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.
The Thaiger is your essential resource for staying connected with Thailand’s captivating blend of tradition and modernity. To remain in the loop with the country’s most trusted news source, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media.
-
18 year old stabbed 18 times outside his house
PHUKET: The body of a teenager, who was stabbed 18 times in the latest incident of violent crime in Phuket, was found outside his house in Koh Kaew late last night. “We received reports from locals about a body found in Soi Han Farang at about 11:55pm,” confirmed Capt Udom Petcharat of the Phuket City Police. The victim was named…
-
Chinese passenger injured in tour bus crash on Patong Hill
PHUKET: One man was injured when a bus loaded with Chinese tourists broke through a roadside barrier and veered off the road on Patong Hill yesterday evening. “We received reports from locals that a bus had crashed in front of the Sea Pearl Hotel,” confirmed Patong Police Lt Jongserm Preecha. “The driver, Tairong Chutai, 30, was returning 25 Chinese tourists…
-
Lanna hopes to foster Phuket-Chiang Mai trade
PHUKET: Tourism officials from northern provinces are hoping that a scheme to circulate tourists within the country will lead to better trade connections between Chiang Mai and Phuket. Samroeng Chaisen, head of the ‘Office of Strategy Management Upper Northern Provincial Cluster 1’, Supawan Teerarat of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, and other relevant officers met on June 16 to…
-
On Deck: Large trimarans to the fore
PHUKET: Multihull sailing isn’t something new to Phuket. In fact, some would argue multihulls are the ideal boats for Phuket’s waters. With their shallow draft they can more easily access some areas as compared to their monohull cousins. While everyone has different tastes in terms of size, brand and two hulls or three, what is relatively new to the local…
-
109-year-old grandma oldest person in Krabi
PHUKET: Plaipraya District Chief Paisarn Srithep visited the oldest living person in Krabi on June 21 and was delighted, and surprised, to find her in good health. Pliaw Petchpuang, 109, was born in 1907. “We were surprised to find that Ms Pliaw is in great health, able to walk unassisted, and indeed busy,” said Mr Paisarn. Ms Pliaw stays with…
-
Domestic dispute ends in bloodbath, one stabbed to death
PHUKET: A 49-year-old Myanmar national was stabbed to death in Kathu last night, after a domestic dispute escalated into a bloodbath. Kathu Police received reports of the man’s shirtless body lying on Baan Na Koh Road near Loch Palm Golf Club. Officers arrived at the scene to find the body of the victim, named only as Mr Ta, on the…
-
Newly-arrived tourists injured in Patong bus crash
PHUKET: Five tourists, including a five-year-old boy, were injured when a tourist bus flipped over in Patong this morning. The bus, which was carrying 14 Chinese, was heading toward the Patong Bay Hill Resort & Spa from Phuket International Airport. Patong Police received reports of this the latest tour bus crash at about 8:30am. The injured were taken to Patong…
-
PLTO, taxi reps in stalemate over cutting fares
PHUKET: Following the latest public backlash against high taxi fares, officials from the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) met with drivers’ representatives on Thursday to discuss a new minimum price for their services. The meeting ended with the taxi and tuk-tuk drivers turning down the PLTO’s suggestions. Public outrage erupted after Thai-speaking expat Jack Brown posted a video on Facebook…
-
Fatal crash victim’s family demands B2.1mn in damages
PHUKET: The family of a German man killed in a Phuket road accident in December last year has demanded 1.3 million baht as compensation for his death and 800,000 baht for his partner’s injuries. The suspect, Jakarin Rodpradit, 26, has requested a month to assess the situation, after both sides met for negotiations at Phuket Provincial Court this afternoon. He…
-
Island View: First street food adventure in Phuket
PHUKET: A friend of mine, who intends to visit Phuket shortly, asked me what the street food was like here. Being a picky eater and mostly cooking for myself at home, I realized I hadn’t tried much in the way of street food for the year that I’ve been in Phuket. Armed with dozens of recommendations from friends and colleagues,…
-
Thailand tourism faces uncertainty over Brexit fallout
MARKETS across Asia are reeling after it became known this afternoon that Great Britain will exit the European Union. Investors are fleeing to more stable currencies, such as the US dollar, the Swiss Franc and the Japanese Yen, causing major upheavals in Japan whose government has been trying to devalue the Yen in an effort to increase exports and stimulate…
-
A closer look at the luxury car market
PHUKET: The exponential increase in the number of cars – particularly high-end ones – in Phuket in the last decade alone, warrants a closer look at some of the factors that make this multi-billion-baht business tick. Millennium Auto, one of the newest luxury car outlets to open on the island, gave an exclusive account of the ins and outs of…
-
Ministry of Farang Affairs: Welcome to the farang flying club
The Ministry of Farang Affairs is a one-stop shop where foreigners in Thailand can learn all they need to know about living here. No, we’re not talking about work permits, visas or taxes. We’re talking about day-to-day life in the Land of Endless Shocks and Riddles, of Blur, Befuddlement and the Bizarre. Stay tuned for weekly insights from Minister Stephff.For…
-
Super algae solution for bleached Phi Phi coral
KRABI: Super algae is to be deployed in the Phi Phi national marine park in a world-first attempt to revive bleached coral. Bleaching has affected about 80 per cent of the coral in Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park’s protected area, said the park’s chief Sarayuth Tanthien on June 23. Mr Sarayuth blamed rapid tourism growth…
-
Opinion: The never-ending battle to protect Thai tourism
PHUKET: The recent arrest of a businessman for allegedly faking a Thai national identification card is just the latest development in the seemingly never-ending battle to protect the Thai tourism industry from illegal foreign opportunists. Thai authorities are, of course, correct to prosecute, to the full extent of the law, any foreigner who would resort to forgery in an attempt…
-
Six couples tie the knot in Baba Yaya wedding
PHUKET: Six couples tied the knot during a mass traditional ‘Baba Yaya’ wedding ceremony at Hongyok mansion in Phuket Town on June 19, including Vice Governor Kajornkiet Rakpanitmanee and his wife Pitima Rakpanitmanee, as well as two other Thai couples and three Chinese-Taipei couples. ‘Baba’ and ‘Yaya’ are ancient terms for male and female respectively, used for the descendants of…
-
Suu Kyi to discuss refugee crisis during first state visit
BANGKOK: Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi will face questions about the refugee crises after her arrival in Bangkok today for her first official visit to strengthen ties between the neighboring countries. While many observers view the Nobel-prize winner as the first Myanmar civilian government official in half a century, Ms Suu Kyi refrained from drawing attention to the…
-
Two monks arrested, face deportation for illegal entry
PHUKET: Phuket Immigration Police arrested two monks at the Buddhamongkolnimitr Temple (Wat Klang) yesterday. Officers questioned monks at Wat Klang after receiving reports of two Cambodian monks begging for food and money from locals. “We arrived at Wat Klang at 5:30am and waited for the pair to leave for their daily alms collections, which they did at about 6:30am,” said…
-
Bypass construction gridlock to be solved
Engineers working at the Bangkoo underpass project said that the traffic gridlock at the bypass intersection with Thepkrasattri Road will be solved today. “The traffic was worse these past several days because we closed one of the lanes at the construction junction,” said Somkiet Yimpong, the Bangkoo project engineer from the Department of Highways. “The construction company originally asked for…
-
Gas station boss shoots man in head for leaving water on
PHUKET: Police are hunting for a gas station manager who allegedly shot dead a Krabi volunteer police officer yesterday after an argument over who left on the water to an artificial waterfall. Lt Anuwat Raksakyot of the Ao Nang Police said he received a report yesterday morning that a man was shot at the gas station on Petch Kasem Road…
-
Kiwi stabbed in back at Kata Beach
PHUKET: A Thai surf board renter is on the run after allegedly stabbing a New Zealander in the back with a knife yesterday evening. The incident occurred at Kata Beach. Police named the suspect as Kittichai Junkaew, 29, from the southern province of Nakhon Sri Thammarat. The police say the victim, Christopher Smith, 52, was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital…
-
Poisonous snake stops Phuket motorist in his tracks
PHUKET: Snake catchers were called out yesterday to bag a venomous two-meter-long snake that had become stuck inside the engine of a car in Phuket Town. “We were called to the scene about 1:30pm, where we found a boiga dendrophila, commonly called the mangrove snake or gold-ringed cat snake, inside the engine of a Toyota on Luang Phor Road,” said…
-
Officials eye plans to zone migrant workers
PHUKET: Officials are mulling over regulations that would restrict migrant workers in the province to specific zones. Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada on Friday announced that authorities are chalking out plans to manage unskilled migrant laborers ‘more effectively’. “Each local authority should designate specific areas for foreign workers to live in,” Governor Chamroen said. “Those areas should be separated from the…
-
Phuket bodybuilders bring home medals from international competition
PHUKET: Phuket’s top female bodybuilder Wilaiporn Wannaklang arrived back home on Thursday, after spending over a month on the road, and in the air, flexing for judges in the US and winning a silver medal in an international bodybuilding contest Ms Wilaiporn was one of three Thais – two of them Phuket-based bodybuilders – who clinched international titles in the…
-
Police hunt ‘farang’ donation box robber
PHUKET: Police are hunting for a ‘farang-looking’ man who stole 1,400 baht from a donation box outside a mosque in Kamala. The thief was captured on CCTV using tools to break into the metal and glass box attached to a wall at the Boot Ror mosque on Thursday night. Lt Sophon Borirak of the Kamala Police said the thief appears…
-
Phuket Highways Office director bows out
PHUKET: After five years of public service in Phuket, the director of the Phuket Highways Office is bowing out and moving on to Trang. Samak Luedwonghad announced the move on Tuesday, citing official governmental policy that requires public servants to change provincial positions every four years. “I have been in Phuket for five years, and it’s time to move on,”…
-
Python greets Krabi highschooler in desk drawer
KRABI: A 17-year-old student received a nasty surprise when she opened her classroom desk to find a one meter-long snake on Monday. The incident went viral on social media, with netizens sharing a picture of the snake inside the student’s drawer. Many urged schools across the province to increase their security and questioned how such a large snake could have…
-
Ministry of Farang Affairs: ‘Spa’ is not necessarily professional
The Ministry of Farang Affairs is a one-stop shop where foreigners in Thailand can learn all they need to know about living here. No, we’re not talking about work permits, visas or taxes. We’re talking about day-to-day life in the Land of Endless Shocks and Riddles, of Blur, Befuddlement and the Bizarre. Stay tuned for weekly insights from Minister Stephff.…
-
PTT launches campaign to encourage Thais to sort their trash
PHUKET: Gas stations in Phuket could soon be displaying colorful trash bins as part of a nationwide campaign by PTT to urge consumers to sort their waste and dispose of it in the appropriate bins. Dubbed ‘Yak Lak Yim’, the trash-sorting drive is aimed at improving better waste-disposal habits in exchange for funding to assist local communities. Sarun Rungkasiri, Chief…
-
Opinion: Importance of responsible publishing
PHUKET: Busaya Jaipiam, 56, is the Phuket Provincial Public Relations Chief. She is originally from Surat Thani, and received a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications from Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University. She also obtained a master’s degree in Political Science from the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA). Here, she talks about the media’s – and all citizens’ – responsibilities when…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.