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.
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Many expats feel worried that their pre-existing health problems will stop them from getting insurance in a new country. This fear is common, especially when medical care can be expensive. But the good news is, some insurance, like the plans...
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All Phuket tsunami warning towers still working – Phuket DDPM
In the wake of the Palu tsunami in Sulawesi, many Phuketians have asked us to check if the island’s tsunami warning system is working. Good news. All 19 of Phuket’s tsunami warning towers are fully operational. Only a few of them had minor problems with their audio alarm, according to the Phuket DDPM Chief. Another Indonesian earthquake, this time a…
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Burmese man drowns trying to rescue monkey
Three male Myanmar citizens did the right thing and jumped into a lagoon in Koh Kaew last night trying to rescue a monkey. But one of them drowned during his efforts to save the distressed monkey. Kusoldarm rescue divers were notified that a man had drowned at the lagoon in about 6pm. 38 year old U Mae Au, a Burmese…
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Tourism operators appeal indefinite closure of Maya Bay
by Sitthichai Sikhawat The indefinite closure of Koh Phi Phi Ley’s Maya Bay is causing ripples of concern through the island’s tourism associations, operators and beyond. The Krabi Tourism Association president Wattana Rerngsamut is appealing the indefinite closure in an order listed in the Royal Gazette on Monday and made public on Tuesday. The move will severely affect the tourism…
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Warning for horny pachyderms in Phetchaburi
Sanook reports that the head of the Kaeng Krachan national park in Phetchaburi is warning us to take care after a video showing an elephant in ‘musth’. An elephant in musth can have up to six times greater reproductive hormones running through their veins. According to the national park chief, elephants can become dangerous to their own kind as well as…
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Nigerian and Thai arrested over romance scam
Police have arrested a Thai woman and a Nigerian man for having allegedly deceived at least three Thai women to transfer them some 444,900 baht in a romance scam. The new immigration police chief Maj Gen Surachet Hakpal told a press conference on Wednesday that 41 year old Chigozie Orisakwe and 37 year old and Panhathai Chermchan were arrested under…
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Najib’s wife arrested, to be charged with money laundering – Malaysia
Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, the wife of the former Malaysian PM, Najib Tun Razak, has been arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). According to her lawyers, she was arrested at 3.20pm while giving a statement at the headquarters of the MACC. It has been learnt that the wife of the former prime minister will be charged with money laundering…
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Five vehicles involved in Krabi traffic light pile up
A driver has escaped serious injury after colliding with other vehicles at a traffic light in Krabi today, setting off a chain of other damage to the cars in front The Krabi City Police were notified of the incident at an intersection on Petkasem Road in Krabi City about midday. Police and rescue workers arrived at the scene to find…
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Crocodile farms in Krabi checked after wandering croc captured
Officials from the Krabi Fisheries Office have checked crocodile farms around Krabi after locals caught a two metre crocodile in a mangrove forest in Klongtom this week, while another crocodile has been sighted in the same area. Read more about the crocodile being caught by locals HERE. Officials from Krabi Fisheries Office yesterday checked a crocodile farm owned by Nikorn Piwon…
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An earthquake, a tsunami, now a bubbling volcano – Sulawesi
PHOTO: North Sulawesi’s Mt Soputan erupts, status raised to Level 3’Alert’ – The Jakarta Post Mount Soputan in North Sulawesi’s Minahasa regency is emitting a 4 kilometre high plume of ash this . It started at 8:47 am local time, or 7:47 am. Jakarta time, prompting authorities to raise the volcano’s status to a Level 3 of the national four-level volcano alert system. Mount…
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Sunhemp in bloom at Rajabhat University
Phuket’s Rajabhat University is holding a Sunhemp Blooming event until the end of today. It started on Monday. President of Agricultural Resources for Tourism Management, Khun Kanokwan Kaewuthai, says, “We are attracting attention to local tourism with some of our agricultural resources by integrating knowledge, tourism, agricultural business, marketing and public relations.” “We are also supporting our student to practice…
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Thaiger Radio News – Wednesday
Listen to the daily news from The Thaiger, anytime, anywhere…
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Thousands of children among survivors desperate for aid – Sulawesi
PHOTO: VOA News “Survivors are also stepping forward on their own to retrieve bodies trapped under soil.” Tens of thousands of children are in an “extremely precarious” condition in the wake of last Friday’s earthquake on Sulawesi island, eastern Indonesia, even as survivors grow desperate for aid and fears mount that the death toll could rise further. Four days after…
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Maya Bay’s long road to recovery
by Kornrawee Panyasuppakun and The Thaiger Phi Phi tour operators are crying foul and seeking assistance from authorities after the local tourist magnet, Maya Bay has been declared ‘closed indefinitely’ pending further rehabilitation of the corals around the bay. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) is extending the closure of Maya Bay’s Had Nopparat Tara-Mu Koh Phi…
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Phuket Governor inspects flash flood and landslide areas along the coast
Phuket’s new Governor Pakkapong Tawipat, just two days into the job, yesterday visited Kamala and Patong to survey the damaged areas after the torrential rain storm, flash floods and landslides. Parts of Phuket’s west coast were awash yesterday with localised torrential rain. The rain came from a concentrated rain cell that sat over a ten kilometre stretch, drenching Kamala all…
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Violent tuk-tuk driver faces charges over incident at Chiang Mai airport – VIDEO
A tuk-tuk driver who led a blockade of a Grab taxi at Chiang Mai International Airport on Monday has no public-transport driving licence and will face several charges following the incident, which was exposed by a foreign visitor. The Chiang Mai Land Transport Office and the Chiang Mai police head office met today to plan legal actions after @Winston Vaduz…
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Maya Bay, closed until further notice – VIDEO
Koh Phi Phi’s iconic Maya Bay is now being closed until national park officials see some better signs of recovery in the damaged eco-system. Tim Newton reports… https://www.facebook.com/thethaigernews/videos/555881841529943/
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No happy endings for two massage parlours in Phang Nga
PHOTOS: Sanook Phang Nga district officials and the military have raided two establishments in the Lamken sub-district over the weekend after complaints of noise and the the businesses selling ‘sex’. The first business was called ‘Nang Fa’ (Angel) and was found to have seven staff including one Laotian national whose work permit had expired. The owner ‘Thayarat’ was busted for flouting…
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Torrential rain dogs west coast of Phuket this morning
VIDEOS/PHOTOS: Nicky Phukettour / Traffic police / Jao Blue Car 2299 – Newshawk Phuket Parts of Phuket’s west coast were awash this morning with torrential rain. The rain came from a small rain cell that sat over an area along the coast between Patong and Kamala, drenching Kamala, southern Patong, Kalim and the coastal road for over an hour between 11am and midday.…
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Maya Bay closed indefinitely
Maya Bay is to remain closed indefinietly. The four month closure of Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi has failed to restore the beach area as anticipated. So the national parks authority has issued a letter extending the closure of the bay. Sanook is reporting that no date has been announced when the famous bay would be re-opened again to…
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One dead in Phoenix boat salvage operations
The salvage operations for the ‘Phoenix’ have become mired in poor arrangements and unsuitable weather since operations began several months ago. Now, one person has died during the operations. On September 29, around noon, 37 year old Nipat ‘Jos’ Gladnak died during the salvage operation. It’s reported that Khun Nipat fainted whilst standing at the back of the salvage boat.…
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Phuket police hunting for a suspect in alleged rape attack
PHOTOS: Sakkarin Somboon / Newshawk Phuket Phuket police are hunting for a suspect in an alleged rape. Police are hoping someone can identify the published photo. A video clip of the man, who followed two women into a room and thenrunning out of the room, has become viral on social media since September 30. Victims say that the suspect was…
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Villager missing following flash floods south of Surat Thani
FILE PHOTO A villager has been swept away by strong currents after trying to escape from his house during flash floods in Surat Thani’s Phra Saeng district. The area is two hours drive, north of Phuket. The man remains missing as of this morning. Rescue officers and villagers searched for 55 year old Arunrat Phetcharat for over six hours until…
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Thaiger Radio News – Tuesday
Listen to the daily news from The Thaiger, anytime, anywhere…
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Thanathorn says he’s ready to be the next Thai PM
PHOTO: Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit “Thanathorn added that he would not talk to Prayut while he was head of the junta.” The Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit says he’s ready to become the next Thai PM and highlighted the campaign “Thailand 2X” that promotes equality among Thais and to make the country fit to compete with others. The…
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‘Don’t break the law in Pattaya, or else” – Pattaya police chief
Pattaya’s police chief Pol Col Apichai Krobpetch has a clear warning directed at criminals intent on committing crime against tourists in the infamous coastal city. “We will arrest you. You can be sure of that.” The chief had his photo taken with a tourist who had the seat of her scooted forced open by two Thais who stole a bag…
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No tips and a crackdown on visa agents – Surachete takes over Immigration top job
Thailand’s famous crime buster Surachete Hakparn, aka “Big Joke”, has been welcomed to his new job as head of Thai immigration during a ceremony this afternoon. He kicked off with some tough words, promising action against visa agent rip-offs and officers under his new command. Thai Rath reports that he says he’s determined to stamp out ‘paper bags’ and that…
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New Phuket governors and a bad case of deja vu
OPINION “Andrea Kotas Tammathin, who is to be officially appointed as Switzerland’s honorary consul for Phuket on Friday… Mrs Tammathin will be joining a group of honorary consuls from Europe who have asked questions for the past two years about scams among jet-ski operators on Patong beach and the continuing high fares demanded by Phuket tuk-tuk and taxi drivers.” –…
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Two metre crocodile caught in Krabi
A two metre crocodile has been caught in a mangrove forest in Klongtom, Krabi whilst another crocodile was sighted last night. Officials from the Krabi Provincial Fisheries Office arrived at the area after being notified by locals that a crocodile has been caught. The crocodile was 1.8 metres and 30 kilograms, female and in good health. 36 year old Noppohn…
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Phuket’s underwater neighborhood gets a pre-high season clean
More than 300 volunteers, including divers and local volunteers, joined the cleaning activities held yesterday around Phuket. Rawai Mayor Arron Solos says, “There are many beautiful diving points in the Andaman Sea. In addition, from May to October every year, it is the monsoon season or ‘Green Season’ which can cause some strong wind and waves.” “Garbage and broken fishing…
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‘Charm Offensive’ awaits at Don Mueang for Chinese passengers
Knee-jerk reaction #48. The Tourist Police Bureau have dispatched a team of officers to attend to passengers, especially Chinese passengers, at Don Mueang International Airport. More Chinese tourist arrivals are expected to arrive for their Golden Week holiday starting today. The Deputy Commissioner of the Tourist Police Bureau, Pol. Maj. Gen. Surachete Hakparn, says additional police officers have been deployed…
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