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 Thinking of retiring in Thailand long-term? Here’s your health checklist before the move
Thinking of retiring in Thailand long-term? Thailand is a popular choice for retirees because of its beautiful landscapes, warm climate, and affordable living. Cities like Chiang Mai and coastal areas offer a relaxed lifestyle with friendly communities. The country also...
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VIDEO: Chinese President Xi berates Canadian PM Trudeau ahead of APEC
Things could get a bit feisty ahead of tomorrow’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bangkok after Chinese President Xi Jinping and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau exchanged a few choice words at the G20 Summit in Indonesia. President Xi yesterday confronted Canadian PM Trudeau at the summit in Bali and accused him of lacking “sincerity” after he leaked details of a…
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Thailand gets 200 million baht discount for World Cup TV licence
Three days before the first match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup kicks off and Thailand is out on the street with a begging bowl trying to collect money from both the government and private sectors to cover the broadcasting licence. Incredibly, FIFA gave in to Thailand’s embarrassing ancient bartering scheme and knocked 200 million baht off the original asking price…
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Senior sets junior student on fire in sick Uni hazing ritual in Thailand
Senior students at a famous university in Bangkok sprayed a first-year student with spray paint and set him on fire during a hazing ritual – or initiation ceremony – causing him serious burns on his body and genitals. Thanaphon [surname reserved], a 19 year old mechanics student, filed a complaint at Bang Phlat Police Station after he was attacked and…
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Skyline walk near CentralWorld closed during APEC meeting
Popular shopping mall CentralWorld, in Bangkok, informed its customers yesterday that the skyline walk near the shopping mall will be closed from now until the end of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting on Saturday, November 19. The skyline walk is closed from the Chaloem Phao Intersection to Gaysorn Village near Erawan Shrine for 24 hours. CentralWorld itself and other…
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The spiritual significance of lotus flowers in Thailand
If you live in Thailand, you’ve probably noticed the country’s scenic lotus flowers blooming in ponds across the kingdom. These flowers add a great deal of beauty to Thailand’s scenery. But did you know that lotuses also hold significance in Thai Buddhism? Lotuses grow from mud, and are therefore believed to symbolise growing toward light and warmth, and rising above…
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4 teenagers arrested from a sadistic gang of 17
Police arrested four teenagers from a sadistic gang of 17 members who kidnapped, tortured, and forced three teenage victims to perform oral sex for one of the gang members. One of the gang members is reported to be an actor in a Thai Netflix series while a perverse woman in the group is reported to be famous on Thai TikTok.…
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Unhinged cop shoots bar owner after being refused free food & drinks
An unhinged cop allegedly killed the owner of a karaoke bar in the southern province of Songkhla last Sunday, November 13, because he refused to offer free food and drinks. The senior sergeant major of police, Santiparp Rit-it-thiphat, was temporarily removed from his position after he shot dead the karaoke owner, 55 year old Pranate Chuea-la-ong. The victim’s wife, 55 year…
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Fisherman reels in dead body from Chao Phraya River
A Thai man went fishing last night at Nonthaburi Pier on the Chao Phraya River in Nonthaburi province near Bangkok and unexpectedly hooked the dead body of an unidentified man. The 37 year old fisherman, Pitsanu Phukird, told police that he was fishing on the pier at about 1am when he caught what he believed was a big fish. Pitsanu’s…
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Thai elephant given to Sri Lanka lives unhealthy life & works hard
Animal rights protection organisation RARE Sri Lanka urges Thailand to reclaim the Thai elephant they gave them 20 years ago because the animal is suffering at the hands of its owners. RARE Sri Lanka told Thairath that the Thai elephant, Sak Surin or Mathu Raja, was given to Sri Lanka as a gift in 2001. The Thai elephant was requested…
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Firefighters fear building collapse after footwear factory fire in central Thailand
A fire raged through Summit Footwear Factory in Samut Prakan province in central Thailand for five hours last night. Firefighters closed the road in fear the building could collapse, causing ongoing congestion along the Bang Na – Trat Highway. Hundreds of employees escaped through fire exits when the blaze started around 5.30pm at the factory, which produces Aerosoft Footwear, in Bang…
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Donki drops ads on premium Thai rice after making Thais angry
Japanese supermarket Don Don Donki dropped an advertisement for premium Thai rice at one of its Bangkok branches after some Thai people got offended by the messages in the ads. A Thai man posted a picture of the price tag and an advertisement banner of some jasmine rice at the Don Don Donki Supermarket in Bangkok on Facebook on Monday,…
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The three best dishes you may have not tried in Thailand
Upon travelling or living in Thailand, it is undoubtedly expected that you will go on a food cruise of the many amazing dishes of the country. But, despite Pad Thai and Tom Yum popping into your mind as options for lunch, try these lesser-known, yet unbelievably tasty dishes below. Pad Kra Pao Known as the real national dish of Thailand,…
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Thai restaurant staff attacked by customer in the US
An American man attacked a Thai man working in a Thai restaurant in the United States last week after the establishment refused to give him free food. A reporter from KGO-TV San Francisco, Dion Lim, shared footage and details of the episode at the Thai restaurant in Berkeley, California. The incident happened on Wednesday, November 9 at about 5pm. This…
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Thailand to issue one-year visas for medical tourists
Thailand is trying to attract more rich tourists by promoting itself as a destination for medical treatment, with hospital operators such as Bangkok Dusit Medical Services and Bumrungrad Hospital among the companies expected to profit the most from the new visa. The latest attempt to lure so-called high-quality visitors comes with just as many unfathomable restrictions as previous attempts to…
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British sex offender extradited from Thailand imprisoned in Scotland
UPDATE The British man who fled to Thailand after being convicted of possessing over 60,000 indecent images of children in 2014 has been imprisoned in Scotland. On Monday, Hamilton Sheriff Court jailed 46 year old William Dempster, from Tayside, for 18 months and placed him on the sex offenders’ register. Dempster was found guilty in 2014 but absconded to Thailand…
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Residents furious 20 million baht rest area on Thailand Riviera Road abandoned
Residents are up in arms about a motorway services station and rest area that has been abandoned on the Thailand Riviera Road in the southern province of Chumphon. The Riviera Road was part of a government project in 2009 which tried to level up the coast of the southern provinces of Thailand and make it a must-visit destination for tourists…
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Covid-19 infections up 12.8% last week
Despite everyone in Thailand – and the rest of the world – being bored of it, Covid-19 is still here. Last week, new Covid infections in Thailand rose 12.8%. The greatest leaps were seen in tourist areas and Bangkok. In the last week, an average of six people per day died of the coronavirus, while 3,166 people were admitted to…
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Fisherman finds dead dugong in Krabi
In a tragedy for Thailand’s animal lovers, a fisherman found a dead dugong in the southern Krabi province on Sunday. The fisherman found the dugong in the sea and pulled it up onto a pier. A consultant of the Krabi Fishermen Association said the dugong was a male, and around three years old. He said it weighed 100 kilograms and…
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Police search for naked tourist riding a motorcycle in public
Police officers in the north-central province of Phetchabun are searching for a Thai tourist who was featured on a viral video riding a motorcycle naked on a public road. Local News Phetchabun (ข่าวท้องถิ่นเพชรบูรณ์) posted a video of two male tourists on a motorcycle last night. The male rider wore clothes but his passenger was naked aside from a helmet and…
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Police seize four tiger cubs in northeast Thailand
Police and national park officials arrested a Thai couple and seized four tiger cubs worth 2 million baht this morning in Mukdahan province in northeast Thailand. Despite officers luring the couple to arrest by posing as interested customers, they panicked and told police they planned on raising the tigers themselves. Just a few months ago, the mastermind behind the seizure,…
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New moves to criminalise cannabis shrugged off by Anutin
Amid moves to walk back the legalisation of cannabis, Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul shrugged off the attempt to criminalise the herb again. Anutin, who also serves as deputy prime minister, says that the debate over cannabis is decided and done. Opponents of legalisation are pushing for cannabis to be reclassified as a Type 5 narcotic, which would be…
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House fire kills family of 3 and 12 pets in central Thailand
A blazing fire engulfed a house in Pathum Thani province in central Thailand last night killing a couple, their one year old child, and 12 pets. At 1am today, officers from Thanya Buri Police Station were informed of a house fire in Pruksa Village Khlong 8 in Thanya Buri district. Police, firefighters, and rescue workers from the Por Teck Thung…
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Joe Ferrari revealed to have 1.3 billion baht in assets
By now, it is well known that disgraced and murderous Pol Col Thitisan “Joe Ferrari” Utthanaphon amassed a fortune in luxury cars and suspicious wealth. But today, the National Anti-Corruption Commission put a price tag on it: 1.3 billion baht. The staggering net worth was announced as the NACC argues a court appeal should be allowed to confiscate and liquidate his…
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Rare Asian golden cat spotted in northeast Thailand
Yesterday, Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary posted photos on Facebook of a rare Asian golden cat spotted strolling through a road in Chaiyaphum province in northeast Thailand. In the Thai language, the Asian golden cat is called Suea Fai (Fire Tiger). The species is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to habitat loss and…
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Locals queue to get access to their homes during APEC meeting
Residents and workers close to the APEC meeting location, Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC), queued up at Lumphini Police Station yesterday to get official passes to get access to the area. Yesterday was the last day Lumphini Police Station issued passes to residents or those who work in the area. Motorcycle taxis, taxi drivers, and food delivery riders were…
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Wrong spelling of ‘Welcom’ spotted on APEC banners
Thailand has made great efforts to ensure this week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting goes smoothly, unfortunately, a double gaff by one of the government departments has left the nation red-faced. Dignitaries, VIPs, and visitors to the APEC Summit yesterday were greeted by banners along the Chalong Rat Expressway which read “Welcom to APEC 2022.” But that’s not all. If…
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Small earthquake shakes Chiang Rai in northern Thailand
A small earthquake struck along the Thai – Myanmar border in the Chiang Rai province in northern Thailand in the early hours of this morning, according to the Meteorological Department. No injuries or damages have been reported. At 3.38am, the department‘s Earthquake Surveillance Division reported that a 3.2 magnitude earthquake with a depth of 3 kilometres occurred in the Mae Salong…
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Thai FDA warns against drinking erectile dysfunction coffee
Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned the public against consuming “Gomax Coffee,” a product advertised as treating erectile dysfunction. The FDA said consuming the coffee risks blindness and heart failure. Today, the FDA reported the results of their product testing on “Gomax Coffee” – serial number 122046610023 – produced by PY Intergroup Col, Ltd., in Nonthaburi province and distributed…
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Police arrest man for sexually assaulting two street dogs in Pattaya, Thailand
A Thai man was arrested and detained for sexually assaulting two dogs last night in Pattaya, Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand. Officers from Nong Prue Police Station received a call from a warehouse security guard who said a drunk man was “committing indecent acts” on a dog near the entrance of Soi Nong Mai Kaen 12 in Pattaya’s Nong Prue…
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SpiceJet launches new direct flight between Thailand and India
Budget Indian airline SpiceJet launched direct flights between Pune in India and Bangkok in Thailand operating four days per week. SpiceJet also flies directly from Bangkok to Delhi and Kolkata. A Boeing 737 will operate the Pune – Bangkok service on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Flight SG 82 will depart from the sprawling Indian city of Pune, just south of…
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