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 Live smarter, live greener with Electrolux, redefining sustainable living
Electrolux is leading the way in creating smarter, more eco-friendly homes. Their appliances, partly made with recycled materials, are designed to help reduce environmental impact while offering advanced technology to make daily tasks easier. With Electrolux, you get modern, stylish...
-
3 arrested over January 16 ping pong bomb attack in Bangkok
3 men have been arrested in over a bomb attack that injured 5 people who were part of a a pro-democracy demonstration near Chulalongkorn University earlier this month. The 5 people injured included 3 police and 2 protesters. The injuries were only minor. The arrested men are 23 year old Pornchai Prakapuang, 30 year old Weerayut Sumritruangsri and 19 year…
-
Myanmar Election Commission pours cold water on the Army’s claims of election fraud
Tensions are high in Myanmar with rumours swirling of a possible military coup. Some in the leadership of the Burmese military have openly circulated inflammatory statements regarding possible electoral fraud. The US embassy, along with 16 other countries including former colonial power Britain and EU countries, released a statement yesterday urging for the military “adhere to democratic norms”. They’ve expressed…
-
Body dumped on the roadside in Phuket
A woman’s body was discovered wrapped in blankets on the roadside between Patong and Karon yesterday morning. Police and the local Kusoldharm Foundation headed to the location near the Phuket Provincial office of the Agricultural Land offices on Patak Road, Karon, in response to a report of what appeared to be a dead body on the side of the road.…
-
Taxi and transport drivers calling for help from the Thai government
Unions of Thai Taxi workers and Thai automobile drivers have handed over an official request to a government labour committee to file a request to the government seeking financial support. Thai Taxi workers passed over their requests to Suthep Yoo-on, the chairman of the Labour Committee officially seeking industry support. Just about all sectors of the country’s transport infrastructure have…
-
Chon Buri hotels and tourism businesses ordered to close
Hotels and tourist attractions in Chonburi must close, according to an official order from the province’s communicable disease committee. Hotel and other businesses related to the tourism industry, who struggled due to the provincial travel restrictions, actually requested the order so employees could get unemployment benefits. With the official closure order, the employees can receive 3 month compensations from the…
-
Hemp now legal to grow in Thailand
Hemp is now legal to grow in Thailand, the Food and Drug Administration announced. The general public can seek permission to grow hemp for commercial, medical, educational, personal, traditional, and cultural purposes. There will be training sessions to educate the public about laws and regulations on hemp as well as health-related products made from hemp. According to the FDA deputy…
-
Taxis and tuk tuks ask Thai government for help
Unions of Thai Taxi workers and Thai automobile drivers have handed over an official request to a government labour committee to file a request to the government seeking financial support. Thai Taxi workers passed over their requests to Suthep Yoo-on, the chairman of the Labour Committee officially seeking industry support. Just about all sectors of the country’s transport infrastructure have…
-
Thailand’s immunisation plan might be delayed, EU threatens ban on vaccine exports
Thailand plans to receive the first batch of AstraZeneca vaccines within the next couple of weeks, but the mass immunisation campaign might be put on hold due to possible restrictions on exports from the European Union. The EU warned pharmaceutical companies, like AstraZeneca, that they would take legal action and possibly block exports if the drugmakers do not deliver shots…
-
Chon Buri tutoring centre owner arrested for allegedly sexually abusing a student
A 59 year old teacher and owner of a tutoring centre in Chon Buri’s Bang Saen district was arrested for allegedly sexually abusing a 15 year old student. Police say the sexual abuse was caught on camera. In a video obtained by police, the teacher was seen touching the girl’s breasts and then moving his hand under her skirt while…
-
Man killed and 2 injured after sports car collides with van in Bangkok
A man was killed and 2 others were injured in a traffic accident last night in Bangkok’s Nong Khaem district. Thai media says 35 year old Natthawat was driving a “souped up” Nissan Skyline when he lost control of the sports car, driving over the median and colliding with an oncoming van. Police responding to the accident on Petchkasem Road…
-
Study claims Covid-19 can negatively impact a man’s sperm, experts are skeptical
A Covid-19 infection could negatively impact the quality of a man’s sperm, potentially affecting fertility, according to a study published in the journal Reproduction. But some experts are skeptical and have criticised the study, one saying any virus can temporarily cause a drop in sperm count. The study claims a coronavirus infection can cause impairments to a man’s semen. German…
-
Germany advises AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine only be given to adults under 65
German officials advise that the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine should only be administered to people between the ages of 18 and 64. The recommendation follows reports that the AstraZeneca vaccine, developed in partnership with Oxford University, has an efficacy less than 10% in those over 65 years old. The pharmaceutical firm shot down the claims saying the reports are “completely incorrect.”…
-
Thailand News Today | Island Party Crackdown | January 28
Around 9,000 people will face criminal charges for allegedly defrauding the “We Travel Together” subsidy scheme which was launched to stimulate the local tourist economy and to help hotels and restaurants ravaged from the long list of restrictions and international border closure. The national police chief says the police plan to prosecute around 9,000 people for conspiring with hotel operators…
-
15,000 people in Samut Sakhon at high risk of infection, health officials concerned
The rising number of infections in Samut Sakhon, most detected through proactive testing, has prompted serious concerns over a “high risk” group of 15,000 people, many who still work and travel as normal. The number for the high risk group is a rough estimate based on the assumption that there are at least 3 people who came in close contact…
-
Celebrity’s birthday “Covid-19 cluster” organisers and partygoers may face charges
With more infections linked to the “birthday party Covid-19 cluster” and some concealing their timeline, the Disease Control Department is urging the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to take legal action against people involved. Thai media are calling it a “super spreader” party. So far, 26 cases are linked to the birthday event for the 33 year old Thai actor Techin Ploypetch, aka…
-
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says 19 million people will be vaccinated in the first phase of immunisations
After criticism that the Thai government is taking too long to start mass Covid-19 immunisation, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announced that 19 million people will be vaccinated in the first phase of inoculations starting next month. Vulnerable groups and frontline workers in areas at the highest risk of infection are first priority. Out of the 19 million people to be vaccinated…
-
Mount Merapi, Indonesia’s most active volcano, erupts
The most active volcano in Indonesia, Mount Merapi, erupted yesterday, shooting rocks and a cloud of ash into the sky and streaming a river of lava down the side. Local residents within 5 kilometres of the volcano evacuated the area due to the risk of lava flows reaching the roads. Officials say the sounds from the eruption could be heard…
-
Around 9,000 people to face charges for allegedly defrauding travel subsidy scheme
Around 9,000 people will face criminal charges for allegedly defrauding the “We Travel Together” subsidy scheme which was launched to stimulate the economy and to help hotels and restaurants that were struggling after the lack of travel due to the coronavirus pandemic. The national police chief Suwat Jangyodsuk says the police plan to prosecute around 9,000 people for conspiring with…
-
China starts using anal swab tests to detect Covid-19 infections
A Covid-19 nasal swab test isn’t pleasant. Many will say the long stick inserted deep inside the nasal cavity feels like it’s hitting their brain. A method arguably much more discomforting is now being used in some cities in China… an anal swab test. And, they say, it’s more effective at detecting a coronavirus infection. After a Covid-19 infection was…
-
Restaurants to serve alcohol again, other restrictions to be eased
Go out and grab a beer this weekend… but at a restaurant. Bars in “red zones” are still closed. Restaurants will be able to go back to serving alcohol and can offer dine-in services until 11pm. The restrictions on restaurants, put in place to limit gathering to potentially prevent the spread of Covid-19, are being eased in all provinces except…
-
111 people arrested at Koh Pha Ngan party for allegedly violating Covid-19 restrictions
Police raided a party in Koh Pha Ngan and arrested 111 on charges of violating Covid-19 disease control measures under the Emergency Decree. Immigration police and tourist police raided the event at Three Sixty Bar, a venue on a hilltop near Mae Haad Beach on the island known for its 360 degree view. Out of the 111 people arrested, 89…
-
Massage shops and spas in Chon Buri get the “okay” to reopen
Massage shops and spas as well as other similar venues in Chon Buri will be allowed to reopen after being closed for nearly a month due to strict Covid-19 control measures. Massage and spa workers gathered earlier this week, calling on the government to allow their businesses to reopen. Along with massage shops and spas, tattoo studios and beauty clinics…
-
Thailand News Today | Restrictions on Bangkok and Pattaya to be lifted? | January 27
A trailer truck has driven into an accident scene, crashing into 9 vehicles and critically injuring a police officer who was directing traffic in Surat Thani’s main city district. Luckily rescue workers and another police officer were able to jump out of the way before the truck ploughed through the accident scene and into a roadside tyre shop. 2 people…
-
Bangkok Airways to resume 2 domestic flights
Bangkok Airways will resume Bangkok-Trat and Bangkok-Sukothai roundtrip flights on Monday after being suspended for 3 weeks due to Covid-19. Some flights will remain suspended until March 27. Starting on Monday, Bangkok Airways will offer roundtrip flights for 7 destinations: Bangkok – Samui Bangkok – Phuket Bangkok – Krabi Bangkok – Lampang Bangkok – Chiang Mai Bangkok – Trat route…
-
Hotels and restaurants raided, 50 arrested for allegedly cheating “We Travel Together” subsidy scheme
Several hotels and restaurants in Phuket and Chaiyaphum were raided this morning and 50 people were arrested for allegedly stealing from the government subsidy scheme “We Travel Together.” The scheme was launched to help businesses that were financially hit by the lack of tourists during the Covid-19 pandemic and to stimulate the battered economy. Last month, the Tourism Authority of…
-
27 migrants allegedly disguised as monks arrested on illegal entry charges, Bangkok abbot under investigation
Immigration police arrested 27 Cambodians for allegedly entering Thailand illegally and impersonating Buddhist monks. Police say the migrants allegedly disguised themselves as Buddhist monks at Wat Talom in Bangkok’s Phasi Charoen district. The temple’s abbot is also under investigation for allegedly assisting and hiding illegal migrants. Police searched the temple after receiving a tip that hundreds of monks lived in…
-
Phuket eases restrictions, bars back to late-night hours
Things are getting back to normal in Phuket. The provincial government eased disease control restrictions, allowing restaurants, bars and entertainment venues to go back to their normal operating hours – no more midnight closure order – and lifting the late-night alcohol ban. While bars can now stay open late and serve alcohol after midnight, dancing is prohibited and venues cannot…
-
Covid-19 death toll exceeds 100,000 in the UK, government mulls quarantine for travellers
With the Covid-19 death toll exceeding 100,000 in the United Kingdom, the British government is considering a mandatory hotel quarantine for visitors entering the country. A quarantine system is considered to be an effective way to limit virus transmission and stop new coronavirus variants from spreading into the country. Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke with senior officials in a…
-
Truck driver crashes into accident scene, severely injuring police officer
A trailer truck drove into an accident scene, crashing into 9 vehicles and severely injuring a police officer who was directing traffic in Surat Thani’s Muang district. Rescue workers and another police officer were able to jump out of the way before the truck ploughed through the accident scene and into a roadside tyre shop. 2 people were being treated…
-
Chon Buri could be removed from “red zone” list, tourists expected to flock to Pattaya
After several consecutive days without a local Covid-19 case, Chon Buri might soon be removed from the government’s list of “red zones” for high risk of Covid-19. Once lockdown restrictions are eased, the coastal province expects to have an influx of tourists to Pattaya. The province has been under strict disease control measures and is classified as one of the…
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.