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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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Sponsored Do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?
Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...
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Continuous rainfall expected throughout Thailand this week
Continuous rainfall is expected throughout parts of Thailand this week with the potential for flash floods in some areas – after all, it is the wet season and, statistically, October is the wettest month of the year. The Thai Meteorological Department has issued a weather warning saying an active low pressure cell in the South China Sea is likely to…
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Worst flood in years Chon Buri residents say, Pattaya City officials plan to build a flood barrier
Flooding from the weekend’s heavy storms damaged homes and local beaches in Pattaya and Banglamung in the Chon Buri province, with water levels on some roads 10 to 80 centimetres high. Some residents say it was the worst flood in years. Pattaya City officials are planning to build a flood barrier to prevent future flooding, according to Banglamung Sheriff Amnat…
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Phuket in a Covid Crisis – VIDEO
Phuket is facing an existential crisis. Because of its semi-isolation as an island, it doesn’t get much “passing traffic” and is too far away from Bangkok to attract much ‘weekend’ business. Whilst the borders stay closed the island’s businesses face ruin. A year ago, the streets of this tourist island were brimming with a diverse international tourism mix. In fact…
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Ex-prisoner stabs 3 people when asked to put on a mask at Bangkok shopping mall
An ex-prisoner is back in custody after stabbing 3 people at a Bangkok shopping mall when he was asked to put on a face mask. A report in Nation Thailand says the 33 year old man has been incarcerated at Chiang Mai prison 3 times for robbery offences. It’s understood that when a security guard at The Mall, in the…
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Phuket man shoots himself in the head in suspected suicide
A 47 year old Phuket man has shot himself dead, in what police suspect is a case of suicide. Nation Thailand reports that Kittichai Musiksong’s body was found on a couch at a property in the Taladyai sub-district. He had a bullet wound to his right temple and a blank gun model was found on the floor. The blank gun…
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Mother and daughter forced to sell home due to neighbour who won’t stop singing
A mother and daughter in the central province of Nonthaburi, just west of central Bangkok, are being forced to sell their home in an attempt to get away from their neighbour’s incessant singing. Thai Residents reports that 50 year old Somthop, and her 25 year old daughter, Kanchana, are now advertising the fact that the property “comes with a free…
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Sarasas teacher, who allegedly abused students, files complaint against student’s parents for assault
After being fired and charged with assault, a Nonthaburi teacher has now filed a police complaint against a student’s parents for allegedly assaulting her. The teacher, Onuma Ploadprong at the Sarasas Witaed Ratchaphruek School, says the parents assaulted her after they saw classroom surveillance camera footage of her allegedly pushing and hitting kindergarten students. The teacher is represented by the…
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Students at northeastern university accuse police of disrupting rally, harassment
Students at Maha Sarakham University, in the north-east of the country, are accusing the police of harassing them and attempting to disrupt a planned rally. The leader of a pro-democracy student group has taken to Facebook to point the finger at plain-clothes and uniformed officers who arrived at the university to carry out a search, and to remind organisers of…
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Officials threaten Ranong pier with closure over Covid violations
A pier in the southern province of Ranong is being threatened with closure after allowing the crew from a Myanmar fishing trawler to disembark and come ashore. This violates restrictions currently in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Myanmar is currently experiencing a surge in virus cases, going from 400 cases on August 20 to 17,794 cases today. The…
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Pattaya to host eating contest next weekend, everyone welcome
Pattaya will host a big eating contest next weekend with everyone welcome to join in the fun. Registration is now open for 4 person teams as well as individual contestants to participate in “The War Eating Contest 2020 #1.” The event will be held at the Royal Garden Plaza shopping centre with prizes worth more than 100,000 baht. Even organisers…
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2 new cases of Covid-19, both Thai returnees from UK and South Africa
Thailand has confirmed 2 new cases today of asymptomatic Covid-19, both Thai returnees from the UK and South Africa. One 27 year old Thai student had tested positive on Friday after arriving from the UK last Monday. She was transferred to a quarantine facility in Samut Prakarn Hospital after receiving the positive results. The other case was also a 19…
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Poll shows large majority believe child abuse at schools is not okay
A new poll finds the vast majority of Thais believe child abuse at schools is not okay. The Suan Dusit Rajabhat University Poll, or Suan Dusit Poll asked 1,896 people nationwide from September 29 – October 2, to gather their opinions on the recent spate of reported abuses of children in Nonthaburi and other Bangkok schools. (The Thaiger believes it’s…
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UPDATE: Trump says he is “starting to feel good” after being hospitalised
After being transferred to a military hospital a mere 17 hours after being diagnosed with Covid-19, US president Donald Trump says he is “starting to feel good” as the White House published pictures of him working from his hospital bed. But his recent statement is contrary to some reports that his oxygen levels had ‘dropped rapidly’ with White House officials…
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Koh Chang hotel agrees to settle dispute with American if he retracts his bad online review
A Koh Chang hotel is agreeing to settle a dispute with an American being sued, if he agrees to retract his bad online reviews of the hotel. Wesley Barnes, is being sued by the hotel after refusing to stop leaving bad online reviews of the resort on TripAdvisor. Immigration police arrested Barnes and detained him on the island on defamation charges. …
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Bangkok Airways offering up to a 20% discount to certain groups of Thais
Bangkok Airways is offering 10 to 20% off its standard rates to certain groups of Thai citizens. The demographic groups are split into 5 categories: senior citizens who are 60 years old or over, undergraduates which include students and teachers, disabled persons, travel-related professionals and government officials. All groups will receive 20% discounts except government officials who will receive 10%.…
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Pro-democracy leaders banned from speaking at Thammasat University massacre anniversary event
3 pro-democracy leaders have been sidelined from speaking at this year’s Thammasat University Massacre 44th anniversary forum. Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak, Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul, co-leaders of the United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration and Arnon Nampa, a human rights lawyer, were apologetically singled out on committee member Krisadang Nutcharus’ Facebook post yesterday. He says university executives did not offer an explanation…
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Pattaya mopping up after flooding and erosion from heavy rains
Pattaya and Banglamung have been suffering from flooding and erosion after heavy rains battered the beaches and roads earlier this morning. Water levels on some roads reportedly measured from 10 to 80 centimetres high. Huge amounts of storm water of water have been running through to Pattaya’s beach and into the ocean. Parts of the beaches, some recently reclaimed and…
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UK battles big spike in new Covid-19 cases, but deaths remain low
The UK has reported 12,872 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, and 7,070 this morning. The Saturday report of Friday’s new cases were a record daily addition of new cases for the country, taking the overall total since the start of the pandemic to 480,017. The British government is blaming the jump on a “reporting delay” and saying the numbers in…
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Skål International Bangkok’s helps to repatriate a mother and her teacher son
by Andrew Wood A mother’s plight to rescue her 23 year old son, John de Villiers, who was stranded in Asia and his mother’s wish to return him safely home to South Africa, led to a fantastic story that has to be told. The amazing story involved using key contacts available via Skål International’s global reach, embassies across 3 continents,…
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Where’s Boss? Interpol red notice issued to nab the Red Bull heir
An Interpol red notice has finally been issued and being distributed to all member countries in a new effort to track down and arrest Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, the Red Bull Heir who has been dodging justice since 2012 and been a fugitive since fleeing Thailand in 2017. Boss is the grandson of the co-founder of Red Bull, Chaleo Yoovidhya. Boss…
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8 new cases of Covid reported today, all asymptomatic and in quarantine
Thailand officials have reported 8 new Covid-19 cases from 5 different countries today, with all cases being asymptomatic and in discovered whilst the recently arrived passengers were in quarantine. The new cases were from Russia, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, the US, and India. The 35 year old Indian man was on the same flight as 8 previously confirmed cases and…
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Songkhla senior zoo official carries out murder-suicide after deers go missing
A senior zoo official in Songkhla has reportedly shot himself in his home in an apparent murder-suicide after being investigated over 2 missing rare albino barking deers. Phuvadol Suwanna, chief of the conservation and research section of the state-run zoo, allegedly murdered his boss, Suriya Senpong, the Director of the Zoological Park Organisation of Thailand, while he was investigating the…
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Market vendor returns home to honor promise to late mother after winning lottery
A market vendor in Trat province is returning home to “honour a promise to her late mother” after winning a 6 million baht first prize in the country’s state bi-monthly lottery draw (drawn on the 1st and 16th of each month). 49 year old Metta Pomchaiya went home to Sakon Nakhon during the country’s Covid-19 lockdown phase to make merit…
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Phuket’s annual vegetarian festival. Put it in your diary – VIDEO
WARNING: The content below contains photos and videos of self-mutilation that some people may find disturbing. Phuket’s annual vegetarian festival is on this month. Officials say they are asking participants to strictly observe social distancing. Good luck with that! For those who don’t know, despite its name, the festival isn’t exactly known for the vegetarian food. It’s better known, even infamous,…
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More evidence of abuse found on Nonthaburi private school’s CCTV cameras
Parents say they have found more evidence of their children being abused on CCTV at Nonthaburi’s Sarasas Witaed Ratchaphruek School. Ronnarong Kaewphet, lawyer and chairman of the Justice-seeking Advocacy Network accompanied the parents of 10 students to the police station to file charges against the teachers that were seen allegedly beating up the students. “Parents saw CCTV footage of two…
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Chiang Mai students scammed into buying sold-out concert tickets
A group of Chiang Mai students thought they were getting a good deal, but were scammed into buying sold-out concert tickets by an online ticket scalper. The 4 students, who remain unnamed, transferred almost 4,000 baht to a Twitter account, only later to be blocked by the account holder and losing their money. The students thought they were buying the…
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New police chief stops drink-driving checkpoints over corruption issues
Thailand’s new police chief has temporarily placed a stop on drink-driving checkpoints over alleged corruption issues in the police department. Gen Suwat Jangyodsuk made the announcement at a meeting yesterday, just a day after starting his new position. “There must not be roadside examination. It must be done at a hospital. Above all so that people can have confidence that…
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Teacher blames stress over dog killing for slapping student
A teacher in the northeastern Buriram province has reportedly blamed slapping a student on being stressed after killing a dog accidentally with his car. The teacher, who works at a famous school in the province, allegedly slapped Fuse, a grade 8 student, after he found him waiting to go on stage to sing for retired teachers. Fuse was reportedly confused…
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Thailand News Today | Prison release?, Pattaya Makeover, 6 new Covid cases | October 2
Justice Minister proposes releasing chronically ill inmates to reduce prison overcrowding In an effort to reduce overcrowding in Thailand prisons, the Justice Ministry is looking into allowing chronically ill inmates to be released on a royal pardon. There’s also talk of shortening sentences for those incarcerated on drug charges. Overcrowding has been a problem at Thailand’s prisons, especially now more…
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BTS release ‘Be’ on November 20, their production company valued at US$4 billion
“Even in the face of this new normality, out life goes on and imparts a message of healing to fans and to the world.” Big Hit, the label behind South Korea’s mega pop outfit BTS, have announced that pre-orders have already started this week and general release of their new album is due on November 20. They’ve described the highly…
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