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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Government confirms re-opening for foreign tourists, yacht crew, under Special Tourist Visa
Thailand is preparing to re-open to more international tourists and foreign yacht crew, after Cabinet specified updated guidelines for the Special Tourist Visa scheme. Deputy government spokeswoman, Traisulee Traisoranakul, says the new regulations will be in force until September 30, 2021. The STV has been introduced in an effort to re-ignite international tourism in the Kingdom, which has been severely…
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Thieves arrested after stealing safe containing 10 million baht
Police in the central province of Saraburi have arrested 6 people suspected of stealing a safe containing over 10 million baht in cash. Thai Residents reports that officers found over 7 million baht in US dollars and Chinese yuan, and over 3 million baht in Indonesian rupiah. Saraburi police arrested the suspects on Monday, who have been named as, 34…
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Contempt charge dropped against protest leader Parit
The leader of the Free People protest group, Parit Chiwarak, aka, “Penguin”, has had a charge of contempt dropped. He had been charged after calling on activists to gather at the court on August 8 to obstruct proceedings in a case against fellow protest leaders, Anon Nampa and Panupong Jadnok. The Bangkok Post reports that the Criminal Court dropped the…
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Koh Pha Ngan and Chiang Mai win gongs in the latest Condé Nast Traveler Awards
Koh Pha Ngan, a short ferry ride from Koh Samui off the coast of mainland Surat Thani, is the ‘third best island in Asia’, according to a vote in the readers’ choice awards by Conde Nast Traveler. Thailand also ranked in 7th place in the ‘Top 20 Countries in the World list. Topping the ‘Best Asian islands’ list were Cebu & Visayas,…
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Woman faces charges after allegedly slapping a student for not standing during national anthem
A woman is facing assault charges after she allegedly slapped a 15 year old student who didn’t stand up for the national anthem at a train station in Ayutthaya. The woman, a food vendor at the train station, allegedly approached the student when the anthem ended. In a video shared by thousands on Twitter, the woman said “Stand up. Come…
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2 shot outside Bangkok massage parlour
Police are investigating a shooting at a Bangkok massage parlour where a person was shot in the neck and another person shot in the backside. Police have not identified the shooter, but a post by a Facebook user accused an alleged “well known gambler” of shooting the 2 people. Police were called at 3am Wednesday to the Saree Sauna &…
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Thailand tourism officials to tap into Chinese market as they attract more visitors
Thailand has so far welcomed 2 flights with Chinese visitors on the new Special Tourist Visa, a first step after a 7 month ban on international tourists. Now, tourism officials are proposing to bring in more whilst tapping into the vast Chinese market to draw in more visitors. Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn says they’re planning on 7.45…
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Thailand to introduce separate test for big bike riders from next year
From next February, motorbike riders in Thailand will be required to pass a separate driving test and training session if they wish to receive a licence for a “big bike”. The regulation has been announced in the Royal Gazette, after the government approved it last August, in a bid to cut road traffic accidents which are predominantly motorbikes (about 75%) and…
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PM refuses to resign, citing concerns over political divide, the economy, Covid-19
“I refuse to comply with the proposals that do not represent the needs of the majority of the people.” The Thai PM has made it clear he will not resign, saying he has no intention of “abandoning the country during a crisis”. Addressing Parliament yesterday, Prayut Chan-o-cha pointed to the current problems facing Thailand, including the political divide in society,…
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Opposition MP slashes his arm in protest at treatment of anti-government activists
An opposition party MP has slashed his arm in front of officials in Parliament, in protest at the treatment of political activists. Visan Techatirawat, a partY member of the opposition Pheu Thai Party, says the gesture was his own personal protest to oppose the government’s action against peaceful protesters at a rally in the capital on October 17. Police remain…
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Royalists crowd Bangkok’s Lumpini Park to support Thai Monarchy
Bangkok’s Lumpini Park was crowded with royalists yesterday afternoon after gathering to show their support and respect for the institution of the Thai Monarchy. The gathering is in response to a series of pro-democracy protests over the past 2 weeks, specifically, and the the last 3 months more generally, calling on government reform and questioning the role of His Majesty…
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Jailed activists request individual cells, access to books, ahead of exams
3 protest leaders currently behind bars have spoken with the Justice Minister to ask for a number of personal requests to be granted. Panupong Jadnok, Parit Chiwarak, and Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, each met with Somsak Thepsutin, with Panupong calling for a separation between prisoners awaiting trial and those who’ve already been convicted. Both Panupong and Parit are being held at Bangkok…
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Royalists rally at US Embassy, call on Americans to stop “interfering” with Thai politics
Royalists gathered this morning at the United States Embassy in Bangkok and called on Americans to stop a so-called “hybrid war,” implying that the US government is interfering with Thailand politics during a time of ongoing pro-democracy protests. Dressed in yellow, the colour symbolising the Thai Monarch, the protesters held signs calling on an end to an alleged hybrid war.…
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Pattaya – fighting to survive its Covid crisis
Pattaya, like some of Thailand’s other former tourist hotspots, is facing some critical challenges. Hundreds of thousands of workers have left the city because there’s simply no work and up to 50% of the city’s shops are closed, some never to re-open. The Thaiger filmed most of this video on a long weekend at the end of October, the busiest…
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Both rallies outside German Embassy broke the law – deputy police chief
Both of the rallies outside the German Embassy in Bangkok – the royalists and government supporters earlier yesterday afternoon and the pro-democracy protesters in the evening – are illegal, police say. Deputy Metropolitan Police Chief Piya Tawichai says both rallies held outside the embassy on Sathorn Road did not have the permit required to hold a gathering and demonstrators violated…
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Thai PM: Do you know what will happen if I resign?
The Thai PM has asked opposition MPs if they know what would happen if he resigns – then proceeded to tell them. Speaking in Parliament yesterday, prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha called on members of the opposition to clarify whether they want him to resign or to dissolve the House of Representatives. Thai PBS World reports that his comment was in…
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In, out, in: human rights lawyer Arnon arrested, released, then arrested again
The human rights lawyer and anti-government protest leader, Arnon Nampa, has been re-arrested in one case while on bail in another. Arnon was initially arrested on October 15 and flown to Chiang Mai to face charges of sedition after attending a rally in the northern city on August 9. He was then released on 200,000 baht bail, which it’s understood…
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Education ministry says curriculum revamp will promote analytical thinking over rote learning
As anti-government sentiment among Thailand’s student population shows no sign of abating, the Education Ministry says it plans to overhaul the Basic Education Core Curriculum to provide students with a better understanding of political developments in the Kingdom between 1932 and 1957. Supat Chumpathong says the new curriculum will also place more of a focus on analytical thinking, instead of…
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From Bangkok to Berlin – protesters deliver letter to German Embassy
Protesting students last night submitted a letter to the German Embassy, to be passed on to the German Government. The protest started around 4pm when the rally gathered at the Sam Yan intersection, near the Chulalongkorn University, and made its way along Rama IV Road to the German Embassy in Sathorn Road, some 1.5 kilometres. After some 10,000+ students descended…
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Thousands of protesters descend on the German Embassy in Bangkok awaiting to submit their petition
7.15pm and the protesters arrived out the front of the German Embassy. Thousands have blocked the way in Sathorn Road but protesters say they’re waiting for more to arrive. Estimates of the crowd say there are up to 10,000 anti government protesters already. Protesters say they’re waiting for an invitation by the German Ambassador for representatives to enter the embassy…
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Expert says all rail crossings should be upgraded after fatal train-bus collision
After the fatal freight train-charter bus collision earlier this month, authorities are looking into ways to make the rail crossings safer and to prevent potentially deadly incidents from happening in the future. An expert in rail engineering says all rail crossings need to upgraded, urgently, while unofficial or illegal crossings should either be permanently closed off or upgraded with the proper…
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Schools advised to improve online learning in case of second Covid-19 outbreak
Thailand schools are told to get ready for a possible second wave of Covid-19 and prepare to for lockdown measures – just in case – to make sure all children have equal access to education. An economist warns that the education gap between rich children in urban areas and poor children in rural areas could widen if schools shut down…
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Anti-government protesters plan march to German Embassy today
A political rally is being planned at the German Embassy on Bangkok’s Sathon Road this evening as anti-government activists continue to call for the PM’s resignation and pout pressure on the government for reforms to the country’s political system and constitution. Thai PBS World reports that protesters are expected to gather at the Sam Yan intersection on Rama IV Road…
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Parliament to discuss political protests in 2 day special session
The Thai Parliament is now holding a 2 day ’emergency’ parliamentary session to discuss the ongoing pro-democracy protests. House Speaker Chuan Leekpai says he wants MPs and senators to work together to find a solution, but some commentators say it will just cause more conflict between parties. Even amongst the government coalition there are some 20 different political parties that…
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Approval sought for multi-billion-baht Phuket medical hub
Industry officials are seeking the go-ahead for a project to transform over 140 rai of government land in Phuket into a world-leading medical hub. The project is budgeted at 3 – 4 billion baht, depending on which report you read. Kitkong Tantijaraswarodom, from the Federation of Thai Industries, believes the development of a medical and wellness hub in the sub-district…
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Bangkok air pollution predicted to reach “unhealthy” levels
At least some good news, Bangkok’s air quality has improved during the lockdown period. In January, it was listed as the “third most polluted city in the world.” By April, air pollution levels dropped down to a “safe” and “healthy”, according to the US Air Quality Index, or AQI. Now the bad news, forecasts predict Bangkok’s air pollution will reach…
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Permanent residency, changes to quarantine period – Government mulls strategies to revive economy
“The government is considering offering permanent residency to those buying condos in the Kingdom.” Energy minister and deputy PM Supattanapong Punmeechaow has outlined a number of strategies the government hopes will help the Thai economy recover from the Covid-19 fallout. Permanent residency for some condo purchases, changes to the mandatory quarantine and incentives for foreign investment are all under discussion.…
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Head of development think tank calls for dialogue to resolve political crisis
The president of the Thailand Development Research Institute is calling on both sides to resolve the ongoing political impasse through “dialogue and democracy”. In a report in the Bangkok Post, Somkiat Tangkitvanich warns that the situation is reaching a “crisis point” as he lays out his proposals for how both sides can reach an agreement. A new round of protests…
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Pattaya springs back to life over the long weekend, more to come
Pattaya, struggling along for the past 7 months with a handful of domestic tourists and Bangkok weekenders, has had its busiest weekend for a long time, albeit a long weekend created by the public holiday in commemoration of King Chulongkorn. Much of the increased traffic were Thai faces, a big change to the city’s old demographic of international tourists and…
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72% think the Thai government are “stalling”, 60% say leave the Monarchy alone
72.4% of people polled in a recent Suan Dusit Poll say that the government should “immediately seek negotiations with the protesters and not to buy time.” The private survey was conducted by the Suan Dusit Rajabhat University. The poll was conducted between October 19 – 22 in the wake of the central city rallies, the hosing down of the protesters at Pathumwan…
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