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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Report finds most Thais don’t understand climate change
A recent report by the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) has revealed that most Thais have a limited understanding of the impact of climate change on the planet. Only 35% of Thais believe that the use of fossil fuels should be reduced. This reflects a general lack of awareness about climate change and what causes it. Oddly, the…
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UK police go to Thailand to solve woman’s mysterious murder 19 years ago
Nearly 19 years after a Thai woman‘s half-naked body was found in a stream in the Yorkshire Dales, UK police officers have come to Thailand to try and solve the suspected murder case. Police want to question David Armitage, her husband who now lives in Thailand, and the woman’s parents. Hikers noticed the body of Lamduan Armitage, formerly Lamduan Seekanya,…
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German tourist snatches Russian woman’s pricey sunglasses at Thai immigration office
A German tourist snatched a Russian woman’s pricey sunglasses at a Thai immigration office, Thai media reported on Saturday. The two holidaymakers were both getting their visas extended at the immigration office South Thailand’s Surat Thani province. CCTV footage caught the crook, 31 year old Marcel, grabbing the sunglasses that the woman left on a chair at the office while…
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CIB arrest 15-year fugitive wanted for double murder
Justice has been finally served on an old open criminal case. After 15 years of being on the run, the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of the Royal Thai Police Crime Suppression Division announced a man wanted in connection with the murder of a wealthy couple in Phuket has been arrested. The CIB in Bangkok confirmed an arrest in a cold…
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Elephant in Thailand dies after tourists feed it wrong food
An elephant camp in Koh Chang, eastern Thailand, is warning tourists not to feed elephants food containing chemicals after an elephant died after eating chemically-contaminated bananas. A few weeks ago, a 20 year old male elephant at Kaebai Meechai Elephant Camp in Koh Chang, Trat province, fell ill with flatulence and indigestion after eating food brought in by some tourists,…
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Small hotels recover in Thailand as foreigners move downmarket
As small hotels recover in Thailand, returning tourists are choosing different options from pre-pandemic staples. A study of small hotels and hostels found booking growth is now higher than before the pandemic, with bookings from overseas tourists exceeding those of local travellers. As small hotels recover in Thailand, bookings are up by a quarter from the pre-Covid levels, according to…
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TAT takes part in major tourism exchange event in India
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) took part in a major tourism exchange event in New Delhi, India last week. TAT participated in South Asia’s Travel & Tourism Exchange (SATTE) for the 14th time, heading up a strong delegation of over 40 tourism suppliers. SATTE, which is India’s largest travel fair, was held from February 9 to 11 2023 at…
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Police hunt for fake government officials after robbery in Pattaya
Police are on the hunt for three fake government officials after a robbery in Pattaya last week. The victim, 37 year old Prasit, claimed that on February 7, a group of people wearing what appeared to be government officials’ jackets broke into his house in Bang Lamung’s Naklue sub-district. Prasit said the suspects accused him of being a motorcycle thief,…
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Thailand’s forest fires close Mae Hong Son Airport
Thailand’s forest fires were so bad, with many parts of Mae Hong Son‘s Muang district covered in such dense smoke Sunday that several airlines rescheduled morning flights. The local pollution control department in Mae Hong Son reported that PM2.5 – particles of dust less than 2.5 microns in diameter – in the Muang and Pai districts reached 90 micrograms and…
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Remembering the dead – Koh Tao dive master mystery
Twenty-three years before diving instructor Neil Giblin from Birmingham died on Koh Tao last month, a fellow Brummie diver lost his life there. Giblin is the fifth Koh Tao dive master to die on the island where Ian Jacobs, from Sutton Coldfield, died on January 18, 2000. Jacobs was found at the bottom of a well on the island. Giblin…
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Take the slow train to monkey city
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) is offering trips on a slow train to monkey city, from Bangkok to Lopburi in the Northeast Thailand, on the refurbished Kiha 183 diesel-powered trains from Japan. The trips this weekend and next will cost 599 baht. Only 200 seats will be available each day. The train leaves Bangkok’s historic Hua Lamphong Railway Station…
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Axing for trouble in Nothanburi
The family of a man killed by his neighbour over a parking dispute in Nonthaburi believes the murder scene was staged. Veera Prasitthong, 54 years old, was killed in his neighbour’s shop in Pak Kret last week. Veera was home when he found his path blocked by neighbour Visit Chanakul, who had parked outside his shop to unload some goods.…
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PLTO meets with taxis from outside Phuket over crackdown
The Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) and the Phuket Provincial Police have recently held discussions with a group of taxi drivers and tour operators from outside of Phuket who have been banned from working on the island. The talks were focused on finding a solution to the continual problem of green plate taxi operators facing difficulties, including arrests and bans…
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Indian tourist pickpocketed in Pattaya, lost 44,000 baht
As tourism grows back in Thailand, some things never change. Stories of Indian tourists having their gold chains stolen, or being pickpocketed or robbed by ladyboys seem to crop up every week. And this week is no exception. An Indian student was reportedly pickpocketed on Friday in Pattaya and had his wallet lightened of about 44,000 baht. The alleged incident…
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Russian arrested acting illegally as tour guide
In Thailand, many jobs are earmarked as being only for Thai people. Even if a foreigner or expat had a business visa and a work permit, they are barred from certain fields. But in Phuket this week, a Russian man was arrested working as a tour guide which is forbidden for foreigners without any visas or permits. Pavel Maslennikov, a…
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British drug fugitive Richard Wakeling arrested in Bangkok
British fugitive Richard Wakeling, wanted on narcotics trafficking charges, was arrested in Bangkok on Friday. The National Crime Agency of the UK requested cooperation from Thailand’s Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) in the arrest of the man from Brentwood, Essex. The 54 year old Wakeling had been sentenced to 11 years in prison for attempted amphetamine smuggling of product worth about 8…
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Death Wish Thailand: Who is ‘Inspector Sua’?
Lt-Colonel Wasawat Mookarasakul, the senior police officer named as “Inspector Sua” in an explosive Facebook post last week, has been suspended from duty pending an investigation by the Crime Suppression Division (CSD). When the Central Investigation Bureau promises a straightforward investigation that is “strictly in line with the law,” questions have to be asked about what goes on during other…
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French Consul meet Patong Police over motorbike incident
The Head of the French Consulate in Phuket met with Patong Police and Phuket Tourist Police to address the issue of French motorbike racers causing a public nuisance. The meeting on Friday was prompted by the recent arrest of 20 French racers who were caught breaking traffic laws in Patong. This incident and footage of their reckless behaviour caused a…
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Latest ambulance crashes in Thailand dismay researchers
The grim statistics on ambulance crashes in Thailand worsened on Friday night when a patient was badly injured in a horrific late-night crash. An ambulance smashed into the back of a truck in the Lom Sak district in the northern part of Phetchabun province, northern Thailand, close to midnight on Friday. The patient, who was being rushed from Khao Kho…
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Great Wall Motor targets 50% growth in Thailand this year
China‘s Great Wall will target 50% growth in Thailand this year. Great Wall Motor’s Ora Good Cat is already the top-selling electric vehicle in the kingdom. Great Wall Motor aims to increase sales in Thailand by 50% this year, the privately owned automaker said on Friday, while also planning to launch production of electric vehicles in Thailand in 2024. GWM…
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Victims of romance scams ‘at their wits end’
Most victims of romance scams in Thailand are women in their 40s. Middle-aged women are the main targets of criminal gangs who prey on those who have taken the questionable step of seeking true love online. Online fraud, including romance scams, has become a serious problem in Thailand, judging by the number of complaints filed with the Royal Thai Police.…
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FBI seeks extradition from Thailand for hit & run
Authorities in the US state of Michigan and the FBI are making a plea to the Thai government to extradite a Thai woman who is accused of causing the death of a college student in the American city of Oakland Township. The suspect, Tubtim “Sue” Howson, is a US citizen but is originally from Thailand and is now residing in…
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Seahorse Ferry relaunches Pattaya to Samui route
After a four-month hiatus, the Seahorse Ferry Company is finally ready to set sail again, resuming its weekly service between Sattahip and Koh Samui from Thursday, February 16. After a temporary pause for essential repairs and maintenance shortly after launching, the ferry is now back in business and ready to welcome passengers on board once again. If you’re planning a…
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Unhinged woman throws acid in court resulting in 3 injuries
An unhinged woman attacked a veterinarian with acid in court yesterday after blaming her for the death of her pet dog. The attack resulted in injuries to the vet and two other court officials. A disagreement between a pet dog owner and a veterinarian led to a horrific acid attack yesterday at the Chaiyaphum Provincial Court in the Mueang district…
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Chiang Mai tackles PM2.5 pollution with giant vacuum cleaner
Thailand‘s Disaster Department is testing out a giant vacuum cleaner as a way to tackle the PM2.5 dust pollution problem that plagues the northern city of Chiang Mai every ‘burning season.’ Every year, farmers around Thailand send their forests and fields up in smoke because it’s the cheapest way to prepare to plant new crops causing PM2.5 levels to shoot…
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Chinese tourists flock to Folding Umbrella Market in central Thailand
Chinese tourists are flocking to the Folding Umbrella Market in Thailand’s central province of Samut Songkram. The Folding Umbrella Market, also known as the Rom Hoop Market or Mae Klong Railway Market, is a unique tourist attraction. The market is set up alongside a railway line and when a train approaches, the vendors must quickly fold their parasols and clear…
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Is Google chatbot smarter than a pigeon?
Embarrassing stammering by Bard, the Google chatbot, has prompted the global public and stock markets to unreservedly rejected machine-generated garbage. The likes of Donald Trump and Elon Musk must be delighted that a talking Google chatbot is held in higher regard than talking billionaires. Google’s response to ChatGPT got off to an embarrassing start when its chatbot gave a wrong…
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New Zealand authorities seize tonnes of cocaine floating in ocean
In a major drugs bust, New Zealand authorities seized over 3 tonnes of cocaine floating in the Pacific Ocean. Police Commissioner Andrew Coster stated on Wednesday that the amount of cocaine was enough to service the Australian market for a year and was more than what New Zealand would use in 30 years. The massive haul of 81 bales weighing…
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Consumer borrowing in Thailand in the red zone
The effects of consumer borrowing in Thailand during the pandemic is a serious campaign issue, with populist politicians pushing for a multi-year debt holiday. According to Nikkei, Thais owe more than any other people in the region, reflecting a huge jump in borrowing forced on an economy that relies heavily on tourism. Thai consumer debt last September stood at 15…
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Meteorological Department warns of extreme heat in some Thai provinces
Thailand’s summer season is coming and many are bracing for the heat. The summer season is expected to last from the end of February to mid-May, and Thailand’s Meteorological Department has warned that some provinces in the country may experience extreme heat. Temperatures in these provinces could rise as high as almost 45°Celsius, the department said. Although the highest temperature…
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