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.
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Two tourists hurt as neck-high cable sweeps them off their motorcycle
Two tourists were injured yesterday when they ran into a low-hanging telecom cable hanging low across a road. The two women were tourists sightseeing on a rented motorbike in Kanchanaburi, 123 kilometres west of Bangkok. Police say the incident occurred on the Kanchanaburi-Dan Ma Kham Tia road in front of a petrol station. Christina Serma Gandia, from Spain, who was driving…
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Future Forward prepare for probable disbandment by the Thai Constitutional Court
The Future Forward Party is bracing itself for, what they expect, will end up in the disbandment of their political party when the Constitution Court meets tomorrow. Over the weekend the party’s secretary-general Piyabutr Saengkanokkul denied accusations that his party is trying to overthrow the Thai regime, an allegation made by Dr. Natthaporn Toprayoon, a former advisor to the chief…
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40-love. Police track down porn producers at a Bangkok university tennis court
The police are searching for an amorous couple who were filmed engaging in sex outdoors in the Bang Khen area, northern Bangkok. Police suspect that film’s producer and the ‘actors’ were making content for a porn site, or subscribers to a chat group. Officers have been examining footage (over and over) from CCTV to try and find clues about the…
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Suspect questioned over the fatal gold heist at Aurora Gold Shop in Lop Buri
A suspect has been summoned for questioning in Thailand’s north-eastern province of Nong Khai, just south of the Laos border. It’s believed he may be the man who shot and killed three people, and injured four others during a gold shop heist on January 9 in Lop Buri province. The man, whose identity has not been disclosed, matches the suspect’s…
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More coronavirus cases detected in China, global alert for Chinese New Year
Chinese medical officials have now reported four more cases of the viral pneumonia strain caused by a new coronavirus. The discoveries are causing rising concern that the disease is not fully understand and could spread during the upcoming Chinese New Year holidays. The new virus, originating in the Chinese city of Wuhan – the apparent epicentre of the outbreak –…
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82 year old Frenchman killed in motorbike crash with ATV in Phuket
An elderly French man has died after an American woman lost control of her all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and crashed into his motorcycle in Chalong, southern Phuket. The woman was seriously injured. Police say the incident occurred on Soi Klum Yang in Chalong around 4pm on Thursday. The crash involved a red ATV, and a black motorcycle ridden by the 82 year…
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Dutchman jailed for 100 years in Thailand for money laundering is released
A Dutch citizen who was jailed for 100 years in Thailand, is now on his way home after years of campaigning for his release. His sentence was reduced to 75 years on appeal and later to 50 years by the Supreme court. Johan van Laarhoven, who ran several cannabis “coffee shops” in Holland, was jailed in Thailand for money laundering, along…
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Tour bus crash in northern Thailand injures 8
Eight people are injured, one seriously, after a tour bus crashed in northern Thailand’s northern Nan Province yesterday morning. The bus skidded into a mountain slope at a curve in the main city district. Thai media report that the bus was found lying on its side when police and rescue workers arrived at the scene. The 32 year old driver, Yutthapong…
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Piyabutr acknowledges that Future Forward will probably be disbanded
Future Forward Party’s secretary-general Piyabutr Saengkanokkul is urging the party’s 60,000 members and other supporters to switch their allegiances to a new party that would be formed if Future Forward ends up being dissolved by the Constitutional Court this week. The hearing by the Constitutional Court is set for Tuesday. Piyabutr acknowledges that the party will likely be disbanded. Thailand’s Constitutional Court has…
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Forecasts for Bangkok property 2020
A supply influx of new office space is on the way while the overall retail industry faces low consumer confidence. But, in 2019, the number of Chinese tourists to Thailand has started recovering, says CBRE, an international property consultant. Bangkok Office Market The office market in Bangkok continues to perform strongly for this, but CBRE identifies challenges that are heading…
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Second death in China from virus concerns officials with the CNY holidays looming
“At least 41 people have now been diagnosed as being infected this latest flu-like strain.” Medical officials in China’s Wuhan city have announced that another man had died after being infected by the new coronavirus strain. Thailand and Japan have now reported new cases of a the Chinese Coronavirus that has already killed two and infected at least 40 in…
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Nearly 300 bone fragments found in Bangkok pond, police searching for more bodies
288 bone fragments have been retrieved from a pond near the home of a man who was charged last week with murdering his girlfriend and concealing the corpse. Forensic police have now identified most of the bones as ‘human’. The bones are currently being examined at Siriroj Hospital. Up to 20 divers were involved in yesterday’s grisly search. Divers found…
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Motorcycle ‘win’ drivers charge 380 baht for 4.7 kilometre trip through Bangkok
It’s not just tourists that get ripped off by the notorious Win drivers in Bangkok (The Thaiger is a regular Grab Bike user but has never had any specific problems with Win drivers). A win-motorcycle user (motorcycle taxi) has related a recent rip off on Thailand’s most popular website, Pantip. The user said they were traveling with another friend from Victory…
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Minor International battles Marriott over popular Phuket hotel property in court
Marriott International, the American international hotel company, has failed in its bid to secure an injunction in a Thai court to stop a legal claim filed by the Minor International group. Minor International (MINT) says that its subsidiary MI Squared Ltd had filed a legal claim in a Thai court against Marriott International and the Thai subsidiary Luxury Hotels &…
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Bangkok’s vacant land owners growing fruit and vegetables to evade vacant-land tax
A loophole in land tax around Bangkok (actually everywhere in Thailand) is having an unexpected side effect, mostly good. Many vacant property owners in Bangkok are growing fruit and vegetables to escape the newly launched tax on their undeveloped land. For example, Banana trees are now growing on an expensive piece of land near Naradhiwat-Rajanagarindra Road. To avoid the new…
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Drunken Bangkok tour bus driver fired after ‘borrowing’ a bus
A tour bus driver has now been fired by the tour company that employed him as a driver after he went on a drunk-driving rampage in Bangkapi district of Bangkok around 3am Thursday morning. The incident was reported by khaosod.co.th. The drunk driver was taken to a police station after being nearly lynched by a mob. He was charged with…
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“Don’t be f**king nosey.” Government committee meeting turns sour.
Strong language ahead… Claws were out at a committee meeting of the House Anti-Corruption and Misconduct Committee. A heated argument started between the committee chairman, Pol Gen Seripisut Temiyavet and two of the committee members, Pareena Kraikupt and Sira Jenjakha. The nasty and noisy spat erupted when Ms. Pareena, a Palang Pracharat MP, asked Seripisut why her petition, demanding an investigation…
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Thai teacher caning a student in Ayutthaya reports to police – UPDATE
A teacher, now identified as teaching in Ayutthaya, north of Bangkok at the Chiang Rak Noi School, met with the girl’s mother and police last night. Teacher Som Ruseeprasit was caught on video flogging a young female student whilst screaming appalling Thai swear words at the student. The girl was struck at least three times in the video although he admitted…
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Large Bangkok drug haul – meth pills, crystal meth and Ketamine
Metropolitan Police have reported the seizure of 1,600,000 methamphetamine pills (yaba), 34 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine (ice), and 40 kilograms of Ketamine. Officials also seized a pick-up involved in the drug gang’s business as well as weapons. The Patrol and Special Operation Division 191 Police seized the drugs from Nipol ‘Hin’ Janprapat and Anuwat ‘James’ Bunjeen while they were in…
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2 more alleged call centre scam suspects arrested in Japan
Two men arrested in Japan yesterday stand accused of operating a large-scale call centre scam based in Thailand, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to 28. Japanese police believe 36 year old Kengo Yasutake and 34 year old Shimpei Hirata operated a luxury home in Pattaya, where a team of Japanese men would call people across Japan…
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Thai Airways’ pilot under investigation for botched landing at Frankfurt
A Thai Airways International pilot, flying for Thailand’s national flag carrier, is currently being investigated by Germany’s BFU (Bundesstelle für Flugunfalluntersuchung), the country’s civil aviation investigators, for flying a Thai Airways plane below the standard altitude as the flight he was piloting, was approaching Frankfurt International Airport. The flight had originated in Phuket. The incident has been related through the…
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Former head of the National Office of Buddhism has assets valued at nearly 600 million baht
Nice work if you can get it. Except you’re working for the National Office of Buddhism. Now the former director of the National Office of Buddhism, Nopparat Benjawattananant, has been pointed out by the National Anti-Corruption Commission for being “unusually wealthy”, having “suspiciously” amassed assets worth about 575 million baht during his four year tenure. NACC secretary-general Worawit Sukboon says that…
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British and Thai man arrested for flogging fake watches online
A British and a Thai man are in custody after a sting operation in Pattaya caught them selling counterfeit brand name watches online to foreign buyers at a huge markup. Police identified them as 43 year old Mark Peter Dorey and 45 year old Virut Bua-raem. After a tipoff, an officer pretended to be a buyer and contacted Dorey. He…
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Top YouTube makeup artist reveals she’s transgender, says she was blackmailed
One of the most influential makeup artists on social media (yes, it’s a big thing) rocked her fans Monday night with a video revealing she’s a transgender woman. 25 year old Nikkie de Jager, better known as NikkieTutorials, told her 12 million-plus subscribers she revealed her gender identity because she was blackmailed by people who wanted to take her story…
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Police track down “the great Bangkok pantie snatcher”
One man’s been busy moving around Bangkok condos and apartments in the northern suburbs and ‘sampling’ a range of women’s underwear and lingerie. But police have curtailed his part-time activities and arrested a 55 year old and charged him with stealing more than 1400 pieces of women’s underwear. He was arrested at a condominium in Bangkok’s Don Muang District, according…
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Police shoot knife-wielding attacker in Phuket Town
A police officer has shot dead a robber in Phuket Town early yesterday (Wednesday). The knife-wielding robber, 34 year old Aekkasit Kesorn, from Nakhorn Sri Thammarat, had attacked the officer whilst being interrupted in the middle of a robbery. The policeman ended up with a knife wound to the neck. The officer pulled out his firearm and shot the attacker…
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Pattaya police investigate a man’s shooting death, the day after his birthday
A man in Pattaya has died after being shot. The 32 year old Thai man was found with a gunshot wound to the head. Police were notified of the incident yesterday at about 6:30am and are investigating to determine whether it was suicide or homicide. Police and emergency responders arrived at the scene on a rural road to find 32…
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Smuggled cigarettes seized in Phang Nga valued at 6 million baht
Cough, splutter, gasp… A former police officer has been arrested in Phang Nga, just north of Phuket, last night for his participation in a cigarette smuggling ring. The former officer was charged with possessing illegal foreign cigarettes worth nearly six million baht – the news from Khao Sod. A total of 74,327 ‘Blue Range’ cigarette packs valued at nearly 6…
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The US and China sign Phase One of new trade agreement today
The United States and China are poised to sign a trade truce today after a protracted trade spat that has impacted both countrys’ economies and shaken spread unease through world trade links. Both sides describe the result of the ‘Phase One’ agreement as ‘hard fought’. The signing signals a fragile truce and a prickly period of reconciliation between the world’s two…
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Fishermen catch albino dolphins on video playing in the Gulf of Thailand
A group of albino dolphins have delighted guests and fishermen in a fishing vessel off Songkhla’s Sathing Phra district in the Gulf of Thailand. “SOS”, a LINE group, has posted a video clip of the dolphins. The LINE group’s administrator related the story that three fishermen had seen the dolphins in the boundary area between Kradang Nga and Ja Ting…
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