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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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    Planning to extend your Thai visa? Why health insurance is more important than ever

    If you plan to stay longer in Thailand, having health insurance is now more important than ever. Thai immigration often asks for proof of medical coverage when you apply to extend your visa. This applies to many types of visas,...

  • PM defends measures used against Sunday protesters | Thaiger

    PM defends measures used against Sunday protesters

    The Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha has defended police action against protesters taking part in Sunday’s anti-government rally in Bangkok. Officers from the Metropolitan Police Bureau used tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets in an effort to drive protesters back from the PM’s residence at the 1st Infantry Regiment barracks, King’s Guard. The PM insists the actions were in line…

  • Another drug bust near the Mekong River, 500 kilograms of cannabis seized | Thaiger

    Another drug bust near the Mekong River, 500 kilograms of cannabis seized

    In another drug bust in Northeastern province Nakhon Phanom, police arrested a man and seized 500 kilograms of compressed cannabis. Just yesterday, border patrol police in the province seized 920 kilograms of compressed cannabis from a boat on the Mekong River. In both cases, police suspect the cannabis came from Laos, just across the river. Police say they searched a…

  • Police seize 920 kilograms of cannabis smuggled across the Mekong River | Thaiger

    Police seize 920 kilograms of cannabis smuggled across the Mekong River

    In a major bust on the Mekong River, notorious for drug smuggling, border patrol police seized 920 kilograms of dried, compacted cannabis from a boat along the Nakhon Phanom riverbank, bordering Laos. Police were tipped off about a large shipment of drugs being trafficked across the Thai-Laos border. Police spotted a boat around 4am yesterday. When police moved in, men…

  • At least 22 people arrested at Bangkok protest, officer dies of heart failure | Thaiger

    At least 22 people arrested at Bangkok protest, officer dies of heart failure

    At least 22 people were arrested during the Bangkok protest yesterday, which turned violent as pro-democracy activists marched toward the prime minister’s residence, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights. An officer died during the rally, which the human rights group says was due to heart failure. Some protesters threw ping pong bombs and firecrackers in the violent clash with…

  • Injuries and arrests as Bangkok protests turn violent | Thaiger

    Injuries and arrests as Bangkok protests turn violent

    Pro-democracy protesters clashed with police in Bangkok yesterday, leading to injuries and arrests as activists attempted to reach the residence of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. At least 33 people were injured, including 23 police officers. The clashes happened in front of 1st Infantry Regiment barracks, King’s Guard on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road and involved around 1,500 activists from REDEM (Restart Democracy), part…

  • Royal Thai Police accused of “ticket” promotion system to buy senior positions | Thaiger

    Royal Thai Police accused of “ticket” promotion system to buy senior positions

    The Royal Thai Police are being accused of using so-called “elephant tickets” to buy their way into promotions and pay their way up the police force’s chain of command. The corruption among the police force and the buying of positions without meeting the requirements for a promotion has been a longtime problem, according to the Bangkok Post. The “elephant ticket”…

  • Woman talks about the life of a Thai “pretty” after model’s death | Thaiger

    Woman talks about the life of a Thai “pretty” after model’s death

    Following the news of a model who died after working as a hostess at a Bangkok party, Thai media spoke with a woman, known in Thailand as a “pretty,” about what it’s like to work in the lucrative, yet shady Thai model entertainment industry where many work as hostesses at parties and events that often involve alcohol, drugs and sex…

  • International travellers allowed to transit Thailand from Monday | Thaiger

    International travellers allowed to transit Thailand from Monday

    International travellers will now be allowed to transit Thailand from Monday after the Civil Aviation Authority relaxed Covid‐19 measures. The lifting of stringent travel regulations comes after Thailand reports a drop in Covid infections to double digits since February 20. CAAT also says regulations are being relaxed on domestic travel as well. The authority says operators of domestic flights can…

  • Phuket Monopoly game creators need your help with token designs | Thaiger

    Phuket Monopoly game creators need your help with token designs

    Phuket is set to get its own version of the popular game MONOPOLY and its creators want your help with ideas for the specialised tokens. ‘MONOPOLY: Phuket Edition’ was announced last month which will see the street art on the board game replaced with that of famous places around Thailand’s famous tourist destination. Such art will include beaches, hotels, shops,…

  • The social media giants in battle with ‘old’ media and world governments | VIDEO | Thaiger

    The social media giants in battle with ‘old’ media and world governments | VIDEO

    https://youtu.be/HKKIuWHw_t8 “The rules signal greater willingness by countries around the world to rein in big tech firms such as Google, Facebook and Twitter that the governments fear have become too powerful with little accountability.” India has issued strict new rules for Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms just weeks after the Indian government attempted to pressure Twitter to take…

  • Japan may stop assistance projects to Myanmar in response to coup | Thaiger

    Japan may stop assistance projects to Myanmar in response to coup

    Japan may stop assistance projects to Myanmar in response to the military coup, which has received major international backlash. As a major donor to Myanmar, Japan joins other advanced nations in condemning the coup which has seen security forces using violence against peaceful protesters. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi was quoted as saying in a phone call that “Japan will strongly…

  • Thailand’s most exclusive Beach Club | BaBa Beach Club Hua Hin | VIDEO | Thaiger

    Thailand’s most exclusive Beach Club | BaBa Beach Club Hua Hin | VIDEO

    Nothing speaks more ‘private’ and ‘vacation’ than enjoying the beachfront view with a balcony pool and luxurious room. Follow Chris, as he (along with his family) takes you on a private get away in Hua Hin, one of Thailand’s most popular beach destinations on the Gulf of Thailand coast, for both tourists and locals. *our vlogger’s stay at the BaBa…

  • Surveys show Thailand still one of the top holiday choices post-pandemic | Thaiger

    Surveys show Thailand still one of the top holiday choices post-pandemic

    The Stockholm office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand has conducted a survey in which 62% of respondents say they want to spend winter in Thailand provided restrictions are lifted. The top destinations are Phuket, Krabi and Khao Lak, followed by Koh Samui, Koh Pha-ngan, Koh Tao, Bangkok, and Hua Hin. 68% say they would cancel bookings if the 14-day…

  • Long Buddhist holiday to see over 40 percent reduction in domestic tourism | Thaiger

    Long Buddhist holiday to see over 40 percent reduction in domestic tourism

    The long Buddhist festival holiday, which starts today, is set to see over a 40% reduction in domestic tourism. The Tourism and Transport Authority of Thailand has made the estimation which tallies around 1.09 million domestic trips, a number that is down 44% from last year’s Makha Bucha Day. The 2nd wave of the Covid pandemic this year has made…

  • Jailed former politicians await outcome of bail hearing | Thaiger

    Jailed former politicians await outcome of bail hearing

    8 former politicians, now behind bars for their role in protests that toppled the Yingluck Shinawatra administration and led to the 2014 military coup, are waiting for the outcome of their bail hearing. The detainees, all former members of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee, are Suthep Thaugsuban, Issara Somchai, Chumpol Julsai, the Deputy Transport Minister Thaworn Senneam, Education Minister, Nataphol…

  • Police investigate “offensive” posts on Facebook pages of jailed activists | Thaiger

    Police investigate “offensive” posts on Facebook pages of jailed activists

    The authorities are investigating the origin of content deemed offensive, which has appeared on the Facebook pages of 2 jailed activists, despite them having no access to phones or the internet. The Department of Corrections has asked the Technology Crime Suppression Division to investigate content posted on the pages of jailed protest leaders Parit Chiwarak and Anon Nampa. Both Parit…

  • Police officer arrested for allegedly stealing grenade launcher and other weapons | Thaiger

    Police officer arrested for allegedly stealing grenade launcher and other weapons

    A police officer was arrested for allegedly stealing a M79 grenade launcher and other weapons from a police station armoury in Mae Hong Son, a province in Northern Thailand bordering Myanmar. Police say officer Santichai Luerat planned to sell the guns and ammunition to a buyer who would then sell the weapons to members of an ethnic minority across the…

  • Did the Covid-19 virus actually originate in Thailand? | VIDEO | Thaiger

    Did the Covid-19 virus actually originate in Thailand? | VIDEO

    South East Asia was the source of Covid-19, not China. Even more specifically, it came from Thailand… from the famous Chatuchak market, or, as quoted correctly “a market LIKE Chatuchak”. That’s the claims of a Danish epidemiologist Thea Kolsen Fischer, who was on a recent World Health Organisation fact-finding mission to Wuhan to examine the origins of the latest coronavirus…

  • Thailand law enforcement gets new “laser” narcotics analysers | Thaiger

    Thailand law enforcement gets new “laser” narcotics analysers

    Thailand law enforcement will now use a new “laser” narcotics analyser to test suspicious substances and chemicals in major drug busts. It’s apparently a more accurate method to identify illicit drugs than the current colour test. The new portable drug test happens to come a few months after Thailand claimed to have seized 11.5 tonnes of ketamine in the “biggest…

  • Pattaya motorbike taxi allegedly attacks Chilean national | Thaiger

    Pattaya motorbike taxi allegedly attacks Chilean national

    A Pattaya motorbike taxi driver is being accused of attacking a Chilean national, leaving his nose broken and face bloodied. 24 year old Salvatore Andres Castromedina, filed a report to the Pattaya City Police at around 2am this morning after saying he had left a nightclub on Pattaya’s Walking Street after it had closed. “I wanted to go to Soi…

  • Police raids shut down online network of casinos across 7 provinces | Thaiger

    Police raids shut down online network of casinos across 7 provinces

    Police have shut down a network of online casinos in raids that took place across 7 provinces, with 19 suspects arrested and cash and other goods seized. In total, 8 online casino networks in 7 provinces have been shut down, with police apprehending 19 out of a total 22 suspects. Thai PBS World reports that the raids took place in…

  • Behind bars: government ministers among 29 jailed for Yingluck protests | Thaiger

    Behind bars: government ministers among 29 jailed for Yingluck protests

    A number of government ministers have been jailed for their part in protests against the government of Yingluck Shinawatra that crippled Bangkok and ultimately led to the 2014 military coup. Yesterday, the Criminal Court handed prison sentences to 29 former members of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee, some of whom were serving in the current administration. Former politician and former…

  • Phuket police officer charged with attempted murder for shooting and critically injuring a noodle vendor | Thaiger

    Phuket police officer charged with attempted murder for shooting and critically injuring a noodle vendor

    The drunk, off-duty police officer in Phuket who has caught on camera shooting and beating a noodle vendor on Bangla Road is now facing attempted murder charges as well as charges of carrying a firearm in public without a necessary reason and firing a weapon in a public area. The commander of the Phuket police station said he ordered investigators…

  • Thai Vietjet resumes Phuket-Chiang Rai flights, launches promotion on air fare | Thaiger

    Thai Vietjet resumes Phuket-Chiang Rai flights, launches promotion on air fare

    The following is a press release from Thai Vietjet on its new promotion “Welcome Back to the Sky” and the resumption of Phuket-Chiang Rai flights. Thai Vietjet today announced the flight resumption of its domestic cross-regional service between Phuket – Chiang Rai, in response to the increasing travel demand after the government began relaxing travel measures in each province. The…

  • Former Thai PM Thaksin makes appearance on popular Clubhouse app | Thaiger

    Former Thai PM Thaksin makes appearance on popular Clubhouse app

    Ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra, who has been living in exile for over 10 years, has made an appearance on the new “Clubhouse” social media app, in which he discussed his battle with Covid-19. Thaksin’s appearance was confirmed by the CARE movement, as he joined a forum hosted by the organisation on Monday night. Nation Thailand reports that also taking part in…

  • Pro-democracy activists rally against corrupt police promotion system | Thaiger

    Pro-democracy activists rally against corrupt police promotion system

    The pro-democracy group, Ratsadon, held a rally in Bangkok yesterday, this time with their sights set on Thailand’s police force and the corrupt practices involved in promotion. The system in which officers have to pay bribes to senior figures, allegedly including senior politicians, was highlighted in a debate in parliament last week. Activists met at the Ratchaprasong intersection in the…

  • PM says Thailand will consider lifting quarantine for vaccinated tourists | Thaiger

    PM says Thailand will consider lifting quarantine for vaccinated tourists

    The Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha says the government will consider waiving the mandatory 14-day quarantine for tourists with proof of Covid-19 vaccination. For months now, the government has stuck to its stance that vaccinated foreign arrivals would still need to be quarantined, given that it’s too early to say if vaccines prevent transmission. But with industry leaders warning that the…

  • Tourism officials aim for vaccinated travellers to enter Thailand by the third quarter of 2021 | Thaiger

    Tourism officials aim for vaccinated travellers to enter Thailand by the third quarter of 2021

    Vaccinated against Covid-19? You might be able to enter Thailand by July. The country’s tourism officials are now working on a plan to allow foreign tourists who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus to enter the country by the third quarter of 2021. The Tourism Authority of Thailand is waiting for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration to relax certain…

  • Police launch murder investigation after Thai boxer found dead in Bangkok’s On Nut area | Thaiger

    Police launch murder investigation after Thai boxer found dead in Bangkok’s On Nut area

    Police in Bangkok have launched a murder investigation after the body of a Thai boxer was found covered in blood in the city’s On Nut area. His throat was slit. Photos of the crime scene show blood splattered and smeared across the hood of a white Toyota Vios. Around 10pm Sunday night, local residents heard screams and called police. The…

  • Thailand’s passenger car sales drop by over 44% year-on-year | Thaiger

    Thailand’s passenger car sales drop by over 44% year-on-year

    Thailand’s domestic car sales dropped by over 21% last month, with passenger car sales plummeting by over 44% year-on-year. The Bangkok Post reports that the resurgence of the Covid-19 virus late last year has affected consumer confidence and buying power. The sale of commercial vehicles is also down by 5.4% year-on-year. Surasak Suthongwan from Toyota Motor Thailand, says people are…