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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Inaugural flight from Uzbekistan arrives in Phuket
An inaugural flight from Uzbekistan arrived in Phuket this morning. Sharq Airlines flight HH2203 arrived at Phuket International Airport from Uzbekistan’s capital city of Tashkent. The flight carried 238 passengers, who received HKT We Care waterproof bags from the airport, The Phuket Express reported. This news comes after Thai tourism officials announced last month that they were seeking more tourists…
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Lucky escape for children after pickup crashes into school bus, driver dies
Several school children and their bus driver escaped relatively unscathed after a pickup vehicle crashed into their school bus this morning. The pickup driver was killed in the collision in the Bang Khan district in southern Thailand. The two vehicles collided in front of Ban Lam Nao post office in tambon Ban Lam Nao. Police Captain Bunlue Mian-o, the deputy…
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Actor Ravi Patel to star in film set in Bangkok
American actor and director Ravi Patel is preparing to star as the villain in an upcoming film set in Bangkok. The film, Kiss of the Con Queen, follows a Bangkok-based actor who heads to Jakarta, Indonesia, for an audition to be the lead in a TV show. While in Jakarta, the actor discovers that a scam is being plotted against him,…
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Prisoner fakes his own death to escape cell in Pattaya, Thailand
An alleged thief faked his death yesterday in an attempt to escape his cell in Pattaya, Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand. However, the “dead” prisoner shot up like a bolt when suspecting rescue workers placed ammonia under his nose. Yesterday, officers from Pattaya City Police Station arrested and detained 53 year old Sayan [surname withheld] under suspicion of stealing 50,000…
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Starbucks makes its Laos debut with unique local touches
Starbucks today made its debut in Laos, the nation’s first store. The coffee shop opened in the Lao capital of Vientiane at Parkson Mall, an office and shopping development in the heart of the city. The new Starbucks hopes to contribute to Laos’ thriving coffee culture. The store’s architecture is uniquely Laotian, there is a handcrafted, textured door handle. The…
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11 provinces in Thailand warned to be aware of falling rocket parts
Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) today issued a warning to 11 provinces in Thailand to be aware of falling rocket parts from the sky on Saturday, November 5. A Thai researcher, and specialist on orbital mechanics from GISTDA, Sittporn Chamnarnsin, reported that a Chinese rocket, Longmarch 5B-4Y, is expected to fall from the sky on Saturday. The rocket…
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Section of Ratchadaphisek Road in Bangkok to close for 5 days for APEC Summit
As world leaders gather in Bangkok later this month for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, a stretch of Ratchadaphisek Road will be closed for public use for five days from November 14-18. The road will be closed from Asoke Intersection to Ratchada-Khlong Toei Intersection to make way for attendees of the APEC Summit, which will be held at the…
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Shelter warnings in Japan after North Korea conducts presumed failed IBCM test
UPDATE Tensions are continuing in the latest episode between North Korea and South Korea. North Korea today conducted what was believed to be a failed launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). A South Korean government source said the presumed Hwasong-17 ICBM successfully separated at the second stage, but is believed to have failed after that, and fell into the…
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How to not become another motorbike road death statistic in Thailand
While many have experience riding motorbikes, the driving situation in Thailand can be wildly different. As the kingdom’s roads are ranked as some of the most dangerous in the world, it helps to have your wits about you when driving. As a visitor to this beautiful country, keep in mind that you are, indeed, an outsider. This can be felt…
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Knife-wielding meth addict circles daycare centre in northeast Thailand
A man in a suspected meth-induced psychotic episode took a knife and circled a daycare centre in Non Suwan subdistrict, Buriram province, northeast Thailand yesterday morning. At around 9am, 30 year old Gongphon “Ming” Sehlah arrived at Non Suwan Child Development Centre armed with a knife and began walking around the centre. According to police, Ming entered a methamphetamine-induced psychotic…
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Thailand barters for cheapest World Cup broadcasting license
Slow but sure, government officials are getting there and confirm that footie lovers in Thailand can watch the FIFA World Cup 2022 for free. Government officials told Thai football fans not to panic and assured them they will secure the broadcasting license in time for the first match on November 20. Thailand football fans fear they will be the only…
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No gambling dens reported in Bangkok says police chief
Thailand’s new national police chief says he hasn’t received any reports of gambling dens in Bangkok since he was appointed as chief on October 1. This was in response to a group of gamblers who claimed that over 100 illegal gambling dens operate throughout the capital city. The group of gamblers claim that they were abducted and physically abused at a…
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US Federal Reserve hikes up interest rates again
The United States Federal Reserve approved yet another aggressive interest rate hike yesterday in their quest to combat persistent inflation which is at a 40-year high in America. It is the fourth consecutive 0.75% interest rate hike approved this year. The central bank has raised the policy rate from near zero in March to what is now between 3.75-4%. It…
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Professor tells US to sit and talk to China instead of warmongering
World-renowned United States Professor Jeffrey Sachs appealed to the presidents of China and the US to get around a table and talk before the globe is dragged into yet another war. The 67 year economist and best-selling author called on US President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping to sit down and discuss their future social, economic, and political plans…
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Monk on the run – Police seek abbot over sex offences, theft
Police are hunting the deputy abbot of a temple on the Lao border in connection with alleged sexual assaults on teenage novices and the disappearance of more than 1 million baht (US$26,000) from the temple’s bank account. Pol Maj Gen Piyapan Pattarapongsin, commander of Nan provincial police, said an arrest warrant for Thanet Thanamangkhalo had been issued involving charges of…
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Partygoer electrocuted to death in Chiang Mai, Thailand
A young man was electrocuted to death in Chiang Mai province, northern Thailand, on Tuesday night. He leaned on an electric fence in a car park upon leaving a famous bar with his friends. CCTV footage captured the incident. The 26 year old man is pictured leaving Tha Chang Pub in Chiang Mai’s Mueang district with a group of friends…
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How to spend your day at Andamanda Waterpark Phuket
SPONSORED There’s no better way to beat the heat in Phuket than by enjoying a splash-tastic day full of adventurous water slides in Thailand’s largest, sustainable waterpark, Andamanda Phuket. Spanning over 58 rai 100,000sqm. of fun, the waterpark features dozens of slides, pools, and rivers with an exciting Thai mythology theme to suit all kinds of thrill seekers. But there’s…
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China to join Thailand in cracking down on transnational crimes
China has pledged to assist Thailand in cracking down on transnational crimes, according to a Facebook post by the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok. The embassy acknowledged several criminal cases that were subject to Thai police investigations. It says the Chinese government places importance on law enforcement and the suppression of illegal narcotics, indecent acts, and gambling. Now, the embassy says…
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Intruder who attacked US House Speaker’s husband says it was a suicide misison
The intruder who broke into US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s home and severely injured her husband, says it was a suicide mission. David DePape hit Paul Pelosi in the head with a hammer, leaving him unconscious in a pool of blood leaving him to be hospitalised with a skull fracture. DePape was captured and arrested, telling police that he was…
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Halloween crowd surge casualties prompt raid on Seoul’s police headquarters
After a deadly crowd surge at a Seoul Halloween event left at least 156 people dead, special investigators are raiding the city’s police headquarters. Records released of emergency calls warning that the crowds of Halloween party-goers were becoming too big, prompted the investigation as authorities say police had four hours of advanced warning. Eight locations were searched including the Seoul Metropolitan…
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China and Japan fight it out for Thailand’s EV market
In Thailand’s (electric vehicle) EV market, China’s auto manufacturers are locked in a bitter struggle against Japanese incumbents. China’s biggest maker of electric and hybrid cars, BYD, is to build an EV car plant in Rayong. The Great Wall Motor Co.’s production line in the same town has produced more than 10,000 vehicles. Meanwhile, Hozon New Energy has its Neta…
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Smart patrols boost population of Thailand’s tigers
Thailand stands alone in Southeast Asia by boosting its wild tiger population. Tigers have lost some 95% of their historical range and there are now only about 4,000 or so left in the wild. Sadly, only two countries – India and Thailand – are working to protect the populations of wild tigers in government reserves. Thailand is now home to…
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Superstitious Thai woman has not cut her hair for 10 years
A 50 year old Thai woman revealed she has not cut her hair for more than 10 years because she is scared of evil spirits. Residents in the woman’s community, meanwhile, believe her hair is special, can prevent bad luck, and keep people safe from danger. Several Thai media platforms reported the unusual story of the 50 year old woman,…
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Tourism Authority of Thailand: 18 million tourists in 2023
After arriving tourist numbers crossed seven million last month, inching toward the goal of 10 million for the year, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is making middle-of-the-road projections for 2023. While they don’t believe that Thailand will see anything like the 40 million tourists per year they saw before Covid, the TAT is estimating 18 million international arrivals next…
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Snarky Phuket man claims stealing ex-girlfriend’s car was just a joke
A snarky Phuket man claims that he only stole his ex-girlfriend’s car as a joke. The 54 year old Somsak, stole the car on October 30 from his former girlfriend’s house in a housing estate in the Wichit sub-district of the main city district. Sopawan said she parked the sedan near her house before finding out in the morning that…
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Woman crawls off plane in Bangkok after allegedly being told to pay for wheelchair
A video has gone viral of an Australian woman crawling off an aeroplane that landed in Bangkok. The woman, Natalie Curtis, says the flight attendant told her she would have to pay to be wheeled off the aircraft to her wheelchair. Curtis said she was offered a special wheelchair that fits in plane aisles when boarding her flight from Singapore…
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Thailand to serve noodles with sandworm sauce at APEC meeting
Thailand plans to welcome the globe’s most eminent leaders and dignitaries at the upcoming APEC meeting with some noodles and sandworm sauce. Thailand is the host of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2022 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC) in Bangkok between November 18 and 19, and it plans to serve up a rare treat. The kingdom held…
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North Korean missile lands near South’s waters for first time, South retaliates
A missile from North Korea today landed close to South Korean waters for the first time since the countries split in 1945, according to South Korean officials. Since then, South Korea retaliated by launching missiles in return. This latest tit-for-tat conflict began after North Korea fired at least 10 missiles to the east and west of the Korean Peninsula. The…
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Vandalised tourist service centre gets makeover in Pattaya
An abandoned vandalised tourist service centre in Pattaya has been cleaned up after several crimes in the area. Pattaya Police, along with City Councilman Nikom Sangkaew, worked together to change the light bulbs and clean up the police box opposite the Royal Garden Plaza on Beach Road. The box has barely offered any services since 2019. Photos by Pattaya Mail…
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Twitter, Instagram, Facebook all see hiccups
Social media has always been a crapshoot of information, updates from friends, conspiracy theories, racism and hate speech, and photos of your favourite holidays and foods. But recently, platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook themselves have become a part of the hot mess that they contain. Elon Musk bought Twitter and is publicly arguing with horror author Stephen King over…
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