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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Sponsored FBS celebrates 16 years with an adventurous Birthday Quest
Leading global broker FBS is marking its 16th anniversary with a special campaign — FBS Birthday Quest. Over the past 16 years, FBS has been on an incredible journey alongside its clients. Now, as a way to give back, the...
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Chiang Mai: Governor visits 74 year old rape victim
PHOTO: Chiang Mai City Life Chiang Mai’s Governor, Supachai Iamsuwan, visited the elderly sexual assault victim from earlier this week. Read the story HERE. The new governor, along with officials from the Office in Social Development and Human Security, visited 74 year old Sudjai Sukhamton at her home. Social Development and Human Security say they will be following the Governor’s…
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Wild Boars to head home this Thursday
The Public Health Minister Dr Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn visited the young footballers at the Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital this morning (Saturday) after their rescue from the flooded Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai province as the world watched. The 12 Mu Pa Academy footballers and their coach are to be discharged from hospital next Thursday, Dr Piyasakol announced. Public Health Minister Dr Piyasakol…
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Fresh winds and high seas – TMD issues weather warning
The Meteorological Department (TMD) is warning that people across the country should brace for intense rains, with heavy rains in some parts of the northern, northeastern, central, eastern and southern regions which may result in flash floods, from today until July 19. Until Jul 19, waves in the Andaman Sea are expected to be 2-3 metres high due to strong…
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Chiang Rai: Mission Possible explained
by Pradit Phulsarikij – Nation Graphics As details emerge about the 17 day mission to find and extract the 13 members of the Mu Pa Football Academy from the Tham Luang caves in Chiang Rai, The Nation has put together an excellent infographic explaining many of the challenges that confronted some of the world’s diving experts. Click on the infographic for…
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Koh Phangan: Woman arrested as she gets off ferry with 320,000 baht of ‘ice’
Police in Koh Phangan have arrested a Thai woman after a tip off, as she was getting off the Don Sak ferry when it arrived at Koh Phangan. She was found with two condoms full of crystal methamphetamine stuffed into her vagina. The drugs weighed 104 grams and had an estimated street value around 320,000 baht. According to Sanook, she told…
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Chiang Mai: Don’t feed the pigeons
Chiang Mai City Life is reporting that the Public Health Office is warning travellers and locals not to feed the pigeons at Tha Pae Gate. This isn’t the first time tourists have been warned. As the number of pigeons at Tha Pae Gate increases officials are concerned about health and hygiene issues. A report has been released again in an…
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Bangkok: Appeals Court upholds death sentence on Spaniard
The Appeals Court has upheld the death sentence handed down on a Spanish man for murdering a fellow Spaniard and dumping his dismembered body in the Chao Phraya River back in 2016. From El Pais, April 21, 2017 – A Spanish national was on Friday given the death sentence after being found guilty by a Thai court of murdering fellow…
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National: VIP treatment for foreign rescuers
Rescuers, who have the time to stay in Thailand, are being given free tours and extra privileges in thanks for their dedication and persistence over the past two weeks in the Tham Luang cave search and rescue mission. For the ones that must return home now, they’ve been offered free tickets and five-year visa free travel. The government is offering them a free-of-charge…
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Chiang Rai: Weather reclaims the Tham Luang cave area
One day out and the weather has reclaimed the Tham Luang caves in northern Thailand. The Nang Non mountains have been shrouded in thick cloud and mist today after heavy rain started again last night. The media is still stationed in a muddy area at the Phongpha Sub-district Administration Offices in Mae Sai district. Although the soccer team and the…
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Bangkok: Police retrieve 300,000 baht left in taxi
Thai Rath have our ‘honest taxi driver’ story of the week. The quick actions of officers at the Sutthisan police station in Bangkok has enabled the return of ten million won (or 300,000 baht) that a university student left in the back of a cab. Theta driver has also been praised for his role. 23 year old Pinchaya “Am” Phromrat, a…
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Chiang Mai: 30 year old admits to raping 74 year old
Sanook is reporting that a 30 year old Thai man has told police he raped and robbed a 74 year old Chiang Mai woman because his wife was pregnant and he couldn’t have sex with her. He also claimed that he was drunk. The rapist, who already has priors and previous jail time for assault and robbery, had been in charge…
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Phetchaburi: Kalasin man arrested for alleged rape of a five year old, ten years ago
File photo The Nation is reporting that a Kalasin 39 tear old man has been arrested in Phetchaburi this morning while on the run. He has been arrested over allegations relating to the rape of a five year old girl in Bangkok 10 years ago. 39 year old Sa-nguan Kisarung from Kalasin, was arrested at his rented room in Tambon…
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Pattaya: South Korean reports taxi driver stealing valuables worth 100,000 baht
File photo A South Korean businessman has filed an official complaint with police following a Tuesday night theft by a Pattaya taxi driver. The mans claimed that a taxi driver fled with his bag which contained his passport, cash and credit cards. Chon Buri police were alerted to the theft at 11.45pm and headed to meet the 25 year old…
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Chiang Mai: Stray dog problem around dams overwhelming volunteers
PHOTO: Suphatrawee Yoophaet Sanook are reporting from Chiang Mai that more than 100 dogs have been abandoned by heartless owners. The dogs have been living around two reservoirs in Chiang Mai. The dogs have been starving and locals are now appealing for help to feed them. Sank reports that the pack has quickly grown in size after more owners keep…
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Trang: 17 containers wash off a ship
PHOTO: Facebook/Siraphop Srakaew The Andaman Sea, off the coast of Trang, has ended up with 17 shipping containers floating around after a passing cargo ship was hit by big seas, washing the containers over the side. The incident happened this morning (Wednesday). The vessel, the ‘NP Lovegistics 2’ sent out a distress call after waves caused a failure in the…
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Uttaradit: Waitress found murdered in boarding house
Police in Uttaradit, north of Bangkok near the Laos border, are still searching for a man after his estranged wife was found dead in a boarding house yesterday morning (Tuesday) with her throat slit. Police say 29 year old Kamolrat Ruangrit had been killed inside the bathroom of her unit in the province’s Mueang district. Investigators say that, besides having…
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Boat victims will receive 300,000 baht from Thai Government
As the search continues off the south-west coast of Phuket for survivors from tour boats that sank yesterday afternoon, Thai officials are already rolling out the PR machine. The Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kowsurat has already promised that families of the victims of the boat accidents in Phuket will receive 300,000 baht (9,000 USD) each from the Thai government.…
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Warm farewell for British cave-diver
By Suthinan Kongsin The Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kowsurat presented a certificate of honour to Briton Robert Charles Harper at Suvarnabhumi International Airport last night (Wednesday) as the cave expert, who played a crucial role in finding the 13 footballers, departed for home. In a spontaneous 11pm ceremony, Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith also gave him a painting of Harper…
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Mae Hong Son: Plane crash. Injured trooper rushed to hospital, bodies retrieved.
Rescuers have rushed an injured Army trooper to hospital and retrieved three bodies after an Army Cessna 182 light aeroplane crashed in Mae Hong Son province near the Myanmar border on Thursday. A rescue team from the 17th Infantry Regiment, local defence volunteers from Ban Huay Pheung village, the Mae Hong Song Disaster Mitigation Office as well as a medical…
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Interview with Ben Reymenants – Phuket diver diving at the Tham Luang caves
Transcript of an interview on The Thaiger 102.75 between ‘Waking the Thaiger’ host Garry Holden and Rawai cave-diving specialist Ben Reymenants. Ben has been volunteering his experience, skills and time up at the Tham Luang caves as part of the enormous rescue effort. Here is some of Garry’s conversation with Ben – a fascinating insight into what’s been happening in…
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Koh Chang: Chinese swimmers rescued off Sai Khao beach
Thai PBS is reporting that three Chinese tourists have been rescued off Koh Chang, near the Cambodian border off the coast, south of Pattaya. Rescue workers saw the three of them caught by a rip current while swimming in the sea off Sai Khao beach on early this afternoon (Wednesday) in defiance of red flags along the beach. One of the…
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Murder suspect arrested 24 hours before statute of limitations expired
A Trang murder suspect has been arrested in Satun yesterday, just 24 hours before the statute of limitations on the 20 year old murder case was due to expire. 41 year old Kredis Sombatthong, a resident of Trang’s Yan Ta Khao district, was arrested by Crime Suppression Division police in Satun’s Khun Ka Long district this morning (Thursday) under a…
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Chiang Rai: A crash course in swimming and diving
PHOTO: Thai Navy SEALS “Rescue teams have been giving crash courses in swimming and diving as part of complex preparations to evacuate the footballers trapped in Tham Luang cave.” Chiang Rai’s Governor Narongsak Osotthanakorn says he still can’t be specific as to when and how the survivors would be taken out of the cave where they have been stranded since…
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Chiang Rai: “How to get them out” – Jonathan Miller reports
Jonathan Miller from Channel 4 in the UK provided an on-the-scene look at what’s been happening just outside the Tham Luang caves as the rescuers get ready for the evacuation process.
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Chiang Mai: Wife follows husband to short time hotel. It didn’t end well.
PHOTO: Sanook Sank is reporting that a Chiang Mai woman has caught her husband in bed with his mistress in a San Sai ‘short time’ hotel. The 27 year old woman, Chaweewan, created a racket outside the hotel room. Her 19 year old rival, Thitiya, eventually opened the door. Chaweewan was brandishing an automatic .380 and an argument and struggle…
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Assistant coach sacrificed his own health for the good of the team
PHOTO: Sanook The 25 year old assistant coach had sacrificed his own health for the sake of the twelve boys under his charge. Sanook is reporting that Navy Seals, who have been with the team, made the claims when they spoke to reporters. Of the entire group only two have any health problems of any level. One of these was…
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His Majesty sends a special message to cave rescue teams
“When the mission is over, they should receive good hospitality as the Royal guests until they depart from Thailand.” – His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn His Majesty has sent a message, passed on to PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, to those working to ring the footballers out of the cave. “Initial praises are good but please remain focused on the operation, which will…
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Thai Tourism Ministry pays 66,000 baht to Norwegian shark attack victim
PHOTO: ThaiVisa The Thai Tourism Ministry has paid out over 66,000 baht to the Norwegian shark attack victim who was attacked by a mysterious sea creature back on April 1. NewTV is reporting that the Ministry of Tourism and Sports paid the man bitten on the leg near Hua Hin in April 66,966 baht. 54 year old Werner Danielson received…
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Chiang Rai: We meet the 13 trapped footballers
Video from inside the Tham Luang caves, courtesy of the Thai Navy SEAL. https://www.facebook.com/ThaiSEAL/videos/1634041306719262/
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Chiang Rai: “I looked up and there they were.”
By Richard C. Paddock and Muktita Suhartono “John Volanthen, a British diver. He had been working underwater to place guide lines for divers when he emerged in the cave and saw the 12 missing boys and their soccer coach peering at him.” The British diver John Volanthen was placing guide lines to try to get closer to 12 missing boys…
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