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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PICTURES: Soi Dog delivers food to animals in flood-hit provinces of Thailand
Soi Dog Foundation delivered over 210 tonnes of food to over 26,000 animals affected by floods in Thailand this month alone. Soi Dog helped animals affected by severe flooding in Sing Buri, Ayutthaya, Nonthaburi, Ubon Ratchathani, Sukhothai, and Ang Thong provinces. The foundation was able to deliver 7,750 bags of dog food and 2,785 bags of cat food in six…
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61 year old man beaten to death at Bangkok train station
A 61 year old man was brutally beaten to death while waiting for a train at Bang Sue Grand Train Station in Bangkok. The murderer is still at large and the motive behind the murder remains unclear as the police investigate. The man, Sujin (surname reserved), was found dead on a bench on platform number two at Bang Sue Train…
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Tourists in Surat Thani & Trat warned to beware of jellyfish
Tourists have been warned to beware of jellyfish while swimming in the sea off the beaches at Koh Samui, and Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani, and Koh Mark, and Koh Kood in Trat. The Director of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Auttapon Charoenchansa, reported that it is venomous jellyfish season in Koh Samui, and Koh Pha Ngan…
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Police detain SWAT officer who fled after nightclub shooting in southern Thailand
UPDATE Police have tracked down and arrested Sergeant Bird, the SWAT officer who shot dead a man at Country Home nightclub in Trang province, southern Thailand, yesterday morning. Sergeant Bird fired 11 shots with a 9mm gun, nine hitting 32 year old Chitkorn “Khao” Kongchan. Two others were injured in the gunfire. After the SWAT officer fled the nightclub, he…
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Police seize 263 guns in 15 days in southern Thailand
The Royal Thai Police confiscated 263 guns and 1,702 rounds of ammunition in eight provinces of southern Thailand over a 15-day period this month. Prime Minister of Thailand Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered a crackdown on illegal firearms following the massacre at a daycare centre in Nong Bua Lamphu province earlier this month. Between October 10-24, police confiscated 263 firearms in Provincial Police…
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Long weekend in Thailand draws tourists to natural sites
Thailand’s recent three-day weekend drew tourists to some of the country’s most beautiful natural sites. Over 10,000 people ventured to Thailand’s highest mountain peak, Chiang Mai’s Doi Inthanon, according to officials there. Tourists visited a number of other natural sites as well. In the western Kanchanaburi province, a tourism business operator said the tourist influx in Sangkhla Buri district over the…
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9 year old boy shot dead while working in cornfield
A nine year old boy was shot dead while working in a cornfield in the north-central province of Phetchabun. The boy’s heartbroken mother revealed he was working to save up for a toy the family could not afford. A funeral ceremony is being held for the nine year old boy, Chaiyakorn “Seven” Niamklai, at Huay Toom Sutthawas Temple, according to…
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Cabinet agrees to let foreigners buy land and houses in Thailand
A major decision was made today by Thailand’s Cabinet which will allow foreigners to buy houses and land in Thailand. The foreigner will be eligible to buy houses and land if they invest at least 40 million baht in Thailand and can maintain the investment over three years, according to Bangkok Biz News. The land purchased cannot be bigger than…
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Greenpeace study reveals most plastic cannot be recycled
A new study by Greenpeace reveals most of the plastic generated in the world today cannot be recycled. The report, Circular Claims Fall Flat Again, released yesterday, says that while paper, cardboard, and metals are all recycled at a high percentage rate, plastic fails on a massive scale. The Greenpeace study reported that households in the United States generated about 51…
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Bangkok police give motorists 30 days to fix up noisy, illegally modified vehicles
Bangkok police want to fight noise pollution in the capital by cracking down on loud, illegally modified vehicles. Police said they will give car and motorbike owners 30 days to ensure their cars are no louder than the legal limit before imposing fines. According to Thai law, exhaust pipes cannot produce a sound exceeding 95 decibels. Superintendent of Prachachuen Police…
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PE teacher faces prison for alleged rape of teen student
A school teacher accused of raping a teenage student handed himself in to police today in northeast Thailand. If found guilty, the 45 year old physical education teacher faces up to 20 years in prison. Wachira Phanomkaen, a PE teacher at a school in the Kuchinarai district, is accused of raping a 13 year old girl. The 45 year old…
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Thai MP to swim across Chao Phraya River for charity
A Member of Parliament from the Thai Civilized Party, Mongkolkit “Tae” Suksintharanon, will swim across the Chao Phraya River on Loy Kratong Day to raise money for the victims of floods in Thailand. On Saturday, October 22, Thai actor and singer, Pakin “Tono” Khamwilaisak swam across the Mekong River under his project named One Man and the River to raise…
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Thai doctor kidnapped in Africa returns home
A well-known Thai doctor who was kidnapped in Mali last month returns home today after being released by his captors. The 49 year old surgeon, Nopparat “Song” Rattanawaraha, was kidnapped while travelling near the Republic of Mali border in West Africa and held captive for 25 days. His captives let him go yesterday after he raised six million baht (US$156,000)…
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Tourism officials plan Loy Krathong events for 6 Thai provinces
The Thai holiday of Loy Krathong is coming up, and tourism officials are planning events in six provinces. Known as Thailand’s festival of lights, Loy Krathong is one of the biggest celebrations on the Thai calendar. This picturesque festival is a time for people to gather around rivers, canals, ponds, lakes, and other bodies of water to release lotus-shaped rafts…
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Refrigerator saves fisherman’s life in southern Thailand
A refrigerator saved a young fisherman’s life when his boat sank off the coast of Krabi province, southern Thailand, on Sunday. He lay in the fridge and floated for six hours until he was rescued by a passing fishing boat. On Sunday, 33 year old Anat Massoyot from Village 3, Nong Thale subdistrict, Mueang district took his long-tail boat out…
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The Coming War on China
As President Xi Jinping secured an unprecedented third term as Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader yesterday The Coming War on China draws ever closer, predicts award-winning journalist John Pilger. In Pilger’s thought-provoking documentary, The Coming War on China, he notes the United States, backed by Western mainstream media (MSM), has been “beating the drums of war and the world has…
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Academics in Thailand welcome President Xi’s third term
Academics in Thailand welcomed news yesterday that Chinese leader President Xi Jinping secured an historic third five-year term as general secretary of the ruling Chinese Communist Party. President Xi’s third term will be viewed as undemocratic and autocratic by the Western powers but Thailand’s top boffins believe continuation is the key which will benefit the kingdom and ASEAN countries. Thai…
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Govt set up complaints hotline about pricey veggies
Noticed an increase in the price of vegetables? So has the government and that is why a complaints hotline has been set up for consumers to log their gripes. The Commerce Ministry’s Department of Internal Trade (DIT) yesterday made known it will monitor increases in the nation’s vegetable prices and promises to come up with measures to control prices. DIT…
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Thailand’s 45-Day Visa Exemption Stamp & 30 days for VoA
https://youtu.be/t37I2Bwf3K8 Thailand brings back the 45-Day Visa Exemption stamp that was briefly in place from mid-2021 and has now been put into place for entries effective October 1, 2022. Thailand’s Visa Starting October 1, 2022, until March 31, 2023, travellers will be allowed to stay for 30 days or 45 days without prior approval of a Thai visa. During this…
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Thai car racing gangs of five or more warned of jail time if caught
Thai street car racing gangs of five or more are being warned that they will face jail time and large fines if they are caught gathering. The superintendent of Prachachuen police station sent out the warning, saying even if they have not started racing, those in groups will be arrested for illegal racing. Land Transport and Excise department officials accompanied…
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Flaming hot: toxic spicy noodles recalled
Some people like their noodles as spicy as possible. But there’s such a thing as to0 flaming hot, as the Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a recall on Mie Sedaap brand Korean Spicy Chicken noodles due to contamination with a flammable pesticide. The instant noodles are being recalled by the FDA after traces of a pesticide called…
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Forever flooded – how do we break the disastrous cycle?
As part of the south braces for expected seasonal floods, a vast area of the lower north, including Nakhon Sawan, Ang Thong, and Isaan, remains inundated. An editorial in this morning’s Bangkok Post asks what we can do to prevent ourselves from being washed away in the tide. Many people have drowned over the past two months, and yesterday, an…
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Thai Airways refunds possible, reorganisation approved
Thai Airways International’s revised business reorganisation plan was approved by the Central Bankruptcy Court. The plan was submitted last month and the airline will now start on a course of financial restructuring. Does this mean everyone waiting for a refund from the Covid-19 pandemic and before Thailand’s flagship airline declared bankruptcy will finally get their money back? It is reported…
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From Retro Blogger to Modern-day Vlogger in Thailand feat. Jeroen Maduro | Thaiger Podcast Ep.9
Owner of Real Estate company Sukhumvit Homes and YouTube channel Global Travel Mate. Jaroen can show you some of the best and hottest properties in Bangkok Thailand, as well as be your guide to where and how to travel around the city. Jaroen is a prime example of a foreigner travelling to Thailand, starting and running a successful business while…
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School principal given 50 years in prison over lunch corruption scandal in Thailand
Today, Thailand’s Criminal Court for Corruption sentenced the former principal of Ban Tha Mai School in Surat Thani province, southern Thailand, to 50 years imprisonment. The defendant Somchaow Sittichen confessed to stealing lunch money and serving kindergarten children plain rice noodles with fish sauce for lunch. The court found Somchaow guilty of 77 counts of corruption, each carrying a five-year…
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Soldier arrested for stabbing 15 year old at a nightclub
A soldier has been charged with attempted murder after he stabbed a 15 year old boy at a nightclub in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat last weekend. The teenager was stabbed in the back with a chisel in front of a nightclub in the Tung Song district of Nakhon Si Thammarat at about 2.45am last Sunday, October 16.…
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Reimagine with Anantara unveiling the new face of Anantara Chiang Mai Resort
Press Release Anantara Chiang Mai Resort welcomes back travellers from around the world with renovated accommodations and exciting new dining experiences in a prime riverfront setting. With COVID-19 waning, travel to Thailand now back to normal, and Chiang Mai ready to celebrate life once again. Anantara Chiang Mai Resort recently hosted a glamorous evening reception for Lanna royalty, foreign diplomats,…
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Bangkok shopping mall will free Bua Noi the captive gorilla for 30 million baht
As famous gorilla Bua Noi nears the end of her expected lifespan inside a decrepit Bangkok shopping mall, Thai government officials are making renewed attempts for her to be released. However, the gorilla’s owner said he will only give her up for 30 million baht. Bua Noi (“Little Lotus”) was brought to Thailand from Germany as a one year old…
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Gambling addict sergeant steals 160 guns to pay off debts
A police sergeant with a gambling addiction faces time in prison after he was arrested for selling state guns to pay off his debts. Senior sergeant major, Chaowarit Phumkajorn, from Pak Kret Police Station in Nonthaburi province, near Bangkok, was arrested at 3pm yesterday in the Isaan province of Nong Khai after reportedly selling about 160 police guns to pay…
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true-dtac merger will increase mobile tariffs by 240%, warns watchdog
In a controversial move, Thailand’s telecom regulator has approved the merging of two key mobile operators in Thailand: true and dtac. A consumer watchdog says the five-member committee “failed to use its authority to protect the public interest” by turning the market into a duopoly with reigning operator AIS. After an 11-hour meeting, the five-member board of the National Broadcasting…
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