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.

  • Huge brawl erupts at Thailand v Indonesia SEA Games football final (video)

    Huge brawl erupts at Thailand v Indonesia SEA Games football final (video)

    The SouthEast Asia (SEA) Games football final between Indonesia and Thailand turned into a Muay Thai match yesterday when Thailand netted an equalising goal in injury time, sparking a dramatic brawl. But Indonesia ran out victors scoring three more goals in extra-time to win their first SEA Games men’s football medal in 32 years with a 5-2 victory. After a…

  • Groups urge Senate to back Thai majority’s choice for PM, Pita Limjaroenrat

    Groups urge Senate to back Thai majority’s choice for PM, Pita Limjaroenrat

    Two prominent civil society groups urged the Senate to honour the majority’s decision in favour of Pita Limjaroenrat, the Move Forward Party’s (MFP) candidate for prime minister. The Rural Doctors Society (RDS) and the Law CU Student Committee, Faculty of Law, Chulalongkorn University (CU), expressed their support for the MFP to lead a coalition government with Pita at the helm.…

  • MP candidate loses election but wins 24 million baht lottery

    MP candidate loses election but wins 24 million baht lottery

    He may have lost out trying to be a Member of Parliament (MP) in Sunday’s General Election but Pheu Thai Party MP Udom Kanmuang was a lucky winner in yesterday’s Thai lottery, scooping an incredible 24 million baht. Udom represented the Pheu Thai Party in the 1st constituency of the Mueang district of Samut Sakhon. The former village chief of…

  • Council of Europe gathers to discuss future prosecution of Russian leaders

    Council of Europe gathers to discuss future prosecution of Russian leaders

    A year after Russia’s expulsion from the Council of Europe (CoE) due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the leaders of the 46-nation human rights body convened in Iceland to take preliminary steps toward the potential prosecution of Russian leaders. The summit’s main focus was the creation of a “register of damages” to document evidence for use in a special…

  • Buddhist monk wins lottery in Thailand

    Buddhist monk wins lottery in Thailand

    A Buddhist monk won the 6 million baht jackpot in Thailand‘s national lottery draw yesterday. He says he will spend the money on making repairs at his temple in Nakhon Ratchasima province. Phra Ajahn Praphas, a 63 year old monk residing at Wat Nong Bua in Ban Pho subdistrict of Korat’s Mueang district, won the lottery’s first prize of 6…

  • American drunk driver tried to switch seats with dog to dodge arrest

    American drunk driver tried to switch seats with dog to dodge arrest

    In some rather embarrassing news, an American drunk driver in Colorado tried to switch seats with his dog who was in the passenger seat, to dodge arrest as police approached his car. Springfield Police wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday, the man had been driving 52 miles per hour in a 30-mile-per-hour zone near 7th and Main Street. The…

  • American tourist rescued from 4-hour nightmare in Pattaya sewers

    American tourist rescued from 4-hour nightmare in Pattaya sewers

    An American tourist was rescued from the sewers beneath Pattaya, eastern Thailand, yesterday after getting trapped in the murky, pungent pipe system for more than four hours. A security guard was bewildered when he heard a voice coming from beneath a covered drain at the entrance of Soi 8 Thep Prasit, Moo 11, Nong Prue subdistrict, Bang Lamung district. He…

  • Beijing woman catches subway harasser, awaits police while holding him

    Beijing woman catches subway harasser, awaits police while holding him

    A woman in Beijing bravely stood up against a man who sexually harassed her on a subway train, grabbing his collar and taking him to the police herself. The South China Morning Post reported that the incident took place on May 9 at the East Sihui subway station in the Chinese capital. Initially, the woman tried to evade the man,…

  • Interfering mother-in-law’s secret affair exposed after accusing daughter-in-law of cheating

    Interfering mother-in-law’s secret affair exposed after accusing daughter-in-law of cheating

    An interfering mother-in-law’s secret affair was exposed after she accused her daughter-in-law of cheating. The meddlesome mum-in-law’s remarks on how different her new granddaughter looked compared to other members of the family forced the new mother to insist on DNA tests for all of the family. The woman had given birth to a beautiful daughter with mesmerising green eyes that,…

  • Over 1,000 Care Bears toys seized for failing to meet TIS

    Over 1,000 Care Bears toys seized for failing to meet TIS

    The Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD) confiscated more than 1,000 Care Bears toys worth 900,000 baht after a raid at a shop in the Sampeng Market in Bangkok. The CPPD conducted the raid after they stumbled upon a TikTok advertisement inviting netizens to buy Care Bears toys. They found that the toys did not comply with the Thai Industrial Standard…

  • Police help 9 foreign tourists stranded at the border of Thailand

    Police help 9 foreign tourists stranded at the border of Thailand

    The Royal Thai Police helped nine foreign tourists who were stranded near the Cambodian border in Sa Keao province, eastern Thailand, to find a place to rest their heads last night. The tourists, including six Spanish nationals, one Ukrainian national, and two Indian nationals, were “very impressed” with the work of Sa Keao Tourist Police, soldiers of the 13th Ranger…

  • Malaysia braced for heatwave until September, no emergency declared yet

    Malaysia braced for heatwave until September, no emergency declared yet

    Despite the sweltering weather in Malaysia, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that the government has no immediate plans to declare the heatwave an emergency. However, he added that the government is prepared to do so if necessary. This decision was made after a National Disaster Management Committee meeting, which Ahmad Zahid chaired. “For now, we don’t think there…

  • Thailand opposition faces hurdles despite election win

    Thailand opposition faces hurdles despite election win

    The formation of a new government in Thailand faces significant challenges following the opposition’s victory in the May 14 General Election. The 500 newly-elected Members of Parliament (MPs) are required to vote for a new prime minister alongside 250 senators appointed by military generals who staged the coup, according to Professor Duncan McCargo, director of the Nordic Institute of Asian…

  • Polish killer asks Bangkok taxi driver to help cut up Ukrainian woman’s body via Google Translate

    Polish killer asks Bangkok taxi driver to help cut up Ukrainian woman’s body via Google Translate

    UPDATE In an interview with Thai news platform CH3, a taxi driver revealed that the Polish man, who was arrested for allegedly murdering his Ukrainian girlfriend, “Alona,” and attempting to dismember her in a Bangkok condo room, asked him to help get rid of her body via Google Translate. The taxi driver said that he picked up the suspect, Lagoda…

  • Burmese people celebrate MFP General Election victory

    Burmese people celebrate MFP General Election victory

    In astonishing scenes, thousands of Burmese people gathered in Myanmar to celebrate the 2023 General Election victory of the Move Forward Party (MFP). Burmese netizens made known that the MFP triumph will have a positive effect on the rights and well-being of Burmese workers in Thailand. Local media agencies in Myanmar reported yesterday, May 15, that thousands of Burmese took…

  • Thai motorcyclist dies in high-speed Chon Buri sign post collision

    Thai motorcyclist dies in high-speed Chon Buri sign post collision

    A tragic accident occurred today in Chon Buri, as a 34 year old Thai motorcyclist lost his life after crashing into a signpost. The motorcyclist, Eknakakorn Krasaechan from Sisaket province, was found dead near the 132+800 kilometre marker in the Thung Krat sub-district of Banglamung district, Chon Buri. He had sustained severe lacerations on his forehead and head and was…

  • CIA seeks Russian whistleblowers with emotional Telegram video

    CIA seeks Russian whistleblowers with emotional Telegram video

    The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) ramped up its efforts to encourage Russians to disclose their country’s secrets, releasing a poignant video on Telegram targeting individuals dissatisfied with President Vladimir Putin‘s regime. The brief video portrays a Russian bureaucrat and a woman at home with a child, both seemingly discontent with their lives, and asks if this is what they had…

  • Som Tam served at 31 baht in Chon Buri to celebrate MFP’s victory

    Som Tam served at 31 baht in Chon Buri to celebrate MFP’s victory

    A restaurant in Chon Buri province is celebrating the General Election victory of the Move Forward Party (MFP) by serving discounted som tam (also known as papaya salad). The restaurant, Loei Ma Tam Na Nar Pa (เลยมาตำ ณ. นาป่า), usually serves som tam for 50 baht but reduced it to a mere 31 baht, mirroring MFP leader Pita “Tim” Limcharoenrat’s…

  • Taiwan permits joint adoption for same-sex couples in marriage equality milestone

    Taiwan permits joint adoption for same-sex couples in marriage equality milestone

    Taiwan‘s parliament approved an amendment permitting same-sex couples to adopt children jointly, a significant milestone for marriage equality in the country. Taiwan has been a leader in Asia’s growing LGBTQ+ rights movement since becoming the first nation in the region to legalise same-sex marriage in 2019. However, same-sex couples still faced limitations, such as being unable to adopt children together.…

  • Thai cyanide serial killer reveals cyanide source, x-husband implicated

    Thai cyanide serial killer reveals cyanide source, x-husband implicated

    The Thai cyanide serial killer, Sararat “Am” Rangsiwuthaporn, yesterday made a shocking confession to investigating officers that she obtained the poison from her now-dead ex-husband. While Sararat has yet to confess to any murders, she did acknowledge giving cyanide to her late husband, Suttisak “Dae” Poonkwan, as well as one of the victims, Siriporn “Koy” Khanwong. Police Officer Namkiat Theerarojanapong…

  • Dresden heist verdicts due: Historic jewels’ fate hangs in balance

    Dresden heist verdicts due: Historic jewels’ fate hangs in balance

    A German court is set to announce verdicts for six members of a criminal gang accused of stealing priceless 18th-century jewels from Dresden’s Green Vault museum in a heist dubbed the biggest in modern history by German media. The theft, which occurred in November 2019, saw the criminals make off with artefacts worth over US$123 million. The trial, which began…

  • AI revolutionising search engines, shifting from links to direct answers

    AI revolutionising search engines, shifting from links to direct answers

    The online search experience, which has been dominated by Google for the past 25 years, is set to undergo a significant transformation as artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes the way users seek answers to their questions. AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT, Bard, and Bing are revolutionizing the classic search-and-click method, enabling users to receive direct answers to their queries rather than sifting…

  • Active gunman training in Thailand with FBI boosts police crime response

    Active gunman training in Thailand with FBI boosts police crime response

    In a proactive move to address the increase in crime, Deputy National Police Chief Pol. Gen. Torsak Sukwimon organised an active gunman training session yesterday. The event took place at the Border Patrol Police Headquarters in the Cha-am district of Phetchaburi province, located in western Thailand. A total of 150 police officers participated in the training, which aimed to enhance…

  • Thai tycoon’s firm doubles spending amid tourism boom and economic growth

    Thai tycoon’s firm doubles spending amid tourism boom and economic growth

    Asset World Corporation, the property and hotel development unit owned by Thailand‘s wealthiest individual, is set to more than double its spending on acquisitions and development of hotel resorts and commercial properties this year due to the tourism boom. The company plans to invest over 20 billion baht (US$590 million) in 2023, up from around 10 billion baht last year,…

  • Family, friends bid farewell to Thai-British teen murdered in Thailand

    Family, friends bid farewell to Thai-British teen murdered in Thailand

    UPDATE 3 Family and friends bid farewell to Thai-British teenager Woramet “Ben” Taota in an emotional funeral ceremony held in Lampang province in northern Thailand yesterday. Ben was murdered by local criminal 44 year old Chaiwat in what police suspect to be a drug deal gone wrong. He was last seen riding away from his house on a motorbike with…

  • Dead body of Swedish man found in house in Isaan

    Dead body of Swedish man found in house in Isaan

    Residents in the Isaan province of Udon Thani discovered the dead body of a Swedish man in a house. Police believe he had been dead for a week and the cause of his death remains under investigation. Yesterday, May 15, locals were hit by a foul stench emanating from a one-storey house belonging to a Swedish man and his Thai…

  • Argentina hikes interest rate to 97% amid soaring inflation and election

    Argentina hikes interest rate to 97% amid soaring inflation and election

    Argentina’s central bank has raised its base interest rate by six points to 97% to combat soaring inflation, which reached nearly 109% year-on-year in April. This marks the second increase in less than a month, as the government plans to announce a series of measures to address the economic crisis ahead of the General Election in October. The central bank…

  • The Weeknd hints at shedding stage name, embracing Abel Tesfaye identity

    The Weeknd hints at shedding stage name, embracing Abel Tesfaye identity

    Canadian singer-songwriter Abel Tesfaye, widely known as The Weeknd, seems to be taking steps to revert to his birth name after achieving worldwide fame under his stage name reported Bangkok Post. The artist recently changed his display name on social media platforms Twitter and Instagram, although his handles on both sites remained @theweeknd. This change comes after Tesfaye’s remarks in…

  • Six dead, dozens missing in devastating Wellington hostel fire

    Six dead, dozens missing in devastating Wellington hostel fire

    A devastating fire engulfed a four-storey hostel in Wellington, New Zealand, claiming the lives of at least six people and leaving many others unaccounted for. The blaze at Loafers Lodge hostel raged throughout the night, with 80 firefighters and 20 trucks battling the flames. A total of 52 people were rescued, while the final death toll remains uncertain reported Bangkok…

  • Move Forward Party lottery numbers sell out in Thailand

    Move Forward Party lottery numbers sell out in Thailand

    After the progressive Move Forward Party (MFP) won the most seats in Thailand’s elections on Sunday, lottery tickets associated with the party have sold out ahead of this afternoon’s national lottery draw. Sirilak Khamsuk, a 59 year old lottery ticket seller from Khon Kaen in northeast Thailand, revealed that all her tickets containing the MFP’s party number 31, as well…