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A monk in Bangkok holds up three fingers
Image: Geem Drake/SOPA Images/ZUMA Wire/picture allianceImage: Geem Drake/SOPA Images/ZUMA Wire/picture alliance

Thailand

Thailand is a country in Southeast Asia with a population of 69 million that is one of the world's top tourist destinations, but also faces political turmoil.

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All Content on this topic

Moo Deng, a two-month-old female pygmy hippo, follows her mother Jona at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi province, Thailand.

Baby hippo attracts huge crowds to zoo in Thailand

Moo Deng, a baby pygmy hippo, is drawing large crowds at a zoo in Thailand and has become a huge sensation online.
SocietySeptember 15, 202401:41 min
Rescuers in Lang Nu, Vietnam

Typhoon Yagi batters Thailand, Myanmar as Vietnam cleans up

The death toll has continued to rise across Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand, while scores of people remain missing.
CatastropheSeptember 13, 2024
A weed seller in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Thailand mulls banning recreational cannabis again

Thailand is considering a U-turn that would bring back tight controls on weed, 2 years after it decriminalized its use.
SocietySeptember 11, 202402:35 min
A woman wading through floodwaters in Hanoi, Vietnam

Typhoon Yagi: Evacuations in Hanoi as death toll passes 150

More than 150 people have been killed and many more are still missing.
CatastropheSeptember 11, 2024
Thai police escort Daniel Sancho Bronchalo

Thai court sentences YouTube chef to life for murder

Police launched an investigation after trash collectors made a gruesome discovery.
CrimeAugust 29, 2024
A man works at a coffee table on a laptop in Thailand

Thailand visa scheme opens door to digital nomads

Thai officials recently launched a visa program that allows foreigners working remotely to legally stay in the country.
BusinessAugust 21, 2024
Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra attends a press conference at the Pheu Thai party headquarters

Heiress Shinawatra takes office as Thailand PM

Paetongtarn is the third Shinawatra to become Thailand's PM and will face both political and economic challenges.
PoliticsAugust 18, 2024
Ex-Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra

Thailand: Former PM Thaksin Shinawatra receives royal pardon

Thaksin Shinawatra served as prime minister from 2001 until he was ousted in a military coup in 2006.
PoliticsAugust 17, 2024
Paetongtarn Shinawatra

Who is Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thailand's new premier?

Paetongtarn Shinawatra is the youngest prime minister in Thailand's history. Can she tackle the challenges before her?
PoliticsAugust 16, 2024
Paetongtarn Shinawatra in Bangkok

Paetongtarn Shinawatra chosen as new Thailand prime minister

Thai lawmakers have picked Paetongtarn Shinawatra as PM, the youngest premier in Thailand's modern history.
PoliticsAugust 16, 2024
The image shows Srettha Thavisin paying respect in front of the portrait of King Maha Vajiralongkorn after he became prime minister last year

Thailand: What's next after PM Srettha Thavisin's ouster?

The top court removed the prime minister from power just a week after the dissolution of the popular Move Forward party.
PoliticsAugust 15, 2024
Thailand Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin marches after pledging allegiance to Thai King Vajiralongkorn for his 72nd birthday.

Thailand Prime Minister Srettha ousted by court

The Thai Constitutional Court has ruled Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin "grossly breached ethics" with an appointment.
PoliticsAugust 14, 2024
Thai politician Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut

Banned Thai opposition party relaunches with new name

The Prachachon, or People's party, will remain an anti-establishment progressive party, its new leader said.
PoliticsAugust 9, 2024
Move Forward party's Pita Limjaroenrat

With Move Forward dissolved, what's next for Thai democracy?

A court ruled that the party's campaign to reform the royal defamation law was an attempt to overthrow the monarchy.
PoliticsAugust 8, 2024
Former Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat

Thailand: Court dissolves opposition Move Forward Party

The party had won the most seats in last year's parliamentary election, ruffing the feathers of the county's elite.
PoliticsAugust 7, 2024
A Thai model gets ready for the catwalk.

Thailand's path to diversity in fashion

How the fashion business in Thailand is starting to change for a more diverse one.
DiversityAugust 2, 202404:42 min
A view of uniformed police officers walking inside a hotel lobby

Six dead in suspected poisoning at Bangkok hotel

Police say they found traces of cyanide in the victims' tea cups. Investigators believe one of the dead was responsible.
CrimeJuly 17, 202401:49 min
Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok

Cyanide killed 6 foreigners in Bangkok hotel, police say

Thai police suspect that the killer was among the six found dead in a luxury hotel in Thailand's capital Bangkok.
CrimeJuly 17, 2024
BRICS logo is seen during the 15th summit of the bloc's leaders in Johannesburg

Why are Southeast Asian countries looking to join BRICS?

Malaysia and Thailand are the latest nations in Southeast Asia to express interest in joining the expanded BRICS group.
PoliticsJuly 4, 2024
Female gamer in Asia in a room with computers

Professional gamer: JinNy in Bangkok

JinNy lives in Bangkok and is a professional gamer. Her work, her goals and her life.
SocietyJune 28, 202405:13 min
Thailand's former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra walks out of a beauty salon in Bangkok

Thailand: Has Thaksin's influence been curtailed?

Ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra has been indicted under Thailand's royal defamation laws, and his future is unclear.
PoliticsJune 19, 2024
A participant holds a rainbow flag at government house in Bangkok, Thailand

Thai lawmakers pass landmark same-sex marriage law

LGBTQ+ advocates hailed the move as a "victory" with the bill now just needed royal approval.
SocietyJune 18, 2024
Former PM Thaksin Shinawatra visits his parent's Mausoleum in Chiang Mai, Thailand on March 15, 2024.

Thai ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra charged with royal defamation

The influential former prime minister is being charged in connection with a 2015 interview about the royal family.
PoliticsJune 18, 2024
HER Women in Asia | Staffel 4

Tech Mania

Meet three women who are using technology in different ways, turning their passion into professions.
BusinessJune 14, 202418:54 min
A man on his knees pays his respects to a portrait of Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida at Don Mueang airport in Bangkok, Thailand

Former Thai PM Thaksin accused of defaming monarchy

Thaksin Shinawatra will be tried for allegedly insulting the royal family — a ploy to thwart his political ambitions?
PoliticsJune 1, 2024
A boy is seen walking with a cow along the highway that runs from Vientiane, Laos, to Sihanoukville, Cambodia in Si Phan Don, Laos

Can a green transition save the Mekong River?

A race for resources and energy has put the Mekong's future in jeopardy. Sustainable projects are now offering new hope.
Nature and EnvironmentMay 30, 2024
A woman helps an elderly person cross the street in Bangkok, Thailand.

Thailand: Bangkok builds more senior-friendly infrastructure

For the elderly people in Thailand, public transport is not easily accessible, and healthcare facilities hard to reach.
SocietyMay 29, 202404:24 min
Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra (C) takes a photo with a supporter next to his daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra

Thailand's ex-PM Thaksin to be indicted over royal insult

Thaksin Shinawatra is being charged over an alleged insult to the royal family in an interview in 2015.
PoliticsMay 29, 2024
DW Sendung Made in Germany

The traditional, the modern, and cannabis

Startups in the coalfields, strikes to exert pressure, and the cannabis business.
SocietyMay 28, 202426:06 min
Protesters demand reform of the monarchy outside the APEC 2022 Economic Leaders Week in Bangkok, Thailand

Thailand: Activist's death intensifies calls for reform

Last week's death in custody of a pro-democracy activist has raised concerns about freedom of expression in Thailand.
SocietyMay 21, 2024
The Singapore Airlines aircraft after the emergency landing in Bangkok due to turbulence on May 21

Singapore Airlines turbulence: 1 dead, dozens injured

One person was killed, and dozens injured, after a Singapore Airlines Boeing 777 encountered severe turbulence.
CatastropheMay 21, 2024
Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin pays respect in front of a portrait of King Maha Vajiralongkorn as he receives the royal endorsement appointing him as the new prime minister in Bangkok, Thailand in 2023

Thailand: How far has democracy come since 2014 coup?

Thailand has its first civilian PM since the 2014 putsch — one of many small signs of democratic progress.
SocietyMay 21, 2024
Harriet and Araya, a Thai female couple, hold their 5-month-old daughter Lea.

Thailand moves closer to legalizing same-sex marriage

Harriet and Araya, two Thai women married in the UK, hope to soon see genuine gender equality in their home country.
EqualityMay 19, 202403:10 min
A portrait of Netiporn Bung Sanesangkhom in Bangkok on May 14

Thai PM promises investigation after activist dies in jail

The 28-year-old woman's detention itself was contentious, as it was for "insulting" the royal family.
PoliticsMay 15, 2024
Doku Zwangsarbeit in Asiens Betrugsfabriken

Scam Factories in Myanmar: Cyber Slavery

Thousands of people are forced to scam people online from factories in Southeast Asia.
TechnologyMay 3, 202412:36 min
Thailand Bangkok | Pocket Parks zwischen Betonblöcken und weitläufigen Autobahnen

Thailand: The 'pocket parks' making Bangkok greener

In Thailand's capital Bangkok, more and more green "pocket parks" are sprouting up between extensive highways.
OffbeatMay 1, 20246 images
A person taking part in Pride Parade in Thailand's capital Bangkok

How Thailand's 'boy-love' TV dramas raise LGBTQ+ awareness

Thai-produced gay-romance TV dramas are becoming increasingly popular across Asia.
SocietyApril 24, 2024
Students in Manila, the Philippines, trying to protect themselves from heat wave

Southeast Asia suffers from blistering heat

Rice prices are rising, schools are closed, and people are scrambling to avoid the heat as El Nino grips Southeast Asia.
Nature and EnvironmentApril 15, 20248 images
A military personnel stands guard, as 200 Myanmar military personnel withdrew to a bridge to Thailand on Thursday after a days-long assault by the anti-junta resistance, which declared it had won control of the critical border town of Myawaddy.

Myanmar junta facing growing opposition

The ruling junta is facing growing opposition from rebel forces and a drop in support among the population.
ConflictsApril 13, 202401:55 min
Thai soldiers standing guard near the Myanmar border on April 10, 2024

Myanmar: Junta troops withdraw from border town, rebels say

Anti-junta rebels say they have driven government troops from a key border hub near Thailand.
ConflictsApril 11, 2024
A Move Forward Party rally in Thailand in May 2023

Thailand: Top court to hear case to dissolve reformist party

The Move Forward Party won a shocking victory in last year's election, pledging to reform strict royal defamation laws.
PoliticsApril 3, 2024
A pink statue of the Hindu god Ganesh in Thailand

Why is the Hindu god Ganesh so popular in Buddhist Thailand?

Despite Thai society being mostly Buddhist, statues of Hindu deities can be found all over the country.
SocietyMarch 29, 202402:40 min
Thai MP holding a rainbow flag

Thailand one step away from legalizing same-sex marriage

Lawmakers in Thailand's lower house of Parliament have overwhelmingly approved a marriage equality bill.
Human RightsMarch 27, 202402:27 min
A person kisses another's cheeck as they take part in a symbolic wedding for LGBTQ+ couples on Valentine's Day at Siam Center on February 14, 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand

Thailand: Lawmakers pass same-sex marriage bill

The bill passed in the lower house still needs Senate approval and the king's endorsement before it becomes law.
SocietyMarch 27, 2024
Footbridge in Wale on the Thai-Myanmar border

Escaping to Thailand: Fleeing military service in Myanmar

Plans by the Myanmar junta to forcibly conscript young people have prompted thousands to flee the country.
MigrationMarch 17, 2024
Many young people in Myanmar have tried to flee to Thailand to escape conscription.

Thousands try to flee Myanmar over prospective draft law

Many young people in Myanmar have tried to flee to Thailand to escape conscription.
ConflictsMarch 14, 202402:29 min
Thaksin Shinawatra

Thailand: Former PM Thaksin makes first public appearance

Thaksin Shinawatra was only recently released early from a jail sentence for graft and abuse of power.
PoliticsMarch 14, 2024
A sign for a shop selling cannabis goods in Thailand called Kush House

Why Thailand plans to ban recreational weed

Thailand legalized cannabis in June 2022. But in a major U-turn, the government now plans to roll back recreational use.
BusinessMarch 12, 202404:00 min
Move Forward party protesters at Constiutitonal Court in Bangkok, Thailand

Thai authority to ask court to disband reformist party

The Move Forward party, which won last year's general election, had pledged to reform the country's royal insult laws.
PoliticsMarch 12, 2024
A red panda peers out of a wicker basket

Thailand: Red panda found in luggage of suspected smugglers

Thai officials arrested six Indian nationals after discovering wild animals in their luggage at the Bangkok airport.
Nature and EnvironmentMarch 6, 2024