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.
-
Sponsored
Can health insurance help speed up your Thai visa process?
The Thaiger key takeaways Having the right health insurance keeps your visa process moving without unnecessary hold-ups. Showing proof of coverage early can make approvals and renewals faster. Keeping your insurance active avoids surprises and ensures smooth compliance. Applying for...
-
VIDEO: Brave citizens save delivery driver swept away by floods in northeast Thailand
A viral TikTok clip posted on Saturday shows the severity of floods in Srisaket province in northeast Thailand. A group of brave citizens formed a human chain to pull a delivery driver who was swept off the road back to safety. To save himself, the delivery driver had to bid farewell to his motorbike which he depends on to make…
-
Thai bank releases bizarre ‘apology’ for repossessing the wrong house
UPDATE After the story hit the media, Thailand’s Government Savings Bank (GSB) released a statement apologising for repossessing and renovating the wrong house in Pathum Thani province, central Thailand, one month ago. The bank admits “full responsibility.” However, the apology has been met with disapproval from netizens (gaining 4 thousand angry reactions on Facebook) because it was accompanied by a…
-
Thailand wants more tourists from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
Thailand’s tourism officials are eyeing two Central Asian countries in hopes of more tourists. Those countries are Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Travellers from both countries are interested in visiting Thailand, Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said on Monday. Phiphat said that Kazakh and Uzbek tourists started to show interest after Thailand extended its Visa on Arrival from 15 to 30 days on…
-
Elon Musk angers Ukraine president with Russia tweets
Controversial tweeter and the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, stirred a new dispute, this time with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Musk angered Zelensky, along with many top Ukrainian officials and the people of Ukraine, by proposing his solution for the Russian invasion. The founder of Tesla and SpaceX posted on Twitter that Ukraine should take part in new referendums overseen…
-
Expressway killer reveals 3 month plan to murder girlfriend in remorseless confession
In a remorseless confession, the Thai man who killed his lover and buried her body parts in plastic bags underneath an expressway in Bangkok told police how he meticulously planned his girlfriend’s murder for three months. In his confession, the murderer said he and 30 year old Pin were together for two years and he was very much in love…
-
Prayut plans to contact citizens hit by power cuts via radio
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha suggests officials warn locals about flash floods via radio as Thailand did 11 years ago in flooding in 2011. The 68 year old wants to use the radio to update citizens on the news should they lose their electricity. The prime minister joined a meeting via zoom yesterday to discuss how to manage the flooding situation and…
-
Submarine purchases could sink over engine debate
Controversy surrounds plans over the plan for three submarine purchases as officials debate which engine is suitable to power the subs. The S26T Yuan-class submarine that Thailand has been in the slow process of purchasing since April was originally planned to be powered by a German engine. Now, factions of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) are debating if a Chinese-made engine…
-
VIDEO: Paramedics push patient through Bangkok floods on stretcher
Paramedics abandoned their ambulance to push a patient on a stretcher through the floods in Bangkok last night. The clip was taken in front of the Government Complex on Chaeng Wattana Road where the traffic came to a standstill for three hours. Kontapon Bungwai, who filmed the clip, said… “Bangkok is facing a heavy crisis. The ambulance needs to get…
-
Thai industries want to produce energy to combat rising costs
A survey by the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) revealed that Thailand’s industrial sector wants to produce its own electricity to combat the rising cost of energy but they need government support to make it work. The Office of the Energy Regulatory Commission announced in August this year that the fuel adjustment rate for electricity would be raised to about…
-
Mountain B nightclub fire claims 24th life
The death toll from the fire at Mountain B nightclub in Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand, on August 5 has risen to 24. The 24th victim, a navy officer, died from his injuries in hospital last night after fighting for his life for two months in the ICU. Lawyer Ronnarong Kaewpetch said on Facebook yesterday… “#RIP the 24th victim of…
-
Thailand & Australia pledge to stamp out trafficking
The government pledged to make human trafficking its top priority as Thailand renewed stronger trade ties with Australia yesterday. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha met Australia’s new ambassador, Angela Jane Macdonald, at Government House yesterday to discuss several options including trade opportunities between the two nations as they celebrated 70 years of diplomatic relations. Government spokesperson Anucha Buraphachaisri made it known…
-
Girl sustains head injuries while surfing in Phuket
A girl sustained head injuries while surfing at Phuket’s Kamala Beach in the Kathu district on October 2. This news comes as Phuket and Thailand at large are experiencing lots of stormy weather, which has caused strong waves in the country’s seas. Rescuers arrived on the scene and took the girl to a nearby hospital. Her name, age, and nationality…
-
Weapons used by jealous Thai man to murder and chop up lover found
UPDATE Yesterday at 3.30pm, rescue workers found the weapons used by 35 year old Chanwit “Don” Wongsahak to murder and dismember 30 year old Oranun “Pin” [surname withheld]. When Don confessed to the police, he said he threw the weapons he used into a nearby canal. Yesterday, rescue workers in wet suits from Por Teck Tung Foundation scoured nearby canals…
-
Bank repossesses the wrong house in central Thailand
A woman from Pathum Thani, just north of Bangkok, couldn’t believe her eyes when she returned home to her locks changed, all her belongings seized, and a ‘for sale’ sign outside her house. Thailand’s “Government Savings Bank” (the pink one) sent bailiffs to repossess a house in Wanasiri Park View Village on September 5. The bailiffs changed all the locks…
-
Innocent man jailed 7 months for 15.8 million baht theft demands justice
An innocent man jailed for over seven months has filed a miscarriage of justice complaint against the police after being blamed for stealing diamond rings worth 15.8 million baht. The innocent man, Pisit Suwannapim, is demanding justice from the Anti-Corruption Division Police after being jailed for seven months and ten days in Thon Buri Remand Prison. The 54 year old…
-
Thailand’s cold season expected to hit in late October
Thailand’s cold season is expected to hit the country slightly later than usual. The season is expected to start in the fourth week of October, about a week later than usual. The Thai Meteorological Department said the coldest time of the season would be December and January. The lowest temperatures are expected in the country’s north and northeast at 8-9…
-
Nuan the cat feline good about upcoming APEC meeting
A purr-fect Instagram post by the Foreign Affairs Ministry to promote the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Thailand went viral because of the department’s choice of the presenter – a cat. The APEC mascot is a cat called Nuan. Nuan was featured on the official Instagram account of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand yesterday, October 2, and…
-
VIDEO: Shooting range employees save man from suicide in northern Thailand
Yesterday, CCTV captured the moment two shooting range employees saved a young man’s life at the Lanna Sports Centre in Mueang district, Chiang Mai province, northern Thailand. The man was shooting at a target at first when he turned the gun toward his head. A trainee shooting range instructor who was watching attentively swiftly jumped in and pushed the gun…
-
Foreigners anger Chiang Mai locals for kissing in temple
A foreign couple enraged Chiang Mai locals after a picture emerged of them kissing beside the famous Wat Si Suphan temple. Wat Si Suphan in the northern province of Chiang Mai became even more popular this week after its 500 year old stupa, or chedi, collapsed. The Thai media reported locals and foreigners swarmed to the historic building this week to…
-
Korean Air resumes two routes to Thailand
On October 1, Korean Air resumed two direct routes to Thailand. The airline reopened services between Seoul to Chiang Mai and Phuket, which were both suspended in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The South Korean flag carrier announced the return of the popular routes in August. Flights from Seoul Incheon to Phuket depart on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and…
-
Ao Kung gets green light for marina despite opposition
Conservationists are opposed to plans to build a new marina in a sleepy bay in Phuket. Developers believe it will reignite tourism blighted by the Covid-19 pandemic but preservationists hit back saying the project will damage the island’s coral reefs and affect marine life in the area. A developer has targeted Ao Kung, a sleepy bay north of Phuket Island,…
-
Thai Airways is recruiting a new CEO
Debt-ridden Thai Airways is looking to hire an “ethical” Chief Executive Officer to steer the airline in the flight direction. After a year without a CEO, the nation’s flag carrier posted a job advertisement on LinkedIn looking for a highly-qualified aviation expert to take on the tall order of getting THAI back off the ground. THAI needs a leader who…
-
Thailand’s monsoon baht debacle lights fire to Phuket real estate sector
As Thailand’s monsoon season continues with what seems to be an endless line-up of thunderstorms and massive rain showers, the real story in Thai real estate is the baht. The Thai currency is precariously sitting at a 16-year low against the US dollar and has depreciated by nearly twelve per cent this year. As the exchange rate hovers near the…
-
Northern floods tragedy – Monks unable to help
Waist-high water flooded into riverfront neighbourhoods after the remains of Hurricane Noru dumped a heavy load of rain and knocked down trees. The heaviest rainfall, about 22 centimetres in 24 hours, was recorded in the north-eastern province of Ubon Ratchathani, where more than 5,000 people were moved to shelters on higher ground. In Chai Nat province, Buddhist monks made their…
-
Bangkok Secret Nightlife – Bangkok Red Light District Secret Museum
Bangkok Red Light District Secret Museum Bangkok Secret Nightlife From CIA agents to David Bowie, there’s more to Bangkok’s most notorious red-light district than meets the eye. Today we take you on tour showing you Patpong’s 140-year history, from its humble beginnings as a banana plantation, to a high-powered business district and a hub of CIA activity during the Chinese…
-
King Charles III debuts on UK coins
The British Royal Mint has unveiled the image of King Charles III to be used in the country’s coins. The first coins to be emblazoned with the regal portrait are to be commemorative five-pound crowns and the reverse of a 50-pence coin commemorating the life of Queen Elizabeth II. King Charles has been next in line to the throne for…
-
Pattaya Police Chief cleared of vice slurs, back on duty
Troubled Pattaya Police chief Pol Col Kunlachart Kunlachai has been reinstated after being temporarily placed in an inactive post following allegations the top cop forced a Kyrgyzstani woman into prostitution. The woman later committed suicide. Pol Col Kunlachart is set to return to Pattaya Police headquarters immediately, following a September 30 order by Pol Maj Gen Attasit Kitchahan, commander-in-chief of…
-
Reopening Thailand has a busy activity schedule
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) took the occasion of the country’s full and unrestricted reopening today as an opportunity to point out a busy event and attraction schedule they hope will bring a variety of people from around the world to the kingdom. From new flight schedules to international political and business meetings to sporting events, exciting new restaurants,…
-
5-star squatters evicted from Layan Beach
Heavy earth-moving equipment was taken to Layan Beach, Phuket, yesterday to demolish the last remaining illegal beachfront buildings. Eviction notices were served in 2017 when the Supreme Court ruled that occupiers were illegally encroaching on state land. Several “final warnings” were issued, with the last eviction notice delivered on September 12. Layan Beach is a beautiful but little-known bay on…
-
Anti-Prayut rallies expected across Bangkok
Following the reinstatement of General Prayut Chan-o-cha as Prime Minister by the Constitutional Court yesterday, anti-Prayut activists have called a mass demonstration at the Victory Monument on Saturday to show their contempt for the court’s wisdom. Led by activist Thatchapong Kaedam and dressed in black, a contemptuous crowd of Ratsadon movement members gathered at Pathumwan skywalk in front of Bangkok…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.