Thailand News
Thailand news, politics, business, crime, and lifestyle—get breaking updates from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond. Stay informed on Thai society, economy, tourism, and expat life with The Thaiger.
-
Sponsored 5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)
Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...
-
Kuwaiti rider’s downhill dash leads to street spectacle in Pattaya
A Kuwaiti motorcycle rider’s recklessness turned into a dramatic scene on the streets of Pattaya, Thailand, as he lost control of his bike while speeding down a slope, resulting in an accident and injuries. The incident unfolded as the Sawang Borriboon Meaung Pattaya Rescue team was summoned to the scene after receiving a distress call from a concerned local. Upon…
-
Snake charms monks: Unusual temple encounter in northern Thailand
In an unusual incident, over 500 monks peacefully gave way to a green snake that slithered into their temple meeting, ultimately cohabiting the space until the gathering’s conclusion in northern Thailand. The intriguing episode unfolded in a shared clip on social media at the Wat Jampa Temple in the Prakhon Chai district of Buriram province. The monks were convening for…
-
Tragic twist: CCTV captures Russian man throwing girlfriend off balcony, arrest follows
Thai police arrested a Russian man after he was caught on CCTV throwing his Russian girlfriend off a seventh-floor condominium balcony in Chon Buri province resulting in her death. Na Jomtien Police Station officers were notified about the death of the 32 year old Russian woman at the condo in Soi Na Jomtien 4 in the Sattahip district of Chon…
-
Blazing a claim: Thai woman’s fiery bid ties her to former Premier League star Steven Gerrard
A drug-taking 27 year old woman embarked on an attention-seeking mission that culminated in her setting fire to a rental room and announcing former Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard is her biological father in northeast Thailand. The woman, known as A, reportedly desired fame and the spotlight, showed a photograph of the former Premier League star Gerrard to reporters…
-
Thailand’s first Monkeypox-related death highlights rising infectious disease threat
A severe case of Monkeypox in Thailand, infecting a 34 year old man with HIV and syphilis, culminated in the country’s first fatal mishap related to this viral scourge. The unfortunate news dropped yesterday, courtesy of Thailand’s Department of Disease Control (DDC). Explicating the unfolding of events, the DDC’s Director-General Dr Tares Krassanairawiwong took note of the initial discomforts plaguing…
-
How Blue Tree Phuket is helping businesses build better teams
Transforming the way businesses build their teams, Blue Tree Phuket now offers team-building services to B2B business groups. The initiative utilises their spacious environment and their expertise in fostering individual growth in organisations. More than just an entertainment centre Blue Tree Phuket is an all-encompassing entertainment complex. It boasts more than 55.35 acres of green area and state-of-the-art facilities. And…
-
Thailand’s railway safety upgrade: 693 unauthorised crossings to be rerouted
In the aftermath of a tragic accident last week in Chachoengsao, where a freight train collided with a pickup truck at an unrecognised railway crossing, taking eight lives and injuring three, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) resolved to close 693 unauthorised railway crossings across Thailand. The accident took place on an unauthorised crossing, lacking official signalling mechanisms. Of the…
-
Gambling addiction fuels debt crisis among Thai manual labourers
The escalating gambling addiction among manual labourers is primarily fuelled by socio-economic challenges rather than personal enthusiasm for betting, according to social workers. Government agencies and NGOs alike are endeavouring to counteract this trend by offering rehabilitative intervention programmes. Pattamaporn Sooksomsod, an associate professor from Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Rajabhat University, identified the root factor of such gambling addiction as…
-
Disability debate over hearing-impaired food delivery rider
A viral video of a woman criticising a hearing-impaired food delivery rider for leading her astray sparked public disability discrimination controversy, accumulating as many as 2.7 million views in Thailand. This incident, which occurred in June, has stirred debates on the appropriateness of allowing individuals with disabilities to handle such job roles, as well as sparked, calls for compassion and…
-
Alcohol tax overhaul by Excise Dept planned to close loopholes
The head of the Excise Department announced plans to overhaul the excise tax structure on alcohol and beer, aiming to eliminate existing tax loopholes. Ekniti Nitithanprapas said a formal conversation is ongoing with the private sector to secure an equitable and suitable tax framework. Furthermore, many new beverage entries on the market are technically slipping through the cracks of taxation,…
-
Travel industry girds for weak low season amid cost and weather challenges
The travel industry is bracing itself for an exceptionally weak low season, with predictions of stagnant demand, escalating operational costs at popular destinations, and the impacts of tropical storms. The president of the Thai Travel Agents Association, Charoen Wangananont highlighted that the season’s sale rate for outbound packages significantly lags behind the comparison period recorded before the pandemic. He cited hesitancy…
-
Child creativity: Thai kid’s mosquito coil art mesmerizes netizens
An unusual creative spark in a child, using mosquito coils as a plaything, found its way onto social media, showcasing the child’s impressive potpourri of art creations. Netizens were stumped by the child’s ingenuity while advising parents to encourage such creativity rather than stifling it. Social media yesterday was abuzz with several photos posted on a Facebook group. The caption…
-
Wat Don Thong attracts over a thousand people for luck-enhancing rituals
The bustling Wat Don Thong in Chon Buri Province saw over a thousand people join a queue to receive a holy water bath and face-touching ritual yesterday from Ajarn Chalermrit Kunesko, also known as Ajarn Ae. This surge in attendees follows a social media trend of sharing a TikTok video of a lucky individual who won the first prize shortly…
-
Child abuse allegations surround Samut Prakan father as violent videos surface online
Officers of Bang Kaew Police Station in Samut Prakan province, yesterday at 4pm, came to aid a 14 year old boy and his sister aged 10 in their residence. Their 39 year old father was apprehended for questioning following allegations by the children’s mother of child abuse. He was stated to have sent threatening video clips depicting violence against the…
-
Waterspout disaster: One dead, one missing as Thai tour boat sinks in Bang Ta Boon Bay
In a tragic waterspout disaster off Ban Laem district, one holidaymaker perished, while another remains unaccounted for following the fateful sinking of a tour boat amid Bang Ta Boon Bay. The calamity took place on Saturday afternoon when a waterspout, an atmospheric oddity resembling a miniature tornado, assailed their vessel. The rather unusual maritime waterspout disaster, highlighted due to its…
-
Pattaya sets 1.9 billion baht budget aiming to revitalise tourism and local economy
Emphasising tourism and local economy stimulation, the city of Pattaya has delineated its budget allocation for the upcoming fiscal year. Paramet Ngampichet, the Mayor of Pattaya City, announced the conclusion with the budget set to be effective from October 1. In a recent meeting participated in by municipality executives, councillors, and local government entities, a resources allotment of 1.9 billion…
-
Russian woman falls to death from seventh floor in Thai condominium
A shocking incident unfolded in Sattahip district, Chon Buri, yesterday, when a 32 year old Russian woman reportedly plunged to her death from a seventh floor condominium, as informed by the local law enforcement agencies. The distressing discovery was made at around 7am at a condo situated on Soi Na Jomtien 4 Road in the Na Jomtien subdistrict. The lifeless…
-
Massive 200 year old Mother Takian tree resurfaces from Chao Phraya River to astonishment of locals
A centuries-old fallen tree trunk, known as “Mother Takian,” last night resurfaced from the depths of the Chao Phraya River. An astonishing sight unravelled as the gigantic timber, reportedly 27.60 metres long and just over 3 metres wide, requiring the strength of three adults to embrace, was unearthed and relocated to Wat Intharam, commonly known as Wat Taluk. Hundreds of…
-
Mother’s Day cake inscription misunderstanding goes viral
Life in Thailand can be full of lost in translation moments but on Mother’s Day – celebrated in Thailand yesterday – a translation was lost between a cake order and the inscription on the cake. A Thai woman’s attempt to surprise her mother with a cake went awry when the bakery, instead of just scribing the single line, “Love you,…
-
Two tourists missing as waterspout capsizes boat in Phetchaburi province
In an unfortunate incident in Phetchaburi province, two tourists have gone missing when their tourist boat was capsized by a waterspout while sailing across Bang Ta Boon Bay near the Ban Laem district. The dreadful event occurred on a Saturday afternoon, around 5pm and was reported to the police on emergency number 191. The boat, carrying seven tourists, was in…
-
Online romance scam netted 36 million baht, 1 arrest
Law enforcement officials arrested an accomplice in a large-scale online romance scam that swindled more than 36 million baht from victims. A 26 year old man from Uthai Thani province had opened a bank account for someone else, allegedly unaware it would be used in fraudulent activities. In an operation led by Pol Lt Gen Warawut Watnakornbuncha, Investigation Bureau Chief,…
-
Boy, 14, vanishes in river after horrifying motorcycle accident
The search continues for a 14 year old boy who fell into the river after a severe motorcycle accident, as his distraught mother made an urgent heart-wrenching plea. The unfortunate event occurred in the middle of a bridge in Prachinburi province when the young boy’s motorcycle collided with a pickup truck. The high velocity of the impact flung him into…
-
Police arrest Thais for alleged smuggling of Burmese refugees
In the district of Khun Yuam, in Mae Hong Son province, law enforcememyannt apprehended three Thai citizens who were allegedly facilitating the illegal smuggling of Burmese refugees from a temporary holding facility. The event unfolded on Thursday evening. Several of these migrants, comprising five children and five adults were discovered in the culprits’ vehicles when they were apprehended the following…
-
ONWR notifies Mekong neighbours of potential flash flooding
As Thailand braces for severe weather and potential flash floods, the Office of National Water Resources (ONWR) has issued an urgent communication to the Mekong River Commission Secretariat (MRCS) and neighbouring nations in the Lower Mekong River Basin, including China. The ONWR urges careful management of water level discharges in the region to prevent damaging floods. Yesterday, Surasri Kidtimonton, the…
-
Pheu Thai Party urges caretaker government to halt civil servants relocation
The Pheu Thai Party is calling for the caretaker government, under PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s leadership, to heed the national constitution by not relocating leading civil servants, particularly permanent secretaries, whilst the new administration is being formed. Phumtham Wechayachai, the party’s deputy leader, voiced these calls recently. Phumtham issued a statement in which he admonished the transitional approach of Prayut’s government, reminding…
-
Central Retail partners with Ant Group to launch Alipay+ for Asian tourists in Thailand
For the convenience of Asian tourists from China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and South Korea, Central Retail Corporation (CRC) has announced its partnership with Ant Group, introducing Alipay+ a comprehensive solution for international digital payments. This digital offering will enable travellers to use local digital wallets such as China’s Alipay, Hong Kong’s AlipayHK, Malaysia’s Touch ‘n Go eWallet and South Korea’s…
-
DSI freezes 220 million baht in Stark Corp leader Chanin’s scandal
The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has placed a freeze on a staggering 220 million baht held in the bank account of Chanin Yensudchai, the erstwhile chairman of the beleaguered Stark Corp. According to DSI spokeswoman Pichaya Tarakornsanti, the action is part of a broader measure to offer compensation to victims in light of the ongoing scandal. “The DSI has…
-
Revving up for flavour: World Kaphrao Thailand Grand Prix 2023 set to race Thai fast food fame worldwide
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) yesterday announced the opening of the World Kaphrao Thailand Grand Prix 2023 event to promote the popular Thai fast food dish throughout the globe. The event will take place along the Phadung Krung Kasem Canal near Hua Lamphong Train Station in Bangkok between August 25 and 27. TAT director Yuttasak Supasorn revealed that the…
-
Fabricated robbery to escape violent partner leads to justice twist for Thai woman in Chon Buri
A Thai woman who fabricated a robbery in fear of her violent boyfriend has been charged with perverting the course of justice in Ban Bueng, Chon Buri province. The distressed woman, Thanpimon, falsely reported the robbery to local police that her purse and mobile phone had been snatched by two men on a motorcycle but later admitted to fabricating the…
-
Generous Thai woman’s trust shattered as couple she sheltered steals assets worth over 100,000 baht
A Thai woman shared the heartbreaking story of a couple she employed, fed and put a roof over their heads for free, only to discover that they had stolen assets from her totalling more than 100,000 baht. The 66 year old victim, Pimwipa, yesterday filed a complaint at Pluak Daeng Police Station in the eastern province of Rayong saying her…
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.