Thailand News
Thailand news, politics, business, crime, and lifestyle—get breaking updates from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond. Stay informed on Thai society, economy, tourism, and expat life with The Thaiger.
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Sponsored How to travel around Thailand for under US$30 a day
The Thaiger key takeaways Staying in budget hostels or guesthouses and eating street food keeps daily expenses low. Mixing buses, trains, and budget flights allows affordable travel between cities and islands. Free or cheap activities, such as temples, markets, parks,...
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Bitcoin breaks the bank: Crypto leap sends shockwaves through markets
In a dazzling leap forward, Bitcoin smashed through the US$71,000 barrier, sending shockwaves through the financial world. This crypto milestone, unmatched since June, comes on the heels of hefty inflows into exchange-traded funds and rampant election speculation. As the clock ticked past 10.45am in Singapore, the digital asset darling rocketed over 2%, peaking at an impressive US$71,310. Not to be…
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Drug gang’s truck crashes with 1.6m meth pills, suspects flee
A drug trafficking gang’s pickup truck, loaded with over 1.6 million methamphetamine pills, crashed after a tyre burst. The suspects fled into a nearby forest, prompting a police manhunt. At approximately 2.45am today, October 29, Chaiyachai Nathanakarn, the superintendent of Phatthana Nikhom Police Station, led a team to investigate a report from Chaiwat Kuntolthong, a local volunteer and assistant village…
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Academy lecturer removed after lawsuit against Big Joke’s wife
There are no updates regarding the theft lawsuit filed by a police officer’s wife against the wife of former police chief Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn, but the complainant is now facing multiple criminal accusations and has just been dismissed as a lecturer at the Royal Police Cadet Academy (RPCA). The 50 year old RPCA lecturer, Thanattha Yodyiam, accused Big Joke’s…
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Fire torches Phichit warehouse, 10 million baht damage
A fire ravaged four connected buildings housing a second-hand Japanese goods warehouse in the heart of Phichit, causing 10 million baht in damages. The fire broke out around 12.30am today, October 29, with local police and emergency services scrambling to control the blaze. Police Lieutenant Natthaphon Netyim, deputy inspector of Mueang Phichit Police Station, received a report about the fire…
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Motorcycle shooting in Samut Songkhram injures young man
A tense incident unfolded in Samut Songkhram when a young man on a motorcycle shot at a rival’s house, causing injuries but narrowly missing vital areas. Police have apprehended the suspect, who remains uncooperative. Around 9.30pm yesterday, October 28, Phonsuda, a police lieutenant at Mueang Samut Songkhram Police Station, received a report of a shooting with injuries behind Koo Thammasatit…
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Parliament to debate charter amendments in December session
Parliament will deliberate on charter amendment bills during its next session in December, as confirmed by House Speaker Wan Muhammad Noor Matha. The decision followed an agreement between the government, opposition, and Senate whips to address the proposed revisions to the 2017 constitution in the upcoming Parliamentary session due to time constraints in the current one, which concludes tomorrow, October…
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Car crash in Pattaya tunnel causes severe damage, minor injuries
A car lost control and crashed into a barrier in a Pattaya tunnel, causing severe damage. The driver claims another vehicle forced him off the road. Fortunately, he sustained only minor injuries. At 10.06pm yesterday, October 28, the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Rescue Centre in Pattaya received a report of a car accident. The incident occurred on the road through the…
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AirAsia takes off with five new international routes
AirAsia is ramping up its operations towards the end of the year with the launch of five new international routes. These include two routes from Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport to Hyderabad, India, and Phu Quoc, Vietnam, and three routes from Phuket to Kolkata and Chennai in India, and Siem Reap, Cambodia. Supported by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Don…
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Mystery unbedded: Thai police dig into Canadian man’s death
Thai police are digging deep into the puzzling death of a 46 year old Canadian man discovered by a group of his friends after five days of silence. The alarm was raised in a quiet corner of Moo 8, Srisoontorn, alerting Thalang police officers to the scene at around 12.35pm, yesterday, October 28. The man’s body was found peacefully in…
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Disabled Thai woman robbed, physical assaulted and dumped in Pattaya
A disabled Thai woman sought help from officers at Mueang Pattaya Police Station yesterday after her dishonest girlfriend, in collusion with her boyfriend, allegedly robbed, physically assaulted, and abandoned her in Pattaya. The 33 year old victim, Chutiphat “Air” Noo-krod, arrived at the police station last night, October 28, to file a complaint against her girlfriend, Nam. However, officers faced…
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Pattaya vendors protest daily fines and increased operating days
Vendors from the Thepprasit area market have petitioned the Pattaya City Mayor, claiming unfair treatment by the market owner. They face a daily fine of 1,000 baht for non-attendance and an extension of operating days from three days to daily. A group of vendors from the Thepprasit area market approached Pattaya City Hall, seeking justice from the Mayor of Pattaya.…
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Sisters survive 10-metre fall after motorcycle crash in Phuket
Two sisters narrowly escaped death when their motorcycle, with faulty brakes, lost control and crashed into a roadside barrier, causing them to fall into a 10-metre-deep ravine. The incident occurred on a steep road in Patong, Phuket. At approximately 5.40pm yesterday, October 28, Police Lieutenant Pongpipat Kumchumpoo of the Patong Police Station received a report of a motorcycle accident on…
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Thai police intercept 2 million meth pills in sedan bust
Thai police in Wang Noi, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, arrested a major drug trafficker, seizing a significant quantity of methamphetamine pills hidden in a sedan. The arrest happened after a keen-eyed officer noticed the vehicle appeared heavily loaded, leading to a search that uncovered five sacks of drugs. Yesterday, October 28, at the Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Provincial Police Headquarters,…
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2 Thai teens surrender after brutal attack on homeless man in Isaan (video)
Two of the three Thai teenagers involved in the brutal attack on a homeless man in the Isaan province of Nakhon Ratchasima surrendered to the police yesterday. They claimed that another friend ordered them to commit the crime. Locals in the Pak Chong district of Nakhon Ratchasima, along with rescuers from the Sawang Dhammastan Foundation, rushed the homeless man, 60 year…
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Thailand drones on: Flying tech to lift farmers’ fortunes
Thailand is ready to support the effort to boost farmer access to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), or drones, to improve the management of the nation’s agricultural land, Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Economy and Society Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong announced. Prasert made this commitment during a Senate meeting, responding to questions from Senator Premsak Piayura regarding the government’s strategies to enhance…
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Bangkok cops reel in cunning Phuket light rail project con artist
The Metropolitan Police Investigation Bureau cops in Bangkok reeled in a cunning fraudster who duped victims into a sham Phuket light rail project investment scheme. The lady in question, only identified as 44 year old Ms Wongduean, was apprehended on Nawamin 70 Road in the bustling Bueng Kum district on Sunday, October 27. Ms Wongduean is accused of swindling over…
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Thailand weather: Cooler north, rain in central and southern regions
Thailand sees a shift in weather patterns, experiencing a noticeable drop in temperatures in the northern and northeastern regions, while the central and eastern parts continue to see scattered rain. The southern region faces strong winds and heavy downpours. The Meteorological Department of Thailand (TMD) forecasts weather conditions for the next 24 hours, predicting cool mornings in the upper northern…
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Thailand ambitions take off: 6 projects to boost transport hub status
The Transport Ministry of Thailand is advancing six airport development and construction projects to position the country as a regional transportation hub. Deputy Transport Minister Manaporn Charoensri announced that representatives from the ministry’s Airport Department, Airports of Thailand, Aeronautical Radio of Thailand, and other relevant agencies recently attended the 59th Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Conference in the Philippines.…
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2 Bangkok cops injured in arrest of knife wielding Chinese man
Two policemen sustained facial injuries while arresting a Chinese man wielding a knife at a 7-Eleven convenience store in the Huay Kwang neighbourhood of Bangkok last night. A worker at the 7-Eleven store, located at the entrance of Soi Si Muang Anusorn, 400 metres from Sutthisan Police Station, called the police to address the situation at around 4pm yesterday, October 28.…
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Thai-panic: AirAsia flight defies disaster over denied landing in India
A Thai AirAsia flight found itself in a death-defying situation straight out of a Hollywood blockbuster when it was denied permission to land at an airport in India. Passengers were left fearing for their lives as the aircraft was forced to circle for a staggering 45 minutes with only 30 minutes of fuel remaining in the tank. The drama unfolded…
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Jay Fai-ning appetite: Michelin Thai chef hangs up her apron (video)
Renowned Thai chef Jay Fai is set to close her one-star Michelin restaurant next year, 2025, due to the increasing price of ingredients and exhaustion after seven years of cooking. Jay Fai Pratu Phee restaurant ranks among the top must-try street food stalls in Bangkok, having earned a prestigious one-star award over its seven years of operation. A visit to this…
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Thai airports to launch biometric ID system this November
Six major Thai airports will introduce an automated biometric identification system using facial recognition technology later this year, allowing passengers to present their physical ID only once during their journey. This system, set to launch for domestic passengers on November 1 and for international passengers on December 1, will be operated by the Airport Authority of Thailand. Kirati Kitmanawat, the…
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Exhausted Thai security guard tumbles off bike in Pattaya
A 42 year old Thai security guard has been rushed to hospital after collapsing from sheer exhaustion and tumbling off his motorcycle in South Pattaya. The shocking incident unfolded at around 9pm, yesterday, October 28, when the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Rescue Centre received frantic calls about an unconscious man sprawled on the road near Wat Thammasamakkee. Emergency responders, including medics…
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Khao Yai park clarifies contractor resigned amid elephant concerns
Khao Yai National Park has clarified that Sutthiporn Sinka, known as “Phlai Su” resigned from his duties of pushing back wild elephants rather than being transferred. He faced numerous complaints for using inappropriate methods that posed risks to tourists. Sutthiporn, a contractor at Khao Yai National Park, was responsible for managing wild elephants that ventured onto visitor paths. As of…
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Thai man arrested for attempted murder of sex worker over wallet dispute
Police arrested a Thai man for the attempted murder of a sex worker in Pattaya after he crashed his car into her and fired shots at her, following a misunderstanding over a suspected theft. Officers from Nong Prue Police Station apprehended the 51 year old man, identified as Wathin, at his home in the Isaan province of Sisaket at around…
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Snake snack attack: Python’s kitten meal causes a hissy fit in grocery
A massive python was discovered after devouring two adorable kittens in a grocery store near the mountains in Phatthalung. It was too full to move, prompting rescue officials to capture and release it back into nature. Rescue officials in Phatthalung’s Srinakarin district received a call for help from locals reporting a large python that had swallowed a male and a…
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Golden opportunity: Thai investors ‘mint’ to act as prices hold steady
In an unexpected twist for the Thai economy, the Gold Traders Association (GTA) announced a welcome bout of stability in today’s gold prices, prompting savvy investors to make their move. As of today, October 28, the glint of gold remains constant—keeping the market at a tantalising standstill. The GTA’s latest update, released at 9am, confirmed the price for gold ornaments…
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Fowl play: Man busted for snatching rooster as pricey pet
A man was arrested for stealing a prized fighting rooster worth 100,000 baht, claiming he only wanted to keep it as a pet. Police from Sai Mai Station used CCTV footage to track and apprehend him along with the stolen rooster. Police were alerted to the theft by the caretaker of a rooster coop, who reported that a fighting rooster…
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Revved-up reckoning: Bangkok teen bike bandits get comeuppance
In a dramatic takedown that reads like a crime thriller, a gang of young motorcycle thieves has been nabbed in Bangkok—shockingly, with a 14 year old among the culprits. This motley crew, responsible for filching over ten bikes across the capital, were flogging their ill-gotten wheels for a measly 1,000-1,500 baht apiece, spotlighting a worrying trend of young hooligans descending…
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EGAT to add 110 EV charging outlets in Thailand this year
The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) is intensifying its electric vehicle (EV) solution services, notably by expanding charging outlets, to capitalise on the burgeoning EV market and support Thailand’s carbon reduction goals. EGAT’s expansion follows its pilot-scale operations in collaboration with state agencies and building owners. With 50 years of expertise in electricity supply and transmission system development, EGAT…
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