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 Top 10 reasons for expats to get a comprehensive health insurance in Thailand
Moving to Thailand offers plenty of excitement and adventure, but the local healthcare system can be complex to navigate as an expat. From unique health risks to high costs at private hospitals, having a comprehensive health insurance plan is essential....
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Thai MP permanently banned from politics for using forest reserve land for farm
A former MP of Thailand’s Palang Pracharath is now permanently banned from Thai politics for using forest reserve land in Ratchaburi province for her farm. The issues around the MP, Pareena Kraikupt, using land began to surface in 2019. The Royal Forest Department then investigated the land, and concluded that Pareena’s poultry farm encroached on it. The department asked the…
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AQ.in.th simplifies and speeds up the process of entering Thailand for tourists
Press Release Entering Thailand has never been easier since the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that the Test & Go and sandbox programs have been revamped, the country is more than ready to reopen and welcome tourists from around the world. As a result, this website (AQ.in.th) was launched to help anxious travellers out. It acts as a one-stop-shop for them to…
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Highest ever number of gubernatorial candidates register in Bangkok
The highest ever number of candidates, 31, have registered for Bangkok’s upcoming gubernatorial election on May 22. This will be the 11th gubernatorial election in Bangkok, and the first held in nine years. The chairman of Bangkok’s election commission said all candidates will be invited to the government complex on Chaeng Wattana tomorrow to be briefed on the election guidelines. Right…
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Phuket governor Narong plans road safety campaign ahead of Songrkan
Phuket governor Narong is planning a road safety campaign ahead of Sonkran with a goal of zero casualties during the holiday. The dates for the campaign, called Seven Days of Danger, have yet to be announced. Last year, the campaign focused on ending drunk driving, and inspecting “risk points” where accidents had happened. 21 people were injured, and one person…
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Thursday Covid Update: 26,081 new cases; provincial totals
91 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 25,788 with 4,090 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 26,081 new Covid-19 cases and 26,011 recoveries. There are now 248,057 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Thailand cold spell kills 200 chickens in Chaiyaphum
A poultry farm in the northeastern province of Chaiyaphum reported that over 200 chickens died after the temperature dropped to 17 degrees Celsius earlier this week. The Department of Livestock Development reported that sudden changes in weather patterns are affecting the animal husbandry sector in Thailand. Chickens can tolerate cold temperatures below freezing, but sudden changes in temperature can affect…
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Police arrest two alleged gambling operators following Phuket robbery
Police in Phuket reported yesterday that two men in other parts of Thailand have been arrested for allegedly operating an online gambling website. Police have now reportedly seized more than 3.7 billion baht in cash and taken the website down. They also seized dozens of other items of evidence, including three land title deeds and four contracts, eight mobile phones,…
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Police arrest tiger cub smugglers in Central Thailand
Police seized a four month old tiger cub in a car park in the central province of Nonthaburi yesterday. Three men wanted on arrest warrants were arrested on suspicion of possessing and trafficking protected wildlife without permission. All three men confessed to importing the tiger cub from Laos. The cub was found in a basket inside a Honda pickup truck…
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Pattaya man allegedly threatens tourists with knife at mall
A young man allegedly wandered around the parking lot of a Pattaya mall threatening tourists with a knife yesterday. Pattaya Police detained the man at Pattaya Police Station, and claim he was incoherent and couldn’t properly answer questions. The man had also reportedly been talking in circles. Witnesses called the police immediately after seeing him walk around brandishing the long…
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Thailand bans single-use plastics from national parks, know before you go
The next time you go for a hike, swim or boat ride in Thailand’s protected great outdoors, make sure to leave disposable plastics at home — except for a water bottle. Beginning April 6, all single-use plastics and styrofoam products are banned from entering national parks in Thailand. Specifically, single-use plastic items such as bags, spoons, forks, straws, cups and…
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Thailand’s latest ganja product: marijuana infused fish sauce
There are few products left in Thailand that haven’t yet been infused with cannabis since Anutin Charnvirakul’s marijuana mystery tour began. The latest product, marijuana infused fish sauce, debuted at an event in the northeastern province of Khon Kaen last weekend. Yum? As we have said many times before, products are currently allowed to contain a maximum of 0.2% THC,…
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Dog poisonings on the rise in Thailand, how to adopt them
A woman in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima claims she has evidence that seven of her beloved dogs have been poisoned to death. She thinks she knows who the culprit is and has filed a complaint at the local police station in the hope they will be prosecuted. Dog poisoning is sadly a regular occurrence all over Thailand, with…
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UPDATE: Tangmo’s manager ‘Gatick’ reports to police, confesses to drinking wine
The long-awaited truth may be finally coming out in the case of Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong, after her manager confessed to giving false statements about what happened on the boat that fateful night the Thai actress drowned in the Chao Phraya River in February. Police are also still searching for another man who was not on the boat that night, but…
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Creamfields Festival is coming to Thailand
Get your rave gear ready because one of the world’s most prestigious electronic dance music festivals is coming to Thailand next month. The UK’s Creamfields Festival will take place in Pattaya from May 28-29 and the line up so far doesn’t disappoint. Early bird tickets are sold out, so if you want to attend the festival, be prepared when the…
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Khao San Road businesses cancel Songkran party plans for third year running
Splash-happy tourists can cross out Bangkok’s Khao San Road from their water bucket list this year, after local business owners officially cancelled their plans to hold and Songkran celebrations in the capital’s tourist hotspot, formerly referred to as a “backpacker haven”. It’s the third consecutive year Khao San area operators have halted their famous water fights, much to the chagrin…
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Chakri Day 2022: All you need to know about Thailand’s public holiday
Chakri Memorial Day is an annual public holiday that’s observed on April 6 in Thailand. Officially called “King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke the Great Day” and “Chakri Dynasty Memorial Day”, the holiday commemorates the coronation of General Chao Phraya Chakri as Phra Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke, aka Rama I, establishing the Chakri Dynasty in 1782. One of King Rama I’s first significant…
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Burmese continue to flood across Thai-Myanmar border, fleeing unrest
Police raided a house in the northern province of Chiang Rai yesterday to find 71 Burmese migrants hiding inside. A Thai man who was also inside the house told police he was hired to pick up the migrants who had illegally crossed over the border from Myanmar and transport them to the house. The migrants told police they were heading…
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Thailand’s 1330 hotline primed for post Songkran spike in Covid-19 infections
With Songkran holiday just around the corner, the National Health Security Office, or NHSO, is ready to deal with an expected increase in Covid-19 cases with it’s 1330 emergency hotline. The number of new infections in Thailand is expected to increase after the Thai New Year, according to NHSO deputy secretary-general Atthaporn Limpanyalert. Vulnerable groups can dial 1330 ext 18…
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Boost in car sales, enthusiasm for EVs – Bangkok’s annual motor show – VIDEO
Petrol-powered cars are still in vogue, but electric vehicles, or EVs, are on the rise. That’s the takeaway from this year’s Bangkok International Motor Show, which recorded sales of some 34,000 vehicles, nearly a 14% increase compared to last year. The 43rd edition of the popular motor show took place over a span of two weeks at Impact Muang Thong…
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Park rangers save 6 wild baby elephants stuck in the mud
Netizens are going wild over photos posted on Facebook yesterday morning of six naughty wild elephant calves that ran off from their herd to cool off in a pool of mud at a national park in Prachin Buri province, central Thailand. The baby elephants played for so long that they exhausted themselves and couldn’t get out. Their muddy bodies were…
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Foreign directors shoot 196 movies, series and adverts in Thailand
Foreign film crews shot a total of 196 movies, series and advertisements in Thailand since July 2020, generating over 6 billion baht in revenue for the country. The Ministry of Culture (MOC) plans to increase revenue from foreign filmmaking by implementing more tax measures. The country’s Culture Minister plans to use ‘soft power’ to “promote the image of Thailand” on…
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Thai netizens share video of mysterious woman standing still on Pattaya sidewalk for hours
A Thai TikTok user has shared a video of a woman standing still on the sidewalk in Pattaya in the middle of the night. Thai netizens commented on the post, saying she might be homeless, and she only took one or two steps then stood without moving for hours. Many people urged authorities to take care of her to prevent…
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SURVEY: The BIG question – Bum Gun or Toilet Paper – final results
So the results are out. When asked the big question, respondents favoured Thailand (and Asia’s) ubiquitous ‘bum gun’ over toilet paper. Full article below, but here are some of the reader responses from today’s The Thaiger YouTube survey. WARNING: Plentiful euphemisms for ‘bottom’ ahead. But first, the final result… • “Bum guns – best things ever! Bum gun to clean,…
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Woman wields sword, tries to slash man who refused threesome
Armed with a Samurai sword, a deranged woman knocked on the door of her male friend after he and his wife reportedly refused to have a threesome with her. At least, that’s what he said. The couple shared that they were threatened several times until they had to flee from Bangkok, but the woman could still stalk them. Thai netizens…
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Thailand issues stormy weather warning for Phuket, Andaman coastline
Residents along Thailand’s western coastline are bracing for stormy seas, after the Thai Meteorological Department, or TMD, issued a stormy weather warning for Phuket, Krabi, Trang, Satun and Phang Ng, as a large storm front blows in from the Andaman Sea. “More rain and isolated heavy rains are likely in the South. People in the South should beware of the…
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Songkran: MOPH to measure blood alcohol levels during festival’s ‘7 Dangerous Days’
The Ministry of Public Health plans to use blood testers to measure the alcohol level of drivers during the “Seven Dangerous Days of Songkran”. Authorities say the blood test would be used in addition to the standard breathalyzer test. If anyone refuses to get tested, officers will assume them to be drunk. The crowded roads during the annual Songkran Festival…
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Rare sea creatures spotted in Krabi, southern Thailand
Rare marine animals were spotted enjoying Thailand’s coastal waters last week in Krabi, southern Thailand. Dugongs (manatee’s little cousins), humpback dolphins and sea turtles were seen from above in an aerial survey conducted by the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) from March 27 – April 1. A total of 34 dugongs, colloquially known as “sea cows”, were seen…
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Thai navy won’t buy Chinese submarine switcheroo, must have German engine — PM Prayut
No engine, no cigar. That’s the hard line Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha set on Monday regarding the navy’s deal to purchase a Chinese submarine without the most important part — the engine. If China doesn’t include the German-made engine as stated in the purchase agreement, then it’s “Hasta la vista, baby.” “What do we do with a submarine with…
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Bank of Thailand updates 20 baht banknote for improved hygiene and longevity
The Bank of Thailand has launched a new 20 baht banknote made of polyester. The banknote is said to resist moisture and grime, resulting in a longer shelf-life. The central bank began distributing the shiny new baht greenbacks on March 24. The Bank of Thailand announced that people used the 20 baht banknote the most frequently, making them dirty and…
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PM Prayut wants to fix Bangkok’s smelly canals
It’s no secret that Bangkok stinks. When you take a breath of “fresh air” on the street, it’s not rare for a concoction of barbecued chicken, pollution and sewage to enter your nose. Even after living in Bangkok for a number of years, the smell never gets any less pungent, especially in the summer months. The issue is untreated wastewater…
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