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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New e-Visa for Chinese tourists starts rolling out on February 15
The Department of Consular Affairs is to officially launch the first phase of the new Thai e-Visa in Beijing on February 15. China will be the first country in the world to have the service, which will be extended to other Chinese cities in early March. Chatri Archjananun, director general of the Department of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said…
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Thai cave rescuers announced as the Australians of the Year 2019
Craig Challen and Richard Harris have been awarded as the 2019 Australian of the Year for their contribution the Thailand cave rescue mission. They were part of the international contingent of skilled divers that brought expertise to the team that were able to figure out a way to safely extract the 13 members of the Mu Pa football team in…
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Premchai case to be handed down on March 19
The verdict in the “black leopard” poaching case against construction tycoon Premchai Karnasuta and three associates is set to be handed down on March 19. Final arguments were heard today in the court in Kanchanaburi province, north-west of Bangkok. Premchai, the president of listed construction giant Italian-Thai Development, was arrested and charged with poaching in Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary in…
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Chinese tourists caught on camera removing sea stars at Coral Island
An Asian tourist has been caught on camera showing a sea star on a beach at Coral Island. Siriwan Kawprasert, a local on the island, has reported to The Thaiger that many Chinese tourists have bringing sea stars from the sea to the beach. Locals have warned them to put them back where they found them. Khun Siriwan told The…
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Round ’em up, ship ’em out – another 500 foreigners arrested in crackdown
Authorities have rounded up another 503 foreigners for overstaying their visas, entering Thailand illegally and assorted other crimes during simultaneous searches at 217 locations around the country early today. Immigration Police Bureau deputy chief Pol Maj-General Itthipol Itthisarnronnachai says the raids are part of the government’s crackdown on transnational scammers, card skimmers and drug traffickers, as well as foreigners breaking…
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Rawai locals protest against high Dengue rates in southern Phuket
VIDEO: Nicholas Spaethe Rawai and Nai Harn locals in southern Phuket, along with the Rawai Or Bor Tor Mayor Aaron Solos, protested this morning about the rise in Dengue Fever cases in the area. They say they are concerned about the high rates of contracting the virus in the south of the island and are calling on the provincial government…
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Palang Pracharat to nominate Prayut as candidate for PM after election
The pro-junta leaning Palang Pracharat Party is poised to name Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha as its candidate for PM if it can win a majority at the March 24 general election. This revelation from a Palang Pracharat party source as reported by The Nation. The current junta government’s Industry Minister Uttama Savanayana and Deputy PM Somkid Jatusripitak are also likely to…
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“Look out for, and eliminate, domestic violence” – Pattaya seminar
PHOTO: Pattaya Mail Pattaya students and social workers are learning how to look out for, and eliminate, domestic violence against women and children. The seminar was held at the Pattaya City Hall last week. The Pattaya Mail reported that Wisit Pondok and his team from the Department of Women’s Affairs and Family Development spoke to the 100 students and 100…
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Swiss man dies after being pulled from the water at Krabi beach
A 53 year old Swiss man has died after being pulled out of water at a beach in Krabi. The man has been identified as 53 year old Pipoz Pierre Alain from Switzerland. He was recovered from the water at a beach in Pakbia Beach in Koh Hong, Krabi. He was rushed to Krabi Hosiptal where he was later pronounced dead.…
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Air quality for Thailand – January 25
Northern Thailand Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is not likely to be affected. Central Thailand Everyone may begin to experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects Southern Thailand Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is not likely to be affected.
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Dugong found dead at Phang Nga Beach
PHOTO: DMCR A 300 kilogram dugong has been found dead on a beach in Takua Thung, Phang Nga, yesterday. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) is reporting that they have been notified from the national park officials in Phang Nga that a dugong was found dead near a cave at Koh Panak in Takua Thung in Phang Nga.…
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Motorbike rider dies in head-on between Patong and Kamala – VIDEO
PHOTOS: Phuket Traffic Report A motorbike driver has died as a result of injuries sustained when his motorbike collided, head on, with a mini van. The man was a UK citizen. Kamala rescue workers were notified of the incident on the Patong-Kamala road at 20.57 pm last night. The head-on collision happened just near the entrance to Nakalay Palm condo.…
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Krabi pair arrested over smuggled beef products
Krabi’s livestock development officials have arrested a man and a woman after they found 1,780 kilograms of beef that they claim had been smuggled from overseas without proper documentation. Pornpiwal Munsa-ard was arrested after officials checked her cold storage room in Krabi’s Nua Klong district and found 1,720 kilograms of buffalo beef. Prasert Duranae was arrested after the officials checked…
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Coral damage from a sunken fishing boat at Koh Racha Noi – Phuket
PHOTOS: Thon Thamrongnawasawat More than 50 square metres of coral has been damaged after a fishing boat sank at Koh Racha Noi off Phuket. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources is reporting that they were notified about a fishing boat the sank at Koh Racha Noi yesterday. The fishing boat had sunk on January 18 after it was battered by…
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Thailand’s marine industry unites around single yacht show
The fourth Thailand Yacht Show & RendezVous has now wrapped up with many of the exhibitors praising the new format and noting the sales and contacts made during the four day marine exhibition. The exhibit was held between January 10-13 at the Royal Phuket Marina. Leading international yacht dealers, brokerage houses, charter agencies and marine suppliers were there to showcase…
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All day dining at The Patong Bay Hill Resort – Phuket
A tropical, luxurious resort nestled into the landscape of Hasibpee Hill, the Patong Bay Hill Resort overlooks the ocean and the Patong Beach neighborhood below. The resort offers sweeping sea and city views to accompany its suite-style accommodation, and features a wide variety of on-site amenities and a fantastic all day dining restaurant. The all day dining restaurant at Patong…
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Chiang Mai woman charged after describing police as ‘hungry ghosts’
A 55 year old Thai woman in Chiang Mai has been charged with ‘defamation’ after she accused the police of being ‘hungry ghosts’. cm108.c0m website reports that Pol Capt Manit Khampan made an official complaint about the woman and says she had “brought him and the staff under his charge into disrepute”. The woman, named only as “A”, had filmed…
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Krabi pair knock over 20 ‘top-up’ payment kiosks
Krabi police have arrested two men for allegedly stealing over 20 mobile phone “top-up payment” kiosks. Police said 23 year old Patthapong Songnasuek and 26 year old Sompong Phetsawat were arrested at their house in Moo 3 village in Tambon Nua Klong in Nua Klong district. Police conducted an investigation that led to the arrest after many mobile phone airtime…
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Don’t drink and ‘sleep’ – Thai driver caught napping at the wheel
PHOTO: Daily News Online A video posted online today shows a car being driven by a man who had reclined the driver’s seat and was claimed to be sleeping while the car was still moving. The car appears driverless as the driver was slumped out of sight. The post was on the Facebook page of “Narawut Nakama Thongsong”. He spoke…
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Meth-dealing Koh Samui bar owner attacked in Thai prison
PHOTO: The Mirror A British man says he had three teeth knocked out and that going to a Thai prison for dealing drugs was ‘torture’. Jimmy Kelly was sentenced to 30 years but ended up spending just three behind bars for selling crystal methamphetamine at the bar on Samui he owned. His sentence was dramatically cut because his brother Gary…
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Bus crash on Patong Hill takes out 12 other vehicles, passengers in bus shaken
PHOTOS: Phuket Traffic Report VIDEO: Provided by Newshawk Phuket The tour bus accident on Patong yesterday afternoon, the third such incident in the same spot within 24 hours, has caused three injuries and with vehicles damaged as the bus careered down the hill, out of control. There were 10 tourists on the bus who were shaken by the incident but…
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Chalong Police tracking down a foreigner caught on camera carrying a sea star
Chalong Police are trying to track down a foreign man caught on camera carrying a sea star along Chalong Pier. Chalong Police are checking CCTV footage at the Chalong Pier to find the foreign man who was caught on camera carrying sea stars in a plastic bag along the pier on Tuesday. Read more about the story HERE. Khanchit Klingklip, who…
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Thailand Tourism Forum 2019 – Reflections #1
PHOTO: Thailand Tourism Forum 2019 One of the key points made at the recently concluded Thailand Tourism Forum 2019 in Bangkok, was the country’s over reliance on mass tourism. Jesper Palmqvist of STR presented full year hotel data for Phuket which showed signs of recovery, yet highlighting the full impact of the drop in Chinese business after the July boat…
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Weather for January 24
Bangkok Abundant sunshine. High 33C. Winds E at 10 to 15 km/h. Phuket A mix of clouds and sun. High 31C. Winds E at 15 to 25 km/h. Chiang Mai Abundant sunshine. High 32C. Winds light and variable. Pattaya Sunny. High 32C. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 km/h. Hua Hin Plenty of sunshine. High near 30C. Winds ENE at…
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Air quality for Thailand – January 24
Northern Thailand Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution. Central Thailand Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is not likely to be affected. Southern Thailand Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants…
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“March 24, most appropriate date for election” – Election Commission
PHOTO: Election Commissioner Ittiporn Boonpracong The Election Commission finally announced a date for the long-awaited election. The poll will be held on March 24, but the EC did not indicate if the official results will be declared before May 9. The situation raises potential legal concerns with the timeframe set by the Constitution. Hours after the Royal Decree on the…
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Drug plant, abuse and extortion. Oh, sorry, it’s all a misunderstanding – Dutch tourist
PHOTOS: ONB News A Dutch tourist has apologised to the Pattaya police after he claimed he had drugs planted on him, was abused and was extorted out of 40,000 baht. He also claimed a French volunteer tourist police officer was involved in the extortion. But he later told Pattaya Police that he had found his money in his wardrobe. He thought he…
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Seaweed on Patong Beach – just a seasonal phenomenon
The seasonal mass of seaweed that was washed up onto Patong Beach over the last week is a natural phenomenon. A spokesperson for the Phuket Marine Biological Centre says that the seaweed isn’t harmful although it can smell bad as it starts to rot in the daytime sun. The seaweed first started coming ashore back on January 10. Read The Thaiger…
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Election date announced as Sunday, March 24
Thais get their opportunity to express their democratic vote and will go to the polls on Sunday, March 24. The Election Commission (EC) has announced the date after chairing an urgent meeting of EC members this afternoon. The royal decree was signed by HM The King and co-signed by Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha this morning. The decree orders a general…
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Crane topples in Bangkok killing four, many others injured
PHOTOS: มาด เซอร์., Klong Prem ShinSuwan / FM91Trafficpro A crane has toppled at a construction site in Bangkok today. The incident has already been responsible for the death of four people while many others have been injured. FM91 Traffic pro is reporting that at 1.09pm a crane, inside a construction site in Yan Nawa, Bangkok has toppled and fallen down.…
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