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
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...
-
Truck collision on Pattaya’s Sukhumvit Road injures one passenger
A major collision occurred early yesterday on Sukhumvit Road in Pattaya, involving a six-wheeler truck and a 10-wheeler truck, resulting in one passenger being injured. Emergency responders from the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Foundation, alongside Pattaya police, arrived at the scene at 7am yesterday, August 29, near the Khao Talo intersection in the inbound lane towards Sattahip, Nong Prue subdistrict, Bang…
-
Autistic Thai boy dies after parents leave him in car for party
A seven year old Thai boy with autism died in a car after his parents left him in the vehicle for more than five hours while attending a party with neighbours in the Isaan province of Sakaeo. Volunteers from the Aranyaprathet Rescue Foundation were called to a house in the Aranyaprathet district of Sakaeo to help the seven year old…
-
Phuket taxi driver tussle turns streets into a brawl zone (video)
The streets of Phuket resembled more like a battle scene today than a picturesque holiday resort after a furious brawl broke out between local taxi drivers and foreign tourists, raising fresh concerns about visitor safety. What started as a squabble quickly spiralled into a full-blown fight, drawing a large crowd of shocked onlookers. Wichit Police stepped in today, August 30,…
-
Thailand launches inclusive tourism project for disabled and elderly
The Architectural Tour for All People Foundation, in collaboration with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Network of Wheelchair Architects, launched the Tourism for All project. The initiative is designed to foster inclusive and sustainable tourism, particularly for the elderly, the disabled, and families of wheelchair users. These groups will actively participate in the project, collectively announcing the…
-
All 3 victims confirmed dead in collapsed tunnel after 5-day rescue
Nakhon Ratchasima provincial governor today confirmed that all three victims in the collapsed railway tunnel were found dead at the scene. Rescue teams from Thailand and China worked for over five days to save the lives of the three victims trapped in the collapsed Thailand-China high-speed railway tunnel in the Isaan province of Nakhon Ratchasima. K9 dogs and other specialists…
-
Thai activist Panupong Jadnok seeks asylum in New Zealand
Political activist Panupong Jadnok aka Mike Rayong facing a lese majeste charge for a defamatory message about His Majesty the King last year, has appeared in New Zealand, where he is expected to seek political asylum and begin a new life. Eakapop Luara, also known as Tang Achiwa, an ex-member of the red-shirt movement and a political refugee who previously…
-
Krungsri’s card charge: Loan surge despite economic strain
The unsecured loan arm of Bank of Ayudhya, Krungsri Consumer, is predicting a spike in credit card loans in the second half of the year, despite the economy limping along and new rules raising the minimum payments. Currently, Krungsri’s non-performing loan (NPL) rate is a lowly 1.4%, far better than the industry average of 2.9%. Atis Ruchirawat, head honcho at…
-
Bangkok braces for river’s ride: Chao Phraya goes with the flow
Heavy flooding in northern Thailand is now wreaking havoc in Bangkok, with the capital bracing itself for the Chao Phraya River to burst its banks, according to the Royal Irrigation Department (RID). Floodwaters from the northern provinces are surging into Bangkok, spurred by a rushed discharge from the Chao Phraya dam in Chai Nat. This dam, crucial for regulating water…
-
Foreign driver damages Thai woman’s car during dispute (video)
A Thai woman is taking legal action against a foreign man for damaging her car during a heated traffic dispute on a road in Phuket yesterday. The Thai woman, whose name remains undisclosed, shared the details of the incident with the Phuket Times today, August 29. She explained that the foreign motorist, whose nationality was unknown, followed her from an…
-
New sinkhole swallows road in Malaysia capital
A fresh sinkhole has appeared in the heart of Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, just 50 metres from where a woman vanished into the ground last week. The unsettling new collapse emerged yesterday on Jalan Masjid India, a bustling thoroughfare not far from the iconic Petronas Twin Towers. Officials have cordoned off the area as they investigate potential damage to the…
-
Bangkok governor assures city’s safety amid rising waters
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt takes charge as floodwaters loom large, inspecting vital levee repairs and boosting confidence in the city’s flood defence strategy. Chadchart, accompanied by Deputy Governor Wisanu Supsompol and top officials from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) Drainage and Sewerage Department, yesterday conducted a crucial inspection of flood levee repairs along the Chao Phraya River in Yannawa district.…
-
CAAT debunks YouTuber’s aircraft maintenance claims
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has clarified the case where a pilot exposed aircraft mechanics using fake and expired parts for maintenance, causing concern that it could be life-threatening. The X account Aviation Knowledge (@aviknowledge) stated that another point that needs to be answered is the standard for issuing a Certificate of Airworthiness. CAAT Deputy Director of Civil…
-
Chinese luxury property pitch in Bangkok angers Thai netizens (video)
Thai netizens raised concerns and legal questions following the release of an advertising video featuring Chinese nationals selling luxury houses in the Rama 9 area of Bangkok, despite Thai law prohibiting land ownership by foreigners. A TikTok user, @thaiarya.party, shared the advertising video of the Chinese-owned residential project on Monday, August 26, with a caption that read, “We (Thai people)…
-
Thaksin visits flood-hit Chiang Rai in sensational homecoming
Thaksin Shinawatra, the once-exiled former Prime Minister of Thailand and father of current PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra, made a sensational return to his homeland on Tuesday, August 27. Touching down at Mae Fah Luang Airport in Chiang Rai, he immediately set out to assess the devastation caused by severe flooding in the region—a crisis that has left hundreds struggling. Greeted warmly…
-
Thaksin’s taxing plan to tackle poverty in Thailand
Thaksin Shinawatra is making more waves to shake up Thailand’s social, economic and political scene. His latest pitch? A negative income tax (NIT) to shake up Thailand’s tax system. This isn’t the first time NIT has been floated in Thailand. Over a decade ago, the Finance Ministry’s Fiscal Policy Office (FPO) proposed something similar, and it was included in the…
-
Former police chief and others arraigned in Red Bull hit-and-run
Former National Police Chief Police General Somyot Poompanmoung, former Deputy Attorney-General Nate Naksuk, and six others have been arraigned by public prosecutors in connection with the Red Bull heir hit-and-run case. The defendants face severe charges, including dereliction of duty. Prosecutor Suvej Chompong represented the Office of the Attorney-General at the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases, submitting…
-
Thai bike bandit claims he steals to stop angry wife leaving him
A Thai motorcycle thief cracked under police questioning and confessed he stole the vehicles to prevent his alleged temperamental wife from leaving him in Chon Buri. Bang Lamung Police Station officers suspected the 31 year old man, Watcharapong, of stealing motorcycles from locals in the area after they found him selling a motorcycle in perfect condition for only 5,000 baht. Officers…
-
Democratic Party member slams leadership for joining rivals
In a scathing critique that’s sent shockwaves through Thailand’s political landscape, Watanya Bunnag, a high-profile member of the Democrat Party, condemned her party’s decision to align with the Pheu Thai-led coalition government. Watanya, also known as Madame Dear, labelled the move as a betrayal of the party’s faithful supporters. Taking to Facebook, Watanya accused the party’s leadership of shattering the…
-
Thai farmers set to grow demand for chemical fertilisers next year
The demand for chemical fertilisers and agricultural chemicals among Thai farmers is expected to rise between October and December next year. This increased need is crucial for crops such as oil palm, rubber, fruit trees, and ornamental plants, which require year-round agricultural inputs. Udom Srisomrong, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Internal Trade, highlighted that the current fertiliser prices in…
-
Burmese victim confirmed dead in collapsed tunnel, 2 still missing
A rescue team confirmed the death of a Burmese victim trapped in the collapsed railway tunnel in the Isaan province of Nakhon Ratchasima. Meanwhile, the search for the other two victims, reported to be Chinese nationals, is still underway. Rescuers from multiple organisations were deployed to the Thailand-China high-speed railway tunnel in the Chan Thuek sub-district of Nakhon Ratchasima to…
-
Tourists flying high from Thailand, face cannabis crackdown in UK
Tourists jetting into the United Kingdom from Thailand, Canada, and the United States are being slapped with stern warnings from the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) about the severe penalties for smuggling cannabis. The heightened vigilance at UK airports sparked a massive surge in arrests and drug seizures, laying bare the zero-tolerance stance taken by the UK police. According to…
-
Spanish star’s son sentenced to life for murder on Koh Pha Ngan
In a chilling case that shocked both Spain and Thailand, Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, son of prominent Spanish actors Rodolfo Sancho Aguirre and Silvia Bronchalo, has been sentenced to life in prison for the premeditated murder of Colombian plastic surgeon Edwin Arrieta Arteaga. The gruesome crime took place last August on the idyllic Thai island of Koh Pha Ngan. Originally handed…
-
Thai escort extorted by 4 fake cops over unfulfilled climax
A Thai escort reached out for help after four customers, claiming to be police officers, threatened her to return a service fee of 1,500 baht before extorting a further 20,000 baht, saying she could not make them climax. Non-profit organisation Saimai Survive accompanied the victim to Mueang Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Police Station to file a complaint against the four customers…
-
Kiwi becomes another unfortunate ‘Pattaya Flying Club’ victim
A holiday in Pattaya turned into a nightmare for the family of a 36 year old Kiwi man who plunged to his death from a hotel balcony in the early hours this morning. Pattaya police were alerted at approximately 6am today, August 29, to a shocking incident at a hotel near Beach Road in the Nong Prue subdistrict. Upon arriving at…
-
Trouble brewing: Chinese tourists’ bike crashes into Pattaya café
Two Chinese tourists had a close call in Pattaya after their big bike crashed into a coffee shop fence, leaving onlookers stunned but, fortunately, unscathed. Pattaya police were alerted to a motorbike accident on Monday, August 26, at a coffee shop near the Dolphin Roundabout in North Pattaya. Responding swiftly, officers and rescue volunteers arrived at the chaotic scene to…
-
Thailand’s trade deficit with China rises 15.7% to US$20 billion
Thailand’s Trade Policy and Strategy Office (TPSO) raised alarms about the expanding trade deficit with China. Imports from China surged by 7.12% year-on-year in the first half of 2024, reaching US$37.6 billion (approximately 1.33 trillion baht). This spike resulted in a trade deficit of US$20 billion (around 720 billion baht), marking a 15.7% increase compared to the previous year. Smartphones,…
-
Burmese worker’s grief sparks axe rampage at Phuket camp
A Burmese worker’s grief over a friend’s death led to a chaotic rampage at a worker’s camp in Phuket, where he damaged a journalist’s car with an axe. The incident followed a fatal stabbing involving a Thai man and another Burmese worker. Yesterday, August 28, police in Thalang, Phuket, received reports of a man running amok and attacking a journalist’s…
-
Leap of irony: Cheating Thai husband attempts suicide after scam
A cheating Thai husband tried to end his life by leaping from a pedestrian bridge on Pattanakarn Road in Bangkok after his online affairs took a dramatic turn. Ironically, he was scammed out of less than 1,000 baht by the very women he was cheating with. A Facebook page shared a video of the man’s suicide attempt and a subsequent…
-
Suvarnabhumi Airport to handle 80 million passengers yearly by 2031
Airports of Thailand (AoT) announced ambitious plans to upgrade Suvarnabhumi International Airport in a bid to accommodate 80 million passengers annually by 2031. AoT President Kerati Kijmanawat stated yesterday, August 28, that the agency is revising its master plan to expand the airport’s capacity over the next decade. This move aligns with the government’s goal to see Suvarnabhumi Airport rank…
-
Myanmar man confesses to killing Khon Kaen taxi driver
A Myanmar man has confessed to killing a 63 year old taxi driver in a dispute over a 2,000-baht fare, claiming self-defence after being threatened with a knife. He expressed remorse and a desire to apologise to the victim’s family. Officers convened at the Bang Phli Police Station at 8.30pm yesterday, August 28, to announce the arrest of Maung Soe…
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.