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 to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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Weather for February 13
Bangkok Generally clear. High 35ºC. Winds E at 10 to 15 km/h. . Phuket Generally clear. High 33ºC. Winds E at 15 to 30 km/h. Chiang Mai Morning clouds followed by afternoon sun. High 35ºC. Winds SE and variable. Pattaya Morning clouds followed by afternoon sun. High 31ºC. Winds SSW at 15 to 25 km/h. Hua Hin Partly…
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Hakeem al-Araibi’s release from Thai detention follows a meeting between Thai FM and Bahraini Crown Prince
The decision to drop an extradition request against Australia-based former Bahraini footballer Hakeem al-Araibi stems from a visit by the Thai foreign minister to Bahrain. The Bahraini withdrawal of extradition demands, that enabled al-Araibi to walk free on Monday, was made after a meeting in Bahrain earlier that day between the Bahraini Crown Prince Salman al-Khalifa and Thai Foreign Minister…
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Air Asia booking system down for 24 hours this weekend
Air Asia will be upgrading it Navitaire New Skies reservation system over the weekend causing a 24 hour blackout for all booking systems across all channels. Flight booking for Air Asia will be unavailable on Saturday, February 16 from 2pm (GMT +8) until Sunday, February 17 at 3pm. This will include AirAsia.com, AirAsia sales counter, AirAsia mobile app, all offices…
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Russian tourist leaps from fourth floor at Suvarnabhumi
A Russian tourist was fatally injured after clambering over a glass wall on the fourth floor of the passenger terminal at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, and jumped. Royal Thai Police deputy spokesman Pol Col Kritsana Patanacharoen says 44 year old Mikhail Sinitsyn, anded on the second floor after intentionally jumping at 1am yesterday morning. The man was rushed to Samitivej Srinakarin…
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UPDATE: Speedboat captain charged, two Chinese tourists remain in hospital
A speedboat captain has now been charged over a “reckless act causing injury” but the captain is denying the charge. Two Chinese tourists remain in hospital following Saturday’s collision between the tour boat and a moored small oil tanker just off the east coast of Phuket. A number of Chinese tourists and boat crew were injured as a result of…
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Stunning new Lux Neo villas at Chaweng, Koh Samui
Sun, sea, new, views, pool villa, Samui. All the words you want to hear. Lux Neo is now available, combining stunning sea views and outstanding modern design. Lux Neo is the newest award winning project by the “Neo” team with critiqued unique villa design and award winning styling. Click HERE to read more about the Neo design team and some…
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British man arrested for overstays, investigations into his selling of tours continues
Krabi Immigration officers have arrested a British man for overstaying his visa by 262 days. The man has also been accused of allegedly illegally selling tour packages on Koh Phi Phi. Krabi immigration Officers arrested 38 years old Christopher Dali, a British national, yesterday. He is already facing charges for overstaying his visa by 262 days, including being black-listed from…
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Boom boom on the border – Thailand’s unlikely red-light district
PHOTO: The attractions of Thailand’s southern border town usually become apparent after sunset On one side of the Thai/Malaysian border is Sungai Golok, on the Malaysian side it’s the town of Rantau Panjang. The two towns are separated by the Golok River as well as decades of furious fighting between Muslim separatists who want to reclaim some of the southern…
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Three die in Phuket crashes in two separate incidents
Three motorbike riders have died in two separate incidents in Phuket, last night and early this morning. The first accident happened at 7.40pm last night. The Phuket City Police were notified of the accident in front of the Thep Buri housing estate in Rassada. Two motorbikes had collided with each other. Two people died in that incident. Another crash happened…
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Toto, the sea-going stray, is now at Soi Dog and ready for adoption
After many a long walk on Phuket’s tough roads, through the heat and rain, Toto, the dog who never gave up looking for his owner, eventually found in himself in Rawai, a long way from where his journey began. Saranyoo Hassanai, who works at Chalong Bay, spoke to Newshawk Phuket about the stray dog that had been hanging around Ao Chalong Pier…
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16 month old baby dies after being crushed by a bus in Rawai
A 16 month old girl has sustained serious injuries after being crushed by a bus in Rawai. She later died at hospital. Rescue workers were notified about the incident at 6pm last night at Rawai beach. Emergency responders arrived to find the bus. The injured girl, who had sustained injuries, had already been rushed to a Rawai Sub-district Health Promoting…
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Weather for February 12
Bangkok Partly cloudy. High 34ºC. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 km/h. Phuket Afternoon showers. High 31ºC. Winds E at 15 to 30 km/h. Chance of rain 30%. Chiang Mai Partly cloudy. High 33ºC. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 km/h. Pattaya Generally clear. High 31ºC. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 km/h. Hua Hin Morning thunderstorms. High 31ºC. Winds…
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49 baby leatherback sea turtles hatched on Phang Nga Beach – VIDEOS
PHOTOS / VIDEOS: Thon Thamrongnawasawat/ DMCR 49 baby leatherback sea turtle hatched on Kuek Kak Beach in Takua Pa, Phang Nga last night. 48 of them have survived and headed straight for the Andaman Sea once they got their bearings. A large leatherback sea turtle had laid eggs on a beach in Phang Nga in December. Read more about the delight…
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Hakeem al-Araibi leaves Thailand to be re-united with his wife in Melbourne – VIDEO
Bahraini footballer Hakeem al-Araibi, who was facing an extradition trial in Bangkok since his detention in November last year, was heading back to Australia last night after the Bahraini authorities decided to withdraw their extradition request. Bahrain’s decision yesterday ended all judicial proceedings underway in Thailand. It also ended a tense diplomatic spat between Australia and Bahrain which had Thailand…
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General Prawit dismisses rumour of military coup as ‘fake news’
The Thai Deputy PM Gen Prawit Wongsuwan has dismissed a rumour in social media of a possible military coup against the government of Prayut Chan-o-cha as ‘fake news’. Rumours were rife following the sharing of a false announcement allegedly issued by the NCPO dismissing commanders of the three armed forces. Gen Prawit is ordering an investigation into the sources of…
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Tourist falls from fourth floor of Suvarnabhumi
A Russian tourist was fatally injured after falling four floors at the country’s largest airport. Police say he climbed over a glass wall on the fourth floor in the passenger terminal at Suvarnabhumi and jumped. Royal Thai Police deputy spokesman Pol Col Kritsana Patanacharoen says 44 year old Mikhail Sinitsyn landed on the second floor after his fall early this…
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Thailand loses its ‘cheap living’ reputation – Numbeo
Many of Thailand’s most popular tourist and retiree destinations are becoming the most expensive places in Southeast Asia to settle down, being beaten by Malaysian and Indonesia counterparts. The cost of living survey was conducted by comparison site Numbeo. Comparing the region’s top 18 destinations, Numbeo lists Bangkok as the second most expensive city after Singapore. But Pattaya, Phuket and…
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Injured three metre king cobra caught in Krabi
PHOTOS: Krabi Pitak Pracha Foundation An injured three metre king cobra has been caught in Krabi today, the fourth king cobra caught in the past month in Krabi. Krabi Pitak Pracha rescue workers were notified that a snake was hiding inside a house in Krabi City. A rescue worker used a snake snare to catch the 3 metre reptile. The…
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Injured king cobra caught in Trang
PHOTOS: กา คาบข่าว A three metre king cobra has been caught in Trang yesterday, the sixth king cobra caught in Trang in two months. It’s much smaller than the 5 metre monsters caught in Krabi in recent weeks. Rescue workers in Sikao, Trang were notified of the king cobra that was found near the entrance of Pak Meang Beach in…
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A new round of Southern peace talks gives hope but the Junta is stalling during the election campaign
Peace talks to end the long-running conflict in Thailand’s southernmost provinces hit a stumbling block last week when Thailand’s new peace negotiator failed to attend a scheduled meeting. The struggle, commonly referred to in international media as the ‘southern insurgency’, has been between Muslim guerilla fighters and the Thai army, partly over borders, and partly fueled by religious and cultural differences.…
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Bangkok street racers collide with one dead and 18 injured
PHOTO: Raorak Samut Sakhon Foundation A collision during a late night street race in Bangkok has resulted in the death of one racer and another 18 being injured during a pile up. The dead biker has been identified as 20 year old Jeerasak Chanprieng. The incident took place in the early hours of Sunday (1:15 am) when emergency responders were…
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Illegal foreign cigarettes flooding in as new local tobacco taxes loom
Growers of tobacco in Thailand, and those selling cigarettes and tobacco products, are feeling the pinch as illegal foreign cigarettes flood the local market. Sanook reports that the Thai Tobacco Monopoly says changes to excise regulations means a packet of the cheapest Thai cigarettes would rise from 60 to 90 baht per pack from October this year. A tobacco retailer…
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Chinese boy dies after slipping from pool ledge on fifth floor of Kamala hotel
A Chinese boy has died after slipping from a pool ledge on the fifth floor at a hotel in Kamala last night. The boy fell five floors and hit the ground. Kamala Police were notified that the body of the boy had arrived at Patong Hospital at 8.50pm last night. Police arrived to confirm the death of a nine year…
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Two Russian tourists die in Patong Hill crash
Two Russian tourists have died following a crash on Patong Hill last night. The Patong Police were notified of the incident at 10.30pm on Phra Baramee road at the hair-pin curve on the way up the hill from Kathu. Emergency responders arrived and found a damaged passenger pickup truck. The driver was 47 year old Thavorn Glasueak. Nearby they found…
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UPDATE: An ‘engine malfunction’ blamed for boat collision off Phuket
A number of Chinese tourists and boat crew were injured as a result of their speed boat hitting a small oil tanker off the east coast of Phuket on Saturday afternoon. At this stage the investigation reveals that the speedboat’s engine ‘malfunctioned’. (Is that like ‘brake failure’?) The oil tanker’s captain says that he had stopped the tanker to help…
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Khon Kaen faces its second week of crippling air pollution
The north-eastern hub of Khon Kaen heads into a new week still struggling with heavy air pollution that has persisted over the past week. The Air Quality Index peaked at 206 yesterday. All the readings in the region were well beyond safe limits. Smoke haze has also enveloped the main city, Chum Phae, Mancha Khiri, Kranuan, Ubol Rattana and Phra…
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Krabi restaurants fined for dumping wastewater into Ao Nang canal
PHOTO: ‘Thailandia Restaurant’, TripAdvisor.com Krabi health authorities have taken action against two restaurants in Ao Nang, Krabi for releasing wastewater into a canal that drains into the sea. Tourists in the area complained about the foul odours coming from the canal. Authorities say it has adversely affected tourism to the popular tourist spot. Deputy Krabi Governor Somkuan Khan-ngern has responded…
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Sightings of pink dolphins off coast of Nakhon Si Thammarat
A pink dolphin has made our Sunday better with these photos in the Gulf of Thailand. The breed is quite famous for the Gulf waters off Khanom in Nakhon Si Thammarat, near Koh Samui. According to the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources Conservation, there are around 60 dolphins living in the area. They can swim as fast as 37…
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Thai AirAsia X flies to Brisbane June 2019. Thai Airways cut services to Australia.
PHOTO: Airbus Today Brisbane Airport announced that the low-cost carrier Thai AirAsia X would start operating from the Queensland capital flying to Bangkok four times a week from June 2019. This will be Thai AirAsia X’s first Australian destination and would be using the Airbus A330-300’s which have 12 premium seats available in a 2-2-2 layout, and 365 economy seats…
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Father and daughter killed traveling to Bangkok to apply for masters degree
A father and his daughter were killed after their car careered off the road in Lampang and hit a tree. Police say 58 year old Rongthep Ratanapipit was driving his daughter 22 year old Latthawan Ratanapipit from Chiang Mai to Bangkok to apply for master degree, when he apparently dozed off behind the wheel. The car crashed into a tree in…
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