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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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    See the best of Northern Thailand this winter on a budget

    The Thaiger key takeaways Peak season brings higher prices, but smart planning and local know-how can help you experience Northern Thailand affordably. Chiang Mai, Pai, and Chiang Rai offer plenty of free or low-cost attractions, from temples and canyons to...

  • Mekong water level drops but surrounding areas remain submerged | Thaiger

    Mekong water level drops but surrounding areas remain submerged

    Even though the levels of the Mekong River in Nong Khai’s Phon Pisai district continue to drop, farmlands,20 homes and a school remain submerged, as the river continues to block the drainage of floodwater from a swollen creek. Most of the families have moved to stay with relatives while others have sought shelter in tents set up by the Tambon…

  • The new Central Floresta is open | Thaiger

    The new Central Floresta is open

    10.40am Monday, September 10, 2018. The new, highly-anticipated (by locals) Central Foresta opens it doors for the first time. Opposite the ‘old’ Central Festival, located at the Darasamuth Intersection, the new Central Floresta creates a ‘central’ shopping destination for the island to match anything in Thailand. The new Central Floresta combines the highest-end luxury brands with Peranakan-themed food halls, floating…

  • Body found floating off Phang Nga | Thaiger

    Body found floating off Phang Nga

    A body was found floating off Phang Nga on Friday (September 7) and is currently being checked for identification. Meanwhile, the search continues off the coast of Phang Nga for four fishermen after their boat overturned last Tuesday (September 4). Raead more about the fateful boat-trip HERE. On Friday (September 7) a body was found by local fishermen one mile offshore. Officers…

  • Begpacking – ‘How to’ guide for aspiring travelling beggars | Thaiger

    Begpacking – ‘How to’ guide for aspiring travelling beggars

    PHOTO: backslackers.com “Aren’t you technically homeless? Why shouldn’t YOU cash in too. Why shouldn’t other people pay for you to travel? Begpacking (or beg packing) is a way for backpackers like you to earn money while you travel by begging for money or busking around the world.” Thailand has its fair share of ‘beg packers’ each year – young travellers who…

  • Cave film starts shooting in November | Thaiger

    Cave film starts shooting in November

    A Thai film telling the story of the Tham Luang cave rescue is due to begin rolling cameras in November. It’s working title is ‘Nang Non’ in Thai (The Cave in English) Tom Waller, an Irish/Thai filmmaker, gave a presentation about the project at the Toronto International Film Festival. ‘Nang Non’ is the working title of the film, also the…

  • Thaiger Radio News – Monday | Thaiger

    Thaiger Radio News – Monday

    Listen to the daily news from The Thaiger, anytime, anywhere…

  • QANTAS passengers heap praise on pilot for turn-around | Thaiger

    QANTAS passengers heap praise on pilot for turn-around

    Passengers flying on a QANTAS non-stop flight from Perth to London have heaped praise a pilot’s decision to turn around just two hours into the 17 hour flight. The Boeing 787-9 series Dreamliner took off from Perth on Saturday evening. But QF9 was forced to return to Perth just two hours into the flight to London. The disruptive passenger was reportedly handcuffed,…

  • A Mandarin for Phuket | Thaiger

    A Mandarin for Phuket

    PHOTO: The Mandarin Hotel Sanya Island One of Asia, and the globes, leading luxury hotel brands, Mandarin Oriental has inked a deal for a Phuket property. Mandarin Oriental, Phuket will be located on one of the undeveloped beachfront sites still to be found on ‘Millionaire’s Mile’ on the west coast of Phuket island. It will occupy 9.5 hectares of land in…

  • New ferry service between Prachuap Khiri Khan and Sattahip under discussion | Thaiger

    New ferry service between Prachuap Khiri Khan and Sattahip under discussion

    Prachuap Khiri Khan officials have met to discuss plans for a new ferry terminal just south of Hua Hin in Pak Nam Pran. Banmuang reports that the new terminal will accommodate a car ferry and link Prachuap Khiri Khan with Sattahip in Chonburi. Estimates discussed at the meeting say the journey would take around two hours, about the same as the…

  • Drug and pool parties busted after residents complain about short-term villa rentals | Thaiger

    Drug and pool parties busted after residents complain about short-term villa rentals

    PHOTOS: We Love Pattaya The Bang Lamung district chief has sent in police to check on complaints that pool villas in a Huay Yai estate were being rented on a daily basis for noisy parties. Ads for the properties owned by De Ville Group were on Facebook contravening hotel regulations. We Love Pattaya reports that a sting was conducted at one…

  • Restaurant harassed by men claiming to be military officers | Thaiger

    Restaurant harassed by men claiming to be military officers

    PHOTO: Chiang Mai City Life A Chiang Mai restaurant has filed a complaint after claims they were harassed by men who said they were military officers. A report was made to the Chiang Mai Internal Security Operations Command. They sent 20 officers to investigate Huen Huay Keaw Restaurant on September 4 after the restaurant complained about ‘official misconduct by military…

  • Phuket has Golden future for its sister city | Thaiger

    Phuket has Golden future for its sister city

    by Chongchit Buchanan Australia’s Gold Coast city and Phuket will sign a letter of intent to establish themselves as sister cities tomorrow (September 10). The intent of the agreement is to explore a stronger relationship between the two municipalities and create international business opportunities. Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate will travel to Phuket to sign the agreement with his Phuket…

  • Disruptive passenger causes mega-route QANTAS flight to return | Thaiger

    Disruptive passenger causes mega-route QANTAS flight to return

    PHOTO: KarryOn A QANTAS flight has been forced to turn back after just two hours in the air. It was on the Australian airlines’ new non-stop ‘mega route’ from Perth to London – 17 hours in the air in a Boeing Dreamliner 787 – 900. The service is the first direct flight from Australia to London. The flight usually takes 17 hours…

  • Thaiger Radio News – Sunday | Thaiger

    Thaiger Radio News – Sunday

    Listen to the daily news from The Thaiger, anytime, anywhere…

  • Faculty conducts research on the Doi Suthep land | Thaiger

    Faculty conducts research on the Doi Suthep land

    PHOTO: Chiang Mai City Life The Faculty of Law at Chiang Mai University (CMU) has joined the anti ‘Scar of Doi Suthep’ campaigners in the survey of the controversial plot of land. The survey group set out on August 6, led by Teerasak Rupsuwan, the coordinator of the anti-judicial residences on Doi Suthep campaign, accompanied with Dr. Pedithep Youyueyong, Faculty…

  • Three arrested in Pattani with alleged home-made bomb | Thaiger

    Three arrested in Pattani with alleged home-made bomb

    PHOTO: Nine hurt in bomb blast in Pattani in 2015 – The Star Police and rangers have arrested three men in Pattani this morning (Saturday) after they were allegedly found with a homemade bomb in a gas cylinder. Police and rangers were patrolling a rubber plantation in Ban Lan Chang village in Tambon Taping, Sai Buri district and spotted two motorcycles.…

  • Dengue fever cases over 50,000 in 2018 | Thaiger

    Dengue fever cases over 50,000 in 2018

    Thailand health officials say the country has topped the 50,000 mark with dengue fever cases so far in 2018. According to the Ministry of Health’s Bureau of Epidemiology, a total of 50,079 cases have been reported from the 77 provinces up to August 27. 65 of those cases died from complications related to the disease. The areas where you are most…

  • Dams will cope with this weekend’s weather – Irrigation Department | Thaiger

    Dams will cope with this weekend’s weather – Irrigation Department

    The water regulation authorities say they’re ready for heavy rains forecast this weekend and the situation is under control. The National Water Resources Office and Royal Irrigation Department (RID) has confirmed that the authorities and the irrigation system were ready to receive large amounts of precipitation during the extraordinary wet period, which is affecting almost every part of the country.…

  • 67 year old Belgian killed in Patong hill accident | Thaiger

    67 year old Belgian killed in Patong hill accident

    PHOTOS: Newshawk Phuket A 67 year old Belgian motorbike driver died at the scene after a collision with a car and a pickup truck on the notorious Patong hill last night (September 7). Patong Police were notified about the incident on Phra Baramee Road at 8.30pm. Police and rescue workers arrived at the scene to find a body of a…

  • Thaiger Radio News – Saturday | Thaiger

    Thaiger Radio News – Saturday

    Listen to the daily news from The Thaiger, anytime, anywhere

  • Search continues for four missing fishermen off Phang Nga | Thaiger

    Search continues for four missing fishermen off Phang Nga

    The search continues off the coast of Phang Nga for four fishermen after their boat overturned last Tuesday (September 4). A search team from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Phang Nga Office and the Royal Thai Navy have continued the search for the four missing men since the reports came in that they hadn’t returned. The four missing…

  • Wet weekend on the way for many parts of the country | Thaiger

    Wet weekend on the way for many parts of the country

    The Thai Meteorological Department is warning people around the country to prepare for some heavy rains through the weekend. The department says the heavy rains are being fueled by a moderate high-pressure pressure system from China that has spread over upper Laos and Vietnam. At the same time, a monsoonal trough lies across the lower north, the Upper Central, the…

  • Driver lucky to escape serious injury in gas cylinder truck accident | Thaiger

    Driver lucky to escape serious injury in gas cylinder truck accident

    PHOTOS: Community Television Phang Nga Volunteers / Newshawk Phuket A refrigerated pickup truck driver, who has admitted to being asleep at the wheel, has sustained minor injuries after colliding into the back of a parked truck which was carrying gas cylinder tanks in Phang Nga this afternoon (September 7). Phang Nga rescue workers were notified of the accident in Takua…

  • Thai pull direct Phuket to Hong Kong flights | Thaiger

    Thai pull direct Phuket to Hong Kong flights

    PHOTO: Planespotters.net Thai Airways are cancelling the popular direct Phuket to Hong Kong (HKT-HKG) flights from October 28. Any existing bookings beyond this date will be funneled through Bangkok (BKK) instead. Despite the tortured English in the advisory, the Thai national airline is informing all existing bookings of the cancellation of the direct flights and re-routing. A few emails to…

  • Phuket hotels join forces with Central Group to reduce plastic bag use | Thaiger

    Phuket hotels join forces with Central Group to reduce plastic bag use

    As it prepares to host the inaugural edition of PHIST (Phuket Hotels for Islands Sustaining Tourism Forum 2018), the Phuket Hotels Association has achieved a major victory in its drive to secure a more sustainable future for Thailand’s most popular resort destination. In partnership with PHIST, the unique free-to-attend event that takes place on Monday, September 24 2018, Central Group, Thailand’s…

  • ‘Benz Racing’ jailed seven years over money laundering | Thaiger

    ‘Benz Racing’ jailed seven years over money laundering

    PHOTO: ‘Benz’ surrender to police in 2017 over allegations of money laundering – The Nation Motorcycle racer Akarakit Benz Worarojcharoendet has been sentenced to eight years in prison for money laundering. Ratchadapisek Criminal Court acquitted him of abetting drug-related offences during this morning’s hearing. 21 year old Akarakit was found guilty of laundering money by leasing a 20 million baht…

  • Divers invited to join International Coastal Cleanup Day on September 15 | Thaiger

    Divers invited to join International Coastal Cleanup Day on September 15

    PHOTO: Go Eco Phuket Go Eco Phuket ‘diving for the environment’ club is inviting volunteer divers for a massive underwater cleanup as well as volunteer to join them to clean Phuket’s beaches. This is the club’s commitment to International Coastal Cleanup Day activities for the island. Go Eco Phuket is inviting scuba divers from anywhere in the world to join…

  • Thaiger Radio News – Friday | Thaiger

    Thaiger Radio News – Friday

    Listen to the daily news from The Thaiger, anytime, anywhere

  • NO Plastic Bag! @ Central Phuket | Thaiger

    NO Plastic Bag! @ Central Phuket

  • His Majesty honours 188 for their role in Tham Luang cave rescue | Thaiger

    His Majesty honours 188 for their role in Tham Luang cave rescue

    PHOTOS: The Nation Last night the government hosted a ‘thank-you reception’ for those who helped in the Tham Luang cave-rescue. Many others will also be getting special recognition for their contribution at government house today. His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn has granted the “Most Admirable Order of the Direkgunabhorn” honour to 114 foreigners and 74 Thais who were involved in…