Thailand News
Discover the most recent and relevant news from across Thailand on The Thaiger’s National News page. Covering a wide range of topics, including politics, business, crime, and lifestyle, our dedicated team brings you breaking news, in-depth analysis, and exclusive stories from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.
Stay informed about the latest developments in Thai society, economy, and culture, as well as updates on travel, tourism, and expat life. With The Thaiger, you’ll never miss out on the essential news that matters to you.
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Sponsored Working in Thailand: How expat health insurance protects your career and lifestyle
Starting a career in Thailand can be an exciting chapter, but it also brings unique challenges, especially when it comes to health and wellness. For expats, navigating Thailand’s healthcare system and meeting work permit requirements can be difficult. And while...
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Screen siren: Ex-adult film star ties the knot with film director
The entertainment industry buzzed with excitement as a former adult film star who has since transitioned to mainstream acting announced her surprise marriage to a film director. Miku Ikuta stands at a petite 144 centimetres with a D cup size, and first debuted in the adult video (AV) industry in 2017. The 26 year old became a significant figure over…
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Heatwave havoc: DIT keeps close thermometer on Thai farming
The sweltering weather conditions currently sweeping across Thailand have prompted the Department of Internal Trade (DIT) to closely monitor their impact on the country’s agricultural and livestock production. Despite the challenging weather and drought, DIT Director-General, Wattanasak Sur-iam, assured that the price of agricultural goods remains stable. To alleviate the cost of living for consumers and restaurant owners, the DIT…
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Rat catchers nabbed in Khon Kaen with 300,000 speed pills
A couple of drug peddlers, masquerading as farm rat catchers, were apprehended in Khon Kaen with a cache of over 300,000 speed pills. The couple, identified as 41 year old Jinda Thaochalee and his 36 year old wife Rungthip Sakunphon, were nabbed in Ban Fang district and tried to bribe the police with 500,000 baht for their release. Local police…
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Son found dead by mother in Nakhon Si Thammarat
A mother was left utterly shocked when she found her 30 year old son dead, just hours after they had chatted late into the night. In a tragic twist of events, her son, known as Warakorn, was found lifeless in his home near a fresh market in the Tha Wang area of Nakhon Si Thammarat province yesterday morning. Warakorn was…
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Cabinet shake-up plants seeds for cannabis reform in Thailand
The Thai Cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin could spark high-stakes changes to the cannabis bill after former Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin replaced Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew. Cholnan, who led the charge in the cannabis debate, faced a blaze of controversy over the plant’s legalisation in 2022 by Anutin Charnvirakul, the former Public Health Minister, now doubling as…
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Human remains found in Thai eucalyptus forest sparks investigation
A search party recently uncovered a human head and a watch, followed by scattered human remains in a Thai eucalyptus forest in Chon Buri Province, Thailand, leading to a shocking discovery. The remains are believed to belong to a 36 year old man, Lamotu, who had been missing for ten days. The grim find was made around 11am today, by…
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Thai Airways turbulence: Passenger’s business-class fiasco
Thai Airways faced public criticism when a passenger expressed frustration on social media after experiencing subpar service on a business-class flight. Despite purchasing expensive tickets for himself and his clients to Beijing, he encountered malfunctioning seats that would neither recline nor convert into beds. The airline’s attempt to compensate with a modest sum of 5,500 baht was refused by Treerat Sirichantaropas,…
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RTN prepares for Myanmar evacuation amid conflict
In the face of escalating civil conflict in Myanmar, the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) has stationed four vessels in the Andaman Sea, ready to facilitate the evacuation of Thai citizens from Myanmar. The directive came from RTN Chief Admiral Adung Pan-Iam, who has instructed the Region 3 commander to prepare two frigates, HTMS Saiburi and HTMS Prachuap Khiri Khan, and…
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German tourist fined 1,000 baht for parking SUV on Phuket Beach
A German tourist found himself in hot water after his Bangkok-registered Ford Everest SUV was caught sand-handed on Ley Phang Beach, Phuket. The vehicle, owned by a man known only as Simoen, was seized by authorities following reports circulated on social media and he was fined 1,000 baht. When Cherng Talay Police arrived at the scene, they found the SUV…
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Export woes: March sees customs dip by 10.9%
March witnessed a significant 10.9% drop in customs-based exports from the previous year, according to an announcement by the Commerce Ministry today. The decline was notably more severe than the 4.5% year-on-year fall predicted by a Reuters poll, marking a stark contrast to the 3.6% rise observed in February. Government data revealed a 9.7% and 19.3% decrease in exports to…
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Thailand’s record-breaking electricity usage heats up weekend
A record-breaking increase in electricity usage was registered in Thailand over the weekend as the nation grappled with soaring temperatures. The Ministry of Energy confirmed late Saturday that power demand peaked at 36,356 megawatts, surpassing the previous record set on Monday, April 22. Extreme heat has been particularly severe in the country’s northern and northeastern regions. The Meteorological Department of…
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Thailand and India to launch QR cross-border payments
The Bank of Thailand (BoT) is set to introduce QR code cross-border payments between Thailand and India by the third quarter of this year, with a broader vision to expand this system into a pan-Asian multinational payment network. The Assistant Governor for Payment Systems Policy and Financial Consumer Protection Group at the central bank, Daranee Saeju, revealed that the payment…
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NBTC board rejects new mobile tariff structure due to lack of study
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) board declined to approve a new tariff structure for mobile services, citing a lack of comprehensive study on the matter. The proposed tariff would have charged customers on a per-second basis, reflecting actual usage. The board has voiced concerns over the potential for increased costs for consumers and has asked for a more…
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SEC warns digital asset exchanges on special privileges
The Deputy Secretary-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a stern warning to digital asset exchange operators. The caution comes in light of recent findings by the SEC, which reveal that these exchanges often entice the public to invest by offering special privileges, thereby encouraging trades on their platforms. Anek Yooyuen emphasised that the operations of digital asset…
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Monks’ wild antics: Sanctuary showdown ends in poaching arrest
Ongoing tales of monks behaving badly continue, this time in the Phu Khiao Wildlife Sanctuary in northeastern Thailand, as two Buddhist monks, Phra Maha Montri and novice Atikhun Maneewong, were apprehended for allegedly engaging in wildlife poaching. They were released on bail on Saturday, with their relatives acting as guarantors. The arrest took place on Thursday, punctuating ongoing investigations into…
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Second phase of macaque relocation kicks off at historic park
The second phase of relocating macaques from Phra Nakhon Khiri Historical Park to the Huai Sai Wildlife Breeding Centre was initiated yesterday by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) in Phetchaburi. The initiative, which involves the placement of cages at 12 locations within the park, commonly known as Khao Wang, aims to capture 205 macaques. In…
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Israel-Iran conflict threatens Thai economy in Q2
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran poses a potential threat to the Thai economy in the second quarter. Anticipated challenges include currency depreciation, an increase in oil prices, and a decrease in purchasing power. This comes after the International Monetary Fund reduced its Thai GDP forecast significantly from 4.4% to 2.7% growth, due to a slump in domestic consumption.…
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Myanmar real estate sales surge by 240%
The chief executive of a leading property firm today revealed an intriguing glimpse into the flourishing 2024 foreign real estate sector. The disclosure highlighted a remarkable 240% surge in sales within the Myanmar market compared to the same period in the previous year. Despite the surge in the Myanmar market, the Chinese market continues to dominate, accounting for 50% of…
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Acid attack leaves Burmese mother and baby severely injured
A brutal acid attack has left a 27 year old Burmese woman and her eight-month-old baby with severe injuries. The incident, which occurred on October 19, 2023, involved the woman’s ex-husband, who launched the attack while she was bathing her daughter. The assailant, a Myanmar national like the victims, used a yellow plastic bottle to disperse the acid, causing grievous…
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Thai PM’s frozen durian order: A fruitful venture worth millions
Thailand Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin yesterday publicised the country’s recent acquisition of a 300-million-baht (US$8.1 million) frozen durian order on social media. The announcement came in the aftermath of his trip to Chanthaburi, which further emphasised the global appetite for Thai durians. “Post my visit, an order was placed. Business tycoons have expressed interest in placing an annual order worth 300…
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Thai police bust major cryptocurrency mining operation
Thai police apprehended multiple individuals and confiscated over 650 cryptocurrency mining devices valued at over 200 million baht in Samut Sakhon and Ratchaburi, following an investigation into suspected electricity theft. The high-profile crackdown involved officers from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) and Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) officials, who targeted the locations due to their exceptionally high power usage. The…
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Pattaya man’s sudden death sparks heatstroke fears
The sudden death of a homeless Pattaya man sparked a wave of speculation and investigations by the Thai authorities. The 50 year old man, named Noi, was found lifeless near a bus stop in the sweltering midday heat. Noi’s sudden death has led the Thai authorities to ponder various causes: a preexisting health issue, an overwhelming heatstroke, or a lethal…
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Construction workers’ row escalates into knife attack in Pattaya
A heated argument over professional prowess escalated into a violent confrontation between two construction workers in Pattaya on Saturday night. The altercation resulted in one man being grievously injured by a knife attack. Pattaya police received a report of the incident at 8.36pm. Over ten officers swiftly converged on the scene, a residential property located within the Nongprue sub-district, Banglamung…
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Thailand’s hazardous waste crisis prompts law enforcement calls
Serious fires at hazardous waste storage facilities in Rayong and Ayutthaya, coupled with the illegal smuggling of cadmium tailings from Tak to numerous Thai provinces, have brought the issue of waste management into sharp focus in Thailand. With a shocking 36 million tonnes of hazardous waste produced annually, as reported by the Department of Pollution Control, concerns are increasing over…
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Bangkok traffic cop killed by drunk driver during charity event
A sobering incident occurred this morning when a traffic policeman was tragically killed by a drunk taxi driver while he was on duty facilitating traffic for a charity run event organised by a prominent university in Bangkok. The driver’s blood alcohol level was found to be a staggering 287 milligrams percent at the scene on Phaholyothin Road, in front of…
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Thailand probe after passengers trapped in BTS lift for an hour
Following a distressing incident where passengers were trapped in a lift at a BTS station for over an hour, Thailand’s Deputy Transport Minister, Surapong Piyachote, has ordered an immediate investigation into the malfunction. The incident took place yesterday between the ticketing floor and the street level, heading towards Kheha station on the BTS Skytrain’s Sukhumvit and Silom lines. Surapong instructed…
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Fishing trawler catches fire in Andaman sea, 9 crew rescued
The Sri Thong Pae 7 fishing trawler was engulfed in flames while refuelling in the Andaman Sea, leading to a rescue operation that saved the lives of nine crew members. The incident occurred early this morning, 15 nautical miles southwest of Koh Surin islands, off Phang Nga. Upon receiving the distress signal at approximately 3.30am, the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre…
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Intoxicated joyride leads to Pattaya chaos, man arrested
A 24 year old Thai-English man was arrested in the early hours today after his intoxicated joyride ended in a series of collisions along Pattaya South Road. The young man’s reckless driving left a trail of destruction and alarmed local motorcycle taxi drivers who witnessed his erratic behaviour. At the scene, police discovered a Toyota Altis bearing the license plate…
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Laos considers Thailand’s proposal for ASEAN troika meetings
The Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Nikorndej Balankura, confirmed that Laos has received and is considering Thailand’s proposal for ASEAN Troika and Troika plus meetings, which aim to alleviate the ongoing crisis in Myanmar. The proposal is Thailand’s attempt to engage with Myanmar’s military junta to resolve the situation while simultaneously advocating for humanitarian aid and peace. Thailand put forth this…
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Pheu Thai people’s charter still unfulfilled seven months in
The Pheu Thai Party’s promise to craft a people’s charter that would engage an elected assembly and a public referendum while honouring Thailand’s constitutional monarchy remains unfulfilled after seven months in power. The 2017 charter, considered by some as a leftover from the 2014 coup, has yet to see any amendments. The initial months of the Pheu Thai government were…
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