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.
-
Sponsored Hot Phuket property deal: Arise Vibe launches limited offer on only four units, now from 2.5m baht
Phuket's property market is full of big names and high prices, but some of the most exciting opportunities are happening just outside the spotlight. That’s where you’ll find Arise Vibe. Set in Si Sunthon, one of Phuket’s fastest-growing areas, this...
-
English?! Why should we have to learn that? Thai university students grumble over language requirement
Students at Rajamangala University of Technology in Chiang Mai province are whinging about having to demonstrate basic English abilities in order to enrol in courses at the institution. The Daily News reports that the students, with the support of their parents, have made an official complaint about the requirement, which they say should not apply to Thai courses. Students are currently…
-
Tsunami survivor opens school in Bangkok in recognition of Thai generosity
PHOTO: Howard Liang looks on as his daughter speaks at yesterday’s launch of the new international school – The Nation A Hong Kong businessman who was in Phuket with nineteen members of his family when the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami struck, is back in Thailand to build an international school near Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport. Howard Liang says the international school is…
-
Over 30,000 displaced in Narathiwat floods, southern Thailand
Out of almost nowhere, and amidst a looming drought for many parts of the country, heavy rains have left flooded areas in Narathiwat, in Thailand’s deep south, displacing over 30,000 people. Soldiers, government officials and volunteers yesterday rushed to the assistance of 37,171 people hit by unseasonal floods in five districts of the southern Thai province, according to Thai Rath.…
-
Thailand’s Army chief warns of a ‘proxy crisis’
PHOTO: Matichon The Army chief, General Apirat Kongsompong, is warning Thais about what he sees as a “proxy crisis” facing the country. The comments, without directly referring to the event by name, were a veiled criticism of the “Run Against Dictatorship” event coming up next month. The commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army took the “everything’s OK, but…” approach to…
-
Thailand’s Maya Bay to remain closed for another two years
So that’s going to be almost the end of 2021. The Department of National Parks Wildlife and Plant Conservation has announced that Maya Bay is going to be closed for another two years to provide a better opportunity for the ecological system to recover, whilst also completing and implementing plans for management of tourists at the famous tourist attraction. Maya…
-
15 years on, over 300 tsunami victims from Thailand’s coast still unidentified
PHOTO: Phuket just moments after the Indian Ocean Tsunami hit the holiday island on December 26, 2004 – Associated Press/Stephen Trupp Fifteen years after the Indian Ocean tsunami killed upwards of 230,000 people on December 26, 2004, a container at the Takua Pa police station in Phang Nga, southern Thailand, still contains personal items from the hundreds of victims whose remains are unlikely…
-
The Thaiger is looking for a writer, in English, to join our team
The Thaiger is still looking for a full-time writer, in English. • You must be a native English speaker • You will work from our offices in Cherngtalay, Phuket • A visa and work permit are available • The Thaiger has full training available for the right applicant • You will have had some experience in writing, journalism or creative…
-
Popular UK website canes Mövenpick Resort in Bangtao, Phuket for its use of a baby elephant to entertain guests
A big international social media and entertainment website based in the UK, LADbible.com, which attracts around 18-20 million clicks a month, has caned a Phuket hotel over some photos of guests interacting with a baby elephant. The photos and story was circulated locally last week but has now been picked up by the popular website, spreading the poor publicity for…
-
Tourism Authority of Thailand says three websites now provide electronic visa-on-arrival
Visitors from some countries can now apply online for a visa-on-arrival, with the Tourism Authority of Thailand saying they’ve added a third website to the previous two offering the service. Thai Residents reports that citizens of Bhutan, China, Taiwan, Ethiopia, Fiji, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Nauru, New Guinea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Vanuatu can now also apply through www.eVisaThailand.com,…
-
Following months of gridlock, Pattaya roadworks suspended, roads re-opened for ‘silly season’
PHOTO: Pattaya Mail Following concerns raised by the Pattaya Tourism Association, all roadworks in Pattaya, which have ground the city to a halt in recent months, will be paused for the holiday period, with roads re-opened to allow traffic to flow more freely. The Pattaya News reports that at a meeting held with city officials yesterday, the Pattaya Tourism Association…
-
Don Mueang tollway fee increase opposed by consumer agency
PHOTO: YouTube Plans to slap a 10% increase on the fee to use the Don Mueang Toll Way have been opposed by the Consumer Protection Board. The CPB is tasked with defending consumer rights and instigating legal proceedings in the case of infringement. Thai PBS World reports that the board claims the toll hike, which is due to come into…
-
School building, where 13 year old shot a fellow student, has been closed down
An entire school building has been closed following a fatal shooting of a 13 year old student by another student on Wednesday in Nonthaburi, Bangkok. The class, which both were students, has been suspended until next week. The 13 year old shooter told police he shot the victim “out of desperation after being repeatedly bullied”. After the daily flag raising…
-
Vietnam extends 15 day visa-free travel for some countries
Vietnam’s tourism operators are welcoming the Vietnam government’s decision to extend the visa-free stays for citizens from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark and Belarus for another three years. The eight countries have already enjoyed visa exemption (for a stay up to 15 days) since 2015, but it was due to expire at the end of this year.…
-
18 year old crew remains missing after boat collision off Phuket yesterday, one dead
PHOTO: Phuket People’s Voice The Royal Thai Navy continued searching off Phuket’s east coast today for 18 year old Kittipong ‘Boy’ Samunboot, a crew who fell overboard in yesterday’s collision between a tour boat and a large luxury yacht off Koh Khai Nok. The incident happened around 4pm. A search for the missing young man continued last night and was…
-
Activists propose amendments to same-sex marriage bill in Thailand
Activists from Togetherness for Equality and Action are broadening their push for an amendment to the Civil and Commercial Code that would to allow people to legally marry, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. Ekkawat Pimsawan, from the group, has submitted a proposal to amend the Code to Mukda Pongsombat, chairwoman of the House Standing Committee on children, youths, women,…
-
Why is Thailand’s PropTech market so valuable…
… and who will come out on top in the battle of the portals and hybrids, 2020 and beyond? How big is the Thailand economy? Is Thailand just for tourism? The explosive growth in the economy has now placed Thailand as the second largest economy in Southeast Asia. With over 70 million people now residing in Thailand, the country boasts one of…
-
Thai Airways presents new recovery plan for board approval
Thai Airways president Sumeth Damrongchaitham says the national carrier will submit a 2020-2025 rehabilitation plan to the Board of Directors in January, with a separate purchasing plan for new aircraft also being put forward. The Nation reports that the rehabilitation plan will consist of twenty projects and four key measures. One of these will be to increase the revenue derived…
-
Competition amongst discount airlines concerns Thai CAA
PHOTO: Travel Daily (the photo is for display only and does not reflect on the airlines depicted) Thailand’s airlines are strapped for cash, facing serious competition and discounted airfares, and the Thai Civil Aviation Authority is closely watching their safety standards. This from the CAAT director-general Chula Sukmanop. Sukmanop says he’s worried because many airlines, especially budget carriers, are facing…
-
Thai parliament officials apologise for Future Forward members’ kiss
“Let’s call a press conference to apologise for the last press conference…” Parliamentary staff have held a media conference to apologise for the behaviour of two male Future Forward MPs who exchanged a kiss during an earlier press conference held in the Parliament building. The Nation reports that the House Speaker’s secretary Tankhun Jit-Issara emphasised the need to behave appropriately in…
-
Paroled Thai serial killer “Jack the Ripper” spotted by two students before arrest
PHOTO: Alleged killer of his sixth victim on Sunday, Somkid Pumpuang (front centre), during his arrest in 2005 for five other murders Police arrested the paroled serial killer Somkid Phumphuang on a train in northeastern Thailand yesterday. He was wanted as a suspect in the killing of a woman in Khon Kaen province on Sunday. Police discovered Somkid, asleep next to…
-
Army promises investigation after three civilians shot and killed
PHOTO: Villagers carry the body of one of the three men killed by government forces on Wednesday, from the Tawae mountains in Narathiwat – Benar News The army has promised a full and fair investigation after three unarmed men were shot dead by security forces in mountains around Narathiwat province, southern Thailand, on Monday. Pornsak Poolsawat, Thailand’s southern army commander, originally…
-
Boat crash near Koh Kai off Phuket – four injured
PHOTOS: Newshawk Phuket On Wednesday, December 18, there was a boat incident near Koh Kai, in Phang Nga. The collision is believed to have happened around 4pm. A speedboat on tour collided into a luxury yacht, which resulted in at least four injuries. One of the passengers on the yacht suffered a broken leg. When marine rescue arrived at the…
-
13 year old shoots classmate in Bangkok afters repeated taunts
PHOTO: Siam Nonthaburi Foundation A teenage schoolboy has shot dead a 13 year old classmate who he says had repeatedly insulted and bullied him at a school in Muang district yesterday morning. The fatal shooting occurred inside a public school in Bang Kraso, Nonthaburi, a north west suburb of Bankok. The 13 year old shooter was apprehended and taken to the…
-
Swedish national still missing in Bangkok
A Hat Yai woman has asked for police help in locating her Swedish husband, who went missing shortly after they arrived in Thailand from Stockholm last Thursday. 55 year old Begt Erik Gustafsson, a welder, allegedly left with a friend and hasn’t been seen heard from since. Sixty-five year old Amphorn Maksomboon filed a missing person report with Hat Yai…
-
FFP rally may have broken the law, activist demands investigation
PHOTO: Srisuwan Janya – Bangkok Post Thailand’s “complainer-in-chief”, lawyer and fan-boy for the current government, Srisuwan Janya, says he will ask the Election Commission to investigate if the Future Forward Party broke the law on political parties by holding a political rally in central Bangkok last Saturday. Srisuwan, secretary-general of the Association for the Protection of the Thai Constitution, cited…
-
Fugitive ‘serial killer’ Somkid arrested on Bangkok-bound train
Police have arrested the convicted killer Somkid Poompuang, who has been nick-named in Thai media as “Jack the Ripper” and “Kid the Ripper” this morning. He was on the run since a murder in Khon Kaen last Sunday. 55 year old Somkid was on a train at a railway station in the Pak Chong district of Nakhon Ratchasima province in north…
-
Doctor in southern Thailand issues warning after manicure goes VERY wrong
PHOTO: Facebook/Arak Wongworachat A doctor at a hospital in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat is warning women to exercise caution when choosing a nail salon and to ensure the facility follows correct sanitation procedures and only uses properly sterilised equipment. Dr Arak Wongworachat posted his warning online after a 35 year old female patient developed a serious infection…
-
Rescue workers find women sitting with 10 day old corpse, waiting for dead man to come back to life
After local residents complained of the smell coming from a house in Nakhon Nayok, north east of Bangkok, a medical rescue team was sent to the property only to find a rather sad situation. The Nation reports that the team arrived at the property to find a decomposing human body, with three women sitting in the kitchen. The rescue team then…
-
Phuket resort owners Castlewood Group goes into liquidation
UPDATE: “The liquidation is for Singapore assets only, NOT Thai assets, the (Phuket) hotel is not being liquidated and operating as normal,” according to the Dream Phuket Hotel & Spa General Manager Chris Adams. PHOTO: Couple Travel The World The future of a Phuket resort in the booming Layan Beach/Cherngtalay area, funded by a Singapore-based property developer, is under a cloud following…
-
Thai man’s campaign to find his aunt, allegedly kidnapped by North Korea 42 years ago
Persistence. A Thai man, who believes his aunt was abducted by North Korea several decades ago, says he’s encouraged by Japan’s efforts to track down its citizens also thought to have been kidnapped by the rogue state. Thai PBS World reports that Banchon Panjoi was invited to a meeting in Japan organised by relatives of missing people believed to have been…
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.