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.
-
Sponsored 9 most common health issues covered by insurance for expats in Thailand
Thailand is a popular destination for expats due to its affordable lifestyle and excellent healthcare system. However, settling in a new country often brings health concerns. To ensure you’re covered for the most common medical needs, understanding what expat health...
-
National park staff scramble to prevent more wildfires as dry season approaches
Phu Kradueng National Park officials told the press today that although they had contained the bushfire that started on Sunday and damaged over 3,400 rai of park forests, they still need to build additional firebreaks to prevent a reoccurrence, which is more likely during the dry season. “Currently we have only one tractor truck to build the firebreaks. It has…
-
Chiang Mai blanketed in smoke as fires burn around the province
It’s smoggy, smokey and generally unpleasant in northern Thailand today. But don’t take our word for it, look up to the skies around Chiang Mai or check the copious amounts of graphic evidence, freely available, about the seriousness of the fires, almost all deliberately lit, around the region. “It’s been bad all morning and there’s a noticeable smell of smoke…
-
Pollution Control Department issues “red alert” for the North
A “red alert” is in effect for northern Thailand today: The Pollution Control Department warns that unsafe levels of PM2.5 pollution have been recorded in several areas, including Mae Hong Son, Chiang Rai, Phayao and Chiang Mai. PM2.5 is particulate matter suspended in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 microns, which is about 3% the diameter of…
-
World travel suffers as coronavirus outbreak drags on
The Public Health Ministry is asking Thais planning trips to Japan and Singapore to reschedule their visits, saying that travellers need to be aware of the rising number of people infected by the coronavirus (Covid-19) in those two countries. Dr Sukhum Kanchanapima, the permanent secretary at the Thai Public Health Ministry, says the coronavirus outbreak had reached the third stage…
-
Chon Buri sugarcane vendor dragged behind motorbike after thief steals his phone
An elderly sugarcane vendor in Chon Buri province’s Sattahip district sufferered multiple injuries when a potential customer stole his phone and tried to speed off on his motorbike, leading the vendor to grab onto the bike in a desperate attempt to to get it phone back. 63 year old Chaiyapat Warawan says a young Thai man about 20 years old…
-
Countdown to reopening – contracts awards for new Maya Bay infrastructure
by Sawat, Five Star Thailand Tours New plans are now being enacted which will lead to the re-opening of Maya Bay to tourism again. With a new development project in the works, it won’t be long until visitors will once again be able to visit ‘The Beach’, according to sources with knowledge of the matter. Maya Bay was shut down to…
-
Wildfire damages over 2000 rai in national park
A wildfire yesterday morning in the Phu Kradueng National Park in the northeastern province of Loei damaged more than 2000 rai, mostly pineforest and grassland. Adisorn Hemthanont, chief of the park’s wildfire extinguishment unit, made the announcement today. “A dozen staff tried to extinguish the fire but the strong winds blew fireballs across the fire barrier and [they] landed about…
-
General Motors pulling out of Thailand
General Motors announced yesterday that it’s pulling out of “markets that don’t produce adequate returns on investments,” namely Thailand, New Zealand and Australia. The carmaker said in a statement that it will wind down sales, engineering and design operations for its historic Holden brand in Australia and New Zealand in 2021. It also plans to sell its Rayong factory in…
-
Thai Airways starts to trim back schedules due to loss of demand
Thai Airways is cutting back services to South Korea and Singapore out of Bangkok due to “a dramatic fall in demand” and cancellations caused by the coronavirus outbreak. The vice president of sales at Thai Airways, Nond Kalinta, says the national carrier had adjusted flight schedules to match commercial demand. He confirmed the following changes. • Flights reduce on the…
-
Embattled tourism sector to get lifeline from the government
Thailand’s government is prepared to throw a lifeline to tourism operators ravaged by the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, in the form of soft loans, tax incentives and training in return for income. Relief measures are urgently needed to protect tourism operators, according to Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak. State agencies have been tasked with proposing measures to the cabinet, which he…
-
Fires continue devouring Thailand’s North
Despite prohibitions on agricultural burning, wildfires continued ravaging forests across Thailand yesterday, especially in the North. Satellite images charting the progress of large fires yesterday morning showed the number of hotspots in the north had risen from 823 on Friday to 1,334. A total of 3,238 forest fires were recorded nationwide. Mae Hong Son province had the highest number of…
-
Man claims he was attacked and robbed by “foreigners”
A student in Chiang Mai says he was mugged by “foreigners from Europe.” Twenty-four year old Theerapat Saen-in posted his alleged ordeal on Thai social media earlier this week. According to his post he was taking photographs at a view point on Doi Suthep when he was approached by “farangs.” He says they bashed him on the head with a…
-
“Tourist arrivals to plunge 50% in first half of 2020” – Thai Tourism Minister
Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn has painted a gloomy outlook for Thailand’s previously-robust tourism industry. He says he expects tourist arrivals to plunge by 50% in the first half of 2020 because of the coronavirus outbreak. His predictions are born out by sluggish arrival numbers at the country’s main airports, hotel forward bookings and ‘landing slots’ cancelled by international…
-
Asian tourists cancelling flights, staying home
Scores of flights to Asian destinations are being cancelled after South Korea advised its citizens to delay trips to countries where the COVID-19 coronavirus has been found. Especially hard-hit are Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan. South Korea remains largely free of the virus, though one of its citizens tested positive for the virus after returning from…
-
8 sought in wombs-for-hire case
Police are seeking arrest warrants for eight new suspects: two Chinese nationals and six Thais, in an illegal cross-border surrogacy ring busted on Thursday. “Two Chinese suspects were hired to take surrogate mothers to give birth in another country, while the Thai suspects brokered surrogacy and arranged travel documents for the surrogate mothers.” Nine suspects, six Thais and three Chinese…
-
Attempted murder charge for Bangkok gunman
Multiple charges have been lain against against the man who allegedly fired more than 50 shots in downtown Bangkok early yesterday, including attempted murder. Police say the charge was filed because a ballistic examination showed some of the gunshots were aimed at people opposite the suspect’s position. Other charges include carrying gun without a permit, discharging a firearm in a…
-
Minister proposes bars stay open till 4, free visas to revive tourism
Thailand’s sports and tourism minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn told an extraordinary meeting in Bangkok’s Amari Watergate hotel yesterday that he proposes giving free visas to Chinese and Indians tourists, and allowing bars and other entertainment venues to stay open until 4am. That is the embattled minister’s response to the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis that continues to devastate Thailand’s tourism. Pipat asked for…
-
Bangkok “auntie” arrested for robbing cabbies
An “auntie” in Bangkok has finally been arrested after stealing money from numerous taxi drivers. Police arrested 55 year old Nongnuch Pimsuan of Kanchanaburi province at around 5pm yesterday. The suspect had an arrest warrant in her name from the Taling Chan Court. Police were notified as early as February 4 that a passenger had stolen 1,400 baht from a…
-
Man seeks rifle, threatens shooting spree in Facebook post
A 22 year old man has reported to police [location undisclosed] and faces charges after a Facebook post saying he wanted to buy a rifle for a shooting spree at shopping mall. Natthapong Jalaebram, known on Facebook as Ring HR, was accompanied by relatives when he reported. Thai media report that Nattahpong posted: “Wanting to buy an AK or an…
-
Drunken Petchabun man burns down his house after girlfriend leaves him for drinking
A man in the central Petchabun province burned down his house Wednesday after his girlfriend left him over his drinking habits. Police say he was drunk at the time. At 5pm police received a report of “a crazy man” burning down his own home. Officials notified the fire station and officers were sent to the home. Officials arrived to find…
-
Bangkok cross-border surrogacy gang busted
Two Chinese nationals, a man and a woman, have been arrested after coordinated raids on illegal assisted-reproduction clinics in and around Bangkok. The pair are suspected of involvement in a major cross-border surrogacy racket. Police found at least seven Thai surrogate mothers in the raids. In a raid on a house in Lat Phrao district, police found seven pregnant Thai…
-
Coronavirus could cause huge damage to ASEAN economies
The Covid-19 coronavirus is expected to cause damage valued at US$2.4-3.4 billion (74.6-105.7 billion baht) to ASEAN economies, according to estimates from the Kasikorn Research Centre. The jolt will likely result from a virus-related economic slowdown in China, which has close trade ties with ASEAN nations as well as investment and tourism, the centre reports. If the outbreak can be…
-
Most of northern Thailand to get cooler
Thailand’s weather department says a westerly trough is moving through the North to the Northeast, and Laos, while the high-pressure system across the Northeast and the South China Sea remains weak. Weather will be cool to cold in the North, with a drop in temperatures of 1-3°C. The Northeast will see temperatures rise, meaning morning fog and isolated light rain, while…
-
UK prisoner tested for coronavirus after extradition is virus-free
UPDATE: Neither Mark Rumble nor another suspect deported to the UK have the Covid-19 coronavirus, The Daily Mail reports: “Two British prisoners including a ‘drug dealer’ who were sent home from Thailand do not have coronavirus, tests have confirmed.” A British drug suspect, arrested in Pattaya on November 2 before being extradited to the United Kingdom in January, has been…
-
Pathum Thani villagers coping with heavy smoke from rubbish fires
Villagers in Pathum Thani Province near Bangkok are complaining of rubbish fires, saying locals are breathing heavy black smoke every day, causing health issues, especially for small children. They claim people are secretly burning garbage and grass in the area. Residents of Sataporn Village have formed a group and reported to local media in hopes taking the issue public. Smoke…
-
Phuket speedboat crash captains released on bail
An official of the Phuket Provincial Court confirmed this morning that both captains involved in the speedboat collision on Monday that killed two Russian children and injured more than a dozen others were released yesterday on bail of 150,000 each. Both were charged Monday with “recklessness causing death and injury.” 24 year old Atsarawut Suden and 33 year old Anusorn…
-
Deputy PM wants rural road safety push for Songkran
With Songkran and its infamous “7 dangerous days” rapidly approaching, the Interior Ministry has asked local authorities and administrations for effective measures to prevent road incidents. Last year, 386 people were killed on Thai roads during the deadly week . Road incidents kill some 22,000 in Thailand every year, or about 65 deaths a day. But the Songkran festival’s “7…
-
“Forgotten tourists” enjoy Pattaya
Pattaya’s Chinese golden goose has officially flown the coop, and hotels are cheaper, traffic is better and maybe even the service has improved a bit. With China’s group travel ban to fight the spread of the coronavirus, Pattaya has the feel of low season even though the calendar says otherwise. But while business owners moan, ask any of the Indian,…
-
Supreme Court upholds death for schoolgirl’s murderer
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence for Krittidech Rawengwan, a former village headman who murdered a teenage schoolgirl in the northeastern province of Kalasin. He had already been sentenced to death by two lower courts. On Dec 23, 2015, 18 year old Ruadeewan Polprasit, nicknamed “Nong Snow”, was returning home from school on a motorbike when she…
-
With 33 coronavirus cases, Thailand still welcomes Chinese tourists
Despite the confirmation of a new case of the 2019nCov coronavirus today, Thailand has neither restricted Chinese tourists from entering the kingdom nor dropped its visa-on-arrival fee waiver, implemented to attract Chinese. Thailand hasn’t imposed any bans on tourists or travellers since the outbreak of the virus, though officials are screening passengers on arrival on flights from China, and now…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.