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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UPDATE: Police arrest Asoke gold necklace thief, trans woman wanted to pay gambling debt
Police have arrested a transgender woman who allegedly stole a gold necklace off the body of a farang in Bangkok’s Asoke neighbourhood last week, after a video of the incident went viral. The thief reportedly said she stole the golden accessory because she’d lost her job and had to pay off a gambling debt. CCTV footage of the incident shows…
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Monday Covid Update: 24,892 new cases; provincial totals
97 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 25,512 with 3,814 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 24,892 new Covid-19 cases and 27,254 recoveries. There are now 256,667 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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New Test & Go station eases entry for Malaysian motorists at Sadao border crossing
After a two-year closure due to the pandemic, international travellers can now enter Thailand from Malaysia through the Sadao land border in Songkhla province. A hotel at the border began serving as a Test & Go station from April 1, so that travellers don’t have to commute to the city of Hat Yai for Covid-19 testing. Travellers from Malaysia entering…
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Tangmo: Suspect ‘Sand’ surrenders to police
Police have arrested a third suspect in the death of drowned TV actress Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong. On Sunday, Wisapat Manomaikrat, aka “Sand” — a transgender woman — surrendered to police in Nonthaburi, after they issued a warrant for her arrest. Sand was taken into the police superintendent’s office for questioning. She was accompanied by her lawyer and prepared a surety…
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Thailand stocks its Covid-19 war chest for Songkran fever fight
Health authorities are stocking up on medical supplies to fight Covid-19 as Thailand prepares to celebrate Sonkgkran next week. Infections have been spiking to more than 20,000 a day with the death toll occasionally approaching 100. By mid-April, the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation plans to deliver some 30 million Favipiravir tablets to the Public Health Ministry, just in time for Songkran.…
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Tourists flood back to Thailand as travel restrictions ease before Songkran
Travellers are flooding back into Thailand after the country scrapped its pre-flight Covid PCR testing requirement. Arrivals to Suvarnabhumi International Airport have almost doubled to around 12,000 passengers per day, arriving on a flurry of new inbound flights. On Sunday afternoon, international travellers teems throughout the airport, reaching near pre-pandemic levels. They were greeted by officials and hotels reps who…
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Thailand seeks Asean extradition convention to battle cybercrime in Southeast Asia
Thailand is seeking to ink a new regional extradition pact with 10 other Southeast Asian countries in a united effort to combat transnational crimes by 2024. Senior officials discussed the matter during a seminar about how to combat cybercrime at the Office of the Attorney General’s 129th anniversary meeting, the Bangkok Post reported. Thailand has seen an uptick in recent…
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First case of ‘XE’ Covid variant in Thailand, nothing to fear
Don’t be alarmed, it’s not so bad. That’s the gist of the message from the Public health Ministry, which dismissed fears of the new XE variant’s appearance in Thailand, as experts say the symptoms aren’t as severe as previous strains of Covid-19. On Saturday, Ramathibodi Hospital’s Centre for Medical Genomics, or CMG, revealed they’d diagnosed the first patient with the…
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Police arrest alleged Sri Racha drug dealer with gun, Chon Buri
Yesterday, police arrested an alleged drug dealer in Sri Racha, Chon Buri. According to reporters at The Pattaya News, the alleged dealer had 92 amphetamine pills and 10.8 grams of crystal meth, along with a gun and six bullets. The alleged dealer reportedly confessed that all the illegal substances and weapons belonged to him. Two suspected female addicts were with…
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Asia’s weird Covid twilight zone – VIDEO
Tens of millions of people in China are under lockdown, including in the largest city Shanghai. Thailand’s infection numbers continue to creep up, already much higher than at their peak last year. Hong Kong morgues are overwhelmed and patients being turned away from hospitals. In South Korea health authorities are reporting the most cases per capita in the world. Vietnam…
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Pattaya police arrest 10 in alleged Chon Buri gambling party
Pattaya police arrested 10 people after busting a gambling party in the Bang Lamung district of Chon Buri province yesterday. An undercover agent had tipped off the police, saying a gambling party was secretly being held in an abandoned area. After the police arrived, the alleged gamblers tried to flee, but police caught 10 of them. The police found gambling…
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Phuket’s Soi Dog Foundation to give US$250,000 to Ukrainian pets
Phuket’s Soi Dog Foundation plans to give a grant of US$250,ooo to a clinic in Poland for Ukrainian pets whose owners fled Russia’s invasion. The money will also help a Polish animal society give immediate care to pets in desperate need right now. An estimated 40,000 dogs and cats have come with their owners to Poland since the invasion began…
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Strange cold spell in Thailand caused by high pressure system from China
An abnormally strong high-pressure system from China caused a cold spell in Thailand today, according to the Thai Meteorological Department. The high-pressure system is now covering most of Northern Thailand, where temperatures were 18-23 degrees Celsius this morning, meaning they had dropped by two to four degrees. Highs in the North are expected to peak today at 26-28 degrees Celsius.…
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Spiking Songkran tourist demand on ferry services in Koh Samui and Koh Phangan
Ferry services in Koh Samui and Koh Phangan are trying to meet an influx of tourist demands leading up to Songkran. Songkran will be between April 13 – 15 this year, followed up with a convenient weekend on April 16 and 17. A ferry port managing director at the Raja Ferry terminal at Don Sak told Nation Thailand that his…
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How Safe Are Roads In Thailand For Disabled People?
https://youtu.be/cEaf5oxOAWs Thailand road safety needs a lot of improvement and so do the side walks. In particular access for the people who need it the most, people with disabilities. We took this opportunity to highlight the issues and troubles people in wheelchair have to deal with on a daily basis when they want to travel and go around Bangkok. As…
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Sri Lanka president declares state of emergency, deploys army
Following a week of turmoil and unrest in Sri Lanka, the country’s president has now declared a state of emergency. This week, Sri Lankan protestors tried to storm the president’s house following the country’s longest power blackout ever recorded. The protestors called on the president and his powerful family, who hold a number of prominent political positions in Sri Lanka,…
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Chon Buri man shoots and kills son, wounds wife, before killing himself
A man shot and killed his son before killing himself at a school in Mueang district of Chon Buri province yesterday. The father and son both had gunshot wounds on their heads. The man also shot and wounded his wife, who was rushed to Chon Buri Hospital. The wife, Arissara, had arrived at the school with their son first. The…
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First case of new Omicron variant ‘XE’ detected in Thailand
Thailand now has its first case of a new variant of a new Covid-19 Omicron variant. Yesterday, the Centre for Medical Genomics Ramathibodi Hospital confirmed tests of Thailand’s first case of the new recombinant variant, a hybrid of the BA.1 and BA.2 variants. The World Health Organisation flagged concerns about the new variant last Tuesday, warning that XE could be the…
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Pope Francis says Ukraine visit is “on the table”
Pope Francis was recently invited to Ukraine by the country’s president Volodymyr Zelensky. When asked if he was considering visiting, Francis told a reporter today, “Yes, it’s on the table”. Although Francis has not mentioned the word “Russia” explicitly, since the invasion of Ukraine, he has condemned “unjustified aggression” and “atrocities”. Other Ukrainian officials that invited Pope Francis include an…
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UPDATE: Malaysia-Singapore border reopens for vaccinated travellers
For the first time in two years, the land border between Singapore and Malaysia reopened yesterday, April 1, for travellers by private transportation, without the pandemic-era requirements of Covid-19 testing and quarantine. Now fully-vaccinated travellers can freely cross the land boarder on the southern end of the Malay peninsula with only a valid passport and proof of vaccination. Children up…
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UPDATE: Malaysian drivers bewildered by Thailand Pass, as southern border reopens
THOU SHALL NOT PASS. That’s the message some northern-bound Malaysian travelers received when they attempted to drive their cars into Thailand on yesterday morning, only to find they’d forgotten the most important thing: you STILL need to register for Thailand Pass. In advance. Thailand finally reopened its land border with Malaysia on April 1 for travelers by private transportation. But…
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Increasing number of Singaporeans think racism is an important issue
The percentage of Singaporeans who think racism in their country is an important issue is growing. While 46.3% thought it was important in 2016, that number has risen to 56.2%. Channel News Asia and the Institute of Policy Studies reported these statistics after surveying more than 2,000 Singapore residents aged 21 and above. CNA says the survey questioned accurate numbers…
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Thai student activist charged with lèse majesté will be allowed to study in Germany
The South Bangkok Criminal Court ruled yesterday that a student activist charged with lèse majesté who was barred from studying abroad in Germany earlier this month will now be allowed to study there. The activist, Rawisara Eksakul, nicknamed “Dear”, won a prestigious scholarship for a Master of Management in Non-Profit Organisations. The court was told that Ms Rawisara holds a…
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Phuket man wins 18 million baht from lottery, plans to pay off debts
After praying at several temples with high hopes, one Phuket man’s dream of winning the lottery has come true! The man, who lives in Ratsada on Phuket’s east coast, won 18 million baht yesterday, which just happened to be April Fool’s day. The national Thai lottery is drawn twice a month. But the winning was no joke. The man, Panuwat,…
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Thailand International Motor Expo 2022
A lot of shiny cars, a lot of shiny lights and a whole lot more pretties. Check out all the new car, bike, boat and beauty models out this new year! Tim Newton reports live from the Impact Challenger Arena as he takes a look around Thailand’s International Motor Expo 2022.
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American arrested in Bangkok for alleged 3 million baht fraud
Bangkok police arrested an American national in Klong Toey district of Bangkok yesterday (reported as Nana in some media). The man arrested allegedly lured investors into fraudulent contracts. Thailand’s Economic Crime Suppression Division says the victims lost over 3 million baht altogether. The man allegedly offered victims options in energy and precious metals as well as futures contracts through 60…
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Thai swimmer recovering after being ‘speared’ by Needlefish in Trat
Spearfishing is still a thing, but usually by humans hunting fish, not the other way around. Thai national Noppadol Sringam is now in a stable condition recovering from a freak marine accident. The Thai tourist was left in serious condition after a needlefish skewered him in the neck while he was swimming on the Trat coastal beach of Ao Tan…
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Tangmo: 2nd autopsy report finds ’22 small wounds’ on legs
Forensics experts have found “22 small wounds” on the legs of drowned Thai actress Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong, according to the report from a second autopsy, which was conduct several weeks ago at the request of her mother. However, pathologists did not find any face or head wounds, broken teeth or fractured bones, as was earlier reported by an emergency responder.…
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UKRAINE UPDATES: EU’s Metsola visits Kyiv; Russia blocks aid from Mariupol; Russian oil depot attacked
As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters the month of April, here’s the latest headlines… • In a show of European support, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola visited Kyiv on Friday. During a meeting with EU leader, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said… “I sincerely want to thank you personally, Roberta, and your entire team for being here at such an important…
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Villagers pay homage to giant mango in central Thailand
Villagers offered incense to a giant mango in Uthai Thani province in central Thailand on Wednesday. Locals believe that the mango, weighing in at 1.8 kilograms, is sure to bring good luck. The average mango weighs in at a measly 150 grams in comparison. The owner of the mango, 47 year old Wirat Haewphet, is a farmer with many mango…
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