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 5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)
Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...
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Juvenile court releases Nong Tor’s mother on bail for 9,000 baht
UPDATE A juvenile court in central Thailand released “Nim”, the 17 year old mother of missing baby Nong Tor, on bail for 9,000 baht yesterday after she confessed to dumping the body of her eight month old son in the Tha Chin River on February 5. Police interrogated Nim for more than six hours before charging her on three counts:…
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Man accuses Ukrainian in Phuket of working illegally as taxi driver
A man accused a Ukrainian national in Phuket of working illegally as a taxi driver. The accuser recorded a video of a Ukrainian man, 35 year old Andril Mindalin, parking a passenger van on a side street in Patong. Four people were in the back of the van, The Phuket News reported. The man who recorded the video accused Mindalin…
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Thailand is home to the most motorcyclists in the world
The Pew Research Centre reported that Thailand has the most motorcyclists in the world. Similarly, most victims of road accidents in the country are riding motorcycles. If you’ve ever visited Vietnam, you might have noticed the abundance of motorbikes on the road, especially in Ho Chi Minh City. It may lead you to believe that Vietnam has the highest number…
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Thailand to haggle for discounted SEA Games broadcasting rights
Cambodia is the very first host country of the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) to charge membership countries a broadcasting rights fee, costing US$800,000, or about 28 million baht. Thailand plans to negotiate the cost before the games begin in May, citing that the fee is too expensive. The secretary-general of the Cambodia SEA Games Organizing Committee and National Olympic…
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Khao San Road bouncers warned against use of violence after one slaps foreign tourist (video)
The Superintendent of Chana Songkram Police Station rounded up all the bouncers working on Bangkok’s notorious Khao San Road yesterday to remind them not to use violence against tourists and partygoers. The warning follows a recent viral video of a security guard, working at a nightclub on Khao San Road, handcuffing a Westerner and repeatedly slapping him in the face.…
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Pattaya club that burned down in 2021 not allowed to reopen
A Pattaya club that burned down in 2021 won’t be allowed to reopen. The city plans to sue the owner of the Nashaa Club, which caught fire three times that year, Pattaya Mail reported today. The Nashaa Club was an Indian club on Pattaya‘s Walking Street. Pattaya officials have claimed that the club is one of 101 buildings illegally encroaching onto seafront…
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UTN deputy leader accused of taking King’s name in vain
A Saturday speech at an election rally by deputy UTN leader Trairong Suwankiri that referred to the Thai royal family has set a former election commissioner’s ears buzzing. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s brand new Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party (United Thai Nation/UTN) could be in trouble. The new political force is already looking somewhat slightly tarnished, as a senior PM…
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Cruise ship brings over 2,000 European tourists to Koh Samui and Chon Buri
A cruise ship brought over 2,000 European tourists to Thailand’s lush holiday paradise of Koh Samui, before heading to Chon Buri province. The 2,409 tourists and 924 crew members arrived at Koh Samui‘s Na Thon Pier on Saturday on a Mein Schiff 5 cruise ship. The tourists would enjoy a one-day trip before heading to Sri Racha district of Chon…
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Nok Air begins Bangkok-Hyderabad flights
Thailand’s budget airline Nok Air has begun direct Bangkok-Hyderabad flights linking the Thai capital with India’s IT hotspot. A Boeing 737-800 aircraft with 189 Economy Class seats plies the nonstop route from Don Mueang International Airport to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport four times per week. Nok Air begins Bangkok-Hyderabad flights The new route provides Hyderabad, a major centre for the…
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Car crash in Kanchanaburi kills German tourist and Thai driver
A car crash in Kanchanaburi province tragically killed a German tourist and a Thai tour van driver yesterday in Sai Yok district. The incident took place at around 6pm near kilometre marker 127+800 on Highway 323 (Sai Yok-Thong Pha Phum), near Moo 4 village in tambon Tha Sao. The crash happened when a Toyota Fortuner veered across the middle line…
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Jetstar Bangkok flight stranded in Alice Springs
Hundreds of passengers on a Jetstar Bangkok flight Saturday were stranded on board the aircraft at Alice Springs airport for seven hours. The latest mega-delay comes just days after a 2-hour flight across Japan became a 16-hour nightmare when a flight was denied permission to land because it was 10 minutes late. Jetstar flight JQ30 was heading from Bangkok to Melbourne on Saturday with 320 passengers…
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Warehouse fire uncovers homemade alcohol operation
A Pattaya warehouse containing homemade alcohol went up in flames early this morning, according to local reports. Firefighters and police arrived at the warehouse, located in the Pong sub-district of Bang Lamung district, following a report about a fire at 1am yesterday. The warehouse caught fire in an electrical glitch that the caretaker said was caused by an electric kettle…
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Thai national park wins prestigious environmental award
Thailand struggles to maintain its environment due to pollution, but some national parks are fighting to protect the country’s natural beauty. A national park in Thailand‘s Prachuap Khirik Khan province won a prestigious environmental award. The country’s Department of Environmental Quality Promotion and the Department of National Parks awarded Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park with the Green National Park…
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Man threatens to release sex tape, woman cuts off his penis
An Indonesian man’s short-sighted demand for sex may have cost him his ability to ever have sex again. On Saturday the man’s girlfriend allegedly cut off his penis in a fit of rage after he insisted on sex. The woman was apparently annoyed at her boyfriend earlier, so turned him down for sex. He persisted and threatened to release a…
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Group rallies in Patong for end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
A group rallied in Patong on Saturday, calling for an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The group of around 30 people gathered a year and one day after Russia first invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The demonstrators, many of whom were Ukrainians and Russians, held placards with slogans in English and Russian, The Phuket News reported. Slogans included…
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Police arrest 2 men, 1 woman for overpass threesome in Thailand
Police in Phitsanulok province arrested two Thai men and one Thai woman for engaging in public sex on an overpass in broad daylight after a local media outlet exposed them on Facebook yesterday. Local news Facebook page named Esor News 2 posted a picture yesterday of what appears to be a couple having sex on a bridge with the caption… “Young…
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New meth pills under 10 baht each flooding market
If you’ve been thinking of dabbling in meth but found the pills cost-prohibitive, drug cartels are here to help. They’ve been flooding the Northeast of Thailand with cheap methamphetamine pills, costing under 10 baht each, causing concern among authorities. How do manufacturers manage to keep the cost of pills so low? The answer is insecticide. Drug makers use insecticide as…
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English tourist seriously injured after fall from hotel balcony in Thailand
A 23 year old English tourist is seriously injured after falling three floors from a hotel balcony on Koh Phi Phi island in southern Thailand two weeks ago. Kieran Martin, a personal trainer from Castleford in England, sustained an open-book pelvic fracture which caused internal bleeding when the accident happened ten days into his three-week dream holiday to Thailand with…
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Scammers nab 16 million baht from Chon Buri businessman through app
Thailand’s scammers have struck again, nabbing 16 million baht from a Chon Buri businessman through an app. They used what they claimed was an Internal Trade Department app to take control of the victim’s phone. The victim, 40 year old Watchara Srichuengcharoenchai, said one of the scammers called him on Friday, claiming to be an official from Internal Trade Department.…
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‘Dilbert’ dropped from hundreds of papers after racist remarks
After “Dilbert” comic strip creator Scott Adams made derogatory remarks about Black people in a video he posted online, hundreds of US newspapers have announced that they will no longer publish the popular comic strip. The iconic comic strip that lampooned office life became massively popular in the 1990s, even spawning a TV show briefly. But, in recent years, Adams…
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Phuket police bust another bar over legal closing time
Phuket police busted another bar over the legal closing time. Officers from Mueang Phuket District and Wichit Police raided Phuket a bar in the Wichit sub-district of the main city district in the early hours of Friday morning. This was after concerned citizens complained that the bar was opened past the legal closing time. The cops arrested the bar’s manager,…
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Mother of missing baby ‘Nong Tor’ confesses
The mother of the eight month old baby who went missing from Nakhon Phatom province in central Thailand on February 5 has confessed to dumping her son’s body in the Tha Chin river, reported Deputy National Police Chief Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn this morning. According to Thai Rath, the baby’s 17 year old mother “Nim” confessed to the police that Nong…
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Company ranks Bangkok 30th best city in the world, 2nd best in ASEAN
Thailand’s capital city of Bangkok has been ranked high lately on several lists of cities in a number of different areas. Now, a famous tourism consulting company, Resonance Consultancy, has named the Bangkok the 30th best city in the world, and the second best in ASEAN. A Thai government spokesperson, Anucha Burapachaisri, announced on the ranking on Saturday. Resonance Consultancy…
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Udon Thani thief with a heart of gold, and head of lead
What happened to an Udon Thani thief last week could so easily happen to any of us. You are strolling down the street – or cycling – and something in a shop window catches your eye, shiny and glittery. You pause to admire some random treasure beyond the glass and you think: “That’s beautiful. I’d love to own that.” But…
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Viral video shows Khao San club guard slapping tourist
A video clip showing a foreign tourist being handcuffed and slapped in the face by a security guard in a popular pub in the Khao San Road area of Bangkok has gone viral on social media. The victim is thought to be a well-known YouTuber. The incident has sparked outrage among commenters and led to the guard being fired. In…
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Krabi homeowner shocked by 5-metre king cobra snake
If you were a giant king cobra snake, where would you live? The answer is apparently “anywhere you want.” A homeowner in Krabi got a major surprise when they discovered a five-metre-long king cobra relaxing at their house this week. A team of snake handlers successfully caught the king cobra that was hiding under a chair in front of their…
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Police in Rayong destroy thousands of guns
Thousands of guns seized by police were destroyed in a ceremony at a Millcon Steel Company facility in Rayong this week. The destruction marks the latest effort by the Royal Thai Police to enforce gun control in the country and combat illegal firearm possession. The national police chief Pol. Gen. Damrongsak Kittiprapas and his deputy presided over the gun destruction…
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Officials warn against Phuket flight price gouging
If you are frustrated at the rising costs of airfare to Phuket, you’re not the only one. The popular resort island has been facing complaints from tourists regarding rising airfare prices during the high season. In response, the Provincial Public-Private Joint Economic Development Committee has warned airlines against overcharging customers for flights to Phuket, especially during long holidays. The warning…
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2-hour flight becomes 16-hour nightmare in Japan
Sometimes a few minutes makes all the difference. After a delayed takeoff, a 2-hour flight across Japan became a 16-hour nightmare when it was denied permission to land because it was 10 minutes late. The 335 passengers aboard Japan Airlines (JAL) flight JL 331 were caught in limbo between their departure from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport and Fukuoka International Airport who…
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Thai Airways to merge with Thai Smile to ‘reduce losses’
Thai Airways is to merge with Thai Smile to “reduce losses.” The plan is expected to be approved by the end of this year. Piyasvasti Amranand, chairman of THAI’s committee overseeing the airline’s rehabilitation, said the restructuring had been on the cards for a while and had always been part of the plan. “A study about the merger plan is…
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