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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Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...
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No reason given for permanent closure of popular Saphan Pla Hua Hin Walking Street
Saphan Pla Walking Street, in Hua Hin district of the southern province Prachuab Khiri Khan, has closed permanently. The announcement of the closure appeared on the walking street’s official Facebook page on Wednesday, May 18. The page announced, “Saphan Pla Hua Hin Walking Street closes permanently for some reason. Sorry to everyone who is interested to visit and contact us…
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Thailand sets sights on “wealthy foreign tourists” to recover economy
The Tourism Authority of Thailand, or TAT, is again going to target “wealthy group of tourists” as it works out its marketing plan as it contributes to the recovery the Thai economy following a 2 year hiatus due to closed borders and restrictions. The TAT claims that, focussing on the “rich groups”, 1.93 trillion baht will be generated in 2024…
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PM defends government’s performance, wants to move Thailand forward
The Thai PM has defended his government’s performance since seizing power in a military coup 8 years ago. According to a Bangkok Post report, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says he’s led Thailand through “crisis after crisis” and is doing his best to move the country forward. The PM says at the time he seized power, the nation was deeply divided and…
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Expect more floods coming up this weekend in most of Thailand
If you’ve loved all the heavy rains and flash flooding throughout Thailand this past week, then get excited for this weekend! The Thai Meteorological Department warned yesterday to expect heavy to very heavy rains in most areas including the north, northeast, central Thailand, the east, the Bangkok area, and the south. The heavy rain may cause flash floods from May…
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As travel opens, Phuket officials gather to fight drug problem
Now that Thailand’s travel restrictions are easing, Phuket officials are on guard for an expected increase in demands for illegal drugs. This morning, a group of officials held a meeting at Phuket City Hall to discuss drug issues in the island province. The meeting was led by a director from the Region 8 Drug Enforcement Administration. Officials from other government…
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Canadian man arrested for stealing traffic barriers in Chiang Mai
Police have arrested a Canadian expat in Chiang Mai after driving his car around the city to steal metal traffic barriers. Yes, traffic barriers. 69 year old Ronald John Price was arrested today on Ratchadamnoen Road in Chiang Mai. According to reports, Mr. Price covered his face whilst stealing metal traffic barriers from around the province. He drove his sedan…
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Thai-Chinese gang arrested for dating app scam at Chiang Mai’s luxury resort
Police yesterday revealed that a Thai-Chinese gang had been arrested in Chaing Mai for operating illegal dating scam activities after a tip off. Police apprehended 24 people after a member of the public alerted authorities to a group of Chinese men behaving suspiciously at the luxury Chaing Mai holiday resort. The gang included 20 Chinese and 4 Thai, 2 of…
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Leaders of smaller Thai parties want to legalise online casinos
Twenty representatives of smaller Thai political parties have submitted a draft amendment for the Gambling Act to Thailand’s parliamentary house speaker yesterday. The draft amendment would aim to legalise online casinos. An MP from the Thai Local Power Party said that legalising online casinos will let authorities collect taxes from license holders, and decide how to punish illegal casino operators.…
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Nok Air gamble fails to take off costing airline millions
Low-cost budget airline Nok Air’s gamble of investing in a special route to boost tourism has backfired to the tune of 40 million baht. The Thai airline, which mostly operates domestic services out of Don Mueang International Airport, introduced the Bangkok to Betong route in February but plan to scrap it in July after suffering heavy losses. The Betong International…
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Stolen gold found scattered in northern Thailand
After a robber stole several pricy items from a gold shop earlier this week, police found 7 trays of gold ornaments in the middle of a river in northern Thailand’s Tak province. Local people showed the gold to police after they spotted it on an islet in the middle of Ping River in the main city district. The locals also…
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UWC Thailand to host Moonlit Melodies Refugee Fundraising Concert
Press Release UWC Thailand will be hosting a fundraising concert, Moonlit Melodies, on 10 June 2022 at the Pavilions Hotels & Resorts Firefly Restaurant. The highlight of the evening will be performances from the Harvard Radcliffe Pitches, an acapella group comprised of 13 Harvard undergraduates, including a UWC alumni. This exceptional group of treble-voiced musicians is dedicated to preserving and performing the…
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Danish man left suicidal after being raped for a week in Phuket
A Danish man confessed he was left suicidal after being kidnapped, drugged and raped at the popular Thai holiday resort of Phuket five years ago. Mathias Søby Kristensen revealed in a no holds barred interview on a Danish TV documentary how he still has nightmares after being drugged and sexually abused by a Thai man while on holiday at the…
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Thai officials say schools can set their own hair rules, but no harsh punishment
Thailand school haircut drama continues as the Education Ministry has announced yesterday that schools are free to set their own hairstyle rules. While Education Minister Trinuch Thienthong added that schools have been ordered not to impose harsh punishments on students who violate hairstyle rules, the secretary-general of Thailand’s Basic Education Commission reiterated that responsibility over the rules lies with schools.…
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Thai government winning war against drugs after seizing 5 billion baht haul from nation’s cartels
The Thai Minister of Justice yesterday revealed around 5 billion baht had been recovered from nationwide drug raids. Somsak Thepsutin disclosed to Thai media the government is winning the war against drugs, cracking down on illegal cartels, and expects to recoup 10 billion baht by the end of the year after seizing more than half of that amount from illegal…
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Thailand’s biggest light festival is headed to Phuket
After it began last week in Krabi, Thailand’s biggest light festival, known as the Aqua Lumina Illumination Festival, is headed towards Phuket. The festival will dazzle the shores of Nai Harn Beach from this coming Friday until May 31. The festival in Phuket will display lit up sculptures and multimedia shows, as well as projection mapping with 3D images with…
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Karma in Kalasin: Man steals drain cover then drives his car into the hole
A thief from Kalasin province in northeast Thailand got a taste of his own medicine today after he stole a drain cover and proceeded to drive his pickup truck into the open hole. He was forced to request help from municipality officers, who instantly recognised him as the thief from CCTV footage, detained him and handed him over to the…
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Prosecutor in Red Bull heir case kicked out of civil service
Today, Thailand’s public prosecution committee unanimously agreed to kick ex-general attorney Nate Naksuk out of the civil service for choosing not to indict the “Red Bull heir,” who killed a police officer in a hit-and-run incident back in 2012. Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidya – the grandson of billionaire Red Bull co-founder Chaleo Yoovidhya – became a fugitive after speeding through the…
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LINE app popular in Thailand warns users, look out for scams
LINE, a chat app popular in Thailand, is warning users to be on the lookout for scammers who might use SMS and LINE chat to steal personal information. The app said today that recently, some scammers claimed to be company officials, and posted job announcements via SMS and Line chat. LINE said that scammers are also adding people as ‘friends’…
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New Krabi Airport terminal scheduled to open in November
Krabi International Airport is hoping to double its passenger capacity when a new passenger terminal opens, car parking areas increased and renovations are completed on the old terminal. The terminals were expected to officially open in October, but the schedule is now postponed until November due to delays caused by the Covid pandemic in Thailand (although The Thaiger notes the…
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Mixed fortunes for Thai Airways but nation’s flag carrier confident of financial take off
Financial figures released yesterday by Thai Airways International revealed mixed fortunes for the Bangkok-based airline. Thailand’s flag carrier airline declared a net loss of nearly 3.4 billion baht on revenue of 11.2 billion baht in Q1, an improvement on the 11.2 billion baht net loss from the same period last year, but on the positive side the company also noted…
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Flooding in Bangkok after 10 hours of torrential rain
Bangkok has flooded in many areas after 10 hours of torrential rain beginning at 3pm yesterday and continuing into the early hours of this morning, according to the Department of Drainage and Sewage. The most affected areas are Chatuchak, Lak Si, Don Mueang and Lat Phrao. In some places, the water level has reached higher than 1 metre. The floods…
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Thai aviation industry says international flights at only 20% of pre-pandemic level
The Thai Airlines Association says that in the first 4 months of this year, domestic flights have returned to nearly 100% of their pre-pandemic level. However, international flights have still only reached 20% of pre-Covid-19 levels. TAA president, Putthiphong Prasatthong-Osot, says the lifting of some travel restrictions has led to an increase in passenger numbers, but adds that it will…
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Police hunt foreigner wanted in relation to violent assault at Pattaya gym
Police in Pattaya are searching for a foreign man wanted in relation to a violent assault on another foreigner at a local gym. According to a Pattaya News report, 46-year-old British national, Gary Reed, was assaulted with a dumbbell in a row over gym equipment. The victim says that he was exercising at the gym when a foreign man started…
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Russell Crowe to question Bangkok governor candidates live on TV
On Thursday May 19, Russell Crowe and six other celebrities will ask questions to seven Bangkok governor candidates live on TV prior to the election which will be held on Sunday, May 22. From 4:15pm – 6pm on Thursday, Channel 7HD will air the live programme “22 May: Deciding Bangkok’s Fate” hosted by Tin Chokkamolkij. Seven Bangkok governor candidates will…
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Thailand to welcome one millionth tourist this year by end of May
Thailand expects its one millionth foreign tourist this year to arrive by the end of May, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The kingdom has seen a sharp increase in tourists since the Test & Go programme and other entry requirements were scrapped at the start this month. However, the current influx of tourists still has nothing on pre-pandemic…
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450 charging stations for electric vehicles by the end of 2022
PTT Oil and Retail Business (OR) plans to increase its electric vehicle (EV) business by adding more charging stations in the nation’s shopping malls by the end of the year. Terminal 21, Fashion Island, and The Promenade are next in line to get the charging stations under the PluZ brand. Five more stations, two in Bangkok, two in Pattaya and…
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6 million baht worth of gold stolen in Northern Thailand
Police are on the lookout for an armed robber who fled the crime scene with nearly 6 million baht worth of gold from a Big C Supermarket in Tak, Northern Thailand, on Sunday. The robber burst into the popular superstore, withdrew a handgun, demanded cash and several trays of gold jewelry, before making his escape on a white Yamaha motorbike…
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Government says relaxed travel restrictions have led to tourism surge on Phuket, Samui
The Thai government is patting itself on the back for the decision to ease entry restrictions, which officials say has boosted tourism in places like Phuket and Koh Samui. “All this is due to the government’s move to ease travel restrictions during the country’s high season between March and May.” So says government spokesman, Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, pointing out that up…
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In Thailand, Covid numbers plummet, but restrictions remain
Thailand registered 5,238 new Covid infections and 40 new Covid-related deaths over the last 24 hours, another day of drops in numbers since the Omicron variant hit its peak on April 1 with 28,379 infections in a 24 hour period. Yesterday there were 6,094 new infections and 51 deaths. But the number of deaths from Covid-19 has been stubbornly consistently…
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More Thai national parks to close to allow for recovery during monsoon season
The national parks at Mu Koh Similan and Mu Koh Surin have joined Mu Koh Lanta in Krabi province in closing for the monsoon season. The famous tourist attraction of Maya Bay, on Koh Phi Phi Leh, kicked things off recently, when officials announced that it would once again close to allow the bay’s fragile eco-system to recover. Maya Bay re-opened…
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