News
Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond. The Thaiger delivers the latest national news that matters.
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Sponsored Is private health insurance in Thailand worth it? Real costs vs risks explained
Thailand has a strong healthcare system with both public and private options. Public hospitals offer affordable care, but many people, including expats, choose private health insurance for faster service, modern facilities, and more treatment choices. To decide if private health...
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Thailand and Cambodia consider reopening Preah Vihear temple to boost tourism
Anticipation is growing among Thais for the reopening of the Preah Vihear temple ruins in Si Sa Ket after a 15-year suspension to boost tourism and promote peace dialogue with Cambodia. The temple has been inaccessible from Si Sa Ket’s Kantharalak district since 2008 due to border disputes between the two countries. Soldiers from both Thailand and Cambodia remain stationed…
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Thai rice exports valued at 23% more than same period last year
From January to April, Thailand’s rice exports reached 2.79 million tonnes, with an estimated total for the year surpassing 8 million tonnes, according to the government. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, expressed optimism regarding the exports being valued at US$1.5 billion (51.2 billion baht) revenue, a 23% increase compared to the same period last year, as reported by government spokesperson Anucha…
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Jennifer Lawrence’s film spotlights Afghan women defying Taliban
A young woman confronts a Taliban fighter, accusing him of oppressing women and closing schools and universities, in a scene from the documentary Bread and Roses. The film, produced by Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence, explores the lives of three Afghan women following the Taliban‘s takeover. Lawrence highlights the importance of showcasing women fighting back, a side of the story not…
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Thai driver loses control, crashes into fish-loaded vehicle, 3 killed
Three people lost their lives in a devastating crash involving a Toyota Fortuner, another motorbike with a sidecar loaded with fish, and an electric light pole in Thailand. Authorities were alerted to the incident which took place on Rama 2 Road in Amphawa in the central Samut Songkhram province this morning. A 33 year old driver, a manager of a company…
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Incheon hosts Thai roadshow to boost tourism and trade ties
Incheon Metropolitan City and Incheon Tourism Organisation recently launched their inaugural roadshow in Thailand, aimed at enhancing trade and tourism between the two nations. The event, titled “Incheon Soft Power Thailand Roadshow 2023,” took place at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel and featured a B2B session involving 50 Thai and 21 Incheon tourism-related businesses, as well as a concert showcasing…
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Thailand’s Tham Luang Cave reopens for tourists in July
Safety measures are being implemented ahead of the Tham Luang Cave site’s reopening in July, as announced by Thailand‘s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Bangkok Post reported. The cave gained international attention in 2018 when 12 young Wild Boars football players and their coach were trapped inside for 18 days due to flooding before being successfully rescued.…
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Thailand’s Pink Line monorail project faces third extension, delays completion to 2024
The completion date for Thailand‘s Pink Line monorail project has been pushed back by 345 days, marking the third extension granted by the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA). The new estimated finish date is now set for August 2024, as opposed to the previously anticipated July this year, Bangkok Post reported. Sarawut Songsivilai, Highways Department director-general and MRTA…
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Teen lures minors into swinger sex trade, gets caught at Bangkok hotel
Thai authorities apprehended a 17 year old male suspected of being involved in a child prostitution ring in the heart of Bangkok. The suspect allegedly lured male and female minors to sell sexual services in a “swinging” fashion. A background check revealed the suspect had been caught in a human trafficking case previously. Police Colonel Theerasak Janthraphiphat, head of the…
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Newborn baby’s charred body found in rubbish pile near resort in Thailand
In a horrific discovery, the charred body of a newborn baby girl was found discarded in a rubbish pile near a resort in Thailand‘s northeast Nakhon Ratchasima province. The incident, which took place yesterday, was reported to the Pho Klang Police Station, leading authorities and rescue teams to investigate the disturbing scene. The body was discovered in an empty lot…
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Drunk husband kills wife in rage with bamboo stick in northeast Thailand
Yesterday, police in the Thung Fon district of Thailand‘s northeast Udon Thani province were called to investigate a husband’s brutal killing of his wife with a bamboo stick. The incident occurred at a residence in Ban Kam Ta Tan, Moo 6, in Thung Yai sub-district. Upon arrival, the officers discovered the lifeless body of 54 year old Ruedee Khetkhongkwang, who…
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Former bar worker brutally murdered in Pattaya, decomposing body found
In a shocking case, a young woman who formerly worked in a bar was brutally murdered and left in a rented room in Pattaya for several days before her body was discovered. A cleaner at the apartment building had noticed a strong smell of decay and eventually alerted the police. On Friday evening, police from Pattaya City station investigated the…
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Thai man kills wife’s relative over family feud, injures niece
A 28 year old Thai man identified as Top turned himself into the authorities after he fatally stabbed a 51 year old relative of his wife, and injured his 18 year old niece in an alleged act of revenge. He claimed to be motivated by the victims’ disrespectful behaviour towards his family and lack of financial assistance. The incident took…
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Phuket boat crash victims offered visa extension assistance by immigration
In Phuket, immigration officials extended support to foreign tourists affected by a recent tour boat crash, offering visa extension assistance. Major Tanannat Srisuwan of Phuket Immigration informed The Phuket Express that 32 foreign tourists, including 21 Russians, one Ukrainian, eight Kazakhstani, one Hong Kong national, and one Chinese national, have been receiving treatment at various hospitals in Phuket. Yesterday, the…
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Human bones found in black bags by Chon Buri roadside
Villagers were stunned to discover three bags of human bones by the roadside in Thailand’s Chon Buri province. Authorities are now awaiting the arrival of relatives to claim the remains and confirm whether they belonged to any of their family members. Today, police officers from the Nong Ree sub-station in the Mueang Chon Buri district received a report from locals…
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Thai police foil bribery attempt to free Chinese suspects, fake officer arrested
Thai police arrested four individuals, including a man impersonating a high-ranking officer, who attempted to bribe law enforcement to release detained Chinese suspects. Today, it was reported that the authorities successfully apprehended the four culprits in a sting operation in Chiang Rai. Late in the night, officers from the Chiang Saen Immigration Checkpoint and Chiang Saen Police Station, led by…
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Phuket police seize grenades, guns, and drugs in multiple raids
Phuket Provincial Police seized two fragmentation grenades, firearms, ammunition, and drugs in a series of raids carried out in Wichit, Chalong, and Phuket Town. The recent drug and gun busts were announced yesterday, with no exact dates of the arrests provided, The Phuket News reported. Five arrests were made during the raids, led by Phuket Provincial Police Commissioner Pol. Lt. Col.…
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Thailand’s Democrats deny seeking to join Move Forward Party-led coalition
Prominent members of Thailand‘s Democrat Party dismissed claims that they are considering joining the coalition led by the Move Forward Party (MFP). These rumours emerged on Thursday night after the formation of a 10-party alliance, suggesting that a group of winning Democrat candidates close to acting party secretary-general Chalermchai Sri-on were seeking to approach the MFP and Pheu Thai to join…
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Thai senator faces indictment on money laundering, criminal organisation charges
A Thai Senator Upakit Pachirirangkun faces indictment on charges of money laundering and involvement in a transnational criminal organisation, according to Kosolwat Inthuchanyong, the spokesman for the Office of the Attorney-General. The decision follows a police investigation into the senator’s alleged connections with illicit activities, Bangkok Post reported this morning. However, 61 year old Upakit denied the charges. In a press conference…
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Young motorcyclist fatally crashes into 18-wheeler in northeast Thailand
A tragic accident occurred when a young motorcyclist lost his life after crashing his motorcycle into the back of a lorry at a junction in the Choak Chai district of northeast Thailand‘s Nakhon Ratchasima province. The incident took place at 4.39pm yesterday. Authorities were alerted by Pol. Lt. Col. Precha Suebratcha, a police officer who investigated the scene of the…
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Examination indicates that 3 year old Thai murder victim was sexually abused
A tragic and shocking incident occurred involving the murder of a three year old girl in Thailand’s southern Narathiwat province. The grief-stricken parents suspect foul play and believe someone is responsible for their daughter’s death. The Foundation for Children and Women’s Welfare is assisting the family in their pursuit of justice. Yesterday, Paweena Hongsakul, the president of the Paweena Hongsakul…
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Heartbroken man exposed as thief and drug addict
The tale of the heartbroken Thai man has taken a shocking turn. He was not the heartbroken man he presented, but allegedly a drug addict and a thief wanted by the police. The misfortune of 44 year old Panuwat Yuebua went viral on Thai social media. Many Thai netizens expressed their sympathy after learning that Panuwat’s employer did not pay…
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14 macaque carcasses found in house raid, wildlife trafficking suspects arrested
A recent raid in Cha-am district, Phetchaburi, led to the discovery of 14 deceased macaques and five more in distress, locked up without food or water. The provincial wildlife protection area director, Prawet Sunthornthai, led the wildlife conservation team that searched the rented house in Ban Khao Mainual, tambon Khao Yai, after receiving a tip from a neighbour. The search…
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Queen’s funeral costs taxpayers £162m amid cost-of-living crisis
The UK government has disclosed that the state funeral and related events for Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away last September, cost taxpayers almost £162 million (US$201 million). This is the first public estimate of the expenses associated with the funeral of Britain’s longest-serving monarch. The state funeral, held on September 19, required an extensive security operation to accommodate hundreds…
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Gambling addiction may have motivated Thai cyanide poisonings
The police investigation into the case of “Thai cyanide serial killer, Sararat “Am” on social media, has revealed that severe gambling addiction may have been a driving factor behind her alleged poisoning of 14 individuals. The investigation uncovered that 78 million baht had passed through the suspect’s bank accounts, with some of the money being transferred to proxy accounts set…
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Robbers’ comedic blunder in Vietnam turns empty shop heist into a farce
In something that resembled a Laurel and Hardy slapstick sketch, two robbers in Vietnam made a pig’s ear of stealing from an empty shop when the owner returned to the store. One of the robbers fled the scene leaving his partner in crime waiting on the getaway motorcycle. The store owner then jumped on the getaway motorcycle with robber number…
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School minibus crash injures several students in Prachinburi province
A school van crash leaves students injured and concerned parents rush to the hospital, as the first term of school starts. At 5pm on May 18, a terrible road accident occurred involving a school van carrying several students from Prachin Kallayanee and Prachinratsadorn Amroong schools in Prachin Buri province. The van collided with an electrical pole on the side of…
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Durian purchase escalates into heated couple argument over financial priorities
A debate among netizens has arisen after a quarrel between a Chinese couple was shared on social media. The wife, who works long hours, wanted to enjoy some durian fruit after returning home from work. However, her husband criticised her for spending excessively on the fruit, resulting in a heated argument. The incident occurred on May 6 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang…
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Indonesian shamans scam victims with ‘magic money’ schemes, face murder charges
Shamans posing as spiritual figures in Indonesia have swindled fearful citizens out of their life’s savings, leaving them destitute and shamed. Scammers promising to turn small investments into substantial riches have been widely circulated on social media sites like Facebook, reaching over 1.4 million viewers. This has led to a rise in fraudulent activities involving shamans which, in turn, has…
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6 Indian men arrested for overstaying in southern Thailand
Tourist police arrested six Indian men for overstaying their visas at a rental house in the Tamot district of Pattalung province in the southern part of Thailand. They also worked illegally in the province as ice cream sellers. The arrest took place today, May 19, following a tip-off from residents. The six foreigners had been residing together in a rental…
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World’s largest seed bank races to save threatened plant species
Tucked away beneath the English countryside, a vast collection of 40,000 wild plant species from around the globe is carefully preserved in bomb-proof frozen vaults. The Millennium Seed Bank (MSB), the world’s largest seed bank, is located south of London and is racing against time to save these seeds, as two out of five plant species face the threat of…
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