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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Event Round-Up – March 2019
The month kicks off with one of Thailand’s most unique and bizarre festivals and celebrations, that of the Tattoo Festival in Nakhon Chaisi in the province of Nakhon Pathom, around 50 kilometres west of Bangkok. Held at the Wat Bang Phra temple on 2 March, the festival also goes by the name Wai Kru Sak Yant after the spiritual tattoos…
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Parents urged to monitor children on ‘Momo Challenge’
PHOTOS: NBT / NNT The Mental Health Department is urging parents to closely monitor children’s online activities due to the ‘Momo Challenge’ reports. The Nation reports that ‘Momo Challenge’, associated with a grotesque bird, has sneaked into YouTube and its YouTube Kids platform and coerced young watchers to take up risky, potentially deadly challenges. The Momo Challenge, dismissed by many…
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Three fined for fishing illegally in the Mu Koh Similan National Park
PHOTO: DNP Three men have been fined after they were found catching fish in Mu Koh Similan National Park area in Phang Nga yesterday. Private fishing is illegal inside the marine national park area. The head of the Mu Koh Similan National Park Ruamsin Manajongjaroen says that yesterday three men were fined after being discovered catching fish in the national…
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“Pattaya: Sex Capital of the World” – but tourism chief is determined to change image
Pattaya’s tourism office says that changing the seaside resort’s seedy image won’t happen overnight. But office chief Sinchai Watanasartsathorn says he is determined to work with both public and private to change Pattaya’s image. Sinchai, also a member of the chamber of commerce, was speaking to the Pattaya News following a story that appeared in the UK’s Mirror online website. The Mirror story…
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Vaping network urges Thai authorities to rethink e-cigarette laws
“Thai authorities had demanded a 40,000 baht bribe from a Frenchwoman to free her after she was arrested for possessing an e-cigarette.” E-cigarette users are calling on the Thai government to quickly come up with appropriate solutions to regulate e-cigarettes, and clarify the current laws, in order to protect the country’s image among foreign tourists. The network say it also…
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Same same but not very different – Election 2019
By Jintana Panyaarvudh Campaigning ahead of the March 24 election is getting a little too heated in the view of some observers. The old habit of slinging mud between rival politicians has revived prompting critics to raise concerns. “The world has evolved but Thai politicians have failed to develop or employ new, creative methods in their campaigns to attract voters,”…
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44 baby leatherback sea turtles headed to sea in Phang Nga – VIDEO
PHOTO: DMCR A third group of baby leatherback sea turtles have now hatched on Kuekkak Beach and headed out to sea for their new life off the Takua Pa district in Phang Nga. A first batch of 48 baby leatherback sea turtles survived and headed straight for the Andaman Sea once they got their bearings on Kuek Kak Beach in…
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Weather for March 4
Bangkok Partly cloudy. High 33ºC. Winds S at 15 to 30 km/h. Phuket Partly cloudy. High 31ºC. E winds shifting to W at 15 to 25 km/h. Chiang Mai Generally clear. High 37ºC. Winds S at 10 to 15 km/h. Pattaya Morning thunderstorms. High 31ºC. Winds S at 15 to 30 km/h. Chance of rain 80%. Hua Hin Partly cloudy,…
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Two week+ wait for visa appointments at Thai Embassy in Vientiane, Laos
PHOTO: Waiting to get into the Thai Embassy in Vientiane Expect to wait up to two weeks if you want to visit the Royal Thai Embassy in Vientiane, Laos to apply for a tourist or non-immigrant visa. ThaiVisa reports that, since February 1, foreigners applying for tourist, non-immigrant or transit visas, will need to make an online appointment before submitting…
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Maya Bay – no plans to re-open The Beach
That was before. This is now. The future remains uncertain for any re-opening of the southern Thailand tourist magnet, Maya Bay at Koh Phi Phi Ley. Thai authorities say they have no plans to re-open Maya Bay at this stage but that they continue to monitor the situation on Koh Phi Phi Ley and the island’s famous beach. Blacktip reef…
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76 Pangolins intercepted in Prachuap Khiri Khan
by Piyarat Nildee Police have seized 76 live pangolins with an estimated street value overseas around 10 million baht from a smuggler in Prachuap Khiri Khan. 45 year old Sompol Mekchai from Ratchaburi was stopped in Sam Roi Yot district early this morning after police suspected he was trying to evade their checkpoint on the Phetchkasem Highway.Seeing his pickup suddenly swerve onto…
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Flying into history, the mighty Airbus A380
In an era where airlines are now run by accountants instead of pioneers, aviators or passionate flyers, it’s no wonder we’re seeing the passing of an important aviation milestone this week. The Airbus A380, a passenger favourite, failed to ignite the interest it needed to sustain new orders and and a continuation of the program of building, selling and servicing…
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Five metre king cobra caught in Kathu
PHOTOS: Pannakorn Pongpao/Kathu Rescue Foundation/Kusoldharm Rescue Foundation A five metre king cobra has been caught at a worker’s house in Kathu. Kusoldharm Rescue workers were notified of the king cobra discovered by a worker next to his house in the Kathu – Nakoh road in Kathu last night. Nokoh Road runs behind the Loch Palm Golf Course, between Kathu and…
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The Koh Samui tunnel – “it definitely had all the proper documentation”
The 84 metre tunnel, rediscovered last week by a foreign tourist visiting the north of Koh Samui, is starting to reveal more of its secrets. This week island authorities announced they would prosecute the builders of the tunnel because they were unable to find any supporting documentation or permissions for the construction. The Koh Samui land office could, however, confirm…
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Chinese resurgence, Russian stability feature in tourist arrivals for the start of 2019
The Chinese returned in numbers at the start of 2019 giving the Land of Smiles a spectacular start for the year with a total of 3.7 million visitors in January 2019. This was a nearly 5% rise in total tourist numbers from the same month last year. Mainland China continues to lead Thailand’s source market with just over a million arrivals…
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Driver slams sedan into bedroom of house killing baby and injuring others
PHOTO: Facebook / Ake Srisuwan A couple’s one year old son died and three family members were injured after a car slammed into the bedroom on the lower floor in the main city district of Pathum Thani early Saturday. The incident happened in Tambon Ban Mai around 2.30am. Pathum Thani is the province just north of Bangkok. The family, along with…
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The Patong Bay Hill Resort – where your holiday begins!
Nestled into the hills above Phuket’s popular Patong Beach, the modern Patong Bay Hill Resort is a luxurious resort which overlooks the ocean and the eclectic neighborhood below. Welcome to Patong Bay Hill Resort Set in a beautifully landscaped garden, Patong Bay Hill Resort is set amongst the natural, tropical environment of Patong’s Hasib-pee Hill. The resort offers majestic panoramic…
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126 Grand Palace taxi and tuk tuk drivers, and local vendors, arrested
PHOTOS: The Nation One of the biggest targets for scammers has always been the Grand Palace in Bangkok, mostly because it has such a high concentration of tourists visiting any time of the year. Google ‘scams in Thailand’ and you’ll always be reading about the creative ways taxi and tuk tuk drivers, and local vendors, have of parting tourists from…
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Drunk pickup driver kills one, injures two others in Chalong
A drunk pickup truck driver has collided with cars and motorbikes at a traffic light in Chalong. One person has died, two others are injured and six vehicles are damaged. Chalong Police were notified of the incident at an intersection on Chao Fa East Road near Wat Tai (Ladthiwanaram Temple) at 1.50pm yesterday. Chalong Police and emergency responders arrived to…
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Burn baby burn – The Netflix cash strategy to stay on top
Netflix, the online TV streaming service, is gaining more viewers in the US and around the world, but is burning through astonishing amounts of cash in producing new content. In 2018 Netflix churned through $3 billion in losses. Negative cash flow that accelerated to $1.3 billion in Q4, more than double the year before. But it’s all a part of…
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Woman attacks Lottery MC during draw in Phatthalung – VIDEO
The live broadcast of the government’s bi-weekly lottery draw was interrupted when a 35 year old woman threatened one of the MCs with a screwdriver. The lottery draw, held in Phatthalung province’s City Hall yesterday, was being broadcast live on Channel 5. The hall was full lottery enthusiasts and government officials when the attack happened. The attacker, later identified as…
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Landowners could face jail – Koh Samui ‘mystery tunnel’ case
PHOTOS: Manager Online Koh Samui authorities are planning to pursue a case against the landowners on either side of a tunnel that was allegedly constructed without permission. The tunnel connects the beach at Ban Tai with a private road and undeveloped piece of forest land two hundred metres from the island’s main ring road in the Mae Nam district. It was earlier…
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Thai Airways hope to clear backlog of stranded passengers over weekend
PHOTOS: EPA-EFE Around 2,000 passengers were still stranded at Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday as the national airline struggled to clear the backlog caused by Pakistan closing its airspace due to rising tensions with India. Thai Airways has been trying to transport the stranded passengers to their destinations ‘as quickly as possible’ according to Thai Airways president Sumeth Damrongchaitham. More than 4,000…
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Thai Airways says it will stick to ‘rehabilitation plan’ despite 11.6 billion baht loss in 2018
It hasn’t been a good week for Thai Airways as the national airline continues to fly passengers to their original destinations days after flights were cancelled and rescheduled due to Pakistan airspace closures. Even yesterday Thai Airways was reporting a backlog of up to 2,000 passengers they were hoping to clear before the end of this weekend. Meanwhile, it emerged…
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Canadian motorbike driver killed in Phuket road accident
A female Canadian motorbike driver has died after her head was crushed under a truck’s wheels after trying to overtake a truck in Kata today. Karon Police were notified of the incident on Kata Hill at 11am. Police and emergency responders arrived to find the truck stopped on the road. Nearby they found a motorbike on top of the body…
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Wanted Russians walk into Pattaya immigration office
Two Russians wanted on an arrest warrant originating in Phuket have been found and arrested hiding in Pattaya. Immigration police had no trouble in locating 48 year old Artur Stotskii and 34 year old Iaroslav Scherobatyk. The pair made it very easy by showing up for visa extensions at the Chonburi Immigration Office on February 18. The January 16 arrest…
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Distraught 17 year old mother finds dead child by her side
PHOTO: Daily News Daily News report on the tragedy of a 17 year old mother who inadvertently suffocated her four month old child. The mother put her four month old son to sleep by her side in their room in Bo Win, Sri Racha, Chon Buri yesterday afternoon. He was lying on his front with his head to one side,…
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Sleeping woman’s lucky escape from a snake bite in Bangkok home – VIDEO
PHOTO: Screenshot from ‘นายช่าง อ้วนดำ’ Facebook A sleeping woman has narrowly escaped a snake bite in her Bangkok home this week. The video has been posted by a woman’s son with a message saying, “The incident has happened in my house this week.” The snake was identified as a python. “My mother has escaped from being bitten by a snake…
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Italian couple killed as truck rolls on top of them in Chumphon – VIDEO
PHOTO: Screenshot from Thai Rath’s video Two Italian tourists have been killed after an oil truck’s brakes allegedly failed coming down a hill. The truck overturned and rolled onto the pair in Chumphon. Workpoint News reports that the incident happened at an intersection in Paknam, Chumphon yesterday afternoon. Emergency responders arrived to find the overturned oil truck lying on the…
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Flight attendant alleges he was assaulted by Thai Airways captain
Thai Airways have ended up in the news again, for all the wrong reasons. Police in Chiang Mai report that a Thai Airways cabin attendant has filed a report claiming he was assaulted by the captain on his flight. But he says he doesn’t want to pursue a criminal conviction at this stage. He told police that he made the…
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