Thailand News
Discover the most recent and relevant news from across Thailand on The Thaiger’s National News page. Covering a wide range of topics, including politics, business, crime, and lifestyle, our dedicated team brings you breaking news, in-depth analysis, and exclusive stories from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.
Stay informed about the latest developments in Thai society, economy, and culture, as well as updates on travel, tourism, and expat life. With The Thaiger, you’ll never miss out on the essential news that matters to you.
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Vimut Hospital expands services targeting elderly as Q1 revenue surges 69%
Vimut Hospital witnessed a remarkable 69% year-on-year increase in revenue, reaching 412 million baht in this year’s first quarter. The revenue growth was driven by 186 million baht from hospital operations and an additional 226 million baht from their share in Theptarin Hospital. According to Somsak Akksilp, Vimut Hospital’s chief executive, revenue from non-Covid-19 treatments saw an increase of over 90%.…
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Police in southern Thailand accused of extorting 230,000 baht
A Thai man accused officers from La Mae Police Station in the southern province of Chumphon of extorting 230,000 baht from him. He said he was falsely charged during a random road checkpoint inspection. Suwit Khamjean met with his lawyer yesterday to address the issue and took the opportunity to share his story with the media. Urging news outlets to…
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Former transport minister crashes yet again in Thailand
Thailand‘s former transport minister Tawee Kraikupt – father of controversial politician Pareena Kraikupt – was involved in his fourth car accident in four years yesterday in Ratchaburi province, sparking concerns that the 85 year old should no longer be behind the wheel. He claims he cannot remember the collision. A Mercedes Benz driver reported that he was driving along the…
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Thailand aims for 80% global trade coverage with new FTAs by 2027
Thailand is aiming to expand its free trade agreements (FTAs) to cover 80% of its global trade with over 50 countries by 2027, according to Auramon Supthaweethum, director-general of the Trade Negotiations Department. The department is exploring the feasibility of establishing new FTAs with various countries and trade blocs, including Israel, Bhutan, South Korea, the Pacific Alliance, the Southern African…
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Woman and her motorcycle found badly burned in central Thailand
Locals discovered a woman and her motorcycle badly burned in a rice field in the Sam Chook district of Suphan Buri province in central Thailand. Her husband and relatives believe she was murdered. An officer from Nong Ya Sai Police Station investigated the scene at 10.30am yesterday after receiving notification from locals. The area where the tragic event occurred is a…
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Thai Airways – Thai Smile merger gets green light
Debt-ridden Thai Airways International (THAI) will merge its subsidiary Thai Smile into its main company as part of its overall restructuring plan. The merger is set to be completed this year. THAI reported that their creditor’s committee gave the merger the green light yesterday. Now, the plan will be put before Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob and the Civil Aviation Authority…
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A drunk driver crashes sedan into crowd of people, 4 injured
A drunk driver crashed his sedan into a group of pedestrians and motorcycles in front of Chanthaburi Technical College on Tuesday, May 16. The incident resulted in four injuries including three university students and one woman. One of the victims is in critical condition. The 65 year old drunk driver, Charoon, was captured on CCTV crashing his Honda City sedan…
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Bangkok Airways to revive flights to Mae Hong Son, northern Thailand
Mae Hong Son Airport in northern Thailand became a ghost town after Nok Air scrapped the only remaining commercial route to the airport last month. But much to the delight of local tourism operators, Bangkok Airways is planning to revive flights to the province. Bangkok Airways is looking to start flying between Bangkok and Mae Hong Son via Lampang thrice…
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Mother robbed of 300,000 baht, suffers broken arm, misses son’s wedding
An opportunistic thief yesterday robbed a mother carrying her son’s wedding gift worth 300,000 baht in cash and precious gold jewellery. The incident occurred on the day of the ceremony, resulting in not only the loss of valuables but also a broken arm for the victim. As a consequence, she was unable to attend her son’s wedding. The unfortunate incident…
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Bangkok taxi driver returns 170,000 baht to Laotian tourist
A Bangkok taxi driver is being praised for his kindness after going the extra mile to return 170,000 baht to a Laotian tourist travelling in Thailand. Bangkok taxi drivers may have received a record amount of complaints last year over bad manners, rejection of passengers, doctored meters, dangerous driving and overcharging. But one tourist from Laos will assure you that…
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Thailand’s National Health Security System starts free condom initiative
Thailand announced a new initiative to provide free condoms to individuals holding universal healthcare cards as part of the National Health Security System, also known as the 30-baht health scheme. The initiative aims to prevent unwanted pregnancies and the transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among people of reproductive ages, Pattaya Mail reported yesterday. Deputy Government Spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek highlighted the…
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Man found dead in love hotel after taking Viagra
A 62 year old Thai man died after taking half a Viagra pill in a love hotel in the central province of Suphan Buri. A woman in the room with the man believed to be a sex worker, fled the scene after he died. A member of the hotel staff discovered the dead body of the man yesterday evening and reported…
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Thailand detects FU.1 Covid sub-variant, 50% more transmissible than XBB.1.16
Thailand’s Centre for Medical Genomics has reported a single case of the Covid-19 sub-variant known as “FU.1” or XBB.1.16.1.1, which is said to be 50% more transmissible than XBB.1.16. The Omicron variant continues to mutate into new sub-variants, despite a decrease in global Covid cases. Currently, the dominant Omicron sub-variants are XBB.1.5, XBB.1.16, and XBB.1.9.1. The Centre for Medical Genomics…
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Former RTN sailor seriously injured after accidentally shooting himself
A former Royal Thai Navy (RTN) sailor suffered a serious injury after accidentally shooting himself while playing with a gun in a rental room in the Isaan province of Burriam. The sailor, Phattarapong Kongkird, was found by his girlfriend last night. She arrived home to discover her 41 year old boyfriend lying unconscious in a pool of blood with a…
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Rural Doctors Society president faces probe over procurement irregularities
An investigation committee has been established by the Public Health Ministry to probe alleged procurement irregularities involving Dr Supat Hasuwannakit, the president of the Rural Doctors Society (RDS). The allegations date back to when Dr Supat was the director of Chana Hospital in Songkhla between 1999 and 2022. Dr Rungrueng Kitphati, a spokesperson for the ministry, announced yesterday that the…
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Parties unite to remember Black May, warn of military’s political power
Yesterday, representatives from three major political parties attended a memorial event to honour the lives lost during the Black May 1992 incident, which took place 31 years ago when a military-led government suppressed demonstrators. The event was held at a memorial on Ratchadamnoen Road. Chaithawat Tulathon, secretary-general of the Move Forward Party, was present at the event and stated that…
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Speedboat crashes in Phuket, 37 injured
A speedboat crashed into a channel marker in Chalong Bay in Phuket, southern Thailand, yesterday injuring four Thais and 33 foreign tourists, mostly Russians. The driver is thought to have fallen asleep as he crashed into the huge concrete pillar in the sea about 100 metres away from the shore of Chalong Bay at 5.30pm. The boat, the Thanathip Marine…
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Man creates fake dating profile of RTP Deputy Commissioner to flirt with women
The Thai Cyber Police apprehended a Thai man who created a fake social media profile of the Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police (RTP), Torsak Sukvimol, and used it to flirt with more than 20 women. Despite having a mental health problem, the suspect did not cause any harm. During their investigation, the police came across a Facebook profile…
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Construction worker’s dream leads to staggering 12 million baht lottery win
A 61 year-old construction worker from a village in Subsomotod, Beung Sam Pan District, Phetchabun province, won a staggering 12 million baht in the lottery after following the advice of a dream. Samanee Plookjai purchased the winning tickets based on the dream’s suggestions. The Thai grandmother plans to use the money for her five grandchildren’s tuition fees, Sanook reported. Samanee…
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Youngest ever royal defamation charge: Thai girl, 16, released on bail
A 16 year old girl from Phitsanulok, Thailand, has been granted bail after being charged with royal defamation, making her the youngest individual ever charged under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR). The alleged offence occurred when the girl, known only as “May”, was 14 years and one month old. Police investigators…
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Rare golden venom-spitting cobra discovered in Thai village
A rare golden spitting cobra recently caught the attention of locals in a village in Nakhon Nayok province, Thailand. The snake, measuring around 1.2 metres in length, generated significant interest among villagers, who gathered to view the mesmerising creature. The story behind the snake’s discovery started when Piyapan Bua-Phae, a Facebook user, posted photographs of the golden cobra. An assistant village…
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Chinese man arrested in Thailand for deceiving Chinese students
The Royal Thai Police (RTP) arrested a Chinese man, previously employed at the Royal Thai Embassy in Beijing, for participating in unlawful activities connected to visa issuance. The arrest was made today by the Immigration Bureau and other relevant RTP officers at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Samut Prakarn province near Bangkok. The Chinese man was identified as Tee and reported to…
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Australian woman saves 3 lives in Krabi tour company fire
An Australian tourist has been hailed as a hero after saving three lives in Thailand by alerting local firefighters and rescue workers to a fire. The blaze broke out at a residential home in Mueang Krabi, which had a tour company at the front of the building. The woman’s quick thinking enabled three people who were asleep inside the house…
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Financial institutions step up to help mortgage customers amid rising interest rates
Financial institutions are taking steps to assist mortgage customers in coping with increasing rates as Central Bank hikes impact floating mortgage interest rates. Thakorn Piyapan, president of TMBThanachart Bank (ttb), mentioned that the bank provided some mortgage clients with the option to raise their monthly debt repayment amount or prolong the loan period to alleviate the higher monthly debt burden…
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Court sentences future MFP MP to prison for drink driving in Bangkok
UPDATE A court in Bangkok sentenced Move Forward Party (MFP) list member Nateepat Kulsetthasith to a two-month prison sentence suspended for two years, 12 hours of community service, and a fine of 4,000 baht after she was caught drink driving in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday morning. Minburi Criminal Court found Nateepat guilty of violating the Road Traffic Act of 1979 after…
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Man accused of selling wife in exchange for drugs
Police arrested a Thai man after his wife filed a complaint alleging that he sold her to settle a debt. The woman claimed the husband forced her to have sex with a drug dealer in exchange for drugs. The husband denied the accusation claiming his wife requested to have group sex. A 31 year old woman filed a complaint against…
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Thai man drinks crocodile blood twice a day
A businessman in southern Thailand claims his secret to great health is by drinking crocodile blood mixed with alcohol twice a day. He says he used to be exhausted but is now full of life after two months on the reptile juice. Every day, 52 year old Rojakorn Nanon from Na Tham Tai subdistrict in Trang province starts and finishes…
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GrabFood No.1* Food Delivery App is now available in English!
Living in a foreign country can be a thrilling adventure, but it can also pose its fair share of challenges. One of the biggest hurdles for many expats is navigating unfamiliar dining options. With language barriers and an overwhelming array of unfamiliar dishes, finding a satisfying meal can be a daunting task. Fortunately, in Thailand, there’s an app that stands…
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Etix Itel Bangkok invests US$20m in data centre expansion amid cloud services boom
Etix Itel Bangkok Co, the company behind the ETIX Bangkok#1 data centre, is set to invest nearly US$20 million in expanding its capacity to meet the increasing demand for cloud services and digital transformation in Thailand. The growth of the digital economy in the country has been bolstered by global cloud providers investing in the region. Nuttanai Anuntarumporn, CEO of…
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TAT aims to reel in foodie tourists with new sustainable culinary programme (video)
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) set its sights on further enhancing Thailand’s reputation as a culinary destination while promoting sustainability. The TAT is now aiming to reel in foodie tourists with the new Amazing Thailand Culinary City programme, aimed at promoting gastronomy tourism. Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, TAT Deputy Governor for Marketing Communications, stated that the Amazing Thailand Culinary…
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