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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Gun used to shoot dead net idol in Bangkok belongs to ex-boyfriend’s military officer father
UPDATE #2 The gun used to shoot dead “Gigi” the net idol and her air force cadet ex-boyfriend “Ikkyu” in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday is licensed and belongs to Ikkyu’s father, who is a high-ranking military officer, according to a spokesperson for the National Police Agency Pol. Lt. Gen. Archayon Kraithong. Police have completed their assessment of the CCTV footage and confirm…
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Volunteer rescuer dies after attempting to save life in Ayutthaya
A member of the Ayutthaya Ruam Jai Rescue Team died after performing CPR on a patient in the early hours of this morning. The cause of his death is currently under investigation. A fellow member of the rescue team, Panya Choomanee, spoke to Channel 7 today about the death of his friend, 45 year old Somsak Sisue. At 3am today,…
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Decapitated dugong washes up on beach in southern Thailand
A decapitated dugong with wounds all over its body washed up on a beach on Koh Sriboya island in Krabi province in southern Thailand yesterday. It’s a tragic event considering that dugongs are protected by Thai law and there are only an estimated 200 of them left in Thailand’s waters. The carcass of a 2-metre-long male dugong weighing no less…
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Tourism to Thailand’s Koh Kradan jumps sixfold after winning title as best beach on earth
Thailand’s Koh Kradan island in Trang province is welcoming more than 2000 tourists per day since the island was voted ‘best beach on earth‘ by the UK website World Beach Guide last month, according to Minister of Tourism and Sports Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn. “After Koh Kradan was ranked the best beach on earth, the number of tourists has jumped to 2000…
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Nok Air makes final flight to Mae Hong Son in northern Thailand
Nok Air flew from Bangkok to Mae Hong Son Airport in northern Thailand for the final time yesterday, bidding farewell to the route for good. The province, home to the popular backpacker town Pai, is now only accessible by road since Nok Air was the only airline servicing the airport commercially. Governor of Mae Hong Son province Chettha Mosikarat, Tourism Authority…
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Migrant workers fill gap in Thailand’s tourism and service sectors due to labour shortage
Migrant workers are increasingly filling roles in Thailand‘s tourism and service sectors, due to a chronic manpower shortage, according to Tanit Sorat, deputy chairman of the Employers’ Confederation of Thailand (ECOT). The labour shortage is the result of new Thai graduates choosing freelance jobs and the country’s ageing population. Sorat explained that with many graduates preferring a slower lifestyle over…
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Temporary Covid-19 surge may result in 10,000 daily cases
A new wave of Covid-19 infections is expected to bring daily cases to 5,000-10,000, but a swift decline in numbers is predicted thereafter, according to Dr Nitipatana Chierakul, Head of the Respiratory Disease and Tuberculosis Division at the Faculty of Medicine in Siriraj Hospital. In a statement on his Facebook page, Dr Nitipatana noted a rise in infections caused by…
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Thief steals nearly 500,000 baht of gold necklaces in Rayong
Police are hunting for a thief who stole 15 gold necklaces valued at almost 500,000 baht from a gold shop in a Robinson shopping mall in the Baan Chang district of Rayong, in the eastern part of Thailand. According to Piyanoot, an employee at Premium Gold Yaowarat on the mall’s first floor, the robbery took place around 3pm yesterday when…
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Following stormy seas, rescuers find fisherman’s body near Koh Samui
Following the stormy seas that wreaked havoc on many coastal areas of Thailand this past weekend, rescuers found the body of a fisherman near Koh Samui. According to the Samui Public Relations Department, several local fishing boats capsized on Sunday. One fisherman reported missing was 51 year old Wiroj Srifah. Wiroj had been fishing alone. Marine Police, tour boat operators,…
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Net idol found dead in Bangkok condo abused by air force cadet ex-boyfriend
UPDATE A close friend disclosed evidence that “Gigi,” the Thai net idol who was found dead in her rented condo room in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday, was physically abused by her ex-boyfriend – the air force cadet found dead lying next to her. Both were shot once in the head. Police found a gun near their bodies. Yesterday at 3.20pm, Makkasan…
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British man accused of setting fire to hotel in Chiang Mai
A British man last night was accused of starting a fire at The Y Smart Hotel in Chiang Mai after having a heated argument with a receptionist. Fortunately, six Thai and foreign guests were rescued from the building unharmed. The fire broke out at 12.10am at The Y Smart Hotel on Kaeo Nawarat Soi 5 Road in the Wat Kate…
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American man tragically drowns at Krabi island cave
Another drowning has struck one of Thailand‘s vacation paradises. An American man tragically drowned in a cave near the island of Koh Phi Phi Leh in Thailand’s Krabi province. The 51 year old tourist drowned in front of the Viking Cave in a coral diving area on Tuesday, The Phuket Express reported last night. A tour guide, whose identity was withheld,…
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Opposition builds to the magic of Khaosan 420 on World Cannabis Day
In celebration of World Cannabis Day on April 20, an event called Khaosan 420 is scheduled to take place on Khao San Road and Ram Buttri Road in Bangkok. The event intends to bring together cannabis users to smoke ganja together. However, Thai netizens and the Bhum Jai Thai Party have expressed their opposition to the event and are urging…
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Thai activists pursue change despite legal threats
Chonthicha “Lookkate” Jangrew is taking her campaign to the streets, going door-to-door to garner support for the upcoming May 14 General Election. However, she faces the possibility of imprisonment due to charges of sedition and royal defamation from protests in 2020. The 30 year old activist is among over a dozen representatives from the student-led protest movement who are shifting…
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Thavisin’s strategy: Replace conscription for economic growth
Conscription should be replaced with voluntary enlistment to provide economic benefits, according to Srettha Thavisin, prime ministerial candidate for the Pheu Thai Party. Thavisin expressed his disappointment with a particular politician’s staunch support for maintaining conscription in the name of national defence and patriotism. He asserted that compulsory military service is harmful to the economy, as it diverts skilled professionals…
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Teen thieves arrested after brutal petrol station robbery in Pathum Thani
Police arrested two teenage thieves after they stabbed a petrol station attendant and stole 3,840 baht from him in the central province of Pathum Thani on Friday. The incident occurred at a PT Petrol Station on Khlong Jet Thanyaburi-Wang Noi Road in the Khlong Luang district of Nonthaburi on Friday, April 14 at 1.18am. Security camera footage showed the two…
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Pheu Thai Party candidate rejects collaboration with coup leaders
Paetongtarn “Ung Ing” Shinawatra, a Pheu Thai Party prime ministerial candidate, stated that the party has no intention of collaborating with those involved in the two previous coups. Paetongtarn, the youngest daughter of exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, outlined the party’s election campaign strategy along with other key members during a press conference. When questioned about her dip in…
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British tourist miraculously survives near-fatal swimming mishap off Pattaya coast
Video footage and photographs have emerged of a British tourist who came close to losing his life while swimming off the coast of Pattaya last month. The tourist, who remains unidentified, got into trouble while swimming and was able to make his way to a buoy, where he was eventually rescued by a passing fisherman in his boat. The young…
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Frenchman accused of lese majeste in Thailand
A pro-royalist group in Bangkok, Thailand, filed a lese majeste case against a well-known French critic of the Thai monarchy yesterday, reports SiamRath. The Centre for People Protecting the Thai Monarchy alleges that Yan Marchal posted a 41-second-long clip on social media of him and some Thais singing a song containing lyrics that the group says are defamatory of the…
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Thai EC members travel to Africa for May 14 election prep
The Election Commission (EC) stated that it was essential for all of its members to travel overseas during the Songkran holiday period in order to organise advance voting for the May 14 election, particularly in the three African countries where a significant number of Thai residents now live. Following his return from visits to South Africa, Kenya, and Morocco, EC…
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Python hiding in toilet bites Thai man’s buttocks
A man from Nonthaburi in central Thailand was taking a Number 2 in his bathroom yesterday when he felt a sudden agonising pain in his tushy. He leapt up to see a python slithering back down the toilet bowl. The snake bit his buttocks. The victim, 62 year old Witoon Sonapoon, said he was so shocked that he ran out…
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Tensions rise in Pattani province following defence volunteer’s murder
A local defence volunteer faced a tragic end in a cold-blooded ambush at a village in the Panare district on Tuesday night. Authorities reported that the unfortunate attack happened around 7.30pm when Ahamad Teh was making his way to the mosque at Ban Surao in tambon Tha Nam to attend prayers. The unsuspecting victim was shot in the head by…
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Thai govt postpones tourism tax due to airlines’ complaints
The Thai government has announced the postponement of the planned 300-baht (US$9) tourism tax from June to September due to complaints from airlines. The fee was proposed to help the Thai tourism sector recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, with a 150 baht sum for overland visitors and a 300-baht fee for airline passengers. However, airlines raised concerns about the implementation…
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Where to get the finest cannabis in Phuket
Seeking a taste of the vibrant cannabis culture in Phuket? Following the decriminalization of weed in Thailand, cannabis dispensaries have popped up all over the nation, and Phuket is no exception. While you could just waltz into any old cannabis store and buy weed in Phuket, not all of them offer high-quality products. But don’t worry because we’ve got the…
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Thailand’s beloved giant panda at Chiang Mai Zoo dies at 21 years old
Famous female giant panda Lin Hui passed away at Chiang Mai Zoo in northern Thailand this morning at the age of 21 years old. The beloved panda brought joy to the Thai nation for over two decades. The panda’s cause of death is awaiting confirmation from Chiang Mai Zoo. Reports say that Lin Hui fell ill and displayed “abnormal symptoms”…
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Adoptive father found dead and buried at his home near Bangkok
The adoptive father of a woman was discovered dead and buried at his house located in Nonthaburi province, which is near Bangkok. The individual responsible for the murder is suspected to be the victim’s employee, who fled the location upon the arrival of the woman and her relatives. The victim was identified as a 53 year old Bangkok Bank manager…
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PM Prayut vows to unearth new sources of alternative energy, lower summer bills
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has announced that the government is intensifying its efforts to discover new sources of alternative energy in response to complaints about rising electricity bills during the summer months. His statement comes in reaction to social media outrage and calls for the government to take further steps to reduce people’s energy expenses. He said… “It is crucial…
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Thailand’s DDPM reveals total traffic accident results of ‘Seven Deadly Days’
Thai officials have now revealed the results of traffic accidents from April 11 to 17. This period is known as the “Seven Deadly Days” of the Songkran Festival. Data from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) revealed that there were 2,203 road accidents, 2,208 injuries, and 264 deaths during this period. On April 17, the last day of…
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Thai man drags girlfriend 1 kilometre down road in motorcycle attack
A Thai man attacked his girlfriend at a restaurant before dragging her 1 kilometre down a road while riding a motorcycle in the central province of Pitsanuloak. The victim’s mother, 56 year old Kingkarn, spoke to KhaoSod about the incident yesterday. Kingkarn revealed that the attack took place on Friday, April 14 while her daughter, 33 year old Nanthiya “Hong” Atchayutpokin,…
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Police detain 2 men over RCA Songkran shooting in Bangkok
UPDATE Two men have been arrested for allegedly committing the shooting at the busy RCA entertainment venue in Bangkok during a Songkran celebration on Sunday. Four people were injured by gunfire and four others were injured trying to flee the scene. Today at 3pm, police escorted the two suspects – 41 year old Natthanon and 19 year old Natthaphon –…
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