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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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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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Man arrested 19 times for thefts in Pattaya
Maybe the 19th time is the charm? A man was arrested in Pattaya for stealing a Russian woman’s phone, and, as it turns out, he had previously been arrested for theft 19 times before. The 54 year old Thai man was arrested this time after he was caught stealing a phone from a Russian woman. She reported to the police that…
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Fisherman claims Pattaya beach fire was an act of arson
A fisherman claims that a recent fire on a lesser-known Pattaya beach was a deliberate act of arson. The beach, located on Soi Naklua 18, is mostly used by fishermen who store their fishing gear, tables, and chairs. They later sell their catches in the nearby area. The blaze occurred between 3am to 4am on Monday, burning some of the…
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Grab driver caught on tracking app stealing passenger’s phone
A group of friends turned detective to successfully track down a lost mobile phone using a tracking application after it had been stolen by their Grab driver. They cancelled pre-booked flights and a vacation trip worth over 10,000 baht and set out to track down the thief. The incident was captured on video by one of the victim’s friends, 26…
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Tourist films himself smoking blunt while riding elephant in Thailand
A tourist in Thailand has filmed his experience riding an elephant while smoking a blunt and posted it on Instagram. According to Leafly, Mikhail Harrison rolled up some GUMBO and went into the jungle for an exotic experience. He posed the question, “If you could smoke weed with an elephant, which strain would you pick?” on his Instagram page. In…
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Thai ambassador to UK attends football captain ‘Dom’s’ funeral
Thailand’s ambassador to the UK joined the funeral service for Duangphet Phromthep, or “Dom,” who was captain of the Thai football team that was rescued from a cave. The Royal Thai Embassy said Ambassador Thani Thongphakdi attended yesterday’s funeral along with students and teachers from Dom’s school, the CEO of Leicester City Football Club and others. The embassy says Buddhist…
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British labradors head to Thailand to sniff out smuggled pangolins
Two sharp-nosed Labradors from England are heading to Thailand to save critically-endangered pangolins from wildlife smugglers. The elusive, nocturnal pangolin – able to roll up into an armour-plated ball when threatened – is the most trafficked animal in the world. Known as “scaly anteaters,” these unique mammals disguised as reptiles are trafficked primarily for their scales, which are used in…
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Thailand’s Cobra Gold war games sees largest US attendance in decade
Thailand’s annual Cobra Gold war games have seen the largest attendance by the US in a decade. The international military exercise started yesterday and runs to March 10. The unprecedented attendance by the US military is thought to be part of Washington’s efforts to build ties with a key security partner as geopolitical competition with China is on the rise.…
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Agoda says these are the most popular vacation spots for Thai families
According to early 2023 search data from the travel platform Agoda, Pattaya is the most popular destination for Thai families looking for a domestic vacation this year. Hua Hin/Cha-am, and Phuket followed in second and third place. The full list of the top 10 most searched domestic destinations by families includes: Pattaya, Hua Hin/Cha-Am, Phuket, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chon Buri,…
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Cowardly British man on run in Thailand after abusing ex-girlfriend
A cowardly British man is on the run and believed to be in Thailand after administering the “most despicable psychological, emotional, and physical abuse,” on a former girlfriend. Nicholas Cash was found guilty of several charges, including controlling or coercive behaviour, assault causing bodily harm, criminal damage, and administering a poisonous or noxious substance with intent. These convictions followed a…
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Phuket officials respond to black water at beach
UPDATE Phuket officials have responded to the incident involving black water flowing into the sea at a beach. The black wastewater at Karon Beach near Nong Harn Lake came to officials’ attention on Sunday. A report by the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department said the water was “causing tourists to panic and run away from the sea.” Officers from…
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Phuket police arrest Swedish man on drug production charges
Police arrested a Swedish man in Phuket, southern Thailand, on drug charges today and are preparing to revoke his permission to stay in the kingdom, reports Matichon. On December 15 last year, police initiated the project, “White Residence for Foreigners (Free From Crime and Drugs) Project” in Phuket province. The ongoing project aims to weed out drug crimes and criminal behaviour among…
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Thailand gears up to welcome more cruise ships
Thailand is gearing up to welcome more cruise ships. The country is making efforts to improve existing ports, and building new ones, according to government spokesperson Anucha Buraphachaisri. Today, Anucha cited data from the Tourism and Sports Ministry, revealing that cruises are becoming increasingly popular among tourists. Some 1,800 to 2,400 tourists arrive in Thailand on cruise ships every year…
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Thailand to resume cockfights and other animal sports, gambling allowed
Thailand is resuming cockfighting and other animal fights, with gambling allowed under strict conditions, the Ministry of Interior announced on Friday. Secretary of the Ministry of Interior Suttipong Junjaroen officially announced that cockfighting, horse racing, Siamese fighting fish battles, bullfighting and cow racing may all resume now that the pandemic has subsided. Betting will be permitted under strict conditions, so long as…
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Thailand’s Phetchaburi immigration office to move next month
Thailand’s Phetchaburi Immigration office is set to move to a new location next month. The office will move from its current location in Tha Yang to a new office in Cha-am, with the opening date scheduled for March 20, 2023. The new location will be situated in Khao Yai sub-district, near Khao Nang Phanthurat Forest Park, and is expected to offer…
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Chinese and Indian investors buying up Pattaya
Pattaya has been attracting foreign investors for years, but now Indian and Chinese investors are leading the way, buying up businesses in the area and catering to people from their home countries. Business people in the Chonburi province have commented on a rise in businesses specifically by and for Indian and Chinese tourists. Indian investors were the first to strongly…
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Tuk tuk driver punches foreign tourist in the face in Bangkok (video)
A tuk tuk driver was caught on camera punching a foreign tourist in the face, twice, at the entrance of Khao San Road in Bangkok, Thailand, on Saturday night. On Sunday morning, the citizen journalism page ‘Social Hunter Reborn V‘ posted a chaotic four-minute-long clip on Facebook of a heated argument at the entrance of Khao San Road in Bangkok,…
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Phuket residents call on authorities to investigate black water at beach
Phuket residents are calling on authorities to investigate after foul-smelling black water was found flowing into the sea at a beach. On Sunday, residents and tourists were shocked to find lots of black water pouring into the sea at Karon Beach near Nong Harn Lake. Swimmers rushed out of the sea after seeing the black water. According to The Phuket…
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Thai teacher in US accused of sexual relations with 16 year old student
A Thai teacher at a high school in Seattle in the state of Washington was accused of having sex with his 16 year old student. He was arrested at the school on February 17 and released on bail the next day for US$100,000 or 3.5 million baht. The Seattle Times reported yesterday that a Thai man, 32 year old Pawares…
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Juvenile court releases Nong Tor’s mother on bail for 9,000 baht
UPDATE A juvenile court in central Thailand released “Nim”, the 17 year old mother of missing baby Nong Tor, on bail for 9,000 baht yesterday after she confessed to dumping the body of her eight month old son in the Tha Chin River on February 5. Police interrogated Nim for more than six hours before charging her on three counts:…
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Man accuses Ukrainian in Phuket of working illegally as taxi driver
A man accused a Ukrainian national in Phuket of working illegally as a taxi driver. The accuser recorded a video of a Ukrainian man, 35 year old Andril Mindalin, parking a passenger van on a side street in Patong. Four people were in the back of the van, The Phuket News reported. The man who recorded the video accused Mindalin…
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Thailand welcomed 2.14 million international tourists last month
Thailand welcomed 2.14 million international tourists in January, data from the tourism ministry showed today. The data showed a small decline from the previous month. The top three source markets last month were Malaysia with 288,745 tourists, Russia with 202,759 tourists, and South Korea 169,462 tourists. However, the return of travellers from China, following the removal of Covid-19 restrictions, helped…
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Khao San Road bouncers warned against use of violence after one slaps foreign tourist (video)
The Superintendent of Chana Songkram Police Station rounded up all the bouncers working on Bangkok’s notorious Khao San Road yesterday to remind them not to use violence against tourists and partygoers. The warning follows a recent viral video of a security guard, working at a nightclub on Khao San Road, handcuffing a Westerner and repeatedly slapping him in the face.…
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Pattaya club that burned down in 2021 not allowed to reopen
A Pattaya club that burned down in 2021 won’t be allowed to reopen. The city plans to sue the owner of the Nashaa Club, which caught fire three times that year, Pattaya Mail reported today. The Nashaa Club was an Indian club on Pattaya‘s Walking Street. Pattaya officials have claimed that the club is one of 101 buildings illegally encroaching onto seafront…
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UTN deputy leader accused of taking King’s name in vain
A Saturday speech at an election rally by deputy UTN leader Trairong Suwankiri that referred to the Thai royal family has set a former election commissioner’s ears buzzing. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s brand new Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party (United Thai Nation/UTN) could be in trouble. The new political force is already looking somewhat slightly tarnished, as a senior PM…
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Jetstar Bangkok flight stranded in Alice Springs
Hundreds of passengers on a Jetstar Bangkok flight Saturday were stranded on board the aircraft at Alice Springs airport for seven hours. The latest mega-delay comes just days after a 2-hour flight across Japan became a 16-hour nightmare when a flight was denied permission to land because it was 10 minutes late. Jetstar flight JQ30 was heading from Bangkok to Melbourne on Saturday with 320 passengers…
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Thai national park wins prestigious environmental award
Thailand struggles to maintain its environment due to pollution, but some national parks are fighting to protect the country’s natural beauty. A national park in Thailand‘s Prachuap Khirik Khan province won a prestigious environmental award. The country’s Department of Environmental Quality Promotion and the Department of National Parks awarded Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park with the Green National Park…
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Grab Food delivery guys do the funniest things…
A clip of a Grab Food delivery guy who suddenly started entertaining diners on the piano at a bakery in Khon Kaen in northeast Thailand went viral this weekend. The clip shows the delivery guy playing the piano and singing a song while waiting to pick up his order. And he’s not half bad. Restaurant goers were visibly delighted and…
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Police arrest 2 men, 1 woman for overpass threesome in Thailand
Police in Phitsanulok province arrested two Thai men and one Thai woman for engaging in public sex on an overpass in broad daylight after a local media outlet exposed them on Facebook yesterday. Local news Facebook page named Esor News 2 posted a picture yesterday of what appears to be a couple having sex on a bridge with the caption… “Young…
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Electrical short circuit closes runway at Krabi Airport, Thailand
Thai and foreign passengers were left stranded at Krabi International Airport in southern Thailand yesterday evening after the runway was closed due to an electrical short circuit, causing disruption to several flights. Facebook page Krabi Provincial Public Relations Department announced at 8.30pm that the airport sent out a Notice to Airmen (NOTEM) announcing the temporary closure of the airport from…
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Phuket police bust another bar over legal closing time
Phuket police busted another bar over the legal closing time. Officers from Mueang Phuket District and Wichit Police raided Phuket a bar in the Wichit sub-district of the main city district in the early hours of Friday morning. This was after concerned citizens complained that the bar was opened past the legal closing time. The cops arrested the bar’s manager,…
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