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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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    Top 10 reasons for expats to get a comprehensive health insurance in Thailand

    Moving to Thailand offers a prospect full of excitement and adventure, but in the same vein, if any injuries were to occur (and god forbid it does), the local healthcare system can be confusing at first glance for many expats...

  • Pattaya International Bikini Beach Race draws 3,000 runners | Thaiger

    Pattaya International Bikini Beach Race draws 3,000 runners

    Interested in watching a 5-kilometre running race? What if all the runners are scantily clad in bikinis? On Saturday, the Pattaya International Bikini Beach Race was held and welcomed 3,000 participants. The event is thrown each year in Pattaya and welcomes hundreds of tourists. The annual race started in 2015 and is held along the beach in Pattaya. The idea…

  • A scammer who posed as police chief arrested in central Thailand | Thaiger

    A scammer who posed as police chief arrested in central Thailand

    A scammer who posed as a police chief was arrested in Thailand’s central Ayutthaya province on Friday. A team of officers from the Police Cyber Taskforce (PCT) arrested the man, 32 year old Chonwicha Pansamut, in the Wang Noi district, according to the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB). Authorities have evidence that Chonwicha claimed to be the Chiang Rai city district…

  • Royal Caribbean Cruises to dock weekly in Phuket, Thailand | Thaiger

    Royal Caribbean Cruises to dock weekly in Phuket, Thailand

    Earlier this month, Royal Caribbean’s Spectrum of the Seas cruise ship docked in Phuket, southern Thailand, for the first time in several years. At an event in Phuket yesterday, Royal Caribbean revealed that the Spectrum would be visiting Phuket once a week in the coming months. Phuket is a ‘core destination’ on Royal Caribbean’s four- to seven-night Southeast Asia cruises,…

  • After devastating floods, Phuket students step up to help with haircuts and repairs | Thaiger

    After devastating floods, Phuket students step up to help with haircuts and repairs

    Following Phuket’s devastating floods, some students are stepping up to help victims. The student group from Phuket Polytechnic College launched an initiative called “Fix It Community Renovation Center- Volunteer Spirit.” The initiative involves helping repair motorbikes for free, as well as electronic appliances such as microwaves. The students are also offering people free haircuts. Phuket Governor Narong and other officials…

  • Koh Samui sees influx of Russian tourism | Thaiger

    Koh Samui sees influx of Russian tourism

    With flights increasing from Russia to Thailand, Koh Samui is seeing an increase in European travellers. The holiday island expects to see a surge in Russian tourism in particular, especially in December to close out the year. Russian tourism has been a big revenue-producing staple of Koh Samui but was stymied by the Covid-19 pandemic and then the Russian invasion…

  • Chinese man and his Thai wife arrested for illegal possession of guns | Thaiger

    Chinese man and his Thai wife arrested for illegal possession of guns

    A Chinese man and his Thai wife were arrested for illegally possessing several guns in their Phuket luxury home. Police searched the house of the Chinese man and his Thai wife in the Kathu district on Friday after the man had reportedly shown off his weapons on social media. The police found 18 firearms, most of which were BB guns. However,…

  • Murderer surrenders after stabbing wrong man in Phuket | Thaiger

    Murderer surrenders after stabbing wrong man in Phuket

    A murderer surrendered to police after stabbing a man to death in front of a grocery store in Phuket on Saturday. The killer claimed that he stabbed the wrong person, thinking that the man he murdered was his enemy. The alleged murderer, 35 year old Pannawit, stabbed 49 year old Charoen Panngen on Saturday morning in front of a shopping…

  • A man in South Thailand causes floods by stealing drainage equipment worth 2 million baht | Thaiger

    A man in South Thailand causes floods by stealing drainage equipment worth 2 million baht

    A man in the Trang province of South Thailand has caused floods by stealing public drainage equipment worth 2 million baht, Thai media reported yesterday. The man, 30 year old Permpol, allegedly stole the equipment in Trang’s main city district. He reportedly stole parts including gears, gate valves, water drainage screws, and panelboards. Residents complained to Trang police, who gathered evidence…

  • Chaiyanat denies involvement in Yannawa pub management | Thaiger

    Chaiyanat denies involvement in Yannawa pub management

    The businessman under suspicion of drug and corruption offences, Chaiyanat Kornchayanant, has denied any involvement in the management of the Yannawa pub, where 104 customers, mostly Chinese nationals, tested positive for drugs during a police raid. Chaiyanat who donated 3 million baht (US$80,000) to the beleaguered Palang Pracharath Party could have landed the ruling party and one of its leaders,…

  • Korat elephants face further persecution from farmers | Thaiger

    Korat elephants face further persecution from farmers

    As if the remains of Thailand’s decimated elephant population have not suffered enough persecution, farmers in Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) still refuse to live in harmony with their big grey neighbours. A local leader has called on authorities to address the problem – if it is one – of wild elephants from Thap Lan National Park invading farmland and destroying crops. Oraya…

  • US in Asia: President Biden to ASEAN meeting, VP Harris to APEC | Thaiger

    US in Asia: President Biden to ASEAN meeting, VP Harris to APEC

    Top US officials are set to visit Southeast Asia, with US President Joe Biden joining the ASEAN summit in Cambodia next month, and Vice President Kamala Harris heading to Bangkok for an APEC meeting. The White House has now confirmed that Biden will join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for their meeting on November 12 and 13. Harris…

  • Thailand hits 7 million international tourists | Thaiger

    Thailand hits 7 million international tourists

    Thailand’s tourism has hit another milestone. As of October 26, the kingdom witnessed 7,349,843 international tourists arriving, surpassing the 7 million mark. It’s put the country within its goal range set by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) of 7 to 10 million visitors for 2022. The TAT announced that over 7 million tourists have arrived since January 1 in…

  • Last Pakistani in Guantanamo Bay goes home | Thaiger

    Last Pakistani in Guantanamo Bay goes home

    Saifullah Paracha has been in Guantanamo Bay detention centre since he was taken into custody in Bangkok in 2003. The 74 year old was never charged with anything, nor was he accused of any crime, merely “having links” with the al-Qaeda leadership. The oldest inmate at Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba and an innocent man by every legal definition, Paracha…

  • Is Prayut quiet due to humbleness or unpopularity? | Thaiger

    Is Prayut quiet due to humbleness or unpopularity?

    Is it his humbleness and humility, and his dedication to helping the people of Thailand? Or perhaps it’s because polls show that he is trailing other candidates in next year’s prime minister race. Either way, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has spent the month deflecting interviews and political questions. In recent weeks he’s managed to duck out of most questions from the…

  • Musk’s Twitter: hate speech spikes, execs sacked, Trump happy | Thaiger

    Musk’s Twitter: hate speech spikes, execs sacked, Trump happy

    The takeover of Twitter by Elon Musk began with an awkward stab at a humorous tweet, the sacking of some top executives, and a LOT of hate speech. The site saw an immediate sharp rise in hate speech and disinformation posts by users who believe Musk’s anti-censorship stance will usher in a Twitter free-for-all. Public feelings are mixed about the…

  • Turkey raises terrorism red flags over nordic NATO apps | Thaiger

    Turkey raises terrorism red flags over nordic NATO apps

    Finland and Sweden plan to join NATO at the same time, but such a united front has prompted Turkey to raise questions about both applications. The two Nordic countries applied to join the alliance in May, partly in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but have since run into trouble from Turkey. Ankara accuses the two of harbouring dissident groups…

  • This weekend: Thailand Comic Con 2022 in Bangkok | Thaiger

    This weekend: Thailand Comic Con 2022 in Bangkok

    For those who need a bit of an escape from reality, Thailand Comic Con 2022 is being held in Bangkok this weekend. The pop culture event has long been massively popular in the US and around the world. And from Friday to Sunday, the people of Thailand and those currently residing in Bangkok can experience the convention of all things…

  • Hornbills fly again over Lampang Chae Son | Thaiger

    Hornbills fly again over Lampang Chae Son

    Absent from Thailand’s northern forests for more than 20 years, a pair of great hornbills have been released into Lampang Chae, Son National Park. The release was described by the Zoological Park Organisation (ZPO) director Attaporn Srihayrun as only the first batch of birds that the organisation plans to return to the wild. The ZPO first bred great hornbills in…

  • Palang Pracharath Party could be dissolved, ex-acting PM banned | Thaiger

    Palang Pracharath Party could be dissolved, ex-acting PM banned

    The fallout continues after a drug bust at a karaoke venue in Bangkok revealed that the owner had previously donated 3 million baht to the Palang Pracharath Party. Now, the political party may face dissolution due to accepting what is believed to be “grey money” donations, with top officials being banned from politics. Former election commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn said that…

  • Thai policeman & govt official arrested for selling personal info to scam call centre | Thaiger

    Thai policeman & govt official arrested for selling personal info to scam call centre

    A police officer and a government official have been arrested for selling the personal information of Thai people to scam call centre gangs. The Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, Torsak Sookwimon, revealed today that two government officials were involved with a scam call centre gang, and have been prosecuted for their actions. The first officer is a police…

  • Stockholm’s fugitive king cobra found hiding in wall cavity | Thaiger

    Stockholm’s fugitive king cobra found hiding in wall cavity

    While Thailand suffers a plague of serpents, driven out of their natural hiding places by recent flooding, a king cobra, broke out of a new enclosure in a Swedish zoo only days after it arrived. The frightened reptile was found early on Thursday morning, hiding only a few metres from its enclosure. The reptile escaped by squirming through a light…

  • Gamblers allegedly cheated & attacked at casino in Bangkok | Thaiger

    Gamblers allegedly cheated & attacked at casino in Bangkok

    Two gamblers filed complaints to police saying that they were attacked at a casino in Bangkok run by a Chinese man. One of the gamblers reckons Bangkok has more than 100 gambling dens in the city despite gambling being illegal in Thailand, and that police insist there are zero casinos in the city. The founder of the non-profit organisation Saimai…

  • Thai police seize drug kingpin’s luxury Bangkok house on Facebook Live | Thaiger

    Thai police seize drug kingpin’s luxury Bangkok house on Facebook Live

    Thai police from the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) went live on Facebook this morning to seize a 21 million baht luxury home in Bangkok’s Saphan Sung district. The house belonged to an alleged transnational drug trafficker and money launderer who police suspect has already fled Thailand. In August, police seized 945 kilograms of “Ice” (methamphetamine) hidden in…

  • Police raid Bangkok clinic with unhealthy attitude to sex workers | Thaiger

    Police raid Bangkok clinic with unhealthy attitude to sex workers

    A woman has been arrested on charges of operating a health clinic as a front for prostitution in a housing estate in Bangkok. The KL Health Clinic on Soi Nuanchan in Bung Kum was a front for sex services, according to police who raided the premises yesterday. Investigators arrested the owner of KL clinic Manthira Boonnipan, 35 years old, for…

  • Malaysian man arrested in Bangkok for smuggling liquor | Thaiger

    Malaysian man arrested in Bangkok for smuggling liquor

    A Malaysian man was arrested yesterday after police discovered he smuggled liquor from abroad and manufactured alcohol with fake brand-name labels to sell in Bangkok. Police from the Patrol and Special Operation Division discovered the illegal activities of a 55 year old Malaysian man named Chan when they raided his house in the Min Buri district of Bangkok yesterday at…

  • Soon-to-be bride tragically killed in car crash in central Thailand | Thaiger

    Soon-to-be bride tragically killed in car crash in central Thailand

    A soon-to-be bride was tragically killed in a car crash in Thailand’s central province of Suphan Buri. The soon-to-be groom, meanwhile, was seriously injured. The future bride and groom were set to marry on November 6. Yesterday, the two had driven to the eastern Chachoengsao province to deliver eggs. On their way home, a fatal crash happened. The groom, 26…

  • Police arrest Israeli man carrying bullets at Phuket Airport, southern Thailand | Thaiger

    Police arrest Israeli man carrying bullets at Phuket Airport, southern Thailand

    An Israeli tourist was arrested upon arrival at Phuket Airport, southern Thailand, yesterday after security found 55 bullets in his luggage. The 29 year old tourist of Israeli nationality, Gan Chamoun Farjun, arrived in Phuket on a domestic flight at 12.30pm. When Farjun’s grey Samsonite suitcase went through the scanner at airport security, officials noticed what looked like bullet-like objects in…

  • THAI needs to raise 10 billion baht as part of its restructuring plan | Thaiger

    THAI needs to raise 10 billion baht as part of its restructuring plan

    Thailand’s State Enterprise Policy Office (SEPO) announced Thai Airways (THAI) needs to raise 10 billion baht to ensure the company’s shareholding does not dip below 40%. The Finance Ministry, THAI’s biggest shareholder with a 47% stake, revealed plans are already underway to raise the finances and preserve its shareholding in the company. SEPO Director General Pantip Sripimol reported that the…

  • Chinese tycoon busted in drug party donated 3 million baht to govt | Thaiger

    Chinese tycoon busted in drug party donated 3 million baht to govt

    Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin admitted that the Chinese businessman busted in the illegal drug party in Bangkok this week donated three million baht to Palang Pracharath Party last year, but added that the donation was rendered legally. The police raided a Chinese karaoke venue named Jin Long which was secretly operating outside legal hours in the Sathorn area of Bangkok…

  • Two Singaporean men arrested in Bangkok for selling ‘Happy Water’ to nightclubs | Thaiger

    Two Singaporean men arrested in Bangkok for selling ‘Happy Water’ to nightclubs

    Bangkok police arrested two men from Singapore yesterday for allegedly producing a drug known as ‘Happy Water‘ and selling it to entertainment venues around the capital. Happy Water is made by mixing various drugs with sweetened drinks. The drug cocktail is not for the faint-hearted: it typically contains ecstasy, methamphetamine, caffeine, diazepam, and tramadol all in one. Police arrested 63…