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 What is the 5 year visa for the digital nomad in Thailand?
The Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) is a great option for digital nomads, remote workers, and freelancers who want to stay in Thailand for a long time. This multiple-entry visa is valid for five years, allowing stays of up to 180...
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Former Deputy PM Suthep indicted over construction contracts
The National Anti-Corruption Commission has filed an indictment against former Deputy Prime Minister and protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban accusing him of irregularities in police constructions contracts. The charges were filed yesterday in the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders and are regarding projects to build police stations and housing over 10 years ago. Suthep who has been jailed…
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New variant casts shadow over Thailand Motor Expo, concerns outbreak could affect the industry
The uncertainty of the newly identified Covid-19 variant Omicron looms over today’s opening of the Thailand International Motor Expo as firms promote their new electric vehicle options. Many of the manufacturers at the exhibition worry that the new variant may force countries to return to lockdowns or take other measures that will hurt business as the global economy and Thai…
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Cabinet sets aside over 5 billion baht to improve Bangkok’s public transportation
Yesterday, the two biggest transportation groups in Thailand, Bangkok Mass Transit Organisation (BMTA) and the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), received subsidies from the Cabinet to cope with the loss as well as increase their liquidity. A total of 5 billion baht was given, with 2.28 billion going to BMTA and 3.38 billion going to SRT. The Cabinet has also…
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Men arrested at Bangkok airport for allegedly smuggling drugs valued at 95 million baht
Two Pakistani men were arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Monday for allegedly trafficking 30.6 kilograms of ketamine and 1.1 kilograms of heroin hidden in instant tea packages. Officers say the drugs had a street value of 95 million baht. The two residents of Karachi, who travelled to Thailand by an Emirates flight through the United Arab Emirates, were arrested for…
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Bangkok’s SRT Red Line launches commercial service, fares 12 to 42 baht
After four months of trial operation, commercial services on the Red Line commenced yesterday, with fares ranging from 12 baht to 42 baht, with its operating hours extended until midnight every day. The director-general of SRT Electrified Train Co., Suthep Panpeng, said that with the termination of free services, ridership will initially drop by 20% to roughly 8,000 per day,…
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Flash floods from heavy rain hit three districts in Surat Thani
Last night, villages in three districts in Southern Thailand’s Surat Thani province were hit by flash floods due to heavy rain and local rescue teams along with the military assisted residents in moving their belongings to higher ground. Governor Wichawut Jinto and Chamnong Sawatwong, chief of the provincial disaster prevention and mitigation office, led the relief effort, which included territorial…
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Tourism officials welcome Czech movie filming in Phuket and Krabi
The Tourism Authority of Thailand is celebrating Thailand’s re-opening to international movie stardom once more. The southern provinces of Krabi and Phuket are being used as locations for a Czech movie currently being filmed in the kingdom. Nation Thailand reports that a film crew, consisting of 22 actors, directors, producers, and technicians are in Thailand to film a romantic comedy…
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Bomb attack damages vehicles carrying ballot boxes from local election in Yala
A bombing in the Deep South province Yala damaged several vehicles carrying ballot boxes from a local election. After the polls closed on Sunday for the Bannang Sata tambon administration organisation elections, eight vehicles were used to take the ballot boxes to the district office. As the vehicles drove on a rural road at around 7:55pm, a parked motorcycle exploded. A…
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Thai man dies by flurry of bullets while going to get 2nd Covid shot
A 27 year-old Thai man has died after receiving a flurry of bullets from a gunman who had stopped the vehicle in which he was travelling. The man, Ampol Bunthong, a native of Phetchabun, was shot 10 times, according to police. The attack occured at about 8:20am this morning, at the Saraphi junction in Muang district. Ampol was riding with…
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Phuket gets approval for all-nighter New Year’s Eve party
Phuket is approved to allow New Year’s Eve celebrations to go on all night, along with alcohol sales. The notice was issued yesterday that states alcohol sales would be extended on NYE, from 11pm-6am. The order says usually it is forbidden to sell alcohol during those times, but notes that December 31 is an exception. The Phuket governor signed the…
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Survey reveals most respondents oppose legalising pornography in Thailand
A new survey is revealing that a majority of respondents oppose legalising pornography in Thailand. The National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll, conducted the survey over the phone between November 22nd and the 24th. The 18 years of age and older respondents with varying levels of education and occupations seemed to point towards a vast majority of Thais…
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An aquatic meal with Olga Belka – taking art to new depths
by Baz Daniel I am sitting at the edge of the gorgeous Kata Rocks infinity pool at sunset with the world’s only underwater portraitist, who as far as I can tell, is probably also a mermaid. Her name is Olga Belka and she is as gorgeous and exotic as you might expect of someone with such a gorgeous and exotic…
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New variant could dampen Thailand’s reopening enthusiasm
Thailand was the first country in Asia to more fully reopen to foreign travellers, and it is seeing a slow recovery, with more bookings for hotels, and new faces along shopping strips and markets in the country. November 1 was the launch of the Thailand Pass and a broader reopening to fully vaccinated travellers and tourists from 63 low-risk countries.…
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French expat being denied re-entry to Thailand over repeated criticism of the Thai monarchy
One of Thailand’s long term French expats Yan Marchal is being denied reentry to Thailand. He says he is being expelled to Paris from Bangkok, as soon as tonight, for being a long term critic of the Thai government and Monarchy. Yan says he could appeal the ‘deportation’. “I have been advised to fly out rather than to expose myself…
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Thailand’s nightlife venues and bars told to keep closed until January 16
Thailand’s nightlife cat and mouse game between authorities and desperate bar and nightlife businesses will continue until the middle of January 2022. Following deliberations from the CCSA yesterday, entertainment venues will have to keep their doors closed until at least January 16. To put an exclamation mark after the latest announcement, the Thai government has also extended the emergency decree…
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Amnesty International under investigation for defending activists
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announced that Thai authorities have opened an investigation into human rights group Amnesty International after they spoke out against the prosecution of anti-government protesters. An opposing group of protesters who are devoted to the monarchy called for Amnesty International to be barred from Thailand. On Thursday, the group of royalists gave the government a letter saying that…
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Phuket traffic police deny Facebook accusal of targeting tourists
After a Facebook post showing a motorbike checkpoint accused police of destroying tourism, the Phuket Provincial Police fired back. The post was made in Thai in the Phuket Sandbox – SHA Plus Facebook group on Sunday and went viral as it blamed traffic police for robbing foreigners now that tourists are returning. The post was accompanied by photos of a…
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Bangkok is back – Thailand’s capital roars back into gear
OPINION Before the pandemic, Bangkok was the most-visited city on the planet – a thriving hive of energy and activity which attracted over 22 million international visitors per year. Then, without warning, it all went quiet. Now, following the long-awaited reopening of Thailand’s borders on November 1, 2021, Bangkok is back. The city is welcoming the world’s travellers once again,…
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Transport Ministry says Thai land bridge will become transit port to rival Hong Kong
The transport minister is feeling optimistic about a new land bridge development which will connect the southern provinces of Ranong and Chumphon. The Bangkok Post reports that the project will link Chumphon, on the eastern coast of the Gulf of Thailand, to Ranong, on the Andaman Sea. Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob says the result will be a transit port with…
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Thailand entry may be simplified by switching to antigen test
At the CCSA meeting on Friday, the Ministry of Public Health will propose easing entry requirements by replacing RT-PCR tests with a much cheaper and faster antigen test. Health authorities report that Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul will propose the revision at Friday’s meeting to be enacted from December on. The simplifying of the required Covid-19 test is part…
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Foreign Minister shrugs off lack of invite to democracy summit
Thailand’s Foreign Minister has shrugged off the fact that Thailand has not been invited to a democracy summit being hosted by the US. Thai PBS World reports that Don Pramudwinai says the event is, “nothing more than pure politics”. The summit is scheduled to take place from December 9-10 and Thailand has been left off the guest list. Controversially, Taiwan…
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The latest on EV production in Thailand
Thailand car makers are ramping up the production of electric vehicles after the Thailand Board of Investment approved new electric vehicle projects. The 24 projects allow car makers to produce electric vehicles of all types, including hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and battery electric vehicles. BOI data shows that these types of EVs will have a combined capacity…
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Drug trafficking suspect’s escape foiled by pipe in the road
Police in the Muang district of Suphan Buri had an unusual sidekick in the apprehension of a suspected drug trafficker – a large water pipe that blocked the road and prevented his escape. The suspect was being set up in a sting operation but became suspicious and fled, leading police on a chase that might have ended differently if the…
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Pattaya mayor expresses frustration over no entertainment venues
In Pattaya, the fight goes on to allow alcohol in restaurants and to reopen entertainment venues, at least in time for New Year’s festivities. After petitions and protests from various sectors, business groups, and tourism associations, Pattaya City Mayor Sonthaya Khunploem is again calling for nightlife businesses to be allowed to reopen in the city famous, or perhaps infamous, for…
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US Summit for Democracy excludes Thailand, includes Taiwan
US President Joe Biden is convening a Summit for Democracy next month, inviting over 100 countries to participate with one notable exception — Thailand — and one controversial inclusion — Taiwan. The event, which will take place virtually on December 9 and 10, has invited 110 participants, according to a list published yesterday from the US State Department. While Thailand…
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PM digs in his heels, says he won’t quit while the country needs him
The Thai PM says he’s not going anywhere and will remain in position at least until next year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit, which Thailand is hosting. According to a Bangkok Post report, Prayut Chan-o-cha was responding to questions from reporters about the remainder of his 4-year term, which ends in March 2023. He says as long as the country needs…
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Blackpink’s Lisa tests positive for Covid-19
A Thai-born Lisa Manoban of the K-pop girl group “Blackpink” has been diagnosed with Covid-19, according to reports. A South Korean news outlet Daum said Lisa was diagnosed with the coronavirus today, and her management YG Entertainment was awaiting the results of RT-CPR tests performed on three other members of the group. BLACKPINK YG Thailand, a Facebook page founded by…
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40 million baht illegal online lending operation busted
An illegal lending business that raked in over 40 million baht in just 3 months by gouging people in desperate financial need with high-interest rates has been broken up. A Chinese man was arrested in Bangkok for running the loan shark operation online. The man identified by the Metropolitan Police Bureau as Jia Liew was arrested in Huai Khwang in…
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20 year old Hong Kong activist convicted
The youngest Hong Kong pro-democracy activist yet has been convicted and jailed under the territory’s harsh national security laws. BBC reports that the 20 year old Tony Chung was being tried for the crimes of secession and money laundering, and has been sentenced to 3 years and 7 months in prison. Beijing has been cracking down on activists ever since…
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Thailand’s electric vehicle market is underway, with commercial EV’s in focus
Thailand’s electric vehicle market is underway, with companies focusing on the commercial EV’s as a starting point. As many expect EV’s to be the future of the auto industry, many companies are now making the switch to renewable energy. One company that is trying to get ahead of the game, is that of Bangkok-based Energy Absolute. The biodiesel producer and…
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