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.
-
Thai man hails taxi from female-only app and murders driver
A 21 year old Thai man has been arrested under suspicion of murdering a female taxi driver in central Thailand on Saturday. On Saturday, officers from Chaiya Phruek Police Station were notified about the discovery of a female body in the Khlong Khoi subdistrict of Nonthaburi province. Police and volunteers from the Phor Teck Tung Foundation went to the scene, some…
-
China top source of Thailand investment in 2022
Thailand’s main source of investment in 2022 was China, for the first time in three years. The world’s second-largest economy poured US$2.3 billion (75 billion baht) into electronics, automotive and data centres. The figures, of course, do not include the tide of Chinese investment in grey areas such as drugs and gambling. China last held the No.1 position in 2019,…
-
Five men fatally injured as pickup hits tree in N Thailand
Police reported that five men were fatally injured and four sustained serious injuries after a pickup truck veered off a rural road at a bend and collided with a tree in the Non Thai district, Northern Thailand yesterday morning. According to police, Sergeant Major Phayungkiat Waisanthia, who is based at the 11th Infantry Division in Bangkok, was driving eight friends…
-
Thailand is most searched travel destination for Chinese New Year
Online searches for flights to Thailand during the approaching Chinese New Year holidays beat searches for flights to all other countries in the region, according to travel marketing company Sojern. China’s borders are open for the first time in three years and Chinese travellers are looking to get away to celebrate the upcoming two-week Chinese New Year – or Lunar…
-
Raging Russian tourist wreaks havoc on two Pattaya 7-Eleven stores
A Russian tourist smashed his way through the door at a 7-Eleven convenience store on Walking Street in Pattaya in Chon Buri province early this morning, injuring himself and others. He continued to vandalize a second 7-Eleven branch before being detained by police. An employee explained that a Russian man, estimated to be 35 – 40 years old, came into…
-
3 Pakistani men arrested in Chiang Rai for illegal immigration
Three Pakistani men were arrested and then charged on Saturday in Chiang Rai for illegal immigration and overstaying. The three admitted that they travelled in and out of Thailand via the border at the Golden Triangle. Officers from Chiang Saen Immigration Bureau reported that they spotted three suspicious foreign men in a public park in the Chiang Saen district of…
-
Bangkok kids suffer food poisoning after eating free noodles for Children’s Day
Bangkok kids suffered food poisoning, photo by Amarin TV. A group of Bangkok kids suffered food poisoning after eating free noodles on Friday for Children’s Day. Over 10 ambulances rushed to Wat Naknimit School on Soi Suksawat 14, Suksawat road, to help the 30 kids. Reports said the children suffered nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and headaches. One female student said someone…
-
Aussie woman’s mystery illness diagnosed 7 years after holiday to Thailand
An Australian woman spent more than seven years looking for answers about her mystery illness to find its cause was a parasite she contracted on holiday in Thailand. Tess Swift, from Ocean Grove in Victoria, woke up in the middle of the night in excruciating abdominal pain and nausea a few weeks after she returned from Thailand. Swift was admitted…
-
Warning Thai people: Don’t be a nominee for foreign business
The Director-General of the Business Development Department in Thailand announced that Thai citizens who allow their names to be used by foreigners to open businesses that are reserved for Thai nationals may face penalties. The punishment can include hefty fines starting at 100,000 baht and climbing as high as 1 million baht. Violators could also face imprisonment for up to…
-
What kids want for Children’s Day – strong morals
The most popular career choice among Thai children is teaching. That was the result of a Children’s Day opinion poll, jointly conducted by the Thai Ministry of Culture and Suan Dusit University. More than 7,000 kids – 3,000 boys and 4,000 girls – across the country took part in the survey. The poll shows 15% of the kids want to become…
-
KFC fried chicken incense: genius or inappropriate?
The Thailand wing of fried chicken titan KFC announced this week that they have created a new product that is sure to leave you smelling finger-licking good. The fast-food giant developed a line of fried chicken-scented incense sticks to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year. The incense sticks are perfect for those who want to bring the aroma of the Colonel’s…
-
Isuzu dominates Thai pickup sales 2022
Pickups are an integral part of the landscape in Thailand, with a long history and a big impact on the economy and culture. These versatile and durable vehicles dominate Thailand’s auto industry. In 2022, pickups accounted for 46% of all vehicles sold in Thailand. Some 390,000 pickup trucks were sold in Thailand in 2022. Two models regularly outsell the rest…
-
Thai police torture to continue, for now
Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas has written to the Ministry of Justice, asking for a delay in the enforcement of the Anti-Torture Act, claiming that his officers are not ready to give up police torture. The act was trailered in October last year, with the provision that it would come into force on February 22. The letter dated January 6 was…
-
3 fraudsters to be extradited from Thailand to South Korea
Three South Korean citizens have been arrested on suspicion of committing fraud resulting in losses of 159 million baht (approximately US$4.84 million) in Korea before fleeing to Thailand. They will be extradited to South Korea to face charges. The suspects, identified as Kim, 54, Yang, 60, and Ye Jun, 51, were charged with fraud in South Korea for alleged stock…
-
Bossware is coming to Thailand: Digital nomads, beware
Bossware is coming to Thailand to ruin the digital nomad lifestyle. The kingdom’s attempts to introduce digital nomad visas have been widely mocked and dismissed, but Thailand remains a big draw for digital nomads, even if they can only stay for a couple of months. Digital nomads looking for a more laid-back, less expensive option love Thailand. It offers a…
-
Thailand Tourism needs longer visas and more flights
To facilitate increased tourism, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has set a few goals. They aim to help add flights into Thailand during the High Season and petition to continue longer visa-on-arrival periods to enable tourists to stay in the kingdom longer. As international tourism to Thailand increases steadily, semantics has stymied faster growth. In China, for example, tour…
-
Bentley driver’s blood test reveals methamphetamine use
Police today revealed that the Bentley driver who caused a three-car crash was not only under the influence of alcohol but drugs were also found in his system. Police confirmed to the media that a drug test discovered methamphetamine and another unidentified narcotic in his blood system. More updates are expected to be announced this evening. The Bentley driver, Suthat…
-
Big-hearted garbage worker gives away reconditioned bicycles to needy kids on Children’s Day
A big-hearted garbage worker intends to celebrate Children’s Day by giving away reconditioned bicycles to underprivileged kids. The refuse collector, Saksan “Bird” Maksorntong, revealed he has rebuilt a number of broken and abandoned bicycles he found on his rounds and plans to give them to underprivileged kids as a gift on Children’s Day. Every second Saturday of January is Thailand’s…
-
Kids in Thailand can go to six zoos for free on Children’s Day
Khao Kheow Open Zoo, photo by Khao Kheow Open Zoo. Lucky kids in Thailand can gain access to six zoos for free on Children’s Day tomorrow. Free entrance is limited to children whose height does not exceed 135 centimetres, according to the Zoological Park Organisation The six zoos are: Khao Kheow Open Zoo, Chiang Mai Zoo, Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo, Songkhla…
-
Belgian-Moroccan tourist breaks his back in motorbike crash in northern Thailand
A Belgian-Moroccan tourist broke his back in a motorbike accident en route to a waterfall in the hippie backpacker town of Pai in Mae Hong Son province, northern Thailand, yesterday. Issam Messaoudi and his friend rented a motorbike and headed to Mor Paeng Waterfall when they lost control and came off the steep and slippery road. Messauodi’s friend came out…
-
DSI accused of soliciting 50 million baht bribe from gambling king
Help Crime Victim Club President Autchariya Ruengrattanapong accused the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) of soliciting bribes of 50 million baht from a gambling kingpin named Somchai Jutikitdaecha. Somchai, also known as Long Joo, is a well-known personality in the eastern provinces of Thailand, especially in Rayong. He is well-liked in the community and perceived as kind because he helps…
-
Phuket prisoners to dredge drains in new project to fight flooding
Phuket prisoners will dredge drains and sewers in a new project to fight the island province’s horrendous flooding problems. Officials held a meeting about the upcoming endeavor at Phuket’s Provincial Hall on Wednesday. Officials said the project aims to prevent a repeat last year’s damage from havoc wreaking floods. Inmates from Phuket Provincial Prison will contribute to society by clearing…
-
Twitch bans Thai-French streamer for ‘sexual content’ after showing feet
Livestreaming platform Twitch has banned half-Thai half-French streamer JustKeth for ‘sexual content’ after she held up her bare feet to the camera during a livestream. Keth can’t seem to catch a break, making headlines last week when an angry farang chased her around a pool at a hotel in Pattaya after she rejected his sexual advances. Keth captured the terrifying…
-
Nok Air to launch flights between Bangkok and Hyderabad
Budget airline Nok Air will launch direct flights between Bangkok in Thailand and Hyderabad in India on February 19, 2023. A state-of-the-art Boeing 737-800 aircraft with 189 Economy Class seats will service the nonstop route from Don Mueang International Airport to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport four times per week. Flight DD959 will take off from Hyderabad at 00.45am on Mondays,…
-
Google’s best beaches almost unknown in Thailand
Last year, both Thai and foreign tourists took to the virtual highways and byways – and often the real ones – searching for Thailand’s best beaches. As the pandemic receded, the vigilant eye of Google Maps was goggling at you, benignly recording your every move, or so the corporation claims. Google’s best beaches in Thailand are those with the most…
-
Foreign mafia who attacked 2 Thai women in Koh Samui found in Phuket
National Police Deputy Commissioner Surachate Hakparn, aka Big Joke, ordered police in Koh Samui to speed up the search for the foreign mafia gang that attacked two Thai women at a bar on New Year’s Eve. Officers from Bor Phut Police Station in Koh Samui reported that they know the identities of two of the group members and stated that…
-
Bangkok taxi fare increase effective today
Bangkok taxi fares will increase to a minimum fare of 40 baht today after staying at 35 baht for 30 years. The increased fare, which applies to Bangkok registered taxis with no more than seven seats, is effective today according to its announcement in the Royal Gazette yesterday. However, passengers may not notice a rise in fares straight away as…
-
Thai NGO reports highest number of missing children in 4 years
A Thai NGO reports that the country’s number of missing children last year was the highest it had been in four years. The Mirror Foundation, which works to help families find missing children, reports some disturbing numbers. Last year, 252 children went missing from home in Thailand. This was a 25% increase from 202 children in 2021, the foundation said. …
-
Jeep plunges down mountainside in Thailand, driver dies, 5 Israeli tourists survive
A jeep tumbled 30 metres down a mountainside and into a river yesterday in Chiang Rai province in northern Thailand. The Thai driver died in the accident and five Israeli tourists survived with injuries. At 2pm yesterday, officers at Mueang Chiang Rai Police Station were informed that a fatal car crash occurred near the entrance of an Akha Pang Klang…
-
Corruption investigation leaves some Thai immigration officials in hot water over helping Chinese businessmen
A corruption investigation has left some Thai immigration officials in hot water over their alleged involvement in helping Chinese businessmen. Senior Immigration Bureau investigators say they found clear evidence that some officers are helping foreign criminals by serving as owners of foundations that provided visas to Chinese nationals. According to Bangkok Post, one of the ‘foundations’ had its headquarters in…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.