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 The real cost of being a digital nomad in Thailand
Thailand is a popular destination for digital nomads, known for its affordable living, lively culture, and modern facilities. With its warm climate, great food, and friendly communities, it's an ideal place for remote workers to balance work and travel. However,...
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Samut Prakan curfew breaker cries for mother after police find drugs on him
Recently, a man in Samut Prakan, a central Thai province, was arrested after he broke curfew and whose suspicious behaviour led police to discover an array of drugs on his person. The man, 45 year old Pairot Nakbut, was caught outside around 9:30 pm near a police checkpoint. Pairot was reportedly uncooperative and cried out for his mother for an…
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Phuket Sandbox Express Bus to be ended August 16
On the back of the news that the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand has approved airlines to schedule charter flights in and out of Phuket, officials announced that the Sandbox Express Bus set up last week to transport Phuket Sandbox travellers to their exit flights from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport will be discontinued after August 16. The bus was set up…
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Phuket man shot in leg and hit with baseball bat, police investigate
Phuket police are investigating an assault in Patong where a man was shot in the leg and smashed in the head with a baseball bat. The Patong Police learned of the assault through a 191 national police hotline just before 6 pm yesterday following a report from rescue workers where they took a wounded man to the Patong hospital The…
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Charter flights from Phuket approved by CAAT for Sandboxers
A new chance for travel out of the Phuket Sandbox was just approved as the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand announced they will allow airlines to schedule charter flights between Phuket to Bangkok. The permission granted comes after Thai Smile petitioned the government to allow a flight on August 14 to assist people who travelled into the Phuket Sandbox, but…
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Phuket murder suspect charged with attempted rape
Yesterday, Phuket police charged Teerawat Thothip, the 27 year old accused of killing a Swiss tourist, with attempted rape. The commissioner of Provincial Police Region 8, Kitrat Phanphet, says there is enough evidence to substantiate an attempted rape charge against Teerawat. Last Saturday, Teerawat was arrested following the police’s discovery of Nicole Sauvain-Weisskopf’s body 2 days prior. Kitrat says the…
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Phuket officials identify “risky” tourist spots following holidaymaker’s murder
Following the murder of a Swiss tourist at an isolated waterfall on the island of Phuket last week, officials have been busy identifying other potential danger spots. Nation Thailand reports that the Phuket sandbox command centre has named 6 locations that could pose a risk to tourists. Provincial governor Narong Woonciew has called on local authorities to tighten security at…
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Tourism officials to launch major Phuket marketing campaign overseas
Following the recent murder of a Swiss tourist, and the US government advising citizens to avoid travel to Thailand, Phuket’s tourism sector faces some serious challenges. The southern island re-opened to international tourists on July 1 under its sandbox scheme but now officials fear that may be in jeopardy. The Bangkok Post reports that the Tourism Authority of Thailand is…
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Anti-government protests, clashes with police continue for second day in Bangkok
Violence has erupted on the streets of Bangkok for the second day in a row as anti-government protesters clashed with police. Thai PBS World reports that protesters hurled bricks, firecrackers, and slingshots at officers at the Victory Monument and the Din Daeng intersection. Yesterday’s rally was organised by the Talu Fah group, which is closely allied to the Ratsadon pro-democracy…
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Kratom legalised, over 8,000 people will have charges cleared
With kratom being removed from the list of illegal narcotics in Thailand officially on August 24, the Office of Narcotics Control Board says charges will be dropped or cleared for over 8,000 people. The ONCB announced that about 1,000 people who had been convicted of use, sale or possession of the plant traditionally used in herbal medicine will have their…
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Press lawsuit to stop police from using rubber bullets rejected
After being injured by rubber bullets police fired at protesters despite being clearly marked as members of the press, a journalist with Plus Seven and a photographer from The Matter filed a lawsuit against the police. Now the Civil Court has responded, throwing out their petition to stop police from using rubber bullets as part of crowd control during protests.…
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Nakhon Si Thammarat man arrested for allegedly possessing 2 illegal firearms
Today, a man in the Southern Thai province of Nakhon Si Thammarat was arrested after police searched his dwelling and located 2 firearms. Serm Kwannimit, the deputy provincial police chief, says, officers were responding to information that military-grade weapons were being sold at 20 year old Teeradet “Bang Jack” Chuhai’s house. Police found an AK-47 assault rifle and a 9mm…
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Heavy rain causes flash flood in Surat Thani
Raging currents of flood swept away the roof of a shop at Surat Thani province. Due to heavy rain, water from the Nuea Khlong waterfall flowed down the mountain yesterday, flooding some houses in Wiang Sa District. Southern parts of Thailand get by far the most rain, with around 2,400 millimeters every year, compared with the central and northern regions…
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Anti-government protesters in violent clashes with police in Bangkok
Pro-democracy activists clashed with police in Bangkok last night in response to the authorities’ use of teargas, rubber bullets, and water cannon. Thai PBS World reports that the clashes took place at the Din Daeng intersection in the capital, following a rally organised by protest group, the United Front for Thammasat and Demonstration. It’s understood a number of activists refused…
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Order banning fear-inducing information repealed by PM
After widespread criticism from Thai media and human rights organisations, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has backed down and repealed his order banning posting information that could cause fear, regardless of whether it was true. The order was published in the Royal Gazette on July 29 and put into effect the next day, and last night the Gazette published the repeal of…
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Q3 tourism hopes fade as US advises citizens not to travel to Thailand
Hopes are fading for a tourism revival in the third quarter of this year after the US government cautioned its citizens against unnecessary travel to Thailand. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has added Thailand to its Level 4 countries, the highest-level warning, as a result of the rising Covid-19 infections in the Kingdom. The Bangkok Post reports that…
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Pattaya reopening postponed indefinitely as Covid-19 persists
The Tourism Authority of Thailand announced that the Pattaya reopening plan scheduled to launch on September 1 has been postponed indefinitely. With Covid-19 still ravaging the Chon Buri province, the TAT has conceded that it won’t be possible to reopen to international travellers safely in just 20 days. Hua Hin and other tourist areas received the same bad news from…
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Motorbike “mob” protest in Bangkok, police advise drivers to take alternative routes
With another car and motorbike mob protest in Bangkok, honking horns and backing up traffic, Royal Thai Police released a warning early today warning drivers to avoid the Ratchaprasong intersection and advised people to take one of 12 alternative routes. There have been several car and motorbike mob protests over the past several months, many calling on PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to…
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Police ‘ready’ to investigate Thailand arms dealer in plot to kill Myanmar UN envoy
Following the arrest of two Burmese men in the US who were allegedly working with an arms dealer in Thailand to attack, and potentially kill, Myanmar’s ambassador to the United Nations, the Royal Thai Police are preparing to assist in the investigation. The deputy spokesperson for the Thai police told reporters that the US has not contacted them, but they…
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Over 14,000 foreign tourists avail of Phuket sandbox scheme during first month
The Tourism Authority of Thailand reports that Phuket welcomed over 14,000 foreign tourists, generating an estimated 829 million baht, during the first month of the island’s sandbox scheme. The Phuket sandbox was launched on July 1, allowing vaccinated foreign tourists from low-risk countries to visit the island without quarantine. Participants are required to stay in approved hotels and remain on…
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US tells citizens to avoid travel to Thailand, upgrades country to highest warning level
While officials rush to restore Phuket’s reputation following the murder of a Swiss tourist, the eyes of the US government are on how Thailand is managing the pandemic (or not). According to a Bangkok Post report, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention is warning citizens against travel to Thailand as Covid-19 infections and deaths continue to rise. The…
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Political activist “Penguin” back in prison ahead of large protest tomorrow
Pro-democracy activist Parit Chiwarak, aka “Penguin”, has been re-arrested and imprisoned ahead of an important rally tomorrow. The Bangkok Post reports that Parit was detained on his arrival at Royal Thai Police headquarters yesterday following a summons issued on August 2. Parit faces charges related to graffiti that appeared outside a police office in the central province of Pathum Thani.…
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Report contradicts Thai government’s claim that wild tiger numbers are increasing
A new report from the World Wildlife Fund says Thailand’s progress in doubling its wild tiger population by 2022 could be better. However, the findings are contradicted by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, with department boss Thanya Nethithammakul saying numbers have gone up from 166 in 2020 to 177 this year and that his staff are…
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Phuket officials rush to restore visitor confidence following tourist murder
Officials on the southern island of Phuket are pulling out all the stops in a bid to restore tourist confidence, following the murder of Swiss national Nicole Sauvain-Weisskopf last week. The victim, who’d been visiting Phuket under the island’s sandbox scheme, was found dead at Ao Yon waterfall last Thursday. The Bangkok Post reports that the murder has left local…
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Pattaya suspect refuses to exit car, livestreams police encounter
Viral videos or live streams of encounters with the police have become a common occurrence in the United States and a few other countries, but on Friday a transgender person in Pattaya refused to exit her car after being stopped by police and live-streamed the whole event. The woman was a suspect after reports of a drug dealer in a…
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Confession and evidence, not a scapegoat, in Phuket murder
More details are emerging as confirmed about the suspect arrested in the horrifying murder of Swiss traveller Nicole Sauvain-Weisskopf, found dead at Ao Yon Waterfall on Friday. Police have taken Teerawat Thothip into custody and say that he has confessed to the crime amid suspicions that Phuket police would find a scapegoat to quickly “solve” the crime. The 27 year…
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Thailand’s Teflon MP denies he is “ready” to be the next Thai PM
Thammanat Prompao for Thai PM. Huh?! The Palang Pracharat ‘fixer’, and former guest of the Australian prison system, is crying ‘fake news’ over a social media post saying that he’s “ready and waiting” to be offered the top job in Thai politics. Palang Pracharat is the majority coalition party in the current Thai government. The Agriculture and Cooperatives minister, and…
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Police and protesters clash at increasingly aggressive protests
Tensions flared at today’s anti-government protests, as demonstrators had to re-route 3 times due to police pushback efforts. The original plan was to meet at the Democracy Monument at 2 pm today and march to the Grand Palace, as pro-monarchy groups called for the army to step in and fortify the historic complex they called a sacred site. But police…
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UPDATE: Suspect in Swiss murder in Phuket is a “Thai man”
UPDATE TO OUR PREVIOUS ARTICLE New details have just emerged in Thai media about the suspect detained today in the murder of the 57 year old Swiss traveller in Phuket found yesterday. The newly obtained information says the suspect is in fact a 27 year old Thai man, and not a 33 year old Burmese man as previously reported (in…
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New internet freedom study lowers Thailand to 3rd to last
A new report on internet freedom and censorship around the world has placed Thailand in the third-lowest ranking, dropping 2 levels from last year. On a scale of 1 to 11, one being nearly unrestricted and 11 being fully locked down, Thailand is now ranked an 8, with the report declaring Thailand’s internet freedom 73% restricted. Comparitech, the company that…
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UPDATE: Phuket police claim they have arrested a suspect in the murder of the Swiss Sandboxer
UPDATE: In later reports today Thai media have variously described the suspect as a 33 year old Burmese, a 27 year old Thai and, with Thai PBS, not sure… but police will make a statement in a media conference later. “Police say there will be a press conference tomorrow about the murder of the Swiss tourist. They insist the suspect…
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