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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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    Moving to Thailand? Here are the health documents you should prepare before you go

    The Thaiger key takeaways Valid passport, visa documents, health certificate, and vaccination records are essential for immigration and medical care in Thailand. Health insurance that meets visa requirements, like Cigna, provides protection, direct billing, and access to a wide hospital...

  • Elizabeth Hurley denies rumours she swiped Prince Harry’s v-card | Thaiger

    Elizabeth Hurley denies rumours she swiped Prince Harry’s v-card

    British actress Elizabeth Hurley denies rumours that she swiped the Duke of Sussex Prince Harry’s v-card, although he mentions losing his ‘virginity to a beautiful, older woman in the countryside.’ Although Hurley, an English actress, has always been known for her stunning beauty, she said, “No. Not me. Absolutely not,” when responding to the rumours. The British actress and model spoke…

  • Hunger calling at villagers doors amid drought in central Thailand | Thaiger

    Hunger calling at villagers doors amid drought in central Thailand

    A hungry herd of elephants went knocking on doors in a Prachin Buri village early yesterday morning, searching for food or water as drought drives them out of their reserve. Frightened villagers awoke to the sounds of wild elephants shuffling around in their yards, rooting for veggies, early on Saturday. Residents of Nong Pradu reported that some elephants from the…

  • Heavy rains close Gulf ferries, Surin Islands for 2 days | Thaiger

    Heavy rains close Gulf ferries, Surin Islands for 2 days

    Heavy rains, high winds and thunderstorms have ferries cancelled and areas closing down for the next few days in the south of Thailand. In the Gulf of Thailand, all ferry services between the mainland and Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao have been suspended for two days. On the Andaman Sea, the national park on the Surin Islands has…

  • Murder in the temple – don’t drink and pray | Thaiger

    Murder in the temple – don’t drink and pray

    When 36 year old Banjerd Yimchoi and his friend 32 year old friend Theerayut Tumorn went to a concert at Plak Raet temple in Phitsanulok province last week, no one could have suspected how the murder in the temple would unfold. The pair had gone with their boss, construction contractor Pratheep Hinart, and started drinking heavily at his place before…

  • Koh Samui welcomes second cruise ship, 2,500 tourists | Thaiger

    Koh Samui welcomes second cruise ship, 2,500 tourists

    For only the second time in the last 3 years, a large cruise ship has arrived today at Koh Samui, four times larger than the first. After cruising came to a halt worldwide as cruise ships became the perfect petri dish for the spread a Covid-19, only one other cruise ship has arrived on the holiday island previously just three…

  • Tourist police warn travellers of Thai scams | Thaiger

    Tourist police warn travellers of Thai scams

    Spiderman’s uncle once said, “With great tourism, comes great scamability.” We might be paraphrasing a bit, but as Thailand is welcoming international tourists once again pouring into the country, the tourist police are warning that perhaps not-so-welcomed scammers are also returning to prey on fresh foreign victims. The commissioner of the Tourist Police Bureau says that they are increasing police presence…

  • Chinese Pattaya nightclub owner nowhere in sight as cops seize token assets | Thaiger

    Chinese Pattaya nightclub owner nowhere in sight as cops seize token assets

    A Pattaya Police attempt to dismantle the drug networks of a Chinese crime boss has failed to apprehend that star of the show. At least the police managed to get their hands on a few of the nightclub owner’s assets worth a paltry 50 million baht (US$1.5 million). It’s not quite as exciting as it sounds. They didn’t take the…

  • Superpowers fight for supercomputer supremacy | Thaiger

    Superpowers fight for supercomputer supremacy

    Sanctions designed to cripple China’s chipmakers are the US weapon of choice, as skirmishes begin in the superpowers’ fight for supercomputer supremacy. The current most-favoured US target for fear, hatred and sanctions – China’s semiconductor industry – has good reason to worry about the world’s policeman, now turned world’s store detective. The US will do almost anything to keep its…

  • Thai baht depreciates against US dollar | Thaiger

    Thai baht depreciates against US dollar

    After a recent surge of strength by the Thai baht earlier this month, it has now depreciated against the US dollar. As of today, December 16, the baht now stands at about 35 per USD, according to an executive at Kasikorn Research Center, Kanchana Chokpaisarnsilp. Yesterday, the baht was at 34.92 per USD, Daily News reported. Market strategist Poon Panichphiboon…

  • Tuhao buck passes to Department of Special Investigation | Thaiger

    Tuhao buck passes to Department of Special Investigation

    The “Tuhao” case is certainly a complicated one. Its trail of intrigue leads from Beijing to Bangkok and back again, passing all points between. So it is no surprise that the Department of Special Investigation decided to take up the case involving Chinese businessman Chaiyanat “Tuhao” Kornchayanant. Justice will now be served. Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin said yesterday that Tuhao was…

  • Phuket selects 100 youth leaders in latest anti-drug campaign | Thaiger

    Phuket selects 100 youth leaders in latest anti-drug campaign

    Phuket is continuing its efforts to fight drug abuse. In the latest anti-drug campaign, officials on the island province yesterday selected 100 youth leaders to participate in activities from December 14-16. The youth leaders are 13-29 years old. They are participating in the activities as part of their training to help prevent drug issues in their areas. The project is…

  • Thailand’s submarine engine talks stall again | Thaiger

    Thailand’s submarine engine talks stall again

    Thailand’s submarine engine talks have stalled again. The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) has still not decided on how to power an S26T Yuan-class submarine being assembled in China. The choice remains the same – a Chinese-made engine or an unobtainable German-made one. Germany’s embargo on sales of military equipment, which it initiated in the wake of WWII, prevented the sale…

  • Field of cosmos flowers open to tourists to central Thailand province | Thaiger

    Field of cosmos flowers open to tourists to central Thailand province

    Flower lovers have yet another attraction to see in Thailand, as flowers continue to bloom during the winter season. A field of cosmos flowers is open to tourists in the main city district of Lop Buri province in central Thailand. A Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) director’s office in the province brought a group of people to admire the purple,…

  • Infected spinach recalled in Australia after people become delirious | Thaiger

    Infected spinach recalled in Australia after people become delirious

    It appears spinach not only gives you superhuman strength but it also makes you delirious. The vegetable made famous by the cartoon character Popeye caused a health alarm in Australia after a number of people who ate it became ill and experienced hallucinations. Nine people from four Sydney households yesterday required medical attention after experiencing toxic reactions linked to eating…

  • The Thaiger’s Best Christmas Singles, Ever! | Thaiger

    The Thaiger’s Best Christmas Singles, Ever!

    As readers on The Thaiger platform will have noticed, it’s getting pretty close to Christmas. The team has been suggesting the best places to go to eat, drink, and make merry at this special time of the year. Nostalgia always plays a big part in the festive season and there’s nothing better than wallowing in times gone by when life…

  • Former tennis legend deported from UK | Thaiger

    Former tennis legend deported from UK

    Former tennis legend Boris Becker was deported from the United Kingdom yesterday after serving eight months of a two and a half year sentence for charges relating to a 2017 bankruptcy case. The former world No. 1 tennis player was put on a plane for Germany after he had been released from custody and deported. Becker’s lawyer, Christian-Oliver Moser, made…

  • Bill committee removes section stating cannabis isn’t a narcotic | Thaiger

    Bill committee removes section stating cannabis isn’t a narcotic

    Section 3 of the draft law being debated in the government right now states that cannabis and hemp are not considered narcotic substances under the Narcotics Act. The House committee that is currently scrutinizing the bill agreed to remove that section, causing controversy and hinting at the possibility of redefining the status of cannabis in Thailand. Ever since legalising cannabis…

  • For Tesla Thailand, all bumpy roads lead to China | Thaiger

    For Tesla Thailand, all bumpy roads lead to China

    For newly-minted Tesla Thailand, there’s a bumpy road ahead, and it leads back to China. Tesla began sales in Thailand, just over a week ago, offering its popular Model 3 and Model Y at prices that compete with rivals like BYD. The company staged a glitzy showcase of its plans at Bangkok’s Siam Paragon mall with vehicles to be delivered…

  • Police raid Pattaya club, find no license | Thaiger

    Police raid Pattaya club, find no license

    Police in Pattaya seem to believe that tourists crave the safety and security of club raids each night. That was the reason given for the latest in a long series of nearly nightly raids on clubs and nightlife entertainment venues last night. In the early hours of this morning, police shut down a club that was operating after legal hours…

  • Phuket was Thailand’s top tourist spot this year | Thaiger

    Phuket was Thailand’s top tourist spot this year

    The world-renowned island province of Phuket was Thailand’s top tourism spot in the first 10 months of 2022. From January to October, Phuket drew 2.32 million international tourists to its shores, followed by Chon Buri with 975,026 tourists, Surat Thani with 606,812 tourists, Songkhla with 581,808 tourists, and Chiang Mai with 496,111 tourists. Deputy government spokesperson Tipanan Sirichana said today…

  • Covid precautions for New Year’s Eve in Bangkok | Thaiger

    Covid precautions for New Year’s Eve in Bangkok

    Nobody wants to hear it, but Covid-19 numbers are on the rise in Thailand, stoking governmental fears around the approaching New Year’s Eve festivities. Officials in Bangkok announced that New Year’s Eve countdown parties will be allowed to be thrown as planned, but face masks will be required wherever crowds gather. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration will be laying out clear guidelines…

  • Latest Patong drug crackdown finds staffers all testing negative | Thaiger

    Latest Patong drug crackdown finds staffers all testing negative

    The latest Patong drug crackdown on Bangla Road found that all staffers tested negative for drug use. The most recent round of drug tests on the popular nightlife hotspot road was conducted on Tuesday night. A team from the Kathu district conducted the “random” tests on 85 staffers, including 35 men and 50 women. According to Patong Police Chief Colonel…

  • Phuket hotels see labour shortages as tourism swells | Thaiger

    Phuket hotels see labour shortages as tourism swells

    Maybe hoteliers didn’t believe in the government’s rosy tourism predictions. Hotels in Phuket are reporting a labour shortage as Russian tourists pour into the holiday island. Now they are rallying the government to market hospitality jobs in Phuket to attract foreign workers. They say Thai people just don’t want maintenance, kitchen, and food and beverage jobs. The president of the…

  • Thai navy officer arrested for drug smuggling in Isaan | Thaiger

    Thai navy officer arrested for drug smuggling in Isaan

    A Thai navy officer was arrested in the Sattahip district of Chon Buri after the police found he was involved in a drug smuggling ring in the Isaan province of Nong Khai. The president of the Help Crime Victim Club, Atchariya Ruangrattanapong, filed a complaint to the commissioner of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) on October 25 pointing out that…

  • Toyota ‘launches’ electric Hilux in Thailand | Thaiger

    Toyota ‘launches’ electric Hilux in Thailand

    Toyota has debuted, but not debuted, an electric version of its popular Hilux pickup in Thailand. Little is known about the specs, with Toyota Thailand glossing over battery size and power output details in a launch that was, to say the least, low-key. The assembled press corps was able to enjoy schmaltzy speeches and powerpoints from teary-eyed executives, without the…

  • Court awards torture victim 6.7 million baht | Thaiger

    Court awards torture victim 6.7 million baht

    Justice was served today as a woman and her two accomplices were sentenced by the court to over 14 years in jail and fined millions of baht after ruthlessly torturing a male victim. The Sing Buri Provincial Court handed down the ruling yesterday for the horrific crime against her employee uncovered one year ago. Last year the brother of the…

  • Thailand Charter Week 2022 provided business platform for luxury yacht companies | Thaiger

    Thailand Charter Week 2022 provided business platform for luxury yacht companies

    Press Release The Thai Yachting Business Association, the organisers of the Thailand Charter Week, held their second and highly successful event from the 16th to the 19th of November 2022, following the inaugural edition in November 2019. The second edition was once again kindly hosted by the Phuket Yacht Haven Marina. Thailand Charter Week The Thailand Charter Week is Asia’s…

  • Security guard accidentally shot dead by his pen gun | Thaiger

    Security guard accidentally shot dead by his pen gun

    A Hua Hin Airport security guard accidentally shot and killed himself with a pen gun in the western province of Phetchaburi last night. He accidentally dropped the gun on the floor and it went off, shooting him dead. Officers from Cha-am Police Station and medical workers from Cha-am Hospital rushed to the house in the Cha-am district of Phetchaburi after…

  • Whale with broken spine makes last journey of 3,000 miles by performing breaststroke | Thaiger

    Whale with broken spine makes last journey of 3,000 miles by performing breaststroke

    A whale with a broken spine has apparently defied all odds after journeying 3,000 miles by performing the breaststroke. The humpback whale, nicknamed Moon, was spotted off the coast of British Columbia with a visibly crooked lower body that researchers say was caused by being hit by a boat. But, the whale persevered by doing the breaststroke for a whopping…

  • Major Qatar corruption scandal allegedly involving Greek MEP | Thaiger

    Major Qatar corruption scandal allegedly involving Greek MEP

    There’s been a major corruption scandal allegedly involving a Greek member of the European Parliament (MEP). MEP Eva Kaili has been stripped of her role as one of the EP’s 14 vice presidents. Belgian prosecutors announced on Sunday that they had charged four people with corruption, money laundering and participation in a criminal organisation. The charges are part of an…