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.

  • Bangkok Secret Nightlife – Bangkok Red Light District Secret Museum | Thaiger

    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 | Thaiger

    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…

  • Pattaya Police Chief cleared of vice slurs, back on duty | Thaiger

    Pattaya Police Chief cleared of vice slurs, back on duty

    Troubled Pattaya Police chief Pol Col Kunlachart Kunlachai has been reinstated after being temporarily placed in an inactive post following allegations the top cop forced a Kyrgyzstani woman into prostitution. The woman later committed suicide. Pol Col Kunlachart is set to return to Pattaya Police headquarters immediately, following a September 30 order by Pol Maj Gen Attasit Kitchahan, commander-in-chief of…

  • Reopening Thailand has a busy activity schedule | Thaiger

    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,…

  • 5-star squatters evicted from Layan Beach | Thaiger

    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 | Thaiger

    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…

  • Snitching on parking space hoggers could earn you 5,000 baht in Thailand | Thaiger

    Snitching on parking space hoggers could earn you 5,000 baht in Thailand

    Snitching on your local parking space hogger could earn you 5,000 baht, according to Thailand‘s Department of Public Relations (PRD). Cones, tyres, bicycles, plant pots and chairs are commonly seen blocking parking spaces on the streets of Thailand’s urban areas. People either want to save the parking space for themselves or simply don’t want others to park outside their property.…

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

    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…

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

    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 | Thaiger

    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.…

  • Thai researchers develop flood-resistant rice strain | Thaiger

    Thai researchers develop flood-resistant rice strain

    As heavy rains continue to plunder Thailand, researchers have developed a new flood-resistant rice strain. The new strain, called Hom Le Noi, can grow in all climates, according to the chief of the team that developed it. The team is from the National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology. The team’s chief, Dr Theerayut Tuchinda, said that Hom Le Noi…

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

    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…

  • Activists plan protests across Bangkok | Thaiger

    Activists plan protests across Bangkok

    Thai authorities have ramped up security in the capital ahead of expected protests when the Constitutional Court releases its decision on the future of suspended Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha later today. The court will rule on whether General Prayut’s constitutionally stipulated eight-year term is up. General Prayut came to power following a 2014 coup. Anti-government activists will hold rallies in…

  • VIDEO: 500 year old Buddhist stupa collapses in Chiang Mai revealing hidden treasures | Thaiger

    VIDEO: 500 year old Buddhist stupa collapses in Chiang Mai revealing hidden treasures

    The stupa at Wat Si Suphan in northern Thailand’s Chiang Mai province collapsed yesterday, revealing ancient Buddhist relics hidden away for over 500 years. No one was injured and the school right next door was miraculously unharmed. After several days of heavy rain, one of the oldest stupas (“chedi” in Thai) in Chiang Mai, located on Wua Lai Road in…

  • Exit Prayut? Court rules today on PM’s future | Thaiger

    Exit Prayut? Court rules today on PM’s future

    The Constitutional Court will today rule on whether suspended Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha has exceeded an eight-year limit as premier. General Prayut seized power in a 2014 coup and became prime minister soon after. The air has been filled with speculation and conspiracy theories since the court accepted the opposition’s petition on August 24 and suspended Gen Prayut as PM…

  • 11 provinces on alert as tropical storm Noru pushes Chao Phraya to the brink | Thaiger

    11 provinces on alert as tropical storm Noru pushes Chao Phraya to the brink

    Residents in 11 of Thailand’s provinces are being warned as tropical storm Noru is expected to push the Chao Phraya River to the brink. Those residents, which are near waterways, are now being told that the storm could push the river’s water levels up by 66 centimetres. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation and the Royal Irrigation Department issued…

  • 1 year old child allegedly snatched while parents slept | Thaiger

    1 year old child allegedly snatched while parents slept

    A search party is combing the area after a one year old child mysteriously disappeared while her parents slept. The child’s grandmother believes she was kidnapped. The child, Showathida “Nam Moei” Nuengpirom, went missing from the family home in the Kong Thanu sub-district, Mueng district, in Lopburi province in the central part of Thailand yesterday afternoon yesterday. The child’s 33…

  • Traditional Thai medicine clinics offering cannabis treatments in Thailand | Thaiger

    Traditional Thai medicine clinics offering cannabis treatments in Thailand

    Cannabis has a long history in Thailand where it has traditionally been used as an ingredient in cooking and as a medicine to treat numerous ailments. The Thai Institute of Healing Arts defines marijuana as an “analgesic and sedative to control pain.” “Gancha,” as the Thais call it, once played a vital role in traditional Thai herbal medicine. Medicinal use…

  • G-Fair Korea, Thailand’s first Korean sourcing fair, promotes Thailand- South Korea trade relations | Thaiger

    G-Fair Korea, Thailand’s first Korean sourcing fair, promotes Thailand- South Korea trade relations

    Press Release Korea’s largest sourcing fair, G-Fair Korea, displays state-of-the-art products from Korea right in the heart of Bangkok at Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Center at CentralWorld. Centring on the theme “Smart Life, Smart Business, Smart Future”, the exhibition offers an incredible opportunity for attendees to connect with and enjoy exclusive offers from 100 trusted Korean suppliers offering diverse…

  • Police ignore cheating antics of drunk Bangkok cabbie | Thaiger

    Police ignore cheating antics of drunk Bangkok cabbie

    An outraged Thai woman took to social media after police refused to punish an allegedly drunk, chain-smoking Bangkok cabbie who guzzled alcohol while driving and overcharged her brother. Supunsa Hombanyen posted videos of the slovenly drunk taxi driver on her TikTok account, @mildhom, yesterday. She said… “On September 27, 2022, my brother took a taxi from Morchit in Bangkok to…

  • Thai doctor warns against eating bats after ‘bat hunter’ sells for 100 baht per kilo | Thaiger

    Thai doctor warns against eating bats after ‘bat hunter’ sells for 100 baht per kilo

    A Thai doctor warns the public of the dangers of eating bat meat after a “bat hunter” in Sukhothai, northern Thailand, claimed that bat meat is good for your health. The man sells bats for 100 baht a kilogram. The “bat hunter,” 33 year old Somchai Wongpanat, made headlines in Thai media yesterday after claiming that eating bat meat “restores…

  • Spartan Race to hit Phuket in November | Thaiger

    Spartan Race to hit Phuket in November

    More than 5,000 Thai and foreign athletes from all over South East Asia are to come together in Phuket for the 2022 Spartan Asia Pacific Championship on November 26-27 at Blue Tree waterpark. The spectacular event is part of the ongoing campaign to turn Phuket into the world’s premier health & wellness centre. The event will be a follow-up to…

  • Thai woman says she will kill herself unless compensated | Thaiger

    Thai woman says she will kill herself unless compensated

    An angry Thai woman stormed into City Hall yesterday and screamed at Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt that she would kill herself if she didn’t get 500,000 baht compensation for an injury she sustained four years ago. The furious woman, Sutasinobon (surname reserved), told Chadchart she got her leg stuck in one of the city’s sewers, she is still in pain,…

  • Free meals in Pattaya during Vegetarian Festival | Thaiger

    Free meals in Pattaya during Vegetarian Festival

    It’s not just Phuket celebrating the annual Vegetarian Festival, dwellers in Pattaya are also gathering for free vegetarian food. From now until October 5, anyone can eat yummy vegetarian meals for free at the Sawang Boriboon Foundation in the Naklua sub-district of Bang Lamung District. Sawang Boriboon is a Thai-Chinese foundation. It can provide meals for 300 people per seating.…

  • “Billy” murder suspect reinstated at Kaeng Krachan NP | Thaiger

    “Billy” murder suspect reinstated at Kaeng Krachan NP

    Chaiwat Limlikit-aksorn, former chief of Kaeng Krachan National Park, has been reinstated despite facing charges over the disappearance and alleged homicide of a Karen rights activist. The charges include premeditated murder, criminal intimidation with weapons, unlawful detention, and concealing a corpse. Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Jatuporn Buruspat signed the order to reinstate Chiawat, effective…

  • Nok Air cancels Nakhon Ratchasima-Chiang Mai flight routes | Thaiger

    Nok Air cancels Nakhon Ratchasima-Chiang Mai flight routes

    After just two months of operations, Thailand’s budget airline, Nok Air, is cancelling its flights from Nakhon Ratchasima to Chiang Mai province. The last flight took off yesterday morning with only 10 passengers on board. The move comes after the twice-weekly route saw low passenger numbers. The Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft that was used for the routes could carry up…

  • Airports of Thailand reports 200% increase in traffic at Suvarnabhumi Airport | Thaiger

    Airports of Thailand reports 200% increase in traffic at Suvarnabhumi Airport

    Thailand’s aviation industry is flying high, according to new data released by leading airport operator Airports of Thailand (AOT). Suvarnabhumi Airport has seen a 200% increase in traffic in the fiscal year 2022 when compared with the previous year. Between October 2021 – August 2022, Suvarnabhumi facilitated 168,421 flights, which is a 58.36% increase from the previous fiscal year. During…

  • Thai mental health officials want psychiatric drugs listed as essential meds | Thaiger

    Thai mental health officials want psychiatric drugs listed as essential meds

    The number of cases of major depressive disorders (MDD) is rising in Thailand, and officials are looking for solutions. The country’s Mental Health Department is looking to push for the inclusion of psychiatric drugs on Thailand’s list of essential medicines. The department’s director-general said they will coordinate with the National Health Security office to promote this. The director-general, Dr Amporn…

  • Tropical Storm Noru hits northeast Thailand, 1 dead, 2 injured | Thaiger

    Tropical Storm Noru hits northeast Thailand, 1 dead, 2 injured

    Tropical Storm Noru hit northeast Thailand yesterday causing heavy rainfall, strong winds, and flash flooding in several provinces. A tree fell onto a car in Srisaket, killing one man and injuring two more people. At 6.55pm, officers from Huai Thap Than Police Station were informed that a tree had fallen onto a car near Huai Yang Lake. Police and rescue…

  • Thai Airways promotion to Fukuoka, Japan | Thaiger

    Thai Airways promotion to Fukuoka, Japan

    Thai Airways (THAI) has been busy over the past few days. On Monday Thailand’s flag carrier released details of its winter season itinerary while yesterday the airline scooped honours at the Skytrax 2022 World Airline Awards. Yesterday THAI was named the fourth best airline in the world for cabin crew while its staff was rated No.1 in Asia at the Skytrax 2022 World Airline Awards…