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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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    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?...

  • Thailand welcomes 8.5 million foreign tourists so far this year

    Thailand welcomes 8.5 million foreign tourists so far this year

    Thailand welcomed over 8.5 million foreign tourists in the first four months of 2023, generating revenue of 353 billion baht, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. Government spokesperson Anucha Buraphachaisri revealed today that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was delighted to hear about the strong recovery of Thailand’s tourism sector from January to April. In total, 8,596,452…

  • Cannabis crooks caught on camera: Foreigners caught stealing from Phuket pharmacy

    Cannabis crooks caught on camera: Foreigners caught stealing from Phuket pharmacy

    CCTV footage captured two foreigners stealing cannabis from a pharmacy in Phuket. Fortunately, a member of staff caught them red-handed on the job. The Facebook page, Phuket Info Center, posted two videos of the incident yesterday, May 4, with a caption that said… “Warning! Foreigners stole cannabis from a shop on Rat U Thit 200 Years Road in the Patong…

  • Heartbroken Thai durian farmer cries after trees poisoned, causing 30 million baht loss

    Heartbroken Thai durian farmer cries after trees poisoned, causing 30 million baht loss

    A heartbroken durian farmer in South Thailand cried after he discovered on Wednesday that most of his trees had been poisoned, causing a long-term loss of around 30 million baht (US$936,000). The farmer, 51 year old Charin Phuachai, lives with his family in Chumphon province, in the Hat Phan Kraj sub-district of the main city district. Charin had 25 Mon…

  • Thailand to close several popular islands for environmental restoration

    Thailand to close several popular islands for environmental restoration

    Four islands in Trang province, southern Thailand, will close for four months to give nature a chance to restore itself after a hectic tourist season, namely Koh Muk, Koh Kradan, Koh Chuek, and Koh Waen. Thailand’s Similan Islands will also close for the monsoon season. Yesterday, the Chief of Hat Chao Mai National Park Prit Narasaritkul announced the temporary cease of…

  • Rare strong winds topple tree at Doi Suthep temple, causing panic among visitors

    Rare strong winds topple tree at Doi Suthep temple, causing panic among visitors

    A rare windstorm, known locally as “Lom Luang“, surprised tourists and monks when it struck Doi Suthep Temple in Chiang Mai, resulting in a large tree collapsing across the Naga staircase. The incident occurred at 4pm today, when the forceful winds swept through the summit, causing a large red tree, big enough for three people to hug, to fall, blocking…

  • Twist in Thai cyanide serial killer case: Actress and nurses investigated for buying same poison as killer

    Twist in Thai cyanide serial killer case: Actress and nurses investigated for buying same poison as killer

    There has been another twist in the Thai cyanide serial killer case. Not only has the serial killer’s husband been charged with aiding and abetting her crimes and released on bail but the Royal Thai Police (RTP) is investigating the purchase of some cyanide by a famous Thai actress and 10 nurses, who reportedly bought the poison from the same…

  • Phuket motorbike tragedy claims life of young Polish woman

    Phuket motorbike tragedy claims life of young Polish woman

    A motorbike tragedy in Phuket claimed the life of a young Polish woman yesterday, in Thailand’s latest road accident. The 33 year old rider was killed after she crashed her motorbike and slid under a trailer truck in the Chalong sub-district of Phuket’s main city district. Rescuers arrived at the scene on Chao Fa West Road, in front of a…

  • Belgrade security guard hailed a hero after school shooting

    Belgrade security guard hailed a hero after school shooting

    In a tragic event that shook the entire nation, nine lives were lost in a school shooting in Belgrade by a teenage gunman, including those of the long-time security guard, Dragan Vlahovic, and eight students. As the community grieves and tries to come to terms with the deadliest school shooting in Serbia‘s recent history, Vlahovic is hailed as a hero…

  • Canadian teenager found dead in Bangkok condo room

    Canadian teenager found dead in Bangkok condo room

    A young Canadian man was found dead in his rented condo room in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday. Police say they are investigating suspicious evidence found inside the room. At 2.30pm, officers at Bangrak Police Station were notified that a foreigner was found dead in his rented room on the 6th floor of a luxury condominium building on the Samyan – Silom…

  • US and Thailand advance energy cooperation in recent discussions

    US and Thailand advance energy cooperation in recent discussions

    The United States and Thailand have recently agreed to advance energy cooperation during talks in Washington, DC. The Office of the Spokesperson for the US Department of State issued a joint press statement revealing that the discussions took place during the third US-Thailand Energy Policy Dialogue, held from April 18 to April 20. Both nations aimed to deepen their ties…

  • Fun-loving UK teenager dies after taking drugs at Full Moon party in Thailand, inquest reveals

    Fun-loving UK teenager dies after taking drugs at Full Moon party in Thailand, inquest reveals

    A fun-loving, “fiercely independent” teenager from the United Kingdom died after taking drugs at a Full Moon party in Thailand an inquest heard. A UK coroner yesterday determined that the 18 year old woman from Winchester died by misadventure after taking ecstasy while backpacking in Thailand. The teenager, Eleanor Yates, was found dead in her bed in the Ko Pha…

  • Taliban’s poppy ban hits Afghan farmers amid humanitarian crisis

    Taliban’s poppy ban hits Afghan farmers amid humanitarian crisis

    In a remote compound in southern Afghanistan, Bibi Hazrato, a distressed 60 year old, watches as a group of men destroy her poppy crop, adhering to a Taliban government order to eradicate the narcotic plant from the country. Hazrato confronts the men, but one of them simply says… “God says crush this.” The profitable trade of poppy tar, which is…

  • Proposal for more free legal advice at Phuket police stations

    Proposal for more free legal advice at Phuket police stations

    During a recent visit to Phuket, Chatchawan Suksomchit, the chairman of the Senate Standing Commission on Law, Justice and Police, reviewed a proposal aimed at increasing the availability of free legal advice at local police stations. The proposal was initiated by Rungnapha Putkaew, the President of the Phuket branch of the Lawyers Council of Thailand. Currently, 76 registered lawyers are…

  • Devastated mother mourns loss of son, fatally stabbed by mentally ill man

    Devastated mother mourns loss of son, fatally stabbed by mentally ill man

    A mentally ill young man with an ankle monitor fatally stabbed a security officer, leaving the officer’s mother devastated. The incident occurred near the Bang Talat Canal in Tha Sai Subdistrict, Mueang District, Nonthaburi Province. The police, accompanied by a forensic doctor and a foundation officer, quickly arrived to investigate. At the crime scene in the Bang Talat community, the…

  • Thailand accelerates shift to renewables amid global energy crisis fallout

    Thailand accelerates shift to renewables amid global energy crisis fallout

    The global energy crisis has prompted Thailand to accelerate its transition to renewable energy after years of hesitation, joining other countries in adopting wind and solar power to reduce dependency on imported fuels. Thailand’s reconsideration of its renewable energy strategy came after a surge in natural gas prices last year caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to Wattanapong Kurovat,…

  • Cancun’s hidden side exposed in award-winning investigation

    Cancun’s hidden side exposed in award-winning investigation

    An investigation revealing the hidden side of Cancun, the renowned Caribbean resort town, has won a prestigious journalism award in Mexico, one of the deadliest countries in the world for journalists. Ricardo Hernandez received the prestigious Breach-Valdez Award for human rights journalism for his in-depth report published in the magazine Gatopardo. The report unveiled the underbelly of Cancun, a city…

  • No political vacuum following May 14 election, says deputy PM

    No political vacuum following May 14 election, says deputy PM

    Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam addressed concerns regarding the potential for political deadlock following the May 14 General Election. Despite foreseeing a delay in the formation of a new government, he dismissed the possibility of a political vacuum emerging. Wissanu’s remarks come as polls indicate that leading parties are continually growing closer in terms of popularity. While he acknowledges that…

  • MFP’s popularity rising as election looms, new poll reveals

    MFP’s popularity rising as election looms, new poll reveals

    The Move Forward Party (MFP) is gaining momentum as Thailand’s General Election approaches, according to a recent pre-election poll conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA). While the Pheu Thai Party continues to lead in terms of constituency and party-list Members of Parliament (MPs), the MFP is rapidly gaining popularity. NIDA’s third pre-election poll was released on Wednesday,…

  • Unhinged Bangkok taxi driver threatens to murder passenger

    Unhinged Bangkok taxi driver threatens to murder passenger

    A Thai woman took to social media to reveal that a seemingly unhinged taxi driver in Bangkok threatened to murder her because her destination was too far. The woman posted a video on her TikTok account, @toeyly.n, to recount her frightening experience with a taxi driver who threatened to kill her. The video caption said… “Warning! Taxi driver threatens to…

  • Former Yala governor sentenced to 8 years for malfeasance in GT200 bomb detector case

    Former Yala governor sentenced to 8 years for malfeasance in GT200 bomb detector case

    Former Yala governor, Teera Mintrasak, aged 59, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for malfeasance in connection with the purchase of fraudulent GT200 bomb detectors from 2007-2009. The sentence was delivered by the Region 9 Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases. Teera was among 12 defendants involved in the case, with the other 11, all of whom…

  • Thai youth vote for reform despite political hurdles

    Thai youth vote for reform despite political hurdles

    Three years ago, 24 year old Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul was at the forefront of a democracy movement in Thailand as thousands of young protesters clashed with police firing tear gas and rubber bullets on the streets of Bangkok. The movement shook the kingdom with its calls for reform and unprecedented demands to curb the power of King Maha Vajiralongkorn but gradually…

  • Woman commits suicide in car with 11 pet dogs

    Woman commits suicide in car with 11 pet dogs

    A Thai woman in Pathum Thani province near Bangkok allegedly committed suicide in her car by using a charcoal stove to kill herself with her 11 Poodle dogs. A rescue team, Ruamkatanyu Volunteer Association, was alerted to the death of the Thai woman and her 11 pet dogs and reported the news on its official Facebook page today. According to…

  • No foreigners receive yellow or red cards in April, reports Phuket Immigration

    No foreigners receive yellow or red cards in April, reports Phuket Immigration

    Foreigners were on their best behaviour in Phuket, southern Thailand, last month with 0 foreign tourists receiving yellow or red cards, reports Phuket Immigration. Phuket Immigration launched the yellow and red card scheme in March to combat the problem of wayward foreigners on the island. The system sees law-breaking foreign tourists deported from the kingdom after two offences. Any tourist…

  • Police ex-husband charged for supporting cyanide serial killer’s reign of terror

    Police ex-husband charged for supporting cyanide serial killer’s reign of terror

    The Royal Thai Police (RTP) confirmed that the cyanide serial killer’s police officer ex-husband aided and abetted his former wife during her psychotic reign of terror. Although the specifics of his involvement have not been disclosed, he is currently facing three criminal charges. The cyanide serial killer, Sararat “Am” Rangsiwuthaporn, is facing charges for the murder of 10 victims in…

  • Coronation Day holiday and early voting brings booze ban in Thailand

    Coronation Day holiday and early voting brings booze ban in Thailand

    A four-day weekend is set to begin for much of Thailand due to the Coronation Day holiday and early voting taking place for Thai elections, and with it comes a booze ban. The weekend also brings a 24 hour booze ban, which will be effective from 6pm on Saturday, May 6, to 6pm on Sunday, May 7, as mandated by…

  • Young woman attacked with razors over 250 baht in southern Thailand

    Young woman attacked with razors over 250 baht in southern Thailand

    A loan shark chased a debtor for 750 baht debt yesterday in Phattalung province, southern Thailand. When the debtor coughed up only 500 baht, she was attacked by around 20 people over the remaining 250 baht. The gang slashed her with razors all over her body causing serious injury. At 2am today, officers at Mueang Phatthalung Police Station were called to…

  • Cops finally catch Songkran stabbing suspect in Phuket after 6 years

    Cops finally catch Songkran stabbing suspect in Phuket after 6 years

    Cops finally caught a suspect in a Songkran stabbing attack in Phuket, six years after he allegedly committed his crime. The suspect, 33 year old Jirapong, allegedly stabbed and seriously injured another man during Songkran in 2017, in the central Prachin Buri province. Jirapong had reportedly been celebrating and drinking alcohol with his friends before he and a teenager got…

  • Pyjama drama: Woman caught stealing a motorbike in her PJs in Pattaya”

    Pyjama drama: Woman caught stealing a motorbike in her PJs in Pattaya”

    A security camera captured a woman, dressed in pyjamas, stealing a motorbike from a Pattaya home. The incident gained attention due to the peculiar choice of attire by the thief. A CCTV camera at a house in Pattaya recorded a tall and plump woman strolling in front of the property around 10pm yesterday. The woman then snuck into the house…

  • Man caught on CCTV breaking into woman’s home and masturbating

    Man caught on CCTV breaking into woman’s home and masturbating

    A Thai businesswoman was shocked to discover a man breaking and entering her home, trashing a room, and masturbating over her underwear when she checked her CCTV cameras in the eastern province of Rayong. Bizarrely, no assets were stolen. The woman, Naruemon Thognthai, posted CCTV footage of the incident on Facebook on Monday, May 1 to expose the pervert’s behaviour…

  • PPRP offers upskilling for welfare card holders to tackle poverty

    PPRP offers upskilling for welfare card holders to tackle poverty

    The Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) has proposed new initiatives for the holders of its Pracharath welfare cards aimed at empowering them to break free from the poverty trap. Charnkrit Detwithak, a spokesperson for the party’s election strategy committee, stated that the party leader and prime ministerial candidate, General Prawit Wongsuwon, is focused on core issues and the need to boost…