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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Starting a new life abroad is exciting—new culture, new lifestyle, and new chances to grow. But living far from home also means taking steps to protect your health in unfamiliar surroundings. Without the right coverage, even small health issues can...
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Copycat – Chinese company announces first cloned kitten
Cats usually have nine lives. This one had ten. ‘Garlic’ the British short-hair died late last year. Garlic’s friend Huang Yu was devastated. So he ordered a new Garlic, a clone, an exact copy of his beloved dead cat. Born on July 21, the new fluffy and purring Garlic was created by Chinese firm Sinogene, China’s first successfully copied cat.…
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Police warn about the dangers of visiting Thailand, directly contradicting Tourism Minister
PHOTO: Shutterstock Following the claim of Thailand’s Tourism Minister earlier this week that Thailand is “a completely safe environment”, a spokesman for the Royal Thai Police appears to have directly contradicted that statement. Pol Col Krissana Patanacharoen is warning tourists and business visitors about the dangers of Thailand, after a taxi driver allegedly robbed a Chinese tourist of millions of…
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Proposed amendment to Thailand’s Narcotics Act seeks to legalise cannabis growth at home
PHOTO: commons.wikimedia.org Thailand’s Bhumjaithai party says it will confer with key stakeholders to seek input on a proposed bill to allow people to grow their own cannabis at home. Those being consulted include government officials, medical patients, and traditional medicine practitioners. Party member Supachai Jaisamut says the draft bill proposes an amendment to Thailand’s Narcotics Act that would allow for…
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Constitutional court turns down request to lift Thanathorn’s suspension
Future Forward’s Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit has hit another hurdle with the Constitutional Court rejecting his requests to rescind an earlier court order suspending him from performing his duties as an MP. According to yesterday’s Constitutional Court’s bulletin, the court had not found “any change in behaviour on the part of Mr. Thanathorn that would justify the court lifting the suspension”. The…
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Thai economic committee warns about stagnant growth in second half of 2019
The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking says they’re concerned by threats to the performance of the Thai economy in the second half of this year. The office says the lack of stimulating factors and the project of an ever-stronger baht will stifle economic expansion and the economy will fail to reach targets. The JSCCIB President Preedee Daochai…
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Foreigners crying foul over the new dual pricing policy at Thai public hospitals
Thailand’s expat community is reeling after the news of Thai public hospitals given the greenlight to charge foreigners higher rates for foreigners than the locals – a classic dual-pricing policy. The new split rates kick in from September 29. But the health ministry say the new rates actually provide more set prices for services and procedures and, in some cases,…
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Online gambling den in Pattaya raided, 19 Chinese arrested
PHOTO: Daily News Nineteen Chinese on tourist visas have been rounded up during a raid on two rooms at the ‘CC Condo’ in Pattaya early this morning. The gang were running an online gambling operation and, according to police, turning over 2 million Chinese Yuan, about 8 million Thai baht, a month. According to Daily News, the raid was led by local…
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Thai PM willing to take part in debate on oath-taking controversy
PHOTO: Asiaone.com PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha has indicated his willingness to take part in a parliamentary debate over his oath-taking ceremony, in which he omitted a key sentence. A date of September 18 is being proposed for the session, according to Energy Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong, this currently being the only date that fits the PM’s busy schedule. It’s understood the…
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Three Russians arrested over alleged property fraud in Pattaya
PHOTO: PattayaupdateNews Chonburi police have arrested three Russians in the car park of the Ocean Portofino Condo, next to Ocean Marina, in Na Jomtien, south of Pattaya yesterday. A 53 year old man and two women, 52 and 28 years of age. All were named in separate arrest warrants, each for fraud. They were taken to Pattaya police station after…
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Mae Hong Son school inundated by flooding in Thailand’s north
The clean up is continuing today at a school for hilltribe children in Mae Hong Son’s Mae Sariang district in far north Thailand was hit by mountain runoff and floodwaters from last week’s heavy rain. The Ban Pho Sor School in Tambon Saohin was inundated by mountain runoff following heavy rains late Friday and into Saturday. The school provides education for…
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Indian visitors to Phuket surge whilst total numbers drop
by Bill Barnett from c9hotelworks.com The soaring number of Indian visitors to Phuket for the first seven months of 2019 has propelled Indian tourists into the Top 5 arrivals for the first time. Arrivals from India from January – July, compared to the same period in 2018, grew 354%, amassing a total of 186,360 arrivals. Mainland Chinese arrival figures continue…
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Massage parlour busted in Pattaya providing sexual services and underage staff
PHOTO: Pattaya Mail Police have raided the Thong Dang Thai traditional massage parlour on Central Road, Pattaya. They allege that staff were offering sexual services to customers whilst employing underage girls. The sting operation was conducted by officers from the Centre for the Protection of Children, Women and Family and the Anti Human Trafficking, a division of the Royal Thai…
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Police looking for Bangkok taxi driver who stole 3.6 million baht of valuables
FILE PHOTO Bangkok Police are hunting for a taxi driver who allegedly stole valuables valued over than 3.6 million baht from a Chinese businessman early on Sunday. Zhong Ai, a Chinese rubber exporter, told police he had been out drinking with friends in the Royal City Avenue area, and hailed a taxi to take him home at 5am. But he…
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Final member of romance scam gang arrested after being on the run for 4 years
PHOTO: Daily News Immigration officials have announced the arrest of a Thai man who had been on the run for nearly four years after being allegedly involved with a romance scam gang. In the case, a Thai woman was ‘scammed’ to the tune of more than 17 million baht. ‘Suchart’ was named in a warrant issued in 2015 as one…
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The Suvarnabhumi shopping shambles
Retailers want ‘in’ at the world’s 21st busiest airport in the world. With through-traffic of 60 million+ each year, and growing, Thailand’s biggest retailers want a slice of the passenger spend. But if you can’t get a shop inside the airport, build your own shopping centre just outside to capture passengers, and some of their money, just before they arrive at the…
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British man found dead in Rayong condo
PHOTO: Sanook A 49 year old British teacher at a language college in Rayong, eastern Thailand, has been found dead in his Cherng Nern apartment. Work colleagues told police that it was unusual that the man failed to turn up for work and wasn’t answering phone calls. Security at the condominium checked on the man’s room and found his body…
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Rescuers evacuate residents from Phitsanulok villages in north central Thailand
PHOTO: Phitsanulok HotNews A village in Phitsanulok’s Wang Thong district in north-central Thailand, has been totally inundated after a river burst its banks early this morning. Water started rising in the Fuangfah village in the Wang Thong district around 2.30am when the Wang Thong River overflowed. Rescuers rushed to the village by boat to evacuate the residents. Levels rose very…
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Smile, you’re on red light camera
Bangkok’s new Red Light Camera Systems now in operation. The new cameras will be running 24/7 to protect against drivers running red lights at major Bangkok intersections. During trial period from August 1 – 14, 22,260 drivers were caught running the red lights, an average of 1,590 drivers per day. The punishment for such a violation is 1,000 baht fine…
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Alleged killer of British man wandering free around Phuket
PHOTOS: Gustavo Valiente, Bajaj Family The killer of a British father has been seen wandering free around Phuket just nine days after allegedly choking him to death in a frenzied 4am attack at the Centara Grand Resort on Karon Beach. 54 year old Norwegian Roger Bullman has been staying at a Phuket guesthouse on bail awaiting an appearance in court in…
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Changing Thailand’s helmet culture
by Patrick Mattimore On a recent trip to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, I was struck by an interesting phenomenon traveling from the airport to my hotel. I saw perhaps more than a thousand motorcycle riders and passengers, and only one person was not wearing a helmet. Yet, the entire two weeks I spent in that city, I didn’t see…
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Thai Immigration announces improvements to online TM30 process
PHOTO: Bangkok Post Thai immigration officials say that improvements made to the online TM30 system will help reduce waiting times and that those using the system should now receive a username and password sooner. Until a user receives this information, he or she cannot report online, a huge source of frustration for many. Khaosod English reports that Col Thatchapong Sarawanangkul…
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“How did my son die in Thailand?” A British father seeks answers.
PHOTO: Facebook/David Cornock The father of a 37 year old British man who died in mysterious circumstances in Koh Samui in May this year, has called in a former detective to sort out what happened. The British Foreign Office has already raised the case with both the Royal Thai Police and Interpol. The body of 37 year old David Cornock,…
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PM’s oath-taking ruled unconstitutional
PHOTO: South China Morning Post The PM’s omission of an important sentence when taking his oath of office has been ruled unconstitutional by Thailand’s ombudsman. The matter is now being referred to the Constitutional Court to rule on whether the government was legally established. The controversy began on July 16, when PM General Prayuth Chan-o-cha left out a key sentence…
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New Central Village luxury outlet opens for business at BKK
Wonder if anyone from Airports of Thailand were invited to this morning’s opening? The Central Pattana president and CEO Preecha Ekkunagul, and directors Suthikiatis Chirathivat and Sudhitham Chirathivat, presided at the official opening ceremony of Central Village next to Suvarnabhumi airport this morning. Central Village has cost more than 5 billion and was five years in the planning. The new…
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Happy Birthday PAWS Animal Shelter in Bangkok
PHOTO: Paws Bangkok “Saving lives one paw at a time.” On September 5, one of Bangkok’s much loved animal shelter, PAWS Bangkok, is throwing a celebration for its seventh birthday. It will a major fundraiser for the shelter to continue their great work. The cats and kittens from PAWS Bangkok will also be on site to provide some cuddles and thank…
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International acts coming to Bangkok soon
Here are some of the forthcoming gigs for international acts heading to the Big Mango for concerts in the next three months. Spoiled for choice now as Bangkok becomes a stop-over for most of the world’s big names these days. Jeremy Zucker September 10. Nakarin Space. New Jersey’s Jeremy Zucker will play his first ever Asian tour date September 10 at Bangkok’s Nakarin Space. Jeremy…
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Thai Army chief writing a thesis about the spread of ‘fake news’
Thailand’s Army Commander-in-Chief, General Apirat Kongsompong, says he has “serious concerns” over the spread of fake news in Thailand, “some of which seems intended to discredit the government and the military”. General Apirat is also finishing a thesis about the change of political behaviour in Thailand. He said that, while he did not want to describe the use of fake news as “mind manipulation”, he had observed that some people, when repeatedly exposed to fake…
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Pattaya Cricket Club competes in the Koh Chang Beach Cricket Tournament
Nine members of the PCC toured to Koh Chang to compete in the 5th International Beach Cricket Tournament from August 23-26, 2019. Simon Philbrook (Captain) and Dave Samways were already experienced beach cricketers, whilst Clive Rogerson, Bernard Lamprecht, Trevor Moolman, Ian Liddell (Reds), Gavin Perfect, Wesley Masterton and John Harvey were beach cricket virgins. Twelve teams from Koh Chang, Phuket,…
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Burmese restaurant workers arrested for murder of Chinese businessman
Police have arrested four Burmese migrant workers suspected of being involved in the murder of a Chinese businessman at a Bangkok restaurant which he was about to take over from the Thai owner. The four suspects were arrested in Pattaya last night and were handed over to the Wang Thong Lang police in Bangkok for questioning. At this stage Police…
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Defence team will seek royal pardon for Burmese pair facing death penalty over Koh Tao murders
Yesterday the Thai Supreme Court decided to uphold the death sentences handed down previously to the two young Burmese men for the September 2014 murder of two British tourists on Koh Tao. The defence team says they will now seek a royal pardon for the pair in the next 60 days. The defendants, now 26 year old, were escorted from…
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