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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DSI raids Thai model agency, finds 500,000 photos and videos of child pornography
Around a half a million pornographic photos and videos of children allegedly from a Thai modelling agency were seized by officers from the Department of Special Investigation, or DSI. Officers raided the modelling agency, which is run from a home in a Pathum Thani neighbourhood, and arrested the owner of the agency. Police say the home had a studio with…
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Top travel destinations grapple with re-opening during the pandemic
Tourism, not only in Thailand, but all over the world, was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Hotels shut down. Tour companies closed. Airplanes grounded. Millions lost their jobs. Before diving into Thailand’s tourism situation, here’s a quick look at what’s going on in some of the world’s top tourist spots… DUBAI Dubai, with its huge chunks of expats and…
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Man arrested for allegedly killing baby step-daughter who wouldn’t stop crying
A 25 year old man has been arrested in the eastern town of Si Racha, after he allegedly confessed to killing his 1 year old step-daughter because she wouldn’t stop crying. The Pattaya News reports that Worakit Jitprasong told police he didn’t mean to kill the child, only to stop her crying. Officers who arrived at the property in the…
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US issues sanctions against Myanmar after coup
US President Joe Biden is issuing sanctions against Myanmar’s military regime after it staged a coup which saw the country’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi placed under arrest along with other senior members of the National League for Democracy. The executive order will prevent Myanmar’s generals from accessing US $1 billion in assets in the US while keeping…
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Pro-democracy groups vow to intensify rallies in 2021, aim for 2 million protesters a day
Pro-democracy activists have pledged to continue and increase their protest action this year, aiming for 2 million protesters a day. The Bangkok Post reports that protest leader Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, aka “Rung”, confirmed the intention yesterday, a day after 4 fellow activists were denied bail by the Criminal Court in Bangkok. Around 1,000 protesters gathered at the Pathumwan intersection in the…
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Bangkok police say over 1,000 officers to be deployed at MBK Skywalk rally today
The deputy chief of Bangkok’s Metropolitan Police says 1,085 police officers have been lined up to deal with today’s planned rally at the MBK Skywalk over the Pathumwan Intersection in the capital. Piya Tawichai says 7 companies of officers will be deployed to manage the 5pm gathering, which has been organised by pro-democracy group Ratsadon. “3 of the companies will…
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200 people file complaints with Pattaya police after losing money from alleged pyramid scheme
Pattaya police say 200 people have filed complaints after losing money to the dodgy online money-making app by “SPM Shopping Mall,” which appears to be a huge pyramid scheme. This week alone, 70 people, Thai nationals and foreigners, filed complaints with Pattaya City Police. Officers suspect around 10,000 people in Thailand fell victim to the scam, losing millions of baht…
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Court refuses bail applications for 4 pro-democracy activists
4 prominent members of the pro-democracy Ratsadon group have had their bail applications rejected at a court hearing in Bangkok. The Criminal Court denied bail for activist and human rights lawyer, Anon Nampa, and for fellow activists, Parit Chiwarak, aka, “Penguin”, Somyos Prueksakasemsuk, and Patiwat Saraiyam, aka, “Bank”. The 4 activists are being charged with sedition under section 116 of…
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Man arrested for allegedly shooting and killing a police officer outside a petrol station
A 23 year old man was arrested for allegedly shooting and killing a police officer outside a petrol station station in Suphan Buri. The 53 year old police officer, who was wearing civilian clothes, had approached a group who were drinking outside the PTT station, telling them to turn down the music and advising them to go home, a witness…
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3 men arrested for allegedly stealing more than 700,000 baht from an ATM machine
Thai police arrested 3 men who allegedly broke open an ATM and ran off with more than 700,000 baht in cash. The men allegedly used a gas torch to melt and cut through the metal of a Siam Commercial Bank ATM outside a CJ convenience store in Prachinburi. The men allegedly burned the keyhole and cut a square on the…
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World Tourism hotspots re-opening – success or failure? | VIDEO
The world of tourism has been turned upside down, not just in Thailand but around the world. Globally, it’s certainly the hardest hit industry from the coronavirus pandemic, shutting down hotels, tour companies, grounding aeroplanes and putting millions out of work. Before we look at the latest situation, and predictions for Thailand, let’s take a quick tour of some of…
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Huge pyramid scheme and scam uncovered involving 1000s of people | VIDEO
Tens of thousands of people across Thailand woke up over the past 24 hours that they have been victims of a dodgy online money-making app concocted by the “SPM Shopping Mall” through the website www.shopping.baironghj.com This is roughly how it works… Victims would transfer money to to a Thai account… all online. The app promised returns of up to a…
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Court denies request to remove online footage of Thanathorn’s criticism of vaccine rollout
The Criminal Court has rejected a bid by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society to remove a piece of online footage that criticises the government’s Covid-19 vaccine rollout. The former leader of the Future Forward Party, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, took to Facebook to live stream his thoughts on the government’s handling of the national vaccination programme, criticising officials for procurement…
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Bangkok and Phuket in top 15 list of places people most want to visit when travel re-opens
The Thai capital, Bangkok, and the southern island of Phuket have come in at number 8 and number 14 respectively, in TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards 2021. The awards list the most popular worldwide destinations prior to the Covid-19 pandemic and the places people most want to return to once travel opens up again. According to a press release from the…
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Officials brainstorm ideas to revive Phuket tourism
Government officials and business representatives on the resort island of Phuket have been busy brainstorming various proposals to revive tourism, with many calling for quarantine requirements to be waived for vaccinated foreigners. The Bangkok Post reports that Bhummikitti Raktaengam from the Phuket Tourism Association says foreign tourists who can prove they’ve been vaccinated against Covid-19 should be allowed to enter…
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Cannabis and pandan Thai sweets to be added to Bangkok dessert shop’s menu
Cannabis will soon be on the menu at a Bangkok dessert shop. Kanom Siam is adding cannabis leaves to their pandan and coconut pancakes. And no, the pancakes won’t get you high. The shop posted a photo on Facebook of the bright green desserts with a cannabis leaf on top. They say the dessert has an aroma of pandan mixed…
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Thai health officials brush off “vaccine passport” idea for travellers
Thai health officials aren’t onboard with the idea of a “vaccine passport” which would potentially allow travellers who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 to enter Thailand without undergoing quarantine. Health officials in Thailand say there isn’t enough evidence to prove that the vaccine is totally effective in preventing transmission of the virus. While the vaccines are considered to be effective…
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Police bust alleged illegal surrogacy ring, Thai women allegedly gave birth for overseas buyers
An alleged illegal transnational surrogacy ring, posed as a cleaning company, was busted by Thailand’s cybercrime police after surrogate mothers were unable to deliver the children to buyers overseas due to travel restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic, investigators say. Officers from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau raided 10 locations suspected of being involved in the underground transnational surrogacy network, arresting…
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British man arrested on Koh Samui for alleged meth-fuelled shooting spree on speedboat
A 33 year old British man has been arrested on the holiday island of Samui for allegedly firing gunshots from a speedboat while high on drugs. According to a report in the UK’s Daily Mail, Benjamin Robert Simpson, a cryptocurrency trader, allegedly fired a handgun several times, in the direction of the Four Seasons Hotel, where he was a guest.…
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Tourism Minister to request 5 million vaccine doses for tourism sector
The Tourism Minister is planning to meet with PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to request 5 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine for workers across 7 tourist cities. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn is also pushing for a vaccine passport scheme that would allow international tourists to return in the third quarter of the year. The 5 million vaccine doses would cover 2.5 million tourism…
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LA artist behind portrait of murdered Thai man condemns surge in racist violence
The US artist behind a portrait of an elderly Thai man who died after a brutal attack outside his San Francisco home, has voiced his disgust and sadness at the rise in anti-Asian sentiment in the US. Los Angeles artist Jonathan D. Chang drew the portrait of 84 year old Vicha Ratanapakdee and posted it on Instagram as a tribute…
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Krabi mayor hopeful tourism crisis will be over soon
As is the case in many popular tourist spots in Thailand, the economy in the southern province of Krabi has been decimated due to Covid-19. Nation Thailand reports that tourist numbers in Krabi have fallen sharply, from a yearly average of 6 million to just 1.5 million last year. Revenue from tourism has plummeted from around 120 billion baht to…
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Police seize 500,000 baht worth of illegal whitening cream in multiple raids
More than 500,000 baht worth of unregistered skin whitening cream containing banned substances, an initial examination found, were seized in factory raids in Chachoengsao, Sa Kaeo, Chon Buri and Ayutthaya. The “Cambodian cream with red cover” was advertised on social media with claims that it could whiten skin within 7 days no matter how dark the skin is. Apparently, the…
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Gambling advocate and net idol arrested for allegedly running online gambling operation
An internet idol once called the “Gambler King” by the Bangkok Post was arrested for allegedly running an online gambling operation. The 29 year old self-professed gambler, Apirak “Sia Po” Chat-anon, is known for advocating for the legalisation of gambling. The Thai government even asked him to be an advisor on a committee reviewing Thailand’s laws on gambling. Police from…
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PM approves new financial aid package for social security recipients
The Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, has given the go-ahead to another stimulus measure, this time aimed at social security beneficiaries. The scheme, known as Rao Rak Kan (“We Love Each Other”) will provide recipients with a cash payment via the Pao Tang application. All social security beneficiaries are eligible, provided they are Thai nationals and do not have more than…
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Phuket aims to vaccinate 70% of population, re-open to foreign tourists by October
Phuket is going it alone as it eyes herd immunity as the only lifeline for its devastated tourism industry. Business groups on the southern resort island have announced a plan to finance the vaccination of 70% of the island’s population, in the hope of being able to open to foreign tourists from October. The groups involved, which include the Phuket…
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Air pollution hits unsafe levels in 19 provinces
Air pollution hit “unsafe” levels in 19 provinces across Thailand this morning with levels of the ultra-fine dust PM 2.5 exceeding the official safety limit 50 micrograms per cubic metre, according to the Pollution Control Department. Those areas include: Bangkok, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Lampang, Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, Kamphaeng Phet, Pichit, Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, Lopburi, Saraburi, Suphan Buri,…
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Police in Bangkok arrest 13 people for allegedly running an online gambling operation
Police in Bangkok’s Lat Phrao district arrested 13 people for allegedly operating an illegal online gambling operation where people could place bets on lottery outcomes. The bust is part of a major crackdown on illegal gambling carried out after Covid-19 outbreaks at gambling dens in Rayong and Chon Buri. Acting on a search warrant, police raided a home off Soi…
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Pattaya banker detained on theft charges, allegedly defrauded local expats in investment scam
Pattaya police detained a former assistant manager of a local bank branch after he allegedly scammed numerous foreigners, tricking some of them into investments that led to significant losses and using invalid documents to fake transactions. A group of foreigners filed a complaint with the Pattaya City Police against the bank branch’s former assistant manager Chaisit Sappermphool on fraud charges.…
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Elderly Thai man killed in violent attack in California
An 84 year old Thai man has died after being brutally attacked outside his home in San Francisco, in the US state of California. CCTV footage shows Vicha Ratanapakdee being approached by a man who pushes him violently to the ground before running away. The attack took place on the footpath outside Vicha’s home early on Thursday morning, with the…
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