Hot News
Stay updated with the latest Hot News in Thailand, featuring in-depth reporting and analysis of local events and goings on! We bring you breaking news, in-depth reports, and exclusive interviews covering a wide range of Thailand-focused topics, from Crime and Politics to Tourism and Business.
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Sponsored Last chance for Thaiger readers: Get 10% off your health insurance—Offer ends in 5 days!
Did you know that treating a broken leg can cost around 200,000 THB for uninsured patients, and a three-day hospital stay for conditions like dengue fever averages 40,000 to 80,000 THB in Thailand? While healthcare in Thailand is more affordable...
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Investigators deciding whether or not to pursue “Boss” charges
Officials at the Department of Special Investigation are considering whether to go after Red Bull heir Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya on charges of reckless driving causing death and cocaine abuse. “The Department of Special Investigation is a department of the Ministry of Justice of Thailand. It operates independently of the Royal Thai Police and is tasked with the investigation of certain…
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Thammasat University officials ban September 19 protest
Thammasat University, once a bastion of democratic voices and student expression, has refused permission for an anti-government protest, set to take place on its Tha Phra Chan campus in Bangkok, on September 19. University officials say they are banning the gathering as organisers have “failed to follow the institution’s guidelines” on hosting political events on campus. Officials are referring to…
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Teen arrested for allegedly killing school security guard in Pathum Thani
A teenager at a Pathum Thani school allegedly has killed the duty security guard after an argument about smoking marijuana on the school’s grounds. The body of 36 year old Parinya Unsab was found near a teacher’s house. Police say the man’s skull was fractured. Parinya had called the police early in the morning saying there were teenagers causing a…
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Phuket police arrest man for using ‘hookah’ pipes
A 29 year old Isaan resident has been arrested by Phuket police for possessing 6 hookahs… the Middle Eastern water pipes are illegal in Thailand (although not too difficult to find being used in some commercial premises). Krissada Pimchanda, from Khon Kaen, was charged with violating consumer protection laws. The laws prohibit the sale or provision of services for hookahs,…
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“Phuket Model” to be re-named, expanded to all of Thailand
A much-talked-about plan to reopen Phuket to international tourists is set for a rebrand and expansion. The plan, formerly known as the “Phuket Model”, is proposed to be re-named “Special Tourist Visa”, and will now cover all of Thailand. But, in its latest incarnation, the model will only allow tourists from “approved countries” to be involved. Apparently, the Phuket plan…
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Former mayor gets 2 months detention for indecent act on journalist
The former mayor who ordered a journalist to strip down to his underwear is now facing 2 months in detention rather than a 2 month prison sentence. The Supreme Court recently commuted his sentence and the former politician Premsak Piayura is requesting a venue for his detention. In 2016, a rumour spread saying that Premsak, a former mayor of Ban…
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Protest calling on Thai Head of State reform set for September 19
Pro-democracy activists are planning a 2 day protest in Bangkok to call for Thai Monarchy reform and demand democracy. They’re calling it… “September 19: Return the power to civilians” (translated). Activists plan to gather at Thammasat University’s Tha Prachan campus at 2pm on September 19, camp out for the night and then march to the Government House at 8am the…
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Tourism authority says Thailand must prepare for virus cases as part of re-opening
The Tourism Authority of Thailand says the country must re-open its borders by the last quarter of the year and prepare to manage new Covid-19 cases as a result. TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn says the impact of new cases can be contained with careful risk management. The reality of the situation is now sinking in as Thai officials are now…
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Rumours of a new coup “were pure nonsense” – Thai PM
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has scoffed at a range of rumours circulating in Thai media. Firstly he laughed off the reports of another military coup, telling a packed media conference yesterday that the rumours “were pure nonsense”. The ‘theory’ behind the rumour is that a staged coup d’état could help quash the rising tide of student and opposition protests. Thailand’s quasi…
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UPDATE: Win motorbike shooter turns himself in
A 55 year old motorbike taxi driver turned himself in after an alleged shootout in front of a Samut Prakan Big C. Witnesses say 2 groups of motorbike taxi drivers, known as win, allegedly fired shots at each other in a so-called turf war, according to Thai media. Somjet Pojaroen, a former assistant village headman who runs a motorbike taxi…
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Thailand is the fourth most searched-for destination for your next holiday
Since early 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic has stopped us from taking our holidays, or doing much travelling at all. But as travel restrictions ease, which destinations are coming out on top for our post-lockdown holidays? Official-esta.com has dusted off the calculator and checked the Google Search Volume data for the search terms “Flights to X” and “Holidays in X” to…
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Not so fast! Phuket’s plans to reopen slow down
“We have to rely on domestic tourism demand for now because we can’t reopen our borders yet. Some people in the area still haven’t accepted the idea… It doesn’t mean that we’re pulling the plug on the plan though.” Phuket is not going to be back up and running as soon as expected. Plans to let international tourists back in…
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Leaked transcript allegedly shows attempt to get Red Bull heir off the hook
A report published by Thai-language outlet, Isra News, allegedly contains a leaked transcript of 2 police officers and a public prosecutor discussing how to change the recorded driving speed of Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya. The Red Bull heir was accused of killing Bangkok police officer, 47 year old Wichian Klanprasert, in 2012, by crashing his Ferrari into the officer’s motorbike, dragging…
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Rumours of another coup are false, PM says
Coup? What coup? Rumours have been floating around about an impending coup d’etat by the army. When asked about a possible coup, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha dismissed it, calling the rumour nonsense and groundless. He then abruptly called the press meeting to an end. Some have been saying the army is preparing for the coup by moving its forces and equipment.…
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Phuket airport sees increase in domestic arrivals over long weekend
The general manager of Phuket airport, Thanee Chuangchoo, says domestic arrivals were on the up over the course of the recent 4 day holiday. The long weekend, from September 4 to 7, was brought in to replace the annual Songkran holiday in April, cancelled this year due to the Covid-19 lockdown. The jump in domestic arrivals will have provided some…
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Investigation ongoing following armed robbery of Chinese tourists in Pattaya
Police are continuing their investigation after a gang broke into a luxury property in Pattaya and robbed the Chinese residents at gunpoint. The original report said the thieves stole around 10 million baht worth of cash and valuables. This amount has now been revised by officials, who estimate it at around 3 million baht. The incident took place in the…
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UPDATE: Motorbike taxi drivers have an alleged turf-war shootout
Motorbike taxi drivers allegedly had a turf-war shootout in front of a shopping centre in Samut Prakan, just southeast of Bangkok. The motorbike taxi drivers, known as “win” drivers, were allegedly fighting over a location for a win base outside the mall. No one was injured and the drivers took off shortly after shots were fired. The Big C shopping…
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Bangkok police prepare for mass university protest on September 19
Police in Bangkok say they’re gearing up for a large-scale student protest, set to take place at the Tha Prachan campus of Thammasat University on September 19. Pakkapong Pongpetra, Metropolitan Police Commissioner, says officials are not sure how many days the rally will go on for, or if those taking part plan to move from the campus to other parts…
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Deputy Finance Minister dismisses doubts over his educational qualifications
The President of the Engineering Association of Thailand has called on Kim Chaisaensook, Associate Professor of Bangkok’s Ramkhamhaeng University, to respond to allegations that Deputy Finance Minister Santi Prompat was dismissed from the faculty for cheating. Tortrakul Bunnag made the call in a Facebook post, after a suggestion from Santi that he is qualified to replace former Finance Minister Pridi…
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Holiday weekend road death toll: 59
Road deaths surged during the holiday weekend. 59 people were killed in road incidents and 365 people were injured, according to the Transport Ministry. From last Thursday to Monday, a total of 405 road incidents were reported across Thailand. 116 of the incidents involved motorcycles and 31 out of the 59 deaths involved motorcycles. Many of the crashes and collisions were…
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Holiday weekend boosts tourism, brings in 8.8 billion baht
The extended 4 day holiday weekend circulated 8.8 billion baht in revenue after months of limited travel due to the coronavirus pandemic… the upbeat report from the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The drop in international tourism has crippled local economies dependent on the industry. The holiday weekend was a major boost. The Friday and Monday public holidays were announced as…
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Armed robbers in Pattaya target Chinese tourists in 10 million baht break-in
An armed gang of 5 men have broken into a luxury property in Pattaya, making off with around 10 million baht worth of cash and valuables. A group of Chinese tourists were staying in the property at the time, which is part of the Siam Royal View development, in the Bang Lamung district of Pattaya. A report in the Bangkok…
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Woman held on suspicion of murdering disabled father
Police in the central province of Lopburi have apprehended a woman they suspect is responsible for murdering her disabled father. The arrest comes after the 63 year old man’s body was found by the side of the road, not far from his home. Officers believe his daughter had help from a friend and speculated that substance abuse may have led…
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Anti-corruption officials call on PM to reveal details of “Boss” inquiry
The Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand is calling on the Thai PM to disclose the findings of a recent inquiry into the handling of the “Boss” case. The hit-and-run case against Red Bull heir, Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, has been mired in controversy for years, and a decision in July to drop all charges was greeted with uproar around the country. The…
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Protest leaders Anon and Panupong freed from jail on court order
Two prominent anti-government protest leaders have now been released from Bangkok Special Prison, where they were being held on charges of violating their bail conditions. The human rights lawyer, Anon Nampa, and political protester Panupong Jaadnok, have been in and out of prison in recent weeks and, while out on bail, addressed the crowd at an anti-government rally, thereby breaching…
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Foreign Ministry refutes Amnesty allegation that Thai government is gagging protesters
Thailand’s Foreign Ministry has hit back at an Amnesty International statement that accuses the Thai government of violating citizens’ rights to free speech and freedom of assembly. The statement, sent to Amnesty’s 8 million members worldwide, calls on followers to petition Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to drop all charges against 31 leaders of anti-government protests. Amnesty is also calling on…
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Minister eases local concerns over Phuket tourism plan
The Minister of Tourism and Sports has rushed to reassure Phuket locals who have voiced concern over a tentative plan (now postponed) to re-open the province to foreign visitors. Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn says there may have been some miscommunication, as he reassured Phuket residents that they would not be forced to accept any tourism plan. The minister, along with a…
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Splitting atoms in the Big Bang – a day in the Big Mango
OPINION by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com Despite the global pandemic, Bangkok’s rapid-fire megacity growth trajectory has remained largely in place. While life in Covid-19 times is a bit like sparring with wild gangs of chaos monkeys in a dead-end ally, thankfully one of the singular guilty pleasures of these strange times is the ability to at least travel domestically. Last…
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London to New York in under 4 hours – Will there ever be another Concorde?
We’d flown in propeller-powered planes, then jets. Supersonic was the next evolutionary step in flying people around the world as the 1960s came to a close. Now, 50 years after Concorde’s early flights, supersonic flight is again just another aviation pipe dream as we pack into our cheap ‘flying buses’ which are not much different from the first successful commercial jets…
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Will the Flying-V be the shape of passenger travel in the future?
Since the first Boeing 707 (Dash 80) had its test flight in 1955, and earlier the UK’s De Havilland Comet in 1949, not much has changed in the way of passenger jet configuration – long, thin fuselage, wings, jet engines hanging underneath, with a big tail and rudder. Since then it’s been a gradual evolution of the same theme (we’ve…
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