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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Infinito helps hotels in Thailand with revenue management
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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Thai health authorities investigate Australian couples’ claim of illness after eating pad thai in Phuket
The Thai Disease Control Department says they’re investigation claims by a Perth couple that they went through “two years of hell” after eating a plate of Pad Thai while visiting Phuket on holiday in 2017. Stacey Barnes and Ryan Prigg from Perth, along with their two children, visited Thailand in 2017. Once back in Perth they both began to feel…
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Korean TVs “Law of the Jungle” leaves viewers dismayed about Thai episodes
Thailand’s ‘Post Today’, is reporting that South Korean TV viewers were dismayed when they learned that the production crew and cast of the SBS Television show “Law of the Jungle” had caught protected giant clams while filming the series in Thailand. The topic has become a trending social media topic in Korea. Korean news agency, Yonhap, who interviewed the South…
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Thai smartphone users ready for 5G
“50% of the local respondents said they are willing to pay 150 baht extra in fees per month.” 5G, the next generation of phone speed, is on the way and coming to a smartphone near you. A recent survey of 35,000 people around the world shows that there will be as many as 1.9 billion 5G subscribers globally in the…
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NCPO chief terminates around 100 orders today
PHOTO: มติชน The chief of the NCPO will issue his last command that terminates around 100 coup orders. Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngam was commenting today on a meeting with chief coalition whip Wirat Rattanset who spoke to him yesterday about the annulment of orders issued by the NCPO between May 2014 and March this year when Thailand held the general election.…
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Police say posh private plane is not just for Prawit
Critics are alleging that a new 1.1 billion baht 10 seat luxury private jet is being used solely to transport the current deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan around the country. Yesterday’s reports in Thai media have forced the Royal Thai Police to deny the plane would only serve the needs of the ageing Deputy PM. Accusations first came from the Watchdog Act…
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American Airlines inks deal with Cathay Dragonair for more destinations in SE Asia
American Airlines says they now have a new deal with Hong Kong-based Cathay Dragon Airlines allowing US fliers access to South East Asian hot spots such as Phuket, Chiang Mai, Da Nang and Dhaka, Bangladesh. American’s network also will have more frequent flights to Penang, KL and Hanoi. The deal is said to strengthen American and Oneworld’s ties to Asia, the…
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Property developer confidence takes a dive in second quarter 2019
A measurement of real estate developer confidence for the Q2 2019 (April to June) has dropped to 42.2 points from 50.4 points for Q1 2019 (January to March). Thai PBS reports that the second quarter confidence index has fallen below the 50 point median index, reflecting developers’ declining confidence in the economic situation and investment in Thailand. Real estate developers…
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Opposition parties to keep heat on campaign for amendments to Thai Constitution
The seven-party opposition coalition, led by Pheu Thai and Future Forward MPs, is stepping up its campaign to seek public support for its attempts to amend the Constitution and to educate the people about the Thai Constitution. Speaking at a news conference, after a meeting of representatives from the seven opposition parties held yesterday (Monday), Pheu Thai MP Anusorn Iamsa-ard…
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Future Forward legal team submits ‘share-gate’ evidence
PHOTO: Future Forward party secretary-genera, Piyabutr Saengkanokkul In submitting further evidence and clarification over ‘share-gate’, Future Forward party’s legal team has also asked for Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit’s MP status to be reinstated. Thanathorn was suspended from his MP duties when the Constitutional Court decided to accept a case over his alleged media share holdings. The party’s secretary-general Piyabutr Saengkanokkul says, as…
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Aussie couple blame a dodgy pad thai in Thailand for two years of hell
A couple from Perth in Western Australia are blaming a plate of Pad Thai has put them through two years of hell. (The link between the pad thai, though implicated by the couple, and their illness was never fully explained) Stacey Barnes and Ryan Prigg from Perth, along with their two children, visited Thailand for a holiday in 2017. Once…
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Post-election uncertainties see World Bank downgrade GDP further
Thai GDP growth is projected to fall from 4.1% last year to 3.5% in 2019, according to a World Bank report out today. The Thailand Economic Monitor noted that exports contracted by 4% in the first quarter of 2019 – the first quarterly contraction in three years. Private investment and household consumption continued to grow close to their three-year high, helped…
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Thai parliament addresses low prices for farm produce
PHOTO: Low prices for produce, from coconuts to rice, roller to oil palm The new parliament has considered urgent motions on the low prices of farm goods and resolved to set up a 39 member extraordinary House committee to look into the the matter. The new Thai House of Representatives has deliberated 11 urgent motions lodged on the issue of…
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Dog helps lost woman back down from Kanchanaburi forest
A Facebook user, Miyabi Cosmo, has shared her story about a dog who rescued her from a forest in the province of Kanchanaburi, western Thailand, leading her back down the hill. According to the Thai-language Khao Sod, the woman lost her way in the woods. She tried to use her mobile to contact her friends, but there were no mobile…
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‘Grow up’ , ‘don’t throw tantrums’ – Palang Pracharat spokesperson
PHOTO: Uttama Savanayana, left, and Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, deputy spokesperson for Phalang Pracharat Party, is lambasting the opposition for being “childish and narrow-minded” as it filed its petition to censure the PM. He says the opposition should give the new government some time to work before launching no-confidence motions against it. “I want the opposition to be more open-minded…
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German arrested in Phetchabun on Interpol warrant
A 43 year old German man, Sacha Durst, wanted in Germany for fraud and document forgery, has been arrested in the province of Phetchabun, central Thailand, according to Immigration Bureau chief Pol Lt-General Sompong Chingduang. Following a request from their German counterparts, Thai police arrested Sacha Durst who had reportedly been laying low in Thailand since 2015, at a resort in…
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Petition pushing for Prayut’s disqualification as Cabinet member handed to Constitutional Court
PHOTO: The Nation Lower House speaker, Chuan Leekpai, has forwarded a petition to the Constitutional Court calling for the disqualification of PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha as a Cabinet member. The petition, signed by 101 MPs, was handed to Chuan by opposition Pheu Thai Party member Chonlanan Srikieo. The petition suggests that Prayut does not qualify as a Cabinet member, according to…
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Final cabinet posts will contribute to frailty of new Thai government
Before the ink is even dry on the Cabinet list, and before the newly formed government has even sat, along with its PM, rumours continue to swirl over the viability of the Palang Pracharat Coalition and it’s ability to govern. Dean of the National Institute of Development Administration’s School of Social and Environmental Development, Phichai Ratnatilaka Na Bukhet, is quoted…
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Thai Stock Exchange best performer in Asia – first six months
The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) Index shows an increase of 6.8% over previous month up to the end of June, marking it as the best performer in Asia. The SET is up 10.6% from the end of 2018 to 1,730.34 points. The average daily trading value of SET and Market for Alternative Investment in June was 60.53 billion baht…
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Airbnb estimates direct economic impact in Thailand exceeds 33.8 billion baht
• 80 percent of local Airbnb hosts saying they recommend restaurants and cafes to guests • Airbnb guests saying that 46% of their spending occurs in the neighbourhood where they stay. According to new survey findings and an analysis of internal data released today, Airbnb’s host and guest community generated over 33.8 billion baht in estimated direct economic impact in…
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TAT reach out to the NY Pride March to attract more LGBT tourists to Thailand
The Tourism Authority of Thailand is reaching out to the US LGBT community to help broaden Thailand’s tourism base and attract more travellers. The TAT sent a contingent to New York’s annual pride parade, held on World Pride Day, to lure more tourists to the Kingdom. The parade was held last Sunday. TAT are using the branding “Go Thai Be…
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‘No problems’ in the Palang Pracharat Party – Thai PM
Move on, nothing to see here… The Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says there is no problem in the Palang Pracharat party which would warrant his intervention. Asked yesterday by waiting reporters whether he will step in to address conflicts in the coalition alliance, caused by the Palang Pracharat’s ‘Sam Mitr’ faction’, the PM snapped back “What problem? No problem.” Interior…
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Thai PM hints at a ‘solution nobody wanted’ if he can’t solve Cabinet squabbles
Yesterday’s mea culpa by the Thai PM Prayut, rather than providing a reassuring tone for the Thai electorate, has ended up stirring up rumours of another coup. Though the aim of the apology was to help mend the ongoing struggles within the Palang Pracharat Party over cabinet positions (let alone the other 19 parties involved in the pro-junta bloc), Prayut…
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The Tesla of Thailand takes on the big car-makers
There are less than 1,500 battery-powered vehicles in Thailand. Thai billionaire Somphote Ahunai wants to change that with his Energy Absolute. He envisions a total closed universe where he makes the cars, builds the charging stations, then provides the electricity to power the charging stations. The popularity of motorcycles and the busy streets of South East Asia cities are just…
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The Thai Baht in 2022 – a prediction
Please note: This is just ONE website’s predictions of the currencies in the future. It should not be taken as a serious representation of the state of the world currencies in 2022. Trying to find a few good numbers amid the bad we thought we’d look forward three years to some of the world’s major currencies and their projected performance…
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Thai PM apologises for weekend bickering from Palang Pracharat factions
FILE PHOTO The Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has issued an apology and expressed “discomfort” over Palang Pracharat’s internal bickering that has dominated headlines over the weekend. The Prime Minister returned from the G20 meetings in Japan yesterday. The former leader of the NCPO, former PM, and now newly selected PM by the new parliament, is pledging to do his best.…
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Thai authorities moot compulsory travel insurance for travellers
PHOTO: South East Asia Backpacker Magazine The Thai Office of the Insurance Commission says they expect to introduce compulsory travel insurance for visitors to Thailand by the end of 2019. It would be charged to tourists who arrive without travel insurance and go into a ‘fund’ to be used to pay for repatriation costs in the event of misadventure. The…
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British travellers to Thailand make more insurance claims than any other country
According to a survey, the ‘Travel Smart Insurance Index’ recently released by the UK Post Office, more British travellers to Thailand made insurance claims for medical costs of repatriation after visiting Thailand than any other country. According to the report, the Post Office teamed up with the Centre for Economic & Business Research and analysed 17,295 claims from its Travel…
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Deputy PM expresses ‘regret’ over the brutal attack on political activist ‘Ja New’
Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan has expressed regret over the brutal attack on political activist Sirawith Seritiwat, or Ja New, and ordered the national police chief, Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda, to hold an urgent meeting with the metropolitan police commissioner to discuss the incident and to intensify efforts to track down the perpetrators, as well as the mastermind behind the assault,…
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What to do with Thailand’s elephants?
The goring of an Italian tourist in February 2019, whilst elephant riding in Phang Nga, was just another sad example attracting focus on the practice of providing elephants for tourists to ride. Plenty of elephant rides remain popular for tourists around Thailand and there is still plenty of demand, particularly from some international travellers. There is a long history and…
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High-speed rail airport link contracts to be signed next month
The Eastern Economic Corridor Policy Committee has reported progress in the high-speed rail project to link three airports (Suvarnabhumi, U-Tapao and Don Mueang), and the Map Ta Phut industrial port development project. Contracts for both projects are expected to be signed between state firms and private concessionaires in July. The Eastern Economic Corridor Policy Committee, chaired by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha,…
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