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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Maximising revenue and profit–isn’t that the ultimate goal for every business in the hospitality industry? If you run a hotel, you might have heard that revenue management is an effective way to boost your top-line revenue. It involves using data...
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Thailand looks to Indian arrivals for new wave of tourism
PHOTO: Chiang Rai Times With two million Indian tourists expected for this year, reports in both Thai and English language media claim visitors from India are ‘set to transform’ Thailand’s tourism landscape. TNN reports, via Thai Visa, that tourist numbers to Thailand from India are expected to increase to 14 million a year by the end of the next decade.…
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Anti fake news website is now live
The Anti-Fake News Centre, created by the Digital Economy and Society Ministry, opened last Friday and is now available to access online. The government says the centre will target fake news that might have an impact on the public and public assets, using examples of news about epidemics, disasters, the environment and the economy, and news that could create social…
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PM signals more stimulus packages to lift Thai economy
Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says Thailand needs more measures to boost the local economy. He made the remark during the meeting of the Council of the Economic Ministers on Friday. The PM reassured the meeting that Thailand’s and other ASEAN economies were not in recession, but would have slower growth next year, so Thailand needs to come up with stimulus measures.…
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Thailand’s internet economy to hit 50 billion dollars by 2025
Google and Singaporean investment firm Temasek launched a research program into the internet economies of Southeast Asia In 2016 and continue tracking economies in the region. Their “E-Conomy SEA 2019” report shows that Southeast Asia’s internet economy reached 100 billion dollars for the first time this year, with 360 million people now linked to cyberspace – 100 million more than…
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Child’s bruises spark suit against school
A 5 year old kindergarten student was ‘spanked’ as a punishment because “…she’s a slow learner and can’t answer questions,” according to her teacher. The girl responded to the teacher “I’m stupid, I have no brains, but I have a heart.” The incident took place in September but wasn’t shared until last month, with pictures showing bruises on the child’s…
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Ministry considering third round of the Chim Shop Chai stimulus packages
Deputy PM Somkid Jatusripitak is praising the Chim Shop Chai (Eat Shop Spend) scheme and has told the Finance Ministry to consider launching a third round before the end of the year. In a policy speech, he defended the scheme, saying it’s neither wasteful nor a populist policy, fending off accusations by critics. He insists the program has been successful in…
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Thai Immigration Chief warns law-breaking foreigners “this is just the start”
PHOTOS: Naew Na The chief of Thai Immigration, Lieutenant General Sompong Chingduang, also known as ‘Big Oud’ (because the head of Immigration has to have a nickname starting with ‘big’ apparently), is warning foreigners breaking the law in the country that the latest crackdown “is just the beginning”. ThaiVisa reports that the immigration chief made his announcement at Immigration HQ…
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DSI takes over 400 million baht ‘Mae Manee’ Ponzi scheme investigation
Police are hunting for a woman suspected to be at the head of a huge pyramid scheme that has allegedly scammed hundreds of people. Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin has handed a case, where at least 2000 victims were allegedly cheated out of more than 430 million baht, over to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI). The ”Mae Manee pyramid scheme”…
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Extra day off added to Thailand’s end-of-year holidays
PHOTO: Thaizer.com Monday, December 30, has been approved as an additional public holiday, meaning one extra day added to the year-end celebrations as an official day off. The Nation reports that the Cabinet approved the extra day, which brings the holiday period to a total of five days, beginning on Saturday, December 28 and running until Wednesday, January 1. It’s…
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HM The King fires palace bedroom staff over “violence and adultery”
PHOTO: Royal Palace Household According to an official notice from the Thai Royal Household yesterday, Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn has dismissed two more palace officials for committing “adultery and unspecified violent conduct.” There were two other sackings announced in yesterday’s statement from the Thai palace. The action adds four more palace officials to a series of high profile public dismissals…
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The world scrambles to attract Chinese travellers
PHOTO: pri.org Spending US$277 billion worldwide last year, Chinese travellers are the world’s top tourism spenders, by a long margin. Now the global travel industry is scrambling to capture its slice of the lucrative ‘bamboo dollar’, and falling out of Chinese travellers’ favour can have a dramatic impact on tourism figures. For example, Phuket has suffered as a result of…
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Thailand has 6 months to discuss GSP with US
PHOTO: TNA Thai authorities still have six months to discuss the US decision to suspend tariff exemptions for Thai exports under its Generalised System of Preferences, according to PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. The PM says the US has suspended GSP privileges not only for Thailand but other countries too. Thailand has enjoyed GSP privileges for nine years and Washington might think…
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Phuket to get new tourist attraction theme park – Carnival Magic
From next year, Phuket will have a new tourist attraction, in the form of a theme park called Carnival Magic. The forthcoming attraction, which will be located in Kamala (where Phuket FantaSea has been operating for 21 years), has been confirmed by Phuket FantaSea’s chairman Pin Kewkacha. “Carnival Magic is a theme park that showcases Thai culture through technology and lighting.…
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The lights are on, but there’s no-one home: villagers report empty police station in central Thailand
Villagers in Pathumthani province, central Thailand, have lodged complaints about a local police station claiming it was unmanned at night when they went to file a report. Thai Residents reports that local residents who went to Klong Luang police station were left waiting so long for someone to return that they ended up sleeping at the station. It was also…
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Visa fee waiver extended
Thailand’s Cabinet has approved a 6 month extension of the Visa on Arrival fee waiver for visitors, designed to generate more tourism spending in Thailand. A deputy government spokesperson said yesterday (October 28) that the Cabinet has in principle approved the draft fee waiver extension for six months beyond the initial expiry date to April 30 2020. Under the campaign,…
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Commerce Ministry will appeal US GSP decision
Thailand will ask the United States to reconsider removal of trade preferences for Thai exports under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), according to the Ministry of Commerce. In the past, whenever trade benefits for Thai products exported to the US were suspended, Thailand has appealed to the US, according to the commerce minister, who added that it is ultimately…
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Thai banks report strong mortgage growth despite April’s new loan regulations
Ever since the Thai government enforced the higher loan-to-value ratios on property lenders last April, borrowers and developers have been generally unhappy with the result – a sluggish new home-buyer market. But some commercial lenders, particularly some of the larger ones, have still reported strong lending growth for the first nine months of 2019. Kasikorn Bank says its housing loans surged…
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Thai government to slap CO2 tax on ‘big bikes’
PHOTO: bigbiketours.com The Thai Excise Department is poised to boost the tax on “big bikes” by 100,000 baht starting at the beginning of next year. The new tax will reflect motorcycle CO2 emissions. The director of the department’s Bureau of Tax Planning, Nutthakorn Utensute, says the Cabinet will adjust the tax increase for high-powered motorcycles based on their CO2 emissions,…
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Tiger Temple will adopt cats and dogs
Authorities in Kanchanaburi have begun building facilities at the infamous Tiger Temple in Sai Yok district to care for about 1,200 stray dogs and cats from a foundation run by a former Bangkok governor. Kanchanaburi’s governor was among those participating in a ceremony to mark the start of construction on Saturday. The temple, formally known as Wat Pa Luang Ta…
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Thai exports will suffer from Trump decision
US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that the US will suspend 1.3 billion dollars worth of duty-free trade for certain items from Thailand, claiming that Thailand has not taken steps to protect labor rights. In a letter to US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence, Trump said he had suspended duty-free treatment because Thailand…
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Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport moves domestic passenger security screening
From 5.00am on November 19, Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok will relocate screening of domestic passengers to alleviate overcrowding on the fourth floor. The Nation reports that the airport is moving the security screening to concourse screening, including Concourse A and B on the second and third floors. The measure is also being put in place to address the confusion and…
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Thai dog rescue service named Rescue of the Year in global contest
Walkin’ Pets by HandicappedPets.com is proud to announce Thailand’s own Michael Baines, and his rescue The Man That Rescues Dogs, as the first ever Walkin’ Pets Rescue of the Year award. Michael Baines is the founder of the Man That Rescues Dogs and is a true champion for special needs dogs. Michael Baines is a chef by profession and a…
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Korean man in coma after Pattaya stabbing
A 28 year old tourist from South Korea has been left in a coma after being stabbed 17 times in Pattaya. The Nation reports that the incident happened in the Bang Lamung district in the early hours of yesterday morning. The victim has been named as Park Jin-hyung. It’s understood that a local taxi driver called the police at around…
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Kasikorn Bank predicts 4-6% growth in loans for 2020
Despite the expectation of a sluggish economy in 2020, Kasikorn bank aims to grow its loan volume by 4-6% next year. They it say they will achieve this withs emphasis “on services that meet customers’ business and lifestyle needs, effective cost management and using data in lending to retail customers”. Banthoon Lamsam, KBank’s board chairman, says the Thai economy in 2020…
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Police foil attempt to smuggle one million yaba pills from north to south of Thailand
Thai Residents reports that acting on intelligence reports, Border Patrol Police (BPP) in Chiang Mai have busted a drug smuggling operation that was attempting to transport a million yaba pills from the north of the country to the south. The operation began on October 22, with the gang planning to transport the pills from Chiang Dao district through the forest…
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Thai Airways not at risk of shutting down: president
Thai Airways is not at risk of shutting down and recent news reports about the airline’s situation were “misinterpreted”, the beleaguered carrier’s president insisted on Wednesday. The statement appeared to directly contradict remarks he made to high-ranking THAI staff in a speech on Tuesday. He said the remarks were to encourage staff to make an earnest effort to ensure the…
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Visa fee waiver to run until end of April
The government will extend the waiver of visa-on-arrival fees for another six months to boost the number of foreign tourists entering the Kingdom. A government spokesperson announced on Tuesday (October 22) that the Cabinet had approved a six-month extension to the exemption until the end of April next year. The visa fee waiver was implemented in November last year and…
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Six top officials sacked on King’s orders
His Majesty the King has sacked six senior palace officials attached to Royal Guard units and the Royal Household Bureau, stripping them of their rank and recalling their royal insignias, citing severe disciplinary misconduct and accusing them of exploiting their positions for personal gain. The dismissals were announced in two royal commands, reported Wednesday October 23 by the Royal Gazette.…
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Hotel guest in Chiang Mai runs up bill of nearly 50,000 baht before fleeing
A man who claims to be a doctor stayed in a Chiang Mai hotel for 21 nights, running up a bill of nearly 50,000 baht, before instructing the hotel to invoice the Ministry for the Interior and then fleeing the premises. Employees of the hotel say they didn’t expect the man to abscond as he has stayed there on three…
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One dead, three in coma, ten seriously ill after drinking moonshine mixed with poisonous toad blood in Chonburi
A dangerous concoction of herbal alcohol known as ya dong, mixed with poisonous toad blood, has left one man dead, three others in a coma, and ten seriously ill in Chonburi province. The Pattaya News reports that the incident happened in the sub-district of Samet, with local police notified after a man was found dead at Samet temple on Monday…
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