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 How one hospital visit in Thailand could cost more than your whole trip
Thailand is a favourite spot for travellers who want to enjoy more while spending less. From cheap street food to low-cost hotels and fun attractions, it’s easy to stretch your budget here. But there’s one thing many people don’t think...
-
‘Shark of Pattaya’ sinks teeth into ‘bullshit’ green EV claim
The ‘Shark of Pattaya’ has sunk his jaws into the electric vehicle (EV) industry and doesn’t like the taste. Former Thai expat, Tim ‘Sharky’ Ward, once labelled Australia’s toughest gangster, let rip into the claim that EVs are saving the planet as “bullshit!” Ward fled the Gold Coast, Australia, to Thailand in 2009 after becoming a target of the Australian…
-
Burmese Junta spies pose as Buddhist monks & nuns in N Thailand
Alleged spies from the Burmese junta, disguised as Buddhist monks and nuns, were among 54 Burmese people arrested at a three-storey building in Tak province in northern Thailand on Monday, according to Channel3. On Monday, police, and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health, Mae Sot District Administrative Organisation, and Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) closed in…
-
Police chief admits Thailand is an epicentre of drugs trafficking
The Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) admitted yesterday that Thailand has become the epicentre of drug trafficking in Southeast Asia. The NSB acknowledged the claim after several high-profile drug trafficking cases were made known in the public domain and highlighted by the recent arrest of a Chinese couple trying to mail heroin to Australia with a street value of about US$500,000,…
-
French tourist rescued after getting lost in Koh Pha Ngan forest
A young French tourist was rescued on Saturday after he got lost in a forest on Thailand’s island of Koh Pha Ngan. Police and officials found the man, 26 year old Marouan Rouatbi, after almost an hour of searching through the hilly forest when it was dark, in the main Koh Pha Ngan district. The group trekked through about three…
-
VIDEO: ‘Kalasin Cowboy’ rides horse to college in NE Thailand
A student who rides his horse to college in Kalasin province, northeast Thailand, has become an overnight Internet sensation. On Monday, Facebook user Boat Ekparin Mongkummuen posted a clip of the ‘Kalasin Cowboy’ making a U-turn and galloping into Kalasin College of Dramatic Arts in Mueang district, with the caption… “F*cking cool. You’ve won me over. Hahaha. I want to…
-
Russia plans to install facial recognition surveillance technology in Thailand
Russian biometrics company ‘NtechLab’ announced plans to “enter the Thai market.” The company produces a facial recognition tool called ‘FindFace,’ which can be used to identify suspected criminals. The company is also considering moving its Asia headquarters to Thailand. The company claims that 23 countries worldwide are already using FindFace surveillance technology, sparking privacy and human rights concerns among the…
-
Annual vegetarian festival coming up in Phuket
For all the Thai cultural enthusiasts out there, brace yourself for Phuket’s annual vegetarian festival! On Monday, Phuket Vice Governor Amnuay Pitsuwan told local media after a meeting that this year’s Phuket Vegetarian Festival will be held from September 26 to October 4. The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is known for its Ma Song. These spiritual devotees will self-mutilate, and slice their…
-
Thaksin tells suspended Thailand PM Prayut ‘to go with dignity’
Former Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra called for suspended PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to do the right thing and leave the political arena with dignity. Thailand’s Constitutional Court, whose members were largely picked by a military-appointed Senate, surprised the world last week by suspending General Prayut while they deliberated whether he had overstayed his eight years’ tenure as the nation’s leader.…
-
Two ladyboys allegedly rob Indian tourist who rejected their ‘services’ in Pattaya
An Indian tourist was robbed of 12,000 baht cash and other assets last night on Pattaya’s infamous Walking Street in Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand. He claims that two ladyboys robbed him after he rejected their “services.” At 12.16am today, 33 year old Vishal Vajbhaw went to Pattaya City Police Station to request the police’s help in tracking down the…
-
Former Soviet Union premier Mikhail Gorbachev dies aged 91
Former Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev died last night aged 91. The Central Clinical Hospital in Moscow stated, “Gorbachev died this evening after a serious and long illness.” He will be buried in Moscow’s Novodevichy Cemetery next to his wife Raisa, who died in 1999. Tributes have been poured in for the 1990 Nobel Peace Prize winner. UN chief Antonio…
-
VIDEO: Pattaya restaurant explosion believed to have been caused by gas leak
A huge explosion that gutted three restaurants in Pattaya yesterday is believed to have been caused by a gas leak in a BBQ restaurant called Jar Jar. A 29 year old Laotian worker was seriously injured with burns in the explosion, which occurred in Chon Buri’s Bang Lamung district. The worker was found buried under the rubble and rushed to…
-
UPDATE: Famous Thai YouTuber ‘Nutty’ flees Thailand over 2 billion baht Forex scam accusations
UPDATE Today, Thailand’s Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for 30 year old “Nutty,” the famous YouTuber, after collecting evidence that she defrauded over 6,000 victims of more than 2 billion baht. Nutty is wanted on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud the public and two other charges. The court says Nutty’s case is linked to the case of a Thai…
-
Thai Airways sells five Airbus A340s stored away for 13 years
Thai Airways (THAI) has found a buyer for five dusty Airbus A340s which have gone unused for 13 years. Thailand’s flag carrier has sold one A340-500 and four A340-600 planes for a total of 350 million baht. The transaction is sure to help THAI on its road to financial recovery since the Bankruptcy Court approved a debt restructuring plan for…
-
Teacher faces jail after student’s punishment leads to crippling injury
A teacher faces prison and a hefty fine after punishing a student with squat jumps, leading to Myofascial Pain Syndrome. The 15 year old boy required leg surgery after a high school teacher in the central province of Kanchanaburi punished him for missing a class by making him do 200 squat jumps on July 23. The boy’s mother, Lek Au-Thong,…
-
Budget airline Thai AirAsia X to launch two Thailand – Australia routes
Budget airline Thai AirAsia X will launch two direct routes between Thailand and Australia in December. The airline will fly from Bangkok to both Melbourne, and Sydney, beginning December 1 and 2 this year, respectively. The Bangkok to Sydney route will fly four times per week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. The Bangkok to Melbourne route will fly thrice…
-
Bangkok’s Yaowarat Rd is one of globe’s top 10 hippest places
One of Bangkok’s oldest streets has been named as one of the “coolest streets in the world.” London-based Time Out magazine named Yaowarat Road the eighth coolest street in the world after polling readers about post-pandemic life in their city. Over 20,000 people took part in the poll which asked readers to base their ranking on food, fun, culture, and…
-
Thai couple’s 1,000km, 20 hours Songkran motorcycle odyssey
A Thai couple travelled 20 hours on a motorbike and over 1,000 kilometres from Bangkok to their hometown in Pattani province in the south of Thailand before Songkran because all train tickets were fully booked and flights were too pricey for them. The woman, Nurfatihah, posted a video of the epic motorcycle journey she took to Pattani with her boyfriend…
-
Study: Balinese monkeys use stones to get their rocks off
Monkeys in Thailand need to step up their game. A, er, handy new study of monkeys in Ubud, Bali discovered that local macaques monkeys frequently rub or tap themselves with stones as a form of masturbation. The study was published in this month’s academic journal Ethology (because publishing it elsewhere might get you on a sex offender registry) and showed…
-
Thailand’s acting PM Prawit tells Thai police to clean their act up
Acting Prime Minister of Thailand Prawit Wongsuwan – aka “Big Pom” – has ordered an end to corruption within the Royal Thai Police (RTP). Big Pom has wasted no time stepping up to his temporary ministerial duties after Thailand’s Constitutional Court suspended Prayut Chan-o-cha from the position last week. Acting PM Prawit has taken centre stage in Thailand’s never-ending political…
-
New direct bus from Don Mueang Airport to Pattaya
Budget punters rejoice – a new shuttle bus will now whisk people directly from Don Mueang International Airport, Bangkok’s low-cost secondary airport, to the tourism and nightlife hub of Pattaya. The shuttle started trial runs earlier this month and, if successful, may usher in a chain of other convenience bus options from the popular airport, according to the Don Mueang…
-
Marketing in Thailand as a Foreigner: Volume #1 The Legend Thai Ads
Sometimes, It’s Okay to Wear Socks and Sandals. Matching socks and sandals is a universal fashion faux pas, but it is more severe in Thailand. They keep you warm and cold-free during winter, but we never merge them with sandals or flip-flops because it is confusing when you live in a country where the equator is only 15 degrees below.…
-
Get freebies and special offers with this app launched by Tourism Authority of Thailand
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and partners have launched a mobile application called the “TAGTHAi Pass,” designed to be a handy tool for tourists to make the most out of their stay in the kingdom. Tourists who download the free TAGTHAi application will benefit from various freebies and deals. Not to be confused with the renounced Thailand Pass, the…
-
Anti-Corruption Deputy Secretary-General fired for corruption
In politics, the phrase “every accusation is a confession” is a common cry, but the irony may be too on the nose after the National Anti-Corruption Commission Deputy Secretary-General Prayad Puangchampa was fired for having amassed an unusual amount of wealth. The commission asserted that the massive wealth gathered should become the property of the state and be confiscated from…
-
Five injured in gas plant explosion near Bangkok
Five people were injured, three seriously, following an explosion at a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) plant in the Samut Prakarn province near Bangkok in the early hours of this morning. One of the big cylinders is believed to have exploded, spreading to others, and started a blaze at the V.I.P Petroleum plant, in the Bang Sao Thong district of Samut…
-
Thailand in talks with US to bring home ancient heirlooms
The Thai Deputy Government Spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek last night revealed Thailand is in talks with the US to bring home three antique artefacts. Rachada made it known the US Department of Homeland Security is in negotiations with the Denver Art Museum for the return of the Srivijaya-era Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, and two bronze statues of the Dvaravati period, from the 7th to…
-
Fake policeman allegedly rapes, beats and imprisons 20 year old in central Thailand
Police yesterday arrested a 27 year old man in Nonthaburi province, central Thailand, who posed as a police officer on a dating app and allegedly raped, beat, and kept a 20 year old woman imprisoned for two days. The victim – Ms. A (pseudonym) – met Weerapat, or ‘Boo,’ on a dating app. Boo told Ms. A he was a…
-
Thai actor’s plan to swim from Thailand to Laos for charity
Famous Thai actor and singer Phakin “Tono” Khamwilaisak hopes to make a splash with his charity swim across the Mekong River from Thailand to Laos and at the same time raise awareness about environmental issues and raise funds for hospitals in the two countries. Tono announced his plan via his Instagram account last Thursday, August 25. He revealed that he…
-
Famous Thai YouTuber ‘Nutty’ flees Thailand over 2 billion baht Forex scam accusations
A famous Thai YouTuber named ‘Nutty’ is nowhere to be found after she was accused of scamming victims of over 2 billion baht in a Forex scam. Nattamon “Nutty” Khongchak is believed to have defrauded over 6,000 victims. In a ‘Pinky‘ type fraud case, another Thai influencer has used their Internet fame to encourage fans to invest in a scam.…
-
Fallen scaffolding kills 3 year old in northern Thailand
A 3 year old boy was tragically killed by fallen scaffolding in Lampang province, northern Thailand, yesterday morning. Scaffolding at what appears to be an under-construction house fell on top of a 3 year old boy yesterday. The boy’s parents rang 191 and requested emergency help. Rescue workers from Lampang Rescue Association, an ambulance, and medical staff rushed to the…
-
SCB-Bitkub deal fizzles as young investors lose big on crypto
As the crypto market cools and young, naïve investors lose big, the deal for Siam Commercial Bank Group (SCB) to acquire a majority stake in Thai digital asset exchange Bitkub Online has fallen apart. The deal, announced in November of last year, pushed Bitkub Online’s value over US$1 billion and drove the company’s cryptocurrency to triple in value overnight. SCB’s…
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.