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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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    What do you need before moving from the US to Thailand?

    The Thaiger key takeaways The most common medical emergencies for expats in Thailand include motorcycle accidents, tropical diseases, and food or water-borne illnesses. Air pollution and heat-related conditions like heatstroke also pose serious seasonal health risks, especially in northern and...

  • Ford factories in Thailand to receive a US $900 million upgrade | Thaiger

    Ford factories in Thailand to receive a US $900 million upgrade

    In an announcement today, Ford Motor Company committed to investing US $900 million – about 30 billion baht – to upgrade their factories in Thailand. The American car manufacturer vowed to modernise its production plants in Thailand that support the building of the Everest SUV and Ranger pickup truck. The 30 billion baht is the biggest single investment that Ford…

  • Kunming-Bangkok flight third relaunched flight from China Eastern | Thaiger

    Kunming-Bangkok flight third relaunched flight from China Eastern

    China Eastern Yunnan Airlines launched its third flight route between China and Thailand and the Tourism Authority of Thailand just put out a welcome announcement. The flight will bring Chinese tourists from the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming to Bangkok. Kunming is the capital of the Yunnan province and the TAT’s local Kunming made the announcement today welcoming the new…

  • Wounded man flees to police station, says employer beat him, forced him to drink urine | Thaiger

    Wounded man flees to police station, says employer beat him, forced him to drink urine

    A man, badly bruised and face swollen, reportedly showed up to a local police station claiming his employer has been abusing him for more than a decade, beating him with a PVC pipe and forcing him to drink dog urine. The 29 year old worker, identified as Fah, told police he managed to escape. Welts, wounds, and bruises were all…

  • Authorities warn of “unhealthy” levels of air pollution in Bangkok, elsewhere this week | Thaiger

    Authorities warn of “unhealthy” levels of air pollution in Bangkok, elsewhere this week

    Authorities have warned that particulate matter 2.5 levels in Bangkok and other parts of Thailand will reach an unhealthy stage this week. According to a Pattaya News report, the Centre for Air Pollution Mitigation says PM2.5 pollution levels are exceeding safe standards in many central parts of the country, including the capital. The CAPM operates under the authority of the…

  • Three arrested in human trafficking crackdown near Myanmar border | Thaiger

    Three arrested in human trafficking crackdown near Myanmar border

    Three people are accused of being involved in a transnational human trafficking operation where Burmese migrants were promised help entering Thailand for jobs and later forced into labour, even prostitution. The suspects were arrested in Tak’s Mae Sot district, which borders Myanmar. The suspects allegedly lured migrants into Thailand by helping them cross the border illegally, evading immigration checks and…

  • Thai Airways offering round trip Sydney-Phuket flights | Thaiger

    Thai Airways offering round trip Sydney-Phuket flights

    To boost tourism and promote Phuket’s island quarantine “sandbox” scheme, Thai Airways will run round trip flights between Phuket and Australia with three flights a week starting on today. The flights will be offered until January 25. The flight from Phuket to Sydney is available on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Flights depart from Phuket at 6:50pm and arrive at 7:30am.…

  • 1 tourist killed, 8 wounded in crash while on tour of Chiang Mai mountain | Thaiger

    1 tourist killed, 8 wounded in crash while on tour of Chiang Mai mountain

    A tourist was killed and eight others were wounded in a van crash yesterday while travellers were on a tour of Doi Ang Khang mountain in northern Chiang Mai. Around 10am, the 15-seater Toyota van crashed while going down a turn on a mountain road in the Fang district, skidding off the road and into a ditch, according to the…

  • Recovery of Thailand’s international tourism sector likely to take years | Thaiger

    Recovery of Thailand’s international tourism sector likely to take years

    International tourism demand for Thailand is still low, according to a Bangkok Post report, with a full recovery predicted to take years. Just 133,061 foreign arrivals touched down in Thailand between November 1 and 30, well below the 3 million visitors a month of pre-pandemic times. However, despite low visitor numbers to his province, Pongsakorn Ketprapakorn from the Tourism Council…

  • Mixed doubles Thai badminton stars retain World Tour Finals crown | Thaiger

    Mixed doubles Thai badminton stars retain World Tour Finals crown

    Thailand’s mixed doubles, badminton stars Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai have successfully defended their crown in the World Tour Finals. The duo competed on Sunday in Bali after winning the Indonesia Masters and the Indonesia Open before this week’s finale. They also claimed the Hylo Open in Germany before their trip to Bali. The Thai world number 2 pair made…

  • Phuket police arrest 32 after more than 3,500 venue raids since November | Thaiger

    Phuket police arrest 32 after more than 3,500 venue raids since November

    Phuket police say they have made 32 arrests after over 3,500 venue raids since November 1. The report released says those arrests were made in light of those breaking the provincial order of no alcohol sales and/or Covid regulations that prevent staff from having close contact with customers. The report says that last Saturday, alone, saw 142 venue inspections, resulting…

  • US Republican Party senator Bob Dole passes away at 98 | Thaiger

    US Republican Party senator Bob Dole passes away at 98

    Former US senator Bob Dole, a Republican Party member and presidential hopeful, has passed away at the age of 98. The war hero was riddled with lung cancer and succumbed to the illness early this morning in his sleep. Dole had served in various roles for America for 79 years. His reputation was that of one of Washington’s most recognisable…

  • Germany removes Thailand from its list of high-risk countries | Thaiger

    Germany removes Thailand from its list of high-risk countries

    The Thai embassy in Berlin says Thailand has been removed from Germany’s list of Covid-19 high-risk countries, according to a Thai PBS World report. Provided they are fully vaccinated with an approved vaccine, travellers from Thailand can now enter Germany without having to quarantine. The accepted vaccines are Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, and the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine. In addition…

  • Burmese woman rescued by DSI after 13 years of forced labour | Thaiger

    Burmese woman rescued by DSI after 13 years of forced labour

    The Department of Special Investigation rescued a Burmese woman in Bangkok who has been held in forced labour for 13 years. The rescue was carried out yesterday by the DSI and was revealed today by the Director-General of the DSI. The 26 year old woman was held in a house on Soi 11 in the Pakamas housing estate, located in…

  • Woman who told PM Prayut to “retire quickly” claims police visited her | Thaiger

    Woman who told PM Prayut to “retire quickly” claims police visited her

    A woman who told PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to his face to “retire quickly” claims that police requested a meeting with her to discuss her offence. The incident took place on Wednesday when the prime minister visited Udon Thani and a group of well-wishers were welcoming him. Video of the day captured the interaction and caused a stir in media. The…

  • Hua Lamphong “won’t be torn down” | VIDEO | Thaiger

    Hua Lamphong “won’t be torn down” | VIDEO

    As the final trains pull into the historic Hua Lamphong railway station in Bangkok over the next few months, public hearings are being called to examine redevelopment options. Bangkok’s old railway hub is officially moving to the much larger, new Bang Sue Grand Station this month. The first hearing about Hua Lamphong’s future is being held on December 14. But,…

  • Maya Bay on hold, but preparations for an eventual reopening continue | VIDEOS | Thaiger

    Maya Bay on hold, but preparations for an eventual reopening continue | VIDEOS

    This week The Thaiger revealed that Maya Bay, on Koh Phi Phi Leh, may remain closed beyond its proposed January 1 reopening, following a groundswell of local support to keep the famous Bay closed. For a while anyway. This is partly spurred on by environmental concerns for the iconic bay which has been closed to visitors since July 2018, and…

  • PM says government move to digital technology will grow economy | Thaiger

    PM says government move to digital technology will grow economy

    PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has called on organisations in Thailand to stay focused on the development of digital technology to grow the economy. The prime minister hosted a ceremony for the Digital Government Awards 2021 this week, bestowing honours on those public agencies that have already adopted digital technology. At the event, PM Prayut offered praise for the government agencies making…

  • Maya Bay reopening likely to be postponed | VIDEO | Thaiger

    Maya Bay reopening likely to be postponed | VIDEO

    Maya Bay, on Koh Phi Phi Leh, in between Krabi and Phuket, was slated for a reopening on January 1. But now there’s a building swell of local support to keep the famous Bay closed, for a while anyway. A Line group used by the Marine National Park, along with tour operators and other stakeholders, has revealed a groundswell of…

  • Junior police officer facing attempted murder for allegedly shooting at a Bangkok bus | Thaiger

    Junior police officer facing attempted murder for allegedly shooting at a Bangkok bus

    A junior police officer is facing attempted murder charges after he fired a gun at a passenger bus in Bangkok’s Bang Chan district on Tuesday. A video of the incident shared on social media shows a motorcyclist, cutting off the bus, forcing it to stop. He walked up to the bus driver and then went back to his motorcycle where…

  • Fiji tourism reopening after nearly 2 years of Covid-19 closure | Thaiger

    Fiji tourism reopening after nearly 2 years of Covid-19 closure

    Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama announced the island nation has reopened its borders for international tourism for the first time since many of the world’s borders closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic nearly 2 years ago. Fiji’s population of just 1 million people have struggled without the tourism that makes up a lion’s share of the economy after borders closed…

  • Bangkok is 4th best place to live in Southeast Asia, according to expat survey | Thaiger

    Bangkok is 4th best place to live in Southeast Asia, according to expat survey

    Bangkok has come in at number 4 in a survey ranking the best places to live in Southeast Asia. And the Thai capital has come in at number 11 out of 57 cities in the global rankings. This is a big jump on last year’s result, when it was ranked at number 30 out of 66 cities. According to a…

  • Pro-democracy activist Panusaya given temporary release to sit university exam | Thaiger

    Pro-democracy activist Panusaya given temporary release to sit university exam

    Political activist Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, aka, “Rung”, has been given temporary release to sit an exam and submit university reports. Thai PBS World reports that the activist was freed from Bangkok’s Central Women’s Correctional Institute at around 8pm last night. She was met by her parents and supporters, having spent 17 days behind bars. The pro-democracy activist is being tried on…

  • Muang district in Ayutthaya allow to serve alcohol in restaurants | Thaiger

    Muang district in Ayutthaya allow to serve alcohol in restaurants

    The CCSA seems to be slowly rolling out the lifting of the alcohol ban in Thailand on a province by province, and sometimes district by district, basis. Muang district in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya is the latest district to receive the green light to ease Covid-19 restrictions and allow alcohol to be served in restaurants. The district in Ayutthaya has…

  • TAT predicts 500,000 travellers before 2022, 133,000 arrived so far | Thaiger

    TAT predicts 500,000 travellers before 2022, 133,000 arrived so far

    After 1 month of Thailand’s reopening, the Kingdom saw over 133,000 arrivals total from countries around the world, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand is confident that the goal of 500,000 international travellers will be met, despite the new Omicron variant of Covid-19 that has seen countries scrambling to limit or block travel from at-risk countries. In the month of…

  • New variant casts shadow over Thailand Motor Expo, concerns outbreak could affect the industry | Thaiger

    New variant casts shadow over Thailand Motor Expo, concerns outbreak could affect the industry

    The uncertainty of the newly identified Covid-19 variant Omicron looms over today’s opening of the Thailand International Motor Expo as firms promote their new electric vehicle options. Many of the manufacturers at the exhibition worry that the new variant may force countries to return to lockdowns or take other measures that will hurt business as the global economy and Thai…

  • Cabinet sets aside over 5 billion baht to improve Bangkok’s public transportation | Thaiger

    Cabinet sets aside over 5 billion baht to improve Bangkok’s public transportation

    Yesterday, the two biggest transportation groups in Thailand, Bangkok Mass Transit Organisation (BMTA) and the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), received subsidies from the Cabinet to cope with the loss as well as increase their liquidity. A total of 5 billion baht was given, with 2.28 billion going to BMTA and 3.38 billion going to SRT. The Cabinet has also…

  • Men arrested at Bangkok airport for allegedly smuggling drugs valued at 95 million baht | Thaiger

    Men arrested at Bangkok airport for allegedly smuggling drugs valued at 95 million baht

    Two Pakistani men were arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Monday for allegedly trafficking 30.6 kilograms of ketamine and 1.1 kilograms of heroin hidden in instant tea packages. Officers say the drugs had a street value of 95 million baht. The two residents of Karachi, who travelled to Thailand by an Emirates flight through the United Arab Emirates, were arrested for…

  • Cha-am permitted to sell alcohol in restaurants from December 1 | Thaiger

    Cha-am permitted to sell alcohol in restaurants from December 1

    While tourist areas all across Thailand are fighting to be allowed to sell alcohol, Cha-am will be the next tourist pilot area to get to sell drinks. The Phetchaburi Provincial Communicable Disease Committee is preparing to test allowing restaurants and shops to sell alcohol in the tourist city until 10 pm. The trial run of the new permission will be…

  • Flash floods from heavy rain hit three districts in Surat Thani | Thaiger

    Flash floods from heavy rain hit three districts in Surat Thani

    Last night, villages in three districts in Southern Thailand’s Surat Thani province were hit by flash floods due to heavy rain and local rescue teams along with the military assisted residents in moving their belongings to higher ground. Governor Wichawut Jinto and Chamnong Sawatwong, chief of the provincial disaster prevention and mitigation office, led the relief effort, which included territorial…

  • Tourism officials welcome Czech movie filming in Phuket and Krabi | Thaiger

    Tourism officials welcome Czech movie filming in Phuket and Krabi

    The Tourism Authority of Thailand is celebrating Thailand’s re-opening to international movie stardom once more. The southern provinces of Krabi and Phuket are being used as locations for a Czech movie currently being filmed in the kingdom. Nation Thailand reports that a film crew, consisting of 22 actors, directors, producers, and technicians are in Thailand to film a romantic comedy…