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Thailand hot news, breaking stories, crime, politics, tourism, and business—stay updated with in-depth reports and exclusive interviews on the latest events across the country. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted Thailand news source.

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    Moving to Thailand? Here are the health documents you should prepare before you go

    The Thaiger key takeaways Valid passport, visa documents, health certificate, and vaccination records are essential for immigration and medical care in Thailand. Health insurance that meets visa requirements, like Cigna, provides protection, direct billing, and access to a wide hospital...

  • Laotian ladyboy arrested for stealing from Finnish tourist in Pattaya | Thaiger

    Laotian ladyboy arrested for stealing from Finnish tourist in Pattaya

    PHOTOS: Pattaya Tourist Police A Laotian, a Finn, one was a ladyboy and it happened in Pattaya. Tourist Police in Pattaya have arrested a Laotian ladyboy who stole property from a Finnish tourist’s bag at Pattaya’s Walking Street last night. Pattaya Tourist Police report that on-duty police who were stationed at Pattaya Walking Street immediately arrested the Laotian ladyboy who…

  • More internal bickering for Democrats over split of cabinet seats | Thaiger

    More internal bickering for Democrats over split of cabinet seats

    Democrat party MPs find themselves again torn over important decisions.. This time the party is split over the sharing of eight cabinet posts allocated to them by their leading coalition partner, Palang Pracharat. Last week the decided to side with the pro-Junta Palang Pracharat party to vote Prayut Chan-o-cha into the PM position. They’d campaigned on ensuring that Prayut wouldn’t…

  • Dodgy ‘Botox’, fillers and beauty enhancement products seized in Bangkok | Thaiger

    Dodgy ‘Botox’, fillers and beauty enhancement products seized in Bangkok

    400,000+ items of ‘fake’ Botox, stem cells and breast enhancement injectables, valued at an estimated 80 million baht, have been seized by DSI (Department of Special Investigation) and officials from the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Intellectual Property from 12 locations around Bangkok. The investigation, culminating in Wednesday’s seizures, have been going for two years as officials followed…

  • Administrative Court rejects private hospitals’ plea to remove caps on pricing | Thaiger

    Administrative Court rejects private hospitals’ plea to remove caps on pricing

    Thailand’s private hospital sector has failed to win respite from an order controlling their medical prices, after the Supreme Administrative Court turned down their request. The court made the decision saying that the order will not cause irreversible damages to the hospitals even though an injunction has not been issued yet. The Private Hospital Association, together with 42 private hospitals,…

  • Visa run to Penang – a personal experience in Thailand (2019) | Thaiger

    Visa run to Penang – a personal experience in Thailand (2019)

    This story was one person’s experience of the visa process in Penang. It should not be regarded as ‘typical’ or even used as a guide. But we provide Jim’s journey as warning to do your homework before embarking on getting or renewing your visa. Be aware that this seemingly simple trip to the former ‘Pearl of the Orient’ in Malaysia…

  • Red swimming flags out at Koh Hong in Krabi | Thaiger

    Red swimming flags out at Koh Hong in Krabi

    Red flags have been dusted off and set up along the beach at Koh Hong in Ao Luek, Krabi today. In an unrelated story, dead fish have also been found along a beach in Ao Nang, Krabi. National park officers at Mu Koh Hong in Krabi have planted the red flags along the beach to warn swimmers not to go…

  • Complaints made over 41 pro-Junta coalition MPs over their alleged media shares | Thaiger

    Complaints made over 41 pro-Junta coalition MPs over their alleged media shares

    Just as it appeared the dust was settling on the fractious formation of a new parliament for Thailand, more than 40 MPs of the pro-junta bloc are now targeted in cases related to media shareholding after their names were submitted to the Constitutional Court. Should these MPs be suspended or disqualified, the pro-junta coalition’s narrow Lower House majority could vanish…

  • Motorbike passenger dies, crushed under truck in Bangkok | Thaiger

    Motorbike passenger dies, crushed under truck in Bangkok

    PHOTOS: Phetkasem Foundation A motorbike passenger has died after colliding with a pickup truck and then being crushed by a passing truck in Bangkok. Police News report that Kannayao Police were notified of the incident on Ramintra Road last night. Police and emergency responders arrived to find a damaged motorbike and pickup truck. The truck was still sitting in the…

  • Police seeking two men over Bang Na gang shooting | Thaiger

    Police seeking two men over Bang Na gang shooting

    by Kornkamon Aksorndech – The Nation Police are seeking the arrest of two men over last Monday’s shooting of a rival gang in Soi Lasalle 19 in Bangkok’s Bang Na district. Officers say the long-haired suspect, caught on video, is 30 year old Prasertsak Singsopa, and 19 year old Peerapol Poungburi. Their alleged accomplice, 30 year old Jaturong Eiumtuam, turned himself…

  • Poll shows most respondents don’t believe Future Forward bribe claims | Thaiger

    Poll shows most respondents don’t believe Future Forward bribe claims

    PHOTO: prachatai.com More than 53% of respondents to a recent poll don’t believe the claim that the Future Forward party made in the days before last week’s parliametrary vote for the PM, that they had been offered millions of baht for their supporting votes. At the time some Future Forward Ps went public claims they were offered amounts as high…

  • Phuket Town – the UNESCO City of Gastronomy reveals some secrets | Thaiger

    Phuket Town – the UNESCO City of Gastronomy reveals some secrets

    VIDEO: Thai PBS A UNESCO City of Gastronomy, Phuket Town is a real foodie town. Among their amazing arrays of local delicacies is a variety of tea snacks, many of which are the integral part of their daily life. The delicate and cute and delicious Pang Pia is among the oldest recipes. Phuket Town has gone through several transformations. Once…

  • Grab motorbike rider gets slashed by ‘win’ driver | Thaiger

    Grab motorbike rider gets slashed by ‘win’ driver

    PHOTO: Facebook/Ratsita View A Grab rider had been assaulted by a knife-wielding motorcycle taxi rider in Bangkok. He had his lip slashed in the attack in the Banthat Thong district. He was not armed at the time. Daily News report that Pathumwan police say the attack occurred on May 12 and investigations are still continuing. The Grab rider has only been able…

  • Electric vehicles on the rise but the take up is slow in Thailand | Thaiger

    Electric vehicles on the rise but the take up is slow in Thailand

    “Two trends will develop in Southeast Asia. The first is new operators of EV taxi fleets such as cars and motorcycles, and the second is electric buses for public transport.” Justin Wu, head of Asia-Pacific for Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) says the electric vehicles (EVs) remain expensive and unaffordable for individual buyers in Thailand and ASEAN. Mr. Wu says…

  • German motorbike driver dies on Patong Hill, Phuket | Thaiger

    German motorbike driver dies on Patong Hill, Phuket

    A German motorbike driver has died at the scene after colliding with a pickup truck travelling down Patong Hill in Phuket. The Kathu police were notified of the accident on Monday night on Phra Baramee Road, on the Kathu side of the notoriously dangerous Patong hill road. Police and emergency responders arrived to find the damaged motorbike. Nearby they found…

  • Prayut sworn in as 29th Thai PM. Cabinet appointments remain unresolved. | Thaiger

    Prayut sworn in as 29th Thai PM. Cabinet appointments remain unresolved.

    PHOTOS: The Nation Prayut Chan-o-cha was sworn in as the 29th Thai Prime Minister in a ceremony at Government House yesterday. Key points… • PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has received royal endorsement as the new prime minister in a ceremony at Government House, a week after winning a vote in Parliament. • The ceremony was attended by the leaders of the…

  • Huawei running 5G testbeds in Thailand | Thaiger

    Huawei running 5G testbeds in Thailand

    China phone-giant Huawei, along with Thailand’s Digital Economy and Society Ministry and interested partners, is now turning the much-awaited 5G Testbed into a reality. As the first and only vendor so far to deliver the 5G network to Thailand’s 5G Testbed in the Eastern Economic Corridor in Sri Racha, Huawei is providing a platform that will be used for end-to-end…

  • Preparing for the floods and Thailand’s wet season | Thaiger

    Preparing for the floods and Thailand’s wet season

    The current deputy PM and Defense Minister, Prawit Wongsuwan, has instructed administrative, military and police officers to better prepare for flooding in all regions of the country this wet season. The call went out following severe flooding around the capital last Friday afternoon. Authorities have been instructed to prepare for the prevention and containment of torrential waters, landslides and flooding…

  • Spurned, sacked employee goes on 15 month spending spree with stolen credit card | Thaiger

    Spurned, sacked employee goes on 15 month spending spree with stolen credit card

    What do you do if you’re fired from your job? Use the bosses company credit card and go on a spending spree. This woman acted criminally, but the company she stole from should be arrested for stupidity! A 32 year old woman, Thamolwan Konthong, took revenge by stealing her former boss’s credit card and racking up a 6 million baht…

  • More prison time for Premchai over poaching case | Thaiger

    More prison time for Premchai over poaching case

    Thailand’s construction tycoon Premchai Karnasutra has been sentenced to another year in jail after being found guilty of trying to bribe officials while being arrested at the Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary in Kanchanaburi in February last year. The Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases Region 7 acquitted Premchai’s aide Yong Dodkhruea of bribery, defined in law as inducing…

  • Man charged with shooting girlfriend’s relatives in Rawai, Phuket | Thaiger

    Man charged with shooting girlfriend’s relatives in Rawai, Phuket

    A man has been charged with shooting his girlfriend’s relatives after failing to reconcile with his girlfriend in Rawai, Phuket. Chalong Police were notified of the incident at a house on Patak Road in Rawai yesterday. Police and emergency responders arrived to find two people injured from gun shot wounds – 40 year old Saksit Eiamsamran and 22 year old Pongsakorn…

  • Elderly Thai couple die in Krabi road smash | Thaiger

    Elderly Thai couple die in Krabi road smash

    An elderly couple have died after a collision between a speeding pickup truck and motorbike sidecar in Krabi. Plai Phraya Police were notified of the accident this morning at 11am on the Southern Seaboard Road in Plai Phraya. Police and emergency responders arrived at the scene to find the bodies of a 78 year old man Somjit Aolueknua and 79 year…

  • Thailand: Paradise Lost? Part 1. | Thaiger

    Thailand: Paradise Lost? Part 1.

    by guest blogger Kent Bowie Thailand has seen rampant tourist development and expansion over the past 25+ years, but at what cost? Is this sustainable or even ethical? Social media has seen an explosive growth too over the last 15+ years, and one thing that annoys many governments worldwide is how the facts and figures delivered by their own agencies…

  • Democrats say, as far as they’re concerned, nothing has changed | Thaiger

    Democrats say, as far as they’re concerned, nothing has changed

    “Everything is OK. There have been no changes to ministry portfolios. The Democrat seats in Cabinet are secure.” Democrat Party leader Jurin Laksanavisit has been dismissive this morning about weekend reports of factional members within Palang Pracharat wanting to reclaim ministries in the new parliament. He says confusion over the ministerial portfolios in the new government arose after members of…

  • ‘Phoenix’ fails to attract any bidders at auction. Sits rotting in Phuket boatyard. | Thaiger

    ‘Phoenix’ fails to attract any bidders at auction. Sits rotting in Phuket boatyard.

    Last month’s auction to sell Phoenix, the tour boat that capsized causing the drowning of 47 Chinese tourists on July 5 last year, has failed to secure a buyer. Meanwhile the cursed vessel sits gathering dust and accumulating storage fees of 100,000 baht per month at the Rassada boat yard in Phuket. The boat went up for auction last month…

  • Four metre python caught in Koh Kaew, Phuket | Thaiger

    Four metre python caught in Koh Kaew, Phuket

    PHOTOS: Kusoldarm Foundation A four metre python has been caught in Koh Kaew over the weekend. Kusoldharm rescue workers were notified of the reptile trying to hide in a roof space at a house in Soi Koh Kaew 1. Rescue workers arrived at the home to find the python above the kitchen in the ceiling. Four rescue workers took about one…

  • Six killed, three injured at intersection in Prachuap Khiri Khan | Thaiger

    Six killed, three injured at intersection in Prachuap Khiri Khan

    by Piyarat Nildee, The Nation Six people have died and another three injured after a pickup truck carrying seven people collided with a six-wheel crane truck at an intersection in Prachuap Khiri Khan province. The incident was reported to have happened at 11am yesterday (Sunday) at the Bo Nok-Dan Singkhon Road intersects Petchkasem Highway in Tambon Ao Noi. Emergency responders…

  • Filipino and Japanese battle the weather in the 2019 Laguna Phuket Marathon | Thaiger

    Filipino and Japanese battle the weather in the 2019 Laguna Phuket Marathon

    Full results below… The Laguna Phuket Marathon welcomed a record 12,000-plus runners from 73 countries for its 14th edition. The two-day festival of sport and fun was held over the weekend. The weather wasn’t kind to the event this year making the run additionally challenging for runners, and difficult for organisers. A boon for Phuket’s low season tourism, Laguna Phuket…

  • Not negotiable. Democrats and Bhumjaithai draw a line in the Thai political sand | Thaiger

    Not negotiable. Democrats and Bhumjaithai draw a line in the Thai political sand

    PHOTO: Bhumjaithai leader, Anutin Charnvirakul Bhumjaithai want to retain the Transport portfolio, as promised. The Democrats say they will not ‘return’ the Agriculture or Commerce portfolios, as it was promised. The deals were struck with the Palang Pracharat in the final hours before the parliamentary election of the next PM to secure votes for their candidate, Prayut Chan-o-cha. Both Bhumjaithai…

  • Little Marium growing up in a Dugong Thai nursery | Thaiger

    Little Marium growing up in a Dugong Thai nursery

    Marium, an orphaned baby dugong found along the Krabi shore two months ago, will remain in the care of a dugong nursery on Koh Libong in Trang for at least six more months. ‘Marium’ means ‘beautiful woman of the sea’. Chaiyapruek Weerawong, head of the Koh Libong Wildlife Preserve, says the female dugong would then be released in the open…

  • Not everyone is happy with the closure of Thailand’s National Park hot spots | Thaiger

    Not everyone is happy with the closure of Thailand’s National Park hot spots

    PHOTO: Sunrise Divers Nature happy. Tour operators unhappy. The closure, albeit temporary, of several of Thailand’s favourite marine national parks and coastal sites, is not universally supported. As the country’s tourist growth plateaus, the baht remains strong and hungry tour operators battle for the same tourist dollar, having many of the most popular attractions struck off their tour list is causing…