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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Chiang Rai: 26 injured in tour bus accident
File Photo Thai PBS is reporting that 25 French tourists plus one Thai guide have been injured after a tour bus overturned on a secondary road in Mae Lao district of Chiang Rai province yesterday (Tuesday). The road conditions were reported to be ‘poor’ at the time. Emergency responders report that most of the tourists sustained bruises and were discharged…
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Three dead in light aircraft crash in Khon Kaen
PHOTO: National News Bureau of Thailand A small privately-owned plane* has crashed in a field in Khon Kaen, north-east Thailand, this morning (July 18). Three people are reported dead. Chonnabot Police in Khon Kaen were notified of the incident from locals saying that a small aircraft crashed into a field and burst into flames in Baan Hooling in Chonnabot district at…
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Tesla investors demand apology from Musk over ‘pedo’ comment
PHOTO: Fortune London’s Evening Standard is reporting that Tesla investors are demanding an apology from Elon Musk after he branded a British cave diver who rescued children from a cave in Thailand a “pedo”. The billionaire business magnate’s Twitter post sparked a huge backlash from shareholders in his firm, who later hit out further at Mr Musk in an open…
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Drive-by shooter kills Muslim man riding ‘saleng’ in Pattani
A Muslim pillion rider has died following a shooting in Pattani late last night. Masore Dueha was travelling with is wife in the ‘saleng’ on a main road in Klang Thung Na village in Kolor Tanning, Nong Chik district, Pattani. The man was shot three times in his chest and died at the Yarang district hospital. His wife, Wilailak Yingcharoen, suffered…
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Rain forecast this week, just about everywhere
Northern and north-eastern parts of Thailand will get lots of rain this week with isolated heavy rain forecast for the North, the Northeast, the Central, the East and west coast of the South, including Phuket. This is today’s news out of the TMD (Thai Meteorological Department). They say there is a monsoonal trough lying across Myanmar, the upper North of Thailand…
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French tourist says money stolen on Bangkok-Koh Phangan bus
PHOTO: Bangkok-Koh Phangan bus A 23 year old French woman has filed an official complaint with the Surat Thani police. She claims that 350 euros in cash were stolen from her bag aboard a bus from Bangkok to Koh Phangan (part of the journey is a ferry trip to the island). ‘Nadia’ filed the complaint at the Muang Surat Thani…
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Death sentence handed down on southern insurgent
File photo Thai PBS is reporting that a Muslim militant has been sentenced to death for his involvement in three violent incidents. The incidents took place around Pattani province where seven people were killed and eight others injured. Speaking to the media yesterday, Col Thanawee Suwannarat, from the Region 4 Internal Security Operations Command, identified the militant as Ibrohem Sungaibaru. In…
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Patients should find blood pressure medication before ditching recalled drug
About 20,000 people with blood-pressure problems in Thailand rely on the five drugs that the FDA intends to recall over the next two weeks. On the recall list are Valatan 80 drug registration No 1A/54 (NG); Valatan 160 drug registration No 1A 10/54; Valsarin 80 drug registration No 1A 4/60; Valsarin 160 drug registration No 1A 5/60; and Valsarin 320…
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Unhinged Elon Musk calls cave rescuer a ‘pedo’
A bizarre tirade of Twitter posts from Billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk over the weekend has angered netizens. The genius CEO behind several of America’s most high-profile tech companies Tweeted to his 22 million social media followers on Sunday an unfounded and disparaging claim about an expert caver who criticized a miniature submarine he made. According to CNN, Musk called…
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Chumpon: Policeman shot dead by pick-up driver
The Nation is reporting that a policeman was shot dead in Chumphon province last night after the driver of the car he was in apparently angered a truck driver by cutting in front of him. The shooting occurred at about 11.30pm at the Pathomporn Intersection in Muang district. Police Cpl Phayungsak Maidee, from the province’s narcotics suppression subdivision, was shot…
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Chiang Mai: Spanish man arrested in Lampang over UK cocaine bust
Heavily armed drug suppression police have arrested a 36 year old Spanish citizen at a noodle shop in Lampang in northern Thailand at the weekend. A warrant for the arrest of Spaniard Francesco Jesus Gutierrez Marcos was issued in Thailand last Friday following representation from UK authorities and an official extradition request. Marcos is alleged to be a member of…
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Government set to ban trans fats
The Public Health Ministry is poised to ban the production, import and distribution of food containing trans fat. Trans fat, also called trans-unsaturated fatty acids or trans fatty acids, are a type of unsaturated fat that occur in small amounts in nature but became widely produced industrially from vegetable fats starting in the 1950s for use in margarine, snack food,…
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Chiang Mai: Governor visits 74 year old rape victim
PHOTO: Chiang Mai City Life Chiang Mai’s Governor, Supachai Iamsuwan, visited the elderly sexual assault victim from earlier this week. Read the story HERE. The new governor, along with officials from the Office in Social Development and Human Security, visited 74 year old Sudjai Sukhamton at her home. Social Development and Human Security say they will be following the Governor’s…
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Wild Boars to head home this Thursday
The Public Health Minister Dr Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn visited the young footballers at the Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital this morning (Saturday) after their rescue from the flooded Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai province as the world watched. The 12 Mu Pa Academy footballers and their coach are to be discharged from hospital next Thursday, Dr Piyasakol announced. Public Health Minister Dr Piyasakol…
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Fresh winds and high seas – TMD issues weather warning
The Meteorological Department (TMD) is warning that people across the country should brace for intense rains, with heavy rains in some parts of the northern, northeastern, central, eastern and southern regions which may result in flash floods, from today until July 19. Until Jul 19, waves in the Andaman Sea are expected to be 2-3 metres high due to strong…
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Chiang Rai: Mission Possible explained
by Pradit Phulsarikij – Nation Graphics As details emerge about the 17 day mission to find and extract the 13 members of the Mu Pa Football Academy from the Tham Luang caves in Chiang Rai, The Nation has put together an excellent infographic explaining many of the challenges that confronted some of the world’s diving experts. Click on the infographic for…
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Koh Phangan: Woman arrested as she gets off ferry with 320,000 baht of ‘ice’
Police in Koh Phangan have arrested a Thai woman after a tip off, as she was getting off the Don Sak ferry when it arrived at Koh Phangan. She was found with two condoms full of crystal methamphetamine stuffed into her vagina. The drugs weighed 104 grams and had an estimated street value around 320,000 baht. According to Sanook, she told…
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Chiang Mai: Don’t feed the pigeons
Chiang Mai City Life is reporting that the Public Health Office is warning travellers and locals not to feed the pigeons at Tha Pae Gate. This isn’t the first time tourists have been warned. As the number of pigeons at Tha Pae Gate increases officials are concerned about health and hygiene issues. A report has been released again in an…
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Bangkok: Appeals Court upholds death sentence on Spaniard
The Appeals Court has upheld the death sentence handed down on a Spanish man for murdering a fellow Spaniard and dumping his dismembered body in the Chao Phraya River back in 2016. From El Pais, April 21, 2017 – A Spanish national was on Friday given the death sentence after being found guilty by a Thai court of murdering fellow…
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National: VIP treatment for foreign rescuers
Rescuers, who have the time to stay in Thailand, are being given free tours and extra privileges in thanks for their dedication and persistence over the past two weeks in the Tham Luang cave search and rescue mission. For the ones that must return home now, they’ve been offered free tickets and five-year visa free travel. The government is offering them a free-of-charge…
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Chiang Rai: Weather reclaims the Tham Luang cave area
One day out and the weather has reclaimed the Tham Luang caves in northern Thailand. The Nang Non mountains have been shrouded in thick cloud and mist today after heavy rain started again last night. The media is still stationed in a muddy area at the Phongpha Sub-district Administration Offices in Mae Sai district. Although the soccer team and the…
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Bangkok: Police retrieve 300,000 baht left in taxi
Thai Rath have our ‘honest taxi driver’ story of the week. The quick actions of officers at the Sutthisan police station in Bangkok has enabled the return of ten million won (or 300,000 baht) that a university student left in the back of a cab. Theta driver has also been praised for his role. 23 year old Pinchaya “Am” Phromrat, a…
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Chiang Mai: 30 year old admits to raping 74 year old
Sanook is reporting that a 30 year old Thai man has told police he raped and robbed a 74 year old Chiang Mai woman because his wife was pregnant and he couldn’t have sex with her. He also claimed that he was drunk. The rapist, who already has priors and previous jail time for assault and robbery, had been in charge…
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Phetchaburi: Kalasin man arrested for alleged rape of a five year old, ten years ago
File photo The Nation is reporting that a Kalasin 39 tear old man has been arrested in Phetchaburi this morning while on the run. He has been arrested over allegations relating to the rape of a five year old girl in Bangkok 10 years ago. 39 year old Sa-nguan Kisarung from Kalasin, was arrested at his rented room in Tambon…
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Pattaya: South Korean reports taxi driver stealing valuables worth 100,000 baht
File photo A South Korean businessman has filed an official complaint with police following a Tuesday night theft by a Pattaya taxi driver. The mans claimed that a taxi driver fled with his bag which contained his passport, cash and credit cards. Chon Buri police were alerted to the theft at 11.45pm and headed to meet the 25 year old…
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Chiang Mai: Stray dog problem around dams overwhelming volunteers
PHOTO: Suphatrawee Yoophaet Sanook are reporting from Chiang Mai that more than 100 dogs have been abandoned by heartless owners. The dogs have been living around two reservoirs in Chiang Mai. The dogs have been starving and locals are now appealing for help to feed them. Sank reports that the pack has quickly grown in size after more owners keep…
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Trang: 17 containers wash off a ship
PHOTO: Facebook/Siraphop Srakaew The Andaman Sea, off the coast of Trang, has ended up with 17 shipping containers floating around after a passing cargo ship was hit by big seas, washing the containers over the side. The incident happened this morning (Wednesday). The vessel, the ‘NP Lovegistics 2’ sent out a distress call after waves caused a failure in the…
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Uttaradit: Waitress found murdered in boarding house
Police in Uttaradit, north of Bangkok near the Laos border, are still searching for a man after his estranged wife was found dead in a boarding house yesterday morning (Tuesday) with her throat slit. Police say 29 year old Kamolrat Ruangrit had been killed inside the bathroom of her unit in the province’s Mueang district. Investigators say that, besides having…
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Boat victims will receive 300,000 baht from Thai Government
As the search continues off the south-west coast of Phuket for survivors from tour boats that sank yesterday afternoon, Thai officials are already rolling out the PR machine. The Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kowsurat has already promised that families of the victims of the boat accidents in Phuket will receive 300,000 baht (9,000 USD) each from the Thai government.…
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Warm farewell for British cave-diver
By Suthinan Kongsin The Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kowsurat presented a certificate of honour to Briton Robert Charles Harper at Suvarnabhumi International Airport last night (Wednesday) as the cave expert, who played a crucial role in finding the 13 footballers, departed for home. In a spontaneous 11pm ceremony, Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith also gave him a painting of Harper…
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