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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. The Thaiger delivers the latest national news that matters.

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  • Thailand’s democracy index 2022 is the most improved in the world

    Thailand’s democracy index 2022 is the most improved in the world

    Don’t laugh but, Thailand’s democracy index in 2022 is the most improved in the world, so says the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). It has jumped 17 spots on the global scale, ranking 55th out of 167 countries, at a score of 6.67 out of 10. The EIU is a research and analysis organization that provides economic and political forecasts and…

  • Phuket looks to entice more low-cost Saudi flights

    Phuket looks to entice more low-cost Saudi flights

    Thailand’s renowned paradise of Phuket is looking to entice more low-cost Saudi flights to the island province. The Phuket Tourist Association said in a Facebook post yesterday that it sent a delegation to meet with a low-cost Saudi airline last week. The delegation met with the airline, Flynas, at Flynas’s headquarters in Saudi Arabia on January 25. The delegation gave…

  • Murderer transports woman’s corpse to landfill site via motorbike in central Thailand

    Murderer transports woman’s corpse to landfill site via motorbike in central Thailand

    UPDATE After a woman’s corpse wrapped in a yellow blanket was found dumped at a landfill site in Prachin Buri province in central Thailand yesterday, police uncovered important CCTV footage of the murderer transporting her body via motorbike. Police believe the murder to be a result of a love triangle. At 4.39am on January 27, a man is pictured driving…

  • Former football star Bale shines on PGA Tour debut at Pebble Beach (video)

    Former football star Bale shines on PGA Tour debut at Pebble Beach (video)

    Former football star Gareth Bale stunned the sports world yesterday with a jaw-dropping shot Tiger Woods would have been proud of as he eased into his new life as a golfer. The 33 year old made a strong start in his PGA Tour debut at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Teaming up with professional golfer Joseph Bramlett, the duo dominated the…

  • Rape charges dropped against Man Utd star Mason Greenwood

    Rape charges dropped against Man Utd star Mason Greenwood

    The charges of attempted rape and assault against Manchester United footballer Mason Greenwood have been dismissed. The 21 year old Manchester United striker was arrested in January 2022 amid allegations surrounding images and videos but the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dropped the case against him for attempted rape. The case was dropped due to the withdrawal of key witnesses and…

  • Belgian couple ditch baby at Tel Aviv airport after refusing to buy extra ticket

    Belgian couple ditch baby at Tel Aviv airport after refusing to buy extra ticket

    A Belgian couple at Israel’s Tel Aviv airport abandoned their baby after realising they needed to buy a ticket for the child. The couple was late for a flight to Belgium and decided their child wasn’t worth the extra cost. They left their child at the check-in counter’s baggage conveyor belt and hurried to clear security to board their Ryanair…

  • Thailand’s Digital Economy and Society Minister says e-cigarettes should be legalised

    Thailand’s Digital Economy and Society Minister says e-cigarettes should be legalised

    Thailand’s Digital Economy and Society Minister says it’s about time that e-cigarettes be legalised. The Minister, Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, thinks Thailand should amend the law to reflect the lives of many people in developed countries. According to Thai PBS World, Chaiwut added that Thailand’s neighbouring countries of Singapore and Malaysia have already legalised electronic smoking devices. “The key issue is to…

  • Thailand’s Tourism Authority reminds visitors of current anti-smoking laws

    Thailand’s Tourism Authority reminds visitors of current anti-smoking laws

    Thailand’s government is reminding tourists of the nation’s current anti-smoking laws. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) says travellers should be aware that electronic cigarettes, shishas, and electronic shishas are currently illegal. Furthermore, the TAT says there is no smoking in public areas as part of the broader Tobacco Control Law which aims to promote a clean, safe and smoke-free…

  • Woman reveals unnerving parking lot drama with MP at Parliament

    Woman reveals unnerving parking lot drama with MP at Parliament

    Anna Songserm, a TikToker from Thailand, recently shared on social media an unnerving experience she had while visiting the Parliament building in Bangkok. After a frantic search for a parking spot, Anna was directed to park her car in a lot that was closed off by a traffic barrier. Upon her return, she found that her car’s tyres had been…

  • Woman’s dead body tied up and dumped at landfill site in central Thailand

    Woman’s dead body tied up and dumped at landfill site in central Thailand

    Police launched a murder investigation today after a rubbish collector discovered the decaying body of a woman wrapped in a blanket and tied up with rope at a landfill site in Prachin Buri province in central Thailand. Officers at Rabo Phai Police Station were informed today that someone found a body wrapped in a blanket at the landfill site in…

  • Intoxicated Chon Buri man stabs himself in front of terrified passersby

    Intoxicated Chon Buri man stabs himself in front of terrified passersby

    An intoxicated Chon Buri man repeatedly stabbed himself in front of terrified passersby in the Sri Racha district yesterday. A local meatball vendor said the man, 54 year old Somchai, walked up to his shop while intoxicated, grabbed a knife from him, and stabbed himself in the abdomen four times. The vendor, Chaovalit Somsri, said that before Somchai started stabbing…

  • Son finds mum with help of dad’s old diary after 20 years

    Son finds mum with help of dad’s old diary after 20 years

    Phanatchakorn “Pete” Meesook finally achieved his lifelong dream of reuniting with his mother after 20 years of searching. In a recent interview with the Thai media, the 28 year old man from Chiang Kham shared his touching story of how he found his mother with the help of his father’s old diary. Pete’s parents divorced when he was just a…

  • Taxi driver stabs passenger on road in Bangkok

    Taxi driver stabs passenger on road in Bangkok

    A passenger stabbed by a Bangkok taxi driver appealed to the Thai media to highlight his case after he accused the police of procrastinating over the case despite having enough evidence to arrest the accused. The victim succeeded in his quest and the taxi driver was arrested yesterday. The victim, Pratarn Seesook, contacted the crime news department of the MRG…

  • Phuket hotels association reaffirms commitment to the island’s recovery with election of senior leadership team

    Phuket hotels association reaffirms commitment to the island’s recovery with election of senior leadership team

    Press Release The Phuket Hotels Association, a non-profit organisation representing 80 of the island’s top hotels and resorts, has reaffirmed its deep commitment to the future of Phuket’s hospitality sector by announcing the reappointment of its senior leadership team, including President Bjorn Courage who has been instrumental in the association’s success. Following a recent election, Mr. Courage, who also serves…

  • Nan FC youth players allegedly brutally attack 17 year old in Thailand

    Nan FC youth players allegedly brutally attack 17 year old in Thailand

    Several football players from Nan FC’s youth team in northern Thailand allegedly beat up a 17 year old and left him for dead at a petrol station on Sunday. At 1.30am on Sunday, 17 year old Somchai (pseudonym) was found badly injured and unconscious on the floor in front of the PT gas station at Sai Sawan Intersection in Mueang…

  • Commuters criticise ‘dangerous’ Bangkok Apiwat Station’s lack of lights

    Commuters criticise ‘dangerous’ Bangkok Apiwat Station’s lack of lights

    Commuters took to social media to criticise officials involved with the construction and opening of the “dangerous” Bangkok Apiwat Central Station. Two weeks after the official opening of the station, formerly known as Bang Sue Grand Station, roads around the station remain dark due to the absence of street lights. The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) promised that street lighting…

  • Residents find first leatherback turtle eggs in Phang Nga village in 2 years

    Residents find first leatherback turtle eggs in Phang Nga village in 2 years

    Residents in a Phang Nga village found some buried leatherback turtle eggs for the first time in two years. The locals of Koh Kor Khao village in Takua Pa district were delighted to find the nest on Sunset Beach on Tuesday. Luckily, the eggs had not been impacted by seawater or poor weather conditions. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources…

  • Bangkok’s first free street-food space welcomes hawkers, street vendors

    Bangkok’s first free street-food space welcomes hawkers, street vendors

    Bangkok opened its first free street-food space in the city for hawkers and street vendors yesterday, in an attempt to keep cluttered pavements free from obstruction. City governor Chadchart Sittipunt launched of the “Hello Hab-Re” (Hello Hawkers) project outside Samyan Mitrtown on Rama IV Road yesterday. Street food is a quintessential part of the Bangkok experience. Wherever you go in…

  • Rabies detected in northeast Thailand

    Rabies detected in northeast Thailand

    Residents of Nong Phai Noi village in Buriram province, northeast Thailand, are pleading with the authorities to take urgent action after two people were bitten by a dog infected with rabies. The dog bit a pregnant cow which dropped dead two weeks later. On January 10, 65 year old local man Sawat Palertlam was attending to his cows when a…

  • US to form military alliance with Philippines to check China

    US to form military alliance with Philippines to check China

    The United States is set to announce details of a new alliance with the Philippines and four new military bases on the island nation as it attempts to curb China’s expansion in the South China Sea. The US is keen to rekindle a former friendship with the Philippines, 30 years after they were told to leave, and plug a gap…

  • US woman detained and fined in Russia after walking a calf on Moscow’s Red Square

    US woman detained and fined in Russia after walking a calf on Moscow’s Red Square

    A Russian court has detained and fined a US woman after she walked a calf on Moscow’s Red Square. She alleged that she bought the calf to save it from a slaughterhouse. Alicia Day was charged with obstructing pedestrians in an unauthorised protest and was fined 20,000 rubles (US$285). The 34 year old was also sentenced to 13 days of…

  • Top romantic destinations in Thailand for Valentine’s Day

    Top romantic destinations in Thailand for Valentine’s Day

    Valentine’s Day is almost here, and love is in the air! If you haven’t found the perfect destination to show your special someone how much they mean to you, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered! Whether you’re looking for a peaceful getaway or an action-packed adventure, there are plenty of romantic destinations in Thailand that will make this Valentine’s Day…

  • British couple in Bangkok raise money for son born with rare illness

    British couple in Bangkok raise money for son born with rare illness

    A British couple living in Bangkok is raising £70,000 (2.85 million baht) to support the care of their five-month-old baby boy Finley who was born with an extremely rare illness. Finley Phillips was born with a rare chromosomal disorder that affects just 10 people worldwide. In the womb, Finley developed a duplication of chromosome 14 which has resulted in craniosynostosis…

  • Eastern Thailand province suffers smoke from Cambodian forest fires

    Eastern Thailand province suffers smoke from Cambodian forest fires

    A province in eastern Thailand is suffering from smoke due to Cambodian forest fires. Smoke from the fires has drifted across the border into large parts of Trat province, with Trat’s governor receiving complaints from the main city district, as well as Klong Yai and Bo Rai districts, Naewna reported yesterday. The governor, Chamnanwit Teerat, said the governors of Cambodia’s…

  • Police officer found dead in petrol station bathroom in Rayong | Thaiger

    Police officer found dead in petrol station bathroom in Rayong

    A maid and an attendant at a petrol station in the eastern province of Rayong found the dead body of a police officer inside a bathroom. The cause of the death is under investigation. The deceased man was named Chaiyasak Punnapongchai, the 54-year-old Deputy Inspector of Mueang Rayong Police Station. He was discovered inside a bathroom at a petrol station…

  • Extorted Taiwanese actress’ friend told to pay fine or go to jail

    Extorted Taiwanese actress’ friend told to pay fine or go to jail

    The Singaporean friend of the Taiwanese actress, who says she was extorted by police, says he was told to pay a fine or go to jail. The man was found to be in possession of illegal vaping devices that he had bought in Bangkok. The 29 year old man, who identifies himself as “Sky,” spoke to Bangkok Post at the…

  • Fruit vendor wins 30 million baht lottery jackpot in Thailand

    Fruit vendor wins 30 million baht lottery jackpot in Thailand

    A fruit vendor from the Rayong province in eastern Thailand won 30 million baht (US$916,310) in the government lottery yesterday. He says it will pay off his debt and pay for his children’s education. The new-found millionaire, 33 year old Phongpat Witheethep, was at the market in Pluak Daeng district where he sells fruit for a living when he spotted…

  • Opportunist thief arrested for stealing Louis Vuitton bag at Bangkok mall

    Opportunist thief arrested for stealing Louis Vuitton bag at Bangkok mall

    An opportunist, light-fingered thief was arrested yesterday after she stole a Louis Vuitton handbag from a sexy model while she was trying on clothes at the Terminal 21 shopping mall in Bangkok. The clothes store owner, in Terminal 21 of the Asoke area of Bangkok, filed a complaint at Lumphini Police Station that a customer’s Louis Vuitton handbag was stolen…

  • Thailand boosts protection of dolphins in Songkhla Lake

    Thailand boosts protection of dolphins in Songkhla Lake

    There are as few as 14 Irrawaddy dolphins in Songkhla Lake. The situation is so serious that the World Bank has become involved. Global dolphin experts recently met with local agencies at the World Bank office in Bangkok to come up with better ways to make sure the dolphins survive, and even flourish. The largest-ever convention of dolphin experts included…

  • Summer season starts in Thailand at the end of February

    Summer season starts in Thailand at the end of February

    The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) is predicting a scorching high of 43 degrees Celsius in Thailand this summer and that the new season will kick in before the end of February. The TMD reported yesterday that the summer season in Thailand would be delayed by one or two weeks this year. The weather will get warmer by the end of…