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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THAIGER TODAY Wednesday, September 27
Awaiting the BIG verdict | Another parasail accident at Patong beach | A Polish man arrested over the 300,000 Baht ATM theft | HM the Thai King grants extra days for paying respects at the Grand Palace | Lifeguards determined to boycott next year’s beach lifeguard contract.
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Thai PM promises to shorten his weekly Friday night address
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha says he’s going to continue with his weekly “Returning Happiness to the People” address on Friday nights, but is promising to cut the speech down by 50%, to around 20 minutes. In a rather candid speech at a seminar in Pattaya, the Thai PM apologised for “not talking politely sometimes with the media”. General Prayut has…
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HM King Maha Vajiralongkorn extends time to pay respects at Grand Palace
His Majesty the King has ordered an extension of the final day Thais can pay their last respects to His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej in the Grand Palace from this Saturday to next Thursday, October 5. The Royal Household Bureau had initially set this Saturday as the last day people could pay their respects before the late King’s…
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Kite-boarding accident at Patong Beach injures Chilean tourist
A Chilean man in his late 20s was lucky to escape more serious injuries after his kite board canopy finished up in trees after dragging the man along the ground and into several parked motorbikes. The incident happened at 3.30 this afternoon (September 26) at Patong Beach. Kusoldarm volunteers attended the scene and the man has been taken to Patong…
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Buddha decorations cause outcry in Chiang Mai
An American and his Thai wife on Tuesday agreed to remove 36 Buddha-head images from the fence at their Chiang Mai house following a Facebook uproar. With tears in her eyes, 34 year old Nualchan Sonchanthuek says she and her American husband, 68 year old Paul Blum did not expect the images would generate a commotion and they simply wanted…
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UPDATE: Another 17 bodies found in mass graves – Rhakine State
Update from Voice of America Mass graves of dozens of slain Hindus have been found in Myanmar’s troubled Rakhine state, according to government officials. Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Minister Dr. Win Myat Aye told VOA’s Burmese Service he witnessed another 17 bodies recovered Monday, after 25 bodies were found in two mass graves a day earlier. Aye said most…
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THAIGER TODAY Tuesday, September 26
Phuket Lifeguards taking a stand against OrBorTor budget | Yingluck’s verdict from Supreme Court handed down tomorrow | Mass grave of 28 Hindus found in Rhakine | TaT reveal August tourist arrivals | Mt. Agung showing signs of erupting.
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78 year old German killed in his Chalong home
Last night (September 25), 52 year old Niran Pratumsin surrendered herself to police confessing that she had killed her husband in the house they lived. At the scene, police found 78 year old Johann Friedrich Speckbacher dead on the floor, next to a dining table with traces of rope still around his neck. There was no other injury found on…
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R-Rated BKK fast-food snack gets moral attention
The world’s coming to an end, according to the morally-inclined-online. To quote Khaosod’s story… “A woman who makes penis-shaped waffles stuffed with sausage and cheese is experiencing brisk sales – and a public scolding – for her phallic food.” And that’s about it. The preparation and cooking video from Ketnita Prasertsomboon’s indy market snack store has been watched more than 18…
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Thailand’s tourism numbers continue to soar
The tourists keep arriving, the numbers keep soaring. Assuming the numbers have to plateau at some stage, when will that be? For the past 20 years, through floods, bombings, coups, political upheavals and a few unsolved, mystery murders, Thailand’s tourist arrival numbers just keep rising and rising, heading into unfamiliar territory. So many people have predicted doom and gloom –…
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Fire jellyfish washing up on Koh Phi Phi beaches
A large number of jelly fish have been found washed up on the shores of Koh Phi Phi. The chief of Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park warns for swimmers to be aware of the jelly fish around Phi Phi after a lot of them were found washed up on the beaches. “on Ao Ling (Monkey Beach) on…
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Phuket expecting 5 – 7 percent increase in high-season tourists
Phuket Hotels Association President Anthony Lark The Phuket Hotels Association is expecting the number of international direct passenger arrivals at Phuket International Airport for the high season of 2017 to 2018 to increase by between 5 per cent and 7 per cent year year-on-year. This, according to Association President Anthony Lark. The latest figures show that from January to April…
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THAIGER TODAY Monday, September 25
Truck crash in Saraburi kills four | Aussie detained at BKK airport for trying to smuggle 26 new iPhones | Weather warning out for southern provinces | Police on the hunt for third suspect in San Buri bombing | Thai Air Asia adds more HKT flights | Phuket’s Car Free Day, report from yesterday.
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Hi So Hill in Chiang Mai ends up being an expensive scam
Story from Thai language ‘Manager Online‘ The enticing advertisement online promised a dream: quiet retirement in the beautiful hills of Chiang Mai. Many foreigners thought this was what they deserved after a life of saving so they eagerly signed up to buy houses in the luxurious, quality development. Now they are left with illegal properties that they can’t sell and their dreams are over.…
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Ditch the car. Get on your bike. Phuket Car Free Day.
Phuket Car Free Day 2017 Early this morning (September 24), Phuket hosted the Phuket Car Free Day 2017 chaired by Vice Governor Siwaporn Chuasawat, who joined the ride alongside local authorities, including Phuket Mayor and Phuket Police Station Deputy Chief. The event took place at the 72nd Anniversary Queen Sirikit Park (in front of Limelight Avenue mall), which was the starting and…
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Five die – Truck crashes into electricity workers in Saraburi
https://www.facebook.com/516059381928376/videos/751343475066631/ A truck crashed into a vehicle carrying four on-duty electricity authority employees who were changing high-voltage transmission lines in Saraburi province, two hours north of Bnagkok, at 11.40am on Sunday, causing five deaths. Killed at the scene on the Paholyothin Road were four electricity authority workers and the truck driver. Witnesses said the driver lost control of the truck…
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Encroachments and unlicensed hotels – Police & Army raids.
The so-called “Hi Society Hill” is inspected by the Phayak Prai taskforce team of the Royal Forestry Department. Troops and police have conducted raids on a hostel on Koh Pha Ngan, the resort island just north of Koh Samui, and arrested its manager for operating without a proper licence.  Troops and police checked hostels on the island following complaints that…
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Alleged US pedo arrested in Samui
Breaking news from The Nation Samui police Saturday arrested an alleged American paedophile while he was buying a ticket for a ferry boat to travel to Bangkok, said Surat Thani Immigration Police Chief Pol Col Wanchana Borwornboon. Wanchana said 28 year old Jackson Mathew Hall was apprehended under US arrest warrants and a letter from the US embassy. He was…
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Rang Hill road closure following large cracks appearing
Phuket Municipality has announced that Kosimby Road on Rang Hill, from behind of Khao Rang Hill restaurant all the way to Khao Rang Temple at the bottom, will be closed down soon to fix the road and build up landslide protection systems. This follows a large crack of about 50-80 meters on one side of the road. Police have already…
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“Show us the evidence” – Pheu Thai Party
Update from The Nation The caretaker secretary-general of Pheu Thai Party, Phumtham Wechayachai, on Friday urged authorities to show clear evidence whether policemen who were interrogated on Thursday night were involved in the flight of former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra. He asked for evidence such as pictures showing Yingluck in the suspected car or the detained suspect, a police Colonel,…
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Phuket arrangements for the funeral of HM Rama IX
Phuket is set to arrange the ceremony for His Late Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej Rama IX’s cremation at the main stage of Sapanhin Park, Phuket Town on October 26, 2017. People who are interested in supporting food and beverage, please contact the Office of Local Government Support, Phuket Provincial Hall on 064 789 9478 or 088 753 1868 before…
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BREAKING NEWS – Another Pattani bomb attack
Violence continued in the southern province of Pattani on Friday, the holy day observed by Muslims, when insurgents detonated a roadside bomb to ambush a patrol unit of rangers in Sai Buri district, killing six and injuring another ranger and a civilian. The attack occurred on highway No 42 ion Ban Tabing road in Tambon Tabing at 6.40am. The rangers…
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UPDATE – Three police questioned over Yingluck’s disappearance
At of this morning (Friday), three police officers, including a deputy commander, appear to have been involved in helping the former PM Yingluck Shinawatra flee Thailand, two days before she was set to appear to hear the verdict of the Supreme Court over her and her Government’s involvement in the failed rice-pledging scheme. A police colonel, who hasn’t been named…
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THAIGER TODAY Friday, September 22
A police colonel detained and questioned over escape of former PM Yingluck | 200 military officers go shopping in zero-dollar crackdown | 19 arrested over National Buddhism Office scam | Grand Palace closed for October | Be on the look-out for really bad fake 500 Baht notes.
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Policeman being interrogated over Yingluck escape
A Police Colonel was detained for interrogation last night (Thursday) on suspicion of helping fugitive former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra flee the country. The policeman, a deputy commander, was said to be close to a former Metropolitan Police Bureau chief, was brought to Royal Thai Police headquarters along with a bronze Toyota Camry with Chor Khor 5323 license plate. The…
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Phuket Waterworld – New ‘off beach’ condo for Bang Tao
A new 555-unit hotel managed residence project named Phuket Waterworld is now offering apartments for sale. Located ‘off beach’, near to Casuarina Shores and the Outrigger Laguna Beach Resort, the project is being developed by the New Nordic Group. Phase one units range for studios from 26 square metres, one bedroom apartments and two bedrooms up to 104 square metres.…
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Buddhism Office ex-chief found with gold bars, lots of them.
From The Nation Phanom Sornsilp, former director of National Office of Buddhism, faces two corruption-related charges after 80-baht weight of gold bars and other valuables were found in his house. Counter Corruption Division police raided Phanom’s house on Buddhamonthon 4 Road in Nakhon Pathom’s Samphran district on Thursday, one of 14 locations in seven provinces searched as part of an…
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Phang Nga gang-rape case – Nine suspects deny positive ID from the victim
Following on the investigation of the Phang Nga gang rape case yesterday (September 20), the victim, facing the suspects for the first time since the incident (story HERE), pointed out the same 9 men twice but all of them declined to sign a document accepting the identification. The police brought 9 suspects (out of 11 suspects) of the gang rape…
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THAIGER TODAY Thursday, September 21
Jet Airways bomb-scare in BKK | Ofo launching share-bike around Phuket Town on October 1 | PSU safe sex project packs 25,000 condoms | Orange is the new black… Toyota | Chinese FM backs Myanmar at UN | Krabi’s prosecutor files case over July’s Krabi massacre.
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The military go shopping – Crackdown on alleged ‘rip-off’ shops
More than 200 military officers along with Thai Tourist Police and other departments led by the Acting Deputy Chief of the Thai Tourist Police, Maj Gen Surachet Hakpan, raided 5 shops believed to be involved in zero-dollar tours that practice high prices to rip off tourists with their products and services. Yesterday (September 20), the team started at the snake…
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