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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  • MP says cannabis helps reduce Yaba addicts in Bangkok

    MP says cannabis helps reduce Yaba addicts in Bangkok

    Bhumjaithai Party MP Suphachai Jaismut believes the legalising of cannabis has led to a decrease in the use of methamphetamine (also known as Yaba) in Bangkok. Suphachai posted on Facebook yesterday that, “Ganja comes, Yaba goes away.” The Bhumjaithai Party MP admitted that he never expected legalising cannabis would decrease the use of methamphetamine. He initially focused on its potential…

  • Locals point out dangerous railway crossing in central Thailand

    Locals point out dangerous railway crossing in central Thailand

    More than 50 people gathered to point out the dangers presented by a railway crossing in the Photaram district of Racha Buri province, central Thailand, this morning. Firstly, the crossing has no automatic barriers or lights to warn cars or pedestrians when a train is coming. Secondly, the “slope” up to the crossing is so poorly constructed that even pickup…

  • Chachoengsao temple opens glass sea walk

    Chachoengsao temple opens glass sea walk

    A glass skywalk jutting out over the ocean is the newest tourist attraction in Chachoengsao province. The skywalk is adjacent to Wat Hong Thong temple, which has long been a draw for tourists in the area of the eastern province, not far from Bangkok. The glass bridge is a 40-metre-long stretch perched high above the sea. It is 3 metres wide and…

  • More European tourists than Chinese in Hua Hin, officials say

    More European tourists than Chinese in Hua Hin, officials say

    More European tourists are making their way back to Thailand’s coastal paradise of Hua Hin than Chinese tourists, according to officials. The vice president of the Thai Hotel Association said most of Hua Hin’s tourists are European, from Scandinavia, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, and Germany. The vice president, Udom Srimahachota, said the number of foreign tourists is expected to rise…

  • Pink Line monorail 95% complete, opening soon

    Pink Line monorail 95% complete, opening soon

    The Pink Line monorail project in Bangkok is expected to be completed this year, with construction currently 95% finished. Construction began in 2016 on the 53.5 billion baht public transit project. When it is finally opened, it will connect Khae Rai in Nontha Buri to Min Buri in east Bangkok. The Pink Line monorail Is hoped to bring some breathing…

  • 3 Chinese men deported for illegally opening restaurant in Bangkok

    3 Chinese men deported for illegally opening restaurant in Bangkok

    Police yesterday raided a Chinese restaurant operating illegally in Bangkok and arrested three Chinese men found working there. They were fined, deported, and put on Thailand’s blacklist. Immigration Bureau officers raided the Chaosan Osha Chinese restaurant on the Rama 9 Road in the Huay Kwang district of Bangkok. Officers reported that they found three Chinese citizens at the restaurant. A 35…

  • Turkey will not support Sweden’s NATO bid after Quran burning

    Turkey will not support Sweden’s NATO bid after Quran burning

    Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan declared he will not be supporting Sweden’s bid to become a member of NATO after a copy of the Quran was set on fire in Stockholm at the weekend. Far-right Swedish-Danish politician Rasmus Paludan was widely condemned for burning a copy of the Quran on Saturday but Sweden takes a more relaxed view of such things believing…

  • Thailand’s Surat Thani Airport welcomes chartered flight from Taiwan

    Thailand’s Surat Thani Airport welcomes chartered flight from Taiwan

    A chartered Thai Lion Air flight carrying 143 tourists from Taiwan landed at Surat Thani Airport in southern Thailand yesterday. It was the first chartered flight to land on the airport’s runway in three years. Surat Thani Governor Wichawut Jinto welcomed passengers on flight SL-7391 from Taipei yesterday evening, handing out flower garlands and gifts to tourists to celebrate the…

  • EU ready to conclude free-trade agreement with Thailand

    EU ready to conclude free-trade agreement with Thailand

    The European Union is ready to open free-trade agreement (FTA) talks with Thailand again after an eight-year political impasse. Thailand’s Commerce Minister, Jurin Laksanawisit, will head to Brussels tomorrow for a two-day business trip to accelerate talks on an FTA with the EU. Jurin states that a Thai-EU FTA is a highly sought-after deal by the private sector, but it remains…

  • Law to prevent violent reoffenders with ankle monitor

    Law to prevent violent reoffenders with ankle monitor

    A new law aimed at preventing recidivism among those convicted of sexual and violent crimes comes into effect in Thailand today. The law increases surveillance measures for offenders already out of prison, possibly even requiring them to wear electronic monitoring (EM) ankle bracelets for up to 10 years. However, the entire plan may be ineffective at best as the Corrections…

  • Thai woman savagely bitten by boyfriend after refusing to go boozing with him

    Thai woman savagely bitten by boyfriend after refusing to go boozing with him

    A Thai woman filed a complaint at Pan Thong Police Station in Chon Buri after her boyfriend savagely bit her face after she refused to go boozing with him. She said she was worried that the case would be ignored because her boyfriend had a close connection with a senior police officer. The woman, identified as Bee, told the media…

  • You can’t ‘buy anything from the Thai police’ – PM’s Office

    You can’t ‘buy anything from the Thai police’ – PM’s Office

    The Thai government has denied any involvement in setting up an outrageous TikTok video that informed Chinese tourists that “money can buy anything from the Thai police.” PM’s Office Minister Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana insisted on Sunday he had not told police to provide any VIP services to any TikTok influencer. The pretty young tourist, named only as “Adele,” was given a…

  • Pakistani man caught smuggling 80,000 pills into Thailand

    Pakistani man caught smuggling 80,000 pills into Thailand

    A Pakistani man was arrested at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport on Friday after he attempted to smuggle a suitcase brimming with drugs from Pakistan into the Kingdom of Thailand. Airport security flagged down a suspicious suitcase from Karachi, Pakistan, found to contain a plethora of Type 2 and Type 4 psychotropic substances. In total, police at the airport seized 79,200 pills…

  • Musk’s Twitter cuts keep Thai pedo clips online

    Musk’s Twitter cuts keep Thai pedo clips online

    A number of video clips showing alleged sexual abuse by a Thai art teacher and his underage victims have been circulating on Twitter for many days now. The videos first appeared on January 17. Prachatai English found the videos circulating the same day the suspect was arrested by police in Nakhon Ratchasima. The teacher, identified by local media as “Kanthapit,”…

  • Tourists urged to beware of tiger roaming in Kanchanaburi, Thailand

    Tourists urged to beware of tiger roaming in Kanchanaburi, Thailand

    A large male tiger came out of the forest and was spotted roaming around Srinagarind Dam in Tha Kradan district of Kanchanaburi province, western Thailand, yesterday morning. Tourists visiting the popular Srinagarind Dam and famous Erawan Waterfall are urged to beware of the tiger. Four CCTV cameras caught footage of the big cat sauntering around the dam at around 2am.…

  • Belgian man turns to garbage collecting to be with Thai boyfriend

    Belgian man turns to garbage collecting to be with Thai boyfriend

    A Belgian man spotted collecting garbage on the roadside in Sara Buri province in central Thailand told reporters he is trying to make money so he can stay with and support his Thai boyfriend. Yesterday, reporters happened to come across a 61 year old man, of Belgian nationality, collecting bottles and leaves on the side of the Asian Highway, reports…

  • Missed trains and confusion with new station changes

    Missed trains and confusion with new station changes

    Commuters in Thailand are facing confusion and frustration due to a lack of coordination between railway stations after the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) moved almost half of its long-haul train services from Hua Lamphong station to Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal. The newly revamped station, formerly known as Bang Sue Grand Station, is now servicing 52 rapid service, express,…

  • British woman who fell from KPN balcony goes home

    British woman who fell from KPN balcony goes home

    The British woman who fell from a hotel balcony while on holiday on Koh Pha Ngan returned home to the UK after a successful fundraiser brought in £75,000 (3 million baht, US$100,000) in donations. Maddi Neale-Shankster, 21, was on a three-week trip to Thailand with her partner when she fell from the second floor of her accommodation on New Year’s Eve.…

  • British diver dies in mysterious circumstances on Thailand’s Koh Tao

    British diver dies in mysterious circumstances on Thailand’s Koh Tao

    A British man was found dead on Thailand‘s notorious Koh Tao – also known as Death Island – on Wednesday. The circumstances around his death are a mystery. The body of 48 year old diving instructor Neil Giblin, from Birmingham, UK, was found dead in his rented bungalow on the island after he failed to turn up to a diving…

  • Malware, not charging cable, to blame for phone hack

    Malware, not charging cable, to blame for phone hack

    A man’s Facebook post sparked controversy on social media after he reported that 101,560 baht (about US$3,300) had disappeared from his bank account while he was charging his phone at a public charging station. Many began to suspect that the charging cable had been tampered with to steal data from his device, leading to widespread concerns and panic. People vowed…

  • Narrow escape for Nauru’s Chinese passport forgers

    Narrow escape for Nauru’s Chinese passport forgers

    When police nabbed two Chinese passport forgers operating out of an official Nauru Embassy residence late last year it seemed like another small victory in the fight against Chinese organised crime in the kingdom. Today, as it becomes clear that 15 officials have been charged in connection with the escape of the two Chinese passport forgers, a small victory has…

  • Sex Workers Bill will protect Thailand’s most-exploited

    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…

  • Maiden Flydubai direct Pattaya flight arrives

    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…

  • Police airport pick-up service delights Chinese tourists

    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…

  • Google announces 12,000 layoffs amid new “economic reality”

    Google announces 12,000 layoffs amid new “economic reality”

    Google is cutting 12,000 jobs globally its parent company, Alphabet, announced yesterday. Like other tech titans in recent weeks, Google is laying off workers as it embarks on some large-scale restructuring. The announcement follows similar layoffs by other tech giants such as Microsoft, Meta (parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp), Amazon and Twitter, as the previously stable tech sector…

  • Flights from China over Chinese New Year average 34 daily

    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…

  • Is BMW really Thailand’s favourite car?

    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…

  • Police nab Uzbek woman at Phuket Airport with 2.23 kg of cocaine

    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…

  • Driver hits and kills pedestrian on dimly lit Pattaya road

    Driver hits and kills pedestrian on dimly lit Pattaya road

    A driver hit and killed a pedestrian crossing a dimly lit Pattaya road on Wednesday night, in Thailand‘s latest road tragedy. Bang Lamung police arrived on the scene in front of Soi Bang Lamung 12 to find the victim, a 46 year old man named Paiboon Tongmo, dead on the road. The driver, 27 year old Sila Narinnok, was in…

  • Phuket police volunteer faces drunk driving charges

    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…