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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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Sponsored Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run
Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...
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Tourism set to rise 18% for this year’s Songkran
Songkran is on the way. That means water fights in the main tourist destinations around the country and Thais fleeing the cities and work locations to head back to their homes ‘upcountry’. With the official Songkran break starting on a Wednesday this year you can be assured that many will take the Monday and Tuesday off in that week and…
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More wi-fi hotspots and ‘tourist tags’ – Phuket Smart City
Phuket will increase the number of hotspots for free Wi-Fi Internet connection to 1,000 around the island as part of its ambition to turn the island into a “smart city”, according to Thailand’s digital economy minister. The province may also develop an electronic wristband system for foreign tourists so their identity and location would be known in case of untoward…
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Now, a SEVEN metre python!
A video posted on YouTube shows Pathum Thani snake catchers round up a seven metre long, almost 100 kilogram, python from near the yard of a PTT gas depot in Khlong Luang district, just north of Bangkok. Amnat Saengsawang said it was the biggest snake he has captured in 30 years of doing the job. Click to watch the video…
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Phuket public transport service centre kicks off
The central pillar of Phuket public transportation was launched yesterday (March 16) at the Phuket Bus Terminal 2 on Thepkassatri Road, aiming to become a one-stop-shop where people can call for car taxis and motorbike taxis. The automatic system to call for taxi services is expected to help solve problems relating to taxi fees and service standards as well as…
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7-11 rolling out facial recognition in its 11,000 Thai stores
Smile, you’re on camera. Your friendly, neighbourhood convenience store, 7-Eleven store is rolling out facial recognition technology. The Japanese-owned franchise has 11,000 stores in Thailand. The convenience store chain says they’ll will roll out the technology in a number of different ways, including to identify regular and loyal customers, monitor stock levels of products and better analyse customer traffic trends.…
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Russian tour bus crashes in Krabi
A tour bus transporting 36 Russian tourists crashed this morning (March 16) after trying to avoid a motorcycle, which cut in front of it abruptly, according to the driver. After avoiding the motorbike, the bus crashed into a tree on the side of the road in Krabi. Police found that it has fallen into a 1 metre drain and its…
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Porsche Panamera blaze during battery charge
A 10 million baht Porsche Panamera caught fire while its battery was recharging in Bangkok’s Taling Chan district early Friday and the flames also damaged the owner’s luxury home. Police and firefighters were summoned at 6.30am and arrived to find the sports car already engulfed and fire in the living room of the house. After the blaze was extinguished, homeowner…
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‘Future Forward’ take their first steps
By Wasamon Audjarint With a promise of inclusive democracy to resurrect politics from its “lost decade”, the young-blood Future Forward Party was launched yesterday. Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, a scion of the Thai Summit business family, and law academic Piyabutr Saengkanokkul yesterday launched the party at a “Drinking Coffee with Thanathorn and Friends” event, ostensibly named to circumvent the junta’s ban on…
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Fatties in Thai Business Class? Mai dai!
Passengers intending to fly business class on Thai Airways’ new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft will have to first pass the waist test (that’s ‘waist’ not ‘waste’!). Flight Lieutenant Pratthana Pattanasirim, THAI’s director of security and flight standard division, says that a passenger with waist bigger than 56 inches (142 cm) cannot fly business class on the fleet’s Boeing 787-9 aircraft.…
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Another drug courier arrested at Phuket Gateway
A 41 year old from Nakhon Si Thammarat, Yuthana Ponsud, has been arrested yesterday (March 14) at the Phuket Gateway at Thachatchai Checkpoint while carrying 1,957 amphetamine pills with a street value of 350,000 baht, to Phuket. The police at the gateway found him during a routine search of a Trang to Phuket bus. He seemed suspicious so police asked…
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Boat sinks off Maithon Island. Burmese man drowns.
A fishing boat sank after its anchor was stuck in a reef near Maithon Island three days ago (March 13), a Burmese fisherman downed in the incident. Phuket Marine Police received a report that a fishing boat ‘Chok Ubon’ sank at the north side of Maithon Island before another fishing boat came to their rescue and found a 38 year…
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Over 100 nationwide arrests of ‘dark skinned’ illegals
The Tourist Police headed by “Big Joke” Surachet Hakpal have made their strongest statement yet about their intention to clear out illegals and over-stayers. Many of their targets are referred to as “dark skinned”. The Tourist Police Bureau have produced a five minute video outlining their prior actions and future courses of action. https://www.facebook.com/1155TPB/videos/561865057514267/ The video features Surachet – the…
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THAIGER TODAY Thursday, March 15
Dog and cat registration may become compulsory | Premchai shows up to acknowledge charges | ONE…BIG…SNAKE | BKK Japanese restaurants reject fish from Fukushima | Mercedes invests in local electric car plant | Thanathorn’s new ‘Future’ party launched this morning.
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21 year old arrested over assault on 82 year old following Facebook campaign
A young motorcyclist surrendered to police last night (Wednesday) evening following a Facebook campaign, which saw a reward of 60,000 baht being raised for his arrest, after he was recorded on video kicking and hitting an elderly man in Bangkok. 21 year old Narathorn Sodetiyung reportedly admitted that he had assaulted 82 year old Jaroon Maneephan after the latter knocked…
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Monster python caught and released in Nakhon Si Thammarat
Snake catchers in Nakorn Sri Thammarat have caught a monster python. The reptile was 5.5 meters long and weighed 100 kilograms. It took ten people to hold it for the video. As you can see the python wasn’t too happy about being in the selfie. It was spotted by a rubber worker who saw it curled up by a termite…
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Pet registration on the way
It looks like Thailand is going to get tough on people who abandon their pets and also provide better control for disease outbreaks like the current Rabies infections around the Kingdom. New laws are being proposed that will require pet owners to register and microchip their animals. This is common practice in most western countries and allows lost animals to…
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Phuket drugs dealer arrested
A 42 year old local woman, Wattanee ‘Nong’ Hansamut, has been arrested with 5,043 amphetamine pills and 666.40 grams of methamphetamine, which are worth about 2 million Baht on the street. Wichit Police received a report on March 11 that Wattanee, who lives in the Phuket Villa Suanluang house project, was taking and selling drugs to small retailers in Phuket.…
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Only a tiny fraction of BKK pets registered as being vaccinated against Rabies
Only 5,193 of Bangkok’s 1.136 million stray and pet dogs and cats are registered as having been vaccinated against rabies, a senior Agriculture Ministry official said this morning (Wednesday). Ministry spokesman and inspector-general Sorawit Thanito said only 6,233 pet cats and dogs were registered with authorities in the capital and 1,266 of them had been sterilised. But most owners by…
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THAIGER TODAY Wednesday, March 14
Rabies situation ‘under control’ | Motorbike driver lucky to walk away from accident | No toilets at tsunami museum | BKK motor tollways free over Songkran | Prosecution case ready over Toyota Thai Football League match-fixing | FBI attempts to interview ‘sex-therapist’ couple who ‘know things’ | Indian man and Thai accomplice arrested over visa scam.
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Pattaya police on the hunt for ‘amorous couple’
Tourist police are trying to locate and take legal action against a foreign couple who were caught on video having sex on Dong Tan beach in Pattaya City. The couple appear in a 31 second clip that was taken at 8am on Sunday and widely shared on social networks. The video shows an unidentified man, who looks like a westerner,…
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Kratom delivery kills two
A car transporting Kratom leaves crashed into an innocent pedestrian then careered into a drain, killing both victim and driver this morning (March 13) in Krabi Province. A 31 year old man from Sadao, Songkhla, Kusol Kaewrattana, lost control of his Toyota Fortuner that was transporting 30 sacks of Kratom leaves and crashed into 68 year old Lek Sae-Iew, who…
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Tourist facilities lacking at Khao Lak tsunami museum
By Another Ngandee Tourists are still visiting the tsunami memorial monument and museum at Khao Lak beach in Phang Nga’s Takua Pa district 13 years after the event, but there is no toilet facilities to serve them, a tourist guide has complained. The guide posted on her Facebook wall that she took 11 Japanese tourists to visit the monument, which is situated…
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Green sea turtle exhausted after laying eggs
Mu Ko Similan National Park officers rescued a mother green sea turtle who laid eggs earlier on Nui Beach but was too exhausted to walk back to the sea. The Chief of Mu Ko similan National Park, Ruamsin Manajongprasert, said that the national park officers of Miang Island received a report from a tour guide that some tourists found a…
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More wastewater outlets flowing into sea at Krabi
Can we allow this wastewater to keep flowing into our beaches? Krabi video footage from Karl Vandenhove. https://www.facebook.com/phuketgazette/videos/1642758232468665/
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THAIGER TODAY Tuesday, March 13
National ban on darts boards | Premchai denied postponement to acknowledge his bribery charges | Daring escape by pick-up in Rayong | Air pollution returns to Bangkok | Boat sinks off Krabi | Disability campaigner threatens to sue BTS and BKK Authorities | Police nab a pick-up with 1,800 kg of beef; that’s one BIG BBQ!!
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“Labels Out For Autism Campaign”. Monday, April 2.
World Autism Day, April 2, 2018, wear your “Labels Out For Autism Campaign” On Monday, April 2, 2018, join The Thaiger, KIS Phuket and NP Graphics and Photography in celebrating the individuals on World Autism Awareness Day and raising autism awareness in Phuket. Simply bare your label and wear your shirt inside out for one day, to show we all understand…
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Banned! Dart board ban now in effect across Thailand. Bars urged to get boards registered.
Thailand’s ban on bars and entertainment venues allowing punters to play darts is now in affect nationwide. In January, officials in Pattaya raided bars along Soi 6 to confiscate the ‘illegal’ dart boards.Bar owners and staff were told that venues must now have a dart board license if they wanted to be able to allow customers to play the popular…
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Yacht sunk off Railay Beach
A yacht was found sunk at Railay Bay, Ao Nang, Krabi yesterday (Monday). The cause is believed to be a leak while left at anchor. No reports of anyone injured or missing. The Chief of Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, Worapot Lomli, received a report about the incident and ordered officers to head to the sunken yacht…
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500kg of garbage washed onto national park beach every day
From 400 to 500 kilograms of garbage had been washed by waves onto a beach on Koh Rung in the Mu Koh Chang National Park in Trat each morning during the past week, the park chief said today (Monday). Kosit Nilrat said he had assigned 17 officials to clean up the beach at Ao Bor of Koh Rung every morning…
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Half-sunken garbage barge threatens Phi Phi beaches
The owner of a sinking garbage boat near Koh Phi Phi in Krabi has been told by harbour officials today (Monday) to fix it as quickly as possible amid fears it would pollute the water. The boat, Chachandee, which measures 23 x 4 metres, slipped off its anchor at a bay in front of Koh Phi Phi in Tambon Ao…
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