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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Pattaya’s waste revolution: MOI Waste Bank Week
The MOI Waste Bank Week event held at Wat Chong Lom Temple Community in Pattaya signals the establishment of waste banks by local government bodies. This eco-friendly drive, spurred by directives from the Chon Buri Provincial Administration, mandated the simultaneous launch of recyclable waste banks on January 1. Spearheaded by Pattaya’s Natural Resources and Environment Office on March 25, the…
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Thai woman admits to Chinese man’s credit card theft in Pattaya
A Thai woman finally confessed to stealing credit cards from a Chinese man after initially denying the theft. The thief even accused the foreigner of trying to rape her at his BBQ restaurant in Pattaya. The Chinese victim, 33 year old Dihui Wu Dihui, sought help from Bang Lamung Police Station officers saying a Thai woman, later identified as 31…
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Bangkok police nab repeat offender with drugs worth thousands
Bangkok’s narcotics suppression police made a significant arrest yesterday, detaining a 35 year old drug dealer in the Bang Sue district. The individual, Thawatchai, had been covertly distributing drugs to local youth and was found with a substantial stash of methamphetamine, ecstasy, ketamine, and Yaba pills at his residence. This latest operation was led by Police Colonel Suradet Chatthai, the…
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Exiled former celebrity minister Jakrapob returns to Thailand
A former television celebrity and one-time Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office has set tongues wagging with his unexpected announcement of returning to Thailand. This marks his comeback after a self-imposed exile lasting 15 years, undertaken to avoid lese majeste charges. Jakrapob Penkair posted on Facebook yesterday: “At 7.35 am on March 28, I will return to serve Thailand.” The…
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Foreign woman criticised for urinating on Bangla Road, Phuket
A viral video circulating on Thai social media captured a foreign woman, evidently intoxicated, urinating on the footpath of Bangla Road in Phuket on March 26. This incident prompted criticism from netizens directed at both the foreign woman and the Thai government. A Thai man shared a video of the foreign woman on Facebook yesterday, March 27. The 56-second video…
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Bangkok travel: Airbnb’s ultimate creative guide revealed
Airbnb has rolled out its inaugural city guide, Airbnb Creative Guide to Bangkok, shedding light on the capital’s creative hubs, diverse neighbourhoods, and local influencers. Aligned with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s (BMA) mission to foster creative tourism and amplify Thailand’s soft power on the global stage, this guide is a collaborative effort, drawing insights from prominent Thai tastemakers and revered…
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Thai man defends himself after woman accuses him of sex scam
A Thai woman accused a man of using a fake online profile to trick her into meeting him at a resort in Udon Thani for sex. The accused man denied the allegations and shared a different side of the story to the public. A resort owner in the Nonghan district of Udon Thani urged Nonghan Police Station to come and…
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Bangkok scorched at 38°C with thunderstorms looming
Bangkok and its surrounding regions are experiencing scorching temperatures today, with highs reaching a blistering 38 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, thunderstorms are predicted in some areas of the northeastern and eastern provinces. The latest forecast by the Meteorological Department of Thailand (TMD) indicates that a low-pressure system, caused by intense heat covering the upper parts of Thailand, is contributing to the…
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Rising risk of influenza and dengue amid Covid-19 warns DDC
The Department of Disease Control (DDC) issued an alert about the escalating risk of influenza and dengue fever this year, amidst the persisting threat of Covid-19. The department’s recent communicable diseases report highlights the significance of these health risks. The department’s spokesperson, Dr Jurai Wongsawat, disclosed that the beginning of the year saw substantial clusters of influenza in schools, prisons,…
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Thai police forms special unit to tackle aggressive monkey menace
In the central plains province of Lop Buri, Thailand, a special police unit has been established to apprehend aggressive macaque monkeys causing havoc for the local populace. The head of the Lop Buri Provincial Police, 45 year old Apirak Vetkanchana, gave orders to 38 year old Kantaphon Wanna, the superintendent of Tha Hin Police, to organise a monkey suppression unit.…
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Thai government explores funding for digital wallet giveaway
The Thai government is currently exploring funding avenues for its digital wallet giveaway initiative, with final decisions on the funding source set to be determined next month. Lawaron Saengsanit, the permanent secretary for the Finance Ministry, revealed that the ministry and the Budget Bureau have been assigned by the digital wallet policy committee to assess possible funding sources for the…
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Koh Larn wind energy project under scrutiny for misuse of funds
The dream of harnessing wind energy to provide a sustainable power source for Koh Larn in Pattaya has sputtered to a halt, amidst allegations that the turbines stand broken and idle due to insufficient funds for repair. The wind turbine project, situated on Khao Nom Sao mountain near Samae Beach, was conceived back in 2006. With a hefty budget of…
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Fraudulent calls and messages surge by 18% in Thailand in 2023
Whoscall, the caller identification application, reported that fraudulent calls and messages plagued Thailand’s communication channels in 2023, with Thai citizens receiving an alarming 79 million dishonest messages and calls. This figure presents a notable 18% rise from the 66.7 million deceptive calls and messages recorded in 2022. The 2023 statistics were broken down into 20.8 million dubious calls and 58.3…
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Buriram celebrates BLACKPINK Lisa’s 27th birthday
Buriram celebrated BLACKPINK Lisa’s 27th birthday with a feast of meatball consumption and the unveiling of themed pants. Buriram came alive as it threw a grand celebration to mark the 27th birthday of Lalisa Manobal, better known as Lisa from the globally renowned girl group BLACKPINK. The event included the launch of Buriram’s special standing meatball consumption pants. Lisa, born…
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Phichit couple investigated for assault of four year old girl
A couple in Phichit province is under investigation following severe injuries sustained by a four year old girl in their care. Authorities are gathering DNA evidence from the couple’s home to strengthen their case. The child, under the guardianship of Ratnaporn and her husband, Sappasin, remains comatose with a swollen brain and grievous injuries, including torn genitalia. Phichit Provincial Police,…
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Pattaya halts national ID card issuance due to card shortage
Pattaya City Registration Office has been forced to slam the brakes on issuing national ID cards to Thai citizens due to a shortage of blank cards. Bunchaya Charoenphot, the astute Manager of the Registration and ID Card Operations Office, revealed that the scarcity of cards from the Provincial Registration Center in Chon Buri province has thrown a wrench into their…
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Thailand house of representatives approves same-sex marriage bill
Thailand has taken a monumental leap forward in the quest for marriage equality, with the House of Representatives approving a same-sex marriage bill on its final reading. The bill, backed by all significant political parties, secured a resounding victory with 400 of the 415 members present voting in favour. A mere 10 representatives opposed the motion. Danuphorn Punnakanta, a Pheu…
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Thai durians go hi-tech with Tencent
Thai trade representative Narumon Pinyosinwat held talks with a Tencent executive in Hong Kong, alongside a representative from Shanghai East Best Foreign Trade (SEBFT), a leading durian importer from China. In a post-meeting address to the press, Narumon revealed a monumental deal: SEBFT committed to purchasing a staggering 3,000 containers of Thai durians, amounting to a whopping 10 billion baht.…
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Malaysia mulls expanding rail project towards Thai border
To outmanoeuvre economic rivalry with Thailand, Malaysia is contemplating extending its mammoth rail project closer to its northern neighbour, sparking debates over prosperity or peril. Malaysia’s Transport Minister, Anthony Loke, disclosed that the government is receptive to the notion of linking the ongoing East Coast Railway Link (ECRL) with Thailand’s existing or planned rail infrastructure. The move comes amidst Thailand’s…
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Huai Yang Waterfall National Park to close from April 1
The Huai Yang Waterfall National Park in Thap Sakae, Prachuap Khiri Khan province is set to lock its gates to tourists from April 1 onwards. Somjet Chantana, Director of the Administration Office for Conservation Area 3 (Phetchaburi Branch), stated that the decision was reached after extensive discussions with Rakpong Boonyoi, the Head of Huai Yang Waterfall National Park. The closure,…
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Gay couple arrested in Bangkok for drug and extortion operations
Police yesterday arrested a gay couple at a condominium in Nonthaburi province for drug sales and money extortion operations, targeting medical workers and high-flyers in the educational field. A Thai doctor sought help from the Investigation Division of the Metropolitan Bureau (IDMB) after falling victim to a 37 year old gay man named Krittaphat, also known as Top. Top got…
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Viral photo: Power pole piercing through sewer in Sisaket
A snapshot showing a power pole piercing a drainage pipe beside Highway 226 in Sisaket’s Uthumphon Phisai district has taken social media by storm. Within a day, the post, shared by the Watchdog.Act Facebook page, amassed a staggering 28,000 likes, accompanied by over 3,200 comments, and shared a whopping 2,400 times. Critics lambasted the contracted builders for their apparent oversight, failing…
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Brazen thieves swipe electrical wire in daring daylight raid
Two audacious thieves brazenly snatched electrical wire from a residence in Bo Win, Chon Buri, sparking concern among locals. The victim, Prasong Tankratok, a hardworking contractor who often spends long hours away from home, found himself at the mercy of the thieves’ calculated strike. Upon returning from work on Monday, Prasong was met with the disturbing scene of his ransacked…
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Phetchabun: Cannabis-induced hallucination triggers police chase
A 23 year old man experienced a hallucinatory episode after consuming cannabis, leading to a high-speed chase and subsequent arrest by local police. The incident began when the young man, identified only as Amorn, rode his motorcycle through a community area without a helmet, number plate, or necessary documentation. His erratic behaviour and modified vehicle caught the attention of police…
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Pathum Thani condo site fire swiftly doused, no injuries reported
A construction site fire at a condominium in the Khu Khot area of Pathum Thani province was swiftly contained, with no injuries reported, according to Noble Development Plc. The company confirmed the incident occurred yesterday in a temporary storage area and not in residential zones, reassuring that business operations would continue as usual today. Yesterday, a fire broke out at…
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Thai state personnel to receive Chinese language training
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between the King Prajadhipok’s Institute (KPI), the Thai-Chinese Cultural Relationship Council (TCCRC), and the Beijing Chinese Language and Culture College (BLCC). The agreement, centred on Thai-Sino cooperation, aims to provide Chinese language training for Thai state personnel. The signing ceremony took place at the King Prajadhipok Museum on Lan Luang Road in…
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Thai gambling queen arrested for 76 million baht tax evasion
Police arrested a Thai gambling queen in the southern province of Yala for tax evasion, causing the government to lose more than 76 million baht in revenue. Revenue Department (RD) officers recently filed a complaint against 67 year old Sirima with officers from the Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECD). The RD reported that Sirima secretly ran a gambling operation and…
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Thailand braces for storms and record heatwave with 43C highs
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) forecasted 10 days of tumultuous weather, starting with thunderstorms from today, March 27 to Friday, March 29, followed by a severe heatwave that could see temperatures soar to a scorching 43 degrees Celsius. The predictions for this period, which extends to April 5, have been sourced from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF).…
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Young motorcyclist perishes in Samut Songkhram accident
A tragic collision in Samut Songkhram province claimed the life of a young motorcyclist after a pickup truck made a sudden turn in front of him, leading to a forceful impact. The incident occurred at 9.45am today, March 27. Police Lieutenant Chanathip Ongkleub, the deputy inspector at the Mueang Samut Songkhram Police Station, received a report of a vehicular collision…
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Migrant workers get free pass home for Songkran celebrations
To ease the journey home for migrant workers from Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar, Labour Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn announced yesterday that they will be exempted from re-entry fees if they wish to return to their home countries to celebrate Songkran between April 1 and May 15. The decision, greenlit by the policy committee on the management of alien workers, aims to…
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