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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Cave rescue doctors reveal the drugs used to sedate the Mu Pa football team
The Australian medical consultants involved in the rescue of the 13 Mu Pa (Wild Boar) football team players from the Tham Luang Caves last year say that the evacuees were anesthetised with Ketamine before being swum and carried to safety. Richard Harris, the South Australian anaesthetist and cave diver who led the medical part of the rescue operation, and his…
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Losing face: ‘Face Off’ Dr Xeping charged with fraud
PHOTO: Bangkok Post Beauty expert Xeping Chaiyasan has been charged with fraud but continues to deny any wrongdoing claiming the allegation has been brought against her by people with malicious intent. Xeping is known as “Dr Xeping”, although she is not a medical doctor, became famous for the so-called Face Off cosmetic surgery services she promoted. Her arrest, along with…
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Pattaya’s wide new beaches have been washed out to sea
The Pattaya Harbor Department admits that their plans to extend Pattaya’s eroded beaches didn’t go to plan. In fact around 400 million baht was just washed out to sea. Now the sand has been flushed away in this week’s storms and Pattaya’s landmark project is in tatters. Following Monday’s unseasonal torrential rain storm a huge chunk of the new sand…
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Thai AirAsia connects Phuket direct to Phnom Penh
Low-cost carrier Thai AirAsia has announced direct flights between Phuket and the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. The new route comes as part of the airline’s ongoing establishment of a network across Asia and its push into the Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV) market. The new route starts June 1 and will be available four times a week. Thai AirAsia…
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“We have sufficient evidence against Thanathorn” – Police
Deputy national police chief says that police likely have sufficient evidence to support the sedition charge filed against Future Forward’s Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit. Future Forward eclipsed even their own projections with a surprising performance on the Mach 24 election, coming in a close third behind the heavyweights Pheu Thai and Palang Pracharat, at the expense of the Democrats. Thai PBS reports…
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Man drowns after being washed off rocks in Rawai
A man’s body has been washed up on Nai Harn Beach today after going fishing near the windmill in Rawai. Chalong Police were notified at 10am this morning that the body of the man was found floating near Nai Harn Beach. Police and emergency responders arrived at the scene to find the body on the beach where lifeguards had already…
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Recounts and new elections ordered in eight polling stations
PHOTOS: The Nation The Election Commission has decided that two polling stations should recount their ballots while six others should re-hold the election due to discrepancies in the number of ballots in those booths. The two polling stations that have been ordered to re-count the ballots were in Nam Pong District in Khon Kaen province. The poll results they provided…
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Phuket launced GPS and ‘Bus Beam’ for local buses
The Phuket Land Transport Office has launched the Global Positioning System (GPS) and ‘Bus Beam’ application for local Phuket buses; Pink bus (Po Thong) and blue bus (Song Thaew). The Chief of the Phuket Land Transport Office Banyat Kantha says, “The Po Thong Bus is a Phuket symbol which was launched since 1967 (52 year ago). Many tourists still love…
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Brunei’s draconian new penal code comes into force
PHOTOS: Beverly Hills Hotel, just one of many hotels partly owned by the Brunei royal family Outrage greets Brunei’s anti-gay laws and draconian punishments as they come into force. The harsh new criminal laws in Brunei, including death by stoning for sex between men or for adultery, and amputation of limbs for theft, is now in effect. Despite an international…
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Motorbike driver dies after slamming into parked truck in Phuket
PHOTOS: Kusoldarm Foundation A motorbike driver has died at the scene of the collision in Mai Khao after slamming into the rear of an asphalt truck this morning. The Tha Chatchai Police were notified about the incident on Thepkrasattri Road, northbound in Mai Khao at 7.20am. Police and emergency responders arrived to find the body of a man who was…
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74 year old Swede found dead in his Udon Thani home
PHOTO: khaosod.com A 74 year old Swedish man was found dead in his Udon Thani home yesterday. He is believed to have died about a week ago. Police say there are no suspicious circumstances. His body was sent for an autopsy at the Udon Thani Hospital. A neighbour called police at 6.45pm last night to check the house in Moo 1…
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Cameroon man and three Thais arrested over fake email money scam in Chiang Mai
PHOTOS: Immigration Bureau A Cameroon citizen and three Thai suspects have been arrested after sending fake emails to victims saying they owed them money. Immigration Bureau Chief Lt Gen Surachet Hakparn says, “The Four suspects had sent fake emails to victims saying that they were from educational institutions abroad where their children have studied. They had to transfer money to…
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Four kilograms of marijuana found in delivery pickup in Nakhon Si Thammarat
PHOTOS: Infantry Division 5 A parcel delivery driver has been found with four kilograms of marijuana in his Kerry Express pickup truck in Nakhon Si Thammarat. The Infantry Division 5 reports that while soldiers from the Infantry Division 5 were on their duty at a normal checkpoint in Chulabhon District, they stopped a pickup truck doing parcel deliveries. They found…
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Former EC Commissioner says ‘Give seats to smaller parties’
A former Constitution Drafting Commission member, Praphan Naikovit, once a member of the Election Commission, met with election commissioners yesterday to discuss the formula that should be used to determine the number of MPs following an extensive debate on the interpretation of laws and formula. He says there is just one formula to calculate the number of party-list MPs in…
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Forecasts for Thai export growth revised upwards
The meeting of the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking has revised upwards its forecast of export growth in 2019 to between 6.5 – 7.5% from the previous forecast of between 3.5 – 4.5%. The revision is in line with export growth in the past eight months, the committee said. Growth momentum is expected to continue during the…
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Pattaya city officials investigate Big Buddha Hill makeover
PHOTO: Pattaya Mail Having cleared encroachments around Big Buddha Hill’s Chinese shrine, Pattaya officials are now investigating options for the cleared land. Deputy city mayors Manote Nongyai and Pattana Boonsawat toured the Phra Yai Temple area with engineering and public works staff on Pratamnak Hill at the end of last month with an eye toward redevelopment of the temple, the…
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Big, wide beaches, but where are the stars of the show?
The video opens with travelogue music from the 1970s and the rest of the segment was missing the main stars – tourists. MCOT Presenter Preewat Bupsiri explains to the viewers about the 400 million baht that had been spent on new sand to widen the beach from a mere 5 metres to the artificially bloated 35 metres wide. A 2.8…
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Future Forward’s Thanathorn summoned to acknowledge sedition charges
“I believe that millions of people who cherish justice will stand by me and are ready to show they will not put up with dark power that intends to destroy Future Forward.” Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit is complaining that his Future Forward party is being intimidated by a “dark power which refuses to let go of Future Forward”. He has been summoned by the police…
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Army chief steps into the political fray again
PHOTO: Army chief General Apirat Kongsompong against a snappy hot pink backdrop by Supalak Ganjanakhundee Army chief General Apirat Kongsompong’s provocative comments against foreign-educated politicians with ‘leftist leanings’ and activists is a threat to democracy, and could lead to social unrest, violence and even collapse of the regime… warnings from prominent Thai scholars and rights defenders yesterday. The comments follow…
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16 Chinese nationals arrested in Phuket over stock market scam
16 Chinese nationals have been arrested in Chalong for allegedly operating an online speculative stock market scam. Their victims are also Chinese. Immigration Bureau Chief Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn came down from Bangkok to a house on Khwang Road in Chalong where officers arrested the 16 Chinese nationals. During the raid they seized 18 computers, 68 mobile phones, more than…
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Man drowns in Kathu lagoon, Phuket
PHOTOS: Kusoldharm Foundation A man has drowned while fishing in a lagoon in central Phuket yesterday. Kusoldharm rescue workers were notified of the incident at a lagoon in Kathu before noon. Rescue workers arrived to find a body of a man lying on the ground near the lagoon. There were no signs of a struggle on his body. The man was identified…
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KL Cobras capture top tier in Land of Smiles ice-hockey tournament
PHOTOS: Naratip Srisupab The New Delhi Sacred Bulls, the Shanghai Red Guard and 22 other teams competed in the City of Angels Ice Classic held March 27-30 in Bangkok at the Rink, Grand Central Rama IX. The Kuala Lumpur Cobras shut-out the Dubai Mighty Camels 3-0 to win the top tier in the tournament. Cobra captain Rich Hutson brought in…
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Swiss/Thai children run away from home claiming Thai mother beats them
PHOTO: The Nation Two children, who fell off a drying rack at a Bangkapi apartment block last May, have now run away from home saying their Thai mother had been beating them. Their remaining sibling is staying with the mother. One of the four siblings, a boy, died in the fall that happened when their mother was out at work…
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Police raid illegal Chinese call centre in Chalong, Phuket
FILE PHOTO A total of 16 Chinese nationals, 13 men and 3 women, have been arrested in Chalong, over the alleged operation of a call centre scam which targeted Chinese victims. Officers believe that the operation started sometime in the middle of March. The 16 were arrested at a housing estate on Moo 1, Chalong, southern Phuket, yesterday morning. “We were…
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Election Commission admits they haven’t decided on the formula to determine lower house
by Kas Chanwanpen In a stunning admission yesterday, the Election Commission admitted they didn’t know the exact formula to work out the final make up of the lower house seats. The Election Commission secretary-general Jarungvith Phumma says that he expected the agency to make a decision this week on their interpretation of the new Charter that sets out, broadly, how…
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Pattaya hit by sudden topical deluge
PHOTOS: Pattaya One Pattaya was inundated with two hours of unseasonal and sudden rain yesterday late morning-early afternoon, the result of a random ‘summer storm’ system that dumped heavy, localised rain on the seaside resort. The rains started at about 11am and continued for two hours, leaving many roads under water and impassable. The roadside drains struggled to get rid…
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Three suspects arrested with drugs in Patong
PHOTOS: Patong Police Patong Police have arrested three suspects with methamphetamine pills and crystal methamphetamine in Patong. All three arrests happened yesterday. Patong Police report that they have arrested a 46 year old man. Police seized 261 methamphetamine pills. Police have als0 arrested a 46 year old woman with 30 methamphetamine pills. And in a third arrest police arrested another…
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Bangkok woman arrested over credit-card scam
A Bangkok woman has been arrested for allegedly impersonating a bank officer to steal credit card information for online shopping. Police from the Economic Crime Suppression Division arrested 24 year old Manaswi Chanruang at her house on Sukhapibal Road 5 in Bangkok’s Sai Mai district this morning. She was arrested under an arrest warrant issued by the Phra Khanong Court…
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Wastewater still flowing into Mudong Canal in Chalong
Officials from the Environment Office Region 15 in Phuket, along with Chalong municipal officials, have inspected the Mudong Canal. Water in the canal flows through villages and markets in Chalong and Wichit before getting to the open sea. Local villagers were complaining that the untreated water caused fish to die and that there was a bad odour all the time.…
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Iranian tourist fleeced during visit to Walking Street in Pattaya
PHOTO: Sanook Sanook reports that an Iranian man was robbed by a female pickpocket while walking along Walking Street in Pattaya with his girlfriend. The 32 year old Sadej told investigating Police that a Thai woman had come up to the wandering couple and gave him a hug. But he says he politely pushed her away and the woman just melted back…
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