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 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?...
-
French man killed after a motorcycle incident on the cliff-road to Kamala, Phuket
PHOTO: Phuket Hotnews On December 23, Kamala police received a report about a motorcycle accident on the Patong – Kamala cliff-road (Kuan Yak Curve), in front of the Ocean Wind Hotel. The man’s body was found lying in grass, besides his motorbike at 9:50am. At the scene, police found the body of 35 year old Karim Elmir, a tourist from…
-
DSI to charge former national park chief over “Billy” murder
PHOTO: Chaiwat Limlikhit-akson, former head of Kaeng Krachan National Park and Polajee “Billy” Rakchongcharoen The Department of Special Investigations says they plan to file charges against a former national park chief and three park officials, in connection with the murder of Karen community rights activist Polajee “Billy” Rakchongcharoen back in 2014. Shane Kanchanapat, director of the DSI’s Special Cases Division,…
-
Where are Thai airbnb customers staying over the holiday period?
Where are the people booking share accomodation staying for the Christmas and New Year period? • Tokyo, Osaka and Hokkaido are among the top five trending destinations where Thai travellers usher in another year • Seoul is the most-booked overseas destination for Thai travellers on New Year’s Eve • Chiang Mai is the most popular domestic destination for Thai travellers…
-
Shock closure of factory outside Bangkok leaves 1,000 workers unemployed
PHOTO: pcr.co.th A thousand workers have lost their jobs following the sudden closure of the Pongpara Codan Rubber Company, in Samut Sakhon province, just outside the Thai capital. Thai PBS World reports that employees discovered they were out of a job when they arrived for work at the automotive parts manufacturing company yesterday morning, only to find it closed. They…
-
Year-end tourism expected to generate over 80 billion baht
PHOTO: Kudla/Shutterstock The Kasikorn Research Centre says both domestic and foreign tourists in Thailand are expected to generate over 82 billion baht between December 28 and January 5, aka the ‘silly season’. This is traditionally the busiest time for holiday visitors to Thailand. This is up 1.3% year on year, but growth in 2019 is lower than the 7.4% growth…
-
Two new airlines to hit Thai skies in 2020
PHOTO: Eastar Airlines Two new Thai low-cost carriers are set to take to the skies early 2020. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand made the announcement yesterday. They are the first new Thai airlines being launched since the lifting of the ‘red flag’ by the International Civil Aviation Organisation in 2017. Thai Eastar Jet and Thai Summer Airways have already…
-
Thai Ponzi scheme investigations wrap up
PHOTO: Bangkok Jack 2019 has been the year of the ‘Ponzi’, unsustainable investment schemes which always end up in the late-comers receiving nothing and losing their investment. Thai media have reported on up to 10 high-profile Ponzi schemes that have crashed leaving Thais losing billions of baht. This is the latest news on three of the current investigations. Police have…
-
Mono airlift remains key barrier to Koh Samui’s tourism success
PHOTO: Koh Samui Sunset Bill Barnett and c9hotelworks.com analyse the current hotel and tourism challenges on Koh Samui. Bill says that in the past year the Gulf island has been shaken by declining demand and reduced airlift to the island. (graphics below) “The China slowdown is widely cited as a key factor, together with high airfares. According to Bangkok Airways, half of…
-
Villages fed up with living with dirty water in Phattalung
PHOTOS: INN News Imagine living with dirty tap water for four years. In a country like Thailand, in 2019, that’s not intolerable. But if you live in an unfortunate village in Phattalung, that’s the current situation. Villagers in Tamot District, Phatthalung, southern Thailand, have expressed their complaints after living with dirty tap water for years. The villagers have approached the…
-
Baht to remain strong into 2020: Kasikorn Research Centre
The Kasikorn Research Centre believes that the Thai Baht is going to remain strong into 2020. KBank’s research arm forecasts the baht to move in a range of 30.10-30.50 Thai baht to the US$ for the next few quarters. But they warn a key domestic factor to be monitored closely will be November’s export data, which will be released soon. External…
-
Some big retailers will stop giving out plastic bags on January 1
The Thaiger reminds readers that many major Thai retailers will stop providing plastic bags from January 1 in a campaign to reduce the whopping 13.5 billion plastic bags used in Thailand annually. At least the ban will make a dent in the plastic problem as the government progressively rolls out other bans and programs throughout next year. Seventy-five members of…
-
Thanathorn’s “flash mob” enjoys widespread support amongst Thais
The public is split over what is now being called the opposition’s “flash mob,” and “Skywalk Rally” organised by the Future Forward Party in central Bangkok on December 14, but supporters slightly outnumber opponents, according to a survey by the National Institute for Development Administration, or NIDA Poll. The poll was conducted on December 16-17 and included 1,277 Thai adults…
-
Fakes valued at 50 million baht found in raids in Saraburi
PHOTO: INN News That’s another 50 million baht worth of counterfeits off the streets. The Department of Special Investigation has seized counterfeit goods in a series of raids, with a street value of around 50 million baht and including some 158,000 items. In this case, the fakes were mostly brand name eyeglasses and clothing accessories. The DSI, Department of Intellectual Property…
-
Thais split over the holding of the ‘Skywalk’ rally in Bangkok – Poll
PHOTO: Khaosod English Thai people have been surveyed on their attitudes towards the December 14 “Skywalk” rally held by the Future forward Party. They responded to a recent NIDA poll conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration. The controversial rally was held on the busy Pathumwan skywalk, outside MBK and linking the National Stadium BTS station. The event attracted around…
-
Man arrested for using Twitter and Thai postal service to sell “ice”
… and not the frozen water stuff. The Narcotics Control Board has arrested a man for selling “ice,” crystal methamphetamine, using Twitter and shipping the drug by the Thai postal service. Kriangsak Hadda was arrested with a total 191.6 grams of crystal meth, according to authorities. Niyom Termsrisuk, the ONCB secretary-general says that this kind of clandestine trade has led…
-
“Green heart passports” to promote eco-tourism around Thailand
Visitors to Thailand’s 155 national parks over the New Year holidays have a special surprise in store: the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation will distribute one million “green heart passports” to promote environmentally friendly tourism. The passports will be valid until December 31, 2020. Visitors to national parks can show their “passport” at the entrance, along with their…
-
Over 30,000 displaced in Narathiwat floods, southern Thailand
Out of almost nowhere, and amidst a looming drought for many parts of the country, heavy rains have left flooded areas in Narathiwat, in Thailand’s deep south, displacing over 30,000 people. Soldiers, government officials and volunteers yesterday rushed to the assistance of 37,171 people hit by unseasonal floods in five districts of the southern Thai province, according to Thai Rath.…
-
Thailand’s Army chief warns of a ‘proxy crisis’
PHOTO: Matichon The Army chief, General Apirat Kongsompong, is warning Thais about what he sees as a “proxy crisis” facing the country. The comments, without directly referring to the event by name, were a veiled criticism of the “Run Against Dictatorship” event coming up next month. The commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army took the “everything’s OK, but…” approach to…
-
Thailand ramps up drink-driving campaign for new year break
Government, police and local agencies are launching their annual no-drink-driving campaign to raise driver awareness and, hopefully, reduce fatalities during the New Year holiday, designated for December 27 to January 2. Speaking in support of the campaign, Deputy national police chief Wirachai Songmetta announced 10 points of advice to drivers and bike riders in an effort to reduce road accidents…
-
Thailand’s Maya Bay to remain closed for another two years
So that’s going to be almost the end of 2021. The Department of National Parks Wildlife and Plant Conservation has announced that Maya Bay is going to be closed for another two years to provide a better opportunity for the ecological system to recover, whilst also completing and implementing plans for management of tourists at the famous tourist attraction. Maya…
-
Missing – Three people remain lost in boat incidents off Phuket
PHOTO: Newsflare The Polish and Thai couple that headed off Phuket’s southern beaches for an afternoon expedition nearly two weeks ago, are still missing. More searchers have been added as the search remains active, and widens. And an 18 year old crew from a speedboat, who fell overboard on Wednesday during a collision, hasn’t been seen since. Polish 26 year…
-
Tourism Authority of Thailand says three websites now provide electronic visa-on-arrival
Visitors from some countries can now apply online for a visa-on-arrival, with the Tourism Authority of Thailand saying they’ve added a third website to the previous two offering the service. Thai Residents reports that citizens of Bhutan, China, Taiwan, Ethiopia, Fiji, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Nauru, New Guinea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Vanuatu can now also apply through www.eVisaThailand.com,…
-
Following months of gridlock, Pattaya roadworks suspended, roads re-opened for ‘silly season’
PHOTO: Pattaya Mail Following concerns raised by the Pattaya Tourism Association, all roadworks in Pattaya, which have ground the city to a halt in recent months, will be paused for the holiday period, with roads re-opened to allow traffic to flow more freely. The Pattaya News reports that at a meeting held with city officials yesterday, the Pattaya Tourism Association…
-
Don Mueang tollway fee increase opposed by consumer agency
PHOTO: YouTube Plans to slap a 10% increase on the fee to use the Don Mueang Toll Way have been opposed by the Consumer Protection Board. The CPB is tasked with defending consumer rights and instigating legal proceedings in the case of infringement. Thai PBS World reports that the board claims the toll hike, which is due to come into…
-
Why is Thailand’s PropTech market so valuable…
… and who will come out on top in the battle of the portals and hybrids, 2020 and beyond? How big is the Thailand economy? Is Thailand just for tourism? The explosive growth in the economy has now placed Thailand as the second largest economy in Southeast Asia. With over 70 million people now residing in Thailand, the country boasts one of…
-
Top 10 Feng Shui master tips to re-organise your home
The ancient wisdom of Feng Shui looks at how the life energy or “qi” in the environment, like our homes, affect our life, health, relationships, and prosperity. In this article, we want to share tips that some famous Feng Shui masters, who are sought after by celebrities, tycoons, politicians, and big brands, recommend to help you re-organise your house. Even…
-
Pollution Control Department officials roll out car-free day on Wednesdays
PHOTO: kenlwrites.com “She says the drive normally takes her an hour and a half but by using the bus and train on Wednesday, her journey time was reduced to 50 minutes.” Thailand’s Pollution Control Department in Bangkok is rolling out a “No Car Wednesday” initiative, with staff being encouraged to choose public transport over their cars for one day a…
-
Thai parliament officials apologise for Future Forward members’ kiss
“Let’s call a press conference to apologise for the last press conference…” Parliamentary staff have held a media conference to apologise for the behaviour of two male Future Forward MPs who exchanged a kiss during an earlier press conference held in the Parliament building. The Nation reports that the House Speaker’s secretary Tankhun Jit-Issara emphasised the need to behave appropriately in…
-
13 year old shoots classmate in Bangkok afters repeated taunts
PHOTO: Siam Nonthaburi Foundation A teenage schoolboy has shot dead a 13 year old classmate who he says had repeatedly insulted and bullied him at a school in Muang district yesterday morning. The fatal shooting occurred inside a public school in Bang Kraso, Nonthaburi, a north west suburb of Bankok. The 13 year old shooter was apprehended and taken to the…
-
FFP rally may have broken the law, activist demands investigation
PHOTO: Srisuwan Janya – Bangkok Post Thailand’s “complainer-in-chief”, lawyer and fan-boy for the current government, Srisuwan Janya, says he will ask the Election Commission to investigate if the Future Forward Party broke the law on political parties by holding a political rally in central Bangkok last Saturday. Srisuwan, secretary-general of the Association for the Protection of the Thai Constitution, cited…
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.