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 to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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More Thai national parks to close to allow for recovery during monsoon season
The national parks at Mu Koh Similan and Mu Koh Surin have joined Mu Koh Lanta in Krabi province in closing for the monsoon season. The famous tourist attraction of Maya Bay, on Koh Phi Phi Leh, kicked things off recently, when officials announced that it would once again close to allow the bay’s fragile eco-system to recover. Maya Bay re-opened…
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TripAdvisor’s 2022 Best of the Best Awards includes 2 Thai hotels
Online travel company, TripAdvisor, has released its list of the 25 best hotels in the world for 2022 and it includes 2 Thai properties. The “Traveller’s Choice 2022 – Best of the Best Awards” ranks the Pimalai Resort and Spa, on Koh Lanta, in Krabi province, at number 12 and Sukhumvit Park – Marriott Executive Apartments in Bangkok at number…
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Dengue hasn’t gone away – Dengue fever in Thailand 2022, and how to avoid it
Covid-19, and the controls taken to limit its spread, have clearly disrupted essential health services and other disease control programs worldwide – school closures, lockdowns, curfews and social restrictions, hoping to limit the spread of Covid-19. But those enforced changes have also resulted in the transmission of other infectious diseases, including dengue fever. Despite dropping off the radar in the…
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Thai Golf website has 36% jump in views since borders reopen
As the Tourism Authority of Thailand starts to ramp up its overseas campaigns to encourage international travellers to fly to Thailand, one sector, Golf, is already seeing a jump in activity. Since the recent announcement of the relaxing of Thailand Pass entry regulations, many international golf vacationers have shown a keen interest in playing a few rounds in the Land…
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Yet another allegation of sexual crimes against Thailand’s Prinn
In the latest allegation against Thailand’s now infamous former deputy leader of the Democrat Party, a woman is accusing Prinn Panitchpakdi of indecent exposure in a restaurant in 2013, and rape in 2014. The alleged rape cannot be investigated because the victim didn’t report it within months of when it happened, and yet, police say they will summon Prinn to…
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Have your rain poncho ready until Tuesday in Thailand!
Get your 20 baht 7-11 rain poncho ready for the next 2 days! Thailand is expecting heavy rain showers to cover most of the country through until Tuesday. This news comes after monsoonal troughs have already spread through Phuket and the Andaman coast. Now, winds and precipitation are expected to pick up in the northern, north-eastern, central and eastern regions…
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Thailand’s PM Prayut invites US to invest in supply chains
As part of his visit to the US, Thailand’s PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has attended the 2nd ASEAN-US Special Summit in Washington last week. Now, he is inviting the US to invest or set up supply chains in Thailand to fill gaps created by the Russia-Ukraine crisis. And not the least the ongoing disruption of China’s part in the supply chain…
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Phuket tourism hopes for cash flow from the long weekend
The Tourism Authority of Thailand, Phuket office, is hoping for cash to flow over this 4 day weekend (Friday was a public service holiday for Ploughing Day and tomorrow is the substitute holiday for today’s Visaka Bucha Day). TAT Phuket’s director, Nanthasiri Ronnasiri, said yesterday that the average hotel room occupancy rate is 44.5%, and it’s expected to jump to…
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Another Full Moon Party in southern Thailand coming up this LONG weekend
Mark your calendars for another Full Moon Party in Thailand’s south, coming up this Monday, May 16. The Full Moon Party has historically been held on Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani on the night of, before, or after every full moon, although it was cancelled for 2 years during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, the party is coming up on…
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14 year old and older brother arrested in eastern Thailand over human trafficking
A 14 year old boy and his 29 year old brother have been arrested in the Isaan province of Sa Kaew for human trafficking. They offered transportation services for illegal Thai workers in Cambodian casinos who wanted to visit families in Thailand. The Thai army rangers and authorities from the Special Unit Infantryman Department investigated areas along the Thai-Cambodia border…
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South Korea to add 230 international flights to meet demand
As South Korea’s Covid-19 situation improves and several restrictions have been eased, the country also plans to add 230 international flights next month, to meet a jump in travel demands. South Korea has been known as a Covid hotspot earlier this year after being one of the World Health Organisation’s ‘postcard’ countries for controlling the virus in mid 2020. But…
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Tourists pack Pattaya’s Koh Larn, hotels 100% occupied
Hotels on Koh Larn, and island off Pattaya, are 100% occupied today, according to a hotel operator there. The operator says that tourists who couldn’t find rooms had to return to the mainland after enjoying their day of fun. Thousands of tourists are crowding the island, marking the first night of the 4 day long weekend (public service holiday today…
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Carnival in Pattaya coming up next week
A recreation centre called Wonder Space Pattaya is hosting a an event dubbed ‘The Carnival’ next week on Saturday, May 21. The carnival will feature a concert by Thai singer Singto Numchok, and of course, food and drinks. There will be a play zone for children, a circus parade, dog shows, and games. The event will start at 3pm, and…
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Government hospitals in Thailand allowed to prescribe cannabis oil for free
Yesterday, the Ministry of Public Health announced that 3 types of cannabis oil have been added to Thailand’s National List of Essential Medicines, or NLEM. Now that cannabis is listed as an “essential medicine”, government hospitals may freely prescribe cannabis extract oil to patients in selected circumstances, according to Thailand’s Government Pharmaceutical Organisation, or the GPO. The first type of…
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Birds seized by police during drug raids auctioned off
Yesterday, birds seized by police during drug busts were auctioned off at an event held at Rajamangala University of Technology’s campus in Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan province. The stars of the show were 6 South American blue-and-yellow macaws which sold for over 500,000 baht collectively. The event marked the first ever official bird auction in Thailand. A total of…
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More than 600 endangered or prohibited animals seized at Suvarnabhumi Airport
Wildlife officials and the Thai Customs Department have seized more than 600 endangered or prohibited animals at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. The animals were delivered from a middle east country via Egypt Air. The information about the sender hasn’t been reported at this stage of the investigation. Yesterday, the Manager of the Wildlife Checkpoint at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Yossathon Kongngen, told…
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Pattaya police announce ‘specialised’ patrol after several gold theft incidents
In the wake of a string of gold theft incidents in Pattaya in the past month, a Pattaya police chief has announced that a ‘specialised’ police patrol force will be formed to monitor any inappropriate incidents in tourist areas, or crimes against tourists. This news comes after four separate occasions in Pattaya where Indian tourists reported thieves snatching their expensive…
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First day of Thailand’s rainy season: heavy rain warning for 36 provinces
Today, May 13, marks the first day of Thailand’s rainy season. A low pressure cell from upper Vietnam is expected to cause heavy rain and potential flash flooding in 36 provinces in the kingdom. The Meteorological Department advises people to be aware of the dangers caused by heavy rainfall. Sailors, especially on the Andaman Coast, should expect tall waves and…
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Bangkok authorities look to tackle air pollution
After unsafe levels of smog and smoke blanketed Bangkok last month, the city’s authorities are now looking to tackle Bangkok’s notorious air pollution. The deputy permanent secretary of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has said that this year, the BMA aims to work with other government agencies to deal with the air problem. He said that the BMA’s pollution control operations…
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Tibet Airlines plane bursts into flames during takeoff in southwest China
A Tibet Airlines Airbus A319-100 veered off the runway and burst into flames during takeoff at an airport in Southwest China this morning. All 113 passengers were safely evacuated although 36 passengers suffered minor injuries, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China, or CAAC. China’s aviation regulators are investigating the cause of the incident. In a statement posted on…
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Sri Lanka’s PM quits, goes into hiding
Following a wave of outraged protests that started in March, Sri Lanka’s PM Mahinda Rajapaksa has quit his position earlier this week, and is now hiding in a military base. This news comes after protestors have called for Mahinda’s brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the country’s president, to step down, along with other members of Sri Lanka’s powerful political family. On Monday,…
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Democrat candidate in Bangkok election promises to tackle flooding if elected
A candidate in Bangkok’s upcoming governor election is saying he will tackle the city’s flooding problem if he is elected. The candidate, Suchatvee Suwansawat, from Thailand’s Democrat Party, said at a campaign event yesterday that electric water pumps must be set up across Bangkok, because dredging and flood control reservoirs are not enough. Bangkok has had a chronic problem with…
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The Bikini Beach Race to take place in Pattaya this October
Central Festival Pattaya Beach has confirmed its annual running event, the Bikini Beach Race 2022. The event is run on the beach in front of the Central Festival shopping centre on October 29 this year. The Bikini Beach Race was actually held last year, even though the Covid-19 prevention rules weren’t relaxed, as they are this year (let’s hope it…
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UPDATE: Excavation banned on hill in Phuket, further investigation
THE LATEST After Thai media reported construction tools and trucks digging soil on a hill in Kamala, a town in Phuket, officials have banned any further excavation on the site. Kathu District Chief Siwat Rawangkul confirmed the ban when he and other officials revisited the site on Tuesday. He said that no government office has issued a building permit for…
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German tourist missing in Phuket
After a German tourist in Phuket was rescued after getting stuck between rocks last week, another German tourist in the island province is also in a tricky situation. The 76 year old woman, who so far has only been identified as Ms. Barbara, reportedly went missing from a hotel in Thalang district on Monday (May 9). This is reportedly the…
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Man stabbed to death at wedding in southern Thailand
A man stabbed another man to death at a wedding party in Thailand’s southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat last night, according to police in Nopphitam district. Witnesses told police that the victim, 58 year old Diam Yangkaew, had been drinking with other guests at a table, when another man showed up on a motorcycle. They say the man walked…
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Popular Italian chef dies in motorbike crash in Pattaya
A well-known Italian chef died in a motorbike accident in the early hours of this morning in Pattaya. He was driving at a very high speed when he crashed into a power pole, according to witnesses. The body of 40 year old Matteo (surname withheld) was discovered lying face down in a pool of blood at around 12:30am this morning.…
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Australia’s Great Barrier Reef facing “mass bleaching”
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, one of the most famous natural sites in the world, is suffering a mass bleaching event. Due to bleaching in 2016, 2017 and 2020, 66% of the reef’s coral was damaged. Bleaching occurs when rising ocean temperatures cause corals heat stress, and drain them of their colours. The UN threatened to lower the reef’s World Heritage…
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New wages for Thailand’s skilled workers
Thailand’s cabinet has approved new wages for construction workers, industrial arts workers and service workers. The new wages are expected to come into effect 90 days after the announcement was made on Tuesday. In the construction industry, tilers considered ‘level 1’ will earn 465 baht per day. Those considered level 2 will earn 550 baht a day. Level 3 tilers…
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3 cannabis medications added to Universal Healthcare Coverage
Three traditional cannabis based medications have been added to Universal Healthcare Coverage, commonly known as the gold card scheme, by the National Health Security Office. The three medications include: paralysis treatment, treatment for sleep problems and food consumption, and treatment for muscular pain and limb numbness. The three were approved by the NHSO board meeting on May 2nd, according to…
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