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 5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)
Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...
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Ranger wanted for murder found dead in Thailand forest after week-long search
After a week-long search involving around 100 officers, the body of a forest ranger wanted for murder was found hanging from a tree in Buriram. The senior ranger was wanted for firing shots at his ex-wife’s home, killing the woman’s 20 year old son. 45 year old Phitphirun Phiraphop was a senior forest protection ranger at Dong Yai Wildlife Sanctuary.…
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Phuket man paralysed by drunk officer seeks 15 million baht in compensation
The family of the noodle vendor who was shot by a drunk, off-duty police officer last year on Phuket’s Bangla Road is seeking compensation of 15 million baht. The 25 year old vendor was shot in the stomach with the bullet lodged in his spine, paralysing him from the waist down. The officer is now on trial for attempted murder,…
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Government aims to administer boosters to 70% of elderly before Songkran holiday
Health officials plan to administer booster vaccine doses to 70% of Thailand’s elderly population ahead of the Songkran holiday in April. According to a Bangkok Post report, the Department of Disease Control says it doesn’t want to see a repeat of last year, when infections and deaths rose significantly after the Thai New Year holiday, due to the limited availability…
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Man caught with endangered tortoise faces charges for hunting in Thailand wildlife sanctuary
Thai authorities caught a man with an endangered tortoise he reportedly caught in a wildlife sanctuary and planned to cook up and eat. The man was found in the southern province of Prachuap Khiri Khan province with firearms and a yellow elongated tortoise which he claimed he was cooking. The man faces charges relating to illegally entering a wildlife sanctuary, hunting…
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Nok Air asks for time to promote routes to new Betong airport after cancelling flights
Yala’s new Betong International Airport is open for business, but you might be hard-pressed to book a flight there. Nok Air has suspended its route from Bangkok to Betong, saying it needs an additional two to three months to promote the airport among domestic and foreign tourists before it can reopen the route. Last week, Nok Air cancelled its flights…
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Most of Thailand to be hit by heavy rainfall today and tomorrow
Get your umbrellas out, you’re going to need them in most parts of the country today and tomorrow. The Thai Meteorological Department has forecast “very heavy rain” for the north, central Thailand, and the east coast of the southern region. A cyclone in the Bay of Bengal is the reason for the wet conditions, according to the TMD, with a…
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Health officials express concern over risk to elderly unvaccinated during Songkran
Health officials are urging the elderly population to come forward for vaccination or boosters ahead of next month’s Songkran holiday. According to a Bangkok Post report, the Department of Disease Control says new data shows an increase in severe illness and Covid-related deaths in the elderly. DDC boss Sopon Iamsirithaworn says those returning to their home provinces over Songkran risk…
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Hospitality sector, tourism operators call for entry restrictions to be dropped now
Businesses, particularly those in the tourism and hospitality sectors, say July 1 – the date the government hopes to declare Covid-19 endemic – is too long to wait for restrictions to be lifted. As operators watch what’s happening in neighbouring countries, Thailand’s tourism sector is feeling anxious. According to a Bangkok Post report, Chamnan Srisawat from the Tourism Council of…
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Phuket Monopoly launched, not that you’ll recognise many of the squares
Welcome to Phuket and some of the most famous attractions like Utopia, BCIS, BIS, The Nai Harn (hotel), Blue Elephant and The Phuket News. All for sale with your Monopoly money when the game becomes available. Whilst you will see Mai Khao Beach, Phuket Town, Cape Promthep, the Karon Viewpoint and Kata Beach, the new Phuket Monopoly board game, due…
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Wildlife at Krabi beach from Leonardo DiCaprio film recovers from tourist overrun
A famous beach in Krabi, featured in Leonardo DiCaprio’s The Beach, is now recovering its wildlife after having been overrun by tourists in the past. The beach, the focus of visiting Maya Bay, closed in 2018, before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, because of how much tourism had damaged the ecosystem. Now, plant and animal species that disappeared are returning. The bay…
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Songkran 2022 might be back on in Thailand, but…
UPDATE A Songkran with water MAY end up being a thing for 2022. This moist bombshell floating around the Thai media this afternoon. But you’ll need a face mask, an ATK tests and only at designated zones. The change of mind surprised everyone at this afternoon’s CCSA daily briefing. According to a post on the Khaosod English Facebook page, it…
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Tangmo: Fresh autopsy of Thai actress dispels suspicions (preliminary findings)
A second autopsy of the body of Thai actress Nida “Tangmo” Patcharavirapong was conducted Thursday afternoon by the Central Institute of Forensic Science at Thammasat University Hospital in Bangkok. The actress’ mother, Panida Sirayootyotin, requested the re-examination to confirm her daughter’s cause of death and to dispel any skepticism surrounding the high-profile investigation. READ: Tangmo: Panel to verify 2nd autopsy…
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Plans to scrap pre-departure Covid-19 test requirement still need confirmation
It might soon get a little easier to travel to Thailand. The government plans to scrap the pre-departure Covid-19 test requirements for vaccinated travellers entering the country under the Test & Go and Sandbox schemes. A spokesperson says they are waiting for confirmation. Under the planned revisions, just a PCR Covid-19 test is needed on arrival and a self-administered rapid…
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Another dry Songkran. No water fights for the Thai New Year
It’s going to be another dry Songkran. For the third time, water fights have been banned for the Thai New Year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The holiday, which is April 13 to 15 this year, is celebrated with massive water fights with crowds shooting water guns, spraying water hoses, and dumping buckets of water on each other. Everyone gets…
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Thai-Myanmar bridge bombed, impacting trade between the countries
After an anti-government in Myanmar bombed a bridge between Thailand’s Mae Sot and Myawaddy on March 11, trade between the two countries has been impacted. The event has resulted in a decrease in the number of Thai transport trucks passing via the second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge in Tak, northern Thailand. Earlier this week, a temporary bridge was built to assist…
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Australia plans to sue Facebook owner over scam ads for cryptocurrency
Australian officials are suing Facebook’s owner, Meta Platforms, over scam ads for cryptocurrency schemes. The ads feature well-known Australians, including a politician and a businessman, who they claim endorse the schemes. In reality, the figures never endorsed the schemes, or approved the ads. Australia’s consumer protection commission said the ads also contained links to fake articles with quotes claiming to…
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Thailand’s electricity tariff expected to surge higher than ever
After Thailand’s Energy Regulation Commission announced yesterday that the electricity price could rise to four baht per kilowatt hour, the ERC now says it will rise to a record high above that. The ERC says this will be the first time the price has surged this high. The fuel tariff is expected to be 0.24 baht per unit between May…
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Phuket man posts photos of teen girls in underwear on Facebook
A man in Phuket posted photos of teenage girls in underwear on an unnamed “popular Phuket Facebook page”. The girls allegedly ranged from early to mid teens. One girl wore shorts and a training bra, and another wore a bra and unbuttoned jeans. Online viewers accused the man of “deceiving” the girls into taking off their clothes, according to The…
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Man arrested for allegedly blackmailing student who later committed suicide
A 26 year old was arrested for allegedly blackmailing high school students which is believed to have led to the student’s suicide. The man allegedly made a fake account online, identifying himself as a teenage girl and luring students into sending sexually explicit videos, then demanding money, threatening to release the videos. Police say they believe the man was targeting…
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Public Health Minister “suggests” Thais focus on family, not booze, during Songkran
As Thais wait for officials to announce today whether Songkran water festivals will happen in April, Public Health Minister Anutin suggests they completely skip the alcohol. At a press conference yesterday, Anutin confirmed Thais will be allowed to travel and visit family. He said Thais should focus on family and “traditional religious activities”, according to The Pattaya News. Anutin “asked”…
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CCSA to discuss Songkran splashing rules today
To splash or not the splash? That’s one of the questions Thai government officials will be mulling today as they consider how to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 infections during next month’s Songkran festivities. This year Thailand will take a 5-day break from April 13 to 1 in celebration of Songkran, or the Thai New Year, for the first time…
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FTI wants Test & Go dropped, all entry restrictions lifted for vaccinated arrivals
The Federation of Thai Industries is urging the government to ditch the Test & Go scheme and to lift all entry restrictions for vaccinated tourists. According to a Bangkok Post report, the industry body is calling for an end to quarantine and PCR testing in a bid to restore the country’s shattered tourism sector. Chairman Supant Mongkolsuthree says he will…
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Thailand committee meeting with North Korean diplomats draws criticism
A meeting between Thailand’s committee on computer coding and North Korean ambassadors yesterday drew criticism from Thais. The vice president of the committee made a post about the meeting on her Facebook page, saying the committee met with the diplomats at the Embassy of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in Bangkok to discuss working together on coding projects. The…
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Thailand’s power will be more expensive in May
From May until August, Thailand’s electricity price will rise to four baht per kilowatt hour, going up by 0.23-1.3 baht per unit. The country’s Energy Regulatory Commission is raising fuel tariffs following Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine. An ERC spokesman said another reason for the price surge is the declining supply of natural gas from the Gulf of Thailand. Russia’s…
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“Ganja-naburi”: Kanchanaburi is becoming Thailand’s medical marijuana capital
Kanchanaburi… more like “Ganja-naburi.” The western province is becoming a hub for medical marijuana, aka ganja, with more and more community enterprises getting licences to grow the once-criminalised plant. 260 kilograms of cannabis were harvested for the second time at a medical marijuana event in Kanchanaburi yesterday. The cannabis was planted six months ago by eight community enterprises that are…
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Man accidentally kills wife with backhoe at railway construction site
A man accidentally killed his wife when he ran over her with a backhoe in a tragic incident at a railway construction site in Ratchaburi in central Thailand on Monday, according to a report in Thai media. 45 year old Kaikaew Thongkham worked as a team with his 40 year old wife Amphon Pima at the double-railway construction site. Kaikaew…
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Iran frees captives held for 5, 6 years
Today, Iranian authorities freed two British-Iranian nationals imprisoned in the country for five and six years. One captive, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, was arrested in 2016. The other captive, Anoosheh Ashoori, was arrested in 2017. Nazanin was a project manager for Thompson Reuters Foundation when she was arrested, and Anoosheh was a businessman. Iranian authorities accused Nazanin of trying to “overthrow” the…
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Bangkok governor may quit next week as he prepares to seek a second term
The governor of Bangkok may soon step down as he prepares to run for a second term. According to a Bangkok Post source, Aswin Kwanmuang is likely to resign as early as next week as his team work on his re-election campaign. It’s understood Aswin and his advisers met earlier this week to complete the incumbent’s registration. Bangkok residents go…
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CCSA meets tomorrow to decide fate of pre-departure PCR test
The requirement for overseas arrivals to take a PCR test 72 hours prior to departure from their home country could soon be scrapped. According to a Bangkok Post report, the CCSA will discuss dropping the requirement when it meets tomorrow. Dr Kiattiphum Wongrajit from the Public Health Ministry says international arrivals would still be required to take a PCR test…
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Thailand’s Health Ministry to propose scrapping pre-departure PCR for Test & Go
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry is set to make a proposal to scrap the pre-departure PCR for Test & Go travellers, making entering the country more convenient and cost-efficient. The proposal will need to be approved by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, which will have its general meeting this Friday and is expected to discuss a number of topics, including…
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