Top National Thailand Stories From the Past Week: Extension of Visa Exemption for Indian and Taiwanese Visitors, and More

Here is a look at the top NATIONAL Thailand stories, chosen by our Pattaya News/TPN National team, from last week, Monday, May 6th, to Sunday, May 12th, 2024.

They are not in any particular level of importance but are listed in the order of date of publication.

  1. BeachAtlas, a UK-based startup that specializes in beach-related information, has unveiled the results for the 2024 Golden Beach Award, showcasing the top 100 beaches worldwide.

Maya Bay gained international fame from its appearance in the movie “The Beach,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, making it a sought-after destination for tourists around the globe.

2. The Thai cabinet has approved to extend the 30-day visa-free entry for Indian and Taiwanese visitors until November 11th this year, 2024.

The exemption for Indian and Taiwanese passport holders is for another six months from May 11th to November 11th, 2024.

3. The Thai Central Investigative Bureau (CIB) held a press conference regarding the arrest of an American suspect at a condominium in Bang Phlat, Bangkok, who allegedly forced women to work as prostitutes in the United States.

The suspect also reportedly invited Thai women to his temporary residences.

4. Thoen police officers received a fatal accident report of a coach carrying 33 Chinese tourists crashing into roadside trees on Phahonyothin Road, Thoen, Lampang.

The coach had picked the Chinese tourists up from Fang, Chiang Mai to travel to Bangkok.

5. Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, engaging relevant agencies to address narcotic issues and advocate for the reclassification of cannabis as a type 5 narcotic drug.

Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, publicly mentioned the case of a proposal to reclassify cannabis into a type 5 illegal narcotic drug.

Mr. Prasitchai Nunual, the secretary-general of the network for Shaping the Future of Thai Cannabis, responded to the Thai Prime Minister’s statement regarding a proposal for the reclassification of cannabis as a type 5 narcotic drug.

Mr. Srettha Thavisin, the Thai Prime Minister currently visiting Kanchanaburi, told the public about the rumors that the proposed reclassification of cannabis into a narcotic illegal drug could potentially cause internal conflict among the coalition government parties.

Cannabis is sure to be a hot button topic for the future in Thailand.

Thank you and see you next week!

The original version of this article appeared on our sister website, The TPN National News, owned by our parent company TPN media.

Subscribe
Goongnang Suksawat
Goong Nang is a News Translator who has worked professionally for multiple news organizations in Thailand for many years and has worked with The Pattaya News for five years. Specializes primarily in local news for Phuket, Pattaya, and also some national news, with emphasis on translation between Thai to English and working as an intermediary between reporters and English-speaking writers. Originally from Nakhon Si Thammarat, but lives in Phuket and Krabi except when commuting between the three.