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.
-
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,...
-
Shaken but not stirred – Miss Thailand contestants get an unplanned swim | VIDEO
Luckily no one was hurt but these Miss Thailand beauty queens ended up with an unscheduled dunking whilst parading for the cameras in Chiang Mai. A video captures the face-masked girls, all dressed up in the day’s casual uniform, posing for the cameras and the the moment a bridge snaps, plunging the 30 smiling, but bemused, Miss Thailand contestants into…
-
All countries welcome – Thailand open for business
Come one, come all. In response to the dismally low take-up of the Special Tourist Visa, the Thai government has U-turned on a stipulation that only those from “low-risk” countries can apply. The visa is now available to all, regardless of the Covid-19 situation in their country. However, all arrivals are still subject to mandatory 14 day quarantine – which…
-
Thailand News Today | Cannabis tourism, Covid in Chiang Rai, PM visits south | Dec 8
Passengers from Chiang Rai-Bangkok flights considered “low-risk” The passengers from 4 flights between Chiang Rai and Bangkok are considered at “low risk” of contracting Covid-19, according to a statement from the Public Health Ministry. But the ministry, through an abundance of caution, is asking all passengers to self-monitor for the next 14 days, and report any symptoms such as fever,…
-
Police investigate possible abduction of foreign woman in Bangkok
Police have opened an abduction investigation after a Chinese woman was reportedly forced into a car off Sukhumvit soi 39 in Bangkok’s Phrom Phong area. The Thong Lor department confirmed they have opened an investigation after rumours were spread on Facebook about alleged kidnappings in the area. A woman made a Facebook post last night saying a condominium security guard…
-
Teenager allegedly stabs father to death after being told to do his homework
A 15 year old allegedly stabbed his father to death after being scolded for not doing his homework and playing too much on his smartphone. Police in the Ratchaburi’s Ban Pong district are investigating and have not yet pressed charges. The teenager, a Mathayom 3 student, was playing on his smartphone when his father said he should be doing his…
-
Police to question Thanathorn’s brother over role in 2019 bribery case
The younger brother of politician Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit has been summonsed to face police over his role in a bribery case in which 2 people were jailed last year. In November 2019, Prasit Aphaiphoncharn, from the Crown Property Bureau, and Surakit Tangwithoowanich, were both sentenced to 3 years in jail for taking bribes from Sakulthorn Juangroongruangkit and forging documents as part…
-
Tourism and health officials plan to launch “medical cannabis tour” next year
A tour of medical cannabis at plantations across Thailand is in the works. While the tours could potentially be open to tourists, officials say the tour is for educational purposes and will first be for those interested in starting grow operations. The Public Health Ministry along with the Tourism and Sports Ministry plan to launch the tour next year. It…
-
PM in visit to flood-hit south, as death toll rises to 24 – VIDEO
Record flooding in parts of southern Thailand has now claimed 24 lives, with the province of Nakhon Si Thammarat being hardest-hit, with 19 deaths and around 180,00 homes flooded. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha visited the province yesterday to express his condolences and pledge financial aid for those affected. Video: Thai Rath The Bangkok Post reports that the death of a woman…
-
More trees for Bangkok, city’s arborist says a “green future” will take time
More trees will be planted throughout Bangkok as part of the city’s master plan “Green Bangkok 2030.” While in western countries, eco-friendly master plans are driven by science, Thailand has spiritual influences that also come into play. Photos and news of big trees being cut down are often shared on social media. Some people in Thailand believe spirits inhabit some…
-
Man allegedly steals excavating tractor, smashes into police pickup truck
A man was arrested after he allegedly stole a backhoe excavating tractor and smashed the digging bucket into a motorcycle and a police pickup truck. 42 year old Rungniran Songsan was charged with theft and criminal damage. Police were called to the scene after Rungniran allegedly took off on the backhoe in a rural road in Pathum Thani, north of…
-
Southern Thailand flood death toll: 24
At least 24 people have died due to flash floods in Southern Thailand following several days of heavy rain. 19 of the victims were in Nakhon Si Thammarat which was hit the hardest. Today, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation reported 3 deaths from flooding in the southern region. A woman drowned in Surat Thani’s Phrasaeng district and 2…
-
New Year countdown events get the “okay,” but under strict health measures
Lockdowns, social distancing, face masks and lots and lots of hand sanitiser… this year has been different to say the least and counting down the last hours of 2020 will be different as well. New Year countdown events have been given the “okay,” but just as long as health safety measures are in place, according to Nattaphon Narkphanit who leads…
-
Drugged up slaughterhouse worker kills 2, injures 5 at random
A drugged up slaughterhouse worker has been accused of killing 2 girls and injuring 5 others while going on a random knife attack on his motorbike in Udon Thani. The man, 31 year old Itthiphol Imphueng, from Udon Thani’s Nong Wua So district, worked in Muang district. His first victim was 16 year old Anchaya Boonyingyuan, who died at Udon…
-
The 2020 Supersports Laguna Phuket Marathon has been run and won, despite all the challenges
Signs of life, combined with a determined event organiser and keen participants. And so the Laguna Phuket Marathon was staged in Phuket this weekend, despite all the challenges. An 8,000 strong field turned out to Run Paradise in Phuket this weekend at the 15th Supersports Laguna Phuket Marathon. Held on December 5 and 6, the ‘new normal’ edition combined stringent…
-
China carries out first-ever lunar orbit docking, now heading back to Earth
China has carried out its first-ever lunar orbit docking today with a probe carrying lunar samples collected over the past week during a 48 hour stay on the Moon. The mission is named Chang’e-5, after a mythical Chinese Moon goddess, and is bringing back the first lunar soil samples in over 40 years. The capsule carrying moon rocks and soil…
-
Thailand’s political landscape will stay volatile despite PM’s acquittal – Nida Poll
A new Nida poll indicates that people think Thailand’s political landscape will remain volatile despite the recent court clearance of PM Prayut. Around 27% responded to the Nida poll by saying the situation would be more contentious and worrying after his clearance from the Constitutional Court over his occupancy of a military residence after retiring in 2014 as the military’s…
-
Greenpeace Thailand names 5 local companies “top plastic polluters”
After collecting thousands of pieces of plastic waste, Greenpeace Thailand found that the majority of the trash comes from 5 Thai Companies, naming them the “top plastic polluters.” Volunteers from Greenpeace collected plastic waste from Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai and Wonnapa beach in Chon Buri. Out of the 13,001 pieces of plastic was collected, they say most of the…
-
5 shot and in critical condition after gang clash in Phitsanulok
5 people were shot and severely wounded in an alleged turf war between 2 rival gangs in Phitsanulok’s Wang Thong district. Police say gang members attacked another gang because they were on “their territory.” Police say the alleged attackers threw ping pong bombs and fired shots at the rival gang members. The victims were reportedly found with several bullet wounds and…
-
What has the pandemic taught hotels about luxury. Is ‘less’ more?
by Anthony Lark “Let’s say goodbye to all that stale pretence and manufactured pomp” Until the collective nightmare that was 2020, many of the so-called high-end hotels had a reputation for trying to convince guests to pay for often dingy guestrooms lacking any real views inside an otherwise ornate structure with a storied, celebrated past, where the first impression was…
-
Chinese probe heads back to Earth after spending 2 days on the Moon
A Chinese space probe, Chang’e 5, is now on its way back to earth after having flown to the Moon, landed, explored, collected soil samples and taken off again. It will bring the first lunar rock and soil samples back to Earth in over 4 decades. The probe is bringing a payload of some 2 kilograms of rocks back for…
-
Schoolgirl bursts into tears meeting Panasaya, fearing for activist’s safety
Protest leader Panusaya Sitthijirawattanakul, aka, “Rung”, has been pictured consoling a young schoolgirl who broke down in tears, concerned about the activist’s safety. Rattapol Kaiipah Promsuwan, who witnessed the exchange, has shared a photo of the moment on social media. She says the girl, who is in Grade 6 (making her around 11 years old), had gone to the organisers’…
-
Severe flooding in southern Thailand kills 7
Heavy flooding in the south of the country has killed 7 people, while many others have been injured. The worst of the flooding, which has affected 9 provinces, is in Nakhon Si Thammarat, which has had over 6 days of persistent rain. In total, the floods have affected over 261,000 households and tens of thousands of people, including a 14-month-old…
-
K-Pop fan-funded billboards move from BTS and MRT stations to tuks tuks to support protesters
K-Pop fan-funded “happy birthday” billboards are moving from mass transit stations in Bangkok to tuk tuks after the BTS Skytrain and MRT Bangkok Metro temporarily shut down services during pro-democracy protests last month. The world’s K-Pop fans are weaponising their huge numbers and online ‘power’ by supporting Thailand’s pro-democracy movement. In 3 days last month, Thai and overseas K-pop fans…
-
5 people killed in Nakhon Si Thammarat flash flooding
5 people died from the flash floods in Nakhon Si Thammarat after several days of heavy rain, according to Governor Kraisorn Wisitwong. Disaster mitigation officers have rescued locals from several districts who had to evacuate their homes due to the extensive flooding. The 5 deaths were in the districts Noppitam, Phra Phrom, Chalerm Phra Kiat and Chawang. Thousands of households…
-
Thai couple arrested in Bangkok for allegedly trafficking 1 million methamphetamine pills
Police in Bangkok arrested a Thai couple for allegedly smuggling 1 million methamphetamine pills. Police say 28 year old Weerasak Jedhun and 29 year old Jutharat Daengnoi planned to deliver and distribute the drugs to clients in the South. The arrests stem from an earlier bust in Nonthaburi, a suburb outside Bangkok, where police seized 1 million methamphetamine pills and…
-
Heavy rain wreaks havoc in flood-ravaged Nakhon Si Thammarat
The governor of Nakhon Si Thammarat has put the disaster mitigation office on high alert, following 6 days of heavy rain in the southern province. Large swathes of land are underwater after extensive flooding that has affected tens of thousands of people in the region. The Bangkok Post reports that governor Kraisorn Wisitwong says floods have been recorded in 351…
-
Economists say new local Covid-19 cases could slow tourism recovery
Some are concerned about a potential second coronavirus outbreak after 10 Thai women tested positive for Covid-19 after returning from Myanmar’s Tachileik district. Some travelled to Bangkok and Chiang Mai after returning. A second wave of infections will stall the recovery of domestic tourism and Thailand’s overall economy that has been battered by the pandemic, according to the National Economic…
-
Cabinet approves extension, upgrade of stimulus measures, welfare payments
The government has given the green light to the extension and refinement of a number of economic stimulus schemes and welfare payments. 43.5 billion baht has been set aside to fund an extension of the current co-payment scheme and the welfare card program. It’s understood 22.5 billion baht will go to phase 2 of the co-payment scheme, with 21 billion…
-
Nakhon Si Thammarat hit by floods, more rain expected in the South
Flooding in the southern province Nakhon Si Thammarat has affected thousands of residents with some evacuating their homes due to the rising water level. Heavy to very heavy rain is expected to continue in the South and the Thai Meteorological Department is warning residents in the lower southern provinces to beware of severe conditions that may cause flash floods and…
-
Thai Airways to resume flights from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and Phuket
After nearly 9 months on the ground due to the coronavirus pandemic, along with problems balancing their accounts, Thai Airways will resume flights between Bangkok and Chiang Mai as well as Bangkok and Phuket later this month. The flights will start back up on Christmas day. Flights from Bangkok to the 2 key tourist provinces have been grounded since April…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.