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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    Digital nomading in Chiang Mai? What US$1,000 a month really gets you

    Chiang Mai has become a popular destination for digital nomads due to its low living costs, rich culture, and active remote work community. The city offers affordable housing, tasty food, reliable internet, and many co-working spaces, making it a great...

  • Rayong anti-corruption office investigates school staff’s sightseeing trip during work visit

    Rayong anti-corruption office investigates school staff’s sightseeing trip during work visit

    The Anti-Corruption Office (ACO) in Rayong province has intensively investigated a case involving a school principal and teachers from Ban Pluak Daeng School. The probe was initiated following social media posts featuring pictures of the school staff on a sightseeing boat trip at Ratchaprapha Dam during their work trip to Surat Thani and Phang Nga provinces. The incident came under…

  • Move Forward Party probes MP over Bangkok sexual harassment claims

    Move Forward Party probes MP over Bangkok sexual harassment claims

    A sexual harassment allegation against a Move Forward Party (MFP) MP is set to undergo investigation, according to Parit Wacharasindhu, a party list MP and spokesperson. The case involves three women accusing an MP from a district within the Thon Buri region of Bangkok and follows closely on the heels of a similar incident reported on October 12 involving a different…

  • Navy officer survives brutal car crash in Pathum Thani, BMW left in ruins

    Navy officer survives brutal car crash in Pathum Thani, BMW left in ruins

    A 25 year old navy officer, racing in his BMW, crashed into a bridge pillar, trapping him in the driver’s seat. His injuries included serious wounds to his buttocks. Rescue workers rushed to his aid and transported him to a hospital for treatment. The incident occurred today on the inbound Phaholyothin Road in the Prachathipat Subdistrict, Thanyaburi District, Pathum Thani…

  • Melioidosis outbreak in Thailand claims ten lives, farmers urged caution

    Melioidosis outbreak in Thailand claims ten lives, farmers urged caution

    An alarming outbreak of melioidosis, also known as Whitmore’s disease, has emerged in Thailand, claiming the lives of approximately 10 farmers in Buriram, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Songkhla. Thailand’s Department of Disease Control (DDC) is warning farmers about the disease, triggered by the fungus Burkholderia pseudomallei, typically found in contaminated soil, water, rice paddies, and cropping farms. The spring outbreak has…

  • Disabled man tosses poo at Buriram repair shop over service dissatisfaction

    Disabled man tosses poo at Buriram repair shop over service dissatisfaction

    A 66 year old disabled man has been caught on security camera footage tossing poo at a local repair shop due to dissatisfaction with the service he received. The incident took place in Buriram’s Sateuk district. The disabled man used an electric wheelchair to approach the shop late at night and proceeded to scatter faecal matter in front of it.…

  • FDA enforces recall of hypertension drugs over cancer-causing impurities

    FDA enforces recall of hypertension drugs over cancer-causing impurities

    A recall of 42 batches of hypertension drugs has been enforced by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from five pharmaceutical manufacturers following the discovery of potentially carcinogenic impurities. The decision came after the detection of azidomethyl biphenyl tetrazole (AZBT) impurities in some models of irbesartan, a drug used to control high blood pressure. Acting secretary-general of the FDA, Narong…

  • Thailand on high alert as heavy rains, thunderstorms loom: Bangkok braces for 60% chance of severe weather

    Thailand on high alert as heavy rains, thunderstorms loom: Bangkok braces for 60% chance of severe weather

    A cold air mass is engulfing northern Thailand, leading to thunderstorms and heavy rain in some areas. Meanwhile, a monsoon trough is sweeping across the southern region, bringing heavy rainfall and raising concerns about flash flooding and forest runoff. It is advised that residents in affected areas remain vigilant. Bangkok is expected to experience a 60% chance of thunderstorms and…

  • Mother and daughter die in Lampang minibus crash, police investigate cause

    Mother and daughter die in Lampang minibus crash, police investigate cause

    A shocking accident occurred when a minibus collided with an electricity pole, leaving a mother and daughter in a coma before succumbing to their injuries at the hospital. Two other individuals sustained minor injuries. The police are urgently investigating the real cause of the accident at 6.40pm yesterday. Officers from Mae Mo Police Station in Lampang province were notified of…

  • Prominent company loses 9 million baht in security guard-led heist: Couple arrested in Nong Bua Lam Phu province

    Prominent company loses 9 million baht in security guard-led heist: Couple arrested in Nong Bua Lam Phu province

    Police have apprehended a security guard and his girlfriend in a rented room in the Nong Bua Lam Phu province, following a burglary in which over 9 million baht was stolen from a prominent company. The 41 year old male suspect, and his girlfriend, a 27 year old Cambodian national, were arrested on charges of “joint theft of an employer’s…

  • Thailand prepares to send workers back to Israel post-conflict

    Thailand prepares to send workers back to Israel post-conflict

    Thailand’s Labour Ministry has expressed readiness to send its workers back to Israel once the tensions between Israel and Hamas ease. The statement came from Pairote Chotikasathien, the permanent secretary of the ministry. This came after Kittana Srisuriya, a minister counsellor at the Thai embassy in Tel Aviv, held discussions with Eyal Sisu, the director-general of the Population and Immigration…

  • Former Bangkok school officials under investigation for alleged corruption and misuse of parents’ donations

    Former Bangkok school officials under investigation for alleged corruption and misuse of parents’ donations

    The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) ordered an investigation into allegations of misconduct and corruption against two former senior staff of Wat Suthiwararam School. Today, Niwatchai Kasemmongkol, the Secretary-General of the NACC, revealed that the Commission had identified wrongdoing linked to public service misconduct against Kongwut Paibulsilp, the former school director, and Laddawan Kowajareon Tham, the former deputy director. The accusations…

  • Bangkok sees drop in PM2.5 levels but 41 areas still exceed standard, orange alert issued

    Bangkok sees drop in PM2.5 levels but 41 areas still exceed standard, orange alert issued

    Air Quality Data Centre in Bangkok reported a decrease in PM2.5 levels today, from 5am to 7am. The measurements ranged from 25.8 to 60.2 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³), with an average of 40.1µg/m³ across Bangkok. Despite the decrease, 41 areas still exceed the standard level, impacting health with an orange level alert. As of 7am, PM2.5 measurements ranged between…

  • Thai workers in debt eager to return to Israel after conflict cessation

    Thai workers in debt eager to return to Israel after conflict cessation

    The cessation of conflict in Israel is eagerly awaited by Thai workers who have returned home, as they are burdened by significant debts that require their return to work. Among them is 38 year old Thaworn Aksornsue, a recent returnee from Israel where he spent seven months labouring on a farm, earning approximately 55,000 baht (US$ 1,507) monthly. A substantial…

  • Bombings and skirmishes in Narathiwat leave four officers injured and power outage

    Bombings and skirmishes in Narathiwat leave four officers injured and power outage

    Four officers were injured in a fierce confrontation between police and criminals, who instigated several bombings and skirmishes in Narathiwat, Thailand. A gold shop was severely damaged, and approximately 10 electricity poles were knocked down. Early in the morning of today, around 1.30am, troublemakers clashed with officers and secretly planted bombs near the Tabah checkpoint in Jeh Heh, Tak Bai…

  • Court rejects anti-corruption agency’s review bid in Prawit’s wristwatch probe

    Court rejects anti-corruption agency’s review bid in Prawit’s wristwatch probe

    The Supreme Administrative Court yesterday upheld a prior court’s decision against the National Anti-Corruption Commission’s (NACC) request for a case review involving luxury wristwatches linked to former Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon. The court found no basis for the review, which would require the NACC to disclose details of their investigation into the wristwatch controversy to political activist Veera Somkhwamkid.…

  • Tourist minivan crash in Mae Hong Son injures seven: Steep route and driver inexperience blamed

    Tourist minivan crash in Mae Hong Son injures seven: Steep route and driver inexperience blamed

    A tourist minivan lost control on a curve in Mae Hong Son, crashing into guardrails and a tree, leaving multiple passengers injured. The crash took place yesterday, in the Ban Rak Thai area. The minivan, carrying seven tourists from Sing Buri province, was travelling back from Ban Rak Thai, a popular Yunnan Chinese tourist village. The vehicle, a Toyota with…

  • Thai hostages safe in Gaza, release hinged on Israeli military ceasefire

    Thai hostages safe in Gaza, release hinged on Israeli military ceasefire

    Seyed Reza Nobakhti, the Iranian ambassador to Thailand, confirmed that the Thai hostages currently held in Palestinian territories remain safe. He mentioned that the hostages, along with others, will only be released once the Israeli military halts its attack on the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian militant group, Hamas, had captured about 200 hostages, including 19 Thai workers, during an unexpected…

  • Thai man survives throat slitting in Hamas attack in Israel

    Thai man survives throat slitting in Hamas attack in Israel

    A Thai man revealed how he survived having his throat slit by a member of the Hamas group in Israel. He arrived home in Thailand yesterday, October 19, and was immediately reunited with his family for the first time in four years after moving to Israel to work. The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) evacuated 136 Thais from Israel, arriving at…

  • Myanmar national sought by Thai cyber police in iPhone fraud scheme involving mule accounts

    Myanmar national sought by Thai cyber police in iPhone fraud scheme involving mule accounts

    The Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau is gearing up to issue an arrest warrant for a Myanmar national involved in a fraudulent iPhone sale to a sixth-form student. The scheme involved easily controlled mule accounts, with a recent arrest of a 39 year old woman, Nattanicha Suksri, who was involved in withdrawing funds. The arrest took place yesterday in Chiang Rai…

  • Universal healthcare with one ID card set to expand in Thailand

    Universal healthcare with one ID card set to expand in Thailand

    The One ID Card, Universal Healthcare initiative is set to be extended to four additional provinces in Thailand, according to Dr Chonnan Srikaew, minister of the Ministry of Public Health. Stating that the new policy will be officially announced on October 24, the minister clarified that the single ID card will enable citizens to access healthcare services in all networks, including…

  • Flight flab: Thai airlines weigh in on passenger pounds

    Flight flab: Thai airlines weigh in on passenger pounds

    Several airlines have introduced weight checks for passengers and their luggage before boarding to calculate standard and average passenger weight. This passenger weigh-in measure, initiated today, allows airlines to distribute weight more effectively on international flights, thus reducing fuel usage. Foreign airlines have implemented the passenger weigh-in rule to investigate and calculate standard and average passenger weight. The collected data…

  • Indie guitarist hits rock bottom: From strings to online gambling sins

    Indie guitarist hits rock bottom: From strings to online gambling sins

    A renowned ex-Indie band guitarist found himself on the wrong side of the law after falling into online gambling and resorting to theft. The 31 year old musician, Anutree, was apprehended for theft today by the police team led by Thiti Saengsaeng, Napasorn Poolsawat, Theeradech Thammasuthee, and Warapoj Rungkrajang. The arrest came after an incident on October 10, when an unidentified…

  • Internet star Lina Jung highlights squalid state of 100 million baht Bangkok complex home

    Internet star Lina Jung highlights squalid state of 100 million baht Bangkok complex home

    Popular Internet idol Lina Jung recently exposed the shocking condition of her city-centre shopping complex home, worth over 100 million baht, which she has resided in for over 30 years. The building has been left in a squalid condition, filled with drugs, sanitary bags, and rubbish, prompting Jung to draw the attention of the Royal Thai Police and the Governor of…

  • Compensation for Thai families with members killed in Israel conflict

    Compensation for Thai families with members killed in Israel conflict

    Eight deceased Thai workers, who were victims of the attack by Hamas in Israel on October 7, were brought back home this morning, aboard a commercial flight. Upon landing at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Samut Prakan province, their bodies were transported to their respective hometowns. The commercial flight, El Al Flight LY083, carried the eight verified Thai males from Israel,…

  • Thai couple arrested for filming and selling explicit content of women lured via dating app

    Thai couple arrested for filming and selling explicit content of women lured via dating app

    A Thai husband and wife were apprehended by the Royal Thai Police for allegedly deceiving women through a dating app, playing them with alcohol, filming explicit content, and subsequently selling it on social media platforms. The couple, 24 year old Kantakawee Boonchalom and 27 year old Rossukon Phanarboon, who identified themselves as sex creators, reportedly earned around 600,000 baht from their…

  • Rapists return to prison for brutal rape of 15 year old girl in central Thailand

    Rapists return to prison for brutal rape of 15 year old girl in central Thailand

    Police yesterday arrested two Thai men for the alleged brutal rape of a 15 year old girl in the central province of Kanchanaburi. The accused rapists had been imprisoned for the same crime and released only last year. A 49 year old woman named Noi contacted the Pavena Foundation for Children and Women and Panom Tuan Police Station after her…

  • Unusual golden crab discovery stirs lottery luck hopes in Phayao province

    Unusual golden crab discovery stirs lottery luck hopes in Phayao province

    Residents in Phayao province were “claw-struck” when they stumbled upon a rare golden yellow crab. The locals are “pinching” the hope that this quirky catch might be their lucky charm in the upcoming lottery draw. Authorities from Phu Sang National Park have playfully dubbed the crustacean “Cliff Crab” and are delving into whether it falls under the category of protected…

  • Health superstitions: Thai neurosurgeon frustration over brain surgery delay (video)

    Health superstitions: Thai neurosurgeon frustration over brain surgery delay (video)

    A peculiar health superstitions case was shared by a renowned neurosurgeon at Chiang Mai Ram Hospital involving a 55 year old male patient who postponed a scheduled brain surgery due to astrological beliefs. The patient’s health condition involved a brain haemorrhage, caused by a fall two months ago. The neurosurgeon, Pracha Kanyaphrasith, revealed his patient’s brain was still swollen from the…

  • Thai labour ministry provides financial aid to bereaved families of workers

    Thai labour ministry provides financial aid to bereaved families of workers

    Eight Thai workers’ bodies were received at Suvarnabhumi International Airport today, with a detailed explanation of financial aid provided to the bereaved families. Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Phairoj Chotikasathien, visited the airport to explain the procedure and participate in the mourning ceremony. Phairoj revealed that religious rites and wreath-laying ceremonies would be conducted upon the arrival of…

  • Safety concerns for tourists spur diplomatic talks: Thailand-China relations under spotlight

    Safety concerns for tourists spur diplomatic talks: Thailand-China relations under spotlight

    Amid concerns for the safety of foreign residents and tourists in Bangkok following a recent shooting incident at Siam Paragon mall, ensuring a positive international relationship between Thailand and China has become a key focus of discussions between Thailand Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and China President Xi Jinping. PM Srettha also offered his sympathy regarding the tragedy which saw one…