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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 New in July: Save 10% for life on family health plans in Thailand
Cigna has a special offer this July for families in Thailand. When you sign up three or more people on a family health plan, you will save 10% on your premiums for life. This deal helps you get affordable, high-quality...
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UN says 50% of the world lacks disaster warning systems
A worrisome new report from the United Nations warns that half of the world is unprepared for potential disasters. With climate change increasing the number of natural disasters and creating extreme weather worldwide, half of the countries on the planet don’t have proper early warning systems. The lack of advanced indicators could potentially cost countless lives. Disaster risk and weather…
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Iceland considers a consulate in Phuket
Iceland is considering opening a consulate in Thailand on the island of Phuket. Currently, there are two Honorary Consuls of Iceland in Thailand, both based in Bangkok. But the European island nation sent their ambassador from China to discuss the possibilities of a consulate with Phuket authorities. The Icelandic ambassador from the Embassy of Iceland in Beijing was in Phuket…
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Storm Sonca to hit today, if not already here
The Meteorological Department (TMD) issued a warning to people in the northeast, east and central regions of the country to brace themselves for heavy rain as Tropical Storm Sonca hits Thailand today. The storm will bring heavy rain and strong winds to several provinces in the Northeast including Khon Kaen, Maha Sarakham, and Ubon Ratchathani. The weather guys also warned…
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School ferry sinks on Cambodian Mekong, 14 children dead
An overloaded ferry capsized on the Mekong River in Cambodia, killing at least 14 children. The incident took place southeast of the capital city of Phnom Penh on a ferry that was transporting children home from school. The victims were between the ages of 11 and 14 years old. The wide and long Mekong snakes through Cambodia – as well…
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No foul play in death of missing Russian man in Pha Ngan
In an update to the tragic news out of Koh Pha Ngan yesterday, a body found in the woods has been confirmed to be that of a missing Russian tourist. Further, initial investigations point to no signs of foul play in the Russian man’s death. It appears that Nikita Grigoryev snuck out of Koh Pha Ngan Hospital into the woods…
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Phone use must be hands-free while driving
A new regulation went into effect this week requiring the hands-free use of mobile phones while driving. The law is now being enforced in all of Thailand according to a deputy government spokesperson. They issued a warning yesterday to make drivers aware that holding a phone while driving is now illegal. Section 43(9) of the Land Traffic Act of 1979…
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From YouTube to packed stadiums | Thaiger Podcast Ep.8
Billy Chuchat. YouTuber, musician, Music Producer, Film Maker, dancer and Entertainer with over 1.76 million subscribers on Youtube. Billy is an artist who started his career on Youtube more than 10 years ago making dance videos and evolved into one of the brightest and most entertaining music producers and musicians that Thailand has ever seen. Now touring all over Thailand…
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The Best Places to Retire in Thailand in 2022
Retire in Thailand- Thailand is undoubtedly a charming country. And for many people, spending retirement years in this country is the ultimate dream. There are so many good reasons to retire in Thailand. The people are friendly and welcoming, the weather is fantastic, and high-quality medical care is widely available. Plus, who wouldn’t want to live in the perfect property…
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How to become a Monk in Thailand at iMONASTERY Chiangmai
Press Release Becoming a Buddhist Monk in Thailand used to be a difficult and long process but has now been made easier through the Monk Life Project. The Monk Life Project offers in-depth English Dhamma and Meditation instruction in a structured program that draws participants from many international countries. While in Thailand young men often ordain to make good Karma…
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Drug dealer killed in shootout after high-speed chase
A shootout between Royal Thai Police, army troops, and drug dealers led to one death, an arrest, and 4 million methamphetamine pills seized in a breath-taking, high-speed chase in Chiang Rai last night. Pha Muang Task Force narcotics suppression police and soldiers, tried to pull over a pickup truck with fake Chiang Rai licence plates at a road checkpoint at…
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Three arrested in India in occult human sacrifice case
In the southern Indian state of Kerala, police arrested three people accused of murdering two women allegedly as an occult human sacrifice. Authorities say that the people taken into custody confessed to the crime. A 60 year old traditional healer and masseur and his 52 year old wife were believed to have worked with an occult practitioner to improve their…
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‘Until the pots are dry’ – where 10 baht dishes rule the menu
In Chiang Mai, a tiny eatery specialising in 10 baht dishes is attracting shuffling lines of rumbling stomachs in the Chang Pueak area. “And it’s delicious,” said a regular who seemed very happy to stand in a long queue of hungry patrons. Open for just a fortnight, Khao Gang Khun Yai on Photharam-Jet Yod Road, is cooking up quite a…
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PM Prayut avoids being pelted with rotten fish & faeces
A group of activists armed with rotten fish and faeces were ready to pelt Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha as he visited flood-hit areas of Thailand yesterday. Fortunately, the PM’s entourage was tipped off about the planned attack and he avoided the activists lying in wait at a temple in Muang district PM Prayut was scheduled to visit Wat Khemaphirataram before…
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Ayutthaya temples at risk from flood damage
In Ayutthaya, about 70 historical sites and temples are at risk of collapse due to the heavy rains that have caused widespread floods all across the country. Ayutthaya is a province steeped in history and culture. Founded in 1350 and serving as the second capital of Thailand when it was known as Siam, the area is full of ancient historical…
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Ubon Ratchathani Zoo closed due to floods
Thailand has been battered by heavy rains and flooding throughout the nation. In Ubon Ratchathani, the zoo had to close for the foreseeable future due to floods. While the rainwaters persist, officials at the zoo assure the approximately 600 animals living there are safe. The director of the Zoological Park Organisation of Thailand said that there’s enough food to take…
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North Korea’s Kim watching Russia’s Putin closely after nuclear threats
North Korea’s leader is observing the moves of Russia as it moves toward normalising nuclear threats. The government has set off more than 40 missile launches this year while threatening pre-emptive nuclear strikes on Washington and Seoul, world leaders say it may be looking at Russia as its inspiration. As Russia is a nuclear-armed member of the UN Security Council,…
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Florida school shooter gets life in prison, avoids death penalty
A shooter who killed 17 people at his former high school in the state of Florida in the US, has avoided the death penalty for his crimes. The US jury decided that Nikolas Cruz should spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole. According to the Straits Times, the jury deliberated for a full day…
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Man used dating app to murder one woman, torture another
A man was arrested for murdering a woman he met on a dating app while police found another severely beaten woman in his room. The 27 year old man had been wanted for the torture of a woman that resulted in her death on July 21 in Bangkok Noi but had gone on the run. Police got a tip-off about…
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Thailand’s LTR visa needs reworking to attract foreigners
Thailand is still confident its updated Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa will attract affluent foreigners despite more attractive LTR visa options in other countries. On September 1, Thailand launched a revised LTR visa, joining other nations such as Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines, targeting rich foreigners. The Thai government cut the cost of the 10-year LTR visa in half, from…
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More students from Thailand enter China
Chinese ambassador Han Zhiqiang is making good on his promise that students from Thailand would be one of the first groups allowed to return to China when the country reopened. This week more students returned to class in China for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic closed classrooms all over the world. Han said in August his education counsellors…
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Missing Russian man in Koh Pha Ngan believed found dead
The Russian man missing in Koh Pha Ngan for a month has been reportedly found dead in the forest of the island. The man had been reported missing since September 13. On Wednesday a Burmese person stumbled upon a body in a dense forest area on the Pha Ngan and notified the police immediately. A friend took to Facebook to…
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Taiwan welcomes Bangkok travellers as first unrestricted flight
Taiwan has ended mandatory quarantine and welcomed a plane from Bangkok as the first international flight to land without Covid-19 restrictions. Just after midnight this morning, a flight from Bangkok arrived to fanfare as the first commercial flight where passengers were not required to quarantine on arrival. Taiwan lagged behind other countries in Asia in loosening restrictions as the Covid…
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Drunk man holds baby hostage at knifepoint to get his wife back
Police in Samut Prakan were in an intense standoff with a drunken father who took his eight month old baby hostage. The man had been estranged from his wife who left to travel to the provinces. After apparently visiting his own parents, he grabbed a kitchen knife and his infant child in the middle of the night yesterday. North Samrong…
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Philippine Airlines takes off to Bangkok
Philippine Airlines (PAL) today announced it will reintroduce direct flights between Cebu City and Thailand’s capital city Bangkok in December. The Philippine flag carrier made public it is to introduce a twice-weekly service, operating on Monday and Friday, which will depart from Cebu in the morning of December 9 and depart from Bangkok in the early afternoon. PAL previously operated…
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Julian Assange supporters ‘heartened’ by Aussie govt
Family, friends and supporters of imprisoned journalist Julian Assange were “heartened” and frustrated by the words of the Australian Government Attorney General yesterday. Supporters, keen to secure the release of the Australian citizen as he fights extradition from Belmarsh prison in the United Kingdom, may be frustrated but Greg Barns SC, a legal advisor to the 51 year old’s campaign,…
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Woe upon woe – Suu Kyi gets more jail time
A court in Myanmar has convicted ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi on two more corruption charges. Her two three-year sentences will be served concurrently, though added to previous sentences that now leave her facing a 26-year prison term. In February 2021, the military took over from Suu Kyi’s government. Her NLD party had won a landslide victory in elections,…
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Thailand refuses to condemn Russia at UN Assembly
Thailand refused to condemn Russia’s decision to annex parts of Ukraine at the United Nations General Assembly in New York yesterday. In September, Russia proclaimed its annexation of four partially occupied regions in Ukraine – Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia – after staging what it called referendums. Ukraine, the UN General Assembly, and their allies refused to recognise the referendums,…
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Ukraine regains more territory from Russia in south
The Ukrainian government says it has regained more territory from Russia in the south after being pummelled by its army for an intense two days. According to the Bangkok Post, the news of the recent gains comes as Russia attacked the country with missiles, damaging energy facilities. President Vladimir Putin says the recent attacks were retaliation for a deadly explosion…
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Cambodia’s first motorway Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville deemed a success
This week a test run of Cambodia’s first motorway saw over 80,000 vehicles driving the route. After being under construction for over three years, the motorway opened its roadway to the public on October 1 as a one-month trial. The road is 187 kilometres long and runs from the capital city of Phnom Penh to the popular port and tourist…
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King Rama IX statue to be unveiled in Chalerm Phrakiat Park
Their Majesties the King and Queen are to oversee the unveiling of a statue of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great at the new Chalerm Phrakiat Park in Bangkok’s Dusit district. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha invited attendees at the ceremony to an audience with Their Majesties during the ceremony. Free shuttle buses will take participants for Covid-19 screenings and…
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