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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PM won’t be drawn on rumour that protest leaders are seeking asylum in the US
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has refused to be drawn on speculation that 4 prominent protest leaders have applied for political asylum in the US. As rumours circulate that Panupong Jadnok, Parit Chiwarak, Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, and Chonthicha Jaengraew have all applied for asylum in the US, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Saravuth Petpanomporn, says officials are “looking into…
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Protest leader calls on rally “guards” to refrain from violence
Prominent human rights lawyer and protest leader, Anon Nampa, is calling on guards at anti-government rallies to remain peaceful. He says that getting violent will only harm the movement and play into the hands of the government. According to a Bangkok Post report, Anon credits his next door neighbour in Chiang Mai for the advice. “Last night, while I drank…
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1 killed, another severely injured in motorcycle collision in Bangkok
A person was killed and another severely injured in a motorcycle collision today in Bangkok’s Lat Phrao district. The motorcycles collided while driving around a curve. One of the bikes flipped and exploded. Photos show the bike engulfed in flames. 32 year old Thanatthakorn Chareaonsuk was found dead at the scene. 25 year old Kritsada Wanpen was severely injured and broke…
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Police investigate Bangkok shooting, find guns at suspect’s home
Police investigating a shooting outside a Bangkok massage parlour raided a suspect’s home and found guns, ammunition and drugs. The dispute late last month involved Thai internet idol and well known gambler Apriak “Sia Po” Chat-arnon. The investigation has been more extensively covered in Thai media. 2 people were injured in shooting and police arrested Sia Po on murder charges.…
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Police checking contents of protest letter boxes to decide if charges will be filed
Police in Bangkok say they will be reading the contents of 4 red letter boxes used at a rally in the capital on Sunday in order to decide whether or not to press charges. Pro-democracy protesters used the letter boxes to drop hand-written petitions and letters calling for reform of the Monarchy. The letters were addressed to HM The King.…
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Thai protester released on bail, tells his side of the story after head-butt incident in Pattaya
A follow up to yesterday’s sad incident with a Thai protester ending up head-butting a 52 year old Russian man who was watching a small protest on the Jomtien foreshore with his 10 year old daughter and Thai wife. The incident happened on Monday evening at the Dongtan Curve. The protester, Narathiwat “Ken” Khamma, was arrested and jailed for the…
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Sarasas teachers sentenced to jail for child abuse, parents want 120 million baht in damages
Parents of children allegedly abused by teachers at the Sarasas Witaed Ratchapruek school in Nonthaburi, a suburb outside Bangkok, are seeking compensation. A lawyer representing the parents made a post on Facebook saying that a group of 20 parents are seeking more than 120 million baht in damages. The parents have a meeting with the attorney general today, according to…
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Army chief dismisses rumours of impending coup – VIDEO
Thailand’s Army chief Narongpan Jitkaewthae has described the chances of a coup as, “less than zero”, insisting the current political unrest can only be solved by political means. Pro-democracy activists continue to put pressure on the government, repeating their demands for the resignation of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, a charter (constitution) re-write and reform of the role of the country’s revered…
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Bangkok man arrested for selling e-cigarettes and vape liquid
Police raided a home in Bangkok, seizing 70 electronic cigarettes as well as refill liquid and other related products. While the products are legal in many countries, vape pens and e-cigarettes sales are illegal in Thailand. Police say the alleged dealer, 35 year old Chalitpon Saardrup, sold the e-cigarettes and vaping liquid through Facebook and used a private delivery service…
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Less Thais visiting temples due to Covid-19, religious tourism at a loss
While Google searches for “prayers” spiked during the Covid-19 outbreak, people in Thailand are spending less time going to temples to pray. In a recent poll, less people are travelling to temples and making merit due to the pandemic, according to the Commerce Ministry’s Trade Policy and Strategy Office. The office recently did a poll and found that 44% of…
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Bangkok nightclub has special booth to vet and upcharge foreigners
A Bangkok nightclub has set up what resembles an immigration counter outside the venue to check foreigners’ IDs and make them pay up before entering. At BarBarBar in Thong Lor, Thais get in free, but foreigners are asked to step aside to the booth and either pay 500 baht or buy a bottle of alcohol before entering the venue. Bouncers…
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A further threat to PM’s leadership as court set to rule in military housing case
The leadership of Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha could be under threat, and not just from the tens of thousands of activists calling for his resignation. On December 2, the Constitutional Court will rule in a case that accuses the PM of abusing his power by occupying a military-owned residence, despite the fact that he retired from the army 6 years…
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Investors see opportunity in Pattaya hotel market
Although travel restrictions are still tight, investors see potential opportunities in Pattaya’s hotel market. Many are reimagining the 2021 market by focusing on domestic demand. Property consultancy JLL says the ongoing Eastern Economic Corridor development comes into play. U-Tapao International Airport in Rayong expanding to increase capacity by 5 million passengers and a high speed rail is in the works…
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Government pledges help for Phuket tourism industry
As Phuket’s tourism industry continues to fight for survival amid ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, the PM is ordering an advisory team to finish work on recovery proposals received from the private sector and submit them to the government’s Covid-19 task force for approval. Danucha Pichayanan, from the National Economic and Social Development Council, says this is expected to happen shortly, as…
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Men arrested for allegedly stealing 15 big bikes
After a number of bike bikes went missing in Samut Sakhon’s Krathum Baen district, just southwest of Bangkok, police arrested 2 people for allegedly stealing the bikes and selling them to buyers at the Thai-Myanmar border. Police first arrested a man Thai media reports as Nattapol back in September. Police say Nattapol admitted to the charges and tipped police off…
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Protesters face water cannons as they deliver thousands of letters to HM the King – VIDEO
Police turned the water cannons on thousands of protesters again as they marched to the Grand Palace to symbolically deliver hand-written letters to the Thai King. Thai media reports the crowd numbers were up to 10,000 – 12,000. Police say the crowd was around 7,000. The protesters were again demanding the resignation of the Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, a new…
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3 protesters injured as police turn on the water cannons again at last night’s protest
For a second time Thai police have turned their high pressure water cannons on protesters. This evening police aimed the water cannon at the anti-government protesters in an effort to stop them from continuing their march to the Royal Household Bureau at the Grand Palace. 3 protesters were injured in the exchange and were taken to hospital in an ambulance.…
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Police lockdown Royal Plaza as 9,000 police are deployed for today’s anti-establishment protest
Police have blocked access to the Royal Plaza in an effort to second guess protesters’ plans to march to the Royal Plaza this afternoon. Protesters announced this afternoon’s rally, scheduled to start at 4pm, with a proposed march to an unannounced location. Police have suspected it would ether be Sanam Luang, adjacent to the Grand Palace, the Royal Plaza, or…
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Play 18 holes during your quarantine in Thailand – new STV proposal
Quarantine, whilst wandering around a golf course, maintaining social distancing of course. That’s the latest STV proposal tabled for consideration by the CCSA to expand the current Special Tourist Visa and quarantine restrictions for golf tourists who may visit Thailand and do their quarantine in a secure golf course, whilst enjoying a few rounds at the same time. The proposal…
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Bangkok Pride Parade demands reforms and rights for sex workers
The Thai LGBT community was joined by anti-government protesters in yesterday’s Pride Parade in Bangkok, which travelled from Sam Yan intersection to Silom. The parade took on a more political tone this year and was calling for democracy and equal rights, amid the usual demands for the resignation of Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and reforms to the role of the…
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Changes proposed to dress codes, haircuts and gender identity for Thai students
The ‘Bad Student’ campaign and its withering attacks on the Thai education minister appear to have hit their mark. The Education Ministry has now announced amended regulations that cover dress codes and haircuts for students after a 4 month campaign. The Bad Student protests have been under-reported due to the larger protest movements, but have seen hundreds of students conducting…
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Police say they’re well prepared for this afternoon’s anti-government protest
An anti-government rally is planned for today, scheduled to start around 4pm. Police say they have taken steps to ensure that no laws are broken and that the rally remains peaceful. Some 15 companies of what are reported to be crowd control police will be deployed at the Royal Plaza. Rally organisers have already foreshadowed they intend to march to an…
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Phuket & Koh Samui face financial ruin in the short to medium term – VIDEO
Phuket and Samui are both islands, fed mostly by arrivals at their international airports. Of course, both remain closed and the islands are trying to survive on a dribble of domestic tourists. And there’s no sign of hope any time soon for the future. Bill Barnett is ‘Mr Hotel & Hospitality’ for Thailand and the region. What does he see…
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The Phuket ‘light rail’ may end up being an electric bus instead
The Phuket mass rapid transport system, aka. Phuket Light Rail and Phuket Tram, is receiving more attention as the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand mull more changes to the design. The initial route, which would run from the Phuket Airport, follow the main north/south artery, Thepkasattri Road, then through Phuket Town and on to Chalong circle, has a projected…
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Pent-up demand for outbound Thai travel sparks new travel bubble talks
Travel bubbles are back on the table as countries in the region battle to find some safe solution to their tourist shortfall. Thailand, in particular, earns such a high proportion of its GDP from travel and tourism, that it is seeing a major financial shortfall after closing its borders. This, in the context of no new Special Tourist Visa applications…
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Phuket police investigate alleged teacher abuse
Police are investigating a teacher at a central Phuket school after a complaint was filed accusing the teacher of kicking a pre-school student in the face. The Pavena Foundation for Children and Women reported the incident to the Wichit Police. The 5 year old student’s grandmother initially reported the alleged abuse to the foundation. In an interview with police, the grandmother…
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Man allegedly beats wife and son to death before attacking neighbour
A 50 year old man has been arrested for allegedly killing his wife and son, then setting their bodies on fire at their home in Nakhon Pathom, in central Thailand. Phan Thopa is facing charges of murder and arson as well as physical assault causing injury after he chased after a neighbour and hit her with a hammer, breaking her arm.…
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Thai TV debate: Royalist accuses Jewish Americans of funding pro-democracy protests
A debate between a royalist and a pro-democracy supporter got heated and turned into shouting during a broadcast on a Thai news channel. In one bizarre exchange, the royalist spokesperson accused Jewish Americans of backing the pro-democracy movement. The ongoing political protests, calling on government and monarchy reformation, has led to a divide in Thailand with a split between those…
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Alleged robber drops ID card while running off with 110,000 baht in gold
An alleged gold shop robber dropped his Thai identification card as he ran off with 2 gold necklaces worth more than 110,000 baht. The suspect, a food delivery driver, allegedly stole the jewelry from a gold store at a Tesco Lotus in Bangkok’s Phattanakarn district. Shop employees say a man wearing a hat and face mask asked to see 2…
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Pattaya police stage fake brawls as part of training drill
Police and rescue workers in Pattaya have carried out a training exercise that involved simulating fake brawls in a nightclub and a hospital. Officers were taking part in a drill to prepare them for such incidents, with an increase in domestic tourists expected in the coming high season months. Pattaya has a number of large events coming up, including a…
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