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.
-
Sponsored Working in Thailand: How expat health insurance protects your career and lifestyle
Starting a career in Thailand can be an exciting chapter, but it also brings unique challenges, especially when it comes to health and wellness. For expats, navigating Thailand’s healthcare system and meeting work permit requirements can be difficult. And while...
-
Court to decide fate of suspended Thai PM Prayut on September 30
On September 30 at 3pm, Thailand’s Constitutional Court will read the verdict on suspended Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s eight-year term limit. According to Section 158 of Thailand’s constitution, “The Prime Minister shall not hold office for more than eight years in total, whether or not holding consecutive term.” Prayut reached his eight-year limit serving as PM in August after becoming…
-
Former Thai PM slams govt’s miserly 5% minimum wage rise
A day after the Thai government announced a nationwide 5% salary increase the kingdom’s former prime minister condemned it as “not enough.” The Thai Cabinet yesterday agreed to increase the minimum wage throughout the country by 5%. The highest rate is 354 baht per day in Chon Buri, Rayong, and Phuket while it is 328 baht per day in places…
-
Teen escapes house fire in Pattaya by climbing balcony
A Pattaya teenager climbed down from his balcony to just barely escape a fire that broke out in his home in the early hours of Monday morning. The boy, 16 year old Poramet Soratavorn, sensed the smell of smoke when he was on the second floor of his house in Royal Park Village on Thepprasit Road. Poramet ran downstairs to find…
-
BREAKING: Shooting in Thai army building in Bangkok, 2 dead, 1 injured
At 8.45am, a Sergeant Major opened fire in the Royal Thai Army College on Thoddamri Road in Bangkok’s Dusit district, killing two soldiers and seriously injuring one more. The gunman has been arrested. The army chief shot one of his colleagues in the head who has since died at Vajira Hospital. The deceased have been identified as Sergeant Major Nopporat…
-
China Airlines opens a new route to Chiang Mai
China Airlines yesterday announced the good news that it intends to launch flights to Chiang Mai in Thailand. The bad news is that it won’t happen until next year. The Taiwan-based airline revealed on the day it reopened its borders that flights to the northern city of Chiang Mai take off on January 20 next year. Flight CI851 from Taiwan…
-
Thailand orders 20th Century Fox to pay 10 million baht to restore Maya Bay
Today, Thailand’s Supreme Court ruled that Hollywood movie company 20th Century Fox – now renamed 20th Century Studios – is required to pay 10 million baht in environmental damages caused by the movie “The Beach” (2000) starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Filming for “The Beach” began at Maya Bay at the Phi Phi Islands in Krabi province, southern Thailand, in 1998. The…
-
Thai govt increase minimum wage by 5% starting on October 1
The Thai Cabinet today agreed to increase the minimum wage throughout the country by 5%. The highest rate is 354 baht per day in Chon Buri, Rayong, and Phuket. The new rate will come into effect on October 1. Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin discussed the topic at today’s Cabinet meeting and it was approved. It is the first time in…
-
Crocodile rocks up on the dinner table in flooded Khon Kaen
Floods may be causing chaos in most parts of Thailand at the moment but to some residents in the Isaan province of Khon Kaen it is providing food for thought, or rather thoughts of food, crocodiles as food. A number of residents in the Non Daeng sub-district, Non Sila district, urged farm owners to take greater care of their crocodiles…
-
Favipiravir: DMS says Thai Covid study contradicts US study
A top respiratory specialist in Thailand spoke out on Friday about a study in the Clinical Infectious Diseases Journal last month saying that not only does the antiviral medication Favipiravir not seem to help fight Covid-19, but it can lead to patients getting gout. Now the Department of Medical Sciences is defending the use of Favipiravir in Thailand to treat…
-
Ex-con released from jail recalled to finish his porridge after gaff
An ex-con legally released seven months ago has been recalled to the jail in the northern province of Payao after a gaff by the Department of Corrections (DOC). He refuses to return. The DOC admitted they made a mistake and wrongly calculated the years of imprisonment so recalled the former convict to finish his porridge. Teeraphat Sophon was originally jailed…
-
Thai VietJet to increase frequency of Japan and Taiwan flights
Thai VietJet announced the addition of flights to both the Bangkok – Fukuoka route to Japan and the Bangkok – Taipei route to Taiwan. The airline commenced the Bangkok – Fukuoka route, their only service linking Thailand and Japan, back in July. Initially, the route between Suvarnabhumi Airport and Fukuoka Airport operated three times a week. The route turned out…
-
Thai woman hires delivery driver to investigate her boyfriend’s alleged affair
Yesterday, A LINE Man driver working in Nonthaburi province, central Thailand, revealed how he ended up working as a spy for a customer who thought her boyfriend was having an affair. LINE Man provides food, grocery, parcel delivery, messenger and taxi services – and in this case, detective services. Back in July, Mr A (pseudonym) was working a normal night…
-
Alleged Thai ‘love scammer’ denied bail in Australia
A Thai national detained in Sydney, Australia, for allegedly committing “romance fraud” was denied bail yesterday. Siriluck Fatima Chimmalee is accused of stealing from men she met online through a dating app. She is facing trial for over 100 charges of fraud. Police say 30 year old Siriluck allegedly pretended to be a registered remitter and charged customers steep inflation…
-
Thai Interior Minister plays down flood warnings
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) today announced another day of heavy downpours, flooding, and traffic chaos throughout the country and told the kingdom to brace itself. The Interior Minister on the other hand played it down and said there was nothing to worry about. The TMD made known it is 70% likely that the nation will be hit by another…
-
VIDEO: King cobra slithers into closet in southern Thailand
A terrified homeowner in Trang province, southern Thailand, woke up yesterday morning to find a 2.1 metre long king cobra taking a nap in his wardrobe. He locked the snake inside the closet and urgently called a rescue team for help. At 9am, a snake rescue foundation received a request for help from a villager in Palian district and deployed…
-
Activist sentenced to 2 years in prison for wearing Thai dress that ‘mocks’ H.M. Queen
A 23 year old Thai activist has been sentenced to two years imprisonment for royal defamation, under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, for attending a protest in traditional Thai attire. Her catwalk show was interpreted by royalists as “mocking” H.M. Queen Sirikit, the queen mother of Thailand. Bangkok South Criminal Court read the verdict of Jatuporn “New” Saeoueng’s sentence…
-
Kayaking tourists swept out to sea in eastern Thailand, 1 dies and 1 survives
Two tourists were swept out to sea while kayaking in Rayong province, eastern Thailand, yesterday afternoon. One of the men drowned and the other clung to his friend’s body all night in the open sea until he was rescued by a passing fishing boat this morning. Three tourists, all of mixed Thai and Taiwanese nationality, travelled on holiday to Koh…
-
VIDEO: Elephant kills monk in eastern Thailand
A 66 year old Buddhist monk was trampled to death by a wild elephant in Chanthanaburi province in eastern Thailand on Saturday. The terrifying moment was captured by CCTV. At 5am yesterday, a monk came out of his hut and discovered the body of Phra Prachon Suksingh outside on the temple grounds. It was clear that he had been trampled…
-
Helicopter crash in Malaysia reported pilot alive, then dead
Yesterday above the skies of Malaysia, a helicopter mysteriously disappeared as air traffic control lost all contact. This morning the helicopter’s pilot was reportedly found alive in the wreckage only to be declared dead later on. At 11.37am yesterday, the helicopter took off from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, also known as Subang Airport – a secondary airport of the…
-
UPDATE: Kanchana Buri skywalk opens and closes on River Kwai
[UPDATE: After just one day of opening, the skywalk over the River Kwai has been closed already. It seems that having a glass bottom allows for spectacular views but also requires special shoes not to damage the bridge, and they were in short supply. All visitors are required to purchase these special shoes and wear them when walking across the…
-
More tourists are venturing into rural Thailand, says Airbnb
Airbnb says more tourists in Thailand are opting for ‘off-the-beaten-track’ destinations, benefiting the environment and local economies. Thailand’s usual top tourist destinations are places with international airports – Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui and Phuket. According to Airbnb, more tourists are venturing out of these hubs and into “lesser-known” destinations such as Koh Lanta, Trat, Pai and Cha-Am. Koh Lanta…
-
Cannabis bill goes to House today for urgent consideration
A new bill is set to be proposed to the House of Representatives today for urgent consideration to bring some regulation to the decriminalising of cannabis in Thailand. The bill took its lead from the best parts of several related laws and will propose restrictions on the growth and usage of the plant in the kingdom. Under the rules proposed…
-
Unfinished MRT Pink Line causes a road to collapse in Bangkok
Commuters, pedestrians, and drivers had a lucky escape yesterday morning when torrential rain and floods caused part of the Chaeng Wattana Road in Nonthaburi province near Bangkok to collapse. The finger of blame was pointed toward the unfinished MRT Pink Line for the second time in a week. A part of the Chaeng Wattana Road, near Central Chang Wattana, dropped…
-
Thai health service stops Covid vaccine reaction pay outs
Only gold card scheme members and universal healthcare members can claim reimbursement for any reaction to coronavirus jabs, says the National Health Security Office (NHSO). Deputy Secretary General Atthaporn Limpanyalert announced the NHSO has reviewed the situation regarding Covid-19 and concluded that because the problem is easing it will no longer compensate those suffering from side effects of the vaccine…
-
2 female Thai party leaders emerge as strong PM candidates
While King Charles III effortlessly ascended to the throne upon the death of England’s Queen Elizabeth II this week, the path to the prime ministership in Thailand will be a bit more protracted and messy. Two women have emerged as top candidates for Prime Minister, with Thai Sang Thai Party’s Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan so far polling above Pheu Thai Party…
-
POLL: People unsatisfied with Prawit, want a special election
A new poll revealed that people are not impressed with caretaker Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan as acting PM, but do not want him to take major action either, aside from calling a new election to find his replacement. The majority of people do not want a Cabinet reshuffle, but most people want a special election called to elect a new…
-
Man stabbed on Pattaya’s Jomtien Beach reportedly over noise dispute
A man stabbed another man on Pattaya’s Jomtien Beach in the early hours of yesterday morning. Witnesses said the man stabbed the victim, 34 year old Narintorn, over a dispute about Narintorn talking too loudly. The witnesses said that Narintorn had been drinking on the beach when a man who had been sleeping in a tent walked out of the…
-
Favipiravir found ineffective against Covid-19 & causes gout
The bad news for Favipiravir is that a new study found it to be ineffective in the treatment of Covid-19 infections. And more bad news, it can also cause gout. The study was released in the Clinical Infectious Diseases Journal on August 6, and Thai respiratory specialist Dr Manoon Leechawengongs of Vichaiyut Hospital posted on Facebook Friday that Thailand needs…
-
Four Points By Sheraton Phuket Patong Beach Resort unveils 2nd anniversary celebration offers
Press Release Four Points by Sheraton Phuket Patong Beach Resort is celebrating its 2nd anniversary with a variety of great value F&B and room promotions. The only Marriott resort in Patong located steps away from the beach, Four Points by Sheraton Phuket Patong Beach Resort is an oasis of tranquillity and the perfect relaxing resort for couples, groups of friends…
-
Woman gives birth in pickup truck as floods block hospital entrance in eastern Thailand
A Laotian woman gave birth in the back of a Toyota pickup truck on Sukhumvit Road in Rayong province, eastern Thailand, this morning. She gave birth right outside the hospital, but couldn’t get in because the entrance was completely flooded. Rayong has been hit particularly hard by the heavy rainfall and flash flooding experienced in Thailand this week. Today at…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.