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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.

  • POLL: Thai politics unchanged, honesty and transparency wanted | Thaiger

    POLL: Thai politics unchanged, honesty and transparency wanted

    A new poll shows that most people in Thailand don’t believe that politics have really changed much. They like responsible, honest politicians and hate people who break promises and abuse authority. They want their political parties to be honest and transparent with a clear goal. Corruption is the biggest issue they want to be tackled. Poll respondents said that they…

  • Best Christmas Movies, Ever! | Thaiger

    Best Christmas Movies, Ever!

    The Thaiger is following up on the success of its Best Christmas Singles, Ever! This time the team selected its favourite Christmas movies. With so many films to choose from many readers may disagree with our choices and be disappointed to discover that their favourite Xmas flick is missing from the list. But it’s always a great topic to debate…

  • Free tune-up offered for all vehicles before New Year’s Eve | Thaiger

    Free tune-up offered for all vehicles before New Year’s Eve

    Thailand is trying a new angle to increase road safety during the upcoming busy New Year’s holiday. Before people climb into their cars and make long-distance journeys they might not normally make in their day-to-day life, the government is helping to provide free comprehensive tune-ups for all vehicles. By partnering with public and private businesses, the Land Transport Department is…

  • Hard rain stops train services in Thailand’s south | Thaiger

    Hard rain stops train services in Thailand’s south

    Heavy rain and high tides are bringing widespread flooding to Songkhla, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Narathiwat. Red flags in Songkhla’s Chalatat Beach advise people not to venture into the 4-metre waves that are pounding the coast. In Narathiwat province, those living close to the Kolok River are ready to move themselves and their valuables to higher ground as the water…

  • Thailand’s rescued tiger cubs fattening up, but not for the pot | Thaiger

    Thailand’s rescued tiger cubs fattening up, but not for the pot

    Thailand’s rescued tiger cubs are fattening up nicely in Udon Ratchathani, but these guys have already been saved from the pot. Laos’ wildlife authorities are finally assisting Thailand’s search for 30 tiger cubs trafficked across the border to be fattened up and fed to sexually-challenged Chinese customers in underground Bangkok eateries. Chaiwat Limlikitaksorn, director of the Ubon Ratchathani’s National Parks,…

  • Surat Thani authorities optimistic about tourism as another cruise ship arrives in Koh Samui | Thaiger

    Surat Thani authorities optimistic about tourism as another cruise ship arrives in Koh Samui

    Officials in Thailand’s southern province of Surat Thani are remaining optimistic about the recovering tourism sector as another cruise ship arrives around Koh Samui island. As the industry continues to recover after the Covid-19 pandemic, the government is urging businesses to uphold the country’s positive reputation. According to the Pattaya Mail, 31 cruise ships are scheduled to arrive in Koh…

  • Elizabeth Hurley denies rumours she swiped Prince Harry’s v-card | Thaiger

    Elizabeth Hurley denies rumours she swiped Prince Harry’s v-card

    British actress Elizabeth Hurley denies rumours that she swiped the Duke of Sussex Prince Harry’s v-card, although he mentions losing his ‘virginity to a beautiful, older woman in the countryside.’ Although Hurley, an English actress, has always been known for her stunning beauty, she said, “No. Not me. Absolutely not,” when responding to the rumours. The British actress and model spoke…

  • Hunger calling at villagers doors amid drought in central Thailand | Thaiger

    Hunger calling at villagers doors amid drought in central Thailand

    A hungry herd of elephants went knocking on doors in a Prachin Buri village early yesterday morning, searching for food or water as drought drives them out of their reserve. Frightened villagers awoke to the sounds of wild elephants shuffling around in their yards, rooting for veggies, early on Saturday. Residents of Nong Pradu reported that some elephants from the…

  • Murder in the temple – don’t drink and pray | Thaiger

    Murder in the temple – don’t drink and pray

    When 36 year old Banjerd Yimchoi and his friend 32 year old friend Theerayut Tumorn went to a concert at Plak Raet temple in Phitsanulok province last week, no one could have suspected how the murder in the temple would unfold. The pair had gone with their boss, construction contractor Pratheep Hinart, and started drinking heavily at his place before…

  • Bail denied for celeb couple running porn and gambling websites | Thaiger

    Bail denied for celeb couple running porn and gambling websites

    Bail has been denied for the former soap star and her computer programmer husband who just made sensational headlines for operating gambling and porn websites. The pair were arrested on Thursday along with an accomplice by the Crime Suppression Division and were just denied bail by the Criminal Court. Arrest warrants were issued for actress Thamolphan Phanuchitputthiwong, better known as…

  • Koh Samui welcomes second cruise ship, 2,500 tourists | Thaiger

    Koh Samui welcomes second cruise ship, 2,500 tourists

    For only the second time in the last 3 years, a large cruise ship has arrived today at Koh Samui, four times larger than the first. After cruising came to a halt worldwide as cruise ships became the perfect petri dish for the spread a Covid-19, only one other cruise ship has arrived on the holiday island previously just three…

  • Tourist police warn travellers of Thai scams | Thaiger

    Tourist police warn travellers of Thai scams

    Spiderman’s uncle once said, “With great tourism, comes great scamability.” We might be paraphrasing a bit, but as Thailand is welcoming international tourists once again pouring into the country, the tourist police are warning that perhaps not-so-welcomed scammers are also returning to prey on fresh foreign victims. The commissioner of the Tourist Police Bureau says that they are increasing police presence…

  • Superpowers fight for supercomputer supremacy | Thaiger

    Superpowers fight for supercomputer supremacy

    Sanctions designed to cripple China’s chipmakers are the US weapon of choice, as skirmishes begin in the superpowers’ fight for supercomputer supremacy. The current most-favoured US target for fear, hatred and sanctions – China’s semiconductor industry – has good reason to worry about the world’s policeman, now turned world’s store detective. The US will do almost anything to keep its…

  • Hippos swallows toddler in Uganda, spits him out again | Thaiger

    Hippos swallows toddler in Uganda, spits him out again

    A two-year-old boy survived being half-eaten by a hippopotamus near his home in southwestern Uganda. Iga Paul was playing near the shores of Lake Edward when the hippo grabbed the toddler and swallowed half of his body, according to the BBC. Iga was saved and has made a full recovery, police say. The hippo had the boy in its jaws…

  • Thai baht depreciates against US dollar | Thaiger

    Thai baht depreciates against US dollar

    After a recent surge of strength by the Thai baht earlier this month, it has now depreciated against the US dollar. As of today, December 16, the baht now stands at about 35 per USD, according to an executive at Kasikorn Research Center, Kanchana Chokpaisarnsilp. Yesterday, the baht was at 34.92 per USD, Daily News reported. Market strategist Poon Panichphiboon…

  • Tuhao buck passes to Department of Special Investigation | Thaiger

    Tuhao buck passes to Department of Special Investigation

    The “Tuhao” case is certainly a complicated one. Its trail of intrigue leads from Beijing to Bangkok and back again, passing all points between. So it is no surprise that the Department of Special Investigation decided to take up the case involving Chinese businessman Chaiyanat “Tuhao” Kornchayanant. Justice will now be served. Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin said yesterday that Tuhao was…

  • Thailand’s submarine engine talks stall again | Thaiger

    Thailand’s submarine engine talks stall again

    Thailand’s submarine engine talks have stalled again. The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) has still not decided on how to power an S26T Yuan-class submarine being assembled in China. The choice remains the same – a Chinese-made engine or an unobtainable German-made one. Germany’s embargo on sales of military equipment, which it initiated in the wake of WWII, prevented the sale…

  • Battle lines drawn in Koh Lipe turf war | Thaiger

    Battle lines drawn in Koh Lipe turf war

    Thailand’s human rights commission (NHRC) is calling for the government to take urgent action in the Koh Lipe turf war to help sea gypsies living on the island in Satun province. The Moken are a semi-nomadic tribe that lives in Thai coastal provinces and inhabits over 800 islands in the Andaman Sea. They number less than 3,000 people. The Moken have…

  • Field of cosmos flowers open to tourists to central Thailand province | Thaiger

    Field of cosmos flowers open to tourists to central Thailand province

    Flower lovers have yet another attraction to see in Thailand, as flowers continue to bloom during the winter season. A field of cosmos flowers is open to tourists in the main city district of Lop Buri province in central Thailand. A Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) director’s office in the province brought a group of people to admire the purple,…

  • Infected spinach recalled in Australia after people become delirious | Thaiger

    Infected spinach recalled in Australia after people become delirious

    It appears spinach not only gives you superhuman strength but it also makes you delirious. The vegetable made famous by the cartoon character Popeye caused a health alarm in Australia after a number of people who ate it became ill and experienced hallucinations. Nine people from four Sydney households yesterday required medical attention after experiencing toxic reactions linked to eating…

  • Former tennis legend deported from UK | Thaiger

    Former tennis legend deported from UK

    Former tennis legend Boris Becker was deported from the United Kingdom yesterday after serving eight months of a two and a half year sentence for charges relating to a 2017 bankruptcy case. The former world No. 1 tennis player was put on a plane for Germany after he had been released from custody and deported. Becker’s lawyer, Christian-Oliver Moser, made…

  • Online system to control cannabis bud sales will be ready next year | Thaiger

    Online system to control cannabis bud sales will be ready next year

    The Department of Thai Traditional and Complementary Medicine (DTAM) is launching an online system to control the sale of cannabis buds next year. Buyers must be over 20 years old and present their ID cards before purchasing. While the official Cannabis Act was under process, different rules and restrictions were gradually introduced to prevent people under the age of 20,…

  • Bill committee removes section stating cannabis isn’t a narcotic | Thaiger

    Bill committee removes section stating cannabis isn’t a narcotic

    Section 3 of the draft law being debated in the government right now states that cannabis and hemp are not considered narcotic substances under the Narcotics Act. The House committee that is currently scrutinizing the bill agreed to remove that section, causing controversy and hinting at the possibility of redefining the status of cannabis in Thailand. Ever since legalising cannabis…

  • For Tesla Thailand, all bumpy roads lead to China | Thaiger

    For Tesla Thailand, all bumpy roads lead to China

    For newly-minted Tesla Thailand, there’s a bumpy road ahead, and it leads back to China. Tesla began sales in Thailand, just over a week ago, offering its popular Model 3 and Model Y at prices that compete with rivals like BYD. The company staged a glitzy showcase of its plans at Bangkok’s Siam Paragon mall with vehicles to be delivered…

  • Phuket was Thailand’s top tourist spot this year | Thaiger

    Phuket was Thailand’s top tourist spot this year

    The world-renowned island province of Phuket was Thailand’s top tourism spot in the first 10 months of 2022. From January to October, Phuket drew 2.32 million international tourists to its shores, followed by Chon Buri with 975,026 tourists, Surat Thani with 606,812 tourists, Songkhla with 581,808 tourists, and Chiang Mai with 496,111 tourists. Deputy government spokesperson Tipanan Sirichana said today…

  • 6 year old girl sexually assaulted by classmate | Thaiger

    6 year old girl sexually assaulted by classmate

    The mother of a 6 year old girl filed a complaint with a non-profit organization after her daughter was sexually assaulted by a classmate at Wat Sri Kongkaram School in the central province of Samut Prakarn. The 31 year old mother, Nuch, yesterday informed the Pavena Foundation for Children and Women about her daughter’s sexual assault on November 30. Nuch…

  • Covid precautions for New Year’s Eve in Bangkok | Thaiger

    Covid precautions for New Year’s Eve in Bangkok

    Nobody wants to hear it, but Covid-19 numbers are on the rise in Thailand, stoking governmental fears around the approaching New Year’s Eve festivities. Officials in Bangkok announced that New Year’s Eve countdown parties will be allowed to be thrown as planned, but face masks will be required wherever crowds gather. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration will be laying out clear guidelines…

  • Latest Patong drug crackdown finds staffers all testing negative | Thaiger

    Latest Patong drug crackdown finds staffers all testing negative

    The latest Patong drug crackdown on Bangla Road found that all staffers tested negative for drug use. The most recent round of drug tests on the popular nightlife hotspot road was conducted on Tuesday night. A team from the Kathu district conducted the “random” tests on 85 staffers, including 35 men and 50 women. According to Patong Police Chief Colonel…

  • Thai navy officer arrested for drug smuggling in Isaan | Thaiger

    Thai navy officer arrested for drug smuggling in Isaan

    A Thai navy officer was arrested in the Sattahip district of Chon Buri after the police found he was involved in a drug smuggling ring in the Isaan province of Nong Khai. The president of the Help Crime Victim Club, Atchariya Ruangrattanapong, filed a complaint to the commissioner of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) on October 25 pointing out that…

  • Russians still biggest tourist group in Phuket, peak expected during holidays | Thaiger

    Russians still biggest tourist group in Phuket, peak expected during holidays

    Russians remain Phuket’s biggest tourist group, and the island resort’s tourism is expected to peak during the holidays, according to the president of the Southern Thai Hotels Association, Sueksit Suwannadissakun, who believes the peak of tourism High Season will be between December 24 to January 5. About 57% of hotels in the island province reopened in October, jumping to 70%…