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

    5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)

    Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...

  • THAIGER TODAY Wednesday, November 1

    THAIGER TODAY Wednesday, November 1

    Patong Parade tonight | Yingluck won’t get asylum status in the UK | HRH Princess Sirindhorn to visit Phuket | 210,000 fake sunglasses confiscated | Tropical depression still approaching Phuket.

  • 210,000 fake sunglasses found in raids in BKK

    210,000 fake sunglasses found in raids in BKK

    The Department of Special Investigation has arrested a Chinese national and seized about 210,000 pairs of counterfeit eyeglasses of various name brand names in raids on three warehouses in Bangkok. The DSI say the raids on the warehouses in Khlong Thom and Khlong San were conducted after learning from investigations that a large quantity of untaxed sunglasses and general eyewear…

  • THAIGER TODAY Tuesday, October 31

    THAIGER TODAY Tuesday, October 31

    New King, new coins | Thai PM issues ‘thanks’ to flood victims | Qatar Airways introduces new direct flights to Pattaya | The world’s most ‘stressed’ cities | Phuket drugged-up bus driver to lose license.

  • An autopsy will be performed on South Korean actor Kim Joo-hyuk

    An autopsy will be performed on South Korean actor Kim Joo-hyuk

    An autopsy will be performed on actor Kim Joo-hyuk who passed away after a car crash Monday afternoon in Seoul. Gangnam Police station said Tuesday morning that it has asked the National Forensic Service to conduct an autopsy on Kim in order to verify the exact cause of his death. Police also said a court order for the autopsy was…

  • Qatar adds Pattaya to its flights to Thailand

    Qatar adds Pattaya to its flights to Thailand

    Qatar Airways out of Doha says they’re responding to increased customer demand for services to Thailand by launching direct flights to Pattaya, the airline’s fifth route to the country. The new four-times-a-week service, which kicks off next January is in addition to the airline’s existing direct flights to Bangkok, Krabi, Phuket and soon to be launched, Chiang Mai. The service…

  • The Grand Palace, Temple of the Emerald Buddha reopen for visitors

    The Grand Palace, Temple of the Emerald Buddha reopen for visitors

    Tourists are flocking back to Bangkok’s most popular tourist attractions Tourists flocked to visit the jewels in the crown of the capital’s tourist attractions, the Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, after their reopening to visitors on Monday. The Royal Household Bureau last month announced that both would be closed to all tourists from October 1-29 as…

  • THAIGER TODAY Monday, October 30

    THAIGER TODAY Monday, October 30

    Royal Relics delivered to their final resting place | Body found in Chalong hills | Criminal case against Yingluck is over | Road Toll during Royal Cremation very low | Design gaff at Phuket International Airport.

  • Myanmar rallies in support of Army while the rest of the world condemn

    Myanmar rallies in support of Army while the rest of the world condemn

    Military songs rang out across downtown Yangon Sunday as tens of thousands rallied in defence of Myanmar’s army, an institution accused by the global community of driving Rohingya Muslims from the country. More than 600,000 Rohingya have fled western Rakhine state to Bangladesh since late August when raids by militants from the minority group were met with ruthless army “clearance…

  • Warning over fake Royal Cremation photos

    Warning over fake Royal Cremation photos

    The Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) is warning online users to stop sharing inaccurate photos related to the Royal Cremation rites. ISOC spokesman Maj-General Pirawat Saengthong held a press conference to issue the warning. Pirawat says online users have been sharing some inaccurate photos related to the royal rites. For example, on Friday some people were sharing the photos of…

  • LIVE stream from Bangkok for today’s ceremonies

    LIVE stream from Bangkok for today’s ceremonies

    There is an English language stream. Select at the bottom right of the screen.

  • Lady in black. And red.

    Lady in black. And red.

    Remember our lady turned away from a US function in honour of the Late King Rama 9? The lady defied the ‘black & tasteful’ dress code and arrived in her own version of ‘black’ along with a few accessories. Link here… https://www.facebook.com/maizingGpee.Official/videos/542699439405074/ Well, her journalist husband (a Pulitzer Prize nominee) has gone full Op Ed and fired back at the…

  • Storm forming over South China Sea and heading our way

    Storm forming over South China Sea and heading our way

    The forecast path for the tropical storm A new storm is forming in the South China Sea and expected to move westwards across the Gulf of Thailand and hit the southern sections of Thailand next week. The storm warning came from the Thai Meteorological Department yesterday. The storm is forming as a result of a low pressure in the South…

  • 16,000 ‘overwhelmed’ by yesterday’s ceremonies

    16,000 ‘overwhelmed’ by yesterday’s ceremonies

    At least 16,000 people sought medical help from mobile medical units based near the Royal Crematorium ceremonial grounds on Wednesday and yesterday morning. About 100,000 mourners have crowded into the areas along the route of the Royal Processions held in honour of HM the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej since Wednesday. Many of them had camped out for a few days…

  • The collection of the Royal Relics and Ashes, this morning from Sanam Luang

    The collection of the Royal Relics and Ashes, this morning from Sanam Luang

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdR-aYtauT0 Watch in English by clicking the selection at the bottom-right of the frame. Courtesy Thai PBS.

  • Mourners weep around the nation as they bid their final goodbye

    Mourners weep around the nation as they bid their final goodbye

    Silence fell over Sanam Luang when the time came for the Royal Cremation of His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej on Thursday night. The respectful silence was only broken as the King’s loyal subjects occupying the area around Sanam Luang ceremonial grounds burst into tears as the beloved monarch finally departed for heaven. His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn was…

  • AFTER 5PM: The symbolic Royal Cremation at the Sanam Luang Royal Crematorium

    AFTER 5PM: The symbolic Royal Cremation at the Sanam Luang Royal Crematorium

    Click in the lower right corner to listen to the English commentary.

  • THURSDAY: Watch the Royal Cremation processions and ceremonies here. Live from Bangkok….

    THURSDAY: Watch the Royal Cremation processions and ceremonies here. Live from Bangkok….

    To watch in English, click the button at the bottom the screen and select ‘EN’.

  • Watch today’s Royal Funeral ceremonies here

    Watch today’s Royal Funeral ceremonies here

  • Bangkok says farewell to the “Father of the Land”

    Bangkok says farewell to the “Father of the Land”

    All roads lead to Bangkok from today for the start of the Royal Cremation Ceremony of the much-revered HM the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. People have travelled by buses, private cars, trains and planes during the past days in the hope of getting as close as possible to the “Father of the Land” one last time. The late monarch reigned…

  • Foreign dignitaries attending Royal Cremation of HM the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej

    Foreign dignitaries attending Royal Cremation of HM the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej

    This is the current list of foreign dignitaries visiting Thailand for the Royal Cremation of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. 1. Lesotho : Their Majesties King Letsie III and Queen Masenate Mohato Seeiso 2. Bhutan : Their Majesties King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Ashi Jetsun Pema Wangchuck) 3. Tonga : Their Majesties King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau’u…

  • Nine killed and 300,000 more affected by flooding in 21 Provinces

    Nine killed and 300,000 more affected by flooding in 21 Provinces

    Floods in 21 provinces, mostly in the North, Northeast and Central regions of the country, have killed at least nine people and affected more than 300,000 others over the past two weeks, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation have reported. Areas of low pressure and heavy downfalls since October 10 have inundated 2,637 villages and more than 120,000 households,…

  • THAIGER TODAY Monday, October 23

    THAIGER TODAY Monday, October 23

    Junior world Badminton Champ | Van plows into ByPass Road pole | Rama 9s Grand-Daughter leads final rehearsal for this week’s Royal Funeral | Surprise visitor on Pattaya Beach | Jellyfish invasion long Gulf beach | Vets ‘apologies’ for not being able to save young elephant.

  • Woman shot whilst filming her father shooting her husband

    Woman shot whilst filming her father shooting her husband

    Two people are dead after a Thai man shot his son-in-law and then his daughter after an argument at a party in Lopburi, 150 kilometres north-east of Bangkok. The man was reportedly released from jail just 12 months ago after serving time for another murder. Police arrived at the scene and found the two victims dead next to a Toyota van at…

  • Late King’s granddaughter at final dress rehearsal

    Late King’s granddaughter at final dress rehearsal

    HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana, granddaughter of the late King and daughter of King Rama X, led the 77-horse cavalry in the sixth procession at the final dress rehearsal for enshrining the Royal Ashes in two temples last night. The final procession sees the Royal Ashes transferred in a royal car from the Phra Sri Rattana Chedi at the Temple of…

  • French man arrested in BKK after posting nude photos of ex-Thai girlfriend

    French man arrested in BKK after posting nude photos of ex-Thai girlfriend

    File Photo A French tourist was arrested in Bangkok on Friday for allegedly posting nude photos of his Thai girlfriend to her Facebook wall without her permission. Police said 34 year old Vincent Anthony Jean Marie LeGrand was arrested at 6.25 am on Thursday upon arrival at the Suvarnabhumi Airport on Flight QR826 of Qatar Airways. Immigration police at the…

  • Scandal over new toilets at the royal Rajabhakti Park in Hua Hin

    Scandal over new toilets at the royal Rajabhakti Park in Hua Hin

    The Army on Thursday is defending construction of 15 billion Baht toilets and shops in the royal Rajabhakti Park, claiming that it is worth the investment and the process was sufficiently transparent to stand up to close scrutiny. “They won’t be typical toilets you can see everywhere,” said Army spokesperson Colonel Winthai Suvaree. “We believe that our donators wish everything…

  • Colour returns to Thai TV screens

    Colour returns to Thai TV screens

    On October 1 all TV stations ‘toned down’ their programming under orders from the National Broadcasting Telecommunications Commission (NBTC). Programming was toned down both in content and the actual colours. The same was applied to most websites as the colour and saturation were ’toned down’ out of respect for the anniversary of the passing of King Bhumibol and the Royal…

  • THAIGER TODAY Friday, October 20

    THAIGER TODAY Friday, October 20

    Vegetarian Festival launched in Phuket | On-again, off-again, maybe on-again with Facebook meeting | Training in full swing for new lifesavers | Forecast looking good in BKK for October 26 | ‘Tara’ the elephant saved from canal.

  • UPDATE: Got a drone in Thailand? Here’s what you need to know.

    UPDATE: Got a drone in Thailand? Here’s what you need to know.

    The days of you flying your drone carefree in the skies above Thailand are over. Last week, the Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) announced that all drones in Thailand need to be registered. The NBTC said the move came after only 350 drones out of an estimated 50,000 had previously been registered in Thailand. Owners have until January…

  • “Not guilty”. One judge speaks about the Yingluck Shinawatra verdict.

    “Not guilty”. One judge speaks about the Yingluck Shinawatra verdict.

    Pison Pirun, a judge in the nine-member Supreme Court panel that ruled in the case over the rice-pledging scheme against ex-PM Yingluck Shinawatra case, was the only judge to rule her not guilty on the grounds that “she lacked the intention to cause loss or seek advantage she was not entitled to”. His ruling was circulated yesterday, three weeks after…