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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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Swimmers at Surin Beach left without lifesavers as Council removes funding
The President of the Cherng Talay OrBorTor (municipality), Ma Ann Samran, has not renewed the monthly contract for lifeguards protecting Surin Beach on Phuket’s west coast. As of yesterday, there are now no duty lifeguards keeping swimmers out of the water when the waves become dangerous, or saving them when they get into difficulty. Police arrived late yesterday afternoon at…
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Rescuers evacuate residents from Phitsanulok villages in north central Thailand
PHOTO: Phitsanulok HotNews A village in Phitsanulok’s Wang Thong district in north-central Thailand, has been totally inundated after a river burst its banks early this morning. Water started rising in the Fuangfah village in the Wang Thong district around 2.30am when the Wang Thong River overflowed. Rescuers rushed to the village by boat to evacuate the residents. Levels rose very…
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World economy wakes up to a day when the US has imposed new tariffs on China
The US has rolled out new tariffs on Chinese products yesterday but some economists say the latest gamble is likely to backfire and hurt the US economy. Meanwhile they predict the ramping up of the tariff ti-for-tat will not tarnish China’s resilience or dampen development in the long run. Yesterday the US administration imposed 15% additional tariffs on about half…
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Smile, you’re on red light camera
Bangkok’s new Red Light Camera Systems now in operation. The new cameras will be running 24/7 to protect against drivers running red lights at major Bangkok intersections. During trial period from August 1 – 14, 22,260 drivers were caught running the red lights, an average of 1,590 drivers per day. The punishment for such a violation is 1,000 baht fine…
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Roadblocks disrupt traffic to Hong Kong airport in a weekend of violence
Protests have continued in Hong Kong over the weekend. Transport to and from Hong Kong International Airport was also disrupted yesterday as protesters barricaded roads, leaving traffic gridlocked and stranding hundreds of tourists at the airport terminal. It was the 13th consecutive weekend of protests in Hong Kong, concluding days of escalation in which a number of activist leaders and…
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Alleged killer of British man wandering free around Phuket
PHOTOS: Gustavo Valiente, Bajaj Family The killer of a British father has been seen wandering free around Phuket just nine days after allegedly choking him to death in a frenzied 4am attack at the Centara Grand Resort on Karon Beach. 54 year old Norwegian Roger Bullman has been staying at a Phuket guesthouse on bail awaiting an appearance in court in…
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Changing Thailand’s helmet culture
by Patrick Mattimore On a recent trip to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, I was struck by an interesting phenomenon traveling from the airport to my hotel. I saw perhaps more than a thousand motorcycle riders and passengers, and only one person was not wearing a helmet. Yet, the entire two weeks I spent in that city, I didn’t see…
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Fried chicken worker stabs boss in the head in central Thailand
A fried chicken vendor needed medical treatment after being stabbed in the head by a young man working for him in Chonburi province, central Thailand. Yannawuth Prasomwangsub told police that he and his wife sell fried chicken at the Sattahip flea market and hired 16-year-old Nat to help them just a week ago. While setting up shop, Yannawuth was missing…
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Scenes of chaos in Hong Kong as protests continue
PHOTO: Sam Tsang/South China Morning Post Thai PBS World reports scenes of chaos and devastation in Hong Kong, following more violent protests in the territory. Police used tear gas and water cannon in Hong Kong’s financial district last night, as protesters defied a ban and ignored threats from China. This is the 13th weekend of such protests. The protests began…
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“How did my son die in Thailand?” A British father seeks answers.
PHOTO: Facebook/David Cornock The father of a 37 year old British man who died in mysterious circumstances in Koh Samui in May this year, has called in a former detective to sort out what happened. The British Foreign Office has already raised the case with both the Royal Thai Police and Interpol. The body of 37 year old David Cornock,…
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Torrential rain in Thailand’s north and north-east from Podul
‘Podul’, the tropical storm that came out of the South China Sea and headed westward through Vietnam into the north of Thailand, has now weakened but inundated parts of the north-east and northern Thailand in its wake. Flooding in and around Khon Kaen has been reported to be as high as three metres with over 1,000 houses inundated. Homes and cars…
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New Central Village luxury outlet opens for business at BKK
Wonder if anyone from Airports of Thailand were invited to this morning’s opening? The Central Pattana president and CEO Preecha Ekkunagul, and directors Suthikiatis Chirathivat and Sudhitham Chirathivat, presided at the official opening ceremony of Central Village next to Suvarnabhumi airport this morning. Central Village has cost more than 5 billion and was five years in the planning. The new…
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Elderly man killed by train north of Pattaya
An elderly man died after being crushed by a train in Nong Pangpuay, Chon Buri, early yesterday morning at 5.30am. Police and emergency responders arrived to find the elderly man, aged between 85-90 years, killed after he train ran over him. Locals told police that it was the body of an elderly man name ‘Huan’. They said he had lived alone…
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Pattaya motorbike repairman arrested over sexual harassment of a 14 year old
A 24 year old motorbike repairer was arrested early yesterday morning for the alleged sexual harassment of a 14 year old girl at a Nong Prue motorbike repair shop in Pattaya. The repair shop was located on Soi Khao Noi. A urine test turned up positive for drugs, according to local police. The arrest follows a tip-off from the Children Families…
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Thai man claims he’s 128 years old, reveals his secrets for living
PHOTOS: khaosod.co.th A Thai man who claims he is 128 year old has revealed the secrets of his longevity to a reporter from khaosod.co.th. His ID card identifies that he was born during the reign of King Rama V on April 9, 1891. Mr. Orn Parnchompoo and his ‘young wife, 70 year old Song Parnchompoo, have 7 children and 11 grandchildren,…
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Happy Birthday PAWS Animal Shelter in Bangkok
PHOTO: Paws Bangkok “Saving lives one paw at a time.” On September 5, one of Bangkok’s much loved animal shelter, PAWS Bangkok, is throwing a celebration for its seventh birthday. It will a major fundraiser for the shelter to continue their great work. The cats and kittens from PAWS Bangkok will also be on site to provide some cuddles and thank…
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Central Village at airport opens today after AoT told to remove entrance blockade
The AoT have been chastised by the Central Administrative Court after the court issued an injunction yesterday to stop their blockade at the entrance to the new Central Village luxury outlet at Suvarnabhumi. The controversial new shooting precinct, along the southern border of Bangkok’s largest airport, will open today as scheduled. All the obstacles blocking the entrance to the shopping outlet…
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Thai Army chief writing a thesis about the spread of ‘fake news’
Thailand’s Army Commander-in-Chief, General Apirat Kongsompong, says he has “serious concerns” over the spread of fake news in Thailand, “some of which seems intended to discredit the government and the military”. General Apirat is also finishing a thesis about the change of political behaviour in Thailand. He said that, while he did not want to describe the use of fake news as “mind manipulation”, he had observed that some people, when repeatedly exposed to fake…
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Hua Hin property market stabilises
The condominium market in Hua Hin is returning to a “balanced state” thanks to a slow down in the launch of local developments in the coastal town. This follows the opening of many developments in 2011 and 2012, causing demand to fall behind the supply. Knight Frank Thailand’s director of research Risinee Sarikaputra says that in the middle of 2019, the…
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Pattaya Cricket Club competes in the Koh Chang Beach Cricket Tournament
Nine members of the PCC toured to Koh Chang to compete in the 5th International Beach Cricket Tournament from August 23-26, 2019. Simon Philbrook (Captain) and Dave Samways were already experienced beach cricketers, whilst Clive Rogerson, Bernard Lamprecht, Trevor Moolman, Ian Liddell (Reds), Gavin Perfect, Wesley Masterton and John Harvey were beach cricket virgins. Twelve teams from Koh Chang, Phuket,…
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Canadian man found dead, with throat cut, in northern Thailand
A 60 year old Canadian man has been found with his throat slashed at a Chiang Mai guesthouse. The man’s body was discovered by the housekeeper, who alerted the police. The man, who has been named as Kevin Thomas, had been staying at the property in Suthep district for several months. It’s not yet known if the cut to his…
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Podul bringing rain and strong winds to the north and northeast of Thailand
Tropical storm Podul is weaken as it crosses into the north of Isaan and the north of Thailand today. The storm centre is currently north of Khon Kaen, heading westward. Podul crossed through Vietnam last night where it started to weaken. The low pressure system is now bringing rain and strong winds to parts of Thailand’s northeast and will affect…
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Meeting planned between Central developer and AoT to resolve luxury outlet row
PHOTO: Central Pattana Plc Central Pattana Plc (CPN) and Airports of Thailand (AoT) are being asked to sit down and thrash out their differences in a face to face meeting today. The meeting is being arranged by Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob, and comes in the wake of AoT expressing safety concerns over the location of the as yet unopened Central…
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Man fakes being a nurse in Thai hospital – for 11 years
PHOTO: Sanook A male nurse who faked his qualifications has managed to get away with working in the emergency department of a hospital in Loei province, Isaan, for 11 years. The Sanook News team reports that the “nurse”, known as Kowit, was employed at the Pak Chom hospital, having used a fake graduation certificate and nursing licence from Khon Kaen…
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Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong arrested ahead of planned rally
PHOTO: South China Morning Post Activist Joshua Wong from the Demosisto party has been arrested in Hong Kong, along with fellow campaigners. The arrests come ahead of a rally planned for this weekend. A statement on Demosisto’s Twitter account confirmed the arrests, adding that Wong was pushed into a minivan while on his way to an underground train station. “Our…
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Burmese restaurant workers arrested for murder of Chinese businessman
Police have arrested four Burmese migrant workers suspected of being involved in the murder of a Chinese businessman at a Bangkok restaurant which he was about to take over from the Thai owner. The four suspects were arrested in Pattaya last night and were handed over to the Wang Thong Lang police in Bangkok for questioning. At this stage Police…
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Defence team will seek royal pardon for Burmese pair facing death penalty over Koh Tao murders
Yesterday the Thai Supreme Court decided to uphold the death sentences handed down previously to the two young Burmese men for the September 2014 murder of two British tourists on Koh Tao. The defence team says they will now seek a royal pardon for the pair in the next 60 days. The defendants, now 26 year old, were escorted from…
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Thai tourist numbers recover mid-year after a shaky few months in Q2
After a few dips in April and May, tourists to Thailand flocked back, up 4.72% for July compared to a year earlier. Tourist arrivals in June were up a much more modest .89%. 3.33 million tourists visited the country during July and spent 167.3 billion baht (USD5.47 billion), up 3.11% from a year earlier. Visitors from China, where there’s been…
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Museflower Life Festival – Holistic wellness weekend in Chiang Rai, October 11-14
Museflower Retreat & Spa Chiang Rai is delighted to announce its fifth annual Museflower Life Festival, celebrating all things healing, holistic, and green with more workshops and classes than before, coming this October 11 – 14, 2019. Internationally known as northern Thailand’s first all-inclusive vegetarian holistic wellness retreat, Museflower Retreat & Spa Chiang Rai is especially known for its affordable, professional…
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Podul plods towards Vietnam’s coast and will bring rain to northern Thailand over weekend
Tropical storm Podul is still moving towards Việt Nam with the eye of the storm sitting to the south-west under China’s Hainan island, in the north of the South China Sea this afternoon. It is slowly moving westward towards Vietnam’s northern central coast. Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister says the storm will cross the coast tomorrow and cross the country into…
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