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 Is private health insurance in Thailand worth it? Real costs vs risks explained
Thailand has a strong healthcare system with both public and private options. Public hospitals offer affordable care, but many people, including expats, choose private health insurance for faster service, modern facilities, and more treatment choices. To decide if private health...
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Ambulance runs a red light and kills a motorcycle rider
A 60 year old man was killed after a speeding ambulance run a red light and wiped out his motorcycle causing a huge ball of fire in Mahasarakham, northeastern Thailand. The ambulance from Yang Talad Hospital smashed into the motorcycle at the Chiang Yuen Intersection in Mahasarakham province yesterday at 6am. Video footage from a vehicle behind the motorcycle captures…
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TAT looks to draw more Japanese tourists to Thailand with new campaign
The Tourism Authority of Thailand is looking to draw in more Japanese tourists. TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn announced that TAT will introduce a new partnership campaign in the last three months of the year called “It’s Time to Go To Thailand”. The campaign aims to increase Japanese tourists’ average spending per trip, which right now is only 6,400 baht, the…
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Motorcycle taxis & app-based riders fight over passengers
An ongoing row over passengers between motorcycle taxi riders and app-based riders erupted into a brawl on Sunday on Soi Ratchada 18 in Bangkok. One motorcycle taxi rider demanded that the app-based riders give them more respect and stop random pickups on the street when motorcycle taxi services are nearby. The first fight started last Sunday, September 18. One motorcycle taxi…
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Thai army saves man walking 1350 kilometres from Songkhla to Buriram
A man who lost his job in the southern province of Songkhla decided to walk back home to Buriram in northeast Thailand. After 12 days of walking on Sunday, the 42 year old man stumbled across an army barracks in Phatthalung province, the next province along. The soldiers took care of him and paid for his train ticket back to…
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Thai navy buys pilotless aircraft from Israel for 4 billion baht
Thailand has signed a contract to buy Hermes 900 “unmanned aerial vehicles” (UAV) from an Israeli defence company, according to an announcement made today by the Royal Thai Navy (RTN). The purchase will cost 4 billion baht ($US107,003,360). The pilotless aircraft will patrol Thailand’s seas to “protect the sovereignty of Thailand’s waters and shipping routes.” The drones will also assist…
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Lamborghini driver scrambles from scene of egg seller crash
A Thai woman has sought the help of a lawyer to help track down a reckless foreigner who crashed his Lamborghini into her pickup truck full of eggs worth nearly 200,000 baht before he scrambled from the scene, leaving a Thai man to take the blame. Kamlai Sisaengchan had just picked up 1,400 trays of eggs, worth 190,000 baht, when…
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Thailand’s repeat drink driving offenders will be jailed
New legislation in Thailand means that people caught drink driving more than once will go to jail. First time offenders could go to jail or get a fine. The harsher punishments are intended to act as a DUI deterrent to reduce the overall number of deaths on Thailand’s dangerous roads. Thailand’s roads are the deadliest in Southeast Asia and among…
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Chemical leak forces school closures in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
Residents of Nakhon Pathom province are warned to stay indoors as a major chemical leak occurred at the Indorama Polyester Industries factory in Nakhon Chai Si district at 6.15am this morning. People from miles around reported a “foul, burning stench” emanating through the sky, originating from the plastic production factory on Petchkasem Road in Khun Kaew subdistrict. Several schools including…
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Corrupt police chief’s 137 million baht fortune nabbed
A former deputy commissioner of Provincial Police Region 8 found guilty of fraudulent activity has had his 137 million baht fortune confiscated by Thailand’s Criminal Court for Corruption. Pol Lt Gen Somchai Nitayabowornkul was found guilty by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NAAC) on August 10 for having assets worth more than he could ever afford in relation to his rank…
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Weakening baht is in focus as meeting called to discuss its impact
The Bank of Thailand is scrambling to find the sources behind the weakening baht as a meeting is called to discuss its impact. Finance Minister, Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, says the depreciating currency is adding to the inflationary pressures and is vowing to determine whether the decline is linked to the country’s economic fundaments. The Finance Ministry is set to hold talks…
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Thailand schedules general election for May 7, 2023
The Office of the Election Commission of Thailand (EC) tentatively scheduled the day of the general election next year for May 7. Registration for all candidates will be open from April 3 to April 7, 2023. The general election plan was announced by the EC today as the government’s four-year term of office is expected to end on March 23,…
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Security guard stabs woman who spurned his advances
A security guard was stabbed to death by her colleague today after she spurned his advances at Rajamangala University of Technology Krungthep in the Sathon district of Bangkok. The pair’s work colleagues revealed that the alleged murderer fell in love with the victim but she rejected him. The rescue team tried to save the 30 year old Anitta Yoosothana, who…
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Tangmo: ‘Speedboat gang’ to pay 2 million baht plus salary to Tangmo’s mother
Seven months after famous actress Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong fell from a speedboat and drowned in the Chaophraya River, the court has ordered all six defendants in the case to pay damages to Tangmo’s mother. Today, Nonthaburi Provincial Court ordered all six defendants – the “speedboat gang” – to pay a collective upfront sum of 2 million baht in damages to…
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2 Vietnamese pickpockets arrested in Bangkok
Two Vietnamese pickpockets were arrested after stealing money and credit cards from a Singaporean tourist at the Erawan Shrine near CentralWorld shopping mall in Bangkok. They deny the allegations. The Commissioner-general of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, Samran Nuanma, gave an update on the development of the pickpocket case at a press conference yesterday. Samran made public that three Vietnamese pickpockets…
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Foreigner’s ad looking for highly paid Thai girlfriend attracts hundreds of applicants
A Thai woman posted a job advertisement online last week on behalf of her two Chinese friends who are looking to hire Thai girlfriends. The positions come with a 100,000 baht salary per month with a chance to earn even more if the girlfriends do a good job. Facebook user ‘Ok Mai Mai’ posted the following message last week… “Looking…
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212 million baht budget for foreign films shot in Thailand
The Thai Cabinet approved a budget of 212 million baht to support the foreign film industry in Thailand. The Cabinet revealed that six movie crews, four from the United States, one from France, and one from Singapore, will benefit from the 2023 budget. Prime Minister Office spokesperson Trisuree Trisanakun announced to the Thai press yesterday that the Cabinet approved the…
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Agoda: Thailand leading Asia bookings post-pandemic
Popular booking website Agoda says Thailand is one of the first Asian countries to see tourism rebound after the Covid-19 pandemic. Omri Morgenshtern, Agoda’s chief executive says even though the inbound search rate for Thailand on the website was 39% lower than in the same period in 2019, it has begun to rise since the beginning of 2022. “Thailand is…
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Former Thai deputy PM Suthep cleared of corruption charges by Supreme Court
Former deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuwan has been cleared by Thailand’s top court of corruption charges. The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions also acquitted five co-defendants in the case over a decade-old incident. The charges stemmed from Suthep’s alleged involvement in a project to construct 396 police stations and living quarters while he was deputy PM.…
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THAI expects bankruptcy court to approve revised rehabilitation plan
Thai Airways International (THAI) is expecting its revised rehabilitation plan to be approved by the Central Bankruptcy Court. The submitted revision comes after the ailing carrier bounced back better than expected after its Covid-19-induced downfall. But, its rehab plan hasn’t come without pushback from some creditors. Chai Eamsiri, the airline’s acting chief financial officer and senior chief, says once the…
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Top 5 reasons why servicing aircon is important (Thailand 2022)
SPONSORED It is humid most time of the year in Thailand and therefore having a functioning aircon is important. Cleaning and maintaining the air conditioning system are part of the air conditioning servicing process. Now, many of you who live in Thailand might believe that aircon maintenance is not required. However, it is important to keep in mind that servicing…
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Thailand News Today | Thai airlines discounts on domestic flights
You can get 300 baht off domestic flights in Thailand under the project “Discounts All Over the Sky, Fly All Over Thailand. ” The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Thai Airlines Association jointly launched a special offer to stimulate the economy through domestic tourism this season. Six airlines joined the scheme to offer 300 baht discounts on 500,000 seats on…
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Woman falls down hole while walking on a pavement near Bangkok
Walking on pavements in Thailand is a hazardous affair at the best of times. Pedestrians have a number of dangers to look out for such as speeding motorcyclists, scooters, cars backing up or even street vendors with their carts. One woman fell down a hole after the paving gave way while walking in the central province of Nonthaburi in Bangkok.…
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Thai police undergo training drill in preparation for APEC meeting
Bangkok Police officers took part in a five-day training drill in preparation for the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting between November 18 and 19 this year. The five-day programme started on Friday, September 16 at the office of the Special Operation Division in Nonthaburi province, near Bangkok. The objective of the drill was to prepare officers for any emergencies…
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26 luxury cars stolen from the UK seized, 9 still missing
Some 35 luxury cars, worth about 2,400,000 pounds, or 100 million baht, were smuggled from the United Kingdom to Thailand via Singapore last year. The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) of Thailand announced yesterday that 26 of the luxury cars have been seized while the other nine have not been handed over by owners to the authorities. The Director of…
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Ministry of Labour strives to provide jobs for the elderly
The population of Thailand is collectively getting older, and now the Ministry of Labour is attempting to address the problem of senior citizens without the financial means to sustain themselves. Minister of Labour Suchart Chomklin is working to create a job market for elderly citizens as Thais over 60 struggle to pay their bills without jobs. The plan to reduce…
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Thai police bust illegal piranha trafficking operation in Bangkok
Police arrested a man in Bangkok yesterday for illegally smuggling and selling piranha fish, following a joint investigation by Thailand’s Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) and the Department of Fisheries. An investigation into illegal aquatic operations in Thailand revealed that 21 year old Abhisit Wisetsee had been illegally selling piranhas via the Internet for over a year. Each piranha sold for…
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‘Nazi’ the Pit Bull mauls its owner in northeast Thailand
A pit bull mauled and seriously injured its owner – who named it “Nazi” – in Nakhon Ratchasima province in northeast Thailand. At 2pm yesterday, Korat rescue workers were called to a two-storey house on Soi Thaekingphon 5 in Mueang district, where they found the dog’s 60 year old owner Supaporn seriously injured and lying in a pool of blood…
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Thai model offered 400,000 baht for old iPhone with sexy content
A sexy Thai model has been offered 400,000 baht by a fan for her old iPhone 12 Pro Max after she announced on social media that it was available for sale inclusive of her sexy pictures and videos. Hundreds of Thais queued at the nation’s Apple stores on Saturday, September 17, to buy the new iPhone 14 despite complaints that…
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Six airlines offer 300 baht discount on domestic flights in Thailand
Get 300 baht off domestic flights in the Land of Smiles under the project “Discounts All Over the Sky, Fly All Over Thailand.” The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Thai Airlines Association jointly launched the special offer in the hopes of stimulating the economy through domestic tourism this high season. Six airlines joined the scheme to offer 300…
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Anutin aims to clarify cannabis reform bill, not recriminalise it
Critics say that the current cannabis laws have led to a raft of abuse of the plant, but Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul insists that no proof has been shown of any improper use. He fought back against the call to reclassify specific parts of the cannabis plant as an illegal narcotic. Decriminalisation did not include a lot of…
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