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.
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Thai state railway board members resign, effective immediately
Two days ago the story about the transport Minister pressuring board members of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT). Two days later, not some but ALL, board members of the SRT, including the board’s chairman Kulit Sombatsiri, tendered their resignations to Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob. Effective immediately. The Nation reports that Kulit denied reports that the mass resignation was due…
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Stop growing marijuana without our permission, warns Thai narcotics board
PHOTO: Rick Proctor/Unsplash.com The Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) in Thailand is warning the public that cannabis plants cannot be grown at home without official permission, adding that the law is clear the plants can only be grown for medical use and research purposes. It’s understood that since use of the drug for medicinal purposes was legalised earlier…
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Thais most likely to abuse tourist visas in South Korea
MONTAGE: TNews The South Korean Government reports that there are about 370,000 illegal immigrants in the country. Thais are the number one offenders as the highest number of illegal immigrants living and working in South Korea. The South Korean Ministry of Justice has revealed the official number of illegal immigrants living and working in South Korea is 370,889 illegal immigrants,…
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Economic ministers to meet next Monday for economic and tourism ‘Council of War’
The council of economic ministers will meet next Monday, on October 7 in Bangkok, to discuss the current economic and tourism situation. Kobsak Pootrakool, the deputy secretary-general to the PM for political affairs, says the meeting will confront obstacles facing the country’s tourism industry. “The ministers will also discuss the country’s export situation”. The Nation reports that the Commerce Ministry…
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Transport Minister pressures State Railway board to resign
PHOTO: The Nation Board members of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) are expected to tender their resignations to Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob ‘soon’, according to sources to The Nation. There has been speculation for some time that the members have been under pressure to resign, as the minister reportedly wants to reconstitute the board. Among many other issues, the…
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Thanathorn says Future Forward by-election win in Nakhon Pathom will start a domino effect
PHOTO: Facebook/Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit says that, if the opposition bloc wins the by-election in Nakhon Pathom on October 23, it will be the first domino to fall and set the stage for a change of government. Nakhon Pathom is directly north-west of Bangkok. The Future Forward party is fielding Pairatchote Chantharakachorn to contest the by-election, while other opposition parties,…
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Aaaaaw, baby elephant takes a nap
VIDEO: ส่วนประชาสัมพันธ์และเผยแพร่ กรมอุทยานแห่งชาติ สัตว์ป่า และพันธุ์พืช A video of a young baby elephant taking a nap in a Thai national park has won the hearts of thousands of netizens. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation uploaded on its Facebook page a short video clip that showed a baby elephant taking a nap on the lap of its caretaker. Up…
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Renting a motorbike in Thailand? Have a valid license.
Transport minister Saksayam Chidchob says he’s intent on tackling Thailand’s shameful road toll. Recognising that motorcycles are the main culprit (75% of road deaths in Thailand involve motorcycles and motorbikes), he’s proposing some new laws, at least for tourists at this stage. Up until now tourists have been easily able to rent a motorcycle by just showing a passport, according…
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Thais clamour for the “Chim, Shop, Chai” 1000 baht give-away program
PHOTO: buriramguru.com The “Chim, Shop, Chai” (Eat, Shop, Spend) program has been a resounding success, and it’s still got a another five days or so to go. Thai citizens can apply for the 1000 baht ‘gift’ from the government and spend the money at selected shops anywhere outside their home province. The government only accepts one million applications each day so,…
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12 month “Medical Visa” proposed among updates to Thai visa offerings
A new visa category is being proposed that could allow people to stay in the Kingdom for up to a year for medical treatments. The so-called “Medical Visa” (Non-MT) would visitors to stay for 12 months. The Thai deputy PM and health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, and the tourism and sports minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn announced yesterday that countries that will benefit are wealthy…
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Thai government extends free water and electricity services for another year
PHOTO: www.unsplash.com Thailand’s Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana says low-income households will continue to get free electricity and water for another year. The scheme, which assists poorer families, was due to expire at the end of this month. Under the plan, low-income households get up to 230 baht worth of electricity for free each month, along with 100 baht worth of…
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Cafe Amazon brewing up a cup of coffee in China
PTT Oil and Retail Business, the owners of the Cafe Amazon brand, has opened its first branch in China. Their goal is to make the coffee chain a global brand, a sort of ‘Thai Starbucks’. The first Cafe Amazon outlet in China is located at a Sinopec petrol station in Nanning of Guangxi, in southern China on the Vietnamese border,…
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Not 12 billion baht, only 4.2 billion! Price tag for Army helicopters.
The Royal Thai Army has clarified spending on eight AH-6i light attack reconnaissance helicopters, weapons and associated equipment from the US, after it was claimed yesterday to have a price tag of 12 billion baht. The Army spokesman Colonel Winthai Suvaree called the media together to explain that it paid 4.2 billion baht for the eight helicopters and equipment from the…
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Rent-a-crowd protesters in NYC weren’t Thai and didn’t know where Thailand was on a map
A small group of vocal protesters in New York, rallying in front of a hotel where the Thai PM was staying over the weekend, have been revealed to be Mexicans, Brazillians and Peruvians, not Thai. PM Prayut and his entourage were staying in the Plaza Athenee Hotel over the weekend and until Tuesday this week, attending events and UN Summits. Thai…
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Thai Airways to take six months to review purchase of new planes
“The airline has also been hesitant to address its middle management glut, long-term and uncompetitive employment contracts and accusations of nepotism in senior management.” Thai Airways says it’s going to review its planned fleet-expansion plans to buy 38 new planes. Officially, they’re saying they’re “considering funding sources” and claim the review will take six months. Nearly two years ago they announced…
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Asian Development Bank drops growth forecast for Thailand
“The bank forecasts a slightly higher growth rate at 3.2% next year, due largely to infrastructure investment in the Eastern Economic Corridor.” The Asian Development Bank is lowering its growth forecast for Thailand’s economy from 3.9% to 3% but is optimistic that conditions will improve next year. “The bank forecasts a slightly higher growth rate at 3.2% next year, due…
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Convicted of murder, sentenced to death, now stripped of MP status
PHOTO: Nawat Tohcharoensuk MP “Nawat’s request for bail pending an appeal was refused. He was jailed immediately. Once bail was denied, he lost his status as an MP as per Sections 101 and 98 (6) of the Constitution.” A Pheu Thai MP for Khon Kaen in the north-east yesterday sentenced to death by the provincial court after being found guilty…
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Thomas Cook demise will affect British tourism to Thailand for the rest of 2019
“British tourists have contribute between 900,000 – 1,000,000 tourists to Thailand annually for the past seven years.” The failure of the British Thomas Cook travel business will cut the numbers of arrivals from Britain to Thailand for the remainder of this year. Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand says they are also assessing a drop in northern-European…
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Rain-making training plane crashes in western Thailand
PHOTO: Channel 7 News The Thai Department of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation have reported that a “Caravan” aircraft crashed in Kanchanaburi at 10.10am this morning during training exercises, killing the two occupants. Both the instructor, Captain Tarun Amanan, and trainee pilot, Suksan Chongsatientham, were found dead. The aircraft was crumpled and unrecognisable when found by villagers. The plane was…
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Chim-Shop-Chai – more than a million already register for the latest Thai stimulus package
Interest in the government’s latest stimulus package has been massive with online portals being battered by people wanting to know more about how they can get their hands on the 1000 baht give-away from the Thai government. More than a million people have already registered to join the government’s Chim-Shop-Chai (Taste-Shop-Spend) program, where they will receive a 1000 baht to…
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Shake-up at the top in Thai state enterprises – Transport Minister
PHOTO: BTS station – YouTube In a major management shakeup in Thai state enterprises, the transport minister has now appointed a new chairmen to the boards of the Port Authority of Thailand, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) and the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMA). The list of new chairmen has been…
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Prayut meets up with Thai expats in New York ahead of UN meetings today
PHOTOS: ศ.ดร.นฤมล ภิญโญสินวัฒน์ Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has been meeting Thai expats in New York before his attending the UN Climate Summit and other meetings this week. Prayut and his entourage, including Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai, arrived at the Plaza Athenee Hotel on the 64th street yesterday around midday on a sunny New York day. Prayut was welcomed by Nipon…
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UK travel giant Thomas Cook collapses leaving 150,000 holiday-makers stranded
PHOTO: Bye bye Thomas Cook – The Independent Thomas Cook, the iconic British travel and airline company, has collapsed after last-minute negotiations failed to find a solution for the debt-ridden company. The tour operator’s failure affects 22,000 jobs worldwide, including 9,000 in the UK alone. Thomas Cook had been operating for 178 years. The company is now bankrupt. The collapse…
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Thailand’s Department for Disease Control issues Chikungunya warning
PHOTO: www.wikipedia.com Dr Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai from the Department of Disease Control says over 10 people in central Thailand have contracted chikungunya since July, and urges people to take precautions, saying those with high fever and joint pain should seek medical advice without delay. In total, since the beginning of the year, 7,481 people have been treated for chikungunya, with all…
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Overturned truck was carrying 450 kilos of crystal meth
PHOTO: Thai PBS World Police have seized about 450 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine (ice), with a street valued around 225 million baht – a major shipment of the illicit drug. The seizure followed a ten-wheel truck ending up on its side after crashing into a traffic island in Phetchaburi province on Friday night. The truck driver, 45 year old Adinan Laeha, and…
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Finance Ministry launches 100 billion stimulus package to kickstart sagging economy
PHOTO: thailandshoppingdining.com The Government is kicking off a new stimulus package valued at 100 billion baht to “stimulate the grassroots economy”. Prasong Poontaneat, permanent secretary of the Finance Ministry reported that the government is preparing a brand-new stimulus package. “The Finance Ministry and related agencies will spend more than 100 billion baht on approximately 30 million low-income households nationwide.” The…
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Thai MP rich list
PHOTO: The Nation The National Anti-Corruption Commission has published a who’s who list of Thailand’s richest politicians. The NACC has reported the personal finances of 80 MPs. The personal finances report is an addition to the NACC’s previous report of 415 MPs who had earlier submitted their asset lists in July. Notable MPs whose assets and debts have been revealed…
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Could you be a digital nomad in Thailand?
Are you a digital nomad? Working online wherever you can find a seat and wi-fi? According to digital nomad websites, some of the most popular locations to work online around the world include Chiang Mai & Bangkok (Thailand), Budapest (Hungary), Belgrade (Serbia), Bali (Indonesia), Lisbon (Portugal) and Buenos Aires (Argentina). What do all these cities have in common? The main…
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New traffic laws come into force for Thailand today
PHOTO: ThaiVisa From today, an amendment to the Land Transport Act means traffic police can no longer confiscate driving licences. Police can still record the details of a driver’s licence but must then return it. The new system will also remove the risk of licences being lost while in the care of the police, as has happened in the past.…
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Future Forward secretary-general floats idea of another debate
PHOTO: Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, Party leader of Future Forward Party – AFP Future Forward secretary-general Piyabutr Saengkanokkul says the Opposition will consider the option of holding another parliamentary debate over the next 3 months. His statement comes after what was generally considered an unsatisfactory response from the PM and other cabinet members during Wednesday’s debate. Piyabutr is not ready to let the matter…
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