News
Stay up-to-date with the latest news from across Thailand and beyond with The Thaiger. Our dedicated team brings you breaking news, in-depth analysis, and exclusive stories from this stunning part of the world, covering a diverse range of topics, including local politics, business, culture, and tourism. Keep yourself informed about the Kingdom’s rich history, stunning landscapes, and thriving expat communities, as well as updates on events, attractions, and transportation.
The Thaiger is your essential resource for staying connected with Thailand’s captivating blend of tradition and modernity. To remain in the loop with the country’s most trusted news source, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media.
-
Sponsored
5 best wine bars in Bangkok offering rich and quality wine
It’s wine o’clock! Whether you’re all about fruity reds, sweet whites, or funky naturals, Bangkok has many great spots to sip your favourite varieties. But with an array of options to choose from, and the constant rise and fall of...
-
Thai Cabinet extends waiver of Visa On Arrival fees
Thailand’s Cabinet has extended the waiver of the fees for ‘visa on arrival’ for some foreign tourists to Thailand. The waiver of the 2,000 baht VOA fee will be extended to at least October 31. The fee had previously been waived until January 14 this year in a bid to boost tourism. It was then extended until April 30 and has…
-
Chon Buri marine officials take action against Sattahip tour guide – VIDEO
PHOTOS/VIDEO: Go-Eco Phuket The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) officials have made an official report to Sattahip Police in Chon Buri after a video clip of a man, acting as a tour guide pulling up a sea flower where an Anemone Fish was hiding inside for tourists, became viral in social media yesterday. The video clip was posted…
-
Thailand’s Michelin Guide adds Chiang Mai
Michelin say they’re extending The Michelin Guide in Thailand to cover the northern city of Chiang Mai with the new edition The Michelin Guide Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket & Phang Nga 2020. The extended foodie guide will be released at the end of 2019. This third edition of The Michelin Guide in Thailand will continue to showcase the country’s three unique and…
-
How the bike-share start-ups fell over
They were awful to ride and were the result of an even more toxic start-up culture in China. A few years ago the bike-sharing craze hit the tourist island of Phuket. It arrived amongst much flourish and ceremony. A year later the bike-sharing company bailed out. It was the same in many targeted tourist zones around the world. At the…
-
Australian Navy and Phuket Consulate join in ‘Big Cleaning Day’
Officers from the Royal Australian Navy and representatives from the local Australian Consulate joined with Rassada Municipality officials and staff for the ‘Big Cleaning Day’. This morning in Rassada, led by Rassada Mayor Phudit Raksarat, officials launched the activity together with officers and crew from the Australian Navy’s HMAS Canberra and HMAS Newcastle, and delegates from the Australian Consulate General…
-
IndiGo pulls non-stop flights between Phuket and Bengaluru
‘Commercial non-viability’ is the official reason given for the pulling of the twice-weekly non-stop flights between Bengaluru, India and Phuket by IndiGo Airline. The airline’s six weekly non-stop flights between Delhi and Phuket will continue. “Phuket is a key market for IndiGo and we see great potential in the growth of tourism between India and Phuket. We will explore various…
-
Cardboard box factory burns down in Ayutthaya
PHOTO: Matichon Online A cardboard box factory in the Wang Noi district of Ayutthaya has burned to the ground in a massive fire this morning. The Wang Noi police station was alerted at 2am that a blaze had broken out at the factory of Top Gold Products and Packaging on Phaholyothin Road in Tambon Sanab Theub.More than 20 fire units…
-
Boonrod heads to new home in Khon Kaen
PHOTO: Vitisak Payalaw, Boonrod and Siraphan Ngampromwong of Watchdog Thailand at the Smile Dog House in Hat Yai – Facebook.com Thailand’s pooch-of-the-moment ‘Boonrod’ (meaning ‘survivor’ in Thai) has a new home in Khon Kaen. Definitely Thailand’s most travelled dog, Boonrod was fished out of the water earlier this month when he was spotted swimming aimlessly 220 kilometres off the Songkhla…
-
US Court gives go ahead for Musk to face defamation charges over cave spat
PHOTO: Vernon Unsworth v Elon Musk. by ThaiVisa American tech entrepreneur, investor, and engineer, Elon Musk, is likely to face a lawsuit in the US over defamation after he described a British cave diver as a “pedo guy” on Twitter last year. Musk also described Vernon Unsworth, who was one of the divers who first discovered the Mu Pa football team…
-
Man arrested with Cat 1 drugs and guns in Phuket
Officers have arrested a drug suspect in Cherng Talay, Phuket. The man was found with 20,666 methamphetamine pills, 339 grams of crystal methamphetamine (a third of a kilogram) and two guns. Phuket Administrative Officers and the Cherng Talay Police arrested 38 year old Komsan Prateep ‘Hug’ Na Thalang at an apartment in Cherng Talay. Police seized the methamphetamine pills and…
-
Tourists injured as minivan flips over in Krabi
Indian tourists have sustained minor injuries after the minivan they were traveling in over-turned in Krabi on the way back to Ao Nang from Phuket. Ao Nang Police were notified of the incident on Nong Talay – Khao Thong Road in Mueang Krabi District yesterday at 10.30am. Police and emergency responders arrived to find the passenger van flipped over, on…
-
Cycling enthusiasts launch Ranong as a southern tourism alternative
by Prasert Thepsri The Government has been keen to start boosting tourism outside the country’s hot-spots – the so-called ‘2nd tier tourist zones. So the neighbouring provinces of Phuket are now actively promoting their attractions to draw tourists heading to the southern island as a side-trip. Yesterday, hundreds of cycling enthusiasts joined a 38 kilometre bicycle ride which aimed to…
-
Buyback Option at VIP KATA Condominium by Phuket9
Phuket9 Company announces a buy-back option for VIP KATA Condominium Project with a rental return of 56% over 8 years. The first two buildings of VIP KATA Condominium were launched in July 2018. After one month in August 2018, Phuket9 commenced construction of the second phase – 2 more buildings including 209 apartments, 2 common swimming pools, rooftop gardens, restaurants and a kids club.…
-
Maha Sarakham districts have no water at all, Phuket gets first decent rain for the year
Tap water has run completely dry in six villages in a Maha Sarakham district, right in the middle of Thailand’s north-east Isaan region, in what’s been described as the worst drought in 40 years. Tap-water sources dried up early this year for 689 households in Phayakkhaphum Phisai district and now all other surface and underground water sources have been exhausted…
-
Surin man first to die of Rabies in 2019
A 32 year old man in Surin province has become the first person to die of Rabies this year. The Disease Control Department director-general Dr Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai says the man who was bitten by a stray dog last November but never sought an anti-Rabies vaccination. The man developed fever and had difficulty swallowing before lab tests confirmed he had Rabies,…
-
Bangkok home prices among the cheapest in the Key Global Cities report
Hong Kong maintains its position as the world’s most expensive residential city, while Bangkok ranks at #33 out of 35 global cities surveyed. In the fifth annual Global Living Report, CBRE profiles the property markets across 35 key global cities. The results highlight that investments in urban areas such as transport infrastructure, connectivity, retail, cultural centres and housing are key…
-
Pattaya woman claims she was raped by ‘Filipino tourist’
PHOTO: Run Siam News A Thai woman has reported to police claiming she was raped on Pratumnak Hill by a tourist. 22 year old “An” says she was with three friends opposite Soi 14 on Jomtien Beach when a man describing himself a Filipino tourist approached the group. Run Siam News reports that, according to the woman, the man said…
-
Bangkok luxury poised to push through the US$300 ceiling
by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com PHOTOS: Rosewood Bangkok For hotel owners and managers in South East Asia, one of the great mysteries of the past ten years has been the low rate profile of Bangkok’s luxury hotel set. Despite soaring and sustained tourism growth, rising airlift and a strong economy, rates at Bangkok’s top tier properties have remained fairly stagnant. Have…
-
American impromptu speedboat adventurer pays up and apologises
PHOTO: Parker Bishop pays the repair bills and apologises to the owner of the boat Remember our aspiring American speedboat driver, who jumped in a speedboat at Ao Nang Beach and headed off for Koh Phi Phi? “We received a report from Ms Apissamai Sangjan that her speedboat, which was moored at Ao Nang Beach, was stolen on April 19.…
-
‘Endgame’ proves a marvel on opening day
The Avengers are annihilating the competition. And that’s even before the 22-film franchise’s last hurrah reaches US movie theatres. “Avengers: Endgame” features the entire Marvel Universe of superheroes and has proven an effective weapon for Disney at destroying old opening-day records across Asia, specifically in China. The movie raked in US$169 million on its first day of screening when it…
-
Ministry pulls travel cash incentive scheme
Easy come, easy go. The Finance Ministry has scrapped the plan to subsidise Thai’s travel expenses to the tune of 1,500 cash per person. The program was aimed at up to 10 million people for travel in any of the 55 second-tier tourist provinces, part of a scheme to promote domestic tourism outside the well-trodden tourist traps. But the ministry…
-
New iMac models – same, same but 2.4 times faster
by Paisal Chuenprasaeng “The all-in-one design looks elegant and sleek. Everything – display, processor, graphics, storage and memory – is contained inside one simple enclosure.” More powerful yet just as slim and sleek as earlier models, Apple’s new iMac is now powered by 8-core Intel 9th-generation processors and its graphic horse power is unleashed by superfast Radeon Pro Vega graphics.…
-
Omura’s whale sighted of Koh Similan in Phang Nga
PHOTOS: Wow Andaman Omura’s whale has been sighted off the Koh Similans in Phang Nga this week. Tour guides from the Wow Andaman Tour were on a speedboat with tourists at the Koh Similans. They say they sighted an Omura’s whale near the boat. Marine biologist Dr Thon Thamrongnawasawat says, “There are many endanger marine species which areoften sighted in…
-
56 elephant skeleton fragments found in a Chon Buri mine
PHOTOS: DNP 56 bones from an elephant skeleton have been found inside a mine area in Chon Buri yesterday. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) reports that officials and veterinarians yesterday examined the 56 skeleton fragments of a male elephant found inside a mine in Chon Buri, just 300 metre from a protection zone. The elephant was…
-
Tourist arrivals stagger and drop 1% – March figures
What goes up must go down, or at least falter occasionally. Newton’s law of gravity applies to just about everything, including’s Thailand’s rise and rise of tourist traffic. At some stage the numbers will actually (horror!!) start to plateau and even go down. For the first quarter this year the numbers have actually stalled. The Kingdom suffered a combined drop in…
-
Thai owner and two Chinese fined for not reporting change of address within 24 hours
PHOTO: Naew Na A Thai property owner and two Chinese nationals have all been fined for not abiding by the law that states that a foreigners’ location must be reported within 24 hours when they have changed addresses. Naew Na used the word “property” in its report so it’s not known if the premises was a private dwelling, Airbnb-style or hotel.…
-
Two Aussie cave diving doctors holiday in Phuket
Today at the Phuket International Airport officials welcomed Dr.Richard James Harris and Dr.Craig Challen, Australian divers who were part of the rescue team that recovered the 13 young footballers from the Tham Luang caves in Chiang Rai last July. The two doctors devised the plan to train other divers about anaesthesia and medically sedate the Mu Pa team so they…
-
Thai baht lowest since January
The Thai baht has been Asia’s best-performing currency during Q1, 2019. But things appear to be losing momentum as the baht falls to its lowest since January. The Thai baht weakened to as low as 32.035 per dollar, the lowest level since January 10th and falling through the psychological support of 32 baht in the US dollar. Sentiment for the…
-
German hotelier claims he paid 800,000 baht bribe to operate his unlicensed villa on Samui
PHOTOS: Channel 7 A German man has told investigators yesterday that he paid ‘some Thais’ 800,850 baht after they threatened to shut down his luxury villa during construction. 47 year old Ulrich Schmidt claims he was visited during the construction phase of his Best World Vision Villas project and he paid the ‘tea money’ in the belief it would allow…
-
Boat carrying a Bangkok school group sinks at Chumpon pier
A boat carrying up to 40 schoolchildren has sunk after hitting underwater rocks next to a pier in Chumpon province last Monday. The vessel “Mattha” was carrying around 50 people, including the group from a school in Bangkok on a snorkelling day trip around the nearby islands. But when the boat returned later in the day, the tide was out…
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.