Whether you are an English speaking tourist visiting Thailand or an ex-pat retiree living in Thailand (full or part time) we likely
all agree that keeping up with news is important. This is especially true if you really want to be in touch with what is going on in Thailand and the world while you are away from your home country. There are several sites that I consider to be quality English News Sources here and I have listed what are “for me” my top five Go To Sites” for English Language Thailand news. If you are planning a trip to Thailand I highly recommend that you frequently visit a couple of these sites in order to help familiarize yourself with Thailand and Thai Daily Life.
ONE
My top pick as my “Go To Site” for English Thailand news is Thai PBS/English
I not only follow the Thai PBS’s website but also subscribe to their FACEBOOK PAGE where they frequently have “Live Feeds” of current news and major Thailand events.
TWO
Bangkok Post is my Second Pick for Thailand English News
I have found them to be very quick with “breaking news” stories and provide frequent and thorough updates. They are a great source for both Thailand and International news.
THREE
The Nation "Thailand Portal" is my Third Pick
I actually really like this site which is great to navigate. The only reason that this is lower on my list is due to the very “heavy” use of pop up banner ads. The Affiliate ads are a huge distraction and they pop up on the screen whenever you click on a link…
FOUR
National News Bureau of Thailand is my Fourth Pick
Although I do enjoy reading their stories and the writing style I have found their website to be a bit sluggish. I often get a “504 gateway Time-out” message when trying to open pages on their site. I have found their strength to be with Thailand news and Royal News with the “Royal News” category being (in my opinion) the best source for keeping up with Royal news and affairs.
FIVE
Buriram Times is my Fifth Pick (and local expats favorite)
They are actually a daily read site for me as I live in Buriram Province. Their Online news site is informative and I enjoy the writing style of their English reporter. They cover Thailand National, Buriram Province Regional as well as Local news stories and events. Some of their "back pages" could use some updating but the basic bones of the site function very well!
Whether you are here as a visitor or living as a fulltime resident LAZADA is a great option for online shopping.
This is Thailand's version of "Amazon"
I order quite frequently from them and all orders have arrived on time and in perfect working condition!
A FEW WORDS OF WISDOM
Thailand is a very beautiful country that is rich in culture and wonderful people. There is a reason they call Thailand the Land of Smiles (LOS). As beautiful and friendly as Thailand is you need to be aware that they take their religion (Buddhism) and the Royal Family very seriously. It is considered a crime in Thailand to speak out in a negative fashion against the Royal Family. The King and the Royal Family are held in very high regard and are always referred to in a respectful manner. You can actually be arrested for speaking out against the Royal Family via Social Media or in public. Buddhist Temples and all things related to the Buddhist Religion are to be interacted with in a respectful manner. Just this past week there were two American Tourists that were arrested and are now facing very long prison terms for exposing their naked bottoms (and posting images of the "exposure" on Social Media) at a Buddhist Temple (NEWS STORY LINK HERE). This not the way in which you will want to extend your stay in Thailand.
Don't let what I have written here discourage your desire to visit Thailand. This is a wonderful and amazing country to visit or even to live in as I am doing. Simply be respectful of their culture and you will have an amazing time here. There is a good chance that you will fall in love with the Thailand experience.
MEDIA CENSORSHIP IN THAILAND
By Southeast Asia standards Thailand has a relatively well developed media sector. Thai media has seen an increase in restrictions and censorship (at times subtle and others quite overt)[1] since the military coup of 2014. Reporters without Borders in 2017 has ranked Thailand 142 out of 180 listed countries in their World Press Freedom Index. [2]
On World Press Freedom Day 2015, four of Thailand’s professional media organizations issued a joint statement calling for the military government to revoke onerous press restrictions and cease political interference with the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission of Thailand.[3]
Referenes:
Nanuam, Wassana (2015-06-23). "NCPO to ask reporters not to upset PM". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
https://rsf.org/en/ranking
"Statement of Four Thai Professional Media Organizations". The Nation. 2015-05-03. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
A little bit about us!
I'm an American and my wife is Thai. We live in a rural farming community that is in the "Isaan" region of Northeast Thailand. We are slowly getting to know other couples (Expat/Thai) in our area and it is quite clear that we are not alone in our way of thinking and joy of a simple lifestyle. Our lifestyle living in the Isaan region is nothing like what most "foreigners" perceive as a Thai lifestyle. When most people think of living in Thailand they think of places like Phuket, Pattaya or Bangkok and a life of beaches, booze, women and parties. That lifestyle may be great for some but for us we prefer the more family oriented rural living. My recent article "The Cost of Living in Thailand" gives you a peek into our Isaan lifestyle and what it cost us on on a monthly basis to live here. We look forward to getting to know more of our followers so please be sure to sign up for the MAILING LIST so that you will receive notifications when new articles and website updates take place.
Feel free to contact us via the CONTACT FORM if you have any comments or questions.
We also have several very beautiful IMAGE GALLERIES that are loaded with photos from Thailand and other locations around the globe. All photos are original images that I have taken during the course of years of international travel.
Thank You for stopping by! Ken, Rose & Plammy...
