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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Visa-on-arrival passengers from 18 countries can now apply online
PHOTO: travellingsands.com Visitors from 18 countries, entitled to visas-on-arrival, are being advised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand to apply online for their e-visa. Thai Residents reports that nationals of Bhutan, Bulgaria, China, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Fiji, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, Malta, Mexico, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Uzbekistan and Vanuatu are all exempt from paying the 2,000 baht…
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Government applies for UNESCO status for Korat Geopark
PHOTO: Satun Geopark already has a UNESCO Geopark – Greenpeace.com Government deputy spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek says the government is seeking UNESCO status for the Korat Geopark in Nakhon Ratchasima, north-east Thailand. The move follows a recommendation from the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry. A geopark is an area with a rich geological and cultural heritage and a UNESCO Geopark is…
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US Senate gives unanimous approval to Hong Kong rights bill
PHOTO: FT.com In a move that makes clear its displeasure over Beijing’s crackdown on Hong Kong freedoms, the US Senate has unanimously backed a bill in support of protecting the rights of the Chinese Special Administrative Region. As the legislation was passed yesterday, Washington threatened to revoke the special status granted to Hong Kong in retaliation at China’s reaction to…
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Woman sues daughter and bank for stealing over 250 million baht
PHOTO: Somchai Poomlard /Bangkok Post A 76 year old woman is suing her own daughter, as well as the Kasikorn Bank and four of its bank employees, claiming they were complicit in stealing over 250 million baht from her account. The Nation reports that Huay Sriwirat filed the lawsuit at the civil court in the Phra Khanong district of Bangkok,…
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No Chim-Shop-Chai deadline for over 60s
The third phase of the government’s “Chim-Shop-Chai” (Eat-Shop-Spend) program has a special quota of 500,000 reserved for the Thai elderly, in addition to the already fully subscribed 1.5 million. A spokesman says the Finance Ministry has not set a time frame for elderly people to subscribe so they won’t feel pressured to meet a deadline. More than 90,000 seniors subscribed…
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Deputy Thai PM: “Don’t mention the economy”
“If we keep talking about it, it’ll make good things look bad, and this will have wide repercussions.” Thailand’s Deputy PM Somkid Jatusripitak is urging the public not to discuss Thai economic problems too much, saying it could affect investor confidence. Somkid says he’ll explain the economic slowdown if the opposition raises it at the censure debate against the government, which…
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Mekong nations face severe water shortages
Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam should expect severe to extreme drought until at least January 2020, threatening agricultural production, experts warn. Their main water source, the Mekong River, is at its lowest level in over half a century. Drought has already caused the Mekong to drop to its lowest level in at least 60 years, with exceptionally low flow in…
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Yala’s “Suicide judge” moved to Chiang Mai
PHOTO: prachatai.com The Southern judge who made headlines for shooting himself in court over alleged ‘interferences’ in a case, has been transferred. Following his recovery, Judge Khanakorn Pianchana was transferred to the Research Justice Division in Chiang Mai, according to the Court of Justice. A probe has also been ordered to see if he broke any disciplinary codes. The transfer comes…
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“Only China can make decisions on Hong Kong constitution” – Beijing
Beijing has reacted angrily after a HK court overturned the ban on face masks, popularly used by protesters. Authorities in China have hit back at the decision by a Hong Kong court to overturn a ban on face masks, insisting that only China can rule on constitutional matters in the territory. AFP reports that such a reaction could fuel further unrest…
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10+ Blacktip reef sharks flock to Maya Bay for breeding season – VIDEO
PHOTO: The Nation Worapoj Lomlim, chief of Noppara Tara-Koh Phi Phi National Park in Krabi, says that more than 10 Blacktip reef sharks had been spotted hunting near Koh Phi Phi Ley’s famous Maya Bay, some of them more than 2 metres in length. The sightings were made yesterday at the closed beach. He noted that the presence of the…
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Two-timing husband returns with winning lottery ticket. Everyone’s happy…hmmmm
PHOTO: Daily News Couple win lottery. Man flees with the winning ticket. Wife files report with police. Now the couple are back together again and smiling for the media. The original story HERE. After Saturday’s lottery draw 34 year old Wijak and his 23 year old wife Pornthida ended up with a 6 million baht prize. But an argument ensued…
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Worker detains a man who was filming him in petrol station toilets
PHOTO: thairath.co.th Laem Chabang police in Chon Buri were called to a petrol station in Sri Racha after an office worker caught a man trying to take photos of him in the stations’ public toilets. The victim took it upon himself to detain the 27 year old man from Nakhon Sawan, and then called police. Police arrived, took the suspect away, and…
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Eat, Shop, Spend campaign – Phase 3 full, unless you’re over 60
A Thai government spokesperson says Phase 3 of the hugely popular economic stimulus program “Eat, Shop, Spend” (Chim Shop Chai), is now fully subscribed, although spaces still remain open to allow those Thais over 60 to sign up. The Nation reports that 1.5 million people registered for the scheme between November 14 and 16. A special quota was made available…
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DSI is demanding Court revoke Chaiwat’s bail
PHOTO: Khaosod English The Department of Special Investigation will ask the court to revoke bail for former national park chief Chaiwat Limlikhit-akson along with three other suspects, or set a new bail. Chaiwat, director of the Conservation Office in northeastern Ubon Ratchathani province, along with three others, has been charged with multiple counts in the disappearance and murder of Karen…
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Loose steel pipe spears car through the back window
A Thai driver has narrowly escaped injury, or death, as a steel girder came loose from a pick-up following him, piercing the vehicle from the rear window to the front of the passenger cabin. Yikes! A pick-up carrying steel girders had braked suddenly, flinging the 3-4 metre-long pipes forward, through the rear window, into the car in front, according to…
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Thai government might buy private pot – Health Minister
After years of speculation, some members of the coalition Thai government are pushing efforts to allow Thais to grow up to six cannabis plants for sale to the government for medical marijuana. Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he is pushing for the Government to change laws to allow the medical use of marijuana freely. “We have confidence that marijuana will be…
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Truck causes buses to collide at BKK construction site, 11 injured
PHOTO: khaosod.com Eleven people have been injured when a ten-wheeler truck cut in front of a bus, causing to swerve into another bus. Bus #195 crashed into Bus #205 on Rama 3 Road, Klong Toey in Bangkok. The injured passengers are recovering in hospital and assisting police with their enquiries. Tungmahamek Police headed to the location of the incident with emergency…
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Thai Airways says it won’t get into a price-war with other airlines
PHOTO: YouTube National carrier Thai Airways says it won’t head down the ‘price-cutting’ route to be competitive in 2020. The struggling airline says, instead, they will focus on building a solid customer base and tap specific route segments. Airline president Sumeth Damrongchaitham says the carrier will continue to recruit stronger marketing partners and estimated that the aviation industry would continue…
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Wife chooses winning lottery ticket, husband flees WITH the winning ticket
PHOTO: Pornthida Chamnanwet with her formal complaint about the missing winning lottery ticket, and her husband who stole it – Sutthiwit Chayutworakan A 34 year old husband has left his wife stranded at home. He disappeared with their winning lottery ticket from Saturday’s draw. The winning ticket is worth around 6 million baht. 23 year old Pornthida Chamnanwet has made a…
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Northern Thailand drops 1-3 degrees, South to see little rain for the rest of the year
PHOTO: TakeMeTour A strong high-pressure system is looming over southern China and will also affect the upper Northeast of Thailand by tonight and early tomorrow. The Thailand Meteorological Department are forecasting another rather drop of 1.3 degrees C with mornings expected to be cool and foggy in the north and north-east. The high-pressure system affect the North and the Central…
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More than 30 dolphins spotted off Phang Nga coast – VIDEO
More than 30 dolphins were spotted around Phang Nga yesterday. Yesterday morning (November 17), Dive Master Nattapong Ninsawit from Sea Bees Diving Khao Lak revealed that he and his customers spotted a number of dolphins on the way back from their diving trip to Similan Islands. The group were travelling back, and while the boat was passing Similan Islands and…
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Karon residents receive financial assistance for last month’s floods in Phuket
PHOTO: siangtai.com Following the unexpected localised floods around Phuket on October 31, particularly around the Karon area, affecting 400 houses, a group of government officials, local businesses and monks pooled their resources to help the victims. The organising group consisted of the village chief, sub-district chief, Karon business owners and hotel entrepreneurs, the Abbot of Suwan Kirikhet Temple (Karon Temple)…
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The ‘flat-earth’ business is going global. Ummm, hang on…
PHOTO: ‘Earthrise’ taken by Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders in December 1968 – NASA Last week saw the running of the third annual Flat Earth International Conference, held in suburban Dallas, Texas. The conference attracted around 600 die-hard flat-earthers – people that actually believe that the earth isn’t spherical, it’s a flat plate floating in space. Actually many of the…
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Soldiers intercept meth delivery in Chiang Mai
PHOTO: Authorities find it almost impossible to patrol the thousands of kilometres of highland border in northern Thailand Soldiers in Chiang Mai, acting on a tip off, have seized about 380,000 methamphetamine pills at a border village, local media report. The drug haul was not big, considering many of the recent seizures amount to millions of methamphetamine tablets in a…
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Pattaya man wins 12 million baht in lottery
A Pattaya area man has scored a 12 million baht win in the national lottery drawn on November 16. When reporters travelled to Lamung District, Chonburi Province, they met 39 year old Niran Manaram, his mother and daughter, all celebrating. Niran won the lottery on Saturday, with winnings totalling around 12 million baht. Niran is the owner of an audio…
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Child rape suspect caught after seven years on the run
PHOTO: Daily News Police have arrested a man seven years after he evaded arrest for the alleged rape of a 12 year old girl in the western province of Kanchanaburi. 27 year old Kritsada Moraphad was finally caught at a shopping mall last Friday. Officers say the man literally “went pale” when Crime Suppression Division officers showed him the warrant,…
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More rare and endangered species found in southern Thailand
PHOTO: brucekekule.com More protected and rare animals have been found in the Khlong Saeng Wildlife Research Station in Surat Thani, southern Thailand, an area already famous for its virgin forests and rich natural diversity. The Chief of the station, Kriangsak Sribuarod, says a wildlife survey during September and October this year found new animals, never before seen around the sanctuary.…
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Cyber police nail Facebook ‘fake job’ hackers
PHOTO: Chiang Rai Times Thailand’s Cyber Police have arrested two hackers who stole personal data from Facebook and conned victims out of money. The scammers posted ads for jobs to entice victims into applying and divulging data from their ID cards, their phone numbers and other personal information. The scammers got close to 34 million baht. Complaints from Facebook users…
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Bank clerk sacked for allegedly stealing millions, bank reimburses customer
A 34 year old Bangkok Bank clerk has been sacked amid claims she stole millions of baht from a wealthy customer. The woman denies the charge and says she plans to fight the matter in court. Earlier in the week Hia Maa, the owner of a well known restaurant in Samut Prakan province, south east of Bangkok, went to the police…
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French tourist dies taking selfie in Koh Samui – VIDEO
A French tourist has died attempting a selfie, in the exact spot where a Spanish tourist died just months ago. Read that story HERE. Thirty three year old Bastien Parmier plunged to his death while trying to take a selfie at the Na Mueang 2 waterfall in Koh Samui. It was the same spot where Spaniard David Conesa died in…
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