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 Thailand vs. the West: What expats save on healthcare each year
Healthcare in Thailand is much cheaper than in Western countries, making it a great choice for expatriates looking for affordable medical care. Both public and private healthcare options offer high-quality services, with savings of up to 80% on procedures like...
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Democrats meet one day before PM election to decide who to support
PHOTO: Democrat party spokesperson, Ramet Rattanachaweng Three sleeps to go before the Thai parliament meets to elect a new PM. The result of that vote is expected to favour the Palang Pracharat prime ministerial candidate, Prayut Chan-o-cha, the man who has been Thailand’s PM for the past five years. The Democrat party say they will decide on Tuesday, whether to…
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Just how many hazardous chemicals are going through Laem Chabang port?
“The containers were loaded with “dolls and toys” and there are no chemical substances present.” That was the first explanation we heard after the fire that happened last Saturday, May 25, when containers from the KMTC Hongkong burst into flames at Laem Chabang Port, south east of Bangkok. The port area is just to the north of Pattaya on the eastern…
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Two Pattaya pubs raided, 155 arrested over drug use
A total of 155 patrons have tested positive for drugs after raids on two popular Pattaya pubs early this morning. The pubs raided were Brazil Pattaya and 90’s Bar around 4am. Police say searches found a 9mm pistol with 16 rounds of ammunition, a knife, 62 packets of narcotics, including ecstasy, ketamine and crystal methamphetamine and drug-taking paraphernalia scattered over the…
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Songkhla bus crashes, seven injured
PHOTO: Siam Rath News Seven passengers have been injured after a Phuket to Hat Yai bus skidded into a ditch and crashed on its side in Songkhla’s Rattaphum district early today. The accident happened on the Hat Yai-bound Asia highway Tambon Khuan Tai at 3am this morning. The bus was laying on its side with around 20 passengers trapped inside. Seven passengers…
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Thailand’s export growth expectations revised down to just 3% in 2019
“Export trends are aligned with global sentiment and the outlook for other Asian countries, making export prospects murky because of the escalating trade war.” The government is massively revising down their export growth targets to just 3% this year from an earlier 8% growth estimate. Deputy PM Somkid Jatusripitak is blaming the global economic slowdown, the ongoing trade spat between the…
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Vote for new Thai PM on Wednesday – Democrats and Palang Pracharat still at loggerheads
The countdown is on to next Wednesday’s vote for a new Thai PM. With all odds pointing to a return term for Prayut Chan-o-cha, Palang Pracharat’s prime ministerial candidate, it’s now or never for the various parties to form workable, and sustainable MP blocs in the new parliament. Otherwise the new PM will be the head of a scrambled egg…
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Bus plunges off mountain road in Phrae, Thailand, 17 injured
17 passengers have been injured after a bus crashed off a mountain road in Thailand’s north last night. The bus was travelling between Chiang Mai to Phrae in Thailand. The accident happened in Tambon Bor Leng Long, Phrae. The accident happened at 8.30pm on the Den Chai-Lampang road. Rescuers struggled to rescue the injured passengers from the bus that had fallen…
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Japan’s Nissin Electric moves production to Myanmar from Thailand
Nissin Electrics of Japan are building a new plant in Myanmar, which will shift some of their production from factories in Vietnam and Thailand, in an effort to cut labour costs. Nissin Electrics manufacture gas insulated switchgears, capacitors, transformers, instrument transformers and medium-low voltage metal enclosed equipment. Bangkok Post reports that the company announced it will form a joint venture with Hosoda…
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Bali’s Mount Agung erupts again
PHOTO: Twitter/Phoebs A week after flights were cancelled in and out of Bali’s airport, Mount Agung has burst into life again today at 11:42am sending plumes of ash into the Balinese sky. Indonesia’s Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center said the eruption lasted for 8 minutes Despite the renewed activity, Mount Agung remains on level alert level three, or “standby”…
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Six vehicles damaged, one person injured, as truck swipes parked cars in Phuket
PHOTOS: เป็นปาก เป็นเสียง Six vehicles parked on Yaowarat Road, Old Phuket Town, have been damaged after a truck has swiped them as it was driving down the road. A pedestrian on the footpath was also injured in the incident. Phuket City Police report that they were notified of the incident at about noon today on Yaowarat Road in the island’s…
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King Power wins duty free and shopping management contract for Suvarnabhumi
In Friday’s biggest surprise (please say in sarcastic tone whilst rolling eyes) King Power Suvarnabhumi has won the bidding to manage the commercial area at Suvarnabhumi International Airport with the highest offer, AOT senior executive vice president Vichai Bunyu said this morning. The winner will be approved on June 12, he said. Earlier this year the AoT (Airports of Thailand)…
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Harsher penalties for encroachers and illegal loggers in Thai forestry areas
Yesterday four marine species were added to the ‘reserved’ list, providing addition legal protections for the animals. Read that story HERE. Now it’s been announced that forest encroachers caught clearing land or burning trees, in any of Thailand’s national parks or gardens, in order to occupy the land, will soon face jail terms of up to 20 years and/or a…
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Another week of negotiations and still no clear coalition emerges
PHOTO: The Nation – Palang Pracharat pose for a show of unity amongst complete turmoil Democrats walking out of meetings, deals made then broken days later, pending court cases over MPs’ eligibility – it’s never a dull day in Thai politics as we stumble towards a new parliament. Here are the current important milestones you need to know about… •…
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Coral bleaching off Koh Phi Phi
Corals at Koh Phi Phi near a famous driving point has started to bleach. Paranya Pantajit, a scuba expert in Krabi says, “Corals near a famous diving point at Koh Phi Phi is beaching. There are many marine lives living around this coral.” “The temperature at 8 metres deep in the sea is about 31 degree Celsius. Corals in in…
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Five taken to hospital after tour bus air-con unit explodes in repair shop
PHOTOS: Daily News Five people are now recovering in hospital after a tour bus air-conditioning compressor exploded at a repair shop in Pathum Thani, north of Bangkok. A woman walking by was injured along with four workers at the yard. The explosion happened at the Rattanakosin 200 Years housing estate in Thanyaburi. They were all hit by shrapnel as the unit…
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40 year old HongKong citizen falls to his death from Bangkok condo
A Hong Kong citizen has died after falling from the fourth floor of the IVY Ratchada Condominium in Huai Kwang district, northern Bangkok. The 40 year old, Jefryanto Bin, cracked his skull after he fell from the condo and landed in the building’s parking lot on Ratchadaphisek Soi 20, according to Sutthisan Police Station police. His body was sent for…
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Phuket’s media shuffles – the news leaders
Phuket’s media is going through a minor revolution. A lot of work is going into spreading local news for an island of some 450,000 locals and 12 million annual tourists (who are unlikely to read any local news media anyway). Roll back 20 years and the local leader in the media was the Phuket Gazette which lasted as an English-speaking…
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Bangkok tuk-tuk driver is caught after over-charging three American tourists
PHOTOS: Tourist Police A tuk-tuk driver, who charged three American tourists 1,500 baht for a trip in Bangkok, has apologised for his actions and admitted to over-charging them. He also faces a hefty fine. Lt Gen Terapon Kuptanond, commissioner of the Tourist Police Bureau says, “tourist police had tracked down the accused driver after the JS100 Facebook page posted a…
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Thai PM takes flack from social media over his Animal Farm recommendation
PHOTO: The Thai PM has never been comfortable around farm animals PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is taking a lot of flack after suggesting Thais read George Orwell’s dystopian novel, “Animal Farm”. And a government spokesperson’s explanation has dug the hole even deeper. Read The Thaiger story HERE. “The man who has run the country undemocratically for the past five years has…
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Two Chinese motorcyclists injured after they collided with power pole in Rawai
Two Chinese tourists riding on a motorbike in Rawai have sustained injuries after colliding with a power pole. One of them is in serious condition. The Chalong Police were notified of the incident last night on Wiset Road. Police and emergency responders arrived to find a damaged motorbike laying next to a power pole. A helmet was found nearby. Blood…
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Thai PM’s book recommendation backfires
Literature 1.01. Most people have read George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’. It’s the tale of a ‘democratic’ and utopian farmyard until the pigs get hungry for power and end up running the place as a dictatorship, dressed up as a democracy. The book resonated the fears of a post-WWII Britain and the rise of Stalinism. “All animals are equal, but some…
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From October you’ll have to pay your traffic fines before you can re-register your vehicle
PHOTOS: The Nation It’s official, sort of. From October 1, police have advised that car owners must pay all traffic fines or will be unable to re-register their vehicles and get a new annual registration sticker for their windscreen. Without these window stickers, they will have problems with traffic police while on the roads. Car licence registrations must be renewed…
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Wanted Phuket man arrested over human trafficking charges in Krabi
A wanted Phuket suspect, in relation to alleged human trafficking charges, has been arrested in Krabi. Officers arrested 47 year old Suppachart Jirawattanakun, originally from Lampang, yesterday. He was arrested following the issuing of an arrest warrant from the Phuket Provincial Court on January 13, 2018 over human trafficking charges. In 2017 officers discovered that at ‘The Rich Massage’ shop…
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Famous Krabi elephant dies near elephant camp
A 48 year old male elephant has died near an elephant camp in Krabi yesterday. The elephant had become a favourite and was popular in the area among locals and tourists who visited the camp. The elephant’s name was Kamtan. The Krabi Noi village headman was notified yesterday that the male elephant had died in a forest near a local…
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Burmese man arrested for doing stunts on his Honda around Chiang Mai roads – VIDEO
PHOTOS: Daily News | VIDEO: Jeep Jenjira Pansena A video posted by Jeep Jenjira Pansena has prompted the Chiang Mai police to arrest a Burmese man caught doing stunts on the city’s roads. 21 year old “Mai”, who lives in San Sai and works as a masseur, was standing up on his Honda Click, amongst other ‘moves’ while hurtling around the…
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30 new cameras ready to catch traffic running red lights in Bangkok
PHOTO: Daily News 30 major intersections will be fitted with red-light cameras to fine people going through intersections and ignoring red traffic lights. Testing will take place during June and the cameras likely to be operational in July. The cameras will detect the registration plate number and send you an automatic fine through the post. Police say that despite rumours of…
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Ship owner fined 50,000 baht for chemical fire at Laem Chabang port
The Port Authority of Thailand has slapped a 50,000 baht fine on the South Korean owner of a container ship which caught fire at the Laem Chabang deep-sea port on Saturday morning, causing a chemical fire and smoke blanketing surrounding communities. Laem Chabang is just north of Pattaya fronting the Gulf of Thailand. Meanwhile, Thai PBS reports that about 1,000…
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Four Thai marine species announced as ‘reserved animals’
PHOTOS: DMCR / Dr Thon Thamrongnawasawat Bryde’s whale, Omura’s whale, whale sharks and leather back turtles have been added to the list of ‘reserved wild animals’. The new Wild Animal Reservation and Protection Act was announced yesterday. Animal species which included Bryde’s whale, Omura’s whale, whale shark and leather back turtle are now a registered ‘reserved animal’, before they are…
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Risland plans new developments in Bangkok and Phuket
PHOTO: Artist impression of the new Cloud Thonglor-Phetchaburi Hong Kong-based property developers Risland Thailand say they will spend 8 billion baht launching five residential projects in Bangkok and Phuket. The investment budget of 8 billion baht is an increase from 5 billion in 2018 and 3 billion in 2017, the first year Risland operated in the country. From June to…
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Chiang Mai and Hua Hin in Top 10 Asian retirement locations
Hua Hin and Chiang Mai are two of the best retirement destinations in Asia, according to the US News and World Report. Phuket and Bangkok, usually included in lists of Asian retirement locations, didn’t make it onto this list. ThaiVisa reports that they were included in the site’s 10 best places to retire in Asia. The report considers the cost of…
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