Posts published in “Thailand”

There are births that go exactly according to plan, and then there are the ones that arrive with a dramatic entrance—pulling up by the side of the road, sirens wailing, and a whole team improvising like seasoned stagehands. On January 15 in Samut Prakan, Thailand, a pregnant mother joined the latter category when she gave birth to a healthy baby girl inside a rescue vehicle after going into labour unexpectedly. The day began like any other. At around 2:20 pm, the Samut Prakan emergency command centre received a call about a 29-year-old woman in labour near kilometre 25 on the outbound stretch of Thepharak Road in Bang Sao Thong district. Her husband, who was driving at the time, had pulled over and contacted for help—an instinctive move that would turn out to be crucial. Volunteers from the Ruamkatanyu Foundation rushed to the scene and found the woman waiting beside a…

In the kind of close call that makes you reassess both luck and urban planning, a long steel bar plunged from a crane at a luxury condominium construction site near Surin Beach, Phuket, and impaled the roof of a nearby house on the night of Wednesday, January 14. The dramatic moment—captured by the female homeowner on her phone—showed the bar wedged through the roof around 8:00 pm and continuing through a wooden interior door, leaving the room looking like the setting for a very bad magic trick. Miraculously, no one was injured. The video, which the homeowner shared on social media, is equal parts jaw-dropping and terrifying. You can clearly see the metal rod penetrating the structure as the homeowner nervously explains what happened: the bar came from a high-rise condo site that sits uncomfortably close to her property. She also notes this wasn’t the first time the construction had…

When the sun sets over Pattaya’s shores, most tourists drift toward beachfront bars and neon-lit promenades. But this January, a darker story unfolded in the quieter reaches near Jomtien Beach — one that has left a local real estate agent shaken and a city on high alert. On the night of Monday, January 12, 35-year-old Chinese real estate agent Yang Wang agreed to meet what she believed was a prospective buyer interested in a house in Pattaya. The meeting began innocuously enough: a property tour followed by a generous offer from Wang to drive the man home. Instead of a thanks, she received a violent betrayal. According to her complaint to Nong Prue Police Station, the man — identified as 30-year-old Chinese national Gong Gaopeng — pulled out scissors, forced her to drive to a secluded spot behind a village, bound her with tape and demanded the password to her…

Thai stand-up comedy feels like a late-night improv jam in a half-finished theatre: young, a little unstable, often thrilling, and full of surprising moments. It doesn’t map neatly onto the American club ladder or the British circuit; there are no universal rules, few sponsors, and no agreed-upon language for what “stand-up” officially is. What it does have is a handful of committed performers who show up, experiment publicly, and take the flak that comes with being first. They’re building something that is unmistakably Thai, one awkward, brilliant set at a time. Note Udom: the shadow and the spark No conversation about stand-up in Thailand starts without Note Udom. For many Thai audiences, he is the shorthand for stand-up itself. His storytelling, solo-microphone bravado, and observational punchlines shaped how people imagine comedy on stage. To this day, casual audiences still call stand-up “deal, microphone” — a direct echo of his performances.…

Thailand is a country that packs entire ecosystems into bite-sized provinces: mist-draped highlands, dripping evergreen jungle, thunderous cascades and impossibly blue seas framed by towering limestone cliffs. Wander through its national parks and you’ll find dramas of nature unfolding in every direction — perfect for photographers, hikers, snorkelers and anyone who likes their adventures with a side of jaw-dropping scenery. Here are five parks, one from each region, that capture the wild spirit of Thailand and deserve a top spot on your itinerary. North — Doi Inthanon National Park (Chiang Mai) Nicknamed “The Roof of Thailand,” Doi Inthanon crowns the country at 2,565 metres above sea level and serves up cool air, cloud-swept forests and the kind of sunrise views that make you forgive the early alarm. The summit is just the beginning: waterfalls like Wachirathan and Mae Ya thunder down rocky faces into emerald pools, perfect for picture breaks…

Thailand has a new culinary swagger. Meet “Khao Praneat” (Exquisite Rice) — a national branding pivot that aims to recast Thai rice not as a bulk commodity, but as an artisanal, terroir-driven luxury. It’s part marketing, part cultural reclamation, and entirely a strategic response to a global market that now buys with its heart and its head: taste, provenance and proof. Why Thailand can’t win on volume anymore For decades Thailand ruled rice markets by sheer scale, producing over 20 million tonnes a year. But the game has changed. Average yields—roughly 600–700 kg per rai—are simply outpaced by regional rivals like Vietnam, which hits around 1,200 kg per rai. Price wars against more productive producers are a losing proposition. The smart move? Stop racing on quantity and start competing on quality. A biodiversity secret worth selling Thailand’s ace in the hole is not acres, but ancestry. With more than 5,000…

2026 isn’t just another year on the calendar for artificial intelligence — it’s the year the technology stops being a promising pilot and starts showing its business card. Across the Asia-Pacific, the conversation has shifted from “should we try AI?” to “how fast can we scale it?” For Thai companies, that question has jaws: adopt AI with purpose and sprint toward global markets, or watch the world pass them by. The new rules of the game Digitalisation in Thailand has stopped being optional. It’s now a survival prescription. The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) paints an unmistakable picture: industries embracing cloud services, cybersecurity and AI are climbing; those clinging to the old playbook — think internet cafes and print media — are sliding into decline. In short, having AI isn’t a strategic perk anymore. It’s a necessary cost of doing business. Imagine a busy street in Bangkok…

When a short, shocking video began circulating on social media earlier this week, a quiet village in Mueang district, Khon Kaen, was jolted awake. The grainy footage showed a man later identified as 28-year-old Jakkrit physically attacking his two-year-old son and his partner inside their home — a scene that sparked outrage online and triggered a swift police response. The clip, first shared on January 12, captured the toddler crying while the father grabbed the boy by the legs, struck him and tossed him to the floor. It showed the same man kicking both the child and his wife, all while shouting vulgarities and accusing the mother of disobedience. A nearby resident — reported to be the child’s grandmother — rushed in and pleaded with Jakkrit to stop, prompting him to flee the scene. The victimized mother filed a report at the local station, and investigators from Mancha Khiri Police…