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.

  • Sponsored

    Leap into English mastery with Green Valley's LEAP Programme

    For many years, St. Andrews International School, Green Valley’s students who did not speak English as their first language have typically participated in English as an Additional Language (EAL) programmes to build proficiency. However, the school has recently introduced a...

  • Prominent Pattaya hotelier urges next Thai government to extend tourism-subsidy scheme

    A prominent Pattaya hotelier has urged the next Thai government to extend its tourism-subsidy scheme to promote domestic travel. Yuwathida Jeerapat, managing director for J Pattaya Hotel Group, expressed confidence that the “We Travel Together” programme, launched in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic, has positively impacted domestic tourism. The latest round of funding, referred to as “We Travel Together’s fifth…

  • Massage parlour in northern Thailand raided for underage sex trafficking

    Police swooped on a massage parlour in the northern province of Tak after a tip-off on underage sex trafficking. The owner of the parlour was arrested and two teenage Burmese girls were rescued. The Anti Trafficking In Persons Division Police (ATPD) received a tip-off that a Thai woman, 40 year old Suphaporn Makaew, was operating an underage sex trafficking racket…

  • SAS to launch direct Copenhagen – Bangkok flights

    Danish flag carrier SAS Scandinavian Airlines will launch a direct route between Copenhagen in Denmark and Bangkok in Thailand in October this year to meet increasing demand, the airline announced on Tuesday. SAS first opened a route from Copenhagen to Bangkok way back in 1949, which was discontinued in 2014. Bangkok was SAS’s first-ever destination in East Asia. The relaunched…

  • Honest Thai couple hand over bag with lost 100,000 baht to police in Ratchaburi

    An honest Thai couple discovered a bag with 100,000 baht inside in front of a shopping mall in the central province of Ratchaburi and notified the police so they can search for its owner. Eighteen year old Kittisak “Zen” Thaweechokhirun, and his 18 year old girlfriend, Potchathawat “Mali” Sabumuang, last night reported the cash-filled bag they found at a shopping mall…

  • Thailand welcomes 8.5 million foreign tourists so far this year

    Thailand welcomed over 8.5 million foreign tourists in the first four months of 2023, generating revenue of 353 billion baht, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. Government spokesperson Anucha Buraphachaisri revealed today that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was delighted to hear about the strong recovery of Thailand’s tourism sector from January to April. In total, 8,596,452…

  • Cannabis crooks caught on camera: Foreigners caught stealing from Phuket pharmacy

    CCTV footage captured two foreigners stealing cannabis from a pharmacy in Phuket. Fortunately, a member of staff caught them red-handed on the job. The Facebook page, Phuket Info Center, posted two videos of the incident yesterday, May 4, with a caption that said… “Warning! Foreigners stole cannabis from a shop on Rat U Thit 200 Years Road in the Patong…

  • PWO collaborates with NACC and Amlo for lawsuits over rubber glove corruption scandal

    The Public Warehouse Organisation (PWO) is collaborating with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) to proceed with lawsuits against individuals involved in the corruption surrounding the procurement of 500 million boxes of rubber gloves worth 112 billion baht in 2020. PWO director Kriangsak Prateepvisut disclosed last week that the organization is preparing to file civil and…

  • Thailand’s pollution control department to lower safe PM2.5 levels following WHO guidelines

    The Pollution Control Department (PCD) yesterday announced plans to align with the World Health Organisation guidelines and reclassify the safe level for ultra-fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from 50 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3) to 37.5 µg/m3 in an effort to address dust pollution concerns. Jatuporn Burutphat, the permanent secretary for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, expressed the ministry’s…

  • Thai robbers nabbed for stealing from Chinese renters in Pattaya

    Officers from Chon Buri Provincial Police arrested two Thai men for robbing a rental house occupied by three Chinese nationals in Pattaya on Wednesday while the other three suspects are still at large. A Thai female party entertainer was accused of supporting the gang. The Mueang Pattaya Police Station received a notification about the theft at a beachfront rental house…

  • Rare strong winds topple tree at Doi Suthep temple, causing panic among visitors

    A rare windstorm, known locally as “Lom Luang“, surprised tourists and monks when it struck Doi Suthep Temple in Chiang Mai, resulting in a large tree collapsing across the Naga staircase. The incident occurred at 4pm today, when the forceful winds swept through the summit, causing a large red tree, big enough for three people to hug, to fall, blocking…

  • Karen villagers’ settlement in Kaeng Krachan National Park sparks public outcry

    Protests have erupted among local residents in Phetchaburi over the Thai government’s decision to settle 150 Karen villagers in Kaeng Krachan National Park. The controversy was sparked on April 30 when the prime minister issued an order permitting the villagers to return to arable land located deep within the Bang Kloy Bon area of the national park. This decision has…

  • Twist in Thai cyanide serial killer case: Actress and nurses investigated for buying same poison as killer

    There has been another twist in the Thai cyanide serial killer case. Not only has the serial killer’s husband been charged with aiding and abetting her crimes and released on bail but the Royal Thai Police (RTP) is investigating the purchase of some cyanide by a famous Thai actress and 10 nurses, who reportedly bought the poison from the same…

  • Canadian teenager found dead in Bangkok condo room

    A young Canadian man was found dead in his rented condo room in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday. Police say they are investigating suspicious evidence found inside the room. At 2.30pm, officers at Bangrak Police Station were notified that a foreigner was found dead in his rented room on the 6th floor of a luxury condominium building on the Samyan – Silom…

  • US and Thailand advance energy cooperation in recent discussions

    The United States and Thailand have recently agreed to advance energy cooperation during talks in Washington, DC. The Office of the Spokesperson for the US Department of State issued a joint press statement revealing that the discussions took place during the third US-Thailand Energy Policy Dialogue, held from April 18 to April 20. Both nations aimed to deepen their ties…

  • Woman cries in cafe after seeing lady resembling her late mother

    A young woman burst into tears while visiting a café with her friends, as she found a woman at a nearby table who resembled her late mother. Eventually, she received a comforting hug from the woman who reminded her of her mother. The recently reported online story shared a heartwarming video capturing the emotional moment when the young woman burst…

  • Video of drunken transgender woman urinating by roadside sparks online backlash

    A video that has garnered heavy criticism in the online world features a drunken woman, later revealed to be a transgender, caught urinating by the roadside near Lumpini Police Station. The friend who recorded the incident did so with amusement before posting it on Facebook. Toward the end of the clip, two police officers are seen escorting the two individuals…

  • Siam Piwat and TAGTHAi team up to boost tourism with integrated Thailand travel platform

    Siam Piwat, a leading property and retail developer, the owner and operator of world-class destinations including Siam Paragon, Siam Center, and Siam Discovery, and a joint venture partner of ICONSIAM and Siam Premium Outlets Bangkok, is reinforcing its position as ‘The Visionary ICON’ and amplifying its vision to strengthen business ecosystem through ‘Co-creation & Collaboration‘ strategy. Siam Piwat has partnered…

  • Thailand accelerates shift to renewables amid global energy crisis fallout

    The global energy crisis has prompted Thailand to accelerate its transition to renewable energy after years of hesitation, joining other countries in adopting wind and solar power to reduce dependency on imported fuels. Thailand’s reconsideration of its renewable energy strategy came after a surge in natural gas prices last year caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to Wattanapong Kurovat,…

  • RTN defends 50 million baht drone procurement amid transparency concerns

    On Wednesday, the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) defended a nearly 50 million baht drone training procurement after critics raised concerns regarding the project’s transparency. Admiral Pokkhrong Monthatpalin, RTN spokesperson, affirmed that the project was above board while elaborating on the Naval Ordnance Department‘s 49.8 million baht acquisition of Phoenix Jet Unmanned Aerial Targets from Air Affairs Australia. Critics questioned why…

  • No political vacuum following May 14 election, says deputy PM

    Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam addressed concerns regarding the potential for political deadlock following the May 14 General Election. Despite foreseeing a delay in the formation of a new government, he dismissed the possibility of a political vacuum emerging. Wissanu’s remarks come as polls indicate that leading parties are continually growing closer in terms of popularity. While he acknowledges that…

  • NHSO seeks funds for additional flu vaccine doses amid rising Covid-19 cases

    The National Health Security Office (NHSO) plans to purchase an additional 860,000 influenza vaccine doses, increasing the stockpile to 5.26 million doses to protect vulnerable groups. To expand people’s access to the vaccine, the NHSO is requesting a budget of 105.2 million baht for the supplementary 860,000 doses, according to Secretary-General Jadet Thammathat-aree. Referring to individuals over 60 years old…

  • Unhinged Bangkok taxi driver threatens to murder passenger

    A Thai woman took to social media to reveal that a seemingly unhinged taxi driver in Bangkok threatened to murder her because her destination was too far. The woman posted a video on her TikTok account, @toeyly.n, to recount her frightening experience with a taxi driver who threatened to kill her. The video caption said… “Warning! Taxi driver threatens to…

  • Taiwanese model’s embarrassing airport experience: Items that vibrate in the night

    Renowned Taiwanese model Xin Yu Li, known for being a top-tier talent in the industry, recently shared her embarrassing yet amusing experience at an airport after returning from an international work assignment. While preparing to return, Yu Li encountered a situation that left her red-faced and others nearby witnessing the ordeal. In her recount, Yu Li mentioned that she had…

  • Gas cylinder explosion wreaks havoc, damages 8 houses, a car and injures teenage boy

    A gas cylinder explosion damaged eight houses and a car in Nonthaburi province near Bangkok while a 15 year old boy living in the incident house suffered serious burn wounds all over his body. The incident occurred yesterday in a three-storey townhouse owned by a 39 year old man named Weeraphat Chuensomsong. He was not home during the explosion. Unfortunately,…

  • King of Thailand strips Premchai of insignia over outcome of ‘black panther’ case

    The King of Thailand has called back Premchai Karnasuta’s royal decorations and insignia due to the final verdict of the famous ‘black panther’ poaching case which resulted in the former construction tycoon’s imprisonment. In December 2021, the Supreme Court sentenced Premchai – the former president of the construction conglomerate Italian-Thai – to more than three years in jail after finding…

  • Pattaya gears up for 600,000 Indian tourists this Year

    At least 600,000 Indian tourists are anticipated to visit Pattaya this year, returning the visitor numbers to levels similar to those prior to the pandemic, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Anoma Vongyai, director of TAT’s Pattaya office, revealed that over 900,000 Indian tourists travelled to Thailand in the year preceding the pandemic, with approximately 600,000 of them…

  • Thai youth vote for reform despite political hurdles

    Three years ago, 24 year old Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul was at the forefront of a democracy movement in Thailand as thousands of young protesters clashed with police firing tear gas and rubber bullets on the streets of Bangkok. The movement shook the kingdom with its calls for reform and unprecedented demands to curb the power of King Maha Vajiralongkorn but gradually…

  • Woman commits suicide in car with 11 pet dogs

    A Thai woman in Pathum Thani province near Bangkok allegedly committed suicide in her car by using a charcoal stove to kill herself with her 11 Poodle dogs. A rescue team, Ruamkatanyu Volunteer Association, was alerted to the death of the Thai woman and her 11 pet dogs and reported the news on its official Facebook page today. According to…

  • No foreigners receive yellow or red cards in April, reports Phuket Immigration

    Foreigners were on their best behaviour in Phuket, southern Thailand, last month with 0 foreign tourists receiving yellow or red cards, reports Phuket Immigration. Phuket Immigration launched the yellow and red card scheme in March to combat the problem of wayward foreigners on the island. The system sees law-breaking foreign tourists deported from the kingdom after two offences. Any tourist…

  • Police ex-husband charged for supporting cyanide serial killer’s reign of terror

    The Royal Thai Police (RTP) confirmed that the cyanide serial killer’s police officer ex-husband aided and abetted his former wife during her psychotic reign of terror. Although the specifics of his involvement have not been disclosed, he is currently facing three criminal charges. The cyanide serial killer, Sararat “Am” Rangsiwuthaporn, is facing charges for the murder of 10 victims in…