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 Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run
Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...
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Russia plans to install facial recognition surveillance technology in Thailand
Russian biometrics company ‘NtechLab’ announced plans to “enter the Thai market.” The company produces a facial recognition tool called ‘FindFace,’ which can be used to identify suspected criminals. The company is also considering moving its Asia headquarters to Thailand. The company claims that 23 countries worldwide are already using FindFace surveillance technology, sparking privacy and human rights concerns among the…
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Thaksin tells suspended Thailand PM Prayut ‘to go with dignity’
Former Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra called for suspended PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to do the right thing and leave the political arena with dignity. Thailand’s Constitutional Court, whose members were largely picked by a military-appointed Senate, surprised the world last week by suspending General Prayut while they deliberated whether he had overstayed his eight years’ tenure as the nation’s leader.…
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UPDATE: Famous Thai YouTuber ‘Nutty’ flees Thailand over 2 billion baht Forex scam accusations
UPDATE Today, Thailand’s Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for 30 year old “Nutty,” the famous YouTuber, after collecting evidence that she defrauded over 6,000 victims of more than 2 billion baht. Nutty is wanted on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud the public and two other charges. The court says Nutty’s case is linked to the case of a Thai…
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Thai Airways sells five Airbus A340s stored away for 13 years
Thai Airways (THAI) has found a buyer for five dusty Airbus A340s which have gone unused for 13 years. Thailand’s flag carrier has sold one A340-500 and four A340-600 planes for a total of 350 million baht. The transaction is sure to help THAI on its road to financial recovery since the Bankruptcy Court approved a debt restructuring plan for…
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Budget airline Thai AirAsia X to launch two Thailand – Australia routes
Budget airline Thai AirAsia X will launch two direct routes between Thailand and Australia in December. The airline will fly from Bangkok to both Melbourne, and Sydney, beginning December 1 and 2 this year, respectively. The Bangkok to Sydney route will fly four times per week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. The Bangkok to Melbourne route will fly thrice…
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“Unruly” Aussie woman kicked off flight from Thailand to Sydney
Cheers erupted from passengers when an “unruly” Australian woman was kicked off a Jetstar flight from Phuket to Sydney before take off on Sunday. The woman apparently lost it “because she wanted to sit by the window,” said one passenger. Jetstar confirmed that the woman was removed for being “disruptive and using abusive and inappropriate language.” “An unruly passenger was…
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Thai couple’s 1,000km, 20 hours Songkran motorcycle odyssey
A Thai couple travelled 20 hours on a motorbike and over 1,000 kilometres from Bangkok to their hometown in Pattani province in the south of Thailand before Songkran because all train tickets were fully booked and flights were too pricey for them. The woman, Nurfatihah, posted a video of the epic motorcycle journey she took to Pattani with her boyfriend…
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Thailand’s acting PM Prawit tells Thai police to clean their act up
Acting Prime Minister of Thailand Prawit Wongsuwan – aka “Big Pom” – has ordered an end to corruption within the Royal Thai Police (RTP). Big Pom has wasted no time stepping up to his temporary ministerial duties after Thailand’s Constitutional Court suspended Prayut Chan-o-cha from the position last week. Acting PM Prawit has taken centre stage in Thailand’s never-ending political…
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Marketing in Thailand as a Foreigner: Volume #1 The Legend Thai Ads
Sometimes, It’s Okay to Wear Socks and Sandals. Matching socks and sandals is a universal fashion faux pas, but it is more severe in Thailand. They keep you warm and cold-free during winter, but we never merge them with sandals or flip-flops because it is confusing when you live in a country where the equator is only 15 degrees below.…
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Get freebies and special offers with this app launched by Tourism Authority of Thailand
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and partners have launched a mobile application called the “TAGTHAi Pass,” designed to be a handy tool for tourists to make the most out of their stay in the kingdom. Tourists who download the free TAGTHAi application will benefit from various freebies and deals. Not to be confused with the renounced Thailand Pass, the…
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Anti-Corruption Deputy Secretary-General fired for corruption
In politics, the phrase “every accusation is a confession” is a common cry, but the irony may be too on the nose after the National Anti-Corruption Commission Deputy Secretary-General Prayad Puangchampa was fired for having amassed an unusual amount of wealth. The commission asserted that the massive wealth gathered should become the property of the state and be confiscated from…
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Five injured in gas plant explosion near Bangkok
Five people were injured, three seriously, following an explosion at a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) plant in the Samut Prakarn province near Bangkok in the early hours of this morning. One of the big cylinders is believed to have exploded, spreading to others, and started a blaze at the V.I.P Petroleum plant, in the Bang Sao Thong district of Samut…
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Thailand in talks with US to bring home ancient heirlooms
The Thai Deputy Government Spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek last night revealed Thailand is in talks with the US to bring home three antique artefacts. Rachada made it known the US Department of Homeland Security is in negotiations with the Denver Art Museum for the return of the Srivijaya-era Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, and two bronze statues of the Dvaravati period, from the 7th to…
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Fake policeman allegedly rapes, beats and imprisons 20 year old in central Thailand
Police yesterday arrested a 27 year old man in Nonthaburi province, central Thailand, who posed as a police officer on a dating app and allegedly raped, beat, and kept a 20 year old woman imprisoned for two days. The victim – Ms. A (pseudonym) – met Weerapat, or ‘Boo,’ on a dating app. Boo told Ms. A he was a…
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Thai actor’s plan to swim from Thailand to Laos for charity
Famous Thai actor and singer Phakin “Tono” Khamwilaisak hopes to make a splash with his charity swim across the Mekong River from Thailand to Laos and at the same time raise awareness about environmental issues and raise funds for hospitals in the two countries. Tono announced his plan via his Instagram account last Thursday, August 25. He revealed that he…
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Famous Thai YouTuber ‘Nutty’ flees Thailand over 2 billion baht Forex scam accusations
A famous Thai YouTuber named ‘Nutty’ is nowhere to be found after she was accused of scamming victims of over 2 billion baht in a Forex scam. Nattamon “Nutty” Khongchak is believed to have defrauded over 6,000 victims. In a ‘Pinky‘ type fraud case, another Thai influencer has used their Internet fame to encourage fans to invest in a scam.…
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Fallen scaffolding kills 3 year old in northern Thailand
A 3 year old boy was tragically killed by fallen scaffolding in Lampang province, northern Thailand, yesterday morning. Scaffolding at what appears to be an under-construction house fell on top of a 3 year old boy yesterday. The boy’s parents rang 191 and requested emergency help. Rescue workers from Lampang Rescue Association, an ambulance, and medical staff rushed to the…
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SCB-Bitkub deal fizzles as young investors lose big on crypto
As the crypto market cools and young, naïve investors lose big, the deal for Siam Commercial Bank Group (SCB) to acquire a majority stake in Thai digital asset exchange Bitkub Online has fallen apart. The deal, announced in November of last year, pushed Bitkub Online’s value over US$1 billion and drove the company’s cryptocurrency to triple in value overnight. SCB’s…
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Locals angry after public road shut for private party in S Thailand
The son in law of a police officer caused outrage in the local community of Trang in the south of Thailand after he blocked off a public road to have a housewarming party. Netizens in Trang demanded answers from the provincial government after a video emerged on social media of an ambulance being denied access to the road because it…
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Healthy Siamese twins share teacher dream in Thailand
Thirteen-year-old Siamese twins in central Thailand are defying convention, living a healthy, happy life, and dreaming of becoming teachers. Conjoined twins are a rare phenomenon. Approximately half are stillborn while a third die within 24 hours of a mother giving birth. But the Siamese sisters from Nakhon Sawan province in central Thailand have bucked the poor health trend generally associated…
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Food vendors attack foreign tourist who dined & dashed in Pattaya, Thailand
An intense brawl broke out between a group of food vendors and a foreign tourist who allegedly didn’t pay for his meal on Pattaya’s Walking Street in Nong Phru subdistrict, Bang Lamung district, yesterday at 4.30am. The “European tourist” – whose name and nationality are unknown – allegedly ate from a Thai woman’s food stall and left without paying, so…
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Southeast Asia startup struggles at heart of this year’s Techsauce Global Summit
Press Release Startup funding, investor confidence and growth were just some of the pain points addressed at this year’s Techsauce Global Summit, which took place at ICONSIAM, Bangkok on the 26 and 27 August. The conference, which is back in physical form following a three-year hiatus, saw over 10,000 attendees, 1,500 startups and 300 speakers in attendance. Techsauce Global Summit acts…
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In push for religious harmony, Thailand recognises more churches
In a push for religious harmony, Thailand has officially recognised three Catholic churches in the kingdom this week. The Ministry of Culture officially approved the churches on August 23, after the churches had reportedly waited 93 years for recognition. The newly approved churches are: Saint Thomas the Apostle Church in Bangkok, Saint Monica Church in Nan Province, and Saint Joseph…
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Pao Tang app provides free birth control from NHSO
The Thai government is addressing unwanted pregnancies in the country with a new programme offering free birth control pills. A deputy spokesperson for the government explained that the programme would help women get access to free birth control using a mobile app called Pao Tang. The campaign was created to try to slow the frequency of unintentional and unwanted pregnancies…
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Thailand’s sixth monkeypox patient says symptoms started while she was in Qatar
A young woman in Thailand’s northeast province of Maha Sarakham is the kingdom’s sixth confirmed monkeypox patient, the Department for Disease and Control (DDC) announced yesterday. The 21 year old woman says her symptoms started while she was in Qatar for work. The woman had worked as a masseuse in Qatar and said that while she was there, she started…
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Prayut shows up to work unannounced, as Defence Minister
After being removed from his position as Prime Minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha didn’t miss a beat and quietly showed up to work yesterday at his other job, as Minister of Defence. The former PM made a low-key – and unannounced – entrance, arriving at the Ministry of Defence in his car at around 10am. While the Constitutional Court has yet to…
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THG chairman who lied about vaccines for stock profit resigns
Thonburi Healthcare Group founder and chairman Dr Boon Vanasin announced he will step down today after the Securities and Exchange Commission reported it would ban him from sitting on the board of any company listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. The move is a result of some shady claims last year about THG importing Pfizer vaccines that caused stock…
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Thailand’s Favourite Restaurants 2022 by Koktail to be presented by Siam Paragon
Press Release Thailand’s Favourite Restaurants by Koktail, is partnering with Siam Paragon to host the most exciting culinary event ever in Bangkok. The event, “Thailand’s Favourite Restaurants by Koktail” will be held over two days from 27-28 August 2022 at Parc Paragon, Siam Paragon. The event is open to the public from 11 am until 9 pm on Saturday 27th…
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Thailand’s House of Representatives finally passes torture bill
The House of Representatives has finally passed a draft of the Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act. It will come into effect in December. Of the 289 MPs present, 287 voted in favour, one voted against, and one abstained. The draft act will be proposed to His Majesty the King and will come into effect 120 days…
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UPDATE: Casino robbery in Bangkok sparks investigation into local police corruption
UPDATE Today, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Police Division 1 Pol. Cl. Ekarat Pao-in gave an update about the Din Daeng casino robbery. Ekarat is also now acting Superintendent of Din Daeng Police Station since five Din Daeng officers are being investigated for corruption. Ekarat said that he and other officers searched the casino and “didn’t find anything at…
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