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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Is private health insurance in Thailand worth it? Real costs vs risks explained
Thailand has a strong healthcare system with both public and private options. Public hospitals offer affordable care, but many people, including expats, choose private health insurance for faster service, modern facilities, and more treatment choices. To decide if private health...
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Local fishermen discover dead body of foreign man in Chon Buri sea
Local fishermen discovered the dead body of an unidentified foreign man in the waters of Sattahip Bay in Chon Buri province. The Rojjana Dhammasatarn rescue team received a distressing report about the dead body at 4pm on Saturday, September 30. Upon arrival, officers encountered a group of fishermen, who had anchored their fishing boat near the body, while waiting for…
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Jackpot joy: Fish farmer reels in 12 million baht lottery win in central Thailand
A 44 year old fish farm owner in Ban Pong, Ratchaburi, was overjoyed yesterday to receive a cash prize of 12 million baht after his lottery ticket was announced as the first prize winner. Not Lottery Plus, led by Panthawat Nakwisut and a team of over 20 people, arrived at the farm late the previous night to deliver the lottery…
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Friendly catfish steals Thai hearts online with fin-tastic affection
A uniquely sociable freshwater catfish, known for its fondness for human interaction, has attracted widespread attention and concern for its well-being. Fish lover Denchai Lueklek shared the extraordinary behaviour of the catfish on his Facebook account. On September 27, news correspondents visited Denchai’s residence in the Sai Thai sub-district, Krabi, to witness the catfish’s behaviour first-hand. The 50 year old…
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Container catastrophe near Bangkok airport claims Thai woman’s life
Tragedy struck over the weekend, as a Thai woman lost her life in a fatal accident near Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Samut Prakarn province, just outside Bangkok. The incident occurred on Motorway No. 9 when a container dislodged from a truck, striking the taxi in which the woman and another man were passengers. Security cameras positioned along the motorway captured…
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Thailand and Italy cook up a delicious deal for gastronomy and tourism
A mutual agreement has been reached between Thailand and Italy to collaboratively promote the gastronomy and tourism sectors of both nations, according to Thai trade representative, Nalinee Taveesin. The Thai-Italian collaboration announcement was made on Sunday, with Italy expressing an increased interest in investing in Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). Such an understanding was gleaned from a recent meeting between…
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China and Thailand bolster diplomatic ties, visa exemption for Chinese tourists
China and Thailand, marking 48 years of diplomatic rapport, continue to strengthen their cooperative ties, as highlighted by Han Zhiqiang, the Chinese Ambassador to Thailand, in a recent interview. Han acknowledged the friendly neighbourly relations, shared bloodlines and mutual benefits that the two nations have enjoyed over the years. China has remained Thailand’s largest trading partner for a decade, contributing…
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Thai man arrested for raping female financial company worker
Police and residents in the eastern province of Rayong worked together until they successfully arrested a Thai man who raped a finance company worker after he hid in the forest for more than 30 hours. On Saturday, September 30, the rapist, 48 year old Chaiyot Liaodam, tricked a female financial company employee into meeting him at a rubber plantation in…
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Huawei, NCSA launch Thailand Cyber Top Talent 2023 amid rising online threats
A landmark cybersecurity competition named Thailand Cyber Top Talent 2023 has been launched by Huawei Technologies (Thailand) Co, Ltd and the National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA). The contest, open to students and the general public, offers the chance to win a total of 521,000 baht in cash prizes. The initiative is intended to promote cybersecurity knowledge, serve as a platform…
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Thailand’s heavy rain forecast puts regions on alert for more flooding ahead
Several regions across Thailand are bracing for more flooding following warnings of heavy rain from tomorrow until next Wednesday. The Office of National Water Resources (ONWR) delivered this warning yesterday after much of the north and northeast regions of the country already experienced floods due to days of incessant rain. The impending heavy rain, which is set to last until Saturday,…
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Thailand’s soft power strategy eyes tech and regulatory overhaul
Thailand’s soft power is set to receive a significant boost, with creative content experts advocating for the removal of obsolete regulations and the incorporation of cutting-edge technology. This approach, they argue, will stimulate innovation and cultural assets. Asa Piwkhum, tasked with business and innovation development at the Creative Economy Agency, indicated that the imminent meeting of the national soft power…
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Thai-Chinese Chamber urges neutrality in US-China conflict, deeper China ties
The Thai-Chinese Chamber of Commerce urged the new Thai government to maintain neutrality in the US-China conflict while deepening trade links with China. In an interview, President Narongsak Puttapornmongkol suggested that Chinese firms exporting to the US or Europe could bolster their investments in Thailand, enabling them to base production in the country. “There is no need to be overly…
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Digital lottery: Thai man challenges ‘Paotang’ app for unpaid winnings
A 52 year old man lodged a police complaint after purchasing 20 digital government lottery tickets via the ‘Paotang’ application, which won but were declared as non-winning by the system. Sarawuth Jangkina who had previously won up to 31 tickets without issue, questioned whether the discrepancy was due to a system glitch or duplicate digital ticket sales. Sarawuth, the president…
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Thai and Hong Kong police unite to dismantle human trafficking
The Thai Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD) is intensifying its efforts to dismantle international human trafficking rings, particularly those involving Thai women being forced into prostitution in Hong Kong. The mission to reinforce collaborative measures with Hong Kong law enforcement was led by the ATPD’s deputy, Marut Kanchanakanthakul, who travelled to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for an anti-human…
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Discovering the unknown card games in Thailand
Different cultures have taken to card games and ‘playing for money’ in various different ways, with poker being the primary card game to gamble at the world over. Thailand is no exception, but if you look beyond the more common games, there’s a rich history of ancient card games which originated here and it’s fascinating to see how they’ve stood the…
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Hit-and-run in Chon Buri: woman urges culprit to own up after car gets battered
A vehicle parked outside a house was hit by a car that subsequently fled the scene, prompting the car’s owner to urge the culprit to take responsibility. The incident was captured on CCTV and shared by a Facebook user named มิสเตอร์แบตเตอรี่ ชลบุรี. The car owner, Thanawan, a 21 year old woman, showed the damage to her black Ford sedan, which…
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Woman found dead in Prachin Buri hut prompts discussion on rural mental health awareness
In a tragic incident, a 40 year old woman was found dead in a hut located approximately 2 kilometres away from a village in Prachin Buri, Thailand. The incident happened today. The woman was discovered by local police and medical professionals who confirmed her death to be over three hours old. There were no signs of physical violence or struggle…
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New pit viper species discovered in Thailand’s Thale Ban National Park
A novel species of pit viper, the smallest in its venomous subfamily, has been discovered by personnel at Thale Ban National Park in Satun, a southern province of Thailand. Saengsuree Songthong, the national park’s chief, along with his assistant Nakhen Kaweethanatham and research official Bunyarit Dechochai, stumbled upon the hitherto unknown species of pit vipers during a short break under a…
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New era in Thai law enforcement as Torasak Sukwimon steps into National Police Chief role
The newly appointed National Police Chief, Torasak Sukwimon, accompanied by his wife, Nipaphan Sukwimon, and several police officers, performed a sacred ceremony at the National Police Office in Pathumwan earlier today, October 1. Following a royal command, Torasak was relieved of his previous position as Deputy National Police Chief and ascended to the position of National Police Chief of the…
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Flood warning issued for 10 provinces and Bangkok as heavy monsoon rains threaten Chao Phraya River
The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) issued a flood warning for 10 provinces and Bangkok, highlighting the risk to low-lying areas outside the Chao Phraya River’s embankments from tomorrow. This warning follows the report from the Irrigation Department about the influence of the monsoon trough causing heavy rains in the northern region, leading to an increase in the…
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Dutch father and son die in truck crash in Nakhon Ratchasima
A Dutch father and son tragically lost their lives after their pickup truck crashed into a concrete barrier, leading to a loud explosion and the front wheel detaching. This incident happened today, around 10.30am on the Friendship Highway, in Nakhon Ratchasima. The police officer, Auychai Phromwong, from the Central Forest Police Station in Pak Chong district, was quick to respond…
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Thai lottery livestream draws in eager participants with six million baht top prize
The Government Lottery Office livestreamed the lottery results today with eager participants tuning in to check the results. The event was marked by anticipation as participants hoped to land the top prize, along with other rewards such as the last two digits and the last three digits, among others. The live broadcast of the lottery results for the government lottery…
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Chon Buri man fatally shot seven times leaves toddler behind: Mother pleads for justice
A 40 year old man was fatally shot seven times, leaving his three-year-old child behind, in a tragic incident in a rental room in a village in Chon Buri province. The deceased, identified as Atsana, was well-liked and sociable with friends, according to his grieving mother. The shooting took place on the night of September 30. Thaworn Naiyen, a senior…
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Thai senator sparks outrage for disrespecting protected moss in Iceland and facing public rebuke
A video that went viral on social media depicted a Thai gentleman displaying rather impolite behaviour towards a woman bearing a striking resemblance to Senator Dr Porntip Rojanasunan, during her overseas travels. This gentleman employed a series of unkind words in both the Thai and English languages, thereby eliciting a broad spectrum of criticism on various social media platforms. Opinions…
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Bangkok father faces charges for child abuse: Paweena Hongsakul Foundation steps in
The Paweena Hongsakul Foundation for Children and Women, in conjunction with the Bangkok Children and Family Home, lodged an official complaint today on behalf of a six year old girl and her aunt after an alleged child abuse case came to light. They reported the child’s 33 year old father for assaulting the child using a PVC pipe and a…
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Chiang Mai bridge collapses amid heavy rain, locals express relief
The Wang Sa Kaeng Bridge, spanning the Ping River and connecting the Chom Thong district of Chiang Mai and Wiang Nong Long district of Lampoon, collapsed after heavy rainfall. The incident, which occurred at 5.31pm yesterday, was captured by locals, who expressed relief at the bridge’s collapse, citing its long-standing disrepair. The collapse of the Wang Sa Kaeng bridge, which…
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Thai education pioneer Professor Wijit Srisa-arn passes away at 88
Professor Wijit Srisa-arn, a prominent scholar and the founder of Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, died yesterday, aged 88 years old. His death was due to heart failure, which set in around 10am. The funeral rites are scheduled to start at Wat Makut Kasattriyaram in Bangkok from tomorrow till Sunday. Known for his invaluable contributions to education, Professor Wijit hailed from…
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Fatal highway crash: Container truck skids off course, collides with taxi
A container truck skidded off course on the highway, causing its container to unhinge and cross the median strip, resulting in a fatal crash with an oncoming taxi. The accident happened on the special highway between cities number nine around kilometre 58+000 heading towards Bang Phli, at approximately 9.25pm yesterday. The truck veered from the leftmost lane to the far…
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MFP faces corruption probe over contentious Deputy House Speaker expulsion
The Move Forward Party (MFP) has come under scrutiny in a corruption probe following the contentious expulsion of Deputy House Speaker Padipat Santipada. Known activist Srisuwan Janya announced his intention to petition the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to investigate the incident. The MFP’s move was viewed with suspicion, with Srisuwan and several political observers deeming it a tactic to simultaneously…
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Blackpink’s Lisa to receive Thai cultural ambassador award for promoting local culture
Announced earlier this week, Lalisa Lisa Manoban, a member of the globally renowned K-Pop group Blackpink, is set to receive a prestigious cultural ambassador leader award from Thailand’s Culture Ministry. The celebrated singer, who hails from Buriram, has been recognised for her significant contributions to promoting Thai culture on an international stage. A grand and formal ceremony is on the…
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Thai Prime Minister acts swiftly on northern region’s escalating flood crisis
Srettha Thavisin, Prime Minister of Thailand, initiated immediate action yesterday in response to the flood crisis in numerous provinces in northern Thailand. The floodwater from the Yom River is expected to exacerbate the situation downstream, particularly in provinces such as Sukhothai and Phitsanulok. Reports of flooding were received from several northern and northeastern provinces, including Phrae and Phetchabun, where significant flooding…
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