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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LATEST: China Eastern plane crash, search for second ‘black box’ continues
More than 10 kilometres from the main crash site where a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737 jet crashed, a Chinese farmer has found what he suspects is a piece of the aircraft. The potential find indicates the challenges investigators face as they piece together answers as to why the six year old plane plunged from the skies over southern China.…
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Thailand, a yacht racing destination
It all started in 1986 when a select group from the elite Royal Varuna Yacht Club (RVYC) got together and decided to launch a regatta in Phuket in 1987 – as a special tribute for the 60th birthday of the then King of Thailand, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Thus the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta (PKCR) was born. Royally connected…
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Iran-backed Houthis attack Saudi petroleum storage facilities
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi party says it struck Saudi petroleum facilities in Jeddah with missiles yesterday, just as Saudi Arabia prepares to hold a motor race on Sunday. The missiles caused fires in two storage tanks, however there were no casualties. A Houthi spokesman says they targeted ‘vital facilities’. Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest oil exporter. Saudi’s energy ministry said…
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Officials debate Bangkok’s Sanam Luang public park
Thai officials are debating how much access the public should have to Sanam Luang, the historic public square in front of Bangkok’s Grand Palace and Temple of the Emerald Buddha. After a governor candidate running under the Move Forward Party advocated removing fences around Sanam Luang, another official has defended keeping them and restricting access to the ‘public’ park. The…
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Two southern men accused of killing police officer arrested in Bangkok
Police arrested two southern men in Bangkok today who are accused of killing a police officer. The two men are the prime suspects in the fatal shooting of a sergeant major in southern Phattalung province earlier this month. A police lieutenant general said the suspects were also linked to other cases involving drugs and attempted murder. The two men allegedly…
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Workers on online platforms are reportedly underpaid – Thailand Labour Ministry
Since the outbreak of Covid-19, a lot of people have been working from home, and many have become freelancers. The idea might sound good on paper, but they faced many challenges from having limited access to government welfare and being underpaid and undervalued. Thai Health Promotion Foundation and the Labour Ministry had organised a forum for people to voice their…
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8 cobras invade elderly lady’s home in Central Thailand
An elderly lady from the central Thai province of Nakhon Si Ayutthaya found eight cobras slithering around her house. 77 year old Cherry Puangrod was at her home in Bang Pa-in district alone yesterday evening when she walked into the bathroom and saw a cobra from the corner of her eye. Cherry ran out of the house to get her…
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Monk flees from temple after residents spot him stealing underwear
A Thai TV star searched the quarters of a monk accused of stealing ladies’ underwear and found both men’s and women’s underwear in the monk’s luggage. The couple living nearby the temple in the central province of Chachoengsao checked the CCTV footage after the wife’s underwear went missing and say they saw a monk taking the panties off a hanger…
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Friday Covid Update: 26,050 new cases; provincial totals
69 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 24,648 with 2,950 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 26,050 new Covid-19 cases and 22,219 recoveries. There are now 244,111 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Human bones found in tank buried at Surat Thani plantation
Warning: The photo below contains images that some may find disturbing. Human bones were found in an oil tank buried at a rubber plantation in the southern province of Surat Thani. The landowner guessed the skeletons might belong to a Burmese worker who was missing four years ago. The land is being cleared for durian trees and workers were using…
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Bangkok man arrested for allegedly luring boys into porn, believed to be part of ring
Today, police arrested a Bangkok man they believe is involved in a child pornography ring. The arrest was part of a raid in four spots today, which are Bangkok, Ang Thong, Chaiyaphum and Kanchanaburi. A police major general said police started investigating the ring when a child pornography suspect was arrested in the northeastern province of Nakhon Phanom in February.…
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Two Thai women allegedly drug tourist at Bangkok hotel, steal US$4,000
A foreign tourist who took two Thai women back to his hotel room in Bangkok was reportedly drugged and robbed. The women allegedly took off with US$4,000 and 15,000 baht in cash as well as other belongings. It is believed that drugs were mixed in the man’s coffee cup. The tourist, who is a firefighter from Kuwait, travelled to Thailand…
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Drunk man stabs sister to death in argument over his drinking, Chon Buri
Sri Racha police report that a drunk man appeared completely remorseless after he stabbed his sister to death in their hotel room in Sri Racha in Chonburi province. The man stabbed his sister multiple times in the head. Sri Racha Police were notified about the stabbing on Wednesday. The man is now in custody at the Nong Kham Police Station,…
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Police in Isaan Thailand told to be lenient with cannabis growers after grandma’s arrest
Following the arrest of a 70-year-old woman and her relative for growing a cannabis plant at their home in the Isaan province Khon Kaen, local police have been advised to use common sense, and good judgment when enforcing the laws on cannabis as Thailand loosens laws to become more marijuana-friendly. The women spent the night in jail and were punished…
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Thai and Cambodian officers raid two offices of alleged call centre scams
Thai and Cambodian authorities raided two offices of an alleged call centre scam operation in Cambodia. 61 Thai and Chinese suspects were arrested. The officer also found a dialogue or conversation script that each scammer followed and used to lure victims into transferring money. Yesterday, the Thai Police Cyber Taskforce and officers in Cambodia raided two suspected scam call centre…
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To splash or not to splash? Bangkok mulls Songkran parties on Khao San Road, after tourism industry rebuke
Fret not, splash happy expats. The tourism industry is fighting for your right to a Songkran water fight. Now the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is mulling whether to allow Songkran water splashing festivities to be held on Khao San Road, after the CCSA’s unpopular announcement banning water splashing activities for a third consecutive year sparked much backlash from local businesses last…
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Owner of Phuket’s Sri Panwa luxury resort crashes again, Bentley engulfed in flames
A year after a serious car accident, the owner of Phuket’s Sri Panwa resort was in another accident where he lost control of his Bentley as he drove around a bend, causing it to flip multiple times. He and his friends were able to escape the car before it was engulfed in flames. No one was injured. The owner of…
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Phuket Governor Narong issues mandates on handling Covid-19 corpses
Phuket Governor Narong issued a provincial order with four mandates on Wednesday about how to deal with the dead bodies of Covid-19 victims. The mandates are: 1) It is forbidden to bathe the corpse. 2) It is forbidden to use injections to treat the corpse. 3) It is forbidden to open the corpse after it has been collected for the…
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UKRAINE UPDATES: Zelensky says EU acted late, pleads for membership; Nato sends battalions to eastern Europe
As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its second month, here’s the latest headlines… • World leaders have been holding a round of emergency summits in Brussels. NATO, the European Council and the G7 are reportedly seeking to unify their response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The US has announced new sanctions on Russia, as well as assistance for Ukrainian refugees.…
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Petrol station attendant in Bangkok loses leg after being hit by another car while servicing
A petrol station attendant in Bangkok had to get his leg amputated after a car slammed into him and another car while he was filling up the gas. A driver, who had little experience behind the wheel, lost control of her new car, crashing into another car and the attendant. She had just bought the car that day and Thai…
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Human rights official claims DNA tests infringe on Lahu hilltribe, Chiang Mai
In 2021, soldiers and police found large amounts of illegal drugs on the border in Fang district of Chiang Mai, according to a member of the National Human Rights Commission. The soldiers and police investigated nearby areas, which happened to be where 51 Lahu hilltribe members lived. The authorities then collected DNA samples from the 51 residents, suspecting they might…
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Bali due to host Vladimir Putin during G20 Summit in late October
Despite calls for Russia to be kicked out of the G20 over its invasion of Ukraine, Bali is still on course to host Vladimir Putin during October’s summit. According to a Coconuts report, Russia’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Lyudmila Vorobyova, was evasive when answering questions about Putin’s potential visit during a press conference in Jakarta. “Depends on the situation, (but) so…
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Police in Isaan Thailand search for man allegedly caught skinning a cat
Villagers in the Isaan province Udon Thani are being advised to look after their pets after a woman said she came across a man skinning a cat outside a nearby temple. The man fled, leaving only the cat skin at the scene. Police are now searching for the man. The village chief spoke with Thai media about the incident, saying…
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Thai government signs procurement deal for 2 million Paxlovid tablets
Thailand’s Department of Medical Services has signed a deal with Pfizer to purchase 2 million Paxlovid tablets for the treatment of Covid-19. This equates to 50 treatment courses of the anti-viral medication, with delivery expected next month, according to a Thai PBS World report. DMS director Dr. Somsak Akksilp says that clinical trials have shown the drug can reduce the…
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Reward offered for reporting people who spread fake Covid news in Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai tourism operators are offering gift vouchers to anyone who can provide information that leads to the arrest of people spreading news about the city’s Covid-19 situation. Concerned that such false accounts could jeopardise Songkran tourism in the northern city, businesses have come together to offer vouchers worth up to 50,000 baht. According to a Nation Thailand report, tourism…
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Businesses in Betong offer to guarantee seats on flights if Nok Air drops price
Tourism firms in Betong are trying to strike a deal with Nok Air in order to get commercial flights operating again at the southern town’s airport. According to a Bangkok Post report, businesses have offered to guarantee 60 seats on every Nok Air flight to Betong if the airline drops the cost of a round-trip ticket. Nok Air’s round-trip fare…
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Test & Go, Thailand Pass could be gone by June if no Covid surge after Songkran
Thailand’s tourism minister says if there’s no surge in Covid cases following next month’s Songkran holiday, entry restrictions could be eased further. According to a Bangkok Post report, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says Test & Go and Thailand Pass could be scrapped from June 1, if there’s no spike in Covid cases or deaths after the Thai New Year holiday. Phiphat is…
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Thailand cuts quarantine for unvaccinated travellers to 5 days
Starting April 1, the mandatory quarantine period for unvaccinated travellers entering Thailand will be reduced to five days. Travellers will also no longer need to take a pre-departure PCR Covid-19 test. The new requirements are pending publication in the Royal Gazette and the official announcement is expected to be published at the end of the month. Unvaccinated travellers can enter…
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Endangered tiger tracked by Thai wildlife officials dies aged 9
An endangered tiger known as ‘Thanakorn’ who lived in a national park in the northern province of Uthai Thani has died at age nine. The news was posted yesterday on Thailand Tiger Project’s Facebook page. On Tuesday evening, Thailand Tiger Project received an electronic notification saying “expiration detected” linked to an ID number belonging to Thanakorn the tiger. The team…
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Footage shows three pit bulls breaking into home, children run to safety
Three pit bulls from a temple broke into a family home on Tuesday in the western province Kanchanaburi causing two young boys to run to safety. The boys were not hurt but the pit bulls savagely killed one of their pet cats. In the footage posted by Santi Kasinthuram on Facebook, the pit bulls can be seen charging into the…
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