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 5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)
Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...
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Ask the Thais | Stereotypes, Racial Profiling, and Discrimination
Click the link to watch a video: https://youtu.be/MEBGOF9Ht4c In this episode of Ask The Thais, Natty Warisa asks about topics on discrimination, stereotyping, and racial profiling in Thailand and abroad 3 guests – Parin, Arina, and Ab. Is it true that foreigners are the only people who get ripped off by taxis? Do Thai people get discriminated against in foreign…
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Thailand watching BQ.1.1 variant as Covid rules ease
As Thailand prepares to eliminate the last of the Covid-19 protections for the country, a new highly contagious variant of Omicron has been put on the country’s watch list. The BQ.1.1 variant was first confirmed in the UK last month and has so far only infected a meagre 78 people, but those cases have been spread throughout 10 different countries…
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Military conscription in Russia could benefit Thailand’s economy
Thailand could be an attractive and realistic option for men fleeing military conscription in Russia. Reports say that men are fleeing Russia after President Vladimir Putin announced a plan to conscript 300,000 civilians into military service in Ukraine. Several European countries such as Lithuania have already closed their doors to Russian citizens, citing widespread support for Putin’s unprovoked invasion of…
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Economists foresee 38 baht to 1 US dollar this year
With the US dollar strengthening and Thailand’s struggling economy, economic experts predict the baht may fall to 38 to the dollar by the end of this year. The head of capital markets research for Kasikorn Bank believes the baht will continue its instability along with the global money markets as a result of domestic and international factors. While the US…
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Scams in Thailand – Common scams in Thailand to watch out for!
Scams in Thailand The most common scams in Thailand Like anywhere in the world that’s popular with tourists, there are scams in Thailand. Nobody likes being played for a fool, and being scammed leaves you bitter and, for some people, broke. Fortunately, most Thailand scams are easy to avoid and not all that common either. Here are the ones you’re…
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Beauty queen seeking asylum will not be sent to Myanmar
Amid confusion over the status of the Burmese beauty queen in limbo at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, she can at least take solace that she will not be sent back to Myanmar where she faces arrest. Han Lay, the 23 year old beauty queen, has been held upon arrival in Thailand on Wednesday with reports first saying she had been arrested,…
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Tropical Storm Noru is about to hit Thailand
Tropical Storm Noru has been brewing in the Pacific Ocean and is on its way to Thailand, according to the Meteorological Department. Noru is expected to cause isolated and heavy rainfall in northern and northeastern Thailand from Tuesday to Thursday (September 27-29). A tropical depression just east of the Philippines intensified into a tropical storm on Friday at around 1pm.…
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Thai man ‘does not regret’ death of ‘crazy’ son who stabbed grandma in the genitals
A Thai man says he does not regret the death of his “crazy” son, who allegedly tried to rape his aunty and grandmother in Samut Prakan in central Thailand last night. The perpetrator stabbed his elderly grandmother in the neck and genitals. Neighbours ran inside and tied him to a pole. After that, he started having seizures, fell unconscious and…
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New cancer treatment sees results in UK
A new form of cancer treatment being used in the UK is seeing positive results. The drug, RP2, is a weakened form of the cold sore virus, herpes simplex. It has been modified to kill tumours. One man who used the drug had been on end-of-life care. The man, 39 year old Krzystof, had cancer in his salivary glands, near…
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Chinese lost at sea reported to have been trafficked
The Chinese nationals lost at sea off the coast of Cambodia are believed to have been illegally trafficked. A Cambodian government official today reported that 23 Chinese nationals are missing after the boat overturned carrying 41 alleged illegal immigrants. Government official Kheang Phearom announced that the boat carrying 41 Chinese people got into trouble near Sihanoukville yesterday and only 18…
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Another push for helmet use in Phuket
Officials once again pushed for more motorcycle riders to wear helmets in Thailand, this time in Phuket. The push is part of another of Thailand’s many road safety campaigns. Local officials handed out helmets to students and other community members in the Wichit area of Phuket’s main city district on Wednesday. The officials also finished painting a crosswalk in front…
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Former MP jailed after casting votes for colleagues
A former Member of the House of Representatives from the Pheu Thai Party, Narisorn Thongtirat, was sentenced to 16 months in jail after he was found guilty of signing and casting votes for colleagues. The Criminal Division for Politicians under the Supreme Court yesterday sentenced Narisorn, the former MP of the northeastern province of Sakon Nakhon. An investigation found Narisorn…
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Wallaya Villas is back with its new pool villas in Phuket
The first established real estate developer in Phuket’s Kamala neighbourhood is Wallaya Villas. They have more than 17 years of experience in the local real estate industry. They have worked on a variety of projects, including The Nest and The Harmony Phase II, as well as in hotels, commercials, and residential properties. As a result, Wallaya Villas is one of…
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Artists create sci-fi versions of Bangkok
Several artists are creating sci-fi versions of Bangkok in their work. Two filmmakers, a painter, and illustrators are imagining Bangkok with ghosts, AI, and snow in Bangkok. One filmmaker, Stephan Zlotescu, has produced a film about an AI robot falling in love with a woman in Bangkok. The AI takes over a man’s body to pursue the woman. The film,…
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Thai transwoman climbs down building to escape Hong Kong cops
A video of a Thai transwoman in a sexy dress climbing down the outside of a building in Hong Kong like Spiderman to escape the clutches of law has gone viral. The woman, wearing a sexy see-through pink dress, climbed out onto the window ledge of a third floor building to escape the cops, and was witnessed by dozens of…
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Thailand’s ‘state of emergency’ finally draws to a close
Thailand’s Emergency Decree will finally come to an end on October 1 after being extended 19 times since the beginning of the pandemic. As a result, Thailand’s Covid-19 task force – the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) – will be dissolved. The decision to end the state of emergency has been in the pipeline for some time and was…
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Chon Buri blaze kills disabled man and his dogs
Another tragic fire broke out in Thailand this week, this time in the eastern Chon Buri province, in the main city district. The blaze hit three houses on Wednesday, killing a 52 year old man named Suriya Eimsawad, who was reportedly disabled. Suriya was not the only one to perish in the devastating fire. His two dogs also died as…
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BMTA bus driver brawls with motorcycle rider in Bangkok
A bus driver and a motorcycle rider got into a brawl on Phetchaburi Road in Bangkok last week after the former honked his horn at him. A video of the scrap between the driver from the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) and the motorcycle rider started circulating on Thai social media last Tuesday, September 20. The video shows a male…
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US Navy scammer arrested in Venezuela over scandal in Asia
An alleged United States Navy military contractor has been arrested in Venezuela after fleeing house arrest in the US. The man fled his home country just weeks before being sentenced for his role in a corruption scandal in Thailand and other parts of Asia. The man, Leonard Gleen Francis, known as “Fat Leonard,” had fled from his California home and…
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Fishermen rescued after going missing in stormy seas off Koh Samui
Fishermen who went missing amidst stormy seas off Thailand’s island of Koh Samui were rescued by fellow fishermen earlier this week. The two men, a 70 year old and a 50 year old, were reported missing near Baan Tai Beach in the Koh Samui district. The boat capsized that the two men were travelling in as strong wind and waves…
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Japan to welcome visa-free tourists from October 11
Japan announced it will resume visa-free entry for all travellers from October 11 and scrap the arrival cap of 50,000 visitors per day. Before the pandemic Japan allowed travellers from 69 countries to enter without visas and visitors could stay between 15 to 90 days, according to the conditions of each country. Japan had over 32 million arrivals in 2019…
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More heavy rain to continue today in 62 of Thailand’s provinces
More heavy rain is in today’s forecast for 62 of the 72 Thai provinces. The Meteorological Department warned civilians in these provinces, which include Bangkok, to brace for torrential rain. According to the forecast, a monsoon trough is moving its way down the lower northern region of the country and the upper Central Plains over the next day. A moderate southwesterly…
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Ambulance runs a red light and kills a motorcycle rider
A 60 year old man was killed after a speeding ambulance run a red light and wiped out his motorcycle causing a huge ball of fire in Mahasarakham, northeastern Thailand. The ambulance from Yang Talad Hospital smashed into the motorcycle at the Chiang Yuen Intersection in Mahasarakham province yesterday at 6am. Video footage from a vehicle behind the motorcycle captures…
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TAT looks to draw more Japanese tourists to Thailand with new campaign
The Tourism Authority of Thailand is looking to draw in more Japanese tourists. TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn announced that TAT will introduce a new partnership campaign in the last three months of the year called “It’s Time to Go To Thailand”. The campaign aims to increase Japanese tourists’ average spending per trip, which right now is only 6,400 baht, the…
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North Korea releases statement after being accused of selling Russia weapons
North Korea released a statement today after US officials said Russia was looking to buy weapons from North Korea. The statement claimed that North Korea had never exported weapons or ammunition to Russia, and did not plan to. It said that the United States and other “hostile forces” were spreading rumours to “pursue its base political and military aims.” Any…
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Motorcycle taxis & app-based riders fight over passengers
An ongoing row over passengers between motorcycle taxi riders and app-based riders erupted into a brawl on Sunday on Soi Ratchada 18 in Bangkok. One motorcycle taxi rider demanded that the app-based riders give them more respect and stop random pickups on the street when motorcycle taxi services are nearby. The first fight started last Sunday, September 18. One motorcycle taxi…
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Thai army saves man walking 1350 kilometres from Songkhla to Buriram
A man who lost his job in the southern province of Songkhla decided to walk back home to Buriram in northeast Thailand. After 12 days of walking on Sunday, the 42 year old man stumbled across an army barracks in Phatthalung province, the next province along. The soldiers took care of him and paid for his train ticket back to…
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Price hike in vegetables prior to Phuket Vegetarian Festival
Phuket is seeing a jump in its vegetable prices as the annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival is coming up on September 26. The prices of many vegetables have shot up on average from five to 20 baht per kilogram. The prices on other vegetarian ingredients have bumped up as well. Vegetable prices usually increase in Phuket before and during the festival…
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Pattaya’s major roads flooded
Many of Pattaya’s major roads were flooded by heavy rain last night. Some of the affected roads included South Pattaya Road, Soi Buakhao Road, Sukhumvit Road, and Beach Road. The roads were all underwater with levels ranging between 20 centimetres to 1 metre, The Pattaya News reported. Many popular alleyways were also flooded. The floodwaters stretched onto roadside venues, forcing…
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Thai navy buys pilotless aircraft from Israel for 4 billion baht
Thailand has signed a contract to buy Hermes 900 “unmanned aerial vehicles” (UAV) from an Israeli defence company, according to an announcement made today by the Royal Thai Navy (RTN). The purchase will cost 4 billion baht ($US107,003,360). The pilotless aircraft will patrol Thailand’s seas to “protect the sovereignty of Thailand’s waters and shipping routes.” The drones will also assist…
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