Category: Thailand

Thailand

Thailand’s Sex-Work Debate Explodes as Pattaya Faces Global Spotlight

Thailand’s long-running debate over sex-work decriminalisation has returned to the national spotlight, with Pattaya once again at the centre of attention as thousands of U.S. military personnel visit the area. The issue is bigger than Pattaya’s nightlife. At its core is a question that Thailand has struggled with for decades: should consensual sex work between adults remain a criminal-law issue, or should the country move toward a system focused on labour rights, safety and regulation? Recent

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Thailand

Thailand’s COVID-19 Pattern Is Changing as Cases Near 100,000—But Flu and RSV Are Rising Too

BANGKOK — Thailand is seeing a changing pattern of COVID-19 transmission, with infections continuing to rise alongside seasonal respiratory illnesses such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). But health authorities say the latest increase does not signal a return to the pandemic-era situation. Instead, Thailand’s Department of Disease Control (DDC) says COVID-19 is increasingly being observed alongside other respiratory infections, while experts continue to study whether the vir

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Thailand

Thailand Seizes 7,411 Uncertified Electrical Items in Samut Prakan—And Authorities Warn of a Fire Risk

SAMUT PRAKAN, Thailand — A consumer complaint about a potentially substandard fan has led Thai authorities to a warehouse in Samut Prakan, where officials seized 7,411 electrical appliances and electronic products worth more than 2.5 million baht that were found without the required Thai Industrial Standards (TIS) mark and QR code. The operation was carried out by Thailand's special “Top Gun” enforcement task force together with the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI) at a fulfillment wa

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Thailand

Thailand Orders Deportation of Israeli National After Koh Samui Threat Conviction

Thailand has ordered the deportation of Israeli national Yaacov Ohayon following his conviction by a Thai court over threatening messages that authorities said caused fear and alarm on Koh Samui. Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul signed the deportation order on September 5, 2026, adding a significant new development to a dispute that has attracted intense attention in Thailand and online. According to The Nation, Ohayon was convicted by the Koh Samui Provincial Court und

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Thailand

Thai Doctor Probed After Allegedly Insulting Gold-Card Patients—Now 26,544 Could Be Affected

BANGKOK — A controversy over a doctor allegedly insulting patients who use Thailand’s universal healthcare scheme has escalated into a wider investigation after health authorities found several problems at the clinic involved, while Thailand’s Medical Council prepares to examine whether the doctor breached professional ethics. The case began after a patient complained about allegedly abusive and demeaning language used by a doctor at a private clinic in Khlong Sam Wa district of Bangkok. The do

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Politics

Thailand Is About to Change the Rules for Data Centres—And the 60% Clean-Energy Requirement Is Only the Beginning

BANGKOK — Thailand is preparing to impose tougher environmental and energy requirements on the rapidly expanding data-centre industry, with a proposed rule that could require operators to source at least 60% of their electricity from clean energy. The proposal comes as Thailand tries to balance an aggressive push to attract artificial intelligence, cloud-computing and digital-infrastructure investment with growing concerns over electricity demand, water consumption, environmental impacts and th

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Entertainment

Miss Grand International 2026 Abruptly Changes Course—Here’s What’s Waiting in Thailand

The road to the Miss Grand International 2026 crown has taken an unexpected turn, with Thailand now set to host the remaining activities of the competition after the organization pulled out of India. The Miss Grand International (MGI) organization announced the host-country change on September 3, saying the remaining events would be transferred to Thailand following what it described as the failure to meet agreed contractual standards in India. MGI said the host arrangement required five-star

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Entertainment

Thailand’s ‘Jurassic Park’ Is Revealing Dinosaur Secrets — And Scientists Say The Biggest Discoveries May Still Be Buried

KHON KAEN, Thailand — Thailand is becoming an unexpected center of dinosaur research, as paleontologists uncover fossils that are filling crucial gaps in the evolutionary history of dinosaurs in Southeast Asia. Across the country’s northeastern provinces, particularly Khon Kaen, Kalasin and Chaiyaphum, scientists have identified an extraordinary concentration of dinosaur remains. The discoveries are providing new clues about animals that lived tens of millions of years ago — including giant lon

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Thailand

FROM GRANDPA’S HERBAL REMEDIES TO LUXURY SPAS: How One Thai Family Turned Ancient Beauty Wisdom Into a Global Brand

Manusanun “Mew” Leelahongjudha grew up with a beauty routine she didn’t always appreciate. When she and her siblings suffered insect bites or skin irritation after playing outdoors, their mother would turn to herbal remedies passed down from their late grandfather, a village herbalist. Among the ingredients was yanang, turmeric and other Thai botanicals prepared from the family garden. As a child, Mew questioned the unusual smell and texture. Years later, after studying at MIT Sloan School of

September 3, 2026

Business

WHY THIS THAI LANDSCAPE DESIGNER DOESN’T WANT YOU TO SEE THE WHOLE GARDEN AT ONCE — THE SECRET IS IN WHAT’S HIDDEN

Jirachai Rengthong has spent nearly four decades transforming tropical landscapes across Southeast Asia — but his most powerful design principle is surprisingly simple: never reveal everything at once. For Jirachai Rengthong, a great garden is not something visitors should understand in a single glance. It should make them slow down. It should make them wonder what is around the next corner. And, above all, it should make them feel relaxed. That deceptively simple philosophy has guided the

September 3, 2026