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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Power bank explodes in backpack at Chiang Mai Airport – VIDEO
Thankfully the passenger wasn’t on a plane at the time. The woman had just arrived at the Chiang Mai International Airport. The first explosion was in her backpack which she quickly shrugged off and it fell to the ground. (Watch the video, bottom left at the beginning) Then, as security came to get a quick video of the incident on…
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Thailand’s Future Forward denies bizarre ‘Illuminati’ accusations
A lawyer and former advisor to Thailand’s chief ombudsman, Natthaporn Toprayoon has gone ‘full woo woo’ in cobbling together arguments to disband the Future Forward Party. In a petition submitted to the Constitutional Court, the lawyer has invoked fears of the ‘Illuminati’ secret society. He has accused Future Forward as being a threat to the country’s constitutional monarchy. He says…
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BTS 15 baht flat rate fare is nothing new
The ’15 baht flat fare’ proposal for the BTS is nothing new. But the proposal has surfaced again as the new Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob offered the flat fee to be set for the BTS Skytrain service across Bangkok. The BTSC operates the BTS services – the Sukhumvit line from Mor Chit to Kheha and the Silom line which serves Silom and…
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Accusations, working off-script and walk-outs. Day one in the new Thai parliament
PHOTO: The Nation One day down, another today. Thailand’s PM had his first day in a parliamentary setting and, despite taunts and barbs being thrown at him in true Parliamentary style, he stood firm. Sometimes working off-script and at other times visibly annoyed, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha barrelled through the formalities with a few “settle downs” coming from his right-hand man,…
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Pattaya officials tell Bali Hai Pier vans, taxis and baht bus drivers to clean up their act
PHOTO: Pattaya Mail Pattaya officials have now banned passenger vans from parking at Bali Hai Pier and discussing the situation with baht bus operators. Ronakit Ekasingh, Pattaya’s deputy mayor held a meeting on Monday about the traffic problems and chaos that was overwhelming the busy tourist pier. In a story earlier this week public-transport operators were caught fighting over customers.…
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Ready, set, Dragonboats are GO! World Champs come to Pattaya in August
The 14th World Dragon Boat Racing Championships are being held in August at the Map Prachan Reservoir in Banglamung, in Chon Buri. The event is being held at the Royal Navy Rowing Training Centre in Pattaya, from August 20-25. It is the first time that Thailand will be hosting the sport’s biggest event. This year the event draws more than…
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Phuket police crackdown nets over 20,000 meth pills and weapons
PHOTO: khaophuket.com Police have nabbed drug dealers in Phuket with more than 20,000 methamphetamine pills plus other drugs and weapons. On July 23, Phuket police announced a drug crackdown. Police have ended up seizing more than 20,000 methamphetamine pills, crystal methamphetamine, kratom and a gun. In the first case, police arrested 21 year old Arunrat ‘May’ Jirapongpitak and 25 year…
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Thai PC and notebook sales set to increase 5% in second half of year
The market for personal computers and notebook computer will grow around 4.7% in the second half of this year, as students, gaming and e-sports continue to drive growth The prediction from marketing director at Acer Computer, Nitipat Praweenwongwuthi. Acer recently conducted a survey into the needs of computer users and found that about 50% of customers who purchase gaming computers will…
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Police receive reports of Ponzi scene affecting 200 on Koh Samui
PHOTO: Manager Online 200 Thai wives of foreigners have reportedly lost up to 120 million baht in a Ponze scheme on Koh Samui. A group of 20 affected victims were represented by ‘Praew’ who reported to the Bophut Police Station to register a formal complaint. Bophut Police are trying to interview 30 victims each day since the complaint was registered…
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American dies after being knocked over by motorbike north of Bangkok
An American pedestrian has died after being run over on Klong 1 Road leading to the Lumpini Township condominium, north of the Capital. Police and emergency services responded after reports that a foreigner had been struck by a motorcycle just after midnight this morning. Volunteers from Ruam Katanyu provided CPR to the man, reported by Sanook as 35 year old ‘Carl’ from…
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Security tight for the first day of the new Thai parliament
FILE PHOTO Security is tight around Bangkok’s TOT building for today’s first sitting of the new Thai parliament. Four companies of policemen from the Metropolitan Police Division 2, police dogs and officers from the Thung Song Hong police station have been stationed at the HQ of the TOT, the venue for today’s government policy debate. Explosive ordnance disposal police backed…
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32 year old charged with attempted murder after Egyptian tourist stabbed in neck in Phuket
Sanook News is reporting further details after an 30 year old Egyptian, the son of an Ambassador, was struck in the neck by a roti seller who thought that the tourist was swearing at his wife. 32 year old Surachai from Koh Lanta, who was helping his wife sell rotis outside a Family Mart in Chalong’s Soi Ta-iad, grabbed a big…
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Phuket’s roti knife attack victim identified as Ambassador’s son
PHOTO: เสียงประชาชน คนภูเก็ต Phuket People’s Voice The Egyptian tourist slashed by a roti seller in Chalong’s Soi Ta-iad over the weekend, has been identified as the son of the Egyptian Ambassador in Uruguay. The incident occurred on July 19, when a man from Koh Lanta, 32 year old Surachai Raksap, attacked an Egyptian man with a knife in front of a…
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Tanks rolling into Bangkok today but not a coup! – Army
The tanks and army trucks are rolling into the capital today. But the Army’s Public Relations Division says it’s nothing to worry about, they’re just getting ready for celebrations for HM The King’s birthday this Sunday. They’ve said there is no need for alarm at the sight of processions of arms, troops and vehicles into Bangkok today. Soldiers, weaponry and…
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80 opposition MPs ready to go to battle with ‘newbie’ Thai PM
He’s never spoken in a Thai parliament. He’s never been leader of an elected government. He’s never had to do much debating or political negotiations. But he’s the Prime Minster of Thailand and he faces up to the new parliament tomorrow and Friday for the first two days of debate. All eyes will be in the PM to see how…
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Bangkok council to raise fines for motorbike footpath riders
Bangkok’s deputy governor says he has received approval from the BMA (Bangkok Metropolitan Administration) to raise fines imposed on motorcyclists caught driving on Bangkok’s sidewalks from 1,000 to 2,000 baht, starting next month. He said he was unhappy that a number of motorcyclists are still using the city’s footpaths as shortcuts, despite the existing 1,000 baht fine. The BMA says…
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Bangkok gets a peak hour battering
PHOTO: FM91 Trafficpro Bangkok and its suburbs were battered by a heavy thunderstorm late yesterday afternoon (Tuesday). The rains brought with them the usual traffic chaos during the rush evening hours and blew over trees and power poles in the suburbs. Those trying to avoid the traffic down below used the BTS Skytrain riding above the chaos below but were…
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“Worst in ten years” – Chiang Mai hotels
Hoteliers and business in Thailand’s main tourist areas continue to be at odds with the official narrative trotted out by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. This time hoteliers in Chiang Mai are reporting tourism in Thailand’s north is the worst in ten years at the moment. A report in ThaiVisa says that bookings are 40% down when compared to the…
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House speaker warns MPs to behave when new Thai parliament sits tomorrow
PHOTO: “Behave!” – House Speaker Chuan Leekpai – Thai PBS The first sitting of the new parliament will be tomorrow (Thursday) when the coalition government, led by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, will lay out the policies of the government. And MPs are being warned to behave ahead of time. Members of parliament are being warned by the speaker of the house…
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Thailand’s taxi and tuk tuk scams and annoyances
“Where are you going?”, they shout from across the road. A Tuk Tuk driver wants to help you get to your next destination but the willing smile and lure of a ride in a local jalopy may have switched off your trusty scam-detector. Tuk Tuks and taxis, and the motorbike taxis too, are a convenient, safe and reasonably cheap way…
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Pattaya tourist slump – visitors leaking to Vietnam
The new Minister of tourism and sports says tourism in Thailand is up nearly 1% (0.89% to be precise) in June year compared to last year. But as ministers bicker over the numbers – up or down – other business leaders says that tourism on the ground in Pattaya is much worse than the figures suggest. According to ThaiVisa, the “outlook…
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A proposal for Greater Bangkok’s fourth airport
PHOTO: Thailand Construction A new airport in Bangkok’s Nakhon Pathom province, just to the west of the capital, will be greater-Bangkok’s fourth air travel hub. The announcement was made on Saturday. Jarun Meesomboon, deputy director-general of the Airport Department, says the new 3,500 rai airport was a priority for the new Transport Ministry. He optimistically claimed it would cost only…
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The price of opposition in Thailand
“They create an atmosphere of fear by attacking us, even in broad daylight in the streets.” Sirawith Seritiwat, aka. ‘Ja New’, is not new to politically motivated violence. As the metal bars beat him again and again in broad daylight in a Bangkok street last month, he wondered if this time the attackers were going to kill him. Suddenly others…
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Airbnb welcomes new Thai Tourism Minister support of ‘short term’ accommodation
Airbnb welcomes the new Tourism and Sports Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakan’s and his commitment to grow tourism and support short-term accommodation in Thailand. Speaking to local media on his first day in office, Minister Ratchakitprakan identified short-term accommodation reform and growing tourism in secondary cities as a priority area for the Tourism and Sports Ministry. Airbnb’s Head of Public Policy for…
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Dongtan Beach speed bumps deter after hours racing in Jomtien
Jomtien Beach now has new speed bumps and lines painted on the roads to help deter motorbikes and cars speeding down the road along the beach late at night. The local Pattaya council has now installed speed bumps in Dongtan Beach in Jomtien to discouraging the speeding. While vehicles are currently prohibited from 10am – 5pm daily, cars and motorbikes have…
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North-central Thailand’s Yom River in Phichit runs low
Stories keep emerging about river systems, the lifeblood of agriculture in northern and north-eastern Thailand, drying out or dropping dramatically in level. A section of the Yom River that runs through the Sam Ngam in district in Pichit, north-central Thailand, has almost run dry following months without rain. The river was already reported as unseasonally low during April this year.…
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Government unveils 12 policies – BKK street food return and a higher minimum wage
One of the new parliament’s first debates, when it sits on July 25 and 26, is over a formal policy listing 12 living standard priorities. The list laid out in a briefing paper lists surprisingly progressive policies for the new coalition. The government says it wants to reduce obstacles blocking people from earning a decent living and would utilise digital…
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Pope scheduled to visit Thailand this November
Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Thailand and Japan this November, according to reports in Catholic websites in Rome. sanook.com reported the news yesterday. His visit will coincide with the 350th year anniversary of the presence of the Roman Catholic Church in Thailand. As of 2018, there are 379,975 Catholics in Thailand, a figure that represents 0.46% of the total…
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Egyptian tourist stabbed in the neck at a roti street store in Phuket
PHOTO: Daily News A roti roadside vendor has been arrested after attacking a tourist by stabbing a man in the neck outside a Family Mart store. 30 year old Mahmoud Abbas is now recovering in hospital following surgery. He was admitted with a 7 centimetre gash on his neck. According to reports in Daily News, the roti seller stabbed the…
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Constitutional Court accepts petition over Prayut’s fitness to be PM
The Constitutional Court yesterday accepted a petition from opposition MPs questioning PM Prayut’s “qualifications” to hold the post of Thai prime minister. The Court announced its decision on its website, commenting that the petition had been signed by a total of 110 MPs from various opposition parties but declaring that Prayut was free to continue carrying out his duties as…
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