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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Thai AirAsia opposes airfare reductions due to operational costs
Thai AirAsia weighed in on the issue of high airfares which prompted calls for price reductions, arguing that slashing ceiling prices is not a feasible solution due to increased operational costs borne by airlines since the onset of the pandemic. The airline’s Chief Executive, Santisuk Klongchaiya, suggested increasing flights during the Songkran festival as a potential strategy to decrease average…
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Southern Thailand protests against newly proposed national park
Protests have sparked among the residents of Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani over the proposed creation of Hat Khanom-Mu Koh Thale Tai National Park. Approximately 500 locals from these regions argue that the establishment of the park would directly impede their livelihoods, utilising the land they rely on for subsistence. The public outcry was voiced during a meeting held…
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Women soar past barriers in Indian airline industry
In a groundbreaking triumph, Indian women have defied the odds and scaled the heights of the airline industry, emerging as leaders in key airports across Karnataka, India. Their stories of perseverance and determination showcase the limitless possibilities for career growth. From humble beginnings to commanding pivotal roles, these Indian women exemplify resilience and ambition. Risona Maria, the IndiGo Airport Manager…
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Thai women march to Government House for labour rights
Bangkok streets echoed with the chants of empowered Thai women as they marched to Government House, armed with 11 demands to challenge labour oppression on this International Women’s Day. Thai women’s labour groups, spearheaded by the Thai Labour Solidarity Committee (TLSC), took to the streets with a resolute message under the banner of Resistance against Women’s Labour Oppression Capitalism. Their…
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Bangkok’s street stall showdown: Pedestrians vs Vendors
The age-old saga of Bangkok’s bustling streets versus its iconic street stalls continues, with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) at the forefront of a new regulation to solve the decade-long issue of street stalls encroaching on pedestrian paths. A resident of Bangkok’s Udom Suk area lamented her daily struggle as a pedestrian, echoing the frustrations of many. “Footpath warfare is…
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Thailand’s population to halve in 60 years, warns deputy PM
Deputy Prime Minister Somsak Thepsutin cautioned that Thailand’s population could plummet from 66 million to a mere 33 million within six decades. This alarming forecast, issued yesterday, spells out dire consequences for the nation’s economic vitality and security, with the working-age populace dwindling from 46 million to a mere 14 million, according to Somsak. Speaking at a meeting of a…
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Market thief electrocuted during wire heist in Mae Klong
A female thief’s audacious wire theft act at the Rom Hub Market nearly turned fatal when she was electrocuted during the thievery, sparking concerns among local shop owners. A CCTV system at a catfish shop in Rom Hub Market, Mae Klong, Mueang district, Samut Songkhram province, captured the shocking incident. On the night of March 6, the woman, wearing what…
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Czech tourist found dead in apparent suicide in Pattaya
A 49 year old Czech tourist was found dead in an apparent suicide at a Pattaya beach city apartment in Chon Buri. The grim discovery was made in an apartment in Nong Prue Subdistrict, Bang Lamung district, alerting police and rescue workers to the scene yesterday evening. The man, whose identity has been withheld until family members are notified, was…
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Norwegian and British nationals arrested for illegal employment
A Norwegian woman and a British man have been apprehended in Thailand for alleged illegal employment. The arrests occurred on Koh Pha Ngan and Phuket island respectively, as part of a police operation targeting foreign nationals working unlawfully in the country. The Norwegian woman, 56 year old Unni Sekkesaeter was taken into custody at Tha Sala pier in the district…
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Mid-air tyre fiasco: United Airlines jet loses wheel (video)
In a heart-stopping incident, a tyre from a United Airlines plane departing from San Francisco International Airport went rogue mid-air, hurtling down onto a parking lot nearby. SFO spokesperson Doug Yakel confirmed the tyre, dislodged from Japan-bound United Flight 35, crash-landed in an airport employee parking zone, wreaking havoc on multiple vehicles. Thankfully, no injuries were reported in the alarming…
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Vietnam’s rice exports projected to decline amid quality shift
A downward shift is projected for Vietnam’s rice exports in the current year, with estimates ranging between 6.5 and 7.0 million metric tonnes. This is a noticeable drop from the previous year’s record high of 8.1 million tonnes, as reported by the Vietnam Food Association. Vietnam, ranking third globally in rice exports after Thailand and India, indicated a strategic shift…
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Thai cop’s ‘exhausting’ excuse fails to sway assault claims (video)
A Thai officer from Tarnsum Police Station in the Isaan province of Ubon Ratchathani claimed that a congenital disease and exhaustion led him to assault a man seeking assistance at the cop shop. He denied drinking alcohol on duty. Thai man Prayoon Duangnate is seeking justice by exposing the officer’s behaviour to several media outlets. He was later identified as Tarnsum…
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Chiang Mai faces world’s second-worst air quality amid pollution crisis
Northern Thailand is currently grappling with severe air pollution, with Chiang Mai experiencing the second-worst air quality globally. As of today, March 8, air quality monitoring has revealed that particulate matter PM2.5 levels have exceeded the standard in 46 provinces, prompting health warnings and advisories for residents to limit outdoor activities. PM2.5 concentrations surpassed Thailand’s safety standards in various regions,…
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Thai woman arrested for trafficking protected rat snakes
In a covert operation, police apprehended a 45 year old Thai woman at her residence in Phichit, where a trove of Indo-Chinese Rat Snakes was stashed away. Seven sacks brimming with the slithery reptiles, weighing 34.26 kilogrammes, were confiscated alongside four sacks containing snake carcasses, tallying 5 kilogrammes, concealed in a freezer. Two mobile phones linked to the clandestine snake…
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Tourists increase spending in Thailand despite soaring airfares
Despite higher airfares, foreign tourists are indulging in opulent accommodation choices, sending spending figures soaring, according to a recent Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) survey. The TAT’s survey, which engaged 30,054 tourists last year, unveiled a significant uptick in expenditure per trip, hitting an average of 50,900 baht. A substantial portion of this sum, averaging 23,518 baht per trip, was allocated…
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Ashton Asoke condo in Bangkok faces legal issues
The Ashton Asoke condominium project, worth 6 billion baht (US$168 million), in Bangkok’s Watthana district is facing a serious threat of legal action if a solution isn’t reached within the next three months, a court official has stated. The dispute stems from a Supreme Administrative Court ruling last July that cancelled the building permit for the property due to the…
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Double trouble: British lookalikes forge unlikely friendship on flight to Thailand
An airport mix-up led a pair of British lookalikes to discover they not only shared the same flight but also the same name, sparking an unlikely friendship. The lookalikes, Mark Garland, a 58 year old bus driver from Trowbridge, Wiltshire, and another Mark Garland, a 62 year old builder from Warmley, Bristol, were inadvertently seated next to each other on an…
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Alarming statistics: Thailand women in domestic violence crisis
The National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRC) delivered a stark wake-up call as alarming statistics reveal a grim reality: seven women become victims of sexual assault and abuse daily in Thailand. Pornprapai Ganjanarintr, chairperson of the NHRC, issued a resounding plea for gender equality across all sectors. In a society riddled with patriarchal structures, Ganjanarintr highlighted the harrowing repercussions,…
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House of cards: Vietnamese nationals busted in Bangkok gambling raid
Immigration Bureau officers raided a luxury house in the Rama 9 neighbourhood of Bangkok and arrested 18 Vietnamese nationals for running a gambling website. Immigration police revealed to several news outlets in a press conference yesterday, March 7, that they successfully suppressed an online gambling gang run by a Vietnamese investor on March 5. They arrested 18 Vietnamese suspects at…
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Declining conditions of Bangkok’s Klong Ong Ang raise concerns
A United Thai Nation Party‘s (UTN) Parliament member voiced concerns yesterday about the neglected state of Klong Ong Ang, a once thriving tourist attraction in the heart of Bangkok’s Chinatown. Kriangyot Sudlapha, a UTN list-MP, raised the issue in the House of Representatives, urging the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to step in and rejuvenate the area. Located in the Phra…
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Thailand braces for temperatures above 40°C, TMD warns
A weather warning has been issued by Thailand’s Meteorological Department (TMD) that temperatures across the country are expected to rise above 40°C this month and in April. Kornravee Sitthichitvapak, the director-general of the weather agency, has stated that this summer, temperatures will be 1-2°C higher than the average. Regions facing extremely hot conditions could see the mercury rising above 40°C.…
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Scent-sational arrest: Thai man nabbed in karaoke perfume heist in Pattaya
Bang Lamung Police apprehended a suspect in connection with a perfume theft from a karaoke venue worker yesterday. The suspect, identified as 33 year old Jakkrapan (surname withheld), was arrested at his residence in the Nong Prue subdistrict, Bang Lamung District, Chon Buri province. The arrest follows a theft incident on February 29 in South Na Kluea. CCTV footage depicted…
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Phetchabun residents petition over Khao Kho land dispute
A heated land dispute in Phetchabun’s Khao Kho district led residents of 35 local communities to petition two House committees for intervention. Opposition leader and member of the House of Representatives committees on the military and natural resources and environmental affairs, Chaithawat Tulathon, received the petition yesterday. Buppha Chanpheng, representing the locals living within the Khao Kho forest complex, submitted…
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Swiss scandal sparks crackdown on unruly farangs in Thailand
The scandal involving a Swiss man assaulting a Thai doctor in Phuket prompted authorities to initiate a massive crackdown on illegal foreigners and farangs behaving badly in Thailand. In total, nearly 30 foreigners were arrested during the past weeks. Following the physical assault on a Thai doctor outside the luxury villa of a Swiss man, locals in Phuket demanded that…
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Swiss national opts for jail after assaulting Thai woman in mall
A 62 year old Swiss national who physically assaulted a local Thai woman in a mall, chose to remain in custody despite an offer of bail from his former Thai spouse. The Trang Provincial Court had set his bail at 50,000 baht (US$1,406), which his ex-wife was willing to pay. However, the Swiss man, Dieter Matthias Straumann, rejected her assistance and…
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Chiang Mai flower festival blooms success with record visitors
Chiang Mai is basking in the success of its 47th Flower Festival, which attracted a staggering 668,000 visitors, both Thai and international, generating over 80 million baht (US$2.25 million) in revenue. As a result, the province is preparing to enhance the event’s float parade, focusing on innovation and interest for future festivals. On March 8, the deputy governor of Chiang…
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Leopard in the room: Indian boy’s purr-fect phone escape
A young boy in India encountered a leopard in his room while playing on his phone, managing to quietly exit and lock the animal inside. The 12 year old boy, Mohit Ahir, displayed remarkable composure and bravery during the incident. Ahir, the son of a security official at a wedding event, was waiting for his father in the office room…
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True Corporation unveils 2024 strategy with AI, digital growth focus
True Corporation, the Thai telecommunications conglomerate, disclosed its tripartite strategic model for 2024. This strategy encompasses modernising its digital infrastructure, offering distinctive services to its customer base and redefining the company through the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and cutting-edge technologies. The company’s CEO, Manat Manavutiveth, has identified five disruptive elements for the current year, namely, global economic uncertainty, generative…
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Thai man flees after assaulting girlfriend and killing her lover
A Thai man remains at large after brutally assaulting his girlfriend and killing her lover outside a rented room in the Doi Saket district of the northern province of Chiang Mai. Officers from the Doi Saket Police Station and rescuers from the Sawang Samret Chiang Mai Foundation investigated the physical assaults that took place around midnight on March 5. Officers…
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Thai House rejects labour bill fearing 30% cost surge
A labour welfare bill proposed by the Move Forward Party (MFP) has been rejected by the House of Representatives, sparking concerns about a potential 30% increase in labour costs across Thailand. Despite this setback, the MFP had some success as the House consented to two additional draft bills, one from the Bhumjaithai Party and another from the MFP. List-MP Sia…
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