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.
-
Human rights lawyer Anon arrested again in Bangkok
Thai human rights lawyer Anon Nampa is in custody once more after being arrested last night in relation to his involvement in an anti-government rally in Bangkok on August 3. Anon was apprehended while appearing at the Criminal Court in his role as defence lawyer in an unrelated case. He has been charged with inciting public unrest, along with a…
-
NSC extends Emergency Decree through September
The National Security Council has officially approved the fourth extension of the national state of emergency, for another month, as a revision of the Communicable Diseases Act is yet to be completed, but the NSC confirmed it will not enforce the Emergency Decree on political rallies. NSC secretary-general Somsak Rungsita said today that the state of emergency will be effective…
-
Bangkok man arrested for molesting woman says he’s done it twice before
Police in Bangkok have apprehended a 28 year old man after a woman filed a report accusing him of molesting her. After being arrested at his home in the Ladprao district, the man, named as Chaiyakorn Chimkul, has admitted to carrying out similar offences on 2 other occasions. Police say they received a complaint from a 21 year old housekeeper…
-
Retired nurse helps choking passenger on Thai AirAsia flight
A retired nurse is deemed the hero of a domestic AirAsia flight after she helped a choking passenger. Those onboard the Bangkok to Krabi flight noticed a man was choking and called for the flight attendants. The nurse rushed over to help. A passenger on the flight shared the story on Facebook and called the woman the hero of the…
-
Probe finds 20 police officers allegedly mishandled ‘Boss’ report
20 police officers are accused of allegedly produced a misleading report about the Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya hit-and-run case, a Royal Thai Police panel announced. In 2012, the Red Bull heir allegedly ran over and killed a police officer in Thong Lor, Bangkok. An independent, government-appointed panel says, due to a botched police report, the office of the attorney general, under…
-
3 Free Youth activists arrested
3 members of the Free Youth movement, which arranged the July 18 protest at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument which sparked the ongoing wave of anti-government protests sweeping the nation, were arrested last night. Warrants were executed for wanted activists Baramee Chairat, Suwanna Tarnlek and Korakot Saengyenphan. The 3 face several charges, including provoking unrest, illegal gathering of more than 10 people…
-
Dozens flee as Samut Sakhon flat block tilts
Around 60 people in Samut Sakhon, just southwest of Bangkok, were forced to flee their homes last night as their 3 storey flat block leaned over and appeared about to fall. It happened at the Pa Yiam building in Phan Thay Norasingh subdistrict. Residents told reporters they heard a loud noise and felt shaking. Local officials were soon at the…
-
Heavy rains expected in Northern Thailand. ‘Higos’ reaches China’s coast.
Category 3 tropical storm Higos is expected to bring heavy rains to Northern Thailand for the next few days. The Thai Meteorological Department issued a warning saying “people should beware of the severe conditions”. China suffered a double blow of flooding and landslides from unusually heavy seasonal rains and a storm that barrelled into its southern coast yesterday evening. 5 people…
-
Austrian man dies in head-on collision in Phuket
A 77 year old Austrian man died on the way to hospital after his motorcycle collided head-on with a passenger van in Phuket’s Kata district last night. Officers from Karon Police Station and rescue workers learned about the incident around 7:30pm. A passenger van was found with major damage to its front, and a wrecked motorbike was 4 metres away…
-
Covid-19 case detected outside state quarantine, first in weeks
Medical authorities in Samut Prakan, just southeast of Bangkok, say a Thai man tested positive for Covid-19 at a hospital there today. The man, whose name was not released, was diagnosed at Ramathibodi Hospital and is currently being treated there, according to Piyamit Sitra, dean of the medical faculty at Chakri Naruebodindra Medical Institute, an agency specifically charged with treating…
-
Suspect in brutal 2007 murder caught in Kanchanaburi
A suspect in the brutal 2007 murder of the mother and elder brother of a senior public prosecutor has been arrested. 56 year old Prawit “Tor” Ketsakun, was arrested in Pak Praek, in the western Kanchanaburi province. He denies involvement, claiming he was just sitting in a van. Police say that on August 21 2007 a group of men went…
-
“Free-flow” tech to eliminate Bangkok’s toll gate barriers
Bangkok’s Mass Rapid Transit Authority is studying the implementation of Multi-Lane Free-Flow technology that will eliminate the need for gates at tollbooths and enable traffic to flow faster without the need to slow down or stop to pay toll fees. According to MRTA governor Surachet Laophulsuk: “The study is being carried out in parallel with the Department of Highways’ Free…
-
Lao man in Isaan died of tuberculosis, not Covid-19
A Lao man who died of unknown causes yesterday while visiting his daughter in the northeastern Udon Thani province, prompting panic among locals, has tested negative for Covid-19. The cause of death has been determined as tuberculosis. 61 year old Khampoun Phimphadee, and his wife, who was not named, arrived in tambon Nong Mek of Nong Han district about 2…
-
Surat Thani murder suspect nabbed after 12 years
The prime suspect in a Surat Thani murder investigation has been arrested after 12 years on the run, in the western Kanchanaburi province. Police from the Crime Suppression Division arrested 77 year old Sakol Wichaidit today, in the parking lot in front of Sangkhlaburi Hospital. He was subseqently transferred to central district police station in Surat Thani. The arrest follows…
-
Bangkok mother, boyfriend confess to brutally beating her 4 year old son
A mother and her boyfriend yesterday confessed to Bangkok police that they brutally assaulted her 4 year old son “because he “wet his bed”. Police called the pair in for questioning after the boy’s 23 year old father, whose name wasn’t given, reported to Bang Khen police that his son had been severely beaten and was being treated at Bhumibol…
-
Hashtag urges netizens to boycott media company’s sponsors
There’s a new hashtag trending on Twitter today: #แบนสปอนเซอร์เนชั่น (ban Nation’s sponsors), as netizens vow to boycott all of the local digital news outlet Nation Thailand’s sponsors for alleged “frequent errors and pro-government editorials”. The social trend was partly brought about by the revelation that a Nation Thailand and Nation TV reporter allegedly lied to protesters last Sunday, claiming to…
-
Separate licence to be required for big bikes
The Cabinet yesterday approved rules on the issuing and renewal of drivers’ licences as proposed by the Transport Ministry, agreeing that “big bike” motorcyclists will require a different licence from those of smaller, less powerful motorbikes, and applicants will need to pass special training and a test before being granted a licence, according to a government spokesperson. “The details of…
-
Thai PM voices concern over students’ 3 finger salute
Thailand’s PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, says he’s concerned about students using a controversial 3 finger salute, saying he’s heard that those who disagree with the political gesture are being unfairly targeted. The PM says that, while he understands the political motivations behind the salute, which has been embraced by anti-government activists, he disagrees with the alleged bullying and intimidation of those…
-
Medical tourists are permitted to come to Thailand at this time
Even though Thailand’s borders are still closed to most travel, including tourism, there are some select groups being allowed back into the Kingdom. Medical tourists are one of those groups. Foreign medical tourists are now permitted to apply to come to Thailand for medical treatment with strict disease control measures being put in place. Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration says…
-
Emergency Decree set to be extended again
While no local transmission of Covid-19 has been detected since May, the Emergency Decree appears likely to be extended through September. Nattaphon Nakpanich, an army deputy commander and vice president of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration said this morning that they may extend the decree for another month because they “worry the public will let its guard down”, leading…
-
2 strong quakes shake Indonesia’s Sumatra
2 large, shallow earthquakes, of magnitude 6.8 and 6.9, struck off Indonesia’s Sumatra island early today, according to the US Geological Survey. No tsunami warning was issued and there were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage. Terrified residents fled their homes when the twin offshore quakes rocked Bengkulu city on Sumatra’s western coast. Bengkulu resident Jumentrio told AFP:…
-
No probe from prosecution commission after deputy attorney-general drops “Boss” charges
Deputy Attorney-General Nate Naksuk will not be investigated by the Public Prosecutor Commission after his decision to drop a charge of reckless driving against Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya. It is alleged the Red Bull heir ran over and killed a Bangkok policeman in 2012, while speeding and under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Since announcing the dropping of charges, Nate…
-
6 nabbed in Northern drug bust
Authorities in northern Thailand have have arrested 6 members of a drug network with monthly sales of around 40 million baht, and seized property worth 5.7 million baht. The chief of Provincial Police Region 1 told reporters the 6 worked for the drug network operated by Boonmee “Jae” Phromma, who was caught last year. 4 of the 6 were women,…
-
Deputy PM brushes off ‘Hunger Games’ resistance symbol as scouts’ salute
The 3 finger gesture used by pro-democracy protesters is probably better known as the “Hunger Games” salute. Just like in the popular film franchise, the gesture is being used by protesters in Thailand as a symbol of ‘resistance’ against the government. While it has been used by Thai activists for years, recently crowds of high school students used the gesture…
-
Soi Dog Foundation is looking for flight volunteers
One of Thailand’s favourite charities, the Soi Dog Foundation, has put out the call for any foreign nationals from European and North American destinations who are heading to those destinations soon to come forward as potential flight volunteers to help adopted pets arrive at new overseas homes. Over 100 adopted animals are currently waiting patiently at the shelter in Phuket…
-
Last bodies found in sunken Koh Samui ferry
Divers found the bodies of 2 missing men after a car ferry capsized off the coast of Surat Thani earlier this month. The divers found the bodies trapped between lorries chained up to the sunken ferry, Raja 4. They were the last people missing. 18 year old Tiwakorn Vacharit was a crew member on the ferry and 47 year old…
-
Company drafts THAI’s rehab plan, faces criticism
The rehabilitation plan for Thai Airways International, or THAI, isn’t looking great. It was presented to the Central Bankruptcy Court yesterday and creditors questioned the expertise of the company chosen to draft the plan. EY Corporate and Advisory Services, appointed by THAI, faced criticism regarding their technical experience when it comes to drafting a plan to restructure a company, especially…
-
Trang teen kills mother and brother, Buri Ram man kills nephew
A teenager in Southern Thailand allegedly shot and killed his mother and brother before killing himself yesterday. In another case in Northeast Thailand, a man allegedly stabbed and killed his nephew Sunday night. In Trang, the mother and her 14 year old son were found in bed with gunshot wounds. The suspected shooter, a 16 year old boy, was found…
-
Phuket eyes October 1 as launch date for “Safe and Sealed” tourism plan
The Tourism and Sports Minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, says his ministry hopes to kick-start a careful and limited re-opening to international tourism from October 1, beginning with the southern province of Phuket. According to a report in the Bangkok Post, Phiphat’s ministry will meet with the Public Health, Interior, Foreign and Transport ministries on August 27 to discuss the introduction of…
-
The year of living dangerously – Thai protesters utter the unthinkable
OPINION An estimated 10,000 anti-government protesters packed Bangkok’s Democracy Monument and the roads either side on a warm Sunday afternoon, calling for democratic reform, changes to the NCPO-written constitution and for the dissolution of parliament. They also spoke about the country’s head of state, questioning the institution. Even a few months ago this would have been considered an absolute no-go topic…
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.