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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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    What do you need before moving from the US to Thailand?

    The Thaiger key takeaways The most common medical emergencies for expats in Thailand include motorcycle accidents, tropical diseases, and food or water-borne illnesses. Air pollution and heat-related conditions like heatstroke also pose serious seasonal health risks, especially in northern and...

  • Policeman shot dead on duty in central Thailand | Thaiger

    Policeman shot dead on duty in central Thailand

    A group of teenagers on motorbikes fatally shot a policeman on duty in Pathum Thani province, central Thailand, in the early hours of yesterday morning. One 18 year old man admits to firing a gun in the direction of the policeman, but isn’t sure if it was the shot that killed him. Commander-in-chief Anan Orsuwan went to Soi Erawan 12…

  • Artificial reefs placed around Pattaya’s Koh Larn and Koh Sak | Thaiger

    Artificial reefs placed around Pattaya’s Koh Larn and Koh Sak

    Thailand’s authorities are building new homes for Pattaya’s marine critters, hoping to boost coastal tourism. Yesterday, government authorities placed 300 sets of artificial reefs around Koh Larn and Koh Sak, 2 small islands off Pattaya. Pattaya’s Deputy Permanent Secretary, Kiattisak Sriwongchai, said the island’s coral reef had been especially damaged by people walking in them. The artificial reefs are made…

  • Injuries as police clash with anti-government protestors | Thaiger

    Injuries as police clash with anti-government protestors

    Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt yesterday expressed concern over the resurgence of protests in the city after police and anti-government protestors clashed over the weekend and again last night. The 56 year old Chadchart says he is increasingly worried about the confrontations and has assigned a deputy governor to work out how the city’s authorities can help in case people are seriously…

  • Brother of pregnant Thai woman murdered in Taiwan demands justice | Thaiger

    Brother of pregnant Thai woman murdered in Taiwan demands justice

    The brother of a Thai woman murdered in Taiwan is calling on police to catch the killer. Thirty-eight year old Yingyot Sae Li said the man who murdered his sister and her husband had been very close to his family, and grew up in the same village as them. His sister, Potjanee, had been 5 pregnant with twins when the…

  • Government to temporarily waive TM6 immigration forms | Thaiger

    Government to temporarily waive TM6 immigration forms

    PM Prayut Chan-o-cha briefed media yesterday after the cabinet’s weekly meeting and revealed the government has agreed to temporarily scrap the Tor Mor 6 immigration form. The TM6 form is the arrival/departure card foreigners fill in providing passport details, name and address, etc., on their entry and exit from Thailand. Deputy Government Spokesperson Traisuree Traisoranakul says scrapping the TM6 would…

  • Phuket desperate for more skilled hotel workers | Thaiger

    Phuket desperate for more skilled hotel workers

    Hotel managers in Phuket are panicking over a skills shortage in their industry. According to some managers, many skilled and experienced staff left the industry during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, hotels have the numbers of staff needed, but they have half the age and experience of former workers. The area general manager of Angsana Laguna Phuket, Michael Zitek, said at…

  • AirAsia targets Indian travellers as China remains grounded | Thaiger

    AirAsia targets Indian travellers as China remains grounded

    Low-cost Malaysian airline AirAsia is turning to India for international travellers after China cut itself off from the rest of the world. AirAsia, which mostly targets the Southeast Asian market, is experiencing a surge in business from Indian travellers visiting Indonesia and Malaysia. This comes after China, historically one of Thailand’s prime tourism markets, cut itself off from travel with…

  • BMTA promises to solve public bus shortage | Thaiger

    BMTA promises to solve public bus shortage

    Bangkok Mass Transit Authority promises to solve the public bus shortage after people in the city made complaints on social media. The BMTA director responded to the criticism and called for patience. He says they are working to improve bus routes and increase bus staff and added commuters will see an improvement in a month. รถเมล์ไทยแฟนคลับ Rotmaethai, which means public…

  • Export of Thai durian made 187 billion baht in 2021 | Thaiger

    Export of Thai durian made 187 billion baht in 2021

    Rice is no longer Thailand’s largest export. It’s not rubber either, it’s durian. The export of the popular fruit made almost 187 billion baht in 2021. Rice made 100 billion baht, while rubber brought home 90 billion baht. Thailand is set to keep its status as the world’s largest durian supplier for the next five years. However, with intense competition…

  • Court upholds 8-month suspended jail sentence for ex Thai MP | Thaiger

    Court upholds 8-month suspended jail sentence for ex Thai MP

    Former Palang Pracharath MP for Ratchaburi province, Pareena Kraikupt, yesterday says she is undecided whether she will challenge the Appeal Court decision to uphold a lower court sentence of an 8-month jail term, suspended for 2 years, and a 66,666 baht fine for defamation. A defamation case was filed against the 46 year old by former Future Forward MP Pannika…

  • PM says police will defend themselves if protestors don’t respect the law | Thaiger

    PM says police will defend themselves if protestors don’t respect the law

    PM Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday asked demonstrators to respect the law, stating that the police are capable of protecting themselves if they are assaulted by anti-government demonstrators. The PM says he is unconcerned about demonstrations as long as the coordinators obtain the necessary permits and follow the law. The 68 year old politician warned teenagers who attended the protest to consider…

  • British pensioner in Chiang Mai dies in motorbike accident | Thaiger

    British pensioner in Chiang Mai dies in motorbike accident

    A Chinese motorist has been threatened with the full force of the law if she is to blame for the death of a British pensioner in a road accident in northern Thailand. Keith William McVeighty died in a motorbike crash involving a car on a motorway in Chiang Mai on Sunday morning. Footage from CCTV reveals a female driver allegedly accelerated…

  • Broadcasting industry request no-mask rule during shoots | Thaiger

    Broadcasting industry request no-mask rule during shoots

    The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission will request a no-mask rule for game and variety television shows’ shootings next week at the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration meeting, according to an NBTC member, Pirongrong Ramasoota. News show presenters have also pushed for the no-mask rule, and will use see-through dividers between them and guests. The request for not wearing face…

  • Minimum Thai wage up to 650 baht for 16 careers | Thaiger

    Minimum Thai wage up to 650 baht for 16 careers

    The Thai Royal Gazette has now officially announced the increase of the minimum Thai wage for workers in 16 careers, focusing on workers in construction, service and industrial industries. The wage is increased up to 650 baht per day from the former rate of about 313 – 336 baht per day. The policy was launched on June 10 and would…

  • 1.4 million travellers have come to Thailand since January | Thaiger

    1.4 million travellers have come to Thailand since January

    Thailand has welcomed more than 1.4 million international travellers since the beginning of 2022, a massive increase from the 428,000 visitors during the same period of 2021. After the easing of restrictions, the tourism sector is gradually becoming more optimistic about the future, according to Tourism Authority of Thailand governor, Yuthasak Supasorn. The TAT target for the Middle East, Europe…

  • Farmers feed cannabis to chickens in northern Thailand | Thaiger

    Farmers feed cannabis to chickens in northern Thailand

    Chickens at a farm in Lampang, northern Thailand, are in a “good mood” after the antibiotics in their chicken feed were replaced with cannabis. Not only are the chickens showing higher immunity against disease, but they also have a lower body fat percentage than usual, making for a delicious Khao Man Gai – or chicken rice – according to one…

  • Take your pet on board Bangkok – Chiang Mai flights with Nok Air | Thaiger

    Take your pet on board Bangkok – Chiang Mai flights with Nok Air

    Nok Air have launched a “Pet On Board” scheme for holidaymakers who wish to take their animal on board the airline’s domestic Bangkok – Chiang Mai flight route. The airline is offering round trips from Bangkok’s Don Muang Airport to Chiang Mai for 12,999 baht, which includes airfare for 2 people and 1 pet. In a statement posted on Facebook,…

  • Two Indian tourists die in motorbike accident on Koh Samui mountain | Thaiger

    Two Indian tourists die in motorbike accident on Koh Samui mountain

    Two Indian tourists have died in a motorbike incident yesterday evening on the Thai Gulf island of Koh Samui, southern Thailand. The pair were driving down the Khao Pom mountain on a rented motorbike when they crashed into a barrier on a curved road. The men’s bodies were found on the mountainside. At 6:30pm yesterday, Koh Samui Police Station received…

  • Taxis don’t need to use their meters going out of Bangkok | Thaiger

    Taxis don’t need to use their meters going out of Bangkok

    Taxis licensed in Bangkok are now allowed to drive without using meters outside of the city’s 7 main provinces, allowing more service flexibility. Taxi drivers and passengers travelling outside of these 7 provinces will have to negotiate prices instead of using metres. The 7 provinces include Bangkok, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Sakhon, Chachoengsao, Samut Prakan, Pathum Thani and Nonthaburi. Taxis and…

  • Thailand’s new cannabis laws, yes, but no, but yes… | Thaiger

    Thailand’s new cannabis laws, yes, but no, but yes…

    The reports of Thailand’s reformed cannabis laws have reached the far corners of the earth, being reported in the BBC, on CNN, Fox News, Australia’s ABC… well everywhere really. But once readers get past the headline the nitty gritty paints a more nuanced story about exactly what the recent ‘legalisation’ actually means. “People in Thailand can now grow cannabis plants…

  • Alleged Thai paedophile arrested on child pornography charges | Thaiger

    Alleged Thai paedophile arrested on child pornography charges

    An alleged paedophile has been arrested in Phetchaburi in connection with human trafficking, child exploitation and production, and the distribution of child pornography. Nitikorn Manop was arrested by police on Thursday at a house in Cha-am district, Phetchaburi, in central Thailand, bordering Myanmar, after gaining a warrant by the Criminal Court. Pol Maj Gen Wiwat Khamchamnarn, head of the Anti-Trafficking…

  • Chinese-British national charged with trafficking illegal drugs | Thaiger

    Chinese-British national charged with trafficking illegal drugs

    A Chinese-British national faces a life in prison after being extradited from Thailand to Melbourne in connection with the illegal trafficking of drugs into Australia. Chung Chak Lee appeared before Melbourne Magistrates Court yesterday afternoon where he faced a charge of conspiracy to traffic a commercial quantity of a controlled drug of which the maximum penalty is life imprisonment. The…

  • Gov’s 1 million cannabis plant hand out poses a danger to the health of Thailand’s youth | Thaiger

    Gov’s 1 million cannabis plant hand out poses a danger to the health of Thailand’s youth

    Chairman of the Royal College of Paediatricians of Thailand admits he is worried that the government’s 1 million cannabis plant hand out poses a danger to the health of the nation’s youth. Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Mananya Thaiset yesterday revealed 2 cannabis plants can be distributed to each household to a maximum of 500,000 interested families throughout the kingdom.…

  • Drug trafficker caught with 78 million baht worth of crystal meth | Thaiger

    Drug trafficker caught with 78 million baht worth of crystal meth

    A drug trafficker was arrested yesterday for being in possession of crystal methamphetamine with a street value of 78 million baht. Sompong Arun, of Samut Sakhon province, was stopped by officers, at Ban Khuan Meed permanent checkpoint on the main Asian Highway in Chana district, who searched the driver’s pickup truck and found 10 sacks of hidden crystal meth weighing…

  • Soldier murders teacher, dumps her body in pond in central Thailand | Thaiger

    Soldier murders teacher, dumps her body in pond in central Thailand

    Yesterday, police found the body of a 40 year old teacher who had been missing for 15 days. Ning’s body was found tied down with bricks at the bottom of a pond at a soldier’s house in Phetchaburi province, central Thailand. “Teacher Ning”, and her gray Toyota Reva 4X4, went missing on May 26. Police from Kaeng Krachan Police Station…

  • Central Pattana’s 10 billion baht investment in 37 new hotels | Thaiger

    Central Pattana’s 10 billion baht investment in 37 new hotels

    Central Pattana is launching 37 hotels in 27 provinces in Thailand with 4,000 rooms, valued at a total of 10 billion baht, under the Centara Hotels and Resorts brand. The kingdom’s largest retail property development and investment company aims to hire about 3,900 people across the country in the process. The company will focus primarily on second-tier locations, as it…

  • Sixteen tonnes of confiscated cannabis to be returned to drug offenders in Thailand | Thaiger

    Sixteen tonnes of confiscated cannabis to be returned to drug offenders in Thailand

    In Thailand, police are giving drug offenders their cannabis back. Now that the plant is no longer considered an illicit narcotic, Thailand’s Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) plans to return 16 tonnes of confiscated marijuana to its original owners, according to the board’s Secretary General Wichai Chaimongkol. The stockpiled cannabis is valued at 110 million baht. Yesterday, all…

  • Suvarnabhumi increases check-in counters in preparation for high season tourists | Thaiger

    Suvarnabhumi increases check-in counters in preparation for high season tourists

    Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport is increasing the number of check-in counters in preparation for an upcoming surge of tourists. But the ‘surge’ is still a few months away. The nation’s capital city is expecting around 70,000 travellers to arrive per day, and for it to increase to 100,000 people per day during the high season. Suvarnabhumi Airport General Manager, Kittipong Kittikachon,…

  • Pink pineapple is illegal in Thailand, smugglers face jail time | Thaiger

    Pink pineapple is illegal in Thailand, smugglers face jail time

    A type of genetically-modified pink pineapple is being illegally sold in Thailand, according to a warning issued by Thailand’s Ministry of Agriculture yesterday. The ministry urges the public to keep a vigilant eye out for unusual fruit and report anyone involved in the illicit pink pineapple trade. Costa Rican company Fresh Del Monte has been cultivating ‘Pinkglow’ pineapples, which are…

  • Former police inspector in North Thailand scammed, loses retirement funds | Thaiger

    Former police inspector in North Thailand scammed, loses retirement funds

    A scam gang, pretending to be police, have tricked a former police inspector in North Thailand into handing over all of his retirement money, totalling 1.8 million baht. The former inspector, who lives in Lampang province, said the scammers called him on June 1, claiming to be from the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission. The scammers told the former inspector…