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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  • 1 billion baht in assets seized in human trafficking cases, officer “Big Joke” reports

    1 billion baht in assets seized in human trafficking cases, officer “Big Joke” reports

    Assets valued at more than 1 billion baht have been seized from human trafficking operations in Thailand where Burmese people were trafficked from the northern province Tak down to the Malaysian border. The Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn, made the announcement at a recent press conference, adding that authorities are still investigating and plan…

  • Taxi drivers fight over passenger saying Bangkok taxi shouldn’t service in Pattaya

    Taxi drivers fight over passenger saying Bangkok taxi shouldn’t service in Pattaya

    A video was widely shared among Thais of Pattaya taxi and win drivers crowded around a driver from Bangkok, some saying he stole their customer and arguing with him about offering services outside of his home province. One Pattaya taxi driver reportedly said that drivers in other provinces should be more thoughtful about offering services in Pattaya as those in…

  • Department of Medical Science seeks FDA approval for two types of Covid-19 tests

    Department of Medical Science seeks FDA approval for two types of Covid-19 tests

    The Department of Medical Science is seeking FDA approval for two types of Covid-19 tests known as LAMP and CRISPR. Reports say the tests are quick and just as precise as the RT-PCR test, which is the primary test being used in Thailand to confirm Covid-19 infections. Officials are also looking into using “machine based assay” or “MBA” antigen testing…

  • Mario Kleff designed the longest steel box girder used in residential construction in Thailand

    Mario Kleff designed the longest steel box girder used in residential construction in Thailand

    It was early March 2022 in Pattaya when the delivery of 50 tons worth of custom fabricated steel, in the form of box girders and cellular beams arrived at the Majestic Residence construction site, Khao Phra Tamnak. The architect Mario Kleff and his construction company Wandeegroup Asia Co Ltd continue to set new standards in residential construction in Pattaya and…

  • Som tum seller arrested for allegedly luring Thai women into sex work in Malaysia

    Som tum seller arrested for allegedly luring Thai women into sex work in Malaysia

    A som tum vendor in Bangkok was arrested on sex trafficking charges for allegedly luring a woman into prostitution in Malaysia. The victim had contacted the Royal Thai Embassy in Malaysia for help after she got caught up in a prostitution ring. Authorities helped send her back to Thailand. The victim provided information to the Anti Human Trafficking Division, saying…

  • Motocross rider dies, another injured after falling from cliff in Chiang Mai

    Motocross rider dies, another injured after falling from cliff in Chiang Mai

    A motocross rider died and another was severely injured after driving off a cliff in Chiang Mai and falling more than 50 metres. The two were on a motocross trip from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and were driving near the scenic village Mae Kampong and up to a mountain viewpoint when they fell from the cliff. The riders were going…

  • Fire breaks out at luxury Koh Kut resort burning villa to the ground, guests narrowly escape

    Fire breaks out at luxury Koh Kut resort burning villa to the ground, guests narrowly escape

    A fire broke out at a luxury resort on Koh Kut, an island off the coast of Trat by the Cambodian border on Sunday morning, burning a villa to the ground where a group of 15, including a famous paediatrician, were staying. The Soneva Kiri resort released a statement saying all guests staying at villa 63 were evacuated and the…

  • Will Songkran be wet or dry? CCSA to discuss restrictions on March 18

    Will Songkran be wet or dry? CCSA to discuss restrictions on March 18

    The question of whether or not to allow massive water fights to celebrate Songkran, the Thai New Year, will be discussed on March 18 at a Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration meeting. The celebrations with water guns and splashing have been called off for the past two years to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Recently, the Department of Disease Control…

  • Thai government looking at ways to help stranded Ukrainian, Russian tourists

    Thai government looking at ways to help stranded Ukrainian, Russian tourists

    The Thai government says over 7,000 Ukrainian and Russian tourists affected by flight cancellations will be allowed to extend their visas free of charge. It’s one of a number of measures officials are implementing to help visitors stranded as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Other measures potentially include offering shelter and access to a Chinese payment platform, according…

  • The Backpacker Murders Of Koh Tao. What Really Happened There?

    The Backpacker Murders Of Koh Tao. What Really Happened There?

    We’ve all heard about the 2014 backpacker murders of two British tourists in Koh Tao, Thailand. Although Koh Tao is one of the most beautiful islands in Thailand, it has always been shrouded by a dark mystery. What really happened there? Tim Newton talks with Sue Buchanan on her new upcoming book ‘The curse of the turtle’ which is regarding…

  • Wild bull attack injures two park rangers in Phetchabun

    Wild bull attack injures two park rangers in Phetchabun

    A wild bull charged at a group of five park rangers patrolling in Tat Mok National Park in Phetchabun province on Sunday afternoon. The bull hit squadron leader Woraphot Piraksa head-on, knocking out some of his teeth and injuring his face, mouth and body. Team member Jiraphong Nakrabum was also injured. The team made it to Phetchabun hospital by Sunday…

  • Monk survives 50 metre fall inside mountain cave in Kanchanaburi

    Monk survives 50 metre fall inside mountain cave in Kanchanaburi

    A monk fell 50 metres down into a cave and was rescued after a 10-hour mission. Reports say 29 year old Phra Thada was descending into the cave when a rope on the ladder snapped, hurling him down to the cave floor. He suffered serious injuries to his hips and legs. The monk, from a temple in the Khlong San…

  • Commercial flights at Thailand’s newest airport in Yala to take off on March 14

    Commercial flights at Thailand’s newest airport in Yala to take off on March 14

    Commercial flights at Thailand’s newest airport in the southern province Yala are set to take off on March 14. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announced that the first flight to Yala’s Betong Airport will depart from Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport this month. The new airport is a part of the government’s strategy to strengthen the economy and stability in the three southern provinces,…

  • Monk gives residents 200 baht each after winning 18 million baht lottery

    Monk gives residents 200 baht each after winning 18 million baht lottery

    A monk won the top Thai government lottery prize of 18 million baht and is now giving the money away to locals, other temples, and various organisations. The monk in the northern province Nakhon Phanom says he doesn’t usually buy lottery tickets as monks shouldn’t join any kinds of gambling, but says he recently bought a ticket to help a…

  • Event Announcement: Sustainable solutions for Southeast Asia’s recovery to be held on 16-17 March

    Event Announcement: Sustainable solutions for Southeast Asia’s recovery to be held on 16-17 March

    Press Release The Southeast Asia Development Symposium (SEADS) 2022—Sustainable Solutions for Southeast Asia’s Recovery will be held on the 16th and 17th of March by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). SEADS 2022 brings together a powerful lineup of thought leaders, decision-makers, and insight influencers to discuss new insights, innovative solutions, and policy responses that can help Southeast Asian nations “build…

  • Cannabis is Thailand’s “secret weapon” to bring back tourists, health official says

    Cannabis is Thailand’s “secret weapon” to bring back tourists, health official says

    One public health official says Thailand has a “secret weapon” to bring back tourists… It’s cannabis. Some experts and officials hope that decriminalising marijuana, alongside declaring Covid-19 as endemic, will help tourism in Thailand bounce back to pre-pandemic levels. The public health official made the statement over the weekend at a medical marijuana conference at Surin’s Rajamangala University of Technology.…

  • Bystander struck in the head by rubber bullet in Bangkok rally dies

    Bystander struck in the head by rubber bullet in Bangkok rally dies

    A 64 year old man who had been struck by a rubber bullet fired during one of the violent clashes with police at Bangkok’s Din Daeng area back in August died after several months of being bedridden. The Din Daeng area had been the site of numerous clashes between police and anti-government protesters, particularly a young group called “Thalugas” which…

  • Prices for instant noodles, condensed milk to rise next month

    Prices for instant noodles, condensed milk to rise next month

    Prices for instant noodles and condensed milk are set to rise next month as the Ukraine-Russia conflict has affected imports and exports in Thailand, according to the Ministry of Thai Commerce. The ministry says that the situation could cause inflation, but says the state would try to control the price of food and necessary products as much as possible. Commerce…

  • Thousands of Thais trafficked to Japan for prostitution each year

    Thousands of Thais trafficked to Japan for prostitution each year

    Thousands of children and women are trafficked from Thailand to Japan for prostitution every year, a recent study shows. A senior Thai police officer says he found that Japan has been the largest market of Thais trafficked into the sex industry. “In the case of illegal trafficking of women and children for prostitution, Japan has been the largest market for…

  • Monday Covid Update: 21,162 new cases; provincial totals

    Monday Covid Update: 21,162 new cases; provincial totals

    65 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 23,300 with 1,602 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 21,162 new Covid-19 cases and 23,159 recoveries. There are now 230,459 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…

  • Hospital in Bangkok interrupts funeral, says they accidentally gave the wrong corpse

    Hospital in Bangkok interrupts funeral, says they accidentally gave the wrong corpse

    Staff from a hospital in Bangkok interrupted a funeral right before the cremation ceremony to tell the family that they had accidentally given them the wrong corpse. After discovering that the wrong corpse had been given away, staff from the Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok quickly went to the ceremony and told the family “the corpses were switched!” The husband of…

  • Phuket, Krabi resorts no longer accepting credit cards from Russian guests

    Phuket, Krabi resorts no longer accepting credit cards from Russian guests

    Resorts and hotels in tourist destinations such as Krabi and Phuket are no longer accepting credit cards from Russian guests, according to a Thai PBS World report. The decision comes after 7 Russian banks were excluded from the SWIFT financial global messaging system, leaving many Russians overseas unable to use their credit cards. Card providers Mastercard and Visa have also…

  • Thai police ask Canadian court not to grant bail to Jimi Sandhu murder suspect

    Thai police ask Canadian court not to grant bail to Jimi Sandhu murder suspect

    Police in Thailand are asking a Canadian court to refuse a bail application for a man wanted for murder on the southern island of Phuket. Canadian national Matthew Dupre is 1 of 2 suspects wanted for the murder of Indian gang member Jimi Singh Sandhu, who was gunned down outside his Rawai villa on February 4. Dupre and his alleged…

  • “Joe Ferrari” objects to presence of human rights observers at torture-murder trial

    “Joe Ferrari” objects to presence of human rights observers at torture-murder trial

    Former police chief Thitisan Utthanaphon is calling for human rights observers to be blocked from attending his trial for torture and murder. Thitisan, who has been nicknamed “Joe Ferrari” because of the lavish lifestyle he lived and the luxury cars he accumulated while on a policeman’s salary, has asked the Criminal Court to stop the rights observers from attending his…

  • Walkway connecting Bangkok parks will be renovated in September

    Walkway connecting Bangkok parks will be renovated in September

    A walkway connecting Bangkok’s Lumpini and Benjakitti parks will be renovated in September. The walkway was first built in 1999. The renovation will give it better biking and running lanes, with flowers lining the sides. There will even be a park, as well as a rest area. The walkway is being referred to as the ‘green bridge’, and the Bangkok…

  • Should Foreigners Still Come To Live and Retire In Thailand?

    Should Foreigners Still Come To Live and Retire In Thailand?

    Thailand has always been popular as a country to come to live and retire. Many foreign retirees could come to Thailand and live a pretty good life. However, since the exchange rate has tightened up and the covid 19 pandemic, how has that effected retirees living in Thailand? Tim sits with Ben Hart from Integrity legal to find out more…

  • 3 million Covid-19 infections in Thailand since 2020, mental health plummets

    3 million Covid-19 infections in Thailand since 2020, mental health plummets

    Yesterday, Thailand’s number of Covid-19 infections since the pandemic hit the country in 2020 jumped to 3 million. There have been 781,371 infections since January 1. Out of those infections, there have been 1,478 deaths, and 589,997 recoveries. Thailand’s Department of Mental Health has also reported the drastic impact of Covid-19 on mental health. DMH’s director-general told the Bangkok Post…

  • Russians in Phuket granted 1 month extension to stay

    Russians in Phuket granted 1 month extension to stay

    Despite Russia banning Facebook in the country just 2 days ago, the Russian Consulate in Phuket has posted on its own Facebook page yesterday to announce that Russian citizens in Phuket can stay at least month longer than the original date on their visa. To do this, Russian travellers must go to Phuket immigration with their original letter from the…

  • Paypal will still work in Thailand until the end of the year

    Paypal will still work in Thailand until the end of the year

    After Paypal warned of suspending its services in Thailand starting March 7, the company announced yesterday that it will in fact keep providing services in the country until the end of the year. Paypal had warned it would close services in Thailand after Thai authorities wanted it to verify all users’ identities, in order to prevent money laundering. But now,…

  • Sending Money Overseas From Thailand? Save Costs With DeeMoney

    Sending Money Overseas From Thailand? Save Costs With DeeMoney

    SPONSORED: Looking for a better and easier solution for sending money overseas from Thailand? Look no further, then DeeMoney.