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 5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)
Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...
-
Phuket’s annual vegetarian festival. Put it in your diary – VIDEO
WARNING: The content below contains photos and videos of self-mutilation that some people may find disturbing. Phuket’s annual vegetarian festival is on this month. Officials say they are asking participants to strictly observe social distancing. Good luck with that! For those who don’t know, despite its name, the festival isn’t exactly known for the vegetarian food. It’s better known, even infamous,…
-
Despite delay, Tourism ministry says travellers are coming this month
Despite a delay in the first group of long-stay travellers arriving under the newly-formed Special Tourist Visa, the Tourism and Sports Ministry says it is vowing to bring in 1,200 tourists this month. The Minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says the slight delay was due to some entry processes being muddled. “The first two groups from China had a prospective schedule of…
-
Chiang Mai students scammed into buying sold-out concert tickets
A group of Chiang Mai students thought they were getting a good deal, but were scammed into buying sold-out concert tickets by an online ticket scalper. The 4 students, who remain unnamed, transferred almost 4,000 baht to a Twitter account, only later to be blocked by the account holder and losing their money. The students thought they were buying the…
-
New police chief stops drink-driving checkpoints over corruption issues
Thailand’s new police chief has temporarily placed a stop on drink-driving checkpoints over alleged corruption issues in the police department. Gen Suwat Jangyodsuk made the announcement at a meeting yesterday, just a day after starting his new position. “There must not be roadside examination. It must be done at a hospital. Above all so that people can have confidence that…
-
Man allegedly abducted ex-girlfriend, posted photos of her handcuffed
Police are tracking down a man who allegedly abducted his ex-girlfriend and holding her captive, threatening to kill her. The 40 year old man allegedly posted photos of his 18 year old ex-girlfriend, handcuffed with a message to the woman’s family, saying he will kill them if they report to police. The woman has been missing since Tuesday. Her 19…
-
Justice Minister proposes releasing chronically ill inmates to reduce prison overcrowding
In an effort to reduce overcrowding in Thailand prisons, the Justice Ministry is looking into allowing chronically ill inmates to be released on a royal pardon. There’s also talk of shortening sentences for those incarcerated on drug charges, according to Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin. Overcrowding has been a problem at Thailand’s prisons, especially now more space is required for new inmates…
-
Former prisoner, released after murder rap, re-arrested for possession of weapons, drugs
A routine checkpoint in Pattaya has led to the re-arrest of a 31 year old man recently released from prison following his role in a murder 14 years ago. The Pattaya News reports that Somphong Kaewpaijit was arrested in possession of a machine gun and illegal drugs. He was previously found guilty of involvement in the murder of jet-ski champion,…
-
Disqualified MP candidate found not guilty of election fraud, wants 70 million baht in damages
After the Supreme Court found a Chiang Mai MP candidate not guilty of election fraud, Surapol Kiatchaiyakorn of the Pheu Thai Party is now asking the Election Commission to pay him 70 million baht in damages for disqualifying him after he won an election. He is also asking for the commission to give him back his MP status. He got…
-
Thailand to cut down on uninsured vehicles on the road
Thailand’s Land Transport officials are trying to cut down on the number of vehicles on the road driving without compulsory car or motorbike insurance. Those without valid insurance will not be able to renew their vehicle registration. To track insurance, an interactive data base is being set up by the Office of Insurance Commission, and the Department of Land Transport. The…
-
Finance Ministry mulls stimulus packages to boost property sector, consumption
The new permanent secretary at the Finance Ministry, Krisada Chinavicharana, says officials are considering additional stimulus measures to support Thailand’s property sector and to further boost consumer spending. Krisada says he plans to meet with senior officials to debate more ways to get the economy going again, as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic continues to make itself felt. He says…
-
Anti-corruption official recommends overhaul of Thai justice system
Former National Anti-Corruption Commissioner, and highly regarded senior public servant, Vicha Mahakun, has put forward his recommendations for an overhaul of Thailand’s justice system. Vicha recently led an independent inquiry into the handling of the case against Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, in which he uncovered evidence of corruption and conspiracy by both prosecutors and police. The case trails back to September,…
-
Thailand News Today | Waiting for vaccine, new face of Thailand expats, teacher complaints | Oct 1
Daily Thai news on The Thaiger. All the latest information about Thailand, Monday to Friday on Thaiger News Today. Thailand beaches may limit visitors until Covid-19 vaccine is available Beaches and national parks might not fully open to international tourists until a Covid-19 vaccine is available. The claim comes from the Tourism Council of Thailand president. Around 120 to 150…
-
Opening borders could cause a second Covid-19 outbreak, epidemiologist says
Opening Thailand’s borders to foreign tourists may open a “Pandora’s box” of Covid-19 infections, according to leading epidemiologist on the Chulalongkorn University Faculty of Medicine Thira Woratanarat. After a 6 month ban on international tourists, the first group of travellers on the new Special Tourist Visa are set to fly from China to Phuket on October 8. Thira says the…
-
Expat shift drives changes in Bangkok’s condo market
Thailand’s dominant working expat nationality in past decades has been Japanese, currently making up 18% of expatriates in the country. But, while Japanese expatriate numbers are decreasing, a CBRE report notes that Chinese and Filipinos are on the rise. There were 28,560 Japanese expats in Thailand as of Q3 2020, just ahead of the Chinese expat contingent at 25,811. As China’s manufacturing has…
-
Buy a meal on a Thai Vietjet flight, get a 40% discount at a hotel
Now that the ban on inflight food and drink has been lifted for domestic flights, Thai Vietjet is offering deals to promote their meals. Those who buy a hot meal, either purchased onboard the flight or reserved online, will get a 40% discount for a stay at Serene Phla Resort and Restaurant. The airline just resumed inflight food and beverage…
-
Suvarnabhumi Airport extension ready by April, capacity to increase by 15 million passengers
A new terminal extension at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport is finishing up after construction was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The addition would not only reduce overcrowding, but also increase the amount of passengers at the airport. The Satellite Terminal 1, or SAT-1, extension is 95% done and expected to be open to the public by April 2021, according to…
-
More reports of alleged student abuse, parents file complaint against teacher
More reports of teachers allegedly abusing their students have come to light after a Nonthaburi teacher was caught on video pushing a kindergarten student to the floor, pulling a student across the floor and repeatedly hitting other students. Now more classroom videos of teachers allegedly abusing their students are being widely shared online as well as photos of children’s marks…
-
Thai Airways to provide flights to some international destinations this month
Thai Airways, the beleaguered national carrier currently undergoing a “rehabilitation” process (code for bankruptcy and restructure proceedings), says it’s laying on a number of special flights to destinations outside the Kingdom this month. Nation Thailand reports that the airline is introducing flights to Hong Kong, Taipei, London, Copenhagen and Stockholm. Executive Vice President Wiwat Piyawiroj says the flights are being…
-
83% drop in foreign tourists expected by the end of 2020
Travel restrictions brought on by the Thai government, as a response to the coronavirus pandemic, have contributed to a drastic decline in number of foreign tourists with an expected drop of 83% from last year’s count of 39.8 million foreign tourists to this year’s predicted total of 6.74 million foreign tourists, according to President of the Tourism Council of Thailand…
-
Bangkok’s Khao San Road re-opening for local trade
Bangkok’s Deputy Governor Sakoltee Phattiyakul says the capital’s iconic Khao San Road is set to re-open for trade, targeting the local market of Thais and expats. The street is normally a mecca for international tourists, in particular, younger backpackers making the rite-of-passage pilgrimage through Southeast Asia. There was a pre-Covid botched attempt to meddle with the area’s long-established, and rather…
-
Thailand beaches may limit visitors until Covid-19 vaccine is available
Beaches and national parks might not fully open to international tourists until a Covid-19 vaccine is available. Around 120 to 150 tourists departing from China are set to arrive in Phuket on October 8 after a 6 month ban on international tourists. They’ll have to go through a 14 day state quarantine, but after that, they may not be able…
-
Thailand farmers hope to grow and export cannabis by next year
Under a proposed law, Thailand farmers would be allowed to grow cannabis and hemp for export without going through cannabis certified universities or medical institutes. The National Farmers Council president Praphat Panyachatrak says he hopes the new law will be in place by next year. The legislation is still being reviewed by the Public Health Ministry and National Legislative Assembly,…
-
2 inmates escape from Krabi prison
Police are looking for 2 men who allegedly escaped from a prison in Krabi. The inmates allegedly cut an iron bar and exited through a window. The inmates were then able to climb over a barbed wire fence, using 3 blankets tied together as a rope for support. Prison guards guess the men, 32 year old Arnon Denmad and 47…
-
23 Koh Samui hotels seek alternative state quarantine certification
Nearly 2 dozen hotels and resorts in the Thai Gulf island resort of Koh Samui are seeking certification to be alternative state quarantine facilities. Talk of a potential travel bubble scheme to the island is also set for today, the Nation Thailand reports. 8 of the 23 hotels have already gone through a government check and the rest will be…
-
PM dismisses rumours of alliance with opposition to form new government
Thai PM Prayuth Chan-o-cha has rubbished rumours that the ruling coalition parties plan to join forces with the opposition Pheu Thai party to form a new government. While the PM initially didn’t respond to the question, instead bidding reporters a good day and walking away, he did mumble that he had enough of a headache with just one party. Thai…
-
Thailand’s ban on hazardous farming chemicals to remain in place
Despite fears to the contrary among those in favour of it, the ban on paraquat and chlorpyrifos is to remain in place. The Hazardous Substances Committee has confirmed that production, possession, and importing or exporting either substance remains illegal, under legislation introduced on June 1 of this year. Thai PBS World reports that Industry Minister, Suriya Juangroongruangkit, says a discussion…
-
Immigration police arrest 3 at Bangkok airport, 2 Thais allegedly had fake US visas
Thai immigration police arrested 3 people at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport after immigration officials checked their biometrics system. Police arrested 2 Thai nationals who were attempting to leave the country with fake United States visas and another Thai woman who was allegedly involved in a romance scam gang. The Thai man and woman were caught while going through an immigration check…
-
Cabinet to approve co-payment of 3,000 baht each for 10 million consumers
In its latest round of direct economic stimulus, the Thai government is to offer a co-payment of 3,000 baht each to 10 million Thai citizens for a period of 3 months. The scheme is expected to kick off on October 23 and run up the end of the year, with the co-payment subsidising half the cost of purchases, but excluding…
-
Search Engine Optimization: Advertising with Google for Free!
Search engine optimization (SEO) has been growing rapidly in the past decades. However, many businesses still don’t know anything about it. But what exactly is it? In a nutshell, it’s free or organic marketing on search engines, with Google being the biggest search engine – dominating more than 80% of the ‘Search’ industry. Basically, it’s when you search something in…
-
Sarasas school teacher charged with assault for allegedly abusing students
The Nonthaburi teacher, who allegedly beat and mistreated kindergarten students, faces charges of physical assault and violating the Child Protection Act. The charges follow reports of abuse after classroom surveillance camera footage from the Sarasas Witaed Ratchaphruek School spread on the internet. Videos show a teacher, identified as Ornuma “Khru Jum” Plodprong, pushing a child to the ground, dragging another…
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.