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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Emergency food relief has reached Koh Samui
by Joanna Matlub Living Waters Phuket has expanded its charitable food donations from Phuket to Koh Samui. This week, Living Waters Phuket continued its efforts to support vulnerable communities in need, this time moving beyond the Phuket and Phang Nga areas and onto the communities in Koh Samui on the Gulf of Thailand. The LWP Foundation was set up to…
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Driver focused on GPS accidentally drives into canal in Korat
A driver focused on the GPS accidentally drove into a canal, sinking his pick-up truck. The driver and the other four passengers managed to safely get out of the vehicle. The driver says he was in an area that he wasn’t familiar with in the northeastern province Nakhon Ratchasima, also known as Korat. With his eyes focused more on the…
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Thai citizens donate over 5 million baht to Ukraine
Over 5 million baht has been donated by Thai citizens to help with humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. As of yesterday, 5,306,750 baht had been collected by the Embassy of Ukraine in Thailand, which has been transferred to the National Bank of Ukraine. The donations will help people affected by the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The news follows yesterday’s…
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Prayut orders tight security amidst new Southern bomb attack
In the aftermath of a bombing in Yala province in Southern Thailand, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered investigators to hunt down the perpetrators. The attack injured four patrolling rangers and two civilians in front of a school in Bannang Sata district. This news comes after a government negotiator announced last month that the Thai government would have peace talks with…
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Phuket call centre for Russians and Ukrainians gets positive reviews
Russians and Ukrainians stranded in Phuket are reportedly grateful for a new call centre that Phuket authorities set up to help them. One Thai guide who speaks Russian said he took calls from both Russians and Ukrainians to help them coordinate with Phuket immigration on visa issues. “The felt that they were not abandoned”. The director of the Tourism Authority…
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Columbia Pictures Aquaverse water park to open in Chon Buri next month
The new Columbia Pictures Aquaverse water park in Chon Buri is officially opening to the public next month after plans were delayed due to Covid-19. The themes for attractions are based on popular movies and animations like Jumanji, Ghostbusters, and Hotel Transylvania. The water park also offers the world’s first wave pool cinema, allowing guests to watch movies on a…
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Tangmo saga continues, as key witness questions autopsy report
As the family, friends and fans of Thai actress Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong begin a three-day celebration of her life this evening, the conclusion of the police investigation into the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death will continue, as police await the results of further forensics examinations. Now a fresh autopsy is reportedly being conducted in response to new allegations and significant…
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PM Prayut to board first official flight to Yala’s new airport, chair opening ceremony
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha will be onboard the first flight to the new Betong Airport in the southern province Yala to preside over the opening ceremony on Monday. The prime minister hopes the airport will stimulate the southern border provinces’ economic development, encourage domestic and international commerce and improve security in the area. The airport, under construction from 2017 to 2019,…
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Farmers sleep on the streets of Bangkok for 42 days calling for action on debt
Farmers from all over Thailand are sleeping under a busy expressway in Bangkok to call on the government to solve the problem of farmers’ debt. So far, the protestors have slept on the streets for 42 nights. The farmers request that their debt be transferred from central government banks, which charge high interest rates, to the Farmers’ Rehabilitation and Development…
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Health officials hurry to mail medicine to over 3,500 Bangkok Covid-19 patients
After over 3,500 Covid-19 patients in the Bangkok area couldn’t access home health services, health officials are rushing to mail them Favipiravir. The secretary-general of the National Health Security Office said it would take about five days for patients to receive the anti-viral drug in the mail, if their symptoms are not serious. The NHSO has been overwhelmed by the…
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Man claiming to be Tokay gecko catcher allegedly kills 2 pet dogs, steals valuable rosewood house pillars
A thief who claimed to be a Tokay gecko catcher poisoned two pet dogs and stole two house pillars made from valuable rosewood in the early hours of yesterday morning in the Isaan province Surin. 42 year old Saman Sooklom, who rents a house in Surin, woke up yesterday to find that his two pet dogs were dead and the…
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Man arrested for kidnapping a 6 year old boy, forcing the child to beg on the streets
A man was arrested for allegedly kidnapping a 6 year old Cambodian child in Bangkok and forcing the boy to beg for money on the streets. The Mirror Foundation, a Thai non-governmental organisation, says the man has been forcing children to beg on the streets for more than two years in various provinces. The child was abducted from a convenience…
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Singapore wants to attract highly skilled expats
Singapore has devised a new system to identify unusually high talent, or ‘super skills’ in expats. The system is points-based, and scores factors including education, skills, and how expats’ nationalities contribute to diversity in their company. It is set to start in September. Singapore’s Manpower Minister said business chambers and companies have welcomed the scheduled points system. He told Bloomberg Television the…
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UKRAINE UPDATES: Meta permits hate speech; Turkey talks end without ceasefire; Russian forces advance on Kyiv; US warns of chemical attack; EU meets in Versailles
• Russian forces have begun attacking the Ukrainian cities of Lutsk, Ivano-Frankivsk and Dnipro for the first time since the invasion began. • In a late night address, President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected Moscow’s claims that Ukraine is developing chemical weapons. The US has also denied the claim as a false pretext for Russia to use chemical weapons in Ukraine.…
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Friday Covid Update: 24,792 new cases; provincial totals
63 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 23,575 with 1,877 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 24,792 new Covid-19 cases and 22,065 recoveries. There are now 222,998 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Officials untangle cables on major Bangkok road to improve city’s appearance, safety
Bangkok officials are untangling cables on a major road to improve the city’s appearance and safety. The minister of Thailand’s Digital Economy and Society Ministry said this move on Sukhumvit Road is part of a larger push to better Bangkok’s landscape and promote it as a “lively world class city”. The National Telecom executive vice president said the agency is…
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Thai government to change how Covid-19 deaths are recorded
The Public Health Ministry says it will adjust how it records Covid-19 deaths after it emerged that up to 30% of patients who died passed away as a result of underlying illnesses. According to a Bangkok Post report, health minister Anutin Charnvirakul says officials will revise the data to ensure the cause of death in Covid patients is more accurately…
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Forensic doctor denies ‘signs’ Thai TV actress Tangmo was hit in the head
A recent autopsy on the body of the Thai TV actress known as “Tangmo” shows that there was no sign she was hit in the head with a hard object before drowning in the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok last month, says a forensic doctor who examined the body of the 37 year old celebrity. There were reportedly no broken…
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Government ramping up vaccination of the elderly ahead of Songkran holiday
Health authorities in Thailand are accelerating the Covid-19 vaccine rollout for the elderly population ahead of the Songkran holiday in April. Sumanee Wacharasin from the CCSA says the government wants to ensure people over the age of 60 receive a booster dose to maintain high immunity. The move comes as many people plan to return home, reuniting with elderly relatives…
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As Thailand’s fuel prices spike, stockpile raised
As Thailand’s fuel prices continue to spike, officials have announced that the government will extend fuel stockpiling. Thailand’s Deputy PM and Energy Minister said in a meeting yesterday that the government has instructed oil companies to extend stockpiling of oil reserves from 60 to 70 days to help defuse a pending crisis. He said Thailand will keep its policy of…
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Facebook relaxes rules on violent speech during Russia’s war in Ukraine
Facebook’s parent company, Meta, says the social media giant is temporarily easing rules on violent speech as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. According to an AFP report, the invasion, which has been condemned around the world, has created a wave of anger on social media. However, while Facebook is making some allowances for that rage, it will not…
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Thailand confirms neutral stance, encourages ‘dialogue’ on Russia-Ukraine
A government spokesman confirmed yesterday that Thailand will remain neutral on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The spokesman said due to the threat by Covid-19, Thailand doesn’t want any international conflict to worsen the public health crisis. He also restated what foreign ministers have said, that all parties should excersise “maximum restraint”. He stressed that PM Prayut has supported a policy of…
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End in sight for Thailand Pass once Covid-19 declared endemic – TAT
The governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand says tourism numbers may need to be revised down due to the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which includes surging oil prices and rising inflation. Yuthasak Supasorn adds that entry restrictions will be relaxed in stages as officials move to declaring Covid-19 endemic. Cabinet has already approved a Public Health Ministry…
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Yoon Suk-Yeol wins South Korea presidential election by a hair
South Korea has a new president today after a nail-biting and often nasty campaign, deemed “the unlikeable election.” Conservative Yoon Suk-Yeol will be the nation’s new president, after Lee Jae-myung of the ruling Democratic Party conceded defeat last night. Speaking at a post-election press conference, Yoon consoled his rival and called for unity, saying… “Our competition is over for now.…
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Ministry of Foreign Affairs donates 2 million baht for humanitarian assistance in Ukraine
Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs approved a budget of 2 million baht to provide humanitarian assistance in Ukraine in light of the ongoing conflict which continues to cause death, injuries and damage to infrastructure. So far, 230 out of 256 Thai people who wish to leave Ukraine have already been evacuated. MFA spokesperson Thani Saengrat told the press today that…
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Four fingernails from body of revered monk stolen, one has been returned
Four fingernails from the body of the revered monk Luang Phor Hong were stolen, and so far one fingernail has been returned. The corpse of the Isaan monk, who died at age 97 back in 2014, is kept in a glass coffin which is opened only once a year for an annual robe-changing ceremony at Wat Phetchaburi temple in Surin,…
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Bangkok women activists call on Prayut to amend Thailand’s maternity leave law
On Tuesday, International Women’s Day, networks of women’s rights groups in Bangkok called on PM Prayut to amend Thailand’s current maternity leave law. Under the current law, women are paid for 90 days of leave. Women’s rights activists want this changed to 98 days. The spokeswoman for the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare said the department will discuss the…
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Royal Thai Air Force says Thailand needs new fighter jets for national security
New fighter jets are needed to improve Thailand’s national security and replace the current aircraft that are due to be decommissioned, according to the Royal Thai Air Force. The air force started a 10-year plan to decommission fighter jets in 2021, cutting the fleet in half by 2032. Officers say new jets are needed for main air defence operations. The…
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Police search for suspected hitman who allegedly shot M16 rifle, killing an officer
Two people, including a police officer, were killed in a gunfire exchange where a suspected hitman allegedly shot at officers using an M16 rifle in the southern province Phattalung. Another officer was severely injured and three suspects, including the alleged hitman, were able to escape. Eight police officers from the Crime Suppression Division tracked down Chamrat “Chui Chaochan” Rakchan, a…
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Thursday Covid Update: 22,984 new cases; provincial totals
74 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 23,512 with 1,814 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 22,984 new Covid-19 cases and 24,161 recoveries. There are now 220,334 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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