News
Stay up-to-date with the latest news from across Thailand and beyond with The Thaiger. Our dedicated team brings you breaking news, in-depth analysis, and exclusive stories from this stunning part of the world, covering a diverse range of topics, including local politics, business, culture, and tourism. Keep yourself informed about the Kingdom’s rich history, stunning landscapes, and thriving expat communities, as well as updates on events, attractions, and transportation.
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Sponsored How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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Tsunami advisory in Philippines after 7.1 quake off Davao Oriental
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has made a public warning to Filipinos on Saturday to temporarily stay away from beaches and not go to the coast after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck off Davao Oriental. In its Tsunami Information No. 1, Phivolcs said, “Minor sea level disturbances such as strong currents and rapid rise and fall of seawater…
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UK honours given to British divers for Thai cave rescue
PHOTO: CNN, The Nation The seven British cave divers who took part in the extraordinary Tham Luang cave rescue operation have been awarded during Britain’s traditional New Year Honours announced Friday. Out of the seven, four received awards of exceptional bravery, three were made Members of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE). The two divers who made…
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Foreigner woman caught on video spray painting road in Rawai
PHOTO: Patthama Bruno Facebook A video is being shared on social media of a Russian speaking woman caught red handed spray painting all across a road in Rawai, Phuket. Facebook user Patthama Bruno was out on her morning run when she saw something a little out of the ordinary and decided to share it online. In the video we see…
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The Top 10 news stories for Thailand in 2018
There are two Top Ten lists for the most popular stories of 2018. This list is voted by The Thaiger as Thailand’s most influential or important stories. We will also have the list of the stories YOU clicked on the most – coming next week. For now let’s see, in no particular order, which stories grabbed The Thaiger’s attention in…
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Top 10 party countdowns for new years eve in Phuket 2019
New years eve is just around the corner. Are you ready? There are lots of options for dinner around the island. But what are you doing after that on December 31?– when the kids go to bed and the adults can go out, where there is bubbly to be found and music to dance to. In case you’re not sure,…
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“Make the economy better” – NIDA poll
The December 24-26 National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) poll of 1,252 people across the country over age 18 and of various levels of education and occupations asked what they wanted from the government that will be formed after the election scheduled for late February. More than anything Thais want the government to improve the economy. More than 52 per cent…
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Phuket Day Two of ‘seven days of danger’
PHOTO: Newshawk Phuket As reports are tallied for the second full day of the ‘Seven Days of Danger’ (December 28) road and marine safety campaign, no deaths were reported for the second day but eight people were injured. According to statistics issued by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Phuket Office the island saw 8 road accidents on…
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Watch leather back sea turtle eggs on Phang Nga beach via cams
PHOTOS: DMCR Fences have been set up on Kuek Kak Beach in Khao Lak, Phang Nga to prevent thieves and animals from disturbing turtle eggs that were laid there earlier last week. There are now six CCTVs monitoring the area. A mother leather back sea turtle laid 93 eggs at the beach in Khao Lak, Phang Nga last week. The 89…
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More AirAsia flights into Krabi
Air Asia is increasing services to the Krabi in south Thailand to four daily flights starting January 9. Faced with declines in Chinese visitors to neighbouring Phuket island, mainland Krabi has also witnessed a decline in visits and advance bookings through to the end of January 2019. In addition to overnight stays at Krabi’s beach resorts, the province also relies…
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Buddhist blessings ring in the new year for ASEAN
by Phatarawadee Phataranawik With Thailand chairing ASEAN throughout 2019, the Culture Ministry is fostering unity among the bloc’s 10 members by bringing to Bangkok relics and statues of the Buddha from around Asia to be ritually blessed. “Thailand is for the first time hosting this grand annual New Year blessing ceremony,” said Kittiphan Phansuwan, director of the ministry’s Religious Affairs…
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42 die, 400+ injured on Day One of road safety campaign
Forty-two people were killed and 432 injured in 420 road accidents on the very first of the New Year “seven dangerous days” period (December 27-January 2). Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kowsurat told a press conference at the Thai RSC that Chiang Mai and Ratchaburi reported the highest number of road accidents with 19 cases each, while Khon Kaen and…
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6.1-magnitude earthquake jolts West Papua
by Ivany Atina Arbi – The Jakarta Post A 6.1 magnitude earthquake has jolted West Papua this morning. The news comes from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency. The earthquake struck at around 10am local time, with its epicentre located some 55 kilometres southeast of South Manokwari and predicted to be 26 km deep. “It did not trigger a tsunami,”…
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Hundreds of diseased cats & dogs living in Bangkok animal shelter
PHOTOS: Watchdog Thailand Animal rights group Watchdog Thailand have shared photos of dismaying condition in Bangkok’s Prawet animal shelter. The images and video show diseased and distressed animals crammed into metal cages, with the few healthy ones living in small dens. Khaosod English is reporting that ‘Watchdogs Thailand’ say that around 400 cats and dogs have died in their two weeks…
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Fire in Khlong Toei destroys a row of shops
By Kittipong Maneerit A 3am fire in Bangkok’s Khlong Toei district has destroyed five shops but luckily caused no injuries. Fire-fighters spent an hour extinguishing the blaze that started in the four-room furniture shop next to the disused Pak Nam railway. Ten fire engines were engaged, but the flames had already engulfed the entire furniture shop full of flammable materials…
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Thai AirAsia launches new direct flights out of Chiang Rai
AirAsia has confirmed it will launch direct international flights, from Chiang Rai to KL, Macau and Singapore at the end of January, 2019. Operated by AirAsia Thailand, the Chiang Rai-Kuala Lumpur direct service will operate four times weekly from January 31. At the same time Thai AirAsia will launch a direct service from Chiang Rai to Phuket competing head-on with…
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Thailand shopping for Russian helicopters
PHOTO: forceindia.net Thailand has shown interest in Russian helicopter brand Ansat and their Mi171A2 and Ka-32 models, the CEO of the holding company Helicopters of Russia, Andrei Boginsky, told Russian news agency TASS yesterday. “As far as Thailand is concerned, the helicopters Ansat and Mi-171A2 have aroused great interest. Thailand’s police are interested in purchasing Ansats. Also, there has been…
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Ex-Mitsubishi executives confess to bribing Thai port officials
PHOTO: Nikkei Asian Review Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems former executives, 63 year old Fuyuhiko Nishikida and 57 year old Yoshiki Tsuji, have confessed to bribing a Thai public servant to ensure smooth treatment of cargo through a southern port of Thailand. This follows the scandal surrounding the construction of a power plant in Thailand in 2013 and allegations made towards…
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Two deaths in Krabi over first two ‘seven days of danger’
Two deaths have been reported on day two of Krabi’s New Year seven days of danger A Swedish tourist and a Thai have died in Krabi road accidents for the first two days of the ‘seven days of danger’ campaign. At 10am yesterday a 33 year old Swedish tourist big bike driver was crushed by a trailer after he collided…
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Elon Musk asks court to throw out cave rescue diver’s lawsuit
Elon Musk is asking a California judge to throw out a lawsuit filed against him by a British diver who accused the tech entrepreneur of falsely calling him a paedophile. tvnz.co.nz is reporting that yesterday’s court filing argues that “the public knew from the outset that Musk’s insults were not intended to be statements of fact.” Musk called diver Vernon…
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Samut Prakan karaoke bar raided, under-age sex workers rounded up
FILE PHOTO Nine alleged sex workers, including two 16 year old and four 17 year olds, have been rounded up at a karaoke bar in Samut Prakan’s Bang Sao Thong district, south of Bangkok. Administrative officials raided the bar after an anti-human trafficking non-governmental organisation complained that the bar might have been providing underage prostitution services. Last night’s 8.30pm raid…
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UPDATE: Golf cart accident kills two Koreans in Phitsanulok
by Rob Picheta and Kocha Olarn Two men died after one of their golf carts rammed the other into a river on a course in northern Thailand. CNN reports that the men, who were visiting from South Korea, were golfing with their wives Tuesday in northern Thailand’s Phitsanulok province. While mounting a raft in order to cross the river that…
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Child porn and fraud arrests among festive season stings
by Suriya Patathayo “Eight suspects arrested over child pornography charges.” As the annual ‘silly season’ rolls out, immigration police chief Pol Maj-General Surachate Hakpal in Bangkok wanted to make sure we hadn’t forgotten him. In a media scrum yesterday he reported four recent arrests – “Net Idol” fraud suspects, the arrest of an alleged con artist using the lure of…
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No deaths in the first day of ‘seven days of danger’ in Phuket
FILE PHOTO As reports are tallied for the first full day of the ‘Seven Days of Danger’ road and marine safety campaign, no deaths were reported but five people have been injured. According to statistics issued by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Phuket Office the island saw 5 road accidents on Day One of the campaign, resulting…
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Southern intelligence contradicts Deputy PM over Songkhla bomb motives
The deputy PM General Prawit Wongsuwan, and national security chief, is linking the Wednesday night bomb attacks in Songkhla to local politics in the southern province. This contradicts intelligence units on the ground who suspect the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) were behind the blasts, in an attempt to disturb the southern business hub. The BRN are the main political organisation…
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NACC finds Prawit innocent in relation to luxury watches
“The controversy erupted late last year when Prawit showed up at a Cabinet meeting sporting a Richard Mille designer wristwatch said to be worth nearly 3 million baht.” The National Anti-Corruption Commission has ruled in favour of Deputy PM General Prawit Wongsuwan, saying he was not guilty of falsely reporting or concealing his assets. The national anti-graft commission’s secretary general Worawit…
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Two Koreans drown in freak golf buggy accident in Phitsanulok
FILE PHOTO Two South Korean men have drowned after their golf buggy collided with one driven by their wives in northern Thailand today. The Guardian reports that the group were on a ferry on Wednesday preparing to cross the river that runs through the course in Phitsanulok province when the men were accidentally rammed by their wives in another. The…
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Deputy PM links last night’s Songkhla attack to local issues
Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan, and defence minister, has linked last night’s Songkhla bomb attacks to politics in the southern province. He says he is confident that the incidents had nothing to do with insurgency in the deep South, claiming that security authorities already knew who was behind the Samila Beach attack. “The aim was to cause chaos during the New…
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Seven arrested with 500 kilograms of kratom in Phuket
Officers have arrested seven suspects in possession of 500 kilograms of kratom. Police seized the kratom and made the arrests in Thalang today. Officers arrested three female and four male suspects – 34 year old Prapawadee Sangiem, 30 year old Kemmika Wongkla, 29 Wanidanut Manratoe, 27 year old Nirat Jaeka, 23 year old Tawatchai Chapharb, 23 year old Bakareeya Waehama…
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Thailand’s emerging ‘go to’ location for New Year
Tokyo, Paris, New York City… and Chiang Mai. Whilst the first three are perennial favorites to ring in the new year, Chiang Mai has overtaken Thailand’s capital as THE place to be to see in 2019, according to Agoda. Tokyo’s appeal continues with concerts, parades and light shows on offer. For Thais, Chiang Mai overtakes Bangkok’s crown for the top…
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Hua Hin “full for New Year”
Talk News is reporting that a local tourism adviser was expecting 100% occupancy in Hua Hin and Cha-Am hotels at New Year. Though it was not just foreigners but many Thais who were visiting in droves this festive season. Runrot Sileuangsawat was quoted as saying that, at the moment, occupancy rates were an average of 80% in the two seaside…
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