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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Sponsored Promoting sustainable tourism at Blue Tree Phuket: Initiatives and impact
Blue Tree Phuket has been offering experiences that are both fun and environmentally conscious for many years. The comprehensive entertainment hub and waterpark has implemented numerous programs to enhance the sustainability of its practices, with its most recent endeavour being...
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5-day holiday weekend brings predictable surge in Covid-19 infections
While it was entirely predictable, Thailand rejoiced at the chance to get away for a five-day weekend, ignoring warnings from medical professionals, and now the country is seeing a spike in new and serious Covid-19 infections. The Department of Disease Control released figures showing that the number of people infected with severe Covid cases that require ventilators is rising again.…
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British hero hails US film director’s depiction of Thai cave rescue
Cave hero Richard Stanton believes movie director Ron Howard was the perfect choice to capture the raw emotion of the dramatic rescue of 12 boys and their soccer coach from a flooded grotto in Thailand. The Oscar-winning filmmaker has retold the climactic tale from four years ago of the cave rescue in a new movie, “Thirteen Lives,” which premiered last…
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Piracy crackdown on intellectual property as tourism grows
With tourism now beginning to return to Thailand, the Intellectual Property Department pledged to be more strict in cracking down on pirated goods. Experts believe that the market will be flooded with fakes in popular tourist destinations as shady sellers see new potential customers pouring into the country. The IPD is coordinating with the Customs Department, the Department of Special…
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Four-legged chicken turns heads at Big Bum Farm in northeast Thailand
A farmer in northeast Thailand discovered a four-legged hen in his coup and locals won’t leave it alone. The genetically unusual chicken is believed to bring good luck and might even reveal next month’s winning lottery numbers, according to locals, some of whom visit the chicken every day at – and this is no joke – “Big Bum Farm” in…
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Thailand could generate up to US$65 billion in tourism revenue next year, says TAT
Yesterday, the Tourism Authority of Thailand said the country’s tourism industry could generate up to US$65 billion, or 2.38 trillion baht, next year. The revenue could equate to around 80% of pre-pandemic tourism revenue, said Governor of the TAT Yuthasak Supasorn. Comparatively, the TAT expects Thailand to actualise 1.5 trillion baht in tourism revenue this year. Yuthasak expects Thailand to…
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Doubts over Thailand’s 2028 completion date for high speed rail link
Despite last week’s announcement that the high-speed railway from Bangkok to the Laos border would be completed by 2028, there remain lingering doubts about whether the Thai government is fully committed to the project, valued at about US$12 billion. Questions are being raised about perceived benefits to Thailand or how the government can recover any of the costs. The new…
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Police investigate death of British man found in Pattaya canal
Thai police are investigating the mysterious death of a British expat found dead yesterday morning face down in the Najomtien drainage canal in Pattaya. Richard Wayne Moorcroft is believed to have slipped when out jogging, banged his head, knocked himself unconscious, and slid into the canal. The 63 year old was dressed in jogging clothing when he was found at…
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Thai anti-corruption body names names over Thai Airways Rolls Royce engine scandal
Part of the debacle Thai Airways finds itself in now harks back to poor decisions made 30 years ago with some “expensive” aircraft engine purchases. Since then there have been numerous investigations and serious charges levelled against Rolls Royce over payments made to Thai Airways personnel. Rolls Royce has since settled over the case following an investigation by the British…
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Freshmen forced to dance naked at university hazing ritual in Thailand
Electrical engineering students from a private university in Bangkok’s Nong Khaem district were allegedly forced to dance naked in front of women during an off-campus “hazing” ritual. Twitter user @RedSkullxxx posted a video of the incident online on Saturday with the caption… “This is an off campus hazing ceremony for fourth-year electrical engineering students from Southeast Asia University. In which…
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Thai military commanders asked to explain secret budget used by senior officers
Senior officers from the Defence Ministry, and the Royal Thai Armed Forces, say its nearly 2,000,000,000 baht budget would be used reasonably to protect the country. But members of the Extraordinary Committee asked about the secret budget and urged senior officers to reveal more detail about the plan to the public. The Extraordinary Committee met this morning to consider the…
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Muay Thai fighter declared ‘brain dead’ after boxing match with Frenchman
A Muay Thai boxer named Phanphet Phadungchai has been in a state of brain death for three days after being knocked out by a French boxer during a match on Friday. His family reported that he is no longer being treated with stimulant medication but is still using a ventilator to breathe, contrary to reports online which stated that his…
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Kanchana Buri Skywalk to open in old town next year
Kanchana Buri is hoping to boost their tourism numbers higher by lifting their tourists higher with a 15-metre tall skywalk. The project has been in the works for a long time, with construction woes delaying the opening again and again, but the bridge with its scenic views is now set to be opened at the beginning of 2023. The skywalk…
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Thailand aims to complete high-speed rail link with China by 2028
Thailand aims to finish constructing the high-speed rail link which will connect China with the Land of Smiles by 2028, according to the Transport and Foreign Affairs ministries. As it stands, the project is only 5% complete – casting doubts on Thailand’s ability to fulfil their recent pledge to get the job done in the next six years. Beijing plans…
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Thieves steal VIP chairs from Liverpool – Man U match in Bangkok
Police have arrested a man under suspicion of stealing VIP chairs reserved for Liverpool and Manchester United players from Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok on Saturday morning. CCTV footage reveals two nonchalant men wheeling four dugout chairs, valued at 400,000 baht, out of the stadium at 6am. Two of the chairs were used by Manchester United reserve players and two by…
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12 Thai women fear being sued by the wife of a love rat who seduced them
Twelve Thai women fear they are going to be sued by the wife of a charming love rat who conned them into a sexual relationship. The 12 women, aged between 40 – 60 years old, have approached a lawyer for advice after discovering a man they met on social media is married. The 60 year old man, named Pu, told…
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Amazing Dark Sky Thailand programme by TAT to boost stargazing
If you’re looking for the next big thing for Thailand, the Tourism Authority of Thailand suggests looking up. The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand has teamed up with the TAT to launch the new Amazing Dark Sky Thailand, which focuses on attracting those who appreciated staring up at the night sky. In a country whose main concern with celestial…
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UPDATE: Bangkok taxi driver pulls out knife on Singaporean tourists
UPDATE: Police punish Bangkok taxi driver who intimidated Singaporean tourists The Bangkok taxi driver who intimidated two Singaporean tourists has been ordered to pay 3,000 baht in fines, had his driving license suspended for three months, and must attend a three-hour training course about taxi rules and regulations in Thailand. Thailand’s Department of Land Transport and officers from Suvarnabhumi Airport…
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UPDATE: Crashed army helicopter gets into another accident in southern Thailand
UPDATE: Crashed army helicopter gets into another accident in southern Thailand The Royal Thai army’s Blackhawk which crashed into a rubber plantation in Songkhla on Friday got into a second accident on the roads in Phatthalung province yesterday. The helicopter wreckage was loaded onto an army trailer which collided with another trailer on the Hat Yai – Phattalung road at…
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Gunman shot dead by armed civilian after killing 3 in US mall
Four people were killed, and two were injured yesterday in yet another mass shooting in the US. A man with a rifle entered Greenwood Park Mall in Indiana at about 6pm last night, approached the precinct’s food court, and let rip with several rounds of ammunition. The gunman was eventually shot by an armed civilian who happened to be nearby.…
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Thais swarm to new digital lottery tickets
The move of the official bi-monthly Thai lottery to a digital form continues apace. Thais are showing their increasing preference to purchase their lottery tickets through the “Pao Tang” app, instead of through the traditional street lottery vendors. The 7.1 million new digital lottery tickets for the August 1 draw are now available and can be bought 24/7 at the…
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Pending bill to name NYC neighbourhood ‘Little Thailand’
Thailand is continuing to make its mark far beyond the kingdom’s borders. New York City’s city council has approved a bill to name one neighbourhood ‘Little Thailand.’ The neighbourhood, located in the borough of Queens, is already called this name informally, as it has several Thai restaurants and businesses. The council member who sponsored the bill, Shekar Krishnan, said… “The…
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Full Moon Party draws 20,000 & Robin Hood in Underpants
Owning land as a foreigner in Thailand. Robin Hood in underpants, more details of the man handing out phones to the poor. Full moon party and drowning incidents in Phuket has got people on alert. All this and more of your questions answered on todays weekend update.
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Bangkok doctor warns of lung infections from new Covid-19 sub-variant
One Bangkok doctor is warning the public of lung infections associated with the new sub-variant of Covid-19. The doctor, Nithipat Jearakul, is the head of Siriraj Hospital’s Department of Respiratory Disease and Tuberculosis. Nithipat says that the BA.5 subvariant of Omicron is as harmful to the lungs as the previous Delta variant. However, most people with lung infections are part…
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Thailand isn’t the only place in the world that applies tourist taxes
Thailand is about to add an arrival ‘tourist’ tax of 300 baht. But it’s not really a tourist tax because it will apply to ALL foreigners entering Thailand, including YOU. No exemptions, not even your work permit or diplomatic status will help. The proposal, set to come into force in Q4, 2022, will be in the form of a 300…
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Thailand’s Public Health Ministry urges 10 day quarantine
Thailand’s public health authorities are pushing people to follow the 10-day quarantine period if they test positive for Covid-19. A spokesman for the Public Health Ministry, Dr Rungrueng Kitphati, said that if people have to leave their homes, such as for hospital trips, they must wear masks. Rungrueng added that outpatients should also stay in well-ventilated rooms, away from others,…
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PTT top revenue-earning company in Thailand in 2021
In news that is likely not surprising but probably very frustrating, amid soaring fuel prices, petrol company PTT has topped the list as the highest revenue corporation in Thailand for 2021. The national oil and gas conglomerate breakdancing 1 trillion baht over the last year no doubt thanks in part to huge inflation in the price of oil that has…
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High rankings for Thailand in tourism, food, economy and health
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently announced a variety of awards and high rankings number bestowed upon Thailand over the past year. They proudly proclaimed the kingdom’s favourable ratings in over 14 different categories and surveys on Thursday. The country itself won nods over the past year in tourism, livability, happiness, Covid-19 response, safety, and more. Bangkok received accolades for…
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Foreign ownership of Thai land, but with lots of conditions
One rai of land in Thailand is all yours to own, if you’re a foreigner, have plenty of money, or are going to stay in Thailand for a long time. The plan to sell freehold land to foreigners is gaining traction and is likely to become law by the end of this year. It’s part of the Thai government’s intention…
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Thai Cabinet to introduce rape and sexual harassment prevention plan
Following the recent spate of sex scandals involving Thai politicians, the Cabinet announced it intends to introduce measures to cut out sexual harassment in the workplace. The former deputy leader of the Democratic Party, Prinn Panitchpakdi, was accused of rape and sexual abuse by more than 10 victims in April, with the case still ongoing. More recently, this week Move…
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Army helicopter crashes in southern Thailand
At around 9am this morning, a Blackhawk army helicopter crashed in a rubber plantation in Songkhla province with seven military personnel inside. The commander of the 4th Army Region sustained serious injuries and six others suffered minor injuries in the crash. No casualties were reported. The Blackhawk took off from Sena Narong Military Camp in Hat Yai district, Songkhla province,…
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