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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Phuket to get new tourist attraction theme park – Carnival Magic
From next year, Phuket will have a new tourist attraction, in the form of a theme park called Carnival Magic. The forthcoming attraction, which will be located in Kamala (where Phuket FantaSea has been operating for 21 years), has been confirmed by Phuket FantaSea’s chairman Pin Kewkacha. “Carnival Magic is a theme park that showcases Thai culture through technology and lighting.…
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The lights are on, but there’s no-one home: villagers report empty police station in central Thailand
Villagers in Pathumthani province, central Thailand, have lodged complaints about a local police station claiming it was unmanned at night when they went to file a report. Thai Residents reports that local residents who went to Klong Luang police station were left waiting so long for someone to return that they ended up sleeping at the station. It was also…
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Recession hits Hong Kong as no end in sight for anti-government protests
More than five months in to the anti-government protests that have shaken Hong Kong, Paul Chan, the city’s Financial Secretary says Hong Kong is in recession and the economy is unlikely to grow this year. Thai PBS World reports that Mr Chan says the protests have had a devastating effect on the economy and that achieving the government’s forecast of…
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High-speed rail link approved
Plans for a new 7.4 billion dollar high-speed rail link from Bangkok to Pattaya got the thumbs-up Thursday (October 24). The approval comes after months of acrimonious negotiations. The government said it had signed an agreement on Thursday to begin construction with a consortium led by conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Group (CP) and including China Railway Construction Corporation. Japanese banks have…
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Commerce Ministry will appeal US GSP decision
Thailand will ask the United States to reconsider removal of trade preferences for Thai exports under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), according to the Ministry of Commerce. In the past, whenever trade benefits for Thai products exported to the US were suspended, Thailand has appealed to the US, according to the commerce minister, who added that it is ultimately…
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‘Flextension’ granted to Britain over the Brexit – new date January 31
PHOTO: Strained relations continue between the British PM and the French President – Daily Mail European leaders say they have agreed to the request for a three-month Brexit extension for the UK to consolidate its position for exiting the EU. The EU Council President Donald Tusk tweeted the new moments ago. The announcement ‘kicks the can down the road’ for…
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Phuket hosts massive “Kao Kon La Kao” charity run featuring Toon
PHOTO: Mega beach party held out the front of XANA Beach Club along Layan Beach last Sunday – Laguna Phuket 13,000 people flocked to Layan Beach last Sunday for the “Kao Kon La Kao – Southern Series”. Led by the Kao Foundation’s Founder, marathon runner and hugely popular Tha rock star, Artiwara (Toon) Kongmalai, crowds of runners flocked to the…
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Thai exports will suffer from Trump labour rights decision
The Thai export sector will suffer another blow after the US President Donald Trump announced on Friday the suspension of 1.3 billion dollars worth of duty-free trade for certain Thai goods, claiming Thailand has not taken steps to protect the labor rights. In a letter to US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence, Trump said…
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Illegal market tents removed in Prachuap Khiri Khan
Residents of the Gulf coast’s Prachuab Kiri Khan are in two minds about the removal of market trader tents that were encroaching on a busy public road, according to Matichon Online. Traffic police removed the row of trader tents yesterday following complaints about the illegal set up, and potential safety problems and disruption to traffic. According to Matichon, the traders’…
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Thai banks report strong mortgage growth despite April’s new loan regulations
Ever since the Thai government enforced the higher loan-to-value ratios on property lenders last April, borrowers and developers have been generally unhappy with the result – a sluggish new home-buyer market. But some commercial lenders, particularly some of the larger ones, have still reported strong lending growth for the first nine months of 2019. Kasikorn Bank says its housing loans surged…
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Grab driver beaten up by ‘win’ thugs in Bangkok – VIDEO
Artit Chitnok posted a 20 second video on his Facebook page a video that showed 3 ‘win’ motorbike drivers (motorcycle taxi drivers) beating up a Grab Bike driver on the road. The incident took place on the night of October 26 under the Thonglor BTS Skytrain Station in Bangkok. The video was taken from inside a car while they were…
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Asia’s burgeoning urban population growth
PHOTO: Mother Jones Asia’s urban population continues to grow rapidly, according to a report by the Asian Development Bank. According to the ADB report, looking at the average growth rates of urban population from 1970 to 2017, developing Asia’s urban population grew 3.4%, compared to 2.6% for other developing economies and only 1% for developed economies. The average growth of urban…
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Tiger Temple will adopt cats and dogs
Authorities in Kanchanaburi have begun building facilities at the infamous Tiger Temple in Sai Yok district to care for about 1,200 stray dogs and cats from a foundation run by a former Bangkok governor. Kanchanaburi’s governor was among those participating in a ceremony to mark the start of construction on Saturday. The temple, formally known as Wat Pa Luang Ta…
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Chiang Mai hotel has big plans for Loy Kratong
137 Pillars House in Chiang Mai has made elaborate arrangements for next month’s Loy Krathong festival, better known as Yi Peng in the North. The full moon on November 11 will see celebrants floating lotus-shaped krathong with flowers, candles and incense on rivers and canals to pay respect to the water spirits and carry away the sadness and setbacks of…
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123 kilograms of marijuana seized at border
Police found big bags containing 123 kilograms of compressed marijuana at a resort hotel in the Tha Uthen district of the northeastern province of Nakhon Phanom. The guests believed to have brought the contraband have fled. Tha Uthen’s district chief said on Saturday that local residents alerted authorities after seeing a few men check into at the hotel on Friday…
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Thai exports will suffer from Trump decision
US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that the US will suspend 1.3 billion dollars worth of duty-free trade for certain items from Thailand, claiming that Thailand has not taken steps to protect labor rights. In a letter to US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence, Trump said he had suspended duty-free treatment because Thailand…
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Hong Kong property investors turn to SE Asia
“But now mainland Chinese, who traditionally viewed property in Hong Kong as a safe investment, are opting for rival financial hub Singapore and other south east Asian property hot spots.” by Sam Reeves, with Catherine Lai in Singapore From luxury Singapore apartments to Malaysian seafront condos, Hong Kong investors are shifting cash into Southeast Asian property, demoralised by increasingly violent protests…
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Five Burmese arrested trying to get into Thailand with dodgy passports
PHOTO: INN News Five Burmese, carrying fake passports to try and enter into Thailand, have been arrested at the Ranong checkpoint. Border control police reported the arrest of 22 years old San MG, 30 years old Hla Thein, 42 years old Nu Saw, 30 years old Than Tun, and 36 years old Aung Saw. They were arrested on October 13 by…
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Viral video of Pattaya bus driver arguing with suspected illegal tour guides sparks investigation
Pattaya Tourist Police have begun an investigation into suspected illegal tour guides after a video of a frustrated bus driver arguing with the guides went viral on social media. The Pattaya News reports that the bus was carrying Chinese tourists and the video shows the driver asking the tour guides where they wanted to go. The guides appear to be…
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Arrest warrant issued for Korean suspected of stabbing another Korean man in Pattaya
Police in Pattaya have issued an arrest warrant for a 38 year old Korean man, named as Keunhei Park, who is the chief suspect in the stabbing of another Korean national. The Pattaya News reports that the victim is an expat man who was stabbed seventeen times in the early hours of Thursday morning. He is understood to have undergone…
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Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport moves domestic passenger security screening
From 5.00am on November 19, Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok will relocate screening of domestic passengers to alleviate overcrowding on the fourth floor. The Nation reports that the airport is moving the security screening to concourse screening, including Concourse A and B on the second and third floors. The measure is also being put in place to address the confusion and…
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Bangkok to Hong Kong the world’s second most popular flight, what’s the most popular?
The world’s top five flying routes are all in the Asia Pacific region, according to an International Air Transport Association (IATA) report. Aviation writers say the growth can be attributed to the addition of flights operated by low-cost carriers in the region. Passenger traffic between Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) and Hong Kong airport is Number Two on the list of the airports…
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Thai dog rescue service named Rescue of the Year in global contest
Walkin’ Pets by HandicappedPets.com is proud to announce Thailand’s own Michael Baines, and his rescue The Man That Rescues Dogs, as the first ever Walkin’ Pets Rescue of the Year award. Michael Baines is the founder of the Man That Rescues Dogs and is a true champion for special needs dogs. Michael Baines is a chef by profession and a…
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Fish washed up on Koh Naka probably from a fishing boat
Phuket Fishery Office explains the reason behind hundreds of fish dead on Naka Island Beach (Koh Naka). Responding to the viral social media pics of hundreds of fish dead on Naka Island Beach that spread across the net in recent days, the Phuket Fishery Office, yesterday (October 24), explained that the fish might have been dumped by a fishing boat,…
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Thirty public parks in Bangkok to open for Loy Krathong festival
Bangkok will open 30 public parks for the forthcoming Loy Krathong Festival, which is set to take place on November 11. Thai Residents reports that the parks will enable both locals and tourists to participate in the festival by floating krathongs in the parks’ ponds. A krathong is a floating container that holds various items including incense sticks, a candle,…
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Korean man in coma after Pattaya stabbing
A 28 year old tourist from South Korea has been left in a coma after being stabbed 17 times in Pattaya. The Nation reports that the incident happened in the Bang Lamung district in the early hours of yesterday morning. The victim has been named as Park Jin-hyung. It’s understood that a local taxi driver called the police at around…
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Kasikorn Bank predicts 4-6% growth in loans for 2020
Despite the expectation of a sluggish economy in 2020, Kasikorn bank aims to grow its loan volume by 4-6% next year. They it say they will achieve this withs emphasis “on services that meet customers’ business and lifestyle needs, effective cost management and using data in lending to retail customers”. Banthoon Lamsam, KBank’s board chairman, says the Thai economy in 2020…
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Thai Red Cross issues appeal for blood donations
Blood supplies are running low and The National Blood Centre of the Thai Red Cross Society is urging members of the public to give blood in order to help meet demand. Thai PBS World reports that a decrease in the number of people donating blood since the beginning of the month has led to a significant drop in supply. The…
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Indonesia safety committee to meet families of Lion Air crash victims
The Asean Post reports that the families of the passengers who died when a Lion Air flight from Jakarta crashed into the Java Sea, will meet Indonesian safety investigators next week. The Boeing 737 Max aircraft crashed shortly after take-off last October, killing all 189 passengers and crew. Now the families of those who died will receive a briefing on…
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Police foil attempt to smuggle one million yaba pills from north to south of Thailand
Thai Residents reports that acting on intelligence reports, Border Patrol Police (BPP) in Chiang Mai have busted a drug smuggling operation that was attempting to transport a million yaba pills from the north of the country to the south. The operation began on October 22, with the gang planning to transport the pills from Chiang Dao district through the forest…
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