Top National Thailand Stories From the Past Week: Nightlife Closing Times Extended, and More

Here is a look at the top NATIONAL Thailand stories, chosen by our Pattaya News/TPN National team, from the last week, Monday, December 11th, 2023, to Sunday, December 17th, 2023.

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

Let’s get started and see what the top stories were!
  1. Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse, the second-eldest son of His Royal Majesty the King of Thailand, visited the Nong Nooch Garden in the Pattaya area.

He has lived in New York for 27 years and has begun to visit Thailand again this past year after a long absence.

2. Mueang Khon Kaen police officers investigated Mr. Somluck Kamsing’s case, a former gold medal-winning amateur boxer, for allegedly taking a 17-year-old girl into a hotel in Khon Kaen.

Mr. Somluck Kamsing, a former gold medal-winning amateur boxer, spoke to police about the allegations of taking a 17-year-old girl to a hotel in Khon Kaen.

Somluck has strongly denied the allegation, saying he didn’t know her age, and pointed out that the minor had been in a nightclub that only allows adults and allegedly used a copy of a fake ID to gain entry.

3. The Thai Deputy Government Spokesperson publicly revealed the conclusion after the cabinet meeting regarding a 30-day visa exemption for business purposes for Japanese visitors effective from January 1st of 2024 to December 31st of 2026.

Japan has potential in various industries that the Thai government aims to promote including green industries, electric vehicles, medical fields, digital economies, and other industries.

4. Thai Criminal Court, Ratchadaphisek, Bangkok, ruled that Ms. Rukchanok Srinork, a Move Forward MP, was guilty of insulting the Royal institution under Section 112 and was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment without parole.

She was later released on 500,000 baht bail with conditions and pledged to continue to stand up for change in Thailand.

5. At 11:30 PM, on December 16th, 2023, Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, and relevant agencies conducted a field inspection on the entertainment district in Khao San Road, Bangkok after extending legal nightlife hours to 4 AM.

Anutin has said that so far that the legal extension of closing times for nightlife in certain areas has gone smoothly.

That’s all for this week, as always thanks for your support!

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

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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 more than four 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.