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.
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Sponsored Bangtao, Phuket: The neighbourhood expats and investors are eyeing in 2025
Bangtao didn't become Phuket’s most talked-about neighbourhood overnight. For a long time, it was a quiet place on the island’s west coast where locals walked their dogs at sunrise and tourists flocked to sunbathe along its eight-kilometre stretch of beach....
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Government says inequality report is ‘unreliable’
The Thai government is dismissing the Credit Suisse Wealth Report 2018 as “inaccurate, incomplete and unreliable”. The report put Thailand at the top of the list of countries with the highest wealth gap between the rich and the poor putting the Kingdom in the company of Russia, India and Turkey leading the way in world financial inequality. In part, the report…
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Police hunt gunman after man watching road racing is shot
Police are searching for a gunman who has shot and critically injured a young man while he was watching motorcycle road racing on a Bangkok motorway. Prawet police say security camera footage shows the shooting incident at the outbound motorway in front of the Hua Mark mosque in Pattanakan subdistrict in Suan Luang district. 55 year old Somchai Pengthong filed…
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New Thai 1,000 baht note wins international award
The first new Thai 1,000 baht banknotes, featuring the image of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn, has won The Best New Banknote Award at the High Security Printing Asia 2018 international conference held in Hanoi, Vietnam. The banknote was awarded for its unique printing technology using the optically variable magnetic ink (OVMI), the first of its kind for Thai banknotes…
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More than 6,000 cyclists expected in Phuket’s Bike Un Ai Rak event today
“All roads along the route will be closed from 2pm to 5pm today.” More than 5,500 Phuketians registered to participate in the Bike Un Ai Rak national cycling event on today. According to organisers, people can still register at the event today, but there will not be official T-shirts for them to wear (as you needed to register earlier to…
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Thaiger Radio News – Sunday
Listen to the daily news from The Thaiger, anytime, anywhere…
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Tobacco giant survey says Thais want smoke-free alternatives
Thai people prefer less harmful products to cigarettes, due mainly to health concerns. These are some the results from a new survey on the tobacco industry and providing smoke-free alternatives. The study, by Philip Morris (Thailand) part of the largest transnational tobacco company in the world, found that 64 per cent of 1,200 smokers and non-smokers nationwide said they would…
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72 year old fined 500 baht for blocking ambulance
by Preewadi Khunnaklad. PHOTO: The Nation A 72 year old white sedan driver, caught on camera as the person behind the wheel of a car blocking an ambulance on Sukhumvit Road in Chon Buri’s Muang district, has been fined 500 baht as he acknowledged the charge of driving in a manner to block traffic. Muang Chon Buri superintendent Pol Colonel Atinan…
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Luxury watch probe to be wrapped up this month
The long-running investigation into the scandal surrounding the luxurious wristwatches worn by Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan is to be wrapped up and the findings announced at the end of this month. NACC (National Anti-Corruption Commission) secretary-general Worawit Sukboon says the panel conducting the investigation had already received information from the watch manufacturers about the expensive wristwatches and their serial numbers.…
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Second major shootout and drug haul in Chiang Rai this week
A drug suspect has been killed in shootout with soldiers. A drug suspect has been shot dead during a shootout with soldiers in Chiang Rai province. An estimated 15 million methamphetamine pills were found in the back of the man’s pickup. Soldiers came under fire late on Thursday night from the pickup truck in an apparent bid by the driver…
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Election date confirmed for February 24 next year
PHOTO: Deputy PM Wissanu Kreangam arrives at the Army Club in Bangkok – The Nation Make it a date. February 24 is now the official date of the next Thai general election. The poll date has now been confirmed after years of delays, mis-starts and excuses. The NCPO has now announced that the ban on political activities will be lifted…
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No wind for the big boats, but plenty for the smaller ones – VIDEO
PHOTO: Chanokchon Wangsuk and Piyaporn Khemkaew in 420 Class Day 5 – Phuket King’s Cup Regatta Conditions were more suitable for water-skiing than sailing on the Andaman Sea off the south-western tip of Phuket on Friday with the lack of wind leaving the large fleet of keelboats and multihulls unable to race. After being almost becalmed for three hours with…
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Thaiger Radio News – Saturday
Listen to the daily news from The Thaiger, anytime, anywhere…
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Truck ploughs into a Phitsanulok market killing one person
PHOTOS: The Nation One person is dead and another hospitalised after a trailer truck ploughed into stalls at a market in Phitsanulok this morning. The 64 year old river Thavorn Noppawan remained at the market in Bang Krathum district until police arrived, but it remains unclear how or why he lost control and swerved into the crowd of shoppers. Police…
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Pattaya’s reclaimed beaches are washing away
PHOTO: Pattaya Mail All the money and effort Pattaya has spent to rebuild its beach is being wasted through little or no maintenance. This is the opinion shared with Pattaya News by tourists to the region. Numerous visitors have told Pattaya Mail reporters about weeds, moss and water-filled gouges running through the northernmost part of the beach near the Dusit…
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The rich do get richer, at least in Thailand
A study released by the Credit Suisse Global Wealth Databook 2018 has shed light on some disturbing trends looming for Thailand. Now, taking first place from Russia and India, Thailand has been ranked as the most unequal country by the study. To put things into perspective, here are a few of the statistics you can find in the report. Thailand…
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Dystopian Thai film approved by censor board
A new Thai movie ’10 Years Thailand’ will screen nation wide next week after having finally been approved by the censor board last Monday. The film is a dystopian anthology made by four Thai film makers and is based on the 2015 Hong Kong film ‘Ten Years’. The film is directed by Aditya Assarat, Wisit Sasanatieng, Chulayarnon Siriphol and Apichatpong…
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Restaurant accused of dumping garbage beside road in Krabi
More garbage has been found dumped beside the road in Krabi. About ten bags of garbage have been found dumped on the road in Mueang Krabi District where many tourists pass as they head to famous tourism places in Ao Nang. Sai Thai Tambon Administrative Chief Organisation (OrBorTor) Deputy Chief Chayanat Kayankarn says, “These garbage bags have been dumped outside…
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Young dolphin died from natural causes
PHOTOS: ThaiWhales No plastics were found inside the injured Striped Dolphin found at Nai Yang Beach last week. The young dolphin died Wednesday following efforts to save it. Read more about the sad death of this small dolphin HERE. ThaiWhales is reporting that both Thais and foreign volunteers were working 24 hours a day to save the dolphin which was named…
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Thailand meets its emissions target as richer nations fail
by Pratch Rukivanarom “Emissions in Thailand have also been higher this year, with the energy sector having released 196.5 tonnes of CO2 in the first nine months of this year, marking a 0.98 per cent increase compared to the same period last year,.” The emissions of greenhouse gases has been rising for two years in a row, reversing efforts based…
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Thaiger Radio News – Friday
Listen to the daily news from The Thaiger, anytime, anywhere…
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Police ride pillion on big bike to chase down a hit-and-run pick-up – VIDEO
A Krabi policeman has ridden with a local big biker, chasing and shooting at a pick-up after a hit and run incident. Ao Lueak Police Chief Col Kritsanat Wongklaharn in Krabi says, “At 10am we were notified from Phang Nga Police that a pickup truck had fled to Krabi after a hit and run in Phang Nga.” “After that Ao…
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Man marries Thai ladyboy without ‘checking gender’
PHOTO COMPOSITE: Thai Rath A Danish man has married a Thai ladyboy without doing a full ‘due diligence’ on the gender of his future spouse. But things seems to have worked out anyway. Thai Rath has reported on a marriage ceremony in Thailand’s south last Saturday where the groom was a man from Denmark and the bride was a man…
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Political parties boycotting todays meeting are ‘trouble makers’
Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan, who is also defence minister and luxury watch enthusiast, says that parties boycotting today’s meeting were troublemakers. Meanwhile, the Thai PM claims the missing political parties were like boxers who refused to abide by the rules of the fight and would not listen to the referee’s explanations. But political scientist says this only points to the…
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Free Wi-Fi available at 30 BTS stations in Bangkok
Alt Telecom has launched its free Wi-Fi service in 30 BTS stations and secured the management rights to all commercial areas on Bangkok’s skytrain stations. Future plans involve providing free Wi-Fi to all BTS stations in the capital. This follows on Alt Telecom’s new concession agreement with Spotwerks (Thailand), who are currently in charge of service delivery and income generation…
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Hot Air Balloon ‘crash’ story was a lot of hot air
Reports of a hot air balloon crash and injuries earlier this week in Chiang Mai were, well, a lot of hot air. Chiang Mai News has clarified a story about a hot air balloon crashing and causing damage and injuries in Doi Saket on Monday morning were just fake news, according to a Sanook report. This was confirmed by aviation…
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Soldier and partner assault police in Walking Street brawl
PHOTO: Siamchon News A conscript, whom Thai media have described as a ‘gay soldier’, refused to go quietly after creating trouble in Walking Street. It got worse from there… His partner became involved after a member of the public stepped in to assist a police officer before the men were finally overpowered. The melee continued at the Pattaya police station…
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Man arrested with drugs at Phuket Checkpoint
A man has been arrested at the main Phuket Checkpoint with 60,000 methamphetamine pills and one kilogram of crystal methamphetamine. The Tha Chat Chai Police and Phang Nga Provincial Police arrested 28 year old Kitti ‘Uat’ Pueanrak from Phang Nga on Tuesday. Police seized 60,000 methamphetamine pills and one kilogram of crystal methamphetamine at the Tha Chat Chai Checkpoint at…
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Rolling out the e-visas – cutting time in immigration queues
Thailand has officially launched its new e-Visa on Arrival (E-VOA) application system. This way foreigners from approved countries will be able to apply for their visa before their travel date, online, and avoid paperwork and approval when they arrive. The new system is expected to cut processing times to little more than one minute when passengers arrive and is seen…
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Event Round-Up – December 2018
by The Sponsorship Experts – Paul Poole (South East Asia) Co. Ltd. The festive season is here and with it a slew of events from music and flower festivals to yachting events and road races. The month starts off with the popular Phuket King’s Cup Regatta running until December 8. Held for the 32nd time, it is one of Asia’s…
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First ever ‘Elephant Travel Mart 2018’ to promote ecotourism in Thailand
A new ecotourism event, Elephant Travel Mart 2018, jointly hosted by ‘Save Elephant Foundation’ and ‘Asian Elephant Projects’, aims to bring together ethical elephant tour operators and tour agencies in Chiang Mai on December 14. The event, taking place at Khum Kan Toke, Chiang Mai, is conceived by the founder of ‘Save Elephant Foundation’, Sangduen Chailert (Lek), who works tirelessly…
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