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.

  • Sponsored

    What is the 5 year visa for the digital nomad in Thailand?

    The Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) is a great option for digital nomads, remote workers, and freelancers who want to stay in Thailand for a long time. This multiple-entry visa is valid for five years, allowing stays of up to 180...

  • Beware of the byte: Elderly Thai man’s online fake teeth buy bites back with laughable consequences

    Beware of the byte: Elderly Thai man’s online fake teeth buy bites back with laughable consequences

    The pitfalls of online shopping were once again brought into the spotlight after an elderly man was duped into purchasing a set of fake teeth that turned out to be unusable, laughably plastic in appearance. The incident, shared on TikTok by the user @tuttapan1329 on August 6, sparked a wider conversation about the risk of buying less-than-authentic goods online, which…

  • Thai man found dead on roadside after searching for runaway girlfriend

    Thai man found dead on roadside after searching for runaway girlfriend

    Relatives discovered the dead body of a Thai man close to a roadside canal along the Bypass Road in Nakhon Nayok province central Thailand. The dead man had reportedly been in search of his runaway girlfriend before the grim discovery took place. Upon being informed of the incident, officers from Pak Plee Police Station swiftly arrived at the scene to…

  • Thailand’s space dreams: Lifting off into high-tech horizons with spaceport ambitions

    Thailand’s space dreams: Lifting off into high-tech horizons with spaceport ambitions

    In an exhilarating bid to broaden its horizons and step into the global platform of high tech exploration and innovation, Thailand declared its ambitious plans to construct a spaceport. Undertaken under the vigilant eyes of the interim Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha, the initiative exhibits strong determination and has the potential to offer extensive economic benefits including around 400 job…

  • Drug addict and repeat offender arrested for attempted rape in Bangkok

    Drug addict and repeat offender arrested for attempted rape in Bangkok

    Tha Kharm Police Station officers arrested a drug addict who reportedly attempted to rape a Thai woman at her house in the Jom Thong district of Bangkok. The suspect has a long criminal history and had just been released from jail at the end of last year. The victim, 24 year old Ae, revealed to ThaiRath that the incident occurred…

  • Firestarter housemaid: Thai police uncover shocking twist in theft and Bangkok blaze case

    Firestarter housemaid: Thai police uncover shocking twist in theft and Bangkok blaze case

    In a surprising revelation following a fire incident, the Royal Thai Police (RTP) confirmed that a housemaid, a long-standing occupant of the damaged property, was indeed the criminal behind the theft and subsequent fire outbreak. Unforeseen by the homeowners, the incident came to light following investigations by the local police. The fire broke out yesterday, August 6, in one of…

  • Rice prices skyrocket in Thailand due to drought effects and export ban

    Rice prices skyrocket in Thailand due to drought effects and export ban

    A meeting is set to be convened today by Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit evaluating the repercussions of the drought instigated by the El Niño weather occurrence, and potential courses of action in response to the surge in rice prices. Concurrently, the Commerce Ministry under the watchful eyes of Wattanasak Sur-iam, chief of the Internal Trade Department, is monitoring good prices,…

  • Arun Plus aims for profitability with Thailand’s growing EV demand

    Arun Plus aims for profitability with Thailand’s growing EV demand

    National oil and gas conglomerate, PTT Plc, is forecasting that its subsidiary company, Arun Plus Co, is likely to attain profitability in the next three to five years, fostered by higher demand from Thai drivers for electric vehicles (EVs). Arun Plus was founded three years prior when PTT ventured into the EV sector as part of its futuristic energy plan.…

  • Online scams: Thai restaurant reservation fraud nets 140 million baht in July, warns CCIB

    Online scams: Thai restaurant reservation fraud nets 140 million baht in July, warns CCIB

    Warnings of escalating online fraud rings capitalising on the growing demand for restaurant reservations have been issued by the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB). Based on emerging reports, a significant financial hit of over 140 million baht landed on consumers in July due to a proliferation of online scams. According to the latest information detailed by the CCIB spokesperson, Police…

  • Transgender identity revelation: Social worker’s love for accident victim unravels a journey of self discovery

    Transgender identity revelation: Social worker’s love for accident victim unravels a journey of self discovery

    A 40 year old man met with an accident, left helpless in a hospital before he was fortunately cared for by a 63 year old woman. Their affection escalated leading to a marriage, only then he discovered she wasn’t a woman, leading to an unexpected transgender identity revelation. The story of 63 year old Kalin, a dedicated social worker frequently…

  • Manchester United, Buriram United top football favourites in Thai pre-season survey

    Manchester United, Buriram United top football favourites in Thai pre-season survey

    As the fervent anticipation for the 2023-24 football season begins to resonate amongst fans in Thailand, a recent survey divulges that Manchester United from the English Premier League, and Buriram United from Thai League 1, are the crowd favourites. This comes from a research study conducted by the renowned National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA). The study, which ran between…

  • Car bomb shock in Narathiwat: No casualties as police close district (video)

    Car bomb shock in Narathiwat: No casualties as police close district (video)

    In Narathiwat, a car bomb detonation led to the temporary closure of a region surrounding the location of a police base situated in Sungai Kolok district. The blast last night fortunately did not result in any injuries or deaths. The incident took place close to Orakan intersection, in proximity to both a rail route and the ad hoc police stronghold…

  • Pheu Thai Party confides challenges in forming new Thai coalition government

    Pheu Thai Party confides challenges in forming new Thai coalition government

    In an evolving political landscape where the constitution, power structures and group conflicts have become major challenges, the Pheu Thai Party acknowledged that manoeuvring the formation of a new coalition government is far from simple. According to Pheu Thai’s Deputy Leader, Phumtham Wechayachai, the party has to remain committed and steadfast in its approach to lead the nation out of…

  • Climate change threatens Thailand’s tiger conservation efforts, reveals study

    Climate change threatens Thailand’s tiger conservation efforts, reveals study

    The future conservation of tigers within Thailand’s natural habitats confronts a formidable adversary in the form of climate change, according to Jatuporn Buruspat, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Something that is significantly augmenting his concern is the forest fires that relentlessly gnaw away at the territory of these apex predators. In his remarks offered…

  • Thaksin Shinawatra delays Thailand return sourcing health check as deciding factor

    Thaksin Shinawatra delays Thailand return sourcing health check as deciding factor

    Thaksin Shinawatra, former prime minister of Thailand, announced yesterday that he would be delaying his return to his homeland from his current location of self-exile. Shinawatra, whose background lies in telecommunications, took to the popular social media platform Twitter to inform followers of his upcoming health checkup, which resulted in the need for him to reschedule his original plan to…

  • Thai fireworks depot owners surrender following fatal explosion investigation

    Thai fireworks depot owners surrender following fatal explosion investigation

    The owners of a recently annihilated fireworks depo in Narathiwat yesterday handed themselves over to the police. This revelation was announced by an on-scene informant who wished to remain unnamed. The owners, Sompong Napol and Piyanuch Puengwirawat, both 42, made their way back into Thai territory through the Sadao checkpoint connecting Thailand and Malaysia. This development came on the heels of…

  • Dramatic leap in tourism to Thailand rakes in 1.08 trillion baht

    Dramatic leap in tourism to Thailand rakes in 1.08 trillion baht

    Exceeding expectations and the grim shadow of the previous year, the tourist influx to Thailand recorded a dramatic leap in the first half of 2023. From January to the end of July, over 15 million people travelled in Thailand, marking an increase in tourism to Thailand of 384% in comparison to the same period in the prior year, according to…

  • Pita highlights global democracy’s decline, urges youth involvement

    Pita highlights global democracy’s decline, urges youth involvement

    Pita Limjaroenrat, the leader of Thailand’s Move Forward Party (MFP), highlighted the worrying decline in global democracy during a recent talk at a Thammasat University orientation event, encouraging young learners to take a hand in shaping their country’s fate. An influential figure at the frontline of political transformation, Pita confronted the issue of democratic regression emphatically. Pita was a keynote…

  • Prime minister fast-tracks aid for firework warehouse blast victims

    Prime minister fast-tracks aid for firework warehouse blast victims

    Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, along with Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda, toured the site of a devastating fireworks warehouse explosion in Narathiwat yesterday. The visit aimed to expedite the rehabilitation process for victims and address housing issues caused by the unfortunate incident. Chan-o-cha journeyed to Muno, a village in Sungai Kolok district, to evaluate first-hand the circumstances of those affected by…

  • Debate over treatment of revered monk’s remains in Thai temple

    Debate over treatment of revered monk’s remains in Thai temple

    Should a revered monk’s remains be accessible to their disciples, even allowing them to physically touch the relics? Following an unsettling incident at a prominent temple in Nakhon Pathom province, online public debate has sparked regarding the appropriateness. The controversial event happened while followers were changing the cloth covering a mummified monk, who had left his physical form 18 years…

  • Snake in the grass: Thai woman seeks protection from perverted rescuer

    Snake in the grass: Thai woman seeks protection from perverted rescuer

    A Thai woman sought protection after a man, claiming to be a rescuer of the Daan Samrong Municipality in Samut Prakanr province near Bangkok, asked for sex in return for a snake capture. Claiming to be a rescuer from the Daan Samrong Municipality, a man approached A, offering assistance in catching the reptile. However, his ulterior motives soon came to…

  • Ganja and gravity: Naked German’s high-rise drama in Pattaya condo

    Ganja and gravity: Naked German’s high-rise drama in Pattaya condo

    The wife of a naked German man who tried to jump from the eighth floor of a Pattaya condominium blamed the heavy use of ganja and the stress of a court case as the reasons behind his irrational behaviour. Mueang Pattaya Police Station officers received a call about the naked German man on Wednesday, August 2, and rushed to the…

  • Thai universities investigated over alleged research plagiarism

    Thai universities investigated over alleged research plagiarism

    Prompting concerns over the integrity of education, the Thai Bureau of Higher Learning, Scientific Enquiry, and Research Innovation (MHESI) have launched legal action against around five online portals that have been found dealing in academic plagiarism. The move comes following suspicions that close to 100 scholars linked to 33 universities may have obtained research papers from the Internet. The Deputy…

  • Monkey madness: Thai man’s roadside pee leads to wild monkey attack

    Monkey madness: Thai man’s roadside pee leads to wild monkey attack

    A Thai man faced the terrifying ordeal of being attacked by a gang of more than 10 monkeys after he decided to have a pee on the roadside in the southern province of Ranong. The unsuspecting victim tried to fight back, but fate had other plans, as he stumbled and fell down a steep 50-metre cliff. It was a wild…

  • Juicy bust: Thai police squeeze illicit kratom factory

    Juicy bust: Thai police squeeze illicit kratom factory

    A substantial operation by the Royal Thai Police (RTP) yesterday, culminated in the seizure of an illicit factory manufacturing kratom leaf juice. The raid led to the confiscation of around 3000 bottles of cough syrup, three guns, and the arrest of one suspect. The RTP stormed into the clandestine factory situated along Khlong Toei-Khlong Ple Road nearby the Kho Hong…

  • Thai woman with golden face tickles taxi driver’s funny bone on TikTok

    Thai woman with golden face tickles taxi driver’s funny bone on TikTok

    In a humorous incident that amused Thai netizens, a woman from Thailand, took to TikTok to apologise to a taxi driver whom she had inadvertently startled with her golden face. The woman, Nitcha Punnapon, had her face covered in gold leaves after undergoing the Na Na Thong ceremony, and it had quite a surprising effect on the unsuspecting cabbie. Sharing…

  • ASEAN Heritage Parks status granted to three Thai nature reserves

    ASEAN Heritage Parks status granted to three Thai nature reserves

    Three Thailand nature reserves have been recognised by the prestigious ASEAN Heritage Parks (AHPs). Government representative Rachada Dhnadirek yesterday announced the good news that Phu Kradueng National Park, Phu Khieo Wildlife Forest Reserve, and Nam Nao National Park all made the distinguished list. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment received the information during their recent attendance at the 34th…

  • Young Thai woman tragically killed after violent assault by jealous boyfriend in Chon Buri

    Young Thai woman tragically killed after violent assault by jealous boyfriend in Chon Buri

    A 23 year old woman fell victim to a brutal assault by her jealous boyfriend, culminating in her death. Initial claims suggested the situation was a mere conversation about splitting up but it escalated into a fierce argument, and tragically, a physical altercation. Around 10pm yesterday, police officials from Chon Buri City Police Station received a report about a severe…

  • 8 killed and 3 injured after pickup collides with train near Bangkok

    8 killed and 3 injured after pickup collides with train near Bangkok

    A pickup truck collided with a train in the early hours of this morning killing eight Thai people and injuring three others near Klong Udon Chonlajon in Chachoengsao province near Bangkok. Mueang Chachoengsao Police Station officers and a rescue team promptly rushed to the scene at approximately 3am today, August 4. They found a train, laden with containers, positioned on…

  • Cyberattack: Thai cybercrime suspects arrested for 77 million baht luxury vintage car scam

    Cyberattack: Thai cybercrime suspects arrested for 77 million baht luxury vintage car scam

    The suspects thought to be behind the cyberattack on the Department of Land Transport (DLT) were yesterday taken into custody. The breach caused damages estimated at a colossal sum of 77.35 million baht. The two suspects, 38 year old Satian and 44 year old Sarisorn, are expected to face charges for introducing false information into the computer system and unlawfully…

  • Thaksin Shinawatra’s return to Thailand delayed amid prime ministerial vote postponement

    Thaksin Shinawatra’s return to Thailand delayed amid prime ministerial vote postponement

    The return of Thaksin Shinawatra, former prime minister of Thailand and reputed de facto head of the Pheu Thai Party, has been delayed. The strategy appears aimed at facilitating his smooth return, once a government led by his party comes into play, disclosed an unnamed source within Pheu Thai yesterday. The initial return plan for Thaksin was for Thursday, August…