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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Tour company owner fined 2,000 baht for threatening taxi driver with sword
PHOTO: Sanook A tour company owner has been fined a mere 2,000 baht by police in Surat Thani after threatening a taxi driver with a sword. The video (below) shows 39 year old Suphakit Sindamrern the alleged owner of Buddy Travel in the Kaset market area heading to his car to retrieve a sword from the boot. Suphakit told an official…
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Thaiger Radio News – Saturday
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Thaiger Radio News – Friday
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Plain packaging for cigarettes being introduced to discourage smoking
PHOTO: Example of the changes to cigarette packaging now being implemented in Thailand In the moves to modify polices relating to smokers in Thailand, some of the new legislation is directed towards manufacturer packaging Cigarette packets will soon be plain and much less attractive under the new regulations approved by the National Tobacco Products Control Committee. Public Health Minister Piyasakol…
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Changes to visas to stimulate tourist sector
The drop-off in Chinese tourists has caused the Thai Government to come up with some creative ideas to re-invigorate the tourist sector, leading into this year’s high season. The Nation reports that the Cabinet yesterday agreed, in principle, to back measures to stimulate tourism numbers. Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kowsurat said the Cabinet gave the green light for the…
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Thaiger Radio News – Wednesday
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Green light for grass. But Cabinet wants a 5 year review.
by Kai Chanwanpen The Thai Cabinet met yesterday to clear a bill to legalise the medical use of marijuana. But there’s one caveat… that the legalisation must be reviewed after five years. The bill was drafted by the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) following months of consolation and online polls. Following the Cabinet’s green light and recommended addition, the draft law…
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Thaiger Radio News – Tuesday
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Public hearings now on for Thais to discuss the new same-sex marriage bill
PHOTO: BK Magazine The Thai Justice Ministry has kicked off public hearings on the proposed same-sex marriage bill that is scheduled to be submitted to the cabinet this month. So far the online survey has had no direct objections. The public hearings were officially opened to at the Miracle Grand Convention Hotel today in Bangkok. The Justice Vice Minister Pongsatorn…
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Dates clarified for new smoking bans and regulations
The Thai Public Health Ministry official announcement has been issued for smoking bans from no smoking zones. The fine will be 5,000 baht. Khaosod is reporting that the deputy general director of the Department of Disease Control, Doctor Kajonsak Kaewjaras, says the first announcement states the list of types or name of public places, work places and vehicles. The list…
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Thaiger Radio News – Monday
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Thaiger Radio News – Sunday
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Narcotics Control Committee seek advise over legalisation of medical cannabis
The rather drawn out and tortuous trek of the process to legalise medical marijuana through the Thai parliamentary system has hit a bit of a hurdle. The Narcotics Control Committee will seek further input before deciding whether to reclassify marijuana, which is now a prohibited narcotic, to enable its use for medical purposes. “We have resolved to consult the Council…
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Thaiger Radio News – Saturday
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Thai Air Asia posts losses in Q3 citing huge drop in Chinese tourists
A drop in Chinese tourism, along with higher fuel prices, is being blamed for a loss in the third quarter for Thai Air Asia. Asia Aviation Plc, the operators of the budget carrier, has reported a net loss of 358 million baht for Q3 (third quarter 2018). This compares with a profit of 260 million baht for the same low-season…
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E-cigarettes and vaping to be legalised in Thailand
Even more changes afoot for smokers in the ever-changing landscape of Thai smoking laws. Earlier this week laws were passed forbidding smoking in most public areas, including outside public buildings, restaurants and bars. That report HERE. Now Sanook reports that there are major changes are on the way regarding the use of electronic cigarettes (vaping) in Thailand. The excise department…
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The 2019 election clock is revealed
The countdown is now ticking as the pieces click together for next year’s election – the first since the Thai army took control in a peaceful coup in May 2014, ousting the elected Yingluck Shinawatra government. Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngarm has presented the clearest political timeline yet that will lead to a general election on February 24, 2019, the appointment…
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Frenchman and Thai girlfriend convicted over gruesome murder of Italian expat
A Thai court has sentenced a French man and his Thai girlfriend to 29 years in jail for the brutal murder of an Italian expat in rural Thailand. Thaivisa is reporting that 34 year old Amaury Rigaux and 38 year old Rujira Eiumlamai admitted murdering 61 year old Giuseppe de Stefani in January this year. Read the original report about…
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7-Eleven stores to reduce the use of plastic bags
If you ever want to see Thailand’s one-use plastic problem in stark view, head on down to any convenience store and see how much plastic marches out the door with each customer. But that might be about to change… Thai PBS reports that CP All Public Company, the sole operator of 7-Eleven convenience stores in Thailand has announced its declaration…
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Thaiger Radio News – Thursday
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Thailand’s Seniors are world’s most active Airbnb hosts and guests
Seniors (hosts and guests aged 60 and older) have been a growing and integral part of the Airbnb community for many years – they are growing fast, earning important extra income, and continue to be the most-loved of any age group. They are fast growing, are booking on Airbnb in increasing numbers, and leading a new trend of multi-generation family…
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‘Maldives’ style resort in Chanthaburi closed down after raid
Officials have raided and shut down a popular island resort that was advertised as “the Maldives of Chanthaburi”, saying it encroached on the sea. Chanthaburi is south east of Pattaya, about an hours drive from the Cambodian border. Pongpat Wongtrakul, the Provincial deputy governor, led marines of the Chanthaburi and Trat Protection Taskforce, marine park officials and harbour officials in…
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Chumphon man admits to repeatedly raping daughter
Police in Chumphon report that a 43 year old man has confessed to repeatedly raping his daughter from the time she was attending Mathayom 1, the first grade in Thai secondary school – approximately 12-13 years old. The man’s name has been withheld to protect the identity of the rape victim, who is now a 20 year old vocational-college student,…
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Thaiger Radio News – Wednesday
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I am not racist – Surachete Hakparn
by Kornkamon Aksorndech The acting Immigration Police chief Pol Maj-General Surachate Hakparn, who recently was promoted to the job because of his relentless crackdowns on foreigners, is vowing to continue with his mission of removing overstaying or illegal foreigners. But netizens are raising questions of racism, as a large proportion of the foreigners nabbed in recent months were of African…
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Taxi operators want new rates to apply to all taxis
Taxi companies are urging Thailand’s Department of Land Transport (DLT) to apply a new taxi fare to all taxis, not just members of the TAXI OK program. According to DLT Deputy Director General, Kamol Buranapong , a meeting was recently held between the DLT and taxi companies which are facing rising operating costs. The DLT proposed that either a 3 baht…
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Facebook adds income stream for Thai gamers
Geek alert. Facebook is going to allow gamers in Thailand to earn income off their ‘livestreams’. Facebook currently has 51 million users in Thailand, the Kingdom’s favourite social media platform At the Thailand Game Show this year, the social media giant said it will allow viewers to send “stars” to the gamers as the livestream progresses. Each star is worth 0.99 baht…
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Public hearings planned for bill to legalise transgender cohabitation
PHOTO: Coconuts BKK Public hearings are to be held in the capital and other provinces on November 12-16 to gauge opinions from stakeholders about the ‘partnership bill’. The Bill would, for the first time in Thailand, legalise the cohabitation of transgenders. In Bangkok the hearing will be held at the Miracle Hotel while in the provinces, hearings are to be…
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BKK Conference tackles rising road toll
by Pratch Rujivanrom Country can learn from Vietnam on promoting safety, say who experts Leading international road safety experts are urging Thai authorities to follow Vietnam’s example by setting up a central agency to directly mitigate the country’s severe accidents problem as well as create a digital traffic database to enhance traffic-law enforcement. Some of the world’s top experts and…
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Thaiger Radio News – Monday
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