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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Moving with family? Here’s how to cut health costs in Thailand
Relocating to Thailand with your family brings exciting new opportunities, but it also comes with the challenge of managing healthcare costs in a new system. Thailand has both public and private healthcare options, each offering different prices and quality of...
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AOT turns to Grab to fill shortage of airport taxis in Thailand
Airports of Thailand (AOT) is negotiating with Grab about using their services to fill taxi shortages at two airports in the kingdom. Airports have always been a strict no-go zone for Grab taxis, but waiting times for passengers are getting out of hand. Now that High Season is in full swing, there are simply not enough airport taxis to facilitate the…
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Paypal shuts out foreigners in Thailand
Foreigners in Thailand will no longer be able to use personal Paypal accounts from December 15 to send and receive money and pay for goods online. Thais may continue using their personal accounts if they verify their identity through the National Digital ID (NDID) platform before November 30. Paypal is making big changes to comply with Thailand’s crackdown on money…
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VIDEO: Train splits 18-wheel trailer clean in half in northern Thailand
A train hit an 18-wheel trailer, splitting it cleanly in half, in Lamphun province in northern Thailand yesterday morning. No deaths or injuries were reported. Train No. 51 from Bangkok to Chiang Mai crashed into the articulated vehicle carrying 30 tonnes of rice husk at the Tha Chak – Tasop Sao railway crossing. At 11.30am, Mae Tha Police Station officers…
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Man takes 4 Ya Ba pills and rides motorbike with no hands in Thailand
Police arrested a man in Nakhon Phanom, northeast Thailand, yesterday after a video of him riding his motorbike and swerving all over the road went viral on social media. He admitted that he was high on four pills of Ya Ba (“crazy drug”) – a type of methamphetamine – when the clip was taken. Officers from Nakhon Phanom Provincial Police…
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Luxury casino in Pattaya raided before grand opening
Police raided an under-construction building in Pattaya after being tipped off it is to become a luxury casino. The Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn, ordered police officers to raid the gambling house at the Chalerm Phra Kiat 6 on the Pattaya Sai Sam Road in the Bang Lamung district of Pattaya. Police met a…
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Tourists complain about pricey beach chairs at Hua Hin
Local authorities tightened rules against local businesses yesterday after tourists complained about beach chairs being too expensive on Hua Hin Beach. The Deputy Mayor of the Hua Hin Municipality, Butsaba Choksuchart, brought the issue to light after tourists made known that beach chairs they rented near Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin were more expensive for them than…
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A fish tale: thousands of fish jump onto bridge on Krabi island
A fish tale has come to light on an island in Thailand’s iconic southern province of Krabi. On the island of Koh Lanta, thousands of fish jumped onto a bridge. A Krabi resident came across the massive pile of small jumping fish while docking his boat at the pier. The breed of fish is known as “Ta Maew,” or cat-eye…
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Two children drown during Loy Krathong festival in northern Thailand
Two brothers, studying in Grades 4 and 5, fell into the Ping River and drowned during the Loy Krathong festival in Chiang Mai province in northern Thailand on Tuesday. A family of four went to the banks of the Ping river, near the bridge in the Tha Kham subdistrict, sometime after sunset to float their krathongs (decorative baskets). Mr A and…
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A cheap flight to Thailand? Don’t bank on it anytime soon
Looking for a cheap flight to Thailand? Don’t count on it just yet says airline industry executives. The world’s industry chiefs made known, as if we didn’t already know, that airfares are expensive and they expect to remain that way for the time being. Flights are pricey for a number of reasons, ranging from surging fuel costs, labour shortages, and…
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Thai medical experts hold seminar, warn of the risks of HPV
Several Thai medical experts discussed the country’s struggles with human papillomavirus (HPV) at a recent seminar. HPV is a common sexually transmitted infection that causes several cancers, most commonly cervical cancer in women. Cervical cancer kills 13 Thai women every day. It is the second deadliest cancer for working-age Thai women, after breast cancer. A shockingly high percentage of people…
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Hospital sends wrong corpse to funeral in central Thailand
The wrong corpse turned up at a funeral in Prachin Buri province in central Thailand yesterday. Both the hospital and the deceased’s brother have taken responsibility for the mishap. Yesterday, relatives waited at Wat Sawang Arom temple in Kabin Buri district to receive the body of 58 year old Somnuk Kongto who sadly died in an accident. Somnuk’s brother picked…
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Pattaya tourists enjoy the beauty of Loy Krathong and eclipse on beach
Pattaya tourists got to enjoy the beauty of the Loy Krathong festival, combined with the lunar eclipse, on Tuesday night at Pattaya Beach. The crowd of thousands gathered on the beach to float their krathongs in the sea. A video shows students from nearby schools wearing traditional Thai clothing, and assembling their krathongs for contests. At the beach, there were…
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Beagles sniff out bats in luggage from China at Bangkok airport
No bats or any other animal carcasses can get past the sharp noses of two hard-working beagles who fight crime at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. On Tuesday at 12pm, the sniffer dogs uncovered “smoked bats” and processed pork hidden inside the luggage that flew in from Kunming in China. The main duty of the beagles from the Quarantine and Inspection…
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Taxi fares in Bangkok to increase in two weeks
The Ministry of Transport yesterday approved a motion to increase taxi fares in Bangkok after recent protests by the capital’s cab drivers. The new fares are expected to come into operation in the next two weeks. The Transport Ministry announced a month ago that taxi fares in Thailand would be increased after eight years of stagnation. The department of transport…
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Thai man drowns after falling into canal on Loy Krathong night
A man tragically drowned in Thailand’s central province of Ayutthaya on Loy Krathong night on Tuesday, after he and his wife fell into a canal linked to the Rama VI Dam. The couple, a 44 year old wife and 51 year old husband had been invited to a Loy Krathong event after work. They decided to go and float their…
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Police arrest bat-eating YouTuber in northeast Thailand
UPDATE Yesterday, the Thai woman who ate bat soup on YouTube was arrested in Sakhon Nakhon province in northeast Thailand. Officers from Phon Kaew Police Station arrested the YouTuber – who is also a teacher – under suspicion of “possession of protected wildlife carcasses,” violating Section 17 of the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act (2019). Police also charged the YouTuber…
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Failed 14 million baht temple lighting system may quash UNESCO nomination
A failed 14 million baht lighting system isn’t helping southern Thailand’s temple of Phra Mahathat Woramahavihan’s bid to become a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. The lighting system was installed around the main stupa of Phra Borommathat Chedi in 2014, but those responsible for the project have largely left it in disarray. The lighting is now in need of repairs due…
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Two Thai airlines among Top 10 most timely in the world
Thailand is not known for its timekeeping, yet two Thai airlines were among the most “on time” in the world in September 2022. The Top 10 Most On-time Airlines were ranked using real data from the Official Airline Guide (OAG) flight database. OAG provides “the world’s most accurate and information-rich flight data.” Flights that leave within 15 minutes of their…
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MOPH to investigate Krabi’s holy water after a disabled woman claimed she could walk after drinking it
The Ministry of Public Health yesterday revealed it intends to investigate Krabi’s holy water after a disabled woman claimed she could walk again after drinking it. The holy water is prepared by putting a miracle rock in water that was found in the area. Locals believe the rock has magical qualities. A shaman then conducts a ceremony to conjure a spirit…
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1 thousand people celebrate start of Buddhist festival at Pattaya temple
About 1,000 people celebrated the start of a Buddhist festival at a temple in Pattaya on Sunday. The Nong Or Temple had a kick-off event for the Thod Kathin Festival with about 1,000 people in attendance. Photos show a happy crowd of attendees smiling and clapping, as well as attendees presenting offerings to a monk. The Thod Kathin Festival begins…
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Superstitious man arrested after stabbing friend to test his immortality
The superstitious man who stabbed to death a friend to test his immortality has been arrested in Chon Buri. Officers from Tha Ruer Police Station reported to Thai media today that 51 year old Withun Ochapon was arrested last night for the murder of 44 year old Auttapon on Sunday, November 6 at his wife’s house in the Phan Thong district of…
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Kush House: Bangkok’s most unique cannabis dispensary
You are invited to the grand opening of Kush House cannabis dispensary, in the heart of Bangkok, tonight at 9pm. Two things set Kush House apart from other cannabis stores in Thailand: Thai Traditional Medicine and art. The visually striking atmosphere at Kush House – conveniently located at the entrance of Sukhumvit 22 – has been carefully crafted to give…
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Teen boasts he escaped murder charge because his family is rich
An 18 year old allegedly boasted on social media that he escaped being charged with the murder of a 14 year old boy because his family is rich and powerful. Thai social media is outraged that 18 year old Dome killed 14 year old Fluck and bragged about it on Twitter. Netizens are furious after seeing the trending hashtag on…
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Join ICONSIAM’S Bangkok Illumination 2022 for magical light displays
Press release The most anticipated festive illumination festival on the bank of Bangkok’s majestic river now lights up ICONSIAM, a global landmark by the Chao Phraya River. The ICONSIAM Bangkok Illumination 2022 runs from today to 5 January 2023, celebrating the opening of Thailand to welcome international tourists and ease travel restrictions across the globe. This festive extravaganza will again…
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Man stabbed to death by superstitious friend
A man was stabbed to death yesterday by a superstitious friend who believed an amulet the victim wore made him immortal. The delusional offender, who was only released from prison last year after murdering someone else, wanted to test the victim’s mortality by stabbing him. Police reported that 44 year old Auttapon Na Nakhon was stabbed to death by his…
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Thai women tricked into sex work in Nigeria seek help
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Thailand is on a mission to rescue a group of Thai women stuck in Nigeria who claim they were offered work as masseuses but forced into prostitution instead. Last week, relatives of the women sought help from Paveena Hongsakul, who is a Thai women’s rights and children’s rights activist, ex-Minister of Social Development and…
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12 people injured by illegal fireworks in Loy Krathong event
A Loy Krathong festival celebration almost turned into a tragedy last night when 12 people were injured by illegal fireworks set off at the event in the northern province of Nakhon Phanom. The Meung Nakhon Phanom mayor announced the victims only suffered mild injuries. Nakhon Phanom provincial governor, other officers, and hundreds of residents joined the grand opening ceremony of…
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Police arrest 2 Chinese mafia chiefs, 3 slip the net
Thailand’s deputy national police chief revealed yesterday that the authorities have captured two heads of Chinese mafia gangs in the kingdom. Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate ‘Big Joke’ Hakparn announced a covert undercover operation managed to successfully arrest two mafia chiefs adding that three heads of illegal activities managed to escape their clutches, fleeing the country on private…
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Teacher murders her 5 year old autistic son in southern Thailand
Today, a teacher at a famous school in Hat Yai murdered her autistic 5 year old son by smothering him with a pillow in Songkhla Province, southern Thailand. After the murder, she tried to commit suicide by drinking toilet cleaner but ended up critically ill in hospital. Officers from Hat Yai Police Station were called to the scene – a condo…
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Thai actress defies laws to build house on Koh Samui mountain
Locals in Koh Samui in the southern province of Surat Thani filed a complaint with authorities after a luxury house belonging to a Thai actress was built on a mountain area that belongs to the government. Officers from the Department of Land and Royal Forest Department yesterday investigated the house, and land around where the building is under construction, in…
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