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 Do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?
Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...
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Bangkok police allegedly shoots and kills colleague on accident while drunk
A 50 year old police officer was shot to death at a police station in Bangkok, allegedly by his close colleague who was reportedly drunk and showing off his new guns. A senior police officer told Thai media that the officers were not on duty or in uniform were the shooting occurred. The off-duty officers were lounging an office at…
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Drunk driver crashes into motorbike, killing woman and 9 month old
A 60 year old woman and her nine month old grandson died after their motorbike was slammed from behind by a pickup truck early Sunday night in Samut Prakan, southeast of Bangkok. The 35 year old mother survived. She told the police she was riding her motorbike home with her nine month old son and mother. Her motorbike was hit…
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Family works to appeal South African’s sentencing in Koh Samui drug trafficking case
The family of the young South African woman incarcerated at Thai prison for accepting a package of drugs have been working on an appeal. 22 year old Ashley Oosthuizen was sentenced to life in prison after she accepted a package of MDMA at the Koh Samui restaurant Hot in the Biscuit in late-2020. Her mother, Lynn Blignaut, told The Thaiger…
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Thailand expecting a million Middle Eastern tourists following restoration of Saudi ties
Thailand hopes to restore its battered tourism sector by welcoming around a million Middle Eastern tourists by the end of this year. Government spokesperson Traisulee Traisornkul says the restoration of ties with Saudi Arabia, after a 30-year freeze, will help revive the tourism industry in the kingdom. “Restoring relations between Thailand and Saudi Arabia would play a crucial role in…
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In Phuket, phoney monk publicly strips, changes into normal clothes
A man in Phuket who pretended to be a monk to convince people to give him ‘alms’ money publicly stripped off his monk robe in a field to change into normal clothes. The Phuket Provincial Police chief told The Phuket News people complained and sent videos of the man publicly changing in a field across the road from the Phuket…
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Forensic experts uncover more about Tangmo’s death, two charged so far
Forensic experts have dismissed reports that Tangmo, the Thai actress who’s body was found yesterday, went to the back of the boat she fell off to urinate. The experts say she was wearing a body suit, which would have made this difficult. A preliminary autopsy showed Tangmo had sand in her lungs. Toxicology results are expected to take about seven…
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Bangkok student president dismissed for controversial video chat
The president of Chulalongkorn Univesity’s student council was dismissed from his position after he presented a controversial video at a student orientation in 2021. The video featured talks by two prominent protest leaders, nicknamed Penguin and Rung, who are known critics of Thailand’s monarchy. In his talk, Penguin raised his middle finger, and encouraged students to do the same. Thai…
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Tangmo’s mum believes daughter’s death is suspicious
In the aftermath of the mysterious death of Thai actress Tangmo, and the recovery of her body, after falling into Bangkok’s Chao Phraya, her mother told the Bangkok Post she believes something is suspicious. Tangmo’s mother, Panida, said it was hard to believe Tangmo and her five friends, one of whom was her manager, were on the boat just to enjoy…
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French expat who went missing in forest turns up safe in Chiang Mai
A French man who went missing in a Chiang Mai forest made his way to a hilltop temple, and is now safe. The man, Jacques Moriceau, went missing in a forest in Doi Tao district between late Thursday night and early Friday morning. He had driven to submit documents to the French consulate, and got lost on his way home…
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Driver of speedboat missing Thai actress fell from likely to be charged
After Thai actress Tangmo fell into the Chao Phraya river from a speedboat on Thursday night, Bangkok police will likely charge the boat driver for negligence. If Tangmo is found dead, the charge will be negligence causing death. The driver’s full name is unknown right now, and he is only identified as Mr. Por. An unnamed source told the Bangkok…
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Swimmers, beach-goers advised to avoid 3 areas of beach affected by Rayong oil spill
Red flags have been placed at Rayong’s Mae Ram Phueng beach, following a recent oil spill in the eastern province, with officials advising swimmers to stay away, again. According to a Thai PBS World report, the Pollution Control Department says high levels of total petroleum hydrocarbon have been detected in the areas and people should not swim in the water…
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Indian mafia member arrested in Pattaya, confirmed no links to Phuket murder
An Indian mafia member was arrested in Pattaya after a red Interpol notice. He was allegedly involved in robbery, murder, human trafficking, ransom and money laundering in India. But Thai police have already confirmed that there is no links between the arrested man and the ‘hit job’ on Indian citizen Jimi “Slice” Sandhu on February 4. The Pattaya suspect reportedly…
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Pro-democracy activist Parit granted bail after proving he has to sit university exams
Pro-democracy protest leader, Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak, has been freed on 3 months’ bail after proving to the Bangkok South Criminal Court that he needs to sit final university exams. The court had refused to grant bail until the Faculty of Political Science at Thammasat University issued Parit with a certificate to prove his status. Thai PBS World reports that bail…
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Pattaya woman allegedly smokes meth in laundromat, tries to get police to join her
A woman was arrested for smoking methamphetamine in a laundromat in Pattaya last night. The woman allegedly said she loved “ice” and invited police to join her in smoking it, saying it would give them more energy. The Pattaya News reported that she seemed to be smoking “blatantly” in public, and not at all trying to hide it. Another laundromat…
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Foreign man arrested for allegedly smuggling 1.28 kilograms of cocaine into Thailand
Thailand’s Customs Department seized 1.28 kilograms of cocaine from a man at a quarantine who had just entered the country from Guinea Bissau. Authorities suspect the man may have ingested the packages drugs as a way to get passed security at the airport. The 41 year old man from Sierra Leone arrived at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport on February 12. He…
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Travel Guide: Thailand Pass “Test & Go” 3.0 – All you need to know!
There’s good news on the horizon for those looking to travel to Thailand. The CCSA has just updated requirements for entry into Thailand, making it easier to enter the Land of Smiles — with a big smile of your own. Beginning March 1, travellers by air, land and water will be able to register to enter Thailand under the revised…
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Common jobs for foreigners in Thailand 2022
Thailand is a great place for everyone, from families to backpackers to retirees and those who want to work here. There are a lot of people who have fallen in love with the country and never left. After two years of pandemic, Thailand is slowly opening up and we believe that once the dust has settled, there will be plenty…
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Cabinet approves the use of chemical castration on repeat sex offenders
The Thai Cabinet approved a bill aimed at preventing repeated sexual offense cases, which includes chemically castrating sexual predators, if at least two medical professionals agree with the procedure and the offender gives consent. MP and spokesperson from the Palang Pracharath Party, Pacharin Sumsiripon, and Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin had proposed the so-called “Sex Act” to prevent repeated sexual offense…
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Teenager reports sexual assault at co-ed isolation centre for Covid-19 patients
A teenager staying in a community isolation centre while recovering from Covid-19 says she was sexually assaulted by a young man staying in the same room, adding that there were no authorities monitoring the patients. Many of Thailand’s field hospitals and isolation centres have numerous beds made from cardboard boxes all in one large room, like a gymnasium. The 15…
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Pending bill could help families of disappeared Thai activists take legal action
A bill awaiting senate approval that criminalises torture and forced disappearances could help parents and partners of missing Thai activists take legal action. Those convicted of political disappearances and torture cases involving death could be imprisoned between 15 and 30 years. After it had been delayed for decades, lawmakers in the house of representatives unanimously passed draft laws on Wednesday.…
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Anutin says reduced Test & Go insurance requirements enough to cover Covid costs
Following the CCSA’s decision yesterday to lower the insurance coverage required of overseas arrivals, the health minister says the new figure is enough to cover Covid treatment. The mandatory insurance coverage required to enter Thailand will be reduced from US$50,000 to US$20,000 from March 1. Anutin Charnvirakul says the amount was lowered in order to reduce the costs of travelling…
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Phuket makes plans to attract more Thai tourists, same day Level 4 alert anounced
Even after the Test & Go program was rebooted on February 1, along with the additional and unpopular Day 5 PCR test, there hasn’t been a large increase in the number of international tourists visiting Thailand. Indeed the new applications and actual arrivals have fallen well below expectations by Thailand’s tourism tzars. Now, Phuket officials have launched new plans to…
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Thailand Test & Go update: No more Day 5 pre-paid hotel or PCR test
From the start of March, the requirement for the 2nd pre-paid PCR test on Day 5 after your arrival in Thailand will be dropped. But it will instead be replaced with a rapid antigen test you can take yourself (freely and cheaply available at any convenience store). In addition, the required ‘Covid’ insurance will be reduced from $50,000 to $20,000.…
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Mor Prom’s chatbot gives you free Covid-19 advice and online diagnosis
A chatbot has been added to the Covid-19 application, Mor Prom. The update allows users to examine information about their Covid-19 symptoms, and it’s about 85% accurate according to an assistant to the public health minister. “The Mor Prom chatbot is not a medical diagnosis but it helps those who are infected with Covid-19 if they should seek urgent treatment.” Users…
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Tourists complain of more scams at a free public carpark at Pattaya’s Bali Hai Pier
Residents and Thai tourists are again complaining to Pattaya authorities saying that they were charged a parking fee at a ‘free’ public carpark at the Bali Hai Pier. The residents report there was a group of people around the carpark and demanding a fee of 300 baht per day from the drivers. Many tourists, both Thais and foreigners, weren’t aware…
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Thailand’s businesses appeal to government to lower labour import cost
Thai businesses say they need more workers, and have appealed to the Labour Ministry to reduce costs of importing migrant workers from surrounding countries like Myanmar and Cambodia. Labour ministers said business operators are concerned that if not enough workers are brought in on time, their businesses won’t be able to meet orders and will have to pay fines. PM…
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Officials to review Test & Go requirements at CCSA meeting today
The government’s Covid-19 task force meets today to review the country’s entry requirements, with a decision expected on whether to ditch the day 5 PCR test. Under Thailand’s Test & Go entry scheme, overseas arrivals are required to take 2 PCR tests, despite already having a negative test result prior to departure from their home country. The first test is…
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TAT says Phuket sandbox has generated over 43 billion baht in revenue
The Phuket sandbox scheme has so far generated over 43 billion baht in revenue, with visitor numbers steadily increasing. So says the Phuket office of the TAT, in a Bangkok Post report today. According to TAT Phuket director, Nanthasiri Ronnasiri, the sandbox scheme initially welcomed around 300 foreign tourists a day when it first launched last July. Since then, that…
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Tourism businesses respond angrily to Covid alert being increased to Level 4
Thailand’s tourism operators have slammed the government’s decision to raise the Covid-19 alert to Level 4, accusing officials of damaging domestic travel sentiment. They say people should be allowed to move to “living with the virus” instead of being discouraged from travel and taking a backward step in Thailand’s recovery. Chamnan Srisawat from the Tourism Council of Thailand says the…
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