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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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  • Pattaya bar owner allegedly punches Russian tourist in face over 60 baht bill | Thaiger

    Pattaya bar owner allegedly punches Russian tourist in face over 60 baht bill

    A Pattaya bar owner allegedly punched a Russian tourist in the face over his refusal to pay his 60 baht bill. Jane, the 53 year old owner of the Bonzi Bar in South Pattaya, apparently didn’t back down from admitting she was the one who punched the tourist. The Russian was identified only as “Michel,” and was reportedly on the…

  • Southeast Asia’s biggest railway station opens to passengers | Thaiger

    Southeast Asia’s biggest railway station opens to passengers

    Southeast Asia’s biggest railway station officially began operations yesterday, a potential new age of train travel in Thailand. The cost of the new terminal, including the station, tracks and a connecting station for Bangkok’s mass transit system, was around US$1 billion (30 billion baht). Officially, the station’s name is Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal, a name bestowed by the king,…

  • Super Mario theme park to open in California ahead of new film | Thaiger

    Super Mario theme park to open in California ahead of new film

    Super Mario is getting its first theme park outside of Japan by way of the US state of California. The Nintendo-themed park is set to open next month just weeks before the old-school characters grace the Hollywood big screen. According to Japan Today, Super Nintendo World will be part of Universal Studios Hollywood- an amusement park that has seen the likes…

  • Phuket cops raid nightclub gambling den | Thaiger

    Phuket cops raid nightclub gambling den

    Phuket cops raided a nightclub gambling den in the island province’s main city district in the early hours of yesterday morning. Phuket City Police sent an officer to monitor the situation at the nightclub near Surin Circle (known as Fountain Circle) on Rassada Road in Talad Yai market. The officer informed his team that people were gambling at the club.…

  • Thailand welcomes 900,000 foreign tourists during Jan 1-15 | Thaiger

    Thailand welcomes 900,000 foreign tourists during Jan 1-15

    In the first half of January, Thailand welcomed a grand total of 913,013 foreign tourists, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Governor of the TAT Yuthasak Supsasorn revealed that Russia has overtaken Malaysia as the Number 1 tourism market… Foreign Arrivals in Thailand by Nationality January 1 – 15, 2023 Russians (99,593) Malaysians (89,461) South Koreans (47,471) Indians…

  • Where to celebrate Chinese New Year in Thailand | Thaiger

    Where to celebrate Chinese New Year in Thailand

    Thailand is home to a large ethnically Chinese population, which means that Chinese New Year is a big deal here. The holiday, also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, has been celebrated in Thailand for centuries by the country’s Chinese-Thai community. Chinese New Year festivals offer exciting experiences filled with dragon parades, fireworks, dance performances, and more. This…

  • Thai man uses soy sauce to fake suicide, hoping to win wife back | Thaiger

    Thai man uses soy sauce to fake suicide, hoping to win wife back

    A Thai man used soy sauce to fake suicide on Monday in hopes of winning back his wife and son. The man, 50 year old Watchara, was estranged from his wife, 40 year old Pla, due to conflicts between the couple. He lives in the southern Chumphon province, while she lives in Pattaya. On Monday, Watchara travelled to Pattaya, hoping…

  • Police wife accused of swindling 110,000 baht from Burmese novice | Thaiger

    Police wife accused of swindling 110,000 baht from Burmese novice

    The wife of a police officer has been accused of swindling 110,000 baht from a 10 year old Burmese novice monk. The Ministry of Justice awarded the child the allowance after his father was jailed for murdering his mother. The arresting officer took pity on the boy, named Marwin, and asked his wife to submit guardianship forms so they could…

  • Volunteer teaching English to underprivileged children in Bangkok | Thaiger

    Volunteer teaching English to underprivileged children in Bangkok

    Bangkok Community Help Foundation runs a weekly volunteer-led class that aims to teach English and improve the lives of underprivileged children in the Klong Toei area of the city. Children learn new English vocabulary, play games, dance Zumba, and do arts and crafts projects in a fun environment. At the end of each class, students are provided with a hot…

  • Cannabis in Thailand: A Guide for Tourists | Thaiger

    Cannabis in Thailand: A Guide for Tourists

    Thailand’s crazy cannabis laws can be difficult to navigate so the Ministry of Public Health has issued a guide titled “10 Things Tourists Need to Know About Cannabis in Thailand” to help budding cannabis tourists stay out of trouble. Since the marijuana plant (“Gancha” in Thai language) was removed from Thailand’s list of Category 5 Narcotics on June 9 this…

  • 8 million MOPH webpages hacked by gambling websites | Thaiger

    8 million MOPH webpages hacked by gambling websites

    The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) closed approximately eight million official government-related webpages after they were hacked by illegal gambling websites. MOPH Information and Communication Technology Centre Director Anan Kanoksin told Thai media that illicit online gambling websites have been illegally squatting on government platforms after they sat idle for months. The illegal gambling websites were able to squat on…

  • Teen shoots dead rival with 800 baht gun in central Thailand | Thaiger

    Teen shoots dead rival with 800 baht gun in central Thailand

    A Thai teenager used a gun he ordered from the Internet for 800 baht to shoot dead his rival in Samut Prakan province in central Thailand on Friday morning. The 17 year old culprit, Champ, killed 28 year old Kittisak, a YouTuber and former vocational student, with a single gunshot wound to the chest through his back at his own…

  • 2 excise officers arrested in 300,000 baht ransom kidnapping case | Thaiger

    2 excise officers arrested in 300,000 baht ransom kidnapping case

    Two excise officers and one of their friends were arrested yesterday after they kidnapped a phone shop worker and held her to a 300,000 baht ransom in the central province of Samut Prakarn. A Chinese man, Wu Yiwen, filed a complaint at Mueang Samut Prakarn Police Station yesterday at 3.30pm. The 31 year old said the kidnapping incident happened at…

  • Why does Thailand need F-35 fighter jets? [video] | Thaiger

    Why does Thailand need F-35 fighter jets? [video]

    Thailand‘s attempts to beg the new F-35 Fifth Generation fighter jet from the United States have progressed at a snail’s pace. The acquisition has been questioned on all sides since its inception, and continues to be. The issues standing in Thailand’s way seem to amount to three main things. The US certainly doesn’t want its shiny (actually not shiny at…

  • Walk-in driving license services now available in Thailand | Thaiger

    Walk-in driving license services now available in Thailand

    Obtaining a new driving license or renewing an old one just got easier in Thailand. Walk-in services are now available at transport offices nationwide without the need to book an appointment, according to the Department of Land Transport (DLT). Anyone wanting to renew their Thai driving license can obtain an ‘eLearning’ theoretical training certificate through the DLT’s website, which also…

  • ‘Big Joke’ moves on Chinese passport forgers | Thaiger

    ‘Big Joke’ moves on Chinese passport forgers

    The Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn, swooped on Chinese passport forgers hiding at the Bangkok residence of a Nauruan diplomat. Onassis Dame, consul-general to Thailand from the tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru, and his family no longer live there, according to Radio Free Asia. Instead, the residence, which investigators raided on December 22,…

  • Man arrested for stealing over 10 million baht in valuables at a fitness centre | Thaiger

    Man arrested for stealing over 10 million baht in valuables at a fitness centre

    A thief who stole over 10 million baht of valuables from a businessman at a fitness centre two weeks ago was arrested yesterday. The man pretended to be a fitness centre customer, stole safety box keys, and duplicated the keys to complete a series of thefts. On Tuesday, January 10, 35 year old businessman, Sathit, filed a complaint at Mueang Nonthaburi…

  • Thailand tourism forum pushes innovation centerstage as industry leaders debate the future of hospitality | Thaiger

    Thailand tourism forum pushes innovation centerstage as industry leaders debate the future of hospitality

    Press Release Thailand’s largest annual tourism and hospitality event brings 800 delegates together for a fast-paced single-day show at Conrad Bangkok BANGKOK, THAILAND: As Thailand’s tourism industry powers its way into an accelerated period of recovery, with international arrivals pouring in and China poised to create the next big wave, what’s the ensuing step for the Kingdom? The world has…

  • Famous Belgian murderer Robert Beijer arrested in Pattaya, Thailand | Thaiger

    Famous Belgian murderer Robert Beijer arrested in Pattaya, Thailand

    Convicted murderer and suspect in Belgium’s infamous ‘Brabant Killers‘ case of the 1980s – Robert Beijer – has been arrested in Pattaya, Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand. Robert Beijer, a former state policeman, was convicted of murdering and robbing an Antwerp diamond dealer in 1995 along with Madani Bouhouche. Beijer was sentenced to 14 years but was let out early…

  • US police officer asks appeals court to overturn George Floyd murder conviction | Thaiger

    US police officer asks appeals court to overturn George Floyd murder conviction

    The US police officer who was convicted of murdering unarmed black man George Floyd has asked the court to overturn his murder conviction. Derek Charuvin argued to the appeals court that the extreme media attention and potential for riots had deprived him of a “fair” trial. According to NDTV.com, the 46 year old was convicted of murder in Minnesota back…

  • Cambodian thieves snatch Japanese man’s bag on flight to Thailand | Thaiger

    Cambodian thieves snatch Japanese man’s bag on flight to Thailand

    Two Cambodian thieves snatched a Japanese man’s bag on a flight to Thailand from Cambodia yesterday. His belongings included a luxury bag, Sennheiser, Sony wireless headphones, an Apple iPad, 11,240 baht, and 186,000 yen (about 47,000 baht). The unnamed victim said the thieves were seated in the same row as him on the flight to Suvarnabhumi Airport from Phenom Penh.…

  • Ukraine helicopter crash kills Interior Minister, at least 18 others | Thaiger

    Ukraine helicopter crash kills Interior Minister, at least 18 others

    A Ukraine helicopter crash reportedly killed Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky and at least 18 others. The crash occurred near a kindergarten in the town of Brovary, just northeast of the capital of Kyiv yesterday. Yehvheniy Yenin, Monastyrsky’s deputy, along with a state secretary, was also killed in the crash. According to the Interior Ministry, three children were killed among the tally…

  • Bank of Thailand warns of elevated financial cybercrime risk | Thaiger

    Bank of Thailand warns of elevated financial cybercrime risk

    The Bank of Thailand (BoT) is warning consumers and banks of an elevated financial cybercrime risk. The warning comes after a man claimed that he had lost 101,560 baht from his bank account after using a public charging outlet. The BoT denied the claim after conducting an investigation and said it believes the theft occurred because the man was a…

  • Phuket minivan driver loses license after driving while high on meth | Thaiger

    Phuket minivan driver loses license after driving while high on meth

    A Phuket minivan driver is now without a license after police reprimanded him for driving high on meth. The driver was caught six days ago after driving outbound on Thep Kassattri Road in Mai Khao, Thalang on a flat tire which caused sparks to come from the wheel. According to the Phuket Express, the Phuket Land Transport Office says the…

  • Thai court denies bail to alleged Singaporean Forex-3D scammer | Thaiger

    Thai court denies bail to alleged Singaporean Forex-3D scammer

    Today, Thailand‘s Criminal Court denied bail to the alleged Singaporean Forex-3D scammer who was nabbed by police at Phuket Airport as he tried to flee the country on Monday. He was taken straight to Bangkok Remand Prison. The accused, 32 year old Daryl Cai Yonghui, is charged with “public fraud” and “inputting false information into a computer system in a…

  • Bank of Thailand blames dating app for phone hacking | Thaiger

    Bank of Thailand blames dating app for phone hacking

    The Bank of Thailand (BoT) denied a claim made on social media that a man lost money from his bank account after recharging his phone at a public outlet. BoT believes the theft occurred because the man was a victim of a malware attack. Police also attributed the theft to malware, stating that the user had downloaded an unsafe dating…

  • Five airlines launch direct flights between Phuket and China this week | Thaiger

    Five airlines launch direct flights between Phuket and China this week

    Five airlines are launching direct flights between China and Phuket in southern Thailand this week. The services will connect Phuket to Shanghai, Nanjing, and Chengdu. Today, Phuket will welcome three direct flights from Shanghai on Spring Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, and Juneyao Airlines. All three services will fly daily. Juneyao Airlines’ inaugural daily direct service from Nanjing will also land on…

  • 66 year old monk accused of raping 12 year old novice | Thaiger

    66 year old monk accused of raping 12 year old novice

    A 66 year old monk is on the run from a temple in the central province of Prachin Buri after being accused of raping and sexually abusing a 12 year old novice for more than six months. The scandal emerged after the novice visited a hospital due to a complaint about an anus infection. The 12 year old was sent to…

  • Drowsy driver crashes sedan into cyclists killing 1, injuring 10 | Thaiger

    Drowsy driver crashes sedan into cyclists killing 1, injuring 10

    A drowsy driver fell asleep behind the wheel of his sedan and crashed into a group of cyclists on the road in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat. One cyclist was killed and 10 were injured. A security camera on the Nakhon Si Thammarat-Surat Thani Road in the Sichon district clearly shows the incident that happened at 7am on…

  • Deputy PM pledges to increase state welfare benefit to 700 baht | Thaiger

    Deputy PM pledges to increase state welfare benefit to 700 baht

    Not to be outdone by Pheu Thai Party (PTP) election promises Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon pledged to increase state welfare scheme benefits if he becomes prime minister in May. The PTP, led by Paetongtarn Shinawatra, vows to increase the daily minimum wage for Thai workers to 600-baht, introduce a 25,000-baht salary for graduates by 2027 and reduce utility…