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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Brazillian boxer banned by WMO after supporting Cambodian kickboxing
Following an argument over the origin of kickboxing between Thailand and Cambodia, the World Muaythai Organisation (WMO) has banned Brazilian boxer Thiago Teixeira from the sport after he announced support for Kun Khmer. His Apex Fight Series middleweight class championship record was also expunged. Cambodia is pushing to gain international recognition for its version of kickboxing, Kun Khmer. The country…
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Koh Samui: The secret island gem of Southeast Asia’s hospitality scene
Over the past week, we have been compiling our latest hospitality, tourism, and hotel research on Thailand’s second-largest island, Koh Samui. The island remains a bit of a ‘little-big’ anomaly in Southeast Asia’s massive resort island arsenal. Despite hosting famed global hotel brands such as Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, W, InterContinental, and Banyan Tree, its smallish private airport capacity has somehow…
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Cyberpunk data thief allegedly an army sergeant
The cyberpunk who hacked into a government database and threatened to release the personal data of 55 million Thai people is believed to be an army sergeant. Police held the unnamed army sergeant and his wife this morning in relation to hacking the personal data of 55 million Thais and putting the information up for sale on April 5 under…
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Thailand: Don’t leave a lighter in your car during extreme heat
A pickup truck parked in the sun all day burst into flames in Buriram province in northeast Thailand after a lighter exploded on the front seat yesterday. Summer is in full swing in Thailand, with peak “feels like” temperatures shooting up to 50 degrees Celsius yesterday in Bangkok. Every region is sweltering with heat. At 3.30pm, officers at Nang Rong…
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China finally reveals results of Wuhan wet market Covid-19 investigation
China finally answered calls to reveal and publish an analysis of samples taken from animals at a wet market in Wuhan linked to the outbreak of Covid-19 and guess what? Definitive proof of how the outbreak started still remains inconclusive. The Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market in Wuhan, China has been a key focus in the search for the origin of Covid…
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Early morning raid captures illegal foreign workers at a Pattaya market
An early morning raid at Amon Nakhon fresh market in Pattaya by Chon Buri Immigration officials and Bang Lamung Police Station led to the capture of seven illegal foreign workers. Police reported the surprise raid was conducted at 6am on Wednesday and seven illegal migrants were arrested. Officers searched the market and nearby shops which saw workers from Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam,…
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Woman arrested for security guard murder and attempted murder of 2 others
A Thai woman was arrested by police officers this morning for the alleged murder of a security guard and the attempted murder of two others at a dormitory located in the Thanya Buri district of Pathum Thani, situated in the central part of Thailand. Pratunam Chulalongkorn Police Station was notified about the stabbing incident and swiftly responded to the scene…
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Woman driver’s reckless reversal on motorway leads to horrific crash with lorry
A six-wheel lorry smashed into the back of a reckless woman driver who reversed over 1 kilometre down a busy motorway in Samut Prakarn because she missed her exit. A rescue service team sent the injured woman to hospital after the incident. The incident occurred yesterday at 6am on the Bang Na-Chon Buri or Burapha Withi Expressway in Samut Prakarn…
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PM’s plan to tackle soaring cost of air ticket prices in Thailand
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has taken charge to address the soaring prices of air tickets with a comprehensive five-point plan. The plan comes after Deputy Transport Minister Atirat Ratanasate informed the ministry of the measures taken and those in the pipeline to address the substantial hikes due to the surge in demand after the Covid-19 pandemic and the recent decision…
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Thailand’s Koh Kradan voted best beach on earth
Thailand’s unspoiled Koh Kradan island off the coast of Trang province was ranked the best of the ‘Top 100 Beaches on Earth 2023‘ by the UK website World Beach Guide. Four other Thai beaches made the top 100 including Railay Beach in Krabi province (9), Freedom Beach in Phuket (18), Laem Beach on Koh Yao Yai island in Phang Nga…
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Big Oil Majors production cuts, what this means to airfares
The recent move by the Big Oil Majors to cut production by over one million barrels a day as a “precautionary” measure to stabilize the oil market will have a domino effect on airfares, according to industry experts. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) yesterday announced plans to lower oil production by 1.16 million barrels per day, starting…
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Assets seized and suspects arrested after large-scale online gambling chain uncovered
Last Friday, 63 locations were raided by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) to investigate relevant evidence suggesting they were connected to “Inspector Sua.” Ordered by CIB commissioner Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej, the raids took place in Chon Buri, Nonthaburi, Bangkok, Pathum Thani, and Chanthaburi. 6 suspects were arrested for their alleged links to Pentor Group, a prominent online gambling…
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Thai-lizing industries with AI: The future is machine-made
Thailand is looking toward artificial intelligence (AI) to boost economic growth and the kingdom’s vision to become the globe’s fifth-largest economy by 2027. The government underlines AI as a major tool to boost its economy to automate processes, reduce costs, and increase productivity, all of which can help to increase economic growth. AI can be used to provide more accurate…
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Power struggle: JSCCIB takes on govt to lower electricity prices
Tensions are running high in Thailand as the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) has declared war on the government in a bid to bring down the nation’s soaring electricity prices. The committee, comprised of representatives from major business groups, is asking Prime Minister Prayut Chan o cha to reconsider the electricity bill calculation and reduce the…
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Rogue cop with gambling addiction jailed for 50 years for gun theft
A rogue cop with a gambling addiction was sentenced to 270 years in prison for theft and illegal possession of 160 firearms. He will only serve 50 years as allowed under Thai law. Senior sergeant major Chaowarit Phumkajorn, from Pak Kret Police Station in Nonthaburi province, near Bangkok, was arrested in October in the Isaan province of Nong Khai after reportedly selling…
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Thailand’s billionaire trio makes Forbes’ 2023 list of world’s richest
Forbes yesterday released its annual list of the world’s billionaires, and Thailand has its hands in the till with 28 billionaires, three of whom are ranked in the top 150. The list includes Dhanin Chearavanont, Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, and Sarath Ratanavadi, whose net worths range from US$12.3 billion to US$14.9 billion. Despite this achievement, the year 2023 proved challenging for the…
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British tourist smashes up Bangkok 7-Eleven (video)
Thai police arrested a young British man for destroying property at a 7-Eleven convenience store in the Pathumwan district of Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday at 3am. In a bizarre TikTok clip filmed by a European onlooker, the British tourist picks up various items inside the 7-Eleven and launches them at the door in an attempt to smash the glass. Although…
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10-wheelers banned on six roads to reduce Songkran traffic and accidents
In an effort to alleviate traffic congestion and prevent accidents, the use of large vehicles with ten or more wheels has been prohibited on six roads during the Songkran holidays. The national police chief, Damrongsak Kittiprapas, announced his role as head of the traffic police after it was published in the Royal Gazette on Tuesday, reported The Nation. The restricted…
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Agoda reveals top 5 cheapest tourist destinations in Thailand
Khon Kaen – the capital of Isaan – is the cheapest tourist destination in Thailand, offering the most competitive room rates, according to online travel giant Agoda. The average going room rate in Khon Kaen on Agoda’s platform is 1,030 Thai baht (US$30). Joining Khon Kaen in the top five most affordable tourist destinations in Thailand – based on average room…
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Bangkok official arrested for demanding bribes from real estate company
The revenue department director in the Ratchathewi district of Bangkok was apprehended for soliciting bribes amounting to 3 million baht from a real estate firm in exchange for a tax exemption worth more than 40 million baht. The director, identified as Pramuan, was arrested yesterday at a hotel located in the Ratchathewi area after he arranged a meeting with the…
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Pattaya Police on the hunt for thief who stole 30,000 baht from Darul Ibadah Mosque
Pattaya Police are hunting a light-fingered Thai thief who robbed Darul Ibadah Mosque on Pattaya Central Road of 30,000 baht. At 2.25am on Sunday, April 2, the thief stole 30,000 baht from two donation boxes and took a third box with him, in addition to causing 10,000 baht in damage, reported Pattaya Mail. Mosque executives, Thawat Ratchaneekorn, Na Ayutthaya, and…
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Thai woman finds rat claw in chilli paste (video)
A Thai woman was eating jaew bla ra (chilli paste with pickled fish) that she bought from a market in Prachin Buri province in central Thailand yesterday when she noticed a mysterious foot – with fingernails – floating in the sauce. She didn’t know what it was until netizens informed her that it looked like a rat claw. In a…
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Tragic suicide at Noi Bai Airport: Thai man jumps off third floor amid abnormal behaviour signs
A Thai man yesterday committed suicide after he jumped off the third floor of Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam. The man was reportedly showing abnormal behaviour signs before the incident. Noi Bai Airport spokesperson reported that at 1.25pm yesterday the Thai man, aged about 40 to 45 years old, climbed over the railing near the escalator in the T2…
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Forest fire kills another firefighting volunteer in northern Thailand
A firefighting volunteer was tragically caught in the flames while extinguishing a forest fire in Nan province in northern Thailand yesterday, where a thick layer of smog continues to blanket the region. The body of 62 year old Sriwan Mirayot was found in the forests surrounding Doi Sa-ngud mountain in the Bor Suak subdistrict in Mueang Nan district. His fellow…
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Chinese businessman hires sexy girls to fulfil vow at shrine in Thailand
A successful Chinese businessman hired more than 10 sexy girls to dance at a shrine located in Kamphaeng Phet province, situated in the central region of Thailand, to fulfil a vow he had made after achieving business success. The businessman has reportedly fulfilled his vow at the same shrine four times already. A Thai woman named Kanya-on Chanjohn shared a…
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‘He survived the Boxing Day tsunami’: Family grieves for Australian resort owner killed on his birthday in Krabi
UPDATE The Australian man who was tragically stabbed to death at the resort he owned in Krabi, southern Thailand, on his 57th birthday has been identified as Peter Heppell from Perth. The fatal attack happened on Sunday at Heppell’s resort in Khao Thong district, Melina’s Monkey House and Whale Bar, which he named after his daughter Melina who was swept away…
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Australian resort owner stabbed to death in Krabi, Thailand
An Australian man was stabbed to death at his resort in Krabi province, southern Thailand, on Sunday. The Thai husband of one of the victim’s former employees has confessed to the crime, police say. On Saturday evening, officers at Ao Nang Police Station were informed by staff at Krabi Hospital that a foreigner was stabbed to death at a resort…
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30 police officers rescue family of five after 18-hour hostage crisis in Bangkok
Thirty police officers arrested a man who had taken a family of five hostages for 18 hours inside a house in Samut Prakarn province near Bangkok. The suspect refused to disclose his motives to the authorities. A team of officers from the Samut Prakarn Provincial Police Office, and the Bang Plee Police Station, arrived at the scene and cordoned off…
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Man returns 75,500 baht he found at Bangkok ATM
A Thai man was praised for his honesty after he returned 75,500 baht he found at a Bangkok petrol station cash machine to its rightful owner. Lampakchee Police Station announced on its official Facebook page that Abdulrorsa Alqasim, a 22 year old Thai man, is a model citizen and an inspiration to the Lampakchee community for returning the money to…
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Thai man wins lottery with numbers given by ChatGPT:
A Thai man has caused quite a stir in the gambling community after he announced that he scooped a 2,000 baht prize from the Thai Government Lottery Office on April 1 by using a set of numbers generated by the AI chatbot, ChatGPT. The lucky winner, Patthawikorn Boonin shared his success story on Facebook, claiming that he won the 2,000…
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