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 Thinking of retiring in Thailand long-term? Here’s your health checklist before the move
Thinking of retiring in Thailand long-term? Thailand is a popular choice for retirees because of its beautiful landscapes, warm climate, and affordable living. Cities like Chiang Mai and coastal areas offer a relaxed lifestyle with friendly communities. The country also...
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Sex Workers Bill will protect Thailand’s most-exploited
Many thousands of Thais – mostly women – work their whole lives in the sex industry without legal protection. With nothing to shield them, they are exploited both directly and indirectly. The Sex Workers Bill sets out to remedy some of that. Operators use harsh methods to control their workers and ensure the money keeps rolling in. Owners of venues must…
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Maiden Flydubai direct Pattaya flight arrives
The maiden direct flight from Dubai to Pattaya by Flydubai touched down at U-Tapao Airport in Chon Buri Province on Friday night, carrying 158 passengers. The passengers, including six bloggers, were greeted by U-Tapao Airport Director, Admiral Rapeepong Sowan, the vice mayor of Pattaya City and director of the Pattaya Office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). According to…
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Police airport pick-up service delights Chinese tourists
Nothing divides opinion in Thailand like Chinese tourists today. For the past few months, The Thaiger has run more stories about China and Chinese tourists than any other subject. Thailand’s public health minister says Chinese tourists won’t be discriminated against! Thailand prepares to welcome the infected tide of Chinese tourists! Chinese tourists expected to flock back to Phuket and Chiang…
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Couple arrested for selling Asiatic golden cat parts
A couple arrested in Bangkok with 19 animal skins has confessed to selling talismans made from Asiatic golden cat parts including skins and oil. Officers from the Natural Resources and Environment Crime Suppression Division arrested Phatcharapha Prasongdee and her husband Sitthichai Boonlai, both 30 years old, at a house in Lat Phrao district on Friday. In the couple’s house were…
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Flights from China over Chinese New Year average 34 daily
The skies above Thailand will be full of Chinese flights this week, with 240 scheduled flights over the Chinese New Year. The Aeronautical Radio of Thailand (Aerothai) announced that during the holiday period from January 19 to 25, an average of 34 flights per day are expected to arrive in Thailand from China. This is expected to bring a significant…
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Is BMW really Thailand’s favourite car?
BMW is Thailand’s favourite car marque. It might not be the best-selling vehicle, but when Thai people have plenty of money to spend, they choose BMW. The company saw growth in registrations across its range, driven by last year’s marketing initiatives. BMW and Mini have led Thailand’s premium market for the past three years. Both have seen an increase in their…
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Police nab Uzbek woman at Phuket Airport with 2.23 kg of cocaine
In a drug bust, Thai police arrested an Uzbek woman at the Phuket International Airport for possession of 2.23 kilogrammes of cocaine. The Sakoo Police said they received a tip-off about a suspicious person and brought her in to be searched. Police identified the woman as 41 year old Shoira Rakmonova. Upon searching her, they found the illicit drugs stashed…
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China gives green light to Chinese tour groups
China has lifted its restriction on group tours travelling to Thailand and 19 other countries. The reopening of tour groups officially started yesterday, marking a significant step towards normalising international travel for Chinese tourists. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism in China made the announcement yesterday. This move will officially allow tour agencies and online travel companies to begin booking…
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Phuket police volunteer faces drunk driving charges
A Phuket police volunteer faces drunk driving charges after he and a medical staffer collided on their motorbikes. The incident happened on Korsimbi Road near the Rang Hill in Talad Nuea market in Phuket’s main city district. Rescuers arrived on the scene to find both men injured, with their motorbikes damaged. One of the injured men was 52 year old…
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Daughter who stole 250 million baht ordered to pay compensation
The daughter who stole over 250 million baht from her sick mother in Thailand has been ordered to pay more than 200 million baht (US$6 million) in compensation to the bedridden woman. In the suit filed by Huay Sriwirat against her daughter Mawadee Sriwirat, The Phra Khanong Civil Court has ordered Mawadee, two Kasikornbank employees, and a Kasikornbank bank to…
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‘Tuhao’ and 40 others indicted on multiple charges
Chinese businessman “Tuhao” and 40 accomplices were indicted in Bangkok on Thursday on a wide variety of charges, including drug trafficking and money laundering. The indictment of Chaiyanat “Tuhao” Kornchayanant comes after attorney-general Naree Tantasathien gave the go-ahead. The AG ordered the Office of Narcotics Litigation to arraign Chaiyanat and the other suspects at the Bangkok South Criminal Court. Charges…
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Subdistrict accountant swindles 15 million baht in government funds
An accountant for Lad Yao subdistrict in Nakhon Sawan province, central Thailand, was arrested yesterday for swindling 15 million baht in government funds to pay back her gambling debt and repay loan sharks. Police officers from the Office of Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) arrested a female accountant, 41 year old Phatchara, at the Lad Yao sub-district office in Nakhon…
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Passengers left waiting hours at Bangkok’s new central train station
The opening of Bangkok‘s new central train station Bangkok Aphiwat Central Station did not go so smoothly yesterday with the first service to Chiang Mai departing three hours later than scheduled and many more delayed services. BBC Thai and CH7 report that services were delayed to await the arrival of Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob, who was rather late to an…
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Pattaya bar owner allegedly punches Russian tourist in face over 60 baht bill
A Pattaya bar owner allegedly punched a Russian tourist in the face over his refusal to pay his 60 baht bill. Jane, the 53 year old owner of the Bonzi Bar in South Pattaya, apparently didn’t back down from admitting she was the one who punched the tourist. The Russian was identified only as “Michel,” and was reportedly on the…
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Southeast Asia’s biggest railway station opens to passengers
Southeast Asia’s biggest railway station officially began operations yesterday, a potential new age of train travel in Thailand. The cost of the new terminal, including the station, tracks and a connecting station for Bangkok’s mass transit system, was around US$1 billion (30 billion baht). Officially, the station’s name is Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal, a name bestowed by the king,…
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Super Mario theme park to open in California ahead of new film
Super Mario is getting its first theme park outside of Japan by way of the US state of California. The Nintendo-themed park is set to open next month just weeks before the old-school characters grace the Hollywood big screen. According to Japan Today, Super Nintendo World will be part of Universal Studios Hollywood- an amusement park that has seen the likes…
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Passengers at Bangkok’s main train terminal to get help from new robots
Passengers at Bangkok’s Krung Thep Aphiwat Train Terminal will be getting help from new service robots. The massive train station, formerly known as Bang Sue Grand Station, will feature six robots which can communicate in English, Thai and Chinese. The robots can guide passengers to certain locations in the train station such as the food centre, ticket booths, and taxis.…
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Thailand welcomes 900,000 foreign tourists during Jan 1-15
In the first half of January, Thailand welcomed a grand total of 913,013 foreign tourists, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Governor of the TAT Yuthasak Supsasorn revealed that Russia has overtaken Malaysia as the Number 1 tourism market… Foreign Arrivals in Thailand by Nationality January 1 – 15, 2023 Russians (99,593) Malaysians (89,461) South Koreans (47,471) Indians…
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Where to celebrate Chinese New Year in Thailand
Thailand is home to a large ethnically Chinese population, which means that Chinese New Year is a big deal here. The holiday, also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, has been celebrated in Thailand for centuries by the country’s Chinese-Thai community. Chinese New Year festivals offer exciting experiences filled with dragon parades, fireworks, dance performances, and more. This…
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Thai man uses soy sauce to fake suicide, hoping to win wife back
A Thai man used soy sauce to fake suicide on Monday in hopes of winning back his wife and son. The man, 50 year old Watchara, was estranged from his wife, 40 year old Pla, due to conflicts between the couple. He lives in the southern Chumphon province, while she lives in Pattaya. On Monday, Watchara travelled to Pattaya, hoping…
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Thailand still needs thousands more tourism workers
Thailand still needs thousands more tourism workers than it already has. The kingdom’s Labour Ministry recently surveyed the labour demands of 32,359 tourism operators in 60 provinces. The ministry found that out of all the operators, 1,817 businesses needed a total of 9,763 more workers. Employers need receptionists, porters, waiters, cleaners and housemaids, chefs, kitchen workers, cashiers, and accountants. The…
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Volunteer teaching English to underprivileged children in Bangkok
Bangkok Community Help Foundation runs a weekly volunteer-led class that aims to teach English and improve the lives of underprivileged children in the Klong Toei area of the city. Children learn new English vocabulary, play games, dance Zumba, and do arts and crafts projects in a fun environment. At the end of each class, students are provided with a hot…
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Cannabis in Thailand: A Guide for Tourists
Thailand’s crazy cannabis laws can be difficult to navigate so the Ministry of Public Health has issued a guide titled “10 Things Tourists Need to Know About Cannabis in Thailand” to help budding cannabis tourists stay out of trouble. Since the marijuana plant (“Gancha” in Thai language) was removed from Thailand’s list of Category 5 Narcotics on June 9 this…
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8 million MOPH webpages hacked by gambling websites
The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) closed approximately eight million official government-related webpages after they were hacked by illegal gambling websites. MOPH Information and Communication Technology Centre Director Anan Kanoksin told Thai media that illicit online gambling websites have been illegally squatting on government platforms after they sat idle for months. The illegal gambling websites were able to squat on…
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Protester jailed for burning King’s portrait
The food delivery rider who attempted to burn a portrait of King Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida during a protest in July 2021 has been sentenced to three and half years in prison. The court ruled that a portrait of the king is equivalent to the king’s person. Foodpanda delivery rider Sitthichok Sethasavet set fire to a portrait of King Vajiralongkorn…
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2 excise officers arrested in 300,000 baht ransom kidnapping case
Two excise officers and one of their friends were arrested yesterday after they kidnapped a phone shop worker and held her to a 300,000 baht ransom in the central province of Samut Prakarn. A Chinese man, Wu Yiwen, filed a complaint at Mueang Samut Prakarn Police Station yesterday at 3.30pm. The 31 year old said the kidnapping incident happened at…
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Why does Thailand need F-35 fighter jets? [video]
Thailand‘s attempts to beg the new F-35 Fifth Generation fighter jet from the United States have progressed at a snail’s pace. The acquisition has been questioned on all sides since its inception, and continues to be. The issues standing in Thailand’s way seem to amount to three main things. The US certainly doesn’t want its shiny (actually not shiny at…
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Walk-in driving license services now available in Thailand
Obtaining a new driving license or renewing an old one just got easier in Thailand. Walk-in services are now available at transport offices nationwide without the need to book an appointment, according to the Department of Land Transport (DLT). Anyone wanting to renew their Thai driving license can obtain an ‘eLearning’ theoretical training certificate through the DLT’s website, which also…
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Phuket man threatens wife from leaving house at knifepoint
A man in Phuket allegedly used a knife to threaten his wife and prevent her from leaving their house yesterday. Kathu Police said they were alerted that a man was using a knife to force his wife to remain inside the house on Soi Ketho Soi 6, The Phuket News reported. Fifteen officers arrived at the house with long-handled prongs.…
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Man arrested for stealing over 10 million baht in valuables at a fitness centre
A thief who stole over 10 million baht of valuables from a businessman at a fitness centre two weeks ago was arrested yesterday. The man pretended to be a fitness centre customer, stole safety box keys, and duplicated the keys to complete a series of thefts. On Tuesday, January 10, 35 year old businessman, Sathit, filed a complaint at Mueang Nonthaburi…
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