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 The 5 most common travel emergencies in Thailand and how to be prepared
Thailand is a popular destination known for its dynamic culture, stunning beaches, and bustling cities however, travellers can face unexpected travel emergencies that include medical issues, road accidents, petty theft, and natural disasters. To ensure a safe and enjoyable trip,...
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Phuket green plate taxi arrested for drugs at Airport
Saku Police officers, Royal Thai Navy officers and Phuket International Airport officers arrested a green-plate taxi driver, 36 year old Warin Maithong, with amphetamine pills and methamphetamine. The officers set up a checkpoint to search for illegal items at the airport and at about midnight today (April 3), the taxi driver was stopped for a search. The officers found 10.5…
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Three die, three injured, in Bangkok apartment blaze
Three people have died and three others injured after a fire broke out in a Bangkok apartment early today (Tuesday), trapping 24 tenants. The fire started at the 15-storey Ratchathewi Apartment building on Soi Phetchaburi 18 off Phetchaburi Road in Ratchathewi district at about 2am. Ten fire engines responded to the emergency call. However, as the soi is…
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56 Rohingya found near Lanta Island have left for Malaysia
The 56 Rohingya boat people, including 19 men, 18 women, 8 boys and 11 girls, were brought by Royal Thai Navy Officers Area 3 and police to Sirilanta Bridge, the bridge linking Koh Lanta Noi and Koh Lanta Yai, for investigation after they were found at Koh Ha early on Sunday morning. After checking that they weren’t involved in any…
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Trucks and buses caught speeding more than 17 million times last year
Cargo trucks and public transport buses in Thailand were found to have been speeding beyond the legal limit on more than 17 million occasions last year, according to a GPS-based study by a Bangkok-based university. The study puts definitive proof at the feet of the Thai government and transport officials in the wake of several appalling weeks on Thai roads,…
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Football betting house crackdown in Phuket
A house in Soi Patchanee – Bangcheelao in Rassdada Sub-District was searched by police and military officers once they discovered it was used as a football gambling den over the weekend. On the ground floor police found the area for customers to write down their bet on the printed forms and the computers used to record the bets. Police say…
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Smart Bus takes the coastal route
Phuket’s new smart bus kicked off yesterday featuring two initial routes around the island. The route travels along Thepkasattri Road until it reaches Thalang where it takes a turn towards the coast through Cherngtalay and Bang Tao and on to Surin, Kamala and Patong. Then it continues along the coast to Karon and Kata, over the hill at Kata Noi…
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Thailand Event Round-Up – April
with The Sponsorship Experts – Paul Poole (South East Asia) Co. Ltd. The month of April is typically dominated by a slew of events related to Songkran, the Thai New Year, and this year is no different. One of our favourites is the Singha Songkran Night Run, which returns to Chiang Mai on 13 April. The run, which takes place…
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Nikki Beach to take over management of luxury Chiang Mai hotel
By Bill Barnett from c9hotelworks.com In a somewhat surprise announcement, Nikki Beach Worldwide has signed on as operator of Chiang Mai’s Dhara Dhevi hotel. Nikki has assumed management of the property and the rebranding process reportedly will be done by the middle of the year. Nikki Beach became known to Phuketians when they launched the Nikki Beach Club at the northern end…
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Outrigger Touch Rugby Season 2018 Finals
The 2018 Outrigger Touch Rugby Competition at Alan Cooke Cricket Ground The Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort once again hosted a well organised and incredibly competitive Touch Rugby tournament at the Alan Cooke Cricket Ground in Cherngtalay, during the month of March. Following on from the previous two successful seasons, five teams from Phuket battled it out on the playing…
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Jonathan Davies in Phuket for Charity
Welsh legend Jonathan Davies OBE in Phuket for Charity The Welsh former rugby football player, who represented his country in both codes, Rugby Union and Rugby League, is in Phuket – all in the name of charity. Jonathan Davies OBE, who was a goal kicking legend in both codes, also played club rugby in England and Australia. His love for…
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30,000 people line up for free herbal cancer ‘cure’
People will go to any lengths in desperation to find a cure for a life-threatening disease. When it comes to cancer, fear and mis-information are a dangerous combination and can lead to people taking risks with almost anything or anyone offering a remedy to their condition. An estimated 30,000 cancer patients and their relatives showed up yesterday (Sunday) outside the…
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‘Daeng’ on the mend after being shot with arrow in Udon Thani
A stray dog living in a public park in Udon Thani’s Muang district, which was seen with an arrow piercing its left eyebrow on Friday morning, was captured, sent for treatment at Bamrungraks Animal Hospital and now recovering from its adventures. The whole sad story of Daeng, the stray dog, was captured by Facebook user Napassorn JowYing Hodges. Napassorn, who…
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Border-bound train shot at by suspected militants
Gunman are reported to have opened fire at a train in Narathiwat last evening (March 31). No passengers have been reported as injured. At about 5.30 pm, the Surat Thani/Sungai Kolok train had just left Cho Airong district railway station. After approximately 500 metres from the station gunfire was heard by the driver and some passengers. The train driver didn’t…
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Abandoning the cap – Campaign to get rid of bottle cap seals starts today
By Pratch Rujivanarom Thai bottled water producers have responded well to a plan to stop using cap seals, which will not only decrease plastic waste but also reduce unnecessary production costs. In a campaign kicking off today, the Pollution Control Department plans to totally abandon the use of cap seals on bottled water by the end of 2019. Five giant…
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90 bikes and 90 motorcyclists bailed up in Bangkok
Bangkok police arrested 90 motorcyclists and a pillion rider and seized 90 bikes in an operation to prevent racing on the capital’s streets. The arrests were made by police from 10 Bangkok police stations who manned road checkpoints late on Friday night and early on Saturday. At the end of the operation, Pol Maj-General Surachet Hakpal held a press conference…
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Thalang robber arrested
Thalang Police have arrested a 27 year old man from Phang Nga, Kittikorn Somsert, who robbed valuables worth about 200,000 Baht from a local house during daylight. The police saw the robber riding a bicycle along with plenty of bags and seemed suspicious so they stopped him to talk. Police found that the stolen items include a bicycle, a Nikon…
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4 metre king cobra found in a Krabi toilet
A four metre long king cobra has been found in the toilet of a local man’s house. The owner of the house, Amnuay Ritthong, said that he was heading to the toilet, which is built next to his house, and spotted the snake next to the toilet before it quickly slithered inside the stall. He called Ao Luek Villa Rescue…
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Drugs crackdown at Sapanruam Community in Rassada
Police have arrested 5 people with drugs and electronic cigarettes. The Sapanruam Community in Rassada was the target. Police have long recognised it to be a drug trading area. Police initially arrested 67 year old Daeng Chuaysod at the community with 5 kilograms of Kratom leaves and 46 bottles of coughing syrup, 60 ml each. Then police arrested 21 year…
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82-year-old assault victim dies – Assailant faces new charges
A 21 year old motorcyclist, alleged to have assaulted an 82 year old tricycle-riding scavenger over a minor collision in Bangkok’s Huai Kwang district on March 13, has been hit with an additional charge of causing death to another person by inflicting injury without intent to cause death. The new charge was filed against Narathorn Sodetiyung, son of a Pratunam-based…
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Random search at Phuket prison
Phuket’s Governor, along with the Deputy Police Region 8, Deputy Phuket Police Commander and other local authorities, led a team for an official search of the Phuket prison for drugs, other illegal items and mobile phones. However, no illegal items were found in the prison. The search covered male and female prison sections and 250 prisoners were tested for drugs…
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UPDATE: Tak bus disaster – 20 Burmese workers burned to death
PHOTO: Thai PBS The badly-burned bodies of 20 Burmese workers killed in a bus fire in Tak’s Muang district early on Friday will be sent about 150 kilometres to two hospitals in Phitsanulok for identification. The bodies were initially sent to the Tak provincial hospital. Due to a lack of equipment required for the disaster victim identification process, that hospital…
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Your Say – Closure of Maya Bay during the monsoon 2018
A decision to temporarily close Maya Bay to all tourists during the wet season from this June to September has been approved by the marine national parks chiefs. The move follows proposals from prominent academics and concerned locals to restore the coral reefs and ecosystem to allow nature to recover from the impacts of uncontrolled tourism during the rest of…
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20 Burmese migrants die in Tak bus blaze
A chartered double-decker bus taking 47 registered Myanmar workers to Pathum Thani caught fire in Tak early today (Friday), killing 20 of them trapped inside. Tak shares a border with Myanmar, north west of Bangkok. Police report that three other people were injured when they jumped down from the bus while 24 others were able to run out in…
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Songkran back-flip
Songkran revellers are welcoming news the government will relax its ban to allow them to splash water from the beds of pickups this year – just one of a number of back-flips on previously announced prohibitions for the 2018 Thai New Year celebrations. The water festival in mid-April, the hottest month of the year, is known worldwide. One tradition sees…
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New ferry service to link Phuket Airport to nearby provinces
File Photo The Harbour Department will build a new pier near Phuket Airport and open five ferry routes linking Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga according to the department chief today (Thursday). Jirut Wisaljit, director-general of the Harbour Department, said the new port and the “Andaman Ring Route” ferry service would reduce congestion at the Phuket airport and on roads in…
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Police junior officers revolting over AC contributions
A junior policeman is crying foul over his supervisors’ demand that he contribute money for the purchase of a new air-conditioner at their police station. Pol Sgt-Major 3rd Class Lersak Nonkhuntod, who works at the Phaholyothin Police Station in Bangkok, lodged a complaint with both the Metropolitan Police Bureau and the Office of Public-Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC). Due to the…
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THAIGER TODAY Thursday, March 29
NACC hands down decision on Prawit case today | Patong and Kamala are #1 in international affordable 5 star hotel survey | Snake under a taxi | French tourist dies after visit to Emerald Cave | Woman push back on calls for females to ‘dress appropriately’ during Songkran | Police juniors complain about their wages being docked for boss’s air…
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Sexual harassment isn’t our fault, it’s mens’ – Sirinya “Cindy” Bishop
A well-known model has launched a social-media campaign to tackle the widespread and erroneous belief that sexual harassment stems from a woman’s choice of clothes. Sirinya “Cindy” Bishop, who is also an actress, has used social media to counter recent messages propagated by authorities that sexual harassment can be stopped by urging women not to dress in a revealing way.…
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Police arrest the Patong motorcycle robber
The 27 year old motorcycle taxi, Anuruk ‘Ten’ Padungpon, who has already confessed to robbing a Turkish woman, 26 year old Biher Ucar, has now been arrested but denies the alleged attempt at sexual assault of the victim. This morning (March 28), police spoke to the media revealing the motorcycle taxi robber from Phang Nga. He was caught at his…
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Six sentenced to death over last year’s Krabi murder of eight family members
PHOTO: The Worayuth Sunglung family murdered over a Land Deed argument in Krabi last year The Krabi Provincial Court has sentenced “Bang Fut” and five others to death for the execution-style murders of eight members of the one family in Krabi that shocked the country last year. The ruling of the court was overseen by the Royal Thai Police commissioner…
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