Thailand News
Discover the most recent and relevant news from across Thailand on The Thaiger’s National News page. Covering a wide range of topics, including politics, business, crime, and lifestyle, our dedicated team brings you breaking news, in-depth analysis, and exclusive stories from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.
Stay informed about the latest developments in Thai society, economy, and culture, as well as updates on travel, tourism, and expat life. With The Thaiger, you’ll never miss out on the essential news that matters to you.
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Constitutional Court orders investigation of 32 MPs in media share row
The Thai Constitutional Court has agreed to accept a petition against 32 MPs from the military-aligned coalition over alleged media share holdings. But the Court has allowed the MPs to continue their parliamentary duties. This dispensation was not offered to anti-junta politician Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit from the opposition Future Forward Party who is being investigated over the same allegations. The court…
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Trying to find a pulse in Thailand’s economic health
Thailand’s economy is south-east Asia’s wounded soldier as the newly elected Thai government tries to boost confidence and stimulate the economy after five years of military rule. Certainly the past 12 months have been the most challenging. GDP growth hit a four-year low of 2.8% for Q1 2019 and exports remain weak. Despite having unlimited power for half a decade,…
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16,467 kilograms of drugs destroyed on International Day against Drug Abuse
PHOTOS: The Police Magazine Thailand 16,467 kilograms of drugs were destroyed on the annual International Day against Drug, valued around 20 million baht. The Police Magazine Thailand reported yesterday, the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, that drugs has been destroyed by Ministry of Public Health at Bangpa, an Industrial Estate in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya. Drugs destroyed…
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Thai car manufacturers upbeat about sales
PHOTO: Chevrolet’s proposed SUV ‘Blazer’ to replace the Captiva Car sales for the first five months of this year stood at 437,722 equating to a year-on-year rise of just over 9%. Sales for May alone were 88,097 units, up 3.7%. But May’s growth slowed from the double-digit rise that the sector experienced between January and April, 2019. • By brand sales…
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SURVEY – Do the Tourism Authority of Thailand invent their statistics?
The internet has spoken, well The Thaiger’s Facebook page anyway, and there is a strong distrust in the statistics about tourist arrivals issued by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. 83% of people that voted said they didn’t believe the numbers quoted by the TAT. 17% believed the numbers were accurate. The reasons for people’s disbelief aren’t fully understood as their…
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Surachate scores appointment to Police committee, as a civilian
Promoted, sacked, possibly re-instated, ditched and now appointed – the topsy turvy career of former policeman Surachate Hakparn. Thailand’s Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon has confirmed that the former immigration chief Surachate Hakparn was appointed to a Police Commission sub-committee responsible for laws and regulations. He will be the only civilian appointed to the panel. The panel will be under the…
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Cloud looms over 41 Thai MPs in media-shares fiasco
PHOTO: Future Forward’s Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit The Constitutional Court is sitting today to consider whether they’ll accept petitions against 41 newly elected MPs accused by the Future Forward party of breaching media shareholding rules. There are 41 Members of Parliament accused of breaching the rules – 26 from the Palang Pracharath Party, 11 from Democrats, and one from Bhumjaithai Party, Action…
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SURVEY: Do you tip in Thailand?
Yesterday we asked readers to tell us what they do when it comes to tipping in Thailand. We noted that a lot of people’s feelings about tipping was related to where they come from and the customs they had on tipping in their home country. The question was… To tip or not to tip? Whilst the custom of tipping is…
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49 year old Israeli, deported after dismembering wife in Bangkok, arrested in eastern Thailand
PHOTO: INN News The immigration chief told media yesterday that an Israeli man convicted for dismembering his wife and dumping her body parts back in 2004, has been caught in Sa Kaew’s Aranyaprathet district, near the Cambodian border, at the Rong Kleua market. 49 year old Eli Cohen was sentenced to life in prison in December 2004 for murdering his wife,…
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Banned. Thai airports cracking down what you can take on board
Thailand’s CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) is urging airports to more strictly enforce security regulations that would prohibit a longer list of things being taken aboard. The upgraded ban covers foods, liquids and cosmetics that are now limited to containers that have a capacity of no more than 100 millilitres (a tenth of a litre). These items will be restricted and…
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Poll – Will the Thai Baht rise or fall (compared to other currencies)?
Yesterday The Thaiger polled our Facebook readers asking them… “Will the Thai baht continue to rise in value against many of the western currencies? Or has it peaked?” Your responses were very mixed but the result was a slight leaning towards the baht dropping, but only by 52% to 48%, from 585 votes. Thanks for participating! Here are few of…
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Tougher laws and bigger fines for taxi drivers who reject passengers
Mai dai! Taxi drivers who say ‘no’ to passengers will soon be liable to a fine of 5,000 baht. That’s up from 2,000 baht. Taxi drivers, especially in Bangkok, are notorious for rejecting fares when the passenger’s travel plans doesn’t suit the driver’s, especially at times near the change of shifts. The owner of the taxi will now face a…
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Unregistered hotels and lodgings told to get their paperwork in order, or close down
At least 5,000 of the country’s estimated 23,000 unregistered small hotels are expected to get their paperwork in order. The rush to action follows the announcement by the current government to register and comply with the Hotel Act, or be closed down. Most of Thailand’s busy tourist spots are rampant with small and illegal lodgings for tourists. Whilst the growth…
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Thailand’s exports plunge 5.8% in May
Thai exports have declined 5.8% for the month of May 2019. The value of May’s exports is 648 billion baht. The Commerce Ministry says in their report today that the contraction is mostly influenced by global factors including ongoing trade tensions between US and China and tighter global financial conditions, and specific factors of each country and region, political uncertainty…
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Thailand remains on Tier 2 for Trafficking in Persons
The Thai government doesn’t fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so. The US has released the 2019 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report saying the Thai government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared to the previous reporting period so will remain on Tier 2. These efforts included identifying more victims, sentencing…
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Myth: Strong baht deterring western tourists to Thailand
The rise and rise of the Thai Baht, and it’s pushing through the 31.05 to the US Dollar barrier on Wednesday, tops off a turbulent decade of movement against some of the western currencies. The decade’s currency rise has also been matched by a meteoric explosion in tourism pushing Thailand into the top ten list of popular tourist locations in…
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Private hospitals briefed on new drug prices and medical fee notifications
Internal Trade department officials have briefed representatives of 353 private hospitals around Thailand about the public notification of prices of drugs, medical supplies and medical services to patients are treated at their hospitals. Internal Trade Department Director General Wichai Phochanakit explained that the private hospitals need to notify the public of the prices of drugs separately, not including the hospital…
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Thai Baht hits six year high – 31.05 to the US dollar
The Thai baht has hit a six-year high, reaching 31.05 to the US dollar yesterday after the US Federal Reserve signalled possible interest rates cuts. The US Fed says their monetary easing would be in response to increased economic uncertainty and a drop in inflation expectations. The Thai currency is forecast to keep trading in a range of 31.15 to 31.25…
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Chinese tourist numbers to Thailand soften for second consecutive month
Some key figure for May show Thailand’s rise in tourism numbers faltering. The numbers represent a softening in Thailand’s popularity as the world’s fourth most popular tourist destination, following a decade of high growth in tourism across the country. The drop in Chinese visitors is the most visible change to the monthly figures. The tourism and sports ministry announced the…
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45 year old Swede arrested on Koh Chang over $11 million scam
SCREENSHOTS: Manager Online video 45 year old Swedish national, Roger Nils Jonas Karlsson, has been arrested in connection with a multi-million dollar fraud. He was arrested on Koh Chang, far eastern Thailand near the Cambodian border. Police seized electronic devices and computers, allegedly used in the fraudulent activities relating to his arrest. Thai police were acting on an Interpol red notice…
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Thai DLT to look at legalising GrabCar and GrabBike
Thailand’s Department of Land Transport is toying with the idea of officially legalising the Grab ride-hailing services using private cars and motorcycles through the Grab App. The DLT say they are already aware of the issue but say amendments would be required to the Land Transport Act if it were to happen. Today they were unable to put a timescale…
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Bryde’s whale carcass washed up on Samut Prakan beach
PHOTOS: ThaiWhales / DMCR The carcass of a Bryde’s whale has been found near a mangrove forest in Samut Prakan today. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources report that they were notified by staff on an oil ship three days ago that the Bryde’s whale was found dead floating in the sea off Samut Prakan. The DMCR officers searched…
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Norwegian man seriously injured after van collides with a truck in Lopburi
PHOTOS: Motorlance Lopburi A 50 year old Norwegian man has sustained serious injuries while four other Thai passengers sustained minor injuries when a van collided with a truck in Lopburi, north of Bangkok, this morning. Rescue workers say that they were notified of the accident this morning on the Saraburi – Lomsak Road in Chaibadan, Lopburi. The left hand side…
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Where to post all of your job positions: Completely free!
Recruitment can cost you more than you realize. You do not want to sacrifice candidate quality, but you don’t wish to spend too much time and money to find them. All types of employers are searching online for platforms they can use to post their job positions for free. From social networking websites to job boards, there are many ways…
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Ayutthaya Elephant Palace to be relocated for park make-over
Ayutthaya Historical Park has sent a notice to the popular Ayutthaya Elephant Palace, located on Pa Ton road, to vacate the area within 30 days to allow for improvements of the park’s landscape. The elephants, keepers and mahouts are still providing services to tourists visiting the park. Laithongrient Meephan, owner of the Elephant Palace, told Thai PBS that he is…
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How many tourists visit the real Thailand?
PHOTO: Sarah Lazarus – CNN Thailand is best known for its beaches, astonishing street food, markets and diverse south-east Asian culture. But how many people get out of the cities and tourist traps and get to experience the real Thailand? How many expats, living in Thailand, even get to experience the real Thailand? Thailand is the fourth most popular holiday…
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41 Thai MPs facing investigation over alleged media shares
… and 27 of them are from the pro-Junta Palang Pracharat Party. Latest rumblings out of Bangkok as rival parties ramp up the rhetoric in the lead up to an announcement of the new Cabinet. Meanwhile the current PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is trying to keep the situation calm during this weekend’s ASEAN Summit being held in the capital. A Future…
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PM cannot legally attend cabinet meetings or ASEAN Summit – Future Forward
…but we bet he will. Future Forward’s secretary-general says the PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has violated the Constitution by chairing cabinet meetings both last week and yesterday. He also cast doubt over Prayut’s capacity to host next week’s ASEAN Summit in Bangkok as Thailand’s PM. Piyabutr Saengkanokkul claims that PM Prayut was appointed the post-election prime minister by a Royal Command dated…
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Owner of boarding school arrested for allegedly killing 15 year old student
PHOTO: Tapakorn “Chaidaen” Sapsin, who died on June 13 by Wasukit Lao-in Police have arrested the 27 year old owner of a boarding school in Nakhon Sawan, his wife and his mother-in-law, for their alleged role in the assault of a 15 year old schoolboy earlier this month which led to his death five days later. The school owner has…
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Bus conductor fired, company fined for molesting ladyboy passenger
An inter-provincial Thai bus conductor has been fired and the bus company fined 5,000 baht after he allegedly molested a transgender passenger on-board. The bus was travelling to Nong Bua Lamphu, near Udon Thani, north-east Thailand, from Bangkok. The bus company, which Land Transport officials have declined to name, was fined 5,000 baht by his office for providing substandard bus…
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