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.

  • Sponsored

    What do you need before moving from the US to Thailand?

    The Thaiger key takeaways The most common medical emergencies for expats in Thailand include motorcycle accidents, tropical diseases, and food or water-borne illnesses. Air pollution and heat-related conditions like heatstroke also pose serious seasonal health risks, especially in northern and...

  • Anutin promises to dissolve Parliament within 120 days | Thaiger

    Anutin promises to dissolve Parliament within 120 days

    Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul confirmed that Parliament will be dissolved within 120 days as part of a political agreement with the opposition party. The PM reaffirmed his commitment to dissolve parliament by January 31, 2026, fulfilling an agreement made with the People’s Party. The decision follows growing speculation about his administration’s stability ahead of the upcoming censure debate. Anutin…

  • Thailand’s tourism tax stalled again despite 11 billion baht potential | Thaiger

    Thailand’s tourism tax stalled again despite 11 billion baht potential

    Thailand’s plan to introduce a tourist tax for foreign visitors remains stalled due to political delays, despite full readiness and strong industry backing. Initially backed by the National Tourism Policy Committee in February 2023, the fee would charge inbound travellers 300 baht by air or 150 baht by land or sea, applying only to overnight visitors. Despite its potential to…

  • UK lifts travel warning as Trat tourism gears up for rebound | Thaiger

    UK lifts travel warning as Trat tourism gears up for rebound

    The United Kingdom has officially lifted its travel advisory against non-essential travel to Trat, a move welcomed by local tourism operators hoping to revive bookings ahead of peak season. Wichit Sukrasuyanon, president of the Trat Tourism Association, confirmed that the change has already led to a noticeable boost in bookings, especially from European markets. He said average hotel occupancy rates…

  • People’s Party faces axe over student aide salary scandal | Thaiger

    People’s Party faces axe over student aide salary scandal

    The Klatham Party is preparing to file a petition with the Election Commission (EC) seeking the dissolution of the People’s Party (PP), following explosive allegations involving the misuse of parliamentary appointments and salaries. Klatham MP for Kamphaeng Phet, Phai Lik, announced his intention to take the matter to the EC, claiming that the PP appointed a Grade 10 student as…

  • Phuket boat taxi trial hits delay but promises smoother trips | Thaiger

    Phuket boat taxi trial hits delay but promises smoother trips

    Phuket’s boat taxi project, aimed at easing traffic for tourists and locals, has been delayed, pushing back the start of its much-anticipated trial run. The pilot run of Phuket’s boat taxi service, a project touted as a game-changer for the island’s notorious traffic problems, has been pushed back to mid-December. The trial, originally scheduled to launch earlier, will now take…

  • Teen lured and beaten in Pattaya alley after online setup | Thaiger

    Teen lured and beaten in Pattaya alley after online setup

    A teenage boy was brutally attacked in a dark Pattaya alley after being tricked into a meeting by a mystery woman he met online, despite warnings from his mother. A 17 year old boy is recovering in hospital after being ambushed and severely beaten in a dimly lit alley in Pattaya. The incident occurred around 9pm on Thursday, November 6,…

  • Bang Saen Beach turns black, vendors fear tourist drop | Thaiger

    Bang Saen Beach turns black, vendors fear tourist drop

    Seawater at a popular beach in eastern Thailand turned black, raising concerns among visitors and vendors about health risks and a drop in tourism. Seawater along Bang Saen Beach in Chon Buri has taken on a strange black hue, believed to be caused by a plankton bloom triggered by recent storms and rainfall. While there’s no unpleasant odour or danger…

  • School bus overturns in northern Thailand, students injured | Thaiger

    School bus overturns in northern Thailand, students injured

    A double-decker bus carrying students on a school trip in northern Thailand overturned on a highway, injuring several and prompting a police investigation. The bus, carrying dozens of secondary school students from Uttaradit, flipped onto its side on the Phitsanulok–Nakhon Sawan Road around 10am yesterday, November 7. The crash occurred in Banphot Phisai district, Phitsanulok province, and left multiple students…

  • Tropical storm Kalmaegi batters Thailand with heavy rain | Thaiger

    Tropical storm Kalmaegi batters Thailand with heavy rain

    A powerful tropical storm is sweeping across Thailand, bringing heavy rain and flash flood risks to dozens of provinces as residents brace for worsening weather. From 6pm yesterday, November 7, to 6pm today, November 8, the weather across Thailand is expected to remain unsettled, with widespread thunderstorms and cooler mornings in the north, according to the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD).…

  • Thai charter reform at risk as border tensions take focus | Thaiger

    Thai charter reform at risk as border tensions take focus

    Experts have warned that Thai voters may reject charter reform when they head to the polls, as rising nationalist sentiment shifts focus to border disputes. Yesterday, November 6, academics and political observers sounded the alarm that the junta-era charter is likely to survive another public vote, as attention shifts from constitutional reform to the more emotionally charged issue of revoking…

  • Thai man saves 5 year old girl from drowning and uncovers family abuse | Thaiger

    Thai man saves 5 year old girl from drowning and uncovers family abuse

    A Thai man rescued a five year old girl and her older sister, who were allegedly abused and forced to work by their guardians. One of the girls nearly drowned in a canal in Bangkok while attempting to collect money from krathongs during the Loy Krathong festival. An owner of a motorcycle shop in the Bang Mod area of Bangkok…

  • Boyfriend vanishes after woman found dead in Bangkok room | Thaiger

    Boyfriend vanishes after woman found dead in Bangkok room

    A young woman was found dead at a rented home in Bangkok after police were alerted to the scene, prompting an investigation into the cause and circumstances. The discovery was made around 7.45pm yesterday, November 6, when Police Lieutenant Kirati Thinachai from Samsen Police Station was alerted to a possible suicide in a small community behind Wat Devaraj Kunchorn Temple.…

  • Search underway for missing Russian woman with neurological disease in Phuket | Thaiger

    Search underway for missing Russian woman with neurological disease in Phuket

    Parents and friends are searching for a Russian woman suffering from a neurological disease who has been missing for 20 days in Phuket province. A Thai friend named Kaew took to social media to seek help from the public in locating the 30 year old Russian national, Maria Fomina. Kaew shared that Maria’s parents have already arrived in Phuket to…

  • Foreign tourist arrested with loaded ammo at Phuket airport | Thaiger

    Foreign tourist arrested with loaded ammo at Phuket airport

    An Israeli tourist was arrested at a Phuket airport when police discovered a loaded ammunition magazine in his checked luggage during a routine scan. The arrest took place at around 4.30pm yesterday, November 6, after security staff at the airport’s domestic terminal flagged a suspicious item during a routine baggage scan. The 26 year old traveller, who had flown in…

  • Nigerian man, 5 Thais arrested for 114m baht online romance scam | Thaiger

    Nigerian man, 5 Thais arrested for 114m baht online romance scam

    Police have dismantled a major romance scam network run by a Nigerian national and five Thai accomplices, accused of swindling victims out of over 114 million baht. The arrests were made during Operation Romance 114, led by officers from the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD), targeting suspects across Bangkok and Chon Buri. Police Major General Chanannat Sarathwanphaet, TCSD Commander, confirmed…

  • Thai woman poses as handsome man to scam friend out of 20,000 baht | Thaiger

    Thai woman poses as handsome man to scam friend out of 20,000 baht

    A Thai woman posed as an attractive man to carry out a romance scam and swindle 20,000 baht from her friend. Police allegedly rejected the victim’s complaint, claiming the money was given willingly out of affection. The victim, 34 year old Ploy, turned to the non-profit organisation Saimai Survive after police allegedly refused to process her case. She later revealed…

  • Repeat wildlife snapper caught again at Karon night market | Thaiger

    Repeat wildlife snapper caught again at Karon night market

    A woman was arrested at a Phuket night market after being caught offering a protected slow loris to tourists for paid photos, despite past offences. The woman, who has now been arrested three times for similar offences, was detained at Karon Night Market yesterday, November 6, during a joint operation led by Karon Deputy Mayor Trin Thipmongkol. The raid included…

  • Thai man left blind after surgery at private hospital in Samut Sakhon | Thaiger

    Thai man left blind after surgery at private hospital in Samut Sakhon

    A Thai woman condemned a private hospital in the central province of Samut Sakhon after treatment for nasal polyps left her boyfriend blind. The woman, identified only as Ploy, took to an online community to share details of the medical mishap. She included photos showing her boyfriend’s eye and nose injuries, which she said resulted from surgery to remove nasal…

  • Shooting breaks out between Bangkok rescue teams, leaving 3 injured | Thaiger

    Shooting breaks out between Bangkok rescue teams, leaving 3 injured

    Three rescue workers were injured in a shooting early yesterday, November 6, following a dispute between two rescue foundations on Lat Phrao Road in Bangkok. Wang Thonglang Police Station was alerted to the incident involving rescue volunteers near the entrance of Soi Lat Phrao 122 in Wang Thonglang district at around 1am. At the scene, officers found bloodstains on the…

  • Singapore names orchid after Thai PM Anutin and his wife | Thaiger

    Singapore names orchid after Thai PM Anutin and his wife

    During an official visit to Singapore, Thailand’s prime minister and his wife were honoured with a new orchid species named in recognition of their visit. Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and his wife were honoured with a floral tribute during an official visit to Singapore, as a newly cultivated orchid species was named Vanchoanthe Anutin Thananon Charnvirakul. The gesture came…

  • Trans trio glams up with lipstick for mercy after meth raid in Isaan | Thaiger

    Trans trio glams up with lipstick for mercy after meth raid in Isaan

    Three transgender women apprehended for drugs in Northeast Thailand asked to put on lipstick before arrest, hoping a touch of glam might win police sympathy. The flamboyant request came after a sting operation led to the arrest of five suspects today, November 7, including an alleged drug dealer and a group of methamphetamine users, in the Ban Noi Tai community,…

  • Thailand video news | Typhoon lashes coast as Thailand braces for flooding risk, Thailand to slap import duties on all low‑value online goods | Thaiger

    Thailand video news | Typhoon lashes coast as Thailand braces for flooding risk, Thailand to slap import duties on all low‑value online goods

    In Thailand video news, Jay covers news stories from across Thailand and Southeast Asia. The stories include a powerful typhoon edges closer to Thailand as the country braces for potential floods, while another deadly storm leaves devastation across the Philippines before hitting Vietnam. Bangkok clears nearly 400,000 krathongs after a calmer Loy Krathong night, the government prepares to tax all…

  • Thai police chief hits back at claims RTP is crime syndicate | Thaiger

    Thai police chief hits back at claims RTP is crime syndicate

    Thailand’s police chief has defended the force after facing accusations from outside critics who claimed it operates as a large-scale criminal organisation. Police General Kittirat Panphet, Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police (RTP), has fiercely defended his organisation against allegations that it operates as a “large-scale criminal organisation.” Speaking yesterday, November 6, Big Tai, as he’s widely known, addressed the…

  • Thai man found dead hanging from electric pole in Chon Buri | Thaiger

    Thai man found dead hanging from electric pole in Chon Buri

    A Thai man reportedly committed suicide by hanging himself from a roadside electric pole in Samet sub-district, Chon Buri. His motives currently remain under investigation. Officers from Samet Police Station, together with rescuers from the Trikunatham Foundation, investigated the death of the 48 year old Thai man in the Sajja Suan Luang community at around 5am today, November 5, following…

  • Police pose as joggers to catch foreigners hosting drug party in Koh Pha Ngan | Thaiger

    Police pose as joggers to catch foreigners hosting drug party in Koh Pha Ngan

    Police officers disguised as joggers yesterday, November 6, arrested two foreign men for hosting a drug party at a house on Koh Pha Ngan, and seized cocaine from the suspects. Officers from Koh Pha Ngan Tourist Police received a tip-off about suspicious behaviour at a rented house on the island. The informant reported that several foreigners were making loud noises…

  • ‘Big Joke’ exposes 30 cops in online gambling payout scandal | Thaiger

    ‘Big Joke’ exposes 30 cops in online gambling payout scandal

    A former senior police officer testified before a House panel, accusing dozens of fellow officers of taking payments from illegal online gambling networks. Former deputy national police chief Police General Surachate Hakparn, better known as “Big Joke,” has accused more than 30 police officers of receiving payments from illegal online gambling networks, handing over what he called “evidence” to a…

  • Vietjet goes green with SAF as jet delivery hits more delays | Thaiger

    Vietjet goes green with SAF as jet delivery hits more delays

    A budget airline has begun using sustainable aviation fuel on select routes while facing delays in new aircraft deliveries due to external disruptions. Vietjet Thailand has kicked off its first flights using a blend of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), becoming the latest low-cost carrier to go green while grappling with delayed aircraft deliveries. The airline launched SAF-powered operations on its…

  • Officials raid Chon Buri plant over foul stench complaints | Thaiger

    Officials raid Chon Buri plant over foul stench complaints

    Officials inspected a recycling plant in Chon Buri after residents complained about foul odours, uncovering waste violations and environmental concerns. The inspection, carried out on November 5, was led by Ploylapas Singtothong, adviser to the industry minister, as part of the “Full Throttle” mobile inspection campaign. The facility, located in Bo Kwang Thong subdistrict, handles industrial waste processes including sorting,…

  • 4 foreign tourists rescued after speedboat stranded off Phuket | Thaiger

    4 foreign tourists rescued after speedboat stranded off Phuket

    Four foreign tourists were safely rescued after their speedboat became stranded on rocks near Maiton Island in Phuket yesterday. Vice Admiral Weerudom Muangjeen, Commander of the Third Naval Area Command, ordered officers from the Third Naval Area Command and the Maritime Enforcement Coordination Centre Region 3 to rescue the four tourists after receiving a report that their speedboat was hit…

  • Delivery man found dead after recent surgery in Sri Racha room | Thaiger

    Delivery man found dead after recent surgery in Sri Racha room

    A delivery worker was found dead in his rented Sri Racha room after neighbours reported a foul smell, days after he told his boss he was going to see a doctor. Rescue services and police forced entry into Room 532/45 at a dormitory at around 9.30am yesterday, November 6. Inside, they found the body of 33 year old Thawatchai Naen…