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 Do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?
Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...
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Passengers left waiting hours at Bangkok’s new central train station
The opening of Bangkok‘s new central train station Bangkok Aphiwat Central Station did not go so smoothly yesterday with the first service to Chiang Mai departing three hours later than scheduled and many more delayed services. BBC Thai and CH7 report that services were delayed to await the arrival of Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob, who was rather late to an…
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Pattaya bar owner allegedly punches Russian tourist in face over 60 baht bill
A Pattaya bar owner allegedly punched a Russian tourist in the face over his refusal to pay his 60 baht bill. Jane, the 53 year old owner of the Bonzi Bar in South Pattaya, apparently didn’t back down from admitting she was the one who punched the tourist. The Russian was identified only as “Michel,” and was reportedly on the…
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Southeast Asia’s biggest railway station opens to passengers
Southeast Asia’s biggest railway station officially began operations yesterday, a potential new age of train travel in Thailand. The cost of the new terminal, including the station, tracks and a connecting station for Bangkok’s mass transit system, was around US$1 billion (30 billion baht). Officially, the station’s name is Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal, a name bestowed by the king,…
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Super Mario theme park to open in California ahead of new film
Super Mario is getting its first theme park outside of Japan by way of the US state of California. The Nintendo-themed park is set to open next month just weeks before the old-school characters grace the Hollywood big screen. According to Japan Today, Super Nintendo World will be part of Universal Studios Hollywood- an amusement park that has seen the likes…
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Passengers at Bangkok’s main train terminal to get help from new robots
Passengers at Bangkok’s Krung Thep Aphiwat Train Terminal will be getting help from new service robots. The massive train station, formerly known as Bang Sue Grand Station, will feature six robots which can communicate in English, Thai and Chinese. The robots can guide passengers to certain locations in the train station such as the food centre, ticket booths, and taxis.…
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Thailand welcomes 900,000 foreign tourists during Jan 1-15
In the first half of January, Thailand welcomed a grand total of 913,013 foreign tourists, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Governor of the TAT Yuthasak Supsasorn revealed that Russia has overtaken Malaysia as the Number 1 tourism market… Foreign Arrivals in Thailand by Nationality January 1 – 15, 2023 Russians (99,593) Malaysians (89,461) South Koreans (47,471) Indians…
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Where to celebrate Chinese New Year in Thailand
Thailand is home to a large ethnically Chinese population, which means that Chinese New Year is a big deal here. The holiday, also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, has been celebrated in Thailand for centuries by the country’s Chinese-Thai community. Chinese New Year festivals offer exciting experiences filled with dragon parades, fireworks, dance performances, and more. This…
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Thai man uses soy sauce to fake suicide, hoping to win wife back
A Thai man used soy sauce to fake suicide on Monday in hopes of winning back his wife and son. The man, 50 year old Watchara, was estranged from his wife, 40 year old Pla, due to conflicts between the couple. He lives in the southern Chumphon province, while she lives in Pattaya. On Monday, Watchara travelled to Pattaya, hoping…
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Thailand still needs thousands more tourism workers
Thailand still needs thousands more tourism workers than it already has. The kingdom’s Labour Ministry recently surveyed the labour demands of 32,359 tourism operators in 60 provinces. The ministry found that out of all the operators, 1,817 businesses needed a total of 9,763 more workers. Employers need receptionists, porters, waiters, cleaners and housemaids, chefs, kitchen workers, cashiers, and accountants. The…
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Volunteer teaching English to underprivileged children in Bangkok
Bangkok Community Help Foundation runs a weekly volunteer-led class that aims to teach English and improve the lives of underprivileged children in the Klong Toei area of the city. Children learn new English vocabulary, play games, dance Zumba, and do arts and crafts projects in a fun environment. At the end of each class, students are provided with a hot…
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Cannabis in Thailand: A Guide for Tourists
Thailand’s crazy cannabis laws can be difficult to navigate so the Ministry of Public Health has issued a guide titled “10 Things Tourists Need to Know About Cannabis in Thailand” to help budding cannabis tourists stay out of trouble. Since the marijuana plant (“Gancha” in Thai language) was removed from Thailand’s list of Category 5 Narcotics on June 9 this…
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8 million MOPH webpages hacked by gambling websites
The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) closed approximately eight million official government-related webpages after they were hacked by illegal gambling websites. MOPH Information and Communication Technology Centre Director Anan Kanoksin told Thai media that illicit online gambling websites have been illegally squatting on government platforms after they sat idle for months. The illegal gambling websites were able to squat on…
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Protester jailed for burning King’s portrait
The food delivery rider who attempted to burn a portrait of King Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida during a protest in July 2021 has been sentenced to three and half years in prison. The court ruled that a portrait of the king is equivalent to the king’s person. Foodpanda delivery rider Sitthichok Sethasavet set fire to a portrait of King Vajiralongkorn…
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2 excise officers arrested in 300,000 baht ransom kidnapping case
Two excise officers and one of their friends were arrested yesterday after they kidnapped a phone shop worker and held her to a 300,000 baht ransom in the central province of Samut Prakarn. A Chinese man, Wu Yiwen, filed a complaint at Mueang Samut Prakarn Police Station yesterday at 3.30pm. The 31 year old said the kidnapping incident happened at…
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Why does Thailand need F-35 fighter jets? [video]
Thailand‘s attempts to beg the new F-35 Fifth Generation fighter jet from the United States have progressed at a snail’s pace. The acquisition has been questioned on all sides since its inception, and continues to be. The issues standing in Thailand’s way seem to amount to three main things. The US certainly doesn’t want its shiny (actually not shiny at…
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Walk-in driving license services now available in Thailand
Obtaining a new driving license or renewing an old one just got easier in Thailand. Walk-in services are now available at transport offices nationwide without the need to book an appointment, according to the Department of Land Transport (DLT). Anyone wanting to renew their Thai driving license can obtain an ‘eLearning’ theoretical training certificate through the DLT’s website, which also…
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Phuket man threatens wife from leaving house at knifepoint
A man in Phuket allegedly used a knife to threaten his wife and prevent her from leaving their house yesterday. Kathu Police said they were alerted that a man was using a knife to force his wife to remain inside the house on Soi Ketho Soi 6, The Phuket News reported. Fifteen officers arrived at the house with long-handled prongs.…
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Man arrested for stealing over 10 million baht in valuables at a fitness centre
A thief who stole over 10 million baht of valuables from a businessman at a fitness centre two weeks ago was arrested yesterday. The man pretended to be a fitness centre customer, stole safety box keys, and duplicated the keys to complete a series of thefts. On Tuesday, January 10, 35 year old businessman, Sathit, filed a complaint at Mueang Nonthaburi…
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Thailand tourism forum pushes innovation centerstage as industry leaders debate the future of hospitality
Press Release Thailand’s largest annual tourism and hospitality event brings 800 delegates together for a fast-paced single-day show at Conrad Bangkok BANGKOK, THAILAND: As Thailand’s tourism industry powers its way into an accelerated period of recovery, with international arrivals pouring in and China poised to create the next big wave, what’s the ensuing step for the Kingdom? The world has…
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Famous Belgian murderer Robert Beijer arrested in Pattaya, Thailand
Convicted murderer and suspect in Belgium’s infamous ‘Brabant Killers‘ case of the 1980s – Robert Beijer – has been arrested in Pattaya, Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand. Robert Beijer, a former state policeman, was convicted of murdering and robbing an Antwerp diamond dealer in 1995 along with Madani Bouhouche. Beijer was sentenced to 14 years but was let out early…
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Kiwi PM Jacinda Arden to quit next month (video)
An emotional Jacinda Ardern announced she “has nothing left in the tank” and is standing down as New Zealand’s Prime Minister. The 42 year old revealed she will resign next month and will not take part in this year’s General Elections. A tearful Ardern told a press pack in the coastal city of Napier yesterday that Tuesday, February 7 will…
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Cambodian thieves snatch Japanese man’s bag on flight to Thailand
Two Cambodian thieves snatched a Japanese man’s bag on a flight to Thailand from Cambodia yesterday. His belongings included a luxury bag, Sennheiser, Sony wireless headphones, an Apple iPad, 11,240 baht, and 186,000 yen (about 47,000 baht). The unnamed victim said the thieves were seated in the same row as him on the flight to Suvarnabhumi Airport from Phenom Penh.…
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Ukraine helicopter crash kills Interior Minister, at least 18 others
A Ukraine helicopter crash reportedly killed Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky and at least 18 others. The crash occurred near a kindergarten in the town of Brovary, just northeast of the capital of Kyiv yesterday. Yehvheniy Yenin, Monastyrsky’s deputy, along with a state secretary, was also killed in the crash. According to the Interior Ministry, three children were killed among the tally…
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Bank of Thailand warns of elevated financial cybercrime risk
The Bank of Thailand (BoT) is warning consumers and banks of an elevated financial cybercrime risk. The warning comes after a man claimed that he had lost 101,560 baht from his bank account after using a public charging outlet. The BoT denied the claim after conducting an investigation and said it believes the theft occurred because the man was a…
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University student shot dead on a Bangkok footpath
Two unidentified gunmen shot dead a university student in a drive-by shooting while the victim was walking on a Phaya Thai Road footpath in Bangkok on Saturday. Police are still searching for the gunmen. A security camera in front of the Faculty of Pharmacy of Chulalongkorn University captured the shooting incident on Saturday, January 14 at about 8.40pm. Two men…
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Thai court denies bail to alleged Singaporean Forex-3D scammer
Today, Thailand‘s Criminal Court denied bail to the alleged Singaporean Forex-3D scammer who was nabbed by police at Phuket Airport as he tried to flee the country on Monday. He was taken straight to Bangkok Remand Prison. The accused, 32 year old Daryl Cai Yonghui, is charged with “public fraud” and “inputting false information into a computer system in a…
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Bank of Thailand blames dating app for phone hacking
The Bank of Thailand (BoT) denied a claim made on social media that a man lost money from his bank account after recharging his phone at a public outlet. BoT believes the theft occurred because the man was a victim of a malware attack. Police also attributed the theft to malware, stating that the user had downloaded an unsafe dating…
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Five airlines launch direct flights between Phuket and China this week
Five airlines are launching direct flights between China and Phuket in southern Thailand this week. The services will connect Phuket to Shanghai, Nanjing, and Chengdu. Today, Phuket will welcome three direct flights from Shanghai on Spring Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, and Juneyao Airlines. All three services will fly daily. Juneyao Airlines’ inaugural daily direct service from Nanjing will also land on…
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Rescue team ends search for Romanian diver missing off Phuket
A rescue team ended its search for a Romanian diver who went missing at sea off Phuket on January 8. The diver, 46 year old Sebastian Emil Somesan, went missing off the coast of Promthep Cape. Yesterday, Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos announced that the search was wrapping up. This was after rescuers worked intensely for nine days to find Somesan,…
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Drowsy driver crashes sedan into cyclists killing 1, injuring 10
A drowsy driver fell asleep behind the wheel of his sedan and crashed into a group of cyclists on the road in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat. One cyclist was killed and 10 were injured. A security camera on the Nakhon Si Thammarat-Surat Thani Road in the Sichon district clearly shows the incident that happened at 7am on…
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