Between April 9 to 18, the main airport saw 585,100 people, a 119% increase compared to 2021 (when there was very little international travel). Some million passengers were expected to pass through the country’s 6 Airports and Thailand airport turnstiles during Songkran. The numbers…
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Thursday Covid Update: 21,931 new cases; provincial totals
129 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 27,392 with 5,694 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 21,931 new Covid-19 cases and 24,619 recoveries. There are now 188,926 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of the new cases recorded…
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Thai man’s testicles burst after fight with water buffalo
A buffalo breeder in Buriram province, northeast Thailand, has been rushed to hospital this morning with ‘burst testicles’ after one of his water buffaloes attacked him. The man tried to break up a fight between 2 of his buffaloes when one rammed into him leaving him with torn testicles, a wounded thigh and a bruised chest. He was found lying…
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Manhunt continues for escaped Rohingya refugees in Malaysia
Malaysian authorities are still on the hunt for 130 illegal Rohingya migrants, who escaped barefoot from a temporary immigration depot near the Kedah-Penang border on Wednesday, after a riot broke out at the facility early yesterday morning. The refugees were reportedly protesting overcrowding at the facility when the situation escalated into a riot. The undocumented migrants, still on the run,…
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Another Phuket event to draw tourists will have mini hot air balloons
Phuket officials plan yet ANOTHER event to draw in tourists and rake in cash for locals devastated by the government’s reaction to Covid-19. This upcoming event, called “Phi Muang Nong’s House” will be held Friday through Sunday, April 22-24, from 5pm onwards, at Sarasin Bridge… the 300 metre bridge which connects mainland Phuket and Phang Nga. What’s the event’s main…
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Political activist and Move Forward member found hanged in Isaan province
A male political activist and finance officer of the Move Forward Party has been found dead in the Isaan province of Nakhon Ratchasima. Initial reports suggest that he hanged himself at a bus stop near a police booth in front of the district office. But his mother believes her child was murdered as wounds and “mysterious evidence” have been identified.…
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New west-side Bangkok hospital rail lines delayed
Thailand’s transport ministry announced yesterday that two new Bangkok rail lines have been delayed. The lines are the SRT’s Light Red Line, and the MRTA’s Orange Line, both of which will connect with Siriraj Hospital. The ministry’s permanent secretary said the two transit lines have not yet been built as the ministry is still working on a feasibility study. He…
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Death penalty for Thai man who killed high school student
A Thai man has been sentenced to death over the murder of a high school student in Trang province, southern Thailand, in 2018. The man shot and killed a 16 year old boy and shot and wounded another man who was the only witness to the murder. The victims’ families are satisfied with the Supreme Court’s ruling after fighting for…
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Cost to repair Don Mueang damage estimated at 20 million baht
Thailand’s Transport Ministry has given an initial estimate of 20 million baht to repair the damaged passenger hall at Bangkok’s Don Mueang airport. The area sustained severe damage when a violent storm earlier this week caused the partial collapse of its roof and walls. Transport ministry spokesman Pisak Jitviriyavasin has stressed that the 20-million-baht figure is only an initial estimate,…
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Kyiv calls for negotiations to evacuate troops, civilians from Azovstal steel plant
After Ukrainian fighters holed up in the Azovstal steel plant ignored a Russian ultimatum to surrender or die on Wednesday, the government in Kyiv has proposed talks with Moscow to evacuate their troops and civilians from the surrounded steelworks factory. The move comes after a Ukrainian marine commander, Serhiy Volny, made a desperate plea to world leaders, asking them to…
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Low demand, supply surplus leads J&J to suspend sales forecast of Covid vaccine
Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson says it’s currently unable to provide a sales forecast for its Covid-19 vaccine. According to the firm, vaccine hesitancy in low-income countries, coupled with existing low demand in wealthier nations, has led to a surplus of stock. J&J had previously forecast sales of up to US$3.5 billion for this year, according to a Reuters report.…
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