Six foreign nationals found dead in Bangkok hotel, Thai PM orders probe

BANGKOK (Reuters) -Six people were found dead at an upmarket hotel in Bangkok on Tuesday, including at least one American national of Vietnamese descent, the Thai government said, as the prime minister ordered a swift investigation to stem any damage to the tourism sector. The Thai police said in a separate statement that the six people...

Thailand is set to roll out a controversial RM64.5bil handout plan in digital money to citizens

BANGKOK (AP): Thailand's prime minister sannounced Monday that eligible businesses and individuals can register from August for digital cash handouts, a controversial programme that will cost billions of dollars and is meant to boost the lagging economy. The government announced in April the widely criticized ambitious plan, named the "Digital Wallet,” meant to give 10,000 baht...

Cannabis advocates threaten to stage hunger strike if Thailand outlaws herb

BANGKOK: A group of cannabis advocates camping outside Government House threatened to go on hunger strike if the government outlaws the herb without first studying the pros and cons of the move. The Thailand Cannabis Future Network said in a Facebook post on Wednesday (July 10) that members of the group who are part of the...

Thailand waives hotel fees and approves subsidy for rice farmers

BANGKOK (Reuters): Thailand's cabinet on Tuesday agreed to extend a waiver on operating fees for hoteliers for two more years to support the recovery of the country's tourism sector, and also approved a subsidy for rice farmers. The exemption of the annual fee of 40 baht (US$1.1) per hotel room from July 2024 to June 2026...

Thailand: Money laundering, public fraud and embezzlement suspect Chanin charged in Bangkok court

BANGKOK (The Nation Thailand/ANN): Chanin Yensudchai, former chairman of Stark Corporation Plc, was charged in court for public deception, fraud and money laundering that caused shareholders to lose billions of baht. Public prosecutors also called on the Criminal Court to not grant him bail due to the magnitude of public fraud he may be involved in. Wiroon...

Former Stark chairman and much wanted man in huge fraud case finally in Thai detention after months on the run

BANGKOK (Bloomberg): The former chairman of Stark Corp, a Thai industrial cable maker at the center of an accounting scandal and debt defaults, was brought back to Thailand after months on the run, ending a chase for the country’s most wanted corporate fugitive. The government has Chanin Yensudchai in its custody and he has been detained,...

Malaysia is among the top trending tourist destinations in Asia

It has been two years since Malaysia reopened to international tourists. The tourism sector, which took a hit when the borders were closed from 2020 to 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, has yet to fully recover. However, the tourism industry continues to show positive signs of recovery as tourist arrivals doubled over the past year. Based...

As Thailand moves to pass same-sex marriage law, couple wait to tie the knot

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai lesbian couple Vorawan "Beaut" Ramwan and Anticha "An" Sangchai are patiently waiting for the passage of their country's same-sex marriage law so that they can cement their relationship after four years together. "Once the law comes into effect, we will sign our marriage license," said Anticha, a university lecturer. "We've been waiting...

13-Year-Old Thai Girl In ICU After Finishing Half A Bottle Of Alcohol For S$37

A man took advantage of the girl’s impoverished situation to issue the dangerous challenge. A 13-year-old Thai girl was hospitalised last weekend after taking on an alcohol dare in exchange for 1000 baht (S$37). The girl, known as A, was attending an ordination ceremony at a temple in the city of Nakhon Ratchasima. There, A and her friend, a 13-year-old...

Elephants born in Thailand may be world’s first-ever male and female twins

AYUTTHAYA: A 36-year-old elephant named Pang Jamjuree gave birth to male and female calves in Ayutthaya province on the night of June 7, in what is believed to be the world’s first twin elephants of different sexes. An official at Royal Elephant Kraal Village in Ayutthaya’s Suan Prik sub-district said on June 8 that the male...