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.
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Sponsored 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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Acid attacker: Now you can’t remarry, take me back!
People in relationships fight and reconcile all the time, but this case is a bit more extreme. The man accused of splashing acid in his ex-lover’s face outside of a Don Mueang salon has turned himself in and is asking his estranged wife to take him back. He says that his motivation was to disfigure the 25 year old woman…
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27 people arrested for 1.5 billion baht Police Credit Union fraud
Twenty-seven credit union officials, police officers, and former police officers have been arrested for defrauding the Pattalung Police Credit Union out of 1.5 billion baht. On March 24, members of the Pattalung Police Credit Union filed a complaint to the Assistant Commissioner-General, Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn, that some police and credit union officials were working together to steal money from…
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Pro-wakeskater gets fine & suspended jail term for surfing in Bangkok floods
UPDATE #2 Thanyaburi Provincial Court handed pro-wakeboarder and pro-wakeskater Daniel “Tao” Grant a 5,000 baht fine and a one-month suspended jail term for his wakeskating stunt in the Bangkok floods. The 24 year old watersports champion was found guilty of causing danger to and obstructing traffic for wakeskating on the flooded Phahon Yothin Road outside Bangkok University last week. After…
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Court to decide fate of suspended Thai PM Prayut on September 30
On September 30 at 3pm, Thailand’s Constitutional Court will read the verdict on suspended Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s eight-year term limit. According to Section 158 of Thailand’s constitution, “The Prime Minister shall not hold office for more than eight years in total, whether or not holding consecutive term.” Prayut reached his eight-year limit serving as PM in August after becoming…
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Former Thai PM slams govt’s miserly 5% minimum wage rise
A day after the Thai government announced a nationwide 5% salary increase the kingdom’s former prime minister condemned it as “not enough.” The Thai Cabinet yesterday agreed to increase the minimum wage throughout the country by 5%. The highest rate is 354 baht per day in Chon Buri, Rayong, and Phuket while it is 328 baht per day in places…
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BREAKING: Shooting in Thai army building in Bangkok, 2 dead, 1 injured
At 8.45am, a Sergeant Major opened fire in the Royal Thai Army College on Thoddamri Road in Bangkok’s Dusit district, killing two soldiers and seriously injuring one more. The gunman has been arrested. The army chief shot one of his colleagues in the head who has since died at Vajira Hospital. The deceased have been identified as Sergeant Major Nopporat…
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UK police condemed for arresting anti-monarchy activists
Labour MP Zarah Sultana and a number of civil liberties campaigners have conveyed their dismay after heavy-handed police officers this week cracked down on anti-monarchy activists following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Several peaceful protestors were seen holding up placards with “Not my King” and “Abolish the Monarchy” written on them in Edinburgh, London, and Oxford causing police to…
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China Airlines opens a new route to Chiang Mai
China Airlines yesterday announced the good news that it intends to launch flights to Chiang Mai in Thailand. The bad news is that it won’t happen until next year. The Taiwan-based airline revealed on the day it reopened its borders that flights to the northern city of Chiang Mai take off on January 20 next year. Flight CI851 from Taiwan…
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Thai govt increase minimum wage by 5% starting on October 1
The Thai Cabinet today agreed to increase the minimum wage throughout the country by 5%. The highest rate is 354 baht per day in Chon Buri, Rayong, and Phuket. The new rate will come into effect on October 1. Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin discussed the topic at today’s Cabinet meeting and it was approved. It is the first time in…
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Pro-wakeskater charged with causing danger for surfing in Bangkok floods
UPDATE Pro-wakeskater Daniel Grant has been charged with causing danger to traffic – violating Thailand’s Traffic Act and Highway Act – for his surfing stunt in the Bangkok floods on Friday. The 24 year old half-Thai, half-English watersports champion was summoned to Khlong Luang Police Station this morning to acknowledge the allegations made against him by police after they saw…
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VIDEO: Police seek alleged lover who splashed woman with acid
A shocking video has gone viral on Thai social media showing the moments just after an alleged jealous lover splashed acid on a woman’s face outside of the salon where she worked. The security camera video shows a startled shopkeeper rushing to open the door followed by the woman running blindly across the shop screaming and stumbling as she lunges…
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Businesses encroaching Layan Beach in Phuket get final eviction notice
Phuket officials handed a final eviction notice to four businesses illegally occupying Layan Beach. Their patience finally snapped after a string of notices were ignored dating back to 2017. They now have to remove all structures from three kilometres of public land by the end of the month. Several businesses have been operating along 178 rai of beachfront land for…
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Thailand’s nonpartisan stance sensible in China-US Cold War
Thailand yesterday was urged to maintain its neutrality as tensions between the globe’s two economic giants, China and the United States, continue to gather pace. Thailand last week was criticized for maintaining a neutral stance regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict as the West continues to impose sanctions on the former Soviet state. The kingdom has been also condemned in the past…
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Alleged Thai ‘love scammer’ denied bail in Australia
A Thai national detained in Sydney, Australia, for allegedly committing “romance fraud” was denied bail yesterday. Siriluck Fatima Chimmalee is accused of stealing from men she met online through a dating app. She is facing trial for over 100 charges of fraud. Police say 30 year old Siriluck allegedly pretended to be a registered remitter and charged customers steep inflation…
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Stingy foreigner pays Thai taxi rider 20 cents for 450-baht ride
A motorcycle taxi rider in Samut Prakarn province near Bangkok warned other riders to be aware of a tight-fisted foreigner who duped him, handing over a 20 cent euro coin, about 7 baht, for a 450 baht fare. The 63 year old motorcycle taxi rider, Subin Waitook, yesterday revealed to the media that a foreign passenger agreed with him to…
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The return of the begpacker sparks online debate
While the Covid-19 pandemic brought tourism to a screeching halt in Thailand much to the detriment of millions of people’s livelihood and the country’s economy, one thing that the majority of people did not seem to miss has now reared its ugly head again. Social media erupted over the return of the much-maligned begpacker trend as photos of one in…
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Activist sentenced to 2 years in prison for wearing Thai dress that ‘mocks’ H.M. Queen
A 23 year old Thai activist has been sentenced to two years imprisonment for royal defamation, under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, for attending a protest in traditional Thai attire. Her catwalk show was interpreted by royalists as “mocking” H.M. Queen Sirikit, the queen mother of Thailand. Bangkok South Criminal Court read the verdict of Jatuporn “New” Saeoueng’s sentence…
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Man complains after 23 taxi drivers in Bangkok refuse to serve him
An angry Thai man slammed Bangkok taxis on his TikTok account for favouring foreigners after 23 cab drivers refused to take him on a journey that was less than 15 minutes. The man said that taxi drivers in the Asoke area only wanted to serve foreign passengers because they can rip them off with expensive fares. The Thai TikToker, @iceprapadang,…
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Old man held hostage & duped out of 100 million baht by fake doctors
An 81 year old man was held hostage in a Bangkok hotel by two fake doctors and then duped him into giving away over 100 million baht in assets and priceless amulets so they could treat his Parkinson’s disease. Police eventually rescued Chawarit Chankana after his family filed a complaint saying the old man handed over a luxury car and…
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More tourists are venturing into rural Thailand, says Airbnb
Airbnb says more tourists in Thailand are opting for ‘off-the-beaten-track’ destinations, benefiting the environment and local economies. Thailand’s usual top tourist destinations are places with international airports – Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui and Phuket. According to Airbnb, more tourists are venturing out of these hubs and into “lesser-known” destinations such as Koh Lanta, Trat, Pai and Cha-Am. Koh Lanta…
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Kidney for an iPhone meme condemned by doctors, commenters
A Facebook post from Laos has gone viral and upset many people for its unsafe message about the expensive new iPhone. The post was captioned “Agreed for iPhone 14” and showed three people holding up their new Apple phones and lifting their shirts, revealing bandages on their abdomens, implying that they each sold their kidney to afford the price of…
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PHIST, Southeast Asia’s biggest and best sustainable tourism forum is back as a live, in-person event!
PRESS RELEASE PHIST (Phuket Hotels for Islands Sustaining Tourism), Southeast Asia’s biggest and best sustainable tourism forum is back as a live, in-person event! Over 1,000 participants, including senior executives and keynote speakers, will gather in Phuket on Monday 26th September 2022 to tackle the most important sustainability issues impacting the industry today. Approximately 30 green exhibitors are also expected…
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2 female Thai party leaders emerge as strong PM candidates
While King Charles III effortlessly ascended to the throne upon the death of England’s Queen Elizabeth II this week, the path to the prime ministership in Thailand will be a bit more protracted and messy. Two women have emerged as top candidates for Prime Minister, with Thai Sang Thai Party’s Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan so far polling above Pheu Thai Party…
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Hong Kong speech therapists jailed over children’s books
Five speech therapists in Hong Kong have been accused of brainwashing children after they wrote children’s books involving sheep and wolves. The five therapists, who are all between 25-28 years old, have been sentenced to 19 months each in prison. The books tell stories about a village of sheep trying to stop a pack of wolves from invading their home.…
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POLL: People unsatisfied with Prawit, want a special election
A new poll revealed that people are not impressed with caretaker Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan as acting PM, but do not want him to take major action either, aside from calling a new election to find his replacement. The majority of people do not want a Cabinet reshuffle, but most people want a special election called to elect a new…
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Coffin floats through the flooded streets of Bangkok
Flood waters can be deadly, but locals in Saphan Mai, located in the northern part of Bangkok, were shocked by the sight of a coffin floating by in the floodwaters that swept through the streets. The floating coffin was captured on videos and posted on social media where it quickly went viral. People may have feared and questioned: Is it…
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Rice exporters say Thailand needs new rice breeds to be competitive
Rice exporters have said that Thailand needs new breeds of rice to compete in the global rice market. The president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association said yesterday that Thailand tends to set its rice prices too high for its quality, which is why the country’s rice export volume has continued to drop. The president, Charoen Laothamatas, said that new…
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Koh Samui hotel thieves may have been led by the ex-lessee
In the curious case of a hotel owner claiming her hotel was dismantled by thieves who took literally everything, three more suspects were arrested in Koh Samui. Police executed a search warrant on Thursday for a warehouse on Samui that they say contained items they believe to be stolen from the remains of the Chaweng Blue Lagoon Teak Wing. Though…
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Venues surveyed in Thailand say they make the most money at later hours
Night venues recently surveyed by Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Ministry made known that tourists spend the most money in the early hours of the morning. The venues surveyed were located in the tourist hotspots of Koh Samui, Phang Nga, and Khao San Road in Bangkok. Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn told the press yesterday… “The results suggested that tourists…
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Bangkok woman stabs husband to death after a few days isolating in the same room
A woman stabbed her husband to death this morning in Bangkok. The couple were both infected with Covid-19, living in a house of five, and had been isolating in the same room for a few days. Officers from Udom Suk Police Station received a report at 6.57am today that a woman had killed her husband at their home in the…
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