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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Thai elephant Sak Surin’s recovery promising despite tumour diagnosis
The health of a 30 year old male Thai elephant appears promising despite a recent diagnosis of five separate tumours. The Thai Elephant Conservation Centre based in Lampang noted Sak Surin’s surprisingly resilient recovery. After spending 22 years on non-native grounds in Sri Lanka, Sak Surin was returned home and admitted to the Centre’s Elephant Hospital for care on July 2.…
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Bangkok launches initiative to improve homeless facilities
Striving to enhance the overall aesthetics of Ratchadamnoen Avenue, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is preparing to consolidate facilities for the homeless residing in the area. This move follows a recent report from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, which conveys a significant improvement in the homeless situation, predicting a drop in numbers from 1,600 to about 1,400…
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Golden guardian’s treasure trove: Thai security guard’s wealth unveiled as frugality shines
A Thai security guard found bedecked in gold jewellery, including a thick gold chain, ring, and gold wristwatch, revealed the secret of his wealth to a local TikToker – frugality. The TikToker, @artpapearn, today shared with his followers that the guard says he never spends his salary, collects old items to sell or gives out alms coins, and never touches…
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Thai landlord’s electricity bill skyrockets as Chinese tenants remodel property
In a shocking occurrence, a Thai landlord experienced an unexpected surge in electricity bills after his property was rented by a group of Chinese occupants. His rented-out townhouse, featuring three air conditioning units running non-stop with windows firmly shut to prevent daylight from entering, eventually led to a drastic transformation of the rental property. It all started when Vorravit Kaveewat,…
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Naked Bangkok man sparks outrage for masturbating on condo balcony
A naked Bangkok man masturbating on his condominium balcony in the Pracha Uthit area has drawn heavy outrage calling out his inappropriate behaviour. The scandalous incident reportedly occurred this morning between 7am and 7.30am. A Facebook post by a user who managed to capture the man masturbating on video (too explicit to post in this article) sparked further attention. The…
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2 underage girls rescued after their mother forced them into prostitution
Non-profit organisation the Saimai Survive with the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security successfully swooped and rescued two girls aged 11 and 16 after their mother forced them into prostitution to feed her expensive drugs habit. The woman’s 19 year old daughter, A, reached out to Saimai Survive for assistance. The teenager reported that her two younger sisters had…
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Chiang Mai massage parlour filing defamation over ‘distorted’ molestation claim
An escalating spat over alleged sexual molestation at a massage parlour in Chiang Mai‘s Wualai district has taken a new twist. The accused masseuse, along with the owner of the establishment, retaliated, filing a police complaint against the young male client and the creator of the Facebook post that spurred the initial allegation. They claim the online account was a…
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Steamed and seized: Bangkok sauna raid busts suspected sex and trafficking ring
Police raided a sauna and fitness spa in the Thon Buri district of Bangkok and apprehended 36 people suspected of engaging in illegal sexual activities and human trafficking. It was later concluded no money for sex passed hands and there was no evidence of human trafficking. Officers from the Children and Women Protection Sub-Division raided Phoenix Sauna on the Ratchada-Tha Phra…
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Phuket man arrested for gunshots in rubbish dispute, drunk driving
Late last night in Phuket, a 45 year old man was apprehended by police after he fired a rifle into the air near his neighbours due to a dispute over noise and waste disposal. He was also charged with drunk driving. According to Thalang Police Deputy Chief Pol. Lt. Col. Patiwat Yodkwan, officers were alerted of the incident at 10.18pm.…
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Bangkok safeguarding students with fences around homeless-haunted buildings
To safeguard the students of Satriwithaya School in Bangkok, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) erected fences around a number of deserted buildings that have been used as makeshift homes by the city’s homeless. This measure follows the widespread online sharing of worrying images portraying homeless individuals occupying spaces on Ratchadamnoen Klang Avenue, near the school. Countering concerns raised by a multitude…
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Thai scam gang member arrested trafficking Chinese man
Police yesterday arrested a Thai man for his involvement in a human trafficking operation in the Isaan province of Sa Kaeo. He attempted to traffic a Chinese man from Cambodia to a scam call centre gang in Myanmar. Lamlukka Police Station officers in Pathum Thani province near Bangkok rescued the 41 year old Chinese man, Liw Haicook, from a highway…
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Thai man’s chilling TikTok coffin stunt sends shivers down online community’s spine
In an eye-opening post on TikTok, a man is lying peacefully in a transparent chilled coffin, visible from both the inside and outside. Two days ago, this unusual demonstration managed to send both a chill and a shock throughout the online community. @chayuttapongboopao เย็นจนแข็ง #โลงเย็นแก้ว #โลงเย็นกระจก #วิเชียรบุรีโลงเย็น #โรงงานผลิตโลงศพโลงเย็น #โลงเย็น ♬ original sound – Fino the Ranad The clip shows a…
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Phuket venues inspected for age and narcotics compliance, one found in violation
Ten entertainment venues in Mueang District, Phuket, yesterday were raided by police after a tip-off. Although underage drinkers and illegal narcotics went unnoticed, one establishment was found to be operating beyond its legal trading hours. The raids were conducted under the supervision of Mueang District Chief Phairot Srilamul. The team consisted of officers from Phuket City Police Station, Chalong Police,…
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Elderly Samut Prakan trader clears debts after land sale for over 10 million baht
A 65 year old merchant from Samut Prakan pulled out all the stops to repay her debts. She successfully managed to sell her land for more than 10 million baht after praying to a monk. The money was subsequently donated to a temple. The community curiously questioned her age and other numerologies, hoping it would prove lucky for them too. The…
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Mystery at bay: Foreign trio grilled by police in German businessman’s vanishing act
Officers from Nong Prue Police Station questioned two foreign men and a woman in connection with the disappearance of German businessman Hans Peter Mack. The investigation was prompted by the discovery of a suspicious financial transaction. The 62 year old real estate tycoon left his house in his bronze/grey Mercedes-Benz with a registration number ญศ 7146. He wore a black…
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Fatal collision with electric pole kills two, leaving four critically injured in Samut Sakhon
Two people tragically lost their lives when their pick-up truck lost control and collided with an electric pole, following the collision, the vehicle was completely wrecked in central Thailand. This heartbreaking incident also left four other passengers critically injured. The accident occurred around 3.30am today, on Sethakit 1 Road in Krathum Baen district, Samut Sakhon. The scene of the accident…
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Peeling expectations: Viral video unveils a whiff-less way to indulge in the divisive durian
Durian, the world’s most expensive fruit, holds a fascinating status among fruit enthusiasts – it’s either a beloved delicacy or an unbearable nightmare, particularly due to its powerful scent. In recent times, a viral social media video brings this polarising conversation around the king of fruits to the forefront, showing a Thai boy’s unusual technique to savour durian without its…
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Heavy rain, floods, and landslide dangers as monsoon air currents persist in Thailand
Thailand continues to experience heavy rainfall in various regions due to eastward-moving monsoon air currents and southwestern monsoon winds that still cover the Andaman Sea, Thailand, and the Gulf of Thailand. The adverse weather conditions have resulted in the need for vigilance against potential danger from intense and accumulated rainfall, which might lead to sudden floods and landslides, particularly in…
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BRT improvements: Bangkok’s bus service to continue with 455 million baht funding boost
In a bid to enhance the current quality of public transportation in the capital, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has announced BRT improvement plans to continue the city’s bus service after the concession held by the Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc (BTSC) expires on the last day of August. The BMA’s commitment to maintaining and improving the BRT service was affirmed…
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Transgender masseuse accused of molestation, sparking social media controversy
A Northern Thai man took to social media to tell a story about his partner being allegedly touched inappropriately by a transgender masseuse, during their visit to a Thai massage parlour in Wua Lai Road, Haiya Sub-district, Chiang Mai Province. Enraged, the male had to resort to physically reprimanding the masseuse. Meanwhile, the accused masseuse insisted on not overstepping any…
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Japanese tourism numbers in Thailand threatened by weak yen and slow Japan flight reintroduction
In light of Japan’s hesitant return to tourism and a faltering yen, Thailand’s Tourism Authority (TAT) admitted there may be difficulty in meeting the year’s target of 850,000 Japanese arrivals. The figure reflects 50% of the Japanese tourism figures reported in 2019, considered an optimistic scenario by the Tokyo office director of TAT, Kajorndet Apichartrakul. As enclosed by Kajorndet, the…
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Thai submarine to be powered by Chinese engine following German withdrawal
In a recent development, an American naval source revealed that a panel is expected to recommend a Chinese-designed engine for the Thai submarine as a replacement for the original German one intended for the under-construction S26T Yuan-class submarine in China. This comes on the heels of a committee chaired by the navy’s chief-of-staff, Adm Chonlathis Navanugraha, unofficially proposing the use…
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Dengue outbreak: Triple surge in cases challenges Thai healthcare system in first half year
A shocking surge in dengue patients has been recorded in the first half of this year, with numbers almost triple that of the same period last year, according to the Department of Disease Control (DDC). The dengue outbreak continues to challenge the healthcare system, as the number of infected individuals soars. From January 1 to June 28, 27,377 dengue cases…
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Serial rapist posing as transgender model recruiter arrested in Bangkok
Police in Bangkok apprehended a 60 year old man who allegedly impersonated a transgender to lure young women into fake modelling opportunities, where he would sexually assault them. He allegedly confessed to raping around 100 women. The Metropolitan Police Bureau’s investigative head, Theeradet Thumsuthee, yesterday confirmed the arrest of Sonthichai Yusuparp in a room within a slum community located in Bangkok’s…
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Triumphant strides: Thai mother amputee defies odds, on road to recovery (video)
The son of the Thai mother who lost her leg in a faulty airport escalator believes she will be running faster than him in no time as she took her first steps on the road to recovery. Suphannee Kittirattana yesterday took her first tentative steps since her leg was amputated after it got tangled in a dodgy travelator at Don…
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Real estate tycoon disappears in Pattaya under mysterious circumstances
Police in Pattaya were called to examine a vehicle suspected to belong to missing real estate tycoon Hans Peter Mack, who has been reported missing. The German businessman’s family is offering a generous reward of 3 million baht for any information leading to his safe return, as well as a 100,000-baht reward for locating his car. The car, a bronze/grey…
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Severe flooding hits Phuket prompting widespread road closures
Substantial flooding due to heavy rain last night and early this morning swamped the holiday resort of Phuket, prompting police to shut down several of its main roads. Streets across the town became untraversable, leading to police-imposed road closures. The water levels in Bang Yai Canal, the canal that transits through the city providing a key drainage channel into the…
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Thailand aims to boost economy with health tourism campaign
The Thai government has launched an ambitious campaign, “Discover the New You” to entice international visitors to spend upwards of 18 million baht (US$510,000) by September of this year. This initiative is a concerted effort by the government, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), and over 130 healthcare, wellness businesses and service providers including hotels, spas, health resorts, hospitals, and clinics.…
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Thai police ban book critiquing monarchy, citing national security threat
Royal Thai Police have prohibited the circulation of an upcoming book that scrutinises the nation’s monarchy. The prohibition was issued in response to the book’s perceived slander towards the royal institution, according to a police statement in the Royal Gazette. The contentious publication, ‘Rama X: The Thai Monarchy under King Vajiralongkorn,’ both in its content and cover, is considered to express…
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TTB to tackle household debt and promote ESG standards
Piti Tantakasem, Chief Executive of TMBThanachart Bank (ttb), insists that tackling high levels of household debt should be a priority on the national agenda. Piti made known that he is poised to tackle the issue, given his leading role within the household debt resolution team set up by the Thai Bankers’ Association (TBA). Alongside the central bank and other pertinent…
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