Thaiger

If you have story ideas, a restaurant to review, an event to cover or an issue to discuss, contact The Thaiger editorial staff.
  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today, March 2, 2020 | Thaiger

    Thailand News Today, March 2, 2020

    New coronavirus case pushes Thai total to 43 Thailand’s reported coronavirus cases has now reached 43. The new case is a 22 year old Thai woman who had been working as a driver for foreign tourists with another Thai patient. Health officials had located the woman for testing. She was already admitted for treatment at a hospital. Meanwhile another woman…

  • World NewsSacked security guard takes around 30 hostages at shopping mall in Philippines | Thaiger

    Sacked security guard takes around 30 hostages at shopping mall in Philippines

    A man has been shot and around 30 people have been taken hostage by a gunman at a mall in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Armed police and negotiators are trying to end the standoff peacefully. The situation is ongoing. The shot man is already in hospital in a stable condition. The gunman, reported to be a former security…

  • Environment NewsSamui’s Banyan Tree Hotel acts to protect sea turtle nest | Thaiger

    Samui’s Banyan Tree Hotel acts to protect sea turtle nest

    Khun Veeraphat, a waiter at Sands beachfront restaurant on Koh Samui, made a startling discovery on February 13 when he spotted what appeared to be tracks coming from the sea. CCTV footage at Banyan Tree Samui clearly showed a giant sea turtle laying eggs on the beach the night before, then returning to the water. The luxury hotel, located on the…

  • EventsThai Moto GP in Buriram postponed over outbreak fears | Thaiger

    Thai Moto GP in Buriram postponed over outbreak fears

    Another casualty of the current coronavirus precautions, one of the biggest sporting events in Thailand – the MotoGP 2020 in Buriram. The event was scheduled for March 20-22 in Buri Ram province, north east Thailand, where it has started to gather a huge local and international following. The Deputy PM and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul made the announcement this morning.…

  • World NewsSouth Korea wages “all-out response” – cases exceed 4,000 | Thaiger

    South Korea wages “all-out response” – cases exceed 4,000

    “The government is now waging all-out responses after raising the crisis alert to the highest level.” South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in has announced that is government will wage “all-out responses” in response to the outbreak of coronavirus which has added 476 new cases in the past 24 hours, taking the total of infections to 4,212. The death toll in South…

  • Covid-19 NewsPanic, precautions and contradictions over Thailand’s first coronavirus death | Thaiger

    Panic, precautions and contradictions over Thailand’s first coronavirus death

    Mild panic, and a new raft of precautions pervades the Coronavirus narrative in Thailand as we head into another week. Over the weekend the Health Ministry announced a new range of precautionary measures whilst most of Thailand’s tourist spots remain quiet – a lot quieter than usual. There was also the announcement of the first coronavirus-related death in Thailand over…

  • Northern Thailand NewsPrecautionary warnings for weather in the north and north east | Thaiger

    Precautionary warnings for weather in the north and north east

    Some warmer, pre-summer weather is heading to the north of Thailand for the rest of this week. (Forecasts for Khon Kaen and Bangkok below). The warnings are mostly precautionary as the general forecast still remains reasonably stable. On the plus side, a bit of extra wind may blow away some of the offending smoke and haze that has beset the…

  • Road deathsBiker killed, 5 injured in bike/van crash south of Bangkok | Thaiger

    Biker killed, 5 injured in bike/van crash south of Bangkok

    One man is dead and another 5 passengers injured after a big bike the man was driving slammed into a van making a U-turn along Old Sukhumvit road in the main business district. The incident occurred at about 8pm in tambon Bang Pu Mai, on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand, south of Bangkok. 32 year old Paveena Ratpipop, a…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE: China cases ease, 42 cases now in Thailand | Thaiger

    Coronavirus UPDATE: China cases ease, 42 cases now in Thailand

    The total confirmed cases of coronavirus (Covid-19) is now 85,217, with 2,924 people having succumbed to the disease. 39,554 people have fully recovered, approaching 50% of total cases. In Thailand there are now 42 confirmed cases with 28 people listed as “recovered”. The latest Thai victim is a 21 year old salesman whose job is said to have exposed him to foreign…

  • Covid-19 NewsNew confirmed patient brings total to 42. Health ministry announce tough new measures. | Thaiger

    New confirmed patient brings total to 42. Health ministry announce tough new measures.

    The Thai Public Health Ministry has confirmed a new infection in the country, bringing the national total to 42. 28 patients have already recovered with no deaths recorded in Thailand from the virus. At the same time the health ministry has now designated Coronavirus Covid-19 as a dangerous communicable disease, a designation which takes effect tomorrow. The announcement gives authorities sweeping…

  • Tourism NewsWorld’s largest travel fair, ITB, cancelled in Berlin | Thaiger

    World’s largest travel fair, ITB, cancelled in Berlin

    Organisers of the world’s biggest travel expo, the ITB travel trade fair in Berlin, have cancelled the event over coronavirus fears. 160,000 visitors were expected to attend this year’s event. “We take our responsibility for the security and the health of our guests, exhibitors and employees very seriously. It is with a heavy heart that we have to look at the…

  • Northern Thailand NewsChiang Rai village leader kills and cuts up his mother after raping daughter | Thaiger

    Chiang Rai village leader kills and cuts up his mother after raping daughter

    An assistant village leader in Chiang Rai has been arrested and charged with dismembering his own mother in a fit of anger. Investigators say the mother had threatened to tell police that the 35 year old man had raped his teenage daughter. The man was the assistant head of the Hua Wiang village in Wiang Pa Pao district, situated between…

  • Thailand NewsThailand News Today, February 28, 2020. Daily TV news update. | Thaiger

    Thailand News Today, February 28, 2020. Daily TV news update.

    Shots fired in Nontha Buri mall There was another gunman alert in a Bangkok mall yesterday afternoon…. Police rushed to the Central Plaza mall in Nontha Buri province, just northwest of Bangkok after reports of gunshots inside the mall around 4:20 yesterday afternoon. There were no reports of death or injuries. A suspect was arrested and the mall is open…

  • Politics NewsThai minister Thammanat Prompao tells parliament he “never pled guilty” or “served time” over heroin drug charges | Thaiger

    Thai minister Thammanat Prompao tells parliament he “never pled guilty” or “served time” over heroin drug charges

    The Thai deputy agriculture minister Thammanat Prompao has re-ignited the controversy over his drug convictions in Australia by continuing to insist he “never pled guilty or served jail time for drug charges in Australia”. His claims are contrary to the evidence provided by the Australian courts. The ministers’s denial follows the disbanded Future Forward Party publishing an Australian court ruling on…

  • Thai Life‘Watching the Thais’ – understanding Thai culture | Thaiger

    ‘Watching the Thais’ – understanding Thai culture

    Why does a Thai smile at you after crashing into the back of your car? Why do Thais deplore walking? The heat, the heat. What about the weather? Why is everything done as a pack? What is all this ‘face’ stuff about? Lies? Confrontation? Sleeping and shopping? Just what is it with the Thais? What’s it all about? Author and…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE: S Korean cases exceed 2,000, cases in 15 European countries | Thaiger

    Coronavirus UPDATE: S Korean cases exceed 2,000, cases in 15 European countries

    The novel coronavirus (Covid-19) has now killed at least 2,858 people worldwide as the focus of the outbreak now moves away from China and to outbreaks in central South Korea, northern Italy and other parts of Europe. 83,379 people are now infected but, notably (and increasingly), 36,562 people have fully recovered. At least 15 European countries now have confirmed cases of…

  • Environment NewsSmoke from plantation fires continues to choke central and northern Thailand | Thaiger

    Smoke from plantation fires continues to choke central and northern Thailand

    Smoke from fires, mostly deliberately lit, continue to choke sections of central and northern Thailand today. Light winds are not blowing away the smog and haze produced by the smoke, particularly in the north where Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai have readings today from ‘unhealthy’ too ‘very unhealthy’ – in a range from 170 up to 240 (particles of PM2.5…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today, Thursday, February 27, 2020 | Thaiger

    Thailand News Today, Thursday, February 27, 2020

    4 Uzbek women rescued from human traffickers in Pattaya Four Uzbek women were rescued in Pattaya yesterday by Uzbekistan embassy officials and Chon Buri Provincial Police Police say they allegedly fell victim to a human trafficking scam. A team of police raided a condominium in South Pattaya. The raid follows Chon Buri police learning from Uzbekistan’s embassy that an Uzbek…

  • FoodWorld’s best street food, top 30 cities rated | Thaiger

    World’s best street food, top 30 cities rated

    Where in the world is the best street food? Those living in Thailand will bet Bangkok is going to come out on top, right? Well, not according to research, the Street Food Index, conducted by My Late Deals. In their current surgery, Hong Kong came out on top as the city with the best street food. The city topped the Street Food Index, beating tasty competition from Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh in…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today – February 26, 2020 | Thaiger

    Thailand News Today – February 26, 2020

    Fugitive shot dead in gunfight with police in Nakhon Si Thammarat A fugitive is dead after a gunfight with police in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat. The 30 year old man, from the province’s main city district, was wanted on three warrants for theft. Police were notified today about two thieves attempting to break into a house. When…

  • PropertyCondo developers allow transfer delays for Chinese buyers, due to slowing sales | Thaiger

    Condo developers allow transfer delays for Chinese buyers, due to slowing sales

    Thai property developers are sharpening their pencils on sales and allowing variations to contracts on some deals to accommodate some of the challenges posed by the coronavirus outbreak. Now some developers in Thailand have started to extend the transfer period from 3 months to 9-12 months for Chinese clients, according to Angel Real Estate Consultancy. Chinese buyers have paid 30%…

  • Thailand NewsOpposition MP alleges PM and army behind cyber propaganda | Thaiger

    Opposition MP alleges PM and army behind cyber propaganda

    An opposition MP says he’s holding PM Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha responsible for a network of social media that have been allegedly running a cyber campaign against critics of the current government. They accuse the PM and supporters of the government about spreading fake news and derogatory comments about them. An MP of the now-disbanded Future Forward Party, Viroj Lakkana-adisorn, says…

  • World NewsCambodia burns, Bangkok chokes, schools closed | Thaiger

    Cambodia burns, Bangkok chokes, schools closed

    Bangkok mums and dads will need to sort out what to do with the kids for the rest of the week after the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration closed public schools from today because of the excessive air pollution. Most of the smoke and haze is blowing in from Cambodia with light easterly winds. All schools under the supervision of the BMA…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today, February 25, 2020 – Daily news for Thailand | Thaiger

    Thailand News Today, February 25, 2020 – Daily news for Thailand

    Two news cases confirmed in Thailand, pushing total to 37 The Thai Public Health Ministry has announced two new Coronavirus cases in Thailand, up from 35 to 37 cases since the outbreak starts in late December last year. A 31 year old woman and a 29 year old taxi driver are the two new cases. Permanent secretary for health confirmed…

  • Northern Thailand NewsBangkok, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai – all suffering choking smog today | Thaiger

    Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai – all suffering choking smog today

    The whole Bangkok and its suburbs is suffering from excessive PM2.5 dust and smoke particles in the air today. Around the city the readings have been uniformly ‘unhealthy’ for the entire day with readings as high as 188 particles of 2.5microns per cubic metre. Putting a stamp on the whole appalling situation is the list of the world’s Top 10…

  • Covid-19 NewsTwo news cases confirmed in Thailand, pushing total to 37 | Thaiger

    Two news cases confirmed in Thailand, pushing total to 37

    The Thai Public Health Ministry has announced two new Coronavirus cases in Thailand. A 31 year old woman and a 29 year old taxi driver. The two cases pushes the Thai confirmed Covid-19 confirmations up to a total of 37 cases since the outbreak began at the end of December last year. Permanent secretary for health, Sukhum Kanchanapimai, confirmed that…

  • South Thailand News8 people injured, including school children, in Songkhla bomb attack | Thaiger

    8 people injured, including school children, in Songkhla bomb attack

    Eight people have been injured by shrapnel from a roadside bomb, including two school children. They were amongst a group gathered near a public park in the Sabayoi district of Songkhla, in Thailand’s south today Also amongst the injured were the Sabayoi district assistant chief, a local defence volunteer and Sabayoi villagers. Security authorities currently speculate that southern insurgents detonated…

  • PropertyBangkok has a surplus of 100,000 new condos as Chinese buyers stay home | Thaiger

    Bangkok has a surplus of 100,000 new condos as Chinese buyers stay home

    Bangkok’s condominium market is facing its biggest challenge in decades with one of its key feeder markets sitting it out at home. The capital’s soaring condo market, once a favourite for Chinese investors, looks towards a bleak year with Chinese investors having other things to worry about, or simply unable to travel to Thailand, due to coronavirus fears. Bloomberg economists predict…

  • Thailand NewsThai Baht on the slide over fears of spread of Coronavirus outside China | Thaiger

    Thai Baht on the slide over fears of spread of Coronavirus outside China

    What goes up must go down. The Thai baht has continued to weaken against leading international currencies, trading at 31.70 to the US$ in yesterday’s trade. The falls reflect regional concern over the coronavirus spreading beyond China. In the past few days both central South Korea and parts of northern Italy have reported outbreaks of the virus. Kasikorn Research Centre…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE: World cases exceed 80,000, Italy tries to contain outbreak | Thaiger

    Coronavirus UPDATE: World cases exceed 80,000, Italy tries to contain outbreak

    The number of reported cases from the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) has risen to 80,150 across the world, resulting in 2,701 deaths. 27,595 people have recovered from the virus, the death rate is still hovering below 2%. The rate of new cases in China is starting to flatten while there are some new global hotspots outside of China, principally central South…

  • Hot NewsThailand News Today – First episode of a new daily TV program | Thaiger

    Thailand News Today – First episode of a new daily TV program

    Thai exports figures rise in January Whilst there’s been plenty of economic challenges around for Thailand, including the high Thai baht and a levelling out of tourist arrivals, exports for January 2020 unexpectedly rose according to ministry figures. It’s the first rise in six months, and an increase of 3.35% from the exports 12 months earlier. Reuters had earlier forecast…

  • OpinionTen reasons western foreign tourists are not wanted in Thailand | Thaiger

    Ten reasons western foreign tourists are not wanted in Thailand

    Adam Judd, writing for Pattaya Unplugged, has opined about western foreign tourists not being wanted in Thailand. He brings up some interesting topics, largely from the standpoint of an American living in Pattaya. Tell us what you think on our Facebook page. The following are my opinions but based on many talks with people from many different backgrounds and cultures.…

  • Northern Thailand NewsMother and daughter arrested over 7 million baht fortune-telling scam | Thaiger

    Mother and daughter arrested over 7 million baht fortune-telling scam

    Appears the pair weren’t smart enough to predict the police coming to their door. A Thai fortune teller and her daughter have been arrested after charging a customer more than 7 million baht for predictions and forecasts about their life. Normally, fortune-telling sessions, popular in Thai life, range between 100 and thousands of baht, depending on the popularity of the…

  • Economy NewsThai exports figures rise in January | Thaiger

    Thai exports figures rise in January

    Whilst there’s been plenty of economic challenges around for Thailand, including the high Thai baht and a levelling out of tourist arrivals, exports for January 2020 unexpectedly rose according to ministry figures. It’s the first rise in six months, and an increase of 3.35% from the exports 12 months earlier. The customs-cleared export numbers have been boosted by higher shipments…

  • Phuket NewsUPDATE: 3 year old drowns at Blue Tree water park, Phuket | Thaiger

    UPDATE: 3 year old drowns at Blue Tree water park, Phuket

    A 3 year old boy drowned yesterday at the Blue Tree water park in Cherngtalay, Phuket. The incident happened late yesterday afternoon. The incident at the newly-opened (middle of 2019) water park on Srisoonthorn road was reported about 6.30pm, according to Pol Capt Yanpatr Malai, a police investigator with the Cherngtalay police, as reported in Bangkok Post. The father has been…

  • Covid-19 NewsCoronavirus UPDATE: Spark in cases in Italy and South Korea, Air Asia cancels flights | Thaiger

    Coronavirus UPDATE: Spark in cases in Italy and South Korea, Air Asia cancels flights

    Coronavirus (Covid-19) cases have now reached 79,561 around the world, with 77,345 of the cases confined to China. The rise in cases has been principally in China with 409 new cases and South Korea with 161 new cases. 2,619 people have died from the infection. The major outbreaks, outside China, have been in South Korea, aboard the Diamond Princess (still…