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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What do you need before moving from the US to Thailand?
The Thaiger key takeaways The most common medical emergencies for expats in Thailand include motorcycle accidents, tropical diseases, and food or water-borne illnesses. Air pollution and heat-related conditions like heatstroke also pose serious seasonal health risks, especially in northern and...
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Online pranksters warned they could face time in jail ahead of April Fool’s Day
The Royal Thai Police issued a warning to online pranksters ahead of April Fool’s Day that their tomfoolery could land them in jail and a heavy fine. The Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) urged the nation’s natural jokers to be careful that their shenanigans on April Fool’s Day, also known as “Wan Dek Foo” in Thailand, do not break the…
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Police accused of raping and blackmailing woman
A 21 year old woman accused a Khlong Ha Police Station sergeant major of getting her drunk before raping her. The woman also alleged that the police officer recorded the rape to blackmail her into having sex with him again. The co-founder of the non-profit organisation Saimai Survive, Acharn Opasthanakorn, accompanied the victim, Bee, to file a complaint against the…
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Thailand weather forecast: Hot and stormy
Much of Thailand can expect hot weather and summer storms in the next 24 hours, with temperatures hitting highs of 39 degrees Celsius in Bangkok, according to the Meteorological Department. Northern Thailand is expected to be hot and hazy today. In Chiang Mai, the air quality index (AQI) was measured at a ‘very unhealthy’ 220 this morning, 33.9x higher than…
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Not all trips to a police station in Thailand end in tragedy, with some there’s a happy ending
Heard the joke about the police officer in Thailand offering massages, soothing herbal sweets and a cold drink instead of a cuff around the ear and a night in the slammer? No? Well, that’s because it’s not a joke. A visit to a police station in Thailand is usually a daunting exercise for most whether you’ve committed a crime, filed…
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Thai vendor banks 10,000 baht on a traditional Thai pattern pancake
A skilled pancake vendor at Srinagarindra Train Night Market in Bangkok who created a magnificent piece of art from a pancake managed to bank 10,000 baht. Shop owner and pancake artist extraordinaire, Wiwat “Singto” Janecharoen, posted a video of a pancake with a traditional Thai pattern on the shop’s TikTok account, nirinartyummy. In the caption he wrote… “More detailed than…
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Tourist spots dead body near Pattaya park
A tourist spotted a dead body near a Pattaya park yesterday. Rescuers were alerted of the discovery of the decaying body at around 6pm. The body was found near a park on Soi Chaiyaphruek 4 in the Bang Lamung district. The dead man was not carrying any identification documents. He was wearing a blue shirt, shorts, and sandals. Officers said the…
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Outrage as energy bills rise for households, drop for industry
The government has come under fire for its latest revision of electricity pricing, with accusations that it will reduce energy bills for various industries but raise those of households. The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has decided to increase power bills for households from 4.72 baht per kilowatt-hour (unit) to 4.77 baht. Industry will also be charged 4.77 baht, but that’s…
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Thailand expected to have a hotter summer this year
Thailand is bracing for a hotter summer this year, with the Meteorological Department forecasting an average temperature increase of one degree Celsius from last year. The hottest weather this week has been recorded in the North of the country, with temperatures peaking at 41.5°C in Phetchabun’s Mueang district on Thursday. Closer to Bangkok, the highest temperature was recorded at 38.5°C…
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Murky water at Koh Samui beach caused by plankton bloom, not oil spill: officials
UPDATE The smelly, murky water putting off tourists from swimming in the sea at Maenam Beach in Koh Samui, southern Thailand, is not an oil spill but caused by a plankton bloom, which is a natural phenomenon, according to the Director of Koh Samui Harbour Authority, Arun Buppako. The photos circulating of green murky water at the beach show dead…
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Strikes in Germany force Thai Airways to cancel 6 flights
Strikes in Germany have forced Thai Airways International (THAI) to cancel six flights. The strikes, called by German labour unions Verdi, and EVG, representing transport workers, are related to wage disputes, Reuters reported. The strikes are expected to cause widespread disruption to railways and airports. Operations at Frankfurt and Munich airports are at a standstill. The cancelled THAI flights are: •…
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Don Mueang Airport expansion planned, while U-Tapao stalls
Airports of Thailand (AOT) has announced its plans to expand Don Mueang International Airport’s low-cost terminal, while U-Tapao Airport’s expansion faces delays. The expansion of Bangkok’s secondary airport aims to increase passenger capacity and bolster tourism income for the country. Don Mueang’s expansion project has a budget of 36.8 billion baht and is set to begin this year. But the…
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SRT adds 4 historic tourism train trips next month
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) announced that it will offer four special sightseeing train trips in April to stimulate domestic tourism and generate income for locals. The train trips will follow a historical theme next month and will meet the increasing passenger demand for cultural travel in the area. The train trips are a collaborative effort between the SRT,…
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Italian man impaled and killed by forklift in Thailand
An Italian man tragically died this morning after he was impaled by a forklift in Samut Prakan province, just south of Bangkok in central Thailand, near the factory where he worked as sales manager. He was riding a motorbike taxi when the incident happened, reports ThaiRath. At 10am, officers at Samrong Nuea Police Station were informed of a fatal collision between…
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Foreigners complain they can’t swim at Koh Samui beach due to smelly oil spill
French and German tourists complained that a smelly oil spill prevented them from swimming at Maenam Beach yesterday in Koh Samui, Surat Thani province, southern Thailand. A German man told reporters that he went to the beach to sunbathe and play in the water. But when he tried to go swimming, he noticed a foul smell emanating from the sea.…
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Chinese KOLs livestream their adventures in Thailand’s tropical paradises
Chinese Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) have been livestreaming their adventures in Thailand’s tropical paradises. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) recently collaborated with Kuaishou Technology, a Chinese short video-sharing mobile app, to bring Chinese KOLs to Phuket, Krabi, and Phang Nga for a “Travel Adventures Thailand Episode” livestream series. The series began on Wednesday, March 15, and ends today (March…
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Porsche celebrates 30 years in Thailand with multi-coloured 911 model (video)
Porsche Asia Pacific is celebrating 30 years of its high-performance sports car in Thailand with a new multi-coloured bespoke Porsche 911 Carrera GTS in honour of the importance of colours in the kingdom. The German luxury car was first introduced to the Thai market in 2002 with the establishment of Porsche (Thailand) Limited, a subsidiary of Porsche Asia Pacific Pte…
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Japan voted top sustainable country, Thailand ranked fifth
Japan has been praised by fellow Asian countries for its sustainability and conservation efforts in a new poll with Thailand claiming fifth place, would you believe? Over 13,000 respondents from more than ten countries participated in the Sustainable Impact Survey 2023 conducted by the online travel agency Agoda. The respondents were asked to rank countries based on their sustainability efforts, and…
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Thailand: Check your 20 baht bills, they might be worth more than you think…
A Thai coin and banknote collector is offering big cash for a rare kind of 20 baht bill that could be in anyone’s wallet in Thailand. Some of the new plastic polymer 20 baht bills which entered circulation last year were printed without a vertical line on the left-hand side, as seen in the picture. “Gig” the rare money collector…
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Police arrest 2 women in Buriram for alleged online child sexual exploitation
Police in Buriram arrested two women for alleged online child sexual exploitation in a raid on a bar-restaurant in the province this week. Officers reportedly uncovered two underage girls working in the establishment and two women were charged with exploiting the girls. The Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD Police) arrested the owner of the bar-restaurant, 35 year old Tuenjai ‘Kukkik’…
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80 year old woman survives floating 3 kilometres down Nan River in Thailand
An 80 year old Thai woman fell into the Nan River in Pichit province, northern Thailand, and floated for 3 kilometres before she was rescued by a good Samaritan yesterday. At 4pm, 61 year old Bancha Simadua, the owner of a paint shop, was fishing in the Nan River near Wat Ratchachang Kwan when he suddenly saw a naked body…
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Bangkok Airways to launch Koh Samui – Hong Kong route
Bangkok Airways revealed plans to launch a direct route between Koh Samui in Thailand and Hong Kong, aiming to “generate more revenue from foreign customers.” President of Bangkok Airways Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth revealed that a nonstop Koh Samui – Hong Kong flight is in the works and could launch sometime this year. The airline has also entered discussions to lease more…
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Thailand lottery winner thanks Buddha with 100 pig’s heads
A Thai lottery winner today laid out 100 pig’s heads in front of the famous 30-metre-tall Buddha statue at Wat Klang Bang Phra Temple in Nakhon Pathom province in central Thailand. The lucky winner, Panu Nawisamphan from Samut Prakan province, did not reveal how much money he won in the government lottery. Panu said his offering of 100 pig’s heads…
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Beachgoers find giant sea turtle carcass in Pattaya
While there’s been a lot of happy news about turtles in Phang Nga recently, there’s unfortunately been some sad turtle news in Pattaya. A giant sea turtle carcass washed up on Pattaya Beach on Tuesday. Beachgoers noticed the carcass and detected a foul odour in the early hours of the morning. They promptly informed the authorities of the discovery. Officials…
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Taiwanese woman wins 3kg chicken rice eating challenge in Bangkok
A Taiwanese woman shrugged aside the well-worn slogan “pleasure on the lips, lifetime on the hips” to emerge victorious in a food challenge at a restaurant in Bangkok. The foodie devoured 3 kilogrammes of chicken and rice in just 35 minutes, making her the 37th winner of the challenge since it was launched 10 years ago. The chicken rice shop,…
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Thailand’s leading Muslim cleric announces the start of Ramadan
Thailand’s leading Muslim cleric announced the start of Ramadan yesterday. The cleric, Sheikul Islam Aziz Phitakkumpon, said… “As announced to Thai Muslims across the country to sight the new crescent moon after sunset on Wednesday, March 22, to mark the first day of Ramadan AH 1444. It has been confirmed that the new crescent moon has been sighted. So I…
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Thai pervert jailed for 2 years for hidden cameras in Australian Embassy, Bangkok
A Thai man was labelled “a serious threat to society” by a judge who sentenced the pervert to two years in jail for allegedly installing hidden cameras in women’s toilets at the Australian Embassy in Bangkok. Nayot “Bank” Thamsongsana, a former IT worker at the Australian embassy in Bangkok, has been convicted in the Bangkok South Criminal Court after pleading…
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Thailand’s ‘The Pizza Company’ launches mango pizza
Move over pineapple, mango is the hottest pizza topping in Thailand this summer thanks to a special edition launch from nationwide pizza chain The Pizza Company. Everyone loves pizza, and everyone loves mango. But do they belong together? More specifically, does mango belong on a pizza with mozzarella cheese, croutons, mango sauce, cream cheese and coconut sauce? If your brain…
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3 year old boy dies after being trapped in car for 2 hours
A three year old boy suffocated to death after being trapped in his mother’s car in the Isaan province of Buriram. A rescue team attempted to save the child’s life but he died on the way to the hospital. Baan Bua Municipality Rescue Team rushed to a local restaurant in the Baan Bua sub-district of Buriram yesterday at 3pm after…
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Pattaya Zumba lovers raise 100,000 baht for disabled boy
Zumba is a fun activity to stay in shape, but this week, Zumba lovers in Pattaya also used the activity to raise money for a good cause. The street food market The Smile Land Pattaya, located on Phettrakul Road in Bang Lamung District, hosted an event, ‘Zumba Charity Party,’ on Monday. The Muscle Factory Pattaya gym sponsored the event, Pattaya…
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Thai buffalo becomes beauty influencer
Social media is full of influencers reviewing makeup and cosmetic products, but one Thai beauty queen, Kalaya, is set apart from the rest. She’s a buffalo and she’s taking the Internet by storm. Kalaya’s owner Mod doesn’t raise any old buffaloes, but pageant buffaloes, which are specially bred to be strong and beautiful. In one video gaining nearly 90,000 likes…
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