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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    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...

  • POLL: People unsatisfied with Prawit, want a special election

    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

    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

    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…

  • UPDATE: 100 stranded elephants returned to park in northeast Thailand

    UPDATE: 100 stranded elephants returned to park in northeast Thailand

    UPDATE Over 100 wild elephants have been returned to a national park after about 40 of them were found devouring farmers’ crops this week in the northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province. The gentle giants had been spotted looking for food in the Khao Pradu community, feasting on rice, sugarcane, and corn. The farmers said they had munched 60 rai of crops…

  • Woman gives birth in pickup truck as floods block hospital entrance in eastern Thailand

    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…

  • Bare knuckle boxer flashes boobs after Bangkok victory

    Bare knuckle boxer flashes boobs after Bangkok victory

    Aussie bare knuckle boxer Tai Emery is set to make a fortune after she bared her boobs following a triumphant victory over her opponent in Bangkok last weekend. Emery celebrated after beating Rung-Arun Khunchai in a Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship contest by flashing her breasts on Saturday. The former electrician delivered a right upper-cut and a left hook that left…

  • Herd of 40 wild elephants devour 60 rai of crops in northeast Thailand

    Herd of 40 wild elephants devour 60 rai of crops in northeast Thailand

    Drone images reveal a herd of more than 40 elephants roaming in a forest just four kilometres away from a farming community in Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeast Thailand. Farmers say the hungry herd have devoured 60 rai of crops in one week, feasting on rice, sugarcane, and corn. The elephants came out of the forest at Thap Lan National Park,…

  • Russian minister appreciates Thailand’s neutrality over Ukraine

    Russian minister appreciates Thailand’s neutrality over Ukraine

    The Deputy Prime Minister, and Foreign Affairs Minister of Thailand, Don Pramudwinai, visited Russia this week to celebrate the 125th anniversary of friendship between the two nations and invited President Vladimir Putin to attend Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings in Thailand in November. Don traveled to Moscow on Wednesday to meet the Foreign Minister of Russia, Sergey Lavrov. After the…

  • Train smashes into car in eastern Thailand, 1 killed, 3 seriously injured

    Train smashes into car in eastern Thailand, 1 killed, 3 seriously injured

    A car crashed through a barrier and was hit by a train in Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand, at 2am today. One woman was killed in the crash and three more people are seriously injured. Officers at Don Hua Lo Police Station received a report at 2am that a train had hit a car where the road and railway track…

  • Koh Chang locals urged to evacuate as more rain predicted

    Koh Chang locals urged to evacuate as more rain predicted

    Koh Chang residents in the lowlands and foothills of the island have urged people to evacuate the area after learning more heavy rain is predicted to hit the area following a two-days’ deluge that brought floods and landslides. Heavy rain hit Koh Chang island in Trat province in the eastern part of Thailand on Wednesday and continued for two days.…

  • Are face masks still required on domestic flights in Thailand?

    Are face masks still required on domestic flights in Thailand?

    The world is moving on from the Covid-19 pandemic, but face masks are still popular in Thailand. You might see people on domestic flights in Thailand wearing masks, but are they mandatory? The Thai government made face masks “voluntary” back in June but still recommends wearing them in crowded spaces. The news was published in the Royal Gazette and said……

  • Yell signs a collaboration agreement with BACON Singapore and SOUNDS Shanghai

    Yell signs a collaboration agreement with BACON Singapore and SOUNDS Shanghai

    Press Release Yell, an independent agency, has partnered with Singapore’s Bacon Creative and China’s Shanghai Soundsplan Marketing & Planning to expand the organisation’s global reach through partnership creation. This enhances Yell’s ability to serve Asia-Pacific customers and transform into the first Thai agency with an international network. Dissara Udomdej, Yell’s founder and CEO, said, “Yell has developed a more entity…

  • Fire breaks out at Indian restaurant in Patong

    Fire breaks out at Indian restaurant in Patong

    A fire broke out at an Indian restaurant in Phuket’s famous tourist town of Patong in the early hours of this morning. Firefighters rushed to the restaurant on Taweewong Road to find it ablaze. The firefighters took 40 minutes to bring the flames under control. The restaurant was damaged, but luckily no injuries were reported. The restaurant owner said there…

  • You can now submit Thai name ideas for a star and a planet

    You can now submit Thai name ideas for a star and a planet

    Astronomy lovers out there can now submit ideas for Thai names for a star and a planet. The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand is seeking Thai name submissions as part of an international contest. The contest by the International Astronomical Union is titled “NameExpoWorlds 2022.” The contest aims to name planets and stars outside the solar system that have…

  • Flood at dangerous level in Rangsit after water pumps fail

    Flood at dangerous level in Rangsit after water pumps fail

    Flood levels in the Rangsit district of Pathum Thani province near Bangkok are at a dangerous level after nine water pumps broke down. It will be three days before they are repaired. The official district website revealed the level of water in the Rangsit Canal had risen to 1.8 metres from 1.78 metres this morning. Rangsit had 20 water pumps…

  • Driver crashes pickup into noodles bar, injuring 17 in central Thailand

    Driver crashes pickup into noodles bar, injuring 17 in central Thailand

    Seventeen people were injured after a pickup crashed into a noodles shop in Chantaburi province, in the central part of Thailand. He is suspected of being drunk at the wheel or high on drugs. A CCTV camera in front of the shop showed the vehicle losing control and suddenly crashing into the shop while customers were either standing outside or…

  • Thaiger Unfiltered

    Thaiger Unfiltered

    Here’s a chance for our viewers to ask Jay and Sara any questions they have, and they will answer you with their honest responses unfiltered! Please be kind and appropriate.

  • Japan donates cute trains to Thailand, ready for public use next month

    Japan donates cute trains to Thailand, ready for public use next month

    On Tuesday, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) conducted a trial run of a cute white and purple locomotive donated by Japan. It is one of 17 Kiha 183 passenger trains donated by the Hokkaido Railway Company, which will be used for short tourism routes as soon as next month. Governor of the SRT Nirut Maneephan said the trains will…

  • Mother blames Bangkok hospital for the death of her baby

    Mother blames Bangkok hospital for the death of her baby

    The devastated mother of a stillborn baby blames the hospital near Bangkok where she gave birth for the death of her child. Remarkably, the hospital blames the mother for not trying hard enough. The family of the tragedy is demanding justice after it emerged there was no doctor in the delivery room as the pregnant woman, 25 year old Noi…

  • Heaviest rain in two decades pushes Bangkok’s canals to the brink

    Heaviest rain in two decades pushes Bangkok’s canals to the brink

    Bangkok’s heaviest rains in over two decades are pushing its canals to the brink. The downpours started Tuesday evening, overwhelming the canals. Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said Bang Khen district has reported 170 millimetres of rain since Tuesday, which has been the highest amount in 20 years. Klong Lat Phrao and Kong Prem Prachakon canals have seen water levels rising to…

  • Central department stores to get facelift funding

    Central department stores to get facelift funding

    The Central department stores, seen throughout Thailand and other countries, may be looking a lot less shabby as the retail giant has approved a 15 billion baht makeover for its stores. Central Department Store Co, under Central Retail Corporation, has approved the funding as part of its efforts to expand the retail business from 2023 to 2027. Oliver Bron, the…

  • Thailand’s caretaker PM caught sleeping on the job

    Thailand’s caretaker PM caught sleeping on the job

    Caretaker Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan was caught sleeping on the job this afternoon. The 77 year old was in Krabi province today overseeing a joint meeting with several water and land use agencies to discuss water management issues when he dozed off. The image quickly went viral on Thai social media and drew a number of cheeky comments. Suthaporn Suriyakarn…

  • Thailand to apply alcohol tax to non-alcoholic beer

    Thailand to apply alcohol tax to non-alcoholic beer

    Not only is Thailand planning on increasing existing tax on all types of alcohol, but it also plans on applying alcohol tax to non-alcoholic beer, according to Director-General of the Revenue Department Ekniti Nitithanprapas. Ekniti said that the department will increase tax on all types of alcohol, in the fiscal year 2023, to help combat alcoholism among Thailand’s youth. More…

  • Cabinet approves 1.6 billion baht to solve Thai flood problems

    Cabinet approves 1.6 billion baht to solve Thai flood problems

    The Thai Cabinet yesterday approved a budget of almost 1.6 billion to deal with Thailand’s perpetual flood problems. Some 912 million baht has been set aside for water management during the rainy and drought seasons while 664 million baht has been allocated for new water pumps. Prime Minister Office spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisi told an assembled Thai press conference yesterday that…

  • Gran’s drowning attempt thwarted by her strong swimming ability

    Gran’s drowning attempt thwarted by her strong swimming ability

    An 81 year old granny from the Baan Pom sub-district in Mueng Ayutthaya district tried to kill herself by drowning yesterday because she felt a burden on her family. But her attempted suicide failed when she was fished out of the Chao Phraya River at 7am by a fish farm owner – four hours and 20 kilometres after she took…

  • Small hotels call for looser regulations to allow them to be legal

    Small hotels call for looser regulations to allow them to be legal

    Hot on the heels of the Ministry of Interior proposing to loosen laws that would let small hotels operate more simply as homestays, a coalition of hotel associations is calling for a relaxation of building guidelines that have made 20,000 small hotels illegal. The group of 10 hotel and tourism associations submitted a letter on June 29 to the prime…

  • Thailand importing 2nd gen vaccines, producing 3 domestically

    Thailand importing 2nd gen vaccines, producing 3 domestically

    Next month should see the start of procurement of the second generation of Covid-19 vaccines, as the Ministry of Public Health plans to import them to Thailand. The National Vaccine Institute (NVI) will convene to discuss the plan sometime in October, according to the Deputy Director-General of the Department of Disease Control. Up for debate is how many vaccines are…

  • Hate traffic tickets? Traffic court may replace them

    Hate traffic tickets? Traffic court may replace them

    Not getting a ticket when you get pulled over by police in Thailand sounds nice, but not if it’s replaced with a traffic court date instead. The Cabinet Committee approved a motion yesterday under the Traffic Case Draft Act to create a Traffic Law Enforcement Department which would make being cited for a violation a more formal process that could…

  • New study shows smallpox vaccine ineffective against monkeypox

    New study shows smallpox vaccine ineffective against monkeypox

    Despite previous hopes, the Department of Medical Sciences warned that most adults and seniors who have been previously vaccinated against smallpox are not protected from monkeypox, unfortunately. The news comes after testing in labs of people who received the smallpox vaccine when they were younger and are now over 40 showed no correlation between the inoculation and any immunity from…

  • Locals pray to blue snake in northeast Thailand

    Locals pray to blue snake in northeast Thailand

    On Sunday, villagers in Nakhon Ratchasima in northeast Thailand spotted a blue snake in a tree that has never been seen before in Thailand. Villagers lit incense and prayed to the snake, believing it is sure to bring them good luck. Isaan is brimming with snakes, but no one has ever reported seeing this kind of snake before. The bright…