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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Answers to the most common questions about international health insurance
If you’ve been thinking of staying in Thailand long-term, you’ve probably already asked the big question, “Do I actually need international health insurance?” It’s a question that often comes up among expats, digital nomads, retirees, and even frequent travellers. Sure,...
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Live the high life: Get an affordable luxury property in Phuket!
Are you ready to take the leap and live your best life? Then the sun-kissed shores of Phuket is the perfect destination for you. Not only is it the ultimate destination for sun, sand, and surf, but it’s also a hotspot for affordable luxury properties. That’s right, you can have it all – stunning sea views, private pools, lush gardens,…
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5,000 year old tavern found in Iraq
Feel like your local pub is a bit old and dated? Archaeologists have discovered the remains of a tavern dating back almost 5,000 years in the ruins of ancient Lagash in southern Iraq. The site was uncovered in the northeast of the modern city of Nasiriyah by a US-Italian team. Southern Iraq was home to some of the earliest cities…
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Security guard unconscious in hospital after being assaulted by baseball bat wielding thug
A security guard from a village in the Klong Sam Wa district of Bangkok suffered critical injuries and is unconscious in hospital after a baseball bat-wielding thug beat him up without reason. The attacker’s father blamed the violent assault on his son’s depression. The video capturing the thug brutally beating the helpless security guard with a baseball bat was circulated…
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Alleged macau888 gambling kingpin Benz Daemon arrested upon return to Thailand
Wanted alleged macau888 gambling kingpin Benz Daemon was finally arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport upon his return to Thailand last night to face gambling and money laundering charges. Chaiwat Kajornboonthavorn, aka “Benz Daemon,” was arrested and detained for interrogation at 9.30pm after arriving in Bangkok on a Thai Airways flight from Hong Kong. He denies the charges filed against him. Benz…
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IBM sues former Thai CEO after she moves to competitor
One of the world’s largest technology companies, the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), filed a lawsuit against the former Thai CEO of IBM Thailand, Patama Chantaruk, after she moved to work for the competitor before the non-disclosure agreement ended. According to a Bloomberg report, the 56 year old Patama joined IBM Thailand in 2018 as managing director and quit at…
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Jobseekers from the Philippines urged to be cautious when considering job offers overseas
Jobseekers from the Philippines are being urged to exercise caution when considering employment offers overseas. The Philippines government reported that illegal cross-country recruitment has been around for years with several Asian countries guilty of offering fake employment opportunities, trafficking individuals, and coercing applicants into working at fraudulent call centres. The Facebook page of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration Anti-Illegal Recruitment…
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Thai schoolgirl dies from electric shock while charging phone
In a series of events becoming too familiar in Thailand, a 13 year old schoolgirl was electrocuted while charging her phone and was found dead by her grandmother. A frayed extension cable is believed to be the cause. On Monday at 1.30pm, officers at Ban Na Police Station in Nakhon Nayok province were informed a child had died from an…
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Festival coming up at Sarasin Bridge in Phuket and Phang Nga
A festival is coming up at Sarasin Bridge, which connects Thailand’s island province of Phuket with Phang Nga province. This will be the 13th time the festival, called the ‘Baan Phi Muang Nong’ project, has been held. The festival will start on Friday, February 17, and last until Sunday, February 19. The festival will dazzle attendees with fireworks shows, live…
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Woman stabs 11 year old girl for smiling at her (video)
A woman with mental health problems was arrested yesterday after she stabbed an 11 year old girl in the neck. The woman did it because she was angry the girl and her mother smiled at her in front of a convenience store. The girl’s father, Kittiphat, sought help from the non-profit organisation Saimai Survive, after the stabbing incident on February…
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Papua militants release video of kidnapped NZ pilot
New footage has been released by the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), showing that New Zealand pilot, Philip Mehrtens, who was kidnapped last week, is alive and well. The video is the first proof of life since he was reportedly taken captive by Papua insurgents in the remote region of Nduga on Feb. 7. Last week, in the Indonesian…
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Health officials urged Pattaya teens to have safe sex on Valentine’s Day
In a city known as a sex hub, Pattaya’s health officials sent a message to the city’s teenagers on Valentine’s Day (yesterday). Health officials urged Pattaya teens to practice safe sex on Valentine’s Day. In a lecture to students at a school, the Public Health Department’s Nurse Na-anya Jantrakard urged sexually active teens to use condoms, to avoid sexually transmitted…
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Thai cave rescue survivor dies in accident in England
Dom, one of 12 boys saved in the Tham Luang cave rescue mission in northern Thailand almost five years ago, has died in an accident in England, UK, where he went to study football. A Buddhist monk and Dom’s former teacher, Supatpong Methigo, broke the news on Facebook this morning. The monk said he was informed by Dom’s grandmother, who…
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Experts argue that vaping should remain illegal
Several experts argued that vaping devices and e-cigarettes should remain illegal in Thailand. At a forum in Bangkok on Monday they say the devices are very harmful to people’s health and should remain prohibited items. The Director of the Office of Consumer Protection Board’s (OCPB) Legal Execution Division reminded that Thailand currently bans the import, sale, and use of any…
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Thai Meteorological Department issues weather warning after Bangkok rain
The Thai Meteorological Department has issued a weather warning after moderate to heavy rain hit 15 districts of Bangkok today. The downpour caused flooding in several areas, with the highest rainfall of 62.5 millimetres recorded in Lat Krabang, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s (BMA) Flood Control Centre. The 15 districts affected by the rain are: Lat Krabang, Min Buri,…
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Early Valentine’s Day Guinness World Record set for longest underwater smooch
Valentine’s Day did not go down without a record-breaking smooch. A couple sealed the holiday a bit earlier, on February 4, with an underwater kiss that broke the Guinness World Record for the longest underwater snog. The kiss lasted four minutes and six seconds, smashing the previous record by 42 seconds. An Italian couple held the previous record for the…
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Group of 33 Thais to return home from Turkey, one deceased as death toll surpasses 40,000
A group of 33 Thai nationals are scheduled to fly back from Turkey tomorrow with one deceased person also being returned home. The Thai USAR (search and rescue) team will continue to stay and help in Turkey until their 10-day mission is complete. The returnees and deceased person will arrive at Don Mueang Airport and will be sent to an…
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Thailand to charge foreign tourists entry fee from June 1
Thailand‘s Cabinet yesterday approved the collection of an entry fee from all foreign tourists. It is expected to come into effect on June 1. Foreigners arriving by air will be charged 300 baht (US$8.79) and those arriving by land/sea will be charged 150 baht (US$4.40), as proposed by the National Tourism Policy Committee two weeks ago. Holders of Thai passports,…
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Govt accountant embezzled 44 million baht to feed gambling addiction
An accountant with a gambling addiction embezzled 44 million baht over three years from the Wang Phong Subdistrict Administration Office in the central province of Phitsanulok. The 39 year old accountant, Chayapha (surname reserved), was arrested by officers from the Office of Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) at the Wang Phong Subdistrict Administration Office yesterday while she was working. The…
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Bangkok’s number of train passengers reaches all-time high
Bangkok‘s number of train passengers reached an all-time high on Friday, February 10. The number of people travelling by rail in and around Thailand’s capital city climbed to 1,577,330 that day, according to the Department of Rail Transport. The department’s numbers revealed that the BTS Green Line served the most passengers, with 916,390 people using the service, followed by the…
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Dream Big: Sleep Well Industries has the mattresses for you!
Press Release Sleep Well Industries is a group of bedding companies headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand. The company was founded by Mr Nirmal Chokwonganun in 1982 originally to produce and distribute jute and coconut fibre mattresses. Since then, Sleep Well Industries has expanded to become a leading end-to-end producer, supplier, and retailer of high-quality mattresses for hotels, housing developments, and condominiums…
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Man survives after falling 70 metres from cliff in central Thailand
A Thai man this morning was thanking his lucky stars and he plunged 70 metres from a dangerous clifftop at Phu Thap Burk, in the central province of Phetchabun, and survived. Khaosod reported this morning that a Thai tourist from Pathum Thani province fell from the Phu Thap Burk Mountain viewpoint while taking a picture in the early hours of…
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Over 100 Phuket couples tie the knot on Valentine’s Day
Over 100 happy Phuket couples officially tied the knot on Valentine’s Day yesterday. The couples registered their marriages at the Mueang Phuket District Office. To congratulate the newlyweds, District Chief Pairoj Srilamoon gave the couples souvenirs, including hotel vouchers for the first 20 couples. All couples were presented with special frames for their marriage certificates. The couples also had a…
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Thailand will punish migrants for stealing Thai jobs
Thailand will punish migrants with the full force of the law if they’re found to be stealing Thai jobs. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha directed the Department of Employment to promptly enforce the law against an increasing number of migrant workers who are occupying positions designated for Thai citizens. In response to this, the authorities conducted raids on 14,104 workplaces across…
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Young Englishwoman needs surgery after hit-and-run on Thai island
A 20 year old Englishwoman is seriously injured and awaiting surgery after she was struck and abandoned after a hit-and-run crash on Koh Phi Phi island in southern Thailand last week. Ruby Spry, from Penzance in Cornwall, was driving a motorbike through the small island last Wednesday when a motorbike coming the other way drove on the wrong side of…
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Where you can get high-quality cannabis in Pattaya
Recently, Pattaya has become a popular destination for cannabis enthusiasts. With its relaxed laws, Pattaya has become a hub for cannabis tourism, offering an array of cannabis-related activities, products, and services. Whether you’re looking to relax with a puff of a joint, enjoy an edible, or explore the science behind cannabis, Pattaya has something for everyone. So, if you’re ready…
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Latest Banksy artwork deemed a ‘safety hazard’ and demolished
The latest artwork by pioneering street artist Banksy was demolished hours after the mysterious virtuoso confessed it was his. The authorities deemed it a “safety hazard.” The piece, Valentine’s Day Mascara, allegedly themed on violence against women and girls, was dismantled by Thanet District Council yesterday afternoon. A caricature of a 1950s housewife, donning yellow washing-up gloves and a blue…
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Nearly 100 Pattaya couples register marriages while riding elephants on Valentine’s Day
Love was in the air in Pattaya on Valentine’s Day (yesterday) when nearly 100 couples registered marriages while riding elephants. A total of 99 lucky couples registered their marriages on elephants’ back at Pattaya’s Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens. Sattahip district Sunthorn Munawaro travelled to the garden to register the couples. The event, which has been held annually since 2010, was…
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Canadian placed on ‘watchlist’ over Thai girlfriend’s death in Phuket
UPDATE Deputy national police chief Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn said the Canadian man whose girlfriend was found hanged in Phuket, southern Thailand, last week has been placed on a “watchlist” and will be investigated. The deceased, 31 year old Wanvisa Riewklang, reported her boyfriend, 51 year old “Landy” to the police for alleged assault just days before her death. Wanvisa’s…
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Tourism Authority of Thailand tells India ‘a million thanks’
Thailand’s tourism officials are expressing their gratitude to India for the high number of Indian tourists in Thailand. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has recently hosted an event in New Delhi, India, titled “A Million Thanks: Amazing Thailand Night Reception,” to express gratitude to the Indian travel industry for promoting Thailand as a top tourist destination. The event took…
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Fake fortune teller uses nude images to blackmail 11 year old girl
An 11 year old girl and her parents sought help after their daughter was blackmailed by a fake fortune teller she met online three years ago. The blackmailer lured her into sending nude images and forwarded them to her friends. The family reached out to Pavena Hongsakun, the President of the Pavena Foundation for Children and Women, who then referred…
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