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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Protesters add more demands as academics defend manifesto
Pro-democracy demonstrators yesterday called on schools and colleges to allow on-campus rallies as pressure grows on them to ban “risky” political activities. The leader of the opposition Move Forward Party posted on Facebook that safe places for students to air their views are dwindling and that youngsters “should be allowed to carry out activities there”. Pita Limjaroenrat’s remark came after…
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Appeals Court upholds 6 month sentence for Premchai on weapons charge
The Appeals Court has upheld the 6 month prison term handed down to construction tycoon Premchai Karnasuta for illegal possession of firearms. Premchai, the president of Italian-Thai Development Plc, appeared on Tuesday to hear the verdict. The court ruled to uphold the lower court’s decision. Premchai was granted release on unconditional bail, with 500,000 baht cash placed as bond. His…
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Report calls for national reconciliation through constitutional reform
A report prepared by the House Committee on laws, justice and human rights, and focusing on 9 recommendations, is set to be debated today, according to an unnamed source in the House of Representatives. According to the Bangkok Post, the report lays the groundwork for possible constitutional reform, recommending the creation of a “people’s constitution.” The report says the current…
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CCSA to allow sports gatherings, exempt Chinese fruit traders from travel ban
The Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration announced on Monday that will allow fans to attend sports events, and allow Chinese traders to enter Thailand for fruit export. The CCSA said that as Thailand approaches 80 days without a local Covid-19 transmission, it’s believed to be safe for spectators to attend large sports gatherings, although measures will be tighter for events…
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3 Chinese men arrested in Chon Buri operating porn, gambling site
3 Chinese men have been arrested for illegal entry, living in Thailand without a visa and allegedly operating a pornography and gambling website. The Immigration Bureau began an investigation after a tip from locals that some Chinese men had illegally entered the country 8 months ago and were working illegally Chon Buri’s Bang Lamung District. The arrest was at their…
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No tourists until 2021 – Thailand shuns travel bubbles and general travel
Thailand is currently caught in a number of quandaries that will continue to threaten the economy and stability of the country. Meanwhile the borders remain largely sealed, with the prospect of general tourist travel being pushed forward until at least 2021. There have been a number of official comments to support the prediction that Thailand’s borders will remain closed to…
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Household debt on the rise, as Thailand’s economic index decreases
The fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic continues to be felt around the country as Thailand’s economic index decreases and unemployment and debt continue to rise. Experts predict the country’s economic index will decrease from 37.4 to 36.8 over the coming 3 months. A report by the National News Bureau of Thailand says household debt is on the increase, with consumers…
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University protesters may be prosecuted over comments
Monday night’s anti-government rally at Thammasat University is said to have risked “offending the Monarchy”, sparking fears that it could trigger violent confrontations between royalists and their opponents. Comments made by protesters at the university’s campus in Pathum Thani may have violated Section 112 of the Criminal Code, also known as the lèse-majesté law. Students announced a set of 10…
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Deputy AG in Vorayuth case resigns
The deputy attorney-general who endorsed public prosecutors’ decision not to prosecute Red Bull heir Vorayuth Yoovidhya in the controversial hit-and run case which took the life of a senior police officer, has handed in his resignation. A statement released today from the Office of the Attorney-General announced that Deputy AG Nate Narksook has tendered his resignation letter to Attorney-General Wongsakul…
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Happy birthday to Her Majesty Queen Mother Sirikit
Thailand celebrates Mother’s Day and the birthday of the Queen Mother, HM Queen Sirikit, today. A lot of Thai people will be heading down to their local temples, district and provincial offices to join in ceremonies and other activities to mark her 88th birthday. Many will ‘tam boon’ (make merit) for the Queen Mother on this auspicious day. Queen Sirikit was…
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Pattaya’s Walking Street. Will it return to high rents and high heels?
Now that Pattaya’s infamous Walking Street is open to traffic along with parking for the first time in many, many years, what’s next? Thai officials and the local constabulary have long had a love-hate relationship with the red light district. It has attracted tourists but perhaps to the tourists the bosses in Bangkok were hoping for. It was a hive…
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Leave the monarchy alone – Thai Minister warns protesters
Protest peacefully, but keep the Thai monarchy out of it – that’s the gist of a warning from the Digital Economy and Society Minister referring to recent political protests that have been raising questions about Thailand’s revered Head of State. Rallies by royalist students and opposition parties have ended without incident at this stage although there have been a number of…
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Police remain tight-lipped on existence of “wanted activists” list
Thailand’s law enforcement officials are keeping schtum when asked about a list of “marked” political activists singled out for possible arrest. A claim circulating on social media says the list has been drawn up by police and contains the names of 31 activists. The allegation has been doing the rounds since the arrests of human rights lawyer, Anon Nampa, and…
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Air Asia and VietJet add some extra domestic routes
Whilst much of the world waits to get back into Thailand, the local airlines are starting to flex their domestic muscles and add new routes. Thai AirAsia is launching 2 new routes from Chiang Mai, starting yesterday, offering a one-way fare for as low as 790 baht on flights to Hua Hin, and Udon Thani in the northeast. The cheapie…
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Thailand’s international borders not re-opening for tourists until 2021 – TAT
Thailand is unlikely to reopen its borders to international tourists before the end of the year – the prediction from a deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Speaking at yet another webinar, this time hosted by Mekong Tourism and TravelMole, the deputy governor for international marketing at TAT, Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, noted that there has been “no…
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Jailed Thai activist Anon Nampa speaks in Chiang Mai whilst on bail – VIDEO
by guest writer Will Langston By 4pm late yesterday afternoon, the historical Tha Pae Gate in Chiang Mai was packed with uniformed and armed police officers as they prepared for a speech from Anon Nampa, who was released on bail just a day before after his arrest in Bangkok over “sedition” charges in dramatic circumstances last Friday. Anon Nampa was arrested…
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Decision to allow traffic on Pattaya’s Walking Street comes under fire on social media
The decision by local officials to give cars and other vehicles 24 hour access to Pattaya’s Walking Street is coming under fire on social media. Here’s a few of the comments… “Should be completely rebuilt possibly as a Casino Gambling Street fully licensed and controlled by the government, especially for upmarket tourist, complimented with classy night clubs, champagne, cocktails etc.”…
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Academics and opposition say government must listen to protesters’ demands to end unrest
Leading academics and members of the opposition are warning the government that they must listen to protesters and agree to their demands in order to end the current political unrest. Anti-government protesters continue to gather around the country, demanding a stop to the “intimidation of activists”, the “dissolution of Parliament”, and “constitutional reform”. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has already agreed to…
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Deputy AG fails to show up at an independent hearing into the dropping of ‘Boss’ charges
At yesterday’s hearing into the dropping of the Boss Yoovidhya ‘reckless driving causing death’ charge, the man who approved the dropping of the charges didn’t even bother turning up. A panel, headed by a former chairman of a constitution drafting body, Borwornsak Uwanno, summonsed Deputy Attorney-General Nate Naksuk to give statements at the independent committee looking into what lead to the…
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Outcry as Pattaya’s Walking Street opens to vehicles
Pattaya’s famous Walking Street nightlife district is now open to vehicular traffic around the clock, but not everyone is pleased. Business owners in the Walking Street area are reportedly asking the Pattaya City government to extend a current trial allowing vehicles onto the street at all hours of the day. The trial was proposed as international borders are still closed…
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Leading Thai epidemiologist warns against opening borders
A leading epidemiologist on the faculty of medicine at Chulalongkorn University is calling for the government to suspend any plan to allow foreign tourists for 6-18 months. Dr Thira Woratanarat, who makes daily updates on his Facebook in the Thai language and is well followed in the Thai media, has been delivering regular warnings about the risk of Covid-19 to…
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Authorities say religious conflict not behind beheading of Pattani Buddha image
The beheading of a revered Buddha image in the Muslim-dominated southern border province of Pattani was the work of a temple boy and not a religious conflict, according to a statement issued yesterday by the Region 4 Internal Security Operation Command. The head of “Phra Chao Ong Dam”, showing Buddha sitting under the Bodhi Tree or “tree of awakening”, inside…
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Bailed activist lawyer promises more protests
2 protest leaders arrested on Friday were granted bail following a court sitting in Bangkok yesterday. The court granted activist lawyer Arnon Nampa and a student named Panupong Jaadnok, alias “Mike Rayong” bail. The court pointedly warned them not to engage in similar behaviour while on bail. Immediately afterward, Arnon defiantly told reporters he was headed to Chiang Mai to…
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Army captain charged in knife attack on 83 year old neighbour
An army captain in the south central province of Chachoengsao has been charged in connection with a knife attack on her 83 year old neighbour in Bang Pakong district yesterday morning. The victim suffered numerous serious wounds. Police rushed to the scene after being alerted at around 7am.The accused attacker, a 45 year old Pansamon Yuenyong, was waiting in the…
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Bangkok casino shooter insists he acted alone: police
A man who confessed to killing a gunman, who had already shot dead 3 people at an illegal Bangkok gambling den on Monday night, insists he acted alone, police announced today. Authorities took 61 year old Phiphit Srisuwan, alias “Boy Baan Khrua” to the Bangkok South Criminal Court to seek his detention in connection with the fatal shooting in a…
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Father killed, daughter injured in Banglamung crash
A man is dead and his 15 year daughter old seriously injured after their motorbike collided with a pickup truck on the way to school in in Chon Buri’s Banglamung district yesterday. Police were notified of the incident on Road No. 36 in the morning. Police, reporters and rescue workers arrived at the scene to find a 15 year old…
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Chon Buri, Pattaya battle growing homelessness
The normally bustling resort town of Pattaya, battered by the Covid-19 crisis, is battling a growing homelessness problem that’s driving concerns and complaints from many locals. Already this weekend, about 50 officers from the Chon Buri Homeless Protection Centre, along with staff from the Pattaya Social Development Office, and Pattaya City police have inspected multiple locations where there have been…
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Demonstration called against arrests of protest leaders
Police in Bangkok are under pressure from protesters both on- and offline after yesterday’s arrest and detention of student protest leaders. Prominent activist and human rights lawyer Anon Numpa and protest leader Nutchanon “Mike” Payakaphan were taken into police custody for 7 charges, including sedition. 30 more student protesters are wanted by police and arrest warrants have been issued. The…
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After outcry, foreigners will be allowed to run in Bangkok Midnight Marathon
The Bangkok Midnight Marathon and its organisers were scorched online yesterday after banning foreigners from entering the race, for reasons not made clear. BMM’s Facebook page and social media accounts were inundated with angry comments. The Thaiger, alone, accumulated some 20,000 people seeing the post and around 170 comments, mostly unhappy with the ban. The BBM – which Thai authorities…
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Investigating officer changes his evidence AGAIN in “Boss” hit-and-run case
In another abrupt U-turn in the ongoing hit-and-run case of Red Bull heir Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, a forensic police officer who recently changed his mind and said Vorayuth was probably driving below the 80 kilometre per hour speed limit during his deadly crash in 2012, has now returned to his original testimony and declared the actual speed was indeed 177…
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