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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Sponsored How one hospital visit in Thailand could cost more than your whole trip
Thailand is a favourite spot for travellers who want to enjoy more while spending less. From cheap street food to low-cost hotels and fun attractions, it’s easy to stretch your budget here. But there’s one thing many people don’t think...
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121 arrested over BKK bike mods
Police have arrested 121 motorcyclists picked up on the streets of the capital last night (Friday). They’ve been charged with illegally modifying their motorcycles for road racing. Deputy Tourist Police commissioner Pol Maj-General Surachet Hakpal said the suspects were arrested at checkpoints on major roads under the jurisdiction of 11 police stations of Metropolitan Police Division 8. According to police,…
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5 people dead following storms in 36 provinces
5 people are dead and 3,758 homes in 36 provinces have been damaged by storms over the past week. The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department director-general Chayapol Thitisak reported on the damage yesterday. He reported that relief aid, including home repair assistance and distribution of relief bags has been provided by Army, local administrative officials and related agencies. 655 villages…
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How many Thai durians can Alibaba sell in one minute?
Thai durian sold like hot cakes after Jack Ma showed the magic of e-commerce during his visit to Thailand by selling 80,000 golden pillow durians on his online platform T-mall within one minute. One minute! While Ma was in Thailand to make a mega-deal on investment on Thursday, Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong gifted the founder of China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba…
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2 killed, 30 injured in Nakhon Sawan bus accident
PHOTOS: Facebook/NSN.Rescue Songkran might be over but the carnage continues. Two passengers have been killed and an estimated 30 have been injured. Five are reported to be in serious condition. The tour bus from Mae Sot heading for for Bangkok skidded off the road and plunged into a roadside ditch in Nakhon Sawan early yesterday (Friday). Rescue workers pulled all…
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Alibaba to invest 11 billion baht in Thailand
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group has committed to invest a combined 11 billion baht in Thailand in a move that PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says could benefit the country’s small farmers and rural enterprises due to the firm’s expertise in diverse technology. “Jack Ma (Alibaba’s co-founder and executive chairman) told me he does not solely look for profits because Alibaba already…
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The Brunei woman who drowned in Krabi is not from Brunei’s Royal Family
The 60 year old woman from Brunei, PG HJH Jamilah PG HJ Othman, who drowned near Gai Island in Krabi (story HERE) was reported as being a member of Brunei’s Royal Family. Since that report the Royal Thai Police’s deputy spokesman Pol Col Krissana Pattanacharoen clarified that the woman was not member of the royal family of Brunei Darussalam as…
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Four bull sharks sighted off beach south of Hua Hin
Four bull sharks have been sighted in the sea near Khao Tao, near Wat Tham Khao Tao, about ten kilometres south of Hua Hin, by authorities conducting searches with patrol boats and drones. Thipamas Upnoi, the director of the Marine and Coastal Resources and Development Centre at the Central Gulf of Thailand says the operation started yesterday and has so…
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4 Men arrested with more than 1,400 amphetamine pills in Kathu
As part of the Phuket police crackdown on drugs on the island, Kathu police have arrested 4 drug dealers with more than 1,400 methamphetamine pills. The first man arrested was 34 year old Isara Plaikaew with 4 amphetamine pills. He was arrested in Soi Petch Lohlien on April 17. The following men were arrested in the same house in Soi…
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5 young revellers killed, 4 injured as pickup flips in Sa Kaeo during local Songkran celebrations
Five teenagers have been killed and four others injured after a speeding pickup truck returning from Sa Kaeo’s Songkran celebration flipped and slid into a roadside ditch last night. Sa Kaeo’s Songkran celebration was held yesterday (Thursday), later than other provinces. Pol Colonel Setthanat Timwat, commander of Wang Nam Yen police station, said the accident happened at 9.50pm on Khao…
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Officials seize 12 tonnes of fake ‘coffee’ laced with hazardous materials
Here’s something to contemplate next time you’re about to enjoy your next caffeine-fix. Vietnam’s Tuoi Tre News daily newspaper is reporting that a family-run coffee producer in Vietnam’s Dak Nong province has been caught manufacturing coffee laced with harmful ingredients from used batteries, dirt and rock dust and black dye. Vietnamese authorities say they seized about 12 tonnes of dangerous…
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Krabi wedding parade carries 2 million baht dowry
A parade of 6 trucks and trailers to celebrate the wedding of a local couple in Lamtab District, Krabi, drew a lot of attention from people in the area. The groom is 32 year old Tharapong Srisuk, who is a former sub-district chief and the bride is 27 year old Pitchaya Boonmuang. The trailers decorated with flowers carried the groom,…
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Private investors being wooed over planned marina for Samui
Samui is looking to establish the island’s first marina and is currently looking to investors for the project in the Gulf of Thailand. Asia Pacific Superyachts reports that Koh Samui has succeeded in attracting international five-star brands, a strong luxury villas market as well as quality golf courses. The report says that superyacht sailors are now coming to the region…
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Brunei woman drowns in Ao Nang, Krabi
A 60 year old Brunei woman, PG HJH Jamilah PG HJ Othman, drowned at Gai Island in the Had Nopparat Thara National Park – Mu Ko Phi Phi. Apparently she lost consciousness whilst wearing a life vest swimming in the water yesterday (April 18). Her husband went to Krabi Hospital to pick up her body today (April 19) for the…
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Big drug crackdown in Thalang
Thalang police have arrested a local drug dealer, 24 year old Saowarak ‘Tah’ Oamsin, with 4,548 amphetamine pills and 136.55 grams of crystal methamphetamine. She was arrested in a house in Paklok after police received a report from undercover officers in the area that she was selling drugs to local juveniles regularly. At the house, police found the drugs, a…
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Soi Dog mobile clinic at Nai Harn Lake
Rawai’s Mayor visited Soi Dog’s Phuket mobile clinic at Nai Harn Lake Park today (April 18) to observe the work and progress of sterilisation and vaccination programs for the area. The mobile unit has been operating since April 9 until April 27 and it’s still not too late to bring your dogs and cats to be sterilised and vaccinated at…
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Close the beach, put up signs. Hua Hin tackles a one-in-2-million chance.
Shark prevention measures will be introduced in the resort town of Hua Hin after a Norwegian tourist was bitten by a bull shark, even though a marine biologist says there was only a one-in-2-million chance of someone being attacked by a shark. Prachuap Khiri Khan’s deputy governor Chotnarin Kerdsom has confirmed what experts have already validated – a Norwegian tourist…
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Phuket airport runway to be closed for maintenance
Phuket International Airport Director, Petch Chancharoen, has announced that some runways and taxiways will be closed from April 27 – May 8 for 6 hours each day for cleaning and maintenance. The closing time of the runways and taxiways will start 30 minutes after midnight – 06.30am on each of the repair days. Also, the taxiway “P” will be closed…
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PM appoints two new ex-politicians as advisors
The PM is starting to surround himself with more politicians and fewer Army people in the lead up next year’s planned election. The PM, who has always described himself as ‘not a politician’, is showing all the signs of strategically aligning himself with the right people to make him a choice as ‘outside PM’ should the new lower house not…
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2018 Songkran road toll total up on last year
This year’s Songkran “Seven Dangerous Days counted an appalling toll of 418 people dying on Thailand’s roads compared to last year’s 390. The figures were recorded by the Road Safety Centre said yesterday. The figures follow an ‘all out’ attempt by the Government and police to reduce the carnage on Thai roads over the Songkran break. This year also saw a…
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Pervert cameraman scares woman in Krabi
A 37 year old woman, Parinda Asapa, contacted Ao Nang Police after she discovered a man taking a video of her taking a shower. She said that she lives in a rented flat in Ao Nang and at about 10.15 pm last night (April 17), she was taking a shower and noticed a man standing behind the wall of the…
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2 road deaths during Phuket’s Songkran ‘Seven Dangerous Days’
Phuket police have announced 2 deaths and 48 injuries from 47 road accident during this year’s extended Songkran Festival and the holiday from April 11 – 17. The official reporting period finished at midnight last night (Tuesday). There were also 39,901 vehicles checked and 11,770 cases of people breaking 10 different driving laws during the 7 days. There were also…
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Rassada phone robbers arrested – 31 phones recovered
The two phone shop robbers have been arrested today (April 18) after robbing more than 60 phones. The phone shop in Rassada named ‘No.1’ was robbed on April 10 by 38 year old Chok-Anan Chaisongkram and his brother-in-law, Leng Permthong. They got in through the ceiling of the shop and removed the server of a CCTV camera. However, one of…
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Songkran’s colour splash man arrested
A construction worker, 29 year old Payak Samniangmai, who works in the nearby area where the cars were splashed with acrylic paint on April 13, has been arrested today (April 18). There were a total of 9 cars splattered with the hard-to-remove colour paint. Original story HERE. Most of the victims mentioned that their cars got the colour paint throw…
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Russian robber in Krabi arrested for stealing iPhone X
Police have arrested a 34 year old Russian man, Aleksei Posysaev, today (April 18) after he stole an iPhone X from a clothes shop in Ao Nang, Krabi. Earlier, the clothes shop owner, Netdao Wiwatratsamee, posted the CCTV footage of the robbery on social media and offered a 5,000 Baht reward to whoever leads to the robber and his family…
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The Blue Horizon World Corporate Golf Challenge 2018 qualifying series in Phuket is now complete
The Blue Horizon World Corporate Golf Challenge 2018 qualifying series is now complete with Qualifier 6 in Phuket. A solid field of 24 teams arrived at Laguna Golf Phuket with hopes of taking one of the final 3 spots in the final at the end of April. The highlight of the day was no doubt Andrew De Bruin, getting a…
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M comes to your Facebook Messenger
“M” is Jame’s Bond’s boss. But starting today, M is also an AI smart assistant embedded in Facebook Messenger in Thailand. Artificial intelligence and intuitive technology are becoming increasingly popular in new Apps and updates. Initially launched in April last year in the US, M has been providing people with suggestions, enriching the way people interact on the Messenger App.…
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PM Prayut thanks everyone for “ensuring public safety” over Songkran
From the National News Bureau of Thailand… “The Prime Minister, Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, thanked all sides, including volunteers, for ensuring public safety during this year’s Songkran festival. The Assistant Government Spokeswoman, Col. Thaksada Sangkhachan, said the Prime Minister asked government agencies to continue organising road safety campaigns after the Songkran festival ended on Tuesday (April 17). Col. Thaksada said Gen.…
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“You’ve got a better chance of winning the lottery,” Dr Thon Thamrongnawasawat
Screenshot from Dr. Thon’s video Dr. Thon Thamrongnawasawat of the Faculty of Fisheries at Kasetsart University, Bangkok says you have a bigger chance of winning the lottery or being run down by a charging buffalo than being bitten by a shark in Thailand. Dr. Thon’s message was loud and clear – don’t worry about sharks. Not to mention Thai roads and…
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“Norwegian tourist bitten by a bull shark,” Marine and Coastal Resources Research and Development Centre
A fisheries expert claims the tourist that was bitten over the weekend by something off beaches south of Hua Hin, was attacked by a bull shark, a shark which can be found in warm and shallow water in the Gulf of Thailand. Earlier story HERE. Watchara Sakornwimon, a veterinarian of the Marine and Coastal Resources Research and Development Centre, says…
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Day Six – Eight accidents but no deaths on Phuket’s roads
Six days official reporting down and Phuket’s road toll remains at one. One too many, but still an improvement on past years over the Songkran seven day reporting period. During the Monday 24 hour reporting period there were five accidents in the Muang District, three in Kathu and Thalang registering no accidents at all. Police issued 1,880 fines according to…
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