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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    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...

  • Chiang Mai: 30 year old admits to raping 74 year old

    Chiang Mai: 30 year old admits to raping 74 year old

    Sanook is reporting that a 30 year old Thai man has told police he raped and robbed a 74 year old Chiang Mai woman because his wife was pregnant and he couldn’t have sex with her. He also claimed that he was drunk. The rapist, who already has priors and previous jail time for assault and robbery, had been in charge…

  • Phetchaburi: Kalasin man arrested for alleged rape of a five year old, ten years ago

    Phetchaburi: Kalasin man arrested for alleged rape of a five year old, ten years ago

    File photo The Nation is reporting that a Kalasin 39 tear old man has been arrested in Phetchaburi this morning while on the run. He has been arrested over allegations relating to the rape of a five year old girl in Bangkok 10 years ago. 39 year old Sa-nguan Kisarung from Kalasin, was arrested at his rented room in Tambon…

  • Chiang Rai: 14 year old Adul played a crucial role in the rescue

    Chiang Rai: 14 year old Adul played a crucial role in the rescue

    The 13 members of Mu Pa Football Academy are now recovering in Chiang Rai hospital. According to attending medical officials, all are doing well. One of them was a crucial link in the recovery process, especially in the first encounter with the English divers when the team were discovered. Adul Sam-on is the only one of the boys who can…

  • Pattaya: South Korean reports taxi driver stealing valuables worth 100,000 baht

    Pattaya: South Korean reports taxi driver stealing valuables worth 100,000 baht

    File photo A South Korean businessman has filed an official complaint with police following a Tuesday night theft by a Pattaya taxi driver. The mans claimed that a taxi driver fled with his bag which contained his passport, cash and credit cards. Chon Buri police were alerted to the theft at 11.45pm and headed to meet the 25 year old…

  • Trang: 17 containers wash off a ship

    Trang: 17 containers wash off a ship

    PHOTO: Facebook/Siraphop Srakaew The Andaman Sea, off the coast of Trang, has ended up with 17 shipping containers floating around after a passing cargo ship was hit by big seas, washing the containers over the side. The incident happened this morning (Wednesday). The vessel, the ‘NP Lovegistics 2’ sent out a distress call after waves caused a failure in the…

  • Uttaradit: Waitress found murdered in boarding house

    Uttaradit: Waitress found murdered in boarding house

    Police in Uttaradit, north of Bangkok near the Laos border, are still searching for a man after his estranged wife was found dead in a boarding house yesterday morning (Tuesday) with her throat slit. Police say 29 year old Kamolrat Ruangrit had been killed inside the bathroom of her unit in the province’s Mueang district. Investigators say that, besides having…

  • Revised work permit laws for foreigners

    Revised work permit laws for foreigners

    Thailand’s rigid enforcement on Work Permits appears to be getting a reduction in penalties. Thai Visa is reporting that Thailand has updated rules regarding work permits for foreigners. Amongst the most significant of the changes is a reduction in penalties for those found working without a work permit. According to law firm Duensing Kippen, foreigners found working without a work permit…

  • Boat victims will receive 300,000 baht from Thai Government

    Boat victims will receive 300,000 baht from Thai Government

    As the search continues off the south-west coast of Phuket for survivors from tour boats that sank yesterday afternoon, Thai officials are already rolling out the PR machine. The Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kowsurat has already promised that families of the victims of the boat accidents in Phuket will receive 300,000 baht (9,000 USD) each from the Thai government.…

  • Mae Hong Son: Plane crash. Injured trooper rushed to hospital, bodies retrieved.

    Mae Hong Son: Plane crash. Injured trooper rushed to hospital, bodies retrieved.

    Rescuers have rushed an injured Army trooper to hospital and retrieved three bodies after an Army Cessna 182 light aeroplane crashed in Mae Hong Son province near the Myanmar border on Thursday. A rescue team from the 17th Infantry Regiment, local defence volunteers from Ban Huay Pheung village, the Mae Hong Song Disaster Mitigation Office as well as a medical…

  • Interview with Ben Reymenants – Phuket diver diving at the Tham Luang caves

    Interview with Ben Reymenants – Phuket diver diving at the Tham Luang caves

    Transcript of an interview on The Thaiger 102.75 between ‘Waking the Thaiger’ host Garry Holden and Rawai cave-diving specialist Ben Reymenants. Ben has been volunteering his experience, skills and time up at the Tham Luang caves as part of the enormous rescue effort. Here is some of Garry’s conversation with Ben – a fascinating insight into what’s been happening in…

  • Open letter from His Majesty The King

    Open letter from His Majesty The King

    Letter from His Majesty Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun I am pleased and greatly relieved to learn that, on 2nd July, 2018, the rescuers have reach all 12 youth footballers of Moo Pa (Wild Boar) Academy Football Club and their coach who were trapped inside Tham Luang caves in Tham Luang – Khun Nam Nang Non Forest Park on 23rd June, 2018. This…

  • Koh Chang: Chinese swimmers rescued off Sai Khao beach

    Koh Chang: Chinese swimmers rescued off Sai Khao beach

    Thai PBS is reporting that three Chinese tourists have been rescued off Koh Chang, near the Cambodian border off the coast, south of Pattaya. Rescue workers saw the three of them caught by a rip current while swimming in the sea off Sai Khao beach on early this afternoon (Wednesday) in defiance of red flags along the beach. One of the…

  • Chiang Rai: A crash course in swimming and diving

    Chiang Rai: A crash course in swimming and diving

    PHOTO: Thai Navy SEALS “Rescue teams have been giving crash courses in swimming and diving as part of complex preparations to evacuate the footballers trapped in Tham Luang cave.” Chiang Rai’s Governor Narongsak Osotthanakorn says he still can’t be specific as to when and how the survivors would be taken out of the cave where they have been stranded since…

  • Chiang Rai: “How to get them out” – Jonathan Miller reports

    Chiang Rai: “How to get them out” – Jonathan Miller reports

    Jonathan Miller from Channel 4 in the UK provided an on-the-scene look at what’s been happening just outside the Tham Luang caves as the rescuers get ready for the evacuation process.

  • Woman’s ex steals car in Pattaya

    Woman’s ex steals car in Pattaya

    Sophon Cable reports that the Pattaya police station chief has announced the arrest of a man who stole his ex girlfriend’s car from outside her apartment. Pol Col Apichai Krobpetch says the white Yaris went missing in April and 26 year old Jinda Cheuyphonklang suspected her ex who she had just split up with. It was taken from an apartment…

  • Chiang Mai: Wife follows husband to short time hotel. It didn’t end well.

    Chiang Mai: Wife follows husband to short time hotel. It didn’t end well.

    PHOTO: Sanook Sank is reporting that a Chiang Mai woman has caught her husband in bed with his mistress in a San Sai ‘short time’ hotel. The 27 year old woman, Chaweewan, created a racket outside the hotel room. Her 19 year old rival, Thitiya, eventually opened the door. Chaweewan was brandishing an automatic .380 and an argument and struggle…

  • His Majesty sends a special message to cave rescue teams

    His Majesty sends a special message to cave rescue teams

    “When the mission is over, they should receive good hospitality as the Royal guests until they depart from Thailand.” – His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn His Majesty has sent a message, passed on to PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, to those working to ring the footballers out of the cave. “Initial praises are good but please remain focused on the operation, which will…

  • Thai Tourism Ministry pays 66,000 baht to Norwegian shark attack victim

    Thai Tourism Ministry pays 66,000 baht to Norwegian shark attack victim

    PHOTO: ThaiVisa The Thai Tourism Ministry has paid out over 66,000 baht to the Norwegian shark attack victim who was attacked by a mysterious sea creature back on April 1. NewTV is reporting that the Ministry of Tourism and Sports paid the man bitten on the leg near Hua Hin in April 66,966 baht. 54 year old Werner Danielson received…

  • British paedophile bragged about abuse of Thai girls, is jailed

    British paedophile bragged about abuse of Thai girls, is jailed

    “The offences are very serious. It is hard to argue against the serious psychological harm.” British paedophile Stuart Bull has been sentenced to jail for more than 16 years at the Bristol Crown Court in the UK after admitting to sexually abusing children. The offences took place in the UK. He also bragged about getting young Thai girls “to do anything”.…

  • Chiang Rai: We meet the 13 trapped footballers

    Chiang Rai: We meet the 13 trapped footballers

    Video from inside the Tham Luang caves, courtesy of the Thai Navy SEAL. https://www.facebook.com/ThaiSEAL/videos/1634041306719262/

  • Chiang Mai: Convenience store robber arrested

    Chiang Mai: Convenience store robber arrested

    Chiang Mai City Life is reporting that a man has been arrested after being tracked down following a robbery in Chiang Mai’s Mae Rim area. The man was dressed in grey with his face hidden with a motorcycle helmet. He was later arrested following the robbery of a convenience store on July 2nd. A 7-Eleven store at a petrol station…

  • Chiang Mai: Songtaew drivers bully a Grab car driver

    Chiang Mai: Songtaew drivers bully a Grab car driver

    PHOTO: Chiang Mai City Life The ‘old guard’ continues to try and bully the newer forms of public transport that are gaining traction around the world. Tuk tuk, taxi and songtaew thugs should probably resort to co-operating and working with Grab/Uber, etc rather than threatening them. Officials need to amend the laws as well to suit the brave-new-world of public…

  • Artwork inspired by the rescue effort in Chiang Rai

    Artwork inspired by the rescue effort in Chiang Rai

    Internat art has come up with some inspiring graphics to help spur on the rescuers and their skilled work at the Tham Luang caves. Lots of tweets under the hashtags #ThamLuang, #13LivesMadeIt and #TeamWildBoarAcademy. Here’s just some.

  • Chiang Mai: High speed crash results in a roadside lychee salad

    Chiang Mai: High speed crash results in a roadside lychee salad

    A high speed crash in Chiang Mai has resulted in a wrecked lychee truck. The incident accident happened last night (Sunday) near a school in Chiang Dao. The pick-up truck, travelling from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, was found overturned with crates of lychees scattered across the road. When police found the ruck the air-bag had been deployed, such was the…

  • Chon Buri: Cambodian woman cuts off Thai husband’s penis

    Chon Buri: Cambodian woman cuts off Thai husband’s penis

    PHOTO: Sanook Police have arrested the jealous Cambodian wife of a Thai man this morning (Monday) after she allegedly cut off his penis. And then hid it. By the time the severed penis was found, it was too late for reattachment. The wife, identified only as 24 year old Karuna, called an emergency hotline at 6.20am asking that her 40 year…

  • Hua Hin: Seven dead after morning collision

    Hua Hin: Seven dead after morning collision

    PHOTO: Khaosod English By Jintamas Saksornchai Seven people have died, just outside the Prachuap Khiri Khan township, following a collision between a car and pick-up truck. From the police’s early investigations it appears that the truck lost control and drove into the opposite lane, trying to avoid colliding into a vehicle in front. The truck crashed into a car then the…

  • Chiang Mai: Singaporean cyclist killed in Hang Dong district

    Chiang Mai: Singaporean cyclist killed in Hang Dong district

    PHOTO: The New Paper 57 year old Denison Seah from Singapore was killed in an accident yesterday morning (July 1) while on a casual ride in Chiang Mai. He had lived in the northern city for the past three years. The Straits Times out of Singapore reports that he was a competitive cyclist who had taken part in numerous regional…

  • Chachoengsao: Traffic chaos – six crashes in two hours. Six injured.

    Chachoengsao: Traffic chaos – six crashes in two hours. Six injured.

    Six accidents, six injured. 24 vehicles damaged. A busy morning in Chachoengsao, just to the east of Bangkok. Traffic chaos reigned in the Muang district this morning (Monday) after 24 vehicles were involved in six accidents. Six people were injured, three of them severely. The first accident occurred in the heart of Muang district at 7.30am when a pickup truck…

  • Chiang Rai: Rescuers poised to reach ‘Pattaya Beach’

    Chiang Rai: Rescuers poised to reach ‘Pattaya Beach’

    Rescuers are poised to reach the so-called ‘Pattaya Beach’ chamber in the Tham Luang caves in Chiang Rai province. Efforts continue to locate the young football team missing in the cave complex for over a week. Despite strenuous efforts, the very difficult conditions have meant the rescuers have not yet been able to make any contact with the 12 missing…

  • Hopes and prayers unanswered – time is running out.

    Hopes and prayers unanswered – time is running out.

    By Tim Newton Now into the ninth day. Hopes and prayers unanswered. The 12 teenagers and their coach went into the caves last Saturday afternoon (June 23) following their weekly practice. We are told they were carrying with them basic provisions, water and a first aid kit. Any provisions would now be long finished. Luckily water is in plentiful supply.…