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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THAIGER TODAY Friday, January 26
Latest announcements about Smart Visa | Re-enactment of Israeli mob hit in Samui | 3 road deaths on Patak Road, Karon in 24 hours | Police raid illegal hostels in Koh Pha Ngan | Monster drug haul in BKK | Bans on catching and eating seahorses AND official bans on smoking on some Thai beaches starts next week.
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House on fire in Phuket Town
Late afternoon yesterday (January 25), Muang Phuket police received a call about a fire at a house in Soi Prayoon, Yaowarat Road. Three fire trucks were called to the scene, a two-story building located 100 metres away from the main road. Firefighters managed to douse the fire in about half an hour. According to the house owner, there was only…
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2019 Thai election looking more likely
The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) late on Thursday passed the MPs election bill with a clause that delays it coming into effect for 90 days after its promulgation. The members voted 213 to zero with four abstentions. The bill was passed after almost 14 hours of deliberations on Thursday. In the second reading of the bill, the stipulation deferring its…
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Motorcyclist dies whilst over-taking on the left in Karon
After an early double fatality on Patak Road, Karon, where two people on motorbikes collided (one Filipino, one from Myanmar), a rescue team member, 27 year old Sahasanai Nakan, crashed after overtaking a bus resulting in his death yesterday (January 24). The cyclist was riding on Patak Road in Karon without a helmet and overtook a bus, but fell and…
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Six illegal ‘foreign-owned’ hostels closed on Koh Pha Ngan
Troops and police arrested two foreigners and four Thais on Wednesday for allegedly running six hostels without licence on the tourist destination Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani province. A Dutch man and an Italian man were arrested and charged with operating hotels without licence and carrying out business prohibited to aliens. The four Thais were charged with acting as…
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THAIGER TODAY Thursday, January 25
THAIGER TODAY, Thursday, January 25…. The ‘S’ word in Bangkok | Why can’t our taxis work like this? | AIDS levels dropping in ASEAN | PM pleads with media to drop Prawit ‘chatter’ | Charged Israeli mobsters heading to Samui to recreate crime | Philippines volcano sparks evacuations.
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UPDATE: Prawit “not obliged to declare assets”
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan would not be required to declare his extravagant watch collection as assets under the anti-graft law if the watches did not belong to him, National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) secretary-general Worawit Sukboon said yesterday. At an NACC press briefing yesterday, Worawit said that if the watches belonged to Prawit, he would have to explain when he…
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Tight security in Samui for re-enactment of Israeli hit-and-run attack
Two Israelis accused of killing a compatriot on Koh Samui will re-enact the alleged crime on Sunday surrounded by dozens of heavily armed police. 24 year old Dolev Zuarez and 26 year old Eval Bokal were arrested at Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport about five hours after they allegedly killed 34 year old Maor Mallil and injured his girlfriend, Rashel Oshana,…
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Thailand’s Kane Shepherd setting the pace in the Formula Gulf Academy
Held at the billion dollar facility built on Yas Island specifically to host Abu Dhabi’s Formula One World Championship Grand Prix events, Rounds 3 & 4 were dominated by one of Thailand’s most promising young racing drivers, Kane Shepherd. Kane, who is also contesting the SEA F4 championship, was back in the UAE to gain valuable coaching from Formula Gulf…
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3,466 new guns distributed to police in Phuket
The Police Region 8 Commander, Pol Lt Gen Sorasak Yenprem, hosted a ceremony to distribute a total of 3,466 guns today (January 23) following the approval from the cabinet for a budget of 990 million Baht to purchase 55,150 new 9 mm semi-automatic guns, magazines, bullets, sockets and belts, as well as handcuffs. “The weapons are distributed to the operational…
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Thailand Yacht Show – attracting Superyachts to the region
PHOTO: Andy Treadwell, CEO and Founder, Thailand Yacht Show At a Press Conference in Bangkok last week Prakob Wongmaneerung, Vice Governor of Phuket, Nithee Seeprae, Executive Director of Product Promotion Department of TAT and Andy Treadwell, CEO and Founder of the Thailand Yacht Show, along with numerous officials and key business leaders, gathered to re-confirm their commitment to promoting Thailand…
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Thailand’s opium cultivation “down by 40%”
The cultivation of opium is on the decline in Thailand, but the illegal practice persists in several northern districts, the Office of the Narcotics Control Board reported this week. Secretary-general Sirinya Sitdhichai cited remote rural highlands in Chiang Mai’s Om Koi, Mae Taeng and Chiang Dao districts and in Tak’s Umphang, Mae Ramat and Tha Song Yang districts as places…
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THAIGER TODAY Tuesday, January 23
3 killed and many more injured in latest Yala bombing | Another bus with Chinese tourists ends up in a road ditch in Chiang Mai | Later on the Israeli mob hit on Samui | Central Pattana introduce cashless technology at 4,000 stores | Bullets flying in Hat Yai yesterday | Exports up 9.9% over past 12 months.
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UPDATE: “Gangland revenge.” Brutal murder of an Israeli man on Chaweng Beach
By Supachai Petchathevee Revenge appears to be the motive in the brutal murder of an Israeli man by his two compatriots on Koh Samui Island on Sunday. 24 year old Dolev Zuarez and 26 year old Eval Bokal were arrested at Don Mueang airport in Bangkok about five hours after they allegedly killed 34 year old Maor Mallil and injured…
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THAIGER TODAY Monday, January 22
Israeli hit squad kills one in Koh Samui | ‘Taxi OK’ App and reforms launched this Thursday | Spot checks at Chalong Pier reveal shortcomings on some boats | Couple arrested at Don Mueang after alleged murder in Pichit | Total of four arrested over Phuket Airport baggage thefts.
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Driver runs away after flipping Mercedes at Samkong
What do you do when you flip your Mercedes E350 at 2am in the morning at the Samkong Underpass? You run away it seems. The driver flipped the car heading southbound into the Samkong Underpass. Some other drivers on the road at the time witnessed the crash and tried to use their own car extinguishers to control the blaze. By…
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Ukrainian driver loses control of his car – two killed in Cherngtalay crash
A car driven by a Ukrainian man, Artem Chidoko, was travelling, allegedly at high speed, from Cherngtalay towards Phuket International Airport when he lost control while taking a curve on the road. He crashed into a van driving on the other side of the road in the opposite direction about 2pm yesterday afternoon (Sunday). He was driving with two passengers,…
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UPDATE: One more airport worker arrested for stealing passengers’ valuables
After three Phuket airport staff were arrested for stealing passengers’ valuables on Saturday, police extended their investigation and arrested another staff member, 28 year old Kwanchai Butchai, from Sisaket province. The three men that were arrested earlier include 30 year old Manote Nakpojit and 29 year old Nirut Saksri who admitted the thefts, while another one, 23 year old Chakrit…
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Phuket and Krabi province officials meet for marine safety meeting
Authorities from Phuket and Krabi provinces have met to discuss marine safety, boat management and the tourism situation on Koh Phi Phi. About 33 authorities plus media from Phuket led by Phuket Governor, Norapat Plodthong, left from Ao Po Pier on Saturday heading to Phi Phi to meet with Krabi authorities led by Krabi Governor, Second Lieutenant Apinan Puakpong and…
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12 infringements during random safety check at Chalong Pier
The Tourist Police, Marine Police and Phuket Marine Office headed to Chalong Pier yesterday (January 20) to conduct random inspections and found 12 boat operators in error over various safety issues. Two people held expired licenses, another one didn’t bring his license onboard and another 6 operators were not running boats in accordance with the conditions specified in their license.…
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“Limit visits to marine national parks to six million”
A leading marine biologist has proposed to the government to limit visitors to marine national parks to 6 million a year to lessen impact on its ecological environment. Thon Thamrongnawasawat, deputy dean at the Fisheries Faculty of Kasetsart University, made his proposal at the meeting of the Marine and Coastal Resources Policy Management Committee chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Gen…
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Not all cryptocurrencies are the same
By Asina Pornwasin Thai companies wanting to raise public funds via Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) using cryptocurrencies should be required to follow the strict rules and regulations on Initial Public Offerings (IPOs), currently applied to stocks and other financial instruments, said experts. The cryptocurrency hype in Thailand has stepped up following an announcement from listed Thai firm Jaymart’s J Venture…
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Buggy crash at Ao Po Pier
A buggy with passengers crashed into Ao Po Long-tail Boat Club yesterday (January 19) resulting into 10 people being injured. All the injured are Chinese tourists who have already been sent to Thalang Hospital. The driver, 39 year old Pongthep Lawan, said that after he picked up his passengers from the boat returning from Naka Yai Island, the buggy stopped…
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Moto GP will generate 1 billion baht for Thailand
Sports Authority of Thailand Governor Sakon Wannapong says more than 1 billion baht will be generated by the PTT Thailand motorcycling Grand Prix at the Buri Ram International Circuit this October. The SAT boss said a huge income would be generated during the competition between October 5-7 in the northeastern province. Thailand has a three-year-contract to host the MotoGP and must pay around 400…
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UK to shift visa approvals from Bangkok to New Delhi
United Kingdom Visa and Immigration (UKVI) will relocate its visa approval centre from Bangkok to New Delhi, starting in June this year. The move is part of UKVI’s longstanding global strategy to modernise its visa operations and consolidate visa decision-making in large regional hubs, said a press release issued by the British Embassy to Thailand on Friday. There will be…
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Machete road rage in Phuket
The video of a pickup driver pulling out a machete to threaten another driver after being ‘tooted’ has gone viral. The man has since been arrested. He is being investigated by Muang Phuket police, along with the evidence, his 77cm-long machete. The 2 minute video shows the bronze pick-up truck that was driving in the middle lane cutting in front…
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THAIGER TODAY Friday, January 19
Chinese swimmer drowns off Karon Beach | Police raid of BKK pub over late 4am closing time | Prawit promises free airing of World Cup games in Thailand | Workers get a new minimum wage | Enormous drug/assets haul from 59 locations. Plus the weekend’s forecast.
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Another Chinese tourist drowns in Karon
Pol. Lt. Gen. Suwisit Kirirak received a report that a Chinese tourist had drowned at Karon Beach around 1pm yesterday (Thursday) near the Tsunami Alert Tower. He headed to the scene where Kusoldham foundation volunteers had already arrived. They found the body of 30 year old Pan Xin, a Chinese citizen who was on holidays on the island with his…
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That was 2017. This is 2018. Thai Economy
by Patrick Cooke, Regional Editor for Asia. Rising overseas demand for goods and services pushed Thailand’s GDP towards five-year highs in 2017, with business-friendly fiscal policies and planned spending on infrastructure expected to support further expansion in 2018. The Thai economy improved over the course of 2017, recording year-on-year growth of 3.3% in the first quarter, 3.8% in the second…
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The big three. 2018 elections for Thailand, Malaysia and Cambodia.
In 2018 there will be three elections in our immediate region – the much-predicted (and confirmed by the Thai PM) Thai election, another in Cambodia and one in Malaysia. All have their very local versions of democracy which will shape the outcomes. All are vital tests for the region’s fragile democracies. Cambodia Cambodia’s national elections are scheduled for July 29.…
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