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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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  • Migrant workers get free pass home for Songkran celebrations | Thaiger

    Migrant workers get free pass home for Songkran celebrations

    To ease the journey home for migrant workers from Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar, Labour Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn announced yesterday that they will be exempted from re-entry fees if they wish to return to their home countries to celebrate Songkran between April 1 and May 15. The decision, greenlit by the policy committee on the management of alien workers, aims to…

  • Monkey mayhem: Lopburi locals go bananas over macaque move | Thaiger

    Monkey mayhem: Lopburi locals go bananas over macaque move

    Khao Phra subdistrict residents and community leaders in Nakhon Nayok province protest a scheme to temporarily accommodate a group of 50 macaques from Lopburi province. Fearing potential attacks and chaos, locals stand firm against the plan proposed by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP). The DNP’s strategy aims to address the escalating aggression of Lopburi monkeys,…

  • Chiang Mai ranked among top budget-friendly retirement locations | Thaiger

    Chiang Mai ranked among top budget-friendly retirement locations

    The lively and diverse city of Chiang Mai in Thailand has been listed among 13 budget-friendly global locations where couples can retire and live comfortably on a modest sum of US$1,500 per month, according to a new survey from International Living. The city, an eclectic mix of Thai, Chinese, Indian, and foreign residents, is celebrated for its rich history, culture,…

  • Bamboo barges battle plastic pollution in Bangkok | Thaiger

    Bamboo barges battle plastic pollution in Bangkok

    To tackle Thailand’s plastic pollution crisis, a pioneering project has been launched on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok. Black flies scattered as plastic waste cascaded from bamboo conveyor belts onto solar-powered barges, marking a significant step towards cleaner waters. Dubbed the “interceptor,” this innovative boat-like structure, trailing a floating barrier, utilises the river’s currents to guide plastic debris into…

  • Phuket villa manager caught faking robbery to hide lost deposits | Thaiger

    Phuket villa manager caught faking robbery to hide lost deposits

    A 21 year old luxury villa manager in Kamala Beach, Phuket, was apprehended for fabricating an assault and theft incident after failing to account for customers’ deposits. The manager, Chananchida Harnkamjorn, confessed to concocting a story about being attacked and robbed of 100,000 baht to cover up her misuse of the funds. The incident, initially reported to police on Monday…

  • Thai millionaire loses over 63 million baht to romance scammers | Thaiger

    Thai millionaire loses over 63 million baht to romance scammers

    Police arrested two women and three Thai men for orchestrating a romance scam spanning six years, during which they swindled a millionaire out of more than 63 million baht. The Thai millionaire realised he was being scammed after nearly going bankrupt. He revealed the whole story to the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) leading to the arrest of the main romance…

  • Thai government splurges 2.95 billion on free school lunches | Thaiger

    Thai government splurges 2.95 billion on free school lunches

    The Cabinet has given the nod to a 2.95 billion baht free school lunch programme for nearly half a million students nationwide for the upcoming 2025 academic year. Karom Pholpornklang, the deputy government spokesperson, revealed the comprehensive scope of the initiative, stating that it will extend its benevolent reach across 7,344 schools throughout the country. This plan encompasses 6,855 schools…

  • Saraburi: 36 gamblers caught red-handed in midnight raid | Thaiger

    Saraburi: 36 gamblers caught red-handed in midnight raid

    Acting on reports of clandestine gambling, officers from the Thai Crime Suppression Division surrounded a nondescript house, launching a blitz operation in Nong Don, Saraburi on Monday, March 25. Inside the unassuming residence, dozens of gamblers huddled around tables, engrossed in their illicit card games. In a matter of moments, 36 individuals found themselves in handcuffs. As the interrogation commenced,…

  • University student found dead in Nan River, Phitsanulok | Thaiger

    University student found dead in Nan River, Phitsanulok

    A 23 year old university student who had been missing for two days was found dead in the Nan River in Phitsanulok, northern Thailand. The fourth-year student from a well-known university, identified only as Teeraporn (surname withheld) was found without any apparent injuries, suggesting a grim conclusion to her life. The initial report came yesterday when local authorities were alerted…

  • Northern Thailand’s persistent wildfires exacerbate air pollution | Thaiger

    Northern Thailand’s persistent wildfires exacerbate air pollution

    Wildfires persist in northern Thailand, contributing to a surge in air pollution despite recent downpours. As of Monday, Mae Hong Son recorded 6,646 wildfires this year, predominantly in the districts of Mueang Mae Hong Son, Pai, and Mae Sariang. This has led to Mae Hong Son exceeding safe levels of airborne particulates for 38 consecutive days. Mae Sariang district reported…

  • Pickpockets theft of Norweigian-Thai couple was karma, say cops | Thaiger

    Pickpockets theft of Norweigian-Thai couple was karma, say cops

    A Thai police officer dismissed a complaint from a Norwegian man and his Thai girlfriend who lost 30,000 baht in cash and a mobile phone to four pickpockets outside a shopping mall in Bangkok. The Thai cop allegedly told the foreigner it was his fault, a result of bad karma in their past lives. The Thai woman and her Norwegian…

  • Thai lawyer uncovers police-linked bribery network | Thaiger

    Thai lawyer uncovers police-linked bribery network

    A recent revelation has shaken the Thai law enforcement scene as a lawyer uncovered a gang, allegedly linked to the police, involved in an extensive bribery racket. The racket reportedly amasses over 100 million baht each month through illicit kickbacks. Sittra Biabungkerd, serving as secretary to the People’s Lawyers Foundation, brought this issue to light in a press conference held…

  • Pork-smuggling mafia’s son arrested at Don Mueang Airport | Thaiger

    Pork-smuggling mafia’s son arrested at Don Mueang Airport

    The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) at Don Mueang International Airport yesterday apprehended Karin Piyapornpaiboon, the adopted son of a notorious Chinese pork-smuggling mafia figure, Li Sheng Jiao, known as Hia Kao (Brother Kao). The arrest took place at 7.40am as Karin’s plane from China touched down, with him being transported to the DSI headquarters by 9am, as disclosed by…

  • Minimum wage rises to 400 baht in 10 Thai provinces | Thaiger

    Minimum wage rises to 400 baht in 10 Thai provinces

    The minimum wage in selected areas of 10 Thai provinces is set to rise to 400 baht per day, as decreed by the tripartite wage committee yesterday. This new wage increase, which comes into effect on April 13, will apply to tourism-related businesses and four-star hotels with a staff of 50 or more. Pairoj Chotikasathien, the committee’s chairman and permanent…

  • Saab swoops to supply Gripen jets to RTAF in 19-billion-baht deal | Thaiger

    Saab swoops to supply Gripen jets to RTAF in 19-billion-baht deal

    Saab AB, the Swedish aerospace company, yesterday announced its intention to supply Gripen fighter jets to the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF). The company’s proposal aligns with the Thai government’s offset policy and other requirements for national capability development set by the RTAF. The offset policy mandates that suppliers of new military equipment to Thailand provide equal economic evaluations in…

  • Thai govt assures no loss of Koh Kood sovereignty in future talks | Thaiger

    Thai govt assures no loss of Koh Kood sovereignty in future talks

    A reassurance has been issued by the Thai government, stating that the country will not surrender sovereignty over Koh Kood, located in Trat province, to Cambodia during future negotiations concerning the partitioning of marine resources in their shared Overlapping Claims Area (OCA). In a statement during the Senate’s general debate on Monday night, Deputy Prime Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara referred to…

  • Parents of eye doctor killed in hit-and-run to receive 27 million baht | Thaiger

    Parents of eye doctor killed in hit-and-run to receive 27 million baht

    A court ruling yesterday determined that a 23 year old police officer must pay 27.3 million baht in compensation to the parents of a doctor he fatally hit while riding a motorcycle in 2022. The incident occurred when the officer, Norawich Buadok, who was travelling between 108 and 128 kilometres per hour on his Ducati Monster big bike, struck 33…

  • Hong Kong’s national security law: Foreign corporations | Thaiger

    Hong Kong’s national security law: Foreign corporations

    Corporate lawyers and consultants have revealed that foreign corporations operating in Hong Kong have been revisiting their strategies since the previous year in anticipation of the recently passed domestic national security law. Despite assurances from the city and central authorities that the legislation, dictated by Article 23 of the Basic Law, would neither disrupt operations nor negatively impact the city’s…

  • Shooting and Molotov cocktails attack rocks Phuket Town | Thaiger

    Shooting and Molotov cocktails attack rocks Phuket Town

    Phuket City police are currently investigating a violent incident on the outskirts of Phuket Town which resulted in a young man being shot in the foot, with accompanying reports of Molotov cocktails being hurled. The authorities were alerted to the event by the staff at Vachira Phuket Hospital, who reported a patient admitted with a bullet wound in his left…

  • Court clears Thai lawyer’s remark against Thaksin | Thaiger

    Court clears Thai lawyer’s remark against Thaksin

    Thai lawyer and politician Chuan Leekpai’s controversial statement branding ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra as a “harbinger of doom” for the Deep South has been deemed fair game by the South Bangkok Criminal Court. The legal battle, which teetered on the edge of defamation, reached its climax today with a verdict that left both sides reeling. The lawsuit, initiated just three days…

  • Thaksin Shinawatra’s secretive meet-up sparks political uproar | Thaiger

    Thaksin Shinawatra’s secretive meet-up sparks political uproar

    Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s sudden appearance at the Pheu Thai Party’s headquarters has sparked intense speculation about his true intentions. To dispel mounting rumours, Phumtham Wechayachai, former Pheu Thai Secretary-General, clarified that Thaksin’s scheduled rendezvous on Tuesday was merely a gesture of convenience. “It’s not about control. It’s about respect.” Phumtham asserted that the visit was solely to facilitate…

  • Russian graffiti vandals busted in Patong | Thaiger

    Russian graffiti vandals busted in Patong

    The two Russian men on a graffiti rampage after a booze-fuelled escapade in Patong, Phuket, have been arrested. Police Major General Saranyu Chamnarnrat, Deputy Chief of the Provincial Police Region 8, revealed the arrest of the Russian vandals today. Identified as 23 year old Evgenii Egorov and 22 year old Oleg Shirshov, the spray-painting mischievous pair were nabbed from a dormitory…

  • Beachside business caught red-handed with Pattaya city floats | Thaiger

    Beachside business caught red-handed with Pattaya city floats

    Pattaya officials swooped in on a beachside entrepreneur’s operation, seizing floats that were allegedly repurposed from government property for commercial gain. Residents raised eyebrows at the brazen use of what appeared to be city-owned pontoons for private enterprise on Krating Lai Beach in north Pattaya. The Deputy Mayor of Pattaya City, Manot Nongyai, spearheaded a team of city officials yesterday…

  • Tiktok tiff: Thai singer takes legal note after Filipino plagarises song | Thaiger

    Tiktok tiff: Thai singer takes legal note after Filipino plagarises song

    A Thai singer filed a lawsuit against a Filipino TikToker for plagiarising one of his songs. The Filipino, Shad, allegedly put a translated version of the song up for sale without giving credit or obtaining a license. Drama emerged on Thai social media after the Filipino TikToker offered a translated version of a song by Chetkit “Phon” Thunmark called พี่ชอบหนูที่สุดเลย (I…

  • Visa-free travel sparks surge in Thai-Chinese tourism expectations | Thaiger

    Visa-free travel sparks surge in Thai-Chinese tourism expectations

    A recent measure granting visa-free travel between Thailand and China has sparked a surge in tourism expectations. As per the reports collected by five Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) overseas offices located in Beijing, Shanghai, Kunming, Chengdu, and Guangzhou, it’s predicted that tourism between the two nations could dramatically rise by the end of 2024. The visa-exemption agreement, which has…

  • Rare two-headed-like snake spotted in Sukhothai | Thaiger

    Rare two-headed-like snake spotted in Sukhothai

    A peculiar snake with an extraordinary appearance caused a stir on social media after it was found slithering into a home in Sukhothai in the middle of the night last night. The snake, with its unique black and purplish colour and distinctive white ring patterns, was unlike anything ever seen before by the residents and sparked an intense online debate…

  • Chauffeur poses as youth welfare officer to rape 13 year old girl | Thaiger

    Chauffeur poses as youth welfare officer to rape 13 year old girl

    A chauffeur of the Service Centre for Disabled People in the Isaan province of Udon Thani posed as a youth welfare officer to lure a 13 year old girl into a rape. He even sexually assaulted the girl in front of her two year old sibling. The victim’s mother, 31 year old Cat, urged Thai news agencies to help seek…

  • Mae Hong Son village assistant assaults wildlife officer | Thaiger

    Mae Hong Son village assistant assaults wildlife officer

    Authorities in Mae Hong Son launched a severe disciplinary investigation against a village assistant for leading a group of 20 locals in a brazen attempt to free two suspects from wildlife officers. The incident, coupled with the seizure of firearms, methamphetamine, and animal remains, sparked a potential dismissal from the position of the village assistant involved. A bold confrontation erupted…

  • Srettha fires back: Defends overseas trips amid criticism | Thaiger

    Srettha fires back: Defends overseas trips amid criticism

    Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin staunchly defended his international excursions and trips to neighbouring nations, asserting their vital role in ramping up foreign investment in Thailand and fostering stronger regional ties. Addressing critics head-on, the 62 year old PM justified his frequent forays into provinces to tackle local issues, such as combating the PM2.5 airborne pollution blighting Chiang Mai. Responding to…

  • Surge in beggars in Malaysia’s Kelantan state during Ramadan | Thaiger

    Surge in beggars in Malaysia’s Kelantan state during Ramadan

    The streets of Malaysia’s Kelantan state, which shares its borders with Thailand, have witnessed a surge in the number of beggars this year, according to a report by the Kelantan Social Welfare Department. This surge, notably observed during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, includes Thai nationals among other foreign beggars. Kelantan state official, Said Sudip, noted an unprecedented increase…