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...
-
Update: Phetchaburi dam overflows reach town
Downstream communities in Phetchaburi’s main business and residential districts are expected to be flooded for about two weeks after run-off from the overflowing Kaeng Krachan Dam hit the area last night “Although we must discharge water from the dam, we are trying to reduce the volume that will go into the river by diverting some 55 cubic metres of runoff…
-
-
Man arrested with drugs (not very well) hidden in his underwear
Police have arrested a man with 4,000 methamphetamine pills hidden inside his underwear at Phuket checkpoint this week. A team of police at the Phuket Checkpoint in Mai Khao arrested 22 year old Kriengkrai Jongrak from Krabi after found the 4,000 methamphetamine pills. Kriengkrai was taken to the Tha Chatchai Police Station where he was charged with illegal possession of…
-
Father seriously injured after being stabbed by son in Krabi
A father has sustained serious injuries after being stabbed by his drug-addicted son yesterday (August 6) in Krabi. Klongtom Police in Krabi were notified of the incident at a house in Pru Nadin at about noon. Police arrived at the house where the injured man, later identified as 53 year old Suwan Jansongsang, had already been taken to Klongtom Hospital.…
-
Good news from dams in the north-east
Whilst provinces bordering the Mekong River, and areas in Phetchaburi downstream of the hillside dams, are all under threat from flooding at the moment, the situation is a lot better in the lower north-east provinces. The Irrigation department has issued assurances today about the water situation covering some 77 dams in the region. The Nation reports that 77 reservoirs in…
-
Cambodian tour guides cry foul over new tour guide audio Apps
Digital technology is disrupting many older technologies – travel bookings, buying real estate, booking flights, media, dating – and now tour guides are getting the digital make-over with new Apps taking their jobs. Tour guides at Cambodia’s historical sites are voicing concern over a new audio tour App they say is threatening their careers. Developed by local company Angkor Audio,…
-
ATMs not filled after money trucks crash – Koh Tao
ATM machines on Koh Tao will have to make do with cash on hand after two security trucks crashed on their way to deliver more refill banknotes early today (Tuesday). The Ban Nai Hood police station in Chumphon’s Lang Suan district was alerted to the accident on the Asia highway No 41 at 5.55am, with the trucks headed to Koh…
-
Hotel badminton teams raise funds for Phuket school
Over 150 hoteliers from 20 resorts in the Phuket area came together to participate in the Outrigger Charity Badminton Tournament, held August 4 at the PK Arena Badminton Club in Thalang, central Phuket. Funds raised are going towards the Baan Kok Wat Mai School where Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort has undertaken several long-term projects, such as library renovation, school…
-
Online romance scam gang busted
Nigerian nationals are again being rounded up in a concerted effort to get rid of some of the Nigerian-based scams operating inside Thailand. In the latest sting, 8 Nigerians and 6 Thai suspects have been arrested for alleged collusion in an online romance scam, swindling nearly 2 million baht from Thai women in Ratchaburi, Samut Sakhon, Phitsanulok, Chon Buri and…
-
Rescuers try to free people trapped in collapsed mosque – Lombok
PHOTO: Basarnas National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesperson Sutopo Purwo Nugroho says that on Monday at 3pm heavy equipment arrived in the Lading-lading village, Tanjung district, Lombok, to assist with the search for people thought to be buried under the debris from a collapsed mosque. Local devotees were busy with their evening prayers when the quake hit. At 7pm last…
-
“No mafia in Patong” – Patong businessman
The Patong Police Chief and a famous Patong businessman claim that there is no mafia in Patong. The comments come, unprompted, after arrest warrants were issued for three suspects last week in connection to the double, execution-style, murders in Sattaphip, near Pattaya on July 29. One of them is well-known local Patong businessman, known as ‘Sia Auan’ aka. 39 year old…
-
Jet-skis and parasail rides banned until August 9
The Acting chief of the Phuket Marine Office has announced a ban for jet-skis and parasail ride operators using Phuket’s west coast beaches, including today (August 7). Phuket Marine Office Acting Chief, Wiwat Chitcherdwong says, “according to the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) Office, heavy rain and high waves, up to three metres are still affecting the Andaman Sea until Thursday…
-
Thaiger Radio News – Tuesday
Listen to the daily news from The Thaiger, anytime, anywhere.
-
British tourist freaks out after being told she’d overstayed her visa by 160 days
An ‘aggrieved’ tourist by the name of Auj-e Taqaddas, holding a British passport, assaulted a patient and calm immigration officer in Bali, Indonesia after being told she’d overstayed her Indonesian visa. A British tourist has been caught on camera screaming and slapping an immigration officer at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport today (Saturday) after being told that she had to…
-
Fire destroys Phuket tour boat
A fire has burnt out a large tour boat under maintenance in Rassada, east of Phuket Town, this afternoon (August 6). The damage bill is said to be more than 5 million baht. The Phuket City Police were notified of the fire at 1.30pm near the Phuket Fish Market Organisation. Police and fire fighters arrived at the scene to find…
-
Hua Hin gets funding to expand airport
The AoT director-general says they will spend 3.5 billion baht to upgrade Hua Hin’s International Airport over the next five years. Darun Saengchai says the upgrade was part of the “Riviera Thailand” and Southern Economic Corridor projects. Work at the airport would take up to five years and include enlarging the passenger terminal and building a second one. The number of…
-
Earthquake toll rises to 91, state of emergency announced
PHOTO: Jakarta Post The death toll from the powerful earthquake to hit Lombok and Bali on Sunday evening has climbed to 91. The latest figures announced this afternoon by the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) in Jakarta. North Lombok island suffered the largest number of fatalities with 72 people killed, while Bali has so far recorded two fatalities. Most victims…
-
Man arrested over Phuket FamilyMart armed robbery
Police yesterday (August 5) have arrested a man who robbed a FamilyMart convenience store last Thursday (August 2) in Phuket Town. On Thursday the Phuket City Police were notified that a suspect used a gun to rob a FamilyMart on Maeluan Road in Phuket Town at 3.40am. The suspect threatened a staff member with a BB gun to hand over…
-
Phuket hotels group aims to step up environmental education
By Sirivish Toomgum All members of the Phuket Hotels Association have jointly committed to eliminate plastic water bottles and drinking straws from rooms by 2019 as part of an effort to ensure a sustainable future for Phuket, said association president Anthony Lark. The association has also provided information to its hotel members about companies that provide alternatives to plastics for…
-
132 aftershocks recorded in aftermath of 7-magnitude earthquake on Lombok
Around 132 aftershocks have shaken up Lombok Island following the 7-magnitude earthquake that left 82 people dead and hundreds of others injured when it hit the Indonesian holiday island last evening. The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reports that the quake was centered in the slopes of Mount Rinjani. This is in a similar area as the shocks that hit Lombok on…
-
Chinese media invited to Phuket to check on marine safety updates
Deputy Commander of the Tourist Police Bureau based in Bangkok, Maj Gen Surachete Hakparn, was in Phuket over the weekend (twice) and yesterday (Sunday) led Chinese media to follow up on marine safety measures on the island. A team of officers led 24 Chinese journalists from 12 Chinese media outlets were invited to Phuket to follow up on marine safety measures…
-
Phoenix owner fails to meet deadline to salvage the boat
PHOTO: Director General of the Marine Department Jirut Wisanjit The owner of Phoenix has failed to recover their boat, after it sank on July 5 killing 47 Chinese tourists. The boat company will now be sued for salvage expenses estimated to be around 10 million baht. Director General of the Marine Department Jirut Wisanjit flew down to Phuket from Bangkok…
-
Thaiger Radio News – Monday
Listen to the daily news from The Thaiger, anytime, anywhere.
-
Lombok earthquake kills 82 and injured hundreds
An earthquake has struck the Indonesian holiday island of Lombok killing 82 people (the toll is expected to rise) and wounded hundreds. The tremor was measured at a magnitude of 6.9, triggering panic among locals and tourists. The quake hit last night (Sunday) and shook up the neighbouring island of Bali. An initial tsunami warning, which was later cancelled, had…
-
Morning fire at the Chiang Mai post office
The local precinct superintendent, Pol Colonel Chuwit Kongkaew, says a fire, suspected to have been caused by a short circuit, broke out this morning (Sunday) in the local post office. The incident happened at the one-storey post office building of the San Khamphaeng branch. The fire, which occurred at around 7am, took fire-fighters 30 minutes to get under control at…
-
670,000 fewer Chinese tourists – Thailand counts its losses after the Phoenix boat disaster
Some of the fallout from the Phuket boat disaster is now starting to hit home, with more to come as cancellations bite into tourist arrivals, principally Chinese tourists. Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports has officially revised down its forecast for July to December by nearly 670,000, to 5.1 million Chinese tourists. The South China Morning Post reports that Thailand…
-
Laos Energy Ministry joins the investigation – Attapeu dam failure
The Vientiane Times is reporting that the Laos Ministry of Energy and Mines will join all private stakeholders in a government investigation to oversee the cause of the damage to saddle dam D at the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydropower project. The breach of the dam resulted in serious flooding and destruction in Sanamxay district, Attapeu province in the south of Laos.…
-
Will Bamboo Air grow as fast as the real bamboo?
A new player is about to enter the regional airline market. Based out of Vietnam, Bamboo Airlines is a fresh start-up under the patronage of Trinh Van Quyet who currently presides over a Vietnamese property empire and is betting billions on his new airline. The 43 year old property tycoon says his company has a market capitalisation of around US$200 million. He…
-
PWA announces Chalong water shut off tomorrow
The Phuket Water Authority (PWA) has announced that water supply in some areas of Chalong will be shut off from 9am tomorrow (August 6) until the work is finished. The PWA says that water supply in some areas of Chalong will be shutoff while work is being carried out on main pipes at the entrance of Soi Tanuthep on Chao Fa…
-
Latest ‘Operation X-Ray Outlaw Foreigner’ nets UK and Nigerian overstayers, both over 1,000 days
File Photo The crackdown on serial overstayers continues across the country, including a British national arrested in Phuket. 53 year old Chris Michel was bundled up on Friday morning after it was revealed that he had overstayed his visa by 1077 days, nearly 3 years. 62 foreign nationals were detained in the latest ‘Operation X-Ray Outlaw Foreigner’, targeting 75 locations…
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.