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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Sponsored How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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Thailand promotes tourism with subsidies, vouchers nationwide
Thailand is promoting tourism by offering rate subsidies on hotels and food vouchers at participating businesses nationwide. According to Bangkok Post, the Thai Cabinet approved a budget of 3.95 billion baht to stimulate tourism, which includes 2.02 billion baht set aside for food-tour vouchers and room discounts of up to 40%. Under the government’s “We Travel Together” campaign, 560 hotel…
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Thai netizens predict lucky lottery numbers based on diamond eye cat
Thai netizens are predicting lucky lottery numbers based on an unusual cat with a diamond eye. TikTok clips that went viral today show the cat’s peculiar, piercingly bright left eye. Some netizens predicted lucky numbers for the February 1 lottery based on the TikTok user’s name, @user3026088746242. They have also predicted numbers associated with cats, mainly four, eight, and seven. Many…
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10,000 Bangkok taxis have adjusted meters to match recent rate hikes
Almost 10,000 Bangkok taxis have reportedly adjusted their meters to match recent rate hikes. The Department of Land Transport (DLT) made the announcement, saying that since Monday, January 16, taxis have been visiting the Krung Thep Aphiewat Central Terminal to have their metres adjusted. The taxi’s base fares have risen from 35 to 40 baht with drivers being required to…
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Leopard undergoes successful surgery in Thailand
Veterinarians successfully removed a large tumour from a leopard‘s face in Suphan Buri province in central Thailand yesterday. The big cat is recovering well from the surgery. Officials from the Bueng Chawak Non-Hunting Area reported that a 15 year old male leopard named Tree, weighing 51.5 kilogrammes, was operated on yesterday at the Bang Chawak Wildlife Management Centre. Tree was…
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Thai Cabinet approves electricity bill discounts over next four months
The Thai Cabinet has approved electricity bill discounts over the next four months for more than 19 million households. According to the Bangkok Post, the discounts will span from the remainder of this month (January) to April, 2023. Deputy Secretary-General to the prime minister, Anucha Burapahaisri, says the discounts have been approved to help with the high power tariff. Households…
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Monkeys in central Thailand being trafficked abroad
A caretaker of the Khao Nor Temple in the central province of Nakhon Sawan urges authorities to investigate wildlife traffickers after the temple’s monkeys disappeared and over 50 tranquillizer darts were discovered in the area. Khao Nor Temple is a popular attraction among domestic tourists. Thais usually visit the area to climb the limestone mountain inside the temple and enjoy…
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Security guard deceives and kidnaps 17 year old girl
Police are searching for a 51 year old security guard who deceived and kidnapped a 17 year old girl. Officers reported that they have managed to track the girl’s phone signal and believe they will make an arrest very soon. Nipa Pengpuang, the teenager’s aunt, sought assistance on social media after her niece went missing with a security guard she…
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Thai police seize 1.1 tonnes of crystal meth in just one week
Southeast Asia‘s synthetic drugs trade is booming with Thai police seizing over one tonne of crystal meth (“Ice”) in just one week. Police displayed the fruits of their hard work – 1.145 tonnes of seized methamphetamine disguised as Chinese tea – at the Narcotics Suppression Bureau in Bangkok yesterday. The crystal meth was produced in neighbouring countries and smuggled into…
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Thailand Film Office reports record-breaking year for Thai movie industry
The Thailand Film Office (TFO) reported 2022 was a record-breaking year for the Thai movie industry despite a sluggish start to the new calendar year because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The TFO compiled a list of impressive statistics for filming foreign movies in the Land of Smiles for 2022. It recorded that film crews shot 348 different types of movies…
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Lifeguards save foreign tourist from drowning in Pattaya
Tragedy was avoided on Jomtien beach in Pattaya, eastern Thailand, yesterday thanks to the expert skills of Pattaya City lifeguards who acted quickly to save a foreign tourist from drowning. At 3pm, the Sawang Boon Rescue Foundation was informed that a foreign tourist was dragged out of the sea unconscious near the entrance of Soi 16 at Jomtien Beach in…
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Thieves steal 27 public defibrillators in Bangkok, Thailand
Thai news outlet Drama-addict reported that 27 public Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) dotted around the streets of Bangkok, Thailand, have been stolen. In total, 262 AEDs are stationed all around the city to be used to help people experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. AEDs are life-saving, yet easy-to-use medical devices that can analyse the heart’s rhythm and, if necessary, deliver an…
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Officials remove fence from Phuket beach following complaints
There’s been another incident involving a business allegedly encroaching on a Phuket beach. Officials removed a fence from Kamala Beach following several complaints that the fence encroached upon the beach. The business accused of encroaching on the beach is a beach bed operator. Law enforcement officers inspected the area where the operator was ordered to remove the fence from the…
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Thailand VIP packages offered on Chinese e-commerce platform Taobao
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) insists no VIP service packages or fast passes have been made available for purchase in China despite a Thai travel blogger revealing that those services and elite visas are indeed available to buy on the Chinese e-commerce platform Taobao. Thai police are already under fire over the scandalous video of three police officers escorting…
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Thief leaves an apology note in Chiang Mai, Thailand
A thief stole over 12,000 baht from an electrical appliances store in Chiang Mai province in northern Thailand on Sunday morning and left behind a note apologising for his crime. CCTV footage captures a masked assailant, a man estimated to be around 30 years old, breaking into an electrical appliance store next to Wat Tha Mai-i Temple in Chiang Mai’s…
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Thai ladies don kimonos to pose among Himalayan cherry trees
Some Thai ladies really love to dress up, and some are even donning kimonos to pose for photos among Himalayan cherry trees. This trend comes as the trees are blooming in the Phu Lom Lo mountains in Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park, located in Thailand’s northeast province of Loei. Some Thais call the trees “Thai sakura trees.” One woman…
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Locals point out dangerous railway crossing in central Thailand
More than 50 people gathered to point out the dangers presented by a railway crossing in the Photaram district of Racha Buri province, central Thailand, this morning. Firstly, the crossing has no automatic barriers or lights to warn cars or pedestrians when a train is coming. Secondly, the “slope” up to the crossing is so poorly constructed that even pickup…
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“A Night to Remember: Witness the Magic of Brighton College Bangkok’s ‘Grease’ Performance”
SPONSORED Brighton College Bangkok held a special event to celebrate the release of the hit musical movie Grease. The school hosted a viewing of the iconic film and a live performance of the musical, allowing students to experience the movie in a new and exciting way. The event was a great success, with students of all ages enjoying the show.…
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Thai woman pays to save pig from slaughter, plans to give it to temple
A Thai woman paid to save a pig from being slaughtered yesterday and plans to give the pig to monks at a temple. The pig reportedly fell off the back of a lorry in the central Nakhon Nayok province on its way to be slaughtered. After the pig fell off the truck, it made its way to the car park…
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3 Chinese men deported for illegally opening restaurant in Bangkok
Police yesterday raided a Chinese restaurant operating illegally in Bangkok and arrested three Chinese men found working there. They were fined, deported, and put on Thailand’s blacklist. Immigration Bureau officers raided the Chaosan Osha Chinese restaurant on the Rama 9 Road in the Huay Kwang district of Bangkok. Officers reported that they found three Chinese citizens at the restaurant. A 35…
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Thailand’s Surat Thani Airport welcomes chartered flight from Taiwan
A chartered Thai Lion Air flight carrying 143 tourists from Taiwan landed at Surat Thani Airport in southern Thailand yesterday. It was the first chartered flight to land on the airport’s runway in three years. Surat Thani Governor Wichawut Jinto welcomed passengers on flight SL-7391 from Taipei yesterday evening, handing out flower garlands and gifts to tourists to celebrate the…
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Giant license plates are illegal, warns Thailand’s DLT
Thais love to modify their vehicles, but attaching a comically big license plate to your car is illegal, warns Thailand‘s Department of Land Transport (DLT). The warning follows a viral TikTok clip of a pickup truck on the road featuring a regular license plate as well as a Phitsanulok province license plate so big it could probably be seen all the…
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EU ready to conclude free-trade agreement with Thailand
The European Union is ready to open free-trade agreement (FTA) talks with Thailand again after an eight-year political impasse. Thailand’s Commerce Minister, Jurin Laksanawisit, will head to Brussels tomorrow for a two-day business trip to accelerate talks on an FTA with the EU. Jurin states that a Thai-EU FTA is a highly sought-after deal by the private sector, but it remains…
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Law to prevent violent reoffenders with ankle monitor
A new law aimed at preventing recidivism among those convicted of sexual and violent crimes comes into effect in Thailand today. The law increases surveillance measures for offenders already out of prison, possibly even requiring them to wear electronic monitoring (EM) ankle bracelets for up to 10 years. However, the entire plan may be ineffective at best as the Corrections…
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Thai woman savagely bitten by boyfriend after refusing to go boozing with him
A Thai woman filed a complaint at Pan Thong Police Station in Chon Buri after her boyfriend savagely bit her face after she refused to go boozing with him. She said she was worried that the case would be ignored because her boyfriend had a close connection with a senior police officer. The woman, identified as Bee, told the media…
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Man sleeps in tent with deadly cobra all night in eastern Thailand
A Thai man is lucky to be alive after sleeping in a tent all night with a venomous cobra in Rayong province, eastern Thailand. Dacha, from the northern province of Phitsanulok province, posted photos on Facebook yesterday of a snake slithering out of the tent he dissembled moments earlier at the Dok Krai reservoir in Rayong province. He wrote the…
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You can’t ‘buy anything from the Thai police’ – PM’s Office
The Thai government has denied any involvement in setting up an outrageous TikTok video that informed Chinese tourists that “money can buy anything from the Thai police.” PM’s Office Minister Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana insisted on Sunday he had not told police to provide any VIP services to any TikTok influencer. The pretty young tourist, named only as “Adele,” was given a…
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Pakistani man caught smuggling 80,000 pills into Thailand
A Pakistani man was arrested at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport on Friday after he attempted to smuggle a suitcase brimming with drugs from Pakistan into the Kingdom of Thailand. Airport security flagged down a suspicious suitcase from Karachi, Pakistan, found to contain a plethora of Type 2 and Type 4 psychotropic substances. In total, police at the airport seized 79,200 pills…
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Thailand Startup Pitch Competition | Thaiger Cage
The Thaiger launched a new start-up technology pitch event ‘The Thaiger Cage’ on 16th January 2023 at the Conrad Bangkok. It is a special prequel to the Thailand Tourism Forum (TTF) 2023, the country’s leading annual hospitality event. This event featured 5 Thailand-based start-ups who have specifically developed hospitality or tourism digital products or apps, pitching to 3 expert judges…
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Musk’s Twitter cuts keep Thai pedo clips online
A number of video clips showing alleged sexual abuse by a Thai art teacher and his underage victims have been circulating on Twitter for many days now. The videos first appeared on January 17. Prachatai English found the videos circulating the same day the suspect was arrested by police in Nakhon Ratchasima. The teacher, identified by local media as “Kanthapit,”…
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Tourists urged to beware of tiger roaming in Kanchanaburi, Thailand
A large male tiger came out of the forest and was spotted roaming around Srinagarind Dam in Tha Kradan district of Kanchanaburi province, western Thailand, yesterday morning. Tourists visiting the popular Srinagarind Dam and famous Erawan Waterfall are urged to beware of the tiger. Four CCTV cameras caught footage of the big cat sauntering around the dam at around 2am.…
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