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...

  • Lost slow loris returned to forest in Prachuap Khiri Khan | Thaiger

    Lost slow loris returned to forest in Prachuap Khiri Khan

    The Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park authorities in the western province of Prachuap Khiri Khan returned a lost slow loris to the forest after it wandered into a residential area today in search of food. The resident who discovered the animal, Weera Rairueng, told reporters that he heard an unfamiliar animal sound coming from a banana plantation behind his house…

  • Thai Airways profits nearly tripled in last year’s final quarter | Thailand News Today | Thaiger

    Thai Airways profits nearly tripled in last year’s final quarter | Thailand News Today

    Thailand is making headlines in the news for a variety of reasons. Thailand‘s national carrier, Thai Airways, saw a dramatic increase in profits in the last quarter of the year, nearly tripling their profits. This is great news for the country, as it is a sign of economic growth and stability. In addition, Thailand has strengthened its tourism ties with…

  • 3 new airlines of Thailand to be launched next year | Thaiger

    3 new airlines of Thailand to be launched next year

    Thailand is set to welcome three new airlines, P80 AIR, Really Cool Air, and Landarch Airline, this year. The ultra-low-cost airline from Malaysia, MYAirline, is also preparing a new route to the Land of Smiles. DailyNews reported today that the three new airlines have applied for operational licenses with the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) and the approval process is…

  • Thailand scoops democracy award for 2022, seriously | Thaiger

    Thailand scoops democracy award for 2022, seriously

    Thailand, the land of military coups, and political repression, and governed under a military dictatorship, has been crowned the most improved democracy in a recent poll. Who’d have thought? According to the Democracy Index, compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Thailand has made significant strides in democratic health, jumping from 72nd to 55th place in just one year. And…

  • Bangkok taxi driver flees hit-and-run, later stabs victim’s friend | Thaiger

    Bangkok taxi driver flees hit-and-run, later stabs victim’s friend

    A taxi driver involved in a hit-and-run incident at Soi Phahonyothin 52 in Bangkok on Wednesday also stabbed a man before fleeing the scene. However, guilt finally got the better of the driver and he surrendered himself to the police yesterday. The victim stabbed by a taxi driver is a man called Ra. He had surgery after the knife attack…

  • Get ready for delicious seafood at festival in Cha-am, Thailand | Thaiger

    Get ready for delicious seafood at festival in Cha-am, Thailand

    Get ready for a week filled with mouth-watering seafood, live music, and lots of fun activities as Thailand’s oceanside city of Cha-am prepares to host its annual seafood festival. From March 11 to 18, visitors can enjoy a range of delicious locally caught seafood at the event. The festival will be held from the viewpoint of the Cha-am beachfront. Whether…

  • Thai woman hangs panties out in protest over luxury housing project | Thaiger

    Thai woman hangs panties out in protest over luxury housing project

    A Thai woman got her knickers in a twist after builders flooded her land with toxic wastewater in Samut Prakarn province near Bangkok. It made her so angry she hung her panties out in protest. A video was posted on the Thai TikTok account, @songthaow, showing over 30 pairs of panties and shoes hung over electric cables. The caption said……

  • Thai govt launches mouth-watering e-guidebook for foreign foodies | Thaiger

    Thai govt launches mouth-watering e-guidebook for foreign foodies

    Hold on to your buckled belts foodies, because the Thai government has just cooked up something delicious – a mouth-watering e-guidebook aimed at promoting gastronomy tourism for Muslim and foreign visitors alike. The guidebook is so good, it’ll have travellers licking their lips in no time! So, whether you’re foodies seeking new culinary adventures or a traveller looking to spice…

  • Thai Airways profits nearly tripled in last year’s final quarter | Thaiger

    Thai Airways profits nearly tripled in last year’s final quarter

    Thai Airways International (THAI) had a strong financial performance in the final quarter of 2022, reflecting the gradual recovery of Thailand’s tourism industry. According to the national flag carrier’s annual financial statement filed with the Thai Stock Exchange on February 24, the net income for the fourth quarter of 2022 surged to 11.15 billion baht, almost triple the 4 billion…

  • 3 Thai transwomen attacked by group of taxi drivers near Soi Cowboy | Thaiger

    3 Thai transwomen attacked by group of taxi drivers near Soi Cowboy

    Three Thai transwomen reported they were attacked by a gang of taxi drivers near the popular nightlife spot, Soi Cowboy, in Bangkok at 4am on Tuesday, February 28. The victims also claimed that Thong Lor Police ignored their pleas for justice because they were transgender. One of the victims, 24 year old Watchaya, spoke to the media about the incident…

  • Thai woman caught performing oral sex on foreign man in Pattaya (video) | Thaiger

    Thai woman caught performing oral sex on foreign man in Pattaya (video)

    Pattaya has once again gained notoriety for its reputation as a “Sin City” after a video went viral of a Thai woman performing oral sex on a foreign man near the Pattaya Music Festival location. The Pattaya Online News Facebook page reported today that a witness sent a two-minute video to Thai media yesterday. In the video, a woman wearing…

  • All bets off as MP faces gambling charge in Parliament | Thaiger

    All bets off as MP faces gambling charge in Parliament

    All bets are off according to spokeswoman Pongsri Tharaphume who revealed “an investigation will be launched” into an incident involving an unnamed MP who allegedly engaged in gambling activities at his office in Parliament. Parliament president Chuan Leekpai has requested an investigation to determine whether the MP violated the House’s code of ethics. The investigation was initiated in response to…

  • Ladyboy steals English tourist’s gold necklace in Phuket | Thaiger

    Ladyboy steals English tourist’s gold necklace in Phuket

    Police managed to reunite an English tourist with his gold necklace after it was snatched by a ladyboy in the Patong area of Phuket, southern Thailand, in the early hours of this morning. At 4.30am, officers at Patong Police Station were informed that a tourist’s gold necklace was stolen in front of the Central Department Store in Patong. Police rushed…

  • Koh Lipe tourism industry loses 10 million baht after local fisherfolk protest | Thaiger

    Koh Lipe tourism industry loses 10 million baht after local fisherfolk protest

    Local fisherfolk in the southern province of Satun have blocked the Pak Bara Pier to stop people from using it in protest after being banned from fishing for a month due to overlapping rules from two government departments. The result of the closure has affected the tourism industry, especially on Lipe Island, which lost revenue of over 10 million baht. The…

  • Two suspects in Tangmo case plead guilty to ‘recklessness causing death’ | Thaiger

    Two suspects in Tangmo case plead guilty to ‘recklessness causing death’

    More than one year after Thai actress Nida ‘Tangmo‘ Patcharaveerapong drowned in the Chaophraya River, two suspects in the ‘speedboat gang‘ have confessed to all charges including recklessness causing death. The four remaining suspects denied all charges. Tangmo’s mother Panida Siriyuthyothin said the confessions follow new evidence she submitted to the court on February 24. The new evidence is dashcam…

  • Thailand wins award for ‘Best Tourist Country’ in Sweden | Thaiger

    Thailand wins award for ‘Best Tourist Country’ in Sweden

    Thailand continues to make waves across the globe for its reputation as a tourist magnet. Thailand has been recognised as the Best Tourist Country at the 30th annual Grand Travel Awards 2023 in Stockholm, Sweden. Organised by TravelNews, the award is based on a survey conducted by research company Nordic Bench, which collected responses from 3,227 Swedish travellers and travel professionals…

  • Thai men condemed for inappropriately touching Taiwanese YouTuber | Thaiger

    Thai men condemed for inappropriately touching Taiwanese YouTuber

    Thai and Taiwanese netizens condemned two Thai men for inappropriately touching a Taiwanese YouTuber, Ar Yuan, while she was travelling in Bangkok. The Taiwanese YouTuber, Ar Yuan ( 一隻阿圓) runs a YouTube channel called I am CIRCLE (一隻阿圓)  which promotes travel and lifestyle videos and draws over 762,000 subscribers to her channel. According to the Taiwanese news agency, ETtoday, Ar…

  • Indian community pushes for Holi festival near Pattaya Beach | Thaiger

    Indian community pushes for Holi festival near Pattaya Beach

    Pattaya’s Indian community is pushing for the upcoming Holi festival to be held near Pattaya Beach. The festival, considered ‘Indian Songkran’ by some, is to be held on Sunday, March 11. The Pattaya Indian Association and Domestic Tourism Association met with Pattaya Mayor Poramase Ngampiches to request the hosting of the “Happy Holi Festival of Colours in Pattaya Thailand” near…

  • Thai Model, Ticha Kanticha, promotes sex-ed and positivity in Thai society | Thaiger

    Thai Model, Ticha Kanticha, promotes sex-ed and positivity in Thai society

    Kanticha Chumma, also known as Ticha Kanticha, has become a prominent figure in Thailand due to her impressive win as the best model in the reality show, The Face Thailand Season 2. However, her influence extends beyond the modelling industry, and she has become an advocate for sex education and challenged social norms in Thailand. The 28 year old model,…

  • Police arrest Cambodian for raging fire at Pattaya ‘secret’ beach (video) | Thaiger

    Police arrest Cambodian for raging fire at Pattaya ‘secret’ beach (video)

    Police arrested a homeless Cambodian national yesterday under suspicion of starting a raging fire at a secret beach in Pattaya, eastern Thailand, on Monday night, causing damages amounting to 300,000 baht. On Monday, 41 year old fisherman Teeraphat Iampinyo discovered a raging fire at a secret beach – mostly used by fishermen to sell fish and store equipment. The beach…

  • Frenchman pays the price for revving noisy motorbike in Phuket | Thaiger

    Frenchman pays the price for revving noisy motorbike in Phuket

    Police tracked down and fined a Frenchman yesterday for annoying residents by revving his loud rented motorbike along the Bangla Road in Phuket, southern Thailand, in the early hours of Monday morning. At 5am on Monday, Phuket traffic police were tipped off that a group of four to five ‘dek waen’ (motorbike racers) were causing a ruckus outside a convenience…

  • New Zealand tourist gets lost in forest in Koh Pha Ngan, Thailand | Thaiger

    New Zealand tourist gets lost in forest in Koh Pha Ngan, Thailand

    A New Zealand tourist got lost in a forest on Thailand’s Koh Pha Ngan island in the southern Surat Thani province on Sunday. Friends of the man, 56 year old Shaw Mace Bushel, alerted police that he had gone missing from his resort at 4am. Bushel’s friends had searched for him but failed to find him. A team of officers…

  • Lion cub escapes Chinese man’s house in Pattaya | Thaiger

    Lion cub escapes Chinese man’s house in Pattaya

    Residents of a luxury village in Pattaya called on the authorities to investigate the home of a Chinese man after they witnessed a white lion cub roaming around the community. The 39 year old Chinese man named Shen Tai contacted Pattaya authorities on Tuesday night that his three month old female white lion cub had gone missing. Later, he informed…

  • Meatball seller wins 6 million baht lottery jackpot in Thailand | Thaiger

    Meatball seller wins 6 million baht lottery jackpot in Thailand

    A meatball seller from Buriram province in northeast Thailand won the first prize of 6 million baht in the government lottery yesterday. She says she won’t stop selling meatballs. The newfound millionaire, 53 year old Champa Sumahungphan, revealed how she chose the winning numbers. Champa explained that she was riding around the Thai Samakkadi subdistrict on her motorbike and attached…

  • US Army officer dies during Cobra Gold military exercise in Thailand | Thaiger

    US Army officer dies during Cobra Gold military exercise in Thailand

    UPDATE The US Army officer who was found dead at a Thai army camp in Lop Buri province, central Thailand, on Tuesday morning has been identified as 37 year old Maj. Andrew Cotter. Cotter was taking part in the multinational military exercise Cobra Gold. Yesterday, US and Thai officials said that no foul play was suspected. Superintendent of Mueang Lop…

  • Selfridges’ Thai owners take on 70 billion baht debt | Thaiger

    Selfridges’ Thai owners take on 70 billion baht debt

    Central Group, Selfridges’ Thai owners along with Austrian enterprise Signa Holdings, have taken on another £1.7 billion (US$ 2 billion, 70 billion baht) of debt in a strategy to increase investment returns. The London branch of Bangkok Bank provided the loan, secured against the lease on the retailer’s London flagship store. Selfridges said the loan would “release capital” for the…

  • Taiwanese tourist tragically drowns while snorkeling off Krabi | Thaiger

    Taiwanese tourist tragically drowns while snorkeling off Krabi

    A Taiwanese tourist tragically drowned while snorkelling off an island in Thailand’s Krabi province. The tourist, 36 year old Yueh Lee, had been snorkelling off the island of Koh Hong on Tuesday, according to his friend. The unidentified friend said they had been looking at coral reefs. Lifeguards then noticed that Yueh had been lying face down in the water…

  • UK YouTuber’s video on Thai boy racers praised by netizens | Thaiger

    UK YouTuber’s video on Thai boy racers praised by netizens

    Thai netizens hailed UK YouTuber JimmyTheGiant for his documentary-style video “Thailand’s Most Hated Subculture,” which sheds light on the persistent issue of boy racers in the kingdom. Many have called on Thai authorities to take the issue seriously and sort it out. The term “Dek Waen” is used to describe teenage boy racers who ride motorcycles or drive cars, very fast. However,…

  • American soldier dies at Cobra Gold military exercise in Thailand | Thaiger

    American soldier dies at Cobra Gold military exercise in Thailand

    An American soldier attending the annual Cobra Gold military exercise in Thailand was found dead in the bathroom at an army camp in Lop Buri province, north of Bangkok, yesterday at 9.40am. Officers from Mueang Lop Buri Police Station travelled to the 31st Infantry Regiment to find the soldier deceased in the bathroom in a pool of blood. There was…

  • Makha Bucha Day Monday: lots of Buddhism, no booze | Thaiger

    Makha Bucha Day Monday: lots of Buddhism, no booze

    Buddha Days: holidays of religious celebration for Thais and sober frustration for foreign tourists. Next week Thailand will celebrate Makha Bucha Day, an important religious holiday for Thai Buddhists. The holiday falls on Monday, March 6. While the day may not hold the same religious significance for non-Buddhists, it is still recognized as a significant day in Thai culture, and…