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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Sponsored HOMA redefines urban living with a holistic approach
HOMA is redefining modern urban living in Thailand with its innovative co-living concept. Designed for those seeking balance, connection, and a true sense of home, they are revolutionising long-term rentals by combining convenience, community, and sustainability. With that, they are...
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Thailand’s next football star may come from West Africa – VIDEO
Photo: Facebook/Look e san Al Jazeera has just released their new episode of ‘101 East’, their award winning TV program which gives an in-depth look at weekly current affairs and telling bold untold stories from Asia and the Pacific’. This week’s episode takes a look at Thailand’s football industry and how many West African players are travelling to our capital,…
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195K meth pills seized inside wheels on a truck at Phuket Checkpoint
Officers have arrested a Thai man trying to smuggle 195,810 methamphetamine pills hidden inside a pickup truck’s wheels on vehicle transport truck at the Phuket Checkpoint. Officers arrested 32 year old Yuttapon ‘Jack’ Suktong from Trang. Officers seized a total of 195,810 methamphetamine pills. The Region 8 Police Deputy Commander Maj Gen Nantadet Yoinuan says, “Police received a tip-off that…
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Natural birth son fathered by Thailand’s first test tube baby
PHOTO: The Nation Pavornit Srisahaburi a 31 year old engineer stands in the maternity ward at Chulalongkorn University waiting to visit ‘Delta’ his first baby. Unlike many fathers who have share the same magic moment, Pavornvit is special as he was born and created by artificial insemination, or intro-vitro fertilisation (IVF) in the very same ward. “In Vitro Fertilisation is…
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Cherng Talay Police narrowly escape injury after drunk driver plows through checkpoint – VIDEO
A drunk driver has been arrested and charged after breaking through checkpoint in Cherng Talay, narrowly avoiding knocking over an attending officer. Cherng Talay Police have arrested 27 year old Pittaya Timtong from Ratchaburui. Cherng Talay Police Chief Col Serm Khwannimit says, “At 1.30am yesterday early morning the police were at the checkpoint on Srisoonthorn Road in front of the…
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Leading policeman makes extraordinary claim
“It’s always foreigners who are responsible,” says a leading chief of provincial police . Region One chief Pol Gen Amphon Buarapporn made the outrageous statement claiming he had never seen a case Thais ripping off fellow Thais. Sanook quoted the commander as he was commenting about a case against a 53 year old Chonburi man who met wealthy Thai widows on…
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Baby elephant saved after being snared in a hunter’s trap
A female baby elephant, less than a month old, has been found alone, with a rotten, worm-filled leg caused by a metal trap. The Nation reports that she was found by villagers in Khao Hoi Hua, Moo 8, Amphoe Khao Chamao, Rayong Province who alerted forest rangers from the Khao Ang Rue Nai Wildlife Sanctuary and took her on the…
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Pickup truck crashes into canal in Phatthalung killing two
The driver of a pickup, along with his passenger friend, were killed and two women injured early today. The pickup careered off the road, hit a bridge, and dropped into a canal in Phatthalung’s Kong Ra district. Police say the accident happened in front of a mosque in Moo 6 village in Tambon Klong Chalerm. The pickup was stuck in…
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Junta supporters, Palang Pracharat party, raises 650 million baht at banquet
The pro-military Palang Pracharat party had the first of their big fund-raisers last night and raised an estimated 650 million baht – 50 million baht more than their initial projection. The banquet was held last night at the Impact Muang Thong Thanee convention hall. Almost 2,000 guests, mostly business people and politicians from different parties, attended the event to fill…
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First satellite made-in-Thailand enters orbit
PHOTO: ABC Action news, Bangkok Post A Thai university has announced that the first domestically produced satellite has now entered orbit. Weighing in at 1 kilogram and measuring only 10 centimetres on each side, the tiny educational satellite was one of 64 on board the recent SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from California on Tuesday. Pongsatorn Saisutjarit heads the research…
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UPDATE: Second victim emerges in horrific Saraburi gang-rape
State agencies have become embroiled in a case in which an 11 year old schoolgirl (reported as 12 year old in yesterday’s news) is alleged to have been gang-raped by five teenagers last Sunday. The incident, that happened in Saraburi, has flared up after the girl’s father expressed concern that justice was not being served and that the accused had…
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UPDATE: The sea-going stray dog has disappeared from Ao Chalong
Saranyoo Hassanai, who works at Chalong Bay, has spoken to Newshawk Phuket about the stray dog that had been hanging around Ao Chalong Pier for the past month, seemingly intent in finding its owner. It jumps onto boats that are tied up to the pier, waiting to take tourists out to the islands. Last Monday, it jumped into the water trying…
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Plain tobacco packaging by September 2019
The Thai government has made a new legislative announcement regarding plain packaging for cigarette packets, making it the first country in Asia, and first low and middle-income country to do so. This legislation adds to the 2017 Tobacco Control Act, which currently mandates an individual must be 20 or older to purchase tobacco, bans tobacco advertising in the media, sponsorship,…
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Chiang Mai hosts pageant to promote OTOP
PHOTOS: Daily News Thais often claim the most beautiful women in the country are from the northern provinces, especially Chiang Mai. Which leads us into this swimsuit photo shoot for the forthcoming Miss Chiang Mai pageant in January. Daily News reports that some 30 northern ladies, in a variety of swimsuits, paraded to promote the event at the Chala Number 6…
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Pedestrian killed in Thalang after being hit by taxi
PHOTOS: Newshawk Phuket A man who was crossing Thepkrasattri Road early this morning was hit by a taxi and died at the scene. Thalang Police were notified of the incident on Thepkrasattri Road, northbound, in front of the Phra Nang Sang Temple in Thalang. Police and rescue workers arrived to find a taxi, with its front panels damaged, parked on…
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Rare species back at Similan Islands after tourist numbers restricted – VIDEO
PHOTOS: The Department of National Park Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department PR Office VIDEO: Phuket Marine Natinal Parks Operation Centre 2 / Thanakorn Trakarntanasuk / Newshawk Phuket A pair of leopard sharks have been spotted at the Similan Islands following the restriction of the number of tourists visiting the archipelago. The Department of National Park Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department PR Office…
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Thailand should prepare for global economic slowdown
The global economy is in disarray with no clear direction. This is the stark warning from Supachai Panitchpakdi, former director-general of the World Trade Organisation. He also says that the US-China trade war is having an adverse impact on investor confidence, Investors don’t know where to safely invest, because the trade war could easily disrupt global supply chains, he said. Supachai,…
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Her Majesty the Queen visits hospital for checkup
Her Majesty Queen Sirikit has been admitted to the Chulalongkorn Hospital yesterday for a general physical checkup. The announcement from the Bureau of the Royal Household. The announcement says that the Queen will remain at the hospital until Friday.
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Bank of Thailand ups policy rate to 1.75 percent, first rise in 7 years
The Bank of Thailand has increased its policy rate by 25 points, up from 1.50 percent to 1.75 percent. It’s the first rise in seven years. The Monetary Policy Committee voted 5:2 to raise the one-day repurchase rate to 1.75 percent with immediate effect after the rate was kept unchanged for seven years, noting that the need to depend on relaxed…
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A Sarburi father alleges gang rape of his 12 year old daughter. A policeman called her a ‘slut’.
PHOTO: The grocery shop in Saraburi province where the alleged rape took place. A government official in Saraburi province, just north-east of Bangkok, has resigned after footage appeared of the official trying to force a 12 year old girl into saying she wasn’t gang-raped. The official, identified as Sangwan Sitthipanya and described as “a leading local administrator”, was forced to…
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Parents call for police to investigate suspicious death of Muay Thai daughter
Parents of the World Muay Thai women’s champ, found hanged in her room on Monday, say that they believe her death is suspicious and not suicide. They say, for a start, the rope mark around her nick is too low, believing that this is evidence that she was more likely strangled than hanging herself from the top of the door…
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“Chiang Mai red buses are a rip-off” – Ratchanont Suprakob
The infamous red song thaews of Chiang Mai are being slammed as a rip-off by a popular Thai actor. The song thaews are a popular public transport around the northern city. “Guy” Ratchanont Suprakob hopped onto his Instagram account with a video of himself walking in the northern Thai capital spraying the local transport option. (Here’s his Instagram account if…
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Political parties throwing extravagant dinners to raise election funds
The pro-Junta Palang Pracharat political party is expecting to raise 600 million baht from a grand fund-raising dinner named “One Thailand”. The event will be held tonight at Muang Thong Thanee in Bangkok. The Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) appears to be winning over business leaders and the elite after selling most of the tables for tonight’s event. The event will…
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Reward offered to passenger who reported Phuket’s multi-tasking bus driver
PHOTO: The Phuket PR Office A 5,000 baht reward has been offered to the passenger who filmed and posted video of Phuket’s ‘multi-tasking’ bus driver. The Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) has fined the Phuket to Songkhla bus driver who, last Saturday, was captured on video, driving a bus full of passengers, with his young son sitting on his lap and…
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New red flags set up at Maya Bay to prevent tourist swimmers
The Mu-Koh Phi Phi National Park Officers have set new red flags around Maya Bay to prevent boats and tourists swimming into the area. Red flags and signs have also been placed at the Bay’s entrance that to prevent entry and swimming into the closed bay. National park officer say that there were some tour boat operators who have suggested…
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Number of tourists visiting Phuket still high – TAT Phuket
In response to a number of completely fabricated negative stories about Phuket’s current tourism situation, Kanokkittika Kritwuttikorn, the director of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket Office says, “Number of tourists visiting Phuket is still good when compared to last year’s numbers. We’ve also spoken to many regional tour operators who say that bookings are ‘solid’ for this time of…
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Three Russians detained in Thailand at the request of the US
Three Russian citizens have been detained in Thailand at the request of the United States in the last three years, head of the Consulate Department of the Russian Embassy in Thailand, Vladimir Pronin told reporters yesterday. “Only in the last three years, three Russians have been detained in Thailand at the US’ request, two of them – in 2018,” he stressed.…
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British tourist found dead in Bangkok hotel room
PHOTO: Facebook/Luke Ramage Police in Thailand are investigating the death of a British tourist in Bangkok, according to the British Foreign Office. The man has been identified by grieving friends. According to Sky News, Luke Ramage had only just arrived at his hotel when he was found unresponsive on his bed by a receptionist. Mr Ramage, from the town of…
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POP – Thailand’s first satellite-based rain algorithm
The daily forecast gives us an approximate idea of expected weather and rain. But now researchers have a new tool which will provide much more accurate predictions of precipitation around the Kingdom. The system will be an invaluable tool for water management and flood prevention. They’ve successfully developed Thailand’s first satellite-based algorithm to accurately estimate rainfall. “We call this algorithm…
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Floating plastic waste removal machine in the Pacific Ocean – Fail, so far
The ‘plastic removal system’ that set sail from San Francisco in September to clean up the huge floating plastic patches in the Pacific Ocean, hasn’t been working as planned. The Ocean Cleanup System 001, a U-shaped floating barrier created by the organisation The Ocean Cleanup, arrived in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in October. But the system has failed to…
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Belgian hit-and-run victim urges driver to come forward
An elderly Belgian woman has been injured in a hit and run in Chiang Mai and now recovering in the Chiang Mai Hospital. The 78 year old is urging the motorist who injured her to come forward and apologise. Chiang Mai police deputy chief Pol Colonel Piyaphan Pattharapongsin on Tuesday said police were still trying to locate the driver of black…
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