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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.

  • Belgian man turns to garbage collecting to be with Thai boyfriend | Thaiger

    Belgian man turns to garbage collecting to be with Thai boyfriend

    A Belgian man spotted collecting garbage on the roadside in Sara Buri province in central Thailand told reporters he is trying to make money so he can stay with and support his Thai boyfriend. Yesterday, reporters happened to come across a 61 year old man, of Belgian nationality, collecting bottles and leaves on the side of the Asian Highway, reports…

  • Gunman kills 10 in shooting at California dance studio | Thaiger

    Gunman kills 10 in shooting at California dance studio

    A gunman killed 10 people in a shooting at a California dance studio on Saturday night. The gunman, 72 year old Huu Can Tran, also injured another 10 people after opening fire in the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park, located in Los Angeles County. LA County Sherrif Robert Luna did not have the victims’ exact ages, but said…

  • Pad Thai in top 5 most requested meals by US foodies | Thaiger

    Pad Thai in top 5 most requested meals by US foodies

    A recent survey revealed that the popular Thailand dish pad Thai is the fourth most-requested meal by US foodies. US food delivery platform Grubhub announced the result of its top food ordering trends in its report “2022 Delivered: A Year of Takeout Wrapped in Layers of Comfort,” and pad Thai ranked the fourth most–delivered dish to the doorsteps of hungry…

  • British woman who fell from KPN balcony goes home | Thaiger

    British woman who fell from KPN balcony goes home

    The British woman who fell from a hotel balcony while on holiday on Koh Pha Ngan returned home to the UK after a successful fundraiser brought in £75,000 (3 million baht, US$100,000) in donations. Maddi Neale-Shankster, 21, was on a three-week trip to Thailand with her partner when she fell from the second floor of her accommodation on New Year’s Eve.…

  • Freerunning Frenchmen warned by police after thrillseeking exploits in Thailand | Thaiger

    Freerunning Frenchmen warned by police after thrillseeking exploits in Thailand

    Police warned five thrill-seeking Frenchmen that they face fines and time in prison if they are caught freerunning on residential buildings in Thailand. Trang Provincial Police received complaints from locals yesterday of the Frenchmen, aged between 25 and 30, filming their freerunning (also known as parkour) exploits over eight residential buildings in the southern province of Trang. Residents told police…

  • Illegal poachers shoot and kill Chon Buri forest ranger | Thaiger

    Illegal poachers shoot and kill Chon Buri forest ranger

    Illegal poachers shot and killed a Chon Buri forest ranger in the Sri Racha district on Thursday night. A group of 14 rangers came across the poachers while on a routine patrol in the Khao Khiao-Khao Chomphu Wildlife Sanctuary. The rangers attempted to arrest the poachers, and the poachers then started shooting at them, leading to a gunfight. One of…

  • British diver dies in mysterious circumstances on Thailand’s Koh Tao | Thaiger

    British diver dies in mysterious circumstances on Thailand’s Koh Tao

    A British man was found dead on Thailand‘s notorious Koh Tao – also known as Death Island – on Wednesday. The circumstances around his death are a mystery. The body of 48 year old diving instructor Neil Giblin, from Birmingham, UK, was found dead in his rented bungalow on the island after he failed to turn up to a diving…

  • Govt to give away 100 million free rubber johnnies to Thailand’s sexually active | Thaiger

    Govt to give away 100 million free rubber johnnies to Thailand’s sexually active

    In a bid to crackdown on unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, and HIV, the government is giving away free rubber johnnies to holders of the 30 baht universal healthcare card. The National Health Security Office (NHSO) intends to distribute about 100 million condoms to sexually active holders of 30 baht universal healthcare cards. NHSO Secretary-General Dr Chadet Thammathat-aree made known…

  • Bangkok barber botches pawnshop job | Thaiger

    Bangkok barber botches pawnshop job

    Bangkok barber Phuttarak “Chang Tong” Nakaew was minding his own business in his shop last week when a police officer came calling, pretending to be a customer. The officer arrested Chang Tong in Bangkok’s Bang Khun Thian district after he’d finished cutting his hair. Sharp-eyed officers immediately seized a plastic revolver which the 40 year old used in an attempted…

  • Malware, not charging cable, to blame for phone hack | Thaiger

    Malware, not charging cable, to blame for phone hack

    A man’s Facebook post sparked controversy on social media after he reported that 101,560 baht (about US$3,300) had disappeared from his bank account while he was charging his phone at a public charging station. Many began to suspect that the charging cable had been tampered with to steal data from his device, leading to widespread concerns and panic. People vowed…

  • German tourist jumped suddenly from Krabi cliff | Thaiger

    German tourist jumped suddenly from Krabi cliff

    A German tourist visiting the Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park in southern Thailand was found dead after jumping from a cliff on a nature trail. The man, identified as Loo Kevin Andre, was reported to be suffering from depressive disorder and was being accompanied by park officials at the time of the incident. According to the…

  • 6 Elephants added to camp anticipating Chinese tourists | Thaiger

    6 Elephants added to camp anticipating Chinese tourists

    Chinese tourists are returning to Thailand, and with it, operators at elephant sanctuaries and shows are expecting a swell in customers. The Pang Chang Kamala Elephant Camp in Phuket has recently bought six new elephants to keep up with the rise in bookings after the Lunar New Year. The camp offers a variety of activities for the new tourists streaming…

  • Sex Workers Bill will protect Thailand’s most-exploited | Thaiger

    Sex Workers Bill will protect Thailand’s most-exploited

    Many thousands of Thais – mostly women – work their whole lives in the sex industry without legal protection. With nothing to shield them, they are exploited both directly and indirectly. The Sex Workers Bill sets out to remedy some of that. Operators use harsh methods to control their workers and ensure the money keeps rolling in. Owners of venues must…

  • Maiden Flydubai direct Pattaya flight arrives | Thaiger

    Maiden Flydubai direct Pattaya flight arrives

    The maiden direct flight from Dubai to Pattaya by Flydubai touched down at U-Tapao Airport in Chon Buri Province on Friday night, carrying 158 passengers. The passengers, including six bloggers, were greeted by U-Tapao Airport Director, Admiral Rapeepong Sowan, the vice mayor of Pattaya City and director of the Pattaya Office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). According to…

  • Police airport pick-up service delights Chinese tourists | Thaiger

    Police airport pick-up service delights Chinese tourists

    Nothing divides opinion in Thailand like Chinese tourists today. For the past few months, The Thaiger has run more stories about China and Chinese tourists than any other subject. Thailand’s public health minister says Chinese tourists won’t be discriminated against! Thailand prepares to welcome the infected tide of Chinese tourists! Chinese tourists expected to flock back to Phuket and Chiang…

  • Peace Corps return to Thailand Post-Covid | Thaiger

    Peace Corps return to Thailand Post-Covid

    On Friday, the Peace Corps in Thailand saw the return of 52 American volunteers, who will be serving alongside community members throughout the country. This marks the first time since the evacuation of volunteers in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The evacuation of volunteers in 2020 was a historical moment as it marked the first time in the…

  • Cheating Thai professors who research everything | Thaiger

    Cheating Thai professors who research everything

    When a student is caught cheating in an exam, the penalty, at the very least, is a failing grade. So when it became public recently that cheating Thai professors had bought their research papers, the student body, among many others, was eager to see what punishment would result. The Higher Education Ministry has told all universities to check the source…

  • Getting to Bangkok’s floating markets | Thaiger

    Getting to Bangkok’s floating markets

    Getting to Bangkok‘s floating markets just got a whole lot easier thanks to new feeder bus services from the MRT Blue Line to Bangkok’s four top floating markets. Bangkok’s floating markets might not be the capital’s biggest draw, but they are a must-see for almost every visitor to the city. Moreover, for those who live in the city, they are…

  • Google announces 12,000 layoffs amid new “economic reality” | Thaiger

    Google announces 12,000 layoffs amid new “economic reality”

    Google is cutting 12,000 jobs globally its parent company, Alphabet, announced yesterday. Like other tech titans in recent weeks, Google is laying off workers as it embarks on some large-scale restructuring. The announcement follows similar layoffs by other tech giants such as Microsoft, Meta (parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp), Amazon and Twitter, as the previously stable tech sector…

  • Flights from China over Chinese New Year average 34 daily | Thaiger

    Flights from China over Chinese New Year average 34 daily

    The skies above Thailand will be full of Chinese flights this week, with 240 scheduled flights over the Chinese New Year. The Aeronautical Radio of Thailand (Aerothai) announced that during the holiday period from January 19 to 25, an average of 34 flights per day are expected to arrive in Thailand from China. This is expected to bring a significant…

  • Alone for Chinese New Year? Consider a fake girlfriend | Thaiger

    Alone for Chinese New Year? Consider a fake girlfriend

    Pattaya bar enthusiasts might regularly hire a “fake girlfriend” for the night but, in Singapore, the concept has a more wholesome goal. As Chinese New Year approaches, singles in Singapore are opting for an unusual solution to avoid uncomfortable questions from relatives about their love lives: hiring fake girlfriends or boyfriends to accompany them to family gatherings. Rent-a-date platforms are…

  • China gives green light to Chinese tour groups | Thaiger

    China gives green light to Chinese tour groups

    China has lifted its restriction on group tours travelling to Thailand and 19 other countries. The reopening of tour groups officially started yesterday, marking a significant step towards normalising international travel for Chinese tourists. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism in China made the announcement yesterday. This move will officially allow tour agencies and online travel companies to begin booking…

  • Thai Ring Announcing and Fitness ft. Mark Abbott | Thaiger Podcast Ep.21 | Thaiger

    Thai Ring Announcing and Fitness ft. Mark Abbott | Thaiger Podcast Ep.21

    https://youtu.be/GSC0FR_Bm9Q Mark Abbott. Fitness Youtuber, MC, Combat sports, Ring announcer, and One of the Voices of the world-famous Muay Thai boxing venue, Lumpinee Stadium. Mark came to Thailand 17 years ago and is one of the top bilingual MCs and Fitness Youtubers in the country. We sit with him today to talk about his journey to becoming the voice of…

  • Exclusive Beachfront Property for Sale in Phuket | Twin Palms Residences Montazure | Thaiger

    Exclusive Beachfront Property for Sale in Phuket | Twin Palms Residences Montazure

    https://youtu.be/d1iBRg7RfkU Welcome to Twin Palms Residences Montazure in Kamala, Phuket, where luxury and serenity meet. Nestled on the picturesque Kamala beach, this exclusive beachfront condominium is the epitome of tropical living. This stunning condo boasts a spacious open floor plan with floor-to-ceiling windows that offer breathtaking ocean views. The condo features 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a private balcony. The…

  • Approval sought for 70 million baht junk boat-shaped skywalk in northeast Thailand | Thaiger

    Approval sought for 70 million baht junk boat-shaped skywalk in northeast Thailand

    Government officials in northeast Thailand are seeking approval for a 70 million baht budget for a new boat-shaped skywalk in the Isaan province of Sa Kaeo called the “Khao Chakan Skywalk.” The Khao Chakan Skywalk will be made of glass and made in the shape of a “junk” sailboat, a type of classical Chinese sailing ship used in Southeast Asian…

  • Chinese-Thais pack Bangkok road for ‘day for shopping’ | Thaiger

    Chinese-Thais pack Bangkok road for ‘day for shopping’

    Chinese-Thais packed one road in Bangkok today for ‘day for shopping,’ a day that comes two days before Chinese New Year. Bangkok’s Yaowarat Road is celebrating Chinese New Year until February 15, Nation Thailand reported. On ‘day for shopping,’ Chinese-Thais usually buy food and other offerings for deities and gifts for relatives. Tomorrow, Saturday, will be the ‘day to pay…

  • Police ordain as monks to pray for Thailand’s Princess Bajrakitiyabha | Thaiger

    Police ordain as monks to pray for Thailand’s Princess Bajrakitiyabha

    Police officers and local men ordained as monks at Bang Phlee Yai Klang Temple in Samut Prakan province near Bangkok yesterday to make merit and pray for the recovery of Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati. In total, 49 police officers and local men took part in the ordination ceremony. The group will observe 227 rules for monks outlined…

  • Driver hits and kills pedestrian on dimly lit Pattaya road | Thaiger

    Driver hits and kills pedestrian on dimly lit Pattaya road

    A driver hit and killed a pedestrian crossing a dimly lit Pattaya road on Wednesday night, in Thailand‘s latest road tragedy. Bang Lamung police arrived on the scene in front of Soi Bang Lamung 12 to find the victim, a 46 year old man named Paiboon Tongmo, dead on the road. The driver, 27 year old Sila Narinnok, was in…

  • Phuket police volunteer faces drunk driving charges | Thaiger

    Phuket police volunteer faces drunk driving charges

    A Phuket police volunteer faces drunk driving charges after he and a medical staffer collided on their motorbikes. The incident happened on Korsimbi Road near the Rang Hill in Talad Nuea market in Phuket’s main city district. Rescuers arrived on the scene to find both men injured, with their motorbikes damaged. One of the injured men was 52 year old…

  • Daughter who stole 250 million baht ordered to pay compensation | Thaiger

    Daughter who stole 250 million baht ordered to pay compensation

    The daughter who stole over 250 million baht from her sick mother in Thailand has been ordered to pay more than 200 million baht (US$6 million) in compensation to the bedridden woman. In the suit filed by Huay Sriwirat against her daughter Mawadee Sriwirat, The Phra Khanong Civil Court has ordered Mawadee, two Kasikornbank employees, and a Kasikornbank bank to…