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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Sponsored 5 hidden healthcare costs in Thailand and how to avoid them
Thailand's healthcare system is affordable and supported by the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) scheme, offering essential services to most citizens. However, hidden healthcare costs can surprise patients and lead to unexpected expenses. These include specialist fees, insurance gaps, emergency services,...
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Deputy PM says “Big Joke” transfer not necessarily unlawful
Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngam says former immigration chief, Surachate Hakparn, shouldn’t assume his transfer to an inactive post in the PM’s Office was unlawful. Surachate, known by the nickname “Big Joke” (given to him by Thai media) headed up Thailand’s Immigration Bureau until he was unceremoniously side-lined by the PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha last year. It’s understood he is now planning…
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New army chief declares he’ll protect Thailand’s monarchy and restore peace
At a time of mass pro-democracy protests, with some activists facing charges for criticising the role of the Thai head of state, the new army chief says he pledges to restore peace and protect the country’s monarchy. In a ceremony formerly saying farewell to retiring generals, incoming army chief Narongphan Jitkaewtae said he would restore peace and be loyal to the Thai Monarchy.…
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Bangkok officials issue advice to motorists to avoid parliament area due to protest
Bangkok motorists would do well to avoid the roads around the Sappaya-Sapasathan building later today, with a political rally set to take place there this afternoon. That’s the word from officials, who have issued guidance to motorists ahead of the protest in front of the new parliament building, expected to kick off at 2pm and continue late into the evening.…
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Ministry of Labour, CP Foods to hire 8,000 graduates to help reduce unemployment
To help reduce unemployment and boost the economy after the pandemic, 8,000 graduates will be hired by the company Charoen Pokphand Foods, known as CP Foods. Thailand’s Ministry of Labour recently signed a memorandum of agreement with the company. 4,000 of those jobs will be in Bangkok and metropolitan areas while the other 4,000 more in the upcountry. The job…
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Thailand News Today | Surachet sues, The Nude Panda | September 23
Daily TV News from The Thaiger Former immigration chief, “Big Joke” suing Thai PM over transfer The former head of Thai Immigration, and poster boy for Thai officialdom, Surachet Hakparn, is taking legal action against Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, after the PM had him unceremoniously transferred to an inactive post last year. Surachet, commonly known by the nickname “Big Joke”,…
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Woman allegedly shot husband until gun ran out of bullets
A woman allegedly shot her husband multiple times until her gun ran out of bullets, killing him. When police arrived, 33 year old Julalak Longlalerng had a gun in her hand and was holding her 11 month old child. She told police the baby was not near the shooting. The husband’s body was found outside the house in Trang. Police say…
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Phuket, Chiang Mai, Chachoengsao join UNESCO’s learning cities
3 cities in Thailand recently joined UNESCO’s membership of so called “learning cities” which are said to promote “lifelong learning” and sustainable development. Chachoengsao, Chiang Mai and Phuket joined the UNESCO’s Global Network of Learning Cities. Altogether, 55 cities from 27 countries, adding up to 230 cities in 64 countries around the world, according to UNESCO. “These cities are outstanding examples…
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Loose electrical wire causes passing motorbike to burst into flames – VIDEO
A hanging electrical wire caused a passing motorbike to burst into flames, injuring a 25 year old and a 15 year old. Pathum Thani locals had put 2 chairs out in the road as a warning for the hanging wire. But the chairs weren’t enough to signal the motorbike driver to change lanes. The 25 year old teacher drove straight into…
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Spas could become quarantine facilities, Krabi first in line for the project
Spas could become state quarantine facilities. The Department of Health Service Support is looking into a proposal that would turn Thai massage parlours and spas into quarantine. The project would start in Krabi. A 14 day quarantine at a state approved hotel can cost 30,000 baht to more than 100,000 baht. It’s unclear what the cost would be for a…
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Online entrepreneurs cash in on “People’s Plaque”
After the removal of a commemorative plaque hours after it was installed by anti-government protesters, pro-democracy messaging has found a new home, now appearing on a range of merchandise. Products that bear the plaque’s wording, alongside a graphic of the 3-fingered salute adopted by protesters, are now being sold online by canny entrepreneurs. Those who support the pro-democracy movement can…
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4 Thai banks to be investigated for “suspicious transfers” after FinCEN files report
4 Thai banks are being investigated after an international money laundering report said the Thai banks had “suspicious financial transactions.” The report found 92 “suspicious” transactions in and out of Thailand totalling to $9,558,752 USD received in Thailand and $31,750,000 USD sent out. Files were allegedly leaked from the US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, known as FinCEN, and journalists from…
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Nude Panda: naked food delivery man hit with 500 baht fine
Nude Panda? Rude Panda? Or NoodPanda? A man working as a food delivery driver in the southern province of Songkhla, has been filmed riding his motorbike while naked. 24 year old Botsin Dueanchamroon later handed himself in to police, explaining that he’d taken his clothes off due to “a personal problem”. The nature of the problem is not known, and…
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Thai cabinet adds 2 more 4-day long weekends
A holiday-led economic recovery. That appears to be a part of the government’s agenda following yesterday’s meeting of the Thai cabinet. 2 new holiday weekends have been created, one in November, one in December, in efforts to further stimulate the economy. In both cases the extended weekends will be 4 days each, adding the Thursdays and Fridays before the weekend.…
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Thai hotels concerned extra holidays may not benefit all
As the Cabinet confirms two additional long weekends in November and December, the country’s hotels are concerned that not all operators will benefit. The extra holidays, running from November 19 to 22, and from December 10-13, are being introduced to further boost domestic tourism. Although they have been given a cautious welcome by hotel operators, the Thai Hotels Association points…
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Isaan woman finds her husband and 2 sons dead in well
A woman found the bodies of her husband and 2 sons in the bottom of a well in the Isaan province Chaiyaphum. The father and his sons reportedly went to repair the family farm’s well, but did not return. 56 year old Thong-in says her husband and sons went to repair the well in the morning. They didn’t come back…
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Thailand News Today | Protesters face arrest | Phuket “in a coma”| September 22
Thailand News Today with Tim Newton. Daily news from around Thailand. Struggling airlines to get reprieve through small loans, extension to fuel tax cut Airlines in Thailand are being offered a financial lifeline, as the Government Savings Bank announces soft loans for carriers left struggling as a result of the current Covid-19 ‘disruption’. The GSB is offering the loans over…
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Win driver allegedly ran red light, hits teenage motorbiker
A Thai motorbike taxi driver, known as a ‘win’ driver, allegedly ran a red light and ran into a teenage student driving on Sukhumvit Road in Chon Buri’s Sattahip district. The 58 year old win driver and the 18 year old student were both taken to the hospital. Emergency responders did not report on the extent of their injuries. The student,…
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Struggling airlines to get reprieve through small loans, extension to fuel tax cut
Airlines in Thailand are being offered a financial lifeline, as the Government Savings Bank announces soft loans for carriers left struggling as a result of the current Covid-19 ‘disruption’. Nation Thailand reports that the GSB is offering the loans over a 60 month period, with an annual interest rate of 2%. Chairman Patchara Anuntasilpa says the proposal will shortly be…
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Navy divers find captain’s body after boat sank in weekend storm
The body of a fishing boat captain trapped in sunken wreckage was found by Royal Thai Navy divers. The man’s boat sank during a weekend storm at the Surin Islands National Park, an archipelago of 5 islands in the Andaman Sea around 55 kilometres from the Phang Nga province coast. The “Chan Udome Sombat 8” fishing boat reportedly sank around…
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10 million baht in damages from alleged wholesale pajama scam
A wholesale online shopping scam allegedly tricked dozens of people who wanted to start a pajama business. People spent around a total of 10 million baht for pajamas that were never shipped out. A large group of victims filed complaints together against a Facebook page advertising wholesale packs of pajamas at the Ministry of Justice. They wore matching white shirts…
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Protest leaders face charges for violating Thailand’s lèse majesté law and for installing the plaque
Leaders of the weekend’s pro-democracy protest in Bangkok are facing charges for violating Thailand’s lèse majesté laws and installing a symbolic plaque at a “registered historical site”. Police filed complaints against 10 to possibly more than 16 protesters. It’s unclear how many protesters will be charged, but the Royal Thai Police spokesperson Piya Uthayo says charges will be pressed against…
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Thai beauty queen victim of racist slurs for siding with anti-government protesters
The winner of the 2020 Miss Grand Thailand competition has become the target of racist online attacks after declaring her support for the ongoing anti-government protest movement. Nation Thailand reports that Pacharaporn Chantarapadit, aka, “Nam”, took the title of Miss Grand Thailand on Sunday evening, in a televised competition shown nationwide. While being interviewed on stage on Saturday, the same…
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Thailand News Today | Amnesty finishes, protest round-up | September 21, 2020
Daily video news about Thailand with Tim Newton Get a visa or go to jail. Thai Immigration Tourists, and anyone else with a lapsed visa, ha ve only 5 days to renew their visa or they could get arrested. The current visa amnesty ends on September 26 and there isn’t going to be another sudden announcement for another grace period,…
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MP files complaint against 3 opposition MPs for allegedly joining the protest
A member of parliament filed a complaint against 3 opposition MPs for allegedly joining the weekend’s pro-democracy protest where activists demanded reform of the Thai Monarchy. He’s also putting together a legal team aimed at dissolving the members’ 3 opposition parties. Palang Pracharat MP Sira Jenjakha says he has a photo of the 3 members raising their hands in a…
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5 protesters to be charged over a rally in front of the Thai Army’s headquarters
With impeccable timing, Nang Loeng police have summoned 5 protest leaders to appear before the Special Prosecutor’s Office at the Dusit District Court in Bangkok. They will be formally charged over their roles in a protest in front of the Army’s headquarters on July 20. At the time it followed an online exchange from an Army official criticising the students…
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Thailand Post to upcycle parcel boxes into furniture for Border Patrol Police School
The Thailand Post is going to turn its parcel cardboard boxes and paper envelopes into tables and chairs for students at the Border Patrol Police School. The postal service says they’ve already received 10,000 kilograms of used boxes and envelopes for the upcycling project. People can send used parcel boxes and envelopes back to Thailand Post to be collected for…
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Protesters’ plaque damaged historical site – Thai Fine Arts Department
The Thai Fine Arts Department claim the pro-democracy protesters, who installed a symbolic brass plaque in an area next to the Grand Palace yesterday morning, broke the law. The department filed a complaint saying the installation of the plaque damaged a historic site, a violation of the Archaeological Site Act. Protesters cemented the plaque in the perimeter of the Royal Field,…
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Alcohol banned at national parks after complaints of trash and drunk tourists
Alcohol is now banned at national parks after tourists allegedly got drunk at a waterfall and others left a load of trash by their campsite. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has updated other park rules to make sure parks are kept clean and the wildlife isn’t disturbed. Just last week, trash left at a campsite at…
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Thailand details new visa strategy to welcome rich tourists
The Thai government has revealed their detailed strategy to bring back “rich” tourists while keeping Covid numbers low. The plan, to be rolled out next month, has been touted by officials as a way to help recover Thailand’s hard hit tourist economy, but some say the government needs a reality check. The Tourism and Sports Authority Minister claims the plan…
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Bangkok protest rally wraps up after a letter of demand is presented to officials
As yesterday and this morning’s major rally wraps up, protest organisers have already announced the next rally for October 14, the anniversary of the 1973 student uprising. Another gathering has been announced for this Thursday outside the Thai parliament. The growing tide of support for the student protesters, who government supporters are accusing of being puppets for “dark” opposition voices,…
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