Hot News
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.
-
Sponsored Limited-time deal: Save 20% on Cigna's expat health plans forever
Starting a new life abroad is exciting—new culture, new lifestyle, and new chances to grow. But living far from home also means taking steps to protect your health in unfamiliar surroundings. Without the right coverage, even small health issues can...
-
Surat Thani authorities optimistic about tourism as another cruise ship arrives in Koh Samui
Officials in Thailand’s southern province of Surat Thani are remaining optimistic about the recovering tourism sector as another cruise ship arrives around Koh Samui island. As the industry continues to recover after the Covid-19 pandemic, the government is urging businesses to uphold the country’s positive reputation. According to the Pattaya Mail, 31 cruise ships are scheduled to arrive in Koh…
-
Elizabeth Hurley denies rumours she swiped Prince Harry’s v-card
British actress Elizabeth Hurley denies rumours that she swiped the Duke of Sussex Prince Harry’s v-card, although he mentions losing his ‘virginity to a beautiful, older woman in the countryside.’ Although Hurley, an English actress, has always been known for her stunning beauty, she said, “No. Not me. Absolutely not,” when responding to the rumours. The British actress and model spoke…
-
Hunger calling at villagers doors amid drought in central Thailand
A hungry herd of elephants went knocking on doors in a Prachin Buri village early yesterday morning, searching for food or water as drought drives them out of their reserve. Frightened villagers awoke to the sounds of wild elephants shuffling around in their yards, rooting for veggies, early on Saturday. Residents of Nong Pradu reported that some elephants from the…
-
Heavy rains close Gulf ferries, Surin Islands for 2 days
Heavy rains, high winds and thunderstorms have ferries cancelled and areas closing down for the next few days in the south of Thailand. In the Gulf of Thailand, all ferry services between the mainland and Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao have been suspended for two days. On the Andaman Sea, the national park on the Surin Islands has…
-
Bail denied for celeb couple running porn and gambling websites
Bail has been denied for the former soap star and her computer programmer husband who just made sensational headlines for operating gambling and porn websites. The pair were arrested on Thursday along with an accomplice by the Crime Suppression Division and were just denied bail by the Criminal Court. Arrest warrants were issued for actress Thamolphan Phanuchitputthiwong, better known as…
-
Koh Samui welcomes second cruise ship, 2,500 tourists
For only the second time in the last 3 years, a large cruise ship has arrived today at Koh Samui, four times larger than the first. After cruising came to a halt worldwide as cruise ships became the perfect petri dish for the spread a Covid-19, only one other cruise ship has arrived on the holiday island previously just three…
-
Tourist police warn travellers of Thai scams
Spiderman’s uncle once said, “With great tourism, comes great scamability.” We might be paraphrasing a bit, but as Thailand is welcoming international tourists once again pouring into the country, the tourist police are warning that perhaps not-so-welcomed scammers are also returning to prey on fresh foreign victims. The commissioner of the Tourist Police Bureau says that they are increasing police presence…
-
Chinese Pattaya nightclub owner nowhere in sight as cops seize token assets
A Pattaya Police attempt to dismantle the drug networks of a Chinese crime boss has failed to apprehend that star of the show. At least the police managed to get their hands on a few of the nightclub owner’s assets worth a paltry 50 million baht (US$1.5 million). It’s not quite as exciting as it sounds. They didn’t take the…
-
Hippos swallows toddler in Uganda, spits him out again
A two-year-old boy survived being half-eaten by a hippopotamus near his home in southwestern Uganda. Iga Paul was playing near the shores of Lake Edward when the hippo grabbed the toddler and swallowed half of his body, according to the BBC. Iga was saved and has made a full recovery, police say. The hippo had the boy in its jaws…
-
Thai baht depreciates against US dollar
After a recent surge of strength by the Thai baht earlier this month, it has now depreciated against the US dollar. As of today, December 16, the baht now stands at about 35 per USD, according to an executive at Kasikorn Research Center, Kanchana Chokpaisarnsilp. Yesterday, the baht was at 34.92 per USD, Daily News reported. Market strategist Poon Panichphiboon…
-
Tuhao buck passes to Department of Special Investigation
The “Tuhao” case is certainly a complicated one. Its trail of intrigue leads from Beijing to Bangkok and back again, passing all points between. So it is no surprise that the Department of Special Investigation decided to take up the case involving Chinese businessman Chaiyanat “Tuhao” Kornchayanant. Justice will now be served. Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin said yesterday that Tuhao was…
-
Phuket selects 100 youth leaders in latest anti-drug campaign
Phuket is continuing its efforts to fight drug abuse. In the latest anti-drug campaign, officials on the island province yesterday selected 100 youth leaders to participate in activities from December 14-16. The youth leaders are 13-29 years old. They are participating in the activities as part of their training to help prevent drug issues in their areas. The project is…
-
Battle lines drawn in Koh Lipe turf war
Thailand’s human rights commission (NHRC) is calling for the government to take urgent action in the Koh Lipe turf war to help sea gypsies living on the island in Satun province. The Moken are a semi-nomadic tribe that lives in Thai coastal provinces and inhabits over 800 islands in the Andaman Sea. They number less than 3,000 people. The Moken have…
-
Field of cosmos flowers open to tourists to central Thailand province
Flower lovers have yet another attraction to see in Thailand, as flowers continue to bloom during the winter season. A field of cosmos flowers is open to tourists in the main city district of Lop Buri province in central Thailand. A Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) director’s office in the province brought a group of people to admire the purple,…
-
Infected spinach recalled in Australia after people become delirious
It appears spinach not only gives you superhuman strength but it also makes you delirious. The vegetable made famous by the cartoon character Popeye caused a health alarm in Australia after a number of people who ate it became ill and experienced hallucinations. Nine people from four Sydney households yesterday required medical attention after experiencing toxic reactions linked to eating…
-
The Thaiger’s Best Christmas Singles, Ever!
As readers on The Thaiger platform will have noticed, it’s getting pretty close to Christmas. The team has been suggesting the best places to go to eat, drink, and make merry at this special time of the year. Nostalgia always plays a big part in the festive season and there’s nothing better than wallowing in times gone by when life…
-
Online system to control cannabis bud sales will be ready next year
The Department of Thai Traditional and Complementary Medicine (DTAM) is launching an online system to control the sale of cannabis buds next year. Buyers must be over 20 years old and present their ID cards before purchasing. While the official Cannabis Act was under process, different rules and restrictions were gradually introduced to prevent people under the age of 20,…
-
Bill committee removes section stating cannabis isn’t a narcotic
Section 3 of the draft law being debated in the government right now states that cannabis and hemp are not considered narcotic substances under the Narcotics Act. The House committee that is currently scrutinizing the bill agreed to remove that section, causing controversy and hinting at the possibility of redefining the status of cannabis in Thailand. Ever since legalising cannabis…
-
For Tesla Thailand, all bumpy roads lead to China
For newly-minted Tesla Thailand, there’s a bumpy road ahead, and it leads back to China. Tesla began sales in Thailand, just over a week ago, offering its popular Model 3 and Model Y at prices that compete with rivals like BYD. The company staged a glitzy showcase of its plans at Bangkok’s Siam Paragon mall with vehicles to be delivered…
-
Police raid Pattaya club, find no license
Police in Pattaya seem to believe that tourists crave the safety and security of club raids each night. That was the reason given for the latest in a long series of nearly nightly raids on clubs and nightlife entertainment venues last night. In the early hours of this morning, police shut down a club that was operating after legal hours…
-
6 year old girl sexually assaulted by classmate
The mother of a 6 year old girl filed a complaint with a non-profit organization after her daughter was sexually assaulted by a classmate at Wat Sri Kongkaram School in the central province of Samut Prakarn. The 31 year old mother, Nuch, yesterday informed the Pavena Foundation for Children and Women about her daughter’s sexual assault on November 30. Nuch…
-
Covid precautions for New Year’s Eve in Bangkok
Nobody wants to hear it, but Covid-19 numbers are on the rise in Thailand, stoking governmental fears around the approaching New Year’s Eve festivities. Officials in Bangkok announced that New Year’s Eve countdown parties will be allowed to be thrown as planned, but face masks will be required wherever crowds gather. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration will be laying out clear guidelines…
-
Latest Patong drug crackdown finds staffers all testing negative
The latest Patong drug crackdown on Bangla Road found that all staffers tested negative for drug use. The most recent round of drug tests on the popular nightlife hotspot road was conducted on Tuesday night. A team from the Kathu district conducted the “random” tests on 85 staffers, including 35 men and 50 women. According to Patong Police Chief Colonel…
-
Phuket hotels see labour shortages as tourism swells
Maybe hoteliers didn’t believe in the government’s rosy tourism predictions. Hotels in Phuket are reporting a labour shortage as Russian tourists pour into the holiday island. Now they are rallying the government to market hospitality jobs in Phuket to attract foreign workers. They say Thai people just don’t want maintenance, kitchen, and food and beverage jobs. The president of the…
-
Russians still biggest tourist group in Phuket, peak expected during holidays
Russians remain Phuket’s biggest tourist group, and the island resort’s tourism is expected to peak during the holidays, according to the president of the Southern Thai Hotels Association, Sueksit Suwannadissakun, who believes the peak of tourism High Season will be between December 24 to January 5. About 57% of hotels in the island province reopened in October, jumping to 70%…
-
Toyota ‘launches’ electric Hilux in Thailand
Toyota has debuted, but not debuted, an electric version of its popular Hilux pickup in Thailand. Little is known about the specs, with Toyota Thailand glossing over battery size and power output details in a launch that was, to say the least, low-key. The assembled press corps was able to enjoy schmaltzy speeches and powerpoints from teary-eyed executives, without the…
-
Court awards torture victim 6.7 million baht
Justice was served today as a woman and her two accomplices were sentenced by the court to over 14 years in jail and fined millions of baht after ruthlessly torturing a male victim. The Sing Buri Provincial Court handed down the ruling yesterday for the horrific crime against her employee uncovered one year ago. Last year the brother of the…
-
Thailand Charter Week 2022 provided business platform for luxury yacht companies
Press Release The Thai Yachting Business Association, the organisers of the Thailand Charter Week, held their second and highly successful event from the 16th to the 19th of November 2022, following the inaugural edition in November 2019. The second edition was once again kindly hosted by the Phuket Yacht Haven Marina. Thailand Charter Week The Thailand Charter Week is Asia’s…
-
Thai-led human trafficking sent 1,000 victims to Finland
About 1,000 Thai people were scammed in a human trafficking plot that sent them to Finland to work. Officials from the Thai police force teamed up with their Finnish counterparts to bust the ring that was enticing Thai people to Finland to pick fruit and trick them into indentured servitude. The scheme invited Thai workers to travel abroad to Finland…
-
Whale with broken spine makes last journey of 3,000 miles by performing breaststroke
A whale with a broken spine has apparently defied all odds after journeying 3,000 miles by performing the breaststroke. The humpback whale, nicknamed Moon, was spotted off the coast of British Columbia with a visibly crooked lower body that researchers say was caused by being hit by a boat. But, the whale persevered by doing the breaststroke for a whopping…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.