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.
-
Sponsored Do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?
Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...
-
Prachuap Khiri Khan braces for rainy season to start in mid-May
Thailand’s Prachuap Khiri Khan province is bracing for the rainy season to start in mid-May. The Thai Meteorological Department predicts that the rainy season in Thailand will start around the third week of May 2023, with one to two tropical storms possibly passing through the northeastern and northern regions in August and September. Thailand’s rainy season typically occurs from May to…
-
Thailand welcomes 8.5 million foreign tourists so far this year
Thailand welcomed over 8.5 million foreign tourists in the first four months of 2023, generating revenue of 353 billion baht, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. Government spokesperson Anucha Buraphachaisri revealed today that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was delighted to hear about the strong recovery of Thailand’s tourism sector from January to April. In total, 8,596,452…
-
Cannabis crooks caught on camera: Foreigners caught stealing from Phuket pharmacy
CCTV footage captured two foreigners stealing cannabis from a pharmacy in Phuket. Fortunately, a member of staff caught them red-handed on the job. The Facebook page, Phuket Info Center, posted two videos of the incident yesterday, May 4, with a caption that said… “Warning! Foreigners stole cannabis from a shop on Rat U Thit 200 Years Road in the Patong…
-
PWO collaborates with NACC and Amlo for lawsuits over rubber glove corruption scandal
The Public Warehouse Organisation (PWO) is collaborating with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) to proceed with lawsuits against individuals involved in the corruption surrounding the procurement of 500 million boxes of rubber gloves worth 112 billion baht in 2020. PWO director Kriangsak Prateepvisut disclosed last week that the organization is preparing to file civil and…
-
Thailand to close several popular islands for environmental restoration
Four islands in Trang province, southern Thailand, will close for four months to give nature a chance to restore itself after a hectic tourist season, namely Koh Muk, Koh Kradan, Koh Chuek, and Koh Waen. Thailand’s Similan Islands will also close for the monsoon season. Yesterday, the Chief of Hat Chao Mai National Park Prit Narasaritkul announced the temporary cease of…
-
Thai robbers nabbed for stealing from Chinese renters in Pattaya
Officers from Chon Buri Provincial Police arrested two Thai men for robbing a rental house occupied by three Chinese nationals in Pattaya on Wednesday while the other three suspects are still at large. A Thai female party entertainer was accused of supporting the gang. The Mueang Pattaya Police Station received a notification about the theft at a beachfront rental house…
-
Rare strong winds topple tree at Doi Suthep temple, causing panic among visitors
A rare windstorm, known locally as “Lom Luang“, surprised tourists and monks when it struck Doi Suthep Temple in Chiang Mai, resulting in a large tree collapsing across the Naga staircase. The incident occurred at 4pm today, when the forceful winds swept through the summit, causing a large red tree, big enough for three people to hug, to fall, blocking…
-
Karen villagers’ settlement in Kaeng Krachan National Park sparks public outcry
Protests have erupted among local residents in Phetchaburi over the Thai government’s decision to settle 150 Karen villagers in Kaeng Krachan National Park. The controversy was sparked on April 30 when the prime minister issued an order permitting the villagers to return to arable land located deep within the Bang Kloy Bon area of the national park. This decision has…
-
Body found floating near Koh Samui, Thailand
A dead body was found floating in the sea between Koh Samui on Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani province, southern Thailand, yesterday. The deceased appears to be a foreign woman, reports MGR Online. Yesterday, the Facebook page “Chalerm Yord Phongsri” posted photos of a swollen body floating face down in the sea, wearing only underwear/swimwear, with the caption… “I…
-
Canadian teenager found dead in Bangkok condo room
A young Canadian man was found dead in his rented condo room in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday. Police say they are investigating suspicious evidence found inside the room. At 2.30pm, officers at Bangrak Police Station were notified that a foreigner was found dead in his rented room on the 6th floor of a luxury condominium building on the Samyan – Silom…
-
US and Thailand advance energy cooperation in recent discussions
The United States and Thailand have recently agreed to advance energy cooperation during talks in Washington, DC. The Office of the Spokesperson for the US Department of State issued a joint press statement revealing that the discussions took place during the third US-Thailand Energy Policy Dialogue, held from April 18 to April 20. Both nations aimed to deepen their ties…
-
Woman cries in cafe after seeing lady resembling her late mother
A young woman burst into tears while visiting a café with her friends, as she found a woman at a nearby table who resembled her late mother. Eventually, she received a comforting hug from the woman who reminded her of her mother. The recently reported online story shared a heartwarming video capturing the emotional moment when the young woman burst…
-
Devastated mother mourns loss of son, fatally stabbed by mentally ill man
A mentally ill young man with an ankle monitor fatally stabbed a security officer, leaving the officer’s mother devastated. The incident occurred near the Bang Talat Canal in Tha Sai Subdistrict, Mueang District, Nonthaburi Province. The police, accompanied by a forensic doctor and a foundation officer, quickly arrived to investigate. At the crime scene in the Bang Talat community, the…
-
Siam Piwat and TAGTHAi team up to boost tourism with integrated Thailand travel platform
Siam Piwat, a leading property and retail developer, the owner and operator of world-class destinations including Siam Paragon, Siam Center, and Siam Discovery, and a joint venture partner of ICONSIAM and Siam Premium Outlets Bangkok, is reinforcing its position as ‘The Visionary ICON’ and amplifying its vision to strengthen business ecosystem through ‘Co-creation & Collaboration‘ strategy. Siam Piwat has partnered…
-
Thailand accelerates shift to renewables amid global energy crisis fallout
The global energy crisis has prompted Thailand to accelerate its transition to renewable energy after years of hesitation, joining other countries in adopting wind and solar power to reduce dependency on imported fuels. Thailand’s reconsideration of its renewable energy strategy came after a surge in natural gas prices last year caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to Wattanapong Kurovat,…
-
RTN defends 50 million baht drone procurement amid transparency concerns
On Wednesday, the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) defended a nearly 50 million baht drone training procurement after critics raised concerns regarding the project’s transparency. Admiral Pokkhrong Monthatpalin, RTN spokesperson, affirmed that the project was above board while elaborating on the Naval Ordnance Department‘s 49.8 million baht acquisition of Phoenix Jet Unmanned Aerial Targets from Air Affairs Australia. Critics questioned why…
-
MFP’s popularity rising as election looms, new poll reveals
The Move Forward Party (MFP) is gaining momentum as Thailand’s General Election approaches, according to a recent pre-election poll conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA). While the Pheu Thai Party continues to lead in terms of constituency and party-list Members of Parliament (MPs), the MFP is rapidly gaining popularity. NIDA’s third pre-election poll was released on Wednesday,…
-
NHSO seeks funds for additional flu vaccine doses amid rising Covid-19 cases
The National Health Security Office (NHSO) plans to purchase an additional 860,000 influenza vaccine doses, increasing the stockpile to 5.26 million doses to protect vulnerable groups. To expand people’s access to the vaccine, the NHSO is requesting a budget of 105.2 million baht for the supplementary 860,000 doses, according to Secretary-General Jadet Thammathat-aree. Referring to individuals over 60 years old…
-
Unhinged Bangkok taxi driver threatens to murder passenger
A Thai woman took to social media to reveal that a seemingly unhinged taxi driver in Bangkok threatened to murder her because her destination was too far. The woman posted a video on her TikTok account, @toeyly.n, to recount her frightening experience with a taxi driver who threatened to kill her. The video caption said… “Warning! Taxi driver threatens to…
-
Taiwanese model’s embarrassing airport experience: Items that vibrate in the night
Renowned Taiwanese model Xin Yu Li, known for being a top-tier talent in the industry, recently shared her embarrassing yet amusing experience at an airport after returning from an international work assignment. While preparing to return, Yu Li encountered a situation that left her red-faced and others nearby witnessing the ordeal. In her recount, Yu Li mentioned that she had…
-
Former Yala governor sentenced to 8 years for malfeasance in GT200 bomb detector case
Former Yala governor, Teera Mintrasak, aged 59, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for malfeasance in connection with the purchase of fraudulent GT200 bomb detectors from 2007-2009. The sentence was delivered by the Region 9 Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases. Teera was among 12 defendants involved in the case, with the other 11, all of whom…
-
King of Thailand strips Premchai of insignia over outcome of ‘black panther’ case
The King of Thailand has called back Premchai Karnasuta’s royal decorations and insignia due to the final verdict of the famous ‘black panther’ poaching case which resulted in the former construction tycoon’s imprisonment. In December 2021, the Supreme Court sentenced Premchai – the former president of the construction conglomerate Italian-Thai – to more than three years in jail after finding…
-
Pattaya gears up for 600,000 Indian tourists this Year
At least 600,000 Indian tourists are anticipated to visit Pattaya this year, returning the visitor numbers to levels similar to those prior to the pandemic, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Anoma Vongyai, director of TAT’s Pattaya office, revealed that over 900,000 Indian tourists travelled to Thailand in the year preceding the pandemic, with approximately 600,000 of them…
-
Thai youth vote for reform despite political hurdles
Three years ago, 24 year old Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul was at the forefront of a democracy movement in Thailand as thousands of young protesters clashed with police firing tear gas and rubber bullets on the streets of Bangkok. The movement shook the kingdom with its calls for reform and unprecedented demands to curb the power of King Maha Vajiralongkorn but gradually…
-
Bizarre wedding prank goes wrong as groom left in torn clothes
Most weddings in the West are generally sedate, uneventful affairs, with toasts to the bride and groom while there are others which push the boundaries of tradition like one ceremony in China which resulted in torn trousers for the groom and revealing underwear that shocked guests outraged by tradition. In rural parts of China, certain long-standing wedding traditions continue to…
-
No foreigners receive yellow or red cards in April, reports Phuket Immigration
Foreigners were on their best behaviour in Phuket, southern Thailand, last month with 0 foreign tourists receiving yellow or red cards, reports Phuket Immigration. Phuket Immigration launched the yellow and red card scheme in March to combat the problem of wayward foreigners on the island. The system sees law-breaking foreign tourists deported from the kingdom after two offences. Any tourist…
-
Police ex-husband charged for supporting cyanide serial killer’s reign of terror
The Royal Thai Police (RTP) confirmed that the cyanide serial killer’s police officer ex-husband aided and abetted his former wife during her psychotic reign of terror. Although the specifics of his involvement have not been disclosed, he is currently facing three criminal charges. The cyanide serial killer, Sararat “Am” Rangsiwuthaporn, is facing charges for the murder of 10 victims in…
-
Krabi tour bus crash injures driver, 42 passengers survive
A tour bus crash in Thailand’s Krabi province left the bus driver with moderate injuries, however, the bus’s 42 passengers fortunately survived. The bus crashed into a power pole on Petch Kasem Road in the South Klong Tom district on Monday. Witnesses said that a pickup truck cut in front of the bus, and the driver avoided the collision before…
-
Unique ordination parade sees men tossed in air in Chaiyaphum village
Eight men embarking on a spiritual journey into the Buddhist monkhood experienced a thrilling ordination parade in Ban Non-Salao, a village in the Phu Khieo district. In the morning, the provincial governor of Chaiyaphum, Sopon Suwanrat, attended religious ceremonies at a village shrine honouring the 8 men being ordained, collectively referred to as ‘nagas.’ The day’s main attraction was a…
-
Glue sniffer arrested for stealing police motorcycle
Police yesterday arrested a glue sniffer who lost control and stole a police motorcycle parked in front of a shopping mall in the Isaan province of Udon Thani. The arrest was made with the help of a food delivery rider. An officer from Mueang Udon Thani Police Station was alerted to an incident inside the Central Udon Thani shopping mall.…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.