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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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...
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Aircraft shortage delays launch of Thailand’s Really Cool Airlines
The worldwide aircraft shortage has led to a delay in the launch of Really Cool Airlines in Thailand. The airline, headed by chief executive Patee Sarasin, is finalising a lease agreement for two Airbus A330 aircraft, with delivery now expected by the end of this year rather than the initially planned first half. Commercial airlines are struggling to acquire aircraft…
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Paetongtarn Shinawatra confirms new Cabinet
Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra confidently returned to the kitchen today, ensuring the flame from the gas cylinder was on while announcing that her new Cabinet’s composition has been finalised. The prime minister seized the opportunity during a visit to flood-stricken Sukhothai to cook pad kaprao with premium beef, alongside renowned chef Chumpol Jaengprai in Mueang district. This time, she left…
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NACC awaits CCTV in Thaksin hospital treatment probe
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has yet to receive CCTV footage from the Police General Hospital as it investigates potential preferential treatment given to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra during his hospital stay. Niwatchai Kasemmongkol, NACC secretary-general, stated yesterday that the commission has gathered substantial information and will soon determine if there is sufficient evidence to proceed with questioning. The…
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Thai House of Representatives to make 7.8 billion baht budget cut
The House of Representatives is set to proceed with the second and third readings of the budget bill for the 2025 fiscal year next week. This development comes amidst reports that the proposed spending plan has been reduced by nearly 8 billion baht. House Speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha announced that the budget debate will take place from September 3…
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Thai taekwondo star wins Thailand’s first Paralympic medal in Paris
Thai taekwondo star Khwansuda Phuangkitcha, aka Khwan, clinched Thailand’s first medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, securing a bronze in the women’s 47-kilogramme taekwondo category. Khwansuda triumphed over Iran’s Maryam Abdollahpour Deroei in a fiercely contested match. The bout concluded in a 4-4 tie, leading to a golden round where no points were scored. Ultimately, Khwansuda, ranked third in the…
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Bangkok’s Red and Purple Lines to get 20-baht flat fare extension
The Transport Ministry has decided to extend the 20-baht flat fare on the Red and Purple electric railway lines indefinitely, despite the policy originally being set to conclude in November. This decision comes after a 26% increase in passenger flow was observed. Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit announced that the ministry remains committed to maintaining the flat fare, particularly for the…
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Hungary and Thailand to sign MoU for stronger economic ties
Hungary and Thailand are set to strengthen their economic ties with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Hungarian-Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Budapest Chamber of Commerce next month. The Hungarian embassy facilitated a luncheon in Bangkok, where the Hungarian ambassador and local Thai media discussed Hungary’s role as president of the Council of the European…
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Probe launched into Koh Rap land deeds amid national park plans
Police officers from the Anti-Corruption Division (ACD) of the Central Investigation Bureau are investigating the issuance of 33 title deeds covering a total of 400 rai on Koh Rap, Surat Thani, which is set to become part of a national park. Government officials, including officers from several agencies, inspected land ownership documents from restaurants, hotels, and tourism businesses on the…
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Thailand’s Seri Ruam Thai Party dumps Pheu Thai amid feud
Thailand’s Seri Ruam Thai Party has quit the Pheu Thai-led coalition government. The move follows a heated dispute between Seri Ruam Thai’s leader, Police General Sereepisuth Temeeyaves, and the ruling Pheu Thai Party, which he accuses of neglect. In a tense briefing at the Seri Ruam Thai headquarters yesterday, Pol. Gen. Sereepisuth revealed that the party executive board had decided…
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Wealthy woman caught tossing trash into Chon Buri sea
Social media users this week were outraged after a shocking video emerged of a woman in her forties or fifties tossing a bag of trash into the sea from the Cholamarkwithi Bridge in Chon Buri province. The footage, captured by a dashboard camera and shared on the Facebook page Chon Buri News, shows the woman pulling up in a black…
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Suspect vanishes into thin air: Bang Sri Mueang cops under fire
A suspect in a criminal case disappears from Bang Sri Mueang Police Station, raising concerns over potential police misconduct. The incident, which occurred yesterday August 29, has prompted the plaintiff to file a complaint against the officers involved. Yesterday at 6pm, the plaintiff, Sanit Champak, through his lawyer Montri Prasatkaew, reported the disappearance of the suspect from Bang Sri Muang…
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Elephant calf gets star-studded welcome in Pattaya
A heartwarming spectacle unfolded at Nong Nooch Tropical Garden Pattaya as a traditional elephant blessing ceremony celebrated the arrival of a newborn elephant. The event, led by Phra Kru Kasemkittisophon, abbot of Samakkhibanphot Temple, marked the garden’s sixth elephant birth this year—a milestone that has now brought their total number of elephants to an impressive 79. In true Thai style,…
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Human bones found in Trang may indicate old Chinese burial site
Two burial urns containing human bones were discovered by a hired worker digging a drainage ditch in Trang province. The discovery raises suspicions that the site might be an old Chinese burial ground. An investigator at Muang Trang Police Station, Police Lieutenant Colonel Charoon Sangkhara, received the report about the human bones found in the urns buried at Moo 6,…
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Disabled woman’s fifth suicide attempt ends in tragedy in Phuket
A 39 year old Thai woman who resided at Baan Lipon complex in Si Sunthon village, Phuket was found dead at around 5.30am today. Police today, August 30, found the lifeless body of Sunanta Na Pattalung, leaning against the steel sliding shutters outside her home. Dressed in a blue tank top and shorts, Sunanta had tragically hanged herself using a nylon…
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Thai steel firms request BoI incentives for eco-project
Thai steel manufacturers G Steel and GJ Steel are actively seeking investment incentives from the Board of Investment (BoI) to support a 4.5 billion baht development project. This initiative aims to tackle the challenges plaguing the local steel market while minimising carbon dioxide emissions. The founder and honorary chairman of both companies, Somsak Leeswadtrakul, revealed that despite employing over 1,000…
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Pattaya Airways’ maiden flight set to revolutionise Thai logistics
Thailand’s skies witnessed a game-changing event as Pattaya Airways launched its inaugural cargo flight on August 21. Flight PTW822 soared out of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport at 6am, touching down in Phuket by 8.15am. The aircraft returned to the capital just after midday, marking a significant milestone in Thailand’s logistics industry. Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat rolled out the red carpet for…
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Tourism triumph: Can Thailand hit the 2.3 trillion baht jackpot?
Despite a whirlwind of global economic challenges and shrinking wallets worldwide, Thailand’s tourism sector is making a remarkable comeback. The nation is on the brink of welcoming nearly as many visitors as it did in the golden year of 2019, when almost 40 million foreign tourists poured in, generating a staggering 2 trillion baht in international revenue. However, while the…
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Bangkok faces 11.75 billion baht Green Line debt crisis
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and its business arm, Krungthep Thanakom (KT), are urgently reviewing a National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) ruling before they settle a colossal 11.75 billion baht debt owed to the Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTSC). This follows a Supreme Administrative Court order on July 26, which gave BMA and KT just 180 days to pay up. The…
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Birds of a feather flocked together, pooped on ceiling, injuring 4
An accumulation of pigeon droppings caused a ceiling in the Kham Khuean Kaeo district meeting hall in the Isaan province of Yasothon to collapse onto students and teachers during an exhibition visit, resulting in four injuries. The ceiling collapse occurred yesterday, August 29, when teachers and students from several schools in the Kham Khuean Kaeo district came to see an…
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Bang Lamung trains 150 volunteers in disaster skills 2024
The Bang Lamung district chief concluded a training program for civil defence volunteers yesterday, aiming to boost their disaster prevention and mitigation skills. Weekit Manarojkit presided over the closing ceremony of the 2024 Civil Defense Volunteer (CDV) Training ProgramME at the Bang Lamung District Community Hall. The event gathered 150 volunteers who participated in the training session designed to equip…
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DJOP evaluates Thicha Nanakorn’s contract amid budget cuts
The Department of Juvenile Observation and Protection (DJOP) is evaluating whether to renew the contract of a seasoned expert in juvenile justice, Thicha Nanakorn amid budget cuts for hiring specialists. A document released today by the DJOP outlines a policy to reduce staff numbers, particularly specialists and experts, during the 2025-2028 fiscal years. This policy has led to Thicha’s resignation,…
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Ayutthaya temple vandalised, sparks online outrage
Ayutthaya’s Wat Mae Nang Pleum recently faced a shameful incident where a local teenager spray-painted a sign at the temple, which has become a popular tourist spot since the visit of celebrity Lisa from BLACKPINK. The act sparked widespread criticism online. The incident took place at Wat Mae Nang Pleum in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, where the sign and letters…
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Police scandal: 15 cops transfered over escort and extortion claims
The recent scandal involving a Thai escort and multiple police officers has resulted in the transfer of 15 officers from the Ayutthaya Special Operation Police Unit. An investigation is now underway to determine if these officers failed to pay for the escort’s services and if they extorted 20,000 baht from two sex workers. The transfer of the 15 police officers…
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Five Star Cinema in Korat screens final show after 29 years
The final chapter has closed on Korat’s beloved Five Star Cinema, a cherished venue for local students and residents. Yesterday, August 29, marked the last screening at the iconic theatre, succumbing to the competition from central investors and streaming services. Five Star Cinema, located at the Chai Narong Gate intersection next to the Panjadara Hotel in Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat), originally…
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Thai man’s padlock earring turns into a real lock-up (video)
A Thai man sought help from medical workers in the Isaan province of Nakhon Ratchasima after wearing a padlock as an earring and suffering an infection in his earlobe. A medical worker from Chakkarat Hospital, Keacha Ploymuenwai, shared a video of the man with the infected earlobe on his TikTok account @aemdam on August 29. In the video caption, he…
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Thai parents outraged after teacher hits boy with wooden stick
The parents of an 11 year old Thai schoolboy have filed a complaint against a teacher who allegedly struck their son with a wooden stick, causing injuries. The mother, 27 year old Raksuda, reported the incident to Police Lieutenant Sura Lertthaisong at Khu Khot Police Station at 10.30pm yesterday, August 29. She stated that her son, a sixth-grade student, was…
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Seri Ruamthai quits coalition over police reform dispute
The Seri Ruamthai Party has withdrawn from the Pheu Thai Party-led government, following frustrations voiced by its leader, Police General Sereepisuth Temeeyaves. During a briefing at the Seri Ruamthai headquarters yesterday, Sereepisuth announced the party executive board’s decision to vote 7:4 on Tuesday, August 27, to exit the coalition government. Sereepisuth cited the desire to switch to the opposition bench…
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Special vehicle registration numbers up for auction at DLT
The Department of Land Transport (DLT), through its Road Safety Fund, announced an upcoming auction of special vehicle registration numbers for private cars with a seating capacity of no more than seven. The auction, the eighth of its kind, will be held tomorrow, August 31, from 10am at the DLT’s Building 6, Floor 7. The event features the theme Special…
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7 Thai men arrested for buying sex from underage girls
Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) officers arrested seven Thai men, including a kindergarten director and teacher, for buying sex from young girls in the Isaan province of Khon Kaen. The seven Thai suspects, arrested on Monday, August 26, are 57 year old Watchara, 57 year old Chitnarong, 52 year old Sirichai, 52 year old Sornphet, 39 year old Palat, 42 year…
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Three youths steal motorbikes in Rangsit, one still at large (video)
Three youths, one as young as 12 years old, were caught on CCTV stealing motorbikes from a dormitory in Rangsit. Two of the thieves have been apprehended, but one remains at large, and the police urge him to surrender for a chance at mediation. The incident unfolded in the early hours of yesterday, August 29, around 1.02am, when three young…
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