- Road deaths
Singaporean car driver dead, 7 injured in Phuket crash with bus
On a winding mountain road, a car of Singaporean tourists crashed into a small tour bus, killing the driver of the car and injuring seven people. The crash happened in the Muang district of Phuket last night when the driver of the car lost control coming downhill and ploughed into the bus. The car, a Toyota Yaris registered in Phuket,…
- Thailand News
FDA says Thailand unaffected by contaminated Haagen-Dazs
Ice cream lovers of Thailand can rest easy tonight, knowing that their Haagen-Dazs won’t kill them. The Thai Food and Drug Administration confirmed that none of the batches of cancer-linked contaminated ice cream discovered in other countries were imported to Thailand. Known for their high-quality premium ice cream, a recent batch of Haagan-Dazs was discovered in France with a less…
- Pattaya News
17 year old the 18th victim of Mountain B fire, 27 still in hospital
An 18th person has died in the tragic Chon Buri pub fire, this time a young girl of 17 called Mind, who had been on life support in the hospital since the night of the fire. “Mind” was the third minor to die in the fire, after a 17 year old and an 18 year old (a friend of Mind’s)…
- Politics News
Exiled Sri Lanka President warned to stay in his hotel in Bangkok
With many opposing Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s arrival in Thailand, police are advising the ousted Sri Lanka president to stay in his hotel in central Bangkok for his safety. He arrived in Bangkok Thursday evening at about 8pm after diverting a flight planned to land in Phuket. Fearful of an information leak, the privately chartered plane carrying the exiled ex-president along with…
- Transport News
Daily trains begin between Malaysian border and Bangkok
With Covid-19 policies winding down in Thailand, many expats may be faced once again with the dreaded border runs that many types of visas require. A little good news though – the State Railway of Thailand is adding two new trains running from Bangkok to the popular Malaysian border crossing town of Padang Besar. The route kicked off yesterday. Last…
- Covid-19 News
Virologist predicts most of Thailand will have had Covid by 2023
If avoiding the coronavirus feels futile at this point, maybe it is. According to one of the country’s top virologists, by about the end of this year, nearly everyone in Thailand will have been infected with Covid-19. The chief of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology at the Department of Paediatrics of Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine Yong Poovorawan…
- World News
Unexplained plane mysteriously sitting in a field in Bali
In a strange story out of Bali, locals are trying to figure out the origin of a Boeing 737 plane that appeared in a field. The abandoned plane mysteriously showed up in a field in a limestone quarry by Pandawa Beach, a popular beach on the posh southern tip of the island. So far no one has come forward to…
- Politics News
Anupong says he will leave government with PM Prayut & Prawit
If the Constitutional Court decides, as many polled believe, that PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s eight years in charge are at an end, Minister of Interior Anupong Paochinda says that he and Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan would also depart the government. The trio sometimes referred to as the Three Por Generals or the 3 Ps have run the country since the…
- Northern Thailand News
Patiphan explains to police: It was my twin brother Patiphat!
In what seems like a scene from a movie with a lazy plot, a man in Nakhon Ratchasima says his upstanding life has been ruined by his criminal twin brother. Patiphan and Patiphat Kaeowaem were split up when they were babies and their lives took radically different directions. Born to a poor family, when they were just two months old,…
- Crime News
Truck leads police on 100km chase over shockingly small drug stash
There have been a growing number of stories of cars and trucks running through checkpoints and then being chased down to find drug shipments inside. Sometimes massive amounts of drugs worth hundreds of millions of baht are found in the fleeing cars, helping to explain why someone would try to make such a daring escape. But is it worth it…
- Politics News
Exiled Sri Lanka president expected to arrive in Thailand tomorrow
After angry mobs of protesters drove him out of Sri Lanka and into exile, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is now planning to seek safe harbor in Thailand. According to two sources, he’s expected to arrive tomorrow after taking up temporary residence in Singapore for the past few weeks. Last month, party leaders in Sri Lanka met and agreed to ask both…
- Pattaya News
Faulty wiring, poor construction, unsafe materials in Mountain B fire
As more details emerge on the horrific fire at the Mountain B Pub that took the lives of 15 victims with 38 more hospitalised, The Thaiger continues daily roundups of new developments. Yesterday’s can be found here (about the victims and owners) and here (about the response from authorities). Read on to learn about the construction issues and inspections, or…
- Pattaya News
Mountain B: Owner out on bail, Bangkok club inspection, viral moment
As more details emerge on the horrific fire at the Mountain B Pub that took the lives of 15 victims with 38 more hospitalised, The Thaiger continues daily roundups of new developments. Read on to learn about authorities’ actions regarding the owner, other club inspections, and a viral moment, or click here to read about the construction issues and inspections. Owner…
- Covid-19 News
Thailand has 5 BA.2.75 antibody-resistant Covid-19 sub-variant
Health authorities are now keeping a close eye on the development of five confirmed infections of the Covid-19 sub-variant BA.2.75, known to be antibody resistant. The director-general of the Department of Medical Sciences outlined all the cases and warned that the sub-variant could spread quickly if not properly monitored. “Officials are monitoring the development of the sub-variant. If the strain…
- Transport News
Drunk driver in 2 hit-and-runs drags motorbike taxi 300 metres
A drunk driver smashed into a motorbike taxi whose driver managed to jump to safety before the inebriated man pushed the bike 300 metres down the road. Photos were captured of the remarkable accident that miraculously ended with no fatalities or serious injuries, but looked like a scene from a slapstick comedy. Eyewitnesses to the event in Samut Prakan reported…
- Politics News
Anutin: “If I have to be the prime minister, I will be.”
Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says that, if people want him, he is willing to step in as the next prime minister of Thailand. Anutin, who also has been serving as the Minister of Public Health throughout the tumultuous Covid-19 pandemic and response, said that if the citizens of Thailand want him to be their next leader, he is willing…
- Eastern Thailand News
German man believed to have monkeypox briefly fled police
Results are pending for the test of what could be the fifth person in Thailand to be confirmed with monkeypox, another German man, this time on Koh Chang island. Similar to the first case, when a Nigerian man fled the country before being caught in Cambodia, this tourist attempted to escape when asked to submit to testing for monkeypox. The…
- Transport News
BTS is offering a free ride… with your mom
The Bangkok Mass Transit System has announced a special promotion for National Mother’s Day on August 12 where you can get a free ride… if you bring your mom. The BTS system has announced that those who bring their mother to the Skytrain will be allowed to ride for free in celebration of the Queen Mother’s birthday. The promotion had…
- Politics News
NIDA Poll: PM Prayut should not extend term after August 24
A new poll from the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) showed that the majority of people want PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to finish his role as prime minister at the end of his eight year term on August 24. There have been different interpretations of the current constitution and whether the prime minister is eligible to continue his role or…
- Pattaya News
Police transferred, safety measures enacted in wake of Mountain B fire
In the past 24 hours, many updates have been revealed regarding the horrific and tragic fire that engulfed the roof of the Mountain B nightclub in Pattaya suburb Sattahip which has now claimed the lives of 15 people with 38 more injured and the police response. Latest reports say that sparks lit the soundproofing foam in seconds after two loud…
- World News
Chinese military excercises spook shipping vessels at Taiwan port
As tensions escalate with China exerting authority over Taiwan, many shipping vessels are going out of their way to avoid Kaohsiung port in the south of Taiwan, fearing for their safety. Chinese military ships are running drills and exercises just 15 nautical miles from the vital shipping port, making shippers worry about possibly being hit by Chinese missiles. Almost half…
- Thailand News
“Captain Condom” Mechai spent decades normalising condoms
A pivotal figure in battling both Thailand’s overpopulation problem of the 1970s and the AIDS epidemic beginning in the 80s, Mechai Viravaidya earned his title of Captain Condom. The controversial but charming man is now 81 years old, but Mechai famously battled for decades for birth control and sexual health so fervently that his adversaries pushed to popularise calling condoms…
- Phuket News
Venue of fatal Phuket shooting given 30-day closure notice
A month-long closure has been ordered for the Phuket nightclub venue that was the site of a fatal shooting earlier this week. The punishment was handed down yesterday by Phuket Vice Governor Anuparp Rodkwan Yodrabam and went into effect immediately. The nightclub and karaoke bar named SOD was open after legal operating hours though it was said to be closed…
- Economy News
Half a million young people seeking jobs prefer admin to tourism
The Employers’ Confederation of Thai Trade and Industry released a new report analysing job applications on JobThai.com this past month revealing some interesting statistics about what jobs people want and where. Young job applicants – and there are around 490,000 to 510,000 of them who recently graduated and now entering the workforce – are eschewing the glitz and glamour of…
- Covid-19 News
Authorities warn: Don’t self-prescribe Covid drugs like Molnupiravir
New warnings are being issued about self-medicating or misusing Covid-19 drugs like Molnupiravir and the negative effects that could result from it. Department of Disease Control Director-General Dr Opas Karnkawinpong is warning that people who do not need treatment taking antiviral drugs may create drug resistance in their body, making it ineffective against future infections. Meanwhile, director of King Chulalongkorn…
- Crime News
Guard who shot sword-wielding customer charged with murder
After intervening in a scuffle between a man and a woman outside a Phuket Town bar, the man grabbed a sword and a security guard shot him once in the chest, killing him. Now the guard is being charged with murder in the incident. The altercation took place in the early hours of Monday morning when a man was fighting…
- Politics News
YOU can voice your opinion on Thailand in PR online survey
If you ever wanted a chance for your voice to be heard about Thailand – and judging from our comments section, a lot of you really, really do – now is your chance! Simple click here and fill out the impressively-catchy named survey “Foreigners’ Awareness, Confidence in Important Government Policies, and Perceived Image of Thailand.” The thoroughly titled survey was…
- Thailand News
Chulalongkorn University says students can ditch their uniforms
After growing pressure online from students, Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Law has agreed to do away with mandatory student uniforms. Education authorities have been hotly debating whether to relax the rules of attire for students across the country, and this decision by the law faculty of Thailand’s oldest university might help sway policy nationwide. A university lecturer announced the uniform…