Thaw Nandar Aung, AKA Han Lay, feared being sent home after she was stopped at Thai border last weekA Myanmar fashion model who was denied entry to Thailand and feared arrest by the military government in Yangon if she was forced back home from exile h…
Myanmar model who criticised junta stuck in limbo after being denied entry to Thailand
Han Lay appealed for help on social media after being stopped at Bangkok airport, saying Myanmar police there want to speak to herA Myanmar model who has spoken out against the military junta that seized power last year says she has sought help from th…
Thai court orders repair of The Beach location 22 years after filming
Ruling on Maya Bay, on Ko Phi Phi Leh, comes decades after local authorities filed lawsuit over environmental harmMore than two decades after the Hollywood film The Beach was shot at Thailand’s glittering Maya Bay, the kingdom’s supreme court has order…
‘A leader of the world’: south-east Asian countries open to Putin pivot
Only Singapore has imposed sanctions, while others have been receptive to Moscow’s offers of friendshipRussia-Ukraine war – latest updatesThe head of Myanmar’s military junta beamed with joy as he shook hands with Vladimir Putin this week. “We would ca…
Dolphin calf being nursed back to health after almost drowning in Thailand
Dozens of vets and volunteers are caring for Irrawaddy dolphin calf that was too weak to swim after suffering lung infectionA dolphin calf found drowning in a tidal pool on Thailand’s shore is being cared for by dozens of veterinarians and volunteers.T…
Thailand zookeeper dresses as ostrich in novel approach to training drill
Chiang Mai Zoo not keeping its head in the sand, with man captured after fleeing enclosure in bird suit as part of ‘wild animal management plan’A man dressed as an eight foot tall ostrich with a towering bird neck strapped to his head was successfully …
Thai court suspends PM Prayuth pending term limit review
Surprise move by constitutional court throws Thai politics into confusionThailand’s prime minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha, has been suspended from office by the constitutional court while it considers whether he has overstayed the limits of his term.The co…
Thai instant noodle makers seek government approval for first price hike in 14 years
Plea to government, which controls prices on some essentials, to allow rise as war in Ukraine and extreme weather drive up costsFive major producers of instant noodles have urged the Thai government to allow them to increase their prices within a week,…
Former Sri Lanka president Gotabaya Rajapaksa turns up in Thailand after Singapore visa expires
Rajapaksa allowed in on diplomatic passport for ‘temporary’ stay, say Thai authoritiesThe former Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled overseas to escape protests against his government, arrived in Thailand on Thursday night on a flight fro…
Fire in Thai nightclub kills 14 as prime minister orders investigation
Scenes of panic and desperation as revellers flee blaze in Chonburi province, 90 miles from BangkokThailand’s prime minister has ordered an investigation into a massive blaze that tore through a nightclub, killing at least 14 people.The fire broke out …
Thailand’s gay-romance TV dramas help revive flagging tourism industry
The popularity of ‘boy-love’ series sends fans from home and abroad flocking to filming locations across the countryThere is a table in Soontaree Thiprat’s Phuket cafe that is always fully booked. Most of her customers at the Dibuk restaurant want to s…
Thai researchers test wastewater to track spread of monkeypox
Monitoring sewage thought to be a quicker, more cost-effective way to understand the spread of the virusResearchers in Thailand are examining wastewater for signs of monkeypox, as part of surveillance efforts to detect the spread of the virus.Academics…
Instagran: meet Thailand’s new generation of over-60s influencers
Government scheme links older people with university students who provide mentoring to develop online skillsSomsak Jiteurtragool stands in a sun speckled field, saplings lined in rows behind him. “Hello viewers, today I’m bringing you to Principal Uncl…
With the tourists gone, what now for Lopburi’s famous monkeys?
Deprived by the pandemic of their steady diet of treats, the city’s omnipresent macaques are turning to outright banditryFood vendors in the Thai city of Lopburi can never let down their guard. Thieves are everywhere, and they are both nimble and braze…
Dozens of Thai democracy activists targeted with Pegasus phone spyware
Thai government suspected of orchestrating hacking campaign using Israeli surveillance technologyThe Thai government is suspected of using Israeli surveillance technology against more than two dozen dissidents and activists who supported democratic ref…