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 What’s not covered by health insurance in Thailand?
Health insurance in Thailand has important limits that everyone should know. Many policies do not cover pre-existing conditions, motorcycle accidents, extreme sports, or specific treatments. These gaps can lead to unexpected costs during emergencies. Coverage for outpatient care and hospital...
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Human Rights Watch report accuses Burmese soldiers of atrocities
Burmese soldiers have gang raped Rohingya women in continued violence against the Muslim minority in the Rakhine state, according to a Human Rights Watch report. Human Rights Watch cited firsthand interviews with 52 Rohingya women and girls who fled to Bangladesh and reported being raped by security forces in Myanmar. More than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have left Myanmar’s Rakhine State…
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Surin Beach locals not happy with MaAnn’s retention wall
The team of Phuket Provincial Office of Public Works and Town & Country Planning, Thalang District Chief and other officials led by the Chief of Cherngtalay OrBorTor gathered at Surin Beach today (November 15) to meet with a group of about 50 local villagers, who disagree with the plan to build a retention wall along Surin Beach that will cost…
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Bad day on Phuket’s roads
There was a fatal accident just after 8am this morning on the By Pass Road, southbound, just near the Keehin hardware store. The black pick-up truck was carrying eight Burmese migrant workers. The injured were taken to Vachira Hospital. There was heavy traffic across the Patong Hill early in the morning, also later in the afternoon and traffic along Viset…
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His Majesty grants flowers, energy drinks, traditional Thai sweets to ‘Toon’
His Majesty the King on Wednesday granted flowers, energy drinks and Thai traditional sweets from His Majesty’s kitchen to provide moral support to charity running hero Artiwara “Toon” Kongmalai. The King sent AM Phakdee Saengchuto, his assistant principal private secretary, to deliver the gifts to Toon in a ceremony held in front of His Majesty’s picture. The ceremony was held…
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60 year old Brit drowns at Karon
A 60 year old British tourist, Collin William Dean, drowned in Karon yesterday (November 14) after swimming in a red flagged zone. He went to the beach with his wife and drowned after getting dragged under by a strong waves. His wife called for help around and the people nearby jumped into the water to help him. He was brought…
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Phuket stray dog pound make-over takes shape
During a morning meeting at the Provincial Hall (November 14), Phuket’s Governor, Noraphat Plodthong revealed the development plans for the Suan Pa Bang Kanun dog pound. He has ordered the Phuket Livestock Office to push forward the paperwork relating to the land of Suan Pa Bang Kanun so the renovation and development can progress as soon as possible. A lighting…
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Close to 2,000 illegal foreigners in Phuket not deported
Phuket Police Commander, Pol Maj Gen Teerapon Thipcharoln has revealed that about 1,730 cases of illegal foreigners in Phuket ‘discovered’ by local police from many police stations across Phuket were not handed to Phuket Immigration Office and the cases are being investigated. The total criminal cases where foreigners were arrested from October 2016 – October 2017 is 2,415 people with…
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Aung San Suu Kyi – battered but not bruised over Rhakine crisis
ASEAN is expressing ‘solidarity’ with the elected defacto civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi in her efforts to “promote humanitarian assistance to ease tensions and conflict in Rakhine state.” Leaders at APEC are officially supporting the civilian leader rather than issuing a sterner rebuke over her country’s handling of the Rohingya crisis. Meanwhile Myanmar’s army has acquitted itself after an…
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Authorities check the smoking ban along Patong Beach
The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) Director General, Chatuporn Burutpat, along with his team, visited Patong Beach to follow up on the cigarette prohibition now in force on the famous tourist beach. 26 smoking spots were set up along the 3 kilometre stretch of beach by Patong Municipality last week. The Director General and Patong Mayor, Chalermluck Kebsup,…
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HRH Princess Sirindhorn opens astrophysics conference in Phuket
HRH Princess Sirindhorn Chaired the 11th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) 2017 hosted at the Duangjitt Resort in Patong. The opening ceremony was arranged for yesterday morning (November 13). A number of Phuket authorities including Phuket’s Governor, the Patong Mayor, Rawai Mayor and the Dean of Prince of Songkla University welcomed HRH Princess at the ceremony. The IOAA…
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World road toll – could Thailand move into first place?
Thailand is in danger of moving from its previous number two position in the world for fatal road accidents to number one. A new report on road safety from 2016 – 2017 shows road deaths in Thailand have risen by almost 3,000. The Provincial Road Accident Prevention and Resolution Program and Road Safety Operation Centre has released a report that…
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Deputy abbot facing arrest over sex with underage boys
Police have obtained an arrest warrant for a deputy abbot in the northern Nan province who was implicated in a leaked chat log allegedly recording him arranging to buy sex from underage boys. Pol Colonel Prayoon Chamnarn, Muang Nan police chief, said he had received a warrant for the arrest of Phra Samu-udon Chinwangso, deputy abbot of Phayaswat Temple. Prayoon…
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Olympic legend sends goodwill message to ‘Toon’
One of the world’s great long-distance athletes has added his praise for rockstar Artiwara “Toon” Kongmalai’s epic 2,191-kilometre run for charity. Britain’s Mo Farah, who has twice won Olympic gold medals at both the 5,000 and 10,000 metres, has posted a photo of himself holding a running shoe on his Facebook page “Mo Farah” and Instagram “gomofarah”, saying: “Keep running…
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THAIGER TODAY Monday, November 13
Some retailers ‘not playing fair’ | HRH Princess Sirindhorn in Phuket | APEC kicks off in Vietnam | 200 year old Siamese cannons found | Another fatal bus crash in Bangkok | Rubber planters call off BKK protest.
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Two killed in eight hours on Phuket’s roads
Accident on Patong Hill killing one this morning At about 2 am this morning (November 13), Kathu police got a report of a pick-up truck that had an accident hitting an electric pole killing the 35 year old driver, Wittaya Chanadet, while the passenger suffered from injuries and was taken to Hospital. The passenger was not named. Police revealed that…
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Government crackdown uncovers 100,000 illegal immigrants
The 95 arrested in Phuket last week for overstaying their visas could be just the tip of a 100,000 person iceberg, according to the country’s Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan. 62 Indians, 11 Pakistanis, 6 Egyptians and 16 foreigners from other nationalities were rounded up last Friday by immigration police whilst 15 Phuket-based police are being being asked to ‘please explain’ why…
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Vachira wants to be paid before Stacey can leave hospital
PHOTO: 9news.com.au “Last night she told 9NEWS that animals walked freely through the hospital wards and said the family was worried about the risk of infection so soon after Ms Liddle’s surgery”. An Australian woman who could lose her leg after a horrible scooter accident in Thailand (Chalong, Phuket) fears being held hostage over her hospital bill (at Vachira Hospital).…
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Phuket’s gay scene gets another chance with Chinese GLBTI
PHOTO: ZAG Nightclub performers, TheGayPassport.com This article first appeared in The Nation courtesy of AFP. It’s an insight into the rebirth of one of the more ‘tatty’ ends of Patong – Soi Paradise, the ‘gay zone’ – where gay bars have opened and closed over the years struggling to attract a consistent flow of customers. For one of south east…
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Phuket Immigration Police arrest 95 illegal foreigners, mostly overstayers
Today (November 10), Phuket Immigration Police announced the results of a crackdown with 95 foreigners arrested, mostly on the basis of overstay. The mix of nationalities comprises 62 Indians, 11 Pakistanis, 6 Egyptians and 16 foreigners from other nationalities. 70 of them were overstaying (the longest one is 2,000 days or nearly five and a half years) while 24 others…
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15 Phuket police officers under investigation over bribes allegations
Deputy Police Commissioner General Pol Gen Srivara Ransibrahmanakul An investigation has been launched against 15 police officers in Phuket accused of taking bribes from illegal immigrants. Deputy Police Commissioner General Pol Gen Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said he had been assigned by the national police chief to head the probe into allegations that local police, tourist police and immigration police in Phuket…
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Suspicious item found near the Phuket International Airport
A suspicious item, that looked like a M67 grenade, was found at a taxi queue next to the Phuket International Airport last night (November 9). The object was in a perfect shape with the bolt wrapped in blue tape. The team covered the item using old tyres and cordoned off the scene from the public. Phuket International Airport’s EOD team…
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Phuket holds a seminar for Ponzi scheme fraud protection
A seminar was held today (November 9), aiming to provide knowledge to people about Ponzi schemes and fake products. The seminar was chaired by the Phuket Governor and attended by many authorities including Pol Col Prawut Wongseenil, Deputy Director General of DSI and President of Anti-Ponzi scheme Association, Samat Jenchaijitarawanit. A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation where the…
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The Laverty’s Little Lie – how NOT to scam your insurance company
PHOTO: express.co.uk When we first saw this story, not provided by one of our reporters but from a UK provincial rag, we were suspicious. We contacted the local police. Nothing. We asked other reporters around the island. Nothing. We re-published the article with the caveat that we were trying to verify the facts with local police. We weren’t the only…
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UPDATE: Four Japanese and a Thai guide killed as passenger van rams truck
Five people were killed and one injured when a minivan rammed into the rear of a running truck in Ayutthaya’s Bang Pa-in district on Wednesday. Earlier we reported on The Thaiger and Phuket Gazette that six had been killed. The van was reportedly carrying four Japanese and a Thai guide in addition to the driver. The van caught fire soon…
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THAIGER TODAY Thursday, November 9
Governor cracks down on Kamala | Five killed in van crash | Flash floods in Prachuap Kiri Khan | Bangkok voted #2 for tourism.
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Where’s the best place to do business in Asia? (It’s not Thailand)
Singapore, closely followed by South Korea, remains the best country in which to run a business, according to the World Bank. While Brunei, Thailand and India have registered the most notable improvement in the ease of doing business. Pakistan, Myanmar and Bangladesh are the region’s lowest ranked economies. In the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business list, Singapore has been…
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Bangkok’s Number Two. Who’s Number One?
PHOTO: skyscrapercity.com Euromonitor International has released its annual Top City Destinations Ranking for 2017 covering 100 of the world’s leading cities in terms of international tourist arrivals. This year’s report includes forecast data up to 2025 and incorporates future travel trends to give further insight on how travel trends are borne out of the opportunities and challenges that cities face.…
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Top Asian sports brands & events recognised at 2017 SPIA Asia Awards
A successful 3rd SPIA Asia – Asia’s Sports Industry Awards & Conference came to a close with a black-tie Awards Gala Dinner with , Mr Nattavuth Ruengves, Deputy Governor for Elite Sports and Sports Science of Sports Authority of Thailand and Mr. Somyot Poompunmoung, President of the Football Association of Thailand and more than 400 VIP guests in attendance, gathered…
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THAIGER TODAY Wednesday, November 8
No smoking zones now in force | Toon tops 100 million baht mark | PM won’t rule out starting an NCPO political party | Phuket has a World Champion | Ferries back in service on Gulf | Cabinet approves tax-breaks | 4 year old girl shot in Pattani.
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3 day old baby left at Phang Nga hospital
PHOTO: Takuapa Hospital in Phang Nga – THMaps.com A healthy 3 day old baby has been dumped in a Takuapa hospital’s ER section along with 2,000 Baht in cash. At about 9pm on November 6, at Takuapa Hospital in Phang Nga, a baby was found next to a medicine room. He is 2.6 kilograms and estimated to be only 3…
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