News
Stay up-to-date with the latest news from across Thailand and beyond with The Thaiger. Our dedicated team brings you breaking news, in-depth analysis, and exclusive stories from this stunning part of the world, covering a diverse range of topics, including local politics, business, culture, and tourism. Keep yourself informed about the Kingdom’s rich history, stunning landscapes, and thriving expat communities, as well as updates on events, attractions, and transportation.
The Thaiger is your essential resource for staying connected with Thailand’s captivating blend of tradition and modernity. To remain in the loop with the country’s most trusted news source, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media.
-
Sponsored
Is tap water in Thailand safe to consume?
Wondering if you can drink the tap water in Thailand? From brushing your teeth to filling up a bottle, it’s helpful to understand a few basics. Tap water safety in Thailand varies by location, and while some people use it...
-
War on drugs underway
BANGKOK (TNA): The government has launched a new round of drug suppression in a ceremony presided over by Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat last Thursday. The 90-day “war on drugs”, which kicked off on November 3, is scheduled to last through till the end of January. In his speech announcing the crackdown, PM Somchai encouraged authorities to devote their full attention…
-
Phuket Carnival dates announced
PATONG: This year’s Phuket Carnival will take place from December 15 to 20 at Patong Beach, some six weeks after the traditional starting date of November 1. Phuket Deputy Mayor Chairat Sukban said this year’s events will differ slightly from carnivals in past years, which have featured top rock acts including Modern Dog and even a performance once by the…
-
Americans dominate beach volleyball final
KARON: In the final playoff of the Swatch FIVB Beach Volleyball 2008 tournament, Jennifer Boss and April Ross overcame fellow Americans Nicole Branagh and Tyra Turner to win at Karon Beach on Sunday. After two sets, the teams couldn’t be separated with Branagh and Turner winning the first set 21-18 and Ross and Boss the second 21-14. The final went…
-
Deadline for local ‘yellow pages’ listings
PHUKET: Businesses wishing to appear in the 2009 Gazette Guide, Phuket’s ‘yellow pages’, have until 6pm on Wednesday, November 12, to enter (or update) their listings. Businesses entered after that date will appear in the Gazette Guide Online only – not in the hard-copy book for 2009. Listings, which are for Phuket Phang-nga, Krabi and Samui businesses only, can be…
-
Israir announces direct flights from mid-December
PHUKET: Israeli airline Israir announced Wednesday that as of December it will begin operating two flights to Thailand, including direct flights between Israel and Phuket. Israel-based news service ynetnews.com reported that the flights, aboard Airbus A-330 planes, will be available during the height of Phuket’s high season: from December 15 to February 28. The flights will leave Israel on Sundays…
-
Urgent need for B Rh Negative blood
BANGKOK: Foreign Correspondents Club Thailand (FCCT) member and well-known local restaurateur Thomas McNamara is in critical condition and in need of blood type B Rh NEGATIVE. If you or anybody you know has this rare blood type, please contact Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok (Tel: 02-6671000) where Mr McNamara is being treated in Intensive Care Unit 526. A transfusion will help…
-
Young Brit dies in mystery fall
PATONG: A young English tourist mysteriously fell from a building in Patong early Monday evening and died en route to hospital. Kathu Police Superintendent Col Grissak Songmoonnark identified the deceased from his passport as UK national Joseph John Nason, age 22. Mr Nason and a friend, aged 19, had just arrived in Phuket on a flight from Bangkok and were…
-
Cobra cocktails, roadside rat-ions
SUPHANBURI: The sight of roadside stalls selling seasonal fruit, diesel-flavored roast chicken or other comestibles is a common one on any road trip in Thailand. Along the roads of Suphanburi, however, the offerings are a bit more exotic, with cobras and field rats the current hits.On October 27, Sala Phromphim, who owns five stalls selling the unusual delicacies along the…
-
Bus crash claims 2, injures 30
MAI KHAO (NBT): A fully-loaded bus headed for Satun overturned and crashed at about 9 pm Sunday night, killing two people and injuring at least 30 more. The state-run Andaman News service reported that the accident occurred on the outbound lane of Thepkasattri Rd, in the Ban Maak Prok area of Mai Khao Village 1. Tah Chat Chai Police Superintendent Sakchai…
-
Laguna Phuket turns to China, Middle East as Europe stays away
PHUKET: Laguna Phuket, the giant five-star resort complex on Bangtao Beach, Phuket, says it plans to look more and more towards China and the Middle East next year to compensate for a continuing plunge in bookings from European tourists. The operators expect the global financial crisis and domestic political unrest to continue affecting international arrivals next year, particularly Europeans, long…
-
Stress taking a toll
BANGKOK (The Nation): Heads of families or breadwinners in urban areas in Bangkok and 18 other provinces are suffering from stress due to political turmoil and economic woes, an Abac poll revealed yesterday. The poll was conducted from October 10 to November 1. Of 3,293 respondents surveyed, 59 per cent said they were ‘stressed out’ by the country’s ongoing political…
-
Kajonkietsuksa School celebrates Halloween
WICHIT: Students and teachers of the Kajonkietsuksa School’s bilingual program today dressed up for a range of special Halloween activities being held at the school. These fun events are taking place before an abundance of parties all over the island this evening, including a ‘Sexy’, black-and-gold dress-up Hellfire event at the Watermark. What? Halloween gone sexy?
-
Flushed condoms trigger sewage catastrophe
PATHUM THANI: Most people have been warned at some point not to flush condoms down the toilet for risk of blocking the outflow pipe and having a nasty overflowing toilet to deal with. But who has ever seen it actually happen? The management of one short-time hotel in Muang District discovered, to its chagrin, that a steady input of second-hand…
-
Central gets its HomeWorks done
WICHIT: After a year under construction, the 1-billion-baht HomeWorks home improvement mall opened its doors to the public for the first time on Saturday, October 25. Built by the CRC Power Retail Company Limited, one of the many arms of the massive Central Retail Corporation, the bypass road’s latest mega-retail outlet is located at the Darasamuth School Intersection, right across…
-
AOT launches “Lucky Flight’ promo at Phuket Airport
MAI KHAO: The Airports Authority Of Thailand (AOT) launched its three-day “Lucky Flight by AOT” promotion on Monday, when some of the 250 passengers arriving aboard Thai Airways flight TG 1205 won presents in a lucky draw held upon their arrival at 11 am. Manager magazine’s on-line Thai language news service quoted Phuket International Airport (PIA) deputy director Sucheeb Sansiripan…
-
They’re here! Box Jellyfish found in Phuket waters
PANWA: The Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) has issued an official warning following the collection of almost 40 box jellyfish in a trap in shallow waters, off Ao Nambor, on Phuket’s east coast. Some 38 of the jellyfish, which favor shallow brackish water, were recovered from a fish trap in a mangrove area on July 30. Eighteen more were found…
-
Regional haze pollution may diminish this year
CHERNG TALAY: In one of his first official acts as Governor, Dr Preecha Ruangjan represented the province at a multinational meeting aimed at reducing forest fires and haze in the region. The gathering, the Sixth Meeting of the Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee (MSC) on Trans-boundary Haze Pollution, was hosted at the Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket Resort on October 22. The…
-
Man suspected of journalist killing turns himself in
NAKHON SRI THAMMARAT: A man wanted on suspicion of involvement in the killing of Matichon journalist Athiwat Chainurat handed himself in to authorities in Nakhon Sri Thammarat on October 22. Lamduan “Kop” Kaowsisot, 25, from Bang Khan District gave himself up to Amnuay Jaritngam, headman of Village 1, Tambon Ban Lamnao, Bang Khan District after learning that a warrant for…
-
Copulating couple cause culture shock
UTTARADIT: Government officials in Uttaradit have been put on high alert after a teenage couple was caught having sex right outside the culture office in the Provincial Hall on the afternoon of September 20. On that day, the town was packed with people coming to watch a festival being held in Phraya Phichai Dap Hak Sports Stadium, opposite the hall.…
-
Cruel cure for unlucky lad
SURIN: Sometimes, a cure can be worse than the illness. This was certainly the case for one young man who went to the local temple to perform a ceremony to ward off bad luck, but ended up dying after drinking “blessed water” prepared by the temple abbot. Twenty-three year old Bunyang Khreuaniam of Khwao Sinarin District on September 30 told…
-
Preecha Ruangjan installed as new governor
PHUKET CITY: Preecha Ruangjan took office as the new Phuket Governor at Provincial Hall on Monday. Gov Preecha, who comes to Phuket after serving as governor of his home province of Phichit, paid his respects to the statue of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) in front of Provincial Hall, then accepted flower baskets from many top officials and department heads. Tomorrow,…
-
Chai-Anan elected Kathu mayor
KATHU: By exactly 1,000 votes, Chai-Anan Suttikun beat rival candidate Somkid Choosawat in the October 12 election for Mayor of Kathu, Phuket Election Committee (PEC) Director Supap Akkam has confirmed. Mr Chai-Anan, representing the Rak Kathu (Love Kathu) party, garnered 4,815 votes, while Mr Somkid from rival party Kathu Pattana (Kathu Development) secured 3,815 votes. The result makes Mr Chai-Anan…
-
Man charged with Tesco midnight robberies
TAH CHAT CHAI: Stepped-up security at the Tah Chat Chai police checkpoint has resulted in the arrest of a man wanted for stealing merchandise valued at more than 100,000 baht from the Tesco-Lotus store on the bypass road. At a press conference led by Phuket Provincial Police Commander Apirak Hongthong on Friday, the suspect was identified as Manorom Aksorniem, from…
-
Man arrested for murder at Khao Khad Viewpoint
WICHIT: Phuket City Police took just 12 hours to arrest one man for the brutal stabbing and shooting murder of a bank employee on the night of October 12, but another key suspect in the case remains at large. According the the Phuket Provincial Police website, Phuket City Police Duty Officer Nanon Pitakkulthon was notified on October 13 that a…
-
-
Two survive family “wipeout’ attempt
SAKOO: Police are investigating two possible motives for the shooting attack that left two rubber tappers dead and a third critically injured high in the Layan hills on Friday afternoon. Tah Chat Chai Police Inspector Somkid Khaosang identified the two deceased as Suppachai Nuan-eung and Boonrit Inthong. Both men were found dead at their hillside home, located off Layan Rd…
-
Salang revives threat
BANGKOK (The Nation): Police General Salang Bunnag yesterday revived his threat to “retake” Government House from the anti-government protesters, saying that his planned operation would begin after a religious ceremony to be held nearby on Wednesday. Salang, a former deputy police chief, said he would lead more than 1,000 inactive or retired policemen to retake the compound and return it…
-
TAT awards Dusit Laguna Phuket best hotel in South
PHUKET: Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket has won the 7th Thailand Tourism Award 2008 from the TAT for being the best hotel in the South with over 80 rooms. Criteria considered by the judges included the level of service, attention to protecting natural resources and the environment, sustaining art and culture, self-sufficiency and corporate social responsibility. General Manager of Dusit Thani…
-
Committee reverses decision on bypass U-turn
WICHIT: The U-turn on the bypass road in front of Phuket International Hospital (PIH) will remain open until a new set of traffic lights is completed further to the north, a provincial committee on traffic and road safety has decided. In a letter published in a local Thai-language newspaper on October 13, Phuket Governor Niran Kalyanamit announced the committee’s decision,…
-
PAD protest on National Police Day
PHUKET CITY: Ceremonies on Monday morning marking National Police Day had some unexpected guests, when some 300 People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protesters turned up to express their anger at the death of two PAD protesters who died from injuries sustained in clashes with police outside Parliament in Bangkok on October 7. Despite the unexpected guests, the ceremony got underway…
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.