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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Bangkok backpacker haven Khao San Road to close from noon to 8pm for Songkran
Khao San Business Association today announced that the Bangkok backpacker haven will be closed for business between noon and 8pm every day so revellers can enjoy the Songkran celebrations. Businesses, bars and restaurants will reopen as usual straight after the 8pm cut off. Khao San Business Association President Sanga Ruangwattanakul revealed that the closure of Khao San Road, for the…
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Thai man’s Emerald Buddha Songkran office party outfit is ‘inappropriate,’ monk says
A Thai man won 5000 baht for ‘best outfit’ at his office’s Songkran party in Udon Thani province yesterday, but a senior Buddhist monk says that dressing like the Emerald Buddha is “inappropriate.” The Emerald Buddha is a statue of the historical Buddha in a meditative pose, made out of the semi-precious stone jasper and considered the “sacred palladium of…
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Man sets fire to wife’s house and threatens to kill her family
A Thai man driven by jealousy, set fire to the house of his wife in Nakhon Pathom province near Bangkok after she left him and travelled to another province with her family. The man also allegedly threatened to kill his family and carried a gun with him at all times. The wife’s brother, a 35 year old man named Wanlop…
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RTA suspends AWOL sergeant major turned cyberpunk after hacking 55 million Thais’ personal data
The sergeant major turned cyberpunk who was accused of hacking the personal data of 55 million Thais has been suspended by the Royal Thai Army (RTA). Police on Friday reported that the suspect and his wife were detained and questioned about the alleged crime, but the couple has since disappeared. Maj. Gen. Sirichan Ngathong, the deputy spokesperson, stated that “SM2…
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Unveiling the dark side of sex doll collecting: Thai man’s spooky encounters with his new doll
A Thai sex doll collector took to Facebook to share some spooky stories that would not look out of place in a horror movie after he bought a new doll from a stranger online. The man, who runs a Facebook page called the Imaginary Diary of a Drink Vendor (ไดอารี่สุดกาวของพ่อค้าร้านน้ำ), believes the sex doll he bought is haunted by a…
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Splash into Songkran! Silom Road to remain open for water fights in Bangkok
Bang Rak District Office officially announced that Silom Road, a popular destination for water fights in Bangkok during Songkran, will remain open this year. Locals and tourists can take part in the water fights on the streets and sidewalks of each Soi. After three years of being affected by the pandemic, the Songkran Festival and its accompanying water fights will…
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Mother and 8 year old son murdered in northern Thailand
Police have launched a murder investigation after the bodies of a woman and her eight year old son – from Myanmar – were discovered yesterday in a rented room in Lamphun province in northern Thailand. At 7.15pm, officers from Mueang Lamphun Police Station were called to a rented room in Ban Hua Fai in Nong Chang Kwan subdistrict after locals…
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South Korean Embassy in Thailand ‘boogies’ to celebrate Songkran Festival (video)
The South Korean Embassy in Thailand got down and boogied in preparation for this week’s Songkran Festival. The embassy staff, including the South Korean Ambassador to Thailand, Moon Seoung-hyun, got into the Thai New Year festive spirit by taking part in the traditional “Ram Thai” dance. The two-minute video went viral, receiving over 400,000 views in just four days on…
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Thai man stalked for 5 years by foreigner fluent in Thai, police unable to act
A man from Thailand took to social media to reveal that he had been stalked for five years by a foreigner who could speak Thai. He also stated that the police were unable to apprehend the foreigner as the case did not qualify as a blatant offence. Preecha Kaiyasa took to TikTok to share a video of the moment when…
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Airline industry blames rising costs for expensive airfares, is this true?
Expensive airfares look set to stay for the foreseeable future according to the airline industry. The industry is trotting out the usual excuses that the recent spike in expensive ticket prices is attributed to a rise in operational costs, including surging fuel prices and other factors. Nok Air CEO, Wutthiphum Jurangkool, cited a surge in prices for aviation supply chain…
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Thailand prepares for 14000+ flights this Songkran
Thailand will facilitate 14,180 domestic and international flights over the Songkran holidays, from today until April 17, according to the Aeronautical Radio of Thailand (Aerothai). This represents a 66% increase in flights compared with the same period last year. On average, there will be 2,026 flights per day, Aerothai President Nopposit Chakrapitak revealed yesterday. The president said Thailand’s aviation industry…
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Thai woman attempts to commit suicide at a neighbour’s house in Bangkok
A Thai woman survived a suicide attempt at a neighbour’s house in Bangkok yesterday. The homeowner, a 70 year old woman named Kannika, alerted a rescue team after discovering a woman, later identified as 35 year old Bee, cut her own throat in her house in Soi Thoet Thai 21 in the Thon Buri district of Bangkok. Upon arrival, the…
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Nok Air scraps only route to Mae Hong Son in northern Thailand
Nok Air flights between Bangkok and Mae Hong Son Airport in northern Thailand will be discontinued on April 19. The province, home to the popular backpacker town Pai, will be only accessible by road since Nok Air was the only airline servicing the airport commercially. The airline said they can no longer fly the Don Mueang – Mae Hong Son…
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Thai zoo successfully breeds Asian king vulture for the first time in Thailand in 30 years
Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo in the Isaan region of Thailand announced that their team has successfully bred a red-headed vulture, commonly known as the Asian king vulture. This is an important milestone as it signifies the first successful breeding of this species in Thailand in the last 30 years, and only the second instance worldwide. Korat Zoo announced today that a…
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Foreigner slips and breaks his neck on mossy seawall steps at Thailand beach
A 55 year old foreign man slipped on some mossy steps and “broke bones in his neck” at Cha-am Beach in Phetchaburi province, Thailand, his wife reported on Friday. On Friday, the Facebook page ‘Beach for life‘ was contacted by a Thai woman seeking justice for her foreign husband who is still being treated in hospital after an incident at…
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Two more shot dead in tragic family dispute linked to southern Thailand massacre
Two more people have been found shot dead linked to the tragic family dispute which led to the killing of four people by a cop with a grudge in southern Thailand. The most recent victims identified are the wife and son of the main suspect, a police officer assigned to the Khirirat Nakhom Police Station in Surat Thani. Both individuals were…
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RTA threatens to prosecute draft dodging Thai activist monk
The Royal Thai Army (RTA) announced it will prosecute an activist turned monk if he fails to give a valid reason why he dodged the mandatory conscription process. Phra Netiwit Jaranasampanno faces a court trial and possible compulsory drafting into the army without the benefit of drawing a ballot because of his draft dodging exercise. RTA deputy spokesperson Maj. Gen.…
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Thai man found dead in front of coffin shop due to extreme heat
The owner of a coffin shop in the central province of Kanchanaburi found a dead man in front of the shop yesterday. It is believed the deceased died from the extreme heat as the temperature reached 40 degrees Celsius on the day he was found. Officers from Tha Muang Police Station reviewed the area in front of the coffin shop,…
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Turmoil as Koh Larn boat operators fight over tourists at Bali Hai Pier in Pattaya
A brawl over passengers between two groups of Koh Larn speed boat operators at Bali Hai Pier in Pattaya was reported on Saturday. One operator claimed he was attacked by over 10 members of a mafia speed boat gang. A 31 year old Thai man named Kongkot shared a video of the moment when the fracas sparked on Saturday, April…
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Customer finds bait hook inside tin of fish in Thailand
A customer was reely taken aback when he discovered a bait hook floating in a tin of fish produced by a famous brand in Thailand. Luckily, he spotted the sharp hook before chewing it. Consumer protection Facebook page “Phuboripok” (“consumers”) posted a photo of the offending tin of fish yesterday with the caption… “A #consumer was about to eat tinned…
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Kazakhstani tourist arrested for rampage on southern Thailand beach (video)
Police arrested a Kazakhstani tourist for attacking people and destroying property yesterday at Haad Rin Beach in Koh Pha Ngan, Surat Thani province, southern Thailand. Yesterday evening, Koh Pha Ngan Tourist Police were informed that a foreign tourist was “going crazy” at Haad Rin Beach, chasing and attacking locals and invading and destroying property at resorts and restaurants along the…
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Woman jumps off 4th floor building to escape abusive husband’s torture
A Thai woman jumped off the fourth floor of a dormitory in Samut Prakarn province near Bangkok to escape from her abusive, alleged drug addict husband who scalded, assaulted and thrust a glass bottle into her vagina. A rescue team from the Poh Teck Tung Foundation rushed to Soi Bang Pla 22 in the Bang Plee district of Samut Prakarn…
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Thailand braces for thunderstorms, hail, and strong winds
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) urged residents in the North, East, and central regions of Thailand to be prepared for thunderstorms, strong winds, and hail over the coming days. A moderate high-pressure system from China is moving over the northeast and eastern parts of Thailand and the South China Sea, causing southerly and southeasterly winds that bring moisture from the…
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Gang attacks Swedish tourist for defending waitress in Chiang Mai, Thailand
A Swedish tourist was brutally attacked by a gang of young men after he tried to stop them from assaulting a waitress at a karaoke bar in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, on Friday. The gang also stole the victim’s gold necklace before throwing him into a canal. Yesterday, police arrested three men of Tai Yai ethnicity (an ethnic group from Shan state…
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Entry fees to Thailand’s Phi Phi islands reeling in 1 million baht a day
Entry fees to Thailand’s Phi-Phi islands have been reeling in about 1 million baht a day for the country’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, since the introduction of the e-ticketing system last July. Revenue from entry fees has increased by 20 to 30% to an average of 1 million baht per day, amounting to a total of 137…
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Exiled Chinese Christians arrive safely in US from Thailand
A group of exiled Chinese Christians, who feared persecution if they were sent back to China, arrived safely in the United States. The group had been detained for overstaying their visas in Thailand, where they had been trying to arrange formal passage to the US. The group arrested included 63 members of China’s Mayflower Church. The group believed that Chinese…
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British tourists to Thailand: Are you really covered? Travel insurance warning for medical emergencies
British tourists travelling to Thailand are being warned that their travel insurance policies may not cover them in the event of a medical emergency. Most travel insurance is not designed to cover life-saving operations or expensive repatriation. The Association of British Insurers pointed out that 17% of all overseas claims are rejected due to lack of documentation, and the average…
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Officials work with Agoda to boost community-based tourism in Prachuap Khiri Khan
Officials are working with Agoda to boost community-based tourism in the Kaiburi district of Thailand’s Prachuap Khiri Khan province. The Community-Based Tourism Promotion Project is a collaborative effort between the Prachuap Khiri Khan Provincial Administration Organization, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), and Agoda. Agoda will be promoting community-based tourism products and activities to its customers, including local homestays, cultural…
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Brazillian boxer banned by WMO after supporting Cambodian kickboxing
Following an argument over the origin of kickboxing between Thailand and Cambodia, the World Muaythai Organisation (WMO) has banned Brazilian boxer Thiago Teixeira from the sport after he announced support for Kun Khmer. His Apex Fight Series middleweight class championship record was also expunged. Cambodia is pushing to gain international recognition for its version of kickboxing, Kun Khmer. The country…
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Koh Samui: The secret island gem of Southeast Asia’s hospitality scene
Over the past week, we have been compiling our latest hospitality, tourism, and hotel research on Thailand’s second-largest island, Koh Samui. The island remains a bit of a ‘little-big’ anomaly in Southeast Asia’s massive resort island arsenal. Despite hosting famed global hotel brands such as Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, W, InterContinental, and Banyan Tree, its smallish private airport capacity has somehow…
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