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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9 most common health issues covered by insurance for expats in Thailand
Thailand is a popular destination for expats due to its affordable lifestyle and excellent healthcare system. However, settling in a new country often brings health concerns. To ensure you’re covered for the most common medical needs, understanding what expat health...
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Harsh rubdown: Girlfriend of alleged victim speaks out on transwoman’s inappropriate touches
The girlfriend of the Thai man allegedly sexually harassed by a transwoman said the masseuse was warned twice for her inappropriate behaviour towards her boyfriend before he took action at a massage parlour in Chiang Mai. The accused transwoman insisted on her innocence and complained that the man physically attacked her without a reason. The Thai man’s girlfriend offered a…
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Naked Bangkok man sparks outrage for masturbating on condo balcony
A naked Bangkok man masturbating on his condominium balcony in the Pracha Uthit area has drawn heavy outrage calling out his inappropriate behaviour. The scandalous incident reportedly occurred this morning between 7am and 7.30am. A Facebook post by a user who managed to capture the man masturbating on video (too explicit to post in this article) sparked further attention. The…
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2 underage girls rescued after their mother forced them into prostitution
Non-profit organisation the Saimai Survive with the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security successfully swooped and rescued two girls aged 11 and 16 after their mother forced them into prostitution to feed her expensive drugs habit. The woman’s 19 year old daughter, A, reached out to Saimai Survive for assistance. The teenager reported that her two younger sisters had…
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Chiang Mai massage parlour filing defamation over ‘distorted’ molestation claim
An escalating spat over alleged sexual molestation at a massage parlour in Chiang Mai‘s Wualai district has taken a new twist. The accused masseuse, along with the owner of the establishment, retaliated, filing a police complaint against the young male client and the creator of the Facebook post that spurred the initial allegation. They claim the online account was a…
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Motorcycle merchant falls victim to scam, waits 3 years for 600,000 baht refund
Accompanied by an attorney, a Thai woman set out to report an incidence of fraud. The victim, ‘A’ alleged that the culprit, known as Tae Teppabud Linliamthong, had duped her into buying a high-performance motorcycle and held back on the delivery of the bike since 2020. At around 10.30am today, attorney Ronnarong Kaewphet and A visited the Royal Thai Police…
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Phuket man arrested for gunshots in rubbish dispute, drunk driving
Late last night in Phuket, a 45 year old man was apprehended by police after he fired a rifle into the air near his neighbours due to a dispute over noise and waste disposal. He was also charged with drunk driving. According to Thalang Police Deputy Chief Pol. Lt. Col. Patiwat Yodkwan, officers were alerted of the incident at 10.18pm.…
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Bangkok safeguarding students with fences around homeless-haunted buildings
To safeguard the students of Satriwithaya School in Bangkok, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) erected fences around a number of deserted buildings that have been used as makeshift homes by the city’s homeless. This measure follows the widespread online sharing of worrying images portraying homeless individuals occupying spaces on Ratchadamnoen Klang Avenue, near the school. Countering concerns raised by a multitude…
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Thai scam gang member arrested trafficking Chinese man
Police yesterday arrested a Thai man for his involvement in a human trafficking operation in the Isaan province of Sa Kaeo. He attempted to traffic a Chinese man from Cambodia to a scam call centre gang in Myanmar. Lamlukka Police Station officers in Pathum Thani province near Bangkok rescued the 41 year old Chinese man, Liw Haicook, from a highway…
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4 Chinese passengers seriously injured in bus accident in Rayong
Four Chinese passengers yesterday suffered serious injuries in a bus accident in the eastern province of Rayong. The remaining 20 passengers, along with the two drivers and a tour guide, were fortunate to escape with mild injuries. The incident took place on Road No. 36 during heavy rain. The white Zunlong bus, carrying 27 people, was found flipped on its…
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Phuket venues inspected for age and narcotics compliance, one found in violation
Ten entertainment venues in Mueang District, Phuket, yesterday were raided by police after a tip-off. Although underage drinkers and illegal narcotics went unnoticed, one establishment was found to be operating beyond its legal trading hours. The raids were conducted under the supervision of Mueang District Chief Phairot Srilamul. The team consisted of officers from Phuket City Police Station, Chalong Police,…
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Elderly Samut Prakan trader clears debts after land sale for over 10 million baht
A 65 year old merchant from Samut Prakan pulled out all the stops to repay her debts. She successfully managed to sell her land for more than 10 million baht after praying to a monk. The money was subsequently donated to a temple. The community curiously questioned her age and other numerologies, hoping it would prove lucky for them too. The…
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Mystery at bay: Foreign trio grilled by police in German businessman’s vanishing act
Officers from Nong Prue Police Station questioned two foreign men and a woman in connection with the disappearance of German businessman Hans Peter Mack. The investigation was prompted by the discovery of a suspicious financial transaction. The 62 year old real estate tycoon left his house in his bronze/grey Mercedes-Benz with a registration number ญศ 7146. He wore a black…
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Four dead, 27 injured as bus carrying Thai marathon runners topples over
In Sisaket, a province in northeastern Thailand, a tragic turn of events led to the death of four individuals and left 27 others with injuries of varying severity. The Sisaket bus accident took place yesterday morning when the vehicle ferrying marathon runners toppled over and plunged into the dense forest on a steep mountain road. The runners, affiliated with Luang…
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Peeling expectations: Viral video unveils a whiff-less way to indulge in the divisive durian
Durian, the world’s most expensive fruit, holds a fascinating status among fruit enthusiasts – it’s either a beloved delicacy or an unbearable nightmare, particularly due to its powerful scent. In recent times, a viral social media video brings this polarising conversation around the king of fruits to the forefront, showing a Thai boy’s unusual technique to savour durian without its…
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Heavy rain, floods, and landslide dangers as monsoon air currents persist in Thailand
Thailand continues to experience heavy rainfall in various regions due to eastward-moving monsoon air currents and southwestern monsoon winds that still cover the Andaman Sea, Thailand, and the Gulf of Thailand. The adverse weather conditions have resulted in the need for vigilance against potential danger from intense and accumulated rainfall, which might lead to sudden floods and landslides, particularly in…
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BRT improvements: Bangkok’s bus service to continue with 455 million baht funding boost
In a bid to enhance the current quality of public transportation in the capital, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has announced BRT improvement plans to continue the city’s bus service after the concession held by the Bangkok Mass Transit System Plc (BTSC) expires on the last day of August. The BMA’s commitment to maintaining and improving the BRT service was affirmed…
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Revenue department to use AI for virtual tax consultation with taxpayers
Plans are underway within the Revenue Department to employ online chatbots to provide virtual tax consultation for taxpayers. Director-General Lavaron Sangsnit confided that discussions have commenced with a notable tech entity, Microsoft Corp, concerning the integration of such programmed interactive platforms to offer simplified answers to tax-related queries. The objective of this manoeuvre, states the director-general, is to provide a…
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Japanese tourism numbers in Thailand threatened by weak yen and slow Japan flight reintroduction
In light of Japan’s hesitant return to tourism and a faltering yen, Thailand’s Tourism Authority (TAT) admitted there may be difficulty in meeting the year’s target of 850,000 Japanese arrivals. The figure reflects 50% of the Japanese tourism figures reported in 2019, considered an optimistic scenario by the Tokyo office director of TAT, Kajorndet Apichartrakul. As enclosed by Kajorndet, the…
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Thai submarine to be powered by Chinese engine following German withdrawal
In a recent development, an American naval source revealed that a panel is expected to recommend a Chinese-designed engine for the Thai submarine as a replacement for the original German one intended for the under-construction S26T Yuan-class submarine in China. This comes on the heels of a committee chaired by the navy’s chief-of-staff, Adm Chonlathis Navanugraha, unofficially proposing the use…
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Dengue outbreak: Triple surge in cases challenges Thai healthcare system in first half year
A shocking surge in dengue patients has been recorded in the first half of this year, with numbers almost triple that of the same period last year, according to the Department of Disease Control (DDC). The dengue outbreak continues to challenge the healthcare system, as the number of infected individuals soars. From January 1 to June 28, 27,377 dengue cases…
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Thailand’s PM set to review Pink Line urban rail project progress
In a move to accelerate urban transport development, the Prime Minister of Thailand, Prayut Chan-o-cha, is scheduled to examine the Pink Line urban rail project‘s ongoing progress tomorrow before it is set to commence its trial operations. This announcement came from Anucha Burapachaisri, the acting government representative. This inspection visit is centred on the Pink Line, a massive elevated monorail…
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Triumphant strides: Thai mother amputee defies odds, on road to recovery (video)
The son of the Thai mother who lost her leg in a faulty airport escalator believes she will be running faster than him in no time as she took her first steps on the road to recovery. Suphannee Kittirattana yesterday took her first tentative steps since her leg was amputated after it got tangled in a dodgy travelator at Don…
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Real estate tycoon disappears in Pattaya under mysterious circumstances
Police in Pattaya were called to examine a vehicle suspected to belong to missing real estate tycoon Hans Peter Mack, who has been reported missing. The German businessman’s family is offering a generous reward of 3 million baht for any information leading to his safe return, as well as a 100,000-baht reward for locating his car. The car, a bronze/grey…
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Severe flooding hits Phuket prompting widespread road closures
Substantial flooding due to heavy rain last night and early this morning swamped the holiday resort of Phuket, prompting police to shut down several of its main roads. Streets across the town became untraversable, leading to police-imposed road closures. The water levels in Bang Yai Canal, the canal that transits through the city providing a key drainage channel into the…
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Phuket launches pilot reforestation project for combating climate change
A unique pilot project bolstering reforestation efforts was initiated in Phuket yesterday. This initiative marks a concentrated effort towards environmental sustainability and energy efficiency. Spearheaded by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) and the Rowing Association of Thailand, the project saw its launch at the Nai Harn public park in Rawai. The event was strategically selected based on a…
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Thai police ban book critiquing monarchy, citing national security threat
Royal Thai Police have prohibited the circulation of an upcoming book that scrutinises the nation’s monarchy. The prohibition was issued in response to the book’s perceived slander towards the royal institution, according to a police statement in the Royal Gazette. The contentious publication, ‘Rama X: The Thai Monarchy under King Vajiralongkorn,’ both in its content and cover, is considered to express…
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TTB to tackle household debt and promote ESG standards
Piti Tantakasem, Chief Executive of TMBThanachart Bank (ttb), insists that tackling high levels of household debt should be a priority on the national agenda. Piti made known that he is poised to tackle the issue, given his leading role within the household debt resolution team set up by the Thai Bankers’ Association (TBA). Alongside the central bank and other pertinent…
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Thai royal family honours Sri Lankan caretaker of elephant Sak Surin
The King and Queen of Thailand have bestowed an honour upon Don Upul Jayarathna Denelpitiyage, a Sri Lankan mahout, in recognition of his unyielding care for the recuperating Thai elephant, Sak Surin. The elephant is currently in a 30-day quarantine in Lampang province, following his flight from Sri Lanka on the second day of July. Air Marshal Pakdee Saengchuto, serving…
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Thailand’s potential as international events hub questioned amidst Taylor Swift tour snub
The exclusion of Thailand from the itinerary of Taylor Swift‘s world tour has prompted the denizens to reconsider the nation’s global standing as a viable hub for international exhibitions and events. Bringing the country’s potential into question, it was revealed that the total revenue from meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) industry for the final quarter of last year was…
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Only one firm bids for Central Terminal transformation project
Contrary to the anticipation of a competitive bidding process for the commercial development of Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal, the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has revealed that only one company has stepped forward with a bid. Three firms, reportedly interested, had initially procured invitations to tender. The disclosure surfaced yesterday after the bidding process culminated earlier this week. Ekkarat…
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