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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2 Chinese tourists injured after fight at bar in Chiang Mai
Two Chinese citizens were injured after two groups of Chinese tourists brawled at the end of a boxing match at a bar in Chiang Mai. The fight also caused a heavy backlog of traffic near Tha Phae Gate. Members of the Ruamlanna Chiang Mai Rescue Association rushed to the bar on Loi Kroh Road near Chiang Mai Old City after…
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Thailand promotes tourism with subsidies, vouchers nationwide
Thailand is promoting tourism by offering rate subsidies on hotels and food vouchers at participating businesses nationwide. According to Bangkok Post, the Thai Cabinet approved a budget of 3.95 billion baht to stimulate tourism, which includes 2.02 billion baht set aside for food-tour vouchers and room discounts of up to 40%. Under the government’s “We Travel Together” campaign, 560 hotel…
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Thai netizens predict lucky lottery numbers based on diamond eye cat
Thai netizens are predicting lucky lottery numbers based on an unusual cat with a diamond eye. TikTok clips that went viral today show the cat’s peculiar, piercingly bright left eye. Some netizens predicted lucky numbers for the February 1 lottery based on the TikTok user’s name, @user3026088746242. They have also predicted numbers associated with cats, mainly four, eight, and seven. Many…
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Should tourists in Thailand take a gamble on Poipet?
Poipet, a boomtown on the Khmer side of the Thai – Cambodian border, is known for two things: visa runs and gambling. Just 3.5 hours away from Bangkok, Poipet is popular with tourists looking to exit and reenter Thailand’s border to gain more time in the kingdom. Beyond the immigration office lies an otherwise unspectacular-looking urban municipality that transforms into…
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Cops nab Patong entertainment staffer allegedly selling cocaine to tourists
Cops nabbed a Patong entertainment staffer on Saturday who allegedly sold cocaine to tourists. Police patrolling the infamous party hotspot of Bangla Road received a tip-off from an anonymous entertainment venue operator that a staffer was selling cocaine to tourists on the road. The police then caught the staffer, 61 year old Rueng, reportedly with three bags of cocaine weighing 1.77…
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10,000 Bangkok taxis have adjusted meters to match recent rate hikes
Almost 10,000 Bangkok taxis have reportedly adjusted their meters to match recent rate hikes. The Department of Land Transport (DLT) made the announcement, saying that since Monday, January 16, taxis have been visiting the Krung Thep Aphiewat Central Terminal to have their metres adjusted. The taxi’s base fares have risen from 35 to 40 baht with drivers being required to…
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Leopard undergoes successful surgery in Thailand
Veterinarians successfully removed a large tumour from a leopard‘s face in Suphan Buri province in central Thailand yesterday. The big cat is recovering well from the surgery. Officials from the Bueng Chawak Non-Hunting Area reported that a 15 year old male leopard named Tree, weighing 51.5 kilogrammes, was operated on yesterday at the Bang Chawak Wildlife Management Centre. Tree was…
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Mother drowns in Pattaya pond where she previously ‘heard a voice’ (video)
A mother tragically drowned in a Pattaya pond on Monday night. The woman, 49 year old Amnuay Khemram, had gone into the pond twice in the past after she heard a voice telling her to walk into it, according to her son, 26 year old Thammarong Khemram. Thammarong said his mother went missing from their home at 11am on Monday.…
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Monkeys in central Thailand being trafficked abroad
A caretaker of the Khao Nor Temple in the central province of Nakhon Sawan urges authorities to investigate wildlife traffickers after the temple’s monkeys disappeared and over 50 tranquillizer darts were discovered in the area. Khao Nor Temple is a popular attraction among domestic tourists. Thais usually visit the area to climb the limestone mountain inside the temple and enjoy…
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One Iranian footballer sacked, another suspended, for supporting protesters
Iran’s Islamic Republic regime continues to harass footballers who dare to show solidarity with protesters screaming for freedom. One Iranian footballer has been sacked, and another suspended, for supporting protesters. The footballer who was sacked is 35 year old Voria Ghafouri, the now former captain of the Persian Gulf Pro League club Foolad. IranWire reported yesterday that Ghafouri was sacked…
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Security guard deceives and kidnaps 17 year old girl
Police are searching for a 51 year old security guard who deceived and kidnapped a 17 year old girl. Officers reported that they have managed to track the girl’s phone signal and believe they will make an arrest very soon. Nipa Pengpuang, the teenager’s aunt, sought assistance on social media after her niece went missing with a security guard she…
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Aussie visitors to Phuket reach almost 90% of pre-Covid level
The number of Australians visiting Phuket has reached almost 90% of pre-pandemic levels, according to Australian Consul-General to Phuket, Matthew Barclay. The news comes as Barclay met with Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew at Provincial Hall. Barclay told the Phuket News… “It’s clear that 2023 will be a significant year for Phuket. The meeting was a great opportunity to discuss the…
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Sawasdee by AoT app adding e-payment, calendar
The “Sawasdee by AoT” app is continuing to grow, with new features stretching outside the scope of airports. Sky ICT, an aviation technology firm, announced that it will be adding an e-payment feature to the app by April. Sawasdee by AoT now includes 64 active features and growing. Coming next? The payment feature and tourism calendars for different popular regions.…
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Thailand Film Office reports record-breaking year for Thai movie industry
The Thailand Film Office (TFO) reported 2022 was a record-breaking year for the Thai movie industry despite a sluggish start to the new calendar year because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The TFO compiled a list of impressive statistics for filming foreign movies in the Land of Smiles for 2022. It recorded that film crews shot 348 different types of movies…
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Bidding method for train station redesign project inappropriate
An investigation into the 33-million-baht redesign project for Bang Sue Grand Station revealed that the selection method to choose a nameplate and logo designer was inappropriate. The probe, headed by Sorapong Paithoonpong, a deputy interior permanent secretary, revealed its findings yesterday. After His Royal Majesty King Vajiralongkorn decided to rename the station “Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal” in September last…
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Lifeguards save foreign tourist from drowning in Pattaya
Tragedy was avoided on Jomtien beach in Pattaya, eastern Thailand, yesterday thanks to the expert skills of Pattaya City lifeguards who acted quickly to save a foreign tourist from drowning. At 3pm, the Sawang Boon Rescue Foundation was informed that a foreign tourist was dragged out of the sea unconscious near the entrance of Soi 16 at Jomtien Beach in…
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Over 158,000 tourists in Phuket for Chinese New Year, officials say
Thai tourism officials say the Chinese New Year Festival drew over 158,000 tourists to the holiday paradise of Phuket. From January 21-22, the festival drew 158,414 Thai and foreign tourists to Phuket, said the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket Office director Nanthasiri Ronnasiri. Nanthasiri said the festival generated at least 2.6 billion baht, Thai media reported. Over the two…
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Thieves steal 27 public defibrillators in Bangkok, Thailand
Thai news outlet Drama-addict reported that 27 public Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) dotted around the streets of Bangkok, Thailand, have been stolen. In total, 262 AEDs are stationed all around the city to be used to help people experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. AEDs are life-saving, yet easy-to-use medical devices that can analyse the heart’s rhythm and, if necessary, deliver an…
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Officials remove fence from Phuket beach following complaints
There’s been another incident involving a business allegedly encroaching on a Phuket beach. Officials removed a fence from Kamala Beach following several complaints that the fence encroached upon the beach. The business accused of encroaching on the beach is a beach bed operator. Law enforcement officers inspected the area where the operator was ordered to remove the fence from the…
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Porsche enthusiasts gather in Bangkok for Das Treffen
Porsche enthusiast Sihabutr ‘Tenn’ Xoomsai, and organiser of the seventh edition of Das Treffen, celebrated the largest gathering of Porsche models in Southeast Asia, in Bangkok, Thailand. Das Treffen, meaning “The Meeting” in German, brings together not only all the generations of Porsche cars but also every generation of sports car enthusiasts. From those who swear by air-cooled models to…
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Chem-Dry announces Thailand master franchise availability
Press Release After more than 20 years., Chem-Dry’s master franchise holders in Thailand are ready to sell, creating a rare entrepreneurial opportunity in a market ripe for solid growth. This opportunity represents a unique investment for entrepreneurs looking to start or expand their business portfolio and tap into the rapidly growing cleaning industry in Thailand. Brothers David and Richard Arell…
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Thailand VIP packages offered on Chinese e-commerce platform Taobao
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) insists no VIP service packages or fast passes have been made available for purchase in China despite a Thai travel blogger revealing that those services and elite visas are indeed available to buy on the Chinese e-commerce platform Taobao. Thai police are already under fire over the scandalous video of three police officers escorting…
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Mass shootings in the US this year up to 70 (video)
The total number of killings in mass shootings in the United States this year is 70 and the month of January still has a week to go. California is currently wrestling with the aftermath of two consecutive mass shootings, the latest shooting saw a man kill seven ex-colleagues in Half Moon Bay, a coastal city south of San Francisco. The…
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Thief leaves an apology note in Chiang Mai, Thailand
A thief stole over 12,000 baht from an electrical appliances store in Chiang Mai province in northern Thailand on Sunday morning and left behind a note apologising for his crime. CCTV footage captures a masked assailant, a man estimated to be around 30 years old, breaking into an electrical appliance store next to Wat Tha Mai-i Temple in Chiang Mai’s…
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12 year old girl abused and abandoned by family in Isaan
A 12 year old girl physically abused by her stepfather and grandparents was left abandoned on a roadside in the Isaan province of Nong Bua Lamphu. Fortunately, a warm-hearted local took pity on the girl and helped to find her aunt. Rattiya Anusuriya found the abandoned 12 year old alone and shivering in front of her house in the Na…
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Thai Vietjet to launch direct flight from Chiang Mai to Osaka
Direct flights between Chiang Mai in northern Thailand and Osaka in Japan will take flight on February 16, 2023, operated by budget airline Thai Vietjet Air. Operated by an Airbus A321, the new route from Chiang Mai International Airport to Kansai International Airport will take five hours in total. To begin with, the route will run three times per week…
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Thai ladies don kimonos to pose among Himalayan cherry trees
Some Thai ladies really love to dress up, and some are even donning kimonos to pose for photos among Himalayan cherry trees. This trend comes as the trees are blooming in the Phu Lom Lo mountains in Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park, located in Thailand’s northeast province of Loei. Some Thais call the trees “Thai sakura trees.” One woman…
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Locals point out dangerous railway crossing in central Thailand
More than 50 people gathered to point out the dangers presented by a railway crossing in the Photaram district of Racha Buri province, central Thailand, this morning. Firstly, the crossing has no automatic barriers or lights to warn cars or pedestrians when a train is coming. Secondly, the “slope” up to the crossing is so poorly constructed that even pickup…
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More European tourists than Chinese in Hua Hin, officials say
More European tourists are making their way back to Thailand’s coastal paradise of Hua Hin than Chinese tourists, according to officials. The vice president of the Thai Hotel Association said most of Hua Hin’s tourists are European, from Scandinavia, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, and Germany. The vice president, Udom Srimahachota, said the number of foreign tourists is expected to rise…
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SRT plans to buy new train engines after viral video reveals new station swirling in smoke
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) announced plans to buy new engines for its trains after a viral video showed Bangkok’s new central train station swirling with smoke and air pollution. Banpong Station’s YouTube channel released a video on Thursday, January 19 of the new Bangkok Aphiwat Central Station full of smoke. The video caption said… “The first express train…
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