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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Police inspections – What are your rights?
By Yutthachai Sangsirisap and Robert Virasin There are many stories about bad police planting evidence or fake police trying to misrepresent themselves to shake down an innocent person. What should you do if a person claiming to be a police officer comes up to you and wants to inspect your person or belongings? The primary duty of the police is…
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THAIGER TODAY Thursday, March 15
Dog and cat registration may become compulsory | Premchai shows up to acknowledge charges | ONE…BIG…SNAKE | BKK Japanese restaurants reject fish from Fukushima | Mercedes invests in local electric car plant | Thanathorn’s new ‘Future’ party launched this morning.
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21 year old arrested over assault on 82 year old following Facebook campaign
A young motorcyclist surrendered to police last night (Wednesday) evening following a Facebook campaign, which saw a reward of 60,000 baht being raised for his arrest, after he was recorded on video kicking and hitting an elderly man in Bangkok. 21 year old Narathorn Sodetiyung reportedly admitted that he had assaulted 82 year old Jaroon Maneephan after the latter knocked…
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Monster python caught and released in Nakhon Si Thammarat
Snake catchers in Nakorn Sri Thammarat have caught a monster python. The reptile was 5.5 meters long and weighed 100 kilograms. It took ten people to hold it for the video. As you can see the python wasn’t too happy about being in the selfie. It was spotted by a rubber worker who saw it curled up by a termite…
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Only a tiny fraction of BKK pets registered as being vaccinated against Rabies
Only 5,193 of Bangkok’s 1.136 million stray and pet dogs and cats are registered as having been vaccinated against rabies, a senior Agriculture Ministry official said this morning (Wednesday). Ministry spokesman and inspector-general Sorawit Thanito said only 6,233 pet cats and dogs were registered with authorities in the capital and 1,266 of them had been sterilised. But most owners by…
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THAIGER TODAY Wednesday, March 14
Rabies situation ‘under control’ | Motorbike driver lucky to walk away from accident | No toilets at tsunami museum | BKK motor tollways free over Songkran | Prosecution case ready over Toyota Thai Football League match-fixing | FBI attempts to interview ‘sex-therapist’ couple who ‘know things’ | Indian man and Thai accomplice arrested over visa scam.
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Pattaya police on the hunt for ‘amorous couple’
Tourist police are trying to locate and take legal action against a foreign couple who were caught on video having sex on Dong Tan beach in Pattaya City. The couple appear in a 31 second clip that was taken at 8am on Sunday and widely shared on social networks. The video shows an unidentified man, who looks like a westerner,…
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“Your white handsome man is really a dark skinned scammer!” Tourist police warning
The Thai tourist police have produced a Facebook warning for Thai women about Romance Scams. One of the frames shows a cartoon white man who they say is handsome and rich. But towards the end the police say that he is more than likely dark skinned and after your money. The advice says that middle aged and middle class Thai…
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Naked tourist hugs a rock in Samui. But not just any rock!
Samui residents are calling on police to locate and arrest a naked foreign tourist who was photographed hugging Hin Ta rock, which is regarded by local residents as a symbol of Koh Samui in Surat Thani. The photos show the unidentified woman walking around and hugging the rock, which resembles a phallus, to pose for photos. They were posted on…
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THAIGER TODAY Tuesday, March 13
National ban on darts boards | Premchai denied postponement to acknowledge his bribery charges | Daring escape by pick-up in Rayong | Air pollution returns to Bangkok | Boat sinks off Krabi | Disability campaigner threatens to sue BTS and BKK Authorities | Police nab a pick-up with 1,800 kg of beef; that’s one BIG BBQ!!
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Banned! Dart board ban now in effect across Thailand. Bars urged to get boards registered.
Thailand’s ban on bars and entertainment venues allowing punters to play darts is now in affect nationwide. In January, officials in Pattaya raided bars along Soi 6 to confiscate the ‘illegal’ dart boards.Bar owners and staff were told that venues must now have a dart board license if they wanted to be able to allow customers to play the popular…
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500kg of garbage washed onto national park beach every day
From 400 to 500 kilograms of garbage had been washed by waves onto a beach on Koh Rung in the Mu Koh Chang National Park in Trat each morning during the past week, the park chief said today (Monday). Kosit Nilrat said he had assigned 17 officials to clean up the beach at Ao Bor of Koh Rung every morning…
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The new face of Thai politics?
The so-called “new blood” political party to be led by “pro-democracy” billionaire Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit has promised to be an alternative to lead the conflict-plagued country out of the cycle of political division. The 39 year old auto-parts tycoon admitted that he had been described as “another Thaksin Shinawatra”, but asked for time to prove himself. “There’s no way to prove…
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Rabies survey shows widespread ignorance
Amid a major outbreak of rabies nationwide, including three human deaths so far this year, a survey reveals major misunderstandings among the public about the disease. The Public Health Ministry survey shows that up to 60 per cent of the nearly 12,000 people surveyed wrongly believed that rabies could be cured. Additionally, 34 per cent did not know that death…
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Fire in Pattaya’s Walking Street. Two injured.
Bars in Walking Street Pattaya were in flames last night (Saturday) after a transformer exploded in the packed red light district. Two tourists were rushed to hospital. Witnesses say there was a large explosion around 10pm. The blaze quickly spread to neighbouring bars as motorbikes parked on the street burst into flames as well. Dozens of bars in a plaza…
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90 arrested, 74 motorcycles seized in crackdown
Bangkok police arrested 90 motorcyclists and pillion riders and seized 74 modified motorcycles in a crackdown on street racing on Bangkok’s streets. At the end of the operation on Friday night, tourist police deputy chief Pol Lt-General Surachet Hakpal held a press conference at 2.30am early on Saturday on the main ground in front of Tesco Lotus Extra on Rama…
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THAIGER TODAY Friday, March 9
Freak storm cells caught on video | Changes for renters and landlords | Russian tourist run over and killed in Pattaya | Raid on Chiang Mai house selling dodgy health supplements | Rabies situation – under control but under watch.
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Briton dies on bus from Bangkok to Phetchabun
A Thai passenger was horrified to discover Thursday night that he had sat for hours next to a dead British passenger on board an air-conditioned bus from Bangkok to Phetchabun. 61 year old Michael Richarddeen was discovered dead in his bus seat at 7.30pm when the Bangkok-Phu Rua bus stopped at a Phet Prasert bus parking point on Saraburi-Lomsak…
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Rama X banknotes go into circulation from April 6
The first banknotes bearing a portrait of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn will be issued on April 6, Chakri Day. The Bank of Thailand announced on Thursday that, in accordance with permission granted by the palace, it would release banknotes bearing an image of King Rama X that day in the denominations of 20, 50 and 100 baht 500 baht…
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Accelerating Rabies vaccinations in Trang
There have been three deaths in Kalasin province linked to Rabies. And some suspected cases around Bangkok. The vaccination program in Trang brings it all a bit closer to home. Phairoj Intharasri, chief livestock officer in the southern province, said Muang, Huay Yod, Palian and Wang Wiset districts have been on rabies alerts since late February or March. His office…
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THAIGER TODAY Thursday, March 8
Freak storm hits Nakhon Pratom uprooting power poles | 7 Russians arrested in a Phuket kidnapping incident | Re-enactment of Premchai’s alleged bribery conversation | Chinese tourist assaulted in Krabi | New tourism plan for Thailand’s west coast including a high speed train.
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THAIGER TODAY Wednesday, March 7
Outgoing tourism will rise to 10 million this year | Rabies precautions in BKK | Thai Cabinet waters down the fines for illegal foreign workers | Premchai’s wife will be charged for owning elephant tusks | Bank of Thailand has laid down the foundations for banking agents | Aussie firefighter helping out in Lampang | Krabi residents support closing down…
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E-commerce sites will be blocked if they don’t pay local VAT
Do you shop online? Plenty do, and increasingly retail is heading offshore and the main winners are Thai Post. A legal loophole, allowing foreign e-commerce companies to avoid paying Thai VAT, may soon be plugged with new legislation. But the Thai Revenue Department is threatening to block giant foreign e-commerce websites if they don’t pay VAT taxes in the future,…
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THAIGER TODAY Tuesday, March 6
More details about alleged ‘tapes’ from Belarus escort | ‘Freak storms’ for central and northern Thailand | Latest in ‘furious aunties’ case | Smog ‘very bad’ in north | 69 year Dutchman and 19 year old Thai in custody over prostitution and human trafficking | Labour Department being asked to ‘fast track’ migrant registration | Krabi Airport runway repairs on…
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Oscar winners – 2018 Academy Awards
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Mary J. Blige, “Mudbound” Allison Janney, “I, Tonya” *WINNER Lesley Manville, “Phantom Thread” Laurie Metcalf, “Lady Bird” Octavia Spencer, “The Shape of Water” ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Willem Dafoe, “The Florida Project” Woody Harrelson, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” Richard Jenkins, “The Shape of Water” Christopher Plummer, “All the Money in the World” Sam…
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Conservation group to protest if Premchai charges not pursued
The Seub Nakhasathien Foundation has threatened to stage protests if police fail to pursue the charge of deliberately killing wildlife against construction tycoon Premchai Karnasuta. “Definitely, there will be people taking to streets in that case,” Sasin Chalermlarp, the conservation group’s president, said on Monday. He spoke after a perceived delay in the police investigation into allegations that Premchai and…
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THAIGER TODAY Monday, March 5
Thai police getting a ‘make-over’ | Outrigger resorts being sold to Singha Estate | New flights, new locations meanwhile Thai Airways struggling | Parents being urged to watch kids while swimming | 79% approve of poll next February | 40 year old hunter shoots relative.
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Thai Airways continues to struggle against newer, nimble competitors
Fierce competition and rising fuel costs are said to be the main cause of Thai Airway’s tough last year. Thai’s operating profit for the last year was down nearly 30% to 2,856 million baht. This included the parent airline and all its subsidiaries. The main culprit, according to TTR Weekly, was a 24.2% increase in fuel prices for its planes.…
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THAIGER TODAY Friday, March 2
TAT says we shouldn’t focus attention on sex tourism | NCPO warns protestors about Pinocchio masks | March 1 kicks off hot-season and registration of new political parties | Academics warn about coral restoration off Patong | Doctor in Hua Hin arrested over abortion clinic | Fake watch vendors arrested in Pattaya.
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Train derails at a Trang construction site
State Railway of Thailand officials and workers were clearing the tracks today (Thursday) after a Bangkok-Trang express train derailed this morning a few kilometres from the Trang Train Station. No one was killed or injured in the incident, railway engineering official Chairat Duansung said. The derailment, which led to the 14-car train’s last carriage going off the tracks, took place…
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