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...

  • Thai woman accuses Philippines airport officers of attempted theft | Thaiger

    Thai woman accuses Philippines airport officers of attempted theft

    A Thai woman accused customs officers at Manila International Airport in the Philippines of attempted theft. She said the officers tried to steal 40,000 yen (about 10,000 baht) from her bag. The Thai woman, Saruta Jansila, shared her unnerving experience at the Ninoy Aquino Intl Airport (Manila) in the Philippines on a Facebook group named People Who Like to Roam…

  • Phuket officials warn tourists to beware of jellyfish | Thaiger

    Phuket officials warn tourists to beware of jellyfish

    Phuket officials are warning tourists to beware of potentially dangerous jellyfish while enjoying the island’s beaches. The warning issued today comes after more than 30 visitors reported being stung by jellyfish at Kata Beach last week, with most experiencing mild symptoms. In response to this, signs have been placed at over 20 popular tourist destinations around Phuket, including Patong, Nai…

  • Phuket rescuers bring French tourists lost in forest to safety | Thaiger

    Phuket rescuers bring French tourists lost in forest to safety

    Phuket rescuers brought two French tourists lost in a forest to safety between last night and this morning. The tourists, a man identified only as Victor, and his girlfriend, had arrived in Phuket earlier yesterday and decided to go for a walk on a local beach. The couple followed a trail up the Nai Thon mountain but found themselves lost and…

  • Man accuses son of drugging him and killing his wife to steal 65 million baht | Thaiger

    Man accuses son of drugging him and killing his wife to steal 65 million baht

    A Thai millionaire accused his son and daughter-in-law of drugging him and killing his wife to steal 65 million baht. The millionaire claims that he was held captive over a two-year period before finally managing to escape in May last year. The 67 year old man, who was not identified, filed a complaint at Chanchoengsao Police Station on Saturday, February…

  • Thai police swoop to close down another illegal Chinese operation | Thaiger

    Thai police swoop to close down another illegal Chinese operation

    Thai police swooped on yet another illegal Chinese business operation, leading to the arrest of one man. Officers from the Consumer Protection Division (CPD) in Thailand conducted searches in two different locations in Prawet District in Bangkok and Samut Prakan province and seized counterfeit cosmetics and low-quality medical supplies worth an estimated 14 million baht. During the raids, a Chinese…

  • Report finds most Thais don’t understand climate change | Thaiger

    Report finds most Thais don’t understand climate change

    A recent report by the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) has revealed that most Thais have a limited understanding of the impact of climate change on the planet. Only 35% of Thais believe that the use of fossil fuels should be reduced. This reflects a general lack of awareness about climate change and what causes it. Oddly, the…

  • UK police go to Thailand to solve woman’s mysterious murder 19 years ago | Thaiger

    UK police go to Thailand to solve woman’s mysterious murder 19 years ago

    Nearly 19 years after a Thai woman‘s half-naked body was found in a stream in the Yorkshire Dales, UK police officers have come to Thailand to try and solve the suspected murder case. Police want to question David Armitage, her husband who now lives in Thailand, and the woman’s parents. Hikers noticed the body of Lamduan Armitage, formerly Lamduan Seekanya,…

  • German tourist snatches Russian woman’s pricey sunglasses at Thai immigration office | Thaiger

    German tourist snatches Russian woman’s pricey sunglasses at Thai immigration office

    A German tourist snatched a Russian woman’s pricey sunglasses at a Thai immigration office, Thai media reported on Saturday. The two holidaymakers were both getting their visas extended at the immigration office South Thailand’s Surat Thani province. CCTV footage caught the crook, 31 year old Marcel, grabbing the sunglasses that the woman left on a chair at the office while…

  • Elephant in Thailand dies after tourists feed it wrong food | Thaiger

    Elephant in Thailand dies after tourists feed it wrong food

    An elephant camp in Koh Chang, eastern Thailand, is warning tourists not to feed elephants food containing chemicals after an elephant died after eating chemically-contaminated bananas. A few weeks ago, a 20 year old male elephant at Kaebai Meechai Elephant Camp in Koh Chang, Trat province, fell ill with flatulence and indigestion after eating food brought in by some tourists,…

  • Small hotels recover in Thailand as foreigners move downmarket | Thaiger

    Small hotels recover in Thailand as foreigners move downmarket

    As small hotels recover in Thailand, returning tourists are choosing different options from pre-pandemic staples. A study of small hotels and hostels found booking growth is now higher than before the pandemic, with bookings from overseas tourists exceeding those of local travellers. As small hotels recover in Thailand, bookings are up by a quarter from the pre-Covid levels, according to…

  • Burmese man killed in paramotor accident near Bangkok | Thaiger

    Burmese man killed in paramotor accident near Bangkok

    A Burmese man was pronounced dead after he crashed his paramotor in the central province of Pathum Thani near Bangkok. Police from Mueang Pathum Thani Police Station, medical workers, and a rescue team rushed to the accident scene at an empty plot of land in the Baan Chang sub-district of Pathum Thani, but they were unable to save the man’s…

  • TAT takes part in major tourism exchange event in India | Thaiger

    TAT takes part in major tourism exchange event in India

    The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) took part in a major tourism exchange event in New Delhi, India last week. TAT participated in South Asia’s Travel & Tourism Exchange (SATTE) for the 14th time, heading up a strong delegation of over 40 tourism suppliers. SATTE, which is India’s largest travel fair, was held from February 9 to 11 2023 at…

  • Building under construction collapses in Bangkok injuring 5 | Thaiger

    Building under construction collapses in Bangkok injuring 5

    Over 100 Burmese workers fled to safety as a four-storey building under construction in Bangkok collapsed yesterday. Five people were injured. At 4pm, officers at Makkasan Police Station were informed that an unnamed building collapsed onto construction workers on Soi Wat Uthai Tharam, Kamphaeng Phet 7 Road, Huai Kwang district. Police, officials from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation…

  • Thai police report over 400 romance scams last month | Thaiger

    Thai police report over 400 romance scams last month

    Thai police say there were over 400 reports of romance scams last month. Royal Thai Police (RTP) said yesterday that 403 police reports in January 2023 were related to love frauds, resulting in substantial financial losses of over 190 million baht. Valentine’s Day is coming up, and RTP is now urging the public to be aware of the issue of…

  • Thailand’s lovers warned about ‘sextortion’ ahead of Valentine’s Day | Thaiger

    Thailand’s lovers warned about ‘sextortion’ ahead of Valentine’s Day

    The Thai police have warned women to be wary of “sextortion” scams as lovers throughout the world tomorrow celebrate the most romantic day of the year – Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day on February 14 has become a symbol and celebration of romance and love throughout the world. Couples come together and make an extra special effort to show their love…

  • Blaze severely damages Phuket luxury villa | Thaiger

    Blaze severely damages Phuket luxury villa

    A massive blaze severely damaged a luxury villa in the Cherng Talay neighbourhood of Phuket‘s Thalang district on Saturday morning. Four fire trucks were deployed to the scene to find the fire rapidly spreading. It took firefighters around two hours to fully put out the flames at the villa on Soi Pasak 1. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. However, several…

  • Axing for trouble in Nothanburi | Thaiger

    Axing for trouble in Nothanburi

    The family of a man killed by his neighbour over a parking dispute in Nonthaburi believes the murder scene was staged. Veera Prasitthong, 54 years old, was killed in his neighbour’s shop in Pak Kret last week. Veera was home when he found his path blocked by neighbour Visit Chanakul, who had parked outside his shop to unload some goods.…

  • Sufficient life jackets on HTMS Sukhothai – RTN | Thaiger

    Sufficient life jackets on HTMS Sukhothai – RTN

    The Naval Supply Department insisted that there were 130 life jackets on HTMS Sukhothai when it sank in December, more than enough for the 105 crew. Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN), Admiral Choengchai Chomchoengpaet yesterday said that the RTN is finding out why some of the survivors claimed that there were not enough life jackets on HTMS Sukhothai. Regarding…

  • Death Wish Thailand: Who is ‘Inspector Sua’? | Thaiger

    Death Wish Thailand: Who is ‘Inspector Sua’?

    Lt-Colonel Wasawat Mookarasakul, the senior police officer named as “Inspector Sua” in an explosive Facebook post last week, has been suspended from duty pending an investigation by the Crime Suppression Division (CSD). When the Central Investigation Bureau promises a straightforward investigation that is “strictly in line with the law,” questions have to be asked about what goes on during other…

  • Latest ambulance crashes in Thailand dismay researchers | Thaiger

    Latest ambulance crashes in Thailand dismay researchers

    The grim statistics on ambulance crashes in Thailand worsened on Friday night when a patient was badly injured in a horrific late-night crash. An ambulance smashed into the back of a truck in the Lom Sak district in the northern part of Phetchabun province, northern Thailand, close to midnight on Friday. The patient, who was being rushed from Khao Kho…

  • Victims of romance scams ‘at their wits end’ | Thaiger

    Victims of romance scams ‘at their wits end’

    Most victims of romance scams in Thailand are women in their 40s. Middle-aged women are the main targets of criminal gangs who prey on those who have taken the questionable step of seeking true love online. Online fraud, including romance scams, has become a serious problem in Thailand, judging by the number of complaints filed with the Royal Thai Police.…

  • FBI seeks extradition from Thailand for hit & run | Thaiger

    FBI seeks extradition from Thailand for hit & run

    Authorities in the US state of Michigan and the FBI are making a plea to the Thai government to extradite a Thai woman who is accused of causing the death of a college student in the American city of Oakland Township. The suspect, Tubtim “Sue” Howson, is a US citizen but is originally from Thailand and is now residing in…

  • Air Force Captain to Celebrity ft. Daniel Kim | Thaiger Podcast Ep.23 | Thaiger

    Air Force Captain to Celebrity ft. Daniel Kim | Thaiger Podcast Ep.23

    https://youtu.be/_bPhVfNGe7w Daniel Kim, a former veteran US Air force captain turned reality TV show superstar. Daniel stars in the reality TV dating show “The Courtship” which is one of the top US TV networks, NBC. Not only is Daniel an actor and model, but he is also a motivational speaker and lifestyle coach. In this podcast, we talk to Daniel…

  • Thai influencers and YouTubers targeted by Revenue Department | Thaiger

    Thai influencers and YouTubers targeted by Revenue Department

    The  Thai Revenue Department aims to boost its tax revenue by targeting Thai YouTubers, online influencers, and online vendors. It believes that those who earn a livelihood online should pay their due taxes and predicts a yearly intake of 2.2 trillion baht as a result. The Director of the Revenue Department, Lawaron Saengsanit, acknowledged the shortcomings of the current tax…

  • Do fewer shark bites mean fewer sharks? | Thaiger

    Do fewer shark bites mean fewer sharks?

    Shark attacks worldwide fell in 2022, resulting in fewer shark bite incidents compared to the past decade. In 2020, travel restrictions and beach closures were thought to have resulted in fewer encounters between humans and sharks and fewer shark bites. The majority of the 57 unprovoked bites last year occurred in the USA and Australia. Five proved fatal, down from…

  • Chiang Mai tackles PM2.5 pollution with giant vacuum cleaner | Thaiger

    Chiang Mai tackles PM2.5 pollution with giant vacuum cleaner

    Thailand‘s Disaster Department is testing out a giant vacuum cleaner as a way to tackle the PM2.5 dust pollution problem that plagues the northern city of Chiang Mai every ‘burning season.’ Every year, farmers around Thailand send their forests and fields up in smoke because it’s the cheapest way to prepare to plant new crops causing PM2.5 levels to shoot…

  • Is Google chatbot smarter than a pigeon? | Thaiger

    Is Google chatbot smarter than a pigeon?

    Embarrassing stammering by Bard, the Google chatbot, has prompted the global public and stock markets to unreservedly rejected machine-generated garbage. The likes of Donald Trump and Elon Musk must be delighted that a talking Google chatbot is held in higher regard than talking billionaires. Google’s response to ChatGPT got off to an embarrassing start when its chatbot gave a wrong…

  • The Hope Thailand takes on killer Pit Bull | Thaiger

    The Hope Thailand takes on killer Pit Bull

    UPDATE Animal protection organisation The Hope Thailand revealed it is rehabilitating Bobby the Pit Bull, the dog who killed his owner Thedpong one week ago in Korat. The Hope Thailand posted a message on Facebook yesterday… “The Hope Thailand is taking on this case. We have coordinated with the Chief of Ban Talat Municipality as the dog is currently in…

  • Consumer borrowing in Thailand in the red zone | Thaiger

    Consumer borrowing in Thailand in the red zone

    The effects of consumer borrowing in Thailand during the pandemic is a serious campaign issue, with populist politicians pushing for a multi-year debt holiday. According to Nikkei, Thais owe more than any other people in the region, reflecting a huge jump in borrowing forced on an economy that relies heavily on tourism. Thai consumer debt last September stood at 15…

  • Explosion at Thai army bomb fuse factory | Thaiger

    Explosion at Thai army bomb fuse factory

    A huge explosion occurred at a Royal Thai Army (RTA) bomb fuse factory in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province causing a thick column of smoke in central Thailand at approximately noon today. The factory makes fuses for explosive devices and is part of the Incendiary Factory Division, a Royal Thai Ordnance Department facility where explosives are made for Thailand’s armed…