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 Where to travel in Thailand in July [2025]
This month, I want to invite you to wander through art spaces, misty hills, and garden paths, where the only thing on the itinerary is to linger. Let’s take a slower route, one for the dreamers, the journal keepers, and...
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Khon Kaen, Thailand’s smart city torchbearer
Khon Kaen has been held up as a shining example to the rest of Thailand on how to develop as a smart city. One of the four major cities of Isan in northern Thailand, Khon Kaen, was showered with praise at the 4th Apec Media Focus Group last week, hosted jointly by The Foreign Ministry, and Khon Kaen University International…
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A look at Thailand’s award-winning social media agency
Press Release Meet Primal, Southeast Asia’s Social Media Marketing Powerhouse. With more than 80% of Thailand’s population using social media in 2022, social media marketing is more important than ever for developing your business’s online presence. Meeting customers on the platforms they frequently use is a great way to get exposure for your business and boost conversions. And one of…
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Pop star demands to know why her pet dog died on Thai flight
Thai pop star Prompwilai “Mimi” Leesiriroj has demanded an explanation from Thai Airways, and China Eastern, as to why her pet dog, Melody, died while travelling on a flight from Thailand to China on Friday. The 22 year old singer, also known as Mimi Lee, found stardom in China after she won a reality TV show called Produce 101 China,…
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Boost to tourism industry as China resumes flights to Thailand
Thailand received another boost to its tourism industry yesterday when China gave its blessing to resume flights between the two Asian nations. The gradual lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, the scrapping of the Thailand Pass, and the relaxation of mask-wearing have all been much welcomed as the kingdom fights back against two tough pandemic years. And the welcoming of Chinese tourists…
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Thailand plans to negotiate with Saudi Arabia over fertiliser
Thailand is suffering a fertiliser shortage, with the country’s farmers bearing the high costs of imported fertilisers. Now, the Chamber of Commerce plans to negotiate with Saudi suppliers. Saudi Arabia recently allowed 2 of its suppliers to sell fertiliser to Thailand, according to Thai Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit. The International Trade Promotion Department is scheduled to hold a business matching…
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Cannabis for the confused, stoned or curious in Thailand I Lawyers, Guns and Money
Speaking to lawyer Dr. Paul Crozier from Silk Legal in Bangkok. Thailand’s new laws regarding the decriminalisation and legalising of cannabis and marijuana products is not clear, despite some people believing it is. The Thai government has not enacted laws and guidelines about the use of cannabis or marijuana, medicinally or recreationally. Dr. Paul Crozier discusses some of the…
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Embracing No Mask Requirement In Thailand | Weekend Update
Bangkok is celebrating the country’s removal of mask requirements in open spaces. Thai PM bans ‘The green and hemp use on military premises. The Bus issue in Thailand and Storm rip apart villages in the Northeast. All this and your questions are answered on today’s Weekend Update.
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Largest instant noodle convenience store
This shop that opened in October last year has drawn thousands of teenagers since its opening. Not only does this shop have Thai instant noodles, it also has noodles coming from different countries that include Indonesia, South Korea, China, Japan,malaysia, and more. The cost ranges from 6 baht to 250 Baht
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Police raid Kanchanaburi resorts for land encroachment
There’s been a new incident of Thailand’s tourism industry disturbing the country’s nature, this time in Kanchanaburi. Police in the western province have raided 4 resorts yesterday that encroached on forest land, as well as land belonging to the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand. The police busted resorts around a dam in the Sri Sawat district. The first resort had…
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Thailand is open NOW – masks off, bars open until 2am
Thailand is open for business. The whole country is now a ‘green’ zone, allowing a full-scale resumption of business and activities with even the Thailand Pass being dropped next Friday. It’s about as back to normal as it can be at this time. Decisions made by the CCSA on June 17 were put into effect yesterday after being published in…
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Thai woman confesses to beating 6 year old granddaughter to death with pestle
Today, a 47 year old Thai woman confessed to hitting her 6 year old granddaughter’s head with a pestle until she died on Wednesday, June 22, in Pathum Thani province in central Thailand. On Wednesday night, police received a report that a 6 year old girl had died inside a rented room in Som Khok District in Pathum Thani province.…
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Thai officials say price of bagged rice won’t jump
In the midst of the world’s ongoing price inflation, Thailand’s Commerce Ministry says retail prices on bagged rice will not jump. The chairman of the Thai Rice Packers Association said in a meeting yesterday that the association has cooperated with the Internal Trade Department to freeze retail prices. The Commerce Ministry has noted, however, that some sellers could reduce promotional…
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Thailand’s MOD bans use of cannabis on army premises
Thailand’s Ministry of Defense strictly orders military personnel not to use cannabis on army premises, according to ministry spokesman Col. Chinat Punnotok. Military personnel are also strictly prohibited from posting pictures or videos of themselves using cannabis on social media, said the spokesperson. The army’s cannabis ban was decided upon today during a meeting held by Thailand’s Defence Council, presided…
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Thai government mocked over clay stove proposal
Deputy PM and Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow yesterday defended comments the nation should switch to using clay stoves to combat the energy crisis after the government was mocked on social media The Energy Ministry’s official Facebook page on Tuesday uploaded a picture of a stove (Tao Maha Setthee), with a caption saying ‘a charcoal stove is durable, helps save money,…
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Phuket public health office says smoking cannabis is legal, but…
Phuket’s Provincial Public Health Office today made a statement to clear up confusion surrounding new cannabis laws. Smoking cannabis is legal, so long as the smoke does not disturb anyone, according to the chief of the Phuket Provincial Health Office Dr. Kusak Kukiatkul. Cannabis smoke is considered a “public nuisance” in Thailand, and smoking the plant in public places is…
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RGP adopts cost-saving tactics to sell condos for 1.2 million baht
Regent Green Power, a property developer known for inexpensive apartment units, is fighting back against the universal cost of living crisis to make prices more affordable for consumers. The Bangkok-based property business says it can build condominiums priced at or lower than 1.2 million baht, for about 25-30 square metres, in areas less than 500 metres from mass transportation. How…
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Chadchart’s fears for Thai kids after cannabis decriminalisation
Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt admits he fears for the health and safety of Thailand’s children after the decriminalisation of cannabis on June 9. He fears the lack of guidelines and accompanying legislation has led to confusion and incorrect assumptions following the announcement. The 56 year old voiced his concerns at Wichutit School in Bangkok’s Din Daeng district while promoting a…
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It’s official – face masks now voluntary in most places in Thailand
Any face mask confusion is now clarified by the publishing of the latest edict in the Royal Gazette. “The wearing of a mask is a voluntary practice from now onwards so that people can now live closer to normal conditions. The Ministry of Public Health only recommends that the general public wear a mask when living with other people in…
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VIDEO: Pattaya police rehearse controlling drunk tourists with metal poles
Pattaya police – armed with what look like giant litter pickers – gathered on Jomtien beach in Pattaya yesterday to prepare for encounters with “armed, drunk and aggressive foreign tourists.” The police asked a foreign beachgoer to volunteer as an armed, drunk and out of control tourist. Half a dozen policemen behind a riot shield approached the “tourist” and pinned…
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Thailand expects economy to grow 3% next year
The Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council expects the Thai economy to grow by 3% next year, even if there is more tension between Ukraine and Russia. The council’s permanent secretary, Danucha Pitchayanan, says by coordinating with every country Thailand can grow despite the current choppy economical waters the world has to navigate. The 51 year old…
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Mentally ill Thai man sentenced to 12 years for royal defamation
A man with mental health problems has been sentenced to 12 years in jail for criticising the Thai royal family. The 29 year old man, called Punyaphat, made a number of posts on the Royalist Marketplace Facebook group questioning the popularity of the Thai royal family, and King Vajiralongkorn’s frequent trips to Germany. Siwapan Manitkul, a managing director of a…
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4 suspects in wildlife trade arrested across Thailand
Environmental police arrested 4 suspected wildlife traders today in several provinces across Thailand. The Nonthaburi Provincial Court ordered arrest warrants for the group on June 14 on charges of colluding in illegal trading in wildlife and illegal possession of protected wild animals. Officers from Thailand’s Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression searched spots in Bangkok, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Ayutthaya, and…
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Police arrest 2 Iranian men for scamming people in Thailand
Police arrested 2 Iranian nationals today in Chanthaburi province, eastern Thailand. The men allegedly scammed people out of money on at least 2 occasions in Samut Songkhram province, southwest of Bangkok. The men would ask people to exchange banknotes, but then snatch the victim’s money and run off without giving anything in return. The 24 year old man and 32…
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Thailand develops cannabis test kits that detect THC levels in 15 minutes
Thailand took marijuana off its list of narcotics, but extracts with higher than 0.2% tetrahydrocannabinol – the “happy” chemical – are still illegal. The law was designed to discourage the recreational use of cannabis, but no one knew how it could be enforced, until now. Thailand’s Department of Medical Sciences has developed marijuana test kits that detect THC levels in…
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Phuket homeowner checks CCTV to find foreign couple canoodling outside house
A Thai woman away in Germany was lost for words on Tuesday when she checked her Phuket home’s CCTV camera footage to see a foreign couple – a man and woman – having sex in front of her house. Homeowner Waralak Frisch often resides in Germany with her husband, so she installed security cameras to check on the safety of…
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Thai police say plan to change uniforms ‘a waste of money’
Plans to change the uniforms of parliament police, 6 months after they were issued with new ones, have been put on hold after officers objected, calling it “a waste of taxpayers’ money.” Sixty parliament police officers gathered at the parliament building, in Dusit district, yesterday to submit a letter to the President of the National Assembly, Chuan Leekpai, to oppose…
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Thai PM faces fourth censure motion next month
The next political challenge for Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is next month when a censure motion is put to the lower house by opposition MPs. The debate is scheduled for July 18 – 22 and there is no certainty how the votes will eventually fall at this time. Renegade MPs, new political factions, the PMs falling popularity and a looming…
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Frenchman found dead in luxury villa in Koh Samui, Thailand
The body of a Frenchman was discovered at a luxury pool villa in Koh Samui, off the coast of the southern province of Surat Thani, at 9:30am this morning. Officers from Koh Samui Police Station were called to a detached house in Na Muang subdistrict after a cleaner discovered the body of 45 year old Christophe Cedric Moulinaires lying dead…
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Expect more wind and rain in most of Thailand
Don’t forget your umbrella when you leave the house, because Thailand’s wind and rain isn’t going away anytime soon. It is the wet season after all. The country’s meteorological department announced that thundershowers are expected across the country today, with isolated rains and gusty winds too. In Northern Thailand, there will be scattered thundershowers in the Mae Hong Son, Chiang…
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