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.
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Pattaya to ‘officially’ reopen floating restaurants and water activities
The Pattaya Marine Committee has held a meeting with representatives from local marine business to discuss legally reopening floating restaurants and other water activity services, like jet ski and parasailing. The committee unofficially agreed on the reopening plans but insists restaurants offer only traditional Thai shows at this stage – no parties, no dancers. The Pattaya News reported that some…
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Thai cult raided, 11 corpses found, followers urged to consume leader’s waste
Police and residents in the Isaan province of Chaiyaphum, together with Thai media, have raid the ‘secret’ make-shift compound of a cult hidden in the middle of a rice paddy field after one victim complained that the cult leader “imprisoned followers” and urged them to “consume human waste”. Thai media reported that 11 unidentified corpses were found inside the compound,…
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Taliban impose head-to-toe coverings for women in Afghanistan
On Saturday, the Taliban announced that Afghan women must cover their face, hair and body in public. According to the Taliban, woman should ideally wear a burqa, an all-encompassing garment which leaves only the hands and feet visible with netting over the eyes for vision. The Taliban said the decree is a “recommendation,” rather than a rule, but said the…
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Monday Covid Update: 6,488 new cases; provincial totals
55 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 29,143 with 7,445 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 6,488 new Covid-19 cases and 12,755 recoveries. There are now 84,957 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of the new cases recorded…
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Thailand won’t take sides in Russia – Ukraine war, says PM Prayut
Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha says that his upcoming visit to Washington for the US – ASEAN summit on Friday does not mean Thailand will choose sides in the Russia – Ukraine war. He says the purpose of the summit is to discuss economy, trade and investment in the region. However, Ukraine has requested that Southeast Asian nations suspend dialogue…
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Burmese man killed in Surat Thani flash flood, more wet weather to come
A Burmese man has died after being washed away in a flash flood in Surat Thani over the weekend. According to a Bangkok Post report, heavy rainfall has damaged 3 districts in the southern province. The body of 30-year-old Sai Chan, from Myanmar, was recovered on Saturday. The man had been reported missing after he drove his motorbike through a…
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G7 countries commit to phasing out imports of Russian oil
In a virtual meeting yesterday, the Group of Seven nations gave an undertaking to phase out imports of Russian oil. It’s the latest move aimed at punishing Vladimir Putin for his invasion of Ukraine, with the US also unveiling sanctions against executives at Gazprombank and a number of other businesses. According to a Reuters report, the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskiy,…
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Nightlife venues in “blue zones” want permission to re-open from June 1
Thailand’s nightlife venues are demanding to be allowed re-open for business in “blue zone” tourism areas from June 1. According to a Bangkok Post report, the proposal is one of several being submitted to PM Prayut Chan-o-cha today. Sa-nga Ruangwatthanakul from the association of Khao San Road business operators says the proposals are being put forward by over 10 associations…
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Tourism operators not getting their hopes up, still wary of government U-turns
Despite a further easing of entry restrictions at the start of the month, with the lifting of PCR testing on arrival, Thailand’s tourism sector is not getting its hopes up. According to a Bangkok Post report, tourism operators are concerned about several factors that have left them uncertain about any potential recovery. Chief among these is the risk of new…
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Store owner in northern Thailand donates school uniforms to needy families
As Thailand plans to reopen schools on May 17, a store owner in Northern Thailand’s province of Nakhon Sawan is donating old school uniforms to families who don’t have the money to buy their own. The store owner said that this is the second year the donation handout has been organised. He said that last year, there was a similar…
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Upcoming campaign to urge Bangkok to vote in governor election
Just 2 weeks ahead of Bangkok’s election for a new governor, the Election Commission will launch a campaign tomorrow urging the public to vote. The elections are to be held on May 22. Tomorrow (Monday), the campaign will be held at City Hall, and trucks with loudspeakers will drive through all 50 of Bangkok’s districts. Speakers will urge people to…
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Phuket prepares reforestation activity for National Tree Day
National Tree Day is coming up next Friday, May 13, and Phuket is getting ready to celebrate! Phuket authorities plan to host a public event where people can come and plant trees. The event will start at Wat Kosit Viharn Temple, off Thepkrasattri Road in Rassada, and move to Toh Sae National Forest reserve, which is behind the temple off…
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How to Apply for a Marriage Visa in Thailand
Getting married to a Thai national does not automatically grant you a Thai marriage visa. However, obtaining a marriage visa in Thailand is not as hard as you might think. Natty goes through the process and requirements to acquire a marriage visa. Follow these steps and live in Thailand with your loved one happily ever after.
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Major Thai police leader to discuss closing times in Pattaya, Phuket and elsewhere
Thailand’s most famous policeman, ‘Big Joke’, aka. Surachate Hakparn, has plans to discuss legal closing times for ‘restaurants’ in Pattaya, Phuket and other renowned tourist hotspots where the closing time issue continues to be a hot topic. Bars and clubs in Thailand, under official laws, are still only allowed to reopen as ‘restaurants’, and only until midnight at the moment.…
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South African woman, jailed in Thailand, gets to speak to mother
A young South African woman, 23 year old Ashley Oosthuizen, sentenced to life in a Thai prison has finally been able to speak to her mother after nearly 3 months of Covid ‘quarantine’ (as there was an outbreak in the prison). She was sentenced after being accused and convicted by a Thai court of accepting a package of MDMA at the Koh…
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Weekend Update | Nightlife Entertainment in BKK is Loud and Alive!
Entertainment in Khao San seems to be booming and business is starting to pick up! So Jay went to Khao San himself to find out! The Department of health is cautioning people over Bullfrog shots and finally after the big re-opening of Maya Bay, its going to close again temporarily. All this and more on todays Weekend Update.
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Young girl gets leg stuck in Pattaya gutter, sparks debate
A 12 year old girl fell into a gutter in Pattaya on Friday, which some bystanders claimed was not properly sealed and was an accident waiting to happen. Officers were able to help free the girl without injuring her in the process, however she was still transferred to a nearby hospital for observation. The incident happened in the parking lot…
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Tourists returning to Bangkok’s Khao San Road
The president of a business operators association on Bangkok’s tourist-trap of Khao San Road says the tourism numbers are making a comeback. This news comes following Thailand Pass‘s eased entry requirements for foreign arrivals, making travelling to Thailand slightly less tedious since May 1. The president told the Bangkok Post that the number of tourists to the walking street still doesn’t…
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University in Bangkok seeks approval for trials of its Covid-19 vaccine
One Bangkok university developing an mRNA Covid-19 vaccine is seeking approval from Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration to start the first 2 phases of trials of the vaccine on humans. The school, Chulalongkorn University, sent the vaccine for human trials in the US for the first phase, and the vaccine will be produced by BioNet-Asia in the second phase. The…
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After Indonesia’s export ban, palm oil producers promise price cap in Thailand
In the midst of the global palm oil crisis following Indonesia’s export ban, palm oil farmers, extractors, and producers are promising Thailand’s Internal Trade department that they will cap the price on the product. The Internal Trade Department’s chief said the 3 groups were told that an export ban may be considered if palm oil stocks fall below 300,000 tonnes.…
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How living the dream became a nightmare for Phuket property buyers
Dreams die hard, even in a pandemic. But for thousands of Phuket property buyers who invested in the promise of a tropical dream with endless sunsets, the stone-cold reality of failure is just starting to hit home. Amidst a backdrop of rusting steel, decaying concrete, and empty construction sites lays the dark side of the island’s real estate trade. To…
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Man defecates in authority’s pickup truck in Bangkok area – VIDEO
Finished your lunch or dinner? OK… A man ha defecated on the backseat of an authority’s pickup truck in Min Buri, on the outskirts of Bangkok yesterday. Yep, you read that right! The authorities had stopped the man because they wanted to confiscate his motorcycle and put it in their truck after he parked on the sidewalk. Thai media reports…
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Police visit Chon Buri immigration, warn staff “don’t take bribes”
Police have paid Chon Buri’s immigration office a rather tense visit on Thursday to deliver a 9 point checklist to staff. Thai media reported that #8 on the list of demands was “Get off your phones and don’t take bribes”, as ordered by the lieutenant general leading the visit. This news comes as Thailand prepares for an influx of international…
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After big reopening, Krabi’s Maya Bay to temporarily close again
Just four months after its epic reopening in January, officials are announcing that Thailand’s Maya Bay, located on Koh Phi Phi Leh in Krabi, is planning to temporarily close again from August to September this year. The bay had reopened in January after closing in 2018, before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, because of how much tourism had damaged the ecosystem.…
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Phuket and Andaman coast warned of storms and rough seas for next few days
A weather alert from last night by the Phuket Info Centre is warning of possible flash floods and “wild water flows” in Phuket, and other provinces on the Andaman coast. The stormy weather and high waves are predicted to last from today until Monday (May 7-9). Sailors in the Andaman Sea are being warned not to sail in areas with…
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Thai royalists “outraged” over Lazada campaign “mocking disabled people”
Royalist groups in Thailand are in uproar, real or feigned, after a Lazada (online shopping platform) posted photos they claim mocked members of the Thai royal family and physically disabled people in a social media campaign. The group of Royalists fronted up to the Lazada office in Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok yesterday demanding answers over, what they perceive, as a controversial…
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5 elephants die after falling into sinkhole in Kanchanaburi
In the latest tragedy for Thailand’s wildlife, 5 wild elephants were found dead in a national park in the western province of Kanchanaburi on Thursday. Even though they were just found this week, the elephants were estimated to have been dead for over 2 months after they fell into a natural sinkhole. The chief of Lam Khlong Ngu National Park…
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Lazada apologises for controversial advert
E-commerce platform Lazada has removed a controversial advert from their website which was criticised by Thai netizens as both making fun of disabled people and being offensive to Thailand’s monarchy. Lazada have since issued a statement apologising for the advert. Lazada is a huge online store where people and companies can sell from their own inventories on the platform, based…
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Border checkpoint between Thailand and Cambodia reopened
A checkpoint on the border between Thailand and Cambodia reopened today in the northeastern province of Surin. A line of cars began crossing the border this morning, and the crossing is now open to Thais and foreigners every day from 6am-10pm. This news comes on the same day as three Thailand – Malaysia border crossings have also reopened. The checkpoint,…
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What makes Phuket one of the best destinations in the world to retire
Have you been dreaming of spending your retirement years in a tropical paradise? Would you like to escape the hustle and bustle of busy city life? If the answer is yes, then Phuket can be a fantastic destination for you. There are so many excellent reasons to retire in Phuket. With its gorgeous beaches, lively nightlife, and fascinating culture, Phuket…
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