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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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Sponsored Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run
Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...
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Opposition MP could face Lese Majeste charges over parliament speeches
After bringing a no‐confidence censure motion to the PM and his cabinet, the opposition MP is now facing potential charges of lese majeste for allegedly defaming Thailand’s monarchy at yesterday’s censure debate. Rangsiman Rome, a Move Forward lawmaker, allegedly claimed that a certain few “government favorites” and a “royal aide” have been given powers to shuffle around members of the…
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Thai PM survives no-confidence motion – “no surprise”
Thailand’s PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and 9 of his cabinet members have unsurprisingly survived a no-confidence censure motion today in the Thai parliament after 3 days of intense debates. The opposition, who filed the motion, sharply criticised the PM’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, along with the subsequent vaccination program, or lack of it, and alleged “systematic corruption”. According to Thai…
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Thailand still tracking down Red Bull heir to press charges
Thailand is still tracking down Red Bull heir in order to press charges for the fatal hit and run case that catapulted the issue of preferential treatment for the nation’s high-society citizens. The Office of the Attorney-General says it is still looking for Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, with the hopes of capturing him before the statute of limitations expires. An OAG…
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US government urges Myanmar military to stop violence and step down
The US government is urging Myanmar’s military to stop the violence against coup protesters and step down, after the death of a young woman. The recommendation comes as the US, along with Britain, Australia, and Japan, commit to issuing sanctions against the military regime in an effort to support the toppled democracy. Last November saw a landslide democratic, electoral victory…
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Transgender inmates to get more medical help in Thailand’s jails
Thailand’s transgender inmates will be getting more medical help in jails as The Department of Corrections is seeking to improve services to be in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Currently, Thailand has over 4,000 transgender inmates, or about 1% of the total prison population, spread out in 143 prisons. 1,800 of them are transvestites, 1,200 are transgender…
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Thai police officer gets slap down after trying to marry mistress
A Thai policeman is making headlines after getting a slap down from his own mother after he attempted to marry his mistress. The man went as far as scheduling a wedding, with monks present to bless the union, but his mom and real wife of 16 years, along with their kids, aged 5 and 15, crashed the party. Nipapan Peuchpen,…
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Thai industry leaders warn economy on brink of collapse
Thai industry leaders are warning that if tourists don’t return soon, the economy will soon collapse with daunting consequences. And, as the Covid-19 vaccination programme is slow to take off, the window is closing for this year to make any kind of substantial recovery through reopening the country. Just this week, an opposition MP drew the government’s attention to the…
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40 Thai minors found victimised after Thailand modelling agent arrested for assault and pornography
Investigators say at least 40 Thai minors are victims of a Thai child modelling agency, in Pathum Thani, accused of transnational crimes including child pornography and sexual assault. The company, Nene Modelling Agency, which lies north of Bangkok, was raided over a week ago by the Thai Department of Special Investigation, with a 23 year old “agent” being arrested in…
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Man in Samut Prakan arrested for allegedly selling assault rifles on Instagram
Police arrested a man in Samut Prakan, southeast of Bangkok, for allegedly possessing war weapons and attempting to sell assault rifles online through Instagram under the account “dewaffen,” the name of a Nazi military branch. The “dewaffen” Instagram page for “Oz John Woo” has a combination of cat photos and gun photos. The bio says “military support/ small arms import/export…
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Thailand tourism officials want to attract Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency holders
Got Bitcoin? You may soon be able to spend it in Thailand. The country’s tourism officials want to draw in cryptocurrency holders and plan to first target tourists from Japan, the one of the world’s top holders of Bitcoin. The idea is to draw in more high spending tourists, according to Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn. With the lack…
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Thailand Post teams up with AIS to offer disposal service for used electronics
Got an old smartphone or tablet lying around and unsure what to do with it? You can now get rid of your used electronic devices by boxing them up and handing them to your postman, as part of a new campaign by Thailand Post and mobile operator AIS. Nation Thailand reports that the move comes amid a surge in “e-waste”…
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Thai PM walks out of parliament, accusing MPs of not listening to him
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has walked out of a parliamentary debate in an apparent huff that MPs were laughing instead of listening to him. Thai PBS World reports that the incident happened in parliament yesterday afternoon, while the PM was explaining the southern economic zone project as part of the censure debate. Accusing some of those present of not paying…
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12,000 police officers to be deployed at pro-democracy protests this weekend
Over 12,000 officers will be on duty for planned anti-government protests set to take place outside parliament today and at other significant locations in Bangkok over the weekend. Tomorrow, MPs will vote in a no-confidence motion against PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and 9 members of his administration. The Bangkok Post reports that the “Mob Fest” Facebook page carries a message urging…
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Police, military deny knowledge of mystery men at rally site
Nearly a week after demonstrators clashed in Bangkok, police and defense ministry spokesmen say they have no idea who the 40 men were that appeared alongside riot police officers. The men, who donned military-style buzz cuts and civilian clothing allegedly assisted security forces during the crackdown on protesters. At first, police spokesman Yingyot Thepchamnong denied that the men were even…
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Is THIS the cheapest five star hotel in the world? Right here in Bangkok | VIDEO
Is THIS the cheapest five star hotel in the world? We think it is! It certainly passes all the legal expectations of a 5-star property and it’s smack bang in the middle of a touristy area of Bangkok. It’s ‘of an era’ and it’s easy to imagine this older style Bangkok hotel in its heyday, probably in the late 80s.…
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US charges 3 North Korean officials with stealing cryptocurrencies
The US Justice Department is accusing North Korea of stealing crypto and traditional currencies and is charging 3 military intelligence officials with the alleged crime. President Joe Biden is calling the incident a “global campaign of criminality.” The accusations include hacking and malware operation cyberattacks to steal $1.3 billion US dollars from banks and other institutions. The actions were allegedly…
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Detained protest leader Arnon Nampa named as influential leader in “Time 100 Next”
A prominent protest leader and human rights lawyer in Thailand, who is currently in court detention, was named in Time magazine’s “Time 100 Next” as an influential leader, calling him “the lawyer who broke the silence around Thai Monarchy.” The recognized activist Arnon Nampa is being held at Bangkok Remand Prison along with 3 other prominent protest leaders on lèse…
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Pro-democracy activists planning another rally after prosecution delayed
The leaders of the pro-democracy Ratsadon group are planning another rally, after the Office of the Attorney General pushed back an appointment with 18 activists to March 8. The 18 are being summoned to the OAG to hear charges of sedition and lèse majesté, following rallies at Sanam Luang in Bangkok on September 19 and 20. They include prominent protest…
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Australians wake up to Facebook news blackout
Facebook is under fire as Australians accuse the social media giant of censoring news along with emergency services in an apparent blackout. This morning, residents logged in, saying they weren’t able to post links to news articles or view the Facebook pages of any news outlets worldwide. The move that has essentially blocked Australia from being in the loop, comes…
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Some Thai Airways employees accused of faking death certificates for funeral allowances
In yet another case of alleged corruption linked to Thai Airways, some employees are accused of using fake death certificates to receive funeral allowances provided through the company’s savings cooperative, causing an estimated 14 million baht in damages. A complaint was filed today with the Crime Suppression Division by 20 members of the Savings Cooperative for Employees of Thai Airways…
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Turbulence ahead for Thailand’s aviation industry | VIDEO
When the airlines, in particular, were asking the government to put their hands in their pockets for some relief funding in August last year, it was genuinely thought that international tourists would be coming back for the high season in December and January. At the very least local tourists and expats would head back to the skies over the traditional…
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A further 18 pro-democracy activists, including 3 protest leaders, may face prosecution
A human rights lawyer says a further 18 political activists, including 3 leaders of the Ratsadon pro-democracy group, may face prosecution. Noraseth Nanongtoom from the Centre for Human Rights Lawyers says the activists will appear before prosecutors today, where they face charges related to the September 19 and 20 protests at Thammasat University and Sanam Luang in Bangkok. 3 protest…
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Airlines, hotels say 2021 likely to be even worse than last year
Thai airlines and hotels fear that the tourism crisis in 2021 is set to dwarf last year’s in terms of its impact, as they appeal for government aid. The Bangkok Post reports that Asia Aviation, the largest shareholder in Thai AirAsia, has warned that when international tourism eventually does resume, there may not be enough suppliers to meet demand as…
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DSI releases more information about major child pornography seizure at modelling agency
More information has been released about the major seizure of child pornography at a Pathum Thani modelling agency. The Department of Special Investigation, or DSI, held a press conference today and said they arrested 28 year old Danudet “Nene” Saengkaew, who ran “Nene Modeling.” Last week, police raided the modelling agency, which was based in a neighbourhood in Pathum Thani’s Khlong Luang district,…
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Thai government says tourism-dependent locations will get high priority in vaccination drive
The government’s Covid-19 task force says places like Phuket and Pattaya, which are heavily reliant on international tourism, will be considered “high priority” for vaccination. The Pattaya News reports that Apisamai Srirangsan, assistant spokesperson for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, made the announcement at a press conference yesterday. The southern island of Phuket – along with a number of…
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Leading real estate consultancy says 2021 not looking good for Phuket hotels
An independent real estate consultancy is predicting a bleak year for those involved in the hotel industry on the southern island of Phuket. According to a Nation Thailand report, Carlos Martinez from Knight Frank Thailand says foreign arrivals in Phuket have plummeted by 80%, from over 5.3 million in 2019 to just 1 million in 2020. Hotel occupancy rates on…
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Court of Appeal refuses bail request for 4 pro-democracy activists
4 detained protest leaders, from the pro-democracy Ratsadon group, have had their bail request rejected by the Court of Appeal. Parit Chiwarak, Anon Nampa, Patipan Luecha, and Somyot Phrueksakasemsuk have all been declared a flight risk, with the court also citing their violation of the lèse majesté law as a further reason to keep them in custody. They previously had…
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Thai woman arrested for allegedly running labour trafficking operation linked to Samut Sakhon market
Police arrested a 45 year old Thai woman for allegedly running the country’s largest illegal labour trafficking operation and bringing undocumented Burmese migrants into Thailand to work at the Central Shrimp Market in Samut Sakhon, the epicentre of the new wave of Covid-19 infections. Ratree “Jay Phet” Vechsuwan was arrested on Friday. Police say she trafficked migrant workers for more…
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Police raid Bangkok bar, 13 people arrested for allegedly violating Emergency Decree
Police in Bangkok arrested 13 people at a rooftop bar in the Phra Khanong area. The bar staff allegedly served alcohol to customers, violating the city’s ban on booze sales at restaurants which was put in place to limit gatherings and prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Under the emergency regulations in Bangkok, bars and nightclubs are ordered to close…
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More than 20 police injured in clash with protesters in Bangkok
More than 20 police officers were injured in a clash with protesters last night at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument, according to the police’s deputy spokesperson. Youth activists gathered to rally against Thailand’s use of the lèse majesté law which prohibits insults against the royal family under Section 112 of the Criminal Code. Numerous activists calling on monarchy reform have faced lese majeste…
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