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.
-
Sponsored Thailand vs. the West: What expats save on healthcare each year
Healthcare in Thailand is much cheaper than in Western countries, making it a great choice for expatriates looking for affordable medical care. Both public and private healthcare options offer high-quality services, with savings of up to 80% on procedures like...
-
Thai government extends free water and electricity services for another year
PHOTO: www.unsplash.com Thailand’s Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana says low-income households will continue to get free electricity and water for another year. The scheme, which assists poorer families, was due to expire at the end of this month. Under the plan, low-income households get up to 230 baht worth of electricity for free each month, along with 100 baht worth of…
-
Cafe Amazon brewing up a cup of coffee in China
PTT Oil and Retail Business, the owners of the Cafe Amazon brand, has opened its first branch in China. Their goal is to make the coffee chain a global brand, a sort of ‘Thai Starbucks’. The first Cafe Amazon outlet in China is located at a Sinopec petrol station in Nanning of Guangxi, in southern China on the Vietnamese border,…
-
Child injured in hit-and-run “ghost riding” motorbike incident in central Thailand
PHOTO: Workpoint News A 10 year old girl has been injured after a motorbike being ridden against the flow of traffic – a practice known as “ghost riding” – hit her and then drove off. The early morning incident took place in Samut Prakan province in central Thailand as the girl waited to cross the road. Facebook user Uthaiwan Permjit…
-
Thailand may lift ban on foreign investors for some innovation sectors
PHOTO: Marvin Meyer/Unsplash Thailand’s Commerce Ministry is considering whether to remove certain innovation-related businesses from the list of those open only to Thai citizens. The idea is being floated as a way of increasing foreign investment in Thailand, making the country a more attractive option for overseas companies. Deputy Director General of the Department of Business Development, Poonpong Naiyanapakorn says…
-
Not 12 billion baht, only 4.2 billion! Price tag for Army helicopters.
The Royal Thai Army has clarified spending on eight AH-6i light attack reconnaissance helicopters, weapons and associated equipment from the US, after it was claimed yesterday to have a price tag of 12 billion baht. The Army spokesman Colonel Winthai Suvaree called the media together to explain that it paid 4.2 billion baht for the eight helicopters and equipment from the…
-
Rent-a-crowd protesters in NYC weren’t Thai and didn’t know where Thailand was on a map
A small group of vocal protesters in New York, rallying in front of a hotel where the Thai PM was staying over the weekend, have been revealed to be Mexicans, Brazillians and Peruvians, not Thai. PM Prayut and his entourage were staying in the Plaza Athenee Hotel over the weekend and until Tuesday this week, attending events and UN Summits. Thai…
-
Google refuses to pay publishers in Europe for ‘snippets’ in their search engine
There is a lot of change to news, news aggregators and copyright issues regarding news in the headlines at the moment. And it maybe ‘headlines only’ that you’ll be seeing in parts of Europe when you search for news in the future. Google has been a target of publishes with some high-profile court cases insisting that Google’s use of a thumbnail…
-
Pattaya bin man suffers life-changing injuries after being crushed by speeding car
PHOTO: Sophone Cable/ThaiVisa A speeding car has caused catastrophic injury to a Pattaya garbage collector after smashing into him and pinning him against the back of his truck. Thanong Saengthong, aged 36, was rushed to Somdej Na Sriracha hospital following the accident, which happened early this morning in Chonburi’s Bang Lamung district. His left leg was so severely injured it…
-
Thai duty free giant King Power considers move into UK hotel industry
PHOTO: www.chillpainai.com The CEO of King Power, Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, says the group is considering a move into the hospitality sector in the UK. Speaking to the press yesterday, Aiyawatt says the idea comes at a time when property prices in the UK and Europe are dropping as a result of the global economic slowdown. “Our deal will be finalised next…
-
Thiều Bảo Trâm tâm huyết chỉnh ảnh vẫn bị “soi” du lịch Nhật Bản cùng Sơn Tùng
PHOTO: Bức ảnh giữ khoảng cách của Thiều Bảo Trâm và Sơn Tùng được fan ghi lại – kenh14.vn Thiều Bảo Trâm và Sơn Tùng mới đây lại bị fan ở Nhật Bản bắt gặp đang du lịch cùng nhau tại xứ sở hoa anh đào khiến nghi vấn tin đồn hẹn hò giữa hai ngôi sao càng thêm chắc chắn.…
-
Thai actor to end flood relief fundraising campaign
PHOTO: Bangkok Post Bin Bunluerit, the Thai actor who set up a fundraising campaign in the aftermath of floods that devastated parts of north-east Thailand, is calling time on his campaign. The well-intentioned operation has been dogged by allegations of misappropriation of funds, with local officials accused of charging a “paperwork fee” before distributing donations to flood victims. Bin has…
-
East Indonesian islands hit with strong 6.5 magnitude quake
“People were panicking and started to evacuate in some places, but we are trying to tell them there’s no need to panic because there’s no tsunami threat.” A strong 6.5-magnitude earthquake hit off the remote Maluku islands in eastern Indonesia but no tsunami warning was issued. The quake struck about 37 kilometres (23 miles) northeast of Ambon in Maluku province at…
-
Asian Development Bank drops growth forecast for Thailand
“The bank forecasts a slightly higher growth rate at 3.2% next year, due largely to infrastructure investment in the Eastern Economic Corridor.” The Asian Development Bank is lowering its growth forecast for Thailand’s economy from 3.9% to 3% but is optimistic that conditions will improve next year. “The bank forecasts a slightly higher growth rate at 3.2% next year, due…
-
Two flying lantern events in Chiang Mai for Loy Krathong get their permits revoked
PHOTO: Rove.me Chiang Mai’s City District Office has scrapped permits previously granted to organisers of two ‘sky lantern’ events that would have released a total of 5,000 flying lanterns during the upcoming Loy Krathong Festival, on November 11. The two events, one at the dinosaur-featuring Hidden Village Chiang Mai attraction and the other at the Royal Park Rajapruek in tambon…
-
China opens mega airport in Beijing ahead of country’s 70th anniversary
“China is expected to surpass the US to become the world’s biggest aviation market in the next couple of years.” by Poornima Weerasekara China’s President Xi Jinping has opened a futuristic new airport in Beijing, expected to become one of the busiest in the world. Xi declared the starfish-shaped airport open in brief remarks at a ceremony inside the huge terminal,…
-
Dam contaminated with heavy metals in Chachoengsao
PHOTO: Thai PBS World People living around a small dam in Khao Hin Sorn district of Chachoengsao, directly east of Bangkok, are being told to stop using water from the reservoir after it was discovered that it is contaminated with heavy metals. Officials of the Royal Irrigation Department took water and soil samples from the Royally-initiated reservoir for tests, which…
-
OPINION: It’s time to go – Brexit
by Gill Parker (The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the owners, staff or management of The Thaiger) Adios, Au revior, Auf wiedersehen, Ha dee and Addio Europe. Breaking up is hard to do but we’re outta here. Enough is enough. The British people voted to leave the European Union and that’s that. You can argue…
-
Cambodian man killed, 3 seriously injured in accident at Pattaya construction site
PHOTO: www.cne.wtf A Cambodian worker has been killed and three others seriously injured after scaffolding collapsed at a luxury condo construction site in Pattaya. The accident happened yesterday in Bang Lamung district and caused the four workers to plunge several stories to the ground. The workers were rushed to hospital, with the most seriously injured, a 20 year old man…
-
Convicted of murder, sentenced to death, now stripped of MP status
PHOTO: Nawat Tohcharoensuk MP “Nawat’s request for bail pending an appeal was refused. He was jailed immediately. Once bail was denied, he lost his status as an MP as per Sections 101 and 98 (6) of the Constitution.” A Pheu Thai MP for Khon Kaen in the north-east yesterday sentenced to death by the provincial court after being found guilty…
-
Thomas Cook demise will affect British tourism to Thailand for the rest of 2019
“British tourists have contribute between 900,000 – 1,000,000 tourists to Thailand annually for the past seven years.” The failure of the British Thomas Cook travel business will cut the numbers of arrivals from Britain to Thailand for the remainder of this year. Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand says they are also assessing a drop in northern-European…
-
OPINION: Well, here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into – Brexit
OPINION: David Skelcey, Thailand (The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the owners, staff or management of The Thaiger) Whether you are British or not, it will be hard to escape yesterday’s news that British Prime Minister Johnson has been dealt a massive blow by the UK’s highest court over his decision to suspend parliament. The…
-
British PM accepts ruling from Supreme Court but what does it mean?
PHOTO: Mr. Johnson just before speaking about today’s Supreme Court ruling, from New York – Getty “In constitutional terms, it means that the court’s powers to allow parliament to have its say are stronger than an order issued by Queen Elizabeth II.” by Dario Thurburn The British PM Boris Johnson says he disagrees with, but will respect the Supreme Court…
-
Patong Mayor hands out useless, cheap face-masks
In a shameless PR stunt, the Patong Mayor Chalermluck Kepsup yesterday wandered along the Patong Beach foreshore handing out ineffective cheap paper face masks to bemused locals and tourists. The beach-walk was in response to the current onset of poor air quality caused by by the intentionally-lit plantation fires on northern Indonesian islands. Whilst the local media took up the…
-
MP for Pheu Thai convicted of murder and sentenced to death
PHOTO: Pheu Thai MP for Khon Kaen, Nawat Tohcharoensuk, sentenced to death today The Khon Kaen provincial court has convicted a Pheu Thai MP for Khon Kaen, Nawat Tohcharoensuk, of masterminding the murder of a local official and sentenced him to death today. Six years ago, Suchart Khotethum, an assistant chief of the Khon Kaen provincial administrative organisation, was killed…
-
Boris and Donald meet in New York to discuss Brexit
“The Prime Minister emphasised that in order to secure a deal we will now need to see movement and flexibility from the EU.” British PM Boris Johnson has reiterated his call for “flexibility” from the EU in Brexit talks during a face-to-face meeting with Council President Donald Tusk in New York that failed to yield a breakthrough. Johnson and Tusk…
-
Top 10 things to do in Phuket when it rains (2020)
Phuket really only has two seasons – wet and dry. The wet season usually runs from April to November each year. And when it rains, it pours! But there’s still plenty to do on the island, rain or sunshine. Best of all it’s always going to be around 30 degrees so it’s not cold or unpleasant. A 20 baht plastic poncho…
-
“Philippines: Deadliest country in the world for land defenders” – Global Witness
“In July, the group said 30 killings in the Philippines last year made it the deadliest country in the world for land defenders – a first since the group began reporting such deaths in 2012. “ by Cecil Morella Murders of environmental activists and land defenders in The Philippines continue to rise sharply under President Rodrigo Duterte. The accusations from…
-
Thai actor condemns abuse of donations as “deplorable”
PHOTO: Chiang Rai Times Bin Bunluerit, the Thai actor and volunteer rescue worker who raised funds for Ubon Ratchathani’s flood victims has condemned the community leaders guilty of abusing the relief system he put in place. His statement comes amid complaints on social media that some of those administering the funds are taking a percentage, before passing the money on…
-
Chim-Shop-Chai – more than a million already register for the latest Thai stimulus package
Interest in the government’s latest stimulus package has been massive with online portals being battered by people wanting to know more about how they can get their hands on the 1000 baht give-away from the Thai government. More than a million people have already registered to join the government’s Chim-Shop-Chai (Taste-Shop-Spend) program, where they will receive a 1000 baht to…
-
Thai pro-democracy body calls on UN to investigate ‘military government in disguise’
PHOTOS: Facebook: Jaran Ditapichai/Kritsada Akkhapracha Jaran Ditapichai, the president of the Association of Thai Democrats without Borders’ has written to the UN yesterday asking the international body to investigate the government of Thai PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha. The Nation reports that Jaran personally dropped the submission at a letterbox near the UN headquarters in New York and recorded the action with…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.