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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Starting a new life abroad is exciting—new culture, new lifestyle, and new chances to grow. But living far from home also means taking steps to protect your health in unfamiliar surroundings. Without the right coverage, even small health issues can...
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Land Transport Department will collect traffic fines
The days of blowing off traffic tickets and fines left on your car or motorbike may be coming to a close. At least if you drive legally and pay your taxes. The Royal Thai Police (RTP) and the Land Transport Department (LTD) have joined forces in a landmark agreement aimed at tackling the problem of unpaid traffic ticket fines. Under…
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Thailand to give nation’s SMEs a digital leg up
Thailand plans to give the nation’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs) a digital leg up to help improve their businesses and boost the kingdom’s economy at the same time. Digital Economy and Society (DES) Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn announced the department will include another 25 provinces in its plan to improve SME businesses, reported Bangkok Post. The “New-normal Market Transformation” initiative,…
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Thai immigration chief asks reporter, ‘Do you have a husband?’ to dodge question
In an interview about the macau888 gambling case, Thailand’s Chief of Immigration dodged a female reporter’s question by responding, “Do you have a husband?” The interview followed the interrogation of police officer Kunakorn “Bright” Khajohnboonthaworn who was accused of being one of four brothers operating the illegal gambling website macau888. According to the police force, Captain Bright proved his innocence…
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Septic tank drained in search for missing baby boy
Parents of the 8-month-old baby boy missing in Nakhon Pathom province were questioned separately by police for about nine hours Tuesday. Early in the day, the order was given for a septic tank to be drained in the search for the missing baby boy. The parents of the missing child, 16 year old Philaiporn Korcharoen and 19 year old Sittichok…
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Tarmacked forest in Thai conservation area sparks outrage
Netizens are scratching their heads at the Department of National Park‘s decision to tarmac a forest inside a conservation area at a wildlife sanctuary in Chiang Mai province in northern Thailand. No space at all was left around the tree trunks to allow the trees to breathe and grow. An outraged Facebook user posted a picture of the newly tarmacked…
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Khaosan Road businesses told to cut noise pollution, or else!
Businesses in the backpacker haven of Khaosan Road have been warned to cut noise pollution otherwise, they will suffer legal consequences, due to complaints received from nearby residents. City Hall says businesses have 15 days to get their houses in order and regulate noise levels, or else! After a gathering that brought together 30 members of the Khaosan Road Business…
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Ministry of Culture to promote 16 Thai festivals internationally
Thailand’s Ministry of Culture is taking steps to promote the country’s cultural heritage and boost local economies by promoting 16 Thai festivals internationally. Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Yupha Taweewattanakitborvon, announced the move as part of the government’s “5F” initiative, which seeks to promote Thai soft power through the food, film, fashion, fighting, and festival industries. The selected festivals represent…
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Drunk police officer crashes car into restaurant in Bangkok, 3 in ICU (video)
Three people are seriously injured in intensive care after a drunk police officer crashed his car into a restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday night. The owner of the “Mala” (Chinese spicy hotpot) restaurant in Bang Khen district said they are scared justice will not be served because the drunk driver is a police officer. At 10.55pm on Monday, officers…
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PLTO focuses on foreigners using rental cars as illegal taxis
The crackdown on illegal taxis – those operating outside their jurisdiction or without proper licenses or permissions – continues in Phuket. Authorities have turned their attention to a new target: foreigners using personal rental cars as taxis. In response to numerous complaints, Phuket officials launched an investigation into reports of foreign tourists acting as illegal taxi drivers. A joint team…
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Family of 5, including 3-month-old baby, brutally murdered in northern Thailand
Police are investigating the brutal murder of five members of an indigenous Hmong family in the northern province of Tak. The culprit behind the crime remains at large. The youngest victim was a mere three months old. The community leader of Baan Sirirak in the Wang Chao district of Tak promptly informed the police after making the grim discovery of…
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Suspect in US hit-and-run fatal accident flees to Thailand
A US woman suspected in a deadly hit-and-run has reportedly fled to Thailand. The FBI says the woman, Tubtim “Sue” Howson, from Oakland Township, Michigan is suspected of hitting and killing a 22 year old man on New Year’s Day. According to WXYZ, the FBI filed a criminal complaint alleging that the 57 year old fled to Thailand two days…
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Misinformation spreads over Turkey, Syria earthquake
Misinformation is spreading over the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria with some rumours falsely stating that a tsunami occurred. According to the Straits Times, AFP fact-checkers have debunked pictures and videos that were posted online and viewed a thousand times over. The fake news included misattributed pictures and videos that included a “tsunami” and a child mourning his parents.…
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500k baht stolen from Singaporean family in Phuket villa
A Singaporean family’s vacation in Phuket was spoiled after their villa was burgled of over 485,000 baht worth of valuables, including two Louis Vuitton crossbody bags. The family of eight were visiting the beach destination from January 22 to 29 and were robbed at the tail end of their holiday. They had moved into a private seven-bedroom villa they booked…
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Swedish ‘plogging’ trend reaches Koh Lanta, Thailand
Koh Lanta – an island along Thailand‘s Andaman coast – saw its first ever plogging event last week, according to the Embassy of Sweden in Bangkok. There’s nothing worse than a beautiful landscape spoiled by plastic waste and debris. A movement in Sweden has come up with a solution. ‘Plogging’ is an activity that combines jogging with picking up litter.…
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Teenage mother accused after 8 month old baby vanishes
Residents in the central province of Nakhon Prathom pointed the finger of blame at a teenage mother for the mysterious disappearance of her eight month old baby. The mother’s ex-boyfriend was also accused but pleaded he is innocent. The parents of the missing child, 16 year old Philaiporn Korcharoen and 19 year old Sittichok Choksaengsawang, reached out to Thai netizens…
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Journalist groups decry new media ethics bill
The House and Senate have been debating a new bill that is supposed to promote media ethics and set media professionalism standards. Now, the Thai Broadcast Journalists Association (TBJA) and the Thai Journalists Association (TJA) have both voiced their strong opposition to the bill. In a statement, the TBJA demanded that the bill be withdrawn, citing concerns that it would…
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PLTO continues crackdown on illegal taxis
The Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) and Sakhu Police have apprehended four more drivers for illegally operating their vehicles as taxis in Phuket. The joint operation took place at a checkpoint set up at the Sakhu-Nai Yang intersection on Thepkrasattri Rd in Mai Khao and resulted in the stop of two taxis registered in Bangkok with green plates and two…
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High Stakes: Police shut down Phuket cannabis store for 30 days due to gambling
Police ordered the closure of ‘Hi Kush’ cannabis store in Phuket, southern Thailand, for 30 days, from yesterday February 7 to March 8, after finding evidence of gambling at the establishment. Officers from Phuket City Police Station arrested a man named Ratchakrit and 13 others for, “organising gambling (poker), gambling at a property without permission and conspiracy to gamble.” The…
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Thailand rejects Thai princess Pfizer reaction claim as fake
A controversial claim that Thailand is abolishing its Covid-19 vaccine contract with Pfizer because it caused Thai Princess Bajrakitiyabha to fall into a coma following a booster shot has been dismissed as false. Contradictory statements made by a retired microbiology professor, Sucharit Bhakdi, have been dismissed by the Thai government as “fake news.” Professor Bhakdi claimed that the Thai government…
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Three crucial lessons learnt while building a lending start-up during Covid-19
Press Release Without a doubt, starting a business from scratch is a crazy leap of faith, and doing so during a global pandemic is sheer insanity. To this day, Amir, my business partner and co-founder, and I have never even met. We took a chance and discarded the conventional “dating process” for founders in favour of a more modern approach.…
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Turkey, Syria earthquake death toll nears 8,000
The earthquake death toll in Turkey and Syria is nearing 8,000 as rescuers struggle in harsh weather conditions. One UN official says the death toll is likely to rise considerably with the expected number of child deaths to be in the thousands. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan issued a three-month state of emergency for 10 provinces in the country. But, residents…
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Convicted South African drug trafficker writes letter from inside Thai prison
A 23 year old South African woman serving a long prison sentence for drug trafficking wrote an eloquent letter offering a glimpse into how it feels to be locked away in Thailand. Ashley Oosthuizen was found guilty of international drug trafficking after she signed for a package containing MDMA at the restaurant she worked at in Koh Samui, ‘Hot in…
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Kite Festival on the Beach returns to Pattaya from February 24-28
The Kite Festival on the Beach 2023 returns to Pattaya with a flourish at the beach in front of the Central Pattaya Beach shopping mall at the end of this month. After a hiatus last year with no explanation, the festival is back from February 24 to 28. The highlight of this year’s festival has yet to be announced, but…
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Bangkok government invites couples to register marriages in lieu of Valentine’s Day
Bangkok government has invited all couples, who have been hit by Cupid’s arrow, to register their marriages instead of Valentine’s Day. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt announced the “Silom of Love @Bangrak” event, which is welcoming couples to commemorate their love. According to ASEAN Now, Chardchart says they can register their marriages at the Bang Rak district office on Valentine’s Day. The office is…
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Two activists on hunger strike refuse granted bail despite deteriorating health
Two activists, who are on a hunger strike in Bangkok, are refusing to leave on bail as their health continues to deteriorate. Tantawan “Tawan” Tuatulanon, who is 21, and 23 year old Orawan “Bam” Phuphong have been on a hunger strike since January 18. They say they are refusing the granted bail to continue supporting the plight of political prisoners.…
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Nine Swedish tourists rescued after longtail boat capsizes in Thailand
Nine Swedish tourists and a Thai boat driver were rescued from the Krabi sea in southern Thailand when their longtail boat capsized near Hong Island on Sunday. At 12.30pm, Chief of Than Bok Khorani National Park Weerasak Srisatchang was informed that a longtail boat carrying “many foreign tourists” capsized in the waters of Koh Hong island in Krabi province. Park…
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Arrest warrant issued to former Pheu Thai chief for failure to attend corruption hearing”
The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office-Holders issued an arrest warrant for former Pheu Thai Party leader Charupong Ruangsuwan for failing to attend the first hearing in his case where he is charged with accepting excessive gifts while serving as Interior Minister from 2012-2013. Charupong was scheduled to appear on December 13, 2022, but did not show up and…
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Thailand’s Valentine’s Day spending expected to jump for first time in 5 years
Thailand’s Valentine’s Day spending is expected to jump for the first time in five years this year, according to a survey by the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC). Spending is expected to hit over 2.4 billion baht this year, the survey said. The survey shows a 57.1% increase in spending compared to last year, with the majority…
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No one responsible for Service Hall collapse at Don Mueang Airport, confirms AOT
No one is responsible for the partial collapse of the newly-built Service Hall at Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport in April last year, confirms Airports of Thailand (AOT). Excessive rainfall was blamed for the incident. Tomorrow, February 8, the repaired Service Hall will open for use, some ten months after its collapse. On April 17, 2022, parts of the roof and…
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Let your romance blossom in these Valentine’s Day destinations in Bangkok, Thailand
Valentine’s Day may not be a traditional holiday in Thailand, but it’s quickly becoming a love-filled phenomenon! If you’re tired of the same old flowers and chocolates routine, it’s time to switch things up and celebrate in style. Whether you’re a hopeless romantic or not, we’ve got you covered with these creative and exciting ways to make this Valentine’s Day…
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