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.
-
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,...
-
‘Safety’ mayhem on Phuket’s waters
Editorial by Duncan Worthington Let’s be clear from the off that we’re talking about speedboats, specifically day tour operators who pack in the tourists on an overpowered wooden speedboat and then zip off (at speed) to stop A, B, C and D, with a lunch thrown in along the way. In Phuket’s high season, these overpacked “cattle tours” can be…
-
New restrictions for buses travelling over Patong Hill
Phuket Police, the Land Transport Office and Highways Department have met for an emergency conference to discuss possible solutions to help prevent more bus accidents on the notorious stretch of road leading into the island’s most popular tourist town. The meeting concluded that the first priority is to limit access for buses and large vehicles that have been the main…
-
Dead baby found in rubbish bin near Rajabhat University
A local pedestrian had a grizzly find today when she discovered a deceased baby in a garbage bin near Rajabhat University. The Kusoldharm Rescue Team and police were called to the location at a soi in front of Dusitburi Village. Police report the the baby was approximately 7 months old, female, pale skin, black hair and found in…
-
Two in serious condition following bus crash on Patong Hill
The 65 year old driver of the Chinese tour bus that crashed last night, Prajuab Sirikul, is likely to be charged with careless driving. At the moment he’s one of two people listed in a serious condition at Vachira Hospital. The other person was driving a motorbike when the bus collided with traffic around 8pm last night. He’s 31 year…
-
Dissent in Paradise
EDITORIAL The recent silent protest at the country’s most prestigious university in Bangkok, THAT photo of a student in a chokehold from a lecturer and the subsequent publicity, has wider implications than just a sore neck and a university in PR panic. There’s been a lot of media blow-back on the venerated Chulalongkorn University after it was revealed a…
-
Phuket Report Card August 2017
Story from c9hotelworks.com Phuket’s Provincial government is undertaking a large-scale initiative to tackle the problem of unlicensed hotels. Since the campaign started, a total of 1,007 hotels have now applied for official operating licenses with just six approved to date. The main challenges for the process are the strict regulations associated with the Building Control and Hotel Acts. Provincial Hall…
-
Charging ahead. Electric car charging stations coming to Thailand.
The Thailand chapters of four industrial companies are pooling their resources to work towards public charging stations for the next generation of electric cars in the country. Greenlots, BMW Group Thailand, Polytechnology and the Central Group are set to launch ‘Charge Now’ in Thailand which they claim is already the world’s largest network of charging stations for electric and hybrid…
-
Sugar Crusher claims worker’s hand
31 year old Burmese worker Kyam Thu Aung has had a horrific accident this afternoon (Friday) losing his hand in a home sugar cane crusher. Kusoldham rescue volunteers arrived to find the man with parts of his left hand still inside the crusher. The hand had been destroyed in the crusher and almost completely separated from his forearm. The team…
-
THAIGER TODAY Thursday, August 3 @ Patong
D-Day for Patong’s taxi & tuk tuk drivers, missing Thai girls in California, Thai PM visits northeast and officials looking for a new home for some of Phuket’s monkeys.
-
Property Lawyer Matthew McEvily Passes Away
Well-known longtime Phuket real estate lawyer Matthew McEvily passed away in the United States on June 20th. He was 59 years old. McEvily was actively involved in the real estate sector in Phuket, Bangkok and Samui. For a number of years he was a a partner in McEvily & Collins law firm, and later on his own under McEvily and…
-
Don’t walk and talk. Woman gets stuck in drain.
A 26 year old woman has stepped on a drain and fallen in whilst walking in Vichit checking her mobile phone and not watching where she was going. The accident happened at the front of Muang Thai Leasing Office in Chao-fah East Road. Phuket Ruamchai and Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers arrived at the scene to find the woman sitting on…
-
The Outlook is Bullish
Despite the volatility that occurred early in the session on Thursday and Fintwits’ instantaneous panic, markets remain in a firm position on the weekly charts. The weekly chart of the SP500 still posted a higher high and higher low in relation to last week’s bar, which was bullish follow- through from the prior week’s breakout. The Thursday intraday blip brought…
-
Former Abbot Phra Dhammajayo fled to Europe?
Former Abbot Phra Dhammajayo may have fled the country. The DSI (Department of Special Investigations) says they have evidence that he may have bolted to Europe with the help of some of his followers. The Government raided the sprawling ‘space-age’ Dhammakaya Temple headquarters, just north of Bangkok, back in February but came out empty-handed. Authorities have vowed to bring the…
-
Surfers shine @ Kata. Kata Krew Surf Contest at Kata Beach.
Last weekend past saw the first of five planned surf competitions for the region at Kata, one of the best surf beaches on the west coast of Phuket. The event was organised and hosted by Kata Krew and the Karon Provincial Office with major support from Hanuman World, Flying Hanuman, Banana Beach, Seven Marine and SurfHouse Boardriders. The event was…
-
Boats collide off James Bond island (Koh Ta Poo). 16 injured.
Two boats have collided off James Bond Island. A tour boat carrying 20 passengers, including tour guides and crew, were heading back from Koh Ta Poo, better known as James Bond Island, to Koh Panyi for lunch yesterday (Monday, July 31). On the way the ‘Wararat’ crashed into what’s been described as a long tail boat carrying 12 Chinese tourists.…
-
Sakon Nakhon floods easing. Authorities worried about more rain.
The country’s disaster warning system needs to be reformed, experts emphasized yesterday, as there was no warning for the recent flash flood in Sakon Nakhon that resulted from heavy downpours and leakage in a local reservoir. Meanwhile, experts have reassured the public that there will be no big flood similar to the disaster in 2011, because there was no indication…
-
Congratulations Mareeya Poonlertlarp, our new Miss Thailand 2017
25 year old Mareeya Poonlertlarp is a half-Thai, half-Swedish model, and has been crowned Miss Thailand Universe 2017 at Siam Paragon Hall in Bangkok. Marayee is 183cm tall, a postgraduate in marketing from the Stockholm Business School and claims to be fluent in four languages – Thai, Swedish, English and Mandarin. She has won one million baht, a diamond tiara…
-
‘World Day against Trafficking in Persons’. Thailand in the middle of the world’s human trafficking hot spot.
Today is ‘World Day against Trafficking in Persons’ – a day where we reflect on the many victims of trafficking who live among us, but have been forced into silence due to threats to their life, retaliation against their family, feelings of hopelessness, or being enslaved and physically unable to speak out. The day has special meaning in Thailand where…
-
Don’t feed the fish. Illegal South Korean guide nabbed.
An illegal Korean tour guide was arrested at Koh Racha Yai yesterday for allowing Korean tourists to feed fish. Kanchit Klingclip, a business operator and conservationist on Racha Island, posted a video clip on line showing the tour guide taking tourists to dive and feed fish, which is a violation of the law under the Department of Marine and Coastal…
-
Letter to Thai Immigration
Congratulations to the Thai Immigration Department for its forward thinking on helping to attract additional tourists by waving visa fees for some countries and halving the visa-on-arrival cost for others. A stroke of genius. I’m not sure how you will inform the citizens of these countries of your cunning plan to lure back the tourists in the wake of the…
-
B300,000 of pirated goods confiscated in OTOP raid
PHUKET: A Patong vendor was apprehended, while two others escaped after police raided the ‘One Tambon, One Product’ (OTOP) market in Patong yesterday. Officers seized 458 pirated items valued at about 300,000 baht. “Due to the provincial policy of continuously fighting pirated goods, especially in Patong, we decided to inspect shops at the OTOP market, one of the high traffic…
-
Russian stabbed in Phuket home
PHUKET: Police are searching for a ladyboy (transsexual) who is suspected of stabbing her Russian boyfriend in Phuket early yesterday morning. Gennadii Khlopotov, 31, works for a company based in Koh Kaew and lives in Rassada. So far, police know that he previously used to live with his Russian girlfriend in an apartment in Rassada, but then ended relations with…
-
The global costs of human trafficking
PHUKET: Tomorrow is ‘World Day against Trafficking in Persons’ – a day where we give a voice to the many victims of trafficking who live among us, but have been forced into silence due to threats to their life, retaliation against their family, feelings of hopelessness, or being enslaved and physically unable to speak out. Human trafficking is big business.…
-
Another Chinese tourist drowns in Phuket
PHUKET: A Chinese tourist died after she was overcome by strong waves that threw her off a rock and drew her into the sea at Kamala Beach this morning. Pan Ying, 32, reportedly fell in at about 11:30am. Rescue workers and lifeguards quickly took action to bring her back to shore. However, they were unable to resuscitate her and she…
-
87-year-old escapes Phuket Town house fire
PHUKET: An 87-year-old lady is safe after her Phuket Town house caught fire last night, causing damages estimated at 100,000 baht. The house, which is located near the Government Savings Bank in Talad Yai, caught fire at about 8:20pm. Firefighters from Phuket City Municipality were called in to help. “A total of four fire trucks were at the scene doing…
-
Red light jumper caught with gun, drugs
PHUKET: A man was arrested after running a red light in Karon, but later found to be in possession of illegal substances. Sen Sgt Maj Hatthaporn Thongkhaobua of the Karon Traffic Police was on duty at a traffic light in Karon when he saw a white Isuzu pick-up truck moving from Karon toward Chalong Circle. The driver cruised right through…
-
Bail set at B1mn each for suspects in amulet fraud
PHUKET: Two of the accused in a ‘magic’ amulet fraud case presented themselves for questioning at Phuket Provincial Police Station, but denied all charges and are currently out on bail of 1 million baht each. Last week, more than 20 people filed a complaint at Chalong Police Station against Sumalee Lertwilai, claiming that she and her accomplices had cheated them…
-
Phuket lifeguards come to tourists’ rescue
PHUKET: Lifeguards have once again strongly urged tourists to swim with caution and never disobey red-flags after four tourists were safely rescued from strong waves at Nai Harn Beach yesterday. The lifeguards believe them to be 20-30 years old. “We have clearly placed red flags in areas where the winds and waves are strong and we perceive that there is…
-
Drug dealer busted at Tah Chat Chai checkpoint
PHUKET: A drug dealer was arrested with more than 4,000 pills of ya bah (methamphetamine) worth more than 400,000 baht at Tah Chat Chai checkpoint Sunday evening. Chaiwat Urairot, 28, was arrested while trying to enter Phuket from Songkhla at about 6pm. “We aim to thoroughly check every vehicle entering Phuket. During one of our routine checks, we found Mr…
-
Canadian boxer found dead in rental home
PHUKET: Police are trying to identify the cause of death of a Canadian boxer whose body was discovered in his rental home in Patong yesterday morning. “The incident occurred at 50 Pi Road, where the victim, 27-year-old Matthew Darling Richardson, was staying. We found his body lying face down in the bathroom. He was dressed in black shorts and had…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.