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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Travel insurance vs digital nomad insurance: What’s the difference?
Travel insurance and digital nomad insurance protect travellers but cater to different needs. Travel insurance is for short trips, like vacations or business trips. It covers things like medical emergencies, trip cancellations, and lost bags. It works best for people...
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Krabi residents, “Close Maya Bay”
An initial survey by a leading marine scientist found that most residents supported the closure of the popular Maya Bay in Krabi after more than 80% of coral reefs in the area were damaged. Thon Thamrongnawasawat, deputy dean of the Fishery Faculty at Kasetsart University, said his team was compiling results from an opinion survey of more than 300 local…
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UPDATE: Police in Phuket say the man was shot over money owed on a motorbike
PHOTO: Sanook A black Pajero with several people inside had arrived at a rented property in the Rangsiri estate in Muang district, Phuket. A man got out and asked for “Sin”. 30 year old Sinchai was shot then fled inside the house. Original story HERE. The shooter followed holding a 11mm gun and shot him twice more in the chest.…
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E-commerce sites will be blocked if they don’t pay local VAT
Do you shop online? Plenty do, and increasingly retail is heading offshore and the main winners are Thai Post. A legal loophole, allowing foreign e-commerce companies to avoid paying Thai VAT, may soon be plugged with new legislation. But the Thai Revenue Department is threatening to block giant foreign e-commerce websites if they don’t pay VAT taxes in the future,…
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THAIGER TODAY Tuesday, March 6
More details about alleged ‘tapes’ from Belarus escort | ‘Freak storms’ for central and northern Thailand | Latest in ‘furious aunties’ case | Smog ‘very bad’ in north | 69 year Dutchman and 19 year old Thai in custody over prostitution and human trafficking | Labour Department being asked to ‘fast track’ migrant registration | Krabi Airport runway repairs on…
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What does Anastasia Vashukevich know?
PHOTOS: Instagram The raid on a ‘sex seminar’ in love-making in Pattaya last week has grown into an international story of intrigue with links to the ‘Russia-meddling-in-US-election’ ongoing investigation. A Belarusian escort, with close ties to a powerful Russian oligarch said from behind bars in Bangkok, yesterday that she had more than 16 hours of audio recordings that could help…
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‘Freak storms’ on the way – Thai Meteorological Department
The Thai Meteorological Department has issued a warning of freak storms in regions of the country until Friday, with the possibility of hail storms in some parts of the northern and northeastern regions. They say the ‘freak storms’ would be attributable to strong high pressure from China which is moving southward to cover the Northeast and the South China Sea…
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Insurance fraud in Krabi
A 31 year old local chicken vendor, Nattareeya Boonchoo, has spoken about ‘insurance’ she bought for her son that cost her 5,500 Baht. After paying for 2 months, the insurance representative, 35 year old Falipth Wonghan, disappeared – no certificate, no receipt. There are also other 10 other alleged victims from the same case. “The man claimed that he’s the…
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Oscar winners – 2018 Academy Awards
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Mary J. Blige, “Mudbound” Allison Janney, “I, Tonya” *WINNER Lesley Manville, “Phantom Thread” Laurie Metcalf, “Lady Bird” Octavia Spencer, “The Shape of Water” ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Willem Dafoe, “The Florida Project” Woody Harrelson, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” Richard Jenkins, “The Shape of Water” Christopher Plummer, “All the Money in the World” Sam…
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Krabi International Airport fixing its runway
Krabi International Airport will fix its runway from midnight tomorrow (March 6) onward. The process is expected to take about one week. Only about 5-6 international flights are expected to be affected. The Director of Krabi International Airport, Attaporn Nuang-Udom, revealed that the runway where the damage is located is at the U-turn point before the plane takes off and…
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Conservation group to protest if Premchai charges not pursued
The Seub Nakhasathien Foundation has threatened to stage protests if police fail to pursue the charge of deliberately killing wildlife against construction tycoon Premchai Karnasuta. “Definitely, there will be people taking to streets in that case,” Sasin Chalermlarp, the conservation group’s president, said on Monday. He spoke after a perceived delay in the police investigation into allegations that Premchai and…
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THAIGER TODAY Monday, March 5
Thai police getting a ‘make-over’ | Outrigger resorts being sold to Singha Estate | New flights, new locations meanwhile Thai Airways struggling | Parents being urged to watch kids while swimming | 79% approve of poll next February | 40 year old hunter shoots relative.
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Shooting rage in Rassada – one dead, one in critical condition
Last night (March 4) police received a report about a shooting in a house at the Rangsiri housing project, in Rassada, east of Phuket Town. Two people were shot; one died and another remains in critical condition. At the 2 story house, which doubles as a tattoo shop in the ground floor, police found blood and several .45 bullets on…
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Thai Airways continues to struggle against newer, nimble competitors
Fierce competition and rising fuel costs are said to be the main cause of Thai Airway’s tough last year. Thai’s operating profit for the last year was down nearly 30% to 2,856 million baht. This included the parent airline and all its subsidiaries. The main culprit, according to TTR Weekly, was a 24.2% increase in fuel prices for its planes.…
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Krabi Airport Director is waiting for engineer’s report tomorrow
The Krabi airport management has a team of engineers coming to the airport tomorrow to come up with a schedule to repair the runway where damage has been caused at either end of the landing strip. The Airport’s Director says they’ll be scheduling repairs between midnight and 6am to cause the least flight disruptions but had to wait for the…
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The 13th Lucky plate number auction kicks off
The Department of Land Transport launched the Gor Gai Wor Waen (กว) category of lucky car plate number auctions yesterday, offering 301 numbers. At least 23 million Baht is expected to be raised from this year’s auction. The auction takes is taking place yesterday and today (March 3,4) from 8.30 am on at Phuket’s Rajabhat University conventional hall, gathering a…
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Over 40 new parties registered in one day
By Kas Chanwanpen As many as 42 groups of people requested to establish new political parties on the first day of pre-registration organised by the Election Commission (EC) yesterday. The EC’s head office at Government Complex was full of energy as hundreds of prospective party founders and their supporters lined up to reserve the names and logos of new parties.…
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Tourist falls at Ao Nang Cliff
A 32 year old Argentinian woman, Karina Laura Citroner, fell from the Lagoon Cliff at Phra Nang Beach, Railay Bay, resulting in serious injuries. The Argentinian woman ended up with her right leg and the joint on the right foot broken with a serious open wound. The Director of First Standard Group (Ao Nang), Doctor Yingyong Temsinsakul, together with more…
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Krabi Airport’s runway damaged
A passenger using Facebook account, Atipoj Srisukhon, posted a picture of a cracked runway at Krabi International Airport, expressing the concern about the safety today (March 2). The damage is several metres wide but is limited to the extreme ends of the runway at both ends. The Director of Krabi International Airport, Atthaporn Nuang-Udom, said that he acknowledged the matter…
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Airport housekeeper returns 500,000 Baht to passenger
Phuket International Airport Director, Petch Chancharoen, gave an award to Duangtawan Chuayseng, one of the housekeeping outsource staff from Phuket Inter Chemical Company today (March 2) for returning 500,000 Baht in cash to a Chinese passenger, Li Xiaofei. The cleaner was working at the mens toilet on the 3rd floor of the international terminal and found a wallet with a…
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108 turtle eggs found on Lek Beach, Similan
The Chief of Mu Ko Similan National Park in Kura Buri District, Phang Nga, has revealed today (March 2) that the national park officers found the tracks of turtles from the water to the beach area. After tracking down the path, the team found 108 turtle eggs buried under the sand. The eggs have been found on Had Lek on…
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Top 25 Asian beaches survey is out – three in Phuket
Thailand has ended up with two beaches in the top ten in the latest ‘Top 25 Beaches in Asia’ survey. The survey is based on comments from TripAdvisor’s 300 million users, or at least the ones that have visited a beach in Asia and taken the time to make a comment. The top three beaches are Agonda Beach in India…
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Black wastewater threatens to destroy Patong’s restored coral reefs
By Pratch Rukivanarom Wastewater leaking into Patong Bay could kill recently restored coral reefs in front of the world famous Patong Beach, academics are warning. Wastewater has leaked into the sea and polluted Patong Bay twice this month, harming the health of the reef ecosystem, which mostly comprises soft coral. A team led by Phuket Governor Naraphat Plodthong inspected areas…
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Train derails at a Trang construction site
State Railway of Thailand officials and workers were clearing the tracks today (Thursday) after a Bangkok-Trang express train derailed this morning a few kilometres from the Trang Train Station. No one was killed or injured in the incident, railway engineering official Chairat Duansung said. The derailment, which led to the 14-car train’s last carriage going off the tracks, took place…
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That summer feeling – starts now
The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) will soon announce the start of summer heat in Thailand, which could see temperatures peak at 42-43 degrees Celsius during April, according to the Nation TV reporter for environment news Ittipat Pinraroj. Signalled by a recent shift that sees winds now bringing humidity from the Southern China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand to cover…
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Baby dumped in Patong rubbish bin
Last night (February 28), Patong police received a report about the dead body of a baby dumped in a bin in Soi Kuan Yang Charoen on Phra Baramee Road. The bin was at the beginning of the alley near the main road. Inside, the police and a team from Kusoldham Phuket found a transparent plastic bag containing the dead body…
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Pattaya detained Belarusian escort says she has dirt in the Trump-Russia case
A Belarusian woman who was arrested in Pattaya over the weekend is seeking assistance from the United States, claiming she has information about links between Russia and US President Donald Trump, the Washington Post has reported. Anastasia Vashukevich, an escort service worker from Belarus – who became well known after filming a yacht trip with Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska and…
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Phuket Smart Bus kicks off
The first route of the Phuket Smart Bus has been launched today (February 28) connecting Phuket International Airport all the way to the south of the island – Rawai Beach. The Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Panupong Sawetarun, chaired the opening ceremony of the Phuket Smart Bus. The first route launched today is the blue route, which…
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A Volunteer from the Defense Corps shot dead in Krabi
A 42 year old Volunteer Defense Corps officer, Thongchai Poonkerd, was shot early this morning (February 28) while going to work at a rubber plantation with his wife. Police suspect that the motive for the homicide is most likely drug suppression operations. The two went to the rubber plantation at about 5.30 am with a motorcycle. When his wife went…
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Phuket’s Governor visits Tritrang Beach to inspect action over effluent
A team of Phuket authorities headed up by the Phuket Governor, Norapat Plodthong, have visited Tritrang Beach again following up another report of wastewater being released into the seas off Patong Beach. “Every office and all departments involved have to integrate their resources to find a sustainable solution to this problem. This is my second visit to Tritrang Beach. The…
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Pushing the election date forward, again
By Wasamon Audjarint and Kas Chanwenpen Faced with mounting pressure from critics and the international community, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday said the next election would be held “no later than” next February. While making his latest promise about the election date, however, Prayut also warned that it would also depend on the situation at the time. “I am not making…
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