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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Sponsored What do you need before moving from the US to Thailand?
The Thaiger key takeaways The most common medical emergencies for expats in Thailand include motorcycle accidents, tropical diseases, and food or water-borne illnesses. Air pollution and heat-related conditions like heatstroke also pose serious seasonal health risks, especially in northern and...
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Soi Dog opening on Saturdays
Following the success of our recent trial, Soi Dog Foundation has extended visitor times at one of Phuket’s most popular attractions, ‘’The Gill Dalley Sanctuary” in Mai Khao to Saturday mornings providing the opportunity to visitors, who are unable to go during the week, to meet and mingle with the small dogs, cats and kittens. From April 28 onward, visitors…
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77 baby turtles hatched at Ko Similan
77 Baby green sea turtles hatched at Mo Ko Similan National Park yesterday and about half have been released to the sea already after 55 days of hatching. The hatching rate is 71.29%, which is 77 eggs out of 108 eggs. This was the same eggs found on Miang Island on March 1. By the time the national park officers…
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Kanman and Hmong leader injured in Chiang Rai ambush
The pickup truck of a well-known kamnan and Hmong leader in Chiang Rai was cut down in a hail of gunfire last evening (Tuesday), killing his wife and daughter and injuring him and his son. Police said the attack happened at 5pm on Ban Rom Fah Thong-Ban Pha Tung Road in Ban Rom Fah Thong village, Tambon Por of Wiangkaen…
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15 year old succumbs to rabies infection in Nong Kai
A 15 year old from Nong Kai has become Thailand’s eighth victim to die from rabies. Nong Kai is on the Lao border in Thailand’s far north east. She was scratched by her newly adopted puppy on the neck five months ago and died on April 20 at the Nong Khai hospital. According to her family the teenager had raised…
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Same sex marriage laws likely to be passed in the lifetime of current government
After years of calls by sexual-diversity groups, a new law that would allow registered life partnership for same-sex couples is in the making. Supporters expect it to be promulgated within the lifetime of the present government. For proponents, the long-awaited legislation is viewed as the first i-mportant step towards legal same-sex marriage in Thailand in the future. Sexual diversity groups…
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Protesters call for the resignation of the Livestock Department chief
Anti-corruption and animal rights activists rallied in front of the Livestock Development Department this morning demanding the removal of the department chief for failure to contain rabies in the country. They’re also alleging lack of transparency in the procurement of the anti-rabies vaccine. Thai PBS is reporting that Atchariya Ruangrattanapong, leader of the group, is blaming Livestock director-general Apai Suttisunk…
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Nine tourists injured in Nakhon Pathom van accident
Seven South Korean and two Indonesian tourists were injured this morning (Tuesday) when their chartered van ran into the drainage ditch in the middle of a Muang Nakhon Pathom road and struck a tree. Police say the driver Thinnakorn Meekhao lost control in the southbound lane of Phetkasem Road in Tambon Bang Khaem near the Uni Land Golf Course intersection.…
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Patong man arrested with methamphetamine
Border patrol police and narcotics control police arrested a local man, 36 year old Suriya Kijkla, with 88.94 grams of crystal methamphetamine and 4 methamphetamine pills along with a Thai Pradit pistol. He was arrested near Patong after they arrested another man, Arun Soison, with some methamphetamine. Arun told the police that he bought the drug from Suriya, who lives…
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Preparing to close down Maya Bay
The General Director of the Department of National Parks (DNP) visited Maya Bay yesterday, which is expected to close down for 4 months from the start of June. Thanya Neti Thammakul, along with his team, visited Koh Phi Phi Ley and Maya Bay yesterday (April 23) to follow up the readiness before closing down the island’s iconic tourist attraction for…
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Phuket Town clothes shop blaze – 2 million baht in damages
A clothes shop ‘Hollywood Studio Store’ located in the ground floor of the Paradise Multiplex, Ocean Shopping Mall in Phuket Town, was on fire last night (April 23) and destroyed about 2 million baht worth of valuables. The team of Phuket authorities including Phuket’s Mayor, Somjai Suwansuppana, rushed to the scene with fire trucks The fire was inside of the…
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Nakhon Phanom airport seeks 120 million baht for expansion
Nakhon Phanom International Airport is seeking 120 million baht from the government for the next fiscal year hoping to add two more runways and expand is departures building. Nakhon Phanom is in the Kingdom’s far north-east, right on the Laotian border. Prom Meeker, the airport director, says the airport needs 91 million baht to expand the departures building to accommodate 600…
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Celebrities quizzed over endorsement and ads for dodgy cosmetic company
Over 50 presenters of commercials and videos for cosmetic products and food supplements of the Magic Skin Group are being summoned by police for interrogation. 56 actors and actresses were hired as presenters to promote and endorse products from the Magic Skin Group, adding that police would question them to find out whether they were aware or not that the…
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Krabi drug dealer killed after shooting police
A 38 year old drug dealer in Krabi, Suriya Tokong, was killed by police after he tried to shoot them with a shotgun during the arrest. The shooting occurred in a rubber plantation in Nong Talay Sub-District. Suriya was shot 3 times in his chest and one time on his left arm. He was carrying a 9mm pistol and nearby…
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More robberies from tourists in Ao Nang, Krabi
A robber, identified as a French tourist, 32 year old Martinez Joyce, was arrested in Ao Nang, Krabi, after stealing a purse containing 42,000 Baht cash inside. Police received a report from 30 year old Assaman Yeesam on April 18 that he forgot his Balenciaga bag with 42,000 Baht cash in a coffee shop in Ao Nang where he was…
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Chiang Mai teenager arrested after robbing Burmese woman in Phuket
A Chiang Mai 18 year old has been arrested after robbing and attacking a Burmese woman in Phuket. Wichit Police arrested 18 year old Saranyoo, from Chiang Mai, with a gold necklace, a gold bracelet and 1,000 Baht in cash after he robbed and physically attacked a Myanmar woman. The victim, San Thidar New, who is a house keeper of…
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Krabi village declared rabies control zone
After a dog has tested positive to the deadly rabies virus, a district livestock development office in Krabi province today (Monday) designated the village a rabies control zone. Narong Boonphan, chief livestock development officer of Lamthap district, said the Moo 3 village in Tambon Thung Sai Thong announced the designation after a dog tested positive on April 19. Narong also…
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Jack Ma opens the door to Thailand’s markets
To the people sitting in the audience it looked like Jack Ma had pulled off a piece of modern day wizardry, selling 80,000 Thai durians in 60 seconds. Gone in 60 seconds indeed! His much publicised visit to Thailand and meetings with the Thai PM and other ministers, signing of MOUs and various media appearances have drawn awe as well…
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Pattaya swingers party interrupted by authorities
Authorities raided a swingers party in Pattaya over the weekend. The party was held in a hotel in Chon Buri’s Bang Lamung district. When officials raided the hotel late on Saturday night, they found many foreigners openly engaging in ‘swinging’ and group sex. There were 14 couples who came from many countries including the United States, Canada, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Germany,…
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Two killed and five seriously injured in Songkhla road crash
Two have been killed and another five seriously injured after a pickup truck crashed into a motorcycle with a sidecar and turned over in Songkhla province yesterday (April 22). Quoting eyewitness accounts, Singha Nakhon district police said that the sidecar was carrying five people from the same family, including the driver, when it tried to make a U-turn to the…
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Thais likely to pay more for health under new reforms
A part of of the country’s upcoming national healthcare reform, Thais will definitely have to pay more for any extra medical services or medicines they want. Dr Seree Tuchinda, who heads the national healthcare reform committee, says, “for example, if you want medicines that are not on the national drug list, you will be charged.” Seree said the reform will…
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Body found 500 metres offshore from Saphan Hin, Phuket
A man’s body was found today floating in the sea behind the canals near Wat Sansuk near Saphan Hin. At this stage police are unsure who the person is or what was the cause of his death. There was no ID found on the man when he was discovered. Local villagers spotted the body earlier and alerted police. Foundation volunteers…
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Big increases in BKK airport arrivals for 2018 Songkran
Nearly 7 percent additional passengers flew into Suvarnabhumi Airport and 12 percent into Don Mueang this year to celebrate the Songkran festival, compared to last year’s passenger traffic. The Immigration Bureau deputy spokesman Pol Colonel Choengron Rimpadee says that 683,260 passengers arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport from April 12 and 16. “The number marks a 6.96 per cent increase from Songkran 2017.…
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National weather alert
The Thai Meteorological Department is warning people in all regions, including Bangkok, against summer thunderstorms during the period April 24-27. The TMD has issued warnings saying that in the period April 24-27, a high pressure system from China will extend to cover upper Thailand and meet with hot weather conditions over Thailand, causing summer thunderstorms. Outbreaks of thunderstorm, thunderbolts and…
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Krabi drug suspect killed in police shootout
FILE PHOTO A drug suspect has been shot dead late last night (Saturday) in a shootout with police in Krabi province. Police identified the suspect as 38 year old Suriya Thokong who had walked out of jail just two years ago after serving a jail term related to drug charges. An ongoing investigation suggested that Suriya may have returned to…
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Thailand for the Trump/Kim Summit. Why not?
US President Donald Trump and North Korea premier and dear leader Kim Jong-un are going to have an historic summit. But they need somewhere to meet – somewhere neutral, somewhere safe, somewhere where there’s good food, somewhere both parties will agree to. Trump/Kim Issue #1 – Where to hold the meeting. Now Thailand’s Deputy PM Gen Prawit Wongsuwon has stepped up…
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Reform committee might go for complete rewrite of National Police Bill
Thailand’s police are under the spotlight. Along with many other aspects of long-existing work cultures, the Thai police culture is now coming under scrutiny from both ends – the NCPO who want real change and opposition forces who see the Thai police as facilitators of much of the country’s corruption problems. The country’s law reform committee has been tackling the…
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Government donates money to the family of Chinese road accident victim
Phuket’s Governor, Norapat Plodthong together with the Vice Governor, Sanit Srivihok, have passed on a grant of 50,000 Baht to the father of the Chinese man, Li Jing, who died as a result of injuries from a road accident on the Kamala – Patong route on April 14. He was one of two people dying in Phuket from road related…
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Two cars scratched for parking at ‘VIP’ parking at Phuket airport
A Facebook user named Jingabell Thunramon posted pictures of two cars with a long scratch, one of them had a handwritten note saying ‘Thank you for parking right at P1 VIP’. The Facebook user described that the first car belongs to her friend who parked on the 5th floor of the parking building. The car was scratched on the day…
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5 people dead following storms in 36 provinces
5 people are dead and 3,758 homes in 36 provinces have been damaged by storms over the past week. The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department director-general Chayapol Thitisak reported on the damage yesterday. He reported that relief aid, including home repair assistance and distribution of relief bags has been provided by Army, local administrative officials and related agencies. 655 villages…
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How many Thai durians can Alibaba sell in one minute?
Thai durian sold like hot cakes after Jack Ma showed the magic of e-commerce during his visit to Thailand by selling 80,000 golden pillow durians on his online platform T-mall within one minute. One minute! While Ma was in Thailand to make a mega-deal on investment on Thursday, Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong gifted the founder of China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba…
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