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 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?...
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Police hunt for cowardly thug who hit Thai girlfriend with gun on Pattaya Beach
Police are on the hunt for a cowardly thug who hit his Thai girlfriend on the head with a gun and fired a shot into the sky in the early hours of this morning on Pattaya Beach, 200 metres away from the Mueang Pattaya Police Station. Officers from Mueang Pattaya Police Station and Sawang Borriboon Rescue rushed to Pattaya Beach at…
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Pattaya trans climbs flagpole and exposes her breasts (video)
Police officers arrested a Thai transwoman after she had climbed a flagpole and exposed her breasts in front of the Pattaya Police Station last night. She reportedly suffers from mental health problems and has been arrested in the past for theft. Officers from Mueang Pattaya Police Station reported that the transwoman climbed a 1.5-metre pole in front of officers last…
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TARATERA and ACT form joint venture to set up the most advanced cannabis cultivation facility in Thailand
Taratera Corporation (“TARATERA”) (Thailand) and Advanced Canna Technologies (“ACT”) (Israel) to set up a JV to establish “ACTERA” a new 2,000 square meter advanced indoor cannabis cultivation facility in Bangkok, Thailand. This strategic partnership will strengthen TARATERA capabilities in cultivation, processing, and distribution with its national retail brand (“The Dispensary”). The ACT team’s experience and expertise in designing, cultivation, and…
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Pregnant cow rescued after getting stuck in mud for a week
When a food delivery rider took a break from his work, he never expected to become a hero, but that’s exactly what happened when he heard the cries of a pregnant cow stuck in a dried-up pond for a week. Working together with the Bang Kaew Rescue Team, Thawathepmontri “Off” Theerawong spent three hours rescuing the animal and leading her…
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Thai AirAsia flight diverts to Chiang Mai Airport to escape hail storm
Thai AirAsia flight FD9122 from Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok to Nan province in northern Thailand diverted to Chiang Mai Airport yesterday after getting caught in a hail storm. After taking off from Bangkok at 5.25pm, the aircraft began experiencing turbulence upon almost reaching Nan Nakhon Airport, where it was scheduled to land at 6.45pm. A passenger told Matichon that…
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US govt reassure finanical world there’ll be no banking crisis after SVB collapse
The US government moved to reassure the financial world there is no new banking crisis on the horizon after telling customers of the failed Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) that their deposits will be guaranteed. The US government did insist, however, that there will be no taxpayer-funded bailout for the lender. The announcement was made jointly by the US Treasury Department,…
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Two foreign kayakers rescued from Phuket sea
The search for two missing foreign tourists who disappeared after renting kayaks from a hotel on Coconut Island in Phuket, southern Thailand, on Friday has been called off. It turns out they were rescued by the captain of a yacht later that day. At 6pm yesterday, officers at Mueang Phuket Police Station, Tourist Police, Phuket Marine Police, and Koh Kaeo…
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Thai man attacks nephew’s 2 Pit Bulls with a meat cleaver
Two Pit Bulls are seriously injured after they were attacked with a meat cleaver by their owner’s neighbour, who is also his uncle, on Saturday night in Surat Thani province, southern Thailand. Late Saturday night, the Surat Thani Rescue Radio Centre received a call to help the two dogs attacked with a knife. Rescue workers found two Pit Bull dogs…
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That’s neat, more Indochinese tiger feet spotted in western Thailand sanctuary
Khao Namphu Nature and Wildlife Education Centre chief Seree Makboon reckons the release of cattle in Salak Phra Wildlife Sanctuary has led to a significant increase in the Indochinese tiger population. This is the first time in over 30 years that the sanctuary has seen a notable rise in tiger numbers in the sanctuary, located in Kanchanaburi in western Thailand.…
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Foreign tourist dies on Doi Inthanon in northern Thailand
A foreign tourist lost consciousness and died at a car park on Doi Inthanon mountain in Chiang Mai province, northern Thailand, yesterday afternoon. The male tourist – name and nationality unknown – travelled to the mountain as part of a tour group, reports ThaiRath. He was estimated to be between 50 and 60 years old. The tour guide took the…
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Be like James Bond, drive the latest Aston Martin for only 25 million baht (video)
Aston Martin is acknowledged as an iconic global brand synonymous with style, luxury, performance, exclusivity and James Bond, and if you have a few bob to spare then the latest model is yours for about 25 million baht. The latest Aston Martin, the DBX707, not only fuses the latest technology, time-honoured craftsmanship and graceful styling, but it is also the world’s…
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Crowds flock to pink trumpet tree festival in central Thailand
Yesterday, crowds in central Thailand’s central province of Nakhon Pathom flocked to an annual festival celebrating pink trumpet trees. Thousands of visitors gathered at the annual Chompoo Pantip Blossom Festival. The festival began on Friday and will continue until March 16. The chompoo pantip trees, also known as pink trumpet trees, have become the star attraction at Kasetsart University’s Kamphaeng…
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Chinese tourists bring Thai school uniform trend to famous spots in Phuket
Chinese tourists have now brought the new trend of dressing up in Thai school uniforms to famous spots in downtown Phuket. These hotspots include Museum Phuket, ThaiRath reported yesterday. The museum is a well known landmark with its clock standing high above the main building. Chinese tourists also enjoyed taking photos of themselves dressed in Thai school uniforms at Chiang Mai…
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Pattaya mayor attends Thailand tourism event in Germany
Thailand continues to make its mark as a tourism destination across the globe. Pattaya’s mayor this week visited Germany to attend a Thailand tourism event. Mayor Poramase Ngampiches visited Berlin to attend the ‘Discover Thailand, Journey to Happiness.’ The tourism stimulus expo was set to run from March 9 to 11, Pattaya News reported. The event aimed to attract high-spending…
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American injured in Pattaya car crash
An American man was injured in a Pattaya car crash this week. The man, 68 year old David Andrew Rogers, rear-ended an 18-wheeler rig with his pickup truck, Pattaya Mail reported. The collision caused Rogers’s Nissan Navara to flip. The incident happened on Tuesday, March 7 on Sukhumvit Road in front of Srisuvit School, located north of Rong Po market.…
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Bank of Thailand announces new biometric scans for mobile banking
The Bank of Thailand announced new measures to protect consumers from cyber risks in mobile banking transactions. Biometric scans, such as facial scans, will be required for high-value transactions, including digital money transfers of over 50,000 baht per transaction, transfers over 200,000 baht per day, and credit transfer amounts of over 50,000 baht per transaction. Banks must adopt these measures…
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Family of British man in coma needs help to bring him home from Thailand
A British man’s family is appealing for help to bring him home from Thailand, where he is fighting for his life following a terrible motorbike crash. The man, 32 year old Jay Bridgehouse from Stockport, travelled to Thailand for a chance to ‘chase his dreams’ and look for work, Manchester Evening News reported. But tragedy struck when a pickup truck ploughed…
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Snake catcher wrangles king cobra at farang’s house in Krabi, Thailand (video)
A snake catcher makes wrangling a king cobra look like a piece of snake in a clip filmed at a farang’s house in Krabi, southern Thailand, last week. A foreigner living in the Ao Nang area of Krabi walked outside to find a venomous 3.5-metre-long king cobra (ngoo jong ang) lying in the garden in front of his one-storey house.…
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Singaporean man attacked by Chinese businessman in Bangkok
A Singaporean man sought help from a well-known lawyer after Thai police ignored an attack by a Chinese businessman in Bangkok six months ago. The Singaporean alleges police are ignoring the assault because the Chinese man has financial and political influence. The Singaporean man named Tony urged the Thai lawyer, Ronnarong Kaewphet, to help him follow up on the assault…
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Annual report finds Thai prisons well below international standards
An annual report has found that Thai prisons in 2022 were well below international standards. The no-governmental organisation, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Union for Civil Liberty released the report yesterday, according to Prachatai English. The report findings show that the aftermath of the Covid-19 outbreak led to authorities making little progress in implementing lessons learned…
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Blind transwoman overcomes adversity of being blind in Thailand
A Thai transwoman was praised by netizens for her courage and self-confidence as she fights to overcome the adversity of being blind in Thailand. She searched for her dream job, despite having a disability, in a bid to prove that blind people are as able as others. The 24 year old transwoman Chitsanucha “Grace” Krachornsook posted an advert on a…
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Report says most migrants to Thailand are undocumented
A report by the International Organisation for Migration says most migrants in Thailand come for work and are largely undocumented. According to Thai PBS World, the organisation studied Cambodian and Myanmar migrants living in Tak, Rayong, Ranong, Chanthaburi, and Trat provinces between August and October 2022. It found that 92% of those migrants come to Thailand for work, with another…
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Thai woman suffers for 6 years after surgeon leaves drill bit inside her leg
A Thai woman is rallying for justice after a doctor at Saraburi Hospital in central Thailand left a broken drill bit inside her leg during surgery more than six years ago, taking away her ability to walk and causing her years of unbearable pain. Yesterday, the Social Justice Campaign Network took 57 year old Chantra Wutthiyanan, in a wheelchair, to…
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Two men in Indonesia face charges – one for masturbating in his car, the other for filming it
An incident in Indonesia may be a case of “snitches get stitches.” After filming and turning in a man caught masturbating in public in his car, the man who took the video may face pornography charges. Indonesia is not exactly known for its liberal stance on sex and morality and both the masturbator and his Peeping Tom videographer are facing…
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Man defends himself after 7 fake ID cards with his identity used in crimes
A Thai man visited Lad Ya Police Station yesterday to defend himself after seven fake identification (ID) cards featuring his picture and personal information were used by criminals. The victim, Pakin Sookprapan, said he faces 12 criminal charges that he is unaware of. A picture of the fake ID cards was widely shared on Thai social media. The cards had…
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Oxford Dictionary lists ‘pad thai’ as an international word joining ‘sushi’ and ‘pizza’
Pad thai is a national dish of Thailand loved so much worldwide that it has made it into the online Oxford Dictionary, gaining the same international status as the words “sushi” and “pizza.” Under the category “Food” the website Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries defines pad thai as… “pad thai: noun “A dish from Thailand made with a type of noodles made…
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Injured drunk man bites friends and rescuers who try to help him
It took several police officers, rescue workers, and friends to calm an unruly, out-of-control drunk who kept biting those trying to help after he cut his hand on a broken glass bottle. The Chacherngsao Rescue Team responded to a report of a pickup accident on the Bangna-Trat Road in Chacherngsao province near Bangkok. Upon arrival, they found a bronze Isuzu…
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Thailand ranks low in freedom, democracy report
The latest report by a US non-profit organization ranked Thailand low in freedom and democracy, contradicting a Democracy Index poll last week. Washington-based Freedom House, an organization that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom, and human rights revealed Thailand has slightly improved but work still needs to be done. The US democracy research group said yesterday that Thailand…
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Traffic police caught on TikTok video punching motorcycle rider on road
A TikTok video has gone viral of a traffic police officer punching a motorcycle rider as she approached him at high speed on a road in the central province of Kanchanaburi. Luckily, the rider managed to maintain control of her vehicle and did not fall. The officer visited the victim yesterday to apologise and give her a gift. Footage from…
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Two Thai destinations win awards in Germany for sustainable tourism
Two Thai destinations have won prestigious awards in Germany for sustainable tourism. The destinations are the island of Koh Mak, located in the eastern Trat province, and Huay Pu Keng village in the northern Mae Hong Son province. The two picturesque locations won top spots at the Green Destinations Story Awards held at ITB Berlin 2023 in Germany. The awards…
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