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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Sponsored Is private health insurance in Thailand worth it? Real costs vs risks explained
Thailand has a strong healthcare system with both public and private options. Public hospitals offer affordable care, but many people, including expats, choose private health insurance for faster service, modern facilities, and more treatment choices. To decide if private health...
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FIFA says no to Thailand’s TV World Cup discount request
Thailand’s embarrassing Dickensian-like cap-in-hand approach to getting the FIFA World Cup 2022 television broadcasting license at a discounted price was met with a resounding no from FIFA. Three private companies stepped up to the plate to chip in another 400 million baht to add to the government’s 600 million baht subsidy to round up the pot to make 1 billion…
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VIDEO: Thai husband chases wife and male friend in car, car crashes
A Thai husband chased his wife and her male friend in his car on Friday, and the wife and friend ended up crashing. The incident happened in the central Chachoengsao Province. The Thai husband, 42 year old “A,” said he secretly installed a GPS in his wife’s mobile phone. A then saw that his wife, 33 year old “Ying,” was…
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Russian tourist drowns in Phuket, Thailand
A Russian tourist drowned yesterday morning while swimming at Karon Beach on the west coast of Phuket island in southern Thailand. At 9.20am, lifeguards at Karon Beach called the Karon Municipality Rescue Foundation and informed them that a tourist had lost consciousness and did not have a pulse. The rescue team arrived and gave him CPR but it was not…
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Fire guts abandoned Pattaya sports club
A fire gutted an abandoned Pattaya sports club on Saturday. The huge blaze destroyed the Pattaya Land and House Village in Chon Buri’s Bang Lamung district. Firefighters took about half an hour to put out the flames. Most of the objects in the one-storey club were destroyed, but luckily there were no injuries. Firefighters said the blaze was believed to…
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The Best Place for the Finest Foods | Tops Fine Foods Sukhumvit 49
If you are someone who lives to eat and enjoys the finer things in life, then TOPS Fine Food is exactly the place for you to go and stock up your fridge. It can be difficult sometimes to find one place that has it all. With more than 8,000 items across various products, such as cheese, cold cuts, meat, seafood,…
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Cannabis flower bud now a controlled substance with restrictions
The walk-backs have begun for the unrestricted cannabis swell in Thailand. In a new edict coming into effect today, the Ministry of Public Health has tightened the rules on who can grow and sell cannabis, and where. The new edict, already published in the Royal Gazette making it official, now supersedes the original announcement legalising and decriminalising cannabis on June…
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4am curfew proposal protested by drunk driver victims
Entertainment venue and nightlife operators are fervently pushing for a 4am closing time and have gained support from many key government officials. But a protest outside Government House pushed back against a later curfew, fueled by victims of drunk drivers and a coalition of anti-drink driving activists. The 4am curfew extension is expected to be officially proposed to the Cabinet…
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The Journey to Legalizing Cryptocurrency in Thailand ft.Topp Jirayut | Thaiger Podcast
Topp Jirayut Srupsrisopa, Founder and Group CEO of Bitkub Capital Group Holdings Co., Ltd., — the LARGEST blockchain and digital asset group of companies in Thailand. He is one of Thailand’s youngest leading bitcoin and open blockchain experts with more than 8 years of experience in the blockchain industry. Topp is also an Executive Board Member and Vice President at…
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Disgraced Thai MP refutes illegal activities with Chinese
The Royal Thai Police (RTP) stumbled upon a former disgraced politician as the department’s crackdown on Chinese gangsters operating in the kingdom continues. Thai media made known yesterday that the RTP is investigating the former secretary-general of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), Thamanat Prompow, and his alleged links to Chinese triads. The 58 year old denies the allegations. “I…
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Greenpeace Thailand activists jump in lake to protest against greenwashing in APEC
At 9.15am, activists from Greenpeace Thailand jumped into the lake at Benjakitti Park in Bangkok to protest against “greenwashing” in APEC. Protestors held up signs saying “APEC STOP GREENWASHING” from the lake outside the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, where the APEC 2022 Summit will be held next week from November 14-19. The protest happened as Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan…
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Wife survives husband’s murder-suicide plan in Isaan
A murder-suicide attempt by a man who shot his wife before shooting himself failed. The man’s suicide attempt was successful but his wife survived being shot. She had to remain near her dead husband’s body for five days until help arrived. The mother of the woman shot, 62 year old Sompit (surname reserved), called the police after learning that her…
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Thailand welcomes 50,000 foreign tourists in one day
Nearly 50,000 foreign tourists arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Thailand yesterday. Reassuring statistics reported by immigration indicate a revival of Thailand’s tourism industry, although arrivals are still nowhere near close to hitting pre-pandemic levels. Today, Commander of the Immigration Bureau Pol. Maj. Gen. Choengron Rimphadee confirmed that the picture of a giant queue at immigration posted on social media is…
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Officials plan to step up Phuket’s education standards
Phuket officials are planning to step up the island province’s education standards. Phuket Governor Narong led a meeting on the issue yesterday. Officials discussed using Big Data to develop Phuket’s entire education system. The aim would be to ensure that all students have an equal education, with no students left disadvantaged. Narong said that this would make Phuket an “international…
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2 injured hikers face prison for illegal access
The two Thai hikers who fell from a cliff in the central province of Nakhon Nayok yesterday have been rescued. The downside is that they could face up to two years in prison and a fine of 200,000 baht because they entered the area without permission. Officers from Haew Krathin Waterfall Tourist Assistance Command Centre found the two hikers, 50…
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Russian President Vladimir Putin rejects invitation to APEC Summit in Thailand
Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Bangkok next week, despite Thailand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs confirming the Russian leader’s attendance last month. Yesterday, the Russian Embassy informed Thailand’s foreign ministry that Putin would no longer be attending the meeting on November 18-19. Instead, he is sending First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei…
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MPs accused of corruption after report reveals 100 million baht a year spent on subsidised meals
Members of the Committee for the Selection of Catering Operators for MPs and Senators have been accused of corruption after a report revealed over 100 million baht a year is spent on subsidised meals. Former Democrat Party MP, Watchara Phetthong, revealed that there is corruption between the catering company and some MPs and Senators. Watchara claims that because the committee chose…
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AOT turns to Grab to fill shortage of airport taxis in Thailand
Airports of Thailand (AOT) is negotiating with Grab about using their services to fill taxi shortages at two airports in the kingdom. Airports have always been a strict no-go zone for Grab taxis, but waiting times for passengers are getting out of hand. Now that High Season is in full swing, there are simply not enough airport taxis to facilitate the…
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Paypal shuts out foreigners in Thailand
Foreigners in Thailand will no longer be able to use personal Paypal accounts from December 15 to send and receive money and pay for goods online. Thais may continue using their personal accounts if they verify their identity through the National Digital ID (NDID) platform before November 30. Paypal is making big changes to comply with Thailand’s crackdown on money…
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VIDEO: Train splits 18-wheel trailer clean in half in northern Thailand
A train hit an 18-wheel trailer, splitting it cleanly in half, in Lamphun province in northern Thailand yesterday morning. No deaths or injuries were reported. Train No. 51 from Bangkok to Chiang Mai crashed into the articulated vehicle carrying 30 tonnes of rice husk at the Tha Chak – Tasop Sao railway crossing. At 11.30am, Mae Tha Police Station officers…
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Man takes 4 Ya Ba pills and rides motorbike with no hands in Thailand
Police arrested a man in Nakhon Phanom, northeast Thailand, yesterday after a video of him riding his motorbike and swerving all over the road went viral on social media. He admitted that he was high on four pills of Ya Ba (“crazy drug”) – a type of methamphetamine – when the clip was taken. Officers from Nakhon Phanom Provincial Police…
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Luxury casino in Pattaya raided before grand opening
Police raided an under-construction building in Pattaya after being tipped off it is to become a luxury casino. The Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn, ordered police officers to raid the gambling house at the Chalerm Phra Kiat 6 on the Pattaya Sai Sam Road in the Bang Lamung district of Pattaya. Police met a…
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Tourists complain about pricey beach chairs at Hua Hin
Local authorities tightened rules against local businesses yesterday after tourists complained about beach chairs being too expensive on Hua Hin Beach. The Deputy Mayor of the Hua Hin Municipality, Butsaba Choksuchart, brought the issue to light after tourists made known that beach chairs they rented near Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin were more expensive for them than…
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A fish tale: thousands of fish jump onto bridge on Krabi island
A fish tale has come to light on an island in Thailand’s iconic southern province of Krabi. On the island of Koh Lanta, thousands of fish jumped onto a bridge. A Krabi resident came across the massive pile of small jumping fish while docking his boat at the pier. The breed of fish is known as “Ta Maew,” or cat-eye…
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Two children drown during Loy Krathong festival in northern Thailand
Two brothers, studying in Grades 4 and 5, fell into the Ping River and drowned during the Loy Krathong festival in Chiang Mai province in northern Thailand on Tuesday. A family of four went to the banks of the Ping river, near the bridge in the Tha Kham subdistrict, sometime after sunset to float their krathongs (decorative baskets). Mr A and…
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A cheap flight to Thailand? Don’t bank on it anytime soon
Looking for a cheap flight to Thailand? Don’t count on it just yet says airline industry executives. The world’s industry chiefs made known, as if we didn’t already know, that airfares are expensive and they expect to remain that way for the time being. Flights are pricey for a number of reasons, ranging from surging fuel costs, labour shortages, and…
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Thai medical experts hold seminar, warn of the risks of HPV
Several Thai medical experts discussed the country’s struggles with human papillomavirus (HPV) at a recent seminar. HPV is a common sexually transmitted infection that causes several cancers, most commonly cervical cancer in women. Cervical cancer kills 13 Thai women every day. It is the second deadliest cancer for working-age Thai women, after breast cancer. A shockingly high percentage of people…
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Hospital sends wrong corpse to funeral in central Thailand
The wrong corpse turned up at a funeral in Prachin Buri province in central Thailand yesterday. Both the hospital and the deceased’s brother have taken responsibility for the mishap. Yesterday, relatives waited at Wat Sawang Arom temple in Kabin Buri district to receive the body of 58 year old Somnuk Kongto who sadly died in an accident. Somnuk’s brother picked…
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Pattaya tourists enjoy the beauty of Loy Krathong and eclipse on beach
Pattaya tourists got to enjoy the beauty of the Loy Krathong festival, combined with the lunar eclipse, on Tuesday night at Pattaya Beach. The crowd of thousands gathered on the beach to float their krathongs in the sea. A video shows students from nearby schools wearing traditional Thai clothing, and assembling their krathongs for contests. At the beach, there were…
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Beagles sniff out bats in luggage from China at Bangkok airport
No bats or any other animal carcasses can get past the sharp noses of two hard-working beagles who fight crime at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. On Tuesday at 12pm, the sniffer dogs uncovered “smoked bats” and processed pork hidden inside the luggage that flew in from Kunming in China. The main duty of the beagles from the Quarantine and Inspection…
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Taxi fares in Bangkok to increase in two weeks
The Ministry of Transport yesterday approved a motion to increase taxi fares in Bangkok after recent protests by the capital’s cab drivers. The new fares are expected to come into operation in the next two weeks. The Transport Ministry announced a month ago that taxi fares in Thailand would be increased after eight years of stagnation. The department of transport…
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