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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Sponsored How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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Thailand will punish migrants for stealing Thai jobs
Thailand will punish migrants with the full force of the law if they’re found to be stealing Thai jobs. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha directed the Department of Employment to promptly enforce the law against an increasing number of migrant workers who are occupying positions designated for Thai citizens. In response to this, the authorities conducted raids on 14,104 workplaces across…
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Young Englishwoman needs surgery after hit-and-run on Thai island
A 20 year old Englishwoman is seriously injured and awaiting surgery after she was struck and abandoned after a hit-and-run crash on Koh Phi Phi island in southern Thailand last week. Ruby Spry, from Penzance in Cornwall, was driving a motorbike through the small island last Wednesday when a motorbike coming the other way drove on the wrong side of…
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Tank accident kills sergeant and cadet in central Thailand
Tragedy struck when a tank accident killed a Thai sergeant and a cadet in the central Lop Buri province yesterday. The accident occurred during a joint military, police, and civilian exercise. According to Matichon, the Scorpion light tank carrying three military personnel was just a kilometre from its destination, Hill 129, when it collided with an FTX truck that was…
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Where you can get high-quality cannabis in Pattaya
Recently, Pattaya has become a popular destination for cannabis enthusiasts. With its relaxed laws, Pattaya has become a hub for cannabis tourism, offering an array of cannabis-related activities, products, and services. Whether you’re looking to relax with a puff of a joint, enjoy an edible, or explore the science behind cannabis, Pattaya has something for everyone. So, if you’re ready…
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Nearly 100 Pattaya couples register marriages while riding elephants on Valentine’s Day
Love was in the air in Pattaya on Valentine’s Day (yesterday) when nearly 100 couples registered marriages while riding elephants. A total of 99 lucky couples registered their marriages on elephants’ back at Pattaya’s Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens. Sattahip district Sunthorn Munawaro travelled to the garden to register the couples. The event, which has been held annually since 2010, was…
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Canadian placed on ‘watchlist’ over Thai girlfriend’s death in Phuket
UPDATE Deputy national police chief Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn said the Canadian man whose girlfriend was found hanged in Phuket, southern Thailand, last week has been placed on a “watchlist” and will be investigated. The deceased, 31 year old Wanvisa Riewklang, reported her boyfriend, 51 year old “Landy” to the police for alleged assault just days before her death. Wanvisa’s…
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Tourism Authority of Thailand tells India ‘a million thanks’
Thailand’s tourism officials are expressing their gratitude to India for the high number of Indian tourists in Thailand. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has recently hosted an event in New Delhi, India, titled “A Million Thanks: Amazing Thailand Night Reception,” to express gratitude to the Indian travel industry for promoting Thailand as a top tourist destination. The event took…
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Fake fortune teller uses nude images to blackmail 11 year old girl
An 11 year old girl and her parents sought help after their daughter was blackmailed by a fake fortune teller she met online three years ago. The blackmailer lured her into sending nude images and forwarded them to her friends. The family reached out to Pavena Hongsakun, the President of the Pavena Foundation for Children and Women, who then referred…
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Man walks over ‘500 miles’ and ‘500 more’ to marry his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day
The man who walked over “500 miles” and almost “500 more” and “to be the man who wakes up next to” his love, today arrived at his destination. Suthep “Maew” Prompjit walked 1,200 kilometres to prove true love still exists and met his girlfriend for the first time, after talking on social media for nearly six months. They start a…
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Don’t wank during video calls, warns police
A day after Royal Thai Police warned women to be wary of “sextortion” on Valentine’s Day, men have been told not to wank during video calls. Police reckon it could lead men open to blackmail by fraudsters using fake profile photos of attractive women. Pol Col Siriwat Deephor, deputy chief of the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD), reported that dozens…
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Pattaya Police and rescuers stop American man from jumping to death
A potential tragedy was averted in Pattaya as quick-thinking police and rescuers stopped an American man from jumping to his death. The 67 year old man was rescued from a 20th-floor ledge of the Arbour Hotel and Residence on Third Road on Saturday. Police and rescue volunteers from the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Foundation spoke to the man for four hours…
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Most visited websites in Thailand in 2023
A new data report reveals some fascinating trends among Internet users in Thailand in 2023, including which websites are visited the most. ‘Digital 2023: Thailand’ reports data, insights, and trends revealing how people in Thailand use digital devices and services. At the start of 2023, there were 61.21 million Internet users in Thailand. Thailand’s total population was recorded at 71.75…
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Feeling lonely on Valentine’s Day? Name a cockroach after an ex and feel better
Single and feeling a little lonely on Valentine’s Day, then why not name a cockroach or rat after an ex and feed it to an animal to make you feel better? No, we’re not kidding and it’s more common than you think. Naming a cockroach after a former lover is the brainchild of San Antonio Zoo in Texas. The zoo…
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Wild gaur gores woman leaving her seriously injured in northeast Thailand
A woman who went out looking for red ant eggs is seriously injured after she was gored by wild gaur in a rural area of Nakhon Ratchasima province in northeast Thailand yesterday. At 2.40pm, the village chief of Ban Phong Ta Long in Pak Chong district, Chamras Phusuman, was informed that someone was severely attacked by a wild gaur in…
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Woman accuses famous durian shop owners in Thailand of brutal rape and assault
A woman filed a complaint with the police claiming her employers raped and brutally assaulted her but the police refused to investigate the claim. The police advised both parties to settle the matter amongst themselves. The couple, who run an online durian business in the Pluak Daeng district in the central province of Rayong named Mon Thong Durian, Online Fruit…
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Thailand’s K9 dogs wear safety boots to search for victims in Turkey earthquake
As rescuers in Turkey continue to find miracle survivors beneath the rubble a week after the country’s worst earthquake in modern history, K9 dogs from Thailand are assisting in the search for victims. Thailand’s Environmental and Social Foundation posted photos of the police dogs hard at work on Facebook yesterday with the caption… “It’s time to put on your safety…
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Nearly 2,000 Chinese flights to enter Thailand in coming months
Nearly 2,000 Chinese flights are set to enter Thailand in the coming months. Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAAT) authorised1,910 flights from China to enter the kingdom, with 671 expected to arrive in February and 970 slated for arrival in March, according to CAAT president Suttipong Kongpool. In addition, the CAAT has received 6,318 flight requests for the period from February…
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Phuket police can’t catch foreigner stealing tourists’ credit cards for shopping sprees
A foreign man has made a habit of stealing credit cards from tourists in Phuket, southern Thailand, to go on expensive shopping sprees. He has managed to avoid arrest so far. The same foreign man of unknown nationality is pickpocketing tourists in the Patong area of Phuket and using fake passports to make purchases of expensive items in bulk like…
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Thai woman accuses Philippines airport officers of attempted theft
A Thai woman accused customs officers at Manila International Airport in the Philippines of attempted theft. She said the officers tried to steal 40,000 yen (about 10,000 baht) from her bag. The Thai woman, Saruta Jansila, shared her unnerving experience at the Ninoy Aquino Intl Airport (Manila) in the Philippines on a Facebook group named People Who Like to Roam…
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Phuket officials warn tourists to beware of jellyfish
Phuket officials are warning tourists to beware of potentially dangerous jellyfish while enjoying the island’s beaches. The warning issued today comes after more than 30 visitors reported being stung by jellyfish at Kata Beach last week, with most experiencing mild symptoms. In response to this, signs have been placed at over 20 popular tourist destinations around Phuket, including Patong, Nai…
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Man accuses son of drugging him and killing his wife to steal 65 million baht
A Thai millionaire accused his son and daughter-in-law of drugging him and killing his wife to steal 65 million baht. The millionaire claims that he was held captive over a two-year period before finally managing to escape in May last year. The 67 year old man, who was not identified, filed a complaint at Chanchoengsao Police Station on Saturday, February…
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Thai man accuses Canadian man of murdering his sister in Phuket
A Thai man accuses a Canadian man of murdering his younger sister who was found hanged in a nail salon in Phuket, southern Thailand, last week. He says the Canadian assaulted, held hostage, drugged, and blackmailed his sister just days before her death. She reported him to the police three days prior to being found dead. The Canadian allegedly offered…
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Thai police swoop to close down another illegal Chinese operation
Thai police swooped on yet another illegal Chinese business operation, leading to the arrest of one man. Officers from the Consumer Protection Division (CPD) in Thailand conducted searches in two different locations in Prawet District in Bangkok and Samut Prakan province and seized counterfeit cosmetics and low-quality medical supplies worth an estimated 14 million baht. During the raids, a Chinese…
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Report finds most Thais don’t understand climate change
A recent report by the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) has revealed that most Thais have a limited understanding of the impact of climate change on the planet. Only 35% of Thais believe that the use of fossil fuels should be reduced. This reflects a general lack of awareness about climate change and what causes it. Oddly, the…
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German tourist snatches Russian woman’s pricey sunglasses at Thai immigration office
A German tourist snatched a Russian woman’s pricey sunglasses at a Thai immigration office, Thai media reported on Saturday. The two holidaymakers were both getting their visas extended at the immigration office South Thailand’s Surat Thani province. CCTV footage caught the crook, 31 year old Marcel, grabbing the sunglasses that the woman left on a chair at the office while…
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Embassy searches for Thai woman missing in Turkey after earthquake
The Royal Thai Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, is searching for a missing Thai woman in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that hit southern Turkey and northern Syria. The Thai embassy requested clues about the woman, Wilairat Channual, and the rescue team has been notified, Nation Thailand reported yesterday. The embassy is also working with local agencies to repatriate the…
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Elephant in Thailand dies after tourists feed it wrong food
An elephant camp in Koh Chang, eastern Thailand, is warning tourists not to feed elephants food containing chemicals after an elephant died after eating chemically-contaminated bananas. A few weeks ago, a 20 year old male elephant at Kaebai Meechai Elephant Camp in Koh Chang, Trat province, fell ill with flatulence and indigestion after eating food brought in by some tourists,…
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Small hotels recover in Thailand as foreigners move downmarket
As small hotels recover in Thailand, returning tourists are choosing different options from pre-pandemic staples. A study of small hotels and hostels found booking growth is now higher than before the pandemic, with bookings from overseas tourists exceeding those of local travellers. As small hotels recover in Thailand, bookings are up by a quarter from the pre-Covid levels, according to…
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TAT takes part in major tourism exchange event in India
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) took part in a major tourism exchange event in New Delhi, India last week. TAT participated in South Asia’s Travel & Tourism Exchange (SATTE) for the 14th time, heading up a strong delegation of over 40 tourism suppliers. SATTE, which is India’s largest travel fair, was held from February 9 to 11 2023 at…
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Gay-friendly Japanese sauna warns Thai tourists to watch their manners
A gay-friendly Japanese sauna displayed a sign in Thai to remind Thai tourists to exhibit proper etiquette while using the facility. The warning sign’s unique feature of a cartoon penis watermark accompanied by a silent hand gesture attracted significant attention and quickly went viral on social media. A Facebook account named Sa-nguan Khumrungroj posted a picture of the sign with a…
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