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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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    Is private health insurance in Thailand worth it? Real costs vs risks explained

    Thailand has a strong healthcare system with both public and private options. Public hospitals offer affordable care, but many people, including expats, choose private health insurance for faster service, modern facilities, and more treatment choices. To decide if private health...

  • Phuket’s Kamala Beach faces murky waters as main canal turns black

    Phuket’s Kamala Beach faces murky waters as main canal turns black

    Kamala Beach in Phuket found itself in a murky situation, the main canal has turned black and is producing an unpleasant smell. Visitors to the beach, some international tourists, watched in dismay as the polluted water flowed freely into the sea. The sight of the blackened water has led to numerous headshakes and raised eyebrows. A particularly concerned tourist even questioned…

  • Thai mother exposes school bullying and seeks justice for her son

    Thai mother exposes school bullying and seeks justice for her son

    A Thai mother took to social media to share a bullying incident at a school in the Sriracha district of Chon Buri province and seek justice for her son, who has been a victim of his classmates for years. The mother posted the story of her son on Facebook two days ago, February 20. She revealed to the public that…

  • Free drive on Bangkok expressways this Saturday

    Free drive on Bangkok expressways this Saturday

    The Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT) announces toll-free passage along three key Bangkok expressways on Saturday. This Saturday, February 24 marks the Buddhist holiday, Makha Bucha Day. It is observed on the full moon of the third lunar month in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar (on the full moon of Tabaung), ranks second only to Vesak in importance. It…

  • Thailand’s potash push: Prosperity or peril?

    Thailand’s potash push: Prosperity or peril?

    As Thailand eyes a leap into the lucrative potash market, concerns loom large over the potential environmental havoc it may unleash. Residents in the vicinity of Thailand’s solitary commercial potash mine have raised a chorus of apprehension, cautioning against Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s grand vision to catapult the nation into a leading potash producer. Their concerns centred around the likely…

  • American expat escapes Thai jail time for scathing hotel review

    American expat escapes Thai jail time for scathing hotel review

    An American expat living in Thailand faced a nightmare scenario when his negative TripAdvisor review landed him in hot water with the law. Wesley Barnes found himself in a legal tussle after leaving a less-than-flattering review of Sea View Resort on Koh Chang. Barnes’ brush with the law began after he described the hotel’s staff as unfriendly and likened their…

  • Landmark verdict in Kanchanaburi: 18 sentenced to death, 1 gets life in prison brawl case

    Landmark verdict in Kanchanaburi: 18 sentenced to death, 1 gets life in prison brawl case

    Eighteen individuals today received the death penalty with one sentenced to life imprisonment in a landmark ruling at the Thong Pha Phum Provincial Court in Kanchanaburi province. The court acquitted four others in a case stemming from a deadly brawl between inmate groups from Ban Mueang Kan and Ban Bo Phloi against those from Ban Tha Maka. The incident, which…

  • Thailand police fine parents in illegal racing crackdown

    Thailand police fine parents in illegal racing crackdown

    Police officials launched a strict crackdown on illegal street racing, specifically targeting the parents of minors involved in such activities. Following a recent incident in the Prasamutchedi district of Samut Prakan Province, police investigations led to legal actions against numerous individuals. The National Police Office’s Assistant Commissioner-General, Saram Nualma, announced that 22 people had been prosecuted following illegal road racing…

  • Bare truth: Thai man’s crystal meth nap leads to roadside arrest

    Bare truth: Thai man’s crystal meth nap leads to roadside arrest

    Police arrested a Thai man this afternoon for lying naked on the roadside in the eastern province of Trat. The man confessed that the crystal meth he had taken made him feel sleepy and hot. Motorists in the Wang Krajae sub-district of Trat spotted the Thai man, later identified as 39 year old Amphon, lying naked on the side of…

  • British tourist injured in money dispute with Thai ladyboys in Phuket (video)

    British tourist injured in money dispute with Thai ladyboys in Phuket (video)

    Early morning in Karon, Phuket, saw a British tourist sustain a knife injury following a dispute over money with three local ladyboys in his condominium, located near the base of Kata Hill. The incident was reported at 4am to Police Lieutenant Surasak Sudmuang of the Karon Police, who promptly arrived at the scene with his team to initiate an investigation.…

  • Thai man arrested for selling rare macaques on Facebook

    Thai man arrested for selling rare macaques on Facebook

    A Thai man was apprehended in the Na Yong district of Trang yesterday for allegedly peddling macaques on Facebook. The operation, led by officers from the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division, uncovered a live macaque stashed inside 26 year old Wutthichai Tunrat’s pickup truck. Wutthichai faces serious charges including trading protected wildlife without permission and illegal possession of wild…

  • Uyghur terror suspects win judge’s approval for Halal food

    Uyghur terror suspects win judge’s approval for Halal food

    A judge ruled yesterday that Thailand’s corrections system must provide two Uyghur terrorism suspects with the Halal food they have been requesting for years. Adem Karadag and Yusufu Mieraili, accused in the 2015 Erawan Shrine bombing, appeared visibly emaciated and in wheelchairs, pleading for their religious rights. The duo shared their harrowing ordeal, revealing they had significantly deteriorated in health,…

  • PM Srettha unveils economic vision focusing on tourism and booze

    PM Srettha unveils economic vision focusing on tourism and booze

    Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin unveiled his comprehensive vision for Thailand’s economic boom, focusing on tourism enhancement and the liberalisation of alcohol consumption at internationally renowned concerts. Speaking at the Thailand Vision gathering at Government House, PM Srettha’s address, which was broadcast live on NBT television, presented his ambitious strategies to foster economic growth. Tourism is at the core of his economic…

  • Danish man in handbag theft case makes tearful plea in Thai court

    Danish man in handbag theft case makes tearful plea in Thai court

    A Danish national made a tearful plea at the Samut Prakan Provincial Court, denying accusations of theft involving a high-end Celine handbag and five other items. The crime which unfolded three months after the Danish man, Jesper Jensen’s arrest at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, took a surprising turn during his first formal hearing on Monday, February 19. Jensen, appearing in court…

  • Teen motorcyclist dies in Nonthaburi accident en route to school

    Teen motorcyclist dies in Nonthaburi accident en route to school

    Tragedy struck early this morning when a high school student was killed in a road accident on his way to school. The 18 year old boy lost control of his motorcycle and was subsequently run over by a passing van, leading to his immediate death. The incident occurred on the busy four-lane Ban Kluai-Sai Noi Road in the Bang Bua…

  • Thai abbot loses amulets worth over 50 million baht to scammers

    Thai abbot loses amulets worth over 50 million baht to scammers

    A Thai abbot at Pak Khlong Temple in the western province of Phetchaburi lost valuable amulets worth 50 million baht to two scammers. The 84 year old abbot, Sophiwacharachote, filed a theft report at Ban Laem Police Station on February 19 after two Thai men stole 15 Buddhist amulets, 2,500 baht in cash, and important documents from him. The stolen…

  • Elderly driver’s lane switch on Bangna-Trad Road triggers multi-car crash

    Elderly driver’s lane switch on Bangna-Trad Road triggers multi-car crash

    A three-vehicle collision on Bangna-Trad Road in Samut Prakan province injured three people, including two students, when a car driven by a 73 year old woman veered across lanes, causing a chain reaction crash. The serious traffic incident occurred today, February 22, on Bangna-Trad Road, Samut Prakan province, when a sedan driven by a 73 year old woman cut in…

  • Desperate father pleads for Thai worker’s release from Hamas

    Desperate father pleads for Thai worker’s release from Hamas

    A Thai father is urging the government to intervene in the release of his son, who has been detained by Hamas militants in Israel for an excruciating five months. Wilas Tanna hailing from tambon Ban Khu in Na Pho district, voiced his anguish yesterday, February 21, expressing grave concerns for the safety of his 36 year old son Pongsak following…

  • Khon Kaen police bust major motorcycle theft ring

    Khon Kaen police bust major motorcycle theft ring

    Law enforcement in Khon Kaen province, Thailand, successfully dismantled a motorcycle theft ring operated by a husband and wife team. The pair, along with their accomplices, have been stealing motorcycles and smuggling them across the Mekong River for sale in neighbouring countries, causing severe distress to locals who have lost more than 30 vehicles. Police Major General Montree Teskan, the…

  • Japanese mafia scandal: Allegations of nuclear weapon trafficking

    Japanese mafia scandal: Allegations of nuclear weapon trafficking

    Japanese mafia Takeshi Ebisawa stands accused of attempting to peddle uranium and plutonium under the belief that they would find their way to Iran’s clandestine nuclear arsenal. Ebisawa, alongside a Thai accomplice, previously tangled with the law over charges related to arms and narcotics in April 2022. Now, facing the prospect of life behind bars if found guilty of the…

  • Phuket police sting operation leads to major drug bust

    Phuket police sting operation leads to major drug bust

    A recent police sting operation in Phuket, Thailand, resulted in the arrest of a 26 year old woman, originally from Ao Luek in Krabi. The woman, Wichuda “Su” Aollueknoi, was apprehended in her rented room on Soi Patchanee-Bangchee Liao in Ratsada on Tuesday, with law enforcement officers seizing a haul of 700 methamphetamine pills, commonly known as Yabah. The raid…

  • Landlord turns himself in after shooting gas store clerk in Songkhla

    Landlord turns himself in after shooting gas store clerk in Songkhla

    A 22 year old landlord surrendered to the police after a shocking incident where he allegedly shot an employee of a gas store with a shotgun, critically injuring the victim. The gunman’s attack occurred at the gas store on Thung Ree Road, in the municipal area of Khor Hong district, Songkhla province. In a strategic move to evade officers of…

  • Phuket Tourist Police arrest illegal foreign tour guides

    Phuket Tourist Police arrest illegal foreign tour guides

    A crackdown on illegal tour guides in Phuket led to the arrest of two foreign nationals. Police charged a 35 year old Ukrainian and a 31 year old stateless individual of highland origin, both accused of operating without proper permits. Phuket Tourist Police, under directives from the National Police Office, has intensified efforts to purge the province of unauthorised tour…

  • Thai net idol accuses ex-boyfriend of releasing her explicit videos

    Thai net idol accuses ex-boyfriend of releasing her explicit videos

    A Thai net idol accused her ex-boyfriend of posting explicit videos of her on a social media account with more than two million followers. She contacted the non-profit organisation Saimai Survive after officers from two police stations ignored her complaint. Saimai Survive team members accompanied the victim, a 30 year old Internet idol and former car racer, to the Cyber…

  • Chiang Mai songthaew goes cool with air-con and PM2.5 filters

    Chiang Mai songthaew goes cool with air-con and PM2.5 filters

    In a novel move to revolutionise local transport, a Chiang Mai songthaew driver has transformed the iconic red car into an air-conditioned oasis complete with a PM2.5 filter system. This innovative service has become a hit among both Thai and international tourists, leading to a significant booking queue. The traditional songthaew, a ubiquitous sight in Chiang Mai, has long been…

  • Northern Thailand battles severe air pollution as Bangkok breathes clear

    Northern Thailand battles severe air pollution as Bangkok breathes clear

    Seventeen provinces in Thailand’s northern and northeastern regions are grappling with hazardous levels of air pollution, as reported by the country’s Air Pollution Crisis Management Centre (ACMC). In stark contrast, Bangkok enjoys clear skies, free from the dangerous PM2.5 particles, offering residents the chance to breathe easily. Over the next seven days, from February 23 to February 29, the situation…

  • Thai drug addict crashes pickup, killing 2 students, injuring 13

    Thai drug addict crashes pickup, killing 2 students, injuring 13

    A Thai man addicted to drugs crashed his pickup into a roadside pavilion in the Sadao district in the southern province of Songkhla yesterday, resulting in the deaths of two students and injuries to 13 other pupils. Officers from Sadao Police Station were alerted to the fatal car accident at about 11am yesterday, February 21. The accident took place when…

  • Thai police officers face bankruptcy with debt over 300 billion baht

    Thai police officers face bankruptcy with debt over 300 billion baht

    Police General Torsak Sukvimol has indicated that a multitude of law enforcement officers across Thailand are facing impending bankruptcy due to an accumulated debt totalling around 300 billion baht. This revelation came about during his interaction with the House committee tasked with reviewing the 2024 annual budget expenditure bill. Pol. Gen. Torsak was summoned to respond to inquiries concerning the…

  • Teen mum caught on CCTV locking toddler in dog cage

    Teen mum caught on CCTV locking toddler in dog cage

    A 17 year old mother was caught on CCTV footage physically assaulting her two year old daughter, confining her in a dog cage within a residence in Plutaluang Subdistrict, Sattahip on Monday, February 19. The distressing footage sent shockwaves across social media platforms, triggering swift action from local authorities. In response to the outcry, Plutaluang police officers, accompanied by village headman…

  • Social security ministry launches measures for vulnerable groups

    Social security ministry launches measures for vulnerable groups

    The Social Development and Human Security Ministry has unveiled a series of measures aimed at enhancing the well-being of society’s most vulnerable groups. Spearheaded by Social Development and Human Security Minister Varawut Silpa-archa, these initiatives promise to usher in a new era of support for newborns, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. During a recent meeting, the ministry’s subcommittee…

  • Thailand promotes electric trucks and buses with new incentives

    Thailand promotes electric trucks and buses with new incentives

    The National Electric Vehicle Policy Committee in Thailand has given the green light for incentives aimed at encouraging companies to switch their commercial fleets of large trucks and buses to battery electric vehicles (BEVs). The committee has also approved cash grants for manufacturers of EV battery cells. The secretary-general of the Board of Investment and secretary of the Electric Vehicle…