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 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...
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2 excise officers arrested in 300,000 baht ransom kidnapping case
Two excise officers and one of their friends were arrested yesterday after they kidnapped a phone shop worker and held her to a 300,000 baht ransom in the central province of Samut Prakarn. A Chinese man, Wu Yiwen, filed a complaint at Mueang Samut Prakarn Police Station yesterday at 3.30pm. The 31 year old said the kidnapping incident happened at…
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Thailand, an interfaith paradise?
Today’s Pakistan Observer provides an interesting insight into Thailand as an interfaith paradise, seen from overseas, but not through the more usual Western lens. In Pakistan, Thailand is seen as a paradise of interfaith tolerance, and perhaps it is. Former Head of the Department of International Relations & Faculty of Political Science, Thammasat University of Bangkok Prof. Dr Jaran Maluleem…
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Walk-in driving license services now available in Thailand
Obtaining a new driving license or renewing an old one just got easier in Thailand. Walk-in services are now available at transport offices nationwide without the need to book an appointment, according to the Department of Land Transport (DLT). Anyone wanting to renew their Thai driving license can obtain an ‘eLearning’ theoretical training certificate through the DLT’s website, which also…
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Pet-loving couple accidently imprison themselves in a dog cage (video)
A hilarious video of a pet-loving couple from California locking themselves in a dog cage has gone viral. Hats off to Stephanie Ferrari for posting the priceless video on TikTok @stephanieiferrari and allowing the rest of the world to laugh at her mishap. Pet lover Stephanie and her husband are seen in their home with three dog cages. He husband,…
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Man arrested for stealing over 10 million baht in valuables at a fitness centre
A thief who stole over 10 million baht of valuables from a businessman at a fitness centre two weeks ago was arrested yesterday. The man pretended to be a fitness centre customer, stole safety box keys, and duplicated the keys to complete a series of thefts. On Tuesday, January 10, 35 year old businessman, Sathit, filed a complaint at Mueang Nonthaburi…
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Free shuttle bus from Yaowarat to Khao San for Chinese New Year
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is providing tourists with free shuttle buses between Yaowarat Road and Khao San Road from tomorrow until January 23 to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Deputy Bangkok Governor Wissanu Subsomphon announced yesterday that the BMA would temporarily operate a Yaowarat-Khao San Road BMA Feeder to facilitate tourists and reduce traffic jams during the Chinese Spring Festival,…
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Famous Belgian murderer Robert Beijer arrested in Pattaya, Thailand
Convicted murderer and suspect in Belgium’s infamous ‘Brabant Killers‘ case of the 1980s – Robert Beijer – has been arrested in Pattaya, Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand. Robert Beijer, a former state policeman, was convicted of murdering and robbing an Antwerp diamond dealer in 1995 along with Madani Bouhouche. Beijer was sentenced to 14 years but was let out early…
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Cambodian thieves snatch Japanese man’s bag on flight to Thailand
Two Cambodian thieves snatched a Japanese man’s bag on a flight to Thailand from Cambodia yesterday. His belongings included a luxury bag, Sennheiser, Sony wireless headphones, an Apple iPad, 11,240 baht, and 186,000 yen (about 47,000 baht). The unnamed victim said the thieves were seated in the same row as him on the flight to Suvarnabhumi Airport from Phenom Penh.…
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University student shot dead on a Bangkok footpath
Two unidentified gunmen shot dead a university student in a drive-by shooting while the victim was walking on a Phaya Thai Road footpath in Bangkok on Saturday. Police are still searching for the gunmen. A security camera in front of the Faculty of Pharmacy of Chulalongkorn University captured the shooting incident on Saturday, January 14 at about 8.40pm. Two men…
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Thai court denies bail to alleged Singaporean Forex-3D scammer
Today, Thailand‘s Criminal Court denied bail to the alleged Singaporean Forex-3D scammer who was nabbed by police at Phuket Airport as he tried to flee the country on Monday. He was taken straight to Bangkok Remand Prison. The accused, 32 year old Daryl Cai Yonghui, is charged with “public fraud” and “inputting false information into a computer system in a…
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Bank of Thailand blames dating app for phone hacking
The Bank of Thailand (BoT) denied a claim made on social media that a man lost money from his bank account after recharging his phone at a public outlet. BoT believes the theft occurred because the man was a victim of a malware attack. Police also attributed the theft to malware, stating that the user had downloaded an unsafe dating…
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YouTuber roasts Chef Gordon Ramsay’s Thai cooking skills
A YouTuber roasted world-renowned chef Gordon Ramsay’s Thai cooking skills in a video posted on Sunday. The Malaysian YouTuber, known as Uncle Roger, has over 7 million subscribers and is based in London. Ramsay is known to the world as a super harsh critic of other people’s cooking, mainly through his reality show “Hell’s Kitchen.” On his show, he regularly…
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Oil tanker explosion in Thailand kills 8 people, 1 dog, injures 4, impacts 128
UPDATE Officials have recovered eight bodies from the wreckage of the oil tanker which exploded and caught fire at Ruammitr Dockyard in the Laem Yai district of Samut Songkhram province in central Thailand yesterday. Divers from the Dhammarasamimaneerat Foundation are no longer searching for bodies as the total number of people missing was believed to be eight. At least five…
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Five airlines launch direct flights between Phuket and China this week
Five airlines are launching direct flights between China and Phuket in southern Thailand this week. The services will connect Phuket to Shanghai, Nanjing, and Chengdu. Today, Phuket will welcome three direct flights from Shanghai on Spring Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, and Juneyao Airlines. All three services will fly daily. Juneyao Airlines’ inaugural daily direct service from Nanjing will also land on…
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66 year old monk accused of raping 12 year old novice
A 66 year old monk is on the run from a temple in the central province of Prachin Buri after being accused of raping and sexually abusing a 12 year old novice for more than six months. The scandal emerged after the novice visited a hospital due to a complaint about an anus infection. The 12 year old was sent to…
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Bangkok to gain more dog-friendly public parks
Finding a green area to walk your furry friend in Bangkok is difficult because pet dogs are not allowed in all but one of the city’s public parks. That is about to change thanks to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s (BMA) “15-minute” park project. The BMA has acquired 107 plots of land, covering a collective 659 rai, which will be transformed…
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Deputy PM pledges to increase state welfare benefit to 700 baht
Not to be outdone by Pheu Thai Party (PTP) election promises Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon pledged to increase state welfare scheme benefits if he becomes prime minister in May. The PTP, led by Paetongtarn Shinawatra, vows to increase the daily minimum wage for Thai workers to 600-baht, introduce a 25,000-baht salary for graduates by 2027 and reduce utility…
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US cruise ships seeking English-speaking Thais for over 1,000 jobs
US cruise ships are on the hunt for Thai employees who can speak English, Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin said yesterday. Suchart said CTI Group Worldwide Services Inc has 1,500 job vacancies for Thais who are at least 21 years old. The jobs, which include 37 positions, will pay between 19,618 to 87,176 baht per month, plus tips. Positions are open…
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ACD commander dedicated to revitalising corruption battle
The Anti-Corruption Division (ACD) in Thailand says they currently changing to transform it into a high-calibre unit that can combat corruption effectively. A team of ACD officers recently arrested Rutchada Suriyakul Na Ayutya, the director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. The scandal made headlines and the ACD became the centre of attention, causing its commander…
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Don’t fall for Chinese New Year scam, warns Thai police
Thai Cyber Police sent out a warning about a Chinese New Year-themed online scam after dozens of victims reported having their bank accounts hacked and drained. Yesterday, Thailand’s Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) issued a warning via Facebook about a ‘Free Red Envelope’ scam. During the upcoming Chinese New Year – or Lunar New Year – holidays, one popular tradition is…
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Bangkok to become brighter, greener, cheaper after street lights upgrade
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration plans to improve the city’s streetlights. The Department of Public Works reported it will replace 25,000 of the capital’s 400,000 high-pressure sodium (HPS) light bulbs with light-emitting diodes (LED) to make Bangkok brighter, greener, and cheaper. Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt told the media on Tuesday, January 3 about the plan to change the city’s street light bulbs…
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Police raid illegal Chinese electronic waste warehouses
Police raided three warehouses after receiving an air pollution complaint from locals in Pathum Thani province near Bangkok. Officers found a huge amount of electronic waste in the warehouses and discovered that two of them were operated illegally by Chinese citizens. Police from Lam Luke Ka Police Station and officers from the Pathum Thani Provincial Industry Office raided the three…
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Court rules 8 years in prison for Thai man who dumped model’s body in Bangkok condo lobby
Thailand‘s Court of Appeal upholds an eight-year prison sentence for a man convicted of abducting an unconscious woman and dumping her dead body in the lobby of his condo in Bangkok over three years ago. In September 2019, models Rachadech “Nam Un” Wongtabutr and Thitima “Lalabelle” Noraphanphiphat were both hired to provide entertainment at a house party in Bang Bua…
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US actor George Clooney’s foundation stands up for Thai protesters
US actor George Clooney’s foundation is standing up for Thai protesters through its TrialWatch initiative. The initiative is part of the Clooney Foundation for Justice and has been monitoring and evaluating the criminal proceedings against the protest leaders since 2020. TrialWatch urged Thailand to adhere to its international human rights obligations in an amicus brief submitted on Monday to the…
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Tourism Authority of Thailand uses momentum of last year’s campaign to strengthen 2023 travel direction
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is using momentum from last year’s ‘Visit Thailand Year 2022’ campaign to direct this year toward a “meaningful travel direction.” According to The Pattaya News, the press release by the TAT details new concepts and enhanced efforts to continue the milestone achievement of last year’s campaign. The ongoing “Visit Thailand Year: Amazing New Chapters” is…
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Injured whale shark swims up to boat for help in southern Thailand
National park officials in Krabi province, southern Thailand, are searching for an injured whale shark in need of urgent medical assistance. Yesterday, a six-metre long whale shark swam to the surface to visit a longtail boat near Koh Hong island located inside Than Bok Khorani National Park in Krabi’s Mueang district. As cold-blooded whale sharks rarely venture out of deep…
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Sea nomads take struggle over alleged land encroachment to Bangkok
Sea nomads are taking their struggle over alleged land encroachment to Bangkok. The nomads are part of the Moken minority, a group of semi-nomadic Austronesian group that lives in Thai coastal provinces and inhabits over 800 islands in the Andaman Sea. Today, a group of Moken people from Koh Lipe rallied in front of the Treasury Department, demanding justice over…
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Thai woman allegedly defrauds American PPE company of 239 million baht
An American PPE company alleges that a Thai woman defrauded them of a staggering 239 million baht (US$8 million) in a high-profile public fraud case centred around rubber gloves. On February 18, 2021, US Company Quick Aid LLC wired 239 million Thai baht to a private Thai company named Singhaseni Group Co., Ltd. The Thai company had a single 45…
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Thai farmer makes 1 million baht per month selling buffalo semen
A farmer in Kalasin province in northeast Thailand makes 1 million baht every month by selling semen from one special water buffalo named “Big Billion.” Water buffalo (“kwai” in Thai language) breeders all around the kingdom pay high prices for the semen of Big Billion, a ‘textbook’ Thai water buffalo worth 30 million baht. Breeders use Big Billion’s seed to…
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Silicone strips seized stopping safety-sacrificing surgeries
Officials from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) teamed up with police on a raid of several plastic surgery clinics and a manufacturer’s warehouse to confiscate a large number of counterfeit silicone pieces. The joint operation was announced on Monday by the FDA Secretary-General and the Deputy Chief of the Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD). Previous raids had been carried…
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