In a move that blends Buddhist reflection with political drama, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been reported to have entered the Dhammanavawang dhamma-based rehabilitation programme inside Klong Prem Central Prison. The revelation came from his daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, after a recent visit to the Bangkok facility — and it has added a new, quietly spiritual chapter to a saga that’s as much about family care as it is about national politics. Paetongtarn — who has herself been a visible figure in Thai politics — described her father’s physical condition as “stable” despite the changing weather, but she didn’t shy away from acknowledging the mental strain he faces. “With the weather changing, his physical health is fine, but mentally, he may be under a lot of stress,” she said. The Dhammanavawang initiative is a royal-endorsed human development programme designed to help inmates practice Buddhist teachings, develop inner discipline, and reflect…
Posts published in “Thailand”
Chiang Mai’s nightlife got a dose of immigration reality this week when a South Korean DJ — blissfully focused on beats and bass — was abruptly cut from the lineup after officers discovered he was working without the proper paperwork. The suspect, whose name has not been released, was detained on the night of November 19 following a tip-off about foreign nationals working illegally in the Mueang district. The operation unfolded in Suthep subdistrict at around 10pm, with officers from Immigration Division 5 and the Chiang Mai Immigration Bureau keeping a close watch before moving in. The investigation was led by Police Colonel Surachai Iampueng, commander of Chiang Mai Immigration, together with Deputy Commander Police Lieutenant Colonel Phatsalaporn Suksasan. Their target: alleged violations of Thailand’s Immigration Act of 1979 and related labour legislation. When officers inspected a local entertainment venue, they found the South Korean man behind the decks —…
Thailand’s “Fast Pass” Plan: A Turnpike for Investment or Just Another Speed Bump? Thailand’s finance minister, Ekniti Nitithanprapas, is set to push a bold new idea to the economic Cabinet on Monday, November 24: the Thailand Fast Pass. Designed to cut through months — even years — of bureaucratic snarl and get approved projects out of limbo, Fast Pass is billed as the government’s shortcut to turn committed investment into real capital spending, fast. The numbers behind the pitch are hard to ignore. In the first nine months of the year, investment promotion applications jumped a striking 94% year-on-year, reaching a total of 1.3 trillion baht. The applications are concentrated in high-growth sectors that read like Thailand’s future playbook: food processing, electronics, data centres, electric vehicles (EVs), wellness, automation and advanced medical services. Yet despite those approvals, the reality has been frustratingly pedestrian. Of the 1.3 trillion baht in approved…
One close-up photo, one social-media group, and a swarm of comments later, Bangkok found itself glued to a tiny, wriggling drama: an insect larva removed from the skin of a foreign patient who had just returned from Brazil. A hospital worker posted the images to the popular Facebook group นี่ตัวอะไร (“What is this animal?”) on November 19, and the internet reacted the way the internet does best—equal parts curiosity, horror, and speculation. The photos show a soft, elongated larva with semi-translucent skin and obvious segmentation. For many netizens, the culprit looked instantly familiar: a botfly larva. That guess wasn’t far off. Jessada Denduangboripat, a science communicator and lecturer in the Department of Biology at Chulalongkorn University, stepped in to calm nerves and add context. He explained that the patient’s condition is known as myiasis—an infestation by fly larvae—most commonly seen in travelers returning from regions such as South America or…
Under the formal chandeliers of Government House, Bhumjaithai Party stepped onto a slightly larger stage this week — and they brought company. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul used a press event to announce not one, not two, but three names on his party’s list of prime ministerial candidates, signaling a bolder posture ahead of the looming election. The new lineup pairs Anutin with Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas and Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun. According to Anutin, all three will be officially nominated after a planned party assembly on Sunday, November 23 — a move that the party says reflects its growth and a willingness to share leadership responsibility. “This time, Bhumjaithai isn’t the small party it once was,” Anutin told reporters. “Back then, I was the sole nominee. Now, we’ve grown — and it’s time others shared the leadership responsibility.” The tone was part-statement, part-invitation: the party is…
A midday hotel quarrel on Koh Samui turned into a police case and a hospital rush after a 44‑year‑old British man was arrested following an alleged assault on a French tourist and his Thai girlfriend. The incident unfolded around noon on 19 November at a Bo Phut hotel in Surat Thani Province, drawing officers from the Bo Phut Police Station and leaving three lives disrupted by what authorities describe as a jealousy‑fuelled altercation. The victims were identified as 23‑year‑old Mathis, a French tourist, and 21‑year‑old Kanokwan, a Thai woman from Nakhon Ratchasima. Both were taken to hospital for treatment; medical sources say Kanokwan sustained more serious injuries and remains under observation. The alleged attacker, named in reports as Richard, was detained at the scene and later gave police a statement admitting he struck the French national after discovering him in the same hotel room as his girlfriend. Richard denies causing…
What started as a sun-soaked island story in Krabi turned into a social media tempest this week when Indian travel blogger Monica Gupta — better known to her followers as @travelwithshades — accused a local hospital of overcharging foreign tourists after she and a friend suffered bad reactions to what she described as “weird gummies.” Her original Instagram reel, posted on Sunday, November 16, said bluntly: “₹1 lakh (100,000 rupees) for 3 IV drips. Thai hospital, hospital scam, gummies, Thailand, Krabi, Phuket.” The short version: Monica and a male friend ate gummies they bought in Phuket. About an hour later they felt unwell and went to a hospital in Krabi, where they were admitted and given IV treatment. Monica recounted that they were initially shown a bill of 17,500 baht — an amount she found reasonable for two people — and then dozed off for three hours while receiving care.…
Thailand’s civil service may be in for a late-career makeover: the government is studying a plan to raise the retirement age for most civil servants from 60 to 65. The proposal — prompted by falling birth rates and the country’s steady slide toward an ageing society — was discussed publicly by Deputy Prime Minister for Legal Affairs Bowornsak Uwanno, who is overseeing the review on behalf of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. A staggered shift, not a sudden shove Before anyone imagines a wholesale, overnight change, Bowornsak made clear the intention is cautious: the Civil Service Commission (OCSC) and the Comptroller General’s Department are studying options that would phase in the higher retirement age over about ten years. That means current civil servants would have time to plan, adjust benefits, and retire on terms they expect — rather than being blindsided by an immediate policy reset. “We’re not proposing a sudden…
Thailand has just been crowned the world’s best country for food, and the result tastes exactly as delightful as it sounds. In Condé Nast Traveller’s Readers’ Choice Awards 2025, the Land of Smiles snagged the top spot with a near-perfect score of 98.33 out of 100 — a culinary coronation that celebrates everything from sizzling roadside woks to sky-high tasting menus. A flavour-packed victory lap The win wasn’t a surprise to the millions who’ve navigated Bangkok’s night markets, hunted for the perfect bowl of soup in Chiang Mai, or surrendered to mango sticky rice on a sun-soaked beach. Voters praised Thailand’s bold, balanced flavours, its unbeatable street food culture, and a fine-dining scene that now rubs shoulders with the world’s best. CNN even noted that seven Bangkok restaurants made the cut among the world’s top 35 — proof that Thai cuisine thrives both at the humble stall and on the…
Thailand is waking up with a brisk reminder that the calendar is turning: a strong high-pressure system sweeping down from China has ushered in a cold snap, whipping up gusty winds, dropping temperatures and stirring stormy seas across large swaths of the country. The Meteorological Department (TMD) says the chill is most pronounced in the north and northeast, with parts of the south also feeling the sting as the northeast monsoon strengthens over the Gulf of Thailand and the upper Andaman Sea. What’s driving this chilly interlude? A dominant high-pressure area over upper Thailand — essentially a cool air dam rolling in from China — is the main culprit. It’s packing dry, cool air and brisk northeasterly winds that are dragging temperatures down, especially in the pre-dawn hours. At the same time, a low-pressure pocket over the lower Gulf is turbocharging the northeast monsoon, producing thundershowers that target southern provinces…