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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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    Thailand health insurance that covers chronic conditions: What expats need to know

    The Thaiger key takeaways Managing chronic conditions in Thailand requires health insurance that covers specialist visits, medications, tests, and hospital stays. Cigna offers high-coverage plans with access to top hospitals, direct billing, and telemedicine support for convenient long-term care. Expats...

  • US arrests 3 Thais, yakuza chief for planning to supply missiles to Burmese rebels | Thaiger

    US arrests 3 Thais, yakuza chief for planning to supply missiles to Burmese rebels

    US authorities revealed yesterday that they have arrested three Thai men and a Japanese yakuza organised crime leader in New York City on April 4 – 5. The men are accused of trafficking heroin and methamphetamine, as well as attempting to acquire surface-to-air missiles for rebel groups in Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Takeshi Ebizawa, Sompak Raksaranee, Somphop Sigsiri and Suksan…

  • Ousted Thai MP vows to continue political career, posts ‘see you again’ | Thaiger

    Ousted Thai MP vows to continue political career, posts ‘see you again’

    After a former MP of Thailand’s Palang Pracharath Party was permanently banned from Thai politics yesterday, she now vows to continue her political activities anyway. The woman, Pareena Kraikupt, was banned from politics by Thailand’s Supreme Court because she used forest reserve land in Ratchaburi for her private poultry farm. The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders found…

  • Phuket hospital and resort launch ‘Prestige Wellness’ tourism campaign | Thaiger

    Phuket hospital and resort launch ‘Prestige Wellness’ tourism campaign

    A Phuket hospital and a local resort are teaming up to launch a new campaign called “Prestige Wellness” — offering tourists ‘reboot’ wellness programs, in addition to Phuket’s natural beauty, local cuisine and cultural activities. Now tourists won’t even have to leave the comfort of their hotel to benefit from some of the wellness programmes available under the government’s plan for…

  • Why are Thai Airways leasing 3 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft? | Thaiger

    Why are Thai Airways leasing 3 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft?

    Thai Airways is expanding its fleet by three this month despite going through an ongoing debt restructuring process. The airline is in the process of selling 45 unused jets, yet they are leasing three Boeing 777-300ER aircraft this month. Two 777-300ERs, adorned with Thai Airways paint jobs, landed at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport on April 5 and another is expected to…

  • CCSA to discuss Songkran, scrapping on-arrival PCR tests for travellers TODAY | Thaiger

    CCSA to discuss Songkran, scrapping on-arrival PCR tests for travellers TODAY

    Thailand’s government will meet again today to discuss how to contain the spread of Covid-19 during next week’s Songkran festival, its vaccination rollout for the elderly and whether or not to scrap the on-arrival PCR tests for foreign travelers. Thailand hoteliers and others travel industry professionals have been lobbying for a full removal of PCR testing to attract more tourists,…

  • Prayut advises Bangkok governor hopefuls on drainage system, population density | Thaiger

    Prayut advises Bangkok governor hopefuls on drainage system, population density

    Following a record registration of 31 candidates for Bangkok’s gubernatorial election, PM Prayut advises the future governor, whoever that will be, to continue solving the city’s problems. Prayut offered a few pointers on several pressing issues, including Bangkok’s drainage system and population density, saying, “May I offer moral support to all Bangkok governor candidates”. Prayut said in order to fix Bangkok…

  • Call centre scammers make deepfake video of Chon Buri police officer to lure in victims | Thaiger

    Call centre scammers make deepfake video of Chon Buri police officer to lure in victims

    Scam call centres are now using ‘deepfake’ videos to make their scams look more realistic. In a ‘deepfake’ clip circling online, a policeman from Chon Buri appears to be talking, but his strange mouth movements give away that the video is not real. A netizen posted the clip online to warn others not to fall for the scam. The clip…

  • Thailand can welcome Russian travellers back this Saturday, really?@! | Thaiger

    Thailand can welcome Russian travellers back this Saturday, really?@!

    The Russian PM, Mikhail Mishustin, has revealed that Russia would open its sky to 52 “friendly” countries from April 9 onwards after being closed to prevent the spread of Covid-19. And that other matter. On the list is Thailand who says they’re ready to welcome the Russian travellers back. Given the current situation with the ongoing war between Russia and…

  • International travellers trickle back into Bangkok, but hoteliers say it’s not enough | Thaiger

    International travellers trickle back into Bangkok, but hoteliers say it’s not enough

    Suvarnabhumi International Airport has seen a significant increase in international travellers since Thailand scrapped its pre-travel PCR test requirement last Friday. Well that’s the general narrative that’s been published in some media, although the published numbers don’t stand up to close scrutiny. Bangkok’s aviation hub saw an average of more than 11,600 daily arrivals from abroad touch down in the…

  • Thai MP permanently banned from politics for using forest reserve land for farm | Thaiger

    Thai MP permanently banned from politics for using forest reserve land for farm

    A former MP of Thailand’s Palang Pracharath is now permanently banned from Thai politics for using forest reserve land in Ratchaburi province for her farm. The issues around the MP, Pareena Kraikupt, using land began to surface in 2019. The Royal Forest Department then investigated the land, and concluded that Pareena’s poultry farm encroached on it. The department asked the…

  • AQ.in.th simplifies and speeds up the process of entering Thailand for tourists | Thaiger

    AQ.in.th simplifies and speeds up the process of entering Thailand for tourists

    Press Release Entering Thailand has never been easier since the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that the Test & Go and sandbox programs have been revamped, the country is more than ready to reopen and welcome tourists from around the world. As a result, this website (AQ.in.th) was launched to help anxious travellers out. It acts as a one-stop-shop for them to…

  • Highest ever number of gubernatorial candidates register in Bangkok | Thaiger

    Highest ever number of gubernatorial candidates register in Bangkok

    The highest ever number of candidates, 31, have registered for Bangkok’s upcoming gubernatorial election on May 22. This will be the 11th gubernatorial election in Bangkok, and the first held in nine years. The chairman of Bangkok’s election commission said all candidates will be invited to the government complex on Chaeng Wattana tomorrow to be briefed on the election guidelines. Right…

  • Police arrest two alleged gambling operators following Phuket robbery | Thaiger

    Police arrest two alleged gambling operators following Phuket robbery

    Police in Phuket reported yesterday that two men in other parts of Thailand have been arrested for allegedly operating an online gambling website. Police have now reportedly seized more than 3.7 billion baht in cash and taken the website down. They also seized dozens of other items of evidence, including three land title deeds and four contracts, eight mobile phones,…

  • Police arrest tiger cub smugglers in Central Thailand | Thaiger

    Police arrest tiger cub smugglers in Central Thailand

    Police seized a four month old tiger cub in a car park in the central province of Nonthaburi yesterday. Three men wanted on arrest warrants were arrested on suspicion of possessing and trafficking protected wildlife without permission. All three men confessed to importing the tiger cub from Laos. The cub was found in a basket inside a Honda pickup truck…

  • Pattaya man allegedly threatens tourists with knife at mall | Thaiger

    Pattaya man allegedly threatens tourists with knife at mall

    A young man allegedly wandered around the parking lot of a Pattaya mall threatening tourists with a knife yesterday. Pattaya Police detained the man at Pattaya Police Station, and claim he was incoherent and couldn’t properly answer questions. The man had also reportedly been talking in circles. Witnesses called the police immediately after seeing him walk around brandishing the long…

  • Thailand bans single-use plastics from national parks, know before you go | Thaiger

    Thailand bans single-use plastics from national parks, know before you go

    The next time you go for a hike, swim or boat ride in Thailand’s protected great outdoors, make sure to leave disposable plastics at home — except for a water bottle. Beginning April 6, all single-use plastics and styrofoam products are banned from entering national parks in Thailand. Specifically, single-use plastic items such as bags, spoons, forks, straws, cups and…

  • UPDATE: Tangmo’s manager ‘Gatick’ reports to police, confesses to drinking wine | Thaiger

    UPDATE: Tangmo’s manager ‘Gatick’ reports to police, confesses to drinking wine

    The long-awaited truth may be finally coming out in the case of Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong, after her manager confessed to giving false statements about what happened on the boat that fateful night the Thai actress drowned in the Chao Phraya River in February. Police are also still searching for another man who was not on the boat that night, but…

  • Creamfields Festival is coming to Thailand | Thaiger

    Creamfields Festival is coming to Thailand

    Get your rave gear ready because one of the world’s most prestigious electronic dance music festivals is coming to Thailand next month. The UK’s Creamfields Festival will take place in Pattaya from May 28-29 and the line up so far doesn’t disappoint. Early bird tickets are sold out, so if you want to attend the festival, be prepared when the…

  • Khao San Road businesses cancel Songkran party plans for third year running | Thaiger

    Khao San Road businesses cancel Songkran party plans for third year running

    Splash-happy tourists can cross out Bangkok’s Khao San Road from their water bucket list this year, after local business owners officially cancelled their plans to hold and Songkran celebrations in the capital’s tourist hotspot, formerly referred to as a “backpacker haven”. It’s the third consecutive year Khao San area operators have halted their famous water fights, much to the chagrin…

  • Thailand inflation jumps 5.7 percent in March, hits consumers’ wallets hard | Thaiger

    Thailand inflation jumps 5.7 percent in March, hits consumers’ wallets hard

    In March, Thailand’s inflation saw its highest monthly jump in 13 years, rising to 5.73% year on year. That’s according to the Commerce Ministry’s Office of Trade Policy and Strategy, which pins the blame on the war in Ukraine, which has pushed up fuel, food and electricity prices. This unexpected turn of events has caused the office to adjust its…

  • Boost in car sales, enthusiasm for EVs – Bangkok’s annual motor show – VIDEO | Thaiger

    Boost in car sales, enthusiasm for EVs – Bangkok’s annual motor show – VIDEO

    Petrol-powered cars are still in vogue, but electric vehicles, or EVs, are on the rise. That’s the takeaway from this year’s Bangkok International Motor Show, which recorded sales of some 34,000 vehicles, nearly a 14% increase compared to last year. The 43rd edition of the popular motor show took place over a span of two weeks at Impact Muang Thong…

  • TAT promotes Thailand as top Indian wedding destination, no elephants included | Thaiger

    TAT promotes Thailand as top Indian wedding destination, no elephants included

    To register on the romantic radar of soon-to-be-wed couples from India, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, or TAT, invited 15 Indian wedding planners to highlight popular wedding destinations in the Land of Smiles. The wedding planners visited seminars in Bangkok, Phuket, Koh Samui in Surat Thani province and Khao Lak in Phang Nga province from March 15 to 22. The…

  • Woman wields sword, tries to slash man who refused threesome | Thaiger

    Woman wields sword, tries to slash man who refused threesome

    Armed with a Samurai sword, a deranged woman knocked on the door of her male friend after he and his wife reportedly refused to have a threesome with her. At least, that’s what he said. The couple shared that they were threatened several times until they had to flee from Bangkok, but the woman could still stalk them. Thai netizens…

  • Songkran: MOPH to measure blood alcohol levels during festival’s ‘7 Dangerous Days’ | Thaiger

    Songkran: MOPH to measure blood alcohol levels during festival’s ‘7 Dangerous Days’

    The Ministry of Public Health plans to use blood testers to measure the alcohol level of drivers during the “Seven Dangerous Days of Songkran”. Authorities say the blood test would be used in addition to the standard breathalyzer test. If anyone refuses to get tested, officers will assume them to be drunk. The crowded roads during the annual Songkran Festival…

  • UPDATE: Police arrest Asoke gold necklace thief, trans woman wanted to pay gambling debt | Thaiger

    UPDATE: Police arrest Asoke gold necklace thief, trans woman wanted to pay gambling debt

    Police have arrested a transgender woman who allegedly stole a gold necklace off the body of a farang in Bangkok’s Asoke neighbourhood last week, after a video of the incident went viral. The thief reportedly said she stole the golden accessory because she’d lost her job and had to pay off a gambling debt. CCTV footage of the incident shows…

  • Tangmo: Suspect ‘Sand’ surrenders to police | Thaiger

    Tangmo: Suspect ‘Sand’ surrenders to police

    Police have arrested a third suspect in the death of drowned TV actress Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong. On Sunday, Wisapat Manomaikrat, aka “Sand” — a transgender woman — surrendered to police in Nonthaburi, after they issued a warrant for her arrest. Sand was taken into the police superintendent’s office for questioning. She was accompanied by her lawyer and prepared a surety…

  • Tourists flood back to Thailand as travel restrictions ease before Songkran | Thaiger

    Tourists flood back to Thailand as travel restrictions ease before Songkran

    Travellers are flooding back into Thailand after the country scrapped its pre-flight Covid PCR testing requirement. Arrivals to Suvarnabhumi International Airport have almost doubled to around 12,000 passengers per day, arriving on a flurry of new inbound flights. On Sunday afternoon, international travellers teems throughout the airport, reaching near pre-pandemic levels. They were greeted by officials and hotels reps who…

  • Business owners on Bangkok’s Khao San Road kiss goodbye their Songkran plans | Thaiger

    Business owners on Bangkok’s Khao San Road kiss goodbye their Songkran plans

    Businesses on Bangkok’s popular Khao San Road are axing their Songkran celebration plans, following news that they would have to abide by several restrictions. This would include an alcohol ban, having to provide free face masks to partiers if their masks got wet, and being held responsible if partiers took off their masks. The president of the Khao San Road…

  • Agriculture ministry to give one million farms in Thailand solar panels | Thaiger

    Agriculture ministry to give one million farms in Thailand solar panels

    Thailand’s agriculture ministry plans to install solar panels on at least one million of Thailand’s farms in a new pilot project aiming to reduce farms’ electricity bills by 20-30% in 15-20 years. The ministry plans to issue a non-fungible token named “Solar Panels NFT for Thai Farmers” worth around 697 billion baht to legally trade with international investors in Singapore.…

  • Sri Lanka president declares state of emergency, deploys army | Thaiger

    Sri Lanka president declares state of emergency, deploys army

    Following a week of turmoil and unrest in Sri Lanka, the country’s president has now declared a state of emergency. This week, Sri Lankan protestors tried to storm the president’s house following the country’s longest power blackout ever recorded. The protestors called on the president and his powerful family, who hold a number of prominent political positions in Sri Lanka,…