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.

  • VIDEO: Bat-eating YouTuber sparks outrage in Thailand | Thaiger

    VIDEO: Bat-eating YouTuber sparks outrage in Thailand

    Netizens in Thailand are outraged at a Thai YouTuber with 400,000 subscribers for eating bat soup – and encouraging others to eat bat meat – on her channel ‘Gin Zap Bep Nua Nua’ (“Eat spicy and delicious.”) The YouTuber confidently rips apart the bats, swimming in a mud-coloured soup with cherry tomatoes, and dips the meat in Nam Jim, a…

  • Pubs, gas stations, 24-hour stores to close early to save energy | Thaiger

    Pubs, gas stations, 24-hour stores to close early to save energy

    The Energy Ministry of Thailand plans to close pubs, gas stations, and 24-hour convenience stores early to save energy if the situation gets worse. The Permanent Secretary of the Energy Ministry, Kurit Sombatsiri, revealed the conclusions from the energy crisis meeting between Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and the Energy Policy and Planning Office (EPPO) yesterday. Kurit explained that the increasing…

  • British man sentenced for rape in UK flees to Thailand | Thaiger

    British man sentenced for rape in UK flees to Thailand

    A British man sentenced to eight years in jail for rape is believed to have fled to Thailand. A jury found Michael Foster unanimously found guilty of rape in absentia in September, reported Lancashire Police. Yesterday, he was found guilty once more at Preston Crown Court. The 35 year old man, formerly of Fishwick Parade, Preston, was given eight years…

  • Thailand pulls the plug on foreign land ownership regulation | Thaiger

    Thailand pulls the plug on foreign land ownership regulation

    The Thai government has already pulled the plug on the draft ministerial regulation that would open up new foreign land ownership options in Thailand. The regulation proposed allowing foreigners who hold a 10-year Long Term Resident visa to buy a property and/or land of up to one rai in Thailand, given they invest a minimum of 40 million baht into Thailand…

  • The ancient story behind Thai film coming in December | Thaiger

    The ancient story behind Thai film coming in December

    A Thai film depicting a beloved character from the ancient Ramayana story is coming up in December. The film, titled “White Monkey” will be in cinemas on December 5. The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic about Prince Rama’s quest to rescue his beloved wife Sita from his enemies. In the story, the white monkey is a Hindu god known…

  • Flying lanterns near airports in Thailand is punishable by death penalty, warns govt | Thaiger

    Flying lanterns near airports in Thailand is punishable by death penalty, warns govt

    Flying a lantern near an airport in Thailand is a very serious criminal offence carrying the harshest penalties, even the death penalty, according to government spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek. The spokesperson gave the stern warning at a press conference yesterday while thousands of people prepare to float paper lanterns into the sky to celebrate both Loy Krathong and Yi Peng festivals…

  • Unfolding Bangkok – video mapping in city’s hidden temples | Thaiger

    Unfolding Bangkok – video mapping in city’s hidden temples

    Unfolding Bangkok is a new city project offering people the chance to see temples in a new light, via video and projection mapping, from November 12 to December 31. Unfolding Bangkok is a part of the Colourful Bangkok 2022 project. This sub-project is divided into three phases, which include Hidden Temples, Greeting Benjakitti, and Living Old Building. The programme kicks…

  • Pattaya NGO to hold fundraiser for abused and trafficked women | Thaiger

    Pattaya NGO to hold fundraiser for abused and trafficked women

    An NGO in Pattaya is holding a fundraising event for abused and trafficked women this Friday, November 11. The event, titled “Fashion Rocks, will be hosted by the Rotary Club of Pattaya International at the Pattaya Hilton Hotel. The event’s Facebook page says it starts at 5pm. The fashion show aims to raise funds for children, young women, girls, and…

  • Thai National Parks’ revenue rises 324 million baht from last year | Thaiger

    Thai National Parks’ revenue rises 324 million baht from last year

    The Ministry of Natural Resources, and Environment of Thailand revealed that the revenue of 133 Thai national parks increased by 324 million baht this year. The Director-General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Ratchada Na Ayutthaya, revealed that the revenue increased because of the border reopening on July 1 and the relaxation of travel restrictions after the…

  • German man in Pattaya freaks out as officers move in to arrest him for overstaying | Thaiger

    German man in Pattaya freaks out as officers move in to arrest him for overstaying

    A German couple in Pattaya was arrested yesterday for overstaying their visa. Arresting officers at the scene discovered that the man wasn’t going to go without a fight. Officers from Bang Lamung Police Station were answering a routine nuisance neighbour call at Soi Panya Nimit in Nongprue, but when they arrived on the scene they discovered the couple had overstayed their…

  • Tourists flood to Chiang Mai for Yi Peng and Loy Krathong festivities | Thaiger

    Tourists flood to Chiang Mai for Yi Peng and Loy Krathong festivities

    Chiang Mai in northern Thailand is teeming with foreign and domestic tourists looking to experience the magical Loy Krathong and Yi Peng festivities from November 7-9. The fusion of Loy Krathong traditions with a night sky glittering with Yi Peng lanterns creates an unmissable atmosphere that draws people to the city year in and year out. During October, Chiang Mai…

  • Thai physician raises concerns over Omicron mutations as cases rise | Thaiger

    Thai physician raises concerns over Omicron mutations as cases rise

    One of Thailand’s top respiratory experts is urging the nation to be on guard for Omicron subvariants of the Covid-19 virus after the World Health Organization (WHO) raised concerns about mutations of the disease. The WHO last week raised concerns about the public health implications of the rise of some Omicron variants, specifically XBB and its sublineages (indicated as XBB*),…

  • Shopping from China is now easier than ever | Thaiger

    Shopping from China is now easier than ever

    Press Release It can be hard to find exactly what you’re looking for when shopping in Thailand! Sometimes you just can’t be bothered to hop on your scooter or hail a tuk-tuk to go to the mall or local market to hunt around, and the selection can be very limited. Luckily for you, Baopals.com has taken Taobao and Tmall – China’s…

  • Drunk police doctor who crashed Porsche killing 2 in Thailand avoids prison for now | Thaiger

    Drunk police doctor who crashed Porsche killing 2 in Thailand avoids prison for now

    Today, Thon Buri Provincial Court sentenced a police doctor to three years imprisonment and a fine of 101,000 baht for speeding and drink-driving in his Porsche, causing a crash that killed two people and seriously injured one more person in Bangkok back in August 2021. However, although the defendant pleaded guilty on all counts, the court suspended his punishment for…

  • Chadchart worries about the increase of drowning on Loy Kratong Festival day | Thaiger

    Chadchart worries about the increase of drowning on Loy Kratong Festival day

    Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt urged people to avoid putting money in banana trunks, or Kratong in Thai, because it encourages coin collectors, especially children, to try and retrieve the money every year on Loy Kratong Day which inevitably leads to a drowning tragedy. The Loy Kratong Festival will be held across Thailand tomorrow. Almost every temple located near a river,…

  • Thai PM Prayut happy with increased employment rate | Thaiger

    Thai PM Prayut happy with increased employment rate

    Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha hailed the government’s successful employment policy after learning there are more people at work than ever before this year. The Prime Minister’s Office spokesperson, Trisuree Trisaranakun, revealed on Saturday, November 5, that PM Prayut was happy with the employment statistics from July to September this year. The spokesperson made known that the unemployment rate decreased, more…

  • Pattaya man runs away after plunging pickup truck into pond | Thaiger

    Pattaya man runs away after plunging pickup truck into pond

    A Pattaya man ran away after plunging his pickup truck into a pond yesterday evening. The driver, 39 year old Suphan Pangphimai, had been speeding when he attempted to make a curve and plunged through a fence and into a lotus pond in Chon Buri’s Nong Prue district. Suphan was uninjured, and he swam out of the pond, and fled…

  • Motorcycle rider dies after crashing into stage on road | Thaiger

    Motorcycle rider dies after crashing into stage on road

    A motorcycle rider died in the early hours of this morning after he crashed his bike into a stage set up in the middle of the road for the Loy Kratong Festival in the Isaan province of Nakhon Ratchasima. Officers from Phimai Police Station were notified about the accident at 5.30am. Officers found the dead motorcycle rider, 24 year old…

  • Doi Inthanon in Chaing Mai spots first frozen dew of the year | Thaiger

    Doi Inthanon in Chaing Mai spots first frozen dew of the year

    The first frozen dew of this year was spotted this morning at Thailand’s highest mountain, Doi Inthanon, in Chiang Mai. The lowest temperature there is four degrees Celsius. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation reported that the very first frozen dew was witnessed at Doi Inthanon National Park appeared for visitors to check out. Snow is rarely…

  • Police urge Thailand’s singletons to be wary of online dating perils | Thaiger

    Police urge Thailand’s singletons to be wary of online dating perils

    Police are urging Thailand’s single women to be aware of the perils of online dating. Commander of Cyber Crime Investigation Division 4, Pol Maj Gen Thitawat Suriyachai, warned Thai singletons at a seminar yesterday to be careful when swiping right on a potential dating partner. He added a number of these online dating profiles are fake and linked to call…

  • Thailand to surpass tourism target thanks to Malaysians and Indians | Thaiger

    Thailand to surpass tourism target thanks to Malaysians and Indians

    Thailand is set to surpass its target of 10 million tourists by the end of the year thanks to an influx of Malaysian and Indian visitors. Thailand has welcomed over 1 million tourists from Malaysia and almost 600,000 tourists from India so far in 2022. Before the pandemic, Chinese tourists topped the list of Thailand’s foreign arrivals year in and…

  • Immigration police show off arrests of foreign criminals in Thailand | Thaiger

    Immigration police show off arrests of foreign criminals in Thailand

    Officers from Thailand’s Immigration Bureau held a press conference on Friday to reveal the results of five ‘important’ recent criminal cases in the kingdom involving foreign perpetrators. Immigration police are hunting down foreign criminals in Thailand ahead of the APEC meeting in Bangkok later this month. Police recently announced a crackdown on foreign criminals to ensure the safety and security…

  • Bangkok governor promises more dance space after Thai youth win international comp | Thaiger

    Bangkok governor promises more dance space after Thai youth win international comp

    Bangkok’s governor has promised to create more space for street dancing in the capital after a Thai youth dance group won several awards at an international competition. The dance troupe won 36 prizes at the UDO World Street Dance Championships 2022 in the UK in August. The categories the group won included “Ultimate Advanced,” “Super crew,” Team under 12,” “Solo…

  • Marketing in Thailand as a Foreigner: Volume #2.2 Ad Campaign Crossroad: Global Materials vs. The New Investment | Thaiger

    Marketing in Thailand as a Foreigner: Volume #2.2 Ad Campaign Crossroad: Global Materials vs. The New Investment

    Sometimes, It’s Okay to Wear Socks and Sandals Foreign marketers sometimes need to be bold enough to wear socks and sandals in a tropical country like Thailand to stand out. If you wonder why: READ HERE. I have no space for rewriting all this; otherwise, you would think this article is too long, but it is already long enough that…

  • Fly tipping with real flies – ‘Tourist’ trash angers Kanchanaburi villagers | Thaiger

    Fly tipping with real flies – ‘Tourist’ trash angers Kanchanaburi villagers

    Garbage truck drivers leaving their loads of trash on a local road instead of at the nearby dump has angered residents of Phra Chedi Sam Ong, a village in the tourist district of Sangkhla Buri, close to the Myanmar border in Kanchanaburi province. Residents blame inadequate facilities in the popular destination of Wangka, nearby. Tourists are often blamed for excessive…

  • American Entrepreneur running a restaurant empire in Thailand ft.Greg Lange | Thaiger Podcast Ep.11 | Thaiger

    American Entrepreneur running a restaurant empire in Thailand ft.Greg Lange | Thaiger Podcast Ep.11

    Greg Lange. American Entrepreneur, Restauranteur, Philanthropist and Businessman runs a restaurant empire in Thailand consisting of 12 subway outlets and 14 Mexican food restaurants called Margherita Storm & Sunrise Tacos. One of the more famous and successful expats in Thailand, Greg is not only known for his successful restaurant chain Sunrise Tacos but also for his philanthropic charity work in…

  • Life of A Sex Worker In Bangkok | Thaiger

    Life of A Sex Worker In Bangkok

    Sex tourism is something that happens around the world. A potentially unfortunate byproduct of the tourism industry, it’s particularly prevalent in tourism in Thailand. Statistics for sex tourism in Thailand are hard to come by. Estimates suggest there are anywhere between 250,000 and two million sex workers in the country. Many still like to paint sex workers as a different…

  • AoT bans lanterns near airports for upcoming festivals | Thaiger

    AoT bans lanterns near airports for upcoming festivals

    Loy Krathong is upon us, and with it, Yi Peng, the lantern festival. Thousands of lighter-than-air lanterns drift up into the sky in a peaceful show for celebrating onlookers. But the Airports of Thailand (AoT) have issued a reminder warning that flying lanterns are strictly banned in the areas around the six main airports in Thailand. As beautiful and tranquil…

  • Cricket ice cream, anyone? Another quirky food at APEC Summit in Bangkok | Thaiger

    Cricket ice cream, anyone? Another quirky food at APEC Summit in Bangkok

    On top of noodles with sandworm sauce, another adventurous food is competing at the APEC Summit in Bangkok this month: cricket ice cream. The cricket ice cream is one of several “future foods” competing in the “plate to planet” competition. The competition’s website describes the ice cream, called ProTim Magnet, as a Magnum-style ice cream. It is made with crickets,…

  • Delivery driver finds huge stash of Thai, Laos and Japanese banknotes under a tree | Thaiger

    Delivery driver finds huge stash of Thai, Laos and Japanese banknotes under a tree

    A delivery driver stumbled across a stash of Thai, Japanese, and Laos banknotes scattered beneath a tree in Udon Thani city centre, northeast Thailand, this morning. The cash – amounting to over 500,000 baht – is suspected to be fake. The driver, 43 year old Somsak Sirikhan, was sitting waiting for a job with five or six other rides. He…