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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More tickets go on sale today for the Bangkok theatre performances of The Lion King
Due to high demand, the Bangkok theatre season of The Lion King live at Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre has been extended. Bookings are open for the extended season today. The Lion King is on its way to Thailand for the first time for an exclusive season of performances starting September 14 and will now run until October 27. For more details about…
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Canadian nuisance arrested in Pattaya for harassing people with his jet ski
PHOTOS: Sanook.com Police were first notified about a foreign man “harassing” boats in off the Pattaya coast driving a Jet Ski. According to reports from some of the people affected, the man was cutting off other boats causing “dangerous risk” and he was also climbing into random tourist boats in the area. The man then drove his jet ski into…
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Ranger patrol targeted with roadside bomb in Pattani, two injured
FILE PHOTO – The southern insurgency has killed more than 7,000 in the past two decades Two rangers have suffered injuries in an ambush when insurgents detonated a roadside bomb. The attack was on a patrol unit in Pattani province last night on the main road of Moo 1 village in Tambon Paku in the Thung Yang Daeng district. Police say…
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Red flags up at Bali Hai – weather warnings for Pattaya area
PHOTO: The red flag warnings at Bali Hai pier are more precautionary than reflecting the weather situation – The Pattaya News Red flags went up at the Bali Hai Pier yesterday warn tour boats about the Thai Meteorological Department’s weather warnings in regard to tropical storm Wipha, currently sitting over northern Vietnam. Tropical Storm Wipha, which formed in the South…
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All calm in Bangkok following Friday morning’s spate of explosions
The PM says there will be no special laws enacted to respond to yesterday’s bomb blasts around Bangkok. Prayut continues to urge people not to panic and says police will rush to bring the perpetrators to justice. The PM, who is also the defence minister, also ordered police to step up security and appealed for people to report any irregularities…
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Ananda development pulls the plug on Bangkok condo project
Property developers Ananda Development have pulled the plug on the development of a condo project, Ideo Q Phahon-Saphankhwai, valued at 10 billion baht, and will refund down-payments made by customers who booked units since the April launch. Ananda Development’s chief strategy officer Sumeth Ratanasrikul says that the demand to buy the project at that location didn’t match with the concept design. “Since…
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Two city cleaners injured in this morning’s explosions around Bangkok
PHOTO: JS100 Two road sweepers in Suan Luang district were injured in an explosion on Soi Rama 9 57/1, a soi off Rama 9 Road, at 8am this morning. After examining the area, police determined that the explosion was caused by a ping-pong bomb. The bomb was one of multiple small explodsions between 7 and 9am. Read about the rest…
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HM the Queen makes her first solo speech at Thai Women’s Day
PHOTOS: The Nation Her Majesty Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana has presided over the Thai Women’s Day celebrations at Impact Arena Exhibition and Convention Centre in Muang Thong Thani, Bangkok. The Nation reports that it was the first time Her Majesty addressed the public speaking about her determination to perform her royal duties. “I shall continue, preserve and expand the royal initiations…
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Dams, politics and greed are killing the mighty Mekong River
Original story by Piyaporn Wongruang – The Nation | PHOTO: Sophie et Fred Dr Chainarong Setthachua, a lecturer and ecology expert at Maha Sarakham University, was at a loss when asked to describe the ongoing Mekong crisis. “The most disastrous situation in history.” Little is being done by governments despite recent stories and stark photos of the dried-bed of a major…
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Two suspects held over last night’s ‘fake’ bomb, security ramped up at ASEAN meeting
PHOTO: A suspect leaving the area of the Royal Thai Police headquarters last night captured on CCTV “I condemn the mastermind behind this morning’s bomb blasts, which destroy people and the country’s image. I have asked officials to beef up security for members of the public and take urgent care of those affected by the explosions.’’ – Thai PM Prayut…
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Thai PM condemns the people behind Bangkok’s bomb explosions – UPDATE
PHOTO: Thai Rath Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has condemned those behind the bombings and Tweeted he had already ordered those responsible to protect the people and take care of injured people in a Tweet at 11.12am. Bombs have gone off around different parts of Bangkok this morning, following a fake bomb being placed in front of the Royal Thai Police…
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Bombs rock Thai capital Bangkok during peak hour this morning, up to four injuries reported
Details are sketchy at this stage as we try and bring together all he reports coming in. At around 9.17am this morning there was an explosion near a white car parked in front of the Mahanakorn Building near the Chong Nong Si BTS station in the Bang Rak district. There was another explosion in a small flower shop, located under…
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National police chief is going to war with street racers
PHOTO: The almost weekly crackdown on motorcycle street racing around Bangkok. So far measures haven’t worked to curb the activities of the fast & furious Bangkok youth – Bangkok Post Despite weekly reports about late night weekend street racing around parts of Bangkok, and the sophisticated use of social media to promote the events, the national police chief Pol General…
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Over 2 million meth pills, 83 kilograms of ice seized from a woman in Bangkok
PHOTO: The Nation Police have arrested a woman in Bangkok and seized more than 2 million methamphetamine pills. 26 year old Supalak Eiamthawee, from the Sasithorn housing estate in Bang Khae district has been arrested and 2.158 million methamphetamine pills, 83 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine (ice) and 25 kilograms of ketamine seized. Police received tip-offs that the suspect rented a house…
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Fake bomb left outside Police headquarters in Bangkok – two suspects arrested
FILE PHOTO: Front gate of the Royal Thai Police HQ in Bangkok Two men have been taken off a bus at a checkpoint and arrested early today on suspicion of placing two fake homemade bombs in front of the Royal Thai Police HQ in Bangkok. The Nation reports that they were heading south at the time and already in Chumphon province,…
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Thailand’s baht is getting stronger, and that’s a problem
Since the beginning of 2018, Thailand’s currency has jumped more than 5% against the US dollar. Year-on-year it’s bounced up nearly 8%. The Thai Central Bank may be forced to cut rates to curb the popular currency. The Thai baht continues to soar against the USD this year, significantly more than many other emerging market currencies. But the flexing Baht muscle…
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Report motorcycles riding on footpaths today for a 1,000 baht reward
PHOTO: Daily News Bangkok motorcyclist, riding on footpaths, will be fined 2,000 on-the-spot from today. If someone reports a motorcyclist riding on the footpath they’ll get 1,000 baht fine. Officials doubled the fine and offered the reward after the previous 1,000 baht fine didn’t appear to act as a deterrent. Reports can be made through a Line application, a government…
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Indian man frisked in Soi 6 by group of ladyboys
PHOTO: Facebook/Pattaya News Updates An Indian businessman has fallen victim to a gang of ladyboys in Soi 6 early this morning (Thursday), losing his 55,000 baht gold necklace in the process. 37 year old Aman Preet Bagga told police he was out with friends strolling down Soi 6 past the bars when his group was assaulted by a three ladyboys…
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Immigration in Chiang Mai continue crackdown on TM30 infringements
PHOTOS: Naew Na Thai immigration continue to roll out their nationwide crackdown on people failing to report foreigners staying at private addresses with 24 hours, as per the controversial TM30 form, which also applies to resident expats moving around the country for business or pleasure. A house owner in Ton Pao sub-district of San Kamphaeng has been fined after a…
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Woman abducted at gunpoint in Central Bang Na car park
PHOTOS: Relatives of the victim try and attack the suspect – Daily News A driver working in Bang Na allegedly abducted a woman at gunpoint and forced her to drive to a ‘short time’ hotel. 33 year old Kasira, a cosmetic sales employee, was sitting in her car doing her makeup in the car park of Central Bang Na preparing…
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Phuket’s tourist bookings looking good – Diversity is the best option Part 3
by Guest Writer Over the past few months or so, we have read and noted much negativity in the world of tourism to Thailand’s most popular island of Phuket. As everyone is aware, May and June were particularly poor months for most tourism operators and hoteliers with several factors being mentioned to justify the drop which everyone is fully aware…
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Chiang Mai’s Wat Suan Dok closed off after tourists take ‘inappropriate’ pics
PHOTOS: Workpoint News Tourists are being warned about taking photos at a “Royal Family Burial Site” in Chiang Mai province. Locals say tourist have been taking “inappropriate” photos at the Old Lanna Royal Family Burial Site located in Wat Suan Dok. The pictures were posted on Instagram. The photos, according to Worpoint News, have “caused great concern to living relatives…
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PM holds urgent meetings with Thailand’s economic tsars today
The PM has put himself in control of Thailand’s economic matters nominating himself as Chairman of the Council of Economic Affairs. Today the PM Prayut Chan-o-cha holds talks with top officials of four key economic institutions on the budget bill as the economy, which has been a regional leader over the past decade, stutters. Academics are calling for cuts in military…
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Stormy weather approaching the Andaman provinces
The Thai Meteorological Department has announced that a regional tropical depression will affect provinces in the Andaman region including Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi, Trang, Ranong and Satun until August 6. The local ‘Met’ office says that people living in the affected areas should beware of dangers from heavy rain. There will be increasingly large waves in the Andaman sea, expected…
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Chachoengsao woman sets herself on fire after divorce
PHOTO: INN News A 32 year old woman set herself on fire in Chachoengsao, east of Bangkok, yesterday (Tuesday). Doctors say she only has a 10% chance of survival and 60% of her skin has been badly burned. She poured benzil oil over herself outside her house and then set herself on fire. At this stage police speculate that the…
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Pattaya tourists take a quick swim, return to find their belongings gone
Am Iranian man and his Russian wife were tourists in Pattaya doing all the usual things when they had a sudden urge to go for a swim. They were swimming at Dongtan Beach, Jomtien. They left all their belongings on the beach – phones, cash, hotel keys – but when they returned everything was gone. The Pattaya Police were notified…
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Proposal being prepared to raise the speed limit on Thai motorways up to 120 kph
Saksayam Chidchob, Thailand’s new transport minister, wants to raise the speed limit on main roads in Thailand to 120 kilometres per hour The proposal, just an idea at the moment, would mean four lane motorways and expressways would have an upper speed limit of 120 kilometres an hour, according to an article in Manager Online. Saksayam says he believes the…
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Make it a date – Thai public holidays in 2020
Public holiday dates are out for 2020 with a few waiting to be announced. But it might be the start of you working out your holidays to Tahiti and Acapulco for the next year. The new holidays commemorate Coronation Day (held in May this year), and the birthdays of the King and the new Queen. The birthdays for King Bhumibol…
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British Pound was close to the worst performing currency in the world
Nigel Green, the founder and CEO of the deVere Group, a leading independent international financial consultancy, says the GBP (Pound) is going to continue to be battered and bruised in the short-to-medium term, no matter who is leading the political fray. He spoke out after the Sterling dropped more than 4% yesterday in its worst performance since October 2016, based on…
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Thailand’s biggest ballroom dancesport championship ‘Royal Siam Cup’ in Pattaya
They pouted, they cha cha’d, they chasséd and rhumbaed. Often backwards in high heels and sequins. Over 400 professional and amateur dancers of all levels from 23 countries around the world took part in the exciting 2 day event where they experienced a world class dancesport competition at the newly revamped Royal Summit Chamber of the Royal Cliff Beach Hotel.…
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