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 How one hospital visit in Thailand could cost more than your whole trip
Thailand is a favourite spot for travellers who want to enjoy more while spending less. From cheap street food to low-cost hotels and fun attractions, it’s easy to stretch your budget here. But there’s one thing many people don’t think...
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Samut Prakan facility to burn about 28,000 kilograms of drugs today
A large quantity of illicit drugs, which have been stored in an Food and Drug Administration warehouse for evidentiary purposes, are being burned today. The thousands of kilograms of drugs, including methamphetamine, heroin and ecstasy, are said to have a street value of more than 29 million baht. A court order gave the go-ahead to destroy the drugs in Samut…
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Police issue warning over rumoured death of officer who leaked custody killing footage
Thai police have hit back at unsubstantiated rumours of the death of a police officer who leaked footage of a suspect allegedly being killed in custody. National police spokesperson Yingyong Thepjamnong has described the claims as, “fake news” and warned that those behind them could face prosecution under the Computer Crime Act. Claims that a junior officer named as Tossaporn…
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Anti-government protesters arrested after police officer injured at weekend rally
Following Sunday’s anti-government protest in Bangkok, 2 activists have been arrested after video footage allegedly showed them injuring a police officer. The Bangkok Post reports that the pair are among a total of 27 protesters arrested, according to Pakapong Pongpetra from the Metropolitan Police Bureau. He says 13 of the detainees are minors and 2 are women. Sunday’s rally began…
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“Dark red” interprovincial transport ban lifted, flights and bus services resume Wednesday
The ban on public transportation out of “dark red” zones has been lifted. Following the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s decision to ease the restrictions, both the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand and the state-run Transport Company announced domestic flights and interprovincial bus services will resume on Wednesday. While domestic travel from the “high risk” provinces, like Bangkok, there are…
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Thailand tourism officials call for restrictions on Indian tourists to be lifted
Tourism officials say Thailand should allow Indian tourists to visit the country again as the Covid-19 situation in India has significantly improved. There have been no commercial flights between Thailand and India since April when Thai authorities suspended the issuance of Certificates of Entry, which are mandatory to enter the country, to Indian nationals due to the emergence of the…
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Man allegedly shoots and kills co-worker because he wouldn’t turn down the radio
A man at a golf cart repair shop allegedly shot and killed his co-worker who had told him to turn down his radio. 46 year old Pongthep Phloiprasong was listening to his radio at the shop run by the Thai police in Phitsanulok’s Phrom Phiram district Sunday night. Witnesses say 37 year old Te Aw, a Burmese national, told him to…
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Daily protests to continue indefinitely until PM resigns, according to protesters
Anti-government activists have vowed that protests will take place around the country every day and go on indefinitely until the Thai PM resigns. Protest leaders Sombat Boonngamanong and Nattawut Saikuar were speaking following the conclusion of a peaceful “car mob” rally, which ended in the central province of Pathum Thani. The rally had begun at the Kasetsart intersection near Kasetsart…
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Porn may open the door to the mainstream for cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrency has grown a strong following of hardcore supporters but has yet to gain widespread acceptance and ease of use. But now another hardcore faction might help bridge the gap and open the doors to wider usage: porn. After OnlyFans became the latest website/porn service to see its value and success hanging in the balance of a battle between its…
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Thitisan Utthanaphon denies all accusations against him
Thitisan Utthanaphon is denying all accusations against him concerning his role in the alleged torture/murder of a drug suspect in police custody in northern Thailand’s Nakhon Sawan’s main city police station, according to his lawyer. Thitisan’s lawyer, Chokechai Angkaew, says Thitisan denied the accusations while he was being questioned. Chokechai adds that Thitisan, aka. “Jo Ferrari” has vowed to fight…
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Heavy rains in Pattaya bring some fun but also casualties
The rains that have been battering Pattaya over the weekend have come with a light side and a dark side. Many locals were seen finding the silver lining in the heavy rains, having fun going with the flow, sometimes literally. But for others, the rains turned deadly. The rain caused floods on streets and neighbourhoods, dumping water into people homes…
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Koh Larn resorts accused of encroaching on coastlines
The island of Koh Larn, just off the coast of Pattaya, is the centre of a controversy as officials are threatening to pursue 39 private resorts accused of illegally encroaching on the coastlines. The Pattaya Marine Office says these resorts are cutting off the sea from the public, violating the Thai law that reserves beaches as state land and not…
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Fears police chief Thitisan won’t be held accountable for murder
Many, especially on social media, have expressed worries that Pol Col Thitisan “Jo Ferrari” Utthanaphon will escape harsh punishment or perhaps any punishment at all. With the hashtag #StopLyingJoe trending on Thai Twitter yesterday and the bizarre press conference allowing the now-fired police officer to speak to the public and defend his actions, many believe that after his surrender Thursday,…
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Flooding in Pattaya over 1 metre deep strands cars, floods homes
Pattaya was battered this morning by heavy rains that caused flooding in rural areas and major city roads in Pattaya and Banglamung. The floods stranded many vehicles on the road with some areas seeing floodwaters reaching up to 1 metre high. Many criticised local authorities as flood management projects were supposed to help avoid situations like this. The heavy rains…
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Field hospital raided after reports of Covid patients doing drugs, having group sex
Police raided a field hospital in central Thailand after reports that the Covid-19 patients were doing drugs and having orgies. A staff member at the field hospital in Samut Prakan, just southwest of Bangkok, told police the patients engaging in group sex and getting into fights where some patients were injured. Officers from the Internal Security Operations Command dressed in…
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4-day no-confidence debate for PM Prayut set for August 31
Dates have now been set for in-depth debate over the move to censure PM Prayut Chan-o-cha as opposition moves for a vote of no-confidence. The debates are now set to begin on August 31 and continue over the course of 4 days, ending September 3 and will then be followed by a vote on September 4. The decision came from…
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Thailand to be added to UK “red list” from Monday
Bad news for British sandboxers on Phuket or elsewhere, as well as anyone else planning to travel from Thailand to the UK: the country is being added to the UK’s red list. The British Department of Transport says that from Monday, Thailand joins Montenegro as the 2 new additions to the UK government’s red list. This means UK residents arriving…
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Runaway cop wanted for alleged murder turns himself in in Chon Buri
A police chief who allegedly killed a suspect while in custody has surrendered to police in Chon Buri, saying he was just trying to protect society from the dangers of drugs. A video of Thitisan Utthanaphon allegedly suffocating a suspect by placing plastic bags over his head has gone viral, leading to the dismissal of 7 officers, including Thitisan. He…
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‘Jo Ferrari’ – his arrest, press conference and investigation
Details have now emerged on the arrest of former policeman Thitisan Utthanaphon, aka “Chief Joe” or “Jo Ferrari”, the Nakhon Sawan police station superintendent accused with 6 other officers of torturing and suffocating a suspect in custody, allegedly in an attempt to extort 2 million baht. Despite previous reports originating in Thai media, the fleeing officer was not found just…
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YouTube pulled 1 million Covid-19 misinformation videos
More than 1 million harmful videos have been removed from YouTube since February 2020 for containing Covid-19 misinformation. The video-sharing platform that is one of the most visited websites in the world, second only to its parent company Google, announced on Wednesday the total after criticism that YouTube is a major source of Covid-19 disinformation. Politicians and government leaders have…
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Fugitive police Chief Joe said to be captured in Myanmar
[UPDATE: Media is now reporting to have received confirmation from police sources of the information below.] A few Thai media websites are reporting the alleged capture of Pol Col Thitisan “Chief Joe” Utthanaphon, the police station superintendent seen in video with a group of officers released this week putting a plastic bag over a suspect’s head, reportedly suffocating a suspect…
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NACC investigating cars and wealth of fugitive Chief Joe
As the story of the 7 police officers accused of suffocating a man to death while trying to extort him for 2 million baht continues to unfold, 2 of the officers are currently fugitives, including Pol Col Thitisan “Chief Joe” Utthanaphon whose incredible wealth and fleet of cars has come under intense scrutiny. Now the National Anti-Corruption Commission has launched…
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Phuket hoteliers looking to winter wonderland to bolster the Sandbox
by Bill Barnett from c9hotelworks.com As the Phuket Sandbox program continues to be the international gateway for overseas travellers to Thailand, island hoteliers are looking at what the winter season could look like. Traditionally a legacy market, many visitors during this period are called ‘snowbirds’ and are from Northern and Eastern Europe. Snowbird travellers are long-stay visitors, with a key…
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7 police officers face charges relating to suspect’s death in custody
Arrest warrants have been issued for seven police officers who were allegedly involved in the incident where a plastic bag was put over a drug suspect’s head before he was beaten, allegedly by officers demanding a 2 million baht bribe. Reports say the man died from suffocation, but officers wrote the death off as a drug overdose. As of this…
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19 arrested for gambling and drugs in Suphan Buri
Police arrested 19 people in the central province of Suphan Buri for illegal gambling and holding a gathering that violates the Emergency Decree. Officers also seized methamphetamine and a gun. Officers arrived at the scene and confiscated 3 bags of methamphetamine pills and a pistol. All the 19 suspects, between the ages of 23 and 50, also face drug charges.…
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Man assaulted at Pattaya worker camp
A Cambodian worker at a camp in Pattaya sustained a severe head injury after he was reportedly beaten by teenagers. Police were alerted to the attack at 11pm a few days ago. When police got to the worker camp, they found the man lying on the ground, bleeding profusely from his head. The worker, identified 28 year old “Mr Mai,”…
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Man arrested for allegedly pretending to be a cop and sexually assaulting prostitutes
Police in Bangkok arrested a man who allegedly posed as a cop and sexually assaulted prostitutes, stealing from some of them. Allegedly, he raped sex workers more than 40 times over the past 6 months. The 34 year old man, identified as Kittipop, was arrested in Bangkok’s Lat Phrao district. Kittipop allegedly admitted to police that he pretended to be…
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Manhunt launched for ex-cop who allegedly killed suspect in custody
Thai police are out to catch one of their own, with a manhunt launched for former police chief Thitisan Utthanaphon, who is on the run. The ex-cop, previously chief of police in the northern province of Nakhon Sawan, is accused of causing the death by suffocation of a drug suspect in custody. The dead man has been named as 24-year-old…
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Wanted police superintendent has mansion, 13 luxury cars
The appalling story of the Mueng Nakhon Sawan Police suffocating a man to death while trying to extort him for 2 million baht continues with more and more shocking turns. Now details are emerging of the accused police station superintendent Pol Col Thitisan Utthanaphon’s luxury house on a large plot of land in Bangkok with 13 high-end cars. First, the…
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Phuket-Samui flights on Bangkok Airways resume from today
Flights between Phuket and Koh Samui that had originally been cancelled until the end of the month have now resumed nearly a week early as Bangkok Airways relaunched the flight route with limited service. From today, the Phuket Sandbox and Samui Plus schemes will be reconnected as part of the Sandbox 7+7 Extension, allowing people to arrive in Phuket, spend…
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Man allegedly steals 6 bottles of alcohol gel from restaurant, cleans table before leaving
A man allegedly stole 6 bottles of alcohol gel from a famous restaurant in Udon Thani, a province in northeast Thailand. But before leaving, the man used the gel to clean a table and chair. The 38 year old restaurant owner, identified as Alias, says she woke up in the morning and was shocked to find that tables at her…
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