News
Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.
-
Sponsored Planning to extend your Thai visa? Why health insurance is more important than ever
If you plan to stay longer in Thailand, having health insurance is now more important than ever. Thai immigration often asks for proof of medical coverage when you apply to extend your visa. This applies to many types of visas,...
-
TAT forecasts a 2.5% increase in tourist numbers for next year
Last week tourist arrivals in Thailand surpassed 38,260,000, the total 2018 arrival number. Now Thailand has broken through the 39 million international tourist barrier, just two days before the end of the year. The 39 millionth tourist was from Russia. 2019 had a shaky start with the arrival of Tropical Storm Pabuk in the first week of the new year.…
-
Thai road toll jumps to 109 after first two days of seven day campaign
Road incidents during the first two days of the seven day New Year holiday period have risen to 974. The southern province of Surat Thani, just north of Phuket, had 33 incidents and 37 people injured. Chiang Rai and Nakhon Sawan have had the highest death toll with 6 deaths each. Police have been instructed to tighten up traffic checks…
-
Thai justice minister supports chemical castration of rapists
The Thai Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin has given his support to a law that would require chemical castration for convicted rapists. Democrat MP Rangsima Rodrasmi proposed the law during a discussion in the House of Representatives on sexual violence. The House has created an extraordinary committee on the prevention of sex crimes. Rangsima suggested sex offenders should be castrated, chemically or…
-
Two Chinese men survive balloon crash in Sri Racha
PHOTO: Peao Yiang Tai Sri Racha Two Chinese men have survived after their hot air balloon plummeted hundreds of feet to the ground Friday morning in Sri Racha, north of Pattaya. Rescue workers learned of the incident at 11am. They arrived at a fruit plantation to find the balloon on the ground. It appeared to have fallen into several trees, knocking…
-
False killer whales spotted off Phang Nga
Around 20 false killer whales have been spotted near an island in Phang Nga province. The manager of Wow Andaman Tour has reported that a tour group spotted them off Koh Miang Island in the Mu Koh Similan National Park off the Phang Ngan coast in the Andaman Sea. “These whales broke through the water and greeted the tourists travelling on…
-
Man arrested with live grenade at Pattaya checkpoint
PHOTO: The Pattaya News A 26 year old Buriram man has been caught with a live grenade at a checkpoint in Pattaya. Police say the man, named only as “Seksan,” was acting suspiciously as he went through the checkpoint on Soi Ko Phai in central Pattaya. Officers pulled him aside for further investigation. They searched his black backpack and found an…
-
Bangkok is in the middle of a battle between the Chao Phraya and Gulf of Thailand
The natural ebb and flow, and the eternal battle between waters flowing down the Chao Phraya and up from the sea, may affect Bangkok’s tap water supply. This year the water flowing down the mighty river may not counter the water trying to flow up towards the capital from the Gulf of Thailand. The slow sinking of Bangkok (the capital…
-
Turtle release at Maya Bay to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Tsunami
by Robb, Five Star Thailand Tours Koh Phi Phi Leh’s most famous tourist attraction, Maya Bay has been a controversial topic in recent years. The bay remains closed. However, tourists are still able to visit the National Park to swim and snorkel along the outskirts of the bay. A rope strung across the bay prevents visitors from going inside the bay…
-
Three Bangkok police fired after proof of extortion emerges
UPDATED STORY Three policemen who worked out of the Thonglor Police Station, on the eastern edge of Bangkok city, have been suspended from their duties las Friday, pending a full enquiry. Thai Rath reported that the three had been relieved of their duties after allegedly receiving a bribe from a French businessman. The three policemen were identified as Maj. Phitsanupol…
-
More palms on the way for Phuket’s Promthep Cape
The Phuket governor’s office is working with the Rawai municipality and consultants from Nongnooch Garden Pattaya to improve the landscape and amenity at Promthep Cape, the hugely popular sunset vantage point at the southern end of the island. Phuket’s Governor Phakphong Thaviphat says Promthep Cape is one of the main tourist attractions under the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s campaign to…
-
Songkhla jail escapee recaptured after a day on the loose
A prisoner who managed to escape from the Songkhla Provincial ail has now been recaptured at a rented house in Singhanakhon district. Police were able to locate him yesterday around midday. The Corrections Department had offered a 200,000 baht reward the day before for any information leading to the arrest of Dalok-Ani MaPrasit who escaped from the provincial prison Officiers…
-
Drones being used to help manage Thai holiday traffic
A fleet of drones is being deployed by the Royal Thai Air Force to assist the Department of Public Disaster Prevention and Mitigation manage traffic on the country’s main highways over the year-end holiday period. The period is also one of the two ost dangerous times on Thai roads; the other being over the Songkran holiday break. Thai PBS World…
-
Another hero dies as a result of Tham Luang cave rescue
PHOTO: Thai PBS World A second rescuer, who was part of the enormous international rescue effort to save the lives of 13 young men trapped in Tham Luang cave in June last year, has died. The Royal Thai Navy made the announcement yesterday. The Bangkok Post reports that Petty Officer First Class Beirut Pakbara has succumbed to a rare blood…
-
Two drug smugglers killed by soldiers in Chiang Rai, drugs seized
Two drug runners have been shot and killed by soldiers in the Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai. They were shipping 600 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine (ice) which was seized in the operation. The men were killed during a gunfight between a group of drug runners and border police after the Pha The Muang military task force detected 15-20 men…
-
Former NZ Olympic champion busted for working illegally at Bangkok fitness studio
PHOTO: Olympic.or.nz | Bangkok Get Fit Cycling Studio A former Olympic champion from New Zealand has been arrested for working in Thailand without a work permit. The Nation reports that 37 year old Kiwi, Marc Ryan, was arrested yesterday at the Bangkok Get Fit Cycling Studio in the Sukumvit district. The arrest came after police received reports of a number of foreign…
-
Asia leads the way in travel technology over next decade
In an industry already heavily “disrupted” by technology, tourism and travel will see even more of the business-side move online. Singapore-based travel booking company Agoda says that single one-stop-shop apps for all travel needs, passport free travel, and mobile app check-in are the top three new travel trends expected by travellers. Their report indicates travellers now expect a lot more from their travel experience…
-
Phuket Sky Way cable car will provide tourists with a new view of the island
PHOTOS: Phuket People’s Voice The committee of economy development, bringing together both government and private sectors, has agreed to allow a cable car project on Phuket as the island’s new landmark. It has been revealed that the cable car design is finished and the Environmental Impact Assessment will be commissioned soon. At the moment the working title for the project…
-
Direct Russian flights into Surat Thani start with uptick for Samui, Koh Tao & Ko-Phangan
PHOTO: The Flight Reviews A new series of flights between Russia and Surat Thani International Airport kicked off on December 27 with the charter Nordwind Airlines. Russian tourists will be able to fly direct into the region, avoiding the monopoly at Koh Samui airport. They can then transfer to Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Ko-Phangan from the Surat Thani International Airport…
-
And they’re off! Hundreds of thousands leave Bangkok for New Year break
PHOTO: Eleven Media Group Hundreds of thousands of Bangkok residents have already started heading out of the capital, headed to various Thai provinces to welcome in 2020 in the company of friends and family. The long weekends starts from tonight with many Thais being granted a public holiday on Monday, in addition to the Tuesday and Wednesday public holidays. It…
-
Woman injured by ‘exploding’ manhole cover in northern Thailand
PHOTO: sanook.com A manhole cover has exploded in the northern province of Lampang, seriously injuring a 22 year old delivery woman, who was knocked unconscious. Thai Residents reports that the incident took place in Lampang city yesterday afternoon as the woman, “Nun”, was going to collect a customer’s order. CCTV shows the manhole cover exploding as the delivery woman drove by…
-
Thai PM urges New Year partygoers not to drink and drive
A reflective Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has spoken out about his desire to further help the country, calling on citizens not to drink and drive during the year-end celebrations. The Nation reports that while speaking at an event in Bangkok, the PM declared his love for his fellow citizens, expressing his desire to change his name to something that better reflects…
-
At least 21 killed by typhoon Phanfone in Philippines
PHOTO: bbc.com A deadly Christmas typhoon has swept across the central Philippines region, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake and killing at least 21 people. With much of the area’s communications remain cut off, the full extent of the damage or fatalities is not yet known. Typhoon Phanfone, known locally as Typhoon Ursula, made landfall on Eastern Samar…
-
Central “deeply appalled” by Nazi pics at their Christmas display
UPDATE: The family of one of the people in the photo, has contacted The Thaiger and asked us to remove the photo. We have blurred one of the faces to comply with their wish after a discussion on the matter. “Three French hens, Two turtle doves and a pair of Nazi’s in a Bangkok shopping centre”. A cultural collision, a…
-
CCTV footage from Thai prison posted on Youtube live – VIDEO
It’s no secret that Thai prisons are a place you should avoid. Cramped, dangerous, hot, unsanitary. Even the notorious Bang Kwang Central Prison in Bangkok has earned the name ‘Bangkok Hilton’, mocking its less-than-confortable living conditions. Now some leaked CCTV footage from a prison in Chumpon, southern Thailand, has been leaked and shared on YouTube. Channel 31 reporting of the footage below……
-
Live links to watch Thailand solar eclipse today
Here are some live links to watch the solar eclipse which is currently happening across Thailand. It is now at its peak (midday). CAUTION: Looking at the sun directly and without proper equipment is dangerous and can cause blindness. Read more, along with some guidelines for viewing the solar eclipse, HERE. While Singapore, Sri Lanka, India and Indonesia will all…
-
Burmese migrants are chasing months of back-pay from Chiang Rai plantation
FILE PHOTO 45 legally registered Burmese migrant workers in Chiang Rai are seeking assistance from the local labour office to conduct an inquiry into unpaid salaries over a couple of months, some up to six months. The workers have been engaged at a banana plantation in the Phaya Mengrai district. The workers rallied at the provincial offices on Monday, some claiming they…
-
Thai reporter sentenced to 2 years jail over Twitter comment
A court has sentenced a reporter to two years in prison for libel, over a comment she posted on Twitter about a labour dispute at a Lopburi poultry farm in central Thailand. The case against Voice TV’s 30 year old Suchanee Cloitre is just one of 20 launched by Thammakaset, a supplier of poultry to Thai agri-business giant Betagro, since 2016…
-
Woman shocked by eight million baht monthly power bill
PHOTO: Thai Rath/Channel 33 A 55 year old Ayutthaya woman was surprised to receive a power bill for more than eight million baht. Ayutthaya is a few hours drive north of Bangkok. Tanyanan Ketparn told Thai Rath that she was always punctual with monthly electricity bill payments, which is normally around 18,000 baht (which still sounds a lot unless Tanyanan is…
-
Solar eclipse today across Thailand. Here’s how to watch it.
CAUTION: Looking at the sun directly and without proper equipment is dangerous and can cause blindness. Read more, along with some guidelines for viewing the solar eclipse, HERE. How it will look in your area below… The skies will darken across Thailand around midday today. The further south you are, the darker it will get as the moon moves over…
-
Chinese phone scam gangs using Thailand to hack into WeChat app
Police have raided a hotel in the Ratchada district of Bangkok after being tipped off that a group of young Chinese were spending all the time in their rooms. Hotel staff became suspicious after they were calling room service for all their meals, never venturing outside and refusing to allow the housekeeping staff in to clean the rooms. The Economic…
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.