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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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...
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Aussie arrested in Koh Pha Ngan after joyride on stolen motorcycle
Police arrested an Australian man for allegedly stealing a motorcycle from a rental shop in Koh Samui and taking it on a joyride to Koh Pha Ngan in the southern province of Surat Thani. The manager of the Fanta Group Car Rental Shop in Koh Samui, Jurairat Janrung, filed a complaint with Bor Phut Police Station on March 3, reporting…
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Thailand Video News | Cannabis-induced paranoia police chase, Gay couple arrested in Bangkok for drugs and extortion
In today’s news, Alex and Jay present a lineup of captivating stories from Thailand. From a Phuket villa manager’s fake robbery to conceal misused deposits, to a high-speed chase in Phetchabun due to cannabis consumption, the headlines are as varied as they are compelling. Other highlights include a romance scam defrauding a Thai millionaire, an intentional vehicle clash outside a…
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Pattaya ditches power poles for a wireless city
To revolutionise its urban landscape, Pattaya is making strides towards becoming a wireless city. Following the removal of overhead power lines along Walking Street, the city is now embarking on a new project to rid South Pattaya Road of unsightly power poles. Pattaya City, in collaboration with the Provincial Electricity Authority Pattaya branch, started the removal process yesterday, March 27.…
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Japanese Embassy’s medical vans transform Thailand healthcare
The Japanese Embassy has stepped up to bolster health and human rights initiatives by presenting four vehicles to the SWING Foundation. These vehicles are slated to revolutionise crucial services, ranging from HIV/AIDS testing to food aid, targeting service workers and homeless individuals in Bangkok and Pattaya. The SWING Foundation, renowned for its unwavering commitment to the welfare of service workers,…
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Pattaya’s waste revolution: MOI Waste Bank Week
The MOI Waste Bank Week event held at Wat Chong Lom Temple Community in Pattaya signals the establishment of waste banks by local government bodies. This eco-friendly drive, spurred by directives from the Chon Buri Provincial Administration, mandated the simultaneous launch of recyclable waste banks on January 1. Spearheaded by Pattaya’s Natural Resources and Environment Office on March 25, the…
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Thai woman admits to Chinese man’s credit card theft in Pattaya
A Thai woman finally confessed to stealing credit cards from a Chinese man after initially denying the theft. The thief even accused the foreigner of trying to rape her at his BBQ restaurant in Pattaya. The Chinese victim, 33 year old Dihui Wu Dihui, sought help from Bang Lamung Police Station officers saying a Thai woman, later identified as 31…
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Bangkok police nab repeat offender with drugs worth thousands
Bangkok’s narcotics suppression police made a significant arrest yesterday, detaining a 35 year old drug dealer in the Bang Sue district. The individual, Thawatchai, had been covertly distributing drugs to local youth and was found with a substantial stash of methamphetamine, ecstasy, ketamine, and Yaba pills at his residence. This latest operation was led by Police Colonel Suradet Chatthai, the…
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Exiled former celebrity minister Jakrapob returns to Thailand
A former television celebrity and one-time Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office has set tongues wagging with his unexpected announcement of returning to Thailand. This marks his comeback after a self-imposed exile lasting 15 years, undertaken to avoid lese majeste charges. Jakrapob Penkair posted on Facebook yesterday: “At 7.35 am on March 28, I will return to serve Thailand.” The…
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Foreign woman criticised for urinating on Bangla Road, Phuket
A viral video circulating on Thai social media captured a foreign woman, evidently intoxicated, urinating on the footpath of Bangla Road in Phuket on March 26. This incident prompted criticism from netizens directed at both the foreign woman and the Thai government. A Thai man shared a video of the foreign woman on Facebook yesterday, March 27. The 56-second video…
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Thai SMEs urged to leverage Secured Transaction Act for loans
The Thai Commerce Ministry is encouraging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to capitalise on the Secured Transaction Act. This act allows businesses to use assets with economic value, such as machinery, high-value trees, and intellectual property, as collateral for securing loans. Deputy Commerce Minister Napintorn Srisunpang made these remarks during the opening of the Business Collateral Fair. The event was…
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Bangkok travel: Airbnb’s ultimate creative guide revealed
Airbnb has rolled out its inaugural city guide, Airbnb Creative Guide to Bangkok, shedding light on the capital’s creative hubs, diverse neighbourhoods, and local influencers. Aligned with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s (BMA) mission to foster creative tourism and amplify Thailand’s soft power on the global stage, this guide is a collaborative effort, drawing insights from prominent Thai tastemakers and revered…
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Thai man defends himself after woman accuses him of sex scam
A Thai woman accused a man of using a fake online profile to trick her into meeting him at a resort in Udon Thani for sex. The accused man denied the allegations and shared a different side of the story to the public. A resort owner in the Nonghan district of Udon Thani urged Nonghan Police Station to come and…
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Thai govt accelerates Thai-European FTA negotiations
The Thai government is speeding up negotiations for the Thai-European Free Trade Association (EFTA) to conclude within the current year. This information followed a discussion between Commerce Minister Phuntham Wechayachai and Swiss Ambassador Pedro Zwahlen. The minister revealed that the talks are being hastened following the policy of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s administration, which desires to expand opportunities and bolster…
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Bitcoin forecast to break US$80,000 barrier by year-end
Cryptocurrency prices, particularly Bitcoin, have experienced an unexpected surge this year. The world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance’s chief executive, Richard Teng, previously predicted Bitcoin would conclude 2024 at approximately US$80,000. However, current market trends indicate that Bitcoin could surpass that figure before the year ends. Bitcoin’s popularity has been on the rise, reaching an all-time high of US$73,750 in mid-March.…
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Rising risk of influenza and dengue amid Covid-19 warns DDC
The Department of Disease Control (DDC) issued an alert about the escalating risk of influenza and dengue fever this year, amidst the persisting threat of Covid-19. The department’s recent communicable diseases report highlights the significance of these health risks. The department’s spokesperson, Dr Jurai Wongsawat, disclosed that the beginning of the year saw substantial clusters of influenza in schools, prisons,…
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Thai police forms special unit to tackle aggressive monkey menace
In the central plains province of Lop Buri, Thailand, a special police unit has been established to apprehend aggressive macaque monkeys causing havoc for the local populace. The head of the Lop Buri Provincial Police, 45 year old Apirak Vetkanchana, gave orders to 38 year old Kantaphon Wanna, the superintendent of Tha Hin Police, to organise a monkey suppression unit.…
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Koh Larn wind energy project under scrutiny for misuse of funds
The dream of harnessing wind energy to provide a sustainable power source for Koh Larn in Pattaya has sputtered to a halt, amidst allegations that the turbines stand broken and idle due to insufficient funds for repair. The wind turbine project, situated on Khao Nom Sao mountain near Samae Beach, was conceived back in 2006. With a hefty budget of…
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Thai tourism federation calls for urgent supply development
The Federation of Thai Tourism Associations (FETTA) has revealed its intention to present an urgent demand for supply development to the government. The appeal is due to a rising demand that is overburdening the existing infrastructure. This was disclosed by FETTA Secretary-General Adith Chairattananon. Adith explained that while the government has been keen on stimulating demand by granting visa exemptions…
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Fraudulent calls and messages surge by 18% in Thailand in 2023
Whoscall, the caller identification application, reported that fraudulent calls and messages plagued Thailand’s communication channels in 2023, with Thai citizens receiving an alarming 79 million dishonest messages and calls. This figure presents a notable 18% rise from the 66.7 million deceptive calls and messages recorded in 2022. The 2023 statistics were broken down into 20.8 million dubious calls and 58.3…
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Buriram celebrates BLACKPINK Lisa’s 27th birthday
Buriram celebrated BLACKPINK Lisa’s 27th birthday with a feast of meatball consumption and the unveiling of themed pants. Buriram came alive as it threw a grand celebration to mark the 27th birthday of Lalisa Manobal, better known as Lisa from the globally renowned girl group BLACKPINK. The event included the launch of Buriram’s special standing meatball consumption pants. Lisa, born…
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Pattaya halts national ID card issuance due to card shortage
Pattaya City Registration Office has been forced to slam the brakes on issuing national ID cards to Thai citizens due to a shortage of blank cards. Bunchaya Charoenphot, the astute Manager of the Registration and ID Card Operations Office, revealed that the scarcity of cards from the Provincial Registration Center in Chon Buri province has thrown a wrench into their…
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British court’s ruling on Julian Assange extradition is life-threatening
Stella Assange, the wife of Julian Assange, vehemently condemned the British court’s decision to approve her husband’s extradition to the United States, describing it as “an attack on Julian’s life.” Alongside Amnesty International and a number of human rights activists, she criticised the judgement made by the British court, yesterday, March 26. The court announced that it would seek assurances…
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Thailand house of representatives approves same-sex marriage bill
Thailand has taken a monumental leap forward in the quest for marriage equality, with the House of Representatives approving a same-sex marriage bill on its final reading. The bill, backed by all significant political parties, secured a resounding victory with 400 of the 415 members present voting in favour. A mere 10 representatives opposed the motion. Danuphorn Punnakanta, a Pheu…
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Thai durians go hi-tech with Tencent
Thai trade representative Narumon Pinyosinwat held talks with a Tencent executive in Hong Kong, alongside a representative from Shanghai East Best Foreign Trade (SEBFT), a leading durian importer from China. In a post-meeting address to the press, Narumon revealed a monumental deal: SEBFT committed to purchasing a staggering 3,000 containers of Thai durians, amounting to a whopping 10 billion baht.…
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Huai Yang Waterfall National Park to close from April 1
The Huai Yang Waterfall National Park in Thap Sakae, Prachuap Khiri Khan province is set to lock its gates to tourists from April 1 onwards. Somjet Chantana, Director of the Administration Office for Conservation Area 3 (Phetchaburi Branch), stated that the decision was reached after extensive discussions with Rakpong Boonyoi, the Head of Huai Yang Waterfall National Park. The closure,…
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Luxury vans intentionally crash in Pattaya pub drama
Local police in Pattaya are unravelling a startling incident involving luxury vans carrying Chinese tourists intentionally crashing into each other outside a secretive pub early yesterday morning. Police Colonel Nawin Theerawit, Pattaya’s police chief, revealed that the perpetrators could face charges of physical assault causing serious injury and attempted murder. According to the police chief, drivers purposefully collided with each…
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Gay couple arrested in Bangkok for drug and extortion operations
Police yesterday arrested a gay couple at a condominium in Nonthaburi province for drug sales and money extortion operations, targeting medical workers and high-flyers in the educational field. A Thai doctor sought help from the Investigation Division of the Metropolitan Bureau (IDMB) after falling victim to a 37 year old gay man named Krittaphat, also known as Top. Top got…
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Viral photo: Power pole piercing through sewer in Sisaket
A snapshot showing a power pole piercing a drainage pipe beside Highway 226 in Sisaket’s Uthumphon Phisai district has taken social media by storm. Within a day, the post, shared by the Watchdog.Act Facebook page, amassed a staggering 28,000 likes, accompanied by over 3,200 comments, and shared a whopping 2,400 times. Critics lambasted the contracted builders for their apparent oversight, failing…
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Phetchabun: Cannabis-induced hallucination triggers police chase
A 23 year old man experienced a hallucinatory episode after consuming cannabis, leading to a high-speed chase and subsequent arrest by local police. The incident began when the young man, identified only as Amorn, rode his motorcycle through a community area without a helmet, number plate, or necessary documentation. His erratic behaviour and modified vehicle caught the attention of police…
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Thai drama’s similarities with Korean series sparks controversy
A Thai drama’s debut has sparked buzz online as netizens compare its premiere shots to those of the Korean series Lovestruck in the City (2020). Titled Until We Love, the romantic comedy revolves around an unconventional relationship that develops between a stepson and his stepmother, portrayed by the popular duo Mark Prin and Yaya Urassaya. Directed by Nok Thanthaphon, the…
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