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

    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...

  • Responsible property purchases – do your homework and seek a second opinion | Thaiger

    Responsible property purchases – do your homework and seek a second opinion

    Many times prospective buyers of property in Thailand search online for legal information in regards to their purchase. They soon discover that online legal advice varies depending on the law office, lawyer or advisor providing the information. In some cases advice is given which recommends that to secure an investment in property a Thai company should be incorporated to hold…

  • More rain on the way – officials warn of possible flooding | Thaiger

    More rain on the way – officials warn of possible flooding

    Heavy rains continue to plague parts of Thailand with one of the wettest wet seasons in record. Seventeen provinces in all regions of the country are being warned to prepare for torrential rain from today until Wednesday, “which may trigger floods in few areas and exacerbate the situation” in areas already inundated and recovering from last month’s heavy rains. The…

  • Hello Bangkok Christian College – It’s the 21st century | Thaiger

    Hello Bangkok Christian College – It’s the 21st century

    PHOTO: Bangkok Christian College In a sign that the Thai education system still has a way to go, the Bangkok Christian College has been forced to backtrack on using the phrase “sexual deviation” to describe transgenders and other shades of the GLBT spectrum. But the college insists it will still host a controversial seminar in Bangkok as planned. The seminar,…

  • Pattaya police told to clean up their act | Thaiger

    Pattaya police told to clean up their act

    PHOTOS: Pattaya News Pattaya police are being told to clean up their act, stop hiding behind masks and try harder to communicate better with tourists. The directive has come from Bangkok HQ. Pattaya News is reporting that the local Pattaya police chief Pol Col Apichai Krobpetch is passing on the directive to officers on the beat. He said that “This…

  • National police ask to be updated on death of German tourist on Koh Phi Phi | Thaiger

    National police ask to be updated on death of German tourist on Koh Phi Phi

    A top national police spokesman has commented on the, as yet, unsolved death of a German tourist found on rocks at Koh Phi Phi. The national police chief Chakthip Chaijinda has asked to be kept informed of any developments in the case. Daily News reports that 50 year old Markus Steinbach was found on Tuesday evening in a sandy crevice on…

  • Is the new Suvarnabhumi T2 design copied? | Thaiger

    Is the new Suvarnabhumi T2 design copied?

    by Phatarawadee Phataranawik The new Suvarnabhumi Airport, much-needed, T2 project has become embroiled in claims of plagiarism and dodgy tender processes. Renowned Thai architect Duangrit Bunnag’s winning “forest” design for Suvarnabhumi Airport’s new 35 billion baht passenger terminal is embroiled in a plagiarism controversy as well as added scepticism about the transparency of the design contest organised by Airports of Thailand…

  • Kanchanaburi mother and her lover arrested over 2015 murder | Thaiger

    Kanchanaburi mother and her lover arrested over 2015 murder

    A three year old crime has eventually caught up with a woman and her lover in Kanchanaburi. Police have arrested a 47 year old woman implicated in conspiring with her 36 year old plantation worker lover in the murder of her 56 year old plantation owner husband in Kanchanaburi’s Sai Yok district back in August 2015. Supatchaya Sirisuk was arrested…

  • Thaiger Radio News – Saturday | Thaiger

    Thaiger Radio News – Saturday

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

  • Police uncover a major farm scam | Thaiger

    Police uncover a major farm scam

    It works a bit like the famous Nigerian scam when you have to deposit money into an account to unlock promised million (that never arrive of course). But this one was in Thailand… Police have arrested an alleged fraudster who claimed that his company was contracted by the UN to provide 1 million baht financial support to Thai farmers. 56…

  • Big Bangkok Busts | Thaiger

    Big Bangkok Busts

    The Metropolitan Police Bureau are crowing about their ‘protection operations’ during the past two months have resulted in the arrest of many suspects and huge drug seizures. Pol Maj Gen Ruchakorn Jornjewut, deputy commissioner of the bureau, held a press conference on the “Protecting People” operations from July 1 to August 30. He said the operations saw 6,392 alleged drug…

  • British yacht catches fire – rescued off Phuket | Thaiger

    British yacht catches fire – rescued off Phuket

    Five boat crews on a British yacht have been rescued by Thai fishing boat after caught fire off Panwa Cape yesterday (August 30). The Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command (NAC 3) officers were notified from Sanit Woranut who was on the British national yacht Philkade which caught fire at 9pm yesterday (August 30) south-east of Cape Panwa. The Royal Thai Navy reported…

  • Traditional motorbike taxis vs Grab rival | Thaiger

    Traditional motorbike taxis vs Grab rival

    The old will always try and block the inevitable progress of the news. And so it is with the newer Grab and Uber-stye transport services vs the ‘old guard’. The latest battle in the war between traditional motorcycle-taxis and the upstart Grab service ended with no one getting a ride. A Facebook user posting as “Enfant Tunglamae” live-broadcast the Thursday…

  • Thaiger Radio News – Friday | Thaiger

    Thaiger Radio News – Friday

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

  • German tourist’s death remains a mystery – Koh Phi Phi police | Thaiger

    German tourist’s death remains a mystery – Koh Phi Phi police

    Police are continuing their investigation into the death of a German tourist on Koh Phi Phi. They say they’re unsure whether he died after accidentally falling from rocks or if it was a suicide. The man was found dead on Wednesday evening. The body of 50 year old Markus Steibach was found lying near a rock formation on the beach…

  • Darasamut Underpass to close for maintenance | Thaiger

    Darasamut Underpass to close for maintenance

    The Phuket Highway Office has issued an announcement that says the Darasamut Underpass (adjacent to Central Festival) will be closed from 9am to 3pm on Wednesday (September 5). Mr Somwang says, “Both the northbound and southbound lanes through the underpass will be temporary closed.” “Workers will be carrying out maintenance, repairs and replacing water pumps and light bulbs from 9am to…

  •  Phoenix fails to rise | Thaiger

    Phoenix fails to rise

    The attempt to bring the Phoenix up to surface has failed again due to ‘uncontrollable factors’. The Phuket Marine Office says that divers were trying to attach the ropes around the boat as well as trying to maneuvre larger orange ropes to make into a knot to attach to 200 litre floatation tanks. A large balloon is used to balance…

  • 50 foreign prisoners to return to their home countries to finish sentences | Thaiger

    50 foreign prisoners to return to their home countries to finish sentences

    FILE PHOTO Fifty foreign inmates in Thai prisons have been approved to serve their remaining sentence behind bars in their home countries. The Corrections Department chief Narat Sawettanan says that inmates from Iran, France, the UK, Sweden, the Netherlands and Spain qualified for the transfers as per the Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced People. The department had since 1990…

  • Police say they will seek arrest warrants for publishers of Koh Tao story | Thaiger

    Police say they will seek arrest warrants for publishers of Koh Tao story

    FILE PHOTO: Sairee Beach, Koh Tao Khaosod English are reporting that Police are seeking a warrant to arrest the editor of a news site that published accounts of an alleged sexual assault on the tourist island of Koh Tao. According to the report, the editor of the Samui Times, Su Buchanan, will be charged under cybercrime laws for defaming the…

  • Sister and boyfriend arrested over alleged rape of 12 year old autistic girl | Thaiger

    Sister and boyfriend arrested over alleged rape of 12 year old autistic girl

    Two youths have been arrested in Songkhla after a 15 year old girl allegedly let her 19 year old boyfriend rape her 12 year old autistic sister. The accused girl and her boyfriend of three months, Sanpich Kobbai, also allegedly returned to the girl’s home in Songkhla’s Sadao district, to rob her 73 year old grandmother of a gold ring,…

  • PPHO Chief apologises for the hospital’s mistake over gauze left in body | Thaiger

    PPHO Chief apologises for the hospital’s mistake over gauze left in body

    Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO) Chief has apologised over gauze being left in a woman’s vagina after the patient had given birth at a government hospital in Thalang. Two people have made official complaints about the Phuket government hospital in Thalang alleging malpractice. In one case, gauze was left in a woman’s vagina after the patient had given birth, whilst another…

  • Arson attack on Yala electricity building and vehicles | Thaiger

    Arson attack on Yala electricity building and vehicles

    Five alleged insurgents have raided an office of the Provincial Electricity Authority in Yala and set fire to the building and two vehicles just after midnight. Police said the attackers raided the PEA office in Ban Bannang Dama in Tambon Bannang Dama of Yala’s Kabang district at 12:30am (Thursday) and tied up six officials leaving them them at the rear…

  • Emergency water shut off hits Kathu | Thaiger

    Emergency water shut off hits Kathu

    FILE PHOTO: PWA The Phuket Water Authority (PWA) says that water supply in some areas of Kathu will be shut off today (August 30) after mains pipes broke earlier this morning. The mains were shut off from 3.30pm until repair works can be completed. The PWA says that water supply in some areas of Kathu will be shutoff while work is being…

  • ‘Boom’ denies all charges – 800 million baht bitcoin scam. | Thaiger

    ‘Boom’ denies all charges – 800 million baht bitcoin scam.

    Thai actor Jiratpisit “Boom” Jaravijit and his sibling, Thanasit Jaravijit, yesterday acknowledged charges of colluding in fraud. The charges were filed by the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) as part of their investigation into an alleged 800 million baht bitcoin investment scam. The actor continues to maintain his innocence despite police insisting they have evidence against him, including an electronic account…

  • Complaints over gauze left in body, wrong injections at Phuket Hospital | Thaiger

    Complaints over gauze left in body, wrong injections at Phuket Hospital

    FILE PHOTO Two people have complained about a Phuket government hospital in Thalang. Gauze was left in a woman’s vagina after the patient had given birth, whilst another had drug allergies following a nurse giving an incorrect injection. Reports have been filed to Thalang Police Ms A says, “I gave birth at a hospital in Thalang on June 18. I…

  • 11 US exchange students were lost but now they’re found | Thaiger

    11 US exchange students were lost but now they’re found

    A group of American exchange students got lost in a Chiang Mai forest yesterday, stranded on the edge of a cliff and had to be rescued by officials very early today (Thursday). Fortunately, the Nok Kok Cliff above the Tad Mok Waterfall has a mobile phone signal, so the students, one boy and ten girls, managed to call tourist police…

  • “It’s ok, it’s just a drill” – Phuket Airport | Thaiger

    “It’s ok, it’s just a drill” – Phuket Airport

    PHOTOS: Newshawk Phuket The Phuket International Airport is conducting an Emergency Plan Exercise: PEMEX, an annual, real-life practice drill today (August 30), from 10pm to 1.30am tomorrow. The Phuket PR Office says that the simulations involve a ‘Sabotage and Suicide Bomber in Domestic Passenger Terminal’ scenario. Some sections of the area for the practice drill will be closed. The Phuket…

  • Thaiger Radio News – Thursday | Thaiger

    Thaiger Radio News – Thursday

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

  • Cute dogs and a friendly smile – recipe for a 15 year scam | Thaiger

    Cute dogs and a friendly smile – recipe for a 15 year scam

    3cars, a pistol, 55 cell phones, 10 credit/ATM electronic cards, 20 wristwatches, 55 brand-name bags, 18 ID cards/driver’s licences (of the victims), 18 pawn-shop tickets as well as over 100 items of jewellery! Cute pets, an engaging conversation, making new friends on the street – a perfect scam! A married couple, who reportedly used their pet dog as a distraction…

  • Millions of soldier crabs found on Krabi beach | Thaiger

    Millions of soldier crabs found on Krabi beach

    Millions of soldier crabs have once again been found cavorting around Klong Sai Din Dang Noi Beach in Mueang Krabi after three years. Niwat Wattanayommanaphon, a committee member of the Krabi local conservationist group says, “These soldier crabs were last seen three years ago. They have shown up again this year. The crab species is about one centimetre wide and…

  • Prince of Songkla University students send strong safe-sex message | Thaiger

    Prince of Songkla University students send strong safe-sex message

    In what has now become a regular event at the Prince of Songkla University campus in Kathu, Phuket, over 200 Thai and international students attended a Safe Sex Campaign. All students worked together to prepare thousands of safe sex packs with the aim of reducing HIV in Phuket and beyond. A total of over 30,000 packs were prepared during this…