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. The Thaiger delivers the latest national news that matters.

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    Is private health insurance in Thailand worth it? Real costs vs risks explained

    Thailand has a strong healthcare system with both public and private options. Public hospitals offer affordable care, but many people, including expats, choose private health insurance for faster service, modern facilities, and more treatment choices. To decide if private health...

  • Chinese and Burmese killed, 5 injured, twins rescued in shooting rampage at Siam Paragon Bangkok

    Chinese and Burmese killed, 5 injured, twins rescued in shooting rampage at Siam Paragon Bangkok

    The shooting rampage at Bangkok’s Siam Paragon shopping mall yesterday tragically claimed the lives of a Chinese woman and a Burmese woman, and injured five others while a brave Thai woman rescued Chinese twins after their mother was killed. The Royal Thai Police (RTP) announced that the shooting occurred at the mall yesterday afternoon, October 3, resulting in the deaths…

  • Fuel fund forecast: Thai govt keeps diesel prices low, faces a billion-baht burnout

    Fuel fund forecast: Thai govt keeps diesel prices low, faces a billion-baht burnout

    The Oil Fuel Fund Office (OFFO) projected a loss of nearly 100 billion baht due to the government’s decision to maintain domestic diesel prices below 30 baht a litre until December. This forecast assumes an increase in global diesel prices during the winter, a period typically marked by heightened energy demand. In 2022, the average global diesel prices for August…

  • Pattaya’s October extravaganza: A month of thrilling events to boost tourism

    Pattaya’s October extravaganza: A month of thrilling events to boost tourism

    October promises to be an exhilarating month for Pattaya, with a plethora of intriguing events lined up to stimulate city tourism. There is a range of activities from sports tournaments to cultural festivals, ensuring there’s something for everyone to enjoy. The International Beach Tennis Tournament Pattaya Open is set to kick off on Friday, October 6, and conclude on Saturday,…

  • Thailand’s digital wallet project: Green light to make cash splash

    Thailand’s digital wallet project: Green light to make cash splash

    The government of Thailand has given the green light for the formation of a committee for its ambitious digital money handout scheme, otherwise known as the digital wallet project. Slated for launch in February, the initiative aims to stimulate the economy by providing each Thai citizen above the age of 16 with 10,000 baht (US$269) in digital money. The project, requiring…

  • Eighth day of search for missing mushroom picker in Khao Kho forest as new clues emerge

    Eighth day of search for missing mushroom picker in Khao Kho forest as new clues emerge

    A desperate search for a 61 year old mushroom picker lost in the Khao Kho Forest in northern Thailand has entered its eighth day, with over 100 people, including residents and officials from various departments, joining the hunt. Tragically, the man, known locally as Khamphan Sisonkarn or Lod, disappeared on September 27 while foraging in the community forest of Jawa…

  • Bangkok hotel launches Fifty Shades of Grey theme room

    Bangkok hotel launches Fifty Shades of Grey theme room

    G Boutique Hotel Surawong Bangkok extends an invitation to kinky couples who desire Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey fantasies to experience its newly launched Fifty Shades of Grey-themed room, equipped with BDSM gear for those seeking an unconventional adventure. G Boutique Hotel Surawong Bangkok is a 3-star hotel in the heart of the Thai capital, just a 3-minute walk from…

  • Train crash: Young man killed in late night accident

    Train crash: Young man killed in late night accident

    A BMW car was struck by a train in Chumphon province, Thailand, resulting in the vehicle being dragged approximately 500 metres from the accident scene. The train crash occurred at around 11.30pm yesterday. The vehicle, which was found wedged against a railway bridge, was severely damaged, and a male casualty was discovered inside. The rescue team faced a complicated situation…

  • Weakening baht boosts Thailand’s exports and tourism

    Weakening baht boosts Thailand’s exports and tourism

    Thailand Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin pointed out yesterday that the weakening baht, despite its potential negative impact on energy import costs, is actually proving to be a boon for the country’s exports and tourism. The baht had earlier plummeted to an 11-month low against the US dollar, trading at 37.095. According to the 61 year old prime minister, who also…

  • Car takes a dive, one man survives: Dramatic sea plunge at Sattahip pier caught on camera

    Car takes a dive, one man survives: Dramatic sea plunge at Sattahip pier caught on camera

    A shocking incident occurred in the early hours of this morning when a car plunged into the sea at the Sattahip – Koh Samui ferry pier, Chuk Samet, Sattahip, Chon Buri. One man managed to escape by breaking the car window, but two women remained trapped in the submerged vehicle. The event was captured on CCTV at around 4am today.…

  • Thai welfare department pushes for more ‘home-run’ support as homeless program stalls

    Thai welfare department pushes for more ‘home-run’ support as homeless program stalls

    The Thai Department of Social Development and Welfare is advocating for increased housing subsidies for the homeless, following a year in which fewer than 100 individuals signed up for the programme, revealed Varawut Silpa-archa, the Minister of Social Development and Human Security. This joint initiative of the department and the Thai Health Promotion Foundation allows for half of the participants’…

  • MRTA advances 220 billion baht mass-transit projects in Bangkok and Phuket

    MRTA advances 220 billion baht mass-transit projects in Bangkok and Phuket

    The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) is set to implore the Transport Ministry to advance three significant mass-transit projects in the regions of Bangkok and Phuket. The ambitious trio of projects come with an estimated investment value of approximately 220 billion baht. Pakapong Sirikantaramas, the governor of MRTA, declared yesterday that these projects include the Orange and Brown…

  • Tourism confidence in Thailand plummets amid economic jitters

    Tourism confidence in Thailand plummets amid economic jitters

    The tourism confidence index in Thailand has taken a hit, with figures sliding from 91 in the same period of 2019 to 69 in the third quarter of this year, according to the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT). The third quarter’s number also represents a decline from 74 and 72 recorded in the first and second quarters of 2021 respectively.…

  • Breaking news: Three shot dead, five injured by teenage gunman inside Siam Paragon (video)

    Breaking news: Three shot dead, five injured by teenage gunman inside Siam Paragon (video)

    UPDATE: Three people have been reportedly shot dead and at least five people were injured today by a teenage gunman on the rampage at Siam Paragon Mall in Bangkok. Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) officers swiftly responded to the scene, where one officer successfully apprehended the alleged gunman, a 14 year old boy at 5.06pm inside the luxury Siam Paragon…

  • Thai villager wins 100,000 baht in lottery from ancient tree numbers

    Thai villager wins 100,000 baht in lottery from ancient tree numbers

    In an enchanting twist of fate, an anonymous resident was thrust into a realm of financial prosperity after uncovering the winning lottery numbers, bestowed upon them by an ancient and revered tree nestled within the tranquil confines of Ban Beng Temple in Sri Narong, Chumphon Buri, Surin. This auspicious turn of events led to the resident’s remarkable windfall—a substantial prize…

  • Hermit’s forest meditation takes an eternal detour in remote Thailand

    Hermit’s forest meditation takes an eternal detour in remote Thailand

    A 58 year old hermit was found dead during meditation in a deep forest in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. The rescue team had to walk to the scene due to the inaccessibility of vehicles. The body was later transported by motorcycle from the mountain today. Jiraphan Suinwai, head of the Naprat Chiang Mai Rescue, stated that on Sunday, October 1, they…

  • Shell shock: Giant turtle roadside rescue fuels lottery frenzy in northeast Thailand

    Shell shock: Giant turtle roadside rescue fuels lottery frenzy in northeast Thailand

    A giant turtle was discovered crawling on a road by a young man who decided to take it home, sparking a flurry of lottery number predictions among the local villagers in northeast Thailand. The unusual occurrence took place in the Nong Thep community, Sri Narong District, Surin province. The 28 year old man, Kaewprasert, was en route to buy some…

  • Colombian woman ends 20-year affair with ghost after she sees his ugly face

    Colombian woman ends 20-year affair with ghost after she sees his ugly face

    A Colombian woman revealed her 20-year love affair with a ghost ended when she finally saw its ugly face. The woman, Paula Flores, shared her supernatural love story on the national TV show Sin Carreta, broadcasted on Canal 1. Flores revealed that her relationship with the ghost began during her childhood and led to romantic nights together for two decades.…

  • Brazilian influencer temporarily blinded after freak gym accident

    Brazilian influencer temporarily blinded after freak gym accident

    A horrifying incident unfolded in a fitness centre in Brazil, where a gym-goer was temporarily blinded and paralysed after being violently struck in the head by the handle of a chest fly machine. The mishap occurred while 32 year old Abraão Viana was working out at a gym near the city of Fortaleza in the north-eastern state of Ceará. Viana…

  • Helmet heist: Foreign couple’s brazen theft to dodge checkpoint fines caught on CCTV

    Helmet heist: Foreign couple’s brazen theft to dodge checkpoint fines caught on CCTV

    A security camera caught a foreign couple stealing two motorcycle helmets from a post office welfare house in the northern province of Chiang Mai in a bid to avoid being fined at a police checkpoint. The director of the Mae Ping Post Office, Kraisri Thongwirat, discovered that two helmets belonging to the post office had gone missing yesterday, October 2.…

  • Survivor’s trauma lingers a year after the daycare centre massacre in northeast Thailand

    Survivor’s trauma lingers a year after the daycare centre massacre in northeast Thailand

    The trauma of the brutal daycare centre massacre at a Thai nursery still lingers, especially for Paweenuch Supolwong, a four year old survivor in Nong Bua Lamphu. The horrific daycare centre massacre that unfolded a year ago in the rural village of Uthai Sawan, ended in the deaths of 36 people, shattering the peace of this close-knit community. Now, every movement…

  • Cash clash ends in bellyache as Thai man shot for demanding money from ex-girlfriend

    Cash clash ends in bellyache as Thai man shot for demanding money from ex-girlfriend

    A 40 year old Thai man suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach after he demanded money from his 60 year old ex-girlfriend leading to an argument and shooting. A local grocery store owner reported the shooting to officers at Mueang Samut Prakarn Police Station after the victim, Ying, was asked to help out in his shop. The police collaborated…

  • Wedding day drama: Bride’s hidden career as porn star leaves groom in a reel shocker

    Wedding day drama: Bride’s hidden career as porn star leaves groom in a reel shocker

    A 32 year old Japanese woman suffered a shocking revelation on her wedding day when a close friend exposed her past as a porn star, a secret she had never divulged to her husband. The surprising disclosure left her husband taken aback during their wedding celebrations. The alleged former porn star, known by the pseudonym, Mizuki, met her boyfriend and…

  • Chilli reception: Thai senators to spice things up with complaint after Icelandic restaurant row

    Chilli reception: Thai senators to spice things up with complaint after Icelandic restaurant row

    Thai senators are preparing to lodge a complaint with the Icelandic government following an incident where Doctor Porntip Rojanasunan was thrown out of a Thai restaurant in Iceland by its Thai proprietor. Last week, a video went viral on Thai social media depicting a Thai man, who identified himself as the owner of a restaurant in Iceland, expelling Porntip from…

  • Banking on change: Thai banks raise policy rates to woo depositors with digital deals

    Banking on change: Thai banks raise policy rates to woo depositors with digital deals

    Following the Bank of Thailand‘s decision to hike its policy rate by 0.25 percentage points, banks are now increasing both their loan and deposit rates. In a bid to attract depositors, special rates are being offered on digital savings products. Siam Commercial Bank (SCB), the country’s fourth-largest lender by total assets, has acted promptly to the central bank’s policy rate…

  • Tha Bo’s watery battle: Northern Thailand community withstands relentless flooding for two weeks

    Tha Bo’s watery battle: Northern Thailand community withstands relentless flooding for two weeks

    In the face of relentless and devastating flooding, the resilient community of Tha Bo in Ubon Ratchathani, northern Thailand, has been grappling with the harsh reality of nature’s fury for the past two weeks. The disaster uprooted the lives of 11 families, comprising 40 individuals, who found refuge and solace at Wat Ban Tha Bo. Their homes have been submerged…

  • Noodle shop’s slippery surprise: Giant python crashes lunchtime in Yala, Thailand

    Noodle shop’s slippery surprise: Giant python crashes lunchtime in Yala, Thailand

    A giant python, almost 5 metres long and weighing 7 kilogrammes, caused a stir today when it slithered into a noodle shop in Yala, Thailand. The reptile was discovered by the shop owner, Suhayna Beeing, who immediately alerted residents of the Gunung Janoang community, sparking panic and attracting a crowd of onlookers. Suhayna noticed the giant python hiding under a…

  • British man recounts shocking encounter with racist Russians in Phuket

    British man recounts shocking encounter with racist Russians in Phuket

    A British man recounted an unsettling encounter with some racist Russians in Phuket, southern Thailand. His unfortunate experience has led him to declare that he will never return to the island. The British man, who shared his story on the Reddit platform under the username Wanderlust3r0, started his narrative by stating he is a black British man with a Thai…

  • Unidentified Thai man found dead in possible hit-and-run in central Thailand

    Unidentified Thai man found dead in possible hit-and-run in central Thailand

    An unidentified Thai man aged between 45 and 50 was found lifeless today on the side of the Saraburi-Lomsak Road in Phatthana Nikhom district, Lopburi province after he was reportedly struck by a large lorry in a potential hit-and-run. According to local rescue personnel, the man, who was heavily intoxicated, had been awakened at a nearby petrol station hours earlier…

  • Bangkok slum advocates unite: Demand for affordable housing echoes on World Habitat Day

    Bangkok slum advocates unite: Demand for affordable housing echoes on World Habitat Day

    Advocates from the Four Regions Slum Network approached Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt, demanding immediate action to alleviate the city’s affordable housing crisis for its underprivileged citizens. The plea took place during a protest at Lan Khon Muang Plaza yesterday, October 2, coinciding with World Habitat Day, an annual event observed. The protesters submitted a list of requests to the 57…

  • Stock slide stalls: Thai stock market slump set to stabilise as analysts predict limited decreases

    Stock slide stalls: Thai stock market slump set to stabilise as analysts predict limited decreases

    The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) index has been subjected to a downward revision this year, dipping to a three-month low of roughly 1,470 points. This has led market analysts to believe that further decreases are now limited. Kasikorn Securities (KSEC) consequently altered its SET index target to 1,544 points by the close of 2023, a significant drop from the…