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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    9 most common health issues covered by insurance for expats in Thailand

    Thailand is a popular destination for expats due to its affordable lifestyle and excellent healthcare system. However, settling in a new country often brings health concerns. To ensure you’re covered for the most common medical needs, understanding what expat health...

  • Thailand to boost tourism revenue by hosting Indian weddings, says TAT | Thaiger

    Thailand to boost tourism revenue by hosting Indian weddings, says TAT

    Indian weddings are a “multi-billion dollar industry” that Thailand plans on tapping into, according to Deputy Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Siripakorn Chaewsamoot. The TAT said they want to bump up Thailand’s tourism revenue for 2022 up to 600 – 700 billion baht (US$16 – 19 billion) by the end of the year by targeting high-spending groups…

  • Condo technician tries to rape teenage student in central Thailand | Thaiger

    Condo technician tries to rape teenage student in central Thailand

    A condominium technician tried to rape an 18 year old woman who asked him to let her into her room after she lost her key card in Nonthaburi province, central Thailand. The girl’s elder sister filed a police report on her behalf at Bang Bua Thong Police Station yesterday at 4.30pm, providing CCTV footage recorded on August 19 at 9pm…

  • ‘Shark of Pattaya’ sinks teeth into ‘bullshit’ green EV claim | Thaiger

    ‘Shark of Pattaya’ sinks teeth into ‘bullshit’ green EV claim

    The ‘Shark of Pattaya’ has sunk his jaws into the electric vehicle (EV) industry and doesn’t like the taste. Former Thai expat, Tim ‘Sharky’ Ward, once labelled Australia’s toughest gangster, let rip into the claim that EVs are saving the planet as “bullshit!” Ward fled the Gold Coast, Australia, to Thailand in 2009 after becoming a target of the Australian…

  • Burmese Junta spies pose as Buddhist monks & nuns in N Thailand | Thaiger

    Burmese Junta spies pose as Buddhist monks & nuns in N Thailand

    Alleged spies from the Burmese junta, disguised as Buddhist monks and nuns, were among 54 Burmese people arrested at a three-storey building in Tak province in northern Thailand on Monday, according to Channel3. On Monday, police, and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health, Mae Sot District Administrative Organisation, and Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) closed in…

  • 7 year old girl dies in school van in eastern Thailand | Thaiger

    7 year old girl dies in school van in eastern Thailand

    A 7 year old Grade 2 student died in a school van yesterday at Ploenchit Wittaya school in Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand, after she was left in the van all day. At 5pm yesterday, officers from Phan Thong Police Station received a report that a child had died inside a van at the “famous” school in Pan Thong district.…

  • VIDEO: ‘Kalasin Cowboy’ rides horse to college in NE Thailand | Thaiger

    VIDEO: ‘Kalasin Cowboy’ rides horse to college in NE Thailand

    A student who rides his horse to college in Kalasin province, northeast Thailand, has become an overnight Internet sensation. On Monday, Facebook user Boat Ekparin Mongkummuen posted a clip of the ‘Kalasin Cowboy’ making a U-turn and galloping into Kalasin College of Dramatic Arts in Mueang district, with the caption… “F*cking cool. You’ve won me over. Hahaha. I want to…

  • Russia plans to install facial recognition surveillance technology in Thailand | Thaiger

    Russia plans to install facial recognition surveillance technology in Thailand

    Russian biometrics company ‘NtechLab’ announced plans to “enter the Thai market.” The company produces a facial recognition tool called ‘FindFace,’ which can be used to identify suspected criminals. The company is also considering moving its Asia headquarters to Thailand. The company claims that 23 countries worldwide are already using FindFace surveillance technology, sparking privacy and human rights concerns among the…

  • Thaksin tells suspended Thailand PM Prayut ‘to go with dignity’ | Thaiger

    Thaksin tells suspended Thailand PM Prayut ‘to go with dignity’

    Former Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra called for suspended PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to do the right thing and leave the political arena with dignity. Thailand’s Constitutional Court, whose members were largely picked by a military-appointed Senate, surprised the world last week by suspending General Prayut while they deliberated whether he had overstayed his eight years’ tenure as the nation’s leader.…

  • Thai Airways sells five Airbus A340s stored away for 13 years | Thaiger

    Thai Airways sells five Airbus A340s stored away for 13 years

    Thai Airways (THAI) has found a buyer for five dusty Airbus A340s which have gone unused for 13 years. Thailand’s flag carrier has sold one A340-500 and four A340-600 planes for a total of 350 million baht. The transaction is sure to help THAI on its road to financial recovery since the Bankruptcy Court approved a debt restructuring plan for…

  • Teacher faces jail after student’s punishment leads to crippling injury | Thaiger

    Teacher faces jail after student’s punishment leads to crippling injury

    A teacher faces prison and a hefty fine after punishing a student with squat jumps, leading to Myofascial Pain Syndrome. The 15 year old boy required leg surgery after a high school teacher in the central province of Kanchanaburi punished him for missing a class by making him do 200 squat jumps on July 23. The boy’s mother, Lek Au-Thong,…

  • Budget airline Thai AirAsia X to launch two Thailand – Australia routes | Thaiger

    Budget airline Thai AirAsia X to launch two Thailand – Australia routes

    Budget airline Thai AirAsia X will launch two direct routes between Thailand and Australia in December. The airline will fly from Bangkok to both Melbourne, and Sydney, beginning December 1 and 2 this year, respectively. The Bangkok to Sydney route will fly four times per week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. The Bangkok to Melbourne route will fly thrice…

  • “Unruly” Aussie woman kicked off flight from Thailand to Sydney | Thaiger

    “Unruly” Aussie woman kicked off flight from Thailand to Sydney

    Cheers erupted from passengers when an “unruly” Australian woman was kicked off a Jetstar flight from Phuket to Sydney before take off on Sunday. The woman apparently lost it “because she wanted to sit by the window,” said one passenger. Jetstar confirmed that the woman was removed for being “disruptive and using abusive and inappropriate language.” “An unruly passenger was…

  • Thailand’s acting PM Prawit tells Thai police to clean their act up | Thaiger

    Thailand’s acting PM Prawit tells Thai police to clean their act up

    Acting Prime Minister of Thailand Prawit Wongsuwan – aka “Big Pom” – has ordered an end to corruption within the Royal Thai Police (RTP). Big Pom has wasted no time stepping up to his temporary ministerial duties after Thailand’s Constitutional Court suspended Prayut Chan-o-cha from the position last week. Acting PM Prawit has taken centre stage in Thailand’s never-ending political…

  • Paradon the dolphin no ‘brotherly burden’ for Thai marine centre | Thaiger

    Paradon the dolphin no ‘brotherly burden’ for Thai marine centre

    The dolphin found drowning off the coast of Thailand last month is on the mend says the director of a Thai marine resource centre but added it will probably take a year before he makes a full recovery. Fishermen found the sick Irrawaddy dolphin calf drowning in a tidal pool near Rayong on Friday, July 22, and alerted marine conservationists.…

  • Marketing in Thailand as a Foreigner: Volume #1 The Legend Thai Ads | Thaiger

    Marketing in Thailand as a Foreigner: Volume #1 The Legend Thai Ads

    Sometimes, It’s Okay to Wear Socks and Sandals. Matching socks and sandals is a universal fashion faux pas, but it is more severe in Thailand. They keep you warm and cold-free during winter, but we never merge them with sandals or flip-flops because it is confusing when you live in a country where the equator is only 15 degrees below.…

  • Get freebies and special offers with this app launched by Tourism Authority of Thailand | Thaiger

    Get freebies and special offers with this app launched by Tourism Authority of Thailand

    The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and partners have launched a mobile application called the “TAGTHAi Pass,” designed to be a handy tool for tourists to make the most out of their stay in the kingdom. Tourists who download the free TAGTHAi application will benefit from various freebies and deals. Not to be confused with the renounced Thailand Pass, the…

  • Five injured in gas plant explosion near Bangkok | Thaiger

    Five injured in gas plant explosion near Bangkok

    Five people were injured, three seriously, following an explosion at a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) plant in the Samut Prakarn province near Bangkok in the early hours of this morning. One of the big cylinders is believed to have exploded, spreading to others, and started a blaze at the V.I.P Petroleum plant, in the Bang Sao Thong district of Samut…

  • Thailand ‘tourist tax’ to come into effect next year | Thaiger

    Thailand ‘tourist tax’ to come into effect next year

    Starting next year, foreigners entering Thailand by plane will have to pay an entry fee of 300 baht. The “tourist tax” was originally intended to be imposed at the start of this year, but its implementation was delayed to give Thailand’s tourism industry a chance to recover from the pandemic. The fee will be introduced “next year,” according to Thailand’s…

  • Thailand in talks with US to bring home ancient heirlooms | Thaiger

    Thailand in talks with US to bring home ancient heirlooms

    The Thai Deputy Government Spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek last night revealed Thailand is in talks with the US to bring home three antique artefacts. Rachada made it known the US Department of Homeland Security is in negotiations with the Denver Art Museum for the return of the Srivijaya-era Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, and two bronze statues of the Dvaravati period, from the 7th to…

  • Fake policeman allegedly rapes, beats and imprisons 20 year old in central Thailand | Thaiger

    Fake policeman allegedly rapes, beats and imprisons 20 year old in central Thailand

    Police yesterday arrested a 27 year old man in Nonthaburi province, central Thailand, who posed as a police officer on a dating app and allegedly raped, beat, and kept a 20 year old woman imprisoned for two days. The victim – Ms. A (pseudonym) – met Weerapat, or ‘Boo,’ on a dating app. Boo told Ms. A he was a…

  • Famous Thai YouTuber ‘Nutty’ flees Thailand over 2 billion baht Forex scam accusations | Thaiger

    Famous Thai YouTuber ‘Nutty’ flees Thailand over 2 billion baht Forex scam accusations

    A famous Thai YouTuber named ‘Nutty’ is nowhere to be found after she was accused of scamming victims of over 2 billion baht in a Forex scam. Nattamon “Nutty” Khongchak is believed to have defrauded over 6,000 victims. In a ‘Pinky‘ type fraud case, another Thai influencer has used their Internet fame to encourage fans to invest in a scam.…

  • DDC declares no tomato flu outbreak in Thailand | Thaiger

    DDC declares no tomato flu outbreak in Thailand

    Director-General of the Department of Disease Control (DDC) yesterday announced it is closely watching the ‘tomato flu’ situation after reports were made that about 100 cases have emerged in India. Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, Director-General of the DDC, declared no cases have been reported in Thailand as yet after an outbreak emerged in the Kollam district of Kerala on May 6,…

  • Fallen scaffolding kills 3 year old in northern Thailand | Thaiger

    Fallen scaffolding kills 3 year old in northern Thailand

    A 3 year old boy was tragically killed by fallen scaffolding in Lampang province, northern Thailand, yesterday morning. Scaffolding at what appears to be an under-construction house fell on top of a 3 year old boy yesterday. The boy’s parents rang 191 and requested emergency help. Rescue workers from Lampang Rescue Association, an ambulance, and medical staff rushed to the…

  • SCB-Bitkub deal fizzles as young investors lose big on crypto | Thaiger

    SCB-Bitkub deal fizzles as young investors lose big on crypto

    As the crypto market cools and young, naïve investors lose big, the deal for Siam Commercial Bank Group (SCB) to acquire a majority stake in Thai digital asset exchange Bitkub Online has fallen apart. The deal, announced in November of last year, pushed Bitkub Online’s value over US$1 billion and drove the company’s cryptocurrency to triple in value overnight. SCB’s…

  • Healthy Siamese twins share teacher dream in Thailand | Thaiger

    Healthy Siamese twins share teacher dream in Thailand

    Thirteen-year-old Siamese twins in central Thailand are defying convention, living a healthy, happy life, and dreaming of becoming teachers. Conjoined twins are a rare phenomenon. Approximately half are stillborn while a third die within 24 hours of a mother giving birth. But the Siamese sisters from Nakhon Sawan province in central Thailand have bucked the poor health trend generally associated…

  • Thailand records its seventh monkeypox case | Thaiger

    Thailand records its seventh monkeypox case

    Thailand’s Department of Disease Control announced yesterday the nation has its seventh monkeypox victim. A 37 year old Thai woman in Bangkok became the kingdom’s latest victim hot on the heels of the country’s sixth case last week. DDC Director General Dr Opas Karnkawinpong said the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute reported on Saturday that a woman had tested positive for…

  • Food vendors attack foreign tourist who dined & dashed in Pattaya, Thailand | Thaiger

    Food vendors attack foreign tourist who dined & dashed in Pattaya, Thailand

    An intense brawl broke out between a group of food vendors and a foreign tourist who allegedly didn’t pay for his meal on Pattaya’s Walking Street in Nong Phru subdistrict, Bang Lamung district, yesterday at 4.30am. The “European tourist” – whose name and nationality are unknown – allegedly ate from a Thai woman’s food stall and left without paying, so…

  • Southeast Asia startup struggles at heart of this year’s Techsauce Global Summit | Thaiger

    Southeast Asia startup struggles at heart of this year’s Techsauce Global Summit

    Press Release Startup funding, investor confidence and growth were just some of the pain points addressed at this year’s Techsauce Global Summit, which took place at ICONSIAM, Bangkok on the 26 and 27 August. The conference, which is back in physical form following a three-year hiatus, saw over 10,000 attendees, 1,500 startups and 300 speakers in attendance. Techsauce Global Summit acts…

  • Pao Tang app provides free birth control from NHSO | Thaiger

    Pao Tang app provides free birth control from NHSO

    The Thai government is addressing unwanted pregnancies in the country with a new programme offering free birth control pills. A deputy spokesperson for the government explained that the programme would help women get access to free birth control using a mobile app called Pao Tang. The campaign was created to try to slow the frequency of unintentional and unwanted pregnancies…

  • Pioneering the Cannabis business in Thailand feat. Tai ‘Four Twenty’ | Thaiger Podcast Ep.4 | Thaiger

    Pioneering the Cannabis business in Thailand feat. Tai ‘Four Twenty’ | Thaiger Podcast Ep.4

    Introducing one of the pioneers for cannabis in Thailand, Tai Taveepanichpan. Tai is a young entrepreneur and the owner of Four Twenty Thailand, Cannagrow Technology and Cultivate. Companies that sell cannabis cultivating equipment, grow cannabis and cannabis dispensaries in Thailand. In this podcast we talk about the current situation of cannabis in Thailand, where it’s heading and what lies ahead…