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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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  • Koh Samui flights resume Wednesday despite Covid-19 | Thaiger

    Koh Samui flights resume Wednesday despite Covid-19

    The Samui Plus international reopening plan has seen a fraction of the success of the Phuket Sandbox reopening and were hampered by the grounding of nearly all domestic flights in Thailand, despite an exception for Sandbox flights. Now the province that’s home to Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao will continue the Samui Plus programme and expects flights to…

  • 650 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine found off Trang’s coast | Thaiger

    650 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine found off Trang’s coast

    650 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine has been found off the coast of Kantang which is in the southern Thai province of Trang. Reportedly, the methamphetamine was loaded into fertiliser sacks which were then tied to barrels that floated along the sea. An unnamed marine generator vessel alerted officials to the suspicious buoy like objects that were floating between Koh Laoliang…

  • MP challenges PM Prayut to kickboxing for prime ministership | Thaiger

    MP challenges PM Prayut to kickboxing for prime ministership

    Many people have challenged PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s competence to lead the nation, especially through the Covid-19 pandemic. But MP Mongkolkit Suksintharanon took it one step further, challenging PM Prayut to a bare-knuckled kickboxing match for the prime ministership. The parliament member is the leader of the Thai Civilised Party and posted a message on Facebook Thursday making the challenge to…

  • 24 arrested at illegal party in Koh Samui luxury villa | Thaiger

    24 arrested at illegal party in Koh Samui luxury villa

    Perhaps people are getting fed up with Covid-19 restrictions keeping them isolated and unable to socialize and party. Or maybe the police are cracking down more on the illegal parties that often become Covid-19 clusters or superspreader events. Either way, stories of private parties in violation of Covid-19 Emergency Decree restrictions being busted seem to be cropping up more and…

  • Airlines pushing for September reopening for domestic flights | Thaiger

    Airlines pushing for September reopening for domestic flights

    Struggling airlines are backing a push to reopen domestic flights in September from Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport, a hub for low-cost carriers. Negotiations are in progress with the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, and budget airlines to create travel and safety regulations to resume flights. Airlines are struggling to remain liquid as nearly all domestic…

  • Police officers seen dining in restaurant despite Covid-19 rules | Thaiger

    Police officers seen dining in restaurant despite Covid-19 rules

    A picture and story have gone viral on Thai social media where people complained about the inequality in who has to follow rules and who doesn’t. The uproar was caused by 2 police officers who were spotted dining in a local restaurant in Bangkok despite continued Covid-19 restrictions prohibiting dine-in service. The police officers were identified to be from the…

  • Police arrest 21 people at Pattaya party violating Covid-19 decree | Thaiger

    Police arrest 21 people at Pattaya party violating Covid-19 decree

    Yet another party breaking all Covid-19 restrictions was just broken up in Central Pattaya tonight, with 21 people arrested. The event was in front of the Tree Town Market area on Soi Buakhao and police raided the party just before 9 pm. Pattaya and the rest of the Chon Buri province is now a maximum control dark red zone, and…

  • OnlyFans to ban “sexually explicit” content from October 1 | Thaiger

    OnlyFans to ban “sexually explicit” content from October 1

    OnlyFans has become a popular website for amateurs creating adult content to earn money, but a statement issued by the company that now boasts over 2 million content creators and 130 million users says they will be banning “sexually explicit” content starting October 1. Products and services often don’t end up becoming popular for their original intended uses. Coca Cola…

  • Protester injured and loses sight in one eye, family plans legal action | Thaiger

    Protester injured and loses sight in one eye, family plans legal action

    A 29 year old protester injured in a Bangkok rally last week has lost sight in one eye. Tanat Thanakitamnuay’s family says his right eye was hit by a “blunt cylindrical object” – which Coconuts Bangkok says was a tear gas canister – tearing the cornea, rupturing the eyeball, and causing his retina to peel off. Several protesters have been injured…

  • Former Future Forward leader Thanathorn faces new lese majeste charges | Thaiger

    Former Future Forward leader Thanathorn faces new lese majeste charges

    Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the leader of the now-dissolved Future Forward Party, is facing new trouble with 2 new lese majeste charges. The charges come from statements he made months ago about AstraZeneca being produced domestically in Thailand by Siam Bioscience, a company wholly owned by a subsidiary of Crown Property Bureau. Section 112 of the Criminal Code, also known as the…

  • Phuket government warn businesses against price gouging | Thaiger

    Phuket government warn businesses against price gouging

    The Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong has reinforced the warning for vendors in Phuket to avoid price gouging or overcharging customers. He requested officials in Phuket to be vigilant in checking stores and vendors to make sure their pricing is reasonable and not artificially inflated. With the economic pummeling Thailand, and Phuket in particular, have taken with the loss of international…

  • Immigration police arrest man for allegedly laundering money for drug trafficking syndicate | Thaiger

    Immigration police arrest man for allegedly laundering money for drug trafficking syndicate

    A 31 year old man from India was arrested by Thai immigration police for allegedly laundering money for an international drug trafficking syndicate in Southern Thailand. Officers say the man has been buying gold with money obtained through the illegal drug trade and opened an electrical appliance store in Bangkok’s Pahurat area as a cover for the money laundering operations.…

  • Amnesty International demands investigation into shooting of protesters | Thaiger

    Amnesty International demands investigation into shooting of protesters

    Amnesty International Thailand is calling for a full investigation into the shooting of young anti-government protesters, with 1 teenager currently in a coma. The unnamed 15 year old was shot in the back of the neck, while a 14 and 16 year old were also shot. The father of the 14 year old has already filed a police complaint. However,…

  • Flights from Phuket to Bangkok to resume for sandbox tourists next month | Thaiger

    Flights from Phuket to Bangkok to resume for sandbox tourists next month

    Domestic flights from Phuket to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports are set to resume next month, according to the Transport Ministry. The Bangkok Post reports that the flights are being given the green light to facilitate the travel needs of tourists in Phuket as part of the island’s sandbox re-opening scheme. On July 21, the Civil Aviation Authority of…

  • SEC fears cryptocurrency trading by inexperienced traders | Thaiger

    SEC fears cryptocurrency trading by inexperienced traders

    The Securities and Exchange Commission in Thailand is worried about crypto investor ignorance as cryptocurrency trading volume in Thailand surged to 700 to 800 billion baht over the past 10 months. The chief executive of Zipmex Thailand predicted trading will hit 1 trillion baht by the end of 2021. At the PostToday Cryptocurrency Forum 2021 yesterday the Zipmex executive said…

  • 60 of 155 national parks reopened across Thailand | Thaiger

    60 of 155 national parks reopened across Thailand

    With Covid-19 closing or prohibiting many things people love about Thailand – nightlife, massage shops, cheap drinks, even some beaches – the country’s natural beauty is once again be available for people to enjoy. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has reopened 60 of the 155 national parks across all of Thailand from now until further notice.…

  • Happy Paradise plan to welcome tourists, encourage spending | Thaiger

    Happy Paradise plan to welcome tourists, encourage spending

    In an attempt to boost revenues and welcome more tourists to the Phuket Sandbox and beyond, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has launched a “Happy Paradise” programme. The plan aims at creating activities and excitement for Sandbox travellers and has kicked off with 1,000 Happy Paradise Welcome Kits. The program helps to invigorate not just Phuket arrivals, but also travellers…

  • Betong Airport in Yala is almost ready to be southernmost Airport | Thaiger

    Betong Airport in Yala is almost ready to be southernmost Airport

    Thailand’s southernmost province is set to open Thailand’s southernmost airport as the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand is nearing completion of safety inspections for Betong International Airport in Yala province. The CAAT is doing safety and security inspections now, which will be followed by a license and certification that will allow commercial flights to operate in and out of the…

  • Turtle full of plastic waste being treated in Phuket | Thaiger

    Turtle full of plastic waste being treated in Phuket

    An alarming sign of pollution was found in a young green turtle rescued from a Phuket beach last month and found to have over 150 pieces of garbage and plastic clogging its stomach and intestines. The turtle was first found on Kata Beach in Phuket on July 23rd looking weak and sick. The sea turtle was taken in by veterinarians…

  • Vietjet to launch 4 direct cross-country routes from September | Thaiger

    Vietjet to launch 4 direct cross-country routes from September

    From next month, Vietjet will resume a number of domestic routes between Thai provinces without the need to connect in Bangkok. The carrier is promoting 4 routes for around 389 baht when taxes and other fees are factored in. According to TTR Weekly, the airline has dropped its 1pm – 3pm booking window so passengers now have more time to…

  • CCSA approves Sputnik vaccine, allowing Russian Sandboxers | Thaiger

    CCSA approves Sputnik vaccine, allowing Russian Sandboxers

    The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration quietly okayed the Russian Sputnik vaccine as one of the accepted vaccine brands for international travellers entering Sandbox destinations in Thailand. The vaccine had previously failed to receive approval from the Food and Drug Administration for import and use in Thailand. The Department of Disease Control is now expected to approve the order from…

  • Grenade found outside local politician’s home in Prachin Buri | Thaiger

    Grenade found outside local politician’s home in Prachin Buri

    A grenade was found in front of a local politician’s home in the central province Prachin Buri, east of Bangkok. The chief of the Kham Tanot Administrative Organization, 53 year old Suchart Dejsupha, said he was in a meeting when he received a message from his daughter with a photo of what appeared to be a bomb outside his house. Police…

  • Police raid birthday party at Bangkok resort, arrest 28 people | Thaiger

    Police raid birthday party at Bangkok resort, arrest 28 people

    Police raided a birthday party at a resort in Bangkok and arrested 28 people for violating emergency orders which prohibit gatherings of more than five people. Sutthisan police officers raided the resort in the Ratchadapisek area at around 3:30am today and arrested them for violating the disease control measures. Bangkok is classified as a “dark red” zone under maximum control with…

  • Man arrested for allegedly stealing plants valued at 18,500 baht | Thaiger

    Man arrested for allegedly stealing plants valued at 18,500 baht

    Police arrested a man who allegedly stole four expensive potted plants from outside a home in the eastern province Sa Kaeo. Officers say the plants are valued at 18,500 baht. The stolen plants include the Dieffenbachia valued at 7,000 baht, Variegated Arrowhead Vine valued at 3,500 baht, Syngonium Pink Spot valued at 3,000 baht, and the Monstera Thai Constellation valued…

  • Woman who stole over 250 million baht from sick mother sentenced to 12 years | Thaiger

    Woman who stole over 250 million baht from sick mother sentenced to 12 years

    A Bangkok woman who stole 253 million baht from her elderly sick mother has been jailed for 12 years. The Bangkok Post reports that 55 year old Mawadi Siwirat stole the money from her 84 year old mother, named as Huay Siwirat, while she was receiving hospital treatment for a heart condition. Mawadi pled guilty and was found guilty on…

  • Saint-Tropez wildfire forces thousands to leave French resort hotspot | Thaiger

    Saint-Tropez wildfire forces thousands to leave French resort hotspot

    A wildfire in the Saint-Tropez region of Southern France has forced thousands of people to evacuate, says the fire service today. AFP reports that round around 750 firefighters responded to the fire while Reuters estimates the number of firefighters is closer to 900. Aircraft also dropped water on the blaze. The high temperatures and strong winds made the situation even more…

  • Thousands of sex toys valued at 3 million baht seized by police | Thaiger

    Thousands of sex toys valued at 3 million baht seized by police

    Thousands of sex toys valued at more than 3 million baht were seized yesterday by officers from the Child and Women’s Welfare Department in Bangkok’s Nong Khaem district. Two men were arrested. Around 5,000 dildos, penis enlargement devices, penis massage oils and lubricating gels were seized from a warehouse off the Petchkasem highway. Fake Rolex and Gucci watches were also confiscated.…

  • Officers at Phuket checkpoint to screen Thais for outstanding warrants | Thaiger

    Officers at Phuket checkpoint to screen Thais for outstanding warrants

    Officers at Phuket’s main checkpoint in Tha Chatchai will be screening Thais entering the island province to see if they have outstanding arrest warrants. The Region 8 Police Chief donated 51 smart card readers to scan ID cards as well as 20 smartphones. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha had called on government agencies to tighten safety to support tourists in Phuket following the…

  • PM’s office to file charges against red-shirt leader over Sunday’s protest | Thaiger

    PM’s office to file charges against red-shirt leader over Sunday’s protest

    The government is seeking to press charges against red-shirt leader Nattawut Saikuar over protests in Bangkok on Sunday. According to a Bangkok Post report, Seksakol Atthawong from the office of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, has confirmed that a complaint has been lodged with the Crime Suppression Division. Nattawut is accused of sedition and of violating the emergency decree and the disease…

  • Tourism operators hopeful after Phuket sandbox mandatory stay reduced to 7 days | Thaiger

    Tourism operators hopeful after Phuket sandbox mandatory stay reduced to 7 days

    Tourism operators in Phuket and other southern destinations are feeling more hopeful after a reduction in the minimum stay required as part of the Phuket sandbox. Yesterday, the Centre for Economic Situation Administration approved a proposal to set the minimum stay at 7 days, down from the previous 14. After this period, sandbox tourists are free to travel to other…