Hot News
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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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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17 apprentice students killed in Samut Prakan crash, Thailand
Seventeen students have been killed after their overloaded pick-up truck crashed and overturned in the Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan, east of Bangkok. Police report the incident happened at 1am this morning. A taxi driver from Si Sa Ket has told Thai media that shortly before 1am he saw the pick-up travel out of a Soi “at high speed”…
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Renting a motorbike in Thailand? Have a valid license.
Transport minister Saksayam Chidchob says he’s intent on tackling Thailand’s shameful road toll. Recognising that motorcycles are the main culprit (75% of road deaths in Thailand involve motorcycles and motorbikes), he’s proposing some new laws, at least for tourists at this stage. Up until now tourists have been easily able to rent a motorcycle by just showing a passport, according…
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Chiang Mai karaoke lounges raided over underage hostesses
PHOTO: Thailand Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Four hostesses under the age of 18 have been discovered working at two karaoke lounges in the San Kamphaeng area of Chiang Mai, east of the main city. Thailand’s ‘Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force’ worked with local immigration and police after a complaint was received. Na Kaew reports that the investigators followed…
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Bangkok bus union is opposing plan for private sector operation
PHOTO: Daily News The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority labour union is voicing its strong objection to the Transport Minister over his plans to contract private companies to operate the city’s bus services, and the shelving plans to procure a fleet of 3,000 new buses. Thai PBS reports that the union president, Veerapong Wongwaen, says that the union will submit a…
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‘Pretty’ death shines spotlight on abuse in Thai model and promotions industry
PHOTOS: Facebook/Rachadech Wongthabutr, Instagram/’Lunlabelle’ Thitim The mysterious death of ‘pretty’ Thitima Noraphanpiphat in Bangkok last week is gripping Thailand and highlighting risks women who work in the service and promotions industry face every day. Her dead body was found in the lobby of a Bangkok condo. Police have arrested a male model in connection with the 25 year old’s death last…
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OPINION: Phuket’s Vegetarian Festival is now for the tourists, not the locals
OPINION: Pruth Kulprasit Phuket’s vegetarian Festival is an annual event steeped in ancient Chinese mysticism and fused with local island traditions and Buddhism. It’s a cacophony of noise, spiritualism, body piercing and rather bland vegetarian food. For the tourist or expat that witnesses the parades, fire-walking and ceremonies for the first time it’s a shock to the senses.For local Thai-Chinese,…
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Phuket Vegetarian Festival events 2019 – schedule and history
The annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival, aka. ‘Nine Emperor Gods Festival’, always runs during the ninth lunar month. For expats and tourist ‘newbies’ the Vegetarian Festival is a lot to do with parades, firecrackers, bizarre ceremonies and spiritual mystiques piecing themselves, and little to do with vegetarian food. Whilst we’ve tried to provide a program here, any time schedule at individual…
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Thai PM says Indonesian government promises to control air pollution from forest fires
PHOTO: AFP Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says he’s received assurances from a representative of the Indonesian government that it will do more about the devastating air pollution arising from forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan. The Nation reports that although the PM would not reveal the name of the representative, he did say it was a government vice-president and Indonesia…
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Canadian guitarist killed in Pattaya motorbike crash
PHOTOS: The Pattaya News Michael Anthony Pinheiro, a 51 year old Canadian expat, has died after an early morning motorbike accident in Pattaya. It’s understood Mr Pinheiro was a popular guitarist, active in the local live music scene in the city’s clubs. The Pattaya News reports that the musician, who was riding a scooter, was involved in a collision with…
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Phuket encroacher is handed down 10 year sentence
PHOTO: Nai Yang Beach, just part of the coastal land along Phuket’s north-west coastline The Department of Special Investigation have successfully prosecuted an encroachment case involving land on Phuket’s north-west coast. The Criminal Court handed down a 10 year sentence to Anek Lipracha, a prime suspect in a case involving encroachment of 93 rai of coastal land in Sirinat Marine National…
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Chinese tourists surge during Phuket’s vegetarian festival
… and it’s not much about vegetarian food. It’s on again, one of the most bizarre festivals on the world’s calendar of WTF events. The Phuket Tourist Association says that the Phuket Vegetarian Festival that runs until October 7, is expected to bring in around 2 billion baht in your revenue. They say that, despite the high value of the…
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Prostitutes in Pattaya, police locate seven foreigners selling illegal services
MONTAGE: Naew Na Immigration officials have done the impossible – they’ve found something police and immigration have often claimed in the past ‘does not exist’. Prostitution in Pattaya. Seven foreigners – shock, horror – were arrested on Tuesday night this week prostituting themselves to locals and tourists in the town’s tourist hotspots. Naew Na reports that “this illegal activity was damaging…
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Pubs and nightclubs in Pattaya and Bangkok poised to stay open until 4am
The Minister for Tourism and Sports says he’s making headway with plans to allow opening until 4am for ‘some’ tourist areas in Thailand. The proposals were mooted several months ago as a tonic for dropping tourist numbers in some of the traditional holiday ‘hot spots’. Sports and tourism minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says that details were still being discussed but the plan is now…
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12 month “Medical Visa” proposed among updates to Thai visa offerings
A new visa category is being proposed that could allow people to stay in the Kingdom for up to a year for medical treatments. The so-called “Medical Visa” (Non-MT) would visitors to stay for 12 months. The Thai deputy PM and health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, and the tourism and sports minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn announced yesterday that countries that will benefit are wealthy…
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24 Thai provinces under observation in African swine flu alert
PHOTO: AFP Sorawit Thaneto, Director General of Thailand’s Livestock Department, says 23 provinces are now being checked for African Swine Fever, as the epidemic takes hold in Asia. There is no vaccine or cure for African Swine Fever and although it’s not thought to pose a risk to humans, it can inflict huge financial damage on the farming industry. It’s…
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PM says Thailand plans to be a high income country within 17 years
PHOTO: AFP The PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha has high ambitions for Thailand within the next 17 years, saying the government aims to see it become a high income country. The PM made the claim while attending a lunch meeting with the Asia Society for Executives and foreign media in New York. He says the government has spent the last five…
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Royal pardon plea drafted for Burmese convicted over Koh Tao murders
PHOTO: www.frontiermyanmar.net A lawyer from the Thai Bar Council and a member of the Thai Human Rights Commission says that the Burmese workers accused and convicted over the 2014 Koh Tao murders could have their death sentence stayed if granted a royal pardon. Speaking to the press, Rastada Manoo Rastada, who represented Zaw Lin and Wai Phyo during the murder…
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Chinese company rewards 10,000 employees with trip to Pattaya
PHOTO: www.77kaoded.com Chinese firm Aurance has celebrated its 10th anniversary by taking its employees on a trip to Pattaya – all 10,000 of them. And apparently, it’s not the first time they’ve rewarded their staff so generously. Sontaya Khunpluem, mayor of Pattaya welcomed the visitors to a cultural show at Nong Nuch gardens, followed by a bit of Muay Thai…
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Blue skies, nothing but blue skies, in southern Thailand
PHOTOS: Matichon Online Breath easy southerners. Residents and tourists in at least seven southern Thai provinces have been greeted with clear blue sky and fresh air, well, certainly a vast improvement anyway although there is still some slight lingering smog. For the first time in two weeks Matichon Online reports that much of the Indonesian smoke from plantation burn-offs has cleared,…
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Thai Airways to take six months to review purchase of new planes
“The airline has also been hesitant to address its middle management glut, long-term and uncompetitive employment contracts and accusations of nepotism in senior management.” Thai Airways says it’s going to review its planned fleet-expansion plans to buy 38 new planes. Officially, they’re saying they’re “considering funding sources” and claim the review will take six months. Nearly two years ago they announced…
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Two flying lantern events in Chiang Mai for Loy Krathong get their permits revoked
PHOTO: Rove.me Chiang Mai’s City District Office has scrapped permits previously granted to organisers of two ‘sky lantern’ events that would have released a total of 5,000 flying lanterns during the upcoming Loy Krathong Festival, on November 11. The two events, one at the dinosaur-featuring Hidden Village Chiang Mai attraction and the other at the Royal Park Rajapruek in tambon…
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Dam contaminated with heavy metals in Chachoengsao
PHOTO: Thai PBS World People living around a small dam in Khao Hin Sorn district of Chachoengsao, directly east of Bangkok, are being told to stop using water from the reservoir after it was discovered that it is contaminated with heavy metals. Officials of the Royal Irrigation Department took water and soil samples from the Royally-initiated reservoir for tests, which…
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1000 gather in Phuket to join the global cry on climate change
Asia’s largest travel and tourism sustainability event, opened in Phuket yesterday, as Southeast Asia’s hospitality industry came together in a spirit of collaboration to tackle the critical environmental issues facing resort destinations across the region. A year on from the inaugural edition of PHIST, the event continues to grow. A record attendance of 1,000 delegates attended the full-day event, held…
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Minister pledges to sort out Thailand’s export procedures in wake of New Zealand drugs bust
PHOTO: www.chiangraitimes.com Following the seizure in New Zealand last month of shipping containers from Thailand packed with drugs, Deputy Transport Minister Athirat Rattanaset says the country must improve its maritime export procedures. He was speaking at a meeting with exporters, saying the drugs bust in New Zealand has had a negative impact on Thailand’s image and calling on them for…
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Convicted of murder, sentenced to death, now stripped of MP status
PHOTO: Nawat Tohcharoensuk MP “Nawat’s request for bail pending an appeal was refused. He was jailed immediately. Once bail was denied, he lost his status as an MP as per Sections 101 and 98 (6) of the Constitution.” A Pheu Thai MP for Khon Kaen in the north-east yesterday sentenced to death by the provincial court after being found guilty…
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Bangkok sewage water home to all sorts
PHOTO: Sanook You never know what you’ll find in the sewage system of Bangkok… Thai Residents reports that Sunsern Ruengrit, a municipal worker in the capital, says the system is supposed to only store water, before the water treatment process begins. Instead, it’s home to a variety of garbage, including plastic and glass bottles, cigarette butts, food, oil and fat,…
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Thomas Cook demise will affect British tourism to Thailand for the rest of 2019
“British tourists have contribute between 900,000 – 1,000,000 tourists to Thailand annually for the past seven years.” The failure of the British Thomas Cook travel business will cut the numbers of arrivals from Britain to Thailand for the remainder of this year. Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand says they are also assessing a drop in northern-European…
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Thai PM addresses UN Climate Action Summit, pledges ASEAN support
PHOTO: www.mfa.go.th Thai PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha says the ASEAN region is committed to working with the international community to tackle the issue of climate change. Addressing the UN’s Climate Action Summit in New York, the PM was speaking in his capacity as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Expressing his admiration for the UN secretary general’s efforts…
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Haze from Indonesia’s forest fires affecting Thailand’s south
The ongoing forest fires in Indonesia are affecting Thailand’s south, bringing smog and a lingering haze to many provinces. Thai PBS World reports that school children at two municipal schools in Trang have received 3,000 face masks from Provincial Governor Luechai Charoensap and city mayor Apichit Wenothai. Distribution of the masks comes as local authorities warn residents to wear masks…
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Tech giants ramp up systems to detect and remove extremist content
PHOTO: Police officers near the Masjid Al Noor mosque, site of one of the mass shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand in March – Associated Press by Shaun Tandon The world’s largest social media empires led by Facebook say they are ramping up an industry body that will weed out extremist content, looking to put procedures in place…
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