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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Missing 50 million baht is a misunderstanding, says govt
UPDATE The Thai government says there has been a misunderstanding about the missing 50 million baht promised to tobacco farmers. The money is still in government coffers and would be distributed to tobacco farmers as promised by May next year. Last week, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha urged Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan and relevant departments to investigate the missing 50…
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Amazon Web Services to invest billions of dollars in Thailand
Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced on Monday that it plans to invest billions of dollars in Thailand over the next 15 years. AWS, Amazon’s cloud computing division, plans to invest $US5 billion (about 190 billion baht) in Thailand during that time. AWS will carry out the investment in phases. In the first phase, 20 billion baht will be invested immediately,…
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New species of crab discovered in mountains of southern Thailand
On Friday, a team of Thai scientists published the discovery of a new species of freshwater crab living high up in the mountains of southern Thailand. The striking maroon-red crustacean was discovered by Pan Yisin from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry, scientist Ruangrit Phromdam and their team. Pan and Ruangrit named the crab “Ajahn Sukri Red Ant Crab…
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A rogue official arrested for issuing ID cards to migrants
A rogue government official was arrested yesterday for illegally issuing Thai identification (ID) cards to more than 50 migrants in exchange for money at the San Sai District Office in Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai Governor Nirut Pongsitthaworn reported yesterday that the San Sai District Office hired a temporary officer to help out with document work. However, the officer turned out to…
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Israel reportedly scared Australia might recognise Palestinian state
Israel is reportedly scared that Australia might recognise a Palestinian state. This news comes after Australia yesterday flip-flopped on its 2018 decision to recognise West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. An Israeli official has now linked Australia’s recent reversal to Israel’s concerns that the left-wing Australian government could follow up by recognizing a Palestinian state, The Times of Israel reported. The…
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Xi Jinping’s recipe for success – more of the same
As China’s immensely tedious political meeting drags on, nothing much is happening except droning announcements by unremarkable men in cheap black suits. So when Xi Jinping walks onto the stage in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, people pay attention, if only to the pleasingly tailored lines of the chairman’s apparel. There were no surprises. His address paid…
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Chon Buri locals not hooked on agency’s naked fishing
Fishing enthusiasts were hooked when a Chon Buri agency promoted a naked fishing trip on social media in the Bang Saray sub-district. Residents on the other hand were outraged. Angry Chon Buri locals are not happy with the unnamed agency shamelessly advertising fishing trips complete with naked women companions on Twitter. The naked fishing advertisement went viral when it was…
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Mountain B victims demand investigation of state officials
In the fallout of the Mountain B Pub fire tragedy, families of victims have filed charges against the club owners. But now they are expanding their litigation to include state officials who they say didn’t do their duty in allowing the pub to open illegally. The fire claimed the lives of 25 people in the months following the August 5…
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Urgent: Phuket Flood Relief, calling for donations!
Press Release A coordinated effort from the Phuket Hotels Association with Living Waters Foundation starting today, 18th October, across the whole of Phuket to help all the people who have been affected by the flooding in Phuket. As of today over 100 meals have been donated from the Tourism Safety and Security Conference which is an event organised by the…
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Resistant and contagious BQ.1 sub-variant hits Thailand
As new strains of Covid are beginning to crop up in Thailand, the first infection of the highly resistant and contagious BQ.1 sub-variant has now been found in the kingdom. Ramathibodi Hospital’s Centre for Medical Genomics confirmed the presence of the sub-variant of the Omicron strain, which mutated from the BA.5 sub-variant. In a post on Facebook, the centre cited…
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Locals search for missing crocs in northeast Thailand
Residents of northeast Thailand’s Khon Kaen province are on the hunt for a pair of missing crocodiles in the main city district. The two missing crocs are part of a group of four that went missing from a flood-stricken farm. A team of locals led by the headman of Nong Tum sub-district found one croc in a paddy field earlier…
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Engaged – Japanese driver reverses into ancient privvy
The front page of Tuesday’s UK Guardian features the sad story of Japan’s oldest toilet. A member of the Kyoto Heritage Preservation Association mistakenly reversed his car into the building’s 500-year-old bog door. The man damaged the communal toilet inside the Tofukuji temple in Kyoto when he crashed through the doors in reverse, ending up several metres inside the inconvenient…
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Lottery winner drinks himself to death in Pattaya
A Thai man went out drinking to celebrate winning the lottery but did not wake up the next day. He was found lying dead in his bedroom surrounded by bottles of liquor yesterday morning in Pattaya, Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand. Officers from Bang Lamung Police Station and rescue workers from Sawang Boriboon Foundation were called to a house in…
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Prayut sets “drug free” goal for Thai province where massacre happened
Thailand’s PM Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday set a goal for the northeastern Nong Bua Lamphu province, where the horrific October 6 massacre happened, to become “drug free” within 30 days. A government spokesperson told the Associated Press that Prayut had ordered relevant agencies to implement measures related to drug abuse and trading. Agencies have been instructed to monitor several areas of…
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Flood warning issued for southern Thailand
The Meteorological Department warns people in southern Thailand to be wary of heavy rainfall, flash flooding, and potential landslides over the next couple of days. Rain will continue in southern Thailand today until at least Saturday as an intense low-pressure cell covers the upper Andaman sea. Thunderstorms are expected in 70% of southeast Thailand today in Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon…
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Thai Cabinet approves 6.6 billion baht for bridges in South Thailand
Two upcoming bridge projects in South Thailand have had a budget approved for them. Thailand’s transport minister announced yesterday that the Thai Cabinet has given the green light on the plans, which will cost about 6.6 billion baht. One bridge will cross Songkhla Lake in the Koh Yai sub-district of Songkhla’s Krasaesin district, to the Jong Tanon sub-district in Phatthalung’s…
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Chinese government accuses protesters of illegally entering consulate in Manchester
The Chinese government is responding to a video of a Hong Kong pro-democracy protester being assaulted at the consulate in Manchester by saying such protesters illegally entered the grounds. According to Hong Kong Free Press, British police say a group of men came out from the consulate during a peaceful demonstration and dragged one of the protesters inside the building…
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Myanmar junta wants political opponents prosecuted faster
Myanmar’s junta is pushing the courts to prosecute political opponents‘ trials faster despite it impacting defendants’ lawyers’ preparation. The regime has instructed courts to finish all trials of opponents, including the leader of the democratically elected party Aung San Suu Kyi. A Yangon-based lawyer, who spoke anonymously, says this is not always a fair tactic. “It is not always good…
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Loved ones fear fate of Iranian climber who competed in Seoul without hijab
An Iranian rock climber, who competed in Seoul without a hijab, has loved ones worried as she hasn’t been seen since the competition. According to The Guardian, friends have been unable to contact Elnaz Rekabi since she supposedly returned home with the rest of the team on Sunday. Rekabi took part in the Asian Championships without wearing a hijab, which…
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Silly anti-cheating masks in university go viral
Taking a cue from a Bangkok university, students at Bicol University College of Engineering in the Philippines went viral for silly “anti-cheating” masks they wore for exams. A faculty member decided to bring some levity to the problem of cheating in schools by allowing her engineering students to design masks to prevent cheating, no matter how ridiculous they were. And…
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5 men allegedly open fire at Pattaya pool villa
Five men allegedly opened fire at a Pattaya pool villa this morning. The suspects reportedly entered the villa located on Jomtien Second Road and fired shots at several parked vehicles. They also allegedly beat up a man, The Pattaya News reported. Before the alleged shooting, a man knocked on the door of one of the villa’s tenants, asked the renters…
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Change in plane direction surprises Bangkok residents
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s… it’s… oh, wait, it *is* a plane. Residents in Bangkok have been complaining about a sudden increase in commercial planes buzzing low over their homes. Now they finally have an explanation for why they are seeing all these low planes – an airport direction change. The Aeronautical Radio of Thailand (AEROTHAI), the agency…
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Serial thief blames prison friends for planning robberies
Thai police last night swooped to arrest a serial thief and seized stolen assets of over 10 million baht in the process at a condominium in Bangkok. Officers also uncovered detailed plans for future robberies. The thief protested his innocence, claiming his friends in prison had planned everything for him. Police arrested 48 year old Bualuang Wangkeyree last night at…
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Plan to push Pattalung into world’s top green destinations
The government reported yesterday that it plans to push Pattalung province in the southern part of Thailand into the world’s top 100 green or sustainable destinations by 2027. The Minister of the Tourism and Sports Ministry, Piphat Ratchakitprakarn, reported yesterday that his department and the Organization for the Development of Sustainable Tourism have a project to raise awareness of green…
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50,000 chickens drown in flood at farm in central Thailand
Shocking pictures of 50,000 dead chickens that drowned in floods at a farm in the central province of Ang Thong yesterday reveal a glimpse into the incomprehensive damage that relentless flooding continues to cause to farmers’ livelihoods in Thailand. Much of central Thailand is underwater after the Chao Phraya river overflowed again. Almost 20,000 households in Sing Buri province were impacted…
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Australia flip-flops on past decision around Israel’s capital
Australia today flip-flopped on a past decision it made around the capital of Israel, an infamously hot-button issue, several news outlets reported. While Australia recognised West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in 2018, the Australian government has now reversed this decision. Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong said that Australia is committed to peace between Israel and Palestine and that the country would…
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China Southern Airlines ready for Bangkok takeoff
News breaking yesterday that China Southern Airlines is planning to resume flights to Bangkok signals more good news for the Thailand tourism industry aiming to attract another 12 million foreign travellers before the end of the year. In 2019 more than 12 million Chinese tourists travelled to Thailand, making up one-quarter of the kingdom’s foreign arrivals. There had been a…
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UN Ambassador Princess Sirindhorn advocates food and equality
Acting as a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation’s Special Goodwill Ambassador, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn called for a focus on food and equality in the Asia-Pacific region. She made remarks to commemorate World Food Day yesterday in a speech. She delivered the address via video as covered by the Bangkok Post and urged the Asia-Pacific region to…
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Porsche-driving Frenchmen who put Thai man in a coma denied bail
UPDATE The Porsche-driving Frenchmen who gave a Thai man a brain hemorrhage in Koh Samui, Surat Thani province, southern Thailand, has been denied bail. Officers from Borphut Police Station arrested 34 year old Vincent Raymond Bugeya and 28 year old Julien Gerard Rene Vincent under suspicion of “joint assault causing serious harm” as well as “driving a car with a…
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Bangkok motorcycle taxi rider attacked by teenagers
A motorcycle taxi rider was brutally attacked by teenagers in the Thon Buri district of Bangkok. He says he had to pretend to die to save his own life, although that appears to be a bit of an exaggeration given the man is allegedly well-known for being a troublemaker. The teenagers who assaulted the man surrendered themselves to the police…
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