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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Sponsored How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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Pair arrested in Nakhon Pathom Shopping centre on drug charges
Yesterday, police in central Thailand’s Nakhon Pathom arrested 2 suspects and charged them with distributing 300 kilograms of marijuana. 40 year old “Phitak”, a taxi driver that also allegedly drops off drugs to dealers who are further down the drug selling hierarchy. Reportedly, he made deliveries to parking lots in the Lad Phrao area of Bangkok. Police also arrested 35…
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Slow start for “Samui Plus” reopening, only 33 seats booked for this month
While the “Samui Plus” reopening plan is set to start tomorrow, it might be more of a “soft” reopening. Only 33 airline seats are booked for this month and tourism officials say it will be a few months before the islands see an influx of international arrivals. Similar to the “Phuket Sandbox,” the scheme allows the trio of islands in…
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Government dismisses rumours of Phuket sandbox collapse as “fake news”
The government says the Phuket sandbox scheme is going “very well”, describing rumours of its imminent demise as, “fake news”. According to a Bangkok Post report, Thanakorn Wangboonkongchan from the Centre for Economic Situation Administration says the only thing threatening the sandbox scheme is false reporting on social media that claims the island has been ordered to close due to…
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Strict measures to mitigate virus risk as Surat Thani re-opens tomorrow
The governor of Surat Thani says the measures in place under the “Samui Plus” model will help guard against the spread of Covid-19 as 3 islands re-open to international tourism. Governor Witchawut says foreign visitors to Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phang Ngan will have to adhere to strict rules as part of the Samui Plus model. From tomorrow,…
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Karon criminal arrested for allegedly stealing 18,000 baht
Yesterday, a man was arrested in Karon, Phuket for allegedly stealing 18,000 baht from an American. The 42 year old unnamed Thai man allegedly stole 18,000 baht out of 39 year old James Anthony Melwesti’s villa. James had contacted Karon police to report he was 18,000 baht lighter. Thai media says that police checked CCTV and saw a man had…
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Public warned about immigration police impersonators asking for bribes
The Thai Immigration Bureau is warning foreign residents and the general public to be careful of people who are impersonating as immigration police officers and asking for bribes or other payments. Apparently, the people posing as immigration officers are approaching individual foreigners and are inspecting establishments like factories, which tend to employ migrant workers. If approached by someone claiming to…
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Thai authorities crackdown on Covid-19 “fake news,” posters could face jail time
Thai authorities are cracking down on fake news, particularly false claims about the Covid-19 situation in Thailand. The Digital Economy and Society Ministry’s Anti-Fake News Centre reported more than 50 cases of fake news posted since last month, most involving Covid-19 or vaccines. Police are now investigating the cases. Those who posted or shared misleading information found to threaten national…
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Koh Samui opens for bookings from vaccinated foreign tourists
Koh Samui’s sealed route programme, Samui Plus, has opened for business, with vaccinated tourists now able to apply for a certificate of entry. Ratchaporn Poolsawadee from the Tourism Association of Koh Samui says some details need to be ironed out, including determing the cost of a 7-day stay at an alternative state quarantine facility, to include Covid-19 tests and medical…
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UPDATE: Beauty pageant scandal leads to Covid cluster, participants face potential prosecution
The beauty pageant women who participated in “Miss Grand Samut Sakhon” last month are possibly facing criminal charges for not wearing masks, say police. This, coming after a 22 person cluster arose after the show. 13 of the contestants’ tests positive for Covid, as well as 9 “others”, say police. Piya Tawichai, deputy commissioner of the metropolitan police told the…
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Protesters run “car mobs”, focus on eroding coalition parties | VIDEO
Anti-government protesters have continued their demands for the resignation of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and his Senate appointments (the entire upper house/Senate in Thailand – 250 members – were hand-picked by the former NCPO military government). But this weekend they’ve added some new protest techniques and tactics. With lockdown and surging Covid-19, they have taken to car mobs, assembling vehicles to…
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Justice Ministry looking for 411 people that were falsely imprisoned people, says they’re owed compensation
Today, the Justice Ministry announced it is seeking 411 people who were wrongly prosecuted and detained. The Ministry wants them to know they can be compensated for their erroneous incarcerations. The 411 people were tried and imprisoned in criminal cases but were eventually found to be not guilty and released, says Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin. 26 of the imprisoned people…
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2 days of Phuket drug raids takes in 7 suspects, 2,000 methamphetamine pills
Yesterday, Phuket authorities announced recent drug raids took in 7 suspects and 2,000 methamphetamine pills, and over 180 grams of crystal methamphetamine. The raids took place over 2 days. For Friday, police arrested 24 year old Wisit ‘Bao’ Kongsrisuwan from Nakhon Si Thammarat, 20 year old Panomkorn ‘Diew’ Petchkong. They allegedly had 98.77 grams of “ya ice” (crystal methamphetamine) stashed…
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80 Bangkok roadblocks to curb Covid-19 spread before lockdown
“The law of unintended consequences has come to be used as an adage or idiomatic warning that an intervention in a complex system tends to create unanticipated and often undesirable outcomes. It is commonly used as a wry or humorous warning against the hubristic belief that humans can fully control the world around them.” – Wikipedia The last time the…
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All buses from Bangkok to Phuket and south cancelled from today
In response to Bangkok’s new lockdown measures from today, all bus service between Bangkok and Phuket has been cancelled, along with buses to the dark red zone southern provinces. Interprovincial buses will stop running, effective immediately until further notice, with no set end date. The announcement was made by the president of the public company Transport Co which supervises all…
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All Thai AirAsia July flights cancelled; airlines cope with lockdown
In light of Bangkok’s new Covid-19 lockdown measures, Thai AirAsia has cancelled all their domestic flights in Thailand, while Bangkok Airways, Nok Air, Thai Smile, and Vietjet have introduced emergency measures for flight rescheduling. AirAsia, the popular budget airline based in Malaysia, has suspended all domestic flights operated by Thai AirAsia effective immediately. They hope to resume service on August…
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Samui and Phangan reopening: bars open, 5,000 baht Covid tests
Koh Samui and the surrounding islands of Koh Phangan and Koh Tao are preparing for their Samui Plus reopening beginning July 15. The rules for the reopening are more stringent, with 3 full days of quarantine required and then 4 days of being allowed to travel only on sealed routes to specific tourist destinations before finally being allowed to travel…
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Traditional meets modern with Buddhist NFTs CryptoAmulets
Thailand is often a curious mixture of old and new. Ancient style architecture in temples share neighbourhoods with ultra-modern skyscrapers. Modern life is blended with traditions a century old or older. And now, old meets new again with the launch of CryptoAmulets, digital Buddhist amulets that are combining the ancient Thai tradition of carrying Buddhist good luck charms with the…
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Pattani woman apprehended after 277 Kilograms of crystal methamphetamine found in house
Yesterday, a woman in the southern Thai province of Pattani was apprehended by police after they discovered 9 sacks that held 277 Kilograms of crystal methamphetamine. The incident happened in the Sai Buri district of Pattani. Local officials including police, soldiers, and volunteers searched the house just before noon. They had been tipped off that drugs were in the house.…
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2,500+ in Phuket Sandbox, flight and hotel numbers increasing
Despite the first international Covid-19 case of the Phuket Sandbox and the subsequently quarantined passengers requesting to leave Thailand, increasing numbers of international travellers continue to arrive each day in the reopening scheme. Yesterday 125 more travellers arrived on flights from Singapore Airlines and Etihad Airways from Abu Dhabi, with 11 more flights scheduled for the next 2 days. That…
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12 Sandbox travellers in quarantine request to leave Thailand
The strict rules and closed entertainment venues have discouraged many potential tourists from coming to the Phuket Sandbox just yet, but many who have arrived have expressed happiness to be enjoying the beauty of Thailand, even with the complex process and limitations on the ground. But predictably, one group of Sandboxers who have are in quarantine after one traveller tested…
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German fugitives to be extradited to face drug trafficking and production charges
Thai police are expected to extradite the 2 Germans, who are suspected of being involved in a European drug cartel, back to their home country to face charges. Officials in Germany had filed an Interpol red notice requesting their arrest, and the German Embassy in Thailand alerted Thai Immigration Police. One was arrested in Phuket, and the other at a…
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Supreme Court rules against former red-shirt leader
Former red-shirt leader Jatuporn Prompan has been ordered to serve back-to-back sentences in 2 defamation cases, according to a Supreme Court ruling. The Bangkok Post reports that Jatuporn will now spend another 11 months and 16 days in prison after a 2009 defamation case brought against him by former PM, Abhisit Vejjajiva. The activist was found guilty of defamation in…
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The best smartwatches to buy in 2021
Want to upgrade your traditional watch by adding some apps to your wrist? Or are you looking for a newer, more advanced smartwatch to replace your old one? Smartwatches come in all shapes, sizes, and prices, but the best smartwatches do more than just letting you know if you’re getting a text or a call. They can offer many things…
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JP Morgan includes Thailand in 5 economies most at risk from Delta variant
The investment banking firm JP Morgan says there are 5 emerging economies that are most vulnerable to the Delta variant – and Thailand is one of them. According to a Reuters report, the others are South Africa, Colombia, the Philippines, and Peru. The primary reason given for these findings is the low rate of vaccination, with analysts comparing the pace…
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Phuket taxi meeting: 20% fare cut, but doesn’t address gouging
The Phuket Office of the Public Relations Department has tried to paint a win for a meeting regarding overcharging taxis in the Phuket Sandbox, though the resolutions seem unrelated to the problem. During the meeting, taxi drivers agreed to a 20% discount for all fares until the end of the Covid-19 pandemic but did not address the problem of complaints…
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3 foreigners arrested operating unlicensed Koh Phangan spa
Police in Koh Phangan arrested 2 Russian men and an American woman in a raid at a health spa following complaints from locals of illegal activities and Covid-19 restriction violations. They are accused of a range of charges relating to the legality of the business, though the information is unclear if they face any charges for breaking any Covid-19 rules.…
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Foreign Covid-19 case had Sinopharm, domestic infections bigger concern
More information is coming out now about the first Phuket Sandbox traveller to be infected with Covid-19 yesterday. The man from the United Arab Emirates was fully vaccinated with the Sinopharm vaccine more than 7 months ago and had tested negative before boarding his flight to Phuket. But while infections from abroad make headlines, the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office…
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Chemicals being used to prevent further fires at Samut Prakan factory
Today, 2 chemicals are being employed to help prevent more fires from breaking out at the Ming Dih Chemical factory, in Samut Prakan, says the Department of Pollution Control. The chemicals being used are the F-500 encapsulator agent and Diethyl hydroxylamine, or DEHA. F-500 stops the styrene monomer from igniting and evaporating. DEHA halts polymerisation wherein reacting monomer molecules join…
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Gaming laptops you should consider buying in 2021
The top gaming laptops rankings changes every year. Gone are the days where gaming laptops were desktop replacements, with multiple power bricks, clunky chassis, and RGB lighting galore. Today, the powerful specs are packed in sleeker and slimmer builts so that you can enjoy a superb gaming experience and unbeatable portability. Some of them even rival the best Ultrabooks for…
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Pair arrested in Pattaya for allegedly running “romance scam”
More people have been arrested for involvement in an alleged “romance scam”. This time the suspects were busted in the Pattaya area. The man, Robinson Ibuka Ade, from Nigeria, and Thidarat Biraban, a Thai national, were arrested recently on charges of joining to commit fraud and importing forged data into a computer system. Police seized 148,00 baht and $2,000 US…
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