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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Piracy in decline around the world
The Covid-19 pandemic has been rough on everyone. But as we focus on rebuilding tourism and the economy, spare a moment in your thoughts for Jack Sparrow. A new report says that last year worldwide pirate activity was at its lowest since 2008, and possibly since 1992. Piracy and robbery on the high seas are at their lowest levels since…
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Immigration police arrest two Chinese fraudsters illegally living in Thailand
In two separate but similar cases, Immigration Police arrested two Chinese fraudsters posing as businessmen and illegally living in Thailand. Collectively, the pair scammed victims of over 2 billion baht. Case 1 Police arrested a 44 year old Chinese national named Changguan (pseudonym) who allegedly scammed hundreds of victims of over 1.4 billion baht by persuading them to invest in…
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Soapy king makes PM Prayut’s inauguration slippy
Former soapy king turned amateur super-sleuth Chuwit Kamolvisit tried to gatecrash Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s inauguration into United Thai Nation (UTN) Party yesterday. PM Prayut officially joined the UTN Party yesterday where he gave an impassioned speech on how he values the democratisation process, seemingly forgetting that he toppled the democratic process when seizing power in a 2014 army coup.…
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Bangkok City Hall assesses Covid readiness
With travel increases to Thailand, and with the reopening of China, comes the risk of spreading Covid-19. Bangkok City Hall is taking steps to ensure that visitors can enjoy their stay while keeping themselves and others safe as they brace for an influx of tourists. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt tasked his deputy governors with conducting a full assessment of the…
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Police close unlicensed cannabis stalls in Pattaya
Pattaya Police swooped on unsuspecting cannabis stalls operating without a license in the Bang Lamung District at the weekend and closed them down. Officers closed five unlicensed cannabis shops, and arrested one man, after inspecting hundreds of stalls in Pattaya over the weekend, reported Pattaya Mail. Pattaya Police chief Pol. Col. Kullachart Kullachai and Dr Thongchai Lertwilairattanapong, director-general of the…
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Two 10 year old schoolchildren killed after reckless sedan crashes into school bus
Two 10 year old schoolchildren were killed and another 19 were injured after a reckless sedan driver crashed into a school bus. The smash caused a collision between a school bus and a minibus on a road in the northern province of Phichit. The incident happened on the Phichit-Saklek Road in the Mueang district of Phichit at 5.30pm yesterday, January…
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Marine department warns boats after trawler sinks in South Thailand
Large waves are continuing to wreak havoc on boats in Thailand’s waters. The country’s Marine Department warned boat operators to be extra cautious after a fishing trawler sank in South Thailand on Saturday night. The trawler sank in the Gulf of Thailand about 18.2 nautical miles off the coast of Pak Phanang district in Nakhon Si Thammarat province. Fortunately, marine…
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British man claims he was tortured by Thai police
A British man claims he was tortured by Thai police for seven days straight in Phuket, southern Thailand when his holiday abroad went gravely wrong. British authorities have launched an investigation into the alleged abuse, reports FirstPost. He allegedly sustained broken ribs, bruised limbs, septic infections, swollen wrists, and lost four teeth in the ordeal. The victim, 51 year old Carl…
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Tourism Authority of Thailand plans first roadshow in China after pandemic
Now that China has lifted travel restrictions for its citizens, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is once again tapping into the Chinese tourism market. TAT is planning a roadshow in China during the third week of February. This will be the first roadshow after the Covid-19 pandemic, according to TAT’s Regional Director of East Asia Chuwit Sirivejkul. The roadshow…
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Thai island holds first Full Moon party of the year, draws 20,000 tourists
Thailand’s island of Koh Pha Ngan welcomed its first Full Moon party of the year on Friday night, drawing 20,000 tourists, according to Surat Thani’s vice governor. The party experienced a bit of rain, but after the rain cleared, tourists were able to have a blast dancing on the beach. Vice Governor Choosak Rooying told The Phuket Express that so…
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2 Russian men report money missing from safe in Pattaya hotel
Two Russian men filed complaints with the police after nearly 140,000 baht disappeared from safety boxes in a hotel in Pattaya. Investigating officers reported there is no traces of the thief because the hotel’s CCTV cameras were all broken. The two Russian men, Natalina Chernova and Oleg Gipke, filed a complaint at Mueng Pattaya Police Station on Saturday, January 7…
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Thailand’s Miss Universe 2022 contestant denies bias claims
Thailand’s Miss Universe 2022 contestant denied claims that new ownership of the brand would give her an unfair advantage. Anna Sueangam-iam, 24, laughed off the suggestion during an interview in the US with pageant analyst Brian Javier on Sunday. Anna is currently competing in New Orleans, where the 71st Miss Universe pageant will be held on Sunday, January 15. Asked…
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Bomb threat against Jetstar flight in Japan (video)
A caller who appeared to be based in Germany made a bomb threat against a Jetstar flight in Japan on Saturday. The suspect called Narita Airport on Saturday morning in Japan time and said in English that he had planted a bomb on Jetstar Flight 501, according to the airline operator. The flight was headed to Fukuoka from Narita. Jetstar…
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Thailand U-turns on Covid-19 vaccine entry requirement
Just days after Thailand reintroduced the two-dose Covid-19 vaccine entry requirement, Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says the requirement will be dropped with immediate effect. However, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has informed airlines globally that unvaccinated tourists must provide either proof of recovery from Covid in the past six months or a doctor’s note explaining why they are…
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Foreign tourists rescued from sinking long-tail boat in southern Thailand (video)
A Thai tour guide’s long-tail boat carrying two foreign tourists sank in the waters of Krabi province in southern Thailand, on Saturday. Luckily, nearby boats and national park officials were able to rescue them just in time. The ship’s 43 year old captain, Prasit Sansamut, took two foreign tourists – their nationalities unspecified – out on a long-tail boat to…
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Burglar snatches almost 100,000 baht from Hong Kong tourist’s Pattaya villa
Pattaya’s thefts against tourists seem to never end… A burglar snatched almost 100,000 baht from a Hong Kong tourist’s rented Pattaya villa on Friday night, according to the victim. The victim’s villa is located in Jomtien Beach. The victim, Ng Ho Hin, told police the thief also nabbed a Bluetooth speaker. Hin said he had been out all day, and…
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Koh Samui ferries prepare to welcome back Chinese tourists
Koh Samui ferries prepare to welcome back Chinese tourists this weekend. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Chinese made up Thailand’s biggest tourist group. Yesterday, China finally allowed its citizens to travel abroad again. Thai media said yesterday that ferry companies in Koh Samui’s Angthong sub-district were preparing their ferries to accommodate tourists travelling to Koh Samed, Koh Pha Ngan,…
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Drunk British tourist allegedly destroys prized albino buffalo sculpture in Bangkok
A drunk, British tourist allegedly destroyed a giant albino buffalo sculpture exhibited in the Sam Yan area of Bangkok at the weekend. At 2am on Saturday, a group of drunk British and German tourists passed by the Bangkok Art Biennale 2022 art exhibition outside Samyan Mitrtown in Bangkok. This year, the concept of the exhibition is “CHAOS: CALM” and features…
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Delivery driver beaten by students over shoe colour
A misunderstanding over the colour of his shoes allegedly led to a food delivery driver in Bangkok being beaten by a large group of teenage students. The incident took place last month on Thursday, December 22 but has come to light as the driver was so traumatised by the attack he is afraid to go back to work in the…
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Volvo solar charging stations, charging free of charge
Volvo solar charging stations have been installed at four Volvo Car Thailand dealerships, where customers can charge their cars for free. As the number of electric vehicles (EVs) in Thailand is rising, however slowly, the demand for electricity from charging stations is growing along with it. More EVs means more power generation, which usually involves other fossil fuels that create…
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Tips for riding motorcycle in Thailand
PLEASE NOTE: We’re not recommending that you should ride a motorbike or motorcycle in Thailand but, if you do, these tips will help… Riding a motorbike in Thailand is a great way to get around, especially in heavy traffic where it’s often the quickest option. While some may warn against it, those who avoid hopping on a 110cc scooter miss out on…
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Driving penalty points system in effect from today
Thailand’s new driving penalty points system will come into effect today but the police are focusing on encouraging general public awareness so they understand the new rules before fully cracking down. The new points system for motorists is aimed at improving traffic law compliance, reducing accidents, and improving road safety, according to the commander of the Highway Police Division. The…
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Two Thailand population reports reveal conflicting data
Statistics provided by the Central Domicile Registration Office revealed that on December 31, 2022, Thailand’s official population stands at 66,090,475. The Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data contradicts this however, saying it is over 70 million residents. Last year, an announcement formally published in the Royal Gazette stated that the official population of Thailand as of December 31,…
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Police bust Songkhla newspaper editor for drug crimes
Police busted a newspaper editor in Thailand’s southern Songkhla province for drug-related crimes on Friday. The editor was found to be working along with two other suspects. A team of officers from several divisions raided the three suspect’s rooms in the town of Sadao in the Sai Buri district. One of the suspects, 35 year old Paradorn, is an editor…
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4-metre waves off Pha Ngan capsize tugboat, crew rescued
At 4am on Saturday, tens of thousands of tourists and partiers were dancing the night away at a Full Moon Party on Haad Rin Beach, Koh Pha Ngan. Just 37 kilometres away off the coast of the popular holiday island catastrophe struck as huge waves capsized a tugboat, tossing all the crew members overboard into the swelling seas. The crew of…
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Bangkok mother claims murder, dismisses ‘playing Russian roulette’
The Bangkok mother of the 16 year old boy who died “playing Russian roulette” last week has spoken out, claiming that her son may have been murdered. Waraporn Tumgen dismissed testimony given by six teens who witnessed her son’s death. Waraporn said… “Our family would like the police to consider all options, and not rule anything out.” Wongsatorn “Bee” Tumgen…
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Trivial tech at CES – tomorrow’s eyebrows today
Tech companies showed off their latest products this week at CES, formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show, with new developments in video as well as lifestyle enhancements among the trivial tech at CES. The world’s biggest brands do business and meet new partners at CES, the most influential tech event in the world. It’s a proving ground for new…
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Doi Kloselo tourist attractions threatened by hydropower dam
In Mae Hong Son province, Doi Kloselo tourist attractions are to be created in a desperate attempt by locals to stop a planned hydropower dam on the Salween River. The Salween is one of Asia’s last largely free-flowing rivers. About 3,300 kilometres long, the Salween flows from the Tibetan Plateau south into the Andaman Sea, primarily within southwest China and…
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Man bites dog: Dog-eating Thai man gets three months
A dog-eating Thai man has been sent to prison for three months for killing, cooking and eating his pet dogs, according to the Soi Dog Foundation. The charity said on Facebook yesterday that concern was raised by Soi Dog mobile clinic staff who encountered a puppy in the Chalerm Prakiat district of Nakhon Si Thammarat with a deep laceration to…
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Covid travel restrictions return tomorrow
It’s probably just a coincidence, but just as China is easing their travel blocks and allowing its citizens to travel abroad, Covid-19 travel restrictions are officially back. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has recently announced a set of rules that will apply to all non-Thai arrivals between January 9 and 31. These rules come as the country anticipates…
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