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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Once bustling, Chiang Mai tourist areas are now deserted
Thai news agency MCOT has become the latest media outlet to bemoan the devastating effect of the coronavirus (Covid-19) on Thai tourism, after their reporters went to the once thriving area of Nimmanhaemin. Online blurbs about the area still describe it as having “buzzing dining and nightlife, hip cafes, fashion boutiques and a weekend craft market.” But a month after…
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4 Uzbek women rescued from human traffickers in Pattaya
Four Uzbek women were rescued in Pattaya yesterday by Uzbekistan embassy officials and Chon Buri Provincial Police after allegedly falling victim to a human trafficking scam. A team of police raided a condominium in South Pattaya near the entrance of Phra Tamnak hill. See the video version of this story HERE: The raid comes after Chon Buri police learned from…
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High school students join wave of anti-government protests
Students in some of Bangkok’s most exclusive private high schools announced yesterday that would hold rallies in solidarity with anti-government protests being staged on college campuses across the nation. Students at the all-girl Satriwithaya School, located next to Bangkok’s iconic Democracy Monument, were urged on social media to gather at 3pm. Using the hashtag #SWStandsWithDemocracy, the organizers said there would…
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Chinese man found bound, dead in suitcase in northern Thailand had visited Pattaya
The body of a Chinese man, with arms and legs bound, stuffed into a suitcase, has washed up on a sandbank in the Ping River in northern Thailand’s Kamphaeng Phet province. The body was doubled over and the ankles were tied with plastic cable ties. Red rope encircled the arms and legs. Police believe the man was 30 year old…
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Arrested former cop escapes cuffs, flees Chiang Mai hospital
A former Chiang Mai policeman, arrested for a burglary in his home district of Sanpatong, has escaped from custody. Police are now hunting for the the fugitive. The officer, identified only as “Pawaret,” was arrested over the weekend and held at a police station but had to be taken to the local hospital because he’d had suffered injuries after an…
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Thai Airways to waive exchange fees for more routes
Thai Airways International announced today that it will waive charges for flight swaps for even more passengers going to countries and territories affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19). The policy now extends to the following routes: Return trip: Bangkok-Japan, -South Korea, -Taiwan, -Singapore Exchange fees will be waived for THAI or THAI Smile code-share tickets issued on or before February 18…
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22 areas of Bangkok found with excessive PM2.5 dust in the atmosphere today
Bangkok was blanketed with excessive PM2.5 dust yesterday, measuring between 55 and 90 microns per cubic metre (µg/m3), above Thailands “safe” threshold of 50. Air quality has improved slightly today, with only 22 areas found to have PM2.5 dust above 50 microns. The limit set by the World Health Organisation is 25 µg/m3. The Pollution Control Department (PCD) announced the…
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Expansion of airport to make Hua Hin an international tourist destination
Hua Hin, long considered a bucolic backwater compared with other resort destinations in Thailand, may be about to morph into something quite different; local media reported on Saturday that the Thai government has approved a major expansion of Hua Hin’s Airport, which could turn the sleepy resort town into a genuine international tourist destination rivalling other more established destinations in…
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Fugitive shot dead in gunfight with police in Nakhon Si Thammarat
A fugitive is dead after a gunfight with police in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat. The man, identified as 30 year old Pongsak Jessadarom, of the province’s Muang district, was wanted on three warrants for theft. Police were notified this morning by local residents of two thieves attempting to break into a house. A motorcycle patrol soon arrived…
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Opposition MP alleges PM and army behind cyber propaganda
An opposition MP says he’s holding PM Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha responsible for a network of social media that have been allegedly running a cyber campaign against critics of the current government. They accuse the PM and supporters of the government about spreading fake news and derogatory comments about them. An MP of the now-disbanded Future Forward Party, Viroj Lakkana-adisorn, says…
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Drunken man arrested threatening people with large knife on Pattaya beach
Pattaya City police arrested a highly intoxicated Bangkok man yesterday afternoon for carrying a large knife and threatening tourists and locals on Pattaya Beach. The incident began at around 11:00am, according to police, who say the man, who was severely intoxicated, was openly carrying a large knife, yelling incoherently and threatening people on the beach. Police were called by local…
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Bangkok police on alert at student rallies
Authorities in greater Bangkok are keeping a watchful eye on students organising political rallies at universities in and around Bangkok, warning them to strictly adhere to public assembly laws. Last night, activities were held by students at Mahidol University, Silpakorn University’s Tha Phra campus, Chiang Mai University and Maejo University, also in Chiang Mai, following the Constitutional Court’s decision to…
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Thailand News Today, February 25, 2020 – Daily news for Thailand
Two news cases confirmed in Thailand, pushing total to 37 The Thai Public Health Ministry has announced two new Coronavirus cases in Thailand, up from 35 to 37 cases since the outbreak starts in late December last year. A 31 year old woman and a 29 year old taxi driver are the two new cases. Permanent secretary for health confirmed…
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Suspects in abduction, murder of judge’s brother taken for re-enactment
When the brother of a senior judge in the central province of Nakhon Sawan was abducted in broad daylight in front of the Bangkok South Criminal Court on February 4, police feared the worst. Today, three of the six suspects alleged to have been involved in the abduction and subsequent murder were escorted by officers of the Crime Suppression Division…
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Thai Baht on the slide over fears of spread of Coronavirus outside China
What goes up must go down. The Thai baht has continued to weaken against leading international currencies, trading at 31.70 to the US$ in yesterday’s trade. The falls reflect regional concern over the coronavirus spreading beyond China. In the past few days both central South Korea and parts of northern Italy have reported outbreaks of the virus. Kasikorn Research Centre…
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Thai stocks plummet nearly 4% in Monday SET trading
The Stock Exchange of Thailand finished yesterday at 1,435.56 points, a decrease of 59.5 points, or nearly 4% – that’s compared to Friday’s close on the SET. The daily trade volume for Monday was 76.431 billion baht, with an index high of 1,474.12 and a low of 1,435.56. Asian bourses were hammered as confidence was inhibited by rising cases of the…
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Thailand News Today – First episode of a new daily TV program
Thai exports figures rise in January Whilst there’s been plenty of economic challenges around for Thailand, including the high Thai baht and a levelling out of tourist arrivals, exports for January 2020 unexpectedly rose according to ministry figures. It’s the first rise in six months, and an increase of 3.35% from the exports 12 months earlier. Reuters had earlier forecast…
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Ten reasons western foreign tourists are not wanted in Thailand
Adam Judd, writing for Pattaya Unplugged, has opined about western foreign tourists not being wanted in Thailand. He brings up some interesting topics, largely from the standpoint of an American living in Pattaya. Tell us what you think on our Facebook page. The following are my opinions but based on many talks with people from many different backgrounds and cultures.…
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Thai exports figures rise in January
Whilst there’s been plenty of economic challenges around for Thailand, including the high Thai baht and a levelling out of tourist arrivals, exports for January 2020 unexpectedly rose according to ministry figures. It’s the first rise in six months, and an increase of 3.35% from the exports 12 months earlier. The customs-cleared export numbers have been boosted by higher shipments…
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Songkran around Thailand – where can you get wet in 2020?
PLEASE NOTE: Some of these scheduled activities may change or be altered due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. Songkran Festival is an event where an all-out water battle and ancient traditions somehow blend in annual celebration. It’s unlike anything else in the world. And it’s wet. Venturing out onto Thailand’s streets on April 13 is an open invitation to have a…
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Top 10 dos and don’ts for the 2020 Songkran festival
Heading to Thailand for the 2020 Songkran festival? Want to know the dates, where to go and the dos and don’ts for this amazing water festival in Thailand? Songkran is a single name given to a series of concurrent events – an astrological ‘new year’, a Buddhist festival, the ‘change’ from dry season to wet season and a humongous water…
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Former deputy commerce minister and police lieutenant arrested for suspected murder
Former deputy commerce minister and police lieutenant colonel Banyin Tangpakorn was arrested this morning, along with two other people, in the central province of Nakhon Sawan. Police believe the three were involved in the disappearance of the brother of a senior Criminal Court judge. Banyin is a former MP for Nakhon Sawan, of the now-defunct Palang Prachachon party. The arrest…
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Future Forward ruling sparks flash mob at Bangkok’s Thammasat U.
The Student Union of Thailand held a brief rally at the campus of Thammasat University yesterday, to protest the Constitutional Court’s decision to dissolve the Future Forward party, strip its MPs of their status and and ban its executive committee members from politics for ten years. Students and members of the public who support the now-defunct party attended, lighting candles…
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US ships arrive for Cobra Gold 2020
Ships from the US Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) have arrived in Thailand in preparation for Exercise Cobra Gold 2020. Cobra Gold is a multi-country war game conducted every year in Thailand. Cobra Gold 2020 will be held starting Tuesday and run to March 6. Rear Admiral Fred Kacher, commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 7, had this to say: “Working with…
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Suspected forest fire arsonist arrested in Lampang
Despite prohibitions on agricultural burning, wildfires continue ravaging forests across Thailand’s North. Now, police have arrested an arsonist suspected of starting forest fires in the northern province of Lampang. Forest rangers suspect he started fires in the Mae Jang forest reserve. Udomsilp Thithamma was arrested at his shelter in the compound of a rock crushing plant. Bundles of mosquito repellent…
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Interior ministry bans “crane claw” game machines as gambling tools
Gambling, other than betting on horse races or the government-sponsored lottery, has been prohibited in Thailand since the Gambling Act 1935. Now the government has banned the familiar “claw crane” machines found at many shopping malls and supermarkets, calling them “gambling tools.” The order was signed by the acting permanent secretary of the interior on Wednesday. The order was issued…
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Phuket calls for immediate government help over coronavirus impact
Phuket’s Chamber of Commerce has asked the Thai govenment for swift action to help cope with the economic impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus, particularly on tourism. According to Chamber president Thanusak Phungdet: “I explained to Tourism Committee President Surasak Phanchalernworakul about the situation and how coronavirus is affecting tourism and business in Phuket. I requested them to share this information with…
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US embassy, Amnesty International oppose Future Forward dissolution decision
In a statement today, the US embassy in Bangkok said the Constitutional Court’s decision to dissolve the Future Forward party risks disenfranchising more than six million Thai voters who voted for the party in last March’s general election. “The United States strongly supports democratic governance around the world, and appreciates Thailand’s recent seating of a democratically elected government. While the…
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Disbanded Future Forward Party vows to fight on
Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, leader of the Future Forward Party (FFP), disbanded yesterday by the Constitutional Court, has vowed to continue fighting and announced the formation of “the Group of Future Forward,” which he says will continue the campaign to get Thailand back on the road to democracy. He said leaders of the Future Forward Party have no intention of giving up…
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Police chief denies officers killed suspect
“We didn’t kill him, he killed himself” The police chief in Nonthaburi, just northwest of Bangkok, denies claims that one of his men kicked a motorcyclist off his bike. The 28 year old man, identified only as “Pisanu,” died after he fell off his Honda Wave motorbike. He was fleeing a police checkpoint at the time. He suffered head injuries…
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