News
Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond. The Thaiger delivers the latest national news that matters.
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Blood Donations in Honour of King Bhumibol Adulyadej
More than 200 Phuketians joined a blood donation drive in honour of the Late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, or King Rama IX. The blood donation booth was set up at the Metropol Hotel in Phuket Town from 9am – 3pm yesterday with an exhibition of the past King working on blood donation projects. The exhibition also provided knowledge about donating and…
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Second tragedy – another car found in California’s Kings Canyon
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office in California has retrieved the bodies of two Chinese passengers and the wreckage of their rental Ford Focus that have been submerged in King’s River since early August. The vehicle was found near where a car containing two Thai students came to rest after plunging off a cliff in late July. The passengers were identified…
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Jail terms for three officials in Phuket land encroachment case
The Criminal Court on Monday handed down prison sentences to all three surviving offenders in the Phuket land-corruption case, while the Land Department was ordered to revoke the land deed at issue in the case. The court sentenced the first defendant, Narong Ounseam, the land surveyor, to five years in jail; the second defendant, Sommit Suebsin, the kamnan of Tambon…
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Orca Whale spotted in the seas off Phuket
The Orca aka “Killer Whale” has been spotted in the sea on the west coast of Phuket. The VDO and picture were captured by the Facebook user named “Phairot Kong.” For this impressive discovery, Dr. Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a marine activist, the Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Fishery at Kasetsart University and an official advisor to the Department of Marine…
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Newborn baby boy abandoned in Patong
A newborn baby has been found dumped at a laundry shop in Patong yesterday (October 8). Patong police found a healthy 3.5 kilograms baby boy who still had a fresh umbilical cord attached. The baby was sent to a paediatric specialist at Patong Hospital. The doctor said that he was born approximately 12 hours ago and the medical team is…
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3,200 runners turn up for the annual Mai Khao Marine Turtle Fun Run
There was a huge turnout for the 13th Mai Khao Marine Turtle Fun Run and Mini Marathon 2017, with 3,200 people taking part in the annual event. The opening ceremony was presided by Phuket’s Governor Noraphat Plodthong alongside Vice Governor Snith Sriwihok, Vice Governor Thawornwat Kongkaew, Uthit Limsakul, Deputy Director of The Tourism Authority of Thailand and Oriol Montal, GM…
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And the world’s most visited city is…?
The list of the world’s most visited cities, according to the Mastercard Global Destination Cities Index, has been released. And no surprises who’s at the number one position. Bangkok. The Big Mango beat London, Paris, Dubai and Singapore to the top position and doubled the amount of visitors heading to places like Hong Kong, Istanbul and Barcelona. Tokyo, New York…
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Taking the bang out of this year’s Vegetarian Festival
This year’s Vegetarian Festival will still be taking place between October 20 – 28. But organisers have been asked to ‘tone it down’ (how do you tone down the Vegetarian Festival?!) and restrict parades until the last day only in respect of the funeral for the Late King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Bangkok. Whilst the festival is meant to be about…
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Fake immigration officer trying to extort foreigners around Phuket
Phuket Immigration are warning of a fake officer who is trying to extort money from foreigners around the island. After gathering information, Phuket Immigration say that a person has been impersonating an officer from the local Immigration Office and been asking for money from foreigners saying they have problems with their visas. Phuket Immigration Police are now investigating the situation to…
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Yingluck pondering asylum in UK, France or Germany
Latest from The Nation Fugitive former PM Yingluck Shinawatra is considering applying for political asylum in the United Kingdom, Germany or France, a source from her legal team said yesterday. The preference is UK, where she is now residing on a tourist visa, the source said, but declined to elaborate which passport she is using. The source said the UK…
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Illegal lottery operator arrested in Phang Nga
Phang Nga police have arrested 47 year old Pramote Jiaranai, 30 year old Omthip Padtae and 33 year old Achiwan Janthadom for illegal lottery trading yesterday (October 6). At the scene, a house in Taimuang District, Phang Nga, police seized the lottery notes, 55,445 Baht in cash, a notebook computer and a calculator. The three are charged for hosting a…
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Another week to verify exactly what the ‘object’ is at Nai Yang
The suspected torpedo remains in the sea of Naiyang Beach. It will take a week to verify its type but the object is safe, according to a specialist in the area of wartime ordinance. Yesterday afternoon (October 6), a team from the Royal Thai Navy Area 3, Phang Nga base, visited the spot again when it was low tide. The…
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When can I get my hands on a new iPhone in Thailand?
We revelled in the hype, we read all the leaks, we watched the launch. So when can we actually get our hands on a new iPhone in Thailand? Apple has now confirmed the release dates for the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus in the Land of Smiles. Roll the drums…. November 3rd. So how much will the new iPhones…
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6 share-bikes found dumped in Bangyai canal
6 Ofo bicycles from the share-bike project launched in Phuket Town in September, have been found dumped in a canal. Some of them have also been stolen by the renters in the first few days as well. The sharing bike project had been launched on September 20 and announced free rides for a month from October 1. Apart from the…
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150 temporary lifeguards being trained
The Phuket OrBorJor (Phuket Provincial Organisation) is setting up a training course for 150 new lifeguards in readiness to step in if no one bids in the new auction. A meeting at the OrBorJor office today (October 6) chaired by Vice Governor Thawornwat Kongkaew, along with many local authorities, discussed about more possible solutions for Phuket lifeguard duties. There have…
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THAIGER TODAY Friday, October 6
Election delayed until 2019 | Laypang won’t be released to the wild | Kasikorn Bank has revised it’s predictions for Thai economy | Big drug haul in Phuket Town | Janitor gets special surprise from students.
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Phuket father and son set off on a special journey for a special King
A local disabled person is heading north to Bangkok to attend King Bhumibhol’s Cremation – by road in his wheelchair. The representative of Phuket disabled people is 49 year old Sompong Juiplub and his 15 year old ‘abled’ son, Thanawut Juiplub, who will be assisting during the journey. The pair are scheduled to leave from Phuket on route to Bangkok…
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Teachers and parents protesting at a Krabi school
A protest gathering of 300 students, parents and teachers of Baan Klong Jone School in Krabi took place yesterday (October 5) with the aim to expel the school director, Pairot Khaosang, who allegedly has been failing his administration during the past 4 years. The protest was led by the president of the school board, Alongkorn Yaprang, calling for the replacement…
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Drugs, guns and bullets – 2 men arrested
Today (October 5), Phuket police announced the arrest of 2 men with 10,760 amphetamine pills, 1 kilogram of meth amphetamine and guns and bullets valued at 1.4 million Baht. The arrest follows a 7-kilogram amphetamine crackdown that happened 2 months ago. The police tracked down the other drug dealers involved in the network by investigating the people arrested. Police discovered…
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Laypang won’t be released back to the wild
The DNA results for Laypang, Phuket’s celebrity crocodile, has been revealed it is a mix between saltwater and freshwater crocodile which was possibly born through a human breeder, not naturally. Phuket’s Governor says that the Fisheries Department will be responsible for the next step in the Laypang saga. The authorities are now checking for possible locations where the crocodile comes…
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THAIGER TODAY Thursday, October 5
It’s a bomb, an old bomb | Joint statement from White House mentions new Thai elections | Civil aviation ‘report card’ verdict soon | Swarms of pink fire jellyfish at Koh Gai | Tesco Lotus closing 1,900 stores on October 26.
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Record turnout expected on final day to pay respects before Royal Urn
Tens of thousands of mourners are forming long queues today (Thursday) to pay their last respects to His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej in the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall of the Grand Palace in Bangkok on the final day for public viewing of the Royal Urn. The Royal Household Bureau on Thursday reported that 12,628,642 mourners had viewed…
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Torpedo found in Phuket believed to be pre-WW2
The EOD team from the Royal Thai Army Area 3, Phang Nga base, have confirmed that the item found off Naiyang Beach is an old bomb which they assume has been dumped there before World War II. The team is preparing to move it away before destroying it. Yesterday afternoon (October 4), the team led by Vice Admiral Thanakrit Jamjit…
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“Unacceptable… for such a large commercial aircraft to be missing”
It’s been three and a half years since Malaysian Airlines flight 370 vanished. Investigators say it is “inconceivable” that we still have no idea what happened to the plane, the passengers or the crew. Despite speculation, conspiracy theories, extensive searches, data analysis, books and pressure from the families of the missing passengers, almost nothing is still know all these years…
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More than 10,000 fire jellyfish found near Gai Island, Krabi
During a survey by officers of Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park today (October 4), the team found a massive group of pink fire jellyfish floating on the water surface. “We found a lot of fire jellyfish near Gai Island and we have warned all tour boats to be careful of them and avoid diving in the area…
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THAIGER TODAY Wednesday, October 4
Suspicious ‘torpedo’ shaped object at Nai Yang Beach | Roadworks on Kaw Sim Bee Road | Final two days to pay respects at Grand Palace | Retiring teachers being offered short-term contracts | Rohingya suspicious of Myanmar Government offers | PM Prayut and US President Trump talk trade and elections.
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Hundreds of monkeys in Krabi waiting for food on the street
About a hundred macaques living in a mangrove near Baan Talane Pier in Krabi are flocking to nearby streets to get food from pedestrians packing the drive-way with a groups of monkeys and frequently blocking the road altogether. “I travel to Koh Yao Noi, Phang Nga through this pier regularly and I can see the number of monkeys growing all…
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Rohingya’s refugees suspicious of Myanmar’s assurances to allow them back
The plight of Myanmar’s Rohingya continues to be parlous despite aid agencies and the UN getting more access to the region and the flood of refugees flowing over the border into Bangladesh. But Rohingya Muslims, now in Bangladesh, remain sceptical about their chances of ever going back to Myanmar, even though the government there is offering assurances it will accept…
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Heavy rain periods in Phuket until Friday
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) is warning people in most parts of Thailand about “outbreaks of abundant rain and possible flash floods” from today until Friday. Isolated torrential downpours and gusty winds will especially affect the North, the Northeast and the Central regions, including Bangkok and its vicinity, the East and the South (that’s just about the whole of Thailand!).…
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Phuket struggles to find new lifeguards
There are still no lifeguards applying for the job, according to the OrBorJor. Following a meeting at the provincial hall today (October 3) OrBorJor Phuket representative, Satien Kaewpraprab, says that no one has applied for the lifeguard positions after an announcement of hiring for individual contracts. He explained that the main reasons are that some of them do not have…
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