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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Actress Halle Bailey faces backlash for posing with animals at controversial Bangkok zoo
Animal rights activists have criticized US actress Halle Bailey, known for her upcoming role in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, after she posed with wildlife at a controversial Bangkok zoo. Bailey and Disney were accused of promoting animal exploitation and cruelty at Safari World in Bangkok, which has been under international scrutiny for years for their treatment of animals, particularly orangutans…
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Another Uyghur refugee dies after 9 years in Thailand detention centre
Human rights groups are urging Thai authorities once more to end forced prolonged detention for Uyghur refugees following the death of a Uyghur man who spent nine years inside a detention centre in Bangkok, Thailand. Mettohti Matturson, a 40 year old Uyghur refugee from Xinjiang in China, died of suspected liver failure at Bangkok’s Suan Phlu Immigration Centre (IDC) on…
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Chinese tourists return for May Day holidays, boosting international bookings
After a long hiatus due to travel restrictions and pandemic-related concerns, Chinese tourists are gearing up for international travel once again. According to DidaTravel, a tech-driven global travel distribution company, Chinese travellers are eager to explore the world and bookings for trips abroad are recovering fast. The upcoming May Day holiday, which runs from April 29 until May 3 and…
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Unusual ventilation break-in shocks Thai homeowners
A recent burglary in Thailand has drawn attention due to its unusual method of entry and the theft of assets worth around 2 million baht (US$60,000). The thieves entered the home through the bathroom ventilation system on the second floor and also stole the entire server of the closed-circuit television (CCTV) system installed in the house. According to the homeowner’s…
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Thai and German nationals arrested for smuggling drugs into Koh Pha Ngan
Thai authorities arrested a Thai national and a German man on Monday for smuggling drugs into Koh Pha Ngan in the southern province of Surat Thani. The arrest was made after the officers found drugs hidden in scented candles delivered from Germany. The Permanent Secretary of the Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), Wichai Chaimongkon, released details of the arrests,…
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Laotian woman arrested in Pattaya for overstaying visa by three years
During a routine inspection at a Pattaya nightclub, local police arrested a Laotian woman who had overstayed her visa by three years. The arrest took place last night at Club Panda, a popular establishment on Walking Street. The inspection occurred around 10pm yesterday when law enforcement officials entered the establishment and found 160 patrons, both local Thais and foreign nationals.…
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Over 800,000 Bangkok residents register for early voting in May 14 General Election
Some 800,000 citizens in Bangkok have registered to cast their ballots ahead of the May 14 General Election, as they intend to engage in early voting on May 7. Among the 2.35 million voters nationwide who have registered for advance voting, numerous are located in Thailand’s capital city, with 74 polling stations available. The largest number of early voters registered…
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Thai politician foresees Phuket and Phang Nga as new global business centres
Thailand’s Phuket and Phang Nga provinces, according to an imaginative proposal by Thai politician, Settha Taweesin, could become the new global business destinations and potentially draw in talented individuals from around the world to work in these areas while simultaneously enjoying the natural beauty and tourist attractions on offer. Settha Taweesin, a candidate for prime minister representing the Pheu Thai…
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Lululemon to open store in Thailand this July
Canadian athletic apparel, accessories, and footwear brand lululemon athletica will open a store in CentralWorld in Bangkok this July. It will be the brand’s first store in Thailand. The brand did not give an exact date in July for the store’s opening on CentralWorld’s first floor opposite H&M Home – joining the mall’s newly-opened American burger joint Shake Shack. Lululemon…
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Thailand plans to relocate macaque monkeys from Phra Nakhon Khiri historical park
Phetchaburi authorities are currently working on a plan to relocate the large and mischievous macaque population at the Phra Nakhon Khiri historical park, better known as Khao Wang, to a place where they can live a more natural life and cause no disturbance to the peace, provincial governor Natthachai Nampoonsuksan announced on May 1. The number of monkeys in the…
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Crafty Chiang Mai tuk tuk drivers paint pavement yellow to avoid traffic fines
Crafty Tuk Tuk drivers were caught on camera painting yellow paint over the red lines on the pavement in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand so they could park their three-wheeled vehicles next to Tha Phae Gate without getting traffic fines. Red and white means absolutely no parking, whereas yellow and white means parking there temporarily is permitted. In a short…
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Chinese doctor arrested for selling herbal medicine without permit
Thai authorities arrested a Chinese doctor for selling herbal medicine in Thailand without a permit and seized 60,000 herbal medicine tablets and pharmaceutical machines. The Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released details of the Chinese doctor’s arrest during a press conference yesterday. The 45 year old doctor, Lijun Cheung, reportedly operated a clinic…
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Thailand welcomes new controversial Chinese-built amphibious assault ship
Thailand yesterday welcomed a new Chinese-built amphibious assault ship to its naval fleet. The HTMS Chang, a Type 071E landing platform dock, arrived at its homeport in southern Thailand a week after its official handover at the Chinese shipyard. The ship, which left Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding’s facility in Shanghai on Tuesday, April 18, travelled through the Taiwan Strait before arriving at…
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New Balance kicks out of Thailand
American sports footwear brand New Balance closed all of its stores in Thailand after the contract with its importer and distributor in Thailand, CRC Sports, expired. CRC Sports, a retail company under the Central Group, was established on December 26, 1996, with a registered capital of 370 million baht. It operated under the Supersports brand and offered sports products. According…
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Girlfriend of Australian tourist found dead in Thai police custody suspects foul play
UPDATE The girlfriend of the Australian man who was found dead inside the detention room at a police station in Phuket, southern Thailand, on Monday says her boyfriend was “not suicidal” and had every intention of returning to his family. Police arrested 31 year old Matthew Michael Winder for being drunk and disorderly at around 5.45am and detained him at…
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Kanit Sangsubhan joins Palang Pracharath Party to boost southern Thailand’s economy
The Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) recently announced the appointment of Kanit Sangsubhan, previously a special adviser to the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Office, as a member of its economic team. This move is intended to bolster the economy in Thailand’s southern border provinces. PPRP leader Prawit Wongsuwon expressed his delight at welcoming Kanit as a key member of the party,…
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Suspected serial killer arrested for the deaths of 8 victims
Suspected serial killer Sararat “Am” Rangsiwuthaporn, believed to be responsible for the deaths of eight victims, was arrested by Police yesterday. The suspect, Am, denied all allegations, despite the mountain of evidence provided by the victims’ relatives. The arrest of Am was made following the death of Siriporn “Koy” Khanwong on Friday, April 14. Koy collapsed and died while releasing…
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Thailand’s Supreme Court upholds death penalty for school director who killed 3 in gold shop robbery
The Supreme Court of Thailand ruled today that the death penalty will be upheld for the former primary school director who shot dead three people – including a two year old child – and wounded another during a gold shop robbery in Lop Buri province three years ago. On January 9, 2020, then-39 year old Prasitthichai “Golf” Khaokaew entered the…
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Thailand detects 6 new cases of Omicron XBB.1.16 subvariant and one XBB.1.16.1
Thailand‘s Department of Medical Sciences announced yesterday that it has identified six new cases of the Omicron XBB.1.16 subvariant, as well as one case of the closely related XBB.1.16.1 subvariant. This brings the total number of people in the kingdom infected with the XBB.1.16 subvariant to 34. The department’s director-general, Supakit Sirilak, confirmed that XBB.1.16 is responsible for 9.8% of…
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Thai Senate committee discusses foreign satellite regulations
The Thai Senate committee yesterday met to focus on information technology, communication, and telecommunications and convened to discuss the proposed changes by the state telecommunications regulatory body regarding the regulations governing the utilisation of foreign-owned satellites to offer domestic telecommunications services. The gathering presided over by General Anantaporn Kanchanarat, focused on assessing concerns and suggestions raised by the National Broadcasting…
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Thai man stumbles upon human skeleton near Pattaya reservoir
A Thai man stumbled upon a human skeleton at the rim of a reservoir near Pattaya yesterday morning. The man, 48 year old Praphat Namsuphat, was walking along the edge of the Chak Nok Reservoir with his child when he spotted what he at first thought was a canine skeleton. But after looking closely, Praphat was shocked to discover that…
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Democrat Party plan to transform Hat Yai into major economic hub
The Democrat Party in Thailand recently revealed its intentions to rejuvenate its previous plan to turn the commercial district of Hat Yai, located in Songkhla province, into a significant economic centre. This attempt aims to attract more investors to the area. Democrat Party officials mentioned that they are considering the enactment of a special law that would promote the growth…
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Thailand offers 11 billion baht subsidy for low-income electricity bills
The Thai government announced plans to allocate over 11 billion baht to support low-income earners with their electricity bills over the next four months, with the subsidy set to begin in May. However, the proposal needs to be reviewed and approved by the Election Commission (EC) before it becomes official. Following yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha addressed the…
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Vietnamese woman performs ritual for sacred objects in Thailand
A Vietnamese woman who sells sacred items and amulets with a Thai cult leader performed a ritual on some sacred objects in Supha Buri province, much to the chagrin of some Buddhists. The foreign woman revealed that the items were very popular among her customers in Vietnam. The Vietnamese woman, Thut Tam Che, travelled from Hanoi in Vietnam to join…
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US Navy aircraft carrier arrives in Pattaya, Thailand
The USS Nimitz, an aircraft carrier belonging to the US Navy, anchored at Laem Chabang Port just north of Pattaya in Thailand yesterday accompanied by the Nimitz Strike Group for a five-day visit that aims to strengthen Thai – US security relations. The Nimitz Strike Group includes the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, the guided missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill, and guided-missile…
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6 Chinese men arrested for 10 million baht fake gold scam in Thailand
Police arrested six Chinese men for selling fake gold to rich Thai people resulting in a profit of more than 10 million baht. The suspects were reported to be former members of a scam call centre gang based in Indonesia. The gang confessed that their criminal act was inspired by a television series about scammers. One victim, a Chinese man…
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Thai YouTuber reveals 25 million baht online gambling loss during police questioning
Today, a Thai YouTuber and celebrity Sodor Style, whose real name is Pimlada Wewvitsong, visited the Royal Thai Police’s Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) in response to a summons. She was there to give her side of the story regarding her live TikTok broadcast where she revealed her experience with online gambling. According to her account, she lost more than…
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MFP secretary-general confident of securing at least 100 seats in General Election
Chaithawat Tulathon, secretary-general of the Move Forward Party (MFP), expressed confidence that his party is on track to secure a minimum of 100 House seats in the upcoming General Election. Speaking at a major campaign rally in Samyan Mitrtown, which drew attendees of all age groups, Chaithawat was optimistic about the MFP’s chances of surpassing the now-dissolved Future Forward Party’s…
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Bangkok and surrounding provinces to experience scattered summer storms, gusty winds, hail
Scattered summer storms, gusty winds and hail are predicted for Bangkok and the provinces of north, northeast, east and central plains today and tomorrow. A moderate high-pressure system is expected to cover northeastern Thailand and the South China Sea during the two-day period, the local weather office announced. The upper regions are predicted to experience hot to extremely hot weather,…
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Thai woman arrested for allegedly killing 5 with cyanide
A Thai woman has been arrested for the alleged poisoning and killing of five people using cyanide. The arrest was made after the sudden and unexplained death of the alleged murderer’s most recent victim, Siriporn “Koy” Khanwong, a 32 year old Thai woman from the central province of Ratchaburi, on Saturday, April 1. Koy was found dead at the Baan Pong…
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