Thailand News

Thailand news, politics, business, crime, and lifestyle—get breaking updates from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond. Stay informed on Thai society, economy, tourism, and expat life with The Thaiger.

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  • VIDEO: Paramedics push patient through Bangkok floods on stretcher

    VIDEO: Paramedics push patient through Bangkok floods on stretcher

    Paramedics abandoned their ambulance to push a patient on a stretcher through the floods in Bangkok last night. The clip was taken in front of the Government Complex on Chaeng Wattana Road where the traffic came to a standstill for three hours. Kontapon Bungwai, who filmed the clip, said… “Bangkok is facing a heavy crisis. The ambulance needs to get…

  • Schools no longer need to close for Covid outbreaks

    Schools no longer need to close for Covid outbreaks

    With Covid-19 being downgraded to a communicable disease of concern, schools and universities will no longer require closures for outbreaks. Minister of Education Trinuch Thienthong spoke at a press conference yesterday and said that new control measures won’t include definite closures, should an outbreak of the coronavirus afflict a school. With many students often packed into a tight area, schools…

  • Thai industries want to produce energy to combat rising costs

    Thai industries want to produce energy to combat rising costs

    A survey by the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) revealed that Thailand’s industrial sector wants to produce its own electricity to combat the rising cost of energy but they need government support to make it work. The Office of the Energy Regulatory Commission announced in August this year that the fuel adjustment rate for electricity would be raised to about…

  • Mountain B nightclub fire claims 24th life

    Mountain B nightclub fire claims 24th life

    The death toll from the fire at Mountain B nightclub in Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand, on August 5 has risen to 24. The 24th victim, a navy officer, died from his injuries in hospital last night after fighting for his life for two months in the ICU. Lawyer Ronnarong Kaewpetch said on Facebook yesterday… “#RIP the 24th victim of…

  • Girl sustains head injuries while surfing in Phuket

    Girl sustains head injuries while surfing in Phuket

    A girl sustained head injuries while surfing at Phuket’s Kamala Beach in the Kathu district on October 2. This news comes as Phuket and Thailand at large are experiencing lots of stormy weather, which has caused strong waves in the country’s seas. Rescuers arrived on the scene and took the girl to a nearby hospital. Her name, age, and nationality…

  • Best island boat tours from Phuket – must-visit islands and unforgettable experiences you should not miss out on

    Best island boat tours from Phuket – must-visit islands and unforgettable experiences you should not miss out on

    Press Release For many people, Phuket is the first place they think of for a tropical island getaway, and rightly so, with its amazing beaches, incredible scenery, fabulous weather and delicious exotic food, Phuket has something for everyone. For some, sunbathing on one of the white, sandy beaches sipping on a freshly cut coconut or enjoying a tropical Sabai Sabai…

  • Weapons used by jealous Thai man to murder and chop up lover found

    Weapons used by jealous Thai man to murder and chop up lover found

    UPDATE Yesterday at 3.30pm, rescue workers found the weapons used by 35 year old Chanwit “Don” Wongsahak to murder and dismember 30 year old Oranun “Pin” [surname withheld]. When Don confessed to the police, he said he threw the weapons he used into a nearby canal. Yesterday, rescue workers in wet suits from Por Teck Tung Foundation scoured nearby canals…

  • Bank repossesses the wrong house in central Thailand

    Bank repossesses the wrong house in central Thailand

    A woman from Pathum Thani, just north of Bangkok, couldn’t believe her eyes when she returned home to her locks changed, all her belongings seized, and a ‘for sale’ sign outside her house. Thailand’s “Government Savings Bank” (the pink one) sent bailiffs to repossess a house in Wanasiri Park View Village on September 5. The bailiffs changed all the locks…

  • Thailand’s cold season expected to hit in late October

    Thailand’s cold season expected to hit in late October

    Thailand’s cold season is expected to hit the country slightly later than usual. The season is expected to start in the fourth week of October, about a week later than usual. The Thai Meteorological Department said the coldest time of the season would be December and January. The lowest temperatures are expected in the country’s north and northeast at 8-9…

  • ฺThai boxer blackmails 20 women into sending nude pics

    ฺThai boxer blackmails 20 women into sending nude pics

    A well-known Thai boxer who allegedly blackmailed more than 20 women into sending naked pictures has been dropped by his boxing promoter. The Facebook page Muay Thai news BY aod k.o. (ข่าวสารวงการมวย BY aod k.o), revealed the incident on Saturday, October 1. The post said… “Be aware everyone. There is a psycho boxer blackmailing women and extorting money from victims.…

  • Nuan the cat feline good about upcoming APEC meeting

    Nuan the cat feline good about upcoming APEC meeting

    A purr-fect Instagram post by the Foreign Affairs Ministry to promote the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Thailand went viral because of the department’s choice of the presenter – a cat. The APEC mascot is a cat called Nuan. Nuan was featured on the official Instagram account of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand yesterday, October 2, and…

  • VIDEO: Shooting range employees save man from suicide in northern Thailand

    VIDEO: Shooting range employees save man from suicide in northern Thailand

    Yesterday, CCTV captured the moment two shooting range employees saved a young man’s life at the Lanna Sports Centre in Mueang district, Chiang Mai province, northern Thailand. The man was shooting at a target at first when he turned the gun toward his head. A trainee shooting range instructor who was watching attentively swiftly jumped in and pushed the gun…

  • Korean Air resumes two routes to Thailand

    Korean Air resumes two routes to Thailand

    On October 1, Korean Air resumed two direct routes to Thailand. The airline reopened services between Seoul to Chiang Mai and Phuket, which were both suspended in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The South Korean flag carrier announced the return of the popular routes in August. Flights from Seoul Incheon to Phuket depart on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and…

  • 16 year old driving BMW crashes, killing young graduate in northeast Thailand

    16 year old driving BMW crashes, killing young graduate in northeast Thailand

    A teenager driving a BMW crashed into and killed a young man in Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeast Thailand, on Friday night. The 16 year old driver collided with a motorbike at the intersection outside Suranaree University of Technology in Korat at 10pm. The deceased has been identified as 24 year old Thanaphon “Tae” Kaewmoon from Nakhon Sawan province. In July,…

  • Ao Kung gets green light for marina despite opposition

    Ao Kung gets green light for marina despite opposition

    Conservationists are opposed to plans to build a new marina in a sleepy bay in Phuket. Developers believe it will reignite tourism blighted by the Covid-19 pandemic but preservationists hit back saying the project will damage the island’s coral reefs and affect marine life in the area. A developer has targeted Ao Kung, a sleepy bay north of Phuket Island,…

  • Thai Airways is recruiting a new CEO

    Thai Airways is recruiting a new CEO

    Debt-ridden Thai Airways is looking to hire an “ethical” Chief Executive Officer to steer the airline in the flight direction. After a year without a CEO, the nation’s flag carrier posted a job advertisement on LinkedIn looking for a highly-qualified aviation expert to take on the tall order of getting THAI back off the ground. THAI needs a leader who…

  • Northern floods tragedy – Monks unable to help

    Northern floods tragedy – Monks unable to help

    Waist-high water flooded into riverfront neighbourhoods after the remains of Hurricane Noru dumped a heavy load of rain and knocked down trees. The heaviest rainfall, about 22 centimetres in 24 hours, was recorded in the north-eastern province of Ubon Ratchathani, where more than 5,000 people were moved to shelters on higher ground. In Chai Nat province, Buddhist monks made their…

  • Face masks still required on public transport, in cinemas

    Face masks still required on public transport, in cinemas

    Thailand recently celebrated lifting all remaining Covid-19 restrictions and fully reopening its borders to international travellers. But, while tourists can enter without proof of vaccination or negative tests, face masks are still mandatory on public transportation throughout the country. A deputy director of the Department of Health has explained that some Covid safety and prevention measures remain in place. In…

  • Bangkok Secret Nightlife – Bangkok Red Light District Secret Museum

    Bangkok Secret Nightlife – Bangkok Red Light District Secret Museum

    Bangkok Red Light District Secret Museum Bangkok Secret Nightlife From CIA agents to David Bowie, there’s more to Bangkok’s most notorious red-light district than meets the eye. Today we take you on tour showing you Patpong’s 140-year history, from its humble beginnings as a banana plantation, to a high-powered business district and a hub of CIA activity during the Chinese…

  • King Charles III debuts on UK coins

    King Charles III debuts on UK coins

    The British Royal Mint has unveiled the image of King Charles III to be used in the country’s coins. The first coins to be emblazoned with the regal portrait are to be commemorative five-pound crowns and the reverse of a 50-pence coin commemorating the life of Queen Elizabeth II. King Charles has been next in line to the throne for…

  • Reopening Thailand has a busy activity schedule

    Reopening Thailand has a busy activity schedule

    The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) took the occasion of the country’s full and unrestricted reopening today as an opportunity to point out a busy event and attraction schedule they hope will bring a variety of people from around the world to the kingdom. From new flight schedules to international political and business meetings to sporting events, exciting new restaurants,…

  • Today is the day! Full post-pandemic Thailand reopening

    Today is the day! Full post-pandemic Thailand reopening

    After nearly three years, today is THE DAY. In July of 2021, officials cheered the reopening of Thailand with the Phuket Sandbox. Then we had other sandboxes, Test & Go, the Thailand Pass, and numerous other stepping stones. Then in July of this year, we ditched so many regulations and declared a reopening. But today, October 1, Thailand officially declares full and…

  • 5-star squatters evicted from Layan Beach

    5-star squatters evicted from Layan Beach

    Heavy earth-moving equipment was taken to Layan Beach, Phuket, yesterday to demolish the last remaining illegal beachfront buildings. Eviction notices were served in 2017 when the Supreme Court ruled that occupiers were illegally encroaching on state land. Several “final warnings” were issued, with the last eviction notice delivered on September 12. Layan Beach is a beautiful but little-known bay on…

  • Anti-Prayut rallies expected across Bangkok

    Anti-Prayut rallies expected across Bangkok

    Following the reinstatement of General Prayut Chan-o-cha as Prime Minister by the Constitutional Court yesterday, anti-Prayut activists have called a mass demonstration at the Victory Monument on Saturday to show their contempt for the court’s wisdom. Led by activist Thatchapong Kaedam and dressed in black, a contemptuous crowd of Ratsadon movement members gathered at Pathumwan skywalk in front of Bangkok…

  • Storm Noru weakens from typhoon to depression as it moves across Thailand

    Storm Noru weakens from typhoon to depression as it moves across Thailand

    Tropical storm Noru has weakened from a super typhoon to a depression as it moves across Thailand. The Thai Meteorological Department has still advised people in 64 provinces to be prepared for heavy to heavy rainfall, which may cause flash flooding and overflows. After Noru plundered Thailand’s northeast this week, the department said yesterday that the storm was moving west…

  • BREAKING: Prayut reinstated as Prime Minister of Thailand

    BREAKING: Prayut reinstated as Prime Minister of Thailand

    Thailand’s Constitutional Court reinstated Prayut Chan-o-cha as Prime Minister of Thailand. The court ruled this afternoon that Prayut has not yet hit the eight-year constitutional limit set for his role. The court ruled that Prayut became prime minister on April 6, 2017, when the HM the King ratified a new military-drafted constitution. Therefore, PM Prayut can resume his position as…

  • 20 baht notes printed with errors, says Bank of Thailand

    20 baht notes printed with errors, says Bank of Thailand

    A batch of 20 baht banknotes have been printed with errors, the Bank of Thailand (BOT) said yesterday. The BoT said the Thai numerals were printed mismatching the Arabic numerals. People can still use the misfit banknotes until they are fully removed from the system, Thai media said. The company De La Rue (DLR) International Limited said that there was…

  • Loan shark bombs debtor’s house in southern Thailand

    Loan shark bombs debtor’s house in southern Thailand

    A loan shark allegedly threw a deadly military-grade hand grenade at a woman’s house in Phattalung province, southern Thailand, after she failed to meet repayments. At 2pm yesterday, police were called to a house in Mueang district after a gardener discovered an explosive device in the grass. Police evacuated neighbours and called Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) officers to the scene.…

  • Southeast Asia’s hospitality leaders step into the ring to fight for sustainability at PHIST 5

    Southeast Asia’s hospitality leaders step into the ring to fight for sustainability at PHIST 5

    Back as a live, in-person gathering, this important annual forum embraced the combative, cultural spirit of Muay Thai to spark candid conversation and instigate positive change in the travel and tourism industry. PHIST (Phuket Hotels for Islands Sustaining Tourism), Southeast Asia’s biggest and best responsible travel and hospitality forum, returned on Monday 26th September to deliver a knockout blow to unsustainable…

  • Royal defamation case dropped against Thai activist

    Royal defamation case dropped against Thai activist

    A Thai political and human rights activist admitted he is surprised the court dismissed a royal defamation charge against him. Tiwagorn Withiton was arrested after posting a picture of himself on Facebook wearing a t-shirt printed with “I lost faith in the monarchy” in June 2020. The political arm of the military, Internal Security Operations Command, visited Tiwagorn’s house soon after…