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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American arrested in Bangkok for alleged 3 million baht fraud
Bangkok police arrested an American national in Klong Toey district of Bangkok yesterday (reported as Nana in some media). The man arrested allegedly lured investors into fraudulent contracts. Thailand’s Economic Crime Suppression Division says the victims lost over 3 million baht altogether. The man allegedly offered victims options in energy and precious metals as well as futures contracts through 60…
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Thai swimmer recovering after being ‘speared’ by Needlefish in Trat
Spearfishing is still a thing, but usually by humans hunting fish, not the other way around. Thai national Noppadol Sringam is now in a stable condition recovering from a freak marine accident. The Thai tourist was left in serious condition after a needlefish skewered him in the neck while he was swimming on the Trat coastal beach of Ao Tan…
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Tangmo: 2nd autopsy report finds ’22 small wounds’ on legs
Forensics experts have found “22 small wounds” on the legs of drowned Thai actress Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong, according to the report from a second autopsy, which was conduct several weeks ago at the request of her mother. However, pathologists did not find any face or head wounds, broken teeth or fractured bones, as was earlier reported by an emergency responder.…
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Villagers pay homage to giant mango in central Thailand
Villagers offered incense to a giant mango in Uthai Thani province in central Thailand on Wednesday. Locals believe that the mango, weighing in at 1.8 kilograms, is sure to bring good luck. The average mango weighs in at a measly 150 grams in comparison. The owner of the mango, 47 year old Wirat Haewphet, is a farmer with many mango…
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9 of Thailand’s restaurants ranked on “Asia’s 50 Best” list, all in Bangkok
“Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants” has included nine restaurants in Thailand on its 2022 list. The Thai restaurants featured on the list are located in Bangkok. While some of the restaurants serve traditional Thai cuisine, others serve international flavors, as well as fusion dishes. One restaurant, Le Du, serves Thai food with a French twist. Le Du ranks number 4 of…
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Cheers! Chiang Mai restaurants can now serve alcohol until 11pm
Crack open a beer and don’t worry about hiding it in a paper cup. Restaurants in Chiang Mai province in northern Thailand are now permitted to serve alcoholic beverages until 11pm, according to the Chiang Mai Communicable Disease Committee. The new rule is effective from today, April 1. And no, it’s not an April Fool’s joke. Under Thailand’s colour-coded zoning…
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Test & Go travellers have trouble reporting Day 5 ATK result, here’s what to do
A number of travellers entering Thailand under the Test & Go scheme say they are having trouble reporting the results of their self-administered rapid antigen test, or ATK, which is required on Day 5. For those unable to report the results through the government’s Mor Chana application, the next best option is to take a photo of the test with…
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Officers from Thailand’s cybercrime police allegedly involved in kidnap for ransom plot
A woman claims officers from the cybercrime investigations department were involved in a kidnap for ransom plot after she had won 2 million baht in gambling. The woman is seeking help from a celebrity lawyer and claims that she, her husband, and her 11 year old child were kidnapped by a group of 15 people, including police officers, and were…
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Man allegedly pours oil on neighbour and sets his body on fire
A man poured oil over his neighbour and then set his body on fire while the victim was relaxing on a chair at home. Witnesses saw the man engulfed in flames running out of the house. He survived but was severely burned. One witness says the two men would often fight about the victim’s roosters making too much noise. 35…
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2022 schedule for Thailand’s famous Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan
Koh Phangan’s renowned full moon parties are back in full swing after a long break due to the pandemic. The next beach party aligns with the Thai new year, or Songkran festival, so even more foreign revellers than usual are expected to attend. The rules on water splashing are a little murky this year… but we doubt the Full Moon…
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Friday Covid Update: 28,379 new cases; provincial totals
92 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 25,222 with 3,524 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 28,379 new Covid-19 cases and 23,843 recoveries. There are now 251,214 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Police in Thailand warn that some April Fool’s Day jokes break the law
It’s no joke. April Fools jokes could land you in Thai jail. The Royal Thai Police is warning the public to be careful with their pranks today, saying that any jokes that cause danger or widely spread fake news can lead to jail time. The Deputy Spokesperson of The Royal Thai Police, Suwat Deepor, warned residents about the jokes and…
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Thailand to host 2022 Global Summit of Women
30 March 2022: The Global Summit of Women 2022, the world’s major international business and economic forum for women leaders, is set to be held in Thailand in June, announced by the Summit President and the Thailand Host Committee in a press conference at ICONSIAM. Thailand is honoured to host the Summit in its 32nd year, which is an excellent opportunity…
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Phuket anti-corruption director says corruption due to “lack of knowledge”
The director of the Phuket office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission reported yesterday that corruption in procurement from some local government organisations was caused by a lack of knowledge in supplies and procedures. He said this was based on 2020 survey results about corruption. The director said the most common complaints to the NACC were about corruption involving land. He…
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Tourist impaled in the neck by needlefish while swimming at Thailand beach
A needlefish impaled a tourist in the neck while he was swimming at a popular beach in Thailand on Thursday. Careful not to remove the needlefish from his neck, lifeguards gave the man first aid on Ao Tan Khu beach in the eastern province of Trat by Cambodia before taking him to a local hospital at around 1pm. Local officials…
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Expected computer shortage in Thailand, world
IT workers expect a shortage of computers for sale in Thailand to start between May and June due to Covid-19 impacting producers in China. The chief of sales and marketing at Advice, an IT distributor, told the Bangkok Post that if China’s lockdown continues, as well as the Russia-Ukraine war, computer prices will likely rise. The chief of Advice said…
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Foreign investors sell 123 billion baht in bonds since Russia’s war in Ukraine
Foreign investors of Thai bonds are selling off their baht in favour of the US dollar. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Thai bond market has recorded net sales of some 123 billion baht in foreign capital. That’s according to the Thai Bond Market Associate, which reported the data for February 4 to March 28. Last month, about 100 billion…
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No pre-travel PCR test for travellers entering Thailand starting today
Starting today, travellers entering Thailand will no longer need to take a PCR Covid-19 test before their flight, but visitors will still need to take a PCR test once they land. All travellers – vaccinated and unvaccinated – no longer need to take the pre-departure test, but requirements after entry vary depending on the scheme. And there are still some…
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Police catch Rayong homemade bomb maker, says he learned through YouTube
Police have caught the man who allegedly made nine bombs and left them strewn across a main road in Rayong on Tuesday night. One of the bombs exploded and eight were defused by Rayong police on Wednesday. The police used CCTV to figure out the criminal behind the operation, who said he used YouTube to learn how to make the…
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Candidates for Pattaya mayor draw election numbers
Candidates for Pattaya mayor drew their election numbers today. A candidate with We Love Pattaya group is number 1, an independent candidate is number 2, a Move Forward Party candidate is number 3, and a Pattaya Ruam Jai group candidate is number 4. The election is scheduled for May 22, as are elections in Bangkok. The candidates drew their numbers…
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Date set for Liverpool vs. Manchester United pre-season friendly in Bangkok
The date has been set for Liverpool F.C’s pre-season friendly with their rivals Manchester United at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok. The two English Premier League giants will go head to head for the Bangkok Century Cup on July 12. Liverpool will travel to Thailand for the first time since 2015 to kick off their first pre-season tour since the…
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Phuket to become world class medical tourism hub by 2028
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha plans to turn Phuket into a world-class hub of medical tourism by 2028, according to a spokesperson for the prime minister. An international medical and public health service centre called “Medical Plaza” is planned, complete with an international elderly care centre, a palliative care centre and a rehabilitation centre. Thailand’s medical and public health services have been…
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Dog owner winning first ever lawsuit against a veterinary hospital in Thailand
The owner of a labrador named ‘Journey’ who died on the operating table filed Thailand’s first-ever lawsuit against a veterinary hospital and is winning. Journey’s owner, who is claiming financial and emotional damages, has won the first of three court hearings. 11 year old Journey was suspected to have a tumour in her lung and walked into the operating room…
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Phuket Sandbox generates 50 billion baht revenue, PM Prayut happy with outcome
While some called it a failure, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is pleased with the outcome of the Phuket Sandbox programme, which generated 50 billion baht in tourism revenue for the local economy, according to a spokesperson for the prime minister. In light of the challenges the Covid-19 pandemic presented to the Thai tourism industry, the spokesperson says Prayut has emphasised that…
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Thai-Malaysian border checkpoint reopens tomorrow, Test & Go travellers welcome
After being closed for around two years due to the pandemic, the major checkpoint along the Thai-Malaysian border will reopen tomorrow. Those travelling from Malaysia will be able to enter Thailand’s Songkhla province through the Sadao Border Checkpoint. Reports say the residents and businesses in the region hope reopening the border will benefit the local economy. Vaccinated travellers entering Thailand…
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Thursday Covid Update: 27,560 new cases; provincial totals
85 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 25,130 with 3,432 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 27,560 new Covid-19 cases and 25,077 recoveries. There are now 246,770 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Candidates for governor register in Bangkok
Candidates for Bangkok started registering at City Hall 2 yesterday. Registration will last until April 4, and polling will be on May 22. The candidate to arrive earliest was an independent candidate who showed up at City Hall at 6am. Other candidates represented several different parties including Thai Sang Thai, the Democrat Party, and Move Forward Party. The independent candidate…
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Isaan province Surin steps back plans to declare Covid-19 an endemic
The Isaan province of Surin is stepping back on plans to be the first area in Thailand to declare Covid-19 as an endemic. The provincial government planned to announce Covid-19 as an endemic on April 1, but pushed back the plans with concerns that the infection rate could spike after Songkran, the Thai New Year. Yesterday, Surin’s official public relations…
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Phuket officer allegedly threatens woman with prostitution charges for money
A woman in Phuket told the press yesterday that a police officer at Thalang Police Station threatened to charge her with prostitution if she didn’t pay 50,000 baht in monthly payments of 5,000 baht. The payment is allegedly for her car, which police threatened to seize as evidence of her committing prostitution. The woman claims the officer first contacted her…
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Hotels in Koh Samui learn how to prevent and treat box jellyfish stings
With most of the fatal box jellyfish stings in Thailand over the past decade in Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, representatives from 20 hotels attended a lecture at the Hive Hotel on Koh Samui to learn about preventing and treating stings from box jellyfish, known as one of the most venomous marine animals in the world. By providing the knowledge to…
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