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 Digital nomading in Chiang Mai? What US$1,000 a month really gets you
Chiang Mai has become a popular destination for digital nomads due to its low living costs, rich culture, and active remote work community. The city offers affordable housing, tasty food, reliable internet, and many co-working spaces, making it a great...
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Thai paediatrician worries about Grade 5 textbook encouraging bad eating habits
A Thai paediatrician worries that a Grade 5 textbook is encouraging bad eating habits. A recent controversy has sparked public debate involving a Thai language textbook for Grade 5 students discussing simplistic and potentially unhealthy meal suggestions, and a paediatrician has expressed deep concern over the limited worldview and nutritional value presented. The textbook contains content depicting a character enjoying…
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Heat and drought expected to impact Thailand
Heat and drought are expected to impact Thailand soon. The end of the summer season is predicted to arrive by the middle of month, but Thailand is expected to face the harsh impact of the El Niño phenomenon around the middle of June. This will lead to severe drought conditions, according to the Meteorological Department (MD), Bangkok Post reports. The…
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Thai activists say new electricity rates won’t solve root causes of high prices
A decision by an Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) subcommittee to reduce electricity rates from May to August has been met with reservations from Thai energy activists and politicians, who argue that the move does not address the root cause of expensive power bills. Yesterday, the subcommittee approved the fuel tariff (Ft) rate adjustment, which considers changes in fuel costs and…
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Officials establish help centre for Thais in Sudan
Following the outbreak of violent clashes in Sudan, the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC) has established a help centre for Thais who are currently in Sudan. The SBPAC set up the centre to aid 210 Thai students who are currently facing difficulties in Sudan, as fighting continues to escalate in the nation’s capital, Khartoum. The centre is located at…
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Pattaya mayor takes part in rice festival
On Thursday, Pattaya Mayor Poramase Ngampiches took part in the traditional Kong Khao (rice) festival in the local town of Naklua. This fascinating ceremony is an integral part of Chonburi province culture, attracting hundreds every year to honour and seek the blessings of the sacred guardian spirits, deities and other protective entities known to protect the local population. The Kong…
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Former doctor with mental health issues kills brother in central Thailand
A former doctor with mental health issues killed his brother, who also had mental health issues, in their family home in the Suphan Buri province in central Thailand this morning. He reportedly became violent due to a lack of medication. The incident happened at a two-storey house on the Khun Krai Road in the Tha Pee Liang sub-district in Suphan Buri…
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Thai police arrest members of syndicate smuggling petrol from Malaysia
The Royal Thai Police‘s (RTP) Fuel Crime Suppression Centre recently announced the arrest of two suspected members of a criminal syndicate known as “Jae Fang” in Hat Yai, Thailand. The group has allegedly been smuggling petrol from Malaysia and reselling it in the southern provinces of Songkhla, Satun, and Narathiwat. The suspects, Nee Usman and Eeb Madyusoh, were apprehended while…
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Thailand considers providing free e-cigarettes following England’s strategy
Thailand‘s End Cigarette Smoke Thailand (ECST) Group has praised the UK‘s efforts to provide free vaping kits and its focus on preventing minors from accessing e-cigarettes. This positive response follows England’s recent announcement of a £45 million budget for the distribution of vaping kits to reduce smoking rates. The campaign includes a further £3 million budget dedicated to monitoring and…
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Public hospital director in Thailand caught in underage sex scandal
The director of a public hospital in Leoi province in northeast Thailand and two accomplices were arrested yesterday by Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD) officers for buying sex from underage girls. Three men were apprehended by ATPD officers in the Kudpong area of Mueang district. The suspects are Phasakorn Surachaipanya, a 54 year old director of a public hospital in…
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Prosecutors requested to charge Kong Salak Plus CEO by DSI
Thailand‘s Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has requested that prosecutors bring charges against Panthawat “Nott” Nakwisut, the beleaguered proprietor of the now-defunct Kong Salak Plus online lottery platform, and 16 others for money laundering and gambling offences. On Friday, DSI detectives submitted their findings to the public prosecutors at the Attorney-General’s Office in Bangkok, situated on Ratchadapisek Road. Pongsathon Inamnuay,…
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Cops bust crypto mine stealing electricity near Bangkok
Police raided a huge crypto mine in Samut Prakan province, just south of Bangkok, yesterday. To dig for their digital currencies, the miners used stolen electricity with damages amounting to more than one million baht. Police from Samut Prakan Police Station and officials from the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) raided a three-storey rented building in Soi Mungkorn-Nark Dee in Phraek…
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Indian man in Pattaya allegedly kidnapped by his own son
Police are investigating the case of an Indian restaurant owner in Pattaya who was allegedly kidnapped and attacked by his own son and his son’s Thai friends yesterday. Luckily, the victim managed to escape by jumping out of a moving car and is under the care of authorities, reports KhaoSod. Yesterday, the officers from the Mueang Pattaya Police Station rushed…
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Thai soldiers rush to put out another forest fire in Nakhon Nayok
Thai soldiers are rushing to put out a forest fire in the central Nakhon Nayok province, after another raging wildfire broke out in the province just last month. Soldiers and officials have once again sprung into action to combat the latest fire near the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy in Nakhon Nayok province. The blaze was spotted on the mountain slopes…
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Following complaints, Phuket officials swoop on stray dogs
Following a number of complaints from fed up locals, Phuket officials on Wednesday swooped on stray dogs in the island province’s main city district. The residents had complained that a pack of dogs had been causing a nuisance. They said the dogs were chasing after motorcycles, as well as defecating on streets and people’s properties. The Department of Public Health…
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Kind police officer delivers order on behalf of Grab driver who fainted amid Thailand’s scorching heat
Thai netizens praised a police officer from Chana Songkram Police Station in Bangkok, Thailand, for his kindness after he volunteered to deliver an order on behalf of a Grab delivery driver who fainted and crashed his motorbike amid sweltering heat on Wednesday. The 45 year old Grab driver and his 14 year old daughter picked up an order from a…
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Omicron sub-variant XBB.1.16: What you need to know
Thailand has recently reported 27 cases of the new Omicron sub-variant XBB.1.16, leading authorities to closely monitor its transmission speed and the ease with which it can escape people’s ability to handle the virus following months, if not years, of vaccinations and herd immunity development. The Ministry of Public Health is recommending that individuals, particularly senior citizens and those with…
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Drunk hit-and-run driver in Bangkok flees scene with victim clinging to bonnet (video)
A 20 year old drunk driver crashed his Mercedes-Benz into a motorcycle taxi driver on the Rama 9 Road in Bangkok. The driver was caught on camera fleeing the scene of the accident with the victim still clinging to the car bonnet. On Tuesday, a Thai TikToker posted a video of an incident at the Rama 9 intersection which occurred…
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Thailand’s alcoholic beverage sales jump by 30% during Songkran
Thailand certainly seems to have enjoyed itself after celebrating Songkran for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out. Thailand’s alcoholic beverage sales jumped by 30% during the Songkran holiday, according to Thanakorn Kuptachit, an advisor to the Thai Alcohol Business Association. Related businesses such as restaurants, entertainment venues, hotels, and event organisers, also got a boost from Songkran.…
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ERC’s tariff cut to benefit households
The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is anticipated to reveal a decrease in fuel tariffs (Ft) from May to August today, resulting in a drop in power tariff rates for households to 4.70 baht per kilowatt-hour unit from the current 4.77 baht per unit. This decision comes in response to public outcry over surges in electricity bills during the summer months,…
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Cannex Asia 4/20, the ultimate cannabis community event is happening in Bangkok
“Join the ultimate cannabis celebration of the year – the Cannex Asia 4/20 event this 20th – 22nd of April 2023 at Emquartier, Bangkok” Get ready to attend the Cannex Asia 4/20 festival, an idea proposed by the Cannex Asia team, a group of business professionals and actual experts in the marijuana industry. The event will feature various aspects of…
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Officials working to get Thai nationals out of Sudan amidst clashes
Thai officials are working to get Thai nationals out of Sudan amidst violent clashes currently plaguing the country. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) plans to meet with the military today to plan the evacuation of Thai nationals from Sudan, Bangkok Post reports. The international airport in Khartoum has been closed, making it difficult for the Thai nationals to leave the country.…
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Thailand warns against public cannabis use, imposes fines and jail time
The Department of Health (DOH) under the Ministry of Public Health has issued a stern warning to the public about the legal ramifications of smoking cannabis in public spaces. The DOH has also notified local authorities to prepare for stricter enforcement against unsubstantiated casual events. Additionally, the public is encouraged to report any nuisance incidents to local officials immediately. Dr.…
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Construction accident at Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok injures 4
A construction accident occurred at Chulalongkorn Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, today at 4pm. Four people were injured and one emergency police vehicle was damaged. Workers were hoisting materials to the upper floors of King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital opposite Lumpini Park with a rope this afternoon when 40-50 metal sheets suddenly fell onto the footpath below on Ratchadamri Road. Four people…
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Scat woman: Thai taxi drivers warn of female passenger who poops in car
A Thai taxi driver in Samut Prakarn province near Bangkok took to Facebook to warn fellow drivers of a female passenger who has been known to poop in cars and then flee without paying. The driver shared dashcam footage and his story on a Facebook group called Taxi Drivers (Thailand) on Friday, April 14 with a caption that said… “Warning…
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Thailand’s Som Tam voted 6th best salad in the world
Northeast Thailand’s “som tam,” aka spicy papaya salad, was voted sixth best salad in the world by online food guide TasteAtlas. Another Thai dish, phla kung, also won accolades, coming in ninth place. Sanook pointed out that Thailand’s som tam was ranked higher than Cambodia’s green papaya salad, bok l’hong, voted 30th best salad. TasteAtlas’s Top 10 Best Rated Salads in…
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Gun used to shoot dead net idol in Bangkok belongs to ex-boyfriend’s military officer father
UPDATE #2 The gun used to shoot dead “Gigi” the net idol and her air force cadet ex-boyfriend “Ikkyu” in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday is licensed and belongs to Ikkyu’s father, who is a high-ranking military officer, according to a spokesperson for the National Police Agency Pol. Lt. Gen. Archayon Kraithong. Police have completed their assessment of the CCTV footage and confirm…
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Volunteer rescuer dies after attempting to save life in Ayutthaya
A member of the Ayutthaya Ruam Jai Rescue Team died after performing CPR on a patient in the early hours of this morning. The cause of his death is currently under investigation. A fellow member of the rescue team, Panya Choomanee, spoke to Channel 7 today about the death of his friend, 45 year old Somsak Sisue. At 3am today,…
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Decapitated dugong washes up on beach in southern Thailand
A decapitated dugong with wounds all over its body washed up on a beach on Koh Sriboya island in Krabi province in southern Thailand yesterday. It’s a tragic event considering that dugongs are protected by Thai law and there are only an estimated 200 of them left in Thailand’s waters. The carcass of a 2-metre-long male dugong weighing no less…
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Police request AI assistance for crime solving
The Royal Thai Police (RTP) are urging for an enhancement of the Immigration Bureau’s biometric identification systems using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to aid in the tracking and monitoring of international criminals. This recommendation comes in the wake of recent abduction incidents involving Chinese victims. In one case, officers from the Bang Phong Phang Police Station successfully rescued a Chinese…
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Nok Air makes final flight to Mae Hong Son in northern Thailand
Nok Air flew from Bangkok to Mae Hong Son Airport in northern Thailand for the final time yesterday, bidding farewell to the route for good. The province, home to the popular backpacker town Pai, is now only accessible by road since Nok Air was the only airline servicing the airport commercially. Governor of Mae Hong Son province Chettha Mosikarat, Tourism Authority…
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