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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Public hearings planned for bill to legalise transgender cohabitation
PHOTO: Coconuts BKK Public hearings are to be held in the capital and other provinces on November 12-16 to gauge opinions from stakeholders about the ‘partnership bill’. The Bill would, for the first time in Thailand, legalise the cohabitation of transgenders. In Bangkok the hearing will be held at the Miracle Hotel while in the provinces, hearings are to be…
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Thaiger Radio News – Tuesday
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Phoenix salvage team walks away from contract – police to take over
A private sector company has walked away from the contract to salvage the ‘Phoenix’ and bring it back to the surface after numerous failed attempts and two months of excuses why they were unable to resurface the vessel. The company continually complained about weather and strong currents despite many calm days during their fruitless two months of operations. They have…
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Central Floresta and overpass officially opened
The ‘soft’ opening for the new Central Floresta was on September 10. Now the new shopping centre has had its official endorsement. The Thai Minister of Transport yesterday officially opened the Central Floresta and walkway, linking Central Festival and Floresta. The opening ceremony was lheaded up by the Minister of Transport Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, the Phuket Governor Pakkapong Tawipat and Wallaya Chirathivat,…
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UPDATE: Investigation into Lion Air crash – one week later
A few key new facts have emerged in recent days as the search for the plane fuselage and the investigations continue… • Lion Air Flight 610 was intact with its engines running when it crashed at high speed into the Java Sea • Investigators have already determined that Flight 610 did not explode in the air and was in “good shape”…
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University Dean hands over iPad evidence in Chiang Mai upskirt case
by Thanakorn Wongnang A Chiang Mai University dean has turned over to police an iPad belonging to a former lecturer at the school who has been accused of using it last month to take photos beneath female students’ skirts. The lecturer has not been publicly named at this stage. It’s understood that Associate Professor Prapa Sukkasem, dean of the Faculty…
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Blacktip reef shark found dead in a bag at Maya Bay
National Park officers are investigating following the death of a blacktip reef shark found in a bag at Maya Bay at Koh Phi Phi Ley. A foreign dive instructor at Phi Phi Island posted a picture of a blacktip reef shark found dead inside a bag in a LINE group ‘Phi Phi Island news informs’ with a message reading “a…
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Man questioned over bestiality “club” in northern Thailand
PHOTO: The alleged organiser of the Bobo bestiality club (right) is interviewed by police at his home (Image by Watchdog Thailand, censored to comply with Thai law) A man who was allegedly running a bestiality “club” near the northern Thai capital of Chiang Mai has been questioned by police after an investigation lasting more than a year by animal rights…
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Thaiger Radio News – Monday
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The ‘war on drugs’ is a complete failure
Authorities are losing the war against methamphetamines – pills and crystal meth. The demand for both crystal meth and ‘yaba’ is escalating as is the production to meet the increasing demand. The much-publicised ‘Wars on Drugs’ being waged from time to time in south east asian countries are doing little dent the rising popularity and production of the drugs, whilst…
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Boats warned to avoid the area of the burnt out yacht
The Phuket Marine office is warning boats to be careful when going near the area where the ‘Emmjay’ yacht was destroyed after burins to its waterline on Saturday. The announcement states that, due to the ‘Emmjay’ yacht catching fire on Saturday afternoon while traveling between Koh Ngam and Koh Payu in Paklok, and later sinking, boats should be very careful…
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UPDATE: Man dies during Thai massage
Relevant authorities are investigating a massage parlour where a client died during a massage. The Health Establishment Bureau director Dr Pattarapon Jungsomjatepaisal said they are checking the business. “We will check if it is operating with a proper licence and if its masseur or masseuse is certified.” He noted that the victim’s wife has not filed a complaint with police…
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Cash for sea turtle eggs
by Pratch Rujivanrom Cash for spotting sea turtle nests. That’s the promise from national parks officers along the Andaman coast who are offering cash rewards for anyone who discovers sea turtle nests and notifies park officers. The innovative scheme is another attempt to protect the local endangered species from extinction. Marine National Park Operation Centre 2 in Phuket has announced…
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Event round-up November 2018
by The Sponsorship Experts, Paul Poole (South East Asia) The month kicks off with the last Spartan Thailand race of the year, held in Hua Hin on 3 November. Participants can choose between two different courses, the 21km Spartan Beast race with more than 30 obstacles designed to really push people to their limits, and the 5km Spartan Sprint race…
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Pattaya – Hua Hin ferry service back again for high season
PHOTO: Talk News The Pattaya – Hua Hin ferry service has started again for the high season. The Hua Hin deputy chief Chareewat Phramanee has confirmed that Royal Passenger Liner will operate a daily service again between Hua Hin and Pattaya during the high season. The service was suspended in September, with Royal Passenger Liner blaming the drop in numbers…
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7/11 to add laundry and dry-cleaning
PHOTO: Spring News 7/11 are rolling out another new service in Bangkok from this week. You’ll be able to get a raspberry slurpie, hot toastie and drop off your laundry and dry cleaning at the same time. The 24 hour service is expected to expand to the rest of the country’s 7/11 stores in the middle of 2019. Netizens have…
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Pattaya expat dies from injuries suffered during WBC Bangkok fight
SCREENSHOT: Christian Daghio fighting Don Parueang on October 26 – ทีเคโอ มวยโลก An Italian man, and former world champion in Muay Thai and boxing, has tragically died following a fight in Bangkok. Thai Visa reports that 49 year old Christian Daghio died on Friday in a Bangkok hospital after being put in a coma due to injuries suffered during a WBC Asia…
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Customer dies during Thai massage
Questions are being posed on social media, “how safe is a Thai massage?” Thai media is sharing the story after a video was posted of a Thai man who died while having a massage. “Ton”, the younger brother of the victim, explained what happened to Sanook. Ton says that his brother had been playing football with friends and suffered a twisted…
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Nine British passengers escape luxury yacht fire
PHOTOS: Newshawk Phuket / The Phuket PR Office. VIDEO: ออส สมทิพย์ A luxury yacht has been completely destroyed after catching fire north off Koh Ngam in Phang Nga Bay yesterday. Nine Bristish passengers were saved and unhurt in the incident. The Phuket Marine Police were notified by rescue workers that a boat had caught fire after being hit by lightning.…
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Thailand drops in English proficiency levels
English proficiency in Thailand is getting worse. The latest EF English Proficiency Index ranks Thailand in 64th place out of 88 countries, with an overall ranking of ‘low proficiency’. In 2017, Thailand ranked in 53rd place out of 80 countries and in 2011 Thailand was #42. The rating has been seesawing over the past six years but the trend has been…
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Luxury yacht completely destroyed by fire in Phang Nga Bay
VIDEOS: ออส สมทิพย์ / Newshawk Phuket A luxury yacht caught fire yesterday afternoon (Saturday) off Koh Ngam, near Laem Sai in Paklok on the north-east coast of Phuket in Phang Nga Bay. The white sloop, called ‘Emmjay’, was 51 feet in length. The fire started around 4.45pm. At this stage investigators believe it was hit by lightening, setting off the…
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900,000 meth pills and 3 kilos of ‘ice’ seized after brief shoot-out
Two suspected drug smugglers have been arrested at a Chiang Rai hotel following a short shootout with police. Police also seized 900,000 methamphetamine pills and three kilograms of crystal methamphetamine. Acting on a tip-off, a team of narcotics suppression police staked out at a border point in Ban Tham Phatong in Tambon Tha Sud in Chiang Rai’s Muang district. They…
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Some Thais finding it difficult to save
A survey commissioned by the Government Savings Bank has revealed that grassroots incomes in Thailand are too low for most Thais to make savings for the future. The survey indicates that people earning under 15,000 baht have a real struggle to survive. Only 32.2% made any saving at all. About 56% of that number put a little away each month. This…
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Rap raising debate in the lead up to February election
“As artists, we want to reflect the truth of the society we are living in under dictatorship,” a RAD member identified only as Hockhacker told The Nation Weekend. “Thailand seems to be caught in a loop of dictatorship. We want to voice what the majority cannot say directly. The lyrics were based on information we collected on social media, reflecting…
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Australia joins UK and USA with withdrawal of income verification
The Australian Embassy in Thailand has declared that from January 7, 2019 it will NOT witness Statutory Declarations for proof on income for Thai Visa extensions. Here’s the official announcement…
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Pattani mosque still a popular pilgrimage for Malaysians
32 were killed there 14 years ago in a Thai army attack. PHOTO: New Straits Times The Kresek mosque in Pattani, the locations where 32 suspected Muslim insurgents were killed in a stand-off 14 years ago, continues to be a popular place for visitors from Malaysia. This is reported in the New Straits Times of Malaysia. The mosque’s Imam, Zakaria…
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Narathiwat officials swing into action to combat deadly measles outbreak
by Narong Nuansakul The southern province of Narathiwat is stepping up vaccinations against measles as the disease has already claimed up to twelve lives in Yala and Pattani since June this year. A huge number of youngsters aged between one and five in Yala and Pattani have come down with measles in recent months, claiming the lives of 12 children.…
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Education Minister moves school tests to clear way for election
In another indication that the government is firming up the date of the next general election for February 24 next year, the Education Minister has formerly moved the date of the annual school and university-entrance aptitude tests back one week. The GAT/PAT (General Aptitude Test and Professional and Academic Aptitude Test) tests for pre-university students will be held one week…
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Thaiger Radio News – Saturday
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Bus driver and company charged after reckless driving in Krabi – VIDEO
A Krabi- Surat Thani driver and his bus company have been charged after a case of reckless driving being caught on video. The video clip of the reckless Krabi –Surat Thani bus driving on a road spread in social media during the week. The Krabi Land Transportation Office Chief Ronnakorn Songin contacted the bus driver to meet. The bus driver,…
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