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 How to choose the perfect family-friendly property in Phuket
Phuket has long attracted visitors from around the globe with its golden beach and lush green hills. Many come for a holiday and leave captivated, often deciding they want a piece of the island for themselves. That’s why, despite fluctuations...
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Asia on alert: Deadly new mpox strain hits Thailand
Thailand confirmed its first case of a potentially deadlier strain of mpox, marking Asia’s first encounter with the virus variant known as Clade 1b. This alarming development follows hot on the heels of the first reported case outside Africa, in Sweden, just a week ago. The infected individual, a 66 year old European man, arrived in Bangkok from an undisclosed…
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Thailand concludes major anti-terrorism drill
The Counter Terrorist Operations Centre under the Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTAF) Headquarters is wrapping up a five-day anti-terrorism drill today in Chiang Rai. The Crisis Management Exercise 2024 (C-MEX24) at Chiang Rai Rajabhat University saw participation from over 500 individuals representing 60 agencies. This comprehensive exercise included officers from the army, navy, air force, and police, aiming to assess their…
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1 killed and 4 injured in flash flood and landslide in Phuket (video)
A devastating flash flood and landslide struck the popular holiday resort of Phuket near Kata Temple in the Mueang district, killing one person and injuring four others. Thai government officials made it known that people were reported missing but their identities have not yet been made public. Prachachat news agency reported that heavy rain hit many areas of Phuket at…
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Nine confirmed dead in Chachoengsao plane crash (video)
A small plane carrying nine people, including passengers and crew, tragically crashed just 10 minutes after takeoff in Chachoengsao province yesterday. All on board are dead. The harrowing incident occurred yesterday afternoon, August 22, when officials began the grim task of recovering the wreckage in Moo 6, Ban Khao Din, Bang Pakong district. Initially, the bodies of the passengers were…
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No need to panic, flood’s just a ‘ripple’ in northern Thailand
The Government of Thailand urged residents not to panic after the recent deluge in the north of the country, adding it won’t flood Bangkok or its neighbouring provinces. Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai declared that the caretaker administration has everything under control. With waters wreaking havoc in Chiang Rai, Phrae, Nan, Phayao, and Sukhothai, the emergency services are stepping up…
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FDA puts the ‘test’ in ‘protest’ over mpox spread
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has swung into action, kicking off the registration process for mpox (formerly monkeypox) diagnostic test kits amid growing fears over the viral infection’s spread. In a bold move, FDA Deputy Secretary-General Lertchai Lertwut revealed the new initiative yesterday, August 22. He stressed that the FDA is cutting red tape for manufacturers and importers alike,…
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Chachoengsao plane crash sparks fears of possible deaths
A small plane crash sparked a frantic search for survivors after it went down in a remote, mangrove-covered area of Chachoengsao province this afternoon. The crash, which occurred at 3.15pm, today, August 22, near Wat Khao Din in the Bang Pakong district, left the plane’s wreckage scattered across the dense, inaccessible forest, leaving rescue teams scrambling to locate any passengers.…
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Foreign man caught standing naked in cannabis shop in Phuket
A picture of a naked foreign man proudly showing off the family jewels inside a cannabis shop in the Patong neighbourhood of Phuket went viral on Thai social media. The reason for his nakedness is still under investigation. The Phuket Times shared the picture of the naked foreigner yesterday, August 21, with a caption that read, “Free visa! Drunk foreign man…
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Scandal erupts over judge’s joke about defunct MFP
A Pheu Thai MP is set to submit an urgent motion in the House of Representatives, calling for an investigation into a Constitutional Court judge’s controversial comments regarding a dissolved political party. The judge, Udom Sittiwirattham, already under scrutiny for his role in dissolving the Move Forward Party (MFP), has now sparked outrage with a flippant remark about the People’s…
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Thailand is Somali’s new medical oasis
Somalia’s ambassador to Kenya, Jabril Ibrahim Abdulle, has a surprising new destination in mind for his compatriots seeking medical treatment—Thailand. After a recent visit, he’s convinced it could be the next big thing for Somali medical tourism. Ambassador Abdulle visited Thailand from August 13 to 21 as part of an initiative by the Royal Thai Embassy in Nairobi to showcase…
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Bulletproof Buriram man survives triple shooting, claims immortality
A Thai man shot his foe three times in a village in the Isaan province of Buriram amid a seven-year feud, after the victim claimed he was immortal. Remarkably, the victim’s boast turned out to be true as he survived the shooting. The victim, 40 year old Somchai, sought justice at Satuek Police Station, claiming that his foe, 44 year…
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Harvard comeback: Pita’s return to the political arena
Pita Limjaroenrat, the exiled political leader with unfinished business in Thai politics, is making an unexpected return to his old stomping grounds. The former leader of the now-disbanded Move Forward Party (MFP), who’s currently sidelined by a 10-year political ban, snagged a prestigious spot as a Democracy Fellow at Harvard University’s Kennedy School. “This is an exciting opportunity to continue…
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Bangkok jewellery fair set to sparkle with 3.5 billion baht in revenue
The upcoming 70th Bangkok Gems and Jewellery Fair is gearing up to dazzle with an expected revenue haul of at least 3.5 billion baht, according to the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) and the Gem and Jewellery Institute of Thailand (GIT). This glittering event, scheduled from September 9 to 13 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC), is…
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Kyrgyzstan boxer wanted for raping Thai sauna worker in Phuket
Officers at Chalong Police Station in Phuket are searching for a Kyrgyzstan boxer after he allegedly raped a 19 year old Thai worker at a sauna near his boxing gym. The 19 year old Thai victim filed a complaint at Chalong Police Station yesterday, August 21, immediately after the sexual assault took place. She explained that the mixed martial arts…
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Northern Thailand flooding: Phichit’s Yom River water levels rise
The Royal Irrigation Department (RID) is closely monitoring the water levels in the Yom River in Phichit province, which has been rising steadily due to heavy rainfall in northern Thailand, particularly in Phrae and Phayao. This surge in water is expected to flow down to Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, and Phichit. Chuchart Rakjit, the Director-General of the Royal Irrigation Department, announced yesterday,…
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EV battery boom: Can AI help Thailand drive to the top?
Thailand is revving up for a major geopolitical boost by focusing on electric vehicle (EV) batteries and auto components, including integrated circuit packaging and testing. According to Taiwan’s Profet AI, the key to speeding up product delivery, slashing costs, and raising standards lies in adopting cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) amid ongoing economic headwinds. Jerry Huang, co-founder and CEO of Profet…
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Thai dancer and her boyfriend arrested for child prostitution
Chiang Mai police arrested a 20 year old Thai dancer and her boyfriend on charges of child prostitution. The woman alleged that dancing did not provide sufficient income, leading her to become a part-time sex worker and recruit other underage dancers into prostitution. Anti-human trafficking organisations ZOE and the Immanuel Foundation reported the child prostitution racket to the Cyber Crime…
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Gunmen kill two durian sellers in Yala night attack
Gunmen attacked a durian stall in Yala province, killing its two owners. The incident occurred near a cemetery in Ban Saikaew, Taling Chan subdistrict at around 11pm yesterday, August 21. Security officials have begun investigating the crime scene. Two men were found dead near their durian stall after a group of approximately 10 assailants emerged from a mountain path and…
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Koh Pha Ngan shopkeeper’s laughing gas caper goes up in smoke
A Koh Pha Ngan shopkeeper has been caught red-handed peddling balloons stuffed with nitrous oxide, better known as laughing gas, without a licence, and it’s no laughing matter! Rangsiman Jaisamer was busted by police in his Haad Rin shop early today, August 22, where officers discovered two cylinders of the giggly gas and a stash of balloons ready for sale.…
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Chachoengsao man builds new gate to avoid neighbour’s threats
A 60 year old Thai man in Chachoengsao province opted to build a new gate to his home to avoid further conflict with his neighbour, who has been reportedly harassing him and brandishing a firearm. The Thai man, Thitiwat, complained to Athiwat Sirikangwalwong, founder of the Dare to Step Forward Facebook page, about the threats he faced from his neighbour,…
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Baht hits 13-month peak as Bank of Thailand holds rates
The baht is poised to strengthen further, potentially reaching 34 per US dollar or even higher, following a 13-month peak attained yesterday. This surge occurred as the Bank of Thailand opted to keep the policy rate steady at 2.5%, encouraging potential inflows ahead of the US Federal Reserve’s upcoming September meeting. Closing at 34.21 on August 20, the Thai currency…
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Chon Buri restaurant owner finds stones in imported river prawns (video)
A restaurant owner in Chon Buri discovered large river prawns stuffed with stones, warning other eateries to be vigilant. The prawns, imported from a neighbouring country, pose a risk of financial loss in the current economic climate. Pratchaya Prayad, the 37 year old owner of Klang Na Pla Khao restaurant in Nong Tamlueng, Phanthong, Chon Buri, shared a video warning…
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Bangkok to Beijing train: Mekong River railway bridge opens
Travellers are one step closer to an epic train journey from Bangkok to Beijing as a new railway bridge over the Mekong River has opened, linking Thailand and Laos by rail for the first time. This milestone, completed last month, leaves just a few dozen miles of a trackless gap before the route can finally reach China. With the launch…
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Pickup truck runs red light, kills motorcyclist in Buriram
A pickup truck ran a red light and struck a motorcyclist, resulting in the rider’s immediate death. Despite efforts by a nurse and a postman to revive him, the man succumbed to his injuries on the spot. Around 3.30pm yesterday, August 21, Police Lieutenant Prachat Raksawang, Deputy Inspector of Mueang Buriram Police Station, was alerted to an accident involving a…
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8 South Korean men arrested in Bangkok for call centre scam
Immigration Bureau officers yesterday arrested eight South Korean men at a luxury condominium in Bangkok for using the condo to run a call centre scam, swindling money from fellow South Korean nationals residing in Thailand. Officers received a tip-off from an informant that South Korean nationals used a condominium in Soi Ekkamai 3, in Bangkok’s Wattana district to run the…
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Suvarnabhumi Airport gears up for third runway trials
Suvarnabhumi International Airport is pulling out all the stops to ensure its much-anticipated third runway is ready for prime time later this year. With support from the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF), the Bangkok airport conducted extensive trial operations to guarantee the runway’s readiness to handle a significant increase in air traffic. To test every aspect of the new runway,…
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Teenager critically injured in brutal knife attack in Nonthaburi
A first-year vocational student was brutally attacked in broad daylight, leaving him in critical condition. The incident took place in Bang Bua Thong, Nonthaburi, when a group of teenagers wielding knives clashed violently. Yesterday, August 21, at 5pm, officers from Bang Bua Thong Police Station in Nonthaburi received reports of a stabbing incident involving teenagers. The event occurred in Soi…
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Thai MP faces axe for defying party and mingling with rivals
The Thai Sang Thai (TST) Party plans to boot out one of its MPs for repeatedly flouting the party’s stance and rubbing shoulders with rival factions. The ethics panel, led by TST bigwigs Khunying Sudarat Keyurapan and Pokin Polakul, has put Yasothon MP Supaporn Salapsri in the hot seat after she voted against the party line multiple times. Supaporn, a…
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Petition claims Bhumjaithai leaders encroached on forest park land
A petition was submitted to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) against Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul and the party Secretary-General Chaichanok Chidchob over alleged land encroachment in Khao Kradong Forest Park, Buriram. Lawyer Pattharpong Supassorn lodged the complaint yesterday, August 21, calling for an investigation into a building project on a 5,083-rai land plot owned by the State Railway of Thailand…
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Chon Buri jewellery shop owner seeks return of lost heirlooms
A jewellery shop owner is urgently seeking the return of several high-value pieces. Offering a reward, the owner details that some items hold significant sentimental value as family heirlooms. The shop owner, 40 year old Yothaka Panyafong, requested media assistance to recover jewellery worth several hundred thousand baht that went missing yesterday, August 21. The incident occurred along the road…
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